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Bobcats Hockey Blog
Site dedicated to all things relating to Quinnipiac Bobcats Men's Ice Hockey. Blog not affiliated with Quinnipiac University.
Weekend in Review: Quinnipiac vs Princeton
Quinnipiac sweeps Princeton for the second consecutive year
The second half of the season is officially underway and for Quinnipiac they got off to a great start with a sweep of the weekend series against the Princeton Tigers winning 3-1 and 4-3 in a home and home slate that began at Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday followed by the last home game in Hamden this decade on Sunday. It is the second consecutive year that Quinnipiac has swept Princeton. Here are my thoughts from the weekend games.
- How big were these four points for Quinnipiac? They moved from 10th to 5th in the ECAC standings in just a weekend and now have once again positioned themselves for a first round bye and home ice. Had the Bobcats got swept or even split it might have been a bit tougher to gain home ice but now its back in play for the Bobcats.
- It was a tale of two games for Quinnipiac who got off to a hot start in the first leg of the weekend series jumping on Princeton with two goals in the first period before getting a late power play goal from Wyatt Bongiovanni to win 3-1. Sunday night, the Bobcats fell down 2-0 and 3-2 before rallying and winning 4-3 with a late goal by Bongiovanni again. The sophomore leads Quinnipiac with 8 goals this season.
- Congratulations to junior Odeen Tufto who reached 100 points as a junior with his second assist of the night on Sunday. Tufto had a four point weekend with a goal and three assists after ending the first half of the season with four straight scoreless games. They are going to need more games like we saw over the weekend from Tufto down stretch if Quinnipiac wants to go deep into March.
- It was a big weekend for the Quinnipiac sophomores who had ten points and five of the seven goals. If the Bobcats are going to have a second half resurgence then its going to have to be the sophomore class that carries them. Wyatt Bongiovanni and Zach Metsa had three point weekends while Peter Diliberatore had a goal and assist.
- The Quinnipiac defense is starting to gain steam offensively. Four goals this weekend including two from Zach Metsa, one from Peter Diliberatore and the first collegiate goal from freshman Jayden Lee. They were also solid in their own end as well which will be key in the second half of the season.
- Don't look now but junior goaltender Keith Petruzzelli has continued his strong play from the end of the first half of the season. He was stellar on Saturday night with a 34 save effort and while he only had 23 saves on Saturday, he made some spectacular saves to keep Quinnipiac in the game. In 17 games this season he is 9-6-1 with a 2.26 goals against and a .914 save percentage. He continues to get better each week and has solidified the goal-tending position for the Bobcats especially after the early season struggles. I would expect Rand Pecknold to ride Petruzzelli all the way to March now.
- Quinnipiac played a very disciplined game this weekend not being penalized on Saturday and only having two minor penalties. If this team can play this way down the stretch it should bold well for them. Stay out of the box and just do your job and good things will happen.
- We saw the first game action this season for defensemen Marcus Chorney as Logan Britt did not play this weekend. Its unknown if this was due to injury or something else but Quinnipiac already lost two defensemen in Cam Boudreau and Wyatt Head who both departed back to the junior ranks after not playing in the first semester. Depth is now a concern back there with the losses so I wonder if getting game action for Chorney will help in case of other injury situations.
- Quinnipiac has two more big home games against Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend before a North Country trip. Harvard crushed Quinnipiac 7-2 in early November while the Bobcats skated to a 2-2 tie with Dartmouth. With Harvard tied for second in the league and Dartmouth tied with Quinnipiac for 5th currently, these are four huge points up for grabs this weekend that could determine where Quinnipiac finishes. Outside of a non-conference game against Holy Cross and the Connecticut Ice tournament, its all ECAC games from here on out.
You can follow the BobcatsHockeyBlog on Twitter @QHockeyBlog.
Posted by Jonathan Singer at 1:00 PM
Labels: Feature pieces, Game recaps
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Weekend Preview: Princeton Tigers
Defensemen Nick Bochen commits to Quinnipiac
Weekend in Review: Quinnipiac vs. Massachusetts
Jonathan Singer
I am 2004 Quinnipiac alumnus and started this site to follow all things Quinnipiac University Men's Hockey as they try to finish off the final piece of the puzzle in Division 1.
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ITV newsreader attends Christmas carol concert for Bowel Cancer UK
Join Bowel Cancer UK, the UK’s leading bowel cancer research charity, for a festive carol concert at St Marylebone Church, London on Thursday 8 December at 6pm attended by the charity’s Patron and ITV newsreader Charlene White.
Bowel Cancer UK’s Christmas carol concert, led by City of London School for Girls and the prestigious Jo Padfield quartet, is an unmissable part of Christmas in London. The choirs will sing family favourite Christmas carols mingled with seasonal readings from our Patron ITV newsreader Charlene White and other special guests, followed by festive refreshments.
St Marylebone Church will proudly host a Christmas tree for guests to write special messages to loved ones on a beautiful Bowel Cancer UK ‘Star of Hope’ decoration.
More than 44 people die from bowel cancer every day in the UK, it’s the nation’s second biggest cancer killer. However it shouldn’t be. It’s treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.
Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer research charity but they need help to save lives. That’s why we’re urging Londoners to attend our Christmas carol concert and support the charity’s vital research and lifesaving work to stop bowel cancer.
Tickets cost £15 each, and are available here.
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BP celebrates first graduation of its petro-technical learning programme
Release date: 4 September 2013
BP today hosted an event in Baku to celebrate the first successful graduation of its petro-technical resource entry programme (PREP). This multi-million dollar learning programme is designed for national petro-technical graduates and is aimed at supporting capability development of young engineers joining BP.
PREP was launched last year with 55 graduates specializing in surface engineering, subsurface, and wells disciplines. They were selected as the first PREP trainees from among approximately one thousand applicants to petro-technical graduate positions announced by BP in 2011.
Some 45 of these trainees have now successfully completed the programme joining BP’s global Challenge Programme - the next step of their career development, and three of them have been hired to various specialist roles within BP.
BP has already hired 88 graduates from various national and international universities for PREP’s second year. They were selected from among approximately 3000 applicants.
Addressing the graduation ceremony held in the Marriott Hotel of Baku today Gordon Birrell, BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, said:” The results of PREP’s first year have been very successful. They have allowed us to hire a record number of Azerbaijani nationals into petro-technical Challenger roles in 2013. I am confident that with each year we will be able to hire and train more and more national petro-technical engineers. I am looking forward to PREP’s another successful year with the 88 selected trainees who wish to join BP for their career. BP is proud to have initiated this unique learning programme which allows Azerbaijani national graduates with strong technical background to start preparing themselves for joining BP family in Azerbaijan. I would like to congratulate all successful trainees and welcome them to BP.”
Recruitment to PREP is held annually within BP’s graduate recruitment plans and the programme starts each September spanning over the period of eleven months.
PREP is designed as an international-standard learning and development tool to train young Azerbaijani petro-technical graduates for successful career path within BP. This is in line with BP plans to increase the number of national graduates that the company recruits annually to support its business growth in the region.
The programme is a preliminary step for national graduate hires in their development from university graduation to long-term professional career at BP. Therefore PREP’s training programme is specifically designed to help petro-technical graduates deepen their technical knowledge, business awareness, and communication and English language skills. It is also designed as an arena for learning how to link these skills with practical application in the oil and gas industry.
The programme is delivered by Heriot-Watt University (UK), a leading and reputable international school for business and industry, and TTE-Petrofac (UK).
In addition to PREP, BP itself and jointly with its co-venturers has to date developed and operated many other successful learning tools to help professional development of national technical and petro-technical experts. These include the Caspian Technical Training Center (CTTC) located at the Sangachal Terminal and BP’s internal Challenge programme.
Speech by Gordon Birrell, BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey||
Tamam Bayatly, BP Baku Press office, telephone: 994 (0) 12 599 4557
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Humans of Madison
Darts & Pats
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2019 Football Playoffs
Place’s battalion was selected for the flyover on the day his alma mater was playing Dargie’s alma mater — the University of New Hampshire.
Tristan Lorei | The Breeze
The couple is thinking of planning their wedding for fall 2020.
Alumnus proposes to girlfriend during battalion recognition
Amy Needham | The Breeze
Last Saturday, on a brisk afternoon just before kickoff, Andrea Dargie watched from below as her boyfriend, JMU alumnus and 1st Lt. Blake Place (’15), flew over Bridgeforth Stadium with his battalion. Place is part of the Virginia National Guard’s 2nd of the 224th Assault Helicopter Battalion that was invited to perform a flyover of the field for the football game.
They’d be thanked for their service in the third quarter — and Dargie would get the surprise of her life.
The couple met in 2017 in Fort Rucker, Alabama. Place was in flight school, while Dargie was working as a mechanical engineer at the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory. Place said after their separate friend groups met each other, the two became close. Then, he decided to tell Dargie how he felt, and their relationship began.
“One night, I just straight up told her [that I liked her] because I was getting ready to leave flight school within about three weeks or so,” Place said. “I really didn’t think I had a shot … [but] she responded with, ‘I like you, too.’”
This past Saturday was a special day for the couple. It just so happened that Place’s battalion was selected for the flyover on the day his alma mater was playing Dargie’s alma mater — the University of New Hampshire. He knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do something special for her. With the help of the friends in his unit, Place planned the ultimate proposal.
“I’d been trying to figure out how I’d like to propose, and I’d always thought I’d do it in a super small setting, which is what she’d hinted at before,” Place said. “We formulated this plan over a couple beers, and we knew we had to do it this way because, I mean, the stars aligned.”
Capt. Chuck Cavender, Place’s friend in the battalion, pitched the idea of proposing on the field after he learned their unit would be recognized on the field after the flyover. With some persuasion, Place agreed, and they got permission from the JMU athletic and marketing departments to make it happen.
Despite the extensive planning, Cavender said Place was nervous. Before taking the field, Place could hardly think.
“A few minutes prior to him going on the field, we were like, ‘Hey, what are you going to say?’ and he had no clue,” Cavender said. “[We were] like, ‘Well, we probably need to think about this so you don’t completely mess it up in front of thousands of people.’”
When it came time for the battalion to take the field, Dargie watched as each crew member was recognized. Then, Place was given a microphone and called for Dargie. Despite his stress, he got down on one knee and delivered his short speech.
“Andrea Dargie, you may be a Wildcat — UNH — and I a Duke, but ever since I first met you, I knew you were the one,” Place said. “Andrea Dargie, will you marry me?”
Dargie’s hands covered her face in shock, and she doubled over in disbelief. She said she was apprehensive about being the center of attention in the eyes of almost 20,000 people. At first, it didn’t register that Place was proposing. But once he started talking, she said it felt like the crowd vanished, and it was just the two of them.
“I was really just focused on him, and it still felt like such a special moment,” Dargie said. “It did definitely say something that he was doing it in front of his entire unit … and the fact that it was in front of his family and his friends.”
The proposal wasn’t the last surprise for Dargie. Place’s family was present for the special moment, but because Dargie’s family lives in Alabama, she didn’t expect to see any of hers. But as the newly engaged couple walked off the field, Dargie’s mom appeared.
“I thought it would be a very important thing to incorporate her family as best as possible, so without her knowing, I got her mom to come up here,” Place said. “So, that was the icing on the cake for the event.”
While Dargie and Place are still in the beginning stages of wedding preparations, Dargie said she has an idea of when she’d like to have the wedding. And after such a public proposal, they’re looking forward to settling down and enjoying their engagement.
“Tentatively, I’ve thought of fall 2020,” Dargie said. “[And our] plans for the future are to spend our lives together and just enjoy life.”
Contact Amy Needham at needhaal@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter @Breeze_Culture.
Jmu Couple
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Full charges against man accused of stabbing cats revealed
Man charged with carrying a sword concealed as an umbrella
//September 16, 2019
Police ask for help to find missing Peacehaven girl
Police have issued a public appeal for help to find a missing schoolgirl from Peacehaven who is believed to be in Brighton. Sussex Police said today (Monday 16 September): “Police are searching for Keira Puriwal, 13, who is missing from her home in Peacehaven. “Keira was last...
Posted On 16 Sep 2019 at 10:25 pm
Get ‘Down Down’ to see Status Quo in Brighton
Famed British rockers Status Quo are following on from their triumphant Hyde Park ‘Radio 2 Live’ show and coming back to reclaim their position on the live circuit – with the ‘Backbone’ UK Winter Tour in 2020 which includes an appearance at the Brighton Centre. Quo will be...
Posted On 16 Sep 2019 at 7:12 pm
, By Nick Linazasoro
Scrutiny report ruled out for school transport chaos
Parents and carers of children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) were given a full apology for the distress caused by the home to school transport chaos. Since the start of the new term, children attending some mainstream schools and two special schools –...
, By Sarah Booker-Lewis, local democracy reporter
Simply Red to play Brighton Centre concert
Simply Red have not only recently announced the arrival of their funky new album, ‘Blue Eyed Soul’, which will be released on November 8th on BMG, but today they have now revealed the details for a highly anticipated 13-date UK and Ireland 2020 arena tour, which includes an...
Victim named as two Brighton kitchen workers remanded in custody charged with murder
Two Italian kitchen workers from Brighton, charged with murder, were remanded in custody when they appeared at Lewes Crown Court today (Monday 16 September). Francesco Dagostino, 44, of Stafford Road, Brighton, and Giuseppe Petriccione, 45, of no fixed address, were being held at...
The Cars lead singer Rick Ocasek has died
It’s with saddened heart that we have today learnt of the passing of The Cars frontman Rick Ocasek. He was 75 and early reports state that he was discovered yesterday in his Manhattan home by his estranged wife Paulina Porizkova. The cause of death currently remains unconfirmed,...
Revealed: Cost-cutting school transport consultants paid £75k in two months
Cost-cutting consultants were paid £75,000 within two months for their work on the new home to school transport contracts in Brighton and Hove. They are understood to be in line for further payments. The result of the new contracts has been described as “a fiasco” and “chaos”,...
Elm disease forces Brighton tree surgeon to fell tree he planted 40 years ago
A tree surgeon was forced to fell a tree he had planted as a sapling more than 40 years ago in Preston Park after it succumbed to elm disease. When trainee tree surgeon Leo Lamont joined Brighton and Hove City Council back in the late 1970s one of his first jobs was to plant a...
, By Jo Wadsworth
Missing Brighton and Hove woman has been found
A missing woman from Brighton and Hove has been found, Sussex Police said yesterday (Sunday 15 September). Sibylla Childs, from Portslade, was initially reported to be missing from her home address “near Queen’s Park”, in Brighton. She went missing in the early hours of Friday...
School transport fiasco spurs parents to seek urgent answers from Brighton and Hove education chiefs
A parents and carers’ group has drawn up an urgent action plan to tackle the school transport chaos affecting some of the most vulnerable children in Brighton and Hove. The Parent Carers Council (PaCC) has urged Brighton and Hove City Council to address underlying problems too....
Posted On 16 Sep 2019 at 7:10 am
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Bruce Oake Recovery Centre
A place for recovery, healing, and a foundation for life
Bruce's Story
Long Term Treatment
Community and Security
What security will the facility have in place?
Staff will be on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There will be curfews, random and mandatory drug testing and security cameras. Clients will adhere to a rigorous daily schedule which is monitored by staff.
Who will be able to access the program?
The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre will be open to adult males suffering from drug and alcohol addiction who meet stringent intake criteria and are fully committed to living a sober life.
Can someone, including high risk offenders, be court ordered to attend this facility?
Although courts can order people to attend a treatment facility, the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre will have the right to refuse anyone. Clients must be at least 18 years of age and clean upon entry. The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre will only accept clients who CHOOSE treatment of their own volition. Anyone seeking admittance from any justice system must provide a detailed criminal record for review and will not be accepted if they are deemed a threat to the safety of the neighbourhood.
Who owns the curling club and are there plans to turn the curling club into a similar Women’s only Recovery Centre?
The curling club is owned privately and therefore cannot be deemed surplus by the City of Winnipeg. The Bruce Oake has no interest in the facility for an expansion.
What are the security policies?
Virtually every hour of a client's day will be accounted for at the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre. On average for the first 12 to17 weeks of treatment clients will spend most of their time in the facility with limited provisions to leave. Once they enter the next phase of the program clients will be required to pursue employment while maintaining their sobriety and assigned schedule. Clients will be required to sign in and out to ensure staff can account for all clients.
There will be a fence surrounding the facility to ensure clear and healthy boundaries for community members and clients.
The facility security system which will provide interior and exterior views of the building will be monitored 24 hours a day off site.
All visitors will be required to sign in and out. Visitor lockers will be provided and monitored to ensure the continued protection of clients.
Who will pay for path/park changes required because of this development?
The Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation will be responsible for all costs associated with required changes and additions to any of the green space.
In addition, the men of the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre will maintain the tennis courts, participate in creek clean-ups and clear paths as needed.
Recreation Facilities and Greenspace
What will happen to the current greenspace?
The facility and parking lot will be built on a reduced size footprint of the former Vimy Arena. Therefore, additional greenspace will be added as the current plans call for the facility to use 18% less greenspace than is currently taken up by the Vimy Arena.
Is there a potential of shared use of a gym / recreation space?
Community use of the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre is a priority. There will be a separate entrance to the gymnasium, public change rooms and washrooms along with a curtain wall to protect client’s anonymity. The Centre will seek a community use agreement but, it will be built with community access in mind.
How can we be assured that the greenspace will remain, and further construction will not occur?
We are specifically requesting to both the Province of Manitoba and The City of Winnipeg that provisions clearly ensure that The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre never exceed a maximum of 50 beds at this location and never expand past the originally approved footprint. The Bruce Oake Foundation is making this request as it recognizes the value residents place on their greenspace. An earlier version of the business plan referred to expansion but, it will never be at this site.
Were other sites considered in City?
Yes, we have reviewed all surplus properties available on the City of Winnipeg Surplus list. Based on accessibility to public transit, the seclusion of the location to protect client anonymity and the serenity of the property the Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation and team felt this location was very fitting and as such pursued it.
Land Acquisition and Greenspace
What is the process to get the land and building?
The first vote occurred in January of 2018 which was the first step in the process. Now the Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation has commenced the re-zoning process which is a requirement prior to any transfer of the land to the Province of Manitoba. If the re-zoning is not successful, the Province of Manitoba will not take possession of the land and it will remain in City of Winnipeg hands.
How can I find out about the re-zoning process?
For Zoning By-law inquiries please contact the Zoning and Permits Branch at 204-986-5140
Unit 31 - 30 Fort Street (Fort Garry Place)
Copies of zoning maps can be purchased at
The Map Store, Mezzanine Level, 65 Garry Street (Fort Garry Place) phone 311
Will the facility be performing detox?
No detox will occur at the facility all clients must be clean and stabilized when starting their recovery journey at the Bruce Oake Centre.
Centre Operations
Is this a for profit centre?
No. The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre operates as a registered not-for-profit organization with charitable status.
Who is on the Board of Directors?
The Board of Directors is comprised of the following individuals.
Scott Oake
Anne Oake
Darcy Oake
Brett Franklin
Stacey Petersen
Todd Lovallo
Ross Rutherford
Susan Millican
Bob Kozminski
Ken Keats
Who will be running the facility?
The Board of Directors will oversee the overall administration of the facility, however the day-to-day operations of the centre will be run by specialized addiction professionals from Fresh Start in Calgary.
What does typical day look like for clients?
The day of each client will be governed by a full schedule as structure and accountability are critical elements of recovery. The purpose of the curfews and drug testing mentioned above is to ensure only clients committed to and actively working on their sobriety remain in the facility.
How many staff will be employed?
The staff ratio will be one per two clients. The Recovery Centre will be staffed 24/7 to closely monitor clients' schedules and activities.
What is the methodology for treatment?
The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre will offer a range of complimentary services and resources essential for recovery. At the core of the program is the Twelve Step Model with behavioural therapy that recognizes addiction as a chronic disease. The program ideology is based on following key values such as accessibility, flexibility, inclusivity, customization and accountability.
Why did you choose to partner with Fresh Start Recovery Centre?
Fresh Start has a well proven track record over its 25 years of existence. It provides a comprehensive long-term treatment program with a success rate of more than double industry averages. It has been recognized as the best Recovery Centre in Canada and has been named Canada's number 1 social service agency.
Will my property value decrease?
Property values decrease for a variety of reasons such as increased mortgage rates, the economy, environment and proximity to schools. There is simply no fact-based evidence that Recovery Centers in Canada negatively affect property values.
Why would you build this facility in a community as opposed to an industrial area?
Clients of treatment facilities are our fathers, our brothers, our sons, our loved ones. They are already living among us. The best treatment for the disease of addiction is connection and connection are best achieved in a residential treatment and recovery centre located in a supportive and inclusive community. People seeking recovery have far less a chance of success if they are isolated in an industrial area.
Will you add a condition to the rezoning that restricts land use to just an addiction treatment and recovery centre with maximum 50 beds?
Yes, the rezoning will restrict land use to a maximum 50-bed transitional housing facility providing longer-term supports for alcohol and drug addiction.
How long have you been working to get a facility going?
The Oake family has been working to bring a long-term treatment facility to Winnipeg since the loss of Bruce in 2011.
Bruce Oake Memorial Fund
PO Box 61084 Grant Park,
Winnipeg, MB R3M 3X8
P: (204) 487-1753 E: info@bruceoakerecoverycentre.ca
© 2020 Bruce Oake Memorial Fund
Website built and proudly supported by Visual Lizard Inc.
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Bruce Hornsby setlists 2019
Over 50,000 Bruce Hornsby downloads last week!
Hornsby Grateful Dead covers: Bruce Does the…
Download: Bruce Hornsby Lowell, MA .. August…
Absolute Zero – track by track
About TWLOHA – To Write Love On…
Absolute Zero: the music press reviews
George Marinelli interview, guitarist with The Range
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The Way It Is: original reviews from 1986
The Way It Is broke in 1986 in England and Holland before the USA. Every Little Kiss had already been out as a single in May of that year, with little success.
So by the time The Way It Is was released in September, the first single had been around for some time.
Here are the music press reviews from that time, before it made its way into the public consciousness and became an iconic song.
The Way It Is, 1986
There isn’t a second of Bruce Hornsby & the Range’s The Way It Is that suggests it’s a debut album. On the contrary, the record sounds like the culmination of a band’s efforts over many years. The group has a distinct sound of its own, often led by Hornsby’s bright piano chords and elastic tenor, with cohesive and evocative arrangements; there is new age music here, as well as jazz and country, and the mixture is presented naturally by musicians who seem to have been playing with each other for some time. Similarly, the songwriting has its own flavor. Hornsby wrote seven of the nine songs with his brother John Hornsby, and they create their own world, a working-class environment of longing and loneliness set against the background of the Virginia Tidewater area. (The album cover displays a sepia-toned photograph of the band set over another photograph of the long Chesapeake Bay Bridge.) The lyrics are lightly poetic and restrained, for the most part. The exception is the title song (written by Bruce Hornsby alone), a brave if somewhat clumsily written attack on the heartless right-wing politics of the mid-’80s, as the U.S. suffered through a second Reagan administration determined to roll back civil rights gains. The boldness of the statement and the lovely piano theme more than compensate for the awkward writing, however, making the song one of the album’s most memorable. And that’s saying a lot when the competition includes the engaging “Mandolin Rain” and the appealingly romantic “Every Little Kiss” (Hornsby’s other sole writing credit). Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that the music is so accomplished. Hornsby was no teenage neophyte when he made it, having kicked around the music business and gotten into his thirties, and the band includes such veterans as David Mansfield, who may be remembered as a member of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder troupe and the Alpha Band, as well as being a film composer. Sometimes a debut album just happens to be the first music most people get to hear by a mature talent, and that’s the case here on the debut album of the year.
Philadelphia News, August 29 1986
Listening to the debut LP by Bruce Hornsby and the Range (“The Way It Is,” RCA) warms me with the same sort of inner glow that those first landmark albums by Little Feat, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and The Band sparked many moons ago. And the fact that Hornsby is playing a $2 concert for WIOQ at the Trocadero on Wednesday brings such cheer that I may just come out of my post- Folk Festival, end-of-summer depression after all.
Chicago Tribune, September 5 1986
Would Huey’s good word clinch that recording deal for you? Possibly–and possibly not. Consider the case of vocalist/keyboard player/songwriter Bruce Hornsby, who was looking for a label that would sign his band, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, a while back. Hornsby indeed had Lewis talking up his cause in the corridors of the music industry, but in the end it was a kind of left- handed turn of fate, not Lewis’ efforts, that got Hornsby and his band their contract with RCA Records.
Hornsby formed the Range in Los Angeles in 1984, after spending some time as a session performer and songwriter. The band made some demo tapes and began shopping them around to labels. A couple of years earlier, Huey Lewis had asked Hornsby if he could record a song Hornsby had written. At the time, Hornsby thought, mistakenly, that he might be on the verge of getting a record deal, so he decided to keep the song for himself and turned down Lewis. “In hindsight,” says Hornsby, “that was not a very great move. But Huey and I became friends, and he just helped me out later, championed our cause in the music industry for two or three years. He would call record companies. For example, the band made one demo and turned it in to a label. The label pondered it for a few days. Well, Huey called them one day and said, ‘This is Huey Lewis. Sign the Range.’ He was always in there pitching for us. Ironically, that wasn’t what knocked down the doors for us finally, but that’s the sort of thing he would do.”
Wichita Eagle, November 30 1986
There’s not much here to look at – a stark stage, a piano, a couple of faces we haven’t seen before. Boring, huh? Hardly. Minimalistic? Quite, but that’s the quality that makes “The Way It Is” the most refreshing, cerebral video making the rounds today. Bruce Hornsby, keyboard artist supreme, is the best new bread-and-butter rock ‘n’ roll has had since the mid-’70s days of Bruce Springsteen.
Chicago Tribune, December 12 1986
The lucky–and very talented–fellow is keyboardist Bruce Hornsby, who with his group the Range has gone all the way to No. 1 on both the pop and adult contemporary charts with “The Way It Is,” a moody pop/rock song with a social message as powerful as its melodic line. And now, Lewis stands to lose because of his protege’s belated success. The No. 1 ascent of the “The Way It Is” single (up from No. 4 last week) came at the expense of Lewis’ own single, “Hip to Be Square,” which failed to move up from No. 3 this week. And on the album charts, Lewis’ “Fore!” (now No. 4) is in danger of being passed by Hornsby, probably by next week.
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Your top lyrics
Some live life with eyes that don’t see
They look away at the time of your greatest need
Some talk, some’ll just do, some turn their back
Turn around and just walk away I know I’ve done that
Lonely days and lonely nights
Easy to be cynical never put yourself on the line
I’d like to reach out well why don’t I
Take the load up off your back I’d like to try
— chosen by Aaron Pritchett
About Bruuuce.com
Si and Bruuuce.com have been chronicling the work and music of Bruce Hornsby since 1998, with great help from the Bruuuce.com community upon which this site is built. Thank you for your support, especially for our charity projects for the ALS Association and the Merlin Centre for Multiple Sclerosis care.
(c) 2019 - www.bruuuce.com. All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by Si Twining
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Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo: ‘We Will Continue To Fight… Until The Rapture’
Dangerous Christian extremist: Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is caught on video promoting the Rapture.
Social media is on fire after a 2015 video has been rediscovered showing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussing the Rapture. In the video Pompeo expresses his opposition to same-sex marriage while addressing a church congregation. In the video Pompeo declares:
Trump's SECRETARY OF STATE, America's chief diplomat, said "We will continue to fight these battles, it is a never ending struggle… until the Rapture." Holy shit. pic.twitter.com/M727uMoq4w
— Tommy X-TrumpIsARacist-opher (@tommyxtopher) December 27, 2018
“Until the Rapture”? Ouch! Those are not reassuring words coming from the Secretary of State.
More from the video:
One of the "battles" Pompeo is going to fight until the Rapture: opposing marriage equality. He's talking about the Obergefell decision, this is from 6-28-2015 pic.twitter.com/8HEUW6iyFA
And here's Pompeo endorsing a prayer that called multiculturalism and homosexuality "evil." "We'd endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle." pic.twitter.com/s6YdB8QGfl
The fact is, Pompeo has a well deserved reputation as a dangerous Christian extremist. Indeed, Pompeo has even gone so far as to endorse the notion of a “Holy War” between Christians and Muslims, and believes the fight against terrorism is a war between Islam and Christianity.
Speaking at a church group in Wichita, Kansas, in 2014, Pompeo claimed that Christianity was the “only solution” to combat terrorism, arguing that the greatest “threat to America” is caused by “people who deeply believe that Islam is the way.”
Pompeo told the church-goers:
This threat to America is from people who deeply believe that Islam is the way and the light and the only answer.
These folks believe that it is religiously driven for them to wipe Christians from the face of the earth.
Pompeo continued:
They (Muslims) abhor Christians, and will continue to press against us until we make sure that we pray and stand and fight and make sure that we know thatJesus Christ our savior is truly the only solution for our world.
That’s right, the Secretary of State, America’s top diplomat, believes that “Jesus Christ our savior is truly the only solution for our world.”
Bottom line: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is a dangerous Christian extremist. His Holy War mentality is alarming, and his open contempt for LGBT people is deplorable. Finally, any man who believes in the Rapture and claims that “Jesus Christ our savior is truly the only solution for our world” is simply not fit to serve in any significant foreign policy capacity.
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Gigi Hadid Is Being Sued By A Photo Agency For Posting A Copyrighted Image Of Herself To Instagram
“Most if not all of these photographs were posted by Hadid without license or permission from the copyright holder.”
By Michael Blackmon
Michael Blackmon BuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on January 30, 2019, at 12:59 p.m. ET
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
A New York City–based photo agency is suing supermodel Jelena Noura “Gigi” Hadid for copyright infringement in a new lawsuit filed Monday.
Xclusive-Lee alleged the model used one of its photographs and posted it to her Instagram, where the star has more than 44 million followers.
The image in question, which has since been deleted, showed Hadid looking straight to camera wearing a denim outfit and silver-looking heels.
According to the suit, “Hadid had first-hand knowledge that copying and posting photographs, of herself or other subject matters, to her Instagram or other social media accounts that she did not properly license or otherwise receive permission from the copyright holder constituted copyright infringement.”
The agency said that as of Monday’s filing, they’d found at least 50 examples on Hadid’s Instagram of uncredited photos of the model at various press events, including runway photos.
“Most if not all of these photographs were posted by Hadid without license or permission from the copyright holder,” the agency said.
Ben Gabbe / Getty Images
The lawsuit is part of a growing trend of celebrities being sued for posting copyrighted photos of themselves, usually taken by paparazzi.
BuzzFeed News reported in December that photo agencies have become a lot more aggressive when it comes to stars who use their images — without credit — on their social channels.
Some of the most popular celebrities, including Kim Kardashian West, Jennifer Lopez, 50 Cent, and Jessica Simpson have all been impacted.
This has caused some celebs to shell out thousands of dollars in legal fees, while others have settled out of court over image disputes.
“The photographer owns the copyright to the photograph; it doesn’t matter who is in it,” entertainment lawyer Bryan Sullivan told BuzzFeed News. “The subject of the photo doesn’t have any rights to the picture as long as it was taken in a public place.”
You can read the suit filed against Hadid below:
GigiHadid (PDF)
GigiHadid (Text)
Celebrities Are Being Sued For Posting Paparazzi Photos Of Themselves On Social Media Claudia Rosenbaum · Dec. 26, 2018
Michael Blackmon is an entertainment reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York.
Contact Michael Blackmon at michael.blackmon@buzzfeed.com.
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Technical Assistance Report No. TA-80-42, Hardin Memorial Hospital, Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
Stephenson RL; Albrecht WN; Drotman DP
Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, TA 80-42,1980 Sep; :1-13
Worker exposures to ethylene-oxide (75218) (EtO) and isopropyl- alcohol (67630) (IpA) were determined at the Hardin Memorial Hospital (SIC-8060) in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on February 28 and 29, 1980. The evaluation was requested by a representative of the Bureau of Epidemiology, Center for Disease Control, on behalf of the approximately two affected workers. Area and general air samples were collected in the central supply room where the EtO sterilization unit was located. Trace concentrations of EtO and IpA were found only in two samples. The OSHA standards for IpA and EtO are 400 and 50 parts per million, respectively, for an 8 hour time weighted average. The authors conclude that no health hazard due to EtO and IpA exists at this hospital. Recommendations are made regarding ventilation and work practices.
NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; TA-80-42; Health-care-facilities; Hazards-Unconfirmed; Region-4; Air-contamination; Air-sampling; Control-methods; Workplace-studies
75-21-8; 67-63-0
Field Studies; Technical Assistance
TA-80-42
DSHEFS
KY; OH
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Manifestations et projets
Données nationales
Cedefop en bref
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Learning outcomes here to stay, but a lot of work still to be done – Cedefop conference
A lively two-day debate at the Cedefop conference on the shift to learning outcomes and its impact (21 and 22 November 2013, Thessaloniki) concluded that learning outcomes are here to stay but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Opening the conference, Cedefop Director James Calleja told 140 participants from 27 countries that ‘learning outcomes raise the employability profile of qualifications’. He talked about ‘an issue of paramount importance’ to European vocational education and training (VET) and lifelong learning developments, and added that ‘the challenge for all of us is to converge diverging approaches in writing learning outcomes’.
‘Working on qualifications and learning outcomes has been one of Cedefop’s key activities’, noted Mr Calleja.
In her keynote speech, Cedefop’s Head of Area Enhanced Cooperation in VET and Lifelong Learning, Mara Brugia, said that ‘the learning outcomes principle can be seen as the “glue” binding together a wide range of European initiatives taken during recent years’. She stressed that ‘Europass, the EQF, ECVET and ESCO, to name but a few, not only build on this principle, but are active promoters of it’.
Ms Brugia said that ‘learning outcomes have moved to the centre stage of education and training policies in a way we had not seen before’. She argued that the increased focus on learning outcomes in the policy agenda ‘is linked to the need for a better connection between education and training and employment’.
The development of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) has been the most visible expression of the shift to learning outcomes, Ms Brugia believes. ‘NQFs have supported the implementation of learning outcomes in areas they hadn't been applied before’, she added.
According to Ms Brugia, ‘our main challenge lies in transforming expected outcomes into actual outcomes, i.e. into knowledge, skills and competences delivered by schools and held by learners. The way we monitor and review this transformation is critical and has not been sufficiently addressed in European debates so far’. She proposes considering two key issues to address this challenge: the relationship between education and training and the labour market, and the link between quality assurance and learning outcomes.
Three workshops on the first day of the conference came up with several suggestions on these issues, summarised by Jean Gordon, Director of the European Institute of Education and Social Policy.
Suggestions included: putting learners at the centre of processes; more active involvement of all groups of stakeholders; promoting common understanding and language across subsectors of education and training; more support for teachers/trainers across Europe; and stronger links between learning outcomes, governance and quality assurance.
At the discussion panels diverse opinions were expressed. University of Bremen’s Georg Spottl said that the learning outcomes discussion must have ‘a human-orientated and not economic approach’.
Austria’s Lorenz Lassnigg argued that the only way to make learning outcomes work is to shift them from the political to the pedagogical level.
European Commission’s Ana Carla Pereira emphasised that the learning outcomes debate is ‘unknown to those outside education and training’. The Commission, she added, is about to launch a consultation on skills and qualifications to promote the debate and break boundaries.
Social partners’ representatives find positives in the process. BUSINESS EUROPE’s Barbara Dorn said that ‘employers see the impact of a general shift to learning outcomes in our everyday work’, while ETUC’s Laurence Martin argued that ‘we need to be as near to the end users’ needs as possible.’
Eduard Staudecker, of Austria’s Federal Ministry of Education, stressed the ‘need to bring teachers to the new concept because it affects their autonomy’ and added that companies have been left out of the learning outcomes discussion.
In his closing remarks, Cedefop Deputy Director Christian Lettmayr pointed out that the learning outcomes concept is deeply human and deeply individual but also complex, requiring a change of culture. ‘There is a long road ahead’, he concluded.
Pays lié:
Access to education and training
Teachers and trainers
Validation of learning outcomes
Thème lié:
Projet lié:
Type d'information:
Rapports nationaux
Statistiques et indicateurs
Notre mandat
Finances et budget
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Beijing to Roll Out New Household Waste Sorting Rules
By Yang Rui and Ren Qiuyu
A grinning lady deposits trash into a garbage sorting station at a residential development in Beijing on July 5. Photo VCG
Household waste sorting regulations will come into effect in China’s capital on May 1 next year, the Beijing government announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
The announcement comes as landfills around the country are filling up faster than planned. China aims for 46 cities to have revamped garbage-sorting systems by the end of next year and for the cities to increase their recycling rates to at least 35%. In June, Shanghai rolled out its new waste classification guidelines, and Beijing is now officially set to follow suit next year.
The new regulations stipulate that household waste must be sorted into separate collection containers for kitchen waste, recyclable waste, hazardous waste and other waste. The rules, which were passed at a Wednesday meeting of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, the municipal legislature, simplified the classifications in an attempt to ensure ease of use.
Chang Jiwen, deputy director of the Institute for Resources and Environment at the Development Research Center of the State Council, told Caixin that enforcement of the guidelines had been postponed from March until May to ensure a smooth transition. “After all, garbage sorting is a long-term process,” he said. Chang also said that the regulations would increase public awareness.
Under the regulations, the main bodies responsible for sorting domestic waste are individuals and work units. The governments of individual districts must organize collection.
In addition to sorting household waste, the city is banning supermarkets, shopping malls, and other markets from offering customers super-thin plastic bags, and violators will face a 10,000 yuan ($1,420) penalty. Restaurants and food delivery platforms will no longer offer disposable items unless requested, the regulations say.
Work units that produce domestic waste — such as government offices — are also encouraged to promote paperless offices, increase the proportion of recycled paper they use, and stop using disposable cups. Express delivery businesses will be required to use electronic receipts and environmentally friendly packaging materials. Such enterprises are also encouraged to recycle packaging materials.
The revised regulations also lay out punishments for individuals failing to properly sort their garbage, which range from a written warning to a 200 yuan fine. Work units may be fined between 1,000 yuan and 50,000 yuan for violations.
Though garbage sorting was introduced in some major cities two decades ago, surveys have shown that few people are aware of how to identify different kinds of trash, let alone sort it. A survey conducted by the Vanke Foundation and data consultancy Dataway in 2018 found that nearly three-quarters of urban residents in 17 major cities were unable to correctly identify how to sort trash.
Contact reporter Ren Qiuyu (qiuyuren@caixin.com)
Caixin China Biz Roundup: China Sets Facial Recognition Guidelines
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https://www.careersinfosecurity.com/
Joseph Burton
Christopher Carr
Karen Jackson
Commonwealth of Virginia
The State of Patient Identity Management: 2019 Survey Results Report
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U.S. Charges 6 Chinese with Insider Theft
DoJ: Secrets from U.S. Firms Used to Start Up a Chinese Venture Eric Chabrow (GovInfoSecurity) • May 19, 2015
A lab at Skyworks Solutions, where trade secrets were allegedly pilfered.
Federal authorities have indicted six Chinese nationals for economic espionage, and apprehended the ringleader, a Chinese professor, accusing him of pilfering trade secrets from the computer systems of two American high-tech companies, where he and a co-conspirator once worked. Those trade secrets helped the co-defendants get the Chinese government and a leading university to back their venture, prosecutors say.
Authorities nabbed Hao Zhang on May 16 after his flight landed in Los Angeles from China, and charged him and five other Chinese nationals with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets in a decade-long, insider theft scheme aimed to benefit the Chinese government and a university, the Justice Department disclosed May 19 in a 32-count indictment.
Revelation of the indictments of the six Chinese nationals comes exactly one year after the U.S. charged five Chinese military officers for hacking U.S. companies, incidents federal authorities contend resulted in the shuttering of three American steel plants (see U.S. Charges 5 Chinese with Hacking).
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin says the Justice Department will continue to "relentlessly identify, pursue and prosecute offenders wherever the evidence leads. ... Economic espionage imposes great costs on American businesses, weakens the global marketplace and ultimately harms U.S. interests worldwide."
Defendants Face Decades in Prison
If convicted, each of the defendants could be sentenced to decades in prison and fined hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, except for Zhang, none of the other defendants in both cases have been arrested.
The U.S. government has complained at the highest levels to the Chinese government about the theft by the Chinese of intellectual property from American companies, an accusation that the Chinese generally dismiss. "No country should be involved in the theft of trade secrets and proprietary information that benefits their commercial sector," Christopher Painter, the U.S. State Department's cyber policy coordinator, said in an interview with Information Security Media Group (see the Rapid Evolution of Cyber Diplomacy). "We're going to continue to press that. That's critically important to us."
Chinese hacking came up at a Senate hearing last week on cyber-diplomacy, in which Painter identified four critical norms of cyber behavior, including nations not conducting or enabling intellectual property theft. In that hearing, James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he doubted the Chinese government would agree anytime soon to the norm regarding intellectual property theft. "Having sat in a room for many days with ... Chinese diplomats and military officials, we're not going to get them to agree anytime soon," Lewis said (see Promoting Cyber Norms of Behavior).
Details from Indictment
According to the indictment, Zhang met another defendant, Wei Pang, at the University of Southern California during their doctoral studies in electrical engineering. While at USC, Pang and Zhang conducted research funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on thin-film bulk acoustic resonator technology known as FBAR.
FBAR technology filters incoming and outgoing wireless signals so that users only receives and transmits the specific communications they intended. FBAR technology offers numerous applications for a variety of consumer, military and defense communications technologies.
After earning their doctorates about 10 years ago, both men took jobs as FBAR engineers, Zhang with Skyworks Solutions in Woburn, Mass., and Pang with Avago Technologies in Fort Collins, Colo. The government alleges the stolen trade secrets belong to Skyworks and Avago.
In 2006 and 2007, according to the indictment, Zhang, Pang and other co-conspirators prepared a business plan and began soliciting Chinese universities and others, seeking opportunities to start manufacturing FBAR technology in China. Zhang, Pang and the others established relationships with officials from Tianjin University, one of China's oldest universities that's administered by the Ministry of Education.
Simultaneous Resignations
After Tianjin University agreed to back Pang's and Zhang's venture, the two men continued to work for the American companies. In mid-2009, according to the indictment, Pang and Zhang simultaneously resigned from their American employers and accepted positions as full professors at Tianjin University. Tianjin University later formed a joint venture with Pang, Zhang and the other defendants under the company name ROFS Microsystem, which intended to mass produce FBARs.
According to the indictment, both companies took reasonable measures to keep its intellectual property secret, including the need for users to clear several layers of security to access computers where the trade secrets were stored.
What was stolen? The indictment lists recipes, source code, specifications, presentations, design layouts and other documents marked as confidential and proprietary from the victim companies. Prosecutors contend the stolen trade secrets enabled Tianjin University to construct and equip a state-of-the-art FBAR fabrication facility, to open ROFS Microsystems, a joint venture located in the state-sponsored Tianjin Economic Development Area, and to obtain contracts for providing FBARs to commercial and military entities.
According to the indictment, Avago and its predecessor companies spent some $50 million over two decades researching and developing its FBAR technology. "Complex foreign-government sponsored schemes, such as the activity identified here, inflict irreversible damage to the economy of the United States and undercut our national security," says FBI Special Agent in Charge David Johnson. "The FBI is committed to rooting out industrial espionage that puts U.S. companies at a disadvantage in the global market."
Besides Zhang, 36, and Pang, 35, the other defendants are Jinping Chen, 41, a professor at Tianjin University and a ROFS Microsystems board member; Huisui Zhang, 34, who studied with Pang and Zhang at USC; Chong Zhou, 26, a Tianjin University graduate student and design engineer at ROFS Microsystem who studied under Pang and Zhang; and Zhao Gang, 39, general manager of ROFS Microsystems.
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Massive 'Logjam' Flaw Discovered
Eric Chabrow
Retired Executive Editor, GovInfoSecurity
Chabrow, who retired at the end of 2017, hosted and produced the semi-weekly podcast ISMG Security Report and oversaw ISMG's GovInfoSecurity and InfoRiskToday. He's a veteran multimedia journalist who has covered information technology, government and business.
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Subscribe to Holiday Guide
Jewish Practice Jewish Holidays Passover The Haggadah Thoughts on the Haggadah The Four Sons
The Wise Son
(by the Wicked Child)
By Tzvi Freeman
What's So Wise About the Wise Child?
To the Editors of the Traditional Haggadah
While I appreciate your consideration in including me in your work—thereby preserving the spirit of diversity and inclusivity at gazillions of seder tables over the past few millennia—I do have several serious concerns over the frame in which you have placed my older and respected sibling, a.k.a. “the wise child.” In particular, and in synch with your own format, I have four questions to ask:
Unimaginative Repetition
For several thousand years now, you have my older sibling asking the same question. This displays a complete lack of sensitivity on your part to that child’s sense of self-dignity. It only took a few centuries for the smarter crowd to start asking the obvious: What’s so wise about a kid who asks the same question year after year?
Concerning my own question, the answer is simple: I never got an answer. All I got was my teeth blunted, insults and derision. So of course I will continue asking until a satisfactory response is provided. My younger, simple sibling doesn’t have much of a question to begin with, and the kid at the end of bench still thinks he knows it all and just wants to get to the chicken soup with matzah balls.
But when it comes to my respected, wiser sibling—year after year, the same pontifical shpiel about “testimonies, statutes and laws” trying to look so ingenious, his thumb waving in the air as Mom and Dad kvell over his erudition ad nausea for all of us sitting around. How long do you expect us to stomach this? Did you consider the effects of sibling rivalry when you composed this? Were experts in pediatric psychology consulted? It’s no wonder that most of us are simply not turning up for a seder any more.
Even if you’ll find some way to justify this emetic perpetual replay, take a look at the question itself. This you call a wise child’s question? All it takes to be wise is a supercilious utterance of the formula “testimonies, statutes and laws” and you’re in? Think about it: you have this wise guy announce to all and sundry year after year that he has no clue why we do these mitzvahs, what is the history behind them or what is their purpose, and just because he can rattle off the magic formula “testimonies, statutes and laws,” everyone is supposed to nod their heads and say, “Oh so wise, so wise!” Please! What is so wise about a kid who doesn’t even know what a mitzvah is or why we do them?
Worst of all, in total mimicry of my gifted sibling’s superior aptitude, you have him present his question in such a way that elicits mockery and scorn even from a wicked ignoramus such as myself. I’m talking about that gut-churning “testimonies, statutes and laws” again. Everyone knows that’s all wrong. It’s either “statutes, testimonies and laws” or “laws, testimonies and statutes.” But the order you’ve got it in makes this wise guy kid look like no more than a ceremonious fool.
In case you still don’t get it: Laws (mishpatim) are those rules that make sense, laws that even I would keep if I didn’t have my teeth knocked in year after year at this seder you’ve eternally committed me to. Statutes (chukim), on the other hand, are those rituals that you people just do with total faith, reason shmeason, G‑d says, so do it. Testimonies (edot) are somewhere in between—I mean, if you had never heard of such a thing, would you come up with a crazy idea to eat bread that tastes like cardboard for seven days to commemorate freedom from slavery? But once it’s there, I suppose, you can present some sort of weird rationale.
Obviously, then, the order should be from most rational to unrational. Or the other way around. As it stands, you’re making a ignominy of my respected older sibling by sequencing his lines totally out of whack.
Prejudiced
Finally, have some empathy. Here I come to a seder year after year, despite the opprobirium of most of the other participants, despite my stated disdain for meaningless ritual, despite the utter lack of appreciation expressed in your own composition of this hagadah, and I ask one simple, earnest question: “Why the heck do you guys have to go through all this?” I mean, we’re supposed to ask questions, right? So I ask what’s truly on my mind.
And just for one word, I get it over the head—because I said “you” guys. I wasn’t inclusive enough. Yeah, I know what you have to say about me in Freeman’s Wicked Child piece. So I blew it. I can handle that.
But now, let’s take a look at my older, wiser, highly respected, kvell-over-me-mommy-and-daddy-cuz-I’m-so-good dear sibling: “What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws that G‑d our G‑d commanded…”—get this now—”…YOU.
Yes, that’s your language, you put that there. Well, actually, that’s the language straight out of the Five Books of Moses—but you dear editors are the ones who determined these to be the words of the wise child, for which he is lauded and patronized, adored and idolized—while mine are judged those of a wicked one, to be jeered and chastised.
Why? What is the source of this unjust animosity, this prejudice without cause, hung precariously on a less-than-flimsy inane pretense? How long will you continue this unfair discrimination against the rights of wicked people?
I write the above before involving my lawyer or approaching the Society for the Protection of Rights of Wicked People. Your response is eagerly awaited.
Dear Wicked Child,
Your letter has turned up in our emailbox, perhaps redirected by the original editors of the hagadah to whom it was addressed.
First off, let me write that all of us here at Chabad.org greatly admire your stalwart efforts to continue participating in the family seder, despite the apparent acts of discrimination which you mention. It takes a sturdy character, never mind real tough teeth, to put up with what you obviously perceive as verbal and emotional abuse, and bounce back next year for yet more.
We sincerely feel that the seder just would not be the same without you. As evidence, let me direct you to our collection of Wicked Child essays (as of this writing, there still isn’t a collection of Wise Child essays—you actually hold the honor of writing the very first such piece on this topic).
In response to your stimulating and insightful questions, we invite you to partake of our video series What's So Wise About the Wise Child? which deals at length with all four of your questions, plus a few.
In case you can’t make it through that entire video—which is quite understandable, being a wicked child, which likely implies some sort of challenge such as ADD or the like—let me just list a few very brief pointers:
True wisdom is a state of awe and wonder. Your simpler sibling may be satisfied with simple answers, but the truly wise person asks the same questions again and again, because each time he sees a new depth to the same issues.
Concerning the wise child’s apparent ignorance of the reason and history of mitzvahs, you need to keep in mind the drama of the seder. In the hagadah narrative, we’ve just left Egypt, once again. Your wiser sibling knows that, feels that, is reliving that. And so, he asks once again, “What are these mitzvahs we’ve just been given? Tell me, Mom and Dad!”
All of us here at Chabad.org were very impressed with your perceptive question concerning the order of the three kinds of mitzvahs: laws, statutes and testimonies. Like I said, a bright guy like you should really check out the video series which deals with your question in depth.
In a way, this question relates directly to your situation. You see, some Jews try to keep all the laws that make sense, while some choose not to make sense. Some Jews keep all the Jewish rituals just because they identify as Jews, while others choose not to identify. But every Jew, whether s/he chooses or not, is a testimony, because the very fact that any Jew exists on this planet in this day and age is an open testimony to the covenant G‑d made with Abraham, like we say in the Hagada: “In every generation they rise up against us to destroy, and G‑d saves us from their hand.”
Which is why you are the most important feature of the Seder table: Without a Jew there, the matzah, the wine, the hagadah and the entire seder is meaningless.
Concerning the “you” clause, which you interpret as a blatantly discriminatory practice: First off, please note that your wiser sibling did preface that culprit word with the phrase “G‑d our G‑d.” Those words effectively dismiss any notion of auto-exclusion from the community.
Nonetheless, we must admit that this child’s emphatic use of the word you remains perplexing. The above-mentioned video series deals with this as well. At this point, I hope it will suffice to point out once again that the wise child sees him/herself as an integral player in the Exodus drama—a drama that (at this point in the hagadah, before Hallel, at least) has not yet taken us to Mount Sinai. And so s/he turns to the parents who assumedly have already traveled this journey and received the Torah and addresses them, saying, “What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws that G‑d our G‑d has commanded you?”
Allow me to repeat that we appreciate you taking the time to write your concerns. I’m sure you’ll continue visiting our website, since we’ve gratuitously auto-subscribed you to a whole slew of stuff and will be sending you regular solicitations for donations when you least appreciate them.
Along with your wise sibling, your simple sibling and even your know-it-all kid sibling who never writes to us any questions at all, we look forward to the time when “no one will be left behind”—as the hagadah itself intimates: “If you had been there, you would never have been redeemed.” There, as opposed to here, in an exodus that will be all-inclusive, all-encompassing and otherwise totally cool.
An editor
From Heaven Exposed by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. For bio, info and more articles by this author, click here. To order Tzvi's books, click here.
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When Your Child Will Ask
Is the Haggadah's Retort to the Wicked Child Wicked Parenting?
The Wicked Son
The Wicked Son Redeemed
Why Does This Child Not Question?
Therapy for the inquisitively challenged
Who invited him, anyways?
Schwartz, the Wicked Son
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s. Matsui Jerusalem April 15, 2019
Brilliant, informative, entertaining - as usual. Y'yashar koah! Reply
Suzy Sandor Manhattan April 1, 2015
Here and There “If you had been there, you would never have been redeemed.” There, as opposed to here, in an exodus that will be all-inclusive, all-encompassing and otherwise totally cool.
What on earth does it mean? It is not a clever explanation, this child would have remained a slave in Egypt? Reply
Carmen April 23, 2011
Now I understand a bit more about these two Guys.. The Wicked acts as the acusator to the Wise when the Wise is not being that wise,while the Wise is encharged to blunt the teeth of the Wicked when the Wicked has not balance in his criticism and turns into agressive.
The Wise draws the wiseness inside of the Wicked to the outside,while the Wicked draws the wickdness inside of the Wise to the outside,when he is too attached to the form and less to the essence.
The wise blunts the wicked´s teeth (and the wicked sharps the wise´s heart.) Reply
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, author April 21, 2011
To Stephen Wicked, Stephen, real wicked! (and I love it, too!) Reply
Stephen Weinstein Camarillo, CA April 20, 2011
Baruch Hashem, the 1 called "wicked" is righteous This article unintentionally makes a very powerful case for the following.
The one we call "wise" merely says what will win him the admiration of those in power. That shows prudence, but not greatness.
The one we call "wicked" stands by his belief even though it is unpopular and gets him called "wicked". That takes true courage. He follows in the noblest tradition of our ancestors who when told to renounce Judaism and tortured went to their deaths reciting the Shema to the end. He is the one we should admire.
The one we call wise may do well at sucking up to his boss, getting a promotion and a pay raise, and making enough money to donate a large sum of money to Chabad, but will never contribute an original idea, not so much as even just a controversial comment on a chabad.org article. We can think him for the gelt to be polite, but the truth is that he is depriving the world of the greatest gift we have received: our ability to think and to articulate our own thoughts. Reply
nene ny, ny April 13, 2011
wise child by the wicked child What nice pilpul .Quite in line with our tradition, and funny to too. A pleasure to read.
Tasting like cardboard?! Have you tried whole wheat matzos? Reply
You... In Egypt,there was not "you".
We were slaves in Egypt...
We were forbidden to have or express our" I" to You-our G-d.
Now,G-d was saying " 'you',now there is you and Me,and these are the testemonies,the statutes and the laws
that I command 'you'."
The words of the Wise Child represent the words of G-d Himself ,talking to His Children in the Seder of Pessach.
And this Wise Child honored in the Seder,could or should be all of the Four Sons.
All of them deserve the honor to repeat G-ds words.Perhaps even the girls.Every one in one turn.
Then all His Children will be included in the “YOU”meant by G-d. Reply
Thank you. This is beautifull,instructive and very moving.
Obs:I have my mom's clue to turn that Matzah "cardboard"into something delicious:just eat it hot! Reply
Michelle April 9, 2011
thanks .. thought provoking and much to offer in prayer for all who attend, or where or have been there. i have some ADD symptoms myself so i struggled with the length of the text... but i did.. just! make it to the end.
lesson appreciated and some interesting points raised on both sides. G-d bless Reply
Ann Arlosoroff Houston April 6, 2011
This novel-in-a-nutshell Tzvi, you have outdone yourself--and that is saying a lot!! Yasher Ko'ach!
Warmest regards! Reply
Dvorah Lakeville, PA April 6, 2011
Thank you After years and years of repeating the traditional Haggadah, two of my three children have become very bored. One has turned into a "wicked child", and another a "simple child." With the technical assistance of my more (traditionally) learned husband, I undertook a mighty project - I wrote my own Haggadah. I was careful to keep all the important parts while allowing myself to get creative and even a little mystical, explaining more as well as making it more fun. My goal was to keep it interesting and new in order to engage everyone, hoping to help them experience the exodus rather than just talk about it. I've been hesitant to try to publish it, wondering if I've done something "wrong" in challenging tradition. After reading this article I have decided to go ahead. Thanks, Rabbi Tzvi! Reply
How to Celebrate Passover
The Haggadah
Printable Haggadahs
The Four Questions
Thoughts on the Haggadah
Study & History
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Passover Kids Site
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Wise Son (7)
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Passover (1422)
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Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley Trick Fans for April Fool’s Day with Fake Wedding
Nicole Weaver
The reality show couple has a very complicated history together, but now it looks like they are having a bit of fun. Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley played a trick on their fans for April Fool’s Day. Find out how they did it and more.
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley seem to be continuing their relationship after he went to rehab
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro | Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
The reality star revealed that he got out of rehab on Feb. 10 and talked a little bit about his decision to get treatment. He said that he was depressed and would drink.
“I decided to go to treatment because I wanted to be a better person, a better father for my daughter,” Ortiz-Magro told Us Weekly. “Eventually, all the bad decisions I was making were going to lead me to places that I didn’t want to be. I wanted to be led to the place that I am now – that’s happy, healthy and the best role model for my daughter.”
Ortiz-Magro later revealed that he was planning to make a few life changes like leaving Las Vegas. When asked what was the state of his relationship with Harley, he gave a vague answer.
“She’s always going to be the mother of my child, at the end of the day,” said Ortiz-Magro. “All I can do is control myself. I can’t control her, I can’t control my daughter. Well, for right now I can, but not when she gets older.”
They recently celebrated their daughter’s first birthday together
Happy birthday to 1/2 of the Spiral Squad, and the best dad to Ariana! | : @realronniemagro
A post shared by Jersey Shore (@jerseyshore) on Dec 4, 2018 at 7:47am PST
It seems like the two are currently on good terms. On March 30, they were celebrating their daughter’s birthday together.
According to Us Weekly, Harley shared videos and photos on her Instagram story about the affair. The party was being filmed for Jersey Shore and it included Ortiz-Magro’s family including his brother, grandma, and aunt.
The couple showed that they have reunited before on social media. Harley previously showed they were in Texas together for a baby shower, according to Page Six. Now the two are on good terms it seems like they have been scheming together.
Ortiz-Magro and Harley shared a story of a fake Las Vegas wedding
Never fall in love at the #JerseyShore, but do get married in Vegas on #AprilFoolsDay according to Ronnie & Jen. https://t.co/2Mu9Zq8NzR pic.twitter.com/qwF5gRbjkz
— E! News (@enews) April 2, 2019
On April 1, the couple shared a video of themselves riding up to a chapel on a motorcycle together. Harley also showed off a diamond ring on her finger. She wrote “We do” with a sticker reading “Just married” over the video, according to Daily Mail.
Lastly, the two took a picture of them kissing in a spot where there was a heart on the floor that has the words, “We are standing on the promise of love to each other.”
Ortiz-Magro later revealed the whole thing was a joke by posting the words “April Fools.”
The couple has been quieter lately, but it looks like they didn’t get married after all. Since Jersey Shore is currently filming we will get to see them celebrate their daughter’s birthday together, but maybe their fake wedding too.
Read more: ‘Jersey Shore’: A Look At Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Jenn Harley’s Drama-Filled Relationship
Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook
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Who's Moving: Frontline Aids, City Bridge Trust and more
20 May 2019 News
Fraser Sutherland is the new chief executive of Humanist Society Scotland. He was previously the charity’s campaigns and communications manager, and prior to this worked in Citizens Advice Scotland and the Scottish Parliament. He succeeds Gordon MacRae, effective immediately.
Sutherland said: “I am extremely excited to be taking on this new challenge”.
Non-executives
Frontline Aids has appointed Warren Buckingham as the chair of their board of trustees. He has had a career in public health in the US government, and has been a trustee of the charity since 2016. He succeeds Martin Dinham, who has been the chair for nine years.
Practical Action has also appointed a new chair of trustees. Dr Yvonne Pinto will take up her post in December. She has worked in the agriculture sector and in international development.
Clive Conway is to become a patron of Vauxhall City Farm. He is the chair of social wellbeing charity, the Desmond Tutu Foundation UK.
Grantmaker, City Bridge Trust has appointed Dhruv Patel as its chairman. He replaces Alison Gowman who will now be the deputy chair of the committee.
Who's Moving: ActionAid UK, The National Theatre and more
11 Feb 2019 News
Who's Moving: All the latest movers in the charity sector
People & culture 1953
HR & leadership 671
Staff 475
Kate Plummer
Charity Technology Breakfast Series: Digital strategy for charities
30 Jan 2020 London
Fundraising Live 2020
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Waverly's Cody Remington competes in long jump at Midwest Meet of Champions
After finishing second in the D-II long jump last week, Waverly's Cody Remington competed at the Midwest Meet of Champions on Saturday.
Waverly's Cody Remington competes in long jump at Midwest Meet of Champions After finishing second in the D-II long jump last week, Waverly's Cody Remington competed at the Midwest Meet of Champions on Saturday. Check out this story on chillicothegazette.com: https://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/06/09/cody-remington-competes-long-jump-midwest-meet-champions-waverly-high-school-michigan-state-track/1393397001/
David Wysong, Chillicothe Gazette | Chillicothe | The Chillicothe Gazette Published 10:21 a.m. ET June 9, 2019
Waverly's Cody Remington jumps at Southeastern’s RL Davisson Invite on April 4, 2019. Remington competed at the Midwest Meet of Champions at Michigan State University on Saturday. (Photo: Robert McGraw/Gazette)
EAST LANSING, Mich. – After a stellar performance at state, a local athlete competed at a meet of champions.
Waverly High School’s Cody Remington finished second in the D-II long jump at Ohio’s state track and field championships last week – then a week later he competed against athletes from Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan at the Midwest Meet of Champions at Michigan State University.
“Being invited to it is an incredible honor,” Remington said. “Being the first in school history and representing southern Ohio is huge, really just giving back to my coaches and the community.”
Remington went on to finish seventh on Saturday out of nine athletes in the long jump, reaching 22 feet, 4.25 inches.
“My knees gave out early after my first jump,” Remington said. “I was kind of done after that one. Still out of nine other competitors from two other states, placing seventh is alright with me. I was happy to be there; very cool experience and I’m not going to forget it.”
For the full results from the meet click here.
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Good Riddance to Two Terrorists
Cal Thomas | Syndicated Columnist | Friday, July 25, 2003
The elimination of Saddam Hussein's two murdering sons is welcome news to all but certain critics of President Bush, who thought they finally had him where they wanted him - on the defensive and dropping in the polls.
Democratic congressman Charles Rangal actually said it was wrong to kill these characters and they should have been taken alive. Sure, so the likes of Rangal and the ACLU could complain about their treatment and apologists could explain their murderous ways by saying they were abused as children.
Good riddance, I say, to Qusay and Uday, who join the condemned in the fires of hell.
Next, Saddam Hussein, and when he is out of the way, look for true progress in Iraq. It won't happen overnight. Saddam has terrorized that nation for three decades.
But the Iraqi people - at least those who long for freedom - will have it and the opportunity will be given them to build a new nation. Osama Bin Laden has got to be sweating. We're going to get him, too - eventually. Have patience.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
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UPDATED: Domino's Pizza Founder Sues Over HHS Contraceptive Mandate
Lawsuit by Catholic billionaire Tom Monaghan brings total number of legal challenges to more than 40.
Melissa Steffan
Updated 01/02: Federal district court judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff issued an injunction against the contraceptive mandate for Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan Sunday, just two days before Monaghan would have begun to face fines for failing to comply.
"Plaintiff has shown that abiding by the mandate will substantially burden his exercise of religion," Zatkoff wrote in his opinion. "The government has failed to satisfy its burden of showing that its actions were narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest."
Domino's Pizza founder and former owner Tom Monaghan has joined the ever-growing list of lawsuits against the federal government's contraceptive mandate.
On behalf of Domino's Farms, Monaghan filed suit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Affordable Care Act (ACA) last week. The suit argues that the ACA mandate for employer-provided contraceptives is "gravely immoral" and runs counter to Monaghan's closely head Catholic beliefs.
Monaghan no longer owns Domino's ...
Melissa Steffan BioDecember 18, 2012
Supreme Court Sends Little Sisters Case Back to Lower Courts
(UPDATE) Justices don’t have a final answer for religious organizations that oppose Obamacare’s contraception mandate.
Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra
UPDATED: Domino's Pizza Founder Sues Over HHS ...
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Playhouse Whitley Bay
Anticipation's at fever pitch
There's a fab-a-rooney week ahead with a host of shows taking to the region's stages.
Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from ChronicleLive - what's on
There's a fab-a-rooney week ahead with a host of shows taking to the region's stages. Showbusiness Reporter GORDON BARR takes a look
Tweenies fever is about to grip the region again. They kick off their latest tour, Tweenies - Live! 2: The Fab-A-Rooney Tour, at Newcastle's Telewest Arena on Friday.
Britain's youngest and most colourful stars of TV and pop - Bella, Milo, Fizz and Jake - are gearing up for a dazzling three-day show for the kids.
With Max and Judy and the hugely popular Doodles the dog, the friends are travelling the country again to sing along with their thousands of young fans.
And joining them for the first time will be the new loveable dog, Izzles, first seen on the telly just last week.
The Fab-A-Rooney Tour will be packed with songs, copy-me-dos, surprises and bags of giggles - the perfect family entertainment.
In 2000/2001 their first live show, Tweenies - Live!, took the UK by storm when it played to sell-out arenas. Additional performances were added in each of the venues, with more than 400,000 tickets sold.
Tickets for Tweenies 2 cost £15, £12.50 and £10 for shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ring 0870 707 8000 for more details.
Another colourful event to look forward to arrives at Newcastle's Theatre Royal tomorrow.
Calling all Dancing Queens, ABBA Great New Year - with Sing-A-Long-A ABBA, the new show from the producers of the international smash hit Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music.
It's at the Theatre Royal tomorrow for one night only, and promises to be the concert event ABBA fan has been waiting for - hits performed live with subtitles so everyone can join in.
Sing-A-Long-A ABBA takes the tribute band concert experience to the next level, where the audience are the star guests in an interactive celebration of the classic sound of the super group.
The show has all the elements of the sing-a-long spectacular everyone has come to love: the obligatory fancy dress competition, Magic Moments goody bags, your favourite lyrics and more on the big screen and the Sing-A-Long-A ABBA Band.
The evening kicks off with a vocal warm-up led by the band who also take the audience through their complimentary Magic Moments goody bag, containing various props to be used at strategic points throughout the performance.
Then, of course, there is the famous sing-a-long fancy dress competition in which everyone who has dressed up gets the chance to go on stage and show off their fabulous costumes.
Dress up in lycra, blonde wigs, glitter, false beards or why not come as Napoleon (of Waterloo fame!) or a dollar bill or a Euro (Money Money Money).
It's the perfect night out for everyone from hen parties and office outings to families and anyone who has strutted their stuff to ABBA.
With so much nylon in the house, the atmosphere is guaranteed to be electric!
And if that isn't enough to whet your appetite, on Friday and Saturday it is the turn of the aforementioned Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music.
Ticket details for all shows on (0191) 232 2061.
U SUNDERLAND Empire plays host to the acclaimed musical Whistle Down The Wind from next week.
An uplifting tale about the power of love, it is making its first appearance in the region and will run from Monday to February 16.
Whistle Down the Wind's powerful all-new staging combines epic storytelling with intimate emotion as the innocence of children collides with the cynicism of the adult world.
It features songs like The Vaults of Heaven, Whistle Down The Wind and the Boyzone smash hit No Matter What.
Tickets cost £11.50 to £27.50. Ring (0191) 514 2519 for more details.
U OUT Of Joint theatre brings Rita, Sue and Bob Too and A State Affair to Newcastle Playhouse next week. The double bill runs from February 5 to 9 and tickets are available from (0191) 230 5151.
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Sunderland Empire
Network RailNew discount railcard for Armed Forces veterans to be launchedThe railcard will sold from November and offer discounted fares to more than 830,000 military veterans
NorthumberlandWhere to spot Red Squirrels in Northumberland on Squirrel Appreciation DayDiscover Northumberland have listed the top spots to see red squirrels in Northumberland to mark national Squirrel Appreciation Day
South ShieldsFamous Netty artist Bob Olley celebrated at 80 with exhibition at Mining Art GalleryBackshift: Bob Olley at 80, which celebrates the work of former miner, famous for The Westoe Netty, is at Bishop Auckland's Mining Art Gallery
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Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa: Beathaisnéis
By Ray Mac Mánais, Cló Iar-Chonnacht
Reference: 190242056 X
Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa: Beathaisnéis charts the fascinating journey of an inspirational woman, on her pilgrimage from Ardoyne to the Phoenix Park. Authorised by the President, it includes excerpts from private diaries and papers from before her Presidency, and interviews with members of her family, colleagues and acquaintances. It tells the real success story of a determined, spirited woman, the first Northerner to hold the office of the President of Ireland.
Mary McAleese is a woman who has never been afraid to speak her mind, and has often courted controversy, and her biography is certainly a page-turner. It includes interviews with Fr. Alex Reid, Annie Maguire and Monsignor Denis Faul, among others, as well as extensive interviews with the President. It paints a picture of a woman who has worked incessantly for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, and who stands by her convictions. A riveting read, and a tremendous insight into the life of Mary McAleese up until her inauguration.
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West Chester police welcome K9 Jax, thank K9 Ciro for service
West Chester police welcome K9 Jax to service
West Chester police welcome K9 Jax, thank K9 Ciro for service West Chester police welcome K9 Jax to service Check out this story on cincinnati.com: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/share/2019/03/16/west-chester-police-welcome-k-9-jax-service/3152207002/
Submitted by Drew Reeder/Share Published 2:30 p.m. ET March 16, 2019
K9 Jax (right) is assigned to Officer Michael Blankenship, who was also assigned to retired K9 Ciro. (Photo: Provided)
West Chester police recently welcomed K9 Jax, a dual-purpose canine donated by The Matt Haverkamp Foundation. Jax is a 1-year-old German shepherd certified in patrol and narcotics work. He is the 14th canine officer to join the West Chester Police Department (WCPD) since its K9 unit was established in 1993.
The Cincinnati-area Haverkamp organization was founded in 2005 to support local law enforcement agencies and is named in memory of a fallen Golf Manor police canine handler.
Jax is assigned to officer Michael Blankenship, who was also assigned to retired K9 Ciro.
Ciro, a German shepherd who served with the department for three years, has been relieved of his duties due to medical reasons. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the West Chester Board of Trustees officially transferred ownership of Ciro to Blankenship.
Over his career, K9 Ciro performed hundreds of tracks, more than 250 narcotic sniffs and completed 1,000 hours of training. He worked with Blankenship and Sergeant Brent Lovell during his service.
K9 Rico, a Belgian Malinois, joined the force in spring 2018 with handler officer Adam Roth. Rico and Jax now make up the police K9 unit.
To learn more about the WCPD K9 unit, watch the video below.
West Chester Township Behind the Scenes: K9 Officers from West Chester on Vimeo.
Read or Share this story: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/share/2019/03/16/west-chester-police-welcome-k-9-jax-service/3152207002/
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When God Happens
The Eli Diaries: The Battle Begins
Devoted Heart: A Modern Nativity
The Jesus Experience
That Awkward Age
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Blood of Heaven
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Book 2 of the Fire of Heaven series
Some say Brandon Martus has a mysterious ability to see into the future, to experience what scientists refer to as a "higher dimension." Others insist he is simply a troubled young man plagued by the accidental death of his little sister.
It isn't until he teams up with Sarah Weintraub, the ambitious but haunted neurobiologist, that a far deeper secret unfolds. Utilizing the latest discoveries in brain research and quantum physics, the two carefully wind their way through a treacherous maze of human greed and supernatural encounters that are both legitimate and counterfeit -- until they finally discover the astonishing truth about Brandon Martus.
From the author of the best-selling Blood of Heaven comes a captivating scientific and supernatural thriller. Threshold takes the reader from the mountains of Nepal to the heartland of America, through the deceptions of hell and into the hands of Jesus Christ, in a carefully researched, thought-provoking, and thoroughly electrifying journey.
Copyright © 2017 Bill Myers
Soul Tracker Reviews
I can’t wait to read your latest novel. I have really enjoyed your other books and have truly been impacted by them. I am sure Soul Tracker will be no different! Thanks for your gifts.
— CSK Carlsbad, CA
Bill Myers’ novels scratch the itch for readers of adventure stories, then plunge deep into the spiritual questions that mystify all people. He’s in the A League of best-selling authors like Dean Koontz and Clive Cussler. His books puzzle, entertain and inspire–but most importantly, give the reader a warm inner feeling about God and His surprising love for these unruly, unpredictable and flawed creatures known as human beings. Bill just can’t write fast enough to satisfy me, and I am thrilled that his new novel has arrive.
— Tom Dulaney Exton PA
Excellent!! Three weeks ago I underwent a quadruple heart bypass and recovery has been tough but during this time I had a chance to read “Soul Tracker.” What a great story. The characters are alive yet falable. The counter-cultures explored are real. The suspence is the best I’ve read in a long while. And the ending will chill your emotions with fear and faith affirming joy. Just what I needed when I most needed it. What a terrific movie this would make. Do youself a favor, get it, read it; you’ll love it!
— Rick Lambert Baton Rouge, LA.
This is an awesome book! It’s well written and not too complicated. I also like it because it doesn’t end the way you would think. Some books like this seem predictable but this one just blew me away. It kind of reminds me of a Frank E. Peretti book but less confusing. (Don’t get me wrong I love his books too.) I highly recommend this book.
— Brittani Philadelphia, PA
Mr. Myers, I just completed Soul Tracker & I can’t say enough good about it. I wish I were, one, rich enough to buy & put it in the hands of everyone I know; and two, actually make everyone read it!
I am a student of the Bible & and avid reader. There’s only one of your books I’ve not yet read. I must tell you – this is by far the most influential fiction I’ve ever read. Knowing how hard it is to get so many people to read, my first thought was “I wish they’d make a movie out of this”. Next thought was, a movie couldn’t begin to bring the impact like the book.
I found your web site & was so excited to learn that you are involved in films. If I may make a recommendation: Let this book be your first movie.
Thank you for your insight. Thank you for so vividly sharing the Truth. I honestly cannot say enough about this book.
— Barb Frey online review
This is a powerful book, as I think all of Dr. Myers books are. I wish I could get everyone I know, especially my beloved 21-year old son, to read this book and understand. Please thank Dr. Myers and encourage him to continue sharing his gift through more stories that help us out here to understand our Lord. Thank you.
— Judy Harrison online review
I have just completed reading Bill Myer’s wonderful SOUL TRACKER, which is such a powerfully compelling and edifying book that immediately upon finishing that work I went online to purchase copies of his THE FACE OF GOD, BLOOD OF HEAVEN, THRESHOLD and FIRE OF HEAVEN. I shall also now go back online to buy his THE WAGER. Previously his moving work ELI graced me tremendously as well, for which I thank you all for publishing such outstanding books that “bring church” into my otherwise homebound world due to terminal illness.
— Patricia Grace Voss email review
The Light’s power threw Gita to the ground. She covered her face, screaming, but she could not hear herself over the thunderous roar: “HOLY! HOLY! HOLY!”
Like the Light, the words had substance, a reality more real than anything she’d ever experienced.
“HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!”
Clenching her eyes, she rolled onto her stomach, keeping her face to the floor, covering her head from the awful Light, the terrible booming voices:
“WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME!”
She didn’t know how she got there or how long she could survive. One minute she was in the tunnel, the next she was before this terrifying Light. But it was more than light. And it was more than reality. Every fact, every figure, every certainty she had ever known was only a shadow of this crushing, overpowering Truth.
“HOLY! HOLY! HOLY!”
Power roared from the Light–smashing against her body, sucking air from her lungs. And yet, as terrified as she was . . . she felt an attraction. A compelling. Though it would destroy her, she was drawn to it. Like thirst, like hunger, like needing to breathe. The compulsion spread through her mind, her body, all that she was. This is what she had pursued her entire life. This Perfection. This Absolute.
It had been her passion, her purpose. And if being destroyed by Its power meant her death, then she would be destroyed.
Slowly, she pulled her hands from the top of her head. The Light assaulted her with hurricane force. But it was not wind. It was Truth. A Truth she had to see. Experience.
Shaking, eyes closed, barely able to breathe, she used all of her strength to lift her face from the ground.
The Light pummeled her. But she would not look away. She would open her eyes. She would be overwhelmed, she knew that. But overwhelmed by the only thing she had ever desired. Mustering her will, crying out in terror and exertion, she forced them open.
But the Light was too intense. She could not look into It. She could only look to Its outside edges – around It, below It, above It. High overhead, through the blinding glare, she caught glimpses of giant, multi-winged creatures. A lion, an ox. Another was an eagle, another a man. But instead of skin or hair or feathers, each was covered in eyes. Every part of their bodies, eyes. Always watching, always seeing. These were the creatures who continued shouting:
She’d read of them in the Bible — how they surrounded the throne, how they cried out the same phrase over and over again. Secretly, she had always thought their existence to be boring –flying around shouting the same phrase again and again. But as she watched, she realized how wrong she’d been. These were the most privileged of all creation. Not only did they fly closest to the Light and Its Truth, but the words they shouted were anything but mindless repetition. Instead, each shout, each cry of holiness seemed to come from their amazement, from their utter astonishment. For every time they cried, they saw yet another aspect of the Light, another aspect of Its infinite Truth.
Then, as she continued to stare, a most amazing thing happened. Through the brightness, the form of a Man appeared. Before her eyes, a human being condensed out of the Light and walked toward her. She watched in astonishment.
He continued forward, His eyes blazing with the Light, His feet glowing with Its power. But He was human, definitely human. And it was from that humanness that she felt understanding. More than that, she felt . . . compassion. Truth and power were still very present, but they had reshaped themselves into the form of this Man. And in that reshaping, she no longer felt the terror. Now she felt . . . Love. His Love. It wrapped around her, delighted in her. But it was more than that. It . . . adored her. He adored her, He treasured her . . .
“. . . more than His own life.”
Gita’s head reeled. Though the Light blazed and thundered around her, she was safe. As long as she focused on this Love, on this Man, nothing would harm her.
At last He arrived. But His Love, like the Light, was more than she could endure. Suddenly she was weeping. Deep, gut-wrenching sobs. She didn’t know why – maybe the release of so many emotions, maybe the understanding she no longer had to try, that she was loved regardless — whatever the reason, she could not stop sobbing.
She caught a glimpse of movement. Through her tears she saw the Man kneeling. Kneeling to her! Lowering to join her! The action brought even more tears . . . until she felt His hand brush against her hair and touch her cheek.
She stopped breathing.
He moved his hand to her chin and gently raised her head until their eyes met. To her fear and amazement she saw that His eyes burned with flames of the Light. Of the Light’s Passion. Of It’s intense fervor . . . for her. She could not look away from the flames. They bore into her — penetrating into her thoughts, her emotions — until they reached the very center of who she was, the very soul of Gita Patekar.
Once inside, they began to expose all of her darkness — illuminating every hidden deed, every careless word, every disgusting habit, every act of dishonesty, selfishness, meanness — there seemed no end. And not just her deeds. Thoughts were also exposed–secret hatreds, jealousies, lusts, envy, greed. And, though she was terrified at the revealings, though she cringed in embarrassment . . . she felt no condemnation. Not from the Man. Not from His Love. There was only the complete and total exposure by His all-seeing Light.
Finally He removed His hand from under her chin and stretched it out to her. She hesitated, still trembling in fear, still trying to catch her breath. But He waited. Patiently. For as long as it would take.
At last she placed her hand in His.
Gently, He helped her to her feet. Her knees were weak, her legs wobbly, but with His help she was able to stand. Then, ever so tenderly, He pulled her into an embrace. He wrapped His arms around her and, as He held her, she felt His Light soaking into her, from His heart to hers, filling her body, flooding her mind, returning to those same areas of weakness and failure and embarrassment. But this time, as the Light touched those areas, she felt It dissolving them . . . absorbing them.
Removing them . . .
Suddenly her darkness was replaced with His Light. Where there had been shadow and failure, there was blinding glory. Where there had been shame and embarrassment, there was only His Presence.
At last they separated. Hot tears again streamed down Gita’s face. And, as she looked up into those compassionate eyes of Fire she saw that they, too, were filled with moisture.
He placed an arm around her shoulder and they turned toward the exit. As they started forward, other creatures she had not noticed, some winged, some not, but all glowing with Light, dropped to their knees when they passed. She knew they were kneeling before Him. But because His arm was around her, she somehow suspected they were also kneeling before . . . them.
As they moved for the steps leading to an outside plaza, a question formed in her mind. But before she could even put it into words, she heard His response: We’re going to warn David – to finish answering your prayer.”
Chapter 1: How do I find God’s Will?
How do I find God’s Will?
Howie was going to be a super jock. He had the bod, the brains, and the will. Every day he was at the local batting cage practicing his swing. Every day he’d work on catching flies, fielding grounders, running bases. Finally the first day of tryouts rolled around, and Howie was ready.
Of course, he was a bit surprised when the coach made him put on the helmet and shoulder pads. And a little confused when he was forced to line up facing seven other guys. But that was nothing corn-pared to what he felt when someone in the middle yelled “hike” and a 208-pound mountain of flesh slammed into him, ran up his chest, tap-danced on his head for half an hour, and finally ran down his back to tackle the guy with the ball.
By the time Howie was released from the hospital, the season was practically over. But as I said, the guy was determined. He began practicing his tackling, his passing, his punting. And by the time the next tryout rolled around, Howie was ready.
Of course, he was a little surprised to learn they were holding it in the gym. And he was a little bugged that they made him exchange his pads and cleats for shorts and basketball shoes. But what really ticked Howie off was that the coach threw him out of the game for tackling the guy with the ball. I mean, wasn’t that supposed to be the whole idea?
Needless to say, Howie had a little problem.
It had nothing to do with his strength, his ability, or even his dedication. The problem was that he just didn’t know what game he was playing. He didn’t know the rules.
An absurd story? Of course.
But how many people sign up for this program called “Christianity” without ever really bothering to check out the rules, learn the objectives, or find out what the Coach really wants?
What does God want? Why am I here? What’s the purpose? How can I find God’s will for my life?
Important questions. And in our survey among Christian teens, questions about finding God’s will ranked number one.
So let’s see if we can come up with a few answers.
First of all, we humans were created for one reason: to be friends with God, to have fellowship with Him, to give Him pleasure.
“Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power: for thou hast created all
things, and for thy pleasure they are and were
created.” Revelation 4:11 (KJV, italics added).
We used to give God that pleasure; we used to have that friendship-way back in the beginning, back in the Garden. But it wasn’t too long before we told Him to take a hike, before we made it clear that we wanted to do things our way, not His.
And by doing so we pulled the plug on that special friendship.
And, being the gentleman He is, God stepped aside to let us have our way. It must be tough watching us slowly destroy ourselves with hatred, lust, fear, war.
And it must be unbearable hearing the very ones He created for fellowship use His name only when they’re cussing someone out. But since that’s what we seem to want, God is polite enough to let us have our way.
Still, for those of us who’ve realized that our way may not be the best, for those of us who want to return to that original friendship with God, He has provided a way-Jesus Christ. Jesus acts as a door, a passageway that leads us back into that friendship with God. All we have to do is be willing to walk through. Jesus does the rest. In fact, Jesus himself said,
“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me,
he shall be saved.” John 10:9 (NASB).
“I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.” John 14:6
These are just two of hundreds of verses that make it clear there’s a way to come back to God. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is ask Jesus to take the punishment for your sins and agree to let Him be the boss of your life. It’s that simple.
And for those of us who have made that decision, for those who want to spend life as friends with God (both now and for eternity), the Lord has a very special plan. It’s called,
“Come here, sit on My throne, and rule the universe with Me.”
The Eternal Plan
That’s right. You see, according to the Bible, God’s eternal, long-range plan for His children, for those who’ve chosen to return to Him, is for us to help Him rule the universe. Find that a little hard to swallow? I did. But it’s right there in the Book:
“To him who overcomes, I will give the
right to sit with me on my throne, just as
I overcame and sat down with my Father
on his throne.”
Or how ’bout Romans 8:
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
that we are God’s children. Now if we
are children, then we are heirs-heirs of
God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed
we share in his sufferings in order that we
may also share in his glory.”
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father
has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
“Do you not know that the saints [that’s us]
will judge the world? … Do you not know
that we will judge angels?”
I Corinthians 6:2,3
That’s God’s ultimate plan for us. That’s the object of the game-to share in His glory and to co-rule His universe.
Awesome? Yes.
Incredible? Yes.
Impossible? No.
Not with God. You see, that’s the nice thing about having His own universe. He can run it however He wants. He can bless whomever He chooses. And for some reason He has chosen us.
There’s only one snag. We’re not quite ready We need to go through a little renovation, a little repair, a little scrubbing up. The centuries of sin have taken their toll on our bodies, minds, and emotions. Each of us is filled to the brim with fear, guilt, and sin. In short, the bad news is we’re all in one sense or another spiritually sick.
The Lifelong Plan
You see, being a Christian is a lot more than getting to heaven and cashing in on those mansions. God’s love for us is so great that as soon as we say yes to Him, He sets His lifelong plan for us into action.
Which is… ?
“… that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything.” James 1:4
God wants to heal us. He wants to clean out and mend all the wounds the world has gouged into us. He wants us free and whole. In short, God wants to make us as complete and fulfilled as we were when He originally made us.
That’s it. That’s all He wants. Despite the rumors, He’s not some ogre with a whip, demanding that we follow a bunch of outdated rules and regulations. He’s not some screaming boot camp sergeant barking out orders to make sure life is unbearable. On the contrary, Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John I0: I0, NASB).
That’s what God wants. He wants us to experience this creation of His, this thing called “life” at its absolute maximum. He wants us to experience the greatest joy, the greatest peace, the greatest love…. He wants us to experience totally complete, totally full, totally ABUNDANT life.
That’s why God hates sin so much. Not because He’s against people having a good time. But because sin steals that life from us. It ties us up. It robs us of enjoying all that we could enjoy, of being all that we could be. Sure, sin may look good on the outside; it may be pleasant to the eye and sweet to the taste. But inside it always has a hook … ALWAYS. And once we swallow that hook it starts to take control. Oh, it’s barely noticeable at first, but gradually it starts to pull and control. And before we know it, sin gets its way-stealing and robbing us of that abundant life God wants us to have.
As we go through the questions in this book, keep in mind that God’s answers are not intended to snuff out our good times. It’s just the opposite. His answers are there to help us enjoy the pleasures of life more deeply He’s on our side. He always wants the best for us. And He loves us so much that He will discipline or even fight us if we try to settle for second rate, for some-thing that will ultimately steal His very best from us.
OK, so God’s eternal plan is for us to share His throne. And His lifelong plan is to make us whole and complete. Fine. But how does that help me decide what 1 should do for a living? Or what classes I should take next semester? Or whether I should go out with sexy Stan with the roving hands?
God’s Immediate Will
Actually, knowing God’s lifelong plan in your life really does help in the making of day-to-day decisions. If you know He wants you 11 mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4), chances are you’ll try to follow that plan.
But if you’re still not I sure, there are six very easy ways to find God’s immediate will in your life-six ways to help you make those day-to-day decisions. And if three or four seem to point in the same direction, chances are that’s the direction you should be heading.
1. READ GOD’S WORD
This is easily the most important way of finding out God’s will. There are several reasons for this importance, but the main one is the incredible power of His Word. Remember, it was with God’s spoken Word that He actually created the universe.
And remember when Jesus and Satan were battling it out during Jesus’ temptation? They didn’t use guns, tanks, or bombs-they didn’t even try to nuke each other. Instead, the Creator of the universe and the most evil force in the universe both knew the most powerful weapon in the universe. They fought with one thing and one thing only: God’s Holy Word, the Bible (Matthew 4: 1 -1 I).
There’s something terribly powerful, something supernatural about God’s Word. First of all, it’s “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). Somehow a part of God’s very life is in those words. And since they have His life, as we read and study them, they begin to change us….
They cleanse (Ephesians 5:26).
They encourage (Romans 15:4).
They equip us to do good (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
They even give faith (Romans 10: 1 7).
Pretty powerful stuff.
As we dwell on God’s Word, we actually find our-selves starting to think more like Him, to act more like Him, and to make the decisions He would have us make.
It’s like hanging around a close friend. We don’t go around consciously trying to imitate each other. But gradually, as we spend more and more time together, we start to think more and more alike. We start saying and doing some of the same things.
That’s the sort of friendship and closeness God is looking for. Not because He’s an egotist and wants a bunch of God-clones walking around. But because He knows that when we think and act like Him, we tend to be much happier.
Unfortunately none of this learning and under-standing happens overnight. There are no pills for instant wisdom, no hot-line numbers for making godly decisions. God does not want mindless puppets. He wants friends. And as we spend time with Him in His Word, that friendship just naturally develops. We begin to naturally think and speak as He does. We begin to naturally develop “the mind of Christ.” And, quite often, we begin to just naturally do what He would have us do.
So if you haven’t started to read God’s Word on a daily basis, do it. If you have, keep it up. It will give you clear guidelines and principles to help you in nearly every area of decision-making.
2. PRAY FOR WISDOM
Another way of finding out God’s will is through prayer:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask
God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
That’s quite a promise. And it’s true. Despite what it feels like sometimes, God is not into playing hide-and-seek with His will. Chances are He wants you to know His will even more than you do. So ask.
It’s doubtful you’ll be receiving any “angel-grams” or instructions carved in stone (although both have been known to happen). But somehow, some way, if you’re really serious, He’ll let you know what you should do. It may not be in your timing or in your way-but rest assured, you will know. You have my word on it.
Better yet, you have His.
3. SEEK COUNSEL
As much as you may be convinced that nobody has gone through what you’re going through, chances are you’re wrong. Other people have passed your way- maybe not the exact steps, but close enough. Take advantage of their experiences. Take advantage of their mistakes. That’s one of the reasons God keeps us older Christians puttering around out there-so you can seek our counsel.
If you have a decision to make, talk to your pastor (that’s what he’s there for). Talk to your Sunday school teacher, or youth worker, or some older Christian you respect. In fact (and I know this may sound radical), try talking to your parents. Even they’ve been known to be right from time to time.
4. LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
If you are a Christian, remember-you have a bit of God living inside you. Trust His guidance. Trust His nudgings. See if that “still, small voice” inside isn’t encouraging you along a certain path. Sometimes this can be tricky because your “wants” may be so loud they drown out what the Holy Spirit is saying. But if you wait and continue to listen, there’s a good chance you’ll sense what you should do.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he
will guide you into all truth. He will not
speak on his own; he will speak only what
he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to
come.” John 16:13
5. ASK, “DOES IT GLORIFY GOD?”
That’s not a real popular question these days-especially with so many of us human types only looking out for ourselves. But if we were originally created to please God (Revelation 4:1 1), then we’ll only be the happiest when we’re doing just that.
Now, that doesn’t mean we all have to become missionaries or start passing out tracts to every Tom, Dick, or Harriet. But it does mean “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:3 1).
If it’s cutting down trees or cutting out cookies, it’s still possible to do it in a way that will glorify God. Maybe it’s simply your attitude toward God as you’re doing it. Maybe it’s letting Him shine through you to your co-workers. Who knows? But if what you want to do doesn’t glorify God, take a good hard look at it. It may not be what He has in mind.
The last way of determining God’s will is …
6. LOOK AT THE CIRCUMSTANCES
This can be the trickiest of all. Sometimes God
wants us to close our eyes against all the circumstances and just step out blindly in faith. Other times He wants us to look clearly at the facts and make a decision based on them. If I think circumstances are important in making a decision, I’ll write a list of all the pros and cons. Then, only after I’ve put all the other methods to work (studying God’s Word, praying, getting counsel, waiting on the Holy Spirit, and asking if it glorifies God), I’ll make the decision.
These are six easy ways to find out God’s will in day-to-day living. Again, you may not need to use all of them. If three or four seem to point in the same direction, that may be all the confirmation you need.
But whatever you decide, once you’ve waited on the Lord and made your decision, step out and do it. Don’t be so frightened of making a mistake that you do nothing. If you’re wrong, God’s not going to clobber you over the head. He’s on your side, remember?
He may correct, He may change your course, He may even do a little disciplining if necessary. But if you honestly seek His will, you’ll always find it.
If you sincerely seek God’s will in your life, it will be impossible for you to miss it. It’s a promise….
“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way
which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with
mine eye.” Psalm 32:8, KJV
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the
LORD.” Psalm 37:23, KJV
“For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.”
Day 2: Cosmic Connection
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a Loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (Luke 1:41, 42).
Ultimate Word: Read Luke 1:39-80
Ultimate Encounter
Mary rushes to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s place, which is about 65 miles away (not exactly an afternoon stroll). When they meet, Elizabeth’s unborn baby leaps for joy as Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and calls Mary the mother of her Lord. Elizabeth tells Mary how fortunate she is, not because she has done anything on her own, but because she has simply taken God completely at His word and trusted Him.
Mary agrees but makes sure the glory goes to the right person. She praises God for choosing her, for His love that encourages the humble, and for the fact that what’s happening isn’t a new plan but the fulfillment of an ancient promise.
A few months later, everyone is pretty excited when Elizabeth gives birth to her son, John. But the neighbors can’t quite swallow the name. A backyard, over-the-fence conversation may have gone something like this:
“What’s with this John stuff? Listen, Zech, don’t you know the firstborn is named after the father? That’s how Jewish people keep the family name going. There’s not a single John in your entire family!”
But Zechariah isn’t about to make the same mistake twice. When the angel Gabriel first told Zechariah that he would be a father, he didn’t believe it so his speech was taken from him. The angel also said to name the son John-which is exactly what Zechariah would do! He writes in no uncertain terms, “His name is John.” And because of this act of faith, he immediately begins to speak and prophesy about coming events.
What an amazing account of God’s faithfulness. Understand that Zechariah could not speak until his actions said, “Yes, I trust You, Lord.” Elizabeth called Mary blessed because Mary said, “Yes, I trust You, Lord.” In contrast, Adam and Eve blew it (and put the world in the mess it’s in) because their actions said, “No, we don’t trust You, Lord.”
How many times a day do we say, “Yes, I trust You, Lord”? God promises us love, peace, and protection: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
But how many times do we fall for Satan’s lies? How many times do we feel that if we don’t fret, fuss, and worry, whatever we want will not work out for the very best? We need to get a clue: These are Satan’s lies!
Ultimate Action
Don’t let Satan trip you up. Instead, claim the truth
whether you can physically see it at this particular
moment or not. As Jesus says, ‘If you hold to my
teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31,32
Day 3: The King Is Born
“There is born to you this day in the city of David,
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be
the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in
swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:11, 12 NKJV
Ultimate Word: Read Luke 2:1-20
It doesn’t seem like a suitable place for the King of kings: the animals, the filth, the smells, the flies, the dusty, scratchy hay-and having a feeding trough, of all things, for a crib! But God, in His infinite love, chooses the hum-blest possible surroundings. No one can accuse Jesus of not knowing hardships and pain.
What’s more, it’s not to the kings, or to the great intellectuals, or even to the celebrities that God sends the ultimate birth announcement. Instead, the Creator of the universe first shares His great joy with simple, humble shepherds. (Apparently high positions don’t impress Him too much.) Suddenly, the sky splits apart with “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” and promising peace on earth to those who please Him (Luke 2:13 NASB).
Meanwhile, Mary remains as obedient as ever, despite the fact that her world has been incredibly shaken. Instead of looking at the stigma of being an unwed mother, she keeps her eyes fixed on God’s faithful love and says, “I am the Lord’s servant.”
Are our eyes fixed on God’s faithful love? Can we see beyond our problems to His love? If you’re having trouble with that, keep in mind that part of His love involved coming all the way down to our level to live in this dirty, sin-infested world in the person of His Son. Let’s move in closer and get a better look at this Son…
No beauty. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).
No reputation. The Bible describes Jesus as one who “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7).
No sin. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Focus on Christ’s image.His beauty comes from
the inside out. His eyes radiate with unlimited peace;
His smite speaks of incomprehensible joy. Most of all,
His heart beats with boundless love.
Accept Christ’s friendship.He won’t make fun of
your fears or blab your secrets. Instead, He’ll be
the greatest, most loyal friend you’ll ever have.
Nurture Integrity-not popularity.Even if you
become the planet’s most popular guy or gal,
without Christ ifs all pretty empty and pointless.
Through your Bible study, praise times, and
prayers, let Jesus show you the meaning of true
acceptance, true fulfillment, and true hope.
Day 4: Boy Savior
After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and
his answers (Luke 2:46,47).
At age 12, a Jewish boy becomes more responsible for his actions. No longer can he get by with saying, “Hey, I’m just a kid” or “I didn’t know any better.” Jesus is 12, nearly 13, when He goes to the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem with His parents. Jerusalem is about 65 miles from Nazareth, so after the seven-day festival, Mary and Joseph join a caravan (it’s usually safer to travel in a large group) and head home. As a rule, the women leave earlier in the morning because they walk slower and have children to contend with. Then the men leave, and the two groups meet and camp together in the evening.
During the journey, Mary probably figures Jesus is with Joseph, while Joseph figures He’s with her. It’s quite a shock when they get together in the evening and discover. He isn’t with either of them! Mary and Joseph comb the camp looking for Him, then spend three days searching the streets of Jerusalem. They hit all the festival attractions that should interest a boy of Jesus’ age. The last place they’d expect to find Him is in the temple. But there He is, politely listening and asking questions of the top teachers and amazing all of them with His solid insights and answers.
Mary is naturally upset and asks Jesus why He’s being so inconsiderate.
Jesus’ response? “Why were you searching for me?… Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
These are the earliest words of Jesus quoted in the New Testament. Before this time, no one had ever used the term “My Father” as Jesus had. No one had ever referred to the Creator in such a personal, intimate way. If we reread Jesus’ words, we discover two things about our young Messiah:
He knows who He is. No cruising into the turbulent teen years with an identity crisis. No giving into peer pressure or experimenting with the dark side of life. Jesus accepts who He is and stays true to His identity.
He knows His life’s mission. Best of all, He accepts it. Keep in mind that Jesus is fully God and fully human. Yet He keeps His frail, human side in check and stays committed to His calling. One more amazing thing happens: Jesus returns home with His parents and remains obedient to them. The fact that He’s God’s Son doesn’t give Him the right to rebel.
Don’t lose your identity. In the world’s eyes, your wrapped up what you do, how smart c you are- and how you Look. But in God’s eyes, what matters is who you are-His child.
Find your identity in Christ. Our Lord wants the very best for you. His plans for you are even better than your wildest dreams. Jesus doesn’t Look at you and say, “This is who you are, and who you’ll always be.” Instead, He says, “Just imagine who you can become!’
Day 5: Repent or Perish!
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:26,27).
Ultimate Word: Read John 1:19-28
John the Baptist is drawing such a crowd that the religious hotshots figure they’d better pay a little visit to check him out. Keep in mind that everyone is waiting for the Messiah to appear. The Savior of Israel has been promised by God for thousands of years, so the crowd is expecting Him to make His debut any minute. It’s little wonder, then, that the first question out of the authorities’ mouths is, “Are you the Christ?”
John’s answer couldn’t be clearer: “No way!”
Next they ask if he is Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who was whisked up to heaven hundreds of years ago (a guy many thought would come back to announce the Christ).
Again John says no.
Next, they ask if he’s the prophet (somebody a lot of folks also thought would be showing up).
Wrong again.
In desperation, they throw out the true-or-false quiz and get right to the point: “Who are you?”
He answers by quoting from Isaiah, an Old Testament prophet who spent a lot of time writing about the coming Messiah: “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord” (John 1:23). In other words, “It’s my job to tell you to straighten out your lives because God’s on His way!”
At this point, the bigwigs are getting a little hot under the collar. They came to grill John, not to be preached at. So they demand to know, “If you’re just a nobody, then who do you think you are baptizing all these people? Who gave you the authority?”
John gives them an answer, but not the one they’re expecting. He says that standing right there among them is somebody they don’t know-somebody whose sandals he’s not even fit to untie.
For what it’s worth, John’s not talking about being a shoe salesperson here. Untying sandals was considered such a low-level job that only slaves were supposed to do it. So John makes it pretty clear that he’s not out there on some ego trip. Instead, he’s there to prepare the people for somebody else-somebody he’s not even fit to be a slave to.
Needless to say, he’s got everyone’s attention.
It had to be a pretty strange sight. John the Baptist was out roasting in the desert, wearing camel-hair clothing, eating locusts and wild honey, and telling people they’d better get their acts together because God was on His way Yet there was something about John the Baptist that people were taking seriously. He struck a universal chord-one that still rings true today. He hit upon an intangible feeling of guilt, a deep-rooted sense that somehow humanity has failed. More importantly, the people of the world needed to find a way to wash themselves from these failures-to be cleansed from these sins.
John the Baptist was pointing to the answer: Jesus Christ.
Give up the performance trap. Following the Letter of the Law and trying to be a good person won’t bring you Life. Only God’s Love and mercy can do that.
Stop reliving old sins. And stop thinking that you just can’t cut it as a Christian. If you’ve confessed
your sins to Jesus and have committed our Life to Him, you are forgiven and free! Not only free
from punishment, but if you Let Him, He can actually free you from sinning! That’s definitely ultimate life!
Day 6: Spirit-Filled Son
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending Like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16,17 NKJV).
Ultimate Word: Read Matthew 3:13-17
John the Baptist can’t believe what he’s hearing. His cousin Jesus just asked to be baptized by him. Imagine that!
“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John asks.
Jesus isn’t kidding, He means what He says: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus knows He doesn’t need to be cleansed, but He points out that He needs to identify fully with the people to whom He was sent. What’s more, His Father has chosen this occasion to publicly declare that Jesus is the Son of God: “This is my Son, whom I love,” God’s voice booms from heaven, “with him I am well pleased.” It’s a moment that will live forever. Heaven opens, the Father speaks, and the Spirit of God descends on Jesus like a dove. It’s the first time since Creation that God publicly reveals His amazing nature: Three persons in one-the Father (the voice), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove); all three forms, yet only one God.
Astonishing!
Now for the obvious question: “How can one God be in three forms?” This is a biggie. It’s a question that’s given mankind headaches for centuries (probably because of our limited capacity to comprehend). One good way to understand God is by looking at a man.
A man can be a son to his parents, a father to his children, and a husband to his wife. He’s all three things at once, but he’s still one person. We have one God, but He’s three persons.
Another way of tackling this question is by taking a look at water (H² 0). Even though it can be found in three separate forms-ice, liquid, steam-it will always remain H² 0. The same is true of God. He can take on three forms, but He will always remain one God.
Be in awe of God. So end some time praying to Him, thanking Him for His awesome nature and for coming’ to ‘earth to save humanity. Ask Him to help you trust Him more each day.
Take comfort in God’s presence. Know that He is with you at all times. Ask Him to help you seek His voice and to depend on His guidance.
Day 7: The Master’s Plan
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him
and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world! This is the one I
meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after
me has surpassed me because he was before me’.”
“Look, the Lamb of God!”
At first, John the Baptist’s description of the Lord seems a bit strange to the ear. After all, he could have said, “Look, the Creator of the universe! It’s God-the one and only. Drop to your knees, folks; it’s supreme ruler time!” But John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, uses an interesting word picture-a lamb-when he introduces Jesus. John the Baptist knows the Master’s plan, and he doesn’t want anyone to miss it.
If John insists upon comparing Jesus to an animal, why not: “Behold, the Roaring Lion” or “Behold, the Soaring Eagle”? Why some ninth-rated animal like a baby sheep?
First of all, it was lambs that were used in the temple sacrifice. Every day a lamb was killed in the morning, then another in the evening to pay for people’s sins. This sounds pretty cruel, but keep in mind that sin is pretty cruel. In fact, it’s deadly-and somebody has to pay for it. Arid, as unfair as it seems, it’s better that an animal pay with its life than a human.
So, in one sense, John is saying, “Look, this is the Lamb God has supplied. This is the one who will suffer and die in our place for all our sins.”
Another reason the analogy works is that the blood from lambs is what saved the people of Israel just before the exodus, when they were getting ready to leave Egypt. Remember? Despite all the miracles God was performing through Moses, Pharaoh would not let the Israelites leave. So finally, to get His point across, God made plans to wipe out all of the firstborn in the country There was one problem: The Israelites had a few firstborn, too. How could they be protected while God carried out His judgment on the Egyptians?
The solution was simple. To be saved, the Israelites were to kill lambs and smear their blood over their doors. Later that night, when the Angel of Death went from house to house to kill the firstborn, he’d see the blood over the Israelites’ doorways and literally pass over the homes that were covered by the blood.
It’s Jesus’ blood that saves us from eternal death.
Pause for a moment and consider John the Baptist’s
message. In essence he is saying, “Look, here’s
someone who will take all of your sins-every failure,
everything you’ve ever done wrong-and dispose of
them forever. He will take all that guilt, all that
blame upon Himself. He will take the punishment
that should be yours so you can be clean, so you
can be free.”
Do you believe the Master’s plan? Jesus came to take away your sins so you can Live forever. He is the only answer to your sin dilemma. He is the one through whom you can experience grace. Eternal Life is yours for the asking …. But you have to ask.
Sample from Just Believe It
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Somehow we may have gotten the impression that once we became Christians, life would be a piece of cake. No problems, no headaches?-we just sort of sit back and cruise to heaven.
Nice idea, but not exactly what the Lord has in mind. Instead of sitting nice and cozy up in the bleachers, chowing down on hot dogs and popcorn, we suddenly find ourselves down on the track, working out!
Trials come. They come in all shapes and sizes, from little irritations to mega-heartaches. They seem baffling, confusing. You may even find yourself falling into the ol’, “If God really loves me, why is He letting this happen to me?” routine.
And that’s the answer:
God lets all those things happen to you because He loves you.
That’s right. You see, you only own one thing that’s eternal. You’re only taking one thing to heaven: yourself. That’s it. The cars, the grades, the relationships, the jobs?-none of those things count in the long run.
People. You and me. We’re the only things that are important, the only things that are eternal.
So God takes that one important element, you, and begins to give you a workout?-to exercise and to build your muscles, to run you around the track again and again and again some more. And then-? when you’re sure you can’t take another step? -He gives you one more lap. Not because He’s some sort of dictator, but because He loves you.
In the end He wants you to really be happy, to “be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
But James doesn’t let it go at that. He doesn’t just say, “OK, guys, try your best not to complain or mutter when trials come your way.” He actually takes it a step further. His command us to:
“Consider it pure joy.”
He’s got to be kidding!
Nope. You see, there’s some sort of truth here that he’s trying to clue us in on. If, as Christians, we could begin to look on pain as actually being something that’s good for us-?as an athlete does when he’s working out-?if we could begin to understand that tough times are not supposed to flatten us, but that they are suppose to strengthen us and help us become winners, then we could see things from a totally different perspective.
We could actually begin to welcome pain. Or, as the Bible says, “always giving thanks for all things” (Ephesians 5:20, NASB). We could really begin to understand that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NASB).
Life isn’t always a piece of cake. In fact, sometimes it can be a real pain. The trick is to figure out how the hard times can help you, how they can make you better, how they can make you more like Jesus, “mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
PONDERING POINTS
–What tough stuff are you going through?
–How could God use it to make you more like Jesus? (The trick is not to ask why something’s happening, but how God can use it).
–Try worshipping Him and thanking Him — not for the hard stuff, but that He’s still in charge and will somehow use that hard stuff “to work together for the good” if you hang in there and love Him.
Ancient Forces Collection
Forbidden Doors Series Vol. 4 (books 10-12)
Copyright © 2008 by Bill Myers
The Ancients
The Wiccan
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The eagle soared through the clear blue sky. Sleek and beautiful, it rose higher and higher. Suddenly it dipped and dived, screaming through the air like a jet fighter.
Rebecca Williams watched in delight as the wonderful creature swooped low toward the ground. Then, at the last second, it pulled up and sailed high into the sky in a graceful arc.
And what a sky. Becka’s delight changed to wonder as she saw that the sky had taken on a dark, purplish hue. But what really mesmerized her was the weird geometric pattern covering the sky: lines, triangles, and squares swirled in a concentric pattern that made them impossible to distinguish from one another. And yet the pattern was strong and focused, making an instant imprint on her mind.
The eagle’s harsh cry rang out across the horizon, distracting Becka from the pattern in the sky.
“Becka! Be careful!”
She turned to see Ryan Riordan shouting and running toward her. She looked back at the eagle. Now it was diving toward her. She threw her hands in front of her face and darted to the left. But the eagle did not follow. It swooshed past her, heading directly for Ryan.
She turned and saw Ryan’s mouth open. He lifted his hand to protect his face. He began to scream, but it was too late. The sharp, leathery talons slashed at his neck and —
“Noooo!” Becka woke up with a start. Sweat dampened her face, and her breath came in gasps.
Before she could get her bearings she heard, “Will you stop all that whimpering?”
She spun around to see Scott, her younger brother. She was about to yell at him for being in her room when she realized that she wasn’t in her room at all. In fact, she wasn’t even in her house. She had been napping on a plane.
A plane heading for New Mexico.
“Honey, are you all right?” Mom looked at her from the seat next to Scott’s, her face showing concern.
“I’m okay,” Becka said, wiping the perspiration from her forehead. “I just had . . . It was only a dream.”
“Must have been pretty weird,” Scott said. “You were making all kinds of noise.”
“It was an eagle,” Becka explained. “A huge one. It flew right at me and then wound up attacking Ryan.”
Scott held her gaze a moment. There was no missing the trace of concern in his eyes. This had happened before. Her dreams. Usually they had something to do with an upcoming adventure. Finally, he shrugged. “You’re just worried about the trip.”
She could tell he was trying to reassure her. “Yeah. It’s just . . .”
He glanced back at her. “Just what?”
“This whole assignment.” She hesitated, then continued, “Doesn’t it seem a little stranger than the others?”
Scott gave a half smirk. “Stranger than fighting voodoo in Louisiana?”
Becka said nothing.
“Or tracking down make-believe vampires in Transylvania? Or facing down demons in Los Angeles?”
Becka took a deep breath. Okay, so he had a point. Life had become pretty incredible. Still . . .
“What are you guys talking about?” It was Ryan, Becka’s sort-of boyfriend. He had turned around from the seat ahead of them and was grinning.
Becka felt a wave of relief. She knew she’d been dreaming, but it was still good to see him and know he was all right. Come to think of it, it was always good to see Ryan Riordan. If not because of their special friendship, then because of the gentle warmth she always felt inside when they were together.
“We were talking about this trip,” Scott said. “Becka’s afraid this one is stranger than the others.”
Ryan’s smile faded. “What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Just a feeling, I guess.”
“At least we get to stay in a fancy hotel again,” Scott said. “What’s it called? The Western Ground on the Cliff?” He leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. “Sounds pretty hoitytoity to me. Like one of those expensive, something-on-thesomething hotels in Beverly Hills.”
“I’m just glad to be going this time,” Ryan said. “I went crazy when you guys were in L.A.”
Becka was glad he was with them too.
“Well, Becka’s right about one thing,” Scott admitted. “Something’s definitely up. Z never sends us out on boring assignments, that’s for sure.”
Becka and Ryan both nodded in agreement. Z was their friend from the Internet. He’d sent them to help people all over the world. And yet, to this day, Scott and Becka had no idea who Z really was. Not that they hadn’t tried to find out . . . but somehow, someway, their attempts had always met with failure. Z’s identity remained a mystery.
“Actually,” Ryan said with a grin, “I’m pretty excited to be visiting an Indian tribe. I mean, I’ve always liked reading about Native American culture. I think they’re a noble people who got a raw deal.”
Rebecca nodded. “Taking their land was a wrong that we’ll never fully repay. Kinda like slavery. And you’re right about their culture. They’ve got a real respect for nature.”
“I suppose,” Scott said. “But aren’t some tribes really involved in weird spiritual stuff? You know, like shamanism and séances and visions?”
Ryan nodded slowly. “But some of that is in the Bible.” “So?” Scott asked.
“So they must have some truth to them.”
“There’s some truth in everything,” Scott countered. “That’s the devil’s favorite trick . . . a little truth, a lotta lie.”
Before Ryan could answer, Becka called out, “Wow! Look down at that canyon!”
Mom and Scott crowded in close to her so they could see out the window. There below them lay a beautiful canyon, its cliff walls shimmering red, yellow, and purple in the sunset.
The captain’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker. “Well, folks, we’re beginning our descent into Albuquerque. Please fasten your seat belts. We should be on the ground in just a few minutes.”
On the ground far below the plane, an Indian brave ran through the desert. Above him, the huge canyon walls towered and rose toward the sky. Beside him, a river flowed, its power thundering and cutting into the rock and sandstone.
Swift Arrow ran because he wanted to crest the hill at the far end of the canyon in time to see the sunset. As he neared the top, he could see the bright yellow sun dipping behind the mountain ahead. When he arrived, he raised his hands to the sky and called, “Father, you are the master creator. I praise you for the beauty you have made.”
Far in the distance, a rumble caught his attention. He turned and looked behind him. Dark clouds were beginning to gather. A storm was brewing. Suddenly a great lightning bolt cut through the sky and then another and another. Jagged lines seemed to fill the sky, forming triangles and squares, all arranged in a swirling, concentric pattern . . .
Swift Arrow stared as the light from the bolts faded, his heart beginning to pound in fear. He’d seen that sign in the sky before. He lowered his head and began to pray. “Lord, deliver my people from their bondage. Free them from the snares of a thousand years. Help them to see beyond the old legends, the old fears, the ancient beliefs. Help them see your truth.”
Another burst of light startled him, and he raised his head just in time to see the remainder of its jagged tail slice through the sky.
Swift Arrow grimaced as a mixture of fear and concern swept over him.
— Becka lurched forward in her seat as the Jeep roared across the bumpy desert road. It had been nearly three hours since they’d boarded the vehicle at the Albuquerque airport. And judging by the bruises she was accumulating and the perpetual look of discomfort on Mom’s face in the front seat, it was about two hours and fifty-nine minutes too long.
Of course, Scott and Ryan enjoyed every bone-jarring bounce and buck. They were busy having a great time. Red rock formations rose all around, high into the bright blue sky. To the left of the vehicle, three colossal boulders, each about three stories high, balanced on top of each other. To their right, a fivehundred- foot butte jutted upward, its smooth, flat top a stark contrast to its jagged sides. In the distance rose a vast range of peaks. Their driver pointed to those peaks, saying, “The village is in the middle of that mountain range. I can drive you most of the way up, but you’ll have to go the last few miles on foot. No one can reach Starved Rock by car or truck.”
“You want us to climb those peaks?” Scott asked in alarm.
“Are you kidding?”
The driver laughed. “It’s not that hard, boy. And it won’t take you too long. Come Saturday, I’ll be waiting at the drop-off point to pick you up. Noon sound all right?”
Mom nodded. “That should give us enough time to make our flight, Mr. Doakey.”
The driver grinned. “Just call me Oakie. Everyone else does.”
“Oakie?” Scott asked.
“Sure, when your last name is Doakey, what else would you expect?”
“Oakie Doakey?” Scott laughed. “That’s good.” He threw Ryan a look, but Ryan didn’t seem to notice.
Becka frowned. Ryan had spent most of the ride in silence, his attention focused on the scenery. When he had spoken, it was in a soft and reverent voice — almost as though he were inside a huge church. Granted, he seemed peaceful and relaxed. But he also seemed preoccupied — as if he wasn’t entirely there. Becka wasn’t sure why this made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was just jealousy. After all, she was used to being the focus of much of Ryan’s attention. But deep inside, she knew that wasn’t it. Something else was bothering her . . .
She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she could swear something was happening. Something . . . unnatural. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop the feeling from rising up inside her. Something was wrong.
They’d been in New Mexico for only a few hours, but already she knew something was very wrong.
Ancient Forces Collection Reviews
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There was an ominous clunk under the Boeing 737. Rebecca Williams stiffened, then glanced nervously at her younger brother, Scott. He sat on her left next to the window. Although he was her “little” brother, he would pass her in height before long. He had a thin frame like Becka’s.
“It’s just the landing gear coming down,” he said, doing his best to sound like an experienced air traveler.
Becka nodded. She took a deep breath and tried to release her sweaty grip on the armrests. It didn’t work. She didn’t like flying. Not at all. Come to think of it, Becka didn’t like the whole purpose of this trip.
Who did Z, the mysterious adviser on the Internet, think she was, anyway? What was he doing sending her and her brother off to Louisiana to help some girl caught up in voodoo? Granted, they’d had lots of experience battling the supernatural lately. First, there was the Ouija board incident at the Ascension Bookshop. Becka could never forget how Scott battled that group of satanists! They wanted revenge after Becka exposed Maxwell Hunter, the reincarnation guru. And let’s not forget the so-called ghost at Hawthorne mansion, the counterfeit angel, and that last encounter with a phony UFO.
But voodoo in Louisiana? Becka didn’t know a thing about voodoo. She barely knew anything about Louisiana.
Fortunately Mom had an aunt who lived in the area, so she’d insisted on coming along with them to visit her. Becka looked forward to seeing her great-aunt once more.
Becka looked to her right, where her mother rested comfortably, her eyes closed. Good ol’ Mom. Maybe the trip would do her some good. Ever since Dad died she’d been fretting and working nonstop. This trip just might give her the rest she needed.
Clunk . . . clunk . . . brang!
Then again . . .
It was the same sound, only louder. Becka looked to Scott, hoping for more reassurance. “What’s that clunking?” she asked.
Scott shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s the brang that bothers me.”
So much for reassurance.
Suddenly the intercom came on. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. There seems to be a problem with the landing gear . . .”
The collective gasp from the passengers did little to help Becka relax.
“I’ve radioed ahead for emergency measures . . .”
Becka felt her mother’s hand rest on top of hers. She turned to Mom.
“Don’t worry,” Mom said. “We’ll be all right.”
Don’t worry?! Yeah, right.
The pilot’s voice resumed. “The ground crew is going to spray the runway with foam.”
“Foam?” Scott exclaimed. “Does he mean like shaving cream?”
“I’ll advise you as the situation develops,” the pilot continued. “Please try to remain calm.”
CLUNK-CLUNK-BRAAANG!
The sound had grown steadily louder.
Becka looked past Scott out the window. They were flying low over New Orleans and dropping fast. As the plane suddenly banked to the left, she saw the airport and immediately wished she hadn’t. Several large tankers sprayed foam on the runway. Fire trucks and ambulances were everywhere.
Now it was the head f light attendant’s turn to be on the intercom. “Please make sure your seat belts are fastened securely across your lap. Then bend over as far as you can in the seat, keeping your head down. Hold a pillow to your face with one hand, and wrap your other arm around your knees.”
Becka fought the fear down as she glanced at her mother. Mom had her eyes shut. Becka wondered if she was praying. Not a bad idea.
Another attendant hurried through the aisle, passing out pillows. She tried to appear calm but failed miserably.
The plane banked back to the right. Becka laid her face down on the pillow in her lap and gave her seat belt another tug.
The intercom buzzed once more with the pilot’s voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to land on the foam . . . Please hold on.”
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “That’s just the landing gear . . . I’ll keep trying it as we come in.”
Becka remained hunched over with her face on the pillow. She could feel the plane dropping, and still the landing gear was not coming down. They were going to land with no wheels!
CLUNK-CLUNK-BRAAANG! CLUNK-CLUNK-BRAAANG!
She glanced at Scott, who stared back at her from his pillow.
He tried to force an encouraging grin, but there was no missing the look of concern on his face.
She turned to look at Mom. Her eyes were still closed. Becka hoped that she continued to pray.
Becka’s thoughts shot to Ryan Riordan, her boyfriend back home. If she died, how would he handle the news? And what about her friends — Julie, Krissi, and Philip? How would they handle it? She also thought of Dad — of perhaps seeing him soon. Too soon. It was this final thought that jolted her back to the present and caused her to pray. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Dad again. She just had a few more things to do first.
CLUNK-CLUNK-BRAAANG! CLUNK-CLUNK-BRAAANG!! CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK-DAARRRRREEEEEEEE . . .
Something was different!
The plane veered sharply upward. Becka couldn’t resist the temptation to sit up and glance out the window.
The pilot spoke once more. “Ladies and gentlemen, the landing gear has engaged. We are out of danger. I repeat. We are out of danger. We will land on a different runway in just a few moments.”
“Thank you, Lord,” Mom whispered. She sounded relieved as she sat up, then reached over and hugged both of her children. “Thank you . . .”
Becka breathed a sigh of relief as she joined the applause of the other passengers. They were safe. At least for now. But all the same, she couldn’t help wondering if this was some sort of omen — a warning of the dangers that were about to begin. The three o’clock bell at Sorrento High rang. Throngs of kids poured out of the old, weathered building. One fifteen-year-old girl slowed her pace as she headed for the bus. No one talked to her. Her clothes were more ragged than most. They were too shabby to be fashionable and too conservative to be alternative.
Sara Thomas had never fit in. She had never felt like she belonged, no matter where she was. As she approached the school bus and stepped inside, she steeled herself, waiting for the taunts.
None came. Just the usual after-school chatter.
Carefully she took a seat, stealing a glance to the rear of the bus. Ronnie Fitzgerald and John Noey were engrossed in a tattoo magazine.
Maybe they’d forget about her today.
With a swoosh and a thud, the door closed. The bus jerked forward.
Maybe today would be different.
Then again, maybe not. They had traveled less than a mile when it began . . .
“Hey, Rags, you shopping at Goodwill or the Salvation Army these days?”
Sara recognized Ronnie’s shrill, nasal voice. “Hey! I’m talking to you.”
She didn’t turn around. “I heard Goodwill’s got a special on those cruddy, stained sweaters you like so much,” John Noey said snidely.
Before she could catch herself, Sara glanced down at the brown chocolate stain on her yellow sweater.
The boys roared.
“Is that from a candy bar or did your dog do a number on it?” Ronnie shouted.
Most of the others on the bus smirked and snickered. A few laughed out loud.
Sara stared out the window as the taunts continued. As always, she tried to block out the voices. And, as always, she failed. But not for long. Soon, she thought. Soon they’ll pay. They’ll both pay. She reached into her purse and clutched the tiny cloth-andstraw doll. Already she was thinking about her revenge.
And already she was starting to smile.
— Aunt Myrna’s farmhouse was simple but clean. The furniture inside was made mostly of dark wood. The chairs looked like they’d been there a hundred years . . . and could easily last another hundred.
After Becka dropped her bags off in the small attic room that she would be using, she headed down to the kitchen, grabbed an apple out of the fruit basket, and strolled out to the front porch. As the screen door slammed, she vaguely heard Aunt Myrna telling Mom something about a farmhand named John Garrett who was supposed to drop by.
It was hot and humid, which reminded her of her childhood days in South America. Several months had passed since Dad’s death and their move from Brazil back to California. But the humidity and the smells of the rich vegetation here in Louisiana sent her mind drifting back to the Brazilian rain forests.
Unlike California, everything in Louisiana was lush and wild. Plant life seemed to explode all around. And the water. There was water everywhere — lakes, ponds, and marshes. Although most of the area around the bayou was swamp, even the dry land never really felt dry. Still, it was beautiful.
Even surrounded by beauty, Becka felt nervous. Very nervous. Z had given them so little information. Just that a young girl named Sara Thomas lived in the area and that she was in serious trouble — caught up in some kind of voodoo. Z had also stressed that Becka and Scott were not to be afraid.
“Your training is complete,” he had said. “Go in his authority.”
His authority. God’s authority. Becka had certainly seen God work in the past. There was no denying that. But even now as she looked around, she felt a strange sense of — what? Apprehension? Uncertainty?
During the other adventures, she had always been on her home turf. But being in a strange place, helping somebody she didn’t even know . . . it all made her nervous. Very nervous.
The late afternoon sun shimmered on the vast sea of sugarcane before her as she sat on the steps. Wind quietly rippled through the cane, making the stalks appear like great scarecrows with arms beckoning her to come closer. Closer. Closer . . .
Something grabbed her hand.
Becka let out a gasp and turned to see a small goat eight inches from her face. It gobbled the last of her apple.
“Aunt Myrna!” she shrieked. “There’s an animal loose out here!”
“He won’t bother you none.”
Becka turned, startled at hearing a voice come from the field of sugarcane. She tried to locate the source of the voice while keeping one eye on the goat in case he decided to go for a finger or two.
A young African-American man suddenly walked out of the field. Becka guessed that he was about seventeen. He was tall, lean, and handsome, in a rugged sort of way.
He nodded to the goat. “That’s Lukey. He’s more pet than farm animal.” He entered the yard and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Try scratching his nose. He likes that.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Rebecca said quickly. “I’d rather not just now.” Then, rising to her feet, she said, “You must be John Garrett. Aunt Myrna said you’d be coming.”
The young man nodded. “Miss Myrna said I should be showing you and your brother around the place some.”
“So let’s get started,” Scott said, appearing suddenly in the doorway. “Wow. Cool goat. C’mere, boy.” He crossed to the animal. It rubbed its head against his arm. “Hey!” Scott looked up with a broad smile. “He likes me!”
“He likes everybody,” John Garrett said, already turning back toward the field. “We better get started if we’re going. The foreman’s called a meeting of us farmhands. It should be starting pretty soon.”
Scott went to walk beside John. Becka fell in behind.
In seconds the two boys were hitting it off. Becka could only marvel. Her brother got along with everybody. In fact, when they’d moved to California, he fit in like he’d always been there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so easy for Becka to make friends. She figured that was partly why she felt so uncomfortable about this trip. She didn’t like the idea of barging into a total stranger’s life, even if they were supposed to help her.
But that was only part of the reason. There was something else: a feeling. It felt eerie . . . like something she couldn’t quite explain but couldn’t shake off.
“John,” she called, trying to sound casual, “do you know anything about voodoo?”
He glanced back at her and laughed. “Not much. ‘Cept my grandpa used to speak Gumbo all the time.”
“Gumbo?” she asked.
“It’s kind of a mesh of African dialects. A lot of the people into voodoo speak it. But you really got to be careful who you talk to about voodoo around these parts.”
“Why’s that?” Scott asked.
“Lots of folks believe in it, and if you upset them, they’d just as soon drop a curse on you as look at you.”
Becka felt a tiny shiver run across her back. “A curse? Does stuff like that really happen?”
“Oh yeah. I heard about this woman who lived down the road from my father. She made an old mambo mad, and the mambo put a curse on her.”
“Mambo?” Scott echoed with a snort. “Sounds like some kind of dance step.”
John shot him a knowing look. “They’re like high priestesses. And they’re nothing to mess with.”
“So what happened to this woman?” Scott asked.
“I heard she suddenly died in horrible pain.”
“That’s awful!” Becka shuddered. “Did you ever see her?”
John shook his head. “My father’s cousin said he did, though. Not only that, I also heard about an old man who refused to pay the hungan for helping him get back his wife.” At Scott’s raised eyebrows John explained. “A hungan is like the male version of a mambo — the high priest. The man who wouldn’t pay carried a powerful root with him at all times so the hungan couldn’t work magic on him while he was alive. The root was like a good-luck charm. But when he died and they took him to the morgue, his body started shaking all over the place. And when they cut him open, they found he was full of scorpions!”
“Come on — scorpions?” Scott scoffed.
But Becka was not scoffing. In fact she felt more uneasy by the moment. “How about him?” she asked. “Did you see him?”
John shook his head again. “No, that happened before I was born. I know it sounds crazy, but some of this curse stuff might be true.”
Scott shook his head, his face filled with skepticism. “I don’t know. Sounds pretty fantastic to me. Like something out of a B movie.”
“Maybe so,” John continued. “But one thing I do know, and that’s to never cross Big Sweet. I’ve heard his magic’s powerful.”
“Who’s Big Sweet?” Scott asked.
“You don’t know who Big Sweet is? He’s Miss Myrna’s foreman. He’s head of the harvest crew. Been picking sugarcane all his life. That’s why they call him Big Sweet.”
“Why’s he so dangerous?” Becka asked.
“He’s the local hungan. People say his father was a disciple of Marie Leveau. She’s called the Queen of Conjure. She was a powerful mambo who used to live in the French Quarter of New Orleans.”
“And you’re afraid of him?” Becka asked.
“Everybody’s afraid of Big Sweet.” John turned back to Becka. There was something about his look that caused a cold knot to form deep in her stomach. “Everybody’s afraid . . . and you’d better be too.”
Suddenly a horn bellowed across the fields. John spun toward the sound, looking startled.
“What’s that?” Scott asked.
The other boy started moving away from them toward the sound. Becka and Scott exchanged concerned glances. John was clearly very nervous. “That’s Big Sweet’s horn,” he said. “It’s his conch shell. The meeting’s starting. I gotta go.”
“What about showing us the farm?” Scott called as John moved away.
“I can take you into the swamp tomorrow after chores. But I gotta go now.”
“Yeah, but — ”
“Look, I can’t be late. I gotta go.” With that he disappeared into the cane.
“John!” Scott called. “Hey, John! Hold on a minute!” But there was no answer.
Scott turned to Becka. She knew her expression held the same concern she saw in her brother’s face. The horn continued to bellow. Finally Becka cleared her throat. “I . . . uh . . . I guess we’d better head back.”
“Yeah. I can’t wait to get the lowdown on all this stuff from Z tonight. I’ll bet he knows about this Big Sweet guy.”
“And Sara Thomas,” Becka reminded him.
“Right,” Scott said. “But the more we learn about Big Sweet, the faster we’ll be able to blow him away.”
“Blow him away?” Becka felt herself growing impatient with her brother. “Come on, Scotty. You sound like a Schwarzenegger movie.”
“That’s me!” Scott threw a few mock karate kicks. “Scott Williams, Demon Terminator.”
“Scott, this isn’t a joke.”
“What’s the matter? Afraid Big Sweet may slap a curse on you?”
“Afraid he might hatch a lizard in your ear or give you a monkey face? Hmmm, looks like somebody’s already done that.”
“Scotty!”
“Come on, Beck — lighten up!” Then, looking across the field, his face lit up with an idea. “Let’s save ourselves a little time and take a shortcut through the cane.”
Becka began to protest, but her brother had already started out. And there was one thing about Scott — when he made up his mind to do something, there was no stopping him. With a heavy sigh, she followed.
The stalks of cane towered over their heads. Becka knew that Scott was right about one thing. By taking this shortcut they’d get back to the house a lot faster. And with all the uneasiness she had been feeling out there, especially now that they were alone . . . well, the sooner they got home, the better.
Unfortunately, “sooner” was way too long, now that Scott was in his teasing mode. He kept jumping around and darting between the stalks of cane like some ghoul.
Brothers. What a pain, Becka thought.
“Oogity-boogity! Me Big Sweet. Me cast a big curse on you.”
“Knock it off!” Becka muttered between clenched teeth. She was going to bean him if he kept it up.
“Big Sweet turn you into little mouse if you’re not careful.” “Scott, you know you’re not supposed to joke around with — ”
“Oogity-boogity!” He leaped even higher into the air.
“Scotty . . .”
“Oogity-boogity! Oogity-boog — OW!”
Suddenly he crumpled to the ground.
Becka’s heart pounded as she raced to his side. “What happened?
“I twisted my ankle!” he whined. “Owwww!”
Becka knew it served him right. But since he was clearly in pain, now was not the time to bring it up. Instead, she reached out and carefully touched his ankle.
“Ouch!” he yelped. “That hurts!”
“Sorry. Here . . .” She tried to help him to his feet. “Lean against me and see if you can — ”
“Oww!” he cried even louder. “I can’t. It hurts too much. You’ll have to get somebody to — ”
Suddenly there was a low, distant growl. It sounded part animal and part . . . well, Becka couldn’t tell. It was mixed with another sound — a silent, whooshing noise.
“What’s that?” Scott said, his eyes wide and suddenly alarmed.
Becka wished she had a good answer. She didn’t. “I — I don’t know.” She rose to her feet and searched the field. “I can’t see anything but sugarcane.”
The sound grew louder. Becka felt her pulse kick into high gear. Whatever it was, it was moving. And by the sound of things, it was moving toward them.
Once again, Scott tried to stand, but it was no use. As soon as he put any weight on his ankle, it gave out. He toppled back to the ground.
The noise grew closer.
“Becka . . .” There was no missing the fear in her brother’s voice.
Becka reached for him, fighting off the fear that swept over her. She had no idea what was coming at them, but she knew lying down, unable to move, was no way for her brother to meet it. She tried pulling him forward, but he was too heavy.
The cane several yards in front of them suddenly splintered.
“Becka!”
All at once something exploded through the stalks. It was big and red.
It headed directly for them.
“What is it?!” Scott cried.
“I don’t know!”
She reached under his arms, trying to pull him to the side, to get him out of the way.
And still the thing bore down on them, ripping cane just a few yards in front of them and devouring it with giant, red jaws.
“Run!” Scott shouted at her. “Get out of here!”
The afternoon sun caught a sharp, shiny blade coming directly toward them, slicing through cane only a few feet away.
“Get out of here!” Scott yelled at her.
She pulled harder, but it was no use.
“Beck — ”
She finally looked up. The giant blade hovered over her and was coming down fast. She screamed and gave one last tug, moving her brother only a foot before tumbling backward. The blade came down.
“Your leg!” Becka screamed. “Your — ”
Scott tucked and rolled just as the blade chomped down, missing his flesh by inches.
The threshing machine roared past them, leaving a great swath of cut sugarcane in its path.
Becka couldn’t see the driver, but as the machine passed, she could read a name crudely painted on the back. It was in big black letters. Originally, it had read BIG SWEET’S CANE KILLER. But over the years dirt and grime had covered some of the letters. Now it read BIG SWEET CAN KILL.
Deadly Loyalty Collection Reviews
Invisible Terror Collection
The Encounter
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.
1:36 a.m. WEDNESDAY
The cloaked figure stood outside the house. Slowly, reluctantly, she started to climb the porch stairs. At the top she reached for the doorbell, then hesitated.
“No,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and pleading. “It is too late, it is — ”
Suddenly she convulsed, doubling over as though someone had punched her in the gut. She leaned against the wall, gasping. Carefully, almost defiantly, she rose. She was a handsome woman, in her late fifties. Strands of salt-and-pepper hair poked out from under her hood. There was a distinct air of sophistication about her, though her face was filled with pain . . . and fear. Another convulsion hit. Harder, more painful.
She rose again. More slowly, less steadily. This time she would obey.
She stretched her thin, trembling hand toward the doorbell and pressed it. There was no response. She tried again. Nothing. The doorbell didn’t work. Not surprising in this neighborhood.
She opened the screen door, which groaned in protest, then rapped on the door.
Knock-knock-knock-knock.
Rebecca was the first to hear it. She stirred slightly in bed, thinking it was still part of a dream.
The knocking repeated itself, louder, more urgent. Her eyes opened.
She threw off her covers, then staggered out of bed and into the hallway. Scotty’s door was shut. No surprise there. He was the world’s soundest sleeper (that’s the beauty of not having a care in the world). She glanced toward Mom’s room, then remembered. Her mother was off at a funeral of some third aunt twice removed.
“I’ll only be gone three days,” she’d assured them. “I’ve asked that nice Susan Murdock from church to check in on you. You think you’ll be okay for three days?”
Seventeen-year-old Becka and her fifteen-year-old brother figured they’d be okay for three weeks, let alone three days. They tried their best to convince Mom that they didn’t need some semistranger from church checking up on them. Of course, it hadn’t worked.
“Well, I’ll have her drop by, just in case,” Mom had said.
Becka reached the stairs and started down, hanging on to the banister for support. The cast had only been off her leg a few days, and she was still a little shaky. Then there was Muttly, her pup. His bouncing and leaping around her feet didn’t help.
“Muttly, get down,” she whispered. “Get down.”
Becka reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed to the front door. She snapped on the porch light and looked through the peephole. An older, frail woman stood there. Becka hesitated. The visitor certainly looked harmless enough. And there was something very sad and frightened in her eyes.
Knock-knock-knock —
Becka unbolted the door and opened it. It stuck slightly, and she had to give it an extra yank. But even then she only opened it a crack.
“Rebecca Williams?”
“I am sorry to bother you at this time of evening, but there is someone . . .” She trailed off, pulling her cloak tighter as if fighting off a chill. “There is someone who needs your help.”
Becka fidgeted, eyeing the woman carefully.
“Please,” the woman insisted. “If I may come in for just a moment? It is most urgent.”
Becka’s mind raced. The woman hardly looked like a robber or a mugger. If worse came to worst, Becka could always scream and bring Scotty running downstairs. Besides, she couldn’t shake the image of those eyes: tired, sad, frightened. It was against her better judgment, but —
Becka opened the door. The woman nodded a grateful thankyou and stepped into the entry hall. “You won’t regret this, I assure you. My name is — ” She broke off at the sound of a harsh little growl.
Becka looked down. Muttly had his hackles up and was doing his best imitation of being ferocious. “Muttly!” she scolded. “Stop that!”
The puppy growled again until Becka reached down and gave him a little thwack on the nose. He looked up at her and whined feebly.
“I’m sorry,” Becka said as she turned back to the woman.
“That’s not like him at all. He’s usually so friendly.”
“It does not surprise me,” the woman answered, keeping a wary eye on the animal. “I am afraid he senses it too.”
“Senses it?” Becka asked. Normally she would have invited the stranger to have a seat, but at 1:30 in the morning the woman had a little more explaining to do. “What exactly does my dog sense?”
The woman pulled back her hood and shook out her hair.
It fell past her shoulders, long and beautiful. She extended her hand. “My name is Priscilla Bantini. We have not met officially, but we have many friends in common. I am the owner of the Ascension Bookshop.”
Becka sucked in her breath. The Ascension Lady! The woman who owned the New Age bookstore, who made the charms for her friends . . . who sponsored the kids in the Society. Becka swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure how to respond.
The woman watched her carefully. “I know what you must think; however, I assure you I had nothing to do with the pranks the children have been playing on you.”
Pranks! Becka thought. I almost get hit by a train, and then I’m kidnapped by satanists. Some pranks!
The woman continued. “Someone desperately needs our help. They have been calling upon me, begging for my assistance, but I have neither the strength nor the power.”
“I’m sorry . . .” Becka shook her head. “What are you talking about?”
“Someone needs help.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“You have the strength and the power they need.”
Becka blinked. “What?”
The woman spoke calmly and evenly. “As a Christian, as a disciple of Christ, you have both the strength and the power to help this . . . person.”
Becka closed her eyes a moment. She’d heard the Ascension Lady was weird — but she didn’t know she was a total fruitcake. “You’re going to have to run that past me again,” she said.
“There is a spirit — the soul of a deceased human — that is trapped in a mansion across town. It desperately wants to be free, to reach its resting place, but it cannot do so on its own. It needs your help.”
Becka scowled. “I’m not sure what you’re — ”
“I know you disapprove of the source of my power, but this poor creature needs to be set free. Together you and I can — ”
“What creature are you talking about?”
“The one inhabiting the Hawthorne mansion across town. It is the spirit of a human, a victim of a tragic murder, that is trapped there by negative energy. It desperately wants to be free.” The woman’s voice grew more urgent, her eyes more pleading. “The anniversary of its death will be here in just three days, and it is begging me, pleading with me to seek your help.”
Becka shook her head. “I still don’t understand. How am I supposed to be able to help?”
“According to my charts, the anniversary of the murder is in conjunction with a unique alignment of planets. This Friday, April twenty-one, is when the spirit can make its escape. This is when we can join forces — bringing it forth in a séance and helping it reach its eternal resting — ”
Suddenly a voice boomed, “What are you doing here?”
Becka and the woman spun around to see Scott, Becka’s younger brother, towering above them on the stairway. Although he was only a ninth grader, his height and position above them gave him a commanding presence.
Priscilla cleared her throat. “You must be Scott Williams. My name is — ”
“I know exactly who you are.” He started down the steps toward her.
Priscilla forced a smile. “Yes, well, I was just telling your sister that — ”
“No one invited you here.”
Becka looked on, shocked at her brother’s manners. “Scott.”
He continued down the stairs toward the woman, and there was no missing his anger. “Haven’t you caused us enough trouble?”
Priscilla backed half a step toward the door. “I am not here to cause trouble. I am here to help. According to my astrological charts — ”
“I don’t give a rip about your astrological charts.” He reached the bottom of the steps, but he didn’t stop. He walked directly, purposefully, toward her.
“Scotty!” Rebecca exclaimed.
He turned toward Becka. “This woman brings in that channeler creep, nearly gets you killed, helps those cruds who snatched you, and you expect me to be polite?” Before Becka could answer, Scott turned back to Priscilla. “Get out of here.”
The Ascension Lady reached behind her, fumbling for the door handle.
“Scotty — ”
“Get out.”
The woman pulled the door open and backed outside. “I apologize for the intrusion. I was expecting more Christian love, but I can certainly understand.” She stumbled over the threshold as she backed out onto the porch.
Scott continued toward her. “Get off our property before I throw you off.”
“I did not come for myself.”
Scott reached for the door.
“As I told Becka, the spirit of a deceased human desperately needs our — ”
He slammed the door shut.
Becka stood in the silence, staring at her little brother. She was both shocked and a bit in awe. Then, for the first time, she noticed he was trembling.
He turned to her. “They won’t hurt you again,” he said, his voice quivering. “I promise you, sis. I won’t let them hurt you again.” 2:45 a.m.
An hour later Scott lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. No way would he be able to get back to sleep. Not after tonight. He was too steamed. How dare the Ascension Lady show up at their door. How dare she ask for a favor. After all her people had done to them? No way!
As for that cheap line she threw in about “Christian love” . . .
give me a break!
Normally Scott was pretty much a happy-go-lucky guy. “Live and let live,” “Be everybody’s bud” — those were his mottoes. And if things ever got too tense, there were always his wisecracks. But there were no jokes tonight. And for good reason.
He turned on his side, his thoughts still broiling. They had moved to this town three months ago, after Dad had died. And for three months, he and Mom and Becka had been constantly hassled by the Society and all their hocus-pocus.
Why? Why did those creeps have to keep bothering them? Weren’t he and Mom and Becka the good guys? Why were they always the ones put on the defensive?
He knew Becka wouldn’t fall for the woman’s line about helping some deceased spirit. Becka’s heart might be soft, but her brain wasn’t. Still, there had to be some way to stop these guys from their constant harassment. Better yet, there had to be some way to get even.
To get even . . . His eyes lit up with interest. Now there was an idea.
But even as he thought it, a still, small voice whispered that he might be stepping out-of-bounds — that getting even wasn’t exactly the right plan of attack.
Scott ignored the voice. Enough was enough, and he and Becka had had enough. Again the thought of evening the score tugged at him. He toyed with contacting Z, his mysterious friend in the computer chat room. Maybe Z would know of some weakness in the Society that Scotty could use against them. But he already knew what Z’s response would be. He’d heard it before. He’d even used it before: “These people are not your enemy; they’re only prisoners of your enemy.”
Yeah, right. Well, prisoners or not, Scott was going to find a way to protect his sister. And it being the middle of Spring Break, he’d have plenty of time to think of something.
11:50 a.m. Becka turned from the front seat of the car to her friends. “You sure this is the right house?”
“Oh yeah.” Julie, one of her best pals — a super jock with perfect clothes and a figure to match — grinned at her. “Everyone in town knows this place, right, guys?”
The others agreed: Ryan, the driver with the killer smile; Krissi, the airhead beauty; and Krissi’s part-time boyfriend and full-time intellectual, Philip.
When Rebecca had called Julie to tell her about the visit from the Ascension Lady and the invitation to participate in a séance, Julie thought it would be fun to grab the rest of the guys and go for a drive. So here they were, driving up a steep hill and slowly approaching the Hawthorne mansion.
Becka looked out her window. For a haunted house, it was a little disappointing. She’d expected something covered in weeds, unpainted, and overflowing with cobwebs and banging shutters. Granted, the place was two-and-a-half stories high and had pitched roofs sloping every which direction, but instead of looking like a home for the Addams Family, it looked more like it belonged to the Brady Bunch.
As if reading her thoughts, Julie explained. “They pay a gardener and housekeeper to keep it spruced up, just in case someone ever wants to buy it.”
“It’s been vacant all these years?” Becka asked.
Philip answered. “My dad’s a real estate agent. They get offers all the time, but they always fall through.”
Krissi giggled, “Right after they spend a few minutes alone in there.”
“You’re going to help, aren’t you?” Julie asked. “You know, take part in that séance?”
“You’re going to a séance?” Krissi asked nervously.
Philip joined in. “Hey, maybe we can all go.”
After all Rebecca had been through, attending a séance was not at the top of her “Things I Gotta Do” list. Ryan, on the other hand, was silent and noncommittal.
“Pull over here,” Philip said, pointing to the curb. “Let Becka get out and take a look.”
Ryan brought his white vintage Mustang to a stop directly across the street from the mansion. Everyone piled out except Krissi.
“Aren’t you coming?” Philip asked.
“I’m not feeling so great. I think I’ll sit this one out.”
“Come on,” Philip insisted. The others joined in until Krissi finally gave in. “All right, all right,” she whined as she crawled out of the car, “but if we die, you’re all going to live to regret it.”
No one was quite sure what she meant, but that was nothing unusual when it came to Krissi.
As they crossed the street, Ryan fell in beside Becka. Although he wasn’t officially her boyfriend, he was definitely a boy and he was definitely a friend — maybe her best. She liked everything about Ryan Riordan. But it wasn’t just his thick, black hair, his sparkling blue eyes, or that heartbreaker smile of his. It was the fact that he was always there for her. And if she needed proof, all she had to do was look at the scar on his forehead — a memento from their last encounter with the Society.
The group had just crossed the street and was standing on the walk in front of the house when Julie came to a stop. “Listen . . . do you hear that?”
Everyone grew quiet. It was faint, but there was no missing the low, quiet whistling — like wind blowing through a screen window, but deeper. It almost sounded like moaning.
“Guys . . .” Krissi sounded uneasy. “I don’t think this is such a — ”
“Shhh!” Philip scowled.
Julie took a step or two closer. “It’s coming from over there.” She pointed at the massive brick chimney that ran the height of the house.
“Maybe it’s just the wind,” Krissi offered feebly. “You know, blowing down the chimney or something.”
Becka looked at the oak trees towering over their heads. There wasn’t a single leaf stirring. She glanced back at the house — and then she saw it. In the second-story window. “Look!”
But by the time they’d turned, it was gone.
“What was it?” Ryan asked.
“A person. At least, I think it was. I only saw her for a second.”
“Probably just the housekeeper,” Julie said, not sounding all that convinced.
“I don’t think so. It looked like — like a child. A little girl with long black hair.”
The group exchanged nervous glances. Becka frowned. “Why? What’s that mean?”
“Guys . . .” It was Krissi again. She was leaning on Philip, slightly stooped. “I don’t feel so good.”
“What’s going on?” Becka repeated. She looked at Ryan, but he gave no answer.
Krissi was clutching her stomach now, breathing deeply. Julie crossed to her. “You going to be okay? Kris, are you — ”
Krissi shook her head and suddenly convulsed, once, twice — until she dropped her head and vomited.
Becka stood, staring.
Krissi caught her breath, then retched again.
“Come on,” Ryan said when Krissi had finally finished. “Let’s get out of here.”
Krissi looked up and nodded in gratitude as Julie handed her a tissue to wipe her mouth. With Philip on one side and Julie on the other, they helped Krissi back to the car. Ryan turned and followed.
“Ryan . . .” Becka tugged at his arm as they walked. “There’s a little girl up there — I’m sure of it. Don’t we want to see if she needs help?” They arrived at the car, and Julie and Philip helped Krissi into the back.
“Ryan?” Becka repeated. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?” He opened the passenger door for her, then finally answered. He was clearly unnerved. “You know the person that was murdered there? The one who’s supposed to be haunting the place?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s a little girl.”
Invisible Terror Collection Reviews
Dark Power Collection
The Deceived
The Spell
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.alivecommunications.com
Rebecca’s lungs burned. They screamed for more air; they begged her to slow down. But she wouldn’t. She pushed herself. She ran for all she was worth. She had to.
There was no sound. She saw a few kids standing along the track, opening their mouths and shouting encouragement. She saw them clapping their hands and cheering her on. But she couldn’t hear them. All she heard was her own gasps for breath . . . the faint crunch of gravel under her track shoes.
Several yards ahead ran Julie Mitchell — the team’s shining hope for all-State. She had a grace and style that made Rebecca feel like, well, like a deranged platypus. Whatever that was.
But that was okay; Becka wasn’t running against Julie. She was running against something else.
“It’s Dad . . .”
For the thousandth time, she saw her mom’s red nose and puffy eyes and heard her voice echoing inside her head. “They found his plane in the jungle. He made it through the crash, but . . .”
Becka bore down harder; she ran faster. Her lungs were going to explode, but she kept going.
“You’ve got . . . to accept it,” her mom’s voice stammered.
“He’s gone, sweetheart. He was either attacked by wild animals or . . . or . . .”
Becka dug her cleats in deeper. She stretched her legs out farther. She knew the “or . . . or . . .” was a tribe of South American Indians in that region. A tribe notorious for its fierceness and for its use of black magic.
The back of Becka’s throat ached. Not because of the running. It was because of the tears. And the rage. Why?! Why had God let this happen? Why had God let him die? He was such a good man, trying to do such good things.
Angrily she swiped at her eyes. Her legs were turning into rubber. Losing feeling. Losing control. And still she pushed herself. She had closed the gap with Julie and was practically beside her now. The finish line waited a dozen meters ahead.
Trying out for the track team hadn’t been Becka’s idea. It was her mom’s. “To help you fit in,” she’d said.
Fit in. What a joke. Rebecca had spent most of her life living in the villages of Brazil with her mom, her little brother, and a father who flew his plane in and out of the jungle for humanitarian and mission groups. And now, suddenly, she was expected to fit in. Here? In Crescent Bay, California? Here, where everybody had perfect skin, perfect bodies, perfect teeth? And let’s not forget all the latest fashions, right out of Vogue or InStyle or whatever it was they read. Fashions that made Becka feel like she bought her clothes right out of Popular Mechanics.
That last thought pushed her over the edge. She tried too hard, stretched too far. Her legs, which had already lost feeling, suddenly had minds of their own. The left one twisted, then gave out all together.
It was like a slow-motion movie that part of Becka watched as she pitched forward. For a second, she almost caught her balance. Almost, but not quite. She stumbled and continued falling toward the track. There was nothing she could do — only put out her hands and raise her head so the crushed red gravel would not scrape her face. Knees and elbows, yes. But not her face.
As if it really mattered.
She hit the track and skidded forward, but she didn’t feel any pain. Not yet. The pain would come a second or two later. Right now, all she felt was shame. And embarrassment. Already the humiliation was sending blood racing to her cheeks and to her ears.
Yes sir, just another day in the life of Rebecca Williams, the new kid moron. As soon as Becka’s little brother, Scott, walked into the bookstore, he knew something was wrong. It wasn’t like he was frightened or nervous or anything. It had nothing to do with what he felt. It had everything to do with the place.
It was wrong.
But why? It certainly was cheery enough. Bright sunlight streaming through the skylights. Aqua blue carpet. Soft white shelves with rows and rows of colorful books. Then there was the background music — flutes and wind chimes.
But still . . .
“You coming or what?” It was Darryl. Scott had met him a couple of days ago at lunch. Darryl wasn’t the tallest or bestlooking kid in school — actually, he was about the shortest and nerdiest. His voice was so high you were never sure if it was him talking or someone opening a squeaky cupboard. Oh, and one other thing. Darryl sniffed. About every thirty seconds. You could set your watch by it. Something about allergies or hay fever or something.
But at least he was friendly. And as the new kid, Scott couldn’t be too picky who he hung with. New kids had to take what new kids could get.
For the past day or so, Darryl had been telling Scott all about the Society — a secret group that met in the back of the Ascension Bookshop after school. Only the coolest and most popular kids could join. (Scott wasn’t sure he bought this “coolest and most popular” bit, since they’d let Darryl be a member. But he didn’t want to hurt the little guy’s feelings, so he let it go.)
“Hey, Priscilla,” Darryl called as they walked past the counter toward the back of the bookshop.
“Hey, yourself,” a handsome, middle-aged woman said. She didn’t bother to look from her magazine until the two boys passed. When she glanced up and saw Scott, a scowl crossed her face. She seemed to dislike him immediately. He hadn’t said a thing; he hadn’t done a thing. But that didn’t matter. There was something about him that troubled her — a lot.
Scott was oblivious to her reaction as he followed Darryl toward the hallway at the back of the store.
So far his first week at Crescent Bay had been pretty good. No fights. No broken noses. A minimal amount of death threats. But that’s the way it was with Scott. Unlike his older sister, Scott always fit in. It probably had something to do with his sense of humor. Scott was a lot like his dad in that department; he had a mischievous grin and a snappy comeback for almost any situation.
Scott was like his dad in another way too. He had a deep faith in God. The whole family did. But it wasn’t some sort of rules or regulations thing. And it definitely wasn’t anything weird. It was just your basic God’s-the-boss-so-go-to-church-and-try-tomake- the-world-a-better-place faith.
But sometimes that faith . . . well, sometimes it allowed Scott to feel things. Deep things.
As he and Darryl entered the hallway, Scott brushed against a large hoop decorated with what looked like eagle feathers. He ducked to the side only to run smack-dab into a set of wooden wind chimes. They clanked and clanged noisily. Lately, Scott hadn’t been the most graceful of persons. It probably had something to do with growing two inches in the last three months. He was still shorter than Becka — a fact she brought up to him on a regular basis — but he was gaining on her by the week.
As they continued down the hall, Scott noticed a number of trinkets and lockets hanging on the wall. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but they looked strangely familiar.
Then he noticed something else. Frowning, he glanced around. Was it his imagination, or was it getting colder? There were no windows, open or otherwise, anywhere close by.
Something inside him began to whisper, “Stop. . . . Turn around. . . . Go back. . . .”
But why? Nothing was wrong. It was just a hallway. Just a bookshop.
“Here we go.” Darryl gave a loud sniff as he slowed in front of the last door. He smiled, pushed up his glasses, and knocked lightly.
No answer.
“Well, it doesn’t look like anybody’s home,” Scott said, his voice cracking in gratitude. “I guess we’d better — ”
“Don’t be stupid,” Darryl said, reaching for the knob. “They always meet on Fridays.”
Cautiously, he pushed the door open.
It was pitch-black inside. Well, except for the dozen or so candles burning around a table. And the faces illuminated by the candles. Faces Scott had seen at school. They were all staring intently at something on the table. Scott squinted in the darkness, making out some kind of board game with a bunch of letters and symbols on it. Two of the kids had their hands on a little plastic pointer that was moving back and forth across the board.
“What’s that?” Scott whispered.
“What do you think it is?” Darryl whispered back. “It’s a Ouija board.”
“You use it to spell out words. You know, it tells you about the future and stuff.”
Scott looked at him skeptically.
“No kidding,” Darryl squeaked. Scott grimaced. Even when the guy whispered his voice sounded like a rusty hinge. Darryl continued, watching the others. “The pointer moves to those letters on the board, spelling out answers to anything you ask.”
“No way,” Scott scorned. As far as he could tell, the pointer moved on the board because it was pushed by the two kids whose hands were on it: a big, meaty fellow in a tank top and a chubby girl dressed all in black. “Those two, they’re the ones moving it.”
Darryl didn’t answer. He just sniffed and stepped into the room. Scott wasn’t crazy about following, but he walked in after him.
And — just like that — the plastic pointer stopped. One minute the little pointer was scooting around the board, spelling out words. The next, it came to a complete stop.
“Hey,” a pretty girl complained, pushing her long red hair back. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” the meaty guy answered. He turned to his partner, the girl in black. “Are you stopping it?”
“Not me,” she said. And then, slowly turning her head toward the door, she nailed Scott with an icy look. “It’s him.”
Every eye in the room turned to Scott.
He raised his hand. “Hi there,” he croaked, trying to smile. Nobody smiled back.
“Ask it,” the redhead demanded. “Ask it if he’s the reason it’s not answering.”
“Yeah,” the meaty guy agreed.
The girl in black tilted back her head and closed her eyes. Her hair was short and jet black — an obvious dye job. “Please show us,” she said more dramatically than Scott thought necessary. “Show us the reason for your silence.”
Everyone turned to the plastic pointer. Waiting. Watching. Nothing happened.
Scott tried to swallow, but at the moment, there wasn’t much left in his mouth to swallow.
Suddenly the pointer started moving. Faster than before. In fact, both the girl and the meaty guy looked down in surprise as it darted from letter to letter, barely pausing at one before shooting to the next. In a matter of seconds it had spelled out: D-E-A-T-H
Then it stopped. Abruptly.
Everyone waited in silence. Afraid to move. Afraid to break the spell.
The girl in black cleared her throat and spoke again. But this time, a little less confidently. “What do you mean? What death?”
There was no movement. No answer.
Scott shifted slightly. He felt the chill again, but this time it was more real. It had substance. Suddenly he knew that there was something there, in the room . . . something cold and physical had actually brushed against him. He was sure of it.
Again the girl spoke. “What death? Is someone going to die? Whose death?”
No movement. More silence.
And then, just when Scott was about to say something really clever to break the tension and show everyone how silly this was, the plastic pointer zipped across the board and shot off the table.
“Look out!” Darryl cried.
Scott jumped aside, and the pointer hit the floor, barely missing his feet. He threw a look at the girl in black, certain she had flung it across the table at him.
But the expression on her face said she was just as surprised as him.
Or was she?
“You okay?” Julie Mitchell asked as she toweled off her thick blonde hair and approached Rebecca’s gym locker.
“Sure.” Rebecca winced while pulling her jeans up over her skinned knees. “Nothing a brain transplant couldn’t fix.”
It had been nearly an hour since her little crash-and-burn routine on the track. Of course, everyone had gathered around her, making a big deal of the whole thing, and, of course, she wanted to melt into the track and disappear. But that was an hour ago. Yesterday’s news. Now most of the girls had hit the showers and were heading home.
But not Julie. It was like she purposely hung back. Becka glanced at her curiously. There was something friendly about Julie, something caring. Becka had liked her immediately . . . even though Julie was one of the best-looking kids in school.
“The team really needs you,” Julie offered.
“As what? Their mascot?”
Julie grinned. She tossed her hair back and reached over to slip on a top-of-the-line, money’s-no-object, designer T-shirt. “Seriously,” she said, “I’m the only long-distance runner we’ve got. Royal High has three killers that bumped me out of State last year. But if you work and learn to concentrate, the two of us might give them a run for their money. You’ve got the endurance. And I’ve never seen anyone with such a great end sprint.”
“Or such klutziness.”
Julie shrugged. “You’ve got a point there,” she teased.
Becka felt herself smiling back.
“Anybody can learn form and style,” Julie continued. “That’s what coaches are for. And if you add that to your sprint, we just might be able to knock Royal out of State.” She rummaged in her gym basket, then bit her lip and frowned. “Shoot . . . don’t tell me I’ve lost it.”
Becka rubbed a towel through her hair, then sighed. Her hair was mousy brown and would dry three times faster than Julie’s. The reason was simple: Becka’s hair was three times thinner. Yes sir, just another one of life’s little jokes with Becka as the punch line.
Julie’s search through her basket grew more urgent.
“What are you looking for?” Becka asked.
“My pouch . . .” There was definite concern in her voice as she continued pawing through her clothes.
“Pouch?”
“My good luck charm.”
Becka wasn’t sure what Julie meant, but she gave a quick scan along the bench.
“I just hope nobody stole it,” Julie said.
Becka spotted something under the bench. It was partially covered by towels. She reached for it and picked up a small leather bag with rocks or sand or something inside. A leather string was attached at the top so it could be worn as a necklace.
“Is this it?” Becka asked.
Julie relaxed. “Yeah. Great.” She took it and slipped it around her neck.
Becka watched, fighting back a wave of uneasiness. She tried to sound casual as she asked, “So, what’s in it?”
“I don’t know.” Julie shrugged. “Some turquoise, some powders, herbs — that sort of stuff. The Ascension Lady puts them together for us — you know, for good luck.”
” ‘Ascension Lady’?” Becka asked.
“Yeah,” Julie fingered the little pouch. “‘Course I don’t believe in any of that stuff. But with the district preliminaries coming up, it doesn’t hurt to play the odds, right?”
Becka’s mind raced. She wanted to ask lots more about the pouch and this Ascension Lady, but Julie didn’t give her the chance.
“Listen, we’ll see you Monday,” she said grabbing her backpack. “And don’t be bummed, you did fine. Besides,” she threw a mischievous grin over her shoulder, “we can always use a good mascot.”
Becka forced a smile.
“See ya.” Julie disappeared around the row of lockers and pushed open the big double doors. They slammed shut behind her with a loud click, boooom.
Becka didn’t move. She sat, all alone . . . just her and the dripping showers.
Her smile had already faded. Not because of the pain in her knees or even because of the memories of her fall.
It was because of the pouch. She’d seen pouches like that before. In South America. But they weren’t worn by pretty, rich, athletic teenagers who wanted to go to State track championships.
They were worn by witch doctors who worshiped demons.
Dark Power Collection Reviews
C H A P T E R 1
Brandon hated it. How many years had they been pulling these stupid pranks? Three? Four? Ever since they were seniors in high school. Sure, it was fun back then, back when they were kids. But now it was getting old. Real old.
But not for Frank. Frank thrived on it.
Brandon stood alone, inside the giant trophy case. With a roll of gray duct tape in hand he carefully worked his way past the cups, plaques, signed bats, tournament balls, pennants, group photos, silver plates, silver bowls, and other awards on display. Bethel Lake Country Club prided itself on its members’ athletic prowess. And if you
couldn’t tell it by their arrogance, you could see it in the new trophy room they were about to dedicate—a room complete with this enormous, dust-proof trophy case that covered nearly the entire front wall.
Frank was right about one thing. Pride and pretension like this couldn’t go unrewarded. They owed it to their people. They owed it to the Townies.
Brandon tossed back his long, dark hair and knelt. He yanked off a sizable strip of duct tape and ran it along the seam, right where the clear Plexiglas wall of the trophy case met the floor. He carefully sealed it so no water would leak through.
Meanwhile, behind the back wall of the case, Del gave the Black and Decker drill the workout of its life as it moaned and groaned in his incapable hands.
“You’re pushing too hard,” Frank’s voice whispered from behind the wall.
“No way,” Del’s voice answered.
Brandon glanced over his shoulder at the back of the case; the thick cherry wood bulged under Del’s pressure. There was more moaning and groaning from the drill until the head of the bit popped through the wood, followed by the rest of the shank.
Then the drill stopped. Then started again. Then stopped. It was jammed.
Another start. Another stop.
Hoping to loosen it, Del began to wiggle the drill back and forth.
“Stop!” Frank’s voice whispered. “You’re going to break it, you’re going to break the—”
Too late. The bit had broken off in the wall.
In the adjacent room, Tom Henderson, a twenty-oneyear- old Aryan dream, complete with blond hair and blue eyes,
listened to a pompous master of ceremonies delivering another pompous speech. Tom stood with the forty or fifty other firm-bodied club members as the emcee continued his jibes at the locals:
“. . . can well remember when we first entered these events seven, eight years back. Why, no one ever gave a thought to Bethel Lake—unless, of course, they found themselves downwind of the hog farms.”
Henderson and the crowd chuckled condescendingly. They always chuckled condescendingly when it came to Bethel Lake—at least the Bethel Lake that existed before they had moved in and started taking over. The old Bethel Lake of corn farmers and hog raisers, along with the usual variety of hicks and poor-as-dirt mobile-home owners who prided themselves on being called Townies.
But now things were changing. Henderson could see it every time he came back home from college. Cornfields were giving way to golf courses; three-quarter-ton pickups with gun racks were being replaced by four-wheeler yuppie mobiles. There was even talk of remodeling the bowling alley and turning it into a megabookstore with espresso bar.
In the past five years, the sleepy, Indiana farm community located just off Highway 30 between Fort Wayne and South Bend had come to life. And now it was growing faster than they could slap up townhouses and condos. Part of this was due to Orion Computech, a new computer manufacturer with a work force of over eleven hundred and counting. Already the Chamber of Commerce was flirting with aspirations of becoming the Midwest’s Silicon Valley. Besides Orion, there was the Diamond Cellular Corporation, Lasher Electronics— and, of course, Moran Research Institute.
Part think tank, part psychic research lab, the only thing more imaginative than the Institute’s research were the rumors about that research. The latest had them housing extraterrestrials and breeding them with humans so we’d sweep the next Olympics. Henderson shook his head in
amusement. The Townies may be ignorant, but you couldn’t fault them for their lack of imagination. The truth was, no one really knew exactly what went on behind the Institute’s lowlying, modernistic architecture, but the Townie rumor mills never lacked for grist.
The emcee continued to drone on as Henderson glanced at his watch. His father, a vice president at Orion, had moved here against Tom’s wishes when the boy was a senior in high school. Now, home for the summer from Ball State, Henderson had to admit that the town was changing almost enough to make living in it bearable.
In the trophy case, Brandon heard Del asking from behind the wall, “What do I do now?”
“Tap it out.” Frank’s voice sighed. “Tap it out and get that hose in. We don’t got much time.”
Brandon heard the sound of something heavy, probably the drill itself, hitting the bit three, four, five times. Finally, it popped out of the hole and fell with a dull thud. He turned to see the bit rolling to a stop just a few feet from his knees.
“Bran,” Frank called quietly, “aren’t you finished yet?”
Brandon didn’t bother answering. He smoothed the last of the tape against the Plexiglas and rose to his feet. As he crossed to the back of the case, he saw a garden hose being shoved through the newly drilled hole.
Things were right on schedule.
He stooped, opened the small door, and stepped out of the rear of the trophy case to join his partners. Frank, the leader of the three-man hit squad, was good-looking, volatile, and athletic enough to be a club member—if it hadn’t been for his genealogy. He was a third-generation Townie. Del, on the other hand, wore Coke-bottle glasses and on a good day could almost stretch himself to a height of five-three.
Brandon turned to the trophy case door and ripped off one last strip of tape to seal it as Frank and Del quickly followed the hose down the hall toward the kitchen faucet.
Twenty more minutes passed before the emcee finally started winding down. Henderson sighed in relief. Earlier, he’d spotted a couple of beauties at the far end of the room, and he was hoping to introduce himself. But if the old duffer rambled on much longer, they might slip away without the pleasure of making his company.
“In short,” the emcee concluded, “I can’t think of a more fitting way to open the new trophy room than with the addition of the Beckman Memorial Tennis Cup.”
He turned to the paneled doors behind him and, with a modest flair, slid them open.
The lights came up, and before the members stood their new trophy room. Dark cherry paneling, rich emerald carpet, paisley print chairs scattered around end tables that supported brass lamps with green china shades. And, at the far wall, stood the focal piece of the room: a massive Plexiglas trophy case—six feet high and eighteen feet long. Inside, near the top and center of the case, was a vacant space waiting to receive the most recent addition—a large silver trophy bowl that sat on the lectern in front of the case.
The emcee approached the lectern as the crowd moved in and settled down. “Peter? Reggie?” he called. “I think it’s only proper that you two do the honors.”
The group broke into polite applause as a couple of jocks, the winners of the trophy, broke from their dates and came forward. Henderson knew the guys. Even liked them. In fact, they’d spent more than one summer night cruising in his Firebird, putting down the brews. The applause increased as they arrived and held the bowl over their heads.
Meanwhile, the emcee turned to open the trophy case doors. At first they seemed stuck. Either his key wasn’t working, or the doors were jammed, or . . .
Henderson was the first to spot it: the trail of tiny air bubbles rising to the surface of the case. For a moment he was confused. What on earth were air bubbles doing . . . ? Then the horror registered. He started to call out, to push his way through the crowd. But he was too late.
With one last tug, the emcee opened the doors.
Water roared out of the case, knocking him to the ground. Club members screamed and scrambled back as the water poured into the room. Some lost their balance, slipping and falling.
Across the room, through the oval window of the kitchen door, Frank and Del watched in delight. They were laughing so hard they could barely catch their breath—until Reggie, one of the fallen, rose to his feet, looked around, sputtering and coughing, and caught a glimpse of them. Frank and Del saw his eyes widen. They saw his trembling finger point. And they saw his mouth open as he cried out a single word: “Townies!”
Frank and Del ducked from the window, but they were too late. The announcement had been made, their location spotted. Now club members slipped and sloshed toward them with a vengeance.
Brandon was standing farther back in the kitchen, checking out the contents of the stainless-steel freezers, when Frank and Del raced past and grabbed him, yelling, “Come on, come on!”
They flung open a hallway door and started down the corridor. When they rounded the first corner, they discovered most of the club members heading directly for them.
They doubled back.
Even now, running as fast as his little legs could carry him, Del couldn’t resist firing off a few jabs. “‘I know this place,’ Frank says. ‘Like the back of my hand,’ he says.”
“Hey,” Frank shot back. “How’d I know they were going to remodel?”
They rounded another corner, then another. At last they spotted an unlikely looking door. “In here!” Frank shouted as he threw it open.
Brandon and Del followed. The door slammed behind them with a foreboding boom. Suddenly they found themselves in total darkness.
“Oh, Frank?” Del’s voice echoed.
“Hold on . . .”
“Yo, Frank!”
“Relax, there’s gotta be a light here somewh—”
Suddenly the overheads came on and the boys winced at the four brilliant white walls surrounding them.
Del squinted. “A racquetball court? You led us into a racquetball court!”
Before Frank could answer, the door opened and an attractive woman with amber, shoulder-length hair stood in the opening. She was a few years older than they were. But Frank, who made it a policy to recognize any and all of the local beauties, stepped forward. “Hi,” he ventured. “Uh, Sarah, isn’t it?”
She simply looked at him.
He tried to smile.
So did Del.
It was a joint failure.
“Anybody in there?” a man’s voice shouted from down the hall.
The woman stood silent. Still looking. Still deciding.
They fidgeted.
“Sarah?” the voice repeated.
Finally she turned and called back. “Nobody worth mentioning.”
“Be careful,” another voice warned as the group headed down the other hall.
Sarah didn’t answer and waited for the footsteps to fade. Then, without a word, she opened the door wider and stepped back for them to exit.
Frank and Del exchanged glances, then quickly scurried past.
“Thanks, Sarah,” Frank offered. Then, to further express his gratitude, he continued, “You’re lookin’ real good.”
She ignored him and turned to Brandon.
For the briefest second their eyes locked. And for the briefest second Brandon couldn’t look away. He sensed that she couldn’t, either. There was a moment, a connection. He knew he should say something. Something cool, something witty. But he wasn’t much good at talking to pretty women. Lately, he wasn’t much good at talking to anybody. Instead, he gave a slight nod of thanks, moved past her, and headed down the hall.
The parking lot of Bethel Country Club was cut out of the side of a large hill. There was only one exit: along the bottom of the hill and down the private, tree-lined drive. Already several of the men, including Henderson and his buddies, along with a handful of women, had gathered along that drive. They stood just a few yards past the parking lot, forming a roadblock. Waiting. Watching.
“Just a matter of time,” one of the men said.
“You phone the police?” a lithe blonde asked.
“Yeah, right,” another scoffed. Others in the group voiced similar scorn. They knew the police didn’t encourage these pranks. But they also knew they didn’t discourage them either. Like the kids, most of the police were Townies. Their attitude was simple: If these outsiders wanted to come barging into Bethel Lake uninvited, that was their business. But there were certain customs to be followed, certain dues to be paid—and if that included this type of occasional, low-
grade harassment, then so be it. It was just normal social interaction.
A pair of headlights suddenly appeared as a half-ton pickup slid around the corner of the parking lot.
“There they are!”
It accelerated toward them.
“Hold your ground,” the first man shouted. “They wouldn’t dare try to—look out!”
Some leaped to the side of the road, others scrambled up the dirt embankment as the truck roared past.
Inside the cab of the pickup Frank yelled, “Eee-haaa!” as the last of the human roadblocks hit the bushes. “We did it, boys!” he shouted. “We did it!”
Del’s voice was a little less sure as he glanced back for casualties. “This is insane!”
Brandon, who was driving, gave no response.
Meanwhile, Henderson, Peter, and Reggie scrambled to their feet and raced toward Henderson’s ’97 Firebird. Unfortunately, in his haste, Henderson had forgotten to turn off the alarm, and it began honking incessantly.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Reggie shouted over the noise.
Henderson fumbled with the remote on his keys until he managed to shut off the alarm. They piled into his car, and he brought the 5.7-liter V–8 roaring to life. He dropped it into gear and hit the accelerator. Gravel spit in all directions as the car spun out and began pursuit.
In the pickup, Frank was exultant. “You see the look on their faces?” he cried as he popped a brew. It foamed, but he quickly slurped it up, careful not to let any get away. “I tell you, boys, I can die a happy man.”
Looking over his shoulder, Del muttered, “You might get your chance.”
Brandon glanced up at the mirror and saw the headlights appear behind them. But he was unconcerned. They reached the end of the private drive, and the pickup bounced out onto the main highway.
Threshold Reviews
It’s an amazing book. It doesn’t “pretty” things up, but rather tells us how things really are. This book is for the reader that enjoys suspense and drama.
–Melayni Manitoba
Brandon Martus is a confused young man struggling to cope with his unresolved grief over his sister’s death and his father’s paralysis. Then Martus meets neurobiologist Sarah Winerraub, who is performing research into parapsychology at the Moran Research In town. Winerraub believes Martus has extrasensory abilities and coerces him into participating in her research. She is at first thrilled when he shows intense psychic abilities. Soon, however, both Martus and Winerraub find themselves in a fight between good and evil. Myers’s (Blood of Heaven, Zondervan, 1996) exciting thriller pits the supernatural against the power of true faith and raises some interesting questions about the power of the unknown. A strong choice.
Sarah, your veil, it’s all – here, let me straighten it. Sarah, tilt your head this way. Sarah!”
Dr. Sarah Weintraub obeyed and leaned forward.
“A little more. Now please, please pay attention.”
She stood just outside the sanctuary doors as the wedding coordinator flitted about making last-minute adjustments to her gown, her veil, or anything else that the poor lady could fixate over. But Sarah didn’t mind. The elaborate wedding had mostly been for Brandon’s mother. Which was okay. It seemed a small
price to pay to comfort a woman who had lost her daughter, her husband, and was now about to lose her only son. Of course they would stay in touch with her, try to meet her needs. But as the clinic continued to grow and word of Brandon’s healing ministry continued to spread, time for any personal life was becoming less and less of a reality.
Some thought the wedding came too quickly. Others were sure it wouldn’t last. It would be hard enough to begin a life amidst the growing famine, the panic sweeping the world over this new virus, and the current financial calamities. But add to that the fact that Brandon was four years her junior, and many were certain that the couple was asking for marital disaster.
Although the other issues were of concern, the age difference was inconsequential. It didn’t bother Brandon and it certainly didn’t bother her. In fact, Sarah found him less self-absorbed and ego-driven than most men twice his age. Not that he didn’t have his moments, but over the past year Brandon Martus had become the most compassionate and sensitive man she had ever met. And, best of all, much of that compassion and sensitivity was directed toward her.
There were other differences, such as their backgrounds and their education. Brandon grew up in this Indiana farm community and was lucky to finish high school. Sarah was West Coast born and bred and held her doctorate in neurobiology. If ever the term “opposites attract” applied, it would have to be to these two.
But there was that prophecy in Revelation . . . and the mound of evidence that indicated they just might be the two end-time prophets who would prepare the world for the return of Jesus Christ much as John the Baptist had prepared it for his first coming. Of course most of that was subject to interpretation, which proved to be a major source of disagreement between the two of them. She never understood why Brandon insisted upon taking every word so literally, while she, although admitting that the two of them might somehow be used, saw the prophecies as more spiritual and symbolic. The truth of the matter was, nobody knew for certain. Not even Gerty. But, at the very least, from what they could tell, the two of them were to work together as a team. And what better way to be a team than to be husband and wife?
Oh, and there was one other detail that carried weight in their decision for matrimony . . .
They loved each other. Fiercely. They were absolutely committed to one another, regardless of the odds.
Sarah peeked through the glass in the sanctuary door. She could see Brandon standing before the altar, incredibly handsome in his tuxedo.
For her, the attraction had been instant, love at first sight. Yes, there was his long black hair and those muscular shoulders. And yes, there were those killer gray eyes which could still make her stomach do little flip-flops. But that was just the wrapping. Because inside, inside was a heart not only full of kindness, but a heart full of her. What had he said the night he’d proposed? “You’re the missing piece I’ve been looking for all of my life . . . you’re what fills my hollowness.” The words had made her cry then and they almost did now. She knew that whatever the future held, despite graying hair, wrinkled skin, or sagging body, he would always be there for her. Always. And she would be there for him.
Of course there were a few other obstacles to overcome . . . like the forces of hell trying to destroy both of their lives. For Brandon it had been a showdown in this very church, a confrontation with what they believed to be a manifestation of Satan himself. For Sarah it had been a violent collision that sent her flying through a pickup’s windshield. If it hadn’t been for Brandon’s intervention at the hospital, one of the first times he’d put his healing powers to use, she would not be standing here today. And, except for a nasty scar running across her forehead and down to her right jaw, she was as good as new.
Actually, better. Because, in the process of praying to heal her body, Brandon had healed her soul. “Get ready, Sarah. The prelude is almost done . . .”
Sarah glanced up at the wedding coordinator who was pulling open the doors in preparation for the wedding party processional. She gathered herself together and threw a look at her father. The poor guy appeared more nervous than she was. She leaned over and whispered, “It’s okay, Dad – everything will be all right.”
He gave what was supposed to be a reassuring smile and patted her arm with his cold, damp hand.
As a little girl she had never seen much of her father. But she did inherit his love for medicine, and even more importantly, she inherited his drive to be the best. If Sarah had learned one thing from her father, it was that success had little to do with brains or beauty and everything to do with ambition and hard work. Although it could be a plus, the ambition had created terrible problems for her in the past, and on more than one occasion it had proven to be her Achilles’ heel. Still, as time passed and her love for God increased, she had learned how to deal with it and for the most part kept it under control.
Fire of Heaven Reviews
“I couldn’t put ‘Fire of Heaven’ down. Bill Myers’ writing is crisp, fast-paced, provocative, and laced headily with Scripture. A very compelling story.”
–Francine Rivers, Author, ‘Redeeming Love’
Fire Of Heaven was the best book i have ever read!!!
— Ashley Anahiem C.A
Dear Mr. Myers, Hello, my name’s Hannah and I’m 15. I recently finished your Fire of Heaven Trilogy in a little less than 3 weeks and they were amazing to say the least. Your style of writing, by going back from one character to another, is truly unique. The way that everything ties in with everything is phenomenal. Your writing is smooth and I was never once confused at anything that happened. Your mind is truly amazing in the way it works and I just wanted to say thank you for these books. They’ve changed my life. I’ve dealt with the ‘other’ side before first-hand, and I know how scary it is. Honest, I do. But keeping your head on straight and giving it all up to Christ as Brandon did truly is the key to what fixes everything. You may end up sacrificing something you don’t want to but it is definitely worth it.
— Hannah Pate
Fire of Heaven is the only fiction book I have ever read that has caused me to close the book and pray as I read it. I am not exactly sure what was so different, but it really stirred me. My wife doesn’t read much fiction, but she also read this series and Fire of Heaven had the same effect on her. You have probably heard that a million times by now….but I thought I would mention it just in case you needed to hear it again. May God continue to bless you in His service.
— Kris Parkhurst
I recently read 2 of your books Threshold and Fire of Heaven. I want to thank you immensely or rather God that inspired you to right such works. I just recently bought your books and I was unable to put them down until finished. These books can’t be described as anything but an experience that can’t help but draw one closer to Jesus. I thank you for your God inspired works. Please never cease what God has given you to do — through these, lives are changed and we are encouraged. The faith lessons in these works are amazing. Even though you describe it as Christian fiction it is indeed real, the lessons taught. All glory to the Father His son Jesus and the Holy Spirit and once again thank you for this profoundness. I dont think I’ve ever encountered anything that has impacted my life like this other than the actual words of Christ. Your works have renewed my faith.
— Tonya Online Review
My name is Randy Loewecke and I am an avid reader of your books. I just re-read the Fire of Heaven trilogy for the third or fourth time, and I get something new out of it this time. I trully am starting to act like a “dead man” to the flesh and I am allowing Christ to live through me in a new way. I think it is so neat how Brandon Martus learned that nothing matters in this world when you are dead except to allow Christ to ressurect him and live through him. I have also read both books in the Soul Tracker series, Eli, The Face of God, and The Wager. I trully appreciate not only your style of writing, but also more importantly the message of hope you bring in your books. I trully enjoy how you take characters like Sarah Martus and show the trully human side of them even to the point of her unfaithfulness to Brandon, then her redemption through Jesus and finally the forgiveness from our Lord and Saviour and Brandon. I really also enjoy the supernatural side of your writing and that is why the Soul Tracker series and the Fire of Heaven series are my favorites! I want to trully thank you for writing these books and giving Christians a choice of fiction that surpasses anything the world could produce!! It has also been a witnessing tool for me because I am a 12 year veteran in the United States Marine Corps, and I get asked all the time about what I am reading at work and at places such as the hospital on base. Again, thank you for your writings and most importantly your faithfulness to God through your talents!
— Randall Loewecke
C H A P T E R O N E
Monday was an inconvenient time to die. Come to think of it, Tuesday through Sunday weren’t all that agreeable either. Conrad Davis had too many important things to do. Too many fires to put out. Too many producers to plead with, cajole, and, if necessary, circumvent.
Not interesting? Too cerebral? What were they talking about? Did they honestly think TV audiences were that stupid?
“Give us another multibirth story,” they’d said. “Those McCaughey septuplets, don’t they have a birthday coming up? Or how about another psychic piece—some mother visited by her dead daughter; those always work.”
“Guys . . .” Conrad glanced around the table in the smoke-filled war room. He could already feel the back of his neck beginning to tighten. “We’re talking about a major scientific breakthrough here.”
But the other producers of the prime time news magazine, Up Front, continued without hearing. “Or how ’bout another cripple story,” suggested Peggy Martin, one of the few females on staff. “Some guy in a wheelchair climbing Mount Everest or something.”
“Guys . . .”
“We did that last November.”
“Guys!”
“Listen, Connie.” It was Phil Harrison, the show’s exec. He took a drag off his cigarette and motioned to the monitor where they’d just viewed a rough cut of Conrad’s segment. “All we’re saying is that this piece is too cerebral. I mean, ‘Parallel Universes’? Come on, who cares?”
Leo Singer, a rival producer, snickered. “Next time he’ll be doing a piece on quantum physics.”
The rest of the room chuckled. It was supposed to be good-natured, but Conrad knew that nothing in this dogeat- dog world of TV journalism was good-natured. One or two missteps, like producing a worthless segment that no one cared about, could spell disaster—especially with five thousand kids half his age waiting in the wings for his job.
“Is that what you would have said about the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk?” Conrad argued. “Or the moon landing, or the invention of the light bulb—that it’s too cerebral? What we’re talking about is the existence of other realities right here beside our own, worlds identical to ours but with minor, or sometimes major, differences.”
“Worlds we can’t even see,” another producer pointed out.
“How convenient,” Singer sighed.
Peggy Martin added, “And worlds that have no effect upon the lives of our viewers.”
Conrad glanced at the faces around the table. He was going down for the count, and his colleagues, better known as competitors, were doing their best to keep him there. But he’d been in this position a hundred times before, refusing to dish out pabulum for the masses, insisting upon truth and relevancy. That’s how he’d earned the two Emmys and those countless other awards.
“Connie.” It was Harrison again. “This professor that you interviewed . . . what’s his name?”
“Endo.”
“All this Professor Endo has is theory, right?”
“Plus support from top world physicists,” Conrad corrected, “not to mention some staggering mathematical formulas.”
“Oh, mathematics, that’ll kick up the ratings,” Singer scoffed. Others around the table agreed. The tension from Conrad’s neck crept into the base of his skull.
Harrison continued. “If there was something tangible, something you could show on tape, then you’d have a story. But this . . .” Harrison shook his head and dropped his cigarette into the half-empty can of Diet Coke. It hissed quietly as he turned to the next producer. “Wolff, how’s that toxic-waste segment coming?”
The meeting had been less than two hours ago, and Conrad was already back on the 101 heading north out of Los Angeles. Professor Endo lived an hour outside the city in the town of Camarillo. If they wanted something tangible, he’d get something tangible. Not because this story was a great passion of his, but because he needed it. Despite his twenty-five years in news, despite past accolades, a setback like this could seriously cripple a career. That’s how the business was. There was no resting on your laurels. You were only as good as your last segment. And if your last segment was a failure . . .
It had started to rain, the first time since early April. Conrad reached over and turned on his wipers. The blades had rotted from last summer’s sun, and their first few passes left dirty smears. How ironic. Here he was driving a $72,000 Jaguar but couldn’t find the time to replace its wiper blades. But that’s how it was with everything in his life—too busy winning the prizes to enjoy them. And he had won them, won them all, everything he’d ever wanted and more: great job, great pay, esteem from his peers, plenty of toys, beautiful wives (although a few more than he’d intended), and the list went on. Yet over the past several years, the list had begun to grow more and more meaningless. And, though he tried his best to ignore it, an empty hollowness had begun gnawing and eating away at him. He’d won the game, all right; the only problem was that neither the victory nor the prizes meant anything.
He pumped the washer fluid a few times and the smearing on the windshield thinned. Glancing at his speedometer, he eased back to 70. Besides the oil that had accumulated on the pavement these many rainless weeks, there was also the recurring amnesia Southern Californians suffer whenever it comes to remembering how to drive on wet roads. He’d been in several fender benders since moving to L.A., many of them thanks to the rain.
He rolled his head, trying to work out the tension in his neck. He pulled a bottle of Motrin from his coat pocket, popped another handful into his mouth, and glanced around for something to wash them down. Nothing. Just a couple empty Taco Bell bags, some wadded up Big Mac wrappers, and a stale bag of corn chips. Ah, the glamorous life of a TV reporter. He held the pills on his tongue until he accumulated enough saliva to swallow one. Then he repeated the process for the next, and the next, and the next—each one going down a little harder than the last.
A sign read 23 Freeway North. Good. Just a couple more miles, then down the steep grade into Camarillo.
He’d already put in a call to his favorite cameraman, Ned Burton, as well as to the lighting and sound guys, to meet him there. And, before that, to Professor Endo, who was only too happy to oblige with another interview.
“Something tangible?” the doctor had asked in his faint Japanese accent.
“Exactly,” Conrad said. “Your theories and formulas, they’re all very interesting, but we need something we can show on tape, something the audience can grasp.”
“Certainly, that will be no problem.”
“Really? Like what? Eyewitnesses? People who have seen these—”
The old man chuckled. “I am afraid that if there are eyewitnesses to such universes, you would find them locked up in insane asylums, or involved in drug rehab programs.”
“Then what?” Conrad asked. “How can you physically prove the existence of parallel universes if no one has seen them?”
“It is an old experiment, really. I am sorry I did not mention it to you before.”
“What do you need to set it up?”
“I have all that is necessary at the lab. Just a board with two small slits cut into it and a low-powered laser.”
“That’s it?”
“That is all. We shine the laser onto the two slits and record how many slits of light appear on the wall behind it.”
“I don’t understand. Two slits in the board will cast two slits on the wall.”
“Actually, they will cast several more than two.”
“Several? That’s impossible.”
“You will see for yourself. And if we cut two more slits in the board how many will appear on the wall?”
Conrad frowned. “I’d say four, but you’re going to tell me twice as many as whatever the two slits were.”
“Actually, with four slits there will be half as many bands of light as if there were only two slits.”
“Yes, if you are thinking in terms of a single universe. But ask today’s best scientific minds, Stephen Hawking and others, and they will say invisible light beams from other worlds similar to ours that are involved in the very same experiment at the very same time are actually interfering with some of our beams.”
“And you can prove this?”
“I shall be waiting for you in the lab.”
Even as he thought over the conversation, Conrad shook his head. To think that there was another one of him traveling to another Camarillo to meet with another professor at this exact same moment—it was incomprehensible. And not just one of him, but millions, all identical. Well, not exactly identical, because according to Endo, each of his counterparts still had a free will to make different decisions along the way. One Conrad Davis could have waited to ride with his crew. Another could have agreed with his boss to cancel the segment. Or another could have decided to pursue philosophy in college instead of journalism. And on and on it went, the possibilities infinite.
Then there was the matter of time . . .
“It is my personal belief,” Endo had said, “that these various realities may also be traveling at different velocities. For some, an entire lifetime of seventy to eighty years may be lived in just a few of our hours. For others, it may be just the opposite.”
“You’re telling me that there’s someone exactly like me in another reality who’s only living a few hours?”
“A few hours by our standards, yes. But by his, it will be the full eighty years.”
No wonder Harrison and the others thought the story was over everyone’s head. But if this sort of thing could be proven in the lab and actually captured on videotape . . .
The rain came down harder, and he turned the wiper speed to high. Conrad was nearly fifty years old, but the methodic swish-swish, swish-swish of the wiper blades still brought warm memories of his childhood in Washington State, where the sound of windshield wipers was a part of many a car trip.
He crested the ridge and started down the steep grade into Camarillo. Even shrouded by clouds, it was a beautiful sight. The coastal mountains rose on either side, giving one last burst of rock and cliff before dropping suddenly to the flat coastal plain seven hundred feet below. In the distance, the furrowed fields of onions and strawberries stretched all the way to the ocean, or at least as far as the newest housing development that encroached upon them.
Swish-swish, swish-swish . . .
The left lanes of traffic had slowed, so he threw a look over his shoulder and pulled into the far right where there was less congestion. He glanced up through the windshield. It was still there. Up to the left. The jagged rock formation that looked like the profile of a noble Indian surveying the valley. Being the first to spot it was a favorite pastime of Suzanne and little Julia whenever they took their Sunday drives up the coast.
Sunday drives up the coast—one of the few bribes that had actually worked in luring Suzanne away from church. She’d been a good woman. The best he’d had. Committed to her family at any cost. Granted, she may have been a little fanatical in the faith department, but her beliefs in God posed no real threat for them. He gave her her space, and she gave him his. And, truth be told, the older he got, the more wisdom he saw in some of her God talk.
God . . . if all this multi-world business was true, it would be interesting to see how the theologians would try and squeeze him into the picture. And what about the great religious leaders? What about Jesus Christ? If, as Suzanne had always insisted, this world needed to be “saved,” then didn’t all these similar worlds need to be saved as well? Again Conrad shook his head. The implications were staggering.
He could smell the mixture of dust and water that came with the first rain. Under that, the faint aroma of onions wafting up from the valley. He smiled, almost sadly, as he remembered little Julia holding her nose, complaining about the smell. Those had been good times. Some of the best. In fact, if he could pick one season in his life to freeze and forever live in, it would be—
The blast of an air horn jarred Conrad from his thoughts. He glanced up at his mirror and saw a big rig approaching from behind, flashing its high beams. Come on, he thought, no one’s in that big of a hurry. Sure, he’d moved into the truck lane, but he was already exceeding the speed limit. Besides there was traffic directly ahead, so what was the big—
The horn blasted again. Longer, closer.
Conrad looked back into the mirror. The truck was rapidly approaching. In a matter of moments it would be on Conrad’s tail, trying to intimidate him. But Conrad Davis was not so easy to intimidate.
More blasting.
“What’s your problem?” Conrad mouthed the words into the mirror, raising his hands, motioning to the traffic around them. “What do you want me to do?”
And then he saw the driver. A kid. He wasn’t looking at Conrad. Instead, he was fighting something in the cab. Perhaps stomping on foot pedals or wrestling with the gearshift—Conrad couldn’t tell for certain. He didn’t have to. Because when the young driver finally looked up, Conrad saw the terror in the boy’s eyes.
Conrad quickly looked to the left, searching for a way to slip into the adjoining lane and out of the truck’s path. There was none. All three lanes were packed.
The horn continued to blast. The truck was nearly on top of him—so close Conrad could no longer see the boy, only the big rig’s aluminum grill.
Up ahead, about thirty feet, a cement truck lumbered its way down the grade. Conrad pushed back his panic, looking for some way out. He glanced to the right, to the emergency lane. Suddenly, the Jaguar shuddered and lunged forward. The rig had hit him, hard, throwing his head forward, then back. Instantly, the car began picking up speed.
Conrad hit the brakes. They did no good, only threw him into a screaming skid, making it harder to steer.
The cement truck lay twenty-five feet ahead now, rapidly drawing closer.
Eli Reviews
With this thrilling and ominous tale, Myers continues to shine brightly in speculative fiction based on biblical truths. Highly recommended.
— Library Journal
This book, one day at Barnes and Noble, caught my eye and it sounded really interesting so I bought it! What a good decision on my part! This book has inspired me to look at my life in a different light and to ask myself, what is more important, my life on earth, or my relationship with Jesus? I cried and laughed when I read this book. I recommend it to Christians and non-christians everywhere!
— Kori Dallas, TX
I just got done reading the book and it inspired me to help other people and to find Jesus Christ! I would say that Mr. Myers has a great talent of reaching people old and young to read this book. Because of this book I went out and bought all the other ones and i’m starting to read them.
— Lynette KY
I reread this book every year, because whenever I need to have something in my life worked out I find something new in this book with Christ speaking to me. I highly recommend it to everyone to see a face of Christ that most people never see, the man who could be sitting next to you smiling, if He had come today.
— Drew Bartell Grafton, WI
I heard someone say that this book was great–so I ordered it after I read the amazon.com description on the back of the book. This novel had me going through the bible in seeing where Bill Myers wrote contemporary like events like the biblical ones; for me, the settings for some of those events hit home close for me, and had me paying attention at every turn of the page. But overall…every single word in this book was just amazing. It helped me re-affirm my faith and had me being astounded by the talent of the author. It is a great book.
— Nina Seattle
This is a great book for anyone. For someone with new faith they will get a whole new outlook on the jesus that they just come to love. For those who have been believers for a while it gives you a even more of a love for jesus. it is one of the best work of Bill Myers.
— Anonymous reader
I recently read Eli by Bill Myers. I am incredibly impressed!! I’m 36 years old and have grown up a Christian. I converted from Baptist to Catholic when I was 14. Although I’ve had significant religious teachings, I have to say I never could grasp the concept of how Jesus dying on the cross for our sins could possibly mean we would have eternal life with God in heaven. I never understood what it MEANT – the phrase, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. What could that mean? How could that be? Then I read Eli, and it all came into view. I understood it finally! I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful a feeling it is to finally understand that concept!! I feel as though I’ve missed a BIG part of religion, a BIG part of my faith, and now it all comes together.!!! He died and took our punishment for our sins. In return for taking that punishment, we agree to follow Him and lead a life like He wants us to. By doing this, we will be accepted into heaven when we die.!!! Isn’t that great?!?!?! What an incredible impact this book has had on my life!! He did an incredible job bringing Christ into the 21st Century – in our day and time…and as he stated in the preface of the book, it has brought Christ up front and in my face daily. Thank you so much.
— Lynda West Virginia
The phone had barely chirped before I had the receiver to my ear. “How is she?” I asked.
“They said . . .” Jen took an uneven breath and my heart stopped. I searched for the slightest clue in my wife’s voice, in the way she hesitated, in the way she breathed. Atlast, she spoke. “They said it’s going to be close. Her temperature is 106.”
The bottom dropped from my stomach. I sagged against the wall. “106?”
“They’ve attached several IVs and are administering the most potent antibiotics available.” Jen’s voice sounded detached, as if she were reciting dry, clinical facts—another little trick we’d learned to use over the past few months in order to survive. “They said . . .” She hesitated again. This one longer and more torturous than the first. “They said the next few hours will tell.”
I didn’t speak. I may have whispered a silent prayer, I don’t remember. I do remember taking a long, deep breath and trying to quiet my thoughts. So this was it. After all of these months of anguish and struggle . . . it finally came down to the next few hours, to some unknown infection that had crept in almost without our knowing.
“Paul? Are you there?”
My voice came back thick and husky. “Yeah.”<
“What about . . .Have you checked on . . .”
“The leaf?”
She said nothing. She didn’t have to. I was already standing at our daughter’s window. I’d pulled up the shade several minutes earlier. It was now five in the morning and the predicted storm, the one we’d been fearing, was in full force. Shadows from the streetlight danced crazily across the backyard as the bare branches of the old maple, the one between the house and the detached garage, whipped and slapped at each other. Through sheets of water sliding down the glass, I caught a glimpse of a yellow and blackened leaf. It stood stalwart in the blowing wind, clinging to a large branch that stretched out over the garage roof. It was the last leaf on the tree. And, as it had remained throughout the fall, the winter, and now in the approaching spring, it had become the symbol of our family’s hope . . . and of our fears.
“It’s still there,” I said.
I could practically hear her relief. “How are Sammy and Heather?”
“I got them back into bed and quieted down. They’re probably asleep by now.” I glanced at my watch. “I don’t know what’s taking Jeff so long; he should already be here. Maybe I’ll just pack them up and head on down to join—”
“No.” Jen’s voice was quiet but firm. “You know how Heather freaks in storms. If you’ve got them in bed, let them sleep. Just stay until Jeff shows up.”
“Please, Paul. It’ll only be a few minutes.”
I nodded. She was right. Sam and his little sister had been through enough already. They didn’t need any more panicked trips to the hospital, any more fears of seeing their big sister die. No, Ally’s sickness had robbed them of enough already. It had robbed us all. Besides stealing Ally’s leg, her hope for the future, and her faith in God, it had also destroyed Sammy and Heather’s innocence—their childhood belief that they would always be safe and secure. Practically every night now, six-year-old Heather finds some excuse to pad into our room and join us in bed. And eleven-year-old Sam? Well, his emotions are more hidden, but they are just as tattered.
I glanced back out Ally’s window. “You’ll let me know the slightest change?” I asked.
“And Jen?” I gave a quick swallow. “Let’s not stop praying. Whatever we do, let’s not give up now.”
She gave no response.
“Jen?”
“I heard you,” she said. “I’ll do my best.”
“Me too.” I took a breath and quietly repeated. “Me too.”
There was a quiet click as she hung up. I followed suit more slowly.
Now I was alone in my seventeen-year-old’s bedroom. There was only the wind, the scratch of branches against the house, and the drumming rain—the perpetual, drumming rain. I’d called Jeff right after Jenny had left to follow the ambulance to the hospital. As an elder in my church and my closest friend, he and his wife were my first choice to come and stay with the kids. But the storm had obviously slowed them down—that and making those first couple calls to start up the church prayer chain. After all, it’s not every night the pastor’s firstborn has to fight for her life.
I closed my eyes. If only it was that simple. The real problem was she no longer wanted to fight. I dragged my hand across my face. My forehead was wet and cold, my jaw a stubble of two day’s growth.
“My God . . .” The groan surprised me, coming somewhere deep in my gut. When I opened my eyes I saw I was looking across the room at the top of Ally’s dresser. Much of the white pine was dominated by a CD boombox. The rest was cluttered with ceramic knickknacks, makeup, bracelets, a few leftover Beanie Babies from her younger days, a candle or two, a small vase of tiny red dried flowers, and photos of friends and family—even one of me standing with my arms wrapped around her on the beach back when we’d vacationed in Florida.
Above the clutter rose her mirror. The mirror that, a half year ago, had been plastered with cutout magazine photos of models and ballerinas. Models, because my child, like most teenagers, was the victim of gaunt, media role models, who stared at her accusingly for having the slightest trace of body fat or for actually enjoying a normal meal. How many times had I seen her deprive herself, insisting that a handful of carrot sticks actually filled her up, or watched her stew in guilt that she’d given in to temptation and “binged” on a whole side of fries? (What bitter irony this would become when, during the past few months, my Ally would have given anything to stop losing weight and to actually gain it.)
And the pictures of the ballerinas? They’d been on the mirror because, for as long as I can remember, my little girl had wanted to be a dancer.
Excerpted from:
When the Last Leaf Falls by Bill Myers
Copyright 2001, Zondervan Publishing.
When the Last Leaf Falls Reviews
This wonderful novella by established Christian writer Myers (Eli) is a sweet and salty story of a pastor struggling to reconcile his faith with the possible loss of his daughter to cancer. The characters are convincing and deftly developed in a series of brief vignettes.
Pastor Paul Newcombe’s life is a celebration of faith and family until his teenaged daughter Ally is stricken with cancer. As Ally lashes out at God for allowing her to fall ill and at her family because they are healthy, Paul’s faith is tested as it never has been before. Even Ally’s grandpa, Paul’s father, a retired pastor and artist, is unable to shake Ally out of her pessimistic certainty that she’ll die “when the last leaf falls” from the tree outside her window. Myers (Eli) closely follows the plot of O. Henry’s short story, “The Last Leaf,” in a touching tale of love and devotion interspersed with humorous anecdotes of a father watching his little girl grow up.
This book was amazing. It was not only enjoyable to read, it spoke to my heart, as though from God. As a pastor, I was stunned at the insight into the reality of being in a pastor’s family. Most of all, I was touched by the application of a very real God to our very real, though difficult, lives.
— Bob Blackmore Berea, Ohio
“You come in here with some story about the blood of Christ, and you – ”
“No one said we had the blood of – ”
” – expect me to be your guinea pig?”
“Please, Mr. Coleman . . .” Murkoski swallowed. He appeared to be regrouping, trying to start again. He threw a nervous look at O’Brien, who sat beside him in one of the three fiberglass-molded chairs. They had been in the attorney/client room with Coleman for only thirty minutes, and the killer already had Murkoski on the ropes, looking like a fool.
And not just Murkoski. O’Brien had underestimated the man as well. They had carefully researched him, studied his psychological profile, medical workup, X rays, blood chemistry; they had even run covert EKGs, EEGs, PETs, and a CAT scan on him last summer. Clinically, they knew everything they could know about the man. But, like most people, they had erred in assuming that multiple killers were ignorant animals with underdeveloped mental skills. After all, here he sat – ribs taped, nose broken, one eye still swollen shut. How could somebody like this possibly be an intellectual equal? Unfortunately, neither of them had taken into account an inmate’s worst enemy: time. Next to sleeping, the best killers of time were reading, writing, and learning the skills of fellow prisoners. Whether it was the careful, step-by-step procedure for making a bomb, courtesy of Hector Garcia, or the intricate nuances of the Nebraska legal system, garnered from the books in the prison library, years of reading and listening had sharpened Michael Coleman’s intellect to a razor’s edge. Then, of course, there was the psychological gamesmanship he’d acquired in running the Row. All this to say, that in less than half an hour, he had reduced Murkoski, the boy genius, into an agitated knot of frustration.
The kid was flailing; O’Brien decided to step in. “Mr. Coleman. Regarding the identity of the blood. We can only say that it is extremely old, and that – ”
” ‘A couple thousand years,’ you said.”
“Yes, but – ”
“So how were you able to keep it from disintegrating? And don’t tell me you found it inside some mosquito embalmed in tree sap. I saw that movie, too.”
O’Brien took a long breath, but before he could answer, Murkoski jumped back into the fray. The kid never gave up. “The blood was sealed in candle wax. A small section of vine with fragments of bloodstained thorns was encased in the substance. We suspect it was revered as some sort of religious artifact for centuries. Kept on an altar where dripping candles inadvertently covered and sealed a portion of it.”
“And what altar would that be?”
“The southern deserts of Egypt. A monastery. The same one that claims to house St. Mark’s bones.”
“How convenient.”
“No, it wasn’t convenient. Not at all, Mr. Coleman.” Murkoski’s voice rose, trembling. “A lot of people risked their lives to bring it to us, and if you’re not interested in helping, then we’ll find somebody who is. In case you don’t know, there are three thousand other inmates on death row.”
Coleman opened his hands and closed them quietly. “Three thousand twenty-six. Perhaps you should contact one of them.”
Murkoski blinked. Coleman had just called his bluff. Of all the nerve. Murkoski appeared livid, but O’Brien was more impressed than angry. Coleman had no idea how many months they’d researched him, nor the time constraints they were now working under. And yet he’d uncovered Murkoski’s vulnerable underside, pressed all his buttons, and taken control of the conversation – in record time. The man was far more clever than they had imagined.
O’Brien cleared his throat and tried again. “Mr. Coleman – whoever’s blood it is, and we can’t say for certain, we do know that this individual had a genetic makeup slightly different from the rest of us.” He could feel Coleman’s eyes searching him, looking for a crevice, for a weakness to take hold of. But he held Coleman’s stare and kept his voice even as he went into the details. “Human DNA molecules consist of over six billion base pairs. If strung out in a line, that’s enough to stretch to the moon and back 16,000 times. In the ancient blood sample we have, most of those have not survived. But what portions we do have, those that have remained intact, have proven quite interesting.”
This was the hard part. The part O’Brien rarely shared. But it was Coleman’s body they were asking to experiment on, and it was certainly his right to know. “As far as we’ve been able to tell, the blood contains all the usual maternal genes, but there are some fairly unusual genes we’ve discovered on the male side.”
Coleman raised an eyebrow, waiting for more.
Murkoski moved in. “Certainly a man of your intelligence knows about X and Y chromosomes?” It was a patronizing question, and it was met only by Coleman’s silence. Murkoski continued. “Two X’s together make a female, while an X and Y chromosome determines a male?”
More silence.
“The X chromosome carries up to five thousand genes, while the lowly Y chromosome, that which makes us men, contains only a little over a dozen. So far science has only determined the function of one of those dozen-plus genes, the one that tells the embryo to develop testes instead of ovaries. The remaining male genes appear totally useless.”
“Until now,” O’Brien corrected. “We don’t know how or why, but for some reason the portion of those Y genes that we were able to recover from the blood have a totally different makeup than any other male gene.”
Murkoski leapt to the punch line. “Whoever’s blood this was could not have had a human father.” Silence settled over the room. O’Brien watched Coleman. Not a muscle moved. Murkoski, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, obviously assured that the playing field had once again been tilted to his advantage.
The silence continued. O’Brien coughed slightly then resumed. “Most of these new genes still appear useless, but one in particular has stood out. When it is introduced into other organisms – when we replicate it in the blood of say, mice, the creatures’ behavioral patterns shift dramatically.”
Coleman’s voice grew strangely quiet. “You’ve done this with other animals?”
“Yes. Mice first, then more recently primates.”
“The mortality rate has been higher than we’d like, but for those who have survived, the results have been staggering.”
Murkoski continued. “They are no longer concerned with what’s best for themselves. Instead of focusing on their own needs, they act in a manner that’s best for their community.”
Coleman sat motionless. Although he didn’t take his eyes off the men, it was obvious that wheels were silently turning.
Unable to endure any silence for too long, Murkoski continued. “And now we’re ready to take the next step. To introduce this blood into a human being.”
She stomped good and hard just in case he had missed her point. More training from Gary.
Blood of Heaven Reviews
Innovative…a compelling story…enjoyable and provacative. I wish I’d thought of it!
— Frank E. Peretti
This book is one of the best books I’ve read. All the different storylines as well as the plot within the plot really got me interested. Anyone who loves to read or is just plan bored should read this. A real page-turner and everyone should own a copy. You won’t regret it! Trust me!
— Tina Florida
This book is one of the greastest books I’ve read in a long time.Once you pick it up you cannot put it down.
— Anonymous USA
Riviting! I read the book in one sitting .The charactors came to life immediately .Michael Coleman was so real that I could almost feel the changes in him. The final chapter gave me hope for our future.
— LaDonna Fulbright Independence , Missouri
One of the best Christian Fictions I have ever read. I couldn’t put it down once I started. Hope he writes many more.
— Anonymous Lebanon, Indiana
This book was fabulous! I couldn’t put it down, which is good and bad because I got nothing done at home until I finished the book. I am looking forward to reading more from Bill Myers.
— Brenda Eckroth Stroudsburg, PA
I liked his inclusion of the genetics’ details into the story as well as his description of the good personality of Coleman, his selflessness, etc. Ingenious…
— Stacy KY
WOW!!! That was the best book I’ve ever read in my life. From it’s ingenious references to DNA info to the way this book reaches into your soul and pulls things out that wouldn’t have been touched otherwise; this book by far is the best i’ve read
— Kathryn Borger, TX
(The Soul Tracker Series #2)
Bill Myers
Bestselling Author of Soul Tracker
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Myers, Bill, 1953The
presence / Bill Myers.
p. cm.—(Soul tracker series; bk. 2)
ISBN-10: 0-310-24236-3 (softcover)
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-24236-9 (softcover)
I. Title.
PS3563.Y36P74 2005
813′.54—dc22
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version and Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
“How Great Thou Art,” words and music copyright 1953 by S. K. Hine. Assigned to Manna Music, Inc., 35255 Brooten Road, Pacific City, OR 97135. Renewed 1981 by Manna Music, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (ASCAP)
Interior design by Michelle Espinoza
0506070809101112/. DCI/10987654321
For Mackenzie . . .
Who makes my heart smile
This is Book 2 in the Soul Tracker series. If you haven’t read the first, don’t worry—I’ve included enough background information so you won’t be lost. Of course, reading this one ahead of the other might ruin a couple surprises in the first (like who manages to survive and who doesn’t), but that’s about the only problem I can see. And, hopefully, when you’re finished, you’ll be intrigued enough to go back and read the first. With this second book there are a few more characters, so I’ll list them for your reference. Don’t be concerned about them now, but if you get sidetracked and come back to the book later, the list should help jump-start your memory. From the first book we have . . .
David Kauffman—Lost his daughter (Emily) as well as a good friend (Gita). Has been asked to disprove the claim that we can contact the dead.
Luke Kauffman—David’s teenage son.
Preacher Man—Street evangelist and friend of David’s.
Nubee—Mentally and physically impaired brother of Gita.
Starr—Young teen living on the streets.
Norman E. Orbolitz—Media tycoon who will do anything to control his fate, even through death.
And the new folks on the block are . . .
Rachel McPherson—A television medium growing in popularity.
Savannah—Ex-model trying to contact her dead husband.
Albert Sinclair—Friend of Savannah’s. A software entrepreneur.
Reverend Wyatt—Savannah’s spiritual advisor.
There you have it. Thanks for beginning or continuing this series. It’s certainly been an interesting journey for me and has caused me to do some thinking along the way. I hope it will do the same for you.
www.Billmyers.com
“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Some presence has joined us. Yes, something has definitely decided to visit us from beyond.”
David Kauffman tried not to smirk at the melodrama. Honestly, the medium sounded like she was out of a bad 1950s movie. The only thing missing were some cheesy special effects. Then, sure enough, right on cue, the table candles flickered as if someone had opened a window. But of course no window had been opened. Nor door. Nor anything else in the lodge’s spacious dining room of pine paneling and hardwood floors. Just the fan or whatever it was the medium had obviously switched on by hidden remote.
Still, it had its desired effect. None of the participants moved; they waited in breathless anticipation. This is what they’d been preparing for. What they’d traveled so many miles to experience.
A chill crept across David’s shoulders. Apparently the medium hadn’t turned on a fan but an air conditioner. He could literally feel the temperature of the room dropping. A neat trick that made an instant believer of the woman to his right.
“Is it . . . him?” Her voice was thick and husky, cured from years of tobacco smoke. Savannah (she used no last name) was an ex-supermodel edging out of her prime—with thick blonde hair, complete with fashionable dark streaks, an indigo butterfly tattooed on her left shoulder, silver and turquoise jewelry, pink capris, and a silk camisole sheer enough to show off her lacy black bra. Nearby was the water bottle she took frequent drags from. In further efforts to kick her nicotine habit, she perpetually clicked and rattled sugarless candy inside her mouth.
“Ashton . . . baby?” She gave a sniff and gripped David’s hand tighter, her fingers damp and cold. “Is that you?”
There was no answer—except for the slapping candles against the air and the rattling of sugarless lemon drops.
Directly across from her sat a young man—Albert Sinclair. He’d barely met David before mentioning he’d sold his first software company at twenty-six, for 2.5 mil, and was working on his second. He sported a shaved head with fuzzy stubble, mandatory goatee, and casual khakis. In an effort to hide his nerdliness, he wore a black T-shirt just tight enough to indicate he’d been working out. He nearly succeeded.
“Man,” he sniffed, “it’s getting cold in here.”
David fought off another shiver. The kid was right. It had dropped a good ten degrees.
“It often happens when one contacts those on the other side.”
David shook his head. He’d written better lines than that in junior high. He turned to the medium, Rachel McPherson. She was in her midthirties and had that handsome sophistication that sometimes follows pretty girls when they grow up. Smart, personable, sensitive—the perfect combination for a con artist who bilks the grieving by “contacting” their dearly departed. Now if she could just do something about that corny dialogue. He had studied her bio on the flight up from LA. She had two books out, a syndicated TV show with a growing audience, and a PSI rating by the National Psychic Board of Level Three—a classification held by only a dozen or so in the country. A classification that to David meant she was simply good at not getting caught.
Ever since they’d started the séance some fifteen minutes earlier, he’d been silently evaluating her performance. Her eyes were closed in concentration, her head tilted to the side as if listening, allowing her shimmering copper hair to brush against some very bare and lovely shoulders. It’s true, he’d been taken by her beauty the moment they’d met—which explained his immediate shifting to a cooler, more professional approach, a curtness that bordered on rudeness. He didn’t enjoy it, not in the least, but it seemed to be necessary if he was to do his job.
She had offered her hand at the lodge’s front door when he and his son had been dropped off by the chopper less than an hour earlier. “Good morning, Mr. Kauffman. We were beginning to wonder if you would make it.” It was a good-natured barb, softened by kind eyes and the slightest flirt to her smile.
He nodded, glancing at the hand-carved beaver near the entrance, the beamed cathedral ceiling, the stuffed bobcat crouching on the table—anywhere but to her green, low- swooping, cowl-neck sweater. It was a clumsy defense, one he knew she saw through, but it was the best he could come up with on such short notice. He kept his answer simple and to the point: “Then let’s not waste any more time, shall we.”
“Don’t you want to see your room? Get unpacked and settled?”
He shook his head. “The sooner we get on with this, the better.”
That was it. No pleasantries. No apologies for missing the first day. Just his attempt at trying to be direct and professional.
The woman’s smile remained, but it grew a few degrees cooler. Just as well. He may have been taken in by her looks and winning personality—but he would not be taken in by her scam.
Initially, David had declined the request to fly up to Washington State and take part in the séances. He was an author, for crying out loud—not some psychic ghost buster. But Savannah, widow of the famous rock and roller, Ashton Hawkins, had been very persistent . . . the twenty-five thousand dollars she’d offered hadn’t hurt, either. All she asked was that he attend the gathering with a couple close friends and the acclaimed psychic, Rachel McPherson. Savannah insisted that they had made several contacts with her dead husband over the past few months. And it was during those contacts that his spirit claimed again and again that David had seen him in hell. More importantly, he insisted that David could actually help him escape from it.
Far-fetched to say the least. And David would have written Savannah off as a nutcase—except for the gold pendant. The swirling gold pendant he had seen around the neck of an individual suffering and burning when he had visited the Lake of Fire. The very pendant Savannah had later sent him as proof that he had actually seen her dead husband during those awful minutes he’d spent in hell.
Even then, David had declined. Although a relatively new believer, he’d read the Bible’s warnings against contacting the dead. Besides, according to his research, most were merely hoaxes and con jobs. A good friend of his, Dr. Gita Patekar, had made a career exposing just such frauds . . . until she gave up her life to save him in a very different type of supernatural encounter, one that was anything but fake.
Unfortunately, it was this last argument that the widow turned on him and successfully used in one of her later phone calls. “If you’re so sure it’s not true, then you’d be doing me a favor by coming up here and proving it.”
“I really don’t—”
“You wouldn’t believe the money I’m pouring down the drain on these people.”
“I can appreciate—”
“Not to mention my emotional instability.”
“I’m sure it’s very diffi—”
“I’m a wreck, David—I can call you David, right?”
“Certainly, but—”
“I got this cool place all rented up in the Cascades. So deep in the mountains you have to charter a helicopter. You can bring the family. You got family?”
“I have a son.”
“Perfect. Bring him up. Three days is all I’m asking. Make a vacation out of it.”
“I’m afraid you don’t—”
“Just think it over, please? ‘Cause for me it’s a real life or death thing. Not to mention for Ashton.”
“Just think it over.”
It took a few more calls to finally wear him down, though it was the offer to bring his son that had clinched it. Who knew, maybe a little father/son bonding in the wilderness would help heal their ever-widening rift.
The chandelier above their heads, the one made of intertwined deer antlers, started to rattle. All eyes shot up to it.
“Just a little tremor,” Reverend Wyatt assured them. He was the last of the party—an elderly denominational pastor in his seventies. Savannah had brought him along as her “spiritual advisor.” He was not at all the type David figured for someone of her lifestyle. Then again, by the way he constantly scrutinized and corrected her, maybe she felt the man was exactly what she needed. Although he was a definite stuffed shirt, David felt the closest to him. Probably because they shared equal skepticism about the proceedings.
The shaking grew harder, accompanied by a low rumble.
“We are located upon some unstable geological plates,” the Reverend calmly explained. “The same ones that created all that activity with Mount Saint Helens and are currently creating the steam vents you may have witnessed while flying over Mount Baker.”
David threw a look to his son. He was alert but showed little concern. And why not? After all, Luke was California born and bred. A little tremor now and then was only natural.
What was not natural was the icy blast of wind that exploded from the center of the table. It burst out in all directions, striking their faces, blowing their hair, their clothes. David squinted into the wind, searching the table for a vent, for some sort of opening. He saw none. He looked up at the ceiling, around the chandelier. Nothing.
“Rachel?” Savannah cried.
“We’re okay,” the medium shouted. “Everything’s all right.”
But things were not all right. The concern in the woman’s voice made that clear. So did the shaking of her hands. The gold Tiffany bracelet on her right wrist, the one Savannah had ogled earlier, banged loudly on the table.
There was also the matter of the computer geek’s chair. It started to move.
“What—what’s happening?” Albert cried.
David dropped his head to look at the chair’s legs just as it began rising from the floor . . . with the kid in it!
Albert screamed, immediately trying to climb off, but the wind pressed against him with such force that he could barely move. “Make it stop!” he shouted as he continued rising. Soon his ankles were level with the top of the table. “Put me down! Put me down!”
“Jump!” Rachel yelled.
“I can’t!” He struggled, but it was no use. “I can’t move!”
Savannah shrieked and David spun around to see her chair also rising. Eyes bulging in terror, she continued screaming, “Rachel! Rachel!” She tried moving, but like Albert she was pressed into the chair, her hair flying in all directions.
“Noooo!” Rachel cried.
David turned to see her screaming directly into the wind.
“They are innocent! I am the one who disturbed you! I am the one you—”
Her chair also began to rise, her eyes growing as big as Savannah’s. If this was a hoax, it was more elaborate than anything David had ever seen or read about. And Rachel McPherson was a far better actress than he’d given her credit for.
With sudden concern he turned to his son . . . just as the table between them exploded! The air filled with wood. “Luke!”
If the boy answered, David didn’t hear—not over the roar of the wind and the crashing debris. He leaped from his chair and tried lunging into the swirling vortex of wood and splinters. Pieces stung his cheeks, cut his forehead. He threw his arm across his face, squinting into the wind as he stepped forward, but the power and force drove him back.
And then he heard him. “DAD!”
He caught a glimpse of his boy beside the Reverend, peering through the wind.
Another scream. He whirled around to see Savannah’s chair blow apart, throwing her ten, twelve feet across the room. Then Albert’s chair disintegrated, flinging the young man in the opposite direction—just as Rachel’s chair exploded, tossing her hard into the far wall.
“DAD!”
He spun back to Luke. The boy had left the Reverend’s side and was stepping into the swirl of wind and wood.
“NO, LUKE, STAY—”
But his son did not listen. He fought through the whirlwind toward his father. David lunged forward, doing likewise. Each struggled toward the other, barely staying on their feet, until they finally arrived and David wrapped his arms around his son to protect him. Only then did he notice the wind decreasing, the roar lessening. Swirling bits of wood began to clatter to the ground around them. Soon there were only sputtering gusts, then uneven wisps. Then, nothing at all.
He turned to see Reverend Wyatt stumbling through the clutter toward the supermodel. She lay crumpled on the floor. There was no blood, and though she was stunned, she was struggling to sit up.
A groan brought David’s attention to Albert on the other side of the room. Like Savannah, he had no blood on him, though he was definitely bruised and battered as he fought to get back to his feet.
Only Rachel McPherson did not rise. Instead, she sat curled in a ball against the far wall. She gripped her knees tightly, her eyes wild and unblinking. And she shivered. So fiercely her entire body shook.
Flashes of light?” Norman E. Orbolitz shouted. He turned to his division head, Dr. Lisa Stanton. She was in her late thirties, a nervous, rail-thin researcher whose wardrobe showed she had no concept of her gender and whose shoes squeaked annoyingly every second or third step. It was difficult moving his head with the heavy goggles on, not to mention the bulky cable that attached his goggles to the control console. “Sixty-five million dollars and you give me flashes of light!”
“Sir, that’s at our lowest setting. We wanted your system to have a moment to adjust. Remember what happened when we exposed—”
“Forget my system, girl. We’re on a deadline! Now crank this baby up and let’s see what she’s got.”
Through his goggles he watched the glowing image of the woman as she turned to her two assistants behind the console. “Increase the power, Charles. On my count.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
She turned back to Orbolitz. “We’re at Level Two. I’ll call off each level as—”
“Just do it! Quit wastin’ my time and do it!” Orbolitz had every right to be angry. He’d been assured the goggles would be up and running by now. In fact, their completion determined the start-up date of the entire project. A project that had cut sizably into the assets of his multibillion-dollar communication empire. But a project that would be worth every penny . . . if it worked.
“Bring us to Level Three, Charles.”
The hum from the headgear increased as Orbolitz continued staring through the goggles. In some ways they reminded him of the night vision gear used by the military, though they required far more power. And instead of green and white images that registered the body’s heat, these images registered something much more substantial.
There was another fleeting smudge of light, off to his left—four, five feet wide, traveling less than a yard before disappearing. Then another, over by the console. Orbolitz sighed impatiently.
“Level Four, please, Charles.”
More lights, wider now, growing brighter, more distracting. “Lisa, this is not what we—”
“Implement the filters, please, and take us to Level Six.”
The room grew several shades darker and the darting lights all but disappeared. Now he could clearly see the glow coming from the doctor and her colleagues. This was the focus of their studies. The light smudges were only a distraction, unwanted interference to what they were really after.
Orbolitz smiled. “Now we’re cookin’.”
“And Seven, please.”
The glow from the doctor grew brighter, radiating two or three inches from her body, except for the glow around her head, which was slightly larger, reminding Orbolitz of the halos in old religious paintings. He knew that the holistic crowd would mistake the glow as some type of aura photography— a technique developed in the 1890s and made popular in the 1970s by Kirlian Photography. But the team had quickly debunked that myth. Instead, what they discovered and what he now witnessed came from hard, scientific research—most of it from his Life After Life division, a department devoted to the study of death—more precisely, how to control one’s life after death. At eighty-seven, controlling his afterlife was just about all Norman E. Orbolitz cared about these days. Forget increasing his empire, forget any philanthropic outreaches—what good would they do him once he was gone? Instead, he invested his sizable wealth into making sure he could maintain control even after he’d left.
“Level Eight, please.”
The glows shimmered, growing brighter. He could see colors now—oranges and reds, swirling and folding into one another—all encased in a thin, much darker, violet-blue shell.
Orbolitz grinned. “Oh, yeah.”
They’d first noticed the glow when visiting the virtual reality lab down on the third floor. By entering the chamber, participants could experience the first few minutes of death recorded from the dying brains of over thirteen hundred volunteers. This data was then processed and assembled into a virtual reality program that allowed the participants to experience heaven, hell, and everything in between. It was a fascinating study, but soon opened the doors to much more important research . . . research that focused upon the glow.
They found it to be the strongest on the other side of the tunnel, in what they called the Garden. Here people, animals, even plants seemed to radiate it. And by isolating the information and studying it, the Life After Life team had been able to develop special and complex opticals to capture glimmers of it in our world. Glimmers that were amplified several thousand times, allowing the wearer of the goggles to see what Orbolitz now saw.
“We’re at Level Nine, sir.”
The faint flashes of light reappeared. He frowned. “I’m gettin’ them light things again.”
“Double the filtering, please.”
“Doubling now.”
The room dimmed again. The interfering lights disappeared and the doctor’s glow increased. He turned to her assistants. The first had a glow similar to the doctor’s, though tinged with a bit more red. And the second? Orbolitz squinted. His shell was much thicker, the purples and violets starting to encroach upon the warmer colors underneath. Orbolitz mused. He’d have to ask for the background on the kid—his psychological profile. Because, as their research continued, Life After Life had discovered a clear pattern between a person’s interior life and their glow. More importantly, the pattern between the person’s glow and their final destination after death . . . which, of course, was the whole purpose of the little quarter-billion-dollar event they were about to stage.
“Mr. Orbolitz?”
He turned back to Stanton. By now her glow was so vivid it was nearly impossible to see her physical body.
“We’re at maximum power now.”
He nodded, examining each of the three glowing figures. “It’s still not like the implants.”
“No, sir, you’ll never see what our subjects will see, but it should definitely give you the idea. And, as we increase the power, as they experience more and more of the Presence, you’ll be able to see and evaluate their various reactions.”
Again he nodded. If it was the best they could do, it was the best they could do. “Well, then,” he sighed, “let’s get our heinies down to the screening room and see what we got.”
David in trouble. We go see David.” Once again Nubee Patekar grabbed his pillow, rolled his wheelchair backwards to the foot of his bed, and dropped the pillow into the suitcase.
“Nubee . . .” Once again Starr patiently reached into the suitcase and removed it. “David’s up in Washington State with Luke.”
“We go see David—we go see God.”
Starr raked her fingers through her greasy blonde hair. The two of them had been stuck in this rut ever since she’d entered his room at the nursing home twenty minutes ago.
“We go see God. You’ll like God.” He started for the pillow again.
“Yeah,” Starr sighed, “I’m sure he’s a cool dude.”
Nubee giggled as he grabbed the pillow. “Cool dude. God’s cool. Cool God dude.”
She shook her head. “Don’t you ever think of anything but God?”
He turned to her, breaking into that lopsided grin of his. “I think of you.”
She smiled in spite of herself. He could be quite the charmer when he wanted to be. Not that she ever felt any attraction to him or anything. At least not that kind. Honestly, how gross would that be. ‘Sides, he was in his thirties and she was only fifteen. Well, fifteen in a few months. No, Starr began hanging out with Nubee ’cause she liked his sister, Gita Patekar. More specifically, she liked the fame his dead sister had earned by shutting down the Freak Shop—that place where they experimented on street kids near Hollywood Boulevard.
But, gradually, over the months as the fame faded, Starr still found herself coming to visit Nubee. Not that she was crazy about the facilities. The smell of old people and disinfectant still creeped her out. And the rooms were way too similar to McLaren Hall—the juvee center she’d escaped from a couple times. The point is, she liked hanging with Nubee—though she couldn’t exactly figure it out. It’s not like he was a novelty or anything. She’d seen retards before, plenty of them. On the streets, in the parks, tucked up in the crannies of freeway overpasses. No, the best she figured, it was probably ’cause he was safe. He was still a man, an older man, but unlike her stepdad (the reason she hit the Boulevard in the first place), this guy had absolutely no interest in sex. Zero. Nada. That meant she could have the best of both worlds—enjoy the pleasure of hanging with an older guy . . . without having to do any of that other junk to earn it.
Course the bus ride out of the city every Saturday wasn’t bad, either. If you called Encino “out of the city.” That had been Preacher Man’s idea. Again Starr smiled. When it came to haranguing you about the Gospel, the big, black old-timer never let up. It was kind of cute the way he’d lock in on the new kids that came to the shelter. I mean, once he got you on his radar, look out. And when he heard that Nubee liked having the Bible read to him and that she had visited him once or twice, he got it in his head to cough up the $4.85 every week for bus fare to send her out.
“If I can’t get you to church, I’ll leas’ expose you to the cleansin’ power o’ God’s Holy Word.”
She shook her head. Good ol’ Preacher Man. Another piece of work. But another safe port from the storms of the street.
She glanced over to see Nubee sitting in his wheelchair, his pillow resting in his suitcase, patiently waiting. Realizing it was her turn, that it was one of those patterns he loved so much, she reached for the pillow and tossed it back to the head of the bed. But, even then, she sensed this was more than just a game to him. There was something about his insistence. The guy really was serious about leaving.
Once again he rolled to the pillow.
“Hey, Nubes, I got an idea.”
He was too focused upon retrieving the pillow to answer.
“What say I read you some Revelation? We haven’t read Revelation yet.”
Without looking up, he recited, “I like the angels, I like the monsters.”
“I know you do.” She reached for the worn Bible on his nightstand. “Let’s read about them angels and monsters.”
Nubee slowed to a stop, holding the pillow midair. He tilted his head, thinking a moment. Then, tossing the pillow back into the suitcase, he repeated, “We go see David.”
“Nubee . . .”
“We go see God.”
Rachel McPherson caught the badminton birdie on the edge of her racket. It gave a clunk and shot out of bounds near the front steps of the lodge.
“That’s okay, we’re all right!” Albert yelled from her side of the net. “We’ve got ’em right where we want ’em. Their defenses are down; now we’ll go in for the kill!”
Rachel grinned and shook her head. At 0–5, she seriously questioned her teammate’s tactics. She crossed to the shuttle and picked it up with a suppressed groan. Thanks to this morning’s encounter, her body ached in more places than she could count.
“Okay, Savannah,” David called to his own teammate from across the net. “Let’s put them out of their misery.”
Rachel discretely rubbed her back, musing, If he only knew …
“Two points and it’s a skunk game!” Savannah beamed.
The badminton game had been Rachel’s idea. “To help everyone relax,” she had said. “To attune themselves to the forces of nature around them.” And rightfully so. The morning’s events had been frightening. And dangerous. Fortunately, she’d sustained most of the injuries. And that was fine, that’s how it should be. After all, she was the expert, the professional. Professional . . . how she’d begun to hate that word. More and more she found herself longing for those earlier days, back when she donated her services for free. Granted, it had meant macaroni and cheese a couple nights a week, yet wasn’t that why she’d been given her gift in the first place—not to get rich, but to assist others? But now, over the last two years, as her books became best sellers, as her popularity grew, as her TV audience rose, so did her wealth . . . and her overhead. Now she had offices to rent, producers to pay, corporate sponsors to please, and staff members with families to feed. Suddenly she had become Rachel McPherson, acclaimed psychic, national celebrity, woman of the world. And yet, ironically, as each month passed, she thought more and more of their tiny little apartment on Capitol Hill in Seattle, of being the wife to Mr. Jerry McPherson, of being a good and loving mother. Sadly though, some things were never meant to be.
After the morning’s attack, she had offered to end the retreat. There were too many variables, too many unknowns. But to her surprise, no one had taken her up on the offer. Whether it was their devotion to Savannah or just morbid curiosity, she didn’t know. Nor did she know if she was particularly pleased with their decision. In all of her years she had never experienced anything close to what had happened this morning. She had read nothing remotely similar in any Book of Shadows—those personal journals she and all Wiccans kept to record spells, incantations, and such. What she’d sensed, the raging hatred and violence, went against everything she’d ever learned. There were no evil entities, no evil gods. At least that’s what her spirit guides had taught her. Ever since childhood.
Spirit guides . . . She’d met her first in fifth grade, back when Sister Elizabeth Thompson taught them to relax on the classroom floor using yoga and meditation techniques.
“Breathe in . . . ,” the nun’s airy voice had encouraged them, “. . . and out. Good, good. And in . . . make believe the floor is sun-warmed sand and let your body melt into it . . . and out. Good. In . . . listen only to your breathing, there is only your breath . . . and out. Push all thoughts from your mind. Melting, melting, becoming one with the earth.”
Always wanting to be the good student, Rachel did her best to obey—lying on her back, smelling the waxed linoleum, melting into the floor … and clearing her mind.
“Good, good. No thoughts of your own. Push them aside. And in . . . become empty vessels . . . and out. One with the earth. No will. No self. In . . . you are totally empty, totally open . . .”
Mr. Sparks was her first guide. Later, she realized his real name was Osiris, but because of the way he glowed and shimmered, Mr. Sparks seemed a better fit. He had appeared to her at the end of the first week—a glimmering, sparkling presence who stood just outside her consciousness, waiting to be invited inside.
“And in … no will … no resistance …”
And with Sister Elizabeth’s careful tutelage, Rachel had made the invitation.
“. . . and out.”
Others followed. Friends of Mr. Sparks. They were distinct personalities whose voices she learned to recognize. Often, they gave her insights that kids her age never had. It was only when she reached puberty that situations occasionally grew unpleasant. That’s when one voice in particular asked her to do things with boys she knew were wrong. When she resisted, it began teasing her, taunting her. But what it wanted was not right and she continued resisting. This led to the name-calling—awful, mean names, some she didn’t even understand. That’s when she finally asked them to leave. All of them. But they argued, promising to control their friend and insisting they had no other place to go. More importantly, they promised they would use their powers to help her do good, to serve others. And, though they occasionally frightened her and made her uneasy, it was that promise, to help and serve others, that finally convinced her to let them stay.
“Hey, Rach, you playing or what?”
“Sorry.” Coming to, Rachel popped the birdie over the net to Savannah, who caught it and prepared to serve.
“Five–zero. Ready or not, here it comes!” Savannah hit the shuttle. It sailed high over the net, heading out of bounds.
“Let it go!” Albert shouted. “Let it go!”
Rachel obeyed, resisting the urge to swing. Unfortunately a light gust pushed the shuttle back, dropping it on the line.
“All right!” Albert shouted. “It’s out, it’s out!”
“No way,” Savannah argued.
“It’s out by a mile!”
“You’re crazy, I can see it from here!”
“Reverend?” Rachel motioned him over.
Reverend Wyatt, who claimed to be too old for the game but agreed to referee, sauntered over to take a look.
“It’s in!” Savannah shouted.
“Out! Out!”
The Reverend carefully studied the shuttle.
“It’s out, right, Reverend?”
He moved, looking at it from another angle.
Rachel watched, amused at his thoroughness. Anybody else would simply call “do-overs,” but not this man. He was a stickler for detail. And after surveying it from yet a third angle, he made the call. “It is in bounds.”
“All right!” Savannah cheered.
Albert swore good-naturedly.
The Reverend scowled briefly at the profanity, then called, “The score is 6–0. It is once again Savannah’s serve.”
“We’ve been robbed!” Albert complained. “Robbed!”
Rachel threw another look over to David, who chuckled quietly at the antics. He still avoided her, doing his best not to look at her, which she found both challenging and endearing . . . not to mention a bit refreshing—particularly given Albert’s full-court leers. The younger computer geek was too smart to make a full-on pass at her, but he’d definitely developed the less-than-subtle art of sneak- a-peek lust.
Even at that, he was less obvious than Savannah. Originally she had appeared decked out in suede knee-high boots, red, pleated miniskirt, and an ultrasnug bustier with lacing up the front—until she caught the Reverend’s frown and shaking head. Taking her cue, she excused herself and returned wearing something a bit more modest. But only a bit. Poor Savannah. Rachel wondered if people like her wore such things intentionally or if they’d been advertising so long they simply weren’t aware of it.
Rachel scooped up the shuttle, trying not to wince in pain. She popped it under the net only to have it hit David’s thigh. “Sorry,” she called.
He nodded without looking, and bent down to toss it to Savannah.
Rachel had to admit she was attracted to the man, despite his initial rudeness. He was modest, smart, with a gentle, self-effacing humor. And then, of course, there was his thoughtfulness. That’s why he was up here in the first place. He had no interest in being her adversary, she knew that. He was simply committed to helping a grieving widow. Commitment. A vanishing trait among the men of her world. At least those she’d met since reentering the singles scene. Not that she entertained thoughts of him. Heaven forbid. Still, he wasn’t hard on the eyes—six foot, dark hair, and just muscular enough to avoid being lanky. She’d heard he was a recent convert to Christianity, which was fine, particularly since he didn’t seem inclined to shove it down people’s throats. After all, one of Wicca’s greatest attributes was its tolerance.
And what did her voices say about him? Just as they remained strangely silent over the morning’s attack, they remained quiet about the man. In fact, Osiris had spoken only two words all morning, back when she’d first greeted David in the entry hall. Only two words, but they were clear and unmistakable.
Be careful.
That was it. And now, to be honest, she wasn’t sure if he’d been referring to David or if he knew what would happen an hour later at the séance.
Be careful. That was all he said.
“Six–zero,” Savannah boasted as she prepared to serve. But underneath her shouting, Rachel heard the sound of something else. Crying. A baby. She glanced at the lodge. There were no babies here. Couldn’t be. They had the entire place to themselves.
The crying grew louder.
“Ready or not, here comes the skunk point.”
It grew more difficult to hear her over the baby. Rachel glanced at the others, but no one else seemed to notice.
Savannah served the shuttle. Once again it flew over the net. Only this time, instead of falling, it continued to rise. And, as it soared higher and higher, the baby’s crying grew louder and more urgent. It finally slowed, reaching its apex, and started down. But as it fell, it changed shape. At first Rachel thought it was a trick of the sun. But this was no trick. The thing was growing wings! The cry became a scream—shrill, deafening. The shuttle had become a bird. No, it was too big for a bird. But those were wings, she even saw the feathers. Yet it wasn’t a bird, it was . . . human! A baby! Falling. Diving straight at her. Screaming, shrieking. A newborn. No, younger than newborn.
Rachel raised her arms to cover her face as it rushed at her, screeching. She closed her eyes and screamed, no longer able to hear her own voice . . . until it brushed past, so close, so powerful, that it knocked her to the ground.
“Rachel!” Savannah yelled.
Others ran toward her. “Rachel, are you all right? Rachel?”
The crying had stopped. Now there were only their voices and her own ragged breathing.
“Rachel . . .”
Cautiously, she pulled back her arms. Only the faces stared down at her. There was no bird, no baby. Just the worried, concerned faces.
It’s on the blink again!”
“Mr. Orbolitz . . .”
“One minute it’s on, the next off!”
“It’s the video link, sir.”
“Look around the room.”
Orbolitz turned from the large projection screen before him to Dr. Lisa Stanton, who sat in the next row. As before she was surrounded in color.
“You see all of the images correctly in here, don’t you?”
He craned his neck past her to see the mixing board where the two associates sat, their colors equally as vivid.
“It’s in the video link, sir. Not the goggles. The images aren’t being picked up by the video feed at the mountain.”
Orbolitz made no attempt to hide his anger. “And that’s s’pose to make me feel better!”
“Well, no, sir, but—”
“The whole purpose of this little endeavor is to see what happens!”
“Every one of them folks has been handpicked. No expense spared!” He turned back to the screen to watch the group helping Rachel McPherson up the steps and into the lodge. “And now you’re telling me I won’t be able to see their reactions?”
“No, sir, that’s not what I—”
“Then what are you saying?”
She swallowed and threw a nervous look to her colleagues. “Let me bring in the video team. Let me see if we—”
“If?” Orbolitz was suddenly on his feet, ripping the goggles from his head. “There ain’t no if, missy! I’ve invested a ton on this here thing.”
“Now I don’t care what you do, or how you do it. Bring in a hundred video teams if you got to, but I want this thing up and runnin’!”
“You got till noon tomorrow!”
“Tomor—”
“That’s nineteen hours!” He threw the goggles at her, crossed to the aisle, and stormed up it. No one spoke. It would have been suicide if they tried. He reached the door and yanked it open, the soundproof seal popping and scraping. Turning back he shouted one last time, “It’s already started, girl! The curtain’s up! Now just make sure I get to see the show!”
The Presence Reviews
Myers’ gift for the bizarre twist flings the reader on a sublimely bruising ride through horror and ecstasy
— Romantic Times Magazine
Readers beware: Picking up this book to read a couple chapters before bed is not a good idea if you hope to actually sleep that night. I was drawn in to this story from the spine-chilling séance on first page and lost all track of time. Even when I put it down, Myers’ brilliant writing branded vivid images in my head that wouldn’t let me sleep. Bill Myers takes the battle between good and evil, as well as the battles that rage within all of us, and weaves them together in this page-turning story. You won’t put it down until you’ve read the last word.
— Focus on Fiction
This has to be the best book I have read in my life! Myers has woven a captivating story that provides an action-packed thrill…and brings you closer in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
— T. Bell
…It’s no wonder Mr. Myers is a best selling author. His writing is tight and quick, and we identify fully with the characters who could be our family members or our friends. Maybe that is why his books touch the soul: we could imagine ourselves or our loved one’s in the same perilous situation as the characters in the book. He gives us a feel of the fire of hell and that sends us searching for the love of heaven. You won’t be disappointed when you read this book; in fact your life might be forever changed.
— Linda Mae Baldwin The Road to Romance
I just finished reading “The Presence”. Wow! Gave me a lot to think about as far as my walk with the Lord is concerned. A summation of the contents of your book would make an absolutely awesome message for Pastors to give their congregations. I mean it, there is a lot of food for thought in this story. I am sure that this story had to be God inspired. I look forward to the next volume of the Soul Tracker series. I know that you will write the story as God inspires you and it will be a success. Thank you.
— Joanne Desy
I just finished reading “The Presence” and it was the most amazing book. The way you are able to write brings the characters so alive you feel like you are right there with them. I was unable to put the book down. The book has also made me stop and think about what my own glow and its color would be like if we could truly see. It has caused me to evaluate myself more closely – to look deep within. However you get your ideas for your books, I feel God is using you in a mighty way to reach so many. So no matter how odd a story line may seem, write it. There is someone out there who needs to read about it – to hear a word from God through it.
— Tammy K. Colvin
Bestselling novelist Bill Myers pens a supernatural, question-raising thriller . . . How would your soul look to earthly eyes? How would someone else’s soul appear? His writing is vivid and daringly descriptive . . . not wordy for the sake of words but words crafted to open your eyes and heart’s imagination. The action is extremely intense at times, and as usual, Bill Myers’ characters are believable and have great depth. The faith-based concept of forgiveness is explored; how unforgiveness affects you more than it does the other person. I’d highly recommend reading “Soul Tracker” first so you understand the story’s foundation before reading “The Presence.” If you have enjoyed any of Bill Myers’ previous books, you will not be disappointed! If you haven’t read him yet, what are you waiting for? Consider this your personal invitation!
— Dale Lewis Hope to Home Publishing
“Jill . . .” She gave him a brief nod, indicating that she’d heard. “Come on,” he urged, “the rest of the group is waiting.”
Her brief nod was followed by a brief smile, indicating that she’d heard but was in no particular rush to do anything about it. “Jill . . .”
Another nod, another smile.
He shook his head, frustrated and amused. After twenty-three years of marriage he knew the futility of trying to hurry his wife when she wasn’t interested in being hurried. He sighed and glanced around the tiny shop, one of a hundred stalls squeezed next to each other inside Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar. Every inch of floor space was covered and every shelf was filled with spilling bags and open barrels of nuts, candies, fruit, seeds, pods, stems, leaves—some fresh, some dried; some ground, some whole—more spices and herbs than he’d ever seen or smelled in his life.
The aromas were dizzying, as were the bazaar’s sounds and colors. A menagerie of vendors beckoning the passing crowd to “come, see my jewelry . . . perfume for your lady friend . . . a souvenir for your children . . . beautiful key chain to ward off evil eye . . . finest gold in all Turkey . . . natural pirinc, good for much romance . . . Visa, Mastercard accepted . . . come, just to talk, we have some tea, my friend, just to talk.”
It was that last phrase that did them in yesterday. They’d barely left the hotel lobby before a merchant was escorting them into one of the city’s thousands of oriental rug shops. They’d made it clear they were not buying. The rugs were beautiful but there was no room in their house nor their budget. The owner nodded in sympathetic understanding. But after two hours of chitchat, pictures of a brother who lived in America, and more than one glass of hot tea, they found themselves viewing his wares and feeling obligated to at least purchase something—which they did. Seven hundred and fifty dollars’ worth of something!
But today was another day—he hoped.
“Jill . . .”
She nodded. She smiled. And she continued talking to the leatherfaced shopkeeper. The bartering was good-natured. Jill had purchased a quarter kilo of halvah—a deadly rich concoction of ground sesame seed and honey. She’d already paid for it, but before passing the bag to her, the old-timer tried to persuade her to buy more.
“I’m afraid it will make me even fatter,” she said, pretending to pat an imaginary belly.
“A woman of your beauty, she could eat a hundred kilo and it would make no difference.”
Jill laughed and the man threw Daniel a wink with his good eye, making it clear the flirting was all in fun.
Daniel smiled back. It was obvious the fellow liked Jill. Then again, everyone liked Jill. The reason was simple. Everyone liked Jill because she liked everyone. From the crankiest congregation member to the most obnoxious telemarketer, his wife always found something to like. And it wasn’t a put-on. The sparkle in her eyes and delight in her voice was always genuine. Unlike Daniel, who had to work harder at his smiles and often thought his social skills were clunky, Jill was blessed with a spontaneous joy. And that joy was the light of his life. A day didn’t go by that he didn’t thank God for it—even as high school sweethearts, she a cheerleader, he a tall, gangly second-stringer for the basketball team. He could never figure out what she saw in him, then . . . or now. But he never stopped being grateful that she did.
As the years of marriage deepened their love, she had moved from someone who always touched his heart to someone who had become his heart. In many ways she had become his center, a constant point around which much of his life revolved. He cherished this woman. And though he seldom said it, her heart and love for others was a quiet challenge and model that he never ceased striving to emulate.
Yes, her love for people was a great gift—except when they were on a tight schedule, as they were now, as they always seemed to be. Because no matter how friendly you are, it takes more than a sincere smile to keep a forty-five-hundred-member church afloat.
“Jill . . .” He motioned to his watch, a Rolex. It had been presented to him by the elders for twenty years of faithful service.
Twenty hard-fought years of sweating and building the church out of nothing. Originally he’d hated the watch. Felt it was too flashy for a pastor. But because of the politics involved, he’d forced himself to wear it. You don’t keep a forty-five-hundred-member church afloat without understanding politics.
“This I do for you,” the shopkeeper was saying. His good eye briefly darted to someone or something behind them. “I sell you one-quarter kilo and give you an extra quarter for free.”
“No, no, no . . .” Jill laughed, suspecting another ploy.
“Just one-quarter kilogram, that’s all we need.”
“No.” The man’s voice grew firm. “I have made up my mind.”
“But we only have enough to buy one-quarter.”
“This I have heard.” The shopkeeper spoke faster. He turned his back to them, momentarily blocking their view. “But for you, I give a most special gift.” When he turned to them, he was already wrapping it in the same slick, brown paper he had used before.
“Please,” Jill said, laughing, “you don’t understand.”
Again the man’s eye flickered to somewhere behind them. “I understand everything,” he said, forcing a chuckle. “It is free. I make no joke.” He dropped the item into the bag and handed it to her.
“But I can’t. I mean, that is very generous, but I can’t accept—”
“You must,” he said, smiling. “It is the Turkish way.” He glanced behind them and spoke even faster. “It is an old Islamic custom.”
Jill frowned. “An old Islamic cust—”
He cut her off with growing impatience. “It is good for your soul. It will help you hear the voice of God. Go now.” He waved his hands at her. “Leave my shop now. Go.”
Jill glanced at Daniel, unsure what to do.
He hadn’t a clue.
She turned back to the shopkeeper, making one last attempt. “Listen, I don’t think you understand. We are only paying for—”
“Leave my shop now!” His impatience had turned to anger.
“Do you not hear? Leave! Leave or I shall call the authorities!”
Jill frowned. Had she inadvertently offended him? Had she—
“Leave! Allah Issalmak. God keep you safe!” He turned his back on them and set to work organizing a nearby barrel of pistachios.
Again the couple exchanged glances, when suddenly two uniformed men jostled past them. In one swift move they grabbed the shopkeeper by the arms. He looked up, startled. He shouted at them but they gave no answer. He squirmed to get free but it did no good.
“Excuse me!” Jill reached toward them. “Excuse—”
Daniel grabbed her arm. “No . . .”
She turned to him. “What?”
Although he wanted to help, he shook his head.
“We don’t know him. We don’t know what he’s done.” The shopkeeper shouted louder. He pleaded to the crowd but no one moved to help. The two men dragged him from the stall and out into the cobblestone street, where his shouts turned to panicked screams as he kicked and squirmed, trying desperately to escape.
Again Jill started toward him, and Daniel squeezed her arm more firmly. She came to a stop, not liking it but understanding.
Off to the side someone caught Daniel’s attention. He was a tall man dressed in a dark suit and a brown sweater vest. But it wasn’t the clothing that attracted Daniel’s attention. It was the man’s focus. Instead of watching the shopkeeper, like the rest of the crowd, he was scrutinizing the two of them.
The look unnerved Daniel but he held the gaze—not challenging it but not backing down, either. The man gave a slight nod of greeting. Daniel hesitated, then returned it until his line of sight was broken by more uniformed men rushing in. They shouted at the crowd, forcing the people to step back as they began scouring the premises, rifling through the bags and barrels, tipping them over, spilling them to the ground.
When Daniel glanced back to the man in the suit, he was gone. But Daniel had an uncanny sense that they were still being watched. He leaned toward Jill and half whispered, “We need to go.”
“What are they doing?” she demanded.
“I don’t know but we shouldn’t be here.” He wrapped a protective arm about her shoulder, easing her forward.
“What are they doing?” she repeated. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” He guided her through the crowd.
“Where are they taking him?”
Daniel did not answer. Instead he continued moving them forward. He didn’t look back for the man in the suit. He didn’t have to. He knew he was still there. And he knew he was still watching.
“But, Ibrahim, with the greatest respect, the Qur’an calls for only 2.5 percent of our profit to go to the poor.”
“That is correct. And now I wish for us to double that.”
A palpable silence stole over the Shura, the council of ten men, most of whom were under the age of thirty-five. They came from various countries—Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, and of course right there in Sudan. Each was well trained; many held degrees from universities in the West. Each was responsible for a specific operation within the organization. And now as Ibrahim el-Magd spoke, he knew each was quietly calculating the financial impact his imposed charity would have upon each of their divisions.
Abdullah Muhammad Fadi, in charge of the organization’s European and American businesses, continued speaking as he reached for his laptop computer. “So by doubling it, we are changing it to . . .”
Ibrahim el-Magd already knew the figure. “Five percent of 1.8 billion increases our zakat, our charitable gifts, to ninety million dollars.”
The silence grew heavier. Only the rhythmic beating of the overhead fan could be heard. With quiet resolve Ibrahim surveyed the mujihadeen sitting about the table, his dark, penetrating eyes peering into each of their souls. They were good men, devoted to Allah with all of their hearts and minds. Despite their devotion to family, they had left behind wives and children for this greatest and most holy of wars. They had given up all for this, the most final jihad that Muhammad himself, may his name be praised, spoke of.
Across the table, young Mustafa Muhammad Dahab cleared his throat. “May I ask . . . may I ask why this sudden increase in charity?”
Ibrahim turned to the youngest member of the group. Mustafa was a handsome fellow who had not yet taken a wife and who, according to sources, was still a virgin, Allah be praised. He would make a great father, a great husband. More importantly, he was becoming a mighty man of God. At the moment he was in charge of managing and laundering drug money for the Russian Mafia—a one-billion-dollar operation for which their organization received twelve percent. Ibrahim did not begrudge the boy his question. He knew he merely asked what the others were thinking. For the briefest moment he thought of sharing his vision of the night—the dream that had returned to him on three separate occasions.
The dream of a face. A terrifying, blood-covered face. A face twisted with rage and fury. A face so covered in its opponent’s blood that it was nearly unrecognizable. Nearly, but not quite. Because Ibrahim knew whose face it represented; he sensed it, felt it to the depth of his soul. It represented the face of God—the face of Allah as he poured out his great and final wrath upon all humankind.
Ibrahim stole a glance at Sheikh Salad Habib, his chief holy adviser. Although every man in the room had memorized the Qur’an as a boy, it was Sheikh Habib who helped interpret it in terms of the jihad. Knowing Ibrahim’s thoughts, the old man closed his eyes and shook his head almost imperceptibly. Such truth as the dream was too holy to share; it would be considered blasphemy, at least for now.
Ibrahim understood and quietly raised his hand toward the table. “It is no small honor to be chosen as Allah’s great and final winnowing fork. And for such honor we must all increase our devotion and our commitment. Time and time again the Western infidels have proved how power and money corrupt.” He leaned forward, growing more intense. “This shall not, it must not, happen to us.” He looked about the table. “This small gesture—what is it but merely a reminder that it is Allah and Allah alone whom we serve. Not ourselves. And if necessary, if we need another reminder, I shall raise the percentage again, to ten percent or forty percent or, if Allah wills, to one hundred percent.” He lowered his voice until it was barely above a whisper. “This is the time, my friends, above all other in history. This is the time to purify ourselves. For our families. Our world. This is the time to take charge of every thought and deed, to remove every unclean desire—ensuring that all we say and think and do is of the absolute and highest holiness.”
Ibrahim looked back to Mustafa. The young man nodded slowly in agreement. So did the others. He knew they would understand.
After a suitable pause Yussuf Fazil, his brother-in-law, coughed slightly. Ibrahim turned to him. They had been best friends since childhood. They had grown up together in a tiny village on the Nile. Together they had studied the Qur’an, attended Al-Azhar University in Cairo. And though Yussuf had chosen Ibrahim’s sister for his younger, second wife, it did little to bring them closer—for they were already family, brothers in the deepest sense of the word.
“What about the remaining stones?” Yussuf asked. “What progress is being made?”
Ibrahim was careful to hide his irritation. His insistence that they wait until the stones were retrieved had created a schism within the council, an ever widening impatience lead by Yussuf Fazil himself. Yet despite the group’s frustration, Ibrahim remained adamant. They already had four stones. They would not begin the Day of Wrath until the remaining eight were found and consulted. He turned to the group and gave his answer. “Another has been sighted in Turkey.”
“Only one?” Yussuf asked.
Refusing to be dragged into yet another discussion on the issue, Ibrahim glanced at Sheikh Habib. The old man took his cue. His voice was thin and reedy from lack of use, from his many days of silent study and prayer. “It is our belief—” He cleared his throat. “It is our belief that the remaining stones will surface very, very quickly.”
Ibrahim watched the group. He knew many considered this action superstitious, even silly. And because of Yussuf, he knew that number was increasing. But he also knew the absolute importance of consulting with Allah before unleashing his greatest and most final fury. Still, how long could he hold them off? Plans for the Day of Wrath had been under way for nearly four years. And now as the day finally approached, they were supposed to stop and wait? How long could he hold them at bay? A few weeks? A month? Every aspect of the plan was on schedule. They were nearly ready to begin . . .
Except for the stones.
Sensing the unrest, Sheikh Habib resumed. “There have been several rumored sightings, all of which we are pursuing. Europe, Palestine, here in Africa. It should not be long.”
Mustafa Muhammad Dahab asked respectfully, “And we are certain they will enable us to hear his voice?”
The sheikh nodded. “According to the Holy Scriptures, just as they had for Moses, the twelve stones, with the two, will enable the inquirer to hear and understand Allah’s most holy commands.” “And yet the additional two stones you speak of, are they not—”
The rising wail of an air-raid siren began. Tension swept across the table. Some of the Shura leaped to their feet, collecting papers; others moved less urgently. But all had the same goal—to reach the underground shelter as quickly as possible. The compound, like many others of Ibrahim el-Magd’s, was well protected by armored vehicles, tanks, antiaircraft guns. At this particular base in northern Sudan there were even Stinger missiles. Since the vowed retaliation for the World Trade Center, such precautions were necessary for any organization such as theirs. Ibrahim rose to his feet and gathered his robes. Although he was anxious to join his wife, Sarah, and his little Muhammad in the shelter, he was careful to watch each of the Shura as they exited. He owned a half dozen camps scattered throughout the Middle East. Less than twenty people knew this was the compound where they would be meeting. In fact, to increase security, the location had been changed twenty-four hours earlier. The odds of the enemy choosing this particular time and this particular location to launch a strike were improbably high—unless there was an informant. And by watching each of the men’s behavior, Ibrahim hoped to discover if any was the betrayer.
The first explosion rocked the ground, knocking out power and causing the white plaster ceiling to crack and give way. Pieces fell, shattering onto the table before him.
“Ibrahim!” Yussuf Fazil stood at the doorway, motioning in the darkness. “Hur—”
The second explosion knocked them to the ground. Dust belched and poured into the room.
“Hurry!” Yussuf staggered to his feet, coughing. He raced to Ibrahim, then used his own body as a shield to cover him as they rose. Supporting one another, they picked their way across the cluttered floor. The explosions came more rapidly as they stumbled into the dark hallway, as they joined office personnel racing toward the tunnel with its open steel door ten meters ahead. Ibrahim could see the people’s mouths opening in shouts and screams, but he could not hear them over the thundering explosions.
He arrived at the tunnel and started down the steep concrete steps. The reinforced shelter lay twenty-five meters below—a shelter that security assured him could never be penetrated, even by the West’s powerful Daisy Cutter bomb. The earthshaking explosions grew closer, throwing Ibrahim against one side of the tunnel, then the other. They continued mercilessly, lasting nearly a minute before they finally stopped.
Now there was only silence—and the cries of people down in the shelter. Ibrahim emerged from the stairway and joined them just as the emergency generator kicked on. Nearly forty faces stared at him, their fear and concern illuminated by the flickering blue-green fluorescents. Two tunnels entered the shelter—one from the living quarters, one from the office area. His wife and little boy had no doubt entered through the living quarters.
“Sarah!” he shouted. “Muhammad!”
He scanned the group but did not see them.
“Sarah!”
Still no answer. People started to stir, looking about.
“They were outside,” a voice coughed.
Ibrahim turned to see a secretary. Her veil had fallen, revealing black hair covered in plaster dust, and a face streaked with tears.
“They were outside playing when the . . .” She swallowed. “They were outside playing.”
Ibrahim shoved past her. He began searching the group, holding his panic in check. “Sarah!” The people parted for him to pass.
“Muhammad!”
The Face of God Reviews
Strong writing, edgy violence and a made-for-the-movies sensibility characterize this thriller from CBA veteran author and film director Myers…the story is replete with action; and the book admirably avoids an implausibly neat ending. Myers’s popular reputation and the books link to current events will likely woo CBA readers.
I could relate so closley sometimes to the people in the book and I couldn’t help but feel guilty for the lack of love I gave to God. So much of MY good intentions, and MY flesh getting in the way. Like I’ve heard the Screwtape Letters do, The Face of God has brought a light on to the enemy. Also after reading Eli, Blood of Heaven and this, I can say without a doubt that Bill Myers is my favorite author.
— Anonymous Honolulu
I have nothing but great things to say about this novel.The characters come alive , and no mater who you are you well relate to at least one of them.A griping story that has you laughing crying and on the edge of your seat all at once. If you read one book this year make sure it’s this one.
— Christopher Halifax N.S
I bought this book friday night and just started reading it this past Sunday. The book consist of 356 pages and I was unable to put it down. It is now Tuesday and I finished the 356 page book. This book was a wonderful, suspensful, and even breathtaking book. You will enjoy it very much. Also it is really convicted and makes you think alot about God and your walk with Him.
— Ryan Richmond
As I read this book and watched the characters struggle with issues in their lives… such as putting religion ahead of relationship, I found myself doing some major soul searching of my own.
— Anonymous Illinois
This is one of the best books I have ever read. It really makes you think, are we serving God or man? Are we too religious for our own good? Do we step on people and judge them because we think we’re “holier than thou”?
— Jenni Perry Turlock, CA
This is one of, if not the best Christian Fiction novels I have read. It was thrilling. I couldn’t put it down. It will challenge you spiritually. It will inform you on other religions. It was very fulfilling novel. There was so much of the word of God in it. I have told all of my friends to read it.
— Heather Hickory, North Carolina
This title is also available as a Zondervan audio product.
Visit www.zondervan.com/audiopages for more information.
Myers, Bill, 1953 –
The seeing / Bill Myers.
p. cm. – (The Soul tracker series ; bk. 3)
PS3563.Y36S44 2007
813′.54 – dc22
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New
International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy,
recording, or any other – except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior
permission of the publisher.
Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard
Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
The guy’s BO made Luke’s eyes water. He had long greasy hair, an eleven o’clock shadow, jeans as brown as they were blue, and a crumpled, stain-riddled Hawaiian shirt. “This your first time to Agua Rancheria?” He sniffed loudly, wiping his nose.
Luke gave a nod and looked out the bus window, hoping to end the conversation.
No such luck.
“You’ll like it. The desert, I mean. Nothing but nothing as far as you can see.” He sniffed louder.
Luke stole a glance just in time to see the guy pinching away a drip of hanging mucus with his hand. His gloved hand. In the middle of June. Proof that the man was not only homeless but a mental.
“And those stars at night, I tell you – ” another sniff – “God must have been having a fine day creating those.”
This time Luke didn’t respond.
The man didn’t notice. “‘Course the casino’s kinda messing stuff up. All that bright light and razzle-dazzle. But get away from it and the place is beau-tee-ful.” As discretely as possible, Luke cupped his hand over his nose and mouth. They’d picked the guy up in Palm Springs about thirty minutes ago. If Luke’s geography was any good it meant he’d only have to endure another five or 6 the seeing ten minutes of his company before stepping off the bus and getting some fresh air.
In truth, the man was only a minor nuisance – the last in Luke’s ongoing campaign to get away from home . . . and Dad.
“You’re smothering me again!”
“I just don’t think being gone all summer is a good idea.”
“Six weeks,” Luke argued, “it’ll only be six weeks.”
“That’s nearly two months.”
“You’ll be in New York half that time.”
“That’s got nothing to do with it.”
“You’re always saying I should get a job, save for college.”
“It’s too far away.”
“It’s two hours. I’m fifteen years old, Dad. Fifteen!” And so they continued. For the most part it had been a standoff . . . until Preacher Man had weighed in. Good ol’ Preacher Man . . .
“Come on, David,” he insisted, while working on a bag of potato chips at the kitchen counter. “Let the boy go.” It was an unusual friendship – a middle-class, whitebread family and an old black street preacher. Then again, considering what they’d been through these last couple years . . . his sister’s death, his dad’s visits to heaven and hell, and later where they literally saw each other’s souls and the spirit world . . . well, maybe it wasn’t so unusual after all.
“You already met Pastor Virgil and his wife.” Preacher Man continued munching. “They don’t come any better. And they definitely need help gettin’ that church of theirs fixed up.”
“Probably do the boy good. Get him out in some fresh air, doin’ some real work for a change, ‘stead of always playin’ with that computer.”
“What about his eyes?” Dad argued. “He barely remembers to wear his sunglasses around here. What’s going to happen if he gets out in the bright desert sun and forgets – ”
“I won’t forget!”
“You say that now, but – ”
“I won’t forget.”
And so the war continued. It had taken nearly a month to wear him down. Even at that, Luke had to use every weapon known to adolescence – forced cheerfulness, willingness to do household chores (even when unasked), and listening to the man’s perpetual naggings and repeatings without so much as an eye roll.
It had nearly killed Luke, but somehow he had succeeded. He had won. Now he was heading out to a desert community for six weeks to help some old pastor fix up some old church . . . and to finally enjoy a little independence.
The bus turned off the main road and entered the town. As it did, Casino Rancheria filled Luke’s window. It was a monstrous complex of white limestone, giant waterfalls, and fountains complete with roaring rapids and life-sized bronzed replicas of Native Americans in canoes. Portions of ocher-colored pottery protruded from the walls, where mural after mural of desert wildlife had been painted to look like Indian art. And lining the entrance, a dozen Native American heads, twenty feet tall, gazed toward the desert, their faces creased and weathered by the sun.
It seemed everywhere Luke looked he was reminded of Indian culture. And for good reason. According to Pastor Virgil, that was part of the deal when the casino leased the land from a local tribe.
As the bus passed the red-carpeted entrance, Luke noticed a handful of protestors carrying signs and placards reading:
GAMBLING IS A DISEASE, GOD IS THE CURE KEEP YOUR MONEY, AND YOUR SEX, VIOLENCE, DRUGS, CRIME ILL-GOTTEN GAIN EQUALS ILL-GOTTEN PAIN
A tanned blond guy in his early thirties was leading them. He shouted things Luke couldn’t quite hear while bored security guards stood nearby. Apparently, none of it really mattered, because despite the demonstrators, hordes of people just kept swarming in and swarming out. Luke reached into his nylon windbreaker and pulled out what almost passed for the broken half of a pair of night-vision goggles – complete with various wires cut back. Although he had trimmed them, he didn’t have the heart to completely remove them.
In truth, he hoped to find a way to make the goggles work like they had for Orbolitz – back when the old guy claimed to use them to see into “higher dimensions.” More importantly, he hoped they would earn him the respect he never fully received. Luke had always felt special . . . chosen. And, if he ever got the things to work, they would definitely help prove his point.
Imagine how different folks would treat him if they knew he could see into the spirit world. It was one thing for those TV preachers and everybody to be jabbering about that stuff, but if he could actually see it . . . well, that would sure get them to sit up and take notice. At the very least he wouldn’t be treated like some stupid kid anymore. He raised the broken goggles to his sunglasses and looked at the familiar smears of light and darkness that, for some reason, only he was able to see. Chances are it was because he’d fried his eyes while climbing that microwave tower, or whatever it was, up in Washington. But it made little difference. The point is, despite Dad’s protests, Luke took them wherever he went. And the more he used them, the more he was able to recognize recurring patterns and formations of light.
It wasn’t much. But being able to see the faint traces did set him apart . . . a little.
This time the smears darted about the casino – particularly in and out of its entrance. He turned and focused on the protestors. Although the smears seemed a bit more flighty and agitated than normal, they acted pretty much the same as they did around any other group. He started to remove the goggles when something caught his eye off to the right of the casino – a jagged peak, flattened on one side, part of the mountain range they’d been following for the last hour.
It had no fleeting smudges of lights around it, and Luke wasn’t surprised. The lights usually just hung around people. Instead, what caught his attention was the very top of the peak. It was covered in a shadow. But thicker than shadow. Not as dense as a cloud because he could still see through it. But it was a specific darkness that rippled and quivered. It seemed to pulse ever so slightly . . . almost as if it were breathing.
Almost as if it were alive.
“Misty! Misty, where are you?”
Pilar slammed the front door to their penthouse suite, the largest at the casino, and stormed across the white carpet toward the hallway and her daughter’s bedroom.
She was not happy.
“Misty?”
She arrived just as her sixteen-year-old appeared in the doorway. The girl still wore her sleeping sweats and flip-flops. Her hair was unkempt, as thick and black as her mother’s.
“Oh, hi, Mom.” She sounded too casual. “What brings you home?”
“You were in the Surveillance Room again, weren’t you?”
“What do you mean?” She blinked, pushing up the world’s ugliest pair of tortoise-shell glasses. “You told me I could never go in there.”
“I know what I told you, and you were there, weren’t you?”
“What? Why would I – ”
Pilar raised the small electronic box she’d been carrying, complete with dangling cable.
“Security found it attached to the back of their computer.”
Misty took it into her hands. “Hm, I wonder what it’s for?”
Pilar sighed wearily. “You know how the casino frowns upon you hacking into their surveillance system.”
“But, Mom – ”
“No ‘but Moms.’ ”
“Why do you always blame me? You’re always blaming me for everything!” It was the girl’s attempt to go on the offense by playing victim. “It’s like you don’t even trust me.”
Pilar crossed her arms. “Nice try, no sale.” She shifted her weight and noticed Misty doing the same, obviously trying to block her from seeing into the room. “Besides,” Misty quipped, “what do you care? It’s the white man’s casino, and we both know what you think of the – ”
“My personal feelings have nothing to do with it. What you’re doing is wrong, it’s proprietary information, and it makes them nervous. It makes Bianco nervous.” She shifted again and Misty mirrored her action. “What are you doing in there?”
“In where?”
“Misty?” Pilar tried to see past her.
Once again Misty blocked her view. “It’s just video games and stuff.”
“Right, and it’s the ‘stuff’ that’s got me worried.”
“Why are you always so suspic – ” She was interrupted by the howl of a cat. Twirling around, she cried,
“Balzac!”
She raced into the room, Pilar right behind.
The place was a Radio Shack gone berserk – electronic consoles, gizmos, and gadgets everywhere you looked, except the floor, which was covered in an equal amount of clothes – some clean, some dirty – but all, Pilar knew, would be dumped into the dirty-clothes hamper.
Then there was the cat box. By the pungent odor, she guessed it hadn’t been emptied in a week . . . or two. Stuffed off in the corner was a small twin bed with the mandatory grouping of stuffed animals. But the long table in the center of the room was the obvious focus of activity. A table cluttered with wires, circuit boards, soldering iron, and the innards of a hundred who-knew-whats. Directly behind it, on another table, a dozen different- sized monitors were stacked on top of each other, all glowing.
“Balzac . . . oh, you poor thing!” Misty had scooped the jet-black cat into her arms. “How many times has Mommy told you not to go sniffing around all those mean electrical circuits.”
He definitely looked dazed. And for good reason. As Pilar leaned closer she saw he no longer had whiskers. Well, he did, but they were now melted into little corkscrews. That and the smell of burning hair was a sure sign that the cat had used up a few more of his lives.
“Poor baby,” the girl soothed, stroking him. “Poor Balzac.”
Pilar looked up at the wall of monitors. She moved in closer, not believing what she saw. “Is that what I think it is?”
“I was just – ” “Is that Bianco’s office? Did you bug the manager’s office?”
“Mom, you know something’s going on. I mean, the way he’s got everyone running all over the – ”
“Did you just bug my boss’s office?”
She turned to Misty.
The girl raised her shoulders in a helpless shrug.
Pilar sighed wearily, dropping her head and slowly shaking it. a wave of hot fresh air struck Luke as he stepped off the bus. But he was grateful for it – especially the “fresh” part.
“Praise God, there he is now!”
He looked over to see Pastor Virgil and his wife – he’d forgotten her name – shuffling down the sidewalk toward him. The spunky old-timer wore a Panama straw hat, dolphin- print shirt, leather sandals, and khaki shorts which showed off far too much of his brown saggy knees. Fortunately, his wife was dressed a bit more modestly.
“Good to see you, son.” The pastor arrived, throwing his arms around him.
Surprised, Luke answered, “Thanks, it’s good to – ” he gasped at the old-timer’s strength – “see you . . . too.” They broke apart as Virgil turned to his wife. “Isn’t it good to see him, Fiona?”
“Yes, it is.” She offered her wrinkled, sun-browned hand and Luke shook it.
“Yes, it is,” Virgil repeated, “yes, it is.” Then slapping his little belly, he looked about, beaming. “Welcome to Agua Rancheria. What do you think?”
“It’s . . . nice.”
“Nice? It’s glorious! Now I don’t wanna be spreading rumors, but folks say God Himself has a time-share here.” He flashed another grin, laughing at his joke. By now the driver had opened the luggage compartment under the bus and was pulling out Luke’s bags – all four of them.
“Whoa,” Virgil exclaimed. “These all yours?” Luke nodded, somewhat embarrassed. “Yes, sir.” The old guy whistled. “Didn’t know we were going to have a fashion devo on our hands.”
“Leave the boy alone, Virgil.”
Luke tried to explain. “I wasn’t exactly sure what to wear, I mean out here in the – ”
“It don’t matter, son.” He reached for the luggage.
“No, here,” Luke offered, “let me get that.”
But Virgil was already trying to lift the largest bag.
“That’s way too heavy, let me – ”
“I got it, son, I got it.” With great effort, the little man finally lifted the suitcase. “Fiona,” he gasped, “wanna give the boy a hand with them others?”
“No, please,” Luke protested.
“Nonsense, she’s as strong as a – ”
“Really.” Luke quickly gathered up the other three.
“I’ve got them.”
“Suit yourself.” Virgil turned and staggered up the sidewalk.
“Car’s just a little ways – ”
He was interrupted by another voice. “We’ll catch you later, friend.”
Luke turned to see the man in the Hawaiian shirt stepping off the bus, heading in the opposite direction.
“Uh . . . right.” With hands full, Luke managed a nod.
“One of your Hollyweird buddies?” Virgil teased.
“Uh, no, I just met him on the bus.”
Virgil nodded. “Probably homeless. We get our share of ’em this time of year. Usually aren’t dangerous – long as you don’t get too friendly. We don’t bother them, they don’t bother us.”
The bus gave a belch of black smoke and started pulling away.
Fanning away the fumes, Fiona asked, “So, Luke, how was your trip?”
“That’s wonderful.” Virgil was breathing heavily.
“‘Cause you’re going to need all the strength you got, once we get to working on that church. Twenty hours a day can really tucker a fellow out.”
Luke threw a concerned look to him, then to Fiona.
She smiled. “He’s just playing with you. He calls it – what do you call it, dear? – oh yes, ‘humor.’ ”
Luke smiled. Though he’d only spent a few hours with them when they’d visited Preacher Man in LA, he remembered all too well how the couple communicated.
She continued, “Don’t pay him any mind, Luke. Nobody ever does.”
Ignoring her, puffing harder, Virgil asked, “How’s your dad? And Billy Ray?”
“Preacher Man’s doing great. And Dad, he’s, you know, Dad.”
Virgil flashed a grin over his shoulder. “Still making you crazy, is he?”
“I didn’t know it was that obvious.”
“It’s hard to get much past these old eyes.”
“Right,” Fiona drolly replied.
“It’s true, I see everything.”
“Unless it’s the garbage that needs taking out, or all the repairs that never get done.”
“Selective vision, woman. These eyes see life from a select perspective.”
“Closed and from the recliner.”
“Drip, drip, drip . . . Drip, drip, drip.”
Fiona explained, “That’s his way of reciting the Bible to me.”
Virgil quoted, ” ‘A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.’ Proverbs 19:13.”
Fiona countered, ” ‘If a man is lazy, . . . the house leaks.’ Ecclesiastes 10:18.”
The old-timer frowned, searching for a response. Luke had to smile.
They walked by a large billboard with a picture of the casino he had just passed. Written across its front, diagonally, in big red letters, were the words:
DEAL ME OUT!
“What’s that about?” Luke asked.
“More of Travis Lawton’s handiwork,” Virgil replied.
“Our city’s newest gift from God – least that’s what he thinks. He’s found a loophole in a local ordinance. Thinks we can force a vote and drive out the casino.”
“Why would he want to do that?”
“Lots of reasons,” Fiona answered. “Prostitution, drugs, corruption. Our overall crime rate has gone up 400 percent since the casino moved in.”
“Is that what the protestors are about?” Luke asked. “I saw some folks picketing in front of the casino.”
Virgil nodded. “Pastor Lawton and his congregation – they’re foolish enough to think if they get rid of the casino, they’ll get rid of our troubles.”
“And you don’t think so?”
Virgil shook his head. “The casino is only the symptom. Lawton and his people are fighting shadows. They’re totally clueless about the real sickness.”
“And that is . . .”
“You’ll know soon enough,” the quirky old man answered as they continued down the street. “You’ll know soon enough.”
“look at this putz.” Peter Bianco sat with his meticulously polished black leather Guccis propped atop a large teak desk. Across the office, a row of surveillance monitors displayed various angles of the casino’s front entrance – shots of the demonstration. More importantly, one close-up shot of their leader . . . Pastor Travis Lawton. “Does this guy ever sleep?”
“Apparently not.” The answer came from Joey Popiski, a balding, middle-aged man with far too much cream filling in the center and wearing way too much Old Spice. He forced a phlegm-filled chuckle. “Not when he’s made you the focus of his personal jihad.”
Bianco stared at the screen without comment. Popiski leaned toward the desk, trying to continue the conversation he had begun earlier. “You wouldn’t have to start me off as a headliner. I could be somebody’s warm-up.” Popiski’s claim to fame had been working on Saturday Night Live in the eighties as a comedian/impersonator. Now, with waning popularity, he had enough clout to get into Bianco’s office, but not enough to be taken seriously. “I don’t even need to have my name on the marquee, at least in the beginning.”
Bianco watched the monitors as his gall continued to rise. Finally, swearing under his breath, he sat up in the chair and reached for the intel folder that Security had prepped on Travis Lawton.
“And then in say, six months, once I’ve established myself, we can talk about better billing and better money.” Across the office, two large men in identically tailored suits – Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, Bianco called them – continued sweeping the room for electronic bugs.
“And from there, who knows. I mean, if I’m bringing them in, anything goes, right?” Running his hand over his gray buzz cut, Bianco continued flipping through the folder. Nothing. They had nothing on this pain-in-the-butt preacher. Nothing, except . . . He reached for his glasses to take a better look. That’s when Tweedle Dee’s surveillance wand began buzzing.
“Got something, boss.”
He looked up, then rose to his feet and crossed the room.
Tweedle Dee pulled out a small camera, no larger than an M-16 shell, from the side of the farthest monitor.
“That’s it?” Bianco asked.
He took it into his hands. It even looked like an M – 16 shell. He turned it over until he spotted what had to be the lens. Then leaning into it he shouted, “Not funny, Misty.
Not funny at all!”
He turned and headed for the bathroom.
As he entered, the motion sensor lights flickered on, revealing the white marble walls and gold fixtures. He raised the toilet lid and dropped the camera into the bowl with a rewarding kerplunk. Reaching for the lever, he flushed it, and watched the camera swirl away – a fitting end to his problem.
He stepped from the bathroom and glanced back at the monitors. If only he could dispose of his other headaches so easily.
As Bianco walked back to his desk, Popiski, not the brightest candle on the cake, started where he left off. “I wouldn’t even have to include my agent, not that he does me any good. It could all be under the table until – ”
The intercom buzzed and the secretary’s throaty voice spoke. “Mr. Bianco, your call has come in.” He moved to the phone. “Good, good, put him through.”
” – on a trial basis, that’s all, I’m – ”
“All right!” He turned to the comedian. “All right, you got the job! On a trial basis! Now go on, get out of here!”
“Thank you, Mr. Bianco, I promise you, you won’t – ” He shot a look to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. Taking their cue, they moved across the plush carpet, gently gripped Popiski on either arm, and escorted him toward the door.
” – and if there’s anything I can ever do to return the – ”
“Good-bye!”
At last the fat man was out of his office.
“And shut the doors!”
They softly closed.
Bianco paused a moment, looking at the phone. Then taking a breath to clear his head, he reached for the receiver and turned to the tinted wall of windows. “Senor Velasco.”
He sat on his desk, suddenly all confidence and good humor. “So good to hear from you.”
The voice on the other end was cordial but definitely businesslike. “Good afternoon, Mr. Bianco.”
“How are we doing today?”
“They tell me you are incurring some difficulties.”
“People in your community. There are some who do not wish for your presence.”
Bianco rubbed his forehead. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Demonstrators. They are trying to make you leave.”
“Oh, those.” Bianco forced a laugh as he turned back to the monitors. “Just a handful of religious fanatics.”
“Fanatics who are opposed to your presence?”
“It’s the American way. They’re merely exercising their constitutional rights.”
“I trust such rights will not interfere with our plans.”
“What? No, no, of course not. Believe me, they are a minor nuisance.” Once again he stared at the monitor featuring Lawton.
“I sincerely hope you are correct.”
“Believe me, in a day or two this will all blow over. By the time you arrive, no one will even remember them.”
He glanced at the intel folder on his desk and pulled it toward him.
“You see no problem then.”
“None whatsoever.”
“And should it persist, the problem. You have adequate means to remedy it?”
“Absolutely. You have my word on it.”
“Good. The stakes are too high for us to have any distractions. I think you would agree.”
“Of course, Senor Velasco, of course.” Once again he opened the folder. “I absolutely, one hundred percent, completely agree.”
Luke rocked in the old porch swing, enjoying the night. The town with its glaring casino lights was far enough behind the house that it didn’t affect his view of the stars. They were so bright it was like looking at a photo taken by one of those space satellites.
And so intense he almost felt he should wear his sunglasses. The desert too. Even without the moon, the desert and mountains glowed in bright, blue-white.
Talk about beautiful . . . and peaceful.
Well, everything except the mountain peak. It was hard to explain, but even now he sensed a strangeness about it. So much that he’d gone back to his room and retrieved the broken piece of goggle to find out what he could see. He’d barely pulled it from his pocket and placed the lens against his eye before he heard the screen door groan and Virgil step out.
“Lord have mercy, can that woman cook.” Luke quickly lowered the lens, discretely removing it from view.
“Makes no difference how they sass ya, you find a woman who can cook – ” Virgil slapped his belly as he approached – “and you’ve found yourself a mighty good thing.”
Luke nodded. “I bet.”
Easing himself down on the swing, Virgil asked, “Still got them goggle things, I see.” Caught, he brought the broken piece into view. “What, this?”
Virgil smiled. “And I’m bettin’ they still make your daddy nervous. You called him, let him know you got here okay?”
“So what’d you see?” He motioned to the goggles.
Luke shrugged. “Nothing. I was just about to check out that mountain over there.”
“Tahquitz Peak?”
“That’s its name?”
“Local Indians have some pretty interesting legends ’bout the place.”
“Legends?”
Virgil gave a stretch. “They believe there is an evil spirit living on it – ruling that entire range of mountains, and the Coachella Valley down here.”
Luke turned to him.
“Tahquitz, they call him. In the old days they said he used to sneak into the villages at night and kidnap their virgins – dragging them into a canyon up there and having his way with them.”
“Some legend,” Luke mused.
“If that’s all it is.”
Virgil looked at him, then changed the subject. “I noticed you’re still having to wear sunglasses?”
Another shrug. “Yeah.”
“Doctors still aren’t sure what’s wrong?”
“Kinda makes you mysterious, though, don’t it.” Chuckling, Virgil added, “Bet the ladies love it.”
“I, uh, wouldn’t know.”
He laughed and slapped Luke on the leg. “You will, son. Mark my words, you will.”
After a polite moment, Luke returned to the topic. “You think there’s something more than the legend?”
“The mountain, you said, there was more.”
Virgil paused, then answered, “You ever hear of something called spiritual strongholds . . . principalities?”
“Princi-what?”
Virgil smiled. “The Bible talks about it.” Looking at the mountain, he quietly quoted: “‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ Ephesians 6:12.”
“You’re talking about the spirit world?” Luke asked.
“That’s how I read it.”
“Like what Dad and I saw up in Washington – all those angels and demons scattered everywhere.”
“Probably. Though I doubt they were really scattered.”
“There seems to be specific territories that the spirits rule over. Regions that they influence.”
“Influence?”
Virgil looked at him, sizing him up another moment, before continuing, “Ever go some place and feel things you can’t explain?”
“Like lust.”
Luke blinked.
“Or maybe some great hunger for power? Or greed? Or maybe just the feeling that something ain’t quite right?”
Luke fidgeted, recalling all too well his feelings up in Washington. “Maybe. A little.”
Virgil held his look, then continued, “I remember the first time I went to LA. I was practically bowled over by feelings of lust. And Washington, DC – not only did I feel lust, but a real desire for power, so strong it was palpable.”
Luke frowned. Until now he’d figured he was the only one getting those feelings about places, that it was just his imagination. But ever since Washington State his impressions had been growing stronger. Ever since he’d heard the words “Be still and know.” The very words that, when he’d practiced them, allowed him to guide Dad and the others to safety.
“Ever wonder why certain areas experience the same problems over and over again? New York with its greed and violence. Jerusalem, the center of all that hatred and war. Even Abu Ghraib with its unspeakable brutalities.”
“Remember that prison in Iraq where some of our soldiers were performing all them vile things on folks?”
“Doesn’t it surprise you that it was at that exact spot, Babylon, where for centuries some of the worst inhumanities ever were performed?”
“You’re saying . . . these spirits, that they control and rule these areas?”
“Not only rule them, but in some instances, they fight to defend them.”
“Defend them? From who?”
“From us.”
With a groan the old man rose and walked to the porch steps. “I’ve tried for over thirty years to take this valley for God. Oh, we’ve gotten a few converts here and there, but it’s always felt like swimming in molasses.”
“And you’re thinking it’s spirits that are stopping you?” Looking to the mountain, Virgil nodded. “Since the time of the Indians this valley has been a playground for sin and immorality.”
Virgil threw him a glance and headed down the steps to the front yard of rock and sand. Luke rose and followed. Only when he arrived did the old man continue.
“Before you were born, this valley, particularly over at Palm Springs, was famous for its promiscuity. This was the place the big Hollywood stars came to gamble, to drink their liquor, to do their drugs, to have their immoral affairs. Later, it became a mecca for college kids on spring break – the same gambling, same alcohol, same drugs, and sex. Then them killings in 1988.”
“There were killings there?”
“Some teenagers. ‘Fore you were born.”
“Now . . . the casino.”
“Is that why that minister guy’s picketing the place?” Luke asked. “He’s trying to stop it?”
“And that’s why he’ll fail . . . miserably.”
“He’s using the arm of the flesh.”
“The wrong weapons.”
Luke stared, not understanding.
“Come with me tomorrow. You’ll see what I mean. He’s holding a rally, trying to get all the churches fired up to band together. Come with me and I’ll show you how he’ll fail.”
Luke frowned, not answering.
“So – ” Virgil brightened – “tell me what you see with that goggle thing.”
“I . . .”
“Go ahead. Take a gander.”
Luke looked back to the mountain, hesitated, then dug in his pocket. He pulled out the lens and brought it to his eye. As on the bus, he saw the dark, churning shadow. Only in the bright starlight and without the glare of the sun, he could see more detail. He wasn’t sure, but it seemed to be rotating . . . swirling.
“There’s like this black cloud.”
He squinted. Although faint, he saw what looked like tiny tributaries stretching out from the blackness. He’d seen something like them before, in his biology book, like a brain cell or something – its long, hair-thin tendrils reaching out, some all the way down to the valley floor.
“There’s these little tentacle things coming down from it.”
“Coming down from it, or going up?”
“I can’t tell. But they’re shooting back and forth all across the ground. Real jerky. Like skinny electrical currents. They’re all ov – ” Suddenly he gasped. “One’s coming at us!”
He pulled the lens away but saw nothing. No current, no tentacle . . . until a black shadow appeared over their heads.
It was a bird. A crow or raven. And it was diving straight toward them!
Luke cried out, raising his arm. But the thing was too close and he was too slow.
It struck the top of his head, claws and flapping wings. It tried pecking at his face, his eyes. He yelled, ducking, trying to swat it away, to pull it off. Virgil shouted and slapped at it . . . until, finally, the thing flew off, cawing in frustration and anger.
“Are you all right?” Virgil yelled.
“A crow. A crow that- ” Virgil stopped and looked up.
Luke followed his gaze. The thing had circled and was coming in for another attack.
“The house!” Virgil shouted. “Get into the house!”
Luke spun around and ran up the steps, pausing just long enough to turn and help the old man.
The bird swooped under the far end of the porch and came at them.
Luke arrived at the screen door, yanking it open and stepping behind it just in time to block the creature. It hit the wire mesh, flapping and cawing, trying to tear its way through to him.
Luke and Virgil raced inside, stumbling into the front room, slamming the door behind them. The screen rattled and banged as the bird continued its attack, squawking and cawing until it was apparent it could make no more progress.
Finally, it gave up and took off, cawing as it flew away. “A crow?” Luke cried. “That was a crow?”
Virgil nodded, leaning over, trying to catch his breath.
“How weird was that!”
“Weirder – ” Virgil took another gulp of air – “weirder than you think.”
“When’s the last time . . . when’s the last time you ever saw a crow flying at night?”
The Seeing Reviews
Bill Myers novel, THE SEEING, compels the reader to burn through the pages. Cliff-hangers abound and the stakes are raised higher and higher as the story progresses. Intense action, shocking twists!
— TitleTrakk.com
An entertaining novel, Bill Myers THE SEEING is a great reminder of spiritual warfare and the impact of choice and will. Reminiscent of Frank Peretti’s THIS PRESENT DARKNESS.
— IDealinHope.com
This little adventure is a bit different from my others. I wanted to write something that was as much a Bible study as it was a story. If you try reading this as regular fiction, you’ll probably be disappointed. Instead of spinning a conventional yarn, I’ve tried to explore each of the topics in the Sermon on the Mount (in the order they were given) and develop a story around them. By conventional storytelling standards, that is a suicidal approach. But as a means to study Scripture, I’m hoping it will provide some fresh and provocative insights.
At the back, you’ll find a Bible study asking questions from each chapter that should help explore these insights a bit more deeply.
Many folks consider the Sermon on the Mount to be one of the greatest single teachings of all time. If this little approach brings any of its truths closer to home, then it has succeeded. And, just so you know, we’ve stacked the deck a bit with a handful of folks who are praying that it will touch, encourage, challenge, and minister to you as you read it.
Hope it works. Thanks for taking the journey with me.
Best of blessings,
INT. HEAVEN—DAY
The Accuser of the Brethren and his Creator are having another debriefing. The CAMERA gently moves in, bringing them into a MEDIUM TWO SHOT.
So, where have you come from?
You’re God. You already know.
Humor Me.
[reluctantly quoting]
“From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
You do that very well.
I’ve had lots of practice.
And what did you find?
Things aren’t so good.
I don’t know. The sport is all gone.
“Sport?”
Everything’s too easy. In this postmodern, whatever-they’re-callingit culture, there’s nothing for me to do anymore.
You seem pretty busy with the whole Middle East thing.
Same ol’ same ol’. What I mean is, there’s nothing I can sink my teeth into. Your boys are barely offering resistance.
For now. But keep your eyes open.
What? You’re going to pull that whole darkest before the dawn routine again?
Could be.
You’re so predictable.
It always seems to fly.
But where are Your saints who struggle with purity? I mean, if nobody’s buying into holiness these days, who’s left for me to accuse and torment for failing?
I’ve still got a few out there.
[sighing in exasperation] It’s not like the good old days. The only time holiness comes up is when I make a joke about it in the sitcoms and movies.
Talk about being predictable.
It always seems to fly. Seriously, do you remember way back when people actually tried to live the Sermon on the Mount?
[smiling in memory] Yes.
Now most treat it like some hyperbole, like an impossible theory that can’t be lived.
Shouldn’t that make you happy?
Like I said, the challenge is gone. Nobody’s even trying to live by those standards. Nobody can.
Actually, that’s not true. Anybody can.
Yeah, right.
I’m serious.
[Satan scoffs.]
I’ll prove it. Pick anybody you want, anybody at all, and I’ll prove to you that they can live the Sermon.
[rubbing chin with claw]
How ’bout that prostitute you’re tormenting with AIDS on Beeker Street?
Okay. Then the abused orphan you’re starving to death in Kinshasa?
Way too easy.
How’s that?
They’ve got nothing to lose.
All right, then——you pick one.
Let me see. The Academy Awards are coming up in a couple weeks, right?
Isn’t one of Your boys up for Best Actor?
[warmly]
Michael Steel, yes. A good man, though carrying a lot of excess baggage.
[more chin rubbing]
Then I want him.
What? You’re not serious?
Yes, very serious.
I’ll need time to prepare him.
Don’t give me that. You’re omniscient; You’ve known this conversation was going to happen since the beginning of time.
So, what do You say? Do we have a deal?
You sure you want Michael? The poor fellow has so much on his plate right now that——
I want Michael Steel.
Yes, but his sister is soon going to——
You’re getting better at this, you know.
So, do we have a deal?
The usual emissaries?
But not a lot of miracles. I hate it when You——
He’s My son.
I can appreciate that, but——
[firmly]
He’s My son. I’ll be there when He needs Me.
All right, all right. But we have to set a time limit. None of this deathbed repentance stuff.
Before the Academy Awards.
That’s ten days away. Don’t be ridiculous.
You’re also omnipotent, remember.
You are getting better at this.
He’ll have to fulfill all the terms of the Sermon on the Mount before the end of the Academy Awards. So do we have ourselves a bargain?
[slowly, thoughtfully]
Yes . . . we have ourselves a bargain.
I awoke, my heart pounding. I rolled onto my back and took a deep breath. Before I could stop myself, I reached over for Tanya, my wife of twenty years. But, of course, she wasn’t there. She hadn’t been there in months . . . years, if you count her emotional departure. But I still reached for her—sometimes when I was half-awake like now, other times in my sleep, waking up with nothing but her pillow in my arms. Wishful thinking? I suppose. Or maybe a type of prayer. It didn’t matter. She was never there. Only the empty spot in our bed where she had once slept . . . and the hollow void in my chest where she had once lived.
I opened my eyes and stared up at the ornately carved walnut ceiling. No need to check the clock. The time didn’t matter. I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. Not now. I hadn’t been able to after the first dream, and there was no way I could after this one. It was so vivid, so real.
With another breath, this time for resolve, I pulled back the covers and threw my feet over the edge of the bed. I rose, my left ankle stiff and burning—a reminder of the fencing stunt gone bad nearly a year ago. It also served as a testimony of my increasing age and my reluctant acceptance of the studio’s demand that I now have a standin double, no matter how simple the stunt.
Old age stinks, even at forty-five.
I hobbled into the bathroom and snapped on the lights (enough to illuminate a small city). In the multiple mirrors stood the halfnaked body that last year’s People magazine had named “One of the Ten Sexiest Men in America.”
I snorted in disgust. If they only knew what he was like on the inside.
And outside? The outside was nothing money couldn’t buy . . . as long as you didn’t mind spending three hours a day with a personal trainer, having every scrap of food examined and approved, and, as embarrassing as it is to admit, allowing yourself to be talked into having the excess luggage around your eyes removed.
I turned and leaned closer to one of the mirrors. No amount of money could remove the faint white scars that ran across my shoulders from an overzealous preacher father who looked for every opportunity not to spare the rod. Scars that my shrink insists go much deeper. But those scars are insignificant compared to the ones my sister will forever bear from that monster.
I glanced at the Rolex on the marble counter.
4:10.
In an hour the studio driver would pick me up and take me to the set of The Devil’s Breath, third in the series of Chad Slayter, NSA pictures. The series was your typical mindless, big-budget carnival ride. But it kept my agent happy by thrusting me into the spotlight and the studios happy by making tons of cash. And me? Of course I liked the fame and money; who wouldn’t? But I was also grateful for the financial opportunity it gave me to sneak off to do little pictures that actually involved more acting than car chases. And it was one of those little pictures that had thrown me into this year’s Oscar hopper.
Did I deserve the nomination? Of course not. Still, it was a nice gesture. Apparently the idea of not forgetting my starving-artist roots and doing a little project had pushed the right political buttons.
But for me the nomination was much more than that.
It was this nomination (along with Tanya’s frequent railings at my hypocrisy) that had driven me to try and be a better Christian. Why? Because I was trying to earn Cosmic Brownie Points to win the Award? Hardly. In fact, it was just the opposite. No matter what anybody says, there’s nothing that challenges a person’s faith like success. What do the Scriptures say? “A man is tested according to the praise given him.” It’s true. The nomination only brought to a head the diseases that had been festering inside my soul for years. Now, more than ever, people were treating me like royalty, offering me all manner of kingly pleasures—every indulgence you can imagine, and some you don’t want to. And, at least for me, at least for someone who claims to be a follower of Christ, things had gotten very dangerous.
So I did what any halfway serious person of faith would do when temptation threatens. I hunkered down and tried to follow God more closely—reading my Bible, praying, going to church, being on my best behavior.
Then, exactly one week ago tonight, I’d had the first dream. Except for one element, it had been nearly identical to tonight’s. Nearly identical and just as unnerving. It had been so clear and vivid that when I awoke I grabbed my Bible, crossed to my leather reading chair near the fireplace, and began studying the Sermon on the Mount. I read it once, twice, and then, just as the Santa Monica mountains began glowing with a sunrise, I closed the book and said a prayer. Right then and there I had made a promise to God Almighty that I would try to live by these exacting standards. After all, if Christ had spoken the words, and if I claimed to be a Christian, the least I could do was live them.
Unfortunately, I soon discovered that the vow was a lot easier to make than to live. Within hours I was messing up again. And, gradually, as the days passed, I let the promise slip into the well of good intentions. I figured God understood. After all, the Sermon was a worthy principle to strive for, but certainly not something you could live on a daily basis. That was the unspoken understanding I thought we had reached.
Until tonight.
Until the dream returned.
I said it was nearly identical to last week’s—just as real, just as unnervingly vivid—except for the addition of one important element. In tonight’s encounter the two had finally reached their conclusion. God and the Devil had finally selected their participant. Tonight, they had both agreed that it would be me.
“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and
sat down. His disciples came to him—”
I stared at the radio in disbelief. Not only had I been dreaming about the Sermon on the Mount, but now some preacher was reading and ranting about it over the car radio. How strange. And how sad. Because the more I heard the words, the heavier they weighed on me . . . and the more hopeless I became. That’s why I’d borrowed my producer’s Lexus and was heading east on Hollywood Boulevard to visit my sister. We were filming less than a mile away and had taken a short break. What better time to swing by and see my Annie, a fellow prisoner of the past. My Annie, a tent peg in the fiercest storms.
“And he began to teach them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they-ers is the kingdom of heaven.”
His speech, craggy, breathless with old age, and drawling, betrayed his Southern roots—which accounted for the occasional extra syllable. I’d grown up with these words. Heard them all my life. But, as I had climbed the entertainment ladder, the principles had begun slipping through my fingers like water. How could I be poor in spirit when every move in my business is calculated to scream, “Look at me! Pay attention to me! Come see the movie because of me!” And if I’m not screaming them, then I’m paying big bucks for my publicist or my agent or my manager to scream them.
Of course, I’m not foolish enough to believe my own press. I know Michael T. Steel is simply a commodity, something that has to be sold and marketed like dishwashing soap. Yet no matter how hard I try, some small part of me still buys into what is being sold. Those are the times I want to shower, to try to scrub off the pride that keeps seeping up through my pores. But it doesn’t work. Because, like the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, a little leaven really does leaven the whole loaf.
I approached Mann’s Chinese Theater and turned left onto Sycamore where a handful of dilapidated homes from the twenties and thirties still stood. Halfway up the block I pulled into an empty space. All this as the preacher continued:
“Blessed are those who mou-wern, for they will be comforted.”
I snorted in self-contempt, then slipped on some Elvis sunglasses and a moth-eaten stocking cap, courtesy of the Wardrobe Department. (The last thing I wanted right now was to be recognized.) I threw a glance at the parking meter, grateful for the time still on it, then shook my head with more disgust. What did I care about parking money? With a current deal of twenty million dollars, against fifteen percent of gross, what did I care about the cost of anything? I had more money than I could spend in a lifetime. In two lifetimes. Mourn? What did I have to mourn about?
Unfortunately, nothing.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
He just kept piling it on, didn’t he? Meek? Anything I knew about meekness was long forgotten—replaced by demands for bigger dressing rooms, more screen time, my name above the title. Meekness? There was no meekness in my life. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on the leather steering wheel. I had everything and then some. And now I had the audacity to feel terrible about it? Or—let’s be honest here—to feel terrible for not feeling terrible about it? How sick is that?
But that’s why I was here.
I didn’t come often. Schedules and my rise in popularity made that close to impossible. But this afternoon, since we were shooting a second-unit car chase on La Brea, and since Wardrobe let me sneak off with the clothes I’d been assigned—well, here I was . . . once again trying to find some sort of “center.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
I lifted my head from the steering wheel with a rueful smile. I finally got one right. At least I was hungry. Still, I doubted one out of four was exactly the percentage Christ had in mind when He gave the Sermon. I turned off the ignition and climbed out of the car. Pulling the trench coat from the backseat, I slipped it on over my raveling sweater and stained wool pants. I shut the door, beeped the locks, and started forward.
Heat and blinding light reflected off the sidewalk. It was midafternoon and well into the eighties. Thanks to the heavy clothes, I felt every degree.
Up ahead stood a two-story white house with green shutters. “Jeremiah’s Place.” It was a halfway house where the dregs of society stayed until they were strong enough to reenter life . . . or sink back into the dregs. Runaways (boys and girls), pimps, druggies, hookers (boys and girls), street crazies—anyone who had fallen through the cracks or had been swept under society’s rug. These were the people my Annie worked with day in and day out.
I noticed activity on the front porch. Some white chick was cowering behind a big black bald guy while a scrawny white kid with dreadlocks was shouting at her.
“You c’mon, now!” the kid cried. “You can’t hide here forever! C’mon!”
The girl stayed behind the bald guy who silently held his ground.
“C’mon now, Heather. Don’t be makin’ it no worse than it is.”
It could have been any one of a dozen scenarios. My guess was that some drugged-out hooker was trying to go straight, and her wannabe pimp/boyfriend had come after her. However it fell, the big bald guy (no doubt a staff member) was the only thing between her and bodily harm.
“Girl, I’m not tellin’ you again!”
I turned onto the broken sidewalk and headed toward the porch. All three saw me and came to a stop. Big Bald shifted slightly, preparing to hold us both off if he had to.
Now, no matter who you are or how hard you try, there’s a certain arrogance that comes with money and power. Let no one tell you different. It may be disguised, but it’s always there. And when money and power no longer mean anything, then that arrogance can turn into a type of recklessness, even self-destruction. I suppose that’s some of the mode I was operating in now.
“What’s going on?” I called.
“This ain’t your concern, old-timer,” Dreadlocks replied. (I could have done without the handle, but to these youngsters, forty was close to Medicare.)
I started up the stairs slowly, deliberately, taking one step after another.
“Who are you?” Big Bald asked quietly. “What do you want?”
I finished the steps and joined them as Dreadlocks gave another warning. “Be careful, old man.”
I raised my eyes to meet his. I could see they were bloodshot from booze or dope or both. This was either going to be a very brilliant move on my part or a very stupid one. Either way, I wanted to enter the house, and the girl obviously needed help. So . . . slowly, I reached for my sunglasses and removed them. Holding his gaze, I quietly folded them and slipped them into my pocket. A spark of recognition flitted across his watery eyes.
Carefully, and with more than a little drama, I reached up and removed my stocking cap. Never taking my eyes from his, I began folding it.
The spark of recognition flared to a flame. His mouth dropped open. “You’re . . .” His voice caught and he lowered it. “You’re him!”
For a moment I wasn’t sure which him he was referring to. He looked like a bright kid, but there was all that dope and booze running through him, so it was hard to tell. Fortunately, he didn’t keep me in the dark.
“Chad Slayter,” he gasped. “NSA!”
Now I knew which card to play. I gave a slight nod and raised a finger to my lips.
“What are you doing here?” he whispered.
I glanced around.
“You on assignment?”
I looked coolly into the eyes.
Raising his hands, he apologized. “I know, I know, man—if you tell me, you gotta kill me—sorry.”
Not only was he living in the wrong reality, he was quoting some of its worst dialogue. I looked at him and slowly nodded. Then I motioned to the girl. “She’s with me.”
Dreadlocks turned to her, his mouth sagging further.
She stared at me and blinked.
“You mean . . . ,” he swallowed, then continued, hoarsely, “she works with you?”
“Undercover. Yes.”
He looked from her to me and back to her again. Then, breaking into a grin, which broke into a hacking cough he said, “I knew it, girl. I knew there was somethin’ different about you.”
She continued to stare.
“I knew it,” he kept coughing, “I just knew it . . .”
I glanced at Big Bald. His face was street-poker neutral.
“. . . I knew you was different.”
Turning to Dreadlocks, I asked, “Is that a problem?”
“No man, no problem. Heather here, she was just, you know, hanging with me some, and I thought, you know, she was trying to get smart or somethin’, but now I see.”
“That’s right,” I said. “It was all part of her cover.”
“Yeah, man, I see, I see. I get what’s comin’ down.”
“We can be assured of your silence?”
“You bet, man. Anything for my country and Chad Slayter. Anything, just name it.”
“Good. Then, if you don’t mind . . .” I motioned for the girl to join me. She hesitated, until Big Bald nodded permission. I continued. “We have much to do.”
“It’s cool, man, it’s cool. I understand, it’s cool.”
The girl tentatively approached. I placed my hand against the small of her back and directed her toward the door.
“Hey, wait a minute! Wait a minute!”
I felt her tense. I tried not to as I slowly turned back to him.
“Look, if there’s like anything I can do to help, you know. I mean if you need a man on the street, like to watch your back, just say the word. ‘Cause when it comes to the street, I know all and see all, you know what I mean? Just say the word and I’m there.”
I looked him over then gave the slightest nod—part agreement, part dismissal—before turning and heading for the door.
“You take care, Heather,” he called after us. “You keep doin’ us proud, you hear?”
Big Bald stepped ahead of us and opened the door. As we passed, his eyes caught mine and he quietly whispered, “It’s good to see you, Mr. Steel. Your sister’s inside.”
“I swear, Toad, you are some piece of work.” Annie gave one of those laughs of hers—part mocking, part good-natured ribbing. A laugh that, even as kids hiding in the basement from our father, gave some comfort and assurance of greater wisdom. “Don’t you get it?” she asked.
“Get what?”
“You already qualify!”
I frowned as we made our way out of the kitchen, drinking caffeine-free Diet Cokes. We walked through the living room and headed for the stairway. I slowed and waited patiently as she limped up the creaking stairs ahead of me, as she grabbed the banister and pulled herself up one step after another. I’d learned years ago never to offer help.
As we continued, I looked about the house. It hadn’t changed much—same old musty smell, same wooden floors, same donated furniture. Most of the staff and residents were new, but even they held a familiar look of wornness.
An older man, in his sixties, was on his hands and knees beside an electrical outlet. He muttered to himself as he stuffed tightly folded paper into each hole of the receptacle.
“How’s it going, Bill?” Annie asked.
“Just couple more to do, Miss Annie,” he answered without looking up. “Then no more electricity leaking out on the floor.”
“And no more aliens drinking it up at night?” she asked.
“One can only pray, Miss Annie. One can only pray.”
“Amen to that,” she said. We continued up the stairs as he resumed his muttering and folding of paper.
I quietly smiled and thought, as I occasionally did, how the two of us used our pasts (or how they used us) in choosing our professions. Annie, with her firsthand experience of abuse and suffering, was able to reach out to others who suffered . . . while receiving from them the heartfelt love that she so desperately needed. And me? I suppose I had the same need to be loved, I’d just found a different way of earning it.
We reached the top of the stairs, turned right, and headed down the hall to her office—a tiny sweatbox of filing cabinets, sagging shelves, thumbtacked pictures on the wall, overflowing bulletin boards, and a roaring window fan. I’d frequently offered to donate central AC to the ministry’s house (as well as a new house) but Annie always turned me down, insisting that the church and community needed to support them. Something about taking ownership and building relationships. I didn’t fully understand it then or now, but I knew better than to argue. Once Annie made up her mind, trying to change it was a waste of time.
She’d barely kicked off her shoes and plopped behind the old steel desk before I got back on topic. “What do you mean, ‘I qualify’?”
“I mean, the very stuff you’re talking about . . . “poor in spirit, meek, mourning, hungry for righteousness” . . . the fact that you feel so awful about not having them means that you’re already poor in spirit, and meek, and mourning, and hungry.”
I closed my eyes and tried again. “You don’t understand what I’m saying.”
“I understand perfectly. I understand that you’re going through another one of your little self-analytical actor things.”
“How can you say that?”
“‘Cause it’s true. There’s no one harder on Toad than Toad. And now that you’re a big shot, up for the Oscar in what, two weeks?”
“Ten days—you’re going to be even tougher on yourself.”
“Shouldn’t I be?”
“Of course you should. You of all people.”
“Look.” She ran her hand through the tight curls of her auburn hair. “I got religious supporters coming through here every other day—arms folded in smug piety, confident of their faith, as they busily write checks for us.”
“And you’re not grateful?”
“I’m ecstatic. That’s not the point. The point is, they think they’ve got it all together. They’re not hungry for God anymore. But you, little brother, your arms are reaching out, begging for help.”
“Because I need it.”
“And that’s why you’re blessed: You know you need it. The same goes for those who are poor and meek and mourn and hungry—they know they need God.”
I shook my head, still not entirely buying it.
“Let me ask you. If you were God, whose hands would you fill— someone who’s got them stuffed piously in their pockets? Or someone who’s got them wide open and pleading for help?”
“Annie?”
We looked to see a staff member at the door. She was a gaunt bottle-blonde, obviously an alumnus from the street.
“It’s Mrs. Clouda again.”
Annie nodded and blew a tendril of curls out of her eyes. She motioned for me to hold my thought as she reached for the phone. “Hello, Mrs. Clouda.”
She listened patiently then rolled her eyes at me. The woman was obviously giving her an earful. Covering the mouthpiece, she whispered, “She turned eighty-seven last week. Want another Diet Coke?”
I shook my head.
She spoke back to the phone. “I appreciate your frustration, Mrs. Clouda, but—”
More listening.
“Yes . . . yes . . . but I have to call the paramedics every time you attempt suicide. It’s the law.”
I raised an eyebrow.
She shook her head and hit the mute button, still keeping the receiver to her ear but free to talk. “She calls in a couple times a week. Me and the boys at the fire station are her only social outlet. Now, where were we?”
It took a moment to gather my thoughts. “It’s just—I’ve been having these dreams that God is pretty serious about the Sermon on the Mount and—”
“Of course He is.”
“Right. But how can I—”
She hit the mute button and spoke. “From New Jersey, you say. Do they ever come out and visit you? Uh-huh . . . uh-huh . . . I see . . .” She pressed the mute button and looked at me, waiting for more.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “Maybe I should just chuck it all and come here to work with you.”
“Right, quit the hard life and find something easy to do.” She gave me her famous lopsided grin.
“You know what I mean,” I insisted.
She pressed the mute button. “So the paramedics are there now?
Yes, Mrs. Clouda, it would be a fine idea if you let them in. Yes, dear, I can wait.” Hitting the mute button she looked back to me. “Listen, Toad, we all have our wars. And changing from one battlefront to another doesn’t make them any easier.”
“Yes, but, at least—”
“Besides, you’d just be coming here for a religious high.”
“The thrill of self-sacrifice. The joys of martyrdom.” She shook her head. “No way, little brother. That stuff never lasts.”
Before I could argue, she was back on the phone. “Hey, Brad, Annie from Jeremiah’s Place. Everything okay?” She paused a moment then nodded. “Great. No, go ahead and put her back on. Catch you later.” She turned to me, waiting.
“You don’t think I could last here?” I asked, using all of my acting skills to avoid sounding defensive.
“Not a week.” Then, shrugging, she added. “Someday, maybe, when you’re ready. But not now, no way.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, ‘When I’m ready’?”
She shook her head. “You’ve got it made in the shade, pal. Movie star, beautiful wife, fancy homes, loved by millions.”
“But it doesn’t mean anything!”
She nailed me with a look that was more than skeptical.
I tried to explain. “Here, I mean at this house, you’re really touching people, you’re really being an influence.”
“And you’re not? The fact that millions of people watch you, that they want to be just like you—you don’t think that’s touching people, being an influence?”
I sighed wearily. “But what kind of influence?”
“I guess that’s up to you.” She returned to the phone. “Right here, Mrs. Clouda. Yes, they are nice boys, but you can’t have me calling them for no reason.” She paused a moment. “Yes, they said you had the gas on full—but they also said you didn’t bother to blow out the flames.” Another pause. “No, I appreciate a woman your age can’t remember everything, but—”
I shook my head, musing at the scene as they shared more chitchat until it finally drew to an end.
“Okay, dear. Thanks for calling. Yes, I think the world of you too. Bye-bye.” She took a deep breath and hung up, blowing more hair from her eyes.
“Two times a week?” I asked.
“Are there others like her out there?”
“Enough.” Then, focusing her attention back on me, she said, “Listen, if you really want to do some guilt relief and get your hands dirty, I’ve got a project you might be interested in.”
She leaned past me and called out the door. “Charlie?”
“Charlie, I know you’re there. Charlie, will you come in here, please?” She lowered her voice. “He’s been sitting in the hallway ever since you came in.” Mouthing the words, she added, “Big fan.”
I nodded as a skinny nine- or ten-year-old appeared in the doorway. He kept his head lowered, eyes riveted to the floor.
“Charlie, this is my brother, Michael Steel. Michael, this is Charlie.”
“Hey, Charlie,” I said, smiling.
He continued staring at his shoes.
Annie explained. “Social Services assigned him to us, until they can locate his parents.” Turning to him, she added, “But at the moment, you’re not giving us any clues, are you, Charlie?”
He gave no response.
“But he sure does love the movies. Fact, I hear someday he plans on being a big star, just like you.”
That brought the slightest of nods.
“He’s especially fond of Chad Slayter, NSA.”
“That so?” I asked.
“In fact, rumor has it that he’s got the lines from both of the movies memorized. Isn’t that right, Charlie?”
A little shrug.
“No kidding,” I said. “That’s quite an accomplishment.”
More shoe staring.
“Did you know we’re filming Part Three?” I asked. “In fact, we’re less than a mile from here.”
His face shot up to mine in excitement. And what I saw made me gasp.
Annie chuckled softly. “Looks familiar, does he?”
I continued to stare. And for good reason. I was looking into a child’s face nearly identical to my own at that age. Same chin, same thick eyebrows, same brown hair spilling over the forehead. And the same liquid dark eyes. But it was more than our physical similarities. There was something else, something deeper. As I looked into those eyes, so full of awe and wonder, I felt an immediate connection. It was like looking back thirty-five years into the soul of another boy. One equally consumed by movies—one equally vulnerable, equally filled with pain and hope.
“You said you were filming nearby?” Annie asked.
I blinked, then swallowed, coming to. “We sure are.” I forced what I hoped to be an engaging smile. “In fact—,” I glanced at my watch. “Shoot! I need to get going! We’ve got a beach scene scheduled at 5:00.” I quickly rose, but barely made it to my feet before an idea formed. “Annie . . .”
“If Charlie here is a big fan of Chad Slayter, and if we’re filming not too far away at the Santa Monica Pier . . . maybe he could . . . I mean, do you think you could fix things so we could . . . .”
She was grinning mischievously. “It’s already done.”
The Wager Reviews
Thun, Switzerland
Fredrick Fussle expected to hear the voice of God.
Not this.
After years of research, the meticulous collection of data, the construction of mathematical models, and the building of a subterranean laboratory, he was sure they would hear something.
But not this.
“What is happening!?” William Mayer, his assistant of six years, cried. The man’s voice shimmered, warbled as if he was yelling through the pounding air of a giant fan.
“It’s not sound!” Fussle shouted. “I feel it inside my head!”
But he did more than feel. As the energy radiated from the control rods encircling the lab, it saturated his brain, his very thoughts. Suddenly memories disappeared — not dissolved, but shattered. Fragments of past recollections flew apart, then came back together again.
Together, but different.
Re-formed.
Instead of the priesthood he had been a part of for 54 years, he remembered proposing to Dorthia Cutler over that dinner of veal parmesan and a bottle of Chardonnay ‘72 in Vienna.
But only for a moment.
Now he recalled exchanging vows with Sylvia Horton at a lakeside wedding he never had. Well, never had until then. Instead of the pleasantly plump brunette he’d spent half his life with, he was now married to that saucy blonde he’d nearly left her for . . . but apparently had left her for.
“Shut it down!” he shouted. “William, shut it—“
But it was no longer William standing at the console. Now it was some tall, gangly geek he never saw before, but had seen – for the past eighteen months he and the kid, Gerhardt Muller, had worked side by side on the project.
“Gerhardt, shut it down!”
His assistant didn’t move. He stared at Fussle like a total stranger. He was a total stranger.
But he wasn’t.
The concrete floor pitched violently, throwing Gerhardt to the ground. It rolled like the floor of a carnival funhouse gone berserk. Pitching and rolling. Melting and reshaping.
Then melting again.
Light exploded. Blinding. Piercing. It filled the room with its sound – or was it the sound filling the room with its light? Not only the room, but their minds.
Not only their minds, but their realities.
A swelling wave of concrete lifted Fussle and tossed him to the ground. He tried to shout but he no longer had a voice. At least not his own. The light-sound had absorbed it, overpowered it. His vocal chords vibrated, but with the same light blazing through the room.
He began to crawl on his hands and knees toward the control console. At least where he knew it used to be. But it was impossible to know anything for certain. Just as it was impossible to see because of the light and sound.
The floor was soft and gooey, wet putty. He gripped it and pulled himself forward, lifting one knee from the muck and then the other, until finally his shoulder struck something soft. The console.
Grateful that it was mostly solid, he grabbed it and pulled himself to his feet.
The reset button was on the other side, just to the left – if the console’s reality had not changed.
He staggered around to the front.
Memories of children he never had, filled his head. His heart ached over the recent loss of his oldest to leukemia.
He groped the controls, the pots and switches, pleased they were still as he had designed them – though they now felt like gelatin.
Another pulse of light-sound exploded from the control rods. Fussle cried out as he clung to the console, as the same light-sound roared from his throat.
The wave quickly passed and the memories of his children disappeared. At least those children. Now there were others . . . gentle Kimberly, Samuel with the birth mark on his cheek . . .
Until, at last, he reached the reset button and hit it.
© 2008 Bill Myers
The Voice Reviews
Bill Myers writes a crisp, express train read featuring 3D characters, cinematic settings and action, and, as usual, a premise I wish I’d thought of — and succeeds splendidly! Two thumbs up!
“Bill Myers is a genius. Not only is Angel of Wrath full of engaging characters and heartstopping suspense, but underneath it explores thoughts and truths that will keep you pondering long after the book is closed.”
—Lee Stanley, producer, Gridiron Gang
On the heels of his interesting and unique story The Voice, Myers offers a tale that is at times terrifying, yet all too real. Readers will be drawn into the realm of the supernatural and pray that the characters can find a way out. With excellent writing that draws readers into the characters’ lives, this is a must read.
–Romantic Times (April 2009)
ALTHOUGH IT’S NOT NECESSARY TO READ THE FIRST BOOK TO READ ANGEL OF WRATH HERE ARE REVEIWS FOR IT…
“A crisp, express-train read featuring 3D characters, cinematic settings and action, and, as usual, a premise I wish I’d thought of. Succeeds splendidly! Two thumbs up!”
—Frank E. Peretti, author
“Nonstop action and a brilliantly crafted young heroine will keep readers engaged as this adventure spins to its thoughtprovoking conclusion.”
—Kris Wilson, CBA Magazine
“It’s a real ‘what if ?’ book with plenty of thrills . . . that will definitely create questions all the way to its thought-provoking finale. The success of Myers’s stories is a sweet combination of a believable storyline, intense action, and brilliantly crafted, yet flawed characters.”
—Dale Lewis, TitleTrakk.com
I WANTED TO INCLUDE TWO SECTIONS. THIS FIRST CAPTURES THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE THIRTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL AND HER UNCLE WHEN HE TRIES TO WAKE HER FOR SCHOOL…
“Why are you always being so mean to me?” Jazmin mumbled from beneath her blankets.
“I’m not being—”
The kid was good. Even though she was deaf and unable to read Charlie’s lips from under the covers, she instinctively knew his response. “Yes, you are! Mean, mean, mean!”
He reached down and shook her leg.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Jaz.”
Another shake.
“I’m awake! Quit harassing me!”
Charlie took a breath, grateful for the self-control all those years in Delta Force had taught him. If she had been anyone else—a fellow soldier, a new recruit—her insubordination would be met with a bucket of ice water followed by orders shouted into her face to get down and give him fifty or one hundred. (The twenty-mile run would be optional.) But this creature, with so much emotion and so little logic, seemed unable to grasp even the basics of discipline and chain of command.
He shook his niece’s leg again. “Let’s go.”
With a heavy sigh, she threw back the covers, sat up, and glared at him. Well, as much as a single, half-opened eye can glare. “You have to be the rudest human being on the face of the planet.”
“Tell that to your first-period teacher.”
“She’s a Nazi.”
“One more tardy and you get Saturday detention.”
The thirteen-year-old plopped back down on her pillow. “Right, like that’s my fault.” Before he could answer, she changed the playing field. “You blew it with Lisa, didn’t you?”
He hesitated. Ever since Jazmin was exposed to the Voice of God the previous year, she had developed an uncanny ability to sense situations. “To hear deeper things,” she said. “Sometimes I even know what people are thinking.” Of course Charlie was skeptical, but there were those times. . . .
Pushing the strawberry blonde hair from her eyes, she continued. “How many times have I told you, women want what they can’t have.”
Charlie started to reply, but she cut him off. “You just can’t go around throwing yourself at us.”
“Nobody’s throwing themselves at—”
“And telling us whatever’s on your mind.”
“People appreciate honesty.”
“Excuse me? Excuse me? We’re talking women here.”
Charlie shifted topics to something he understood. “Do you want oatmeal or eggs?”
“I want you to leave me alone.” She reached for the covers, but he’d learned a few tricks from their months together. He’d already gripped the blankets, making it impossible for her to pull them back.
“Oatmeal or eggs?”
“I’ll eat at school.”
“Eggs! All right?” Her heavy sigh made it clear she was dealing with a moron.
“Eggs it is.” He dragged the blankets off her. Now she would either lie there and freeze or get up and storm toward the bathroom.
She did neither.
Pulling into a fetal position, she moaned pitifully. When he didn’t respond (another trick he’d learned), she yelled, “I wouldn’t have all those detentions if you’d drive me to school like all the other parents. You can be such a Nazi sometimes.”
Charlie knew he should let it go. He could outthink and outmaneuver any enemy in the field, but win an argument with her? Never. Even when he won, he somehow lost. No, he should just drop it, walk away. But the comeback was so obvious, the life lesson to be imparted so clear. Against his better judgment, he waited until she was looking at him and said, “We live five blocks from the school.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Five blocks. You can walk.”
“Walk? With these blisters?” She raised a foot a couple of sizes too big for her child body.
“You’re the one who wanted to buy those silly thongs.”
“Flip-flops. They’re called flip-flops. Thongs are what you won’t let me buy. Even though everybody wears them.”
“Thongs?”
“Flip-flops,” she sighed. “The subject is flip-flops.”
It was happening again. Like some prehistoric mammoth, Charlie’s lumbering legs of reason were being wrapped around and around by the rope of her lightning-quick irrationality. Still, this time he could break the cords. The logic was so clear.
“The choice is yours, Jazmin, not mine.”
“Right. I can choose to become some fashion geek, just ’cause you’re too lazy to drive me to school.”
The mammoth staggered. “You can buy whatever clothes you want, as long as you deal with the consequences.”
“Except thongs.”
“Young ladies don’t wear thongs.”
“My point exactly.”
The mammoth dropped to his knees. But he was strong; he could rise. “We’re talking about you being late for school.”
“You’re talking about me being late for school.” The cord wrapped tighter. “And that’s my whole point.”
“No. The point we’re discussing is you being late for—”
“The point is, we’re always ‘discussing’ what you want to discuss. Never what I want to discuss. You, you, you. It’s always about you.”
“Jazmin, if you’re late one more day, you’ll have to make it up in Saturday detention.” There. He couldn’t have made it any clearer.
With sufficient melodrama, she rose to her feet, his army sweatshirt hanging around skinny arms and boney knees. Was it possible? Had he won? Before he could stop himself, he had to add a final word: “Right?”
She rolled her eyes and pushed past him with her own final word:
“Nazi.”
AND THEN, A FEW HUNDRED PAGES LATER, JAZ IS DEEP IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH SOME OF HER FRIENDS HAVING THIS LITTLE ENOUNTER . . .
Will woke up to singing. It was pretty bad. Actually, it was barely a song. But he recognized the words:
“Praise Him, all creatures here below.”
He rolled his head to the right and saw Jaz. She stood three feet away, her back to him. Directly in front of her was the creature. It seemed a lot mistier than the last time he saw it.
“Praise him something-or-other la, la, la. . . .”
The thing tilted its head quizzically but came no closer.
“Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!”
“Will! Get in here!”
He rolled his head to the left and saw his family’s Volvo with the passenger door open. Jason sat behind the wheel motioning to him and shouting, “Get in!” as Jaz continued to sing:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
“Will!”
He struggled to sit up, his head feeling full of cotton. He turned back to Jaz.
With effort, he struggled to rise, fighting through a wave of dizziness.
“In the back with Heather!”
He obeyed, stumbling toward the car.
“Hurry! She can’t do that forever!”
He opened the back door and fell inside. Only then did he see Heather leaning against the opposite door, unconscious, her shirt ripped and soaked in blood.
“Praise something, something, ’cause God is cool.”
He turned back to Jaz, saw her stealing a look over her shoulder at them.
“Come on!” Jason shouted to her.
She backed away from the creature, inching toward the Volvo.
“Praise Father, Son, and Holy—” She spun around and dashed for the car. “Ghost!”
The creature screamed as Jaz leaped into the front seat. It dove at her and she slammed the door just before the car rocked under its impact.
“Go!” she screamed. “Go, go, go!”
Jason hit the gas and they spun out. He glanced at her and shouted, “What were you doing back there?”
“I don’t know!” She turned to her window, then twirled around and looked out the back.
“You don’t know?!”
The car rocked again, so violently that Jason almost lost control.
“It’s a song!”
“I used to sing it in church—as a little girl!”
Above her shouting and the roaring engine, Will heard the thing give another long, loud shriek.
“Whatever it was,” Jason yelled, “it did the trick!”
Another slam. This time the roof briefly buckled.
“Go!” Jaz yelled. “Faster!”
Jason pushed the accelerator to the floor. Heather moaned and he glanced into the rearview mirror. “Put your hand on her wound!” he shouted at Will. “Stop the bleeding!”
Will gave a dubious look at the girl’s wet shirt. “Do it!”
He leaned toward her, searching for the exact source of blood, when the thing crashed into the back window so hard that the glass spiderwebbed. He ducked, hearing Jaz scream and Jason swear.
Another crash followed.
Will spun around and looked through the crinkled glass to see the thing kneeling on the trunk. It was raising the very branch he had used earlier. Once again, it crashed it into the window. This time the glass shattered, raining hundreds of pellets over them. Will threw himself across Heather, protecting her as the thing reached in, groping at his back. He hunkered lower, but a vaporous, claw found his neck and wrapped around it. The other hand appeared from the opposite side. Then it began to pull.
Will reached up, slipping his fingers underneath the claws, pushing at the vapors. Though mist, they had a substance that gripped so tightly he could barely breathe. He fought like a madman, kicking and thrashing as it yanked him upright. A moment later it dragged him through the opening. Glass broke away, scraping his shoulders and arms, his hips and legs.
Once he was out the window, the arms wrapped around his chest, pulled him off the car and down onto the road. He twisted and squirmed, digging his heels into the gravel, but it did no good. The creature raced forty feet down the road before cutting to the right, crossing the ditch, and dragging him into the forest.
© Copyright Bill Myers 2009
Angel of Wrath Reviews
“On the heels of his interesting and unique story The Voice, Myers offers a tale that is at times terrifying, yet all too real. With excellent writing that draws readers into the characters’ lives, this is a must read. ” — Romantic Times, April 2009 Issue
With well-drawn out characters and great action, Myers crafts a story that not only serves as a page-turner but also as a thought-provoker. From pastoral issues, to the nature of forgiveness, to the importance of family, to spiritual warfare, Myers raises questions that will keep your mind turning long after you’ve closed the last page. Angel of Wrath is a triumph of storytelling. The crisp action sequences and murder mystery serve only as a backdrop to further this character-driven drama. — Josh Olds – Fictionaddict.com
CHANCES ARE you hate me. Believer or nonbeliever, if you’ve heard the story, you despise me. And believer or nonbeliever, that makes you a hypocrite. All of you. Believers, because you refuse to embrace the very forgiveness He pleaded for others, even those who tortured Him to death. And nonbelievers, because you pretend to hate the traitor of someone you hate.
“But I don’t hate Him,” you say.
Really? Pretending you don’t hate someone who says all your attempts at being good are worthless? Pretending you don’t hate someone who claims to be the only way to God? Pretending you don’t hate someone who wants to rule your life? Who are you kidding? You’re not fooling anyone, least of all Him.
But hate Him or worship Him, one thing you can say, He’s no hypocrite. He stuck to the truth all the way through His execution. And He still holds to it today. (Old habits die hard.) Truth is His currency… and His Achilles’ heel. That’s why I knew He’d allow me into His presence. If my question was asked in truth, He’d respond in truth.
Now I’m sure there are some who will debate how I had access to Him—those of you who love to argue about gnats while swallowing camels. And why not? After all, debating about dancing angels and pinheads is far easier than breaking a sweat by actually obeying. Or, as the Accuser recently confided in me, “Spending time arguing theology is the perfect way to ensure a burning world continues to burn.”
In any case, my eternal state is not up for discussion. Though I will say I have displayed more remorse and repentance over my sin than most of you ever have over your own. And as to whether I’m actually in hell, I guess that depends upon your definition of the place.
When I came before Him, I was forced to my knees. Not by any cosmic bullying, but by the sheer weight of His glory. Yet when He spoke, His voice was kind and full of compassion.
“Hello, my friend. It’s been a long time.”
My eyes immediately dropped to the ground and my chest swelled with emotion. So much time had passed and He still had that power over me. Angry at His hold, I took a ragged breath and then another before blurting out like a petulant child, “You… never gave me a chance!”
I was answered by silence. He waited until I found the courage, or foolishness, to raise my head. When I did, the love in His eyes burned through me and I had to look back down. Still, He continued to wait.
I took another breath. Finally, angrily swiping at my eyes, I tried again. “If we… if we would have handled Your mission my way”—I swallowed and continued—”the world would not be in the mess it’s in today.”
“Your way?”
I nodded, refusing to look up. “You could have ruled the world.”
“I am ruling the world.”
I shook my head. “Not souls. But nations, governments. Every earthly power imaginable could have been Yours.”
“Kingdoms come and go. Souls are eternal.”
“Tell that to the tortured and murdered who scream Your name as an oath every day.” I waited for His wrath to flare up, to consume me. But I felt nothing. I heard no rebuke. Only more silence. He knew I wasn’t finished. I took another breath and continued, “If You would have used Your powers my way, everyone would have followed You.”
I heard Him chuckle softly. “And you would have made Me a star.”
“The likes of which the world had never seen.”
“I did all right.”
“You could have done better.”
He waited again, making sure I had nothing more to say. This time I had the good sense to remain silent.
Finally He spoke. “What do you propose, My friend?”
I hesitated.
“Please. Go ahead.”
Still staring at the ground, I answered: “Rumor has it You’re preparing another prophet—though her background is questionable.”
“Moses was a murderer. David an adulterer.” I felt His eyes searching me. “I’ve always had a soft spot for the broken.”
I nodded and took another swipe at my tears.
Another breath and I answered: “Let me return to Earth. Let me show You what could have been if You had followed my leading.” I hesitated, then looked up, trying to smile. “Hasn’t that always been Your favorite method of teaching? Letting us have our way until we wind up proving Yours?”
His eyes sparkled at my little joke. I tried to hold His gaze but could not.
After another pause He finally spoke: “When would you like to begin?”
And that’s how it started—how He gave me the opportunity to prove to Him, to you, and to all of creation, what could have been accomplished if He’d proclaimed His truth my way.
I’ll say no more. Neither here nor at the end. Instead, I’ll practice what He, himself, employs. I’ll let the story unfold, allowing truth to speak for itself.
THE FIRST thing Rachel smells is smoke. That’s how it always begins. Not the smoke of wood, but the acrid, chemical smell of burning drapes, melting carpet, smoldering sofa. The air is suffocating. Hot waves press against her face and mouth, making it difficult to breathe. Her mother stands before her in a white flowing gown. Flames engulf the woman’s legs, leaping up and rising toward her waist where she holds little Rebecca. The two of them stare at Rachel, their eyes pleading for help, their faces filled with fear, confusion, and accusation as Rachel stands holding a lit candle in a small glass holder.
Mother and sister waver and dissolve, disappearing into the smoke. Suddenly Rachel is standing in the doorway of an upscale bathroom. The same bathroom she stood inside last night. And the night before. The marble tile is cool to her bare feet. There is no smoke now, only fog. So thick she sees nothing. But she can hear. There is the sound of splashing water. Someone in a tub. The room is filled with the sweet scent of rose bath oil.
A nearby dog yaps, its bark shrill and relentless.
A woman shouts from the tub, “Who’s there?” Her voice is strong and authoritative, masking the fear she must feel.
Rachel tries to answer, but no sound comes from her throat.
“Who are you? How did you get in?” She hears the woman rising, water dripping from her body.
The dog continues to bark.
“Get out of here!” the woman yells. Water splashes. She swears. The sound of a struggle begins. Someone falls, knees thudding into the tub. There is the squeak of flesh against porcelain. Coughing, gagging. A scream that is quickly submerged underwater, muffled and bubbling.
Rachel hears herself gasping and grunting. She feels her own hands around the woman’s throat.
The dog barks crazily.
The last of the burbling screams fades. The struggle ends. There is only the gentle sound of water sloshing back and forth, back and forth.
And the yelping dog.
Rachel rises and turns, fearful of what she knows she will see through the fog. As in the previous dreams, a bathroom mirror floats before her. But this evening there is something different. This evening there are letters scrawled across it in black cherry lipstick. Her scrawling:
In the mirror she sees a tiny red glow dancing across her hand, the hand that holds the burning candle. It’s there every night, like a firefly. But instead of her own frightened face staring back at her, she sees the face of someone else: bald, white, and pale. A swastika tattooed on the side of the neck. Man, woman, she can’t tell. But it is leering. And it is climbing out of the mirror toward her.
She screams and throws the candle at the reflection. The mirror shatters, breaking into a dozen pieces, a dozen images of the face sneering up at her. Until they change. Until they morph into different faces. Froglike. Reptilian. Each climbing out of its broken shard—snarling, reaching for her feet, clutching at her ankles until, mustering all of her strength, she wakes with a stifled scream.
Nineteen-year-old Rachel Delacroix lay in bed, heart pounding, T-shirt soaked and clinging. At first she thought it was from the water of the tub… until she realized it was her own cold sweat.
“Rachel?” Her father appeared in the doorway, his bald black head glistening in the streetlight from the hall window. The same window that held the broken air conditioner they could not afford to replace. “Are you all right?”
“Mmm?” she mumbled, pretending to be asleep.
“Was it—did you have another dream?”
She gave no answer.
“You’re not taking your medicine, are you.”
She remained silent, hoping he’d think she’d gone back to sleep.
More silence. She could hear him standing there nearly half a minute before he turned and wearily shuffled back down the hall to his room. Tomorrow was church and he needed to get his rest. Still, she knew full well he’d not be able to go back to sleep.
Hopefully, neither would she.
She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, then turned to the art posters on the surrounding walls—the Monets, the Van Goghs, the Renoirs. How often they gave her comfort. Even joy. But not tonight. Tonight, as in the past two nights she’d had the dream, they would give her nothing at all.
IT WAS BARELY past nine in the morning and the attic was like an oven. The Santa Anas had been blowing for several days, and Sean Putnam doubted the house had dropped below eighty degrees all night. That’s why he was up here now—to save whatever was left of his paintings. To bring the canvases downstairs where it was cooler and the paint wouldn’t dry out and crack. Over the past months he’d already thrown away dozens, mostly self-portraits; clear signs of what he now considered to have been his self-absorbed youth.
He turned toward the stairs and shouted. As was the case with many Down syndrome children, the multiple ear infections had left his son hard of hearing. “I’ll be there in a second.”
“Well, hurry! We don’t want to be late.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Well, hurry.”
He quietly mused. Tomorrow would be Elliot’s first day in middle school. A scary time for both of them. Yet it was all part of the plan he and Beverly had agreed upon. A plan conceived as the cancer began eating away and taking her. They wanted to make sure Elliot was prepared as much as possible to face the real world. Integrating him into the public school system seemed the best choice. They’d talked about it often during her final days. And it was the last conversation they had before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Now, barely a year later, he was making good on those plans.
Elliot was nervous. He had been all week. That’s why Sean had agreed to this trial run. That’s why, though it was nine-fifteen on a Sunday morning, the two of them would pile into the old Ford Taurus and drive over to Lincoln Middle School. A rehearsal for tomorrow’s big day. An attempt to help Elliot relax by eliminating any surprises.
Too bad Sean couldn’t do the same for himself. Because he wasn’t just anxious about his son. Tomorrow was a big day for him as well. He’d finally graduated from the Los Angeles Police Academy, and tomorrow would be his first day on patrol in a black-and-white. That was the other reason he was up here in the attic. “To put away childish things.” He wasn’t sure where he’d first heard that phrase, probably from his old man. But it made it no less true. The days of being a long-haired art student had come and gone. Now it was time to be a man. To make the necessary sacrifices and take care of what was left of his family.
He quickly flipped through the remaining canvases until one slowed him to a stop. Not because of any artistic skill, but because of the subjects—six-week-old Elliot lying naked on his mother’s tummy, his little fist clenched, nursing at her breast. It still moved him in ways he could not explain. Somehow, some way, he’d been able to capture the truth of that moment… mother and child lost in the act of life, their faces filled with contentment, glowing with an indefinable peace.
He reached down and scooped up the canvas. “I’m on my way.” He tucked the painting under his arm and headed back downstairs, where he would find someplace safe to keep it.
The God Hater Reviews
When one of the most creative minds I know gets the best idea he’s ever had and turns it into a novel, it’s fasten-your-seat-belt time. This one will be talked about for a long time.
–Jerry B. Jenkins author of Left Behind
A most fascinating story! Full of heart, suspense and intelligence, The God Hater engagingly illustrates the futility of man made beliefs as well as the world’s desperate need for a God who offers hope, guidance and help.
–Tim LaHaye author of Left Behind
Bill has written another heart wrenching, mind gripping novel that delivers on so many levels. Like the Gospel, The God Hater is more than just a great read. I highly recommend it!
–Doug Fields, Teaching Pastor Saddleback Community Church
Bestselling author of Refuel & Fresh Start
An original masterpiece. ‘The God Hater’ re-opens our eyes to God’s absolute justice and His unfathomable love.
–Dr. Kevin Leman, bestselling author of “Have a New Kid by Friday”
If you enjoy white-knuckle, page-turning suspense, with a brilliant blend of cutting-edge apologetics,The God Haterwill grab you for a long, long time.
–Beverly Lewis, NY Times bestselling author
I’ve never seen a more powerful and timely illustration of the incarnation. Bill Myers has a way of making the Gospel accessible and relevant to readers of all ages. I highly recommend this book.
–Terri Blackstock, NY Times bestselling author
Once again, Myers takes us into imaginative and intriguing depths, making us feel, think and ponder all at the same time. Relevant and entertaining, The God Hater is not to be missed.
— James Scott Bell, bestselling author of Deceived and Try Fear.
“A brilliant novel that feeds the mind and heart, The God Hater belongs at the top of your reading list.”
–Angela Hunt, NY Times bestselling author.
“The God Hater is a rare combination of Christian fiction that is both entertaining and spiritually provocative. It has the ability to challenge your mind as well as move your heart. It has a message of deep spiritual significance that is highly relevant for these times.”
–Paul Cedar, Chairman Mission America Coalition
In this sample section, Nicholas (our atheist curmudgeon) has seen the other philosophies and religions fail within the computer world they’ve created. He now goes against everything he believes and has to speak to the creation from “outside their world” to try and save their community. Alpha 11, who was designed from memories of Nicholas’s dead son, has lost his entire family to a plague carried by rats . . . the direct result of the community’s belief in Eastern mysticism and reincarnation:
Alpha . . .
The voice was as soft as a breeze. Yet so intense it took his breath away. He turned from the heat of his baby’s funeral pyre to see who had spoken. Just six weeks earlier, every burning platform in front of the Grid was in use. Day and night they disposed of the bodies, releasing their spirits in the flames . . . and, for more practical purposes, preventing the rats from eating their remains. But now, with so few left to die, the deaths came less frequently. In fact, he saw only one other person, five or six platforms over. A woman slightly younger than himself, lost in her own grief. She could not possibly be the one who had spoken.
Alpha 11 . . .
Once again he gasped. It came from every direction. Above. Below. Inside.
Taking a moment to summon his courage, he finally spoke. “Who—” His voice caught in his throat. He took another breath and tried again. “Who’s there?” he called.
The woman across the pyres glanced to him, then looked away. She pulled up her shawl and shook off a climbing rat.
Don’t be afraid, Alpha.
The voice was kind, like his own when he spoke to his son. And yet terrifying because it was everywhere.
“Who are you?” he asked.
He looked up to the sky. “Hello?”
He scanned the grounds, the surrounding hills.
I am your . . . The voice seemed to hesitate. “programmer.”
Alpha’s mind reeled. The answer made no sense. Yet the exhilaration he felt when the voice spoke, the sense of absoluteness that rose up inside him—it was as if everything suddenly had focus . . . meaning.
Seeming to read his thoughts, the voice replied, We programmed your world.
Alpha reached out to steady himself on a branch sticking from the pyre. “What . . .” His mouth was as dry as sand. He was unsure what to say. From someplace far away, he heard himself ask, “What do you want?”
I want you to exercise authority.
Alpha frowned.
Over your world.
“I’m sorry, I don’t . . .”
Look down, Alpha.
He glanced to the ground, to the swarm of gray and brown rats crawling over each other, circling the fire, smelling the flesh of his dead child but unable to approach because of the heat.
Those are what killed your wife. Those are what killed your baby. Exercise your authority over them.
The thought was as astonishing as the voice. “But . . .” he stammered, “they are life, they are sacred.”
No. You are sacred.
You must take charge.
Alpha continued staring at the rodents, his head swimming. Was it possible? Were these creatures the ones responsible for killing his wife? His son? For destroying his community? Yes, they were a nuisance, and yes, they were growing and multiplying by the thousands, but to be responsible for such evil? How could that be? They were a natural part of the world, which was the shadow of a much greater world. Even more shocking, how could he possibly be their superior?
He lifted his gaze to the crackling flames. Maybe he was losing his mind to grief. He’d seen it happen to others.
I am speaking truth, Alpha.
Alpha closed his eyes, trying to comprehend. If this was truth, if he wasn’t going crazy . . . then everything he’d been taught was a lie. Everything the priests had told his wife was wrong. A fabrication that brought about her own death. That killed their own baby. Moisture filled his eyes. He swiped at them and focused on the burning bundle in the center of the flames.
You are a steward of this world.
Could it be? Could he have been so wrong for so long? The moisture continued welling up until it spilled onto his cheeks. They were tears of confusion, tears of grief. And now, as his mind raced through the memories, tears of resentment.
You are sacred because you were programmed to be like us.
He began to tremble. It was slight at first. But it quickly grew.
Emotions roiled inside him, swelled into his chest. He looked down at his foot and saw a rat scampering over it. Defying everything he knew to be holy and true, he angrily kicked it. His foot caught its belly, lifting it into the air, sending it twisting into the flames. It landed, writhing, squealing, then stopped, its body catching fire and burning alongside his child’s. He cringed at the sight, at the pain he’d just inflicted. But instead of rebuke, or threats of retribution, the voice spoke with calm encouragement.
That’s right. Do what I say and take authority. You are the stewards. You are what is sacred.
The tears came faster now. The trembling more violent. How was it possible? To have been so wrong? Another rat approached. He kicked it harder.
Again, no rebuke.
He kicked another. And then another. And another, until he was no longer kicking rats. He was kicking his foolishness. His stupidity. His superstitious ignorance. That’s what killed his family. That’s what destroyed everything he loved.
Across the flames he saw the wavering image of the woman. Her grief no longer allowed her to stand. She had dropped to her knees, sobbing, broken, like so many others he’d seen. And the rats, taking advantage of her position, swarmed around her knees, scampered up her robe, climbing onto her back and shoulders.
Treat one another as though you are sacred. Treat one another as you would treat me.
Now, his entire body shaking, he stepped to his son’s pyre and pulled a burning log from it. Sizing it up in his hands, he looked back to the woman. Then, exploding with a rage he could not contain, he raced toward her, raising the log over his head yelling, roaring.
She looked up, startled, eyes widening in terror. Her mouth opened in a scream, but he could not hear it over his own fury. She barely had time to cover her face before he arrived and began clubbing them. Like a madman, he batted them off her body, hitting one after another, kicking them into the flames, smashing them, crushing their skulls—all the months, all the years of suffering, all the anger focused and unleashed.
He grabbed the woman by the arm, yanking her to her feet, away from the squealing creatures. She screamed. She kicked and clawed and scratched. But she would eventually understand.
If he had not lost his mind, she would understand.
Nicholas reached out and steadied himself against the console. It was one thing to observe the character up on the screen, but to actually communicate with it, to interact with it—that had taken more out of him than he had anticipated.
“That’s it?” Travis asked from beside him. “Do what we say and be stewards? Treat each other like you would treat us? That’s all you’re telling them?”
“It’s enough,” Nicholas replied. “If Alpha is anything like his prototype, he’s a thinker—he’ll expand on the words and adjust them where they’re needed.”
“And that’s all it will take to save their world?” Rebecca asked skeptically.
“If we applied it, it’s all that would be necessary to save our own.”
A moment passed. No one disagreed. He glanced to Annie, who gave him a little nod. Although he knew it was for encouragement, the act irritated him. He didn’t need her approval. He turned back to the screen and watched with the others as the woman collapsed into Alpha, exhausted and sobbing—as Alpha wrapped his protective arms around her, pulling her shawl up over her shoulders.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, “you’ll be all right. You’ll be okay.”
It was a touching scene that no one in the lab dared interrupt.
Finally, Travis cleared his throat and turned to Hugh. “Let’s push it. Let’s fast-forward and see the impact on their future.”
© Copyright, Bill Myers 2010
“In the inner wine cellar I drank of my Beloved, And when I traveled this entire valley, I no longer knew anything, and lost the herd I was following.”
Before we get going you should probably know you really can’t trust anything I’m going to say. Nothing. Zip. Sorry. If you haven’t heard, I’m a loon, a nut- case, an entire side of fries short of a kid’s meal. Come to think of it, I’m probably missing the burger, soda, and action figure, too.
Is that clear? I hope so ’cause I sure don’t want you to be expecting too much.
Even though you might have heard the rumors, I have to tell you it was not the tattoo’s fault—at least according to the salt and pepper shakers. And I’m not talking those boring, institutional salt and pepper shakers. No siree. I’m talking about the cool, donkey ones my old roommate bought in Puerto Rico and left behind. The ones whose accents are so thick you can barely understand them—especially when the coffee mugs start going. Those coffee mugs, I tell you, give them two cups of leaded and they get to jabbering all night.
But I digress—something I do a lot of, so please accept my apologies now before we get started. Max, my best friend and roomie, says it’s because my mind is full of such fantastic thoughts, they just keep bubbling over and spilling onto each other. What a guy. You’ll love Max. But we’ll get to him in a few minutes.
The point is, and I’m sure I had one, our little pod of less than a dozen patients (Nelson would know the exact number) had already stood in the med line where Nurse Hardgrove served the hospital’s holy sacraments, each dose carefully measured out according to our unique brand of craziness.
From there we headed to the cafeteria and breakfast, where we grabbed our green food trays, white plastic spoons and white forks (they don’t trust us with knives, not even plastic ones) and moved along the counter, our white tennis shoes squeaking on the freshly waxed linoleum.
You’d like our place, Sisco Heights Mental Health Facility. You may have even seen us on the news. Lots of times the State brings people through to show off what a great place it is. I’ve lived here most of my thirty-five years and love it. You would too, I mean if you were, well, you know.
Anyways, I’d just entered the cafeteria line when I overheard the two-headed dragon that was tattooed on Darcy’s forearm arguing with itself:
“Idiots,” the head with one eye complained. “They got the AC cranked up too high again.” He threw in a little shiver for dramatic effect.
The other head, the one with two eyes said, “It’s the middle of June, fool, what did you expect?”
“I expect I’m going to fire up and add some heat to this place.”
The second head sighed, “Please . . .”
“What you sayin’? We still got a few rights around here.”
I could tell things were getting kind of tense between them so I glanced around to make sure it was safe before trying to calm things down. The two attendants, Biff and Britt (or is it Britt and Biff? I can never keep them straight.) were leaning against opposite walls, doing a pretty good imitation of being awake. The others were scattered around the couple tables and already digging in—except for cute little Chloe. She reminds us all of Peter Pan. I mean if Peter Pan was Asian. And if he was a she. Anyway, Chloe was behind me trying to make up her mind whether to have the overcooked stewed prunes or the undercooked refried beans, which, for the record, looked and tasted about the same.
“I’m a tad curious,” the second dragon head said. “How is it that you do that?”
“Do what?” his partner asked.
“Get your lips flapping so fast your brain just gives up and throws in the towel.”
They kept going at it, getting louder and louder, until I lowered my head to Darcy’s forearm and whispered, “Excuse me? Fellas?”
One-Eye looked up at me and sighed. “What you want, chubby boy?”
“You know what they think about disagreements around here.”
“You tellin’ us you’re a Peace Monitor now?” “No, of course not.”
“Then take your crazy someplace else. How ‘bout that nice little light switch over there? She’s lookin’ kinda lonely.”
Of course I know sarcasm when I hear it, and for the briefest second I thought I should file a Hate Speech Complaint. But Darcy was a friend. Well, sort of.
“Duck!” Chloe shouted.
Of course, Chloe is as nuts as the rest of us, which meant I smiled at her politely before ignoring her completely.
“You remember the last time you fired up?” The second head was practically shouting. “How all them overhead sprinklers came on?”
“They disconnected them. ’Sides, it wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t got our big butt in the way. Making me shoot around it totally ruined my sense of perspective.”
“You’re a two-dimensional character. You don’t got perspective.”
Darcy broke in. You can’t miss her voice. It’s smoke cured from years of cigarettes and, I imagine, lots of cigars. “What you doing, freak?”
I looked up to see her frowning down at me with those lovely, lavender-caked eyes, complete with missing eyebrows and bald head.
“Oh, sorry.” I straightened up. “I was just, uh.” I motioned to her arm, which I’ve got to admit, is way more muscular than mine. “Your dragons, what are their names again?”
“Listen, perv, I told you I catch you talking to my arm one more time and I’m doing some serious rearranging of your—”
“I wasn’t talking to your arm,” I blurted. “Honest. Besides, they started it.”
“Let’s go, Bernie.”
I turned to look across a steaming pan of watery oatmeal or watery scrambled eggs, which also look and taste the same, and saw Winona. She’s a volunteer food server from our pod who wears aluminum foil around her neck and wrists. She also has white, Einstein-like hair and an IQ to match.
“Certainly you are cognizant how nervous she becomes around men of the male persuasion?” She motioned to Darcy. “And your intimate discussion with her tattoos . . .” She shook her head. “On my planet, a verbal exchange with tattoos is the final step in consummating a physical relationship.”
Without missing a beat, Darcy answered, “On my planet, it’s the last step before sneaking into a perv’s room and setting him on fire.”
I looked at Darcy and swallowed nervously. She looked at me and stared blankly.
As usual, the tattoos paid no attention. Instead, I heard One-Eye taking a deep, wheezing breath. I looked down and, just as I feared, he was filling up. The other head swore as he ducked under Darcy’s elbow. It was pretty clear he was going to barbecue everything in sight . . . including Darcy, so there was only one thing I could do. I didn’t mean to be fresh, but I reached over and covered Darcy’s arm with both of my hands. Better to fry my hands than set the place on fire.
“Muwaff ma muf are mou moing?” One-Eye shouted.
“Get your perverted hands off me, you perv!” Darcy shouted.
A third voice chimed in. “Hey, Freak!”
It was Jamal. Jamal the Jihadist. Jamal the joy-killer. Jamal the purveyor of pain. He’d shown interest in Darcy the first moment she joined our pod. Not that she gave him the time of day, but that didn’t stop Jamal. As far as he was concerned, she was his property, whether she cared to acknowledge it or not—and he had the broken nose and bruised ribs, courtesy of her martial arts training, to prove it.
She didn’t exactly need his protection, which explained why, as I turned to him, seeing my lame little life pass before my lame little eyes, I felt the pain of Darcy’s food tray smashing into my skull. I should have listened to Chloe. But that didn’t stop Biff and Britt (or was it Britt and Biff?) from leaving the walls they’d been holding up. Even as I collapsed to the floor, slipping into unconsciousness, the two orderlies rushed in, Tasers firing like bug zappers at a bug convention. But not at sweet Darcy. For some reason, the guys weren’t real fond of Jamal. I don’t remember how many shots it took to put him down, or how many kicking boots it took to keep him there. I was too busy drifting into darkness, grateful that once again, I’d managed to save our home.
I pulled my satchel from the passenger seat and crawled out. The tiny employee parking lot was surrounded by woods and covered in cold, drizzly fog. I shut and locked the door, blaming the cramped, micro-hybrid for the ache in my hip and knees. For the thousandth time I dreamed of my sister’s invitation to join her at the retirement village in Arizona with its dry air and sympathetic heat. But it was only a dream. I was too much Alpha male to put my brain out to pasture and watch my body turn to pudding and toothpicks. Though between the early morning chill and yesterday’s reaming out by Division, it almost sounded appealing . . .
“Don’t misunderstand us, Doctor, we all appreciate your sensitivity and we all are on your side.”
Of course there had been no us or we in the glass-walled office of the Public Service building. Just the young man with a spattering of fresh acne across his cheekbones. He was a third my age and wore a suit twice my weekly pay. But I’d never signed up for the money. I had Navy retirement for that. I was here to give back to a country that had given so much to me.
“I’ll grant you your rehabilitation numbers are high, but the Department has taken great care to outline specific responses to specific infractions.”
“I understand,” I said, “but some patients take more time. Some need a more personal approach to—”
“Our rules are not arbitrary, Doctor. They’ve been tested and approved by professionals with far more experience in the field than either you or I.”
I resisted the urge to ask Junior how much field time he’d put in outside the office, not counting the golf games and squash courts. But with age comes wisdom. Instead, I chose to sit silently and count his latest crop of pink and white pustules . . . and call myself a coward the rest of the day and on into the night.
Now, just before dawn, I did my best not to limp as I crossed the parking lot and started up the fifty-six worn concrete steps leading to the equally worn three-story hospital. If there had been a handrail, it was long gone. Old timers said this part of the city was almost as good as before the Uprising.
“Almost as Good.” It had become our mantra. Nearly half a century had passed since we’d quit tearing ourselves apart with the Religious Wars— kicked off by the half dozen dirty nukes simultaneously detonated in major population centers. Of course that was only the beginning. Retaliation led to retaliation, all the way down to the state and com- munity level. Then came the economic collapse, along with a couple pandemics also courtesy of the conflict (think drug resistant smallpox and MARV in the hands of the devout). It had taken a long, long time to return to almost as good. Well, except for the heightened surveillance. For whatever reason, Uncle Sam always had money for that.
As I worked my way up the steps, my mind drifted back to yesterday’s dressing-down. “Besides your own malpractice suit, you are no doubt aware that the victim’s family is suing the Department for reckless endangerment.” I nodded.
“And now that the press has picked it up . . .” He let the phrase hang in the air. I didn’t touch it. “We’re simply left with no alternative than to put you on six-month probation.”
I took a slow, steady breath. “And my patients?”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand us, Doctor. You’ll still make your rounds to the hospitals. But there will be no action or diagnosis on your part that we in the Department will not first review and approve.”
In one sense, I suppose I was lucky. If there had been more psychiatrists with my education, let alone passion, I would have faced suspension. But I had the fancy initials after my name, and no one doubted my commitment to the cause. History would never repeat itself. Not on my watch.
Sometimes, to this day, I wake up in the morning, my heart racing, my sheets damp from memories of them pounding on my father’s door in the middle of the night . . .
“Ibrahim! Ibrahim, come out!” It was Reverend Johnson. Over the months of building tension, he’d handed me several religious tracts. “You’re too handsome a lad to burn in hell,” he would say.
Of course I always gave the pamphlets to Poppa who disposed of them, always with a prayer for Allah’s vengeance to fall upon the infidel’s head.
“Ibrahim!” More pounding. “We know you’re in there.”
“He is not here!” Momma cried. She threw a pleading look to Poppa, begging him to remain silent. But that was not how Poppa lived. Despite her pleas and her clinging, he threw open the door. They stormed in, five or six of them, cursing, shouting, accusing the men from our mosque of the slaughter of several Christian families—men, women, children. And, sadly, they were probably right. Though it could just have easily been in response to an attack the Christians launched, or the Jews, or even the Buddhists, Dharma bless their pacifist hearts. That’s how ugly things had become. Though, in the years to follow, it was merely a prelude.
That night Momma covered my eyes as she screamed, begging for mercy. I remember the sound of scuffling, men yelling, someone shouting praises to Jesus as Poppa pleaded to Allah. I remember them dragging him out the door and Momma following them into the street, still screaming, still crying.
I raced after them onto the porch, unsure what to do, frozen in fear and guilt. I watched as they punched and kicked my father, the scene lit by a burning house across the street. I remember the bursts of gunfire one block over, the distant wail of police sirens. I remember Momma pleading for mercy as they loaded him into a car, until she was struck hard with the butt of a rifle, bloody teeth flying from her mouth like pink pearls.
Yes, I know all about the dangers of religion. And I’ve supported every law that has freed us from its tyranny—the fines and penalties for hate speech, the deportation of militants, the incarceration and re-education of hardliners—until gradually, over the last several decades, the monster had finally been defanged.
That’s the primary purpose of the Department of Religious Affairs—not to outlaw religion. Other countries have tried that and have only succeeded in increasing religious fervor. No, our purpose is to remove the differences, any aspect that leads to separation, or the feelings of inferiority and superiority. And thanks to our dogged determination and brave legislators, we now have a state philosophy whose only goals are peace, reconciliation, and social harmony. That’s what we’ve achieved, and that’s what I’ve dedicated my so-called golden years to maintain.
I arrived at the top of the steps and took a moment to catch my breath. The fog, which had rolled in from the bay, stretched nearly to the tops of the trees. Although the hospital was in the middle of the city, on one of its highest hills, it was surrounded by just over an acre of woods.
I traipsed through the wet grass of a sloppily- manicured terrace to my office. It had its own separate entrance, though the room wasn’t much bigger than a walk-in closet. I unlocked the door and was greeted by the familiar smell of dust and mildew. I snapped on the light and turned on the little wall heater.
Was there still resistance to the Department’s efforts? Absolutely. But now we had the law on our side. Penalties were swift and substantial. And for those who tried to obey but couldn’t? For the mentally or emotionally unstable? Well, that’s where my division came in. Every major mental health facility in the state has a small ward, or pod, for those who struggle with such disorders. Men like . . . I opened my satchel and pulled out a file labeled: Maxwell Portenelli.
I opened the folder for a quick review. Not that I hadn’t studied it before. But after yesterday’s lecture, I’d leave no room for error. His daughter would be checking him in later this morning. Apparently he was a famous icon in the fashion world. Worth mil- lions. But success did not come easily. According to family members, he was consumed with work, often putting in ninety hours a week, neglecting relationships, sometimes sleeping in his studio, and having no social life outside of business. Eventually the stress and demands took their toll. Two and a half weeks ago, on his fiftieth birthday, he experienced a psychotic break that left him incapacitated for nearly seventy-two hours. During that time he claimed to have been taken to heaven where he had a lengthy conversation with god.
The episode generated an extreme shift in personality with serious consequences—retrograde amnesia, including the inability to recognize any family member, manic behavior, bouts of extreme giddiness, and a complete disregard for the company he’d dedicated his entire life to building. There had been some talk about a private institution, but since his issue was religious in nature, that meant State involvement and his eventual assignment here at Sisco Heights.
And the trigger for such a break? A power lunch with select members of his board at a local Chinese restaurant. Eyewitnesses said it was intense, heated, and demanding—typical of most Portenelli meetings. There was no indication of any problem throughout the course of the two-hour lunch, until he opened his fortune cookie and read the fortune.
Almost immediately he began to tremble. Soon after, he closed his eyes and, despite the calls and shouts of others, he entered a catatonic state.
He was transported to Mercy General where he was tested and kept for observation. Seventy-two hours later, when he regained consciousness and it was established there was no physiological or neurological damage, he was released in the hopes of a full recovery.
At home, although thoughtful and polite with family and household staff, he did not recognize them. Nor did he display the slightest interest in returning to work. Instead, he became fixated upon his experience, wishing only to talk about god.
And what was the fortune that brought about such a dramatic change in character? It simply read:
“You are my favorite child.”
I shook my head. Poor devil. To be at the height of his career and suffer such a breakdown. It was an unusual case, there was no doubt about it. But that’s why we were here. Whether his recovery took weeks or months, I would be at his side to help and serve.
That is my purpose. And, if you will, that is my call.
Hi, it’s me again. Bernie? From the last book?
Maybe you know me better from all those newscasts they’ve been showing where I’m part of a criminal gang of mental patients who escaped and burned down the hospital a few nights ago. I don’t want to be argumentative or anything, I mean if it’s on the news it’s got to be true, but we’re really not. Criminals, I mean. Although I do feel kinda bad about the hospital part.
And I feel real bad about Trashman. We all do. Max says it was necessary for him to stay in the building to destroy our records. But it doesn’t make sense to me. Then again, without my medication, what does?
In the good ol’ days, (almost 72 hours ago), I could count on my electric razor or Darcy’s dragon tattoo to help explain stuff. But now nobody’s talking. Well, nobody but people and, of course, all those patterns.
I still see them, the patterns I mean. I can’t paint them like I did back in my room which, like I said, kinda burned down. But I still see them. Everywhere. Like those cars down there on the freeway. See that big semi coming towards us in the left lane? And the two little compacts in the lane beside it, one near its front and the other near its back? And the blue mini-van in the next lane over, between them? See how they make the perfect letter, “D?”
I’ve been wedged under this overpass making up words all morning. Actually, it’s only been one word so far. That’s because it keeps showing up over and over again, which is pretty coincidental which, for me, is pretty normal. Anyways, the view up here is terrific. Saffron and JJ, the homeless couple that took us in, their camp is just on the other side of that giant, cement bulkhead. It’s a great place, out of sight from the freeway traffic which is good since we’re sort of celebrities now, with our faces on the news and everyone trying to arrest us. So we really appreciate them letting us stay.
JJ got real nice about it last night when we were gathered around the little fire on our plastic milk crates and wooden fruit boxes – except for Saffron who rocked back and forth in the rocker she borrowed from a local furniture store who’d left their back door unlocked. She’d really fixed up the place and even had wall-to-wall carpeting here and there from carpet samples some floor store threw away. She also had a knack for landscaping – particularly with that nice, little Christmas tree bush a few yards down from camp. How anything could grow in the cement and packed dirt is beyond me, but there it was, four feet tall and almost as round, with Christmas tree lights that didn’t work and beautiful silver and gold garland. Lots and lots of garland. But I digress, which you may remember from the last book, I do a lot of.
“Ain’t no deal you stayin’ with us,” JJ said. He threw his arm around Max and offered him a drink of his fortified wine. “Hospitalessness, it’s ‘cactly like homelessness . . . ‘cept for a few letters here an’ there.”
Max nodded with that smile of his but politely refused the bottle.
No one’s sure why JJ suddenly got so friendly. Joey thinks it has something to do with his romantic interests in Darcy. Ralphy thinks it’s more to do with the napkins JJ stole from McDonalds. The ones he’s having us autograph so he can sell them on the street. Besides his fortified wine, JJ likes his money.
And Saffron? She doesn’t mind us staying either, just as long as we do our share of dumpster diving for food and keep the camp nice and tidy. And we do, well except for Winona who’s always throwing up. As a health nut she doesn’t do well surrounded by flesh eating bacteria and your everyday infectious diseases. She’s also not fond of the smell of stale urine. Luckily, the exhaust fumes usually cover that up.
So, all in all, we’re doing really good . . . except for being on the run from the police and everyone saying we’re crazy. Of course Max keeps saying we’re not and I wish it was true, but it’s kind of hard believing him when . . .
Ralphy still thinks he’s a superhero (and wears the goggles, shower cap and bath towel cape to prove it).
Winona is still sure she’s an alien visiting from another planet (where they don’t have flesh eating bacteria or stale urine).
Darcy is still afraid of electricity and still threatens to set sleeping people on fire who flirt with her (which explains why JJ sleeps with a fire extinguisher).
Joey is still our resident genius, except for the part of believing the world is flat.
Nelson is still our walking encyclopedia.
Chloe is still shy and super sweet. She still blurts out things that don’t make sense (until later, when no one is paying attention). Well, no one but me. I pay attention to everything she does though, of course, I don’t let on.
So, with all our unique personalities, you can see why it’s hard to believe Max when he says were not nuts. But there is one thing we do believe. . . Each of us is God’s favorite child. After all, that’s what the fortune cookies told us, and why would fortune cookies lie?
Oh, and there are the dreams. I know they’re weird and Dr. Aadil would probably say it’s mass hysteria or something, but everyone of us has had some sort of dream where Trashman breathes on us, or kisses us, or gives us mouth to mouth resuscitation – just like he did with Max and Chloe.
“Hey, Dough Face!”
I turned to see Saffron rounding the cement wall and stalking towards me. For the briefest second I caught a glimpse of her robe, the one covered in diamonds and emeralds that she doesn’t like me to talk about since it’s just my craziness.
“What the (insert expletive here) you doin’, you stupid (insert another expletive).”
Saffron likes her expletives.
I scooted down the steep concrete bank until I could stand. “Good morning, your highness.”
“Stop callin’ me that! What you doin’ here?”
I shrugged. “Freeway Scrabble.”
She shouted something I couldn’t quite make out over a belching truck.
I glanced down at the freeway and quickly pointed. “Look! See the middle lane? See the car being tailgated by the other two, and then the space, and then that little Volkswagen adding the dot? See how it makes the letter ‘i’?”
She started to look then caught herself. “Get the (expletive) out of sight. If you see the (expletive) cars, they can see you!” She turned and without another word, or expletive, headed back toward camp.
I followed. “Sorry,” I said.”
“(Expletive! Expletive!)” she said.
Then, just before we rounded the wall, I glanced down at the freeway one last time. Sure enough, there it was again. A long eighteen wheeler in the left lane with two cars, side by side in the next two lanes at its back, two more cars, side by side, at its middle, and two more at its top. Together, just like they had so many times before, they made the final letter . . . a perfect, capital “E”.
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High Speed 2
Revealed: First images of futuristic HS2 trains with top speed of 225mph
The sleek-looking trains will link London and Birmingham from December 2026
Tony LarnerHead of News
Updated 16:05, 5 JUN 2019
Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from BirminghamLive - Weekly Politics
These are the first images of the new futuristic HS2 trains - which will boast a top speed of 225mph.
The sleek-looking trains will be used for phase 1 of the £55.7 billion high-speed railway, which will link London and Birmingham from December 2026.
Manufacturers bidding to build the new high-speed rolling stock published concept pictures showcasing their proposals.
The images show Bullet-like trains in a standard white colour as their livery will be chosen by the HS2 operator which is still to be determined.
(Image: PA)
Legal action over Birmingham to London rail franchise
Joint bidders Bombardier and Hitachi claimed their design will be the "most advanced, customer-orientated train ever to run in the UK", while rival firm Alstom described its proposal as "world class, modern and flexible".
Siemens, which is also bidding for the £2.75 billion contract, said its offer would "set the standard for other global high speed rail systems to follow".
They are among five shortlisted bidders competing for a deal to design, build and maintain at least 54 new high-speed trains capable of travelling at 225mph.
The other bids are from Talgo and CAF.
The procurement process has been run by HS2 Ltd, the Government-owned company responsible for building the railway.
HS2 boss says future generations will be GRATEFUL if controversial rail project built
But the contract will be awarded by the Department for Transport, as it will own the trains once they are built.
The deadline for bidders to submit their entries was noon on Wednesday. The outcome is expected to be announced in spring 2020.
As well as linking London and Birmingham from December 2026, the trains will also serve destinations on conventional lines beyond the core HS2 network, including York, Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
There has been growing concern about the finances and environmental impact of HS2.
Passengers told new trains with fewer standard seats 'have more room for standing'
A report by the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee last month warned it was "far from convinced" HS2 will be built within its budget.
HS2 Solihull
HS2 - the great train debate in Solihull
People are getting 'very disturbed' ...
What HS2 bosses had to say about dis...
Fears HS2 will cut Solihull communit...
The committee said the cost of the project could be cut by reducing the speed of the trains and moving the London terminus.
Former HS2 chairman Sir Terry Morgan has claimed the railway cannot be built to its current specification on budget.
AppleLive updates as teenager stabbed in phone robbery in Smith's Wood park area - victim 'serious'An 18-year-old suffered 'serious injuries' following the attack and was taken to hospital
WarwickshirePolice issue update over Leamington stabbing which killed Birmingham teenager Nasir Patrice17-year-old Nasir Patrice from Birmingham died at the scene while an 18-year-old man from Birmingham was taken to hospital with serious injuries
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World NewsDog with wonky face finally homed after hundreds of adoption requestsBrodie the German Shepherd Border Collie cross was born in a rescue shelter but was attacked by his mum when he was only 13 days old
TerrorismParents slam exhibition featuring LEGO models of guns used by terroristsThe edgy artworks include Lego models of US President Donald Trump standing on a wrecking ball hitting the Statue of Liberty
Love IslandLove Island Rebecca's 'odd' leg patch has every viewer asking the same questionThe former Miss Newcastle says she's prepared to go "as far as I need to go" in order to get the guy she wants and describes her ideal man as a "Jack the lad"
Aston Villa FC‘I'm ready’ - Aston Villa make breakthrough appointmentAston Villa news | The former England international recently announced her retirement from the professional game
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TESTIMONIALSAaron Hall2018-12-05T15:57:51+00:00
SIR SIMON KEENLYSIDE – Clonter 1984
“I learned a lot and am grateful for the platform which was my first attempt at an opera which has since taken me all over the world”.
AMANDA ROOCROFT – Clonter 1984
“I very much enjoyed my time with Clonter Opera and found it an invaluable experience”.
JONATHAN LEMALU – Doctor Bartolo – The Marriage of Figaro – 2000
“My association with Clonter began in their 2000 production of The Marriage of Figaro, and continued subsequently in The Barber of Seville in 2001. Clonter is quite a unique organisation, taking young singers and introducing them to the stage and all facets of performance; from training, rehearsal and stagecraft to vocal and physical stamina etc. As a 2000 Clonter Opera Prize Winner I was given financial assistance for my vocal studies, and as a 2001 Singers Academy Member I was lucky enough to receive coaching with John Tomlinson at the Royal Opera House . The chance as a young performer to experience and work in opera is vital to our development. Not only the festival season at Clonter, but also the performances in London, which are a great opportunity for the production to be viewed and showcased to a wider audience. The Alumni of Clonter reads like a “Who’s who” of singers studying at the top vocal institutions, and working throughout the UK and Europe, and many singers, including myself, have been able to develop our craft and future roles in a supportive environment. I fully support the endeavours of Clonter and wish them all the best in their continuing tradition.
LEE BISSET – Violetta – La traviata – 2000
“I first sang for Clonter as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin as a student. I was in a vicious circle of not getting roles because I didn’t have enough experience (I had only done one opera previously) and Clonter took a chance on me. It was a fantastic learning experience working with staff who wanted the best for the singers of the show. There is enough exposure to make doing it worth while, but it is sheltered enough that one can take risks. This year I sang for Clonter again, taking the risk of singing a role that I would not otherwise have had the courage to sing in a different environment, Violetta in La traviata. Once again it was a sharp learning curve for me, but again the conductor and director were fantastic. I really believe that what Clonter do in nurturing and promoting young talent is unique. Next year I will make my debut in a lead role in a major house in the UK and I really believe that without my experience on stage there, and the contacts I made, I would not have taken the path I have done. They have been a great support to me, and I will continue to support them however I can.
NATALYA ROMANIW – Lucia – Lucia di Lammermoor – 2011
“I am grateful to Clonter for allowing me to find my strengths in one of Donizetti’s most challenging roles Lucia di Lammermoor, which is a role I am sure I will perform again and again. Clonter is an extremely friendly and fun atmosphere to work in with the Locketts providing much hospitality and support for the young singers they nurture during their time there. I would recommend it to any young singer with very high regard”.
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“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to perform my first large operatic role. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Clonter and am most grateful”.
ELIZABETH SKINNER – Fiordiligi – Così fan tutte – 2015
“Looking back, I am really proud of everything we achieved. I learnt so much about myself as a singer, how to pace myself, knowing my voice can take a lot more than I thought it could. It has built my confidence and allowed me to take risks. Being a young singer is hard. You need the experience but you need someone to take a chance on you and help build and nurture your skills. Clonter offers this unique chance to do these things in a safe and supportive environment. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity. I loved every moment from rehearsals to performance and hope to come back one day. ”
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“I particularly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to be coached on the role of Figaro whilst at Clonter. To be given the opportunity to sing in the role with orchestra for the tech rehearsal is testament to the development ethos of Clonter and was a real highlight of the experience. Also to perform my first professional role alongside an incredibly talented group of emerging singers is something I’ll always remember”.
HARRY FEHR – Director- Così fan tutte – 2015
“The main advantage of Clonter is that it offers young singers the chance to perform major roles in a fully-equipped, proscenium arch theatre. While there are now a great number of opportunities for young artists to perform with fringe companies, most of these play in ‘found’ spaces, so Clonter is a rare exception of a venue which replicates the spaces where most established companies perform”.
CLIVE TIMMS – Music Director – Così fan tutte – 2015
“The progress and development of the singers was a pleasure to watch…….. It was a new and challenging experience for all of them”.
MICHAEL KENNEDY
“For those who like to keep an ear on rising British operatic talent, periodic visits to Clonter Opera…are essential. The list of those who have sung there since 1974 reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of current cast in our (and Europe’s) leading companies.”
The Sunday Telegraph
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Research letter
An analysis of one potential form of health care fraud in Canada
Henry Thomas Stelfox and Donald A. Redelmeier
CMAJ July 22, 2003 169 (2) 118-119;
Henry Thomas Stelfox
Donald A. Redelmeier
HEALTH INSURANCE FRAUD is a potential source of expense, injustice and adverse events in medical care. We examined one type of such fraud: false claims for prescription benefits after the death of the beneficiary. Of 335 536 elderly people in Ontario who died between Jan. 1, 1991, and Jan. 1, 1997, we identified 113 for whom 1 or more prescription drug benefit claims (about 1 per 3000 deaths) were submitted more than 1 year after their death. Claims for expensive medications were rare, as were those for addictive medications. Our findings suggest that this type of health care fraud occurs infrequently and that countermeasures are unlikely to substantially reduce medication abuse in Canada.
Health insurance fraud is of significant public concern. However, it is a difficult topic to study because of the complexities of informed consent and biases of self-report.1 So far, the best available data come from case reports.2,3,4,5 These anecdotes, however, are often unreliable and may not be representative of the true extent of the problem.
A rigorous assessment of health insurance fraud is important because the findings could influence health care policy. If the volume of fraud is large, effort and expense may be required to remedy the situation. If the volume is small, it may be tolerated by policy-makers because the costs of corrective interventions could surpass the costs of fraud to the health care system. Indeed, a small volume of health care fraud could be life saving (e.g., antibiotics for a destitute child).
We undertook a study to examine one type of health insurance fraud: false claims for prescription benefits after the death of the beneficiary. Our goal was to establish whether fraudulent prescription benefit claims could be identified and evaluated. We did not attempt to address other potential types of health insurance fraud or possible corrective interventions.
The setting of the study was Ontario, which offers government-funded prescription benefits to people aged 65 years or more through the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program. We identified consecutive deaths that occurred in this age group between Jan. 1, 1991, and Jan. 1, 1997. We then identified claims for prescription benefits filed in the 12 months beginning 1 year after each patient's death that were underwritten by the deceased patient's health care card (denoted as “posthumous claims”). Prescription benefit claims filed within the first 12 months after a patient's death were not included to avoid the possible misclassification of claims as fraudulent that were late owing to processing delays.
For comparison, we consulted the ODB registry for prescription benefit claims submitted in the year immediately before each patient's death.
During the 6-year study period, about 11 million people were living in Ontario, about 1.3 million of whom were 65 years of age or older.6 A total of 335 536 people in this age group died. For 113 of them, 1 or more posthumous claims (about 1 per 3000 deaths) were submitted. The number of deaths increased marginally during the study period, from 51 244 in 1991 to 60 349 in 1996 (p < 0.001), whereas the frequency of posthumous claims showed no significant temporal trend.
For all categories of medications, the number of posthumous claims was lower than the number of claims submitted in the year before death (Table 1). Claims for medications of possible abuse were rare. The number of opioid claims fell substantially (14% v. 4%), as did the number for other analgesics, including NSAIDS (27% v. 9%), acetaminophen (22% v. 5%) and codeine preparations (22% v. 5%), and the number for tranquilizers (40% v. 9%). No claims were submitted for stimulants before or after death.
Most of the prescription benefit claims were for medications that could be considered potentially life-saving (81% of claims before death and 63% of posthumous claims) and rarely exceeded a monetary value of $1000 over the year (21% and 12% respectively). Only 2 egregious cases of fraud were identified. The first involved 83 separate posthumous claims for Tylenol #2, for a total of 5216 tablets. The second case involved 137 separate posthumous claims for glucose monitoring strips, for a total value of about $2000.
Our study provides a quantitative analysis of prescription benefit claims fraud. We found that about 1 case of fraud occurred for every 3000 deaths. Most of the posthumous claims were for medications used in the management of chronic medical problems. Posthumous claims for expensive medications or for medications of possible abuse were rare. Together, these findings suggest that the clinical and economic consequences of this type of health insurance fraud may be small.
We did not attempt to determine the full prevalence and duration of all health care fraud and its cost to society. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that fraudulent claims for prescription benefits after the death of a beneficiary are infrequent, that interventions to eliminate them may yield only small financial savings and that such efforts are unlikely to reduce medication abuse substantially.
This article has been peer reviewed.
Contributors: Both authors contributed to the study conception and design, and the data analysis and interpretation. Both drafted and revised the article and approved the final version.
Acknowledgements: Dr. Stelfox was supported by a fellowship award from the Canadian Institute for Health Research and the Clinician Scientist Program at the University of Toronto. Dr. Redelmeier was supported by a career scientist award from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the de Souza Chair in Clinical Trauma Research of the University of Toronto and the Canadian Institute for Health Research. Funding sources had no role in the design, conduct or reporting of this study.
Farber NJ, Berger MS, Davis EB, Weiner J, Boyer EG, Ubel PA. Confidentiality and health insurance fraud. Arch Intern Med 1997;157:501-4.
Dillner L. NHS at risk from fraud, warns Audit Commission. BMJ 1994;309: 1463-4.
French O. Concern over fraud causes Ontario to invest $90 million in new health cards. CMAJ 1995;152(4):569-70.
Dorozynski A. French surgeons accused of fraud. BMJ 1994;309:1464.
Werber R. Blue Cross tackles fraud by physicians and patients. Physicians Manage 1982;22:73-5,78-9.
Population by age group, Canada, the provinces and territories. Ottawa: Statistics Canada; 1999. Available: www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/popula.htm#pop (accessed 2003 June 6).
Journal staff
Journal Oversight
Copyright 2019, Joule Inc. or its licensors. All rights reserved. ISSN 1488-2329 (e) 0820-3946 (p)
All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association or its subsidiaries.
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Hot Blood & Cold Steel
Tag Archives: Operational Research
17th Century, Books, design, History, Re-enactment
Destructive & Formidable by David Blackmore [Book Review]
9 January 2019 james Leave a comment
Destructive and Formidable by David Blackmore is a quantitative look at British infantry doctrine using period sources from the British Civil Wars of the seventeenth century up to just before the Napoleonic wars. If anything you can see the constancy, which drove the success in battle of British forces, even when outnumbered.
Development of British Infantry Doctrine
Re-enactors from the Fairfax Battalia demonstrate infantry drill in the Tower of London. Pikes are charged and the musketeers present for a salvee in two ranks. (photo: Mandy Holloway)
This has got a lot of the detail you need to model infantry battles in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It’s not quite at the level of the WW2 operational research, but it’s good enough. There are comparative weights and rates of fire. Measured hit rates based on range, and commentary on doctrine and how certain tactics worked in certain situations but not others. In short everything you need to design a game (although there’s clearly a morale factor, which Destructive and Formidable covers but makes no attempt to quantify).
There’s a fairly readable style, and the book isn’t long. The examples are of individual battles and focus only on what the British infantry did, their immediate context and the doctrine/tactics of their immediate enemy. The only place there’s anything more in context, and discussion of the commanders impact, is the chapter on the North American irregular wars. This latter chapter also touches on failures of leadership, and shows that there is an effect of good leadership on the successful application of doctrine. The defeats are more attributable to poor leadership and lack of confidence than to failure of doctrine.
Core Infantry Doctrine
The core of British infantry doctrine was to reserve fire until they were close enough to ensure that it was effective. Once fired from close range the British infantry then closed to hand to hand, with clubbed muskets in the early period and bayonets later. Only one or two round were fired, often from a salvee or volley. This kept the effect concentrated, which increased the shock value.
Why didn’t British infantry doctrine spread?
Musket practice by re-enactors from the Fairfax Battalia. You can see the second rank ramming home their charge as the front rank fires. The third rank is charging with powder. (photo: Cindy Holton)
If British infantry doctrine was so successful why did other nations not copy it? Blackmore shows a relative isolation in the British officer corps from the debate of firepower vs shock which European armies seem to have spent the period arguing about. British infantry doctrine seems to have developed by trial and error during the British civil wars to get decisive battles based on the available people and technology. Early civil war battles were inconclusive, yet the British on both sides strove to improve effectiveness. They got closer before opening fire, massed to fire salvos and closed with the enemy to finish them off. Europe spent the same period in the Thirty Years War yet never came to the same conclusion. Drill manuals from the period emphasise fire, the cavalry doctrine shows shock of impact is what works.
What made the British successful?
My suspicion is one of the main things that keeps the British Army successful in this period is a continuity of experience. From the civil wars there is a near continuous presence of warfare. More importantly the outcome of the civil war is the establishment of a standing army. Even though this is supposed to be temporary, Parliament needs to renew it every year, it remains continuously in being. This means that soldiers pass on their experience to the new recruits, and many officers are professionals. Serving in one war as juniors and returning to later wars as commanders of battalions and armies.
Designing a game
My copy of this is flagged in many places, and there are a lot of marginal notations. I fully expect to use it as the core of an infantry combat model for one or more games. There’s a good model explained in the book. Maximum effective range is about 80 yards, at 100 yards less than 1% of shots result in a casualty. At 25-30 yards about a quarter of shots cause casualties. Closing with the enemy is pretty much always decisive (they either break or die). Infantry firing by platoon can stop cavalry with firepower alone if they reserve fire until the cavalry is about 30 yards away. Similarly if you fire at charging Highlanders at about 10 yards (or less) then it ends the charge…
This is an edited version of a post that was first published at https://www.themself.org/2019/01/destructive-formidable-david-blackmore-review/
1689book reviewBritish ArmyDavid BlackmoredoctrineinfantryOperational Research
design, games
OR Driven Wargame Rules
10 August 2015 james 4 Comments
I’ve been tinkering with a set of small unit wargame rules informed by operational research rather than fashions in wargaming for a couple of years. The crux of these rules is the morale mechanism.  These haven’t quite got as far as I would have liked as I’ve not really had any time to complete or playtest them. However there is enough here as a work in progress to run a session at Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group the next time I manage to make it. Also others that also design wargames might find some of this of interest.
My main sources are two books that I’ve reviewed elsewhere on this blog (although before I split out the wargaming and military history bits from Themself to form Hot Blood & Cold Steel). I’ve also got some bits from various military OR articles in the Journal of the Operational Research Society and things I’ve found using the Open University library.
David Rowlands the Stress of Battle. (summarised in five parts)
Leo Murray’s Bullets and Brains (my review)
Assumptions and source data (as an ODS spreadsheet)
These rules are intended to cover small unit actions at a platoon plus to company minus in size. The sort of thing that has happened a lot over the last decade or so for most armies.
There are some gaps in these, but it shows the structure. The primary gap is that I’ve not yet properly incorporated the effects of casualties, and there isn’t a proper OR driven basis for this (there’s loads of source material though). There is a morale driven combat model though, that determines whether attacks will be successful or not.
Attacker casualties don’t seem to be determined by the success or failure of the attack. They are more affected by whether the defenders are engaged. Defender casualties are completely different when the defence is overwhelmed (about 80% including killed, wounded and prisoners). If the attack fails and defenders are well sited then they can take no casualties.
Here are the rules, both as open document text ODT and PDF. Also another ODS spreadsheet that shows some of the workings out of probabilities and charts etc.
20150811 OR Driven Rules v01 JMKÂ (ODT)
20150811 OR Driven Rules v01 JMKÂ (ODF)
2D morale chart (ODS)
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The 200 Foot General
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This is the third post on my Operational Research driven wargame rules (and it’s probably about time that I came up with a catchy name for them, ideas in the comments section most welcome).
One of the most unrealistic things I find in most commercial wargames that I have read or played is that it is very easy for players to change their plans and give new orders to their troops every turn. This is so common that there’s even a name for it, the 200ft General.
The concept being that the player is like a General with perfect perception and control of his troops, and he can react to things that they aren’t yet aware of because the player can see the models on the table.
Here are a couple of relevant quotes from the Operational Research that demonstrate why this is a problem.
“a detailed, well-rehearsed plan blocks acceptance of the quick orders rattled out over the radio ten minutes before an attack starts. This mix of friction and mental block can be seen to play a part in nearly half of all mission failures.” Murray in Brains & Bullets
“complicated plans were much more likely to fail.” Murray in Brains & Bullets
So this gives a constraint to the game design. A successful OR driven wargame will ensure that it isn’t easy to change orders and that the more complicated a plan is the more likely it will be to fail.
Potential Solutions
This isn’t a new problem, many wargame designers have grappled with it over the decades that wargaming has been popular. Lots of games have mechanisms of one sort or another to counteract this, ranging from hidden movement and deployment through to complex activation systems. All of these have problems, but at least they’re trying to solve the core problem of limiting player decisions to those that are reasonable for a commander on the ground.
Hidden movement & Deployment. This is a very good solution, and one that lots of games try to implement. It has difficulties in that you either need to trust the other player or have an umpire. Failing that some pre-game organisation to produce maps that can be annotated helps. It tends not to be used for competition wargames.
Written Orders. This is what real armies do, and so far as I’m aware only one commercial game has attempted this (Spearhead). It slows down the game, or increases setup time. Possibly producing a pro-forma might speed things up.
Unit activations. This seems to be common in popular rules. The actual mechanisms vary considerably, but the gist of it is that as a player you cannot be sure whether or not particular units will be activated. About all you can be sure of is that you cannot move your entire army. A good example of this is the DBA PIP system. A general gets 1d6 unit activations each turn.
I think that a good solution would be streamlined and easy to implement by players. Something like this is likely to have a major impact on gameplay speed, and we’re looking for ‘fast’ as a default setting. Each game turn needs to take 5-10 minutes to run through so that a whole game (including setup) can happen in about 2 hours.
Do you have any other potential solutions to this problem?
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2D Morale Chart
7 August 2014 james 1 Comment
Further to the previous post Faith in Morale I’ve tried to synthesize the varioius readings on military psychology into a set of morale rules that might give a realistic ebb and flow to an engagement. I’ve not had a chance to test these yet, but here’s what the chart looks like.
v01 of the 2D Morale Chart, (c) 2014 James Kemp
Reading through the various OR type publications it seems to me that morale is affected by proximity to both friends and the enemy. The closer solders get to the enemy the more they seem to do things other than follow orders. This is not really a surprise, but it’s nice to see the research back up the gut feel.
Where I can find hard numbers for things I have used them to construct the 2D morale chart. In some ways this is sort of arbitrary, the numbers aren’t comprehensive enough to complete it. I’ve taken distance from the enemy as one axis and propensity to fight as the other axis. Probability isn’t as straightforwards as counting the squares, as I’ve chosen to use a 2d6 roll on this chart. This tends the answer towards 7 and I have used the probabilty of a given result (or greater) as the method for putting the shading on the boxes. Where certain conditions make something more or less likely the difference from the probability of 7 or more is what I’ve used to decide whether the die modifier would be +/- 1, 2 or 3 (most end up as +/-1).
I’ll post up more of this, along with some ideas on how I expect it to work, in a later post. Broadly though each glob of troops will have a marker on the chart showing their current morale state. Each time morale is tested they will roll 2d6 and modify. Scores of 6-8 (about 45%) will remain unchanged. scores of 9-11 will improve morale and 12 will improve it and move the unit closer to the enemy (except for defenders in prepared positions). Scores of 4 or 5 will decrease morale, a 2 or 3 will decrease morale and cause the soldiers to give ground back to cover.
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Faith in Morale
1 August 2014 james 8 Comments
I’ve been reading operational research on the psychology of combat recently. It got me to thinking about the role of religious faith in morale of soldiers. I’m not personally religious and don’t have an axe to grind on this. What I am trying to do is build a game design model that properly accounts for relevant factors.
The thought that struck me was that combat is very stressful and that soldiers are called on to do unpleasant things to others. This isn’t an every day thing but it does happen. The after effects can be very severe, PTSD isn’t pleasant for anyone and can last for years after the traumatic events have finished. Psychological casualties are as real as the physical ones, they just have a delayed onset and are harder to spot.
Looking at rational human reactions in combat and life threatening situations you can see that the belief system of the individual plays a strong part. If you read first hand accounts enough you begin to understand this. Heroes often do what they do because they don’t see other options that they find acceptable. People run into burning buildings or stay at a point of danger to help others. A selfish rational view would get you out of there. This often comes down to helping other members of the in group, not letting others down or not being able to live with themselves if they hadn’t tried to help. It is rare to hear patriotism cited, although often modestly you’ll hear ‘I was just doing my job’. That last is rarely true from a technical perspective but it reveals that the person that said it was driven by their belief system.
You’ll have noticed that I’ve been writing about a belief system here rather than faith. That’s deliberate. Faith is a kind of belief system but isn’t all of it. Everyone has a belief system, even atheists. Not everyone has faith.
So where do belief systems come from?
They are a product of our upbringing and life experiences. Religious faith has a major part in shaping them, as does the dominant culture in the society that we live in. Even those that consciously reject those are shaped by it in their rejection.
Some examples. Homophobia is driven by belief systems. The dominant culture in the UK has taught us that it is a bad thing. Some religious groups disagree, and there is a high level of support far that point of view from the older members of society and those that have arrived from other cultures that don’t share the same belief as our dominant culture. In the main the driver for homophobia is the classic out group of psychology. Humans form groups of similar outlooks and turn against other groups. It’s animal instinct and manifests in many places and in many ways. Civilised humans learn to control the behaviour it drives and accept that other people (mostly) aren’t a threat. Being indoctrinated from birth into thinking about things makes this much easier.
Back to combat. The fundamental beliefs that go on here are about harming others and self preservation. Religion tends to have a view on both of these. Typically it is don’t harm others and you need to make earthly sacrifices for a heavenly reward.
The combat calculus every combatant goes through is pretty much ‘does the risk to me outweigh the benefits of what I’m doing?’
If you are an atheist with no belief in an afterlife then you aren’t going to be as keen on checking out as someone expecting a massive reward for furthering the cause of their chosen religion (and it is the individual combatant’s interpretation that counts here, not the orthodox view).
So perhaps you get something like this:
Belief harm to others self-preservation Overall result
Atheist Only if its within the rules of engagement I don’t want to die Avoids taking risks where possible, but is ready to kill to do the job at hand. Unlikely to operate outside the rules of engagement lest there is an earthly punishment.
Humanist Do unto others as you would have done to yourself I don’t want to die Kills only when there iis no alternative. Will stay well within the rules of engagement as it is what their belief system demands. Won’t take unnecessary risks but will do what they can to help others.
Orthodox Christian/Muslim Killing is wrong, but God accepts that sometimes it is necessary. I don’t want to die yet, but there will a reward in the afterlife if I do good work. As with the Humanist avoids harm to others, but if it him or me will kill the enemy. Will self-sacrifice to save/help others but tries where possible to preserve their ability to continue to act.
Religious Fanatic God wants me to kill unbelievers If I do God’s work I will be rewarded in the after life. Disregards personal safety to achieve the mission objective (which implictly includes doing what God demands and converting or killing the unbelievers.
Let me know what you think in the comments thread.
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Book Review – Bullets and Brains by Leo Murray
7 July 2014 james 1 Comment
Brains and Bullets: How Psychology Wins Wars by Leo Murray
Brains and Bullets is an excellent and very readable book which tries to put some hard numbers on a variety of psychological tactics that can be used to persuade your own troops to fight and the enemy to give up.
This is an excellent work on what happens in combat and why. It is very readable, structured into bite sized chunks on the key phenomena and then some joining up when it has all been explained. Each chapter opens with an account from a real soldier who experienced that psychological effect in combat. This is then analysed and explained, pulling in other examples as required to show that it isn’t an isolated incident but a general effect. Those examples range from the Napoleonic Wars right up to operations in Afghanistan, and they’re the products of proper scientific research not just a collection of war stories from unreliable sources.
That said there is no need to be an operational researcher, or scientist to understand the book. The language used is straightforward and direct, each of the concepts is very well explained and it forms an excellent introductory work as well as being well researched. The target audience is ordinary people without a technical or military background (although the author hopes that many military officers and civil servants will read it and think about it). Here’s my favourite line from the end of the book “if you are paid to be a military analyst, don’t forget that you work for the Crown (or the people) and for soldiers. You owe no allegiance to your cost centre manager. Crack on.”
If you do have a serious interest then it is worth saying that this isn’t fluffy pop psychology (I like those as light reading, having read Psychology at uni). All the conclusions are backed up with hard numbers from years of solid operational research. The author is hoping to influence army officers to use tactical psychology to make them more effective, so for example “even the hardest-fought flank attack seized ground with a smaller force, captured more of the enemy and caused fewer fatalities on both sides. flanking attack was six times more effective than a frontal attack.”
I’m not going to summarise this book like I did for the Stress of Battle, it’s way more available and affordable. Go buy it yourself (or borrow from the Library) and enjoy it. I certainly did.
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The Stress of Battle – Pt5 Operational Research on WW2 Heroism
31 December 2013 james 2 Comments
This is the fifth and final part of my extended review of The Stress of Battle by David Rowland. It is such a strong piece of operational research on WW2 heroism that I thought that it would be useful for wargame designers (and players) to understand what the research evidence is for what went on in WW2 battles. This part is on the effects of heroism and combat degradation.
Combat Degradation
Combat degradation is a measure of how less effective weapon systems and individual soldiers are in actual combat when compared to training exercises and range work. A score of 1.0 is equivalent to not being degraded at all. Degradation to 0.3 would mean that it was operating at 30% of its peacetime range effectiveness.
the analysis by Rowland’s team broadly matches that done by Wigram in 1943, that there are three classes of effectiveness.
About 20% of those involved could be classed as heroes (26% for guns, 9% for tanks).
Of the rest, one third were ineffective (either they didn’t engage, or what they did do didn’t have any significant impact) (27% of the total);
The remaining two-thirds were about 30% effective (53% of the total);
Weapon systems crewed with at least one hero were about five times more effective than those with no heroes;
Overall effectiveness of a unit = 0.2+([Heroes/gun]*0.8)
Leadership improves combat effectiveness (i.e. more officers/SNCOs present leads to greater effectiveness, which is the reason that tanks are less effective than gun crews).
Impact of Heroism
Rowland and his team compared the effectiveness of the most effective and the partly effective groups in both the historical battles for which there was information and also for the field trials conducted by the British Army in the 1970s & 1980s. What they found was that there was the same variability within the two groups, which was attributed to opportunities to engage. However there was a significant difference between the groups, which was attributed to heroes being more effective.
Heroism seems to be a product of genetics, social conditioning and values. Many recipients of gallantry awards had previously been mentioned in despatches, or were decorated again.
Comments on citations for subsequent decorations indicate that a second award always required a stronger case than the first award did.
Heroes maintain their combat effectiveness in future battles, even if not further awarded.
Heroism is more likely at higher ranks (i.e. officers and senior NCOs (Sergeants and above) are more likely to be in the higher performing groups than other ranks).
Officers had 1.56 Awards/KIA
SNCOs had 0.52 Awards/KIA
Other Ranks had 0.10 Awards/KIA
Rank may be an effect (promotion coming from heroic behaviour) or a cause (feeling responsible because of higher rank).
Crews operate at the level of the highest effective person present.
Probabilities of Heroic Action being recognised
Rank Infantry Guns
Senior Officers 30.00% 34.00%
Lieutenants 6.10% 4.20%
All Officers
Sergeants & Warrant Officers 6.10% 8.40%
Corporals / Bombardiers 2.50% 2.95%
Privates & Equivalent 0.48% 0.73%
NB there is a possibility that the awarding of decorations was unfairly skewed by rank, and that those of lower rank that performed heroically weren’t adequately recognised.
Gurkha units were noticably different from British unit, and appear to be 60% more effective in inflicting casualties on the enemy and 60% more likely to be decorated. This comes at the price of higher levels of casualties.
Surprise & Shock
The defintion of Surprise is “the achievement of the unexpected in timing, place or direction such that the enemy cannot react properly”. This is distinct from Shock, where soldiers could react, but didn’t.
Again historical analysis was used and battles where surprise and shock were involved were identified. These were then compared with other battles with similar characteristics so that only either Shock or Surprise were different. The two factors being compared individually with a reference set.
Attack surprise reduces infantry defence effectiveness by 60% at 3:1 attack ratio.
Attack surprise may vary with force ratio (being more marked at low ratios and less effective at higher ratios)
Surprise for tank vs tank reduces casualties  by a factor of 3 at 1:1 attack ratio for the side achieving surprise.
Attacks below 1:1 ratio were successful 65% of the time when surprise was achieved, where attacks at these ratios were never successful without surprise
At force ratios above 1:1 surprise is less important to success, although there is still higher levels of success with surprise, just not statistically significant.
with surprise force ratio is less important to success (at 1:1 70%, at 3:1 76%)
without surprise the probability of success increases in proportion to the force ratio (at 1:1 40%, at 3:1 54%)
Infantry attacks caused shock in about 15% of cases, rising to 50% when combined with surprise and some of the factors below. Three factors were found to have influenced the ability of infantry to inflict shock:
Charge distance was usually under 100 metres (limited by weight of kit), where it was longer that was found to be because the enemy had already broken.
Visibility was significant, typically shock occurs at night or in poor visibility including where the terrain offers concealment
Defence morale was affected by Battle cries, cheers and yells seemed to put defenders off balance.
Bayonets played a major role (but not to cause casualties, as a psychological weapon inducing the enemy to surrender or run away).
Tank attacks caused shock in about 10% of battles analysed.
‘Invulnerable’ tanks cause shock which can lead to panic, in about 50% of cases
Surprise alone caused shock in 27% of the time
Surprise + invulnerable tanks gave 70% Shock
Surprise + poor visibility gave 85% shock
Surprise + all of the above gave 95% shock
Air attacks cause shock most often when they are a dive/strafe attack where the aircraft is aimed directly at the target.
Typically shock by ground attack reduces defence effectiveness by 65%.
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IWM caption : El Alamein 1942: British tanks move up to the battle to engage the German armour after the infantry had cleared gaps in the enemy minefield. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is the fourth part of my review of The stress of battle: quantifying human performance in combat  by David Rowland, which is an essential piece of Operational Research on WW2 and Cold War combat operations. This part covers the findings on anti-tank combat.
Anti-Tank Combat
Unlike small arms, the effectiveness of weapons used for anti-tank combat has changed considerably over the course of the mid-20th century. From non-specialist gunfire in WW1, to high velocity armour piercing in WW2 and then to Anti-Tank Guided Weapons in the Cold War period. This makes the operational research on anti-tank combat harder to do because the start point needs to be battles where only one kind of AT weapon is in action. Much of the analysis on anti-tank combat starts with the ‘Snipe’ action during the second battle of El Alamein in North Africa where data on each of the guns individually was available.
‘heroic performance’ plays a large factor in the effectiveness of anti-tank guns
about a quarter of guns (at most) performed heroically (including those where platoon, company or battalion level officers assisted with firing guns)
Campaign / Battle
No. Guns in combat
Total engagements
Tanks Hit per target per gun engagement
Alamein (2RB at Snipe)
Medenine (Queens Bde)
Medenine (Guards & NZ)
Total all battles
 rate of fire is proportionate to target availability (i.e. when there are multiple targets crews fire faster)
the median point for heroes was 0.3 tank casualties per gun, where for non-heroes it was 0.03 tank casualties per gun
tanks are less effective in defence than AT guns alone, or tanks supported by AT Guns
AT Guns with tanks apparently kill three times more tanks than the tanks would on their own
AT Gun performance is attributed to having a higher concentration of SNCOs and Officers with deployed ATG compared to tanks (about three times as many)
heroes were disproportionately represented by SNCOs and Officers (at least in terms of who got the medals), in 75% of cases an SNCO or Officer senior to the gun crew commander was involved
Paddy Griffith is quoted on tank casualties that “relatively few appeared to have been caused by enemy tanksâ€
Overall it shows that the biggest single effect in anti-tank combat was down to leadership. Where gun crews are well lead then they are significantly more effective in battle. This is assuming that the guns in question can have some effect on the tanks that they are shooting at, which was the case in all of the battles examined (including a mix where the guns defended successfully with those where the gun lines were overrun by tanks).
Concluded in Part 5 – Operational Research on Heroism, Shock & Surprise
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The Stress of Battle – Part 3 – Op Research on Terrain Effects
504th Regiment, 82nd Airborne troops advancing through snow-covered forest during the Battle of the Bulge (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is the third part of my extended review of The Stress of Battle by David Rowland. It is such a strong piece of operational research that I thought that it would be useful for wargame designers (and players) to understand what the research evidence is for what went on in WW2 battles.
Fighting in Woods
The data comes from an analysis of 120 battles that took place in woods or forests from the US Civil War to the Korean War. It also applied all the things from the previous research and tried to see how woods differed from combat in other types of terrain.
Attacker casualties per defence MG (at 1:1 force ratio)
Force Ratio Power Relationship
Defence is less effective in woods, most likely because limited fields of view mean that the engagement ranges are shorter
Combat degradation is greater in woods during night battles
Artillery suppression is less effective in woods (presumably because the trees absorb some of the shell splinters)
Attack casualties reduce with attacker experience (after ten battles attacker casualties are half of that of inexperienced troops)
Continued in Part 4 – Operational Research on Anti-Tank Combat
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Stress of Battle – Part 2 – Op Research on Urban Battles
Belgian soldiers during an exercise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is the second part of my review of The stress of battle: quantifying human performance in combat  by David Rowland, which is an essential piece of Operational Research on WW2 and Cold War combat operations.
For this part I thought that I would focus on the lessons on urban battles. Rowland and his team used historical analysis on lots of WW2 urban battles and then compared this to a series of field trials using laser attachments to small arms and tank main armaments in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  The approach was to find battles where single variables could be controlled, and then use them to work out what the effect of that variable was on outcomes.
Here’s an interesting table on how attacker casualties vary by odds and the density of defending machine guns. Interestingly, in successful assaults the defender casualties are constant.
Force Ratio
Attack Force(100 man Inf Company in Defence)
Attack Casualties     (killed and wounded)
Defence Casualties (Killed, POW & Wounded)
1 MG / Section
Infantry Only
Heavy Tank Support (no def AT)
Trained attack – infantry only
Trained attack – Heavy AFV support
The interesting thing for me is that training/experience counts for a lot, halving casualties. Also attacking with the conventional 3:1 odds for success increases the casualties that you suffer, without having any appreciable difference in those inflicted on the enemy (although it does make it more likely for succesful attacks with untrained/inexperienced troops).
English: Cilieni This is a fake village that is used for training for fighting in a built up area (FIBUA). The village has been named after the adjacent river, and all the street names are in Welsh, although it is most representative of an East European village. This area is not often open to the public. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Adding armour support makes a huge difference too. Although tanks in urban areas are more vulnerable if they lose their infantry support. However with infantry they significantly reduce attacker casualties.
Defence experience gave no detectable benefit to causing casualties, but attack experience does (in urban combat)
typically three times as many defenders will surrender (some wounded) as are killed or withdraw, the only sensitivity on this is being completely surrounded (so 20% dead, 60% captured (incl wounded) and 20% withdraw);
attack casualties are less affected by force ratio in urban attacks than in open counrtyside;
successful defence of urban areas is best achieved by light defence with counter attacks supported by armour
Rubble & Prepared Defences
This another area covered. There is a general increase in attacker casualties by about 50% when defenders are in rubble or prepared defences. The primary effect of rubble though is to slow down rates of advance.
Rubble halved the rate of advance compared to undamaged urban areas
maximum unopposed advance rates were about 800 metres per hour in urban areas (400m/hr for rubble)
Opposition slowed the advance by a factor of 7
An interesting aside on this was the relative effectiveness of different types of German Infantry. Parachute troops and Panzergrenadiers were reckoned to be tougher opponents than normal infantry. However the analysis showed that the extra stubbornness was a factor of the higher than normal allocation of MGs to those troops. The rate of attacker casualties per defence MG wasn’t significantly different.
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Nissan Pathfinder Transmission Lawsuit
A class action lawsuit seeking over $5 million in damages was filed against Nissan North America, Inc. for deceptive and unfair sales practices used to market its 2013-2014 Pathfinder vehicles.
Thousands of the affected models were reported to be equipped with defective transmissions, causing vehicles to “shudder” and “judder” as the vehicle jerks violently on acceleration. Plaintiffs alleged that Nissan knew about the problem, concealed it from the public, and continued to market and sell the Pathfinders without regard for consumer safety.
If you purchased or leased a 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder with a “juddering” or “shuddering” transmission you could be entitled to compensation. Cory Watson Attorneys is here to help. With over 30 years of experience, we’ll work to get you the maximum compensation for your damages. Give us a call at (877) 562-0000 or complete our free consultation form online.
Nissan Pathfinder Defective Transmission Official Complaint
Filed in the Southern District of Florida, the official complaint against Nissan focused on a few key points:
First, that Nissan was aware of the transmission defect;
Second, that it continued to sell and market the Pathfinders anyway;
Third, that Nissan breached express and implied warranties to consumers by failing to fix the problem.
The plaintiff representing the entire class, Kenai Batista, alleged that upon discovering the transmission issue she asked Nissan to fix the problem, but they could not or would not repair it.
The complaint also claimed that Nissan chose financial gain over the safety of its consumers by concealing knowledge of the transmission defect and continuing to market the Pathfinder to unwitting customers.
The class action sought over $5 million in damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and punitive damages for its alleged deceptive and unfair trade practices, and alleged breach of express and implied warranties, which violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and Florida common law.
Contact Cory Watson For Legal Help
When a major manufacturer creates an unsafe product and then fails to shield the public from danger, we believe that those who were harmed deserve justice. If you purchased or leased a 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder with a “juddering” or “shuddering” transmission you could be entitled to compensation for your damages. Our legal team at Cory Watson Attorneys wants to help protect your rights. Give us a call at (877) 562-0000 or complete our free consultation form.
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Home Comics RELICS OF YOUTH, Vault Comics’ New Fantasy Series, Explores the Bermuda Triangle’s...
RELICS OF YOUTH, Vault Comics’ New Fantasy Series, Explores the Bermuda Triangle’s Secrets
Deanna Destito
Vault Comics has announced a new fantasy series debuting this September, Relics of Youth. Co-written by Chad Rebmann (The Odyssey, Judo Girl) and screenwriter Matt Nicholas, with artist Skylar Partridge (Crowded) and letterer Deron Bennett (Batman), the story explores the secrets lying deep down in the heart of the Bermuda Triangle.
After a recurring dream about an island, Nat Rodrigues soon realizes the dreams are now waking visions. Nat locates other teens around the world who share her intense obsession with the unmapped enclave. To make a strange situation even stranger, every one of them wakes one morning with a mysterious tattoo that only the six of them can see. They come to the conclusion that they must find this unknown place no matter what.
“Relics of Youth manages to catch lighting in a bottle, balancing compelling drama with glowing moments of exuberance, in the spirit of Runaways or Morning Glories,” said Vault Editor-in-Chief Adrian Wassel. “You’re instantly pulled into a world of young, lovely, and broken-but-healing characters you can’t help but root for, as they uncover an ancient mystery and some pretty dazzling powers, too.”
“It’s been a personal highlight to work with the Relics team and watch this story come to life,” says co-editor David M. Booher (Alien Bounty Hunter, Canto). “I’m a huge fan of young adult adventure—everything from Hunger Games to Tomb Raider—and the moment Adrian told me about the series, I jumped at the chance to be even a small part of it. Matt and Chad’s scripts create a perfect blend of thrills, snarky fun, and relationship drama. When I saw Skylar’s art, I was stunned. Relics is the next great series from Vault, and I can’t wait for readers to come along for the ride.”
“As a comic fan-turned creator, it has been a rewarding experience developing this comic with the likes of Vault Comics – who I have been a fan of since their inception,” said Nicholas. “Chad, Skylar and I couldn’t have found a better team to help us shape this property into a series we know everyone will love as much as we do.”
“It’s been such an amazing experience to be working with Adrian, David and the entire Vault crew this past year,” added Rebmann. “Relics of Youth has been a passion project for both me and Matt and watching Skylar Partridge bring this magical world to life with her stunning art has been a real treat.”
Relics of Youth #1 hits shelves September 25 and will feature a cover by Partridge as well as a Vault Vintage cover by Nathan Gooden and Tim Daniel. The Vault Vintage cover is an homage to Wes Craig’s cover for Deadly Class #1, the series he co-created with Rick Remender.
Relics of Youth
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Deanna Destito is a writer and editor based in New Jersey. When she is not writing about comics or scripting her own stories, she's watching the lowest budget horror movies available.
Treasury of British Comics 2020 lineup packs a vintage punch
EXCLUSIVE: Retailer demand sparks THE MAN WHO F#%&ED UP TIME #1 overprint
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Remington College launches new culinary program with 'Housewives' star Kathy Wakile
Remington College is offering a new culinary degree program in Memphis, designed by 'The Housewives of New Jersey' star Kathy Wakile.
Remington College launches new culinary program with 'Housewives' star Kathy Wakile Remington College is offering a new culinary degree program in Memphis, designed by 'The Housewives of New Jersey' star Kathy Wakile. Check out this story on commercialappeal.com: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/dining/2019/02/11/kathy-wakile-housewives-remington-college-culinary-degree/2797473002/
Jennifer Chandler, Memphis Commercial Appeal Published 8:54 a.m. CT Feb. 11, 2019
When the students of Remington College’s new Culinary Skills Essentials diploma program arrive Monday morning, they will be setting foot into a brand new state-of-the-art facility.
Remington College is offering a new culinary program for their Memphis campus and they have spared no expense on the new training facilities.
All the equipment is brand new. The bakery lab is outfitted with two Blodgett double convection ovens, a proof box, Boos Block workstations, cherry red Kitchen Aid stand mixers and Globe induction burners. The savory kitchen has a 10-burner Southbend gas range, a fryer and a Wells charbroiler grill. Equipment one would find in a professional restaurant kitchen.
Kathy Wakile, known for her role in "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," stands in the kitchen of a new culinary facility at Remington College in Memphis. Wakile and the college have teamed up for a culinary degree program. (Photo: Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal)
The program is also a new offering to the nationwide nonprofit college.
Culinary Skills Essentials diploma students at the Memphis campus will be the first to experience the new culinary program "Remington College presents Kathy Wakile's Real Culinary Kitchen" as part of the college's Culinary Training Center.
A best-selling author and restaurateur, Wakile was one of the stars of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." She made a splash in the culinary world by drawing on her experience growing up in an Italian-American home surrounded by fresh, delicious home cooked meals and baked goods.
"At Remington College, we aim to help our students learn from the best experts in their fields," said Remington College President Pam Bell. "Kathy Wakile has built upon her cooking passions into a successful business. This is an incredible opportunity for our students to learn hands-on skills from her, and we're thrilled for this partnership."
Mixers line the cutting board tables in the kitchen of a new culinary facility at Remington College where Kathy Wakile, known for her role in "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," has partnered with the school for a culinary degree program. (Photo: Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal)
The Culinary Skills Essentials program provides students training in how to work in a kitchen, as well as in restaurant management, nutrition, event planning and small business management. It is meant to prepare students for a number of positions in the food service industry.
“After graduating, our students will be able to get started right away in the food service industry with entry-level jobs as line cooks, bakers and caterers. This program is a stepping stone into these positions,” explained Heather McIver, the college’s senior vice president of institutional innovation.
Wakile added, “Our students will learn the basics to enter and be successful in the food world.”
► Keep up with what's happening in Memphis: Get The CA app
The four-day-a-week program is designed with working students in mind. Instruction is comprised of hands-on bakery and savory kitchen classes, as well as an online theory component that students can take at home. Both day and night classes are offered. Students will also staff an in-school bakery café that will service the 450 students of the Memphis campus.
Wakile designed the program in tandem with Bell and the Memphis program chair Luahn Thomas. Thomas and other local chefs will teach the day-to-day classes. Wakile, who lives in New Jersey, said she hopes to visit often.
Remington College begins lessons for its inaugural culinary class on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 in a partnership with Kathy Wakile, known for her role in "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." (Photo: Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal)
The eight-month diploma program is one of the only professional culinary programs currently in Memphis.
On Monday, the program starts with 37 slots filled of its 40-student capacity.
“One of the things that is unique about our program is that we have rolling enrollment,” said Wakile. Each month, new students can join the program.
Wakile gained fame in 2011 when she joined the cast of Bravo’s reality TV show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” She started in Season 3 and stayed on the show through Season 7.
She credits the show with helping her launch her culinary career. “When you showcase what you do in your everyday life, gifts and skills that you take for granted are noticed by others. The show highlighted my gifts for cooking and entertaining, and that has become my next chapter.”
In the future, Remington College hopes to expand the culinary program to its other campuses across the country. Associate degree programs in culinary management and restaurant management will be added to the curriculum of the Memphis campus later this year.
For more information, visit remingtoncollege.edu.
More Memphis food news
► Long-awaited Midtown Donuts opens on Union Avenue
► Chicken Salad Chick opening third Memphis-area store
► Elwood's Shells brings New Orleans-style Gulf seafood to midtown
Read or Share this story: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/dining/2019/02/11/kathy-wakile-housewives-remington-college-culinary-degree/2797473002/
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Home > Legislation > 101st Congress > H.J.Res.131
H.J.Res.131 - To designate May 25, 1989, as "National Tap Dance Day".101st Congress (1989-1990)
Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-1] (Introduced 02/07/1989)
House - Post Office and Civil Service | Senate - Judiciary
11/08/1989 Became Public Law No: 101-143. (All Actions)
Array ( [actionDate] => 1989-10-26 [displayText] => Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Biden without amendment and with a preamble. Without written report. [externalActionCode] => 14000 [description] => Introduced )
Array ( [actionDate] => 1989-10-27 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote. [externalActionCode] => 17000 [description] => Passed Senate )
Cosponsors: H.J.Res.131 — 101st Congress (1989-1990)All Information (Except Text)
Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-1] | Cosponsor statistics: 159 current - includes 24 original
Rep. Horton, Frank J. [R-NY-29]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Carr, Bob [D-MI-6]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Dellums, Ronald V. [D-CA-8]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Leach, James A. [R-IA-1]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Foley, Thomas S. [D-WA-5]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Hawkins, Augustus F. [D-CA-29]* 02/07/1989
Rep. de Lugo, Ron [D-VI-At Large]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Fauntroy, Walter E. [D-DC-At Large]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Owens, Major R. [D-NY-12]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Collins, Cardiss [D-IL-7]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Lancaster, H. Martin [D-NC-3]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Espy, Mike [D-MS-2]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-11]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Leland, Mickey [D-TX-18]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-16]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Lipinski, William O. [D-IL-5]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Lewis, John [D-GA-5]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Dymally, Mervyn M. [D-CA-31]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Hayes, Charles A. [D-IL-1]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Martinez, Matthew G. [D-CA-30]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Levin, Sander M. [D-MI-17]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Stokes, Louis [D-OH-21]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Jones, Ben [D-GA-4]* 02/07/1989
Rep. Flake, Floyd H. [D-NY-6] 02/21/1989
Rep. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA-6] 02/21/1989
Rep. Smith, Lawrence [D-FL-16] 02/21/1989
Rep. Fazio, Vic [D-CA-4] 02/21/1989
Rep. Traxler, Bob [D-MI-8] 02/21/1989
Rep. Crockett, George W., Jr. [D-MI-13] 02/21/1989
Rep. Dixon, Julian C. [D-CA-28] 02/21/1989
Rep. Weiss, Ted [D-NY-17] 02/27/1989
Rep. Moody, Jim [D-WI-5] 02/27/1989
Rep. Hatcher, Charles [D-GA-2] 02/27/1989
Rep. Lent, Norman F. [R-NY-4] 02/27/1989
Rep. Kennelly, Barbara B. [D-CT-1] 02/27/1989
Rep. Hayes, James A. [D-LA-7] 02/27/1989
Rep. Jones, Walter B. [D-NC-1] 02/27/1989
Rep. Patterson, Elizabeth [D-SC-4] 02/27/1989
Rep. Donnelly, Brian J. [D-MA-11] 03/06/1989
Rep. Lagomarsino, Robert J. [R-CA-19] 03/06/1989
Rep. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY-10] 03/06/1989
Rep. Wolpe, Howard E. [D-MI-3] 03/06/1989
Rep. Ravenel, Arthur, Jr. [R-SC-1] 03/06/1989
Rep. Ford, William D. [D-MI-15] 03/06/1989
Rep. Lehman, William [D-FL-17] 03/14/1989
Rep. Richardson, Bill [D-NM-3] 03/14/1989
Rep. Cheney, Dick [R-WY-At Large] 03/14/1989
Rep. Tallon, Robert M. (Robin) [D-SC-6] 03/14/1989
Rep. Kostmayer, Peter H. [D-PA-8] 03/14/1989
Rep. Moakley, John Joseph [D-MA-9] 03/14/1989
Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-NY-18] 03/14/1989
Rep. Murphy, Austin J. [D-PA-22] 03/14/1989
Rep. Green, S. William [R-NY-15] 03/14/1989
Rep. Manton, Thomas J. [D-NY-9] 03/14/1989
Rep. Pickle, J. J. [D-TX-10] 03/14/1989
Rep. Young, C. W. Bill [R-FL-8] 03/14/1989
Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10] 03/20/1989
Rep. Darden, George (Buddy) [D-GA-7] 03/20/1989
Rep. Rose, Charlie [D-NC-7] 03/20/1989
Rep. Morrison, Sid [R-WA-4] 04/10/1989
Rep. Moorhead, Carlos J. [R-CA-22] 04/10/1989
Rep. Morrison, Bruce A. [D-CT-3] 04/10/1989
Rep. Fuster, Jamie B. [D-PR-At Large] 04/26/1989
Rep. Shaw, E. Clay, Jr. [R-FL-15] 04/26/1989
Rep. Luken, Thomas A. [D-OH-1] 04/26/1989
Rep. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD-3] 04/26/1989
Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-19] 04/26/1989
Rep. Savage, Gus [D-IL-2] 04/26/1989
Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] 05/03/1989
Rep. Brooks, Jack B. [D-TX-9] 05/03/1989
Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8] 05/03/1989
Rep. Gray, William H., III [D-PA-2] 05/03/1989
Rep. Wheat, Alan [D-MO-5] 05/03/1989
Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., II [D-MA-8] 05/03/1989
Rep. Pelosi, Nancy [D-CA-5] 05/03/1989
Rep. Hutto, Earl [D-FL-1] 05/09/1989
Rep. Guarini, Frank J. [D-NJ-14] 05/09/1989
Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-24] 05/09/1989
Rep. Clay, William (Bill) [D-MO-1] 05/16/1989
Rep. Clement, Bob [D-TN-5] 05/16/1989
Rep. Atkins, Chester G. [D-MA-5] 05/16/1989
Rep. Bates, Jim [D-CA-44] 05/16/1989
Rep. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE-At Large] 05/16/1989
Rep. DeLay, Tom [R-TX-22] 05/16/1989
Rep. Fields, Jack [R-TX-8] 05/16/1989
Rep. Grandy, Fred [R-IA-6] 05/16/1989
Rep. Mineta, Norman Y. [D-CA-13] 05/16/1989
Rep. Hancock, Mel [R-MO-7] 05/16/1989
Rep. Lantos, Tom [D-CA-11] 05/16/1989
Rep. McEwen, Bob [R-OH-6] 05/16/1989
Rep. Madigan, Edward R. [R-IL-15] 05/16/1989
Rep. Meyers, Jan [R-KS-3] 05/16/1989
Rep. Sabo, Martin Olav [D-MN-5] 05/16/1989
Rep. de la Garza, E. [D-TX-15] 05/16/1989
Rep. Stallings, Richard H. [D-ID-2] 05/17/1989
Rep. Walgren, Doug [D-PA-18] 05/17/1989
Rep. Tauke, Thomas Joseph [R-IA-2] 05/17/1989
Rep. Gonzalez, Henry B. [D-TX-20] 05/22/1989
Rep. Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-26] 05/23/1989
Rep. Boucher, Rick [D-VA-9] 05/23/1989
Rep. Kildee, Dale E. [D-MI-7] 05/23/1989
Rep. Broomfield, William S. [R-MI-18] 05/23/1989
Rep. Ford, Harold E. [D-TN-9] 05/23/1989
Rep. Florio, James J. [D-NJ-1] 05/23/1989
Rep. Smith, Larkin [R-MS-5] 05/23/1989
Rep. Coelho, Anthony Lee [D-CA-15] 05/24/1989
Rep. Bennett, Charles E. [D-FL-3] 05/24/1989
Rep. Oakar, Mary Rose [D-OH-20] 05/24/1989
Rep. McNulty, Michael R. [D-NY-23] 05/24/1989
Rep. Tauzin, W. J. (Billy) [D-LA-3] 05/24/1989
Rep. Neal, Stephen L. [D-NC-5] 05/24/1989
Rep. Alexander, Bill [D-AR-1] 05/24/1989
Rep. Frank, Barney [D-MA-4] 05/24/1989
Rep. Boggs, Corinne C. (Lindy) [D-LA-2] 05/24/1989
Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-7] 05/24/1989
Rep. Pursell, Carl D. [R-MI-2] 05/24/1989
Rep. Gejdenson, Sam [D-CT-2] 05/24/1989
Rep. Edwards, Don [D-CA-10] 05/24/1989
Rep. Gilman, Benjamin A. [R-NY-22] 05/24/1989
Rep. Sawyer, Tom [D-OH-14] 05/25/1989
Rep. Hughes, William J. [D-NJ-2] 05/25/1989
Rep. Synar, Mike [D-OK-2] 05/25/1989
Rep. Sangmeister, George E. [D-IL-4] 05/25/1989
Rep. Hyde, Henry J. [R-IL-6] 05/25/1989
Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large] 05/25/1989
Rep. Solarz, Stephen J. [D-NY-13] 05/25/1989
Rep. Bosco, Douglas H. [D-CA-1] 05/25/1989
Rep. Martin, David O'B. [R-NY-26] 05/25/1989
Rep. Davis, Robert W. [R-MI-11] 05/25/1989
Rep. Quillen, James H. (Jimmy) [R-TN-1] 05/25/1989
Rep. Applegate, Douglas [D-OH-18] 05/25/1989
Rep. McCollum, Bill [R-FL-5] 05/25/1989
Rep. Levine, Mel [D-CA-27] 05/25/1989
Rep. Solomon, Gerald B. H. [R-NY-24] 05/25/1989
Rep. Roe, Robert A. [D-NJ-8] 05/25/1989
Rep. Shays, Christopher [R-CT-4] 05/25/1989
Rep. Bonior, David E. [D-MI-12] 05/25/1989
Rep. Bentley, Helen Delich [R-MD-2] 05/25/1989
Rep. Kanjorski, Paul E. [D-PA-11] 05/25/1989
Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-32] 05/25/1989
Rep. Wilson, Charles [D-TX-2] 05/25/1989
Rep. Barnard, Doug, Jr. [D-GA-10] 05/25/1989
Rep. Jenkins, Edgar L. [D-GA-9] 05/25/1989
Rep. Wylie, Chalmers P. [R-OH-15] 05/25/1989
Rep. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI-2] 05/25/1989
Rep. Pepper, Claude [D-FL-18] 05/25/1989
Rep. Bruce, Terry L. [D-IL-19] 05/25/1989
Rep. Costello, Jerry F. [D-IL-21] 05/25/1989
Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7] 05/25/1989
Rep. Ortiz, Solomon P. [D-TX-27] 05/25/1989
Rep. Martin, Lynn M. [R-IL-16] 05/25/1989
Rep. Frost, Martin [D-TX-24] 05/25/1989
Rep. Owens, Wayne [D-UT-2] 05/25/1989
Rep. Hamilton, Lee H. [D-IN-9] 05/25/1989
Rep. Staggers, Harley O., Jr. [D-WV-2] 05/25/1989
Rep. DeWine, Mike [R-OH-7] 05/25/1989
Rep. Udall, Morris K. [D-AZ-2] 05/25/1989
02/07/1989 - Rep. Horton, Frank J. [R-NY-29]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Carr, Bob [D-MI-6]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Dellums, Ronald V. [D-CA-8]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Leach, James A. [R-IA-1]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Foley, Thomas S. [D-WA-5]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Hawkins, Augustus F. [D-CA-29]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. de Lugo, Ron [D-VI-At Large]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Fauntroy, Walter E. [D-DC-At Large]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Owens, Major R. [D-NY-12]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Collins, Cardiss [D-IL-7]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Lancaster, H. Martin [D-NC-3]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Espy, Mike [D-MS-2]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-11]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Leland, Mickey [D-TX-18]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-16]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Lipinski, William O. [D-IL-5]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Lewis, John [D-GA-5]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Dymally, Mervyn M. [D-CA-31]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Hayes, Charles A. [D-IL-1]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Martinez, Matthew G. [D-CA-30]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Levin, Sander M. [D-MI-17]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Stokes, Louis [D-OH-21]*
02/07/1989 - Rep. Jones, Ben [D-GA-4]*
02/21/1989 - Rep. Flake, Floyd H. [D-NY-6]
02/21/1989 - Rep. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA-6]
02/21/1989 - Rep. Smith, Lawrence [D-FL-16]
02/21/1989 - Rep. Fazio, Vic [D-CA-4]
02/21/1989 - Rep. Traxler, Bob [D-MI-8]
02/21/1989 - Rep. Crockett, George W., Jr. [D-MI-13]
02/21/1989 - Rep. Dixon, Julian C. [D-CA-28]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Weiss, Ted [D-NY-17]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Moody, Jim [D-WI-5]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Hatcher, Charles [D-GA-2]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Lent, Norman F. [R-NY-4]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Kennelly, Barbara B. [D-CT-1]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Hayes, James A. [D-LA-7]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Jones, Walter B. [D-NC-1]
02/27/1989 - Rep. Patterson, Elizabeth [D-SC-4]
03/06/1989 - Rep. Donnelly, Brian J. [D-MA-11]
03/06/1989 - Rep. Lagomarsino, Robert J. [R-CA-19]
03/06/1989 - Rep. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY-10]
03/06/1989 - Rep. Wolpe, Howard E. [D-MI-3]
03/06/1989 - Rep. Ravenel, Arthur, Jr. [R-SC-1]
03/06/1989 - Rep. Ford, William D. [D-MI-15]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Lehman, William [D-FL-17]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Richardson, Bill [D-NM-3]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Cheney, Dick [R-WY-At Large]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Tallon, Robert M. (Robin) [D-SC-6]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Kostmayer, Peter H. [D-PA-8]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Moakley, John Joseph [D-MA-9]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-NY-18]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Murphy, Austin J. [D-PA-22]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Green, S. William [R-NY-15]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Manton, Thomas J. [D-NY-9]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Pickle, J. J. [D-TX-10]
03/14/1989 - Rep. Young, C. W. Bill [R-FL-8]
03/20/1989 - Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10]
03/20/1989 - Rep. Darden, George (Buddy) [D-GA-7]
03/20/1989 - Rep. Rose, Charlie [D-NC-7]
04/10/1989 - Rep. Morrison, Sid [R-WA-4]
04/10/1989 - Rep. Moorhead, Carlos J. [R-CA-22]
04/10/1989 - Rep. Morrison, Bruce A. [D-CT-3]
04/26/1989 - Rep. Fuster, Jamie B. [D-PR-At Large]
04/26/1989 - Rep. Shaw, E. Clay, Jr. [R-FL-15]
04/26/1989 - Rep. Luken, Thomas A. [D-OH-1]
04/26/1989 - Rep. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD-3]
04/26/1989 - Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-19]
04/26/1989 - Rep. Savage, Gus [D-IL-2]
05/03/1989 - Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21]
05/03/1989 - Rep. Brooks, Jack B. [D-TX-9]
05/03/1989 - Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8]
05/03/1989 - Rep. Gray, William H., III [D-PA-2]
05/03/1989 - Rep. Wheat, Alan [D-MO-5]
05/03/1989 - Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., II [D-MA-8]
05/03/1989 - Rep. Pelosi, Nancy [D-CA-5]
05/09/1989 - Rep. Hutto, Earl [D-FL-1]
05/09/1989 - Rep. Guarini, Frank J. [D-NJ-14]
05/09/1989 - Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-24]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Clay, William (Bill) [D-MO-1]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Clement, Bob [D-TN-5]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Atkins, Chester G. [D-MA-5]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Bates, Jim [D-CA-44]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE-At Large]
05/16/1989 - Rep. DeLay, Tom [R-TX-22]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Fields, Jack [R-TX-8]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Grandy, Fred [R-IA-6]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Mineta, Norman Y. [D-CA-13]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Hancock, Mel [R-MO-7]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Lantos, Tom [D-CA-11]
05/16/1989 - Rep. McEwen, Bob [R-OH-6]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Madigan, Edward R. [R-IL-15]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Meyers, Jan [R-KS-3]
05/16/1989 - Rep. Sabo, Martin Olav [D-MN-5]
05/16/1989 - Rep. de la Garza, E. [D-TX-15]
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05/25/1989 - Rep. Sangmeister, George E. [D-IL-4]
05/25/1989 - Rep. Hyde, Henry J. [R-IL-6]
05/25/1989 - Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
05/25/1989 - Rep. Solarz, Stephen J. [D-NY-13]
05/25/1989 - Rep. Bosco, Douglas H. [D-CA-1]
05/25/1989 - Rep. Martin, David O'B. [R-NY-26]
05/25/1989 - Rep. Davis, Robert W. [R-MI-11]
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05/25/1989 - Rep. Staggers, Harley O., Jr. [D-WV-2]
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05/25/1989 - Rep. Udall, Morris K. [D-AZ-2]
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Home > Members > Representative Stephen Lee Fincher
Representative Stephen Lee Fincher (1973 - )In Congress 2011 - 2017
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
Tennessee 8 House: 112th-114th (2011-2017)
Legislation Sponsored or Cosponsored by Stephen Lee Fincher
1. H.R.6527 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) SADD Act of 2016 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 12/12/2016) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 12/22/2016 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker:
2. H.R.4285 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Prevent Terrorism from Entering our Prisons Act of 2015 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 12/17/2015) Cosponsors: (3) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 01/15/2016 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker:
3. H.R.4252 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2015 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 12/15/2015) Cosponsors: (2) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs Latest Action: House - 12/16/2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. (All Actions) Tracker:
4. H.R.4189 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Stop Funding for Terrorism Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 12/08/2015) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs; Rules Latest Action: House - 12/08/2015 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (All Actions) Tracker:
5. H.R.3611 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/25/2015) Cosponsors: (48) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 09/25/2015 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
6. H.R.2998 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) CLAIM Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 07/09/2015) Cosponsors: (11) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 07/09/2015 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
7. H.R.2769 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Risk-Based Capital Study Act of 2015 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 06/15/2015) Cosponsors: (16) Committees: House - Financial Services Committee Reports: H. Rept. 114-869 Latest Action: House - 12/12/2016 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 679. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2016-12-12 [displayText] => Reported by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 114-869. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
8. H.R.2475 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Stability for Service Members Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 05/20/2015) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs Latest Action: House - 06/05/2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. (All Actions) Tracker:
9. H.R.2064 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Improving Access to Capital for Emerging Growth Companies Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 04/28/2015) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Financial Services | Senate - Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Reports: H. Rept. 114-203 Latest Action: Senate - 07/15/2015 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2015-07-14 [displayText] => Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 114-203. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
10. H.R.1954 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Energize Emerging Opportunities Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 04/22/2015) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Agriculture Latest Action: House - 04/22/2015 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker:
11. H.R.1659 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Improving Access to Capital for Emerging Growth Companies Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 03/26/2015) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 03/26/2015 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
12. H.R.650 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act of 2015 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 02/02/2015) Cosponsors: (43) Committees: House - Financial Services | Senate - Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Reports: H. Rept. 114-53 Latest Action: Senate - 04/15/2015 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2015-04-06 [displayText] => Reported by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 114-53. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2015-04-14 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 263 - 162 (Roll no. 151).(text: CR H2178) [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Passed House )
13. H.R.597 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 01/28/2015) Cosponsors: (61) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: Senate - 10/29/2015 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 282. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2015-10-27 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 313 - 118 (Roll no. 576).(text: CR H7217-7219) [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Passed House )
14. H.Res.450 — 114th Congress (2015-2016) Providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 597) to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/30/2015) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Rules Latest Action: House - 10/27/2015 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. (All Actions) Notes: On 10/9/2015, a motion was filed to discharge the Committee on Rules from the consideration of H.Res.450 a resolution providing for consideration of H.R.597. A discharge petition requires 218 signatures for further action. (Discharge Petition No. 114-2: text with signatures.) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2015-10-27 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 275 - 154 (Roll no. 573). [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Agreed to in House )
15. H.R.5798 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Stability for Service Members Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 12/04/2014) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs Latest Action: House - 12/23/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see S.3008, which became Public Law 113-286 on 12/18/2014. Tracker:
16. H.R.4789 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the deduction for State and local general sales taxes permanent. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 05/30/2014) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 05/30/2014 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. (All Actions) Tracker:
17. H.R.4764 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Verify It Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 05/29/2014) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Ways and Means; Judiciary Latest Action: House - 07/21/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. (All Actions) Tracker:
18. H.R.4728 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Certify It Act of 2014 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 05/22/2014) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Ways and Means; Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Natural Resources; House Administration; Rules; Appropriations Latest Action: House - 05/30/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee Indian and Alaska Native Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker:
19. H.R.4392 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Energize Emerging Opportunities Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 04/03/2014) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Agriculture Latest Action: House - 04/22/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. (All Actions) Tracker:
20. H.R.3623 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Improving Access to Capital for Emerging Growth Companies Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 11/22/2013) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 03/14/2014 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 56 - 0. (All Actions) Tracker:
21. H.R.3409 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Limitation Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 10/30/2013) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Natural Resources Latest Action: House - 07/23/2014 Subcommittee Hearings Held. (All Actions) Tracker:
22. H.R.3126 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Healthcare Fairness Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/18/2013) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - House Administration Latest Action: House - 09/18/2013 Referred to the House Committee on House Administration. (All Actions) Tracker:
23. H.R.3074 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) IRS Abuse Protection Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/10/2013) Cosponsors: (5) Committees: House - Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 09/10/2013 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. (All Actions) Tracker:
24. H.R.3021 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) IRS Employee Responsibility Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 08/02/2013) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 09/13/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. (All Actions) Tracker:
25. H.R.2156 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) CLAIM Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 05/23/2013) Cosponsors: (9) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 05/23/2013 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
26. H.R.1779 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 04/26/2013) Cosponsors: (114) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 05/22/2014 Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote. (All Actions) Tracker:
27. H.R.1341 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Financial Competitive Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 03/21/2013) Cosponsors: (4) Committees: House - Financial Services; Agriculture | Senate - Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Reports: H. Rept. 113-134 Latest Action: Senate - 07/09/2013 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2013-06-28 [displayText] => Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 113-134, Part I. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2013-07-08 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 353 - 24 (Roll no. 305).(text: CR H4181) [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Passed House )
28. H.R.1287 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Sound Science Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 03/20/2013) Cosponsors: (11) Committees: House - Oversight and Government Reform Latest Action: House - 03/20/2013 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (All Actions) Tracker:
29. H.R.1221 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Basel III Capital Impact Study Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 03/15/2013) Cosponsors: (4) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 03/15/2013 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
30. H.R.909 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Welfare Integrity Act of 2013 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 02/28/2013) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 03/04/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources. (All Actions) Tracker:
31. H.Res.637 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of the Navy should name an appropriate Navy ship in honor of Marine Corps General Clifton B. Cates of Tiptonville, Tennessee. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 06/23/2014) Cosponsors: (7) Committees: House - Armed Services Latest Action: House - 06/23/2014 Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
32. H.Res.206 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress and the States should investigate and correct abusive, unsanitary, and illegal abortion practices. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 05/08/2013) Cosponsors: (6) Committees: House - Judiciary; Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 06/14/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. (All Actions) Tracker:
33. H.R.6694 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) To amend the definition of mortgage originator under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to include certain employees of a retailer of manufactured homes. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 12/20/2012) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: 12/21/2012 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1987-1988) (All Actions) Tracker:
34. H.R.6415 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Claims Licensing Advancement for Interstate Matters Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/14/2012) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 10/01/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity. (All Actions) Tracker:
35. H.R.3849 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 01/31/2012) Cosponsors: (43) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 02/09/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. (All Actions) Tracker:
36. H.R.3606 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Jumpstart Our Business Startups Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 12/08/2011) Cosponsors: (53) Committees: House - Financial Services Committee Reports: H. Rept. 112-406; H. Rept. 112-406,Part 2 Latest Action: 04/05/2012 Became Public Law No: 112-106. (TXT | PDF) (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2012-03-06 [displayText] => Supplemental report filed by the Committee on Financial Services, H. Rept. 112-406, Part II. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2012-03-08 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 390 - 23 (Roll no. 110). [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Passed House )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2012-03-22 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 73 - 26. Record Vote Number: 55. [externalActionCode] => 17000 [description] => Passed Senate )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2012-03-27 [displayText] => Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 380 - 41 (Roll no. 132).(text as House agreed to Senate amendment: CR H1586-1588) [externalActionCode] => 19500 [description] => Resolving Differences )
37. H.R.3213 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Small Company Job Growth and Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 10/14/2011) Cosponsors: (21) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 11/21/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises. (All Actions) Tracker:
38. H.R.3193 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Welfare Integrity Act of 2011 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 10/13/2011) Cosponsors: (7) Committees: House - Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 10/17/2011 Referred for a period ending not later than October 17, 2011, (or for a later time if the Chairman so designates) to the Subcommittee on Human Resources, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee concerned. (All Actions) Tracker:
39. H.R.2892 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Invest in America Act of 2011 Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/12/2011) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Ways and Means Latest Action: 09/13/2011 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H6104) (All Actions) Tracker:
40. H.R.2891 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) America's Energy Independence Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/12/2011) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 09/20/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power. (All Actions) Tracker:
41. H.R.2175 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Regulatory Balance Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 06/14/2011) Cosponsors: (0) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Agriculture; Transportation and Infrastructure Latest Action: House - 06/27/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Credit. (All Actions) Tracker:
42. H.R.2031 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Expediting Agriculture Through Science Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 05/26/2011) Cosponsors: (2) Committees: House - Agriculture Latest Action: House - 06/08/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker:
43. H.R.1607 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Creating Real Opportunities for Prosperity (CROP) Act Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 04/15/2011) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Agriculture Latest Action: House - 05/11/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Credit. (All Actions) Tracker:
44. H.R.1264 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) To designate the property between the United States Federal Courthouse and the Ed Jones Building located at 109 South Highland Avenue in Jackson, Tennessee, as the "M.D. Anderson Plaza" and to authorize the placement of a historical/identification marker on the grounds recognizing the achievements and philanthropy of M.D. Anderson. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 03/30/2011) Cosponsors: (3) Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Reports: H. Rept. 112-325 Latest Action: 01/03/2012 Became Public Law No: 112-85. (TXT | PDF) (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2011-12-12 [displayText] => Reported by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 112-325. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2011-12-14 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 418 - 1 (Roll no. 930).(text: CR 12/12/2011 H8343) [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Passed House )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2012-01-03 [displayText] => Became Public Law No: 112-85. [externalActionCode] => 36000 [description] => Became Law )
45. H.Res.789 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Reaffirming the importance of religion in the lives of United States citizens and their freedom to exercise those beliefs peacefully. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 09/19/2012) Cosponsors: (3) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 10/02/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution. (All Actions) Tracker:
46. H.Res.98 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Expressing the Sense of the House of Representatives that the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration should give the greatest weight in making critical policy decisions to readily available hard science data, including evidence from the natural sciences, physical sciences, and computing sciences. Sponsor: Rep. Fincher, Stephen Lee [R-TN-8] (Introduced 02/17/2011) Cosponsors: (54) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 02/28/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. (All Actions) Tracker:
Sponsored Legislation Remove
114 (2015-2016) [14]
Bills (H.R. or S.) [41]
Resolutions (H.Res. or S.Res.) [5]
Committee Consideration [10]
Resolving Differences [1]
Finance and Financial Sector [11]
Housing and Community Development [4]
Emergency Management [2]
Congress [1]
Environmental Protection [1]
Public Lands and Natural Resources [1]
Financial Services [17]
Rules [3]
Natural Resources [2]
Appropriations [1]
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs [4]
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Madeleine McCann prime suspect named as 'known paedophile' by cops
The suspect has previously been investigated over paedophile cases – but not Madeleine’s disappearance.
Martin Fricker
A known paedophile has been named by UK police as the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, it was claimed yesterday.
Portuguese officers are said to be “nearer” to cracking the case after British officers tipped them off about a “foreign man” who was prowling the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz when the three-year-old vanished on May 3, 2007.
It was reported that the suspect has previously been investigated over paedophile cases – but not Madeleine’s disappearance.
Respected news website Expresso said the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) are now investigating his movements.
Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007 (Image: PA)
Duncan Bannatyne says Madeleine McCann cops should not be given more taxpayer’s money for search
The suspect’s name and nationality remain a secret. It’s not clear if his whereabouts are known or even if he is still alive.
Expresso, citing a Portuguese judicial source, claimed Scotland Yard “recently” sent the tip to police in Porto.
It added: “According to the source, it relates to a complaint made about a foreigner who was in Portugal in May 2007.
“The suspect is no stranger to Portuguese police. At the time, the PJ investigated him on suspicion of being involved in cases of paedophilia.
"But in light of the information coming from London, the investigators are looking into this case in more detail.”
The source told the website: “This is a line of investigation that is still open. Like others.”
Kate and Gerry McCann are still searching for their missing daughter (Image: Daily Mirror)
Both the Policia Judiciaria and Scotland Yard refused to comment on the development, first revealed in Portugal’s Correio da Manha. The newspaper reported: “Police are following new Maddie kidnap clues. More inspectors are advancing with an investigation into a new suspect.
“A new clue and a new suspect, which the PJ are trying to keep an absolute secret, has led to new resources being put in place to investigate the little girl’s whereabouts.”
The paper claimed police “admit to being nearer to knowing what happened to Madeleine”.
It also reported that prosecutors have “sealed” the fresh secret information because it is an “active line of investigation”.
Portuguese detectives are said to have already spoken to witnesses who could help in connection with the new lead.
Police still insist that finding Madeleine is their priority.
She disappeared from the family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz days before her fourth birthday.
Her parents, Kate and Gerry, left her alone with her younger twin siblings while they ate in a nearby tapas bar with friends.
The Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz where Madeleine McCann went missing (Image: Daily Mirror)
Madeleine McCann cops have 'new kidnap suspect' on 12th anniversary of disappearance
Madeleine’s kidnapping from the Ocean Club was the subject of a recent Netflix documentary. One possible suspect in the abduction is a predator who was active in the Praia da Luz area in 2007.
It was previously reported that he entered properties rented by British holidaymakers, including families with young children.
In one case, a girl woke up and asked: “Is that you, daddy?”
The intruder replied in a foreign accent: “Yes.”
Scotland Yard has a small team still working on Operation Grange, which was launched in 2013.
Last month, it asked the Home Office for extra funding so it can continue the probe for another six months.
More than 60 persons of interest have been investigated as possible suspects.
Top news stories today
Wife banned from visiting Scots husband
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Environment#Do1Thing: Express staff pledge to play their part by making one small changeClimate change is everybody's issue and there are lots of things we can all do to help
Coatbridge NewsCoatbridge students to host music event in GlasgowAnnual conference to help people looking to get into the industry
Big BrotherKilmarnock estate branded a 'pigsty' as residents plead for changeOne man believes that Onthank has been neglected.
Scottish PremiershipHearts squad revealed for Ross County clash as Donis Avdijaj prepares to make his debutDaniel Stendel has key players missing though for the trip to Dingwall.
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Frederic Franklin in Valerie Bettis' A Streetcar Named Desire (1952). Photo courtesy DM Archives
#tbt: Our 10 Favorite Frederic Franklin Photos from the DM Archives
In the June 1974 issue of Dance Magazine, our cover subject was the endlessly charming Frederic Franklin, then 60 years old. After declaring at the age of 4 that he was "going to be in the theater," the Liverpool-born dancer spent a lifetime doing exactly that.
He had his professional debut at 17, bouncing between cabarets, music revues and corps de ballet work before landing first with the Markova-Dolin Ballet and then the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where he formed a famed partnership with Alexandra Danilova. His work as a ballet master and director at companies across the U.S. (notably at Cincinnati Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem and the now-defunct National Ballet) left an indelible mark on the development of American ballet. "I believe that talent is like a piece of elastic," he told us. "One has to stretch it. And we must always return to our roots, not simply to the barre every morning, but to the true spirit of the dance—to the magical aspect of theater. That magic exists in all great dancers and they sustain each other, with this wisdom and genius." The beloved teacher and performer continued to appear in character roles until the age of 95.
Constantine, Courtesy DM Archives
Alexandra Danilova and Franklin
Why Alexandra Danilova Could Never Pick a Favorite Role - Dance ... ›
Frederic Franklin CBE | Cincinnati Ballet ›
Alexandra Danilova & Frederic Franklin: Gaité Parisienne - Jacob's ... ›
Frederic Franklin obituary | Stage | The Guardian ›
Frederic Franklin - Wikipedia ›
Frederic Franklin - American Ballet Theatre ›
Frederic Franklin, Inventive Ballet Star, Dies at 98 - The New York ... ›
frederic franklin alexandra danilova maria tallchief ballet russe de monte carlo cincinnati ballet dance theatre of harlem
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“King Richard” Casts Its Venus & Serena
Friday, January 10th 2020 5:58 pm
Saniyya Sidney (“Fences”) and Demi Singleton (“Godfather of Harlem”) have respectively been cast as young Venus and Serena Williams in the biopic “King Richard” at Warner Bros. Pictures.
In addition, Aunjanue Ellis (“When They See Us”) has joined the film as Oracene Price (aka. Brandy Williams), the mother of the two girls who divorced their father in 2002.
The true story film follows Richard (Will Smith) the hardscrabble but iron-willed father of Venus and Serena Williams who had a plan to make his daughters the greatest tennis players in the world. This is how he pulled it off.
Reinaldo Marcus Green directs from a script by Zach Baylin. The Williams sisters have won a total of 30 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals collectively.
“King Richard” will open in cinemas on November 25th.
Source: Deadline
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Dark Reading Staff
British Airways Breach Linked to Ticketmaster Breach Attackers
Magecart attackers hit airline with the same "digital skimmers" they used on the entertainment company in June, researchers say.
The British Airways data breach revealed last week, which exposed the personal data of approximately 380,000 customers, was committed by Magecart, the same group responsible for Ticketmaster's June breach that affected 40,000 customers, according to researchers at RiskIQ.
Researchers suspected Magecart because they noticed that the airline's reports about the attack indicated that customers' credit card data and personal information had been stolen directly from payment forms via the website and mobile app.
Magecart uses "digital skimmers," which inject scripts to steal payment card information from payment forms, much like a physical credit card skimmer. They used this technology recently in the Ticketmaster compromise.
The attackers set up a highly customized infrastructure for the campaign against British Airways, which indicated to RiskIQ researchers that Magecart may have had extensive access to the British Airways servers, and long before the actual data theft began. "While we can never know how much reach the attackers had on the British Airways servers, the fact that they were able to modify a resource for the site tells us the access was substantial, and the fact they likely had access long before the attack even started is a stark reminder about the vulnerability of web-facing assets.
Dark Reading's Quick Hits delivers a brief synopsis and summary of the significance of breaking news events. For more information from the original source of the news item, please follow the link provided in this article. View Full Bio
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Apps & Sites
Dater's Pulse™
Home > Dater's Pulse™ > Article
Best Dating Sites for Men in 2020
By: Amber Brooks | Updated: December 12, 2019
Advertiser Disclosure DatingNews.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation from many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear on the page (including, for example, the order in which they appear). DatingNews.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers. Our Editorial Review Policy Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.
In the wake of the #MeToo Movement, the online dating world has begun supporting more female-friendly dating services that make women feel comfortable and safe. Our editors are all for dating sites that put women’s needs first, but men are an equally important part of this equation. We don’t want them to feel left out by this new wave.
We’re here to answer the question “Which dating sites are best for men?” There are a lot of good sites out there. We’ve assessed the gender breakdown, matching features, search tools, user reviews, and other criteria to make a sound judgment and reasonable recommendations for the single guys looking for dates out there.
Read on to discover the best dating sites that cater to men of all ages, orientations, and relationship goals.
Navigate This Article:
Best Overall Dating Sites for Men
Our dating experts have spent countless hours browsing, testing, and reviewing dating sites big and small, and now we’ve gotten it down to the best of the best. We’re not going to string you along or make you wait for the goods. Here are our top 10 picks for single men seeking romance online.
Since 1995, Match has made a name for itself as one of the most successful dating platforms in the world. The (read more)
Since 1995, Match has made a name for itself as one of the most successful dating platforms in the world. The site empowers singles to find compatible dates and make a deep connection based on shared interests and lifestyles. Match.com is responsible for countless love stories, and the next one could be yours.
Visit Site | Profile | Match.com For Men
Find quality women with advanced search filters
Daily Matches highlight profiles that meet your date standards
Add up to 26 photos to your profile
Browse profiles 100% free »
15 Million Try Match.com FREE
Match has beaten out the competition and earned the top spot on this list because it has been around longer than any other dating site (founded in 1995), and it has more success stories (more relationships, more marriages) to its name as well.
Today, Match is available in 24 countries and 15 languages. The website and app see over 15 million monthly views, and relationship-minded singles make up a majority of its membership base. In fact, about 75% of Match members are over 30, and 74% have gone to college.
These numbers are definitely encouraging if you’re serious about settling down with someone special, but it also helps to read customer reviews and see what real Match.com members have to say. “The matches were very good,” said Glenn, who lives in South Florida. “I never viewed any of my matches as a bad match or a waste of time. Each date was a good experience for me.”
EliteSingles appeals to the cream of the dating crop with its smart, personality-driven matching system. Over (read more)
EliteSingles appeals to the cream of the dating crop with its smart, personality-driven matching system. Over 80% of its members have at least a bachelor's degree, and these well-educated singles are looking for someone equally ambitious, attractive, and clever. EliteSingles focuses on helping relationship-minded men and women find someone who meets, or even exceeds, their high standards.
Visit Site | Profile | EliteSingles For Men
More than 2 million monthly users
A growing network of female professionals in 25 countries
Elite Singles offers daily match recommendations and expert profile advice
2 Million FREE Sign Up
Career-driven men often want a partner to share in their success, but they lack the time or energy to prowl the dating scene searching for that special someone. Thankfully, EliteSingles has curated a list of highly desirable singles who boast an impressive résumé and a high IQ.
EliteSingles is the dating site for single professionals, and over 85% of its members have graduated from college. EliteSingles uses a five-factor personality test to bring like-minded singles together and help them get in the relationship of their dreams.
Plus, women slightly outnumber men on EliteSingles, so straight guys can enjoy less competition and better odds of meeting a compatible woman here. If you want to learn more about EliteSingles, check out our review of its features and pricing.
Zoosk is a dynamic dating site with over 40 million members worldwide. This general dating platform caters to (read more)
Zoosk is a dynamic dating site with over 40 million members worldwide. This general dating platform caters to singles seeking short-term and long-term relationships, and you don't need a paid subscription to join the fun. Zoosk members can send messages to premium members for free, and they can use Zoosk Coins to earn added perks.
Visit Site | Profile | Zoosk For Men
Free trial with unlimited profile browsing
Flirt with women in 80+ countries
Behavioral matchmaking system pays attention to your likes and views
40 Million Browse Profiles FREE
In 2007, a group of tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley dreamed up the Zoosk dating site as a way of bridging the gap between social networking and online dating. As a result, Zoosk offers an interactive and fast-paced interface unlike anything else on the market.
Over 40 million singles have created dating profiles on Zoosk, which is up and running in 80 countries worldwide. A free membership includes a lot of perks, including unlimited likes and browsing.
Guys can use Zoosk’s search tools to find someone who fits their criteria, or they can trust the site’s algorithm to suggest compatible matches in the Carousel. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can always go to the Online Now section and see if anyone is up for an instant chat. Zoosk uses behavioral matchmaking, so every time you view, like, or message someone, the site will learn more about what you’re looking for.
When it comes to relationships, eharmony doesn't mess around. This dating site has crafted a time-tested (read more)
When it comes to relationships, eharmony doesn't mess around. This dating site has crafted a time-tested matchmaking formula that identifies 29 key personality traits and areas of compatibility. It provides hard data on how you stack up against potential dates and delivers a curated list of match recommendations to your inbox every day.
Visit Site | Profile | eharmony For Men
Over 2.3 million messages sent every week
Match formula pinpoints compatibility in lifestyle, temperament, and goals
Relatively even gender split
Straight Singles
10 Million View Profiles FREE
It’s no wonder that eharmony was recently voted one of the most trusted dating sites around. Since 2000, eharmony has created over 2 million love connections and inspired deep relationships that can go the distance.
In 2019, eharmony overhauled its matchmaking system and unveiled a new and improved Compatibility Quiz to power its matches. It’s worth taking 20 to 30 minutes out of your day to complete this questionnaire and tell the site more about who you are and what you want in a long-term partner.
While other dating sites throw singles together at random or based on location, eharmony carefully calculates compatibility based on your answers to questions like “What do you want your partner to like about you?” and “How do you react when someone upsets you?” These are all good things to know before starting a relationship, and eharmony asks the tough questions so you don’t have to worry about it.
ChristianMingle
ChristianMingle caters to men and women who desire a God-centered relationship. The site's values-driven (read more)
ChristianMingle caters to men and women who desire a God-centered relationship. The site's values-driven features can lead singles to find the right one for them by focusing on what matters. ChristianMingle profiles are rich with information about the person's faith, upbringing, education, and interests. Nearly 60,000 singles sign up each month in hopes of making a soulful connection here.
Visit Site | Profile | ChristianMingle For Men
More than 3.5 million monthly users
Geared toward Christian men who want to settle down
Free signup and profile verification
3.5 Million View Profiles FREE
Since 2001, ChristianMingle has been the saving grace for devout singles around the world. The dating site offers a faith-driven environment where singles share similar upbringings, backgrounds, and values.
You don’t have to be a church-going, God-fearing Christian to join ChristianMingle — the site is open to people of all beliefs and traditions — but you should be open to dating and marrying a Christian because that’s the whole purpose of this site.
Single guys don’t have to take it on faith that ChristianMingle works. There are plenty of success stories and testimonials shared online to give hope and inspiration to singles still searching for The One.
“The algorithms were designed for a purpose,” said Tommi Jo, who fell in love with a man she met on ChristianMingle. “Don’t give up, and, when you see a good match, be bold and take the first step.”
OkCupid inspires dates and relationships by identifying specific areas of compatibility. The dating site and (read more)
OkCupid inspires dates and relationships by identifying specific areas of compatibility. The dating site and app has an endless questionnaire that allows single men to express who they are and what matters to them. OkCupid uses this treasure trove of information to generate highly accurate match recommendations and compatibility ratings.
Visit Site | Profile | OkCupid For Men
Men can leave a message to anyone they fancy
A sophisticated match algorithm developed by Harvard math majors
The site and app facilitate over 50,000 dates every week
3.5 Million Browse Profiles FREE
OkCupid has made online dating immeasurably better by offering free chatting, personality-driven matches, and in-depth profiles full of insights and information. Singles can express themselves freely on this dating site and app, making connections based on shared interests and quirks.
The open-ended design of OkCupid can satisfy single guys from all walks of life. Whether you’re looking for new friends, hot dates, or a serious relationship, you can use the OkCupid mutual matching system to get something going in no time.
The OkCupid team has spent 15+ years honing its system to focus on what matters most to you — according to you. Its analytical approach to love has led to more than 91 million love connections made every year.
OkCupid provides accurate answers by asking good questions. The platform has compiled a list of over 4,000 questions ranging from “Do you like the taste of beer?” to “How many children do you want to have?” Singles answer for themselves and choose the answer they’d like their date(s) to give. They also rank the question as very important, somewhat important, or not important at all. This information goes into the compatibility percentages you’ll see on every profile.
BlackPeopleMeet is a go-to dating site for black and biracial singles in North America. The platform's simple (read more)
BlackPeopleMeet is a go-to dating site for black and biracial singles in North America. The platform's simple yet powerful matching system has led to many successful first dates as well as countless relationships and marriages. Whether you're looking for something serious or something casual, BlackPeopleMeet can hook you up with its match recommendations list.
Visit Site | Profile | BlackPeopleMeet For Men
Find women who share similar backgrounds and goals
Over 1.5 million monthly users in the U.S. and Canada
Virtual gifts, match alerts, boost visibility, and other perks
Black & Biracial Singles
BlackPeopleMeet is a niche dating site for black singles, biracial singles, and their admirers. Since its launch in 2002, it has supported a growing online community like no other. The site is active in the U.S. and Canada.
It’s free to create a profile on BlackPeopleMeet and see if anyone catches your eye. The site highlights profiles that have photos and are currently online, and you can also use advanced search filters by age, location, appearance, relationship status, online activity, and other important factors.
BlackPeopleMeet recommends daily matches as well, and free members can send flirts to show they’re interested. Only premium members can send messages on the platform, and you must have a photo to send flirts and appear as a potential match. These community guidelines are in place for the safety of all members.
Tinder gives singles a fast and fun way to mix things up online. The dating app's motto is "Single is a (read more)
Tinder gives singles a fast and fun way to mix things up online. The dating app's motto is "Single is a terrible thing to waste," and its swiping system encourages singles to explore the dating scene without making any big commitments. Tinder is free to download on Google Play and iTunes.
Visit Site | Profile | Tinder For Men
Connect with attractive women near you
Free chat and matching features
Responsible for over 30 billion matches to date
Tinder is the go-to wingman for guys looking for action and hoping to find romance in their DMs. The dating app became famous in 2012 for its fast-paced, photo-driven matching system, and it has stayed the top dog in the online dating world because it’s fun and gets results.
Let’s look at the numbers: Tinder is responsible for creating more than 26 million matches per day, and in the last seven years it has inspired over 30 billion matches in 190 countries. Those matches don’t stay online, either — every week, Tinder users go on 1 million dates.
Over 5 million singles pay for Tinder Gold or Tinder Plus because they want to get unlimited likes and view people outside their location radius. However, it’s not necessary to pay a cent to land a date on Tinder.
On Bumble, men don't have to worry about coming up with pick-up lines or witty greetings. They can sit back (read more)
On Bumble, men don't have to worry about coming up with pick-up lines or witty greetings. They can sit back and let women come to them. Only women can send the first message on Bumble. All matches expire after 24 hours (or 48 if you choose to use the extend option), so the pressure is on to make a connection and take the relationship offline.
Visit Site | Profile | Bumble For Men
Bold women reach out to men on Bumble
A gender-balanced environment takes the pressure off
Facilitating millions of matches each month
22 Million Try Bumble FREE
Bumble made a name for itself as the world’s first feminist dating app in 2014. Since then, Bumble has done everything it can to bring decency back to online dating. Some would say that makes it a female-friendly app, but we’d say it’s good for anyone who’s friendly and authentic.
Straight women have to make the first move on Bumble. Once the match is created between a man and a woman, the only person who can send an initial greeting is the women. Guys get to sit back and be wooed for a change. This takes a lot of pressure off guys who worry about being too forward or not saying the right thing. Women set the tone and take the lead here.
Bumble has over 30 million members, which includes a good mix of men and women, and we’d definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re tired of sending messages and getting zero responses on other apps.
Plenty of Fish is great for single men who are ready to get off the sidelines and into the action. The dating (read more)
Plenty of Fish is great for single men who are ready to get off the sidelines and into the action. The dating site offers 100% free communication for everyone, so nothing holds you back from a new connection. Chatty POF users send over 1 billion messages per month here, and the database is constantly expanding to include more active daters worldwide.
Visit Site | Profile | Plenty of Fish For Men
Send unlimited messages to single women online
Membership includes a free Relationship Chemistry Predictor
Dating forums offer guidance along the way
120 Million Browse Profiles FREE
Rounding out our list is PlentyOfFish, a free dating platform for singles seeking fast dates and real relationships. We can give you one really good reason to create a POF account — unlimited free messaging.
Over 150 million singles have already taken the plunge on PlentyOfFish, and the site sees over 4 million active users per day. Online daters don’t have to hold back while searching for dates in the POF community because it’s free to chat without anyone online. No mutual matching. No subscriptions. No expiration dates.
POF members are twice as likely to get into a conversation within their first 24 hours on the site, and those conversations are likely to lead to real-life dates and relationships. Go ahead and give POF a go — it’s free, so what have you got to lose?
Best Senior Dating Sites for Men
As you get up there in age, you can start to feel less confident about your dating prospects and romantic future. You’re not the only senior person seeking companionship, though. About 19.5 million Americans are over 65 and unmarried, and senior dating sites have become a good rallying point for these mature daters.
Here are a few of our top picks for senior men who want to get back into dating again.
Since 2002, SilverSingles has reached out to the senior community to give mature singles a second chance at (read more)
Since 2002, SilverSingles has reached out to the senior community to give mature singles a second chance at love. This exclusive senior dating site uses an intelligent matchmaking system to introduce its members to compatible dates of a certain age. As part of Sparks Network, SilverSingles maintains a global audience in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and other countries.
Visit Site | Profile | SilverSingles For Men
59% of users are women seeking a date
Set match preferences by gender, age, height, distance, photos, or similarities
Detailed and easy-to-read profiles
Singles Over 50
800,000 View Profiles FREE
SilverSingles is a premium dating site with an exclusive network of professionals and retirees who are over 50.
From the moment you sign up, you’ll see a lot of silver-haired date recommendations showing up in your matches and messages. Free SilverSingles members can only see blurred profile photos; however, they can view the entire profile and get a general impression of what that person is like.
The fastest way to make a connection on SilverSingles is by setting your preferences for age, height, distance, education, income, and other characteristics. That way, the dating site will get a better idea of what you’re looking for and can highlight compatible profiles for you.
OurTime
OurTime is powered by People Media, so it has a vast singles network to draw from when suggesting potential (read more)
OurTime is powered by People Media, so it has a vast singles network to draw from when suggesting potential love interests. Over 1 million subscribers have used this platform to land first dates and build meaningful connections. OurTime caters to singles over 50 and takes the guesswork out of online dating with its smart matching features.
Visit Site | Profile | OurTime For Men
Mature men have plenty of date prospects available
Send women likes, flirts, faves, messages, and virtual gifts
ConnectMe facilitates private conversations over the phone
600,000 Try OurTime.com FREE
OurTime is a quality-driven dating site with a lot of easy-to-use search, match, and chat options for singles of a certain age.
The dating site caters to an older crowd by promoting a straightforward matching system and providing many different ways to connect via virtual flirt, instant message, or even anonymous texting. The ConnectMe feature allows members to call or text their online crushes without giving out their real numbers.
OurTime was created by People Media, which is the same company that started popular niche dating sites BlackPeopleMeet and SingleParentMeet. The company adds almost 20,000 members to its database every week, and many of them are seniors looking for a second chance at true love.
SeniorMatch
A good woman is just click away on SeniorMatch. This senior-friendly dating site has thousands of active (read more)
A good woman is just click away on SeniorMatch. This senior-friendly dating site has thousands of active members and offers free chat features to help get the ball rolling. Single men who want to find romance and love can join SeniorMatch today.
Visit Site | Profile | SeniorMatch For Men
Create an account and search for senior women profiles
Limited free messaging
Send winks or add to hotlist to show your interest
When SeniorMatch launched in 2003, its mission was to make seniors feel less alone. Now, with a database of over 1 million singles, we’d say it’s been pretty successful.
SeniorMatch is responsible for inspiring more than 1.6 million conversations per month, and it has over 36,600 testimonials to its name. You can either download the app or join the site for free and start matching with age-appropriate dates.
Many senior dating sites naturally favor straight men because there tend to be more options for them. SeniorMatch’s membership base is 60% women and 40% men, so senior men can surround themselves with beautiful women and enjoy taking their pick.
Best Gay Dating Sites for Men
Gay men stand out from the mainstream dating crowd in a number of ways, and I’m not just talking about their fashion sense. Gay singles tend to be less interested in starting a family — only 36% of gay singles say they want children one day — and more interested in having fun and hooking up.
Online dating has become a great ally for LGBTQ+ singles of all ages because it allows them to pursue their desires without judgment. Today, almost 20% of online daters identify as seeking a same-sex partner, and you can join them by signing up to the following gay-friendly sites.
MenNation
MenNation allows gay, bisexual, and bi-curious men to explore relationships with hot guys in their area. (read more)
MenNation allows gay, bisexual, and bi-curious men to explore relationships with hot guys in their area. Thanks to its global network, MenNation can connect members to date prospects all over the world, but its location-based searches facilitate local connections as well. Single men and gay couples can join MenNation for free to see what their options are in the online dating scene.
Visit Site | Profile | MenNation For Men
A flirtatious all-men network spans the globe
Anonymous chatting via text and video
Send emails, flirts, gift certificates, and voice messages
780,000 Try MenNation FREE
In the mood for a hookup? Then MenNation can absolutely hook you up. This all-male dating network gives you instant access to hot singles and couples who are also trolling for dates online.
Whether you’re looking for no-strings-attached sex, a polyamorous relationship, or something in between, you can dive into this sex-positive environment to find sexually active and adventurous partners.
Every day, over 77,000 guys mingle on MenNation and boldly proposition one another for sex while keeping their real-life identities under wraps.
When Grindr launched in 2009, mobile dating was just taking off, and the app's men-only, location-based (read more)
When Grindr launched in 2009, mobile dating was just taking off, and the app's men-only, location-based matching system caught people's notice. Today, Grindr is one of the most popular gay dating apps in the world. To date, over 27 million men have created profiles on Grindr.
Visit Site | Profile | Grindr For Men
A men-only dating app reaches 192 countries
Find dates that are just a few feet away
Moderators review every photo and dating profile
5 Million Try Grindr FREE
In 2009, Grindr burst onto the gay dating stage and wowed singles with its location-based matching system. The dating app claims it can find dates who are within feet of you, and it’s the perfect tool for gay men who are clubbing or bar hopping.
After receiving over 367,000 reviews, Grindr still boasts a 3.5-star rating on Google Play, and most active users give it five stars and praise its simple and effective interface.
“This app is great,” said Jeremy B. in a review. “The distance is mostly accurate, more than other apps…This app is full of men in my area, especially for a small area.”
Best Hookup Sites for Men
Over half of men say they think about sex every day or several times a day, and it’s no secret why. Sex is pretty awesome. If you have a high sex drive and are looking for a release, then you should head straight for a hookup site where live videos, discussion forums, blogs, and chat rooms can satisfy your cravings and introduce you to sexually active singles and swingers.
BeNaughty is among the top casual dating sites available to frisky singles in the U.S. and abroad. This site (read more)
BeNaughty is among the top casual dating sites available to frisky singles in the U.S. and abroad. This site keeps things simple and streamlines connections in private messages. BeNaughty's messaging and matching system encourages sexy singles to get off the sidelines and create instant connections in the online dating scene.
Visit Site | Profile | BeNaughty For Men
Over 13.3 million monthly users worldwide
Cute or Not swiping game introduces you to hot women
Switch to Full Safe Mode to limit contact to verified members
13.3 Million Try BeNaughty Free
BeNaughty doesn’t waste time with questionnaires, match parameters, or other unnecessary features. This hookup site offers straightforward search tools and instant messaging tools, and that’s about it.
Singles can set the search filters to reflect what they’re in the mood for and click the Chat or Like buttons to get the attention of local cuties. If you’re really in a rush, you can send a mass message to everyone who fits your search parameters.
The Like Gallery is another fun way to meet people on BeNaughty. The site will generate a profile photo at random and ask “Cute or Not?” Clicking the heart button could lead to a flirty chat, an instant connection, and maybe even a one-night stand or summer fling. You never know what’s in store when mingling on BeNaughty.
Adult Friend Finder is among the longest-running and the largest sex communities in existence with tens of (read more)
Adult Friend Finder is among the longest-running and the largest sex communities in existence with tens of millions of profiles to its name. The hookup site has over 93 million members, many of whom are actively searching for flings, threesomes, and other sexual experiences. AFF members can feel free to discuss their desires, fetishes, and sexual preferences in the live chat rooms and dating forums.
Visit Site | Profile | Adult Friend Finder For Men
A global community of single women and swinger couples
More than 25 million monthly users
Free unlimited browsing of hot profiles
25.5 Million Browse Profiles FREE
With over 97 million profiles, AdultFriendFinder is one of the most popular and busiest hookup sites around. Singles and swingers create free accounts here to explore their options and arrange sexy encounters in an anonymous space.
AdultFriendFinder encourages its members to express their innermost desires in their profiles and share erotic stories in the blog section. This is a judgment-free zone, so people can be honest about what they want in the bedroom.
Whether you’re hankering for a hookup, a threesome, an orgy, or cybersex, there are a lot of ways to get intimate with someone on AdultFriendFinder, and it’s never too late to log on and send a flirty message.
FriendFinder-X
FriendFinder-X is a discreet hookup site where men, women, couples, and groups can mingle freely. It's easy to (read more)
FriendFinder-X is a discreet hookup site where men, women, couples, and groups can mingle freely. It's easy to create romance in such a sinfully enjoyable atmosphere. This dating site has published millions of profiles and helped countless members turn sexual fantasies into sexual realities.
Visit Site | Profile | FriendFinder-X For Men
Appeals to single men and couples looking for sex
No long-term commitments or required upgrades
Instant messaging, video broadcasts, and community blogs
FriendFinder-X is the hookup site “where good girls do bad things,” and that means men can let their libido run wild here.
FriendFinder-X is open to singles, couples, and groups of all sexual orientations, and it’s free to set up an account and start searching for casual encounters online. The site offers live chat features, and horny members can even exchange private photos or videos to turn up the heat in the conversation.
To use the words of the hookup site, “FriendFinder-X is the place for average people looking to spice things up without changing their current lifestyle.”
Which Dating Sites are Completely Free?
Most dating sites offer free registration and profile browsing, and then they charge for premium features such as messaging and viewing matches. Some dating sites will offer free trial periods or free communication weekends, but they’re not 100% free all the time.
It’s difficult to find a completely free dating site that has enough members to make it worth your while to sign up. We consider OkCupid to be one of the good ones because it has millions of members and offers forever-free communication, which includes instant messaging.
In 2004, OkCupid's founders decided to create a fool-proof formula for love, and they launched a free dating (read more)
In 2004, OkCupid's founders decided to create a fool-proof formula for love, and they launched a free dating site to delve into what personal attributes made relationships work. OkCupid members can send unlimited messages for free. It's easy to discover mutual interests and compatibility on the platform's information-rich dating profiles.
Visit Site | Profile | OkCupid General
Free, unlimited communication for everyone
Singles can swipe or search for a compatible date
Over 91 million connections every year
PlentyOfFish is another great option for singles on a budget. The site and app have free registration, free matching, free browsing, and free messaging — all without an expiration date.
Plenty of Fish prides itself on being one of the best dating site for conversations. It supports 100% free and (read more)
Plenty of Fish prides itself on being one of the best dating site for conversations. It supports 100% free and unlimited messaging for over 120 million monthly users in 20 countries. Since its launch in 2003, Plenty of Fish has developed a science-based matching system that has proven successful.
Visit Site | Profile | Plenty of Fish General
Free registration, searches, and messaging
The Chemistry Test creates a compatibility framework
Over 1 billion messages sent per month
As long as you obey the Community Guidelines, you can remain a free member on POF for good. No need to upgrade to premium membership unless you want to up your game and see who’s liked and viewed you.
Which Dating Site is Best for Serious Relationships?
Ambitious, educated, and intelligent singles often seek quality-driven dating sites where they can date someone on their level.
Some singles are looking for a long-term partner and don’t want to settle for casual and flaky dates, so they seek relationship-oriented sites like eharmony, which has proven effective at inspiring relationships and marriages. Just look at its stats:
Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has endeavored to find the formula for love. Its 29-dimension questionnaire (read more)
Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has endeavored to find the formula for love. Its 29-dimension questionnaire uses psychological truths to identify areas of compatibility between two individuals. The dating site's mission is to foster relationships that last, and every match recommendation has a reason behind it.
Visit Site | Profile | eharmony General
Over 2 million people have found love here
Users can filter their match recommendations by age or city
Compatibility Quiz identifies common interests, lifestyles, and goals
From the psychologically backed compatibility quiz to the streamlined match suggestions, eharmony gives singles the opportunity to get to know each other on a deeper level and build relationships based on shared interests, values, and lifestyles.
A lot of dating sites have been known to inspire first dates, relationships, and marriages, and many share testimonials from happy couples to prove that they actually work.
We can give you a lot of anecdotal evidence about this. My friend actually met his girlfriend on Tinder, I met my boyfriend on Hinge, and I recently went to the wedding of a couple who met on Match.com.
There’s no doubt that Match.com can work for singles of all ages, orientations, and backgrounds. It’s a mainstream dating site that focuses on introducing its members to people who have similar personal qualities and relationship goals.
Match.com has come a long way since it launched in April 1995. This well-reputed dating site has honed its (read more)
Match.com has come a long way since it launched in April 1995. This well-reputed dating site has honed its match algorithm to identify long-term compatibility and facilitate countless first dates, serious relationships, and successful marriages.
Visit Site | Profile | Match.com General
Match is the world's longest running dating site
The Discover section has search filters by interests, looks, lifestyle, and more
Match is available in 24 countries and 15 languages
Match has been around since the 1990s, so it should come as no surprise that it has racked up a lot of success stories over the years. In fact, Match claims to have arranged more relationships than any of its competitors.
What is the Best Dating Site for Over 40?
Few people plan on being single at 40 — or older — but that’s the reality for millions of Americans. Fortunately, remarriage is pretty common among adults in the U.S., and there’s always time to start again on a dating site.
If you’re new to the online dating scene and looking for a long-term relationship, EliteSingles can teach you the ropes and curate a list of matches for your perusal. This upstanding dating site has a lot to offer singles over 40. Here are some fast facts:
EliteSingles.com maintains a sophisticated network of young professionals seeking a relationship. Over 80% of (read more)
EliteSingles.com maintains a sophisticated network of young professionals seeking a relationship. Over 80% of its members hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree, and over 90% are over the age of 30. EliteSingles uses an intelligent matchmaking system to introduce daters to someone on their level.
Visit Site | Profile | EliteSingles General
Over 2 million monthly users
Premium members receive 20 wildcard matches a day
Search features include age, height, education, ethnicity, and lifestyle habits
A majority of EliteSingles users are working professionals who are over 30 and looking for someone to come home to, and the quality-driven matching on this site steers them in the right direction.
Man Up & Join a Dating Site Where You’re in Control
Female empowerment doesn’t have to come at the expense of male empowerment — they actually go hand in hand in many cases. As women come into their own on dating sites and apps, they feel more comfortable reaching out, arranging dates, and building relationships with men who are worthy of them.
Both men and women can benefit from a healthy dating environment, and that’s something everyone should be rooting for.
Singles have a lot of options in today’s online dating scene. Over 8,000 dating sites vie for attention and promise to connect like-minded daters. However, only a handful really deliver on their promises to men about town. We’ve ranked our favorite male-friendly dating sites to give you a leg up on the competition, so get out there and start matching!
Amber is a Contributing Editor for DatingNews. She is a prominent figure in the dating industry and has penned well over 1,200 articles on every dating topic under the sun. She has written in-depth profiles on dating professionals, reviewed dating sites, given dating advice, and covered the latest trends in the dating scene. She understands all the ins and outs in the industry and is excited to bring that wealth of knowledge to DatingNews.
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Love On A Diet (Blu-ray) (2001)
Starring : Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Rikiya Kurokawa
Region/Format : Blu-ray Region A
Rating/Genres : Comedy, Romantic
Distributed by : Fortune Star
Directed By : Johnnie To, Wai Kar Fai
1920 x 1080p FULL HD
16：9 Widescreen 1.85:1
Language : Cantonese (Dolby TrueHD 7.1)
Language : Mandarin (Dolby Digital 6.1)
Subtitles : Traditional, Simplified & English
Director & Artists interview
Sammi Cheng plays Mimi Mo, a young exchange student to Japan who met and fell in love with a budding pianist, Kurokawa, played by Rikiya Kurokawa. Kurokawa eventually leaves to study music in the USA and returns to Japan as a famous musician. Meanwhile, Mimi has dealt with her depression by eating and weights over 300lbs and Kurokawa doesn't recognize her. Mimi eventually meets Fatty (Andy Lau) who helps her lose the weight so she can fulfill her promise of meeting Kurokawa made 10 years earlier. But then they fall in love.....
It’s a MAD MAD MAD World (Blu-ray) (1987)
L Storm (Blu-ray) (2018)
Krasue Inhuman Kiss (Blu-ray) (2019) Thai Film
It’s a Mad Mad Mad World Too (Blu-ray) (1992) Digitally Remastered Edition
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© 2020 Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Debevoise Advises Footprint Power in Sale of Salem Harbor Energy Station Project to Highstar Fund IV and in $730 Million Construction Financing
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has advised Footprint Power in the financing of the Salem Harbor Power Station development project. Under the terms of the financing transaction, Highstar Capital IV, L.P., and its affiliated funds (“Highstar IV”) managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“Oaktree”) will invest 87.5% of the equity necessary for construction of the project. An affiliate of Toyota Tsusho Corporation will invest the remaining 12.5% of the construction equity. Project developer Footprint Power LLC will retain an equity interest in the project and will remain active in the ongoing management of the project.
Simultaneously with the equity commitments of Highstar IV and Toyota Tsusho, the company closed on debt financing for the project. A consortium of lenders led by MUFG Bank, GE Energy Financial Services and BNP Paribas has committed a total of $600 million in construction financing in addition to a $130 million letter of credit facility.
Debevoise also advised in connection with the EPC Contract with Iberdrola Energy Projects, Inc. to build a 700MW state-of-the-art combined-cycle gas electric generating facility to replace the coal- and oil-fired generation plant previously located at the site. Notice to proceed was delivered simultaneously with closing.
Debevoise previously advised Footprint Power in its purchase of the Salem Harbor Station property from Dominion Energy Inc. in 2012. Footprint Power acquired the property with the intention of shutting down, demolishing and remediating the 60 year old coal and oil fired facility and replacing it with a smaller, cleaner and more efficient natural gas facility. The new plant will take up one third of the property, leaving the remainder for new waterfront development. Footprint Power will retain the remaining 40 acres for future development unrelated to the new power plant.
Footprint Power is dedicated to helping owners of older coal- and oil-fired power plants – and the communities that host them – transition these facilities and sites to other productive purposes.
The Debevoise team was led by partner Sarah A.W. Fitts and counsel Armando Rivera Jacobo and included partners Ivan E. Mattei and Peter Schuur, counsel Emilie T. Hsu and Steven S. Michaels, and associates Kevin Bensley, Katie Hermann, Daniel Priest, Christopher H. Rogala and Harry Zirlin.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. The firm’s commercially savvy lawyers regularly lead strategic transactions and complex disputes for world-class clients.
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Introduction to Meaning and Uses of Clear Quartz
Ordinary yet extraordinary, colorful and clear, Quartz crystals are the most common and abundant in the world, comprising the largest and most diverse family in the mineral kingdom. "From ancient times to the present day, quartz crystals have been a source of Light to mankind. Highly valued by spiritual leaders and healers as well as scientists, the unique attributes of quartz have played a key role in mankind' evolutionary development." (Baer, R, "Windows of Light" preface)
Composed of silicon and oxygen (silicon dioxide), Quartz, from the European "quarz", is a key component in a wide array of minerals designated as "silicates." It occurs as prismatic hexagonal crystals in compact masses and druses, as well as in dense fibrous or grainy formations without visible crystals. It is also an important mineral element in common rock such as granite, quartzite and gneiss, and in sedimentary conglomerates like sandstone. [Simmons, 317][www.Quartzpage.de]
For all its variety, when most people speak of "crystals", they are usually referring to Rock Crystal (Clear Quartz), the six-sided prisms of pure light and energy known as the Perfect Jewel. In its sparkling light is contained the entire color spectrum.
In the metaphysical world, Clear Quartz crystals are the supreme gift of Mother Earth. Even the smallest is imbued with the properties of a master healer teacher. Ancients believed these stones to be alive, taking a breath once every hundred years or so, and many cultures thought them to be incarnations of the Divine.
Today's healers agree, believing crystals are living beings, incredibly old and wise, and willing to communicate when an individual is open and ready to receive. Wearing, carrying or meditating with a Clear Quartz crystal opens the mind and heart to higher guidance, allowing the realm of Spirit to be transmitted and translated into the world of physical form.
Resonating at the level of an individual's needs, Clear Quartz also amplifies whatever energy or intent is programmed into it, and continues to broadcast that energy throughout the world and into the etheric realms. This may accelerate the fulfillment of one's prayers, intensify healing or spiritual growth, or simply allow the crystal to hold a pattern of energy long enough and strongly enough for the manifestation of a goal to occur. [Hall II, 22][Eason, 133][Simmons, 318][Ahsian, 319]
"Quartz crystals are the manifestation of the Creator's finest hour of expression. The are windows of light with many facets which show the myriad dimensions of life created from cosmic dust in an ever expanding universe. Divine plan as foreordained that all expanding life revolve around one common denominator, quartz crystal. Through frozen solidified light all creation could be monitored and assisted through the evolutionary process."Beverly Criswell "Quartz Crystals: A Celestial Point of View" ( quoted in "Windows of Light", by Vicki and Randall Baer)
Clear Quartz, pure silicon dioxide, is also called Rock Crystal or Ice Crystal, from the Greek word "krystallos", meaning "ice", because crystal was believed to be water frozen so hard it could never thaw. The prismatic hexagonal crystals have relatively smooth sides and naturally facetted terminations at one or both ends, and may be transparent as glass, milky or striated, often found in clusters and ranging in all sizes. The terminations have different facet shapes depending on the rate at which they were formed, and these shapes are deeply significant. [Simmons, 318][Hall, 225] (See Crystals by Shape)
Throughout history, Clear Quartz has been valued by nearly every civilization as far back as Atlantis and Lemuria, where the sun's power was believed to be harnessed through a crystal as a source of solar energy refraction. They, along with Native American Indians, African tribes, ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Romans, Scots and countless other cultures used Clear Quartz in diagnostic healing, meditations and spiritual development, as religious objects and in funerary rites, and to dispel evil and magical enchantments. [Mella, 82][Melody, 506][Kunz, 219] (See the Powers, Legends and Lore section at the end of this article.)
Types of Quartz
Quartz encompasses a whole family of stones, found on nearly every continent, in virtually every color conceivable. In addition to the properties of Clear Quartz discussed on this page, the following types of Quartz have their own specific properties, some with links to their own pages.
Macro crystalline varieties form crystals or have a macroscopical crystalline structure. They are usually referred to as "Quartz."
Macro crystalline varieties:
Rock Crystal is pure, clear Quartz, often with a milky base. Its properties are listed on this page.
Amethyst is pale purple to deep violet; known as the Bishop's Stone, it represents royalty and spirituality, and is a crystal of creativity.
Ametrine is a combination of Amethyst and Citrine in the same stone; a "stone of the muses," it connects spirituality, action and overcoming fear.
Aventurine may be green, blue or reddish-brown with a metallic iridescence; it is a stone of optimism, leadership and prosperity.
Blue Quartz is clear Quartz with tiny blue inclusions that create a pale to mid-blue color; it brings harmony and order, mental clarity and eases fear.
Citrine is transparent and pale to golden yellow; it promotes imagination and magnifies the powers of personal will and manifestation.
Milky or Snow Quartz, also known as Quartzite, is opaque white quartz; it is supportive for lesson learning, realizing limitations and utilizing tact.
Pink Quartz forms in rare clusters of small, well-formed crystals, pale to deep reddish-pink, translucent to transparent; a “stone of innocence and discovery,” it nurtures self-love and respect of others.
Rose Quartz is a massive form of Quartz, pale to deep reddish-pink, opaque to translucent; a “stone of beauty and love,” it promotes compassion, appreciation and soothing calm.
Prase is a leek-green Quartzite (rock rather than a mineral) with actinolite inclusions; an "earth mother" stone, it resolve conflicts and calms nerves.
Prasiolite is Green Amethyst; leek-green and rare naturally, it is often heat-treated; it provides a bridge between the body, mind and spirit.
Smoky Quartz is transparent smoky brown to dark gray; it is a premiere grounding stone, dissipating emotional and environmental negativity.
Tiger's, Hawk's, and Cat's Eye is Quartz layered with chatoyant strips of asbestos and hornblende; Tiger's Eye is golden brown, Hawk's or Falcon's Eye is blue-black, and Cat's Eye is green to greenish-gray. These are stones of action, pride, protection, and reflecting back negative energies.
Cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline varieties have a dense structure and show no visible crystals. They are often grouped together and referred to as "Chalcedony." They are divided into two groups.
Fibrous varieties:
Agate is usually banded in layers and forms in every color; it is a stabilizing and strengthening stone, facilitating acceptance of one's self.
Carnelian is translucent pale orange to deep red-orange; it is a stone of motivation and endurance, leadership and courage.
Chalcedony varies in color and pattern, blue is a favorite; the "speaker's stone," it encourages peace-making and carefully choosing one's words.
Chrysoprase is green, usually opaque, and one of Chalcedony's rarest; it is a stone of the heart and promotes love of truth, hope and fidelity.
Onyx is opaque layers of black, brown, gray, black/white or red/white, and is often carved in cameos; it provides inner strength, stability and fortitude.
Sard is brown Chalcedony with a reddish hue; it is a protective stone, dispelling negative influences and providing inner strength.
Grainy Varieties:
Chert is brown, gray or black and resembles Flint, but is more brittle; it aids memory, and is a stone of stability and daily productivity.
Flint is brown, gray or black, solid or layered, and very hard; a stone of grounding, it promotes understanding, communication and integrity.
Jasper is opaque, large-grained and found in all colors, most always layered or patterned; a "supreme nurturer," it is revered as sacred, protective, and encourages humility and compassion.
Heliotrope or Bloodstone is dark green with red spots; a stone of the sun and legendary bearer of Christ's blood, it promotes healing, selflessness and idealism.
This list of main Quartz types is in no way complete. For 500 different shapes, types, and varieties of Quartz Crystals that are constantly being updated on this site, go to Quartz Crystals A to Z.
Quartz Uses and Purposes - Overview
Quartz crystal is valued for its piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties, by which it can transform mechanical pressure or heat into electromagnetic energy, and vice versa. Its ability to focus, amplify, store and transform energy is used throughout the technology world in ultrasound devices, watches, microphones, radio transmitters and receivers, memory chips in computers and other electronic circuitry. [Raphaell, 10-11][Simmons, 317][Melody, 503]
The same properties of energy amplification, programmability and memory also make Clear Quartz the most versatile and multidimensional stone in the mineral kingdom for healing, meditation, expansion of consciousness, communication with guides, past-life recall, attracting love or prosperity, or virtually any purpose. However, with this power comes responsibility. To benefit from Rock Crystal's blessings, one must feel in harmony with it and deserve its gifts. Intent other than for good inevitably brings harm back on oneself. [Simmons, 318][Megemont, 73]
Clear Quartz is excellent for amplifying the energies of other stones or to enhance groups of stones, and is ideal for gridding. It is the perfect base material for wands, staffs, templates, etc., and clear crystal spheres have long been used for crystal gazing. [Simmons, 318]
For ongoing personal energy, carry Clear Quartz as a tumblestone or touch as needed for an instant lift. Add Quartz crystals to bath water, or make an elixir to drink or splash on pulse points by soaking Clear Quartz crystals in water from first light to midday. In the workplace, use as a filter against negativity and to transform critical words. [Eason, 133] Crystals are professional support stones for artists, stylists, doctors and healers, inventors, musicians, and those who work in media. [Mella, 129-132]
Clear Quartz produces a force field of healing negative ions while clearing the surroundings of positive ions, protecting the aura. It dispels static electricity, and cancels out the harmful effects of radiation and radioactivity. [Melody, 505]
Clear Quartz brings strength and clarity to the intellect, aiding concentration and memory retention, and filtering out distractions. Its hypnotic quality is conducive to sleep, helping one to understand the messages and lessons conveyed during the dream state. It is also a respected stone for death, included in many cultures in funeral rites and placed in tombs, urns, and sepulchres. [Megemont, 73][Melody, 505][Kunz, 219]
As an energy saver, Clear Quartz attached to the fuel line in a car is reputed to reduce fuel consumption. [Hall, 225]
Quartz Healing Therapies - Overview
(Please note: Information on this web site is no substitute for consulting a health care professional. All information contained on this web site, including information relating to medical and health conditions, products and treatments, is for informational purposes only. Please see your doctor or health care professional before starting any alternative treatments, diets, supplements or exercise programs.)
Quartz Physical Healing Energy
Clear Quartz is a master healer crystal, and may be used for any condition. It is thought to stimulate the immune and circulatory systems, enhancing energy flow and bringing the body into balance. It has been used to treat migraine headaches, vertigo, in stabilizing dizziness or motion sickness, and is believed to assist with metabolism, exhaustion, and weight loss. [Hall, 225][Melody, 506][Eason, 133][Megemont, 73]
A Crystal elixir taken internally has been used to eliminate toxins from the system and to aid in the treatment of digestive disorders, kidney and bladder infections, and to cure diarrhea. The indirect method of preparation is recommended. [Melody, 506][Megemont, 73]
Clear Quartz soothes painful or injured areas, especially burns, by drawing away pain and eliminating blistering. A topical elixir is also beneficial in treating skin disorders. [Melody, 506][Megemont, 73][Hall, 226]
Quartz Emotional Healing Energy
Clear Quartz acts as a deep soul cleanser, purifying and enhancing the body's internal structure and surrounding subtle bodies to connect the physical dimension with the mind. It focuses on inner negativity and stimulates positive thoughts and feelings in its place. With a better perception of the world, Quartz increases awareness and clarity in thinking, and provides enhanced energy, perseverance and patience, teaching one to live, laugh and love with all of humanity. [Hall, 225][Melody, 504][Gienger, 28]
Quartz Chakra Healing and Balancing Energy
Because Clear Quartz has the prismatic ability to vibrate its energy at all of the color frequencies, it not only harmonizes all of the chakras, but can teach us how to vibrate our seven chakra centers simultaneously while maintaining perfect alignment with the light. [Raphaell, 51]
Clear Quartz is particularly useful for stimulating the Crown Chakra. The Crown Chakra is located at the top of the head, and is our gateway to the expanded universe beyond our bodies. It controls how we think, and how we respond to the world around us. It is the fountainhead of our beliefs and the source of our spirituality. It connects us to the higher planes of existence and is the source of universal energy and truth. When the Crown is in balance, our energies are in balance. We know our place in the universe and see things as they are. We are unruffled by setbacks, knowing they are an essential part of life.
Quartz Spiritual Energy
Like humans, each Clear Quartz crystal is unique, each with its own personality, lessons, and experiences. The crystals attracted into one's life are stones that will in some way help facilitate personal growth and awareness. They may work subliminally in unawakened minds, but for those spiritually attuned to the universe Quartz crystals are like beacons of light and positive energy to be used in daily thoughts, feelings, words and actions and integrated onto the earth. [Raphaell, 50-51]
As a connection between the physical dimension and the spiritual, Clear Quartz enhances communication with plants, animals, minerals, and in speaking with and receiving information from the Divine and other-worldly masters, teachers and healers. Its natural tendency is for harmony and brings a sense of purpose to those who resonate with it. [Melody, 503]
Quartz Color Energy
Quartz is the crystal connection to the infinite octaves of light. Quartz encompasses the Universal Life Force manifested in light. It is the pure White Light of creation manifested in crystalline perfection. It is the higher state of Light, a looking glass of the soul, and the reflection of the Light beings blessings on mankind.
Meditation with Quartz
Used in meditation, especially when placed at the Third Eye, Clear Quartz filters out distractions and helps to empty the mind. It allows for a feeling of "oneness" and provides for a deep meditative state. [Melody, 504][Hall, 225]
By visualizing an image of one's intent or desired outcome within the crystal during a meditative session, Clear Quartz provides a powerful psychic amplification. The crystal "remembers" and magnifies the pattern of energy, so using the same crystal in repeated meditations allows for the opportunities and power of the focused intent to manifest into reality. Programming the Quartz in this manner assists one in achieving virtually any goal in inner or outer life. As a note of caution, all such manifestations have their first and strongest effects on the one using the crystal, so negative purposes will inevitably bring harm back on oneself. [Simmons, 318]
Quartz Divination
Dreaming of crystal signifies freedom from enemies. [Kunz, 358]
The Divinatory meaning of Clear Quartz: New beginnings, fresh energies and the need to move fast to catch up with life. [Eason, 133]
Quartz and the Angelic Realm
Clear Quartz with its purity of Light is particularly appealing to angels. If your birthday falls in any of the following periods, a Clear Quartz can be a valuable conduit to your Guardian Angel. The table also provides the name of the Guardian Angel of those born in the time period.
Crystal Color
Name of Guardian Angel
Aladiah
Reiiel (Rejajel)
Hahasiah
There are other Angels that are partial to Clear Quartz.. The table below gives you the information about them.
Name of Angel
Protector and Ruler of the dates May 6-10; Taurus.
Guardian of the Eighteenth Mansion of the Moon; Scorpio.
Egibiel
Protector and Ruler of the dates December 3-7; Sagittarius.
Master of the 9th Tarot Card “The Hermit”. Associated with Virgo.
Hamaliel
Guardian of the Twentieth Mansion of the Moon; Sagittarius.
Matariel is the Ruler of Earth/Rain.
Matariel
Raziel is known as the Wisdom Angel; Tree of Life, and Heals Spiritual Blocks.
Protector and Ruler of the dates August 13-17; Leo.
Master of the 16th Tarot Card “The Tower”.
Zamael
Quartz Goddess Crystals
Quartz honors Gaia, the Greek Earth Mother Goddess. Born directly out of Chaos, the primal emptiness, she was the first (or one of the first) beings to appear during the process of creation, and is honored as being the Earth itself.
Clear Quartz honors Kundalini, the Hindu Life Force Goddess; Latona, the Roman Goddess of Light; and Gendenwitha, the Morning Star Goddess of the Iroquois.
A Quartz cluster may also be used to honor Ixcuiname, the Mayan Goddess of the Four Ages of Women.
There are several ways to find an appropriate birthstone. The traditional one is listed first. These are from the popular lists that most people are familiar with. The second way is to find your natural birthstone by the color wheel of life. You can click on the Natural Birthstone graphic below to learn more. Finally many people use the traditional stones of the Zodiac.
In this section you will find information on all three approaches.
Quartz Traditional Birthstone
Clear Quartz is not a traditional birthstone
Quartz Natural Birthstone.
Clear Quartz is not a natural birthstone.
Quartz - Zodiac Stone
Clear Quartz is not associated with any zodiac sign, though it has been known to reduce Capricorn's stubbornness and Leo's need for power, as well as rendering Gemini more tolerant. [Megemont, 74]
Quartz Amulets and Talismans
Clear Quartz is a Seeker Transformer crystal. Seekers contain a crystal energy structure that aligns the natural energy of the crystal to the natural power of the human mind to find the way to new horizons and new capabilities. They're pointers, directors, and compasses; the fresh start crystals. These are talismans of the scientist, the adventurer, the hunter, wanderer and explorer. They're also crystals of the student and the researcher.
Transformer crystals enhance efforts to change our situations, prospects, health, outlook or relationships. By transforming ourselves we transform our lives. We learn to dance, speak a new language, grow stronger, or become a better spouse or child. Seeker crystals with the earth power of the Transformer are excellent talismans to aid our efforts to grow, develop new capabilities and change our lives.
Quartz Feng Shui
Clear Quartz crystals are perfect "energy dispersers" in any window. As a natural prism, they take light and energy from the sun and disperse it freely within the room. They offer an indoor sun world for warmth, strength and vitality.
Quartz in Ancient Lore and Legend
Since the beginning of time in nearly every culture, Clear Quartz crystals have been held sacred and magical and universally accepted as a source of power. In their creation myths the aboriginal tribes in both Australia and South America describe the image of the "cosmic serpent," the progenitor of all life, being led and guided by a Quartz crystal. [Simmons, 318]
The legendary cities of Atlantis and Lemuria were believed to use Clear Quartz as a source of rejuvenation, in solar energy refraction, and for the complete development of their civilizations of incredible power and splendor. Its misuse is also believed to be the reason for their destructions. Before their fall, their knowledge and secrets of the universe were said to have been programmed into Record Keeper formations of Clear Quartz to be psychically retrieved by chosen souls for future humanity and earth-healing purposes. [Melody, 504, 531][Mella, 82]
From ancient divination to modern crystal-gazing, clear crystal balls have long been used to find lost articles, foretell secrets of the future, forecast impending doom, and was even used at one time as a means to detect minor offences and crimes. "Scrying" has been common since the Greek and Roman periods, and crystal balls brought back by Crusaders in the Middle Ages were said to possess magical powers. The "spirits" yielding the visions were induced by powerful spells, many of which have been preserved, and contain an incongruous mixture of religious and magical formulas. [Fernie, 204-216][Kunz, 176, 186][Simmons, 318]
According to ancient astrologers, the portion of the month when the moon is on its increase is said to be the strongest time for scrying because of the magnetic pull between Rock Crystal and the moon. From traditional beliefs and scientific experimentation over the centuries, a good diet was recommended for crystal-gazers, as well as drinking an infusion of mugwort or chickory to improve iron levels in the blood. Boys and girls before puberty made the best seers, brunettes with dark skin charged the crystal more quickly than blondes; females, especially virgins or widows were far better than males, though once trained males were more powerful and correct. [Kunz, 205, 212][Fernie, 204-208]
A crystal ball known as the Currahmore Crystal in Scotland, because it is kept at the seat of that name belonging to the Marquis of Waterford, has been handed down for centuries, brought from the Holy Land in the 11th century and held in highest esteem for its power to cure cattle of diseases. Slightly larger than an orange with a silver ring around its center, it was placed in a stream and cattle were driven up and down the waters to affect the cure. Its use was not only famous around Currahmore, but requests for its loan were often made from far distant parts of Ireland. The privilege was almost always accorded, never abused, and the crystal was always returned to its rightful owner. [Kunz, 223][Simmons, 318]
In ancient Rome when Rock Crystal was believed to be ice solidified over the course of long years, ladies of luxury carried crystal balls in their hands for cooling purposes during summer weather. Under the Lower Empire crystal rings were also used for the same purpose. These were solid, carved out of a single stone, and had the face engraved with an intaglio as a signet. [Fernie, 201-202]
Rock Crystal was also ascribed the power of producing the Sacred Fire, the fire most grateful to the gods. Laid upon wood chips in the sun, it produced first smoke then flames. It was also used to burn the skin as a means of cauterization. [Fernie, 222]
Clear Quartz has forever carried a place of importance in spiritual and religious beliefs. The Japanese call it tama, "the perfect jewel." It is a symbol of purity, the infinity of space, of patience and perseverance. The smaller Rock Crystals were believed to be the congealed breath of the White Dragon, while the larger and more brilliant ones were said to be the saliva of the Violet Dragon. The dragon, emblematic of the highest powers of creation, shows the esteem by which many of the Oriental cultures place on this stone. [Simmons, 318][Kunz, 217]
In Hindu mythology a wonderful tank formed of crystal was provided by the god Maya. Its bottom and sides were encrusted with pearls and in the center was a raised platform blazing with precious stones. The transparent crystal produced such an illusion of water that those approaching the tank were tempted to plunge into the clear, fresh water for a refreshing bath. [Kunz, 237]
Quartz crystal is referenced in many religions as foundation jewels in mystic cities, trees of life, in homage to deities and worn by their prophets for power. Clear Quartz is one of the seven precious substances of Buddhism, and is perhaps the "diamond" listed in the second row of the Breastplate of the High Priest in the Bible. Ancient priests used Clear Quartz to render negative energy useless, to dissolve enchantments and spells, and to destroy all black magic. [Melody, 506][Hall II, 17-18]
Indigenous cultures in North America and Burma believed Clear Quartzes to be living entities and presented them with food as ritual offerings. The Cherokee Indians, for example, believed Rock Crystal to have great power to aid in hunting and divining, and one owner was reputed to keep his crystal wrapped up in buckskin and hidden in a sacred cave. At designated times he would take it out and "feed" it by rubbing it over the blood of a deer. [Simmons, 318][Kunz 254-5]
In Central and South American cultures, Quartz crystals carved in the shapes of human skulls were venerated as powerful religious objects, the dwellings of deceased ancestors or gods. An ancient Mayan legend claims there were thirteen sacred crystal skulls hidden in different places and must all be found and brought together before the December 21, 2012 when the Mayan calendar cycle ends or Earth will be knocked off its axis. [Simmons, 318][Eason, 348]
Nearly every culture extolled the virtues of Clear Quartz for medicinal healing. It was used in Rome and medieval England for cases of dysentery and colic, for glandular swelling, pain, and held against the tongue to reduce fever and slake thirst. It was also reputed to be astringent, to produce an abundance of milk, good for gout and for breaking up stones in the body. In the Scottish Highlands, a crystal set in silver and worn around the neck was considered effective for diseases of the kidneys. [Fernie, 200, 222][Melody, 506][Kunz, 133]
At one time or another, Clear Quartz was carved and used for vases, cups and ornaments, worn as a symbol of high rank and placed in tombs and scepters of royalty, valued as amulets for magical powers, rain-making, lighting sacrificial fires, and was the original "glass" of windows, beads and spectacles. [Fernie, 179, 199][Kunz, 203]
Sir Isaac Newton discovered the color spectrum by refracting sunlight through a natural crystal. Reflecting the rainbow on his wall allowed him to measure the different lengths of the rays of the visible light spectrum. [Mella, 82]
Rock Crystal is considered a Gem of winter, and appropriate for giving on a fifteenth wedding anniversary. [Kunz, 326, 337]
Footnote References
The symbols [ ] enclose the author's name and a page number for a reference cited from the following books:
[Ahsian, pp.] Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian, The Book of Stones (Berkley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007).
[Eason, pp. ]Cassandra Eason, The New Crystal Bible (London: Carlton Books Ltd., 2010).
[Fernie, pp.] William T. Fernie, The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious Stones (Blauvelt, NY: Rudolph Steiner Publications, 1973).
[Gienger, pp.] Michael Gienger, Healing Crystals (Scotland: Earthdancer Books, 2009).
[Hall, pp.] Judy Hall, The Crystal Bible (Cincinnati, OH: Walking Stick Press, 2003).
[Hall 2, pp.]Judy Hall, The Crystal Bible 2 (Cincinnati, OH: Walking Stick Press, 2009).
[Kunz, pp.] George Frederick Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones (New York: Dover Publications, 1971).
[Megemont, pp.] Florence Megemont, The Metaphysical Book of Gems and Crystals (Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2008).
[Mella, pp.] Dorothee L. Mella, Stone Power II (Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life, Inc., 1986).
[Melody, pp.] Melody, Love Is In The Earth (Wheat Ridge, CO: Earth-Love Publishing House, 1995).
[Raphaell, pp.] Katrina Raphaell, Crystal Enlightenment (Santa Fe, NM: Aurora Press, 1985)
[Simmons, pp.] Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian, The Book of Stones (Berkley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007).
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Denbigh 8°c
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Local Bygones
'I look forward to serving and representing county of Clwyd'
The next two years will bring its fair share of opportunities
By Shaun Davies
Dewi Jones
FIRSTLY, I would like to thank my predecessor Paul Williams for his leadership as the NFU Cymru Clwyd county chairman.
Paul, who will now take on the role of Clwyd county president, will I know still be proactive and continue to bring his knowledge and wisdom to the role and us as a county – felly diolch yn fawr i ti Paul.
As for my history, I have spent the last 23 years working within the agricultural education sector at Llysfasi, now part of Coleg Cambria, with the last 16 of those years mainly managing the farm.
Prior to Llysfasi, I spent a short amount of time working in the schools sector and have previously worked on beef, sheep, dairy and arable farms in Wales, England and the United States, in the Bush Jr and Bill Clinton era. My formal education included periods at Llysfasi, the Welsh Agricultural College (WAC) and Harper Adams University.
During the Clwyd AGM held in early December, and on behalf of the Clwyd county, it was a pleasure to award Terrig Morgan the inaugural Dafydd Jones Memorial Cup.
The cup is awarded in recognition of the NFU Cymru Clwyd member who has made the best contribution to agriculture.
Terrig has certainly set the bar high for the cup going forward.
The cup was presented to Terrig by Dafydd’s son Sion, with wife Mair also in attendance.
The AGM was also attended by Aled Jones, NFU Cymru deputy president, and John Mercer, NFU Cymru director.
It was nice to welcome them both to the region yet again this year.
The main speaker for the evening was Professor Glyn Hewinson, who leads the TB Centre of Excellence at Aberystwyth University.
The key messages I picked up were that we still need to know more about TB, both in the cows themselves and its means of transmission between cows or between cows and their environment, including wildlife.
The most exciting work surrounds the current development of a vaccine, where the cows would subsequently be recognised as vaccinated and not as positive reactors.
Hopefully, this work will be at the field trials stage soon.
From all of this, there may be better control strategies that will come to light, plus we can learn a lot from the strategies of other countries.
We must be grateful that this high level work is being carried out here in Wales so that we can hopefully, eventually and once and for all, tackle this costly and most distressing disease.
The next two years will bring its fair share of opportunities, challenges and changes and I look forward to serving and representing the county of Clwyd through these interesting times.
NFU Cymru Clwyd
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Dentsu X and Posterscope: LivePoster
Geo-targeted digital out-of-home campaign for Australia Post
OOH locations across the country
The media strategy was to utilise a combination of above- the-line and digital channels to deliver the correct messaging at the right time and locations.
The missing piece was the geo-targeting. The LivePoster technology was the solution to this challenge.
The Liveposter platform enables digital campaigns to run seamlessly across multiple networks and media owners. It uses a range of available data sources to optimise the communication across the day, week or campaign period and provides full control over the content without the need to individually supply media owners’ systems.
Working collaboratively with Posterscope, an opportunity was identified utilising Liveposter to deliver geo-specific creative dynamically and at scale across DOOH. The campaign allowed consumers to geo-locate the closest parcel collection points and retrieve maps/directions for each location.
This media campaign attributed to an overall increase in MyPost sign ups (10% above forecast) and also an increase in parcel deliveries.
While not all results can be directly attributed to the campaign, Australia Post did experience a 29% increase year-on-year in active parcel locker address customers and parcels delivered per delivery point for parcel locker addresses.
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1-800-522-8974. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
DETOXAMIN FAQ
Discover Detoxamin®
There are many reasons to rid the body of toxic metals. But for many people, there are more reasons to skip chelation therapy than to try it. That's because most health insurance companies won't pay for chelation therapy. At more than $3,000.00 for a complete series of treatments, the cost of intravenous chelation can be prohibitive for many people. It's also very inconvenient. For the full course, you have to visit the doctors office or chelation clinic as many as 30 times, each time for as long as three hours. Plus, as with any IV, there is the risk of blood-borne diseases to consider. All of these factors discourage many people from trying chelation therapy, even when they clearly could benefit from it.
Some people have tried oral EDTA chelation tablets in response to these concerns. Although some doctors use IV and oral therapy together, there are huge doubts about the efficacy of oral tablets alone. Research shows that oral EDTA is largely destroyed during digestion, absorbing only 5 to 10%, greatly diminishing the essential absorption needed for effective chelation.
Detoxamin / Chelation Science
Why use Detoxamin?
Our industrialised society has left a toxic footprint in our air, water, food, soil and, unfortunately, our bodies. In fact, there is no safe place left. As you are about to discover, these harmful toxic metals and chemicals enter our body every day of our lives. Once these toxic chemicals absorb into our bodies, they spread through our entire system where they get locked into our chemistry. The problem is that toxins are not meant to be metabolised or broken down by our bodies, so they start to stockpile, slowly building up. These environmental poisons overwhelm our ability to detoxify them. We don’t get cancer, heart disease, diabetes or any one of the other degenerative diseases overnight—we spend our whole lives saving up for them.
The really bad news is that, according to the EPA, 99% of our population contains chemicals that are linked to the development of cancer. Most heavy metals are carcinogenic and can cause free radical damage. They can cause the energy factories in our cells (known as mitochondria) to stop working, which essentially causes cells to die. In the process, the DNA for those affected cells may also be damaged, causing a malfunction in the next generation of cells of this type. When cells are programmed to die off more quickly or to wildly multiply, we see problems such as weaker tissue, maligned function, or tumors. In short, heavy metals lead to serious illnesses and shorten our lives. There are more than twenty different heavy-metal (environmental) toxins that can impact human health—each toxin producing unique behavioural, physiological, and cognitive changes in an exposed individual. The degree to which a system, organ, tissue, or cell is affected by a heavy metal toxin depends on the toxin itself and the degree of the individual’s exposure. Here we examine just five of the many hazardous heavy metals that we are commonly exposed to.
What is the suggested Use?
Detoxamin is a complete regimen. It is recommended to take Detoxamin for each day for 90 days or every other day for 180 days (depending on the severity of symptoms)-and then continue on to a monthly maintenance program. See below for detailed instructions.
1) For individuals with more severe symptoms we recommend using 3 jars of Detoxamin (each jar contains 30 suppositories) over a 90-day period-each night. This dosage is equal to approximately 30 IV EDTA sessions. Take one suppository every night for 3 months. It is understand that some people may need to continue a little longer than the 3 months, depending upon their health condition. Consult your physician for details. We recommend that you take all other required vitamin/mineral supplementation on a daily basis and separate the processes by as much time as possible-if you use Detoxamin when you retire for bed, take your supplementation in the morning or early afternoon so that you will receive maximum benefits from both therapies and they are not in competition with each other.
2) For individuals with less severe symptoms we recommend using 3 jars of Detoxamin (each jar contains 30 suppositories) over a 180-day period-every other night. This dosage is equal to approximately 30 IV EDTA sessions. If you are looking for preventative measures, or just want a good, thorough detoxification-using 1 Detoxamin suppository every other night will give you excellent chelation results at a slightly lower rate. Even though you may take the suppository every other day we recommend that you take your supplementation every day.
Detoxamin Lifetime Maintenance
Detoxamin is a product for life. Your bones remain toxic for life-this is a fact. We highly recommend that you continue the therapy, as you will get exposed to harmful toxins continually. Unfortunately your bones are toxic for life and the toxins do get re-introduced into the bloodstream over time. Plus, our bone lead levels are 1000 times higher than those prior to the Industrial Age. Therefore, once you complete the first part of the therapy it is recommended to maintain your health with our monthly maintenance package. Our recommendation is to use 3-6 suppositories every month-you will receive the equivalent of approximately 2 IV EDTA chelation treatments. Using the suppositories on consecutive nights will give you consistent chelation. We are continually ingesting toxins and heavy metals on a continuing basis and Detoxamin is extremely safe, we feel that the maintenance protocol could be carried out over your lifetime.
How does Detoxamin work?
Detoxamin removes most harmful metal toxins, safely and effectively. Detoxamin is taken at night prior to bedtime, each Detoxamin suppository contains Calcium-disodium EDTA, and is made in a proprietary base, (melts on body contact), which is very therapeutic for the rectal mucosa and the colon wall. According to Dr. Bruce Halstead MD, Scientific Advisor to WHP, "The Ca-sodium form is able to bond (chelate) effectively because it does not lower the blood pH to a level that would prohibit the bonding action. The Ca added to the salt is important in this MOA (mode of administration) as it buffers the acidic quality of the active ingredient keeping the suppository from being abrasive to the mucous membrane of the rectum area. Ca-disodium EDTA has both a scientific justification for therapeutic effectiveness as well as a clinical history of effectiveness.
Almost all the blood from the rectum makes its way to the superior hemorrhoidal veins, a tributary of the portal system, so that absorption through the rectal wall carries the EDTA in Detoxamin to the portal vein (see figure).
The lower and middle hemorrhoidal veins bypass the liver-and do not undergo first pass metabolism. This means that the EDTA in Detoxamin goes directly to the organs of your body without being filtered through the liver first. Because of this, the EDTA contained in Detoxamin is very productive.
Detoxamin offers many advantages both over the expensive intravenous method of EDTA chelation. With the use of needles via the intravenous method, and risk of AIDS and other communicable blood-borne diseases, Detoxamin is becoming the logical choice over I.V. EDTA chelation and the poorly absorbed oral EDTA.
The rectum has a more neutral pH and is not as acidic as the stomach, which makes this area much better for EDTA absorption because it is not buffered and has a neutral pH, unlike the stomach. It also has very little enzymatic activity, thus enzymatic degradation does not occur. The rectal mucosa (rectum) is much more capable than the gastric mucosa (stomach) of tolerating various drug-related irritations. This is why patients who can't tolerate oral pain medication are given the same medication in suppository form.
Detoxamin also introduces EDTA directly into the systemic circulation, efficiently bypassing the portal circulation and the liver metabolism on the first pass. Rectal absorption may also occur through the lymphatic system and, in some cases, largely through the blood via the vena cava.
Is Detoxamin affordable?
YES! Detoxamin is 70% less than the IV EDTA chelation method.
What makes Detoxamin EDTA suppositories equal to IV chelation?
1) Detoxamin EDTA Suppositories are taken at night, right before you retire for the evening. This allows LESS metabolic competition for the EDTA because the body is at rest while the EDTA is working. 2) Detoxamin introduces LESS dosage of EDTA, but it is done more frequently. This is just like taking vitamins, you take less more often. This fact provides better EDTA assimilation. 3) Almost all the blood from the rectum makes its way to the superior hemorrhoidal veins, a tributary of the portal system. The lower and middle hemorrhoidal veins BYPASS the liver and do not undergo first pass metabolism, therefore the EDTA in Detoxamin is not being filtered through the liver first, making the EDTA more productive in Detoxamin. 4) Detoxamin introduces EDTA directly into the systemic circulation and lymphatic system. 5) Detoxamin is also far safer than IV chelation because the EDTA in Detoxamin travels through the body MUCH SLOWER, not putting the same burden on the liver and kidney. Plus the dosage of 750 mg Calcium EDTA is very safe. 6) Each 3 Detoxamin suppositories are medically equal to 1 IV treatment.
Does Detoxamin Chelate Gadolinium (Gd)?
It's the best choice for Gd, as Ca-EDTA is the most proven chelator in the world. Great results are due to its broad based chelation ability. 1 +1 in toxicity is not 2, but 10. This is due to the many metals you have, including lead, arsenic, and so on. The Gd will only come our when you also address all the metals - especially knowing we have 1000% more lead in our bones than people living just 100 years ago. So you must address ALL metals, the body then achieves a new level of homeostasis, as well as clear the essential detoxification pathways, so that the Gd is removed. You will be delighted by the results and benefits that Detoxamin offers.
Does Detoxamin Chelate Mercury (Hg)?
Yes! Mercury Poisoning
The Calcium EDTA in Detoxamin has an extra chemical bond compared to the older Disodium EDTA. This gives Detoxamin EDTA an affinity for MERCURY. Mercury is also excreted from the body through the feces, because Detoxamin utilizes the colon wall for EDTA assimilation, it is a powerful Mercury chelator, making it possible to eliminate DMPS in some patients.
Why Does Detoxamin with EDTA work so well?
Our body today averages 1000 times more lead in your bones than was present before the Industrial Age, while it gets less of the essential minerals such as zinc in our excessively refined foods. It has become clear to many health professionals today that maintaining optimal health requires routine chelating and detoxifying agents such as garlic and EDTA that will continuously pull the toxins like lead, mercury, and even pesticides, etc., out of the body. This way, we are not putting the essential nutrients like vitamin E, etc., into a polluted cesspool and expecting to get the full benefits of these miraculous nutrients.
Interim Report of Clinical Observations of the Effects with Detoxamin and Supportive Combination Therapy on Prostate Conditions
Rita Ellithorpe, MD, Principle Investigator
Larry Clapp, PhD
Tony Jimenez, MD
Brett Jacques, ND
Robert Settineri MS
In an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved study conducted at Tustin Longevity Center, thirty men between the ages of 48 to 74 exhibiting conditions of prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia, and prostate calcifications were enrolled in a 90-day clinical study. The interim trial examined the effects of a combination treatment of Detoxamin at 750mg given four times per week, Health Genesis vitamin/mineral complex given daily, one daily Natren's Healthy Trinity probiotic oil matrix capsule and tetracycline at 500mg given daily.
The initial 90-day observations revealed statistically significant Quality of Life (QOL) improvement in reducing the symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia, with overall improvement in urinary conditions such as weak urinary stream, incomplete emptying of the bladder and strain upon urination. Results also showed a reduction of the frequency, intermittency and number of times the participants got up at night to urinate (nocturia). Erectile function was also improved in 27 out of 30 patients.
Toxic heavy metals were laboratory analyzed in packed red blood cells; the metals that showed statistically significant reductions were lead, cadmium and arsenic. Of the heavy metals analyzed in fecal samples, cadmium showed a significant decrease.
Blood chemistry panels were also analyzed in which high density lipids (HDL), the good cholesterol levels increased significantly over pre-treatment levels. The cholesterol to HDL ratios, low density lipids (LDL, bad cholesterol) and plaque 2 (LPPLA2), a marker that detects cardiovascular plaque significantly decreased in the majority of participants.
The researchers conducting this study are encouraged with the response to the treatment protocol for improving symptomology, removal of major toxic heavy metals and improving important cardiovascular markers with the men who are affected with debilitating prostate conditions. This study has been extended for an additional 90 days with some modifications of the protocol.
"With over seven years of medical chelation experience, I observed other toxic heavy metals such as aluminum, nickel, tungsten, uranium and beryllium and others being either decreased or excreted to large extents in my patients utilizing Detoxamin. This is extremely important for all people of all ages because of the abundance of continual toxic environmental exposure we all encounter each and every day. I am so confident of need for the removal of these metals with Detoxamin that I have chosen to devote my entire practice to instate the use of these suppositories in place of IV chelation with almost all my present and future patients. Detoxamin's gentle, safe and effective ability to remove these oxidatively damaging metals from our tissues is one of the single, most important things we can do to improve our health. I also incorporate and highly recommend the addition of Repairacell or Vital Cellular Nutrition with NT Factor to repair, rebuild and revitalized cells and tissues of the body in combination with Detoxamin for not only the majority of medical conditions but also as a preventive means to protect us against damaging toxins, improvement in health and increased quality of life as we age."
Dr. Rita Ellithorpe, MD
If Detoxamin with EDTA is so good at removing heavy metals, does it also deplete the body of essential minerals and other important substances?
No, amazingly it doesn't. In some instances, Detoxamin actually enhances the uptake of various trace minerals, while lowering the total body burden of lead. The World Health Organization and advisors to the National Academy of Science recommend that EDTA be added to the diet of children in poor countries to enhance mineral absorption, particularly of iron and zinc. EDTA is never broken down in your body. It goes in and comes out as EDTA. So it's hard for it to do a lot of mischief since the only thing it's known to do is to have this compelling influence like an extremely good-looking, eligible young bachelor. All the attractive young ladies might sometime during the evening stop by to say hello. It's the same way with EDTA; every one of the metals (in the periodic chart) would say hello. But EDTA has a very strong list of preferences, which are called stability constants. It will be very inconstant with calcium, to which it says hello; you're there, goodbye. It says hello to magnesium; you're there, goodbye. It goes up to zinc and says hey, you're pretty interesting. Then it goes up to lead and says, I think you're really interesting, we could spend the evening together. And when it gets up to mercury, it says can we spend the rest of our life together. So that's kind of how it goes. On the other hand, we know that EDTA is a nonspecific chelator, and if there is not an ample supply of minerals with a higher stability constant, then EDTA could potentially remove essential minerals. It would ultimately depend on the amount of heavy metals in the system, the pH of the system, etc. If there is not much lead or mercury in the system for instance, then EDTA could remove zinc, which is rapidly excreted in the urine.
Do you still suggest taking replacement minerals when taking Detoxamin?
Yes, definitely! We recommend that you take the most advanced vitamin/mineral supplement, including zinc, which you can afford to protect your body from getting depleted. Because of environmental toxicity and this high stress lifestyle of ours, it's almost impossible to rely on food for all the nutrition our bodies need to stay healthy and strong. We live on devitalized food from mineral deficient soils that are packaged in boxes, picked green and stored in refrigerated compartments. And research has shown that, due to a steady decline in the nutritional quality of our food, even an adequate diet might not enable us to maintain the vitamin and mineral balance required to avoid health problems. It's vital that we enhance our diets with a wide spectrum of supplemental vitamins and minerals that can make up for nutritional deficiencies.
How does Detoxamin compare to intravenous chelation therapy?
Detoxamin is patented method of EDTA chelation and medically equivalent to the intravenous method. Detoxamin is an unique formulation of EDTA that is manufactured into suppository form. Each box of Detoxamin (15 suppositories) is equal to 5 IV treatments. Detoxamin allows absorption of EDTA through the colon wall, the EDTA absorption rate in Detoxamin is 90 to 95%. There is no question that IV EDTA is useful, but we all live a busy life and we can't go to the doctor and have an IV every day. It's too inconvenient to see your doctor for three hours in his office, drive an hour to get to his office, day after day, lose a day of income and pay him $125 or whatever it costs, which is a significant amount of money. Detoxamin is an effective, convenient and affordable way of EDTA chelation and will finally help people with the excessive body burden of heavy metals, that we are all excessively burdened with today. Take our mercury levels, for example. In a report published in Linear Practice of Alternative Medicine (Fall, 2001, issue 2: 181-187), Poul Molher, MSc. calculated that it's typical to have approximately 40 million atoms of mercury per every cell of the body after getting amalgam fillings for several years. When you know the facts on total toxic metals that we all carry around in us today, you realize that, whatever hope we have of really making a dent with 30 or 40 IV treatments or even 100 chelation's over a lifetime, it is still simply a case of too little help being given too late. Detoxamin was created to replace the IV method of chelation to allow you to continue chelation to receive the ultimate benefits without the hassles and expense, because it is virtually impossible and too expensive for most people to keep going to the doctor's office for IV chelation.
What about Oral EDTA?
Oral EDTA tablets are so poorly absorbed that it can never be equal to the IV method or to Detoxamin. The stomach acids virtually destroy most of the oral EDTA whereby very little of the EDTA is actually absorbed into the bloodstream-only about 5%. This is why the promoters of oral EDTA require that you undergo IV EDTA chelation periodically so that the benefits are realized. Oral EDTA is so poorly absorbed that you must take about 30 oral EDTA (500 mg) tablets to equal just one Detoxamin Suppository. It is clear to many in the health field today that we should all consider EDTA chelation therapy, Detoxamin was created so you can accomplish this without the inconvenience and hassles that makes IV chelation unreachable for most people.
What is nitric oxide and how does it connect to EDTA chelation therapy?
EDTA has been shown to optimize nitric oxide production. This fact alone makes chelation therapy a benefit for virtually everyone. Nitric oxide (NO) protects the heart, stimulates the brain, kills bacteria, helps prevent blood clots that are the cause of most heart attacks and strokes, enhances oxygen delivery to tissues, and helps regulate blood pressure and blood flow to different organs. It is present in most living creatures and made by many different types of cells. It was a sensation when it was discovered that this simple, common air pollutant,-which is formed when nitrogen burns, for instance in automobile exhaust fumes-could exert so many important and life saving functions in our body.
If nitric oxide is so important to cardiovascular health, why not take a daily dose of nitric oxide instead of EDTA?
The problem is that nitric oxide is so powerful that when we give it as a drug, there's a chance that, just like when we used to give you nitroglycerin to put under your tongue to dilate your arteries and stop your heart pain, you might get an explosive headache. So it's not innocuous to give you substances to get a nitroglycerin or nitric oxide-like effect. It turns out that it's wonderful if I can figure out a way to optimize your body's ability to make just its own ideal dose of nitric oxide, (which we believe Detoxamin helps you do, by detoxifying the cells that make NO). Because your body is not a fool and will not make too much, so there is no worry about over dosing you with EDTA induced NO.
How do I open Detoxamin?
Detoxamin suppositories remain solid below 76°F, so keep them in a cool place to prevent melting. If necessary, any broken or bubbled suppositories can be melted and reformed in the fridge.
If soft, we suggest placing the Detoxamin suppository in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before use, to firm up the suppository before usage. Use the restroom prior to using, and be sure your hands are clean.
To open the suppository, separate one shell from the rest, then gently peel the flat plastic tabs apart to reveal the suppository inside the shell.
What toxic metals does Ca-EDTA remove?
The body has need for approximately 70 friendly trace element heavy metals, but there are another 12 poisonous heavy metals, such as Lead, Mercury, Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Nickel, etc., that act as poisonous interference to the enzyme systems and metabolism of the body.
Metals that are ALWAYS toxic and should never be ingested include the following: mercury, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, platinum, thallium, tungsten, uranium, and aluminum
Ca-EDTA is more attracted to some elements than others. This is a list of what EDTA is attracted to, in order of highest attraction to lower. This list was comprised by research published by Saul Green and Wallace Sampson in 2002. From studies, we also know EDTA has an affinity for Arsenic and Uranium, though we do not know where they fall in the line of affinity.
〉Iron (Ferric)
〉Mercury
〉Copper
〉Aluminum
〉Nickel
〉Lead
〉Cobalt
〉Iron (Ferrous)
〉Zinc
〉Cadmium
〉Manganese
〉Magnesium
〉Calcium
"The Ca-sodium form is able to bond (chelate) effectively because it does not lower the blood pH to a level that would prohibit the bonding action. The Ca added to the salt is important in this MOA (mode of administration) as it buffers the acidic quality of the active ingredient keeping the suppository from being abrasive to the mucous membrane of the rectum area. Ca-disodium EDTA has both a scientific justification for therapeutic effectiveness as well as a clinical history of effectiveness." Dr. Bruce Halstead MD, Scientific Advisor to Detoxamin
Why Use Detoxamin With Glutathione?
Both EDTA and Glutathione are poorly absorbed when taken orally. But now, with this powerful formula, you can get all the powerful benefits of both EDTA and Glutathione at the highest level. You see, bio-availability is the key to performance.
Glutathione Benefits:
Antioxidant –the body’s master antioxidant, our bodies depend on it for the removal of toxins. Other antioxidants in our body depend on it to function properly.
Detoxification – detoxifies a large number of pollutants by binding to carcinogens, heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides and radiation by forming a soluble compound with the toxin that can then be excreted through the urine or bile.
Immune system – is at the heart of all immune function. Healthy growth and activity of immune cells depends on the availability of GSH. The protective activity of GSH is two-fold – it enhances the activity of immune cells and also functions as an antioxidant within them. Raising and maintaining your levels can help minimize the risk of diseases.
Increased Energy – Our energy levels are a result of many factors – everything from the biochemical reactions taking place within our cells, to muscle function and even your sense of well-being. Glutathione enables the mitochondria of a cell to remain fully charged, enhancing muscle strength and endurance. Clinical trials have shown that lowering Glutathione in the mitochondria results in cell death.
Repair – Our body is constantly under attack from free radicals, some from external sources and some generated in our own body. Free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule, “stealing” its electron. A molecule that loses an electron then becomes a free radical itself and attacks the next nearest stable molecule, this begins a chain reaction. Once the reaction is started it can cascade through hundreds of molecules. Glutathione performs a vital role in repairing the damaged DNA by replacing the missing electron. Normal to elevated Glutathione keeps the repair of our cells at a maximum and reduces the number of cell mutations that would occur otherwise.
I have more questions, how do I talk with someone?
Our customer support is available 24 hours a day, so please feel free to contact us at anytime.
Click to call the numbers below:
SHOP DETOXAMIN NOW
Have more questions? Get in touch with a knowledgeable member of our customer support team.
MORE SEVERE CASES / SYMPTOMS
3 Jars of Detoxamin For 90 Days
Take one suppository at night, prior to bedtime.
Take every night for up to 90 days. This will provide the medical equivalence of approximately 30 IV Chelation treatments.
Take proper mineral/trace mineral/vitamin replacement every day.
Take all other supplementation every day.
LESS SEVERE / PREVENTION
3 Jars of Detoxamin For 180 Days
Take one suppository every OTHER night, prior to bedtime.
Take every other night for 180 days. This will provide the medical equivalence of approximately 30 IV chelation treatments.
We find ourselves existing in a far more toxic and hostile environment than our bodies were designed to handle. Need to talk to someone? Feel free to contact us at anytime, get in touch with a very knowledgable representative now.
Ongoing Maintenance Suggested Use AFTER A or B is completed:
Your bones are toxic for life. Lead and other heavy metals are stored in the bones and get re-distributed into the bloodstream. Therefore, it is highly recommended to continue maintenance with Detoxamin, this provides the ultimate in Anti-aging benefits.
› Take 3-5 suppositories over a 30-day period. This is medically equal to approximately 2-EDTA IV treatments. When on Detoxamin maintenance one box of Detoxamin lasts 6 to 10 months.
› Take proper mineral/trace mineral/vitamin replacement every day.
› Note: Detoxamin is designed to be taken at night, however some patients and physicians prefer taking a suppository in the morning after evacuation. (Optional)
© 2020 These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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What will Gwadar look like in 20 years?
By Matt Harris
The port city of Gwadar is growing at such a rapid rate that projections about the future are inevitable. With transport links including the city’s new airport underway, 2019 has been a landmark year for Gwadar and more developments are on the way.
But what about the long term future: What will this burgeoning city look like in twenty years time and will those investing in Gwadar right now be enjoying a profitable return on their outlay?
What Gwadar projects will be completed by 2039?
The projects that are currently in development will be finished long before the year 2039 rolls along. Quite simply, the airport has to be finished in order to keep up with the demands of expected tourism and business traffic that will have been fully functional for some time.
The same applies to other transport projects in the city. In March 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced new ferry and train links from Gwadar but there are many other projects, away from the transport sector, about to come to fruition.
Energy forms an important part of the many projects currently taking place at Gwadar. In the future, we could see wind turbines in the distance while there is an obvious need to exploit the rich oil supplies in the region.
A green approach plays a big role in Gwadar’s future with Imran Khan announcing that one million trees would be planted across the city. Green areas will also be maintained under the China Pak golf estates scheme which will maintain important habitats for wildlife.
What will Gwadar’s population be in twenty years’ time?
One of the biggest areas for growth lies with Gwadar’s population. As of 2019, it currently sits at a figure in the tens of thousands while it’s forecast that by 2024, that will increase to half a million permanent residents. Based on that percentage increase, it may be fair to assume that the population of Gwadar in 2019 might sit at several million.
The rate of growth may slow down of course but there is plenty of room to accommodate increases over the next twenty years. As of 2019, Gwadar real estate market leaders CPIC Global have 3,000 properties in development over 10 million square feet of land and with growth continuing in this area, there is scope to cope with a big increase in population.
How will Gwadar change over 20 years?
We’re using a crystal ball to an extent but there are some aspects to Gwadar that we can predict with some confidence. For a start, the majority of the one million trees will be in full bloom adding to the clean and pleasant living environment for all Gwadar locals.
It might also be fair to assume that the airport may have new terminals while more train and ferry routes are created. There is an element of guesswork but based on the rate of progression in 2019, we can look forward to a busy and productive future for the city of Gwadar.
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Daniel Ricciardo: No fear for Renault over constructors’ position
Renault may face pressure from Racing Point and Toro Rosso to hold on to fifth in the constructors' championship, but Ricciardo says confidence is high within the team.
Daniel Ricciardo says there is no fear within Renault over its position in the constructors’ championship amid pressure from Racing Point and Toro Rosso in the fight for P5 in the standings.
Renault entered the 2019 season hoping to build on its fourth-place finish last year and cut the gap to the leading trio of teams, only to take a step back into the midfield fight.
McLaren has emerged as the leading midfield team to sit fourth in the constructors’ championship, 38 points clear of Renault, who has been left defending fifth from Racing Point and Toro Rosso.
While Ricciardo said there was pressure on Renault to hold on to the position, the team remained confident of doing so.
“There is pressure for all of us to do it. I wouldn’t say that I feel the pressure, as far as there is not a fear within the team of losing these positions,” Ricciardo said.
“My personal championship position, I am not too bothered about. But as a team point of view, for sure. I’m confident we will do it.
“Circumstances you never know, but I am confident if we just execute the next few races we should be sweet. I will put pressure on myself to execute.
“It is good to keep us still focused on this year. The team has already started with next year, but that is independent of this year, and it is giving us something to keep us on our toes, which is good.”
Renault sat just nine points clear of both teams heading in last Sunday’s United States Grand Prix before doubling its advantage thanks to a double-points finish for Ricciardo (P6) and teammate Nico Hulkenberg (P9).
Additional reporting by Julianne Cerasoli.
Bottas turns attention to 2020, excited to ‘start from fresh’
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Ferrari confirms location, live stream plans for F1 car launch
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Product News and Reviews
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Home › Government Video›News
House Subcommittee Recommends Public Broadcast Funding
APTS’ CEO Patrick Butler praises decision
Michael Balderston ⋅ Jul 7, 2016
WASHINGTON—A little less than a month after the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved funding for public broadcasting, the U.S. House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee also recommended the funding for public broadcasting.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee recommended level funding of $445 million for the 2019 Fiscal Year for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting under its two-year advance funding mechanism, the same amount recommended by the Senate. The subcommittee also recommended $10 million in the 2017 Fiscal Year as an investment in the new public broadcasting interconnection system. The bipartisan effort was led by subcommittee chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) and ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).
“We remain hopeful that as the appropriations process runs its course, full funding of $50 million will be provided for the interconnection system and $25.7 million for Ready to Learn, public Television’s unique national-local partnership with a proven record of helping America’s children get ready to learn in school and succeed in life—and helping close the educational achievement gap between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers,” said America’s Public Television Stations President and CEO Patrick Butler.
“But we are most grateful that today’s Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee mark-up demonstrates support for public broadcasting across the political spectrum. We are determined to earn that support every day in communities across America.”
Houston Public Media Demos Public Safety Datacasting to International Association of Fire Chiefs
Level Funding for Public Broadcasting FY2018 Budget Approved
The Dilemma of Private Funding and Public Broadcast
Apex Broadcast Relies on ATEM Constellation 8K for 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge America
LifeStream.TV Recommends Osprey Video Equipment for Its House-of-Worship Clients’ In-House Video Capture and Production
Citruss World of Shopping Enhances Broadcast Capabilities with URSA Broadcast
Advanced Broadcast Solutions Hosts Free Broadcast Technology Conference for Myanmar
Advanced Broadcast Solutions Hosts Second Annual Broadcast Tech Conference for Myanmar
© 2020 Creative Planet is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
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Leo Wattenberg
Leo Wattenberg last won the day on May 29 2019
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About Leo Wattenberg
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Birthday October 29
ngoc anh Do started following Leo Wattenberg October 23, 2019
Statistics: The bane of your creativity and mental health
Leo Wattenberg posted a topic in Tips & Tricks
Moin. Analytics are something wonderful: They can tell you what people like and what they don't like and can guide you to success. But Analytics are also like a drug that can be detrimental to your health and creativity. Let's start with creativity: If you are creative, are creating something new. You aren't just making something by some sort of step-by-step guide, what you're creating only existed in your imagination before. However, if you are doing well on YouTube, you probably are doing some sort of series or format. In a format, there are limits to what you can explore: If you're making a vlogging series, you can't really put a gaming video into this series, you'd instead need to find a way to incorporate the gaming content into the vlogging format. And while initially, exploring new things within these bounds is easy and fulfilling, after a while it will turn stale. Rather than a video creator, you are now a video maker, making video after a formula you've established previously. So far, this isn't a problem: If you are bored of a format, just make a new one, voilá, a whole new field to explore creatively. But let's introduce Analytics into the mix. While making this series, Analytics hopefully has told you that you're doing well, and that each video is being watched and loved by more people than the previous one. Maybe Analytics even motivated you to make more videos on the way. But if you now start a new series, your viewers will still expect the old format, or at least something similar to it. If it is similar, your creative field hasn't expanded as much, if it isn't, your creativity will love it - but your viewers won't. Suddenly, Analytics, the drug that stimulated you to go further than you ever thought you could, is dragging you down: All this time invested, but the numbers are only a fraction of the stale series. All this effort, and barely any feedback. At best, this will make you annoyed or sad. At worst, it'll dissuade you from continuing this new format, and sticking to the old one instead: You're giving up creativity in favor of The Grind, an endless chase after the numbers. Maybe you'll experiment with other things along the way, but you'll probably stick to one main format on a tight schedule. The Grind can be fulfilling in itself: You can work on your channel, make videos and feel the progress every day. You can even improve your format and bring your content to new heights. If you're lucky, maybe it can even be your full-time job. But while grinding, it's easy to forget what's really important: Your mental health. A lot of video makers experience Burnout at some point in their career. Some of them are open about this, you may've seen them in the news lately. Some of them silently disappear. Some commit suicide, you see those on the news, too. Ultimately, The Grind is a driving factor of burnout. Being truly creative protects you from it somewhat: Instead of being stuck to a format, you can express yourself on any format or even any medium, and to find inspiration, you may be doing things that are good for your mental health anyways. That said: I'm not a medical professional. Do seek professional help if you experience burnout. And this is where we come back to Analytics: If you don't upload for a couple weeks because you're taking a vacation, your numbers will probably go down during the time you're away. The Grind never rewards taking care of yourself, it only rewards working hard to the point where you're overworking yourself. In TL;DR: Following success will limit your creativity Following success will encourage you to overwork yourself Overworking yourself will result in burnout eventually. — — — — Aside: I sometimes write short stories (flash fiction, really) and publish them both on my website and on Wattpad, simply because I don't trust myself to run a server in such a way that I won't lose all my data one day (which is why this website is ran by @Paco!) On Wattpad, I have analytics and can see that literally nobody cares about my stuff. On my website, I collect no data whatsoever, and it's just incredible how much better it feels to just publish something without even being able to care how well it's doing in terms of views. I actually stopped mirroring my stories to Wattpad right as I write/publish them to preserve this pureness of having created something and being proud of it, maybe showing it to some good friends and getting their opinion. I guess what I'm trying to say with this aside is: "If you have the option, try running without statistics for a while. Also, friends are important!"
Don't use social media to promote your channel
Moin. I often see people saying "I'm promoting my videos on Twitter/Facebook/..., but still don't get any views". And then I look at their twitter accounts and see a link dump, nay, link landfill. This isn't using social media, this is borderline spam. And nobody likes to subscribe to spam. Effective marketing is hard, which is why companies have huge marketing departments that sometimes are even larger than the actual production department. But even a small creator can do better than dumping links on social media. Instead, use your social media accounts in a way that gives them a reason to exist on their own. Use twitter to share quick thoughts, Instagram for behind-the-scenes content, reddit to connect with other people that share your interest. Or do it differently, either way, your social media account on its own should be interesting enough for people to follow you even if they don't know about your other content. In other words, you and your brand need to be in the center of attention. Not the content of another platform. (slighly older illustration, I know) This doesn't mean however that you should throw cross-posting and IFTTT out the window. Also sharing links to your content somewhere else is fine, it just shouldn't be the primary content of the account. Operating multiple social media accounts this way takes time, obviously. Which is why you don't need to be everywhere, on every platform, just the ones that make sense for you.
Leo Wattenberg replied to Leo Wattenberg's topic in Tips & Tricks
YouTube has posted a new FAQ: https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/4518549
MD TIEN started following Leo Wattenberg February 13, 2019
Leo Wattenberg replied to MURMU STUDIO OFFICIAL's question in Monetization Issues
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Tips from around the web
How to make a good gameplay video
Moin. I've talked a bit about why making a good Let's Play is hard before, so you may want to read that before plunging into the gameplay video world, but if you decide you do, here are some tips. (This post assumes that you've already read part 1: Becoming a YouTuber: The Basics and defined your audience and figured out from which angle you'll tackle your videos) Necessary things Show some form of gameplay in the video. That really is all there is to it. Optimizations People watch gameplay videos for one of three reasons: Because the personality of the player is great Because the player is skilled Because the game itself is interesting, but too expensive to actually buy, or exclusive to another platform A good gameplay video can try catering to all three reasons, but two often is enough. Having only one makes things difficult, if you just have a great personality, other content may suit you better, if you only are skilled, you better be among the top skilled people (competitive players, speedrunners), and if you are neither and only want to feature interesting games, typical gameplay formats may not work well for you - you may want to go towards reviews, tutorials or opinion pieces instead. Other optimizations: Reduce the amount of failure shown in the video. This is true especially for difficult games, ie anything people watch to see some impressive skill level. Seeing you failing a jump over and over again isn't that interesting, unless your reaction to it is hilarious. The level should steadily progress, not necessarily on a "this is a speedrun" pace, but also not on a "I've failed clearing every single obstacle 5 times now" pace. Add a human element. Text commentary is better than nothing, voice commentary is better still, and voice+webcam is best and the reason why ~all successful gaming creators run this setup. People like people, and the more you show of yourself in the video, the more people-y your video is. Structure your video. This is especially true for tutorials/walkthroughs/anything that has an educational goal. For example, alternating between going for the main quest and optional secrets is probably less useful to a viewer than a pure "how to progress in the main quest" section and "all secrets in this level" section. Livestreams. Livestreams let you interact with your community way better, having an occasional livestream often is helpful, even if you don't reach many people with it. That said, the recordings of livestreams tend to be rather dull, so you'll probably be best off taking them down and trying to edit something entertaining out of them. Tips on how to do that can be found here. Things to avoid Reactionary commentary. "Let's go here, let's do that, oh, that didn't work" is the most natural way to commentate, but also the most boring way. This kind of commentary doesn't add any value, after all, people can see just fine what you're doing. Idling in the main menu. There's nothing visually interesting happening in them, and the default talking points (why you're playing the game, how much you like your community, what the game is about, what your schedule is going to look like going forward) aren't interesting either. Idling in the main menu happens most frequently in part 1 of let's plays or walkthroughs where it's the most damaging: Someone wanting to start watching a let's play/walkthrough from start to finish is going to see you doing literally nothing for a while and then likely will go back to look at another search result which hopefully is more entertaining. Once you've made some gameplay videos, it's time for part 3: optimizing the channel
Dislikes and comments: The state of YouTube's social features
Leo Wattenberg posted a topic in General Discussions
Moin. YouTube's social features at the moment are as follows: The comments of a video are somewhat nice for smaller channels, but as soon as the channel reaches a size where the creator cannot react to all comments anymore, they become something somewhere between meaningless ("who is watching in 2019?") to toxic (trolls, political shouting matches, etc.) Likes and dislikes provide no meaningful feedback about the video for the creator, other than perhaps "this video has a technical issue" if the dislikes outweigh the likes mostly. (the community tab and stories exist, but I haven't really used them for anything due to me not using mobile much) To YouTube's credit, outright abuse has been reduced in the past couple years, presumably through the Perspective API, changes to the comment rankings (so that inflammatory comments don't automatically are the top comments) and changes to discussion visibility (through hiding replies to a comment). They however have not affected the meaninglessness of the comments. As a creator, there are three types of comments I really like to see: Anything showing a healthy community. Frequent commenters interacting with each other. Constructive criticism. Often, when I make a thing, friends and family will compliment me on it, even though it actually is kinda bad and I know it. Getting criticism I can improve off of (and that doesn't include a vague insult at my person) is incredibly difficult, so I'm really thankful for any comment saying something among the lines of "I found this part to be a bit too lengthy". The goal isn't necessarily to become famous, the goal is to make artistically challenging content. For me, anyways. praise and compliments. Those make me feel warm and fuzzy every time, even if they don't help me make my videos better. YouTube currently has nothing helping #2 whatsoever. Finding constructive criticism takes hours of shifting through comments, especially when trying to interact with people in category 1 and 3 on the way. Constructive criticism so far I can best find on film festivals and competitions, because there I can talk with people with the right expertise and because of the juries present, there definitely are some critical eyes on my work. Which isn't to say that I enjoy these events, due to me not really being a competitive person, and also not a terribly extravert one either. YouTube could take steps to making both comments and ratings more meaningful as something that critics could be use, that would be great. Now, I know that feature request aren't necessarily the most useful thing to any developer, but I'm going to include some anyways: Split up the meaningless from the meaningful. Leave the comment section as the chaos that it currently is and let a quick click on like or dislike allow people to save the video to their liked video playlist, or to tune the algorithm to see fewer of my content. Whether or not the numbers are public on these things, I don't particularly care about, but considering they're meaningless anyways, hiding them by default probably works just fine. With my videos being dislike bombed somewhat frequently whenever I'm the bearer of bad news ("your channel got terminated and won't be restored"), or when I have controversial opinions elsewhere, the entire like/dislike ratio thing is pretty meaningless to me anyways because people are definitely not rating the quality of the video. I personally just hide them, and actually would somewhat like to hide view counts, too (I enjoy that nobody can tell whether or not my blog is successful or not, as it ultimately doesn't matter for the quality of the content). As for the meaningful, I'd like a system somewhere between deviantart and newgrounds. Deviantart has critiques that are separate from the normal comment and favourite (aka like) system. In critiques, critics can rate the following factors on a 5-star scale, with the overall rating being the average of the factors: In addition to this, the critics are required to write 100 words before being able to publish the critique. Once published, the critique serves as its own comment thread with people being able to reply and discuss to it. Further, the audience can rate the critique as fair or unfair, with the creator's verdict on the critique being displayed underneath it. I previously used these factors to rate a 50-something video "community rewind" competition with a jury of 4 (sample of the voting sheet below) and found that they definitely do work quite well for artsy stuff, but make it difficult to rate the boringness or entertainment value of a video (which is a big part of video anyways.), so these factors would need to get reworked a bit for YouTube. Maybe Originality, Technique, Entertainment value, Impact? Newgrounds meanwhile doesn't have comments, you can only leave a review that's quite similar to store reviews: 5 stars and you get to post your opinion on the thing. No discussions, but a dedicated forum section on their website. What I like about this is that you can directly associate the verdict of a viewer with their comment, as well as this system being way more simple than what deviantart does, however, in terms of quality these reviews is on par with the standard app store reviews or, indeed, YouTube comments. These are just my two cents on it anyways. If you have something to add, write it in the, well, comments. Either here, or on the CreatorInsider video, because YouTube is currently considering how to tackle dislike bombing.
How to make a good review video
Moin. Making a review is easy: Sit down, talk about a product and upload it. Making a good review however is a lot more difficult, so here are some necessary things, optimizations and things to avoid you should keep in mind. (This post assumes that you've already read part 1: Becoming a YouTuber: The Basics and defined your audience and figured out from which angle you'll tackle your reviews) Necessary things Be subjective. Being subjective is the point of a review, it's about your subjective experience you've had with the product, whether you like it and whether you think it's worth its money, in short: it's your opinion on the quality of a product. Being subjective doesn't mean being arbitrary, you will have to explain how you came to your conclusion. You'll probably have to use some facts as a foundation for you opinion, but don't just dump facts into the videos under the guise that it's going to make your video more objective. Again, objectiveness isn't the point. Be transparent on how you got your product, ie whether you bought it yourself or got a free sample. Never review a product that is sponsoring your video. As a reviewer or critic, you have some journalistic duties and ethics to consider and perhaps even legal ones. Have your own opinion. While it's not forbidden to read other reviews before doing yours, it certainly is not really useful because you'll be watering down your opinion with other's opinions. Further, it can happen that you accidentally plagiarize, which most definitely is a death sentence in any sort of journalistic outlet. Be fair and true and back up opinions with arguments, and arguments with facts. If you are praising or hating on products but can't really back it up with arguments, you'll quickly lose any reputation as a reviewer and at best will be good for entertainment. If what you're saying isn't true, the same happens, plus you will get into legal trouble sooner or later. Have a conclusion. Typically, this includes some sort of rating system. It doesn't necessarily have to be a star system or out-of-10 thing, I actually wouldn't even recommend them due to their rather arbitrary nature, but a simple "recommend/don't recommend" and maybe an additional "only recommend if you like the genre" and "only recommend if the price drops" Optimizations Keep your review concise. Not necessarily short, but always to the point. Structure your review. This doesn't necessarily mean that you'll need to have distinct sections in your video, but finding out how to group what you're going to say is a good idea. If you don't do this, you'll risk having arrived at your conclusion, only to quickly throw in a short "btw, I found character X terrible" at the very end, which doesn't really fit there and would've been better when you were discussing why you didn't get attached to any character or whatever. Having a script helps with the two aforementioned points tremendously. In fact, having a script is almost mandatory because else it's rather difficult to get the opinions you have in your head into any form of linear media (which includes video). Show, don't (just) tell. If you're criticizing a thing that actually is visible, try cutting to some footage of the thing you're talking about while you're talking about it. Beware of copyright on creative works. Showing as little of the copyrighted work as necessary usually prevents overactive filters from troubling you too much. Include nit-picking. What is a minor annoyance for you may be a dealbreaker for someone else. That said, if you think that the entire product is garbage anyways, there's little use to include every single nit-pick because you'll already have a lot of major negative points anyways. Reviews are at the intersection of hub and help content. Meaning that you both can appeal to people who already watch your content and new people who come via search. To optimize for newcomers, make sure you don't have too much information that only are useful for fans in your reviews, especially not right at the beginning. Also, SEO matters here a lot. To optimize for long-term viewers, try making your videos more entertaining, rather than simply a utility that helps people form an opinion. Be on time. It generally doesn't make as much sense to review a product that's been out on the market for a long time and is due to be replaced by its successor in 3 months or so anyways. that said, there is a niche for "retro reviews". Things to avoid Avoid summarizing the content of creative works. Not only will spoil this the experience for anyone still wanting to watch the thing, a summary of the content also isn't really helpful for the viewer as the summary says very little about consistency, cinematography, pacing, gameplay, wording, acting, etc., ie the actual qualities that allow you to distinguish between bad and good creative works. Instead, comparing the work to other works ("it's a bit like film X") or even genres ("it's a fast-paced horror game") may be more useful. Reviews are not summaries. That said, including the premise of the work typically is a good idea. Warning people before a spoiler comes also is a good thing that people generally will thank you for. Avoid large fact dumps. This is especially true for technical products, you generally don't need to read out the entire product technical sheet in order to have someone follow how you came to your conclusion. Reviews are not readouts of advertisement texts and other stuff the product may ship with. Adding your own facts (benchmarks, somewhat standardized tests) however is generally good. Avoid relying on first impressions. Reviews are not unboxings. You should be at least using the product for a couple days, or better: weeks before forming the opinion you'll include in your video. Once you have made some reviews, it's time for part 3: optimizing the channel
Becoming a YouTuber, Part 2: The Hard Part.
Moin. It's been a while since I've written part 1 on this topic, and strangely enough, also since I wrote part 3 about it. So what's up with that? Well, it's because the first and last steps are quite uniformly applicable: Before you start a channel, you need to know what you even want to make videos about. Finding formats is what part 1 is about. After you've started a channel, there are certain optimizations you can make to fit your content better onto YouTube. But between making and optimizing videos, you need to actually make the videos. This is where the paths diverge drastically. There is nothing to be said about all of them, not even "you'll need a camera and a microphone", because you don't! You can animate content just fine, even content that usually is filmed, and if you have an instrument that plugs straight into your computer, you also don't need any sort of microphone. Because of that, unfortunately (but fortunately for creativity) I cannot give general advice at this stage. I can't even give advice on a certain genre like "gaming videos" because that's still too diverse to say anything meaningful about. I can however say things about single formats, like Let's Plays, and maybe certain combinations of formats (ie channel case studies). So that's exactly what I'm going to do in the comings weeks/months/years. They'll be linked below the line. But for now, I'll leave you with part 3:
https://medium.com/user-research/never-ask-what-they-want-3-better-questions-to-ask-in-user-interviews-aeddd2a2101e is about how to ask questions to users in UX studies. However, if you reverse this, it's quite a handy thing to know in order to have you format your feedback in a more actionable way.
How to build Subscribers 2019 Edition
Moin. It's time for this year's installment of the forever-burning question new creators have: "How do I get more subscribers on YouTube?" It'll start by covering the channel setup, followed by some guidelines on optimizing videos. After that come more advanced optimizations for both channel and individual videos, and lastly, strangely enough, the prerequisite for this all: Making good videos. This article serves as an addition to the fundamentals outlined here: Part one: The Channel Setup This part is about setting up the channel from scratch. It assumes that you don't have videos yet, but that you do have a clear vision of what you'd like your channel to be. 1.1: The Channel Name (Difficulty: Surprisingly hard, Impact: Medium) The channel name is one of the first things someone will see of your content. It's how people can find you later in case you impress them with the first video they watch so much that they want to see more of you. Goal: The channel name should match what you're doing to some extend without locking you in. It should be a name you can be proud of, one that you wouldn't be ashamed to tell your parents about, one that is memorable and one that isn't overly generic or has pre-existing meaning. Examples to avoid: CSGO gamer 42: This makes it difficult to justify making videos about anything other than CS:GO, it locks you in to just one type of game. More broadly, "gamer" does the same. Cool videos: This makes it very difficult to search for your channel as there are a lot of "cool videos" out there. xXbrsgnlXx: While it's possible here to find just your videos when searching for them, it also is kinda difficult to remember what one actually should search for. Tip: You can change your channel name at any time, but if you do it, all your viewers will have to re-learn your name which not all will do. The earlier you're set on a channel name, the better. 1.2: The About page (Difficulty: Easy, Impact: Small) The about page dictates the snippet that's shown when someone searches for your channel, which links show up on your channel page and establish contact information. Goal: Have an about page that... tells new people finding your channel what your channel is about tells viewers when to expect new videos ("upload schedule") has an "for business enquiries" email address has links to relevant social media accounts Tip: Have a dedicated business email address that isn't attached to your Google account in any way. This way, it becomes more difficult for a hacker to guess the password of your account, because they don't know which account to hack to get access to your channel. 1.3: The Branding (Difficult: Medium, Impact: Medium) The branding is the combination of your channel name, channel logo, channel art, channel trailer, about page, your video thumbnails, intros and outros, watermarks, graphics you have in your videos and so on. You'll notice that the name and about page are the two steps previous to this - that's because you'll need your channel description and name anyways to determine what the branding should look like. As YouTube puts it: -- https://creatoracademy.youtube.com/page/lesson/brand-identity?cid=bootcamp-foundations Goal: Make a consistent brand across your channel Tips: You can hire a graphical artist for this. You can try doing the branding yourself, especially if you're choosing to mainly go through typography. Don't expect good fonts and artists to be free. Artists and type designers want to get paid for their work just like you (probably) very much would get like to get paid for your videos later on. Part two: Video Optimization This part focuses on things you can optimize for on a per-video-basis. 2.1: Thumbnails (Difficulty: Medium, Impact: High) The thumbnail makes and breaks the success of a video. A boring thumbnail won't get clicked on, while a good one can make you click on content even if you don't know what the video is about ("clickbait"). Goals: Make clickable thumbnails that add to the title of the video and represent your video. Take thumbnails seriously Tips: There's so many of them that we have its own article on it, with the article linking to yet more articles! 2.2: Titles (Difficulty: Medium, Impact: High) Titles are the other half of the thumbnail when it comes to getting people to click on your videos. It always displays right next to it, so you don't need to repeat the information given in the title in the thumbnail and vice versa. Unlike thumbnails, titles also fulfill an search engine optimization (SEO) role: Search engines can read text, but have difficulties reading thumbnails. And titles are text. Goals: Have a title that accurately describes the topic of your video Have it do so in an SEO-friendly manner. Take titles seriously Tips: Keep the most important information first, branding and part number can come later YouTube has some tips on the topic (plus some more about thumbnails) You don't need to optimize titles for search if you don't want to get found through search. This can be a valid strategy for some Hub content. (What's that?) Examples: “Chocolate Ice Cream” is nice, but “How To Make Chocolate Ice Cream with Low Sugar” would be better as it contains more keywords that are very relevant for the video. "[SomeChannel] Let's Play The Game That Isn't Tetris: Extreme Edition Part 4: THE BLOCKS ARE MELTING" is bad, "THE BLOCKS ARE MELTING! #4 Let's Play The Game That isn't Tetris: Extreme Edition | SomeChannel" would be better because in the first example, the text would cut off after "Extreme", taking away vital information (part number and the actual title). Potentially better still would just be "THE BLOCKS ARE MELTING!" if this isn't content that requires people to watch the previous episode to get the current one. (see also: Why making a good Let's Play is hard - and being successful with it near impossible) 2.3: The first 15 seconds (Difficulty: Easy, Impact: Medium) Once you've got a viewer to click on your video, you'll need to keep them watching. A viewer who isn't hooked in by the first couple seconds may thing "meh, boring", and simply click the "back" button to watch a different video. This is especially true for tutorials and similar content where there typically is multiple tutorials about a single thing. Goal: Cut away as much fluff as possible from the beginning. Tips: Avoid using intros (aka title cards) or sponsor messages at the very beginning - people coming in may just have watched 2 ads just to get to your video (see also: Why intros are unnecessary) If you have to have intros or sponsor messages near the beginning, put a hook (aka cold open) before them. A hook is an exciting part of the video that also appears later in video (often the part just before the climax) 2.4: Description (Difficulty: Medium, Impact: Medium) A video's description is built out of 2 parts: 3 lines of "Above the fold" section, and a "below the fold" section. It's mostly the "above the fold" section that's going to be shown in search results or next to videos. Goals: Have an "above the fold" section that adds to title and thumbnail, especially for people coming from search. Have a "below the fold" section that features further information on your video, links to relevant pages and info on your channel. Tips: You can use the below the fold section for all sorts of SEO purposes. Any keywords that you haven't mentioned yet in the title go here. But do craft an actual description here, search engines will simply ignore it if you just put a list of keywords in it. You can put a sponsor link into the above the fold section if you want more people to click it. Very few people actually read the description. If you want people to know something about the video you didn't mention in the video itself, have a pinned comment. YouTube has some tips on the topic. 2.5: Hashtags (Difficulty: Easy, Impact: Low) If you write a #hashtag in the description, it can be clicked on and searched for. YouTube displays up to 3 hashtags above the title. Goal: Put the most important keywords that aren't yet part of the title as hashtags in your description. Tips: 2.6: Tags (Difficulty: As hard as you make it for you, Impact: Very low) Tags used to have loads of strategies for them, but turned rather irrelevant in the past couple years. What we do know about them: The first few tags have additional weight Tags are only used for a while until YouTube figures out based on viewer interaction on who is or isn't going to like your video and does recommendations based on that. Goal: Put the most important keywords you had in title and description in your tags. Tip: Don't spend too much time on this. Maybe a minute or two while you wait for YouTube to finish processing your video. Part three: Channel and video optimization This part assumes that you already have a couple of videos. 3.1: Calls to action (Difficulty: Easy, Impact: High) A call to action is you telling your viewers a thing to do. "Subscribe to my channel", "watch this video next", "press like if you liked it", "support me on patreon" etc. Goal: Incorporate CTAs into your videos. Tips: 3.2: Cross-referencing content (Difficulty: Easy, Impact: Low) After having made a couple of videos, chances are that a new topic you want to tackle happens to contain very similar information to something you made earlier. For example, if you're explaining how flowers reproduce and you already made a video how bees eat. In this case, instead of repeating the information again, you can point to this other video and continue without the repetition. Goal: Identify other videos of yours that are particularly relevant to what you're doing at any part of a video and link to them using Cards. Tip: issue a call to action and physically point to where the card will appear if you want everyone to notice them. Note: Linking to other channels or to external websites will reduce the watch time on your video. 3.3: Endscreens (Difficulty: Medium, Impact: Medium) Just like cards, endscreens can be used for cross-referencing content of yours. The difference here is that a) endscreens can only be placed in the last 20s of the video, b) endscreens cannot be hidden and c) you want your viewers to click on end cards as much as possible, as they can only extend the watch time your channel receives. Endscreens are part of your branding. Goal: Use endscreens to guide users to watching more videos of yours, subscribing or supporting you otherwise. Tips: As said in aforementioned "Like comment and subscribe" - the worst way to end a video, don't overwhelm the viewer with things they can do. You have 20s to do it, you can space your CTAs quite a lot. Avoid covering still ongoing content with endscreens Focus on keeping people watching, either by having them watch more videos now (by suggesting a relevant video), or later (by asking them to subscribe) Always pair the endscreens with CTAs Be clear on what you ask. This isn't the place for subtleties. 3.4: Building Watchtime (Difficulty: Hard, Impact: Very High) Watch time is the most important metric on YouTube by far. You can have done any of the above, but if people don't actually watch your video, you won't be getting anywhere. Note that watch time is only the metric you have access to; YouTube actually likes session watch time more - ie how long you keep people on the platform. This means that, all other things being equal, YouTube would prefer a video linking to another video in the end screen more than a video linking somewhere off-site. Goal: Keep people wanting to watch more of your videos. This is a difficult and rather intangible goal to reach. I can give some tips on this, but you really are put to the test here to really know what your audience wants and how to satisfy them. Tips: Make as much good content as possible. Or in other words Make longer videos... Without adding any fluff, off-topic discussions or ramblings. While coming to the point as quickly as possible. Without reducing quality or upload frequency Livestreams drive a lot of watch time... But livestreams usually lose a lot of their value once they're done, so their recordings can be worthless and bury the rest of your content but YouTube isn't a live streaming platform, so a lot of viewers aren't willing to watch live streams on it but streams often are difficult to incorporate into a normal content schedule but it makes it more difficult to be relevant anywhere else on the globe other than your own time zone Make more videos without reducing their quality or length without overwhelming your viewers without burning yourself out Make higher-quality videos using e.g. B-roll, more camera angles and other film techniques without reducing the upload frequency or length without burning yourself out At the end of the day, "how to get more watch time" is as complicated as "how to get more subscribers". There is no clear guideline on how to get it, there's only "make as much good content as possible" with some compromises you can take. 3.5: Channel trailer (Difficulty: Medium, Impact: Low-Medium) Just like the about page, the channel trailer should tell the viewer something about your channel and in particular why they should subscribe to you. Goal: Make a trailer that explains what you do, when you upload (your schedule), gives examples of your videos, and a call-to-action to subscribe. In other words, make an audiovisual resumé of your channel. Tips: Just like a resumé, the channel trailer can change over time. You should update it probably once a year or so, because who you are and what skills you have now probably is quite different to what you had 3 years ago. Keep it short, below 2 minutes or so. You can let your work speak for yourself and just present your best video to date as your channel trailer. But, again, just like with a resumé, it's not that common to get hired simply because someone heard you did a stellar job somewhere else. 3.6: Playlists (Difficulty: Easy, Impact: Medium) Playlists let you group videos together. This is useful if people want to binge-watch your content. Goal: Make a playlist for every series/format you have going on. Tips: Put videos into their respective playlists as soon as you upload them. Doing it later only makes things more frustrating for both you, who eventually has to shift through dozens of videos at once, and the viewers, who want to binge-watch your content, but can't because you haven't set up or kept up-to-date your playlists. You can make playlists based on keywords, too. For example, if you have a car repair series, having a general car repair playlist as well as a Mercedes repair playlist may be useful. If you can't upload for a while, share some "best of"-playlists with your subscribers and followers on social media. For each playlist, put in a playlist description. 3.7: Collaborations (Difficulty: Hard, Impact: High) Making a video or a set of videos together with someone else is always beneficial for everyone involved. If two channels with 100 subscribers collaborate, both can end up with 200 subscribers after the collaboration, because the subscribers on one channel may not have known about the other channel. Goal: Find a channel similar to yours to collaborate with. Tips: While homogenous collaborations are more common (eg two tech channels working together), collaborating with someone in a different genre can lead to good results as well (eg. a game dev and an artist). Collaborating with channels smaller than yours is surprisingly effective; small channels tend to have a much more loyal and tight-knit community. Collaborations should at least consist of 2 videos, one to be uploaded on your channel with your branding, one on theirs with their branding. Just making one video and uploading it to both channels will have the videos cannibalize each other in terms of watch time. 3.8: Community tab and Stories (Difficulty: Easy, Impact: Medium) Stories are short, unedited videos and photos you can maybe slap a sticker on you can make in the YouTube-app. They can be used to show fans a behind-the-scenes of your production without annoying non-fans with fluff content they don't care about. The community tab is a feed where you can post text, photos and polls for your fans and eg. update them on the status of an upcoming videos, or ask them for feedback for new topics. Both of them are great for turning subscribers into fans and getting fans to support you through patreon or merch, however, both currently only are really visible on mobile. Further, there are subscriber limitations on both of them, so you may not be able to use them yet. Goal: Use the community tab and stories in order to remind your subscribers that you are a human being and not some sort of übermensch that through magic produces one good video after another. Or as the cool kids would say: "Use it to make yourself more #relatable". Tips: None yet. Do you have some? Share them below! Part four: The prerequisite All of the above requires you to roughly know and to be able to make good videos. A good video can be many things: Insightful, thrilling, inspirational, educational, artistic, technically impressive, entertaining and so on, in each case it's not boring, monotonous or hard to watch. However, I've seen more people than I'd like crank out video after video over months or even years, with all of them being either boring, monotonous or generally hard to watch. Some of them had shown that they care about their channel overall, they had quite a good branding, metadata and so on, but despite all that, they weren't close to making good videos and the videos also weren't improving over time other than maybe some gear upgrades at some point. I don't want you to be these people. So please: Evaluate your videos critically. You usually can see issues others cannot see because you had the vision of the video in your head for so long that you know where the shortcomings are. Spend some time on thinking about those, and on how to improve them. Challenge yourself with your videos. Go out of your comfort zone with your video and make something that's more difficult to do every now and again. For example, if you talk but have to cut every other sentence because you misspoke or forgot what you tried to say, make a couple livestreams where you can't do that. The livestreams probably will be rather unenjoyable, but if you then go back to your regular videos, you'll probably be a better talker that maybe can get paragraphs out at a time, making the any cuts an artistic choice rather than a necessity. Evaluate how much you are enjoying making videos critically every now and again. It's easy to fall into a "I'm grinding away now, I'll become easier later if I'm just persistent enough" mindset. But grinding is worthless if you aren't either enjoying it or at least learning from it. Fact is, the time you're spending on making videos is time not spent on something else you may enjoy more. With that said, I hope you all have a wonderful 2019! If you have some tips and tricks you'd like to share as well, feel free to post them here.
Cannibalization of viewership: How to avoid it
Moin. Cannibalization of viewership is a concept that sounds very unintuitive the first time you stumble upon it: Why would making more content result in less views? There's usually 2 reasons to it: Your uploads are overwhelming the viewers. If you upload too many videos each day, non-fan subscribers will eventually get annoyed by you clogging up their feed. You can see this in stats on eg. the media.ccc.de YouTube mirror: Content was being created from 5 stages for 13h per day over 3 days, translated into 3 languages. The conference was featured on German prime time news and had coverage by basically every news outlet, but despite all of that the channel didn't grow during the conference itself. Only after the endless stream of video found its end, the effects of the large publicity became noticeable. Your additional content doesn't resonate with your subscriber base. For example, if you're a band rarely uploading music videos, starting a daily vlog series or livestream may be the coolest thing ever for your fans, but still will annoy people who only subscribed to the channel for the music. To avoid 1., you simply need to reduce your upload frequency. One video per day is plenty; you may even want to go below that if it allows you to produce better videos or take some time off. Don't take it too far though, uploading too rarely can lead to people not remembering why they subscribed to you in the first place. If you're coming from "multiple videos per day", anywhere from daily to weekly videos should perform better. To avoid 2., you may want to try using different websites or website features. For the music channel for example, instead of making a vlog, using stories some place where your fans can find it may be a good idea. Or you may want to start second and third channels for these kinds of content, eg. how Game Theory has a dedicated GTlive channel for livestreams. In short: Research how many and which kinds of videos your viewers would like to watch.
DEMONETIZED AFTER COPYRIGHT STRIKE BY REUPLOADER
Leo Wattenberg replied to Pinoy Screen and Stage's question in Monetization Issues
I do not work for YouTube. This forum is not affiliated with YouTube in any way.
I'm not talking about your recent videos, I'm talking about your most successful ones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFaD4Rx7EI looks like it was shot from someone in the audience, not an authorized film crew, as does https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff60XboUCCA Your most successful video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_13HAGW1LI, appears to also be just reuploaded from another source - as do the other videos mentioned. In other words: Youi'll need to delete anything you didn't produce yourself.
I don't think that the issue is this one copyright strike. I think the issue is that most of your videos appear to be just you filming shows that you have no part in.
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Shakespeare Good and Great
Michael Platt
Well did John Senior advise parents and teachers to prepare today’s youngsters for great study, with experiences of the good, such as gardening, graceful dancing, and gazing at the stars dancing above, and also making sure to delight in a thousand good books, before getting to the hundred or so great books by the master spirits of humanity. After all, we live in the Age of the Teenager. There were none before the 1950s. While the adjective “teen-age” appears earlier, the noun is not recorded until Webster III (1961). The thing did not exist; earlier young people didn’t have their distinct music, big allowances, and even bigger indulgences in wayward manners, morals, and purposes. Something prompted a generation that had endured the Depression and won a long war, to orphan their own children, turning them over to Rock-, porn-, and pill-merchants; earlier parents felt they ought to shelter and challenge their children; later parents, withdrew to “preparing them,” or not; and then sighing, “they have to work it out on their own.” I sometimes hear parents say, “We have two Teenagers.” I never hear them say it happily. And their children are not happy either. Both need good experiences and good books. [1]
Among the good authors in John Senior’s list of the thousand good books Shakespeare stands out, appearing in all the several “ages of youth.” Senior orders these books into all, except the first, the nursery. Can the very young not benefit from Shakespeare? “The whole future of civilization depends on what is read to children before they can read to themselves,” says John Jay Chapman. Yes, how soothing to hear Good Night Moon at bed time and later how consoling to recall it; yes, and how good after supper to have Babar, the story of an orphan who grew up to be a good father, read to you, for later you might become such a father too; and yes how expansive in provincial Manhattan, while being read Holling C. Holling’s Big Book of Indians and his Big Book of Cowboys, to look at the pictures and imagine following the buffalo, fashioning a sea-going canoe, and tethering your horse on the flat and treeless prairie. However, I am not sure Shakespeare can, like these civilizing books, be read to young children.
Much of what is wondrous, hilarious, and noble in a Shakespeare play is intrinsic to, and therefore locked up in, its rich vocabulary, 29,066 different words according to one count. If you dilute that richness, what is left? And yet you cannot stop to explain every third word. There is a second feature of Shakespeare so inherent as to shut out the young child, namely how intrinsicly dramatic he is; to attend to the back and forth of the dialogue is very demanding on any one parent reading all parts aloud, and maybe even two. If Lincoln did read a play to his boys, as we see in one picture and fits with his reading whole plays to visitors to the White House, I would like to know how he did it.[2]
What about reading stories of the plays instead? Even though Shakespeare’s plots, borrowed as they are, aren’t really the secret of his appeal, as Sophocles are, if such rendering of his dramas into stories appealed to the child, it would be worth doing. I know the Lambs’ retellings are celebrated, and the Nesbit’s are pretty good, but I have found Marchette Chute’s Stories from Shakespeare superior. She knows how to speak to children. Also, lodging the plots in the memory would prepare the child to follow the plays in performance.
Be thankful if your school arranges for one Shakespeare play each year, that it is studied as it is prepared, that the little actors are taught to enunciate so grandparents in the back can hear, and reminded to “act your part even when you are not speaking, because someone is always watching you.” Home-schooling groups can do more than one play. Before that, let the youngsters memorize speeches from Shakespeare, such as the old McGuffy Readers featured. The contexts can be added later; the speeches are so bright with beauty, they will lodge it in the memory, and later experience of the joys and the heart-aches flesh is heir to, will kindle their radiant comfort; and still later, their wisdom. For a child whose nature might not incline that way, say a future Business major, or a child in straightened circumstance, to get to really like Shakespeare will magnify the very soul. Only with some exaggeration did John Jay Chapman claim, “If one could find two boys of twelve who were exactly alike, and if one of them should begin to read Shakespeare with interest, he would become more intelligent than the other lad in fifteen minutes.”
It is hard to say in what order, suited to differing ages, to enjoy the different plays. John Senior puts A Comedy of Errors with its numerous mistakings of two sets of twins, first, in “School Days” (age seven to twelve). Recent custom seems to favor the comedy A Mid Summer Night’s Dream and the tragedy Julius Caesar. Is it because the bawdy is subdued in both? I have never seen why Dr. Bowdler needed to produce an edition safe for the family; if you know what that metaphor points to, then you are already in the know, and if not, then you’ll sail on blithely. Adding Romeo and Juliet to these and coupling it with Rebel Without a Cause could raise the question of the difference between young adults, despite their or’ hasty marriage, and the Teenagers in Rebel. For the story of a young person, wayward or hiding from duty, growing up into responsibility, have them follow Henry V through three History plays, struggling with his father, and with that hilarious misleader of youth, Falstaff, whose death Shakespeare deliberately contrasts to Socrates’.
Though John Senior included the great tragedies (except Lear) in his list, I must question whether that accords with the distinction between the good and the great. As the hero in Owen Wister’s Virginian says to his beloved returning the Othello she’s given him, “such things should not be put down in fine language for the public.“ That opinion marks the Virginian as good not great, and far from meaning Othello should be banned, it means some books, such as Othello, are best reserved for college. Fathers and Sons comes before Brothers Karamazov, the Apology before the Republic, and the Gospels before Thomas. (Not that I think the difference between the Gospels and Thomas can be described as good and great. Perhaps milk and meat? But the Parable of the Prodigal Son is milk for a child and meat for a philosopher. In truth, a supper that will never end.) To his brother, Vincent Van Gogh exclaimed, “my God, how beautiful Shakespeare is, who else is as mysterious as he is; his language and method are like a brush trembling with excitement and ecstasy.” In saying so, he is recognizing the good so abundant in Shakespeare, but “mystery” carries him on immediately to add, “But one must learn to read, just as one must learn to see and learn to live.” And then he was recognizing the great, and how much one must learn to measure up to it.
The painful mysteries that Shakespeare’s tragedies impose upon the beholder are for older students. You can appreciate the troubles they initiate the young into, if you, in answer to your small daughters’ question, “Daddy, what do you do?” soon discover the inadequacy of “I teach Shakespeare,” and then start retelling the story of Hamlet and the story of Lear. Retold to a child, the story of Hamlet immediately raises the question: should you always obey your father’s commands? Moreover, you, knowing the play, but now looking ahead as a father, will see nothing but troubling questions ahead, about justice, about revenge, and the Ghost. What dreadful thing comes after death? In your college class such questions were as interesting as troubling. Now they’re just troubling, and you may not want to continue telling the story of Hamlet. And if you start with King Lear, you will see in the faces of your children a perplexity beyond their innocent souls, about fathers and daughters for example, which you wish you were not the cause of. Should love be rewarded? Why are some hearts hard? Can one ever know if one is loved, unless one is powerless? And if one has no power, how can one protect those one loves? Soon your children will be wondering if one should ever ask, “Do you love me?” And then you will be mightily tempted to substitute for the end you know is coming, the happy one Naham Tate supplied, with Cordelia still living.
To be sure, painful mysteries are found in all the Great Books, in the fall of Troy, the defeat of Athens, in Oedipus’ discovery of the murderer of his father, in deep, searching, and lovable Pascal who found it hard to love anyone including himself, and even in unpoetic Kant who says we cannot know what we most want to, which provoked Kleist to despair. The enmity of the City to the Philosopher, poignant in the trial of Socrates, and the difficulty of the Philosopher living among the unexamining many, is everywhere in Plato and, under the smile of reason, there in Aristotle. Moreover, the great souls do not always agree with each other. Studying them is a lofty but risky adventure. “It can make you melancholic to study the great books, that is why we did it together in classes,” said Louise Cowan, the founding fellow of the Dallas Institute.
T he Great Books require in the teacher a different disposition and stance than the good. When you are teaching the good books, you present yourself as a path, a vessel, an ambassador, even a bouquet of the good, on a level with them, but when you are teaching something great, you better not claim to be level with it, unless you have achieved something like it. Have you written one scene as good as the least of Shakespeare’s, a page as radiant, admiring, or terrifying as one by Manzoni, a single maxim as penetrating as Halifax’s, or a reflection worth space in a cahier of Péguy?—why then go ahead. If not, then towards the great you better be looking up, trying to reach them, to scale the peak where they dwell, sunny above the clouds but bitter cold and the air thin, and be hoping your lungs are big enough to stay long. Such solitaries exult in their best shape, but feel lonely, and a long way from what they most desire. While teachers of good books think of what they already know, how good it is, and will be for others, teachers of the great think of what they do not know and would fain learn. Thrilling as the quest is, to be on it is to think more of the goal, which subordinates all. On the adventure going up, they might glance back to see if any students are keeping up; good students find such neglect instructive, for they recognize it arises from superior aspiration. Among students such teachers are always addressing the best, so they become more than best. In truth, when you study a great book, you are not really a teacher, but a student, perhaps first among students, but still a student, of something brought into being by someone your superior in heart and in mind, such as Shakespeare.
By contrast, when you teach a good book, you are addressing the whole class as well; the unexamined life is quite worth living; and for their sake you are right to stand before them, face them (not the good book you represent), and talk, or even give a lecture, if mindful that, as Socrates says, teaching is not putting sight in the eye. In addition, in the great there is usually good beside great; for the sake of the young, it is possible to teach a great book as if it were only good; and it is not unreasonable to think that somehow everything great must be good. Talk of the good books should be a stroll, beside rushing waters, a tour of a fragrant garden, a stop at a café, an invitation to a dinner party, and a conversation among friends by firelight.
Fortunately there have been many who recognized the superiority of Shakespeare, and served it with good works, which we can thank them for. Editions with good notes, not cheap Dover ones or old note-less doorstoppers, exist and are necessary, because Shakespeare’s rich language is difficult. Reading along rapidly you can pick up the general meaning of unfamiliar terms, but it is handy to have elucidations on the same page. Penguin, Pelican, Bantam, Folger, and Signet editions of single plays provide such, with Signet often best; but open to a passage and compare. “New” issues of these editions tend to provide less help and sometimes hindrance about race, class, and gender. The best notes I’ve ever discovered are by David Bevington. The preferred one-volume is the Riverside Shakespeare edited by Blakemore Evens, but the older Pelican Shakespeare by Alfred Harbage is fine, and a couple of pounds lighter. Two good guides on elementary, but significant matters are Harbage’s William Shakespeare: A Reader’s Guide (Noonday, 1963) and William G. Leary’s Shakespeare Plain (McGraw-Hill, 1977). For vivacious appreciations of each of the works, Mark Van Doren’s Shakespeare (Doubleday, 1939), which arose from his teaching, is still best. He says just enough to provoke, but not overwhelm one. (“Still” should be no surprise when for four decades now if you want the craziest things on campus, visit the English Department.)
It is almost always better to read another Shakespeare play than to read criticism of the one you just read, but for older youngsters, who have enjoyed several plays and come to their own first view of them, it may be time to meet the views of their elders. The best anthology of criticism is still Frank Kermode’s Four Centuries of Shakespearian Criticism (Avon Books, 1965). For more Continental authors, get Oswald le Winter’s Shakespeare in Europe (Cleveland: Meridian Books, 1963), especially for Goethe’s and Hofmannsthal’s essays, the two best ever in my opinion. I say these are for older youngsters, but they are for their parents and teachers as well, who I imagine sharing the good of Shakespeare, and sharing it together.
With students I favor taking parts, reading aloud, in a small group. You will make mistakes, you will learn much, and you will come to enjoy it. Either one can read a whole play at a meeting, or read half a play, discuss it, and finish the next week. What’s good for a class is good for a family. There is a short span in the life of a child when he becomes knowledgeable enough to read Shakespeare aloud and might still want to with his parents. Seize the day. Make it a privilege of the young, like a Bar Mitzvah, to join your circle of friends reading aloud together. John Senior once observed that no family gathers around a TV as they once did round a piano or a fire. The thought of a nation whose citizens read Shakespeare together is exulting, and thus sad the fact that having attended college today makes so little difference in the intellectual habits of the graduates.
And if it happens that you have no circle of friends, but want to hear Shakespeare, perhaps on long drives to friends, there are plenty of well-spoken CDs of Shakespeare. (Elizabethans spoke of hearing a play not seeing a play). The old Marlowe Society, the BBC, and the Arkangel sets come to mind. There are also many well-spoken individual recordings, often featuring the most esteemed actors. In truth, Paul Scofield reading Lear is better than framed in Peter Brook’s famous stage version, whose nihilism cut the nameless Servant who intervenes in the gouging of Gloucester’s eyes. (When asked who in all of Shakespeare would he most like to be, C. S. Lewis said the Servant in Lear.) However, the wit-combats in Love’s Labor’s Lost are too rapid and unrelenting to combine with driving, and remember that explaining to the officer that you were just urging your band of brother soldiers “once more unto the breach,” laudable as it surely is, will only get you off with a warning, if the officer liked Shakespeare in class, or in summers plays a yeoman archer in reenactments of Agincourt. Sitting quietly, you can always read and reread Shakespeare wherever you are. As Faulkner said, “I always take a copy of Shakespeare in my suitcase.”
What about families with youngsters who have gotten the notion that Shakespeare is awful and spurn all invitation to read Shakespeare, alone or together? For them, seeing some good Shakespeare might be the path to conversion and redemption.
The choice requires care. As Jacques Barzun says, If classical music were tampered with as much as Shakespeare is, —by those who say he is only understood in the theater! — there would be howls from Tokyo to Vienna. If the marquee has the director’s name larger than Shakespeare, avoid it. “Ask not what I can do for Shakespeare, but what he can do for me,” is egoism in the director’s chair. (There were no directors in Shakespeare’s time.) However, one can be awfully grateful to an actor for cracking a joke, expressing a nuance, summoning a deep feeling one had missed, but if an actor botches some line vividly, makes the subtle memorably dumb, and especially these days, illustrates a bawdy metaphor with a vulgar gesture, it will be hard to erase that image from your mind when you read the line later.
Fortunately, faithful playing of Shakespeare does exist here and there, more often in companies without money to lavish on distractions like the sets and lighting. At the Globe Shakespeare’s company played in daylight, the sets were all of imagination compact, though they spent gold for the costumes. It was all aid and prompt to the mind, to the mind’s eye, and to the soul. Companies I’ve seen do Shakespeare faithfully, are the New England Shakespeare (who do it with Q-scripts assigned the morning of performance); Adirondack Shakespeare in summers, Hubbard Hall (which makes Cambridge, New York the most graceful and cultivated village in American), and the American Shakespeare Company (Staunton, Virginia), which also performs Jonson and Marlowe, corrivals of Shakespeare, and in addition the likes of Heywood, Massinger, and Ford .
If no faithful company is near you, there are some very good performances of Shakespeare on DVD. From experience I can recommend the old BBC Age of Kings (including a young Sean Connery as Hotspur) and the BBC Henry VI through Richard III series (with beautiful Julia Foster as tiger-hearted Queen Margaret). Performances that feature this or that famous actor have as their precedent the reputation that Burbage of Shakespeare’s company established (such that an inn-keeper near Bosworth Field used to point to the very place where Burbage cried “my kingdom for a horse”), but check to see if they also have the restraint with which Burbage served the whole play, whose author, his fellow player, was watching nearby. Again, if the marquee spells the actor’s name bigger than Shakespeare’s, be cautious.
Finally one should mention, among things worth seeing, John Barton’s instructive series Playing Shakespeare, in which his former students come back together to discuss how to play Shakespeare. Good youngsters, who just now don’t like their parents, do sometimes like hard things, and how hard an actor must work and how skilled some are will be evident to any who see this series. The discussion between Patrick “Cpt. Picard” Stewart and David “Poirot” Suchet about how each played Shylock, with cameo illustration, is a treasure. Ian “Gandalf” McKellan’s rendition of “In sooth I know not why I am so sad“ five ways in twenty seconds is magical. And Tony French’s sober delivery of the Archbishop’s speech on King Henry’s right to France does it right, as no one else does. Also worthy are the two courses on Shakespeare for the Teaching Company by Peter Saccio. To have remained sober, interesting, and elevated (with but one slip) in the midst of the last few decades of academic literary “study” is heroic.
It is natural to wonder what Shakespeare was like and to want to meet the man. There is the story of how at the Mermaid Tavern, in their wit-combats, Shakespeare like a yare English-man-of-war sailed around Ben Jonson, he a Spanish great Gallion heavy with learning. Judging also from the achievement of the plays, how many different people he knows, and how he knows all, except maybe Hamlet, better than they know themselves, one can confidently conjecture Shakespeare would learn more about any of us “meeting him” than we’d learn about him.
It is also natural to wonder what he thought of his own life, but the peak shrouded in clouds he chose to dwell in forever cannot be approached by anyone not his equal, and even his superior might not ascend it. Just as Horatio could never tell the life of Hamlet, for he never heard the soliloquies, so we cannot tell the life of Shakespeare; if any of the Sonnets are such soliloquies, without addressee, context, frame, they cannot tell his story aright. He could have written his life. From what he did write we infer it would have been the greatest life ever told by the man who lived it, but he chose not to, which accords with the fundamental character of his works (as I shall sketch below). No diary, no journal, and no letters have come down to us; he had no conversation with an Eckermann; and no sedulous Boswell sought his company. The spare legal and financial records he left, available in Samuel Schoenbaum’s Compact Documentary Life (Oxford University Press, 1987), can only be bulked out with fantasy, like the bombast that makes a lean man into a Falstaff.
For a biography that sticks to the known record and life experience of Shakespeare, with a vast and solid knowledge of the times, aptly adduced without ostentation, read Marchette Chute’s Shakespeare of London (1949). You’ll learn features of Elizabethan life, the fundamentals of the Elizabethan stage, how his company performed, forty plays a season, fifteen new, the Office of the Revels, and a hundred other things, as Shakespeare knew them, for Miss Chute limits herself to records from his time, little from the layers and layers of opinion from later biographers and editors, and she conjectures prudently only on their basis. It would take you thousands of hours, with hundreds and hundreds of books, available only in a few big libraries to learn on your own what she provides. Being based on this book, her Introduction to Shakespeare is the best for youngsters; and her novel, A Wonderful Winter, about a runaway boy joining Shakespeare’s company of actors, which risks presenting Shakespeare himself spending the day with our young hero, and succeeds!
Please do not distract the young, or anyone, with searches for the real author of Shakespeare; it is not just that all the claims are strained beyond their light evidence, compared to the substantial weight for Shakespeare, and refuted by scholarly examination, (read Schoenbaum’s Shakespeare’s Lives or Shakespeare, In Fact by Irvin Leigh Matus), but that, as my old teacher at Harvard, Alfred Harbage, observed, these people never have anything interesting to say about the plays. It’s all code to them. Each thinks he is his favorite detective, but all are just Poloniuses, not Poirots, and the tracks in front of the cave each shares with a few fellow and many rival conspirators all point in. Likewise those of my fellow Catholics who are sure his private worship was Catholic. Even if that were true and proved, say by finding one of Cardinal Borromeo’s testaments of belief signed in his hand, that would only make these claimants like a young Thomist breaking into a room filled with the likes of A. G. Sertillanges, Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Josef Pieper, and Charles de Konnick, exclaiming, “I’ve proved it . . . yes I have . . . Thomas was a Catholic!” to which his smiling elders would respond, “Please tell us what you have learned from one of the works of the seraphic messenger,” and he would stammer, “Well, now I already know what’s in them.” Instead, heed the advice of Shakespeare’s friends, who brought out the First Folio: “reade him . . . and againe and againe.” And if you do not learn something more heartfelt, splendid, and true than you knew before, then belike you must once again read him.
In Shakespeare’s As You Like it, the cynical “seven ages of man” spoken by a melancholic ends with old age “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything,” but it is immediately refuted by a good youth carrying in his aged mentor. In truth, there’s good in every age of man, howsoever much of woe, and the whole is embraced by wonder. In Shakespeare there are at least seven such wonders. There is his learning, so vast every retiree is tempted to write a book proving Shakespeare’s “lost years” were spent doing what he did for a lifetime; there is his exuberance of speech, radiant and wise even in the mouths of villains; then, third, in being the first ever to write both comedy and tragedy, and adding history too, Shakespeare is the English-speaking Sophocles, Thucydides, and Aristophanes, without however presenting the gods; by juxtaposing multiple similar but not same things, he is the most philosophic poet, making Hamlet about a man who reasons about revelation and Lear one who is without; and yet Shakespeare beyond all others accords a singularity to his characters, so that a few lines identifies them; what they are is measured by the virtues, passions, and vices, which they share with all others, but who they are makes each unique, beloved by him and us; yet, a seventh wonder is that Shakespeare never acknowledged how wonderful he is, unless it be hidden in ninety-eight words in a corner. In truth, Shakespeare’s works let in the wonders of the world so transparently that it requires effort to see what a wonder they too are; and they in turn are such wonders that it takes an effort to see what a wonder he too was; yet he must have known both. The works he gave us are so vivacious, so splendid, and so deep, that it seems he thought it more important to attend to the wonders of the universe than to himself at all. No poet or thinker has served the good itself more selflessly. “God, who stretched apart / Doomsday and Death—whose dateless thought must chart / All time at once and span the distant goals, sees what his place is.”[3]
[1] My “Myth of the Teenager” is readily available on the web; a longer account, “The Young, the Good, and the West,” distinguishing the good and the great, is at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute website.
[2] For further reflections on Lincoln’s love of Shakespeare and why he considered Claudius’ soliloquy better than Hamlet’s, see my “Shakespeare for Life” on websites of the Claremont Institute and George Wythe University.
[3] “Shakespeare,” Poems of G. M. Hopkins, 3rd ed., ed. Robert Bridges and W. H. Gardner (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1948), Poem 93, 144.
Tagged as Education, great books, John Senior, literature, Shakespeare
By Michael Platt
After study at Harvard, Oxford, and Yale, and teaching long stints at Dartmouth and the University of Dallas, with sojourns in Germany at Heidelberg and Greifswald and in Austria at the International Theological Institute (founded by John Paul II), Dr. Michael Platt now teaches politics, philosophy, and literature at George Wythe University (Cedar City, Utah; email: mplatt@ktc.com); some of his writings, on Shakespeare and Thomas, on teaching and learning, and on the phenomenon of the Teenager, are on its website. He has been rewarded with generous students and supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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"You're a design entrepreneur, not a designer"
Bradford Shellhammer | 10 March 2015 32 comments
Opinion: it's time for designers to start thinking more like businesspeople, says Bradford Shellhammer, creator of new design e-commerce site Bezar and co-founder of Fab.
Designers – you are my heroes. In my lifetime I have had the pleasure of selling the designs (prints, necklaces, handbags, chairs, etc.) of over 20,000 designers. That's a lot of cool people. Designers make the world more beautiful. More functional. Safer. More special.
Many designers choose to work in larger corporations, which can be both rewarding and frustrating. I even wrote an essay on this topic called You're a designer. Not the CEO. A bunch of people read it. Many loved it. Some hated it. But it was meant to be about the need for cooperation between designers and business stakeholders. That designers who work for other people need to be collaborative. And that they should smile.
"We understand how to bring design products to market" says PCH founder
This essay is about a different type of designer. These designers are those who have chosen not to work within another company's walls, but strike out on their own. So here's my first piece of advice: stop calling yourself a designer! You're more than that. Yes, we know you design. And assuredly you're good. But you started a business. You are a CEO. You are a founder. You're a design entrepreneur, not a designer.
There are many kinds of design business. A lot of them are in the service industry, like branding agencies or graphic design houses. While the four things I write about below are likely to be relatable to those types of design entrepreneurs, in this essay I am mostly talking about designers who make things to be sold.
Making something beautiful is not enough these days
These are jewellers and print houses and furniture shops and leather goods brands. These are the types of designers I have spent my career promoting and falling in love with and collecting. They're the types of design entrepreneurs who inspire me.
It takes balls to forgo a steady paycheck working for someone else in exchange for founding a business making things that customers may or may not love. Alberto Alessi once said "we do believe that beauty can save the world." My heroes try to make the world more beautiful. But making something beautiful is not enough these days.
There are four things a design entrepreneur needs to succeed:
1. Validation
Yes, I'm looking at you. It feels good to be noticed. That's a no-brainer. Designers create things so others can touch, live with, and wear their creations. It's a boost of energy to any entrepreneur to be celebrated, to be seen.
How does one go about receiving validation? Find partners. Whether working with a new retailer (follow your gut), showing your work with a collective of designers (it's powerful and cathartic to band with others), or passing out samples door-to-door at your favourite boutiques (you have to be your own number-one salesperson) the end goal is the same. You have to make connections with real people and hear what they say about your work. That should inform your designs and approach.
Karrie Kaneda is a wonderful textile designer from Kansas City with a growing brand, Happy Habitat. When we met a couple weeks ago for the first time in person, she told me the story of how she first worked with me years back. She and her family cheered as her first orders came in. It was validation to her designs: it proved that people liked them. Karrie just showed at NY Now, the New York gift show, for the first time. That early exposure, years ago, was a springboard to get her here, with a much more mature business.
2. Access to resources
It's tough at times being a small business. It's also extremely rewarding. But one big hurdle for starting a brand is coming up with capital to buy raw materials to actually make things. Big brands can foot the bill to produce collections in mass quantities. They have giant warehouses to store their goods.
Many designers I work with use their homes as their warehouses. They cannot bear the costs upfront to manufacture deep collections. So real sales really make an impact.
Jessica Rosenkrantz, one of the founders of Nervous System, makes amazing jewellery and freaking awesome 3D-printed dresses. She said to me that the cheque we cut her was the biggest she'd ever received. Her statement stuck with me and since then many other designers have said the exact same thing. Real sales and real money make a difference. Not just in paying the bills but also in the ability to make more.
The number one way to gain access to resources is to make money via sales. I'd strongly advise designers to not raise money from outside investors and to bootstrap their business. More than most, I know the pain of taking too much money from other people. But you do need money coming in. So everything you do, every hour you work, has to be spent focusing on how you're going to scale your business. When you're designing, think about who would buy this and where it could be sold. And schedule time away from designing to make contact with retailers, distributors, journalists, design fairs. Your passion to make has to be matched with a passion to sell your goods.
3. Exposure
Being seen is tough. There are a lot of designers in the world, but there is also a myriad of ways to rise above the clutter. You can have an amazing Instagram feed. You can work trade shows and craft fairs. You can make amazing products. But a lot of design entrepreneurs need help getting noticed. Once seen, crazy things can happen.
Jen Murse is founder and designer of Plastique. I found her at the Renegade Craft Fair and hounded her until she allowed me to sell her goods on Fab. The sale was a success and Jen received orders but the bigger part of the story was how Lady Gaga noticed Jen's work, which led to a collaboration between the pop star and the designer. This created news which led to more exposure. Designers need to be their best personal marketer. Sales are more powerful when packed with exposure.
And you gain exposure by making amazing things at great prices and coupling it with a wide web of connections. Patience is key here. You cannot rush. Make connections to the right people. Sell your products and see money coming in. Then it will be time for people to really take notice.
Real business education is missing from design school curriculums. But designers by nature are problem solvers. And design entrepreneurs are true business people.
Many designers stay in their comfort zone and stick to just designing. But you have to start thinking differently. You have to embrace spreadsheets and margins and manufacturing and marketing and sales with the same creative vigor you would designing. It's critical to your success and to the health of your business.
This is about a mindset change for many designers: you must take the time to learn all parts of your business. You must understand how PR works, so ask a journalist you admire to lunch and pick their brain. You can learn to redesign your website by taking a class somewhere like General Assembly. Or you can better your basic accounting skills – many community colleges and local governments have courses for small businesses. Your education must not end at design school. I strongly advise continuing your education, and not your design education. Your business education.
Validation, resources, exposure, and experience. These are four things needed for any design entrepreneur to grow their businesses. If Lady Gaga calls, well that's just icing on the cake.
Bradford Shellhammer is the Founder, CEO and Chief Curator of Bezar, a member's only e-commerce site that offers modern designs from emerging designers. The experienced entrepreneur also created Fab.com and has been a leader at Blu Dot and Design Within Reach along with sitting on the Advisory Board of six companies.
Bradford Shellhammer
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12 Of Our Members’ Weirdest DJ Gigs Ever…
DJing at a nudist club was one of our readers' strangest gigs. However, unlike this DJ, he chose not to, ahem, get in the spirit of things, as you'll read...
Phil Morse
January 31, 2017 | Read time: 4 mins
beginner Odd Dj gigs Weird Dj gigs
Last updated 27 March, 2018
DJing at a nudist club was one of our readers’ strangest gigs. However, unlike this DJ, ours chose not to, ahem, get in the spirit of things, as you’ll read…
It certainly seems like our members aren’t scared of playing anywhere and everywhere when asked to. A recent post where a member related his strangest gig has led to a whole load of stories from others. From swingers to bird-watchers, everyone needs DJs… Here are 12 of our favourites…
12 of the weirdest gigs…
12. The nudist club
“I was booked to play at a nudist club. Club uniforms were mandatory including me. Thank goodness for table skirts. ‘Just look at their faces,’ I kept telling myself, ‘just their faces.’ What kind of music did I play? Barenaked Ladies tunes, Jermaine Stewart’s ‘We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off’, among others. If my CDJs could talk…’ – David George
11. The Double Dutch vinyl gig
“I am a vinyl DJ who was asked to play at a celebration of Double Dutch culture. (Double Dutch is an African American form of stylised jump roping). I obviously didn’t think it all through because every time the groups would do a really big trick, they would hit the floor and the needle would jump right off the record. People didn’t seem to mind too much and the energy in the room was fantastic…” – Amy Ongiri
10. The yoga rave
“I played a very poorly organised yoga-rave at a very large health club chain. There were about 350 people that showed up to do the ‘class’. The instructors all came up to me and wanted individual playlists made for them by handing me handwritten titles and start times written down about 30 mins before the class was going to start. They got a fat no and were visibly mad. They kept motioning for me to crank the volume even though it was drowning out the instructors…” – Mike Gerth
Yup, this really happened. A rave in a fish and chip shop…
9. The fish and chip shop
“I played for the opening of Rick Stein’s Fish & Chip shop in Falmouth. I’d played the main fish restaurant for New Year which was actually really enjoyable. The Fish and Chip shop on the other hand was a nightmare. It was tiled so the acoustics were appalling. For some reason the actor that plays Phil from Eastenders was sitting opposite me which lent the night an even more surreal edge. (I tried my best to dig out any fish related music…thank god for Mr Scruff!)” – Stephen Griffiths
8. The assisted living centre Christmas party
“I was booked to play Christmas music for an assisted living centre. Hadn’t done one yet so I said sure. They said there will be food and drink, and some games for the seniors. Once I got set up and started playing, I realised that there were only a couple seniors and ALL the staff there…. Apparently they didn’t really invite the seniors and the staff played all the games and ate the food…” – DJ Gary
7. The player’s wake
“An old DJ friend passed away, and his ex-wife asked if I would DJ a celebration of his life event. Of course I agreed and we had a great time. The weird part was all of his ex-wives, ex-girlfriends, etc. showed up. He had left each lady for another lady in attendance, so it just went down the line. ‘Well since he left me for ___, she’s next!’ All in all we had a great time remembering a great ‘player’ and friend.” – Reuben Martinez
Fetish party DJing isn’t as rare as you might think… dressing up as the DJ appears to be optional, though. Pic: Cuaz F
6. The fetish party
“Fetish parties at a swingers club in Prague were my introduction to the digital DJ world. It started as a favour for the organiser, one of my best friends. Genuinely lovely people at the events, made some new friends, and I have some very fond memories of those years. As it was helping out someone I know well and I’d also already been involved in the Czech porn industry in various capacities, the gigs didn’t feel weird…” – Jose Lara
5. The puritanical wedding
“I did a wedding gig last summer. I get to the reception and the bride’s father comes up and tells me that the groom and bride met in bible school and are very strict about not listening to ‘provocative and suggestive music’ or drug references. Knocked out a steep percentage of my playlist so I ended up scouring my library a lot harder than I’m used to to make the night work. It makes the night a little uncomfortable creating a new censor standard on the fly.” – Mike Gerth
4. The swingers’ party
“Played a small swinger club once. It was weird. All night nobody was dancing. They were mostly sitting at the bar, and left once in a while to… y’know, what they do in such venues. Some did it on the couches around the dancefloor (I might have train-wrecked a few transitions then). Overall I thought it was a bit of a bummer evening, but when I read the guestbook of the venue the next day, they were like ‘OMG, the DJ was great! We need to do it again!'” – Psychofrakulator
3. The biker lingerie show
“I played a biker lingerie show. I didn’t realise there was even such a market. The models were not the most attractive, but given the audience, I surely wasn’t going to comment on that. I was able to play some great rock ‘n roll music though. All in all, it was a blast! They were really an awesome crowd and were very responsive to the music. It was also a great paying gig. I’m looking forward to the next one.” – Brian Lake
2. The Police Super Bowl after-party
“The oddest party was for a Super Bowl after party for a group of Cleveland, Ohio, USA policemen. I could not believe how wild they were, totally off the chain! One approached me during the party and said ‘We have very stressful lives, so excuse us, we gotta let go!’ Nonetheless, I had a blast with them, there was never a dull moment. I would definitely play for them again.” – DJ Dizzi Dee
“I see nobody on the dancefloor!” A bird-spotters party is just one of the dozen strange gigs our readers recount in today’s post.
1. The bird-spotting club
Last summer I got booked by a bird-spotting club.They have an annual international gathering where there are members from all over Europe, and they compare the number and breed of all the birds they spotted. After trying every trick to get them dancing nobody even moved. They were too busy looking at the photos of all sorts of birds on the screen next to me. After the last person left the organiser came to me and said everybody had a great time and loved the music…” – Fonny Boons
Thanks to everyone for your stories. If one theme comes out from them, it is that you are all professionals, ploughing on regardless in what often appeared to be dire circumstances… and that generally, you were much appreciated. Maybe the lesson is: Do your best, and reserve judgement until you get the final feedback at the end of the night – however strange that night turns out to be.
Can you do better than any of these? Feel free to tell us below!
Phil Morse is the founder of Digital DJ Tips. His DJ career has taken him from a 15-year residency in Manchester, England, to the main room at Privilege in Ibiza - the world's biggest club. He is also an award-winning club promoter, and has taught music tech and DJing since 2010. He regularly speaks at DJ seminars and events worldwide.
5 Reasons Why You Should Play Different Types Of DJ Gigs
Your Questions: Is Insisting On A DJ Contract Costing Me Gigs?
Your Questions: I'm Really Shy! Please Help Me Prepare For My First Gig
The Big Debate: Is Social Media Necessary For DJ Success?
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McCann ready for battle against Rochdale
Manager Grant McCann says Rochdale will provide a tough test for his side when the two teams meet at the Keepmoat Stadium in Sky Bet League One.
Rovers are in confident mood after Saturday's 3-1 win at Gillingham, and McCann has no intention of taking Dale for granted after their 4-0 home loss to Bradford City on the same day.
"I've always had good tests against Keith Hill's sides over the years as both a player and a manager, they're always quite wide open, we were maybe fortunate to get the win back at Spotland earlier in the season, but we were ruthless.
"Prior to the weekend, Rochdale had been on a decent run of late, it just goes to show that you can't afford to take any game for granted at this level, they're a very dangerous side."
McCann expects an entertaining game at the Keepmoat Stadium against an outfit with plenty of talent going forward.
"They have some very good players across their midfield in Oliver Rathbone and Callum Camps if he's fit, and they've got Ian Henderson up top who can score a lot of goals," he added.
"Keith always has his teams playing the right way, they'll make it tough for us, but it'll be a great football game."
Doncaster Rovers vs Rochdale on 01 Jan 19
Grant McCann
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3 Bedroom Condo for sale in Akari City, An Lạc, Hồ Chí Minh
Vietnam - 3 Bedroom Condo for sale in Akari City, An Lạc, Hồ Chí Minh
Hồ Chí Minh, Quận Bình Tân, An Lạc
Listing ID: A3
Akari City – The City of Light
A CENTER OF LIGHT IN THE WEST OF THE CITY
Connected directly to Vo Van Kiet Boulevard, the backbone route connecting East and West of Ho Chi Minh City, Akari City has a strategic location favorable for trading and settlement.
THE LIFE OF A DYNAMIC LIFE
Akari City is designed and built base on the concept of a bustling and exciting “multi-facility living city” with unique commercial and service facilities, serving the resident needs of living, eating, entertainment and education. We promise it will be the most modern urban complex of the West, bringing a new lifestyle, balancing the modernity of living in a vibrant city and the peacefulness of private living.
A WARM LIGHT FROM HOME SWEET HOME
Akari City adopts the delicacy and effectiveness of Japanese design with a cozy and flexible space. Apartments varies in sizes with 2 or 3 bedrooms and comes in 3 versions.
Standard Flora condo is affordable for young single adults and young families, of which an upgraded version with more comfortable living space is available for families with children. Or more uniquely, the limited version Dual Key which is designed with absolute privacy for three-generation family living together or those who want to do business with homestay.
About Akari City
Akari City Apartment Nam Long is located in front of Vo Van Kiet Boulevard, at the intersection of Vo Van Kiet and Ho Hoc Lam Street, An Lac Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh. The project is located on the city's main arterial road linking East to Saigon West. There are also easy access routes to downtown area such as: District 1, District 3, District 4, District 5, District 6. Especially, District 5 and District 10 which is the trade center. The density of the populatio...
View more detail on Akari City
100 m2Usable area
Nam Long Investment Corporation
The information contained in this listing forms a property advertisement of which dotproperty.international has no control over content contained within. Furthermore, dotproperty.international cannot guarantee the accuracy of listing information, linked content or associated resources provided by private sellers, agencies or developers for the purpose of advertising. The advertiser assumes all responsibility for the advertisement details, please contact Nam Long Investment Corporation for further detail.
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Holmes and Watson
Jeffrey Hatcher
Full Length, Mystery
6 men, 1 woman
THE STORY: Sherlock Holmes is dead. Or so it is assumed. The world knows the great detective went over the falls at Reichenbach with his nemesis Professor Moriarty. But as Holmes’ body was never retrieved, a number of frauds, fakes, and charlatans have come forward since to lay claim to his identity, and it falls to Dr. Watson to disprove them. Then a telegram arrives informing Watson that three men, each claiming to be Holmes, have been committed to a remote asylum off the coast of Scotland. Now Watson must discover if one of the mad men is the real Sherlock Holmes.
“…the most elaborate and riveting game of What’s My Line ever…The Jeffrey Hatcher play…is tight and clever and full of suspense—and has enough red herrings to feed a family of 40.” —Arizona Daily Star. “[HOLMES AND WATSON] is a truly smashing play full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat…Hatcher has crafted an intelligent mystery thriller…” —TalkinBroadway.com. “HOLMES AND WATSON keeps you intrigued as a succession of unexpected twists and turns results in an unforeseen finale." —KBAQ. “…a locked-room mystery driven by jousting dialogue and carefully constructed plot twists…Hatcher is too astute a writer to have just one trick up his sleeve, and the face-value mystery is just the first layer of a more complicated puzzle box.” —Arizona Republic. “Wildly enthralling and masterfully penned…Hatcher well knows his way around riddles and is a crafty manipulator of appearances…An amazing must-see cliffhanger.” —BroadwayWorld.com. “It begins with a crack of thunder and ends with the haunting, fading strings of a violin…Hatcher not only succeeds in keeping us guessing right up until that violin fade, he’s also written a crowd-pleaser…A thorough delight; a play that keeps you committed to its machinations from beginning to its unexpected end…don’t reveal the ending. To do so would be committing a criminal act of Moriarty proportions.” —Valley Screen and Stage.
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Funky Compilations CD
Horn Rock & Funky Guitar Grooves 1968 to 1974
CD (Item 921390) BGP (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s — Condition: New Copy
BGP (label)
Funky Compilations (CD, LP)
Rock (CD, LP)
Various — Horn Rock & Funky Guitar Grooves 1968 to 1974 ... LP 19.99
Funky sounds from a time when jazz and rock music instrumentation collided – and came up with a bastard child that was unfortunately named "jazz rock", and which kept some folks away from some surprisingly groovy records back in the day! Don't let that moniker get you down – as it's way more dated than the music on this set, and hardly gets at the soul-drenched style of the grooves – which often owe more to the horn sections of Memphis and Muscle Shoals records from earlier in the 60s, than they do from any higher attempt to merge the worlds of highbrow jazz and long-haired rock! In truth, most of these groups were probably raised on equal parts soul with all the other styles they were drinking up – and they probably also picked up a few members who got young training in school bands, then found a way to work with their guitar-playing friends – adding plenty of color and tone to the drums and bass that really drive the tunes. The set is a wonderful introduction to the genre – and not only mixes a few key classics with lots of overlooked gems – but also touches on some of the funkier nuggets that have been sampled over the years. Titles include "Toe Hold" by Al Kooper, "Run Back To Mama" by Chase, "Clown (part 1)" by The Flock, "One Fine Morning (LP version)" by Lighthouse, "It's Been A Long Time Coming" by Delaney & Bonnie, "Understanding" by Cold Blood, "Somebody Oughta Turn Your Head Around" by Crystal Mansion, "Tuane" by Hammer, "Roller Coaster" by Blood Sweat & Tears, "Clever Girl" by Tower Of Power, "Aunt Marie" by American Sound Ltd, "Gypsy Boy II" by Tobias Wood Henderson, "Blow Your Mind" by Donnie Brooks, "Boomp Boomp Chomp" by The Sons, and "Shoes" by Black Magic. © 1996-2020, Dusty Groove, Inc.
We realize that there are many different interpretations of the standard grades used for pre-owned vinyl record albums & CD, so we thought we'd offer you the ones that we are working with, so you have an idea what we mean when we give the grade for a non-new item on our pages.
Used Vinyl Grades
Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove. Grading for the cover should be assumed to be near (within a "+" or "-") the grading for the vinyl. If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws, these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with the vinyl of any used item we sell. Additionally, all of our records are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt to listen through them and note how they play.
The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single:
This is what it says, that the record is still held fast in shrink-wrap. We tend to be pretty suspicious about these things, so if the shrink-wrap doesn't look original, or if the record seems to have undergone some damage over time, we'll probably take it out of the wrapper to ensure that it's in good shape — which is why we don't have more of these. In some cases the shrink-wrap may be torn in spots, but if it's not possible the record has been taken out and played, the record will still qualify as "Sealed".
Dusty Groove does not use the grades of Near Mint (or Mint, for that matter) because in our experience, we find that no records ever qualify for such a high grade. Even sealed records tend to have one or two slight faults, enough to usually qualify them for a grade of NM- or lower. We've often found that records which are clearly unplayed will have a slight amount of surface noise, especially in quieter recordings.
Near Mint - (minus)
Black vinyl that may show a slight amount of dust or dirt.
Should still be very shiny under a light, even with slight amount of dust on surface.
One or two small marks that would make an otherwise near perfect record slightly less so. These marks cannot be too deep, and should only be surface marks that won't affect play, but might detract from the looks.
May have some flaws and discoloration in the vinyl, but only those that would be intrinsic to the pressing. These should disappear when the record is tilted under the light, and will only show up when looking straight at the record. (Buddah and ABC pressings from the 70's are a good example of this.)
May have some slight marks from aging of the paper sleeve on the vinyl.
Possible minor surface noise when played.
Very Good + (plus)
Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint.
Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted.
Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.
This is the kind of record that will play "near mint", but which will have some signs of use (although not major ones).
May have slight surface noise when played.
Very Good - (minus)
Vinyl may be dirty, and can lack a fair amount of luster.
Vinyl can have a number of marks, either in clusters or smaller amounts, but deeper.
This is the kind of record that you'd buy to play, but not because it looked that great. Still, the flaws should be mostly cosmetic, with nothing too deep that would ruin the overall record.
Examples include a record that has been kept for a while in a cover without the paper sleeve, or heavily played by a previous owner and has some marks across the surface. The record should play okay, though probably with surface noise.
Good + (plus)
Vinyl may be dirty, or have one outstanding flaw, such as a light residue, which could be difficult to clean.
May have marks on all parts, too many to qualify as Very Good-, or several deeper marks, but the record should still be ok for play without skips.
In general, this is a record that was played a fair amount, and handled without care. A typical example may be a record which has been heavily played by a DJ, and carries marks from slip cueing. Depending on the quality of the vinyl, may play with surface noise throughout.
A record that you'd buy to play, cheap, but which you wouldn't buy for collecting.
Will have marks across all parts of the playing surface, and will most likely play with surface noise throughout. May have some other significant flaws, such as residue, or a track that skips.
In most cases, a poor quality copy of a very difficult to find record.
This is a grade we rarely use, as we try not to sell records in very bad condition, though in some rare cases we will list a record in such bad shape that it does not conform to the standards above. A "Fair" record will have enough marks or significant flaws that it does not even qualify as "Good", but is a copy you might consider for playing, if you're willing to put up with noise and/or flaws. An example might be a recording with surface noise so heavy that it is equal to the volume of the music. For records listed as "Fair", we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.
Like "Fair", we rarely list records in this condition, as they represent the extreme low end of spectrum. These records typically have multiple serious problems, and we offer them as "relics" or "objects" only — for those who want to at least have a copy of a record, even if it is not really worthy of play, perhaps for the cover alone. For these records, we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.
If You're Not Part Of The Solution – Soul, Politics, & Spirituality In Jazz 1967 to 1975
BGP (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy
CD...$12.99 18.99
Righteous jazz, but with a bit of a funky twist too – a great selection of classics from the years when 60s soul jazz was reaching out with a new sense of pride and power, and finding a way embrace all of the musical changes that were coming its way! The music here is often by artists who ... CD
Mod Jazz Rides Again
Kent (UK), Mid 60s. New Copy
Sammy Davis Jr is looking pretty darn hip on the cover – and all the artists inside are sounding pretty darn hip as well – coming together during the glory days of soul jazz, at a time when blues, vocals, and R&B were also criss-crossing into other styles too! There's an upbeat, ... CD
Southern Groove – Hotlanta, Aware, & Clintone Funk & Soul – Masterful & Obscure 1970s Funk & Soul From Georgia & Alabama
BGP (UK), 1970s. New Copy
Funky soul from one of the less-discovered scenes in the south – the hotbed of small labels that were making some mighty great grooves in Atlanta during the 70s! The Peachtree city isn't nearly as well-cited as a soul music source in comparison to places like Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even ... CD
Ace Records Sampler Vol 2 – Doo Wop & Rock N Roll
Ace (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s. New Copy
Not your usual set of oldies – because in the hands of Ace Records, "rock n roll" and "doo wop" become completely new terms! The package goes way beyond simple hits and famous numbers – and offers up a great batch of unusual tunes from the less-known end of the ... CD
Super Breaks 3 – Essential Funk, Soul & Jazz Samples and Breakbeats
BGP/Ace (UK), Late 60s/1970s. New Copy
CD...$8.99 18.99
More funky breaks than Evel Knevel after the Snake River Canyon jump! The groove hounds at BGP records were set loose on the Ace catalog – which includes holdings from Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Westbound, and other funky classic labels – and they managed to come up with a killer batch of ... CD
Metti Una Bossa A Cena Vol 2
Schema (Italy), 1960s/1970s. New Copy
CD...$11.99
Sublime bossa groovers from Italy! The first volume of this series was one of our favorite compilations that year it was released – and this second volume is equally as great! Schema groover Gerardo Frisina serves up a hand-picked batch of 16 tunes, mostly classic numbers from the late 60s ... CD
Up! The Psycho Mellow – A Brief Excursion Into The 70's Sound
Schema (Italy), Early 70s. New Copy
Stunning compilation of Italian grooves from the early 70's – and one that has a slightly different twist than some of the other one's we've been stocking. The folks at Schema have put this one together, and the set's got a feel that's similar to some of the newer releases they've been ... CD
Pacific Breeze – Japanese City Pop, AOR, & Boogie 1976 to 1986
Light In The Attic, Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy
CD...$13.99 15.98 (LP...$34.99)
Warm, soulful sounds from a crucial time in the Japanese music scene – a 70s moment when the nation was finding a special groove of its own – but one that also drew heavily from American soul and jazz as well! It's no secret that the Japanese have always had a great love of American ... CD
Joey Negro – 2019 Essentials
Z Records (UK), 2019. New Copy 2CD
A heavy duty set of remixes from the great Joey Negro – a collection that's very much in the spirit of his Remixed With Love series – in that it features Joey's own soulful take on a variety of different dancefloor grooves! As with that series, many of the tracks here are older club ... CD
Light Mellow Malaco
Malaco/Ultra Vybe (Japan), Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy
You might know Malaco Records as a hotbed of deep soul during the 70s – but as the decade progressed, the southern label also really opened up to some of the warmer, more sophisticated styles that were brewing up north – all to create a magnificent sort of hybrid that really helped move ... CD
Mr Bongo Record Club – Vol 3
Mr Bongo (UK), Late 60s/1970s. New Copy
Mr Bongo reminds us once again why they've been one of our favorite labels of the past few decades – delivering a masterful collection of rare funky dancefloor grooves around the globe for their Record Club Volume 3! True to form, it's vintage rare funk, bossa, Afro Soul and underground ... CD
Men In The Glass Booth – Groundbreaking Re-edits & Remixes By The Disco Era's Most Influential DJs (3CD set)
BBE (UK), Late 70s. New Copy 3CD
An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued ... CD
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The Range of Emotions Inspired By a Child’s Birthday.
Heather Grimes 1 Follower
Friday was two days after my daughter Opal’s fifth birthday.
We went to Sunflower Farms with my parents who were visiting from Ohio. My husband, Jesse, played hooky and the five of us packed into one car to head towards Longmont, then just up a dirt road off the main drag. The farm is all things glorious about autumn, childhood, nature, life. There are goats to feed, haystacks to climb on, and ponies to ride.
(Opal rode an enormous mare named ‘Belle,’ and loomed down over me as I walked along next to her.)
Massive wild turkeys roam free, like inflated bouncers pacing a late-night dance club, all attitude. Chickens and roosters run about in a manic frenzy before digging themselves into a hole for a sudden, urgent rest. The sky was so vast and so blue, it felt like we were all at the bottom of an empty ocean.
Afterwards, we had ample time to rest before Opal’s official birthday fiesta that evening. During that stretch of afternoon, the winds shifted utterly for Opal, as the moods of preschoolers often do. She must have been consumed by Overwhelm, a train that needed to slow down, drastically.
Opal is still too young to say, “Mother, I could really use a little down time to recover and rest up for the party tonight.” (Really, how many adults are able to gently ease into a break before rest is a necessity?) So instead, she went after me like a clumsy samurai.
I transformed from a jolly, playground-tired mama to a veiny-eyed bag of exhaustion who wanted nothing more than to flee from my child.
(Either that or dig a hole in the dirt like the chickens and rest.)
I’m not exactly sure which correction or suggestion upset her so much, led her to the other side of such a dark place. She was in a state of something much worse than lashing out—which would have resulted in a clean-cut Time Out.
She was thick in the muck of Self-Pity. Please forgive me mother! I’m a horrible person! I’ll do better next time! You don’t love me anymore, do you?
My mistake was to take this literally. To try and console her and snuggle her and give her affection. (Reminiscent of the nights when she was a crying baby and I’d go in and pick her up only to find that it made her cry more.) I told her I loved her, that I was there for when she wanted to come down the hall and get a hug. Did she want to read a book with me on the couch?
The fact that my own insides were disintegrating in the meantime was a sure sign that this was not the best tactic.
It took me longer than I’m comfortable admitting—as in, hours—before I realized that nothing I did was going to solve this situation aside from giving it space. I was finally able to throw in the proverbial towel and put Opal in front of a Sophia the First (Thank you, Disney.).
Then I poured myself a whiskey on the rocks—the good stuff—as an attempted fast-track to relaxation.
This, of course, didn’t work. I was barely halfway through my glass, when the headache came on stronger, more dense.
A Good thing: Opal’s friends are so wonderful, and their parents are equally as wonderful and my family is pretty dang wonderful, too. Therefore, all the discomfort kind of dissolved in the collection of wonderfulness. The kids played and ate and sang and all was well in the world of kid-parties. One of my oldest and dearest friends—as in, he was eighteen when I was sixteen and he bought me cigarettes with my parents’ BP card—came with his six-year-old son, Sage. More than once, we exchanged a glance that said When did we get all growed up?
I put Opal to bed when we got home and could barely peel myself from lying next to her, long after she fell asleep. I coerced myself into getting up with the understanding that I’d only have to walk the distance to my own bed and then I could go back to Blessed Horizontal. I peeked out in the living room to find Mom and Jesse drinking Moscow Mules from the copper mugs. Typically my favorite, a family tradition.
But that night, I told them I was going to bed. At 8:30pm.
And that’s just what I did.
In the gap between exhaustion and sleep, I lay there thinking about my parents. It occurred to me that they never once skimped on my birthday when I was a child. We’d have a family party and a school-friend party and a neighbor-friend party and a campground party. I remember a cake my mom would make with a Barbie in the middle, the cake-part as her half-orb ball gown and her dolly torso jetting out of the center like a teeny Marilyn Monroe.
It also occurred to me that they must have experienced every nuance of post-birthday exhaustion that I was feeling. The preparation, the gift buying and giving, the late-evening cupcake making on three occasions, the active creation of good kid memories. It takes a toll.
During Opal’s party, the grandparents (Jesse’s parents, too) stood alongside the gated play area, a safe distance away, which is the right place for them to be. They are further ahead than we are, reaping some of the fruits of being a long-time parent, which is, undoubtedly, to be grandparents. Meanwhile, Jesse and I were in it, climbing through mazes and herding small masses, mediating as we went, breaking a sweat literally and figuratively. This was the right place for us to be, as parents.
I couldn’t help but wonder if my parents felt the same relief I do after a baffling spell of parenting—that moment when I catch a glimpse of certain, comforting, parent-friends. The ones who are loving and warm, capable of offering a glance or a hug that works like a Sherpa blanket on cold shoulders.
There you are. Thank god. We are all in this together now.
As different as my mom and dad and I are, the fact is we will always have one undeniable thing in common: the path of parenting.
Author: Heather Grimes
Editor: Renée Picard
Photo: Harry Walker / Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Heather Grimes Read Bio
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Blog,Editor's Picks,Family birthday party,birthdays,cake,family,friends,grandparents,mindful parenting,overwhelm,parents,Sunflower Farms,support Heather Grimes
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8 Comments / Startup Discussion / By Smita Singh / 22/06/2018 06/01/2020
What does a failed startup teach? Why are the Startups are failing?
Failure of your startup can teach many valuable lessons and actually strengthen you – emotionally and professionally – for yet another entrepreneurial journey.
Here are some things that you could learn if you introspect and think about why the startup failed:
About the product/service: Was the product or service relevant to consumers/customers? Was the experience of using the product/service good? If the answers to these questions are negative, you could learn about what you could have done better in designing the product/service.
Was the value proposition meaningful: Was the product/service addressing a genuine need? Was it solving a problem for consumers/customers or was it making their life simpler or offering the product/service at a lower price than competition or was it fulfilling an emotion need (e.g. status in the case of premium products). If the answer to this is negative, you need to introspect and figure out whether consumers really had a need for the product or did you ‘manufacture’ a need because you invented some product/service.
Was the positioning right: When I was younger, a new brand of packaged burgers was launched under the name ‘Big Bite’. It was an awesome product and priced just right. But, it was actually a mini snack… not actually a big bite. However, consumers, including me, had seen the product being advertised as a ‘BIG BITE’ and expected a ‘BIG BITE”…. and we were disappointed at seeing the actual size of the snack. Now, I feel that if the company had called the snack a ‘Mini Bite’, the product could have been a huge success. This was, to my mind, a big lesson on a great product at a good price-pint getting killed because of over-promise and incorrect positioning.
Was the communication clear: Sometimes even with a great product which addresses a real need, the brand communication is just so unclear or disgusting that the company just does not get enough sales as it would have with more appropriate communication. Often companies led by techies underestimate the power and importance of quality communication.
Was the price-point right: At the concept test stage, it is important to test the product/service at different price-points is critical (even if not in the actual marketplace, doing customer research by talking to potential buyers)
Were the processes appropriate for the venture: Operational issues and mismanagement of the operations process are one of the most common reasons for startups to fail. Often we see startups do well at the initial phases but falter when it comes to doing the same business at a different scale. Introspecting on whether aspects of operations planning could have been different can teach some very valuable lessons.
Was the team right: Did the team have competencies that were required for the venture. OR if they did not, did they know what they did not know and therefore were they able to reach out to advisors, mentors, and consultants or experts who could have helped them in the journey. Sometimes despite having a great team, the team dynamics do not work right.
It is also important to have one of the founders declared as the CEO. There has to be one person who is calling the shots and where the buck stope. If there are 2-3 or more founders, each of whom has equal say in the direction and decision making, it often leads to chaos. Introspect and see if you went wrong on the people front.
Was the company adequately funded: Many startups choke because they run out of funds. The exuberance and confidence make many founders more optimistic than practically possible, and this means they end up raising lesser capital than was necessary for the business. Evaluate if you funded your startup right.
Changing the business model often: One of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make is to make changes in strategy and direction too often and without giving enough time for one strategy to be implemented. Often this change is considered as being nimble and is assumed to be the nature of being a startup. However, while it is possible for startups to change direction when you do so should be a very well debated and considered decision.
Add-ons points:-
The failure itself teaches nothing. There are so many potential reasons, and so few with enough of a perspective to sort through them all and come up with a coherent and credible theory for how a different outcome could have been achieved. It’s a big “what if” game leading nowhere.
However, startups while still alive often provide unparalleled learning opportunities. It’s the nature of startups that just about every person in one has had to go outside their comfort zone more than they would have at a larger company where they have policies and specialists for everything.
For example, as a developer at a startup, I was never just writing code. I had to learn enough to fill in for IT or QA, release engineering or support, I had to go out on the road to talk to current or potential investors and customers, and so on. It was often uncomfortable or tedious or both at once, but I learned more than I ever could have any other way.
Either way, failure teaches you that you do not have the right to take success for granted. It teaches you that your assumptions and your beliefs may not always be right and that you should validate them.
It teaches you the value of being frugal, and that being resource starved actually could lead to more innovation & creativity.
It teaches you that planning is important, and failing to plan is planning to fail. Failure makes you stronger. It gives you the confidence to face bigger challenges than you previously had.
It often shows you who your real supporters & friends are, and who were just enjoying a ride with you while the going was tough.
One way to fail startup which you’ll work to avoid next time.
Hopefully, some positive things about how to run a business, build technology products, mold fresh graduates into superhuman engineers, market and sell what you’ve built, etc.
Failure can teach you a lot if you introspect and think about what went wrong, and make an attempt to do things differently when you embark on the journey again.
Don’t worry about an outcome you couldn’t control. Treasure the experience, and use it to get a head start next time.
Get up. Dust yourself. Get going.
Smita Singh
8 thoughts on “Why are the Startups are failing? What does a Failed Startup teach?”
Vishal kumar
Awseome article …..
Thank You..!!
I will right away grab your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
Best Pizza Delivery Near Me
another nice one….great blog…
Food is one of the most basic necessities of life, but just because it’s basic doesn’t mean it’s simple. The first Coneizza was opened in uttam nagar, New Delhi on January 20, 2018. Know everything there is to know about Coneizza food corner, Indian Revolution. Discover the fascinating events and people whose stories seldom make the history coneizza, but are nevertheless our definition of interesting history.
Food is one of the most basic necessities of life, but just because it’s basic doesn’t mean it’s simple. The first Coneizza was opened in uttam nagar, New Delhi on January 20, 2018. Know everything there is to know about Coneizza food corner, Indian Revolution.
ANOTHER NICE ONE.. GREAT BLOG…….
you should also known this…Food is one of the most basic necessities of life, but just because it’s basic doesn’t mean it’s simple. The first Coneizza was opened in uttam nagar, New Delhi on January 20, 2018. Know everything there is to know about Coneizza food corner, Indian Revolution. Discover the fascinating events and people whose stories seldom make the history coneizza, but are nevertheless our definition of interesting history.
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A separatist murdered
The death of Theys Eluay has angered Irian's Papuans
AsiaNov 15th 2001 edition
IRIAN JAYA has been rattled by the sinister death of Theys Eluay, the pro-separatist leader of its ethnic-majority Papuans. The killing has also left the government in Jakarta tarnished by suspicion of a political killing in its vast eastern province, where the native Papuans have never accepted incorporation into Indonesia. The murder looks uncannily like the sort of act that used to happen under ex-President Suharto, and which President Megawati Sukarnoputri promised was a thing of the past. Even the speakers of the country's two parliamentary chambers, not normally friends of separatists like Mr Eluay, say his death was plainly political.
Mr Eluay was abducted, along with his driver, on November 10th. His body was found the next day in his car, near a cliff close to the border with Papua New Guinea. Doctors who carried out an autopsy could not clearly establish the cause of death. The incident might have ended as a mystery had not the quick-thinking driver—who is missing, feared dead—managed to make a call on Mr Eluay's cellphone. He told Mr Eluay's wife that they had been taken hostage by men, non-Papuans, with guns. Then the telephone went dead.
For Mr Eluay's former deputy and successor as chief of the Papuan Presidium Council, Thom Beanal, the news that they were non-Papuans means the armed forces were surely involved. Most Papuans agree. Conceivably, the driver might have meant non-Papuan civilians: Irian Jaya has a large population of Indonesian migrants. But they are widely resented by the indigenous people and live in fear. Mr Beanal says migrants would be afraid to commit such an act.
Moreover, Mr Eluay was returning from an event held by the army's special-forces branch, Kopassus, a unit with a dark reputation. Kopassus denies it killed him but that has cut little ice among Papuans. Kopassus has always routinely denied carrying out extra-judicial killings.
What next? Human-rights groups around the world have condemned the killing of Mr Eluay and demanded an independent inquiry, preferably with international involvement. Aides to Mr Eluay think the government has taken advantage of the Afghan fighting to disregard human-rights concerns and deal with a man who was a thorn in its side. The world's eyes have been elsewhere for months and President George Bush is desperate for the support of the world's largest Muslim nation.
But in the end Miss Megawati may also be a loser. Mr Eluay wanted independence through peaceful dialogue, but his words fell on deaf ears. During a long dispute about the flying of the banned Morning Star flag last year, Mr Eluay played a leading role in negotiating with the police to try to avoid violence. Now Papuans are inflamed. And a big anniversary is coming. December 1st 1961 was the start of a brief period of partial self-government, brought to an end 18 months later when the United Nations gave the territory to Indonesia.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "A separatist murdered"
What next for Taiwan after Tsai Ing-wen’s emphatic victory?
Pen, sword and scales
Criticism of the army or government lands many Burmese in court
A major modern general
India’s armed forces get their biggest shake-up in decades
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Global Citizen is a social action platform for a global generation that wants to solve the world's biggest challenges.
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Obama Appears at Mayors' Summit to Urge Action on Climate Change
This App Donates Excess Food to New York’s Most Vulnerable
7 Reasons Drinking Coffee Isn't as Bad as You Might Think
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By Joe McCarthy
Former President Barack Obama appeared at a gathering of mayors from around the world in Chicago Tuesday to talk about climate change and encourage leaders to take action, according to the Associated Press.
It was the latest in a series of appearances from the former president who offers a perspective that differs from his successor. Just last week, Obama met with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
barack obama climate change paris agreement donald trump
Transfernation
By Andrew McMaster
In some ways, New York is a city of excess. From Midtown's tall skyscrapers to Grand Central's arched ceiling to SoHo's hundreds of shops and boutiques, the city always seems to take things to the next level.
More people, more money, more noise, more entertainment, more food.
food food waste global citizen food insecurity
There's nothing quite like a cup of coffee in the morning. Whether it's from your local shop, brewed at home or snagged from a tiny cart somewhere, people all over the world start and their days with the centuries-old psychoactive beverage.
And aside from being a the only thing that can drag some of us out of bed on tough mornings, there are actually some more significant reasons—including health, economic and more—why it's a good way to start your day.
global citizen food coffee international women's coffee alliance
Lobster With Pepsi Can 'Tattoo' Embodies Fears About Ocean Waste: Here Are 5 More Examples
Karissa Lindstrand
It's safe to say that lobsters aren't a budding new demographic for soda companies.
So why did a lobster recently caught in the waters off Grand Manan, New Brunswick, have part of a Pepsi logo tattooed on its claw?
plastics oceans marine life sea turtle otters lobster whales dolphins
A Tiny Island Used as a Nuclear Dumpsite Is About to Be Submerged by Water
The 100-meter wide crater on Runit Island was deemed a good place to dump as much soil contaminated with plutonium as possible. Chunks of unexploded plutonium-239 were also disposed of in the hole. Google Earth
The Enewetak Atoll is all but invisible on Google Maps. Halfway between Australia and Hawaii, the ribbon of land is home to a small indigenous population that has seen their way of life eroded by decisions far outside of their control.
For more than half a century, the atoll, which is part of the Marshall Islands, has been contaminated by nuclear explosions and waste, according to ABC Australia. The decades ahead could leave it submerged by rising sea levels.
global citizen nuclear climate change marshall islands sea level rise enewetak atoll nuclear waste
Nursery Bans Glitter, Calls on Others to Follow Their Example
By Imogen Calderwood
Glitter is great, right? Particularly now that it's getting dark and cold and a bit depressing outside.
But, as much as we love glitter for making everything look festive, a chain of children's nurseries in the UK might actually have a point.
global citizen glitter plastics microplastics marine conservation society oceans marine life
62 Natural Wonders of the World at Risk From Climate Change
Schooling fairy basslets, Great Barrier Reef. GreensMPs / Flickr
The marshy expanses of the Everglades in Southern Florida contain hundreds of species of animals, including flamingos, alligators and manatees. Clusters of mangroves span its coastline, acting as ecosystem hubs, and if you take a boat through the region, you'll see countless plants that are native to the area.
But the Everglades, which have been around for more than 5,000 years, are collapsing, as saltwater intrudes from rising sea levels, pollution seeps from surrounding industries, invasive species kill off native species, bad water management techniques dry parts of the wetland, and climate change intensifies.
sea level rise climate change biodiversity paris agreement poaching wildlife oceans coral reefs coral bleaching great barrier reef glaciers soil
Stephen Hawking Says Earth Will Become ‘Sizzling Ball of Fire’ in 600 Years
source (origin)
Last year, scientist Stephen Hawking gave humans a shelf-life of 1,000 more years on Earth.
Apparently, 2017 hasn't been to his liking—as Hawking shaved another 400 years off that prediction.
The world-renowned scientist said Tuesday that he believes humans will only last another 600 years before Earth becomes a "sizzling ball of fire" that marks the end of humanity, The Sun reported.
china india stephen hawking breakthrough starshot united nations population fund beijing tencent we summit donald trump worldwatch institute scientific american alpha centauri science population growth
Richard Branson Vowed to Rebuild the Caribbean After Hurricanes Destroyed It
@richardbranson / Instagram
After surviving two Category 5 hurricanes this fall, the Caribbean resembled something of a war zone, according to Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.
And so what the island nations of the region need now is a post-war plan for redevelopment—a plan he's calling the "Disaster Recovery Marshall Plan," named after the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II.
global citizen hurricanes extreme weather climate change caribbean richard branson wind solar renewable energy
Arsenic and Other Toxins Found in 80% of Baby Formulas
By Daniele Selby
Arsenic, lead, and cadmium are chemicals you'd expect to find in rat poison and batteries—not baby formula.
But on Wednesday, the Clean Label Project, an initiative that tests products for industrial and environmental contaminants and rates them, said it found arsenic in 80 percent of infant formulas, according to USA Today. In fact, the study—which has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal—found that certified some organic baby food products had more than twice the amount of arsenic found in the conventional baby foods it tested.
cancer arsenic cadmium baby food food
Solar Windows Could Meet Nearly All of America's Electricity Demand
Transparent panels can be used as windows while they generate electricity. Michigan State University
There's an estimated 5 to 7 billion square meters of glass surfaces in the U.S. For windows on homes, cars and buildings, these glass surfaces perform a few basic functions—letting light and fresh air in when open, and blocking bugs and keeping the cold out when closed.
Now they could all serve another, altogether revolutionary, purpose—generating electricity.
renewable energy solar global citizen
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William T. Loeschke (1850-1930) and Auguste L. Sass (1858-1941) – From: “Loeschke-Sass Family Book” April 1988 compiled by Irma Loeschke Remund
Frederick Wilhelm Loeschke was born Jan. 19, 1820 in Pommern, Germany. He married a girl named Amelia (according to Pa) and they were parents of two sons and three daughters. His wife died at an early age, and in 1873 he and his nearly grown family emigrated to the United States. He also helped his nephew, Christian Loeschke to come to the US. They located at Mt. Clemens, MI. Aunt Alma said they farmed at the south side of Mt. Clemens near the Gratiot Ave. Bridge over the Clinton River. Roger Schwandt says the Loeschke farm was near Waldenburg, MI on 23 Mile Road. Frederick spent the remainder of his life there and died at age 70. He is buried in Macomb Lutheran Cemetery, rural Mt. Clemens. The legend on his tombstone is no longer readable, but it was when I first saw it in 1941.
Christian Loeschke and his family moved to Honey Grove, TX about 1880. August Loeschke moved to Rising City, Neb. About 1879 and was so impressed with that area, he gave such glowing reports that the Will Loeschke family and the Sass-Devantier families all moved to eastern Nebraska. The Loeschke daughters remained in Michigan. A few years later August Loeschke moved to Oregon. He was described as having red hair and a red beard. He raised a family of three sons and a daughter near Silverton, OR. His wife later left him and they were divorced.
William T. Loeschke worked on farms in Michigan. In 1878 he married Auguste Sass, also of a German immigrant family. In 1880 they moved to Nebraska and settled, along with other relatives, hear Rising City. By this time they had two small sons, Traugott and William. Alma and Edmund were born at Rising City. Auguste’s parents, brothers and sister also lived there, but the Devantiers moved back to Michigan after about ten years. Bertha Sass (Albertine) married Albert Kaempher a newspaperman and they lived in Rising City too.
In 1885 the homestead fever took them to western Nebraska by wagon train, and they filed a claim on land near Big Springs, Neb. They built a sod house thirty feet long, and also some outbuildings of sod. Frederick, Emma, and Walter were born there. As the children grew older they attended school in a sod schoolhouse. Grandma said Edmund knew the whole catechism before he started school.
Our Pa told us many stories of his school days there. When he started school he knew more German language than English. He was very shy and his teacher tried to get him to talk to her. Finally she asked him if he had a kitty. He nodded so she asked, “what color is it?” He replied, “Grise and white.” He went to school with Gregors, Bundys Fenskes, Sundermans. At first the sod school had no outhouse. When necessary the kids would go to a little slope a short distance away. One warm afternoon Mary Sunderman raised her hand and was given permission to leave the room. Soon, from the open window came a strong putrid odor. The teacher’s face got very red. When she dismissed school she told Mary to stay after school. When the other children had started for home, they observed that Mary came out, picked up some sticks of weeds and carried something from under the window to the slope. Later a toilet was provided, but it had knotholes in the walls.
Neighbors held worship services in one another’s homes. Will Loeschke sometimes serving as the lay minister. He sometimes read from a book of sermons. At times the church service was held in the schoolhouse.
The weather was dry nearly every summer and crops were poor. The cattle were driven to the Platte River (three miles) each day for water when no other was available. One year a neighbor gave the Loeschkes a wagonload of parsnips and they ate parsnips all winter.
The area had many prairie dogs and rattlesnakes, with some king snakes and copperheads for good measure. Sometimes cattle or horses died from snakebite.
William Loeschke bought a well-digging machine, but sometimes he could not find water, or collect from people for whom he dug wells, so he lost the machine. He worked wherever he could, and once worked in Ogalalla for Buffalo Bill Cody. Ray recalled sitting on his Pa’s lap as a little boy to hear stories of Buffalo Bill.
William and Auguste decided they must move again to make a living for themselves and their seven children. In late 1895 William and his second son, Will Jr., drove a team and wagon to Texas to see if they would like to settle there, staying with cousins at Honey Grove. The mare they drove had a colt, which trotted along all the way to Texas. They stayed all winter, working and picking cotton. They said when it rained the wagon wheels would become so thick with mud, the wheels would not turn and the wagon would be left till a drier day. They decided against Texas, sold the horses and wagon and returned to Nebraska by train. The children at home were disappointed when the colt didn’t return.
In April they loaded their goods and children into two wagons (he had built covers for them) and started for a better place to make a living. The father drove one wagon and Trougott drove the other. Behind the wagons they led an extra horse and a cow, so the children took turns walking behind the wagons, walking many a mile. During the long trip they ate a lot of oatmeal with milk and shot jackrabbits for meat. They came east through Nebraska into Iowa, then into Minnesota and S. Dak.
On July 4, 1896 they arrived at Ortonville and Big Stone Lake. They found a temporary house and all worked in the harvest fields. They found a farm to rent near Rosen that fall and in the spring, William sowed his grain by hand. The boys were farmed out for the winter. Will stayed with the Black family in Vernon Township and even attended school registered as Willie Black. Even 13 year old Edmund did chores for Mrs. Farmer in Vernon Township and remembered it all his life as a long, lonely winter. He remembered when someone came to their house to hire some help the two older boys weren’t home, so his father called him outdoors. His jacket was too small and he was so cold, the man said he thought the boy was too young. Later his father scolded, saying he shouldn’t have looked so cold and puny and should have worn a larger coat.
The next year the family moved to Alban Township, Grant County, section 31, East, the McFarland farm and farmed there for six years. The children attended Alban School No. 6, and even the older ones attended in winter. The family attended the Bethlehem Lutheran church a few miles north where four of the children were confirmed. Confirmands then attended church school a whole year, and Alma and Edmund often walked the three and one-half miles the year they attended. A few years later Fred and Emma were confirmed there.
The sixth son, Raymond Karl arrived in Jan. 1901.
In 1903 the Loeschkes moved to a farm owned by C.F. Marsh in section 31 West Alban Township. Emma was 12 years old. One of her chores was to bring the cows from the pasture during the spring and summer. She tamed and trained a heifer so she could jump on it and ride it. When the cows were turned out to pasture after milking in the morning, she would dash out of the house to ride her tame heifer to the pasture gate.
The older sons worked for their father until they were 21 years old. If they worked for other farmers, their father collected their wages. He would drive around with a horse and buggy once a month for that purpose. After reaching their 21st birthday they began to save money, so that after a few years they could begin farming for themselves and they began to think of marriage.
The first to be married was Alma, who married Otto Schwandt in 1902. Their children were Albert, now of Mesa, AZ, Edwin of Mt. Clemens, MI and Alice Olson, deceased. Alma later married Henry Huemiller and lived in Mich. Where she died of cancer at age 80. Clinton Grove Cemetery.
In 1904, Traugott F. was married to Ida Tulowetske, and they farmed southeast of Milbank for many years. Later they lived at Big Stone City. Their children were Harold, of Ortonville, Viola, Mrs. Dick Schuerman of Danvers, MN and Milton, who died in 1976. Ida died of cancer in 1954. Traugott died age 93 in 1971. Ortonville cemetery.
William A. Loeschke was married to Anna Fenner in Nov. 1905, and also farmed southeast of Milbank for many years. He also helped run a neighborhood-threshing rig for many years. They too retired to Big Stone City after their sons were married. Nine children were born to them, one of whom, Earl died in infancy and six daughters and two sons survive. They are Clara, Mrs. Otto Angerhofer, Alma, Mrs. Herman Schweer, and Karl Loeschke, of Milbank, Hilda, Mrs. Wm. Brehmer of Bellingham, MN, Lillian, Mrs. George Ninneman, Ortonville, Harry Loeschke of Big Stone City, Alice, Mrs. George Verheist of Huron, DS and Anna, Mrs. Elmer Marohl, Corona, SD.
William A. Loeschke died in 1960 at the age of 80 of a stroke. His wife Anna died in 1952 of a heart attack. Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery.
Edmund A. Loeschke married Anna Lueck in 1911. They farmed southeast of Milbank for 47 years and reared a family of three daughters and two sons: Mabel Kuehn of Mich., Irma Remund, Marian Dorneman, who died of cancer in 1987, Vernon Loeschke and James A. Loeschke, all of Milbank. They retired to Milbank in 1958 and lived at 603 S. Viola St. Edmund died Sept. 1970 aged 87 ½ of a heart attack, Anna died in 1978, almost 89 years old. Milbank Cemetery.
Frederick married Ruth Speckeen in Nov. 1913. They farmed in Grant Center Township West Of Milbank. Many people recognized Fred’s farm with the many evergreens and flowers near Big Stone City. They retired to Big Stone City and celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in 1978. Their children are: Ralph, of Big Stone City, Margaret (Mrs. LaVern) Cooper of Illinois, and Evelyn (Mrs. Wm.) Krug of California. Fred died of cancer Nov. 1, 1979. Greenwood Cemetery at Big Stone City.
Emma married Paul Quade and lived on a farm near Wilmot about 65 years. She spent the last few months at the Wilmot community Home and died Mar. 1988, almost 97 years old. Her children are Leslie Quade of Corona, Walter Quade of Wilmot, and Evelyn Greiner Kelley of Oregon. She had 13, grandchildren, many great grandchildren and several great great grandchildren. Milbank Cemetery beside her parents.
Walter married Amanda Steinlicht in 1916 and they farmed south of Milbank all their married life. He taught himself to play the fiddle and late the accordion and played for dances, along with two or three other people. He also bought and rented out a number of older houses in Milbank. Their children are Esther (Mrs. Kenneth) Wise of Milbank, Robert C. Loeschke, a resident of Whetstone Valley Nursing Home, and Roy Loeschke of Twin Brooks. Walter died of multiple ailments in 1975. Amanda lived in St. Williams Home for six years and died in June 1986. Milbank Cemetery.
The youngest son, Raymond, joined the Navy and served his country for a time. During his Navy years he married Alice Lepion in 1923 in Istanbul, Turkey. When his enlistment time expired he came back to Milbank and farmed for a time and it was a time of much learning for Alice. During the dust bowl years he moved to Michigan where he worked in a factory for a time, and later was self-employed in a beer garden. Upon retirement, they moved to Sun City, AZ where Alice died of a heart attach Dec. 2, 1973. She had had a heart attach a few years before, in Michigan. Their children are Jean Raymond of Michigan and Donald Loeschke of California. Ray died Dec. 17, 1982. Buried at Sunland Memorial Park, Sun City, AZ.
William T. Loeschke and his wife Auguste retired from farming in 1916 and moved to Milbank. In 1917 they moved to 505 Viola St. and lived there until their deaths: William in April 1930 and Auguste in Feb. 1941. Their descendants are scattered over the United States; but many of them lived here in Grant County, SD.
During the summer of 1904, Ella Kaempfer and her brother Hubert came from Nebraska to spend a month or so with the Loeschkes and so really became acquainted with their cousins. When Ella and her daughter Phyllis visited Milbank in 1977, she was eager to visit Fred and Emma, whom she remembered so well.
Family history, updated through July 2015 is available. Loeschke1850-Sass Book 2015-07
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ENGIE illuminates the "Artemio Franchi" stadium
In Florence a spectacular play of lights and colors.
Florence, December 1st
Switch off the lights: F-Light is coming.
The Florence Light Festival is the project of the Tuscan municipality that will shed new light on the monuments and squares of the city during the entire Christmas period.
We have been partners of the municipality for over 10 years and for this special edition we have created a spectacular play of lights that will give life to the Artemio Franchi stadium.
From 8 December to 6 January, from 6 pm to midnight, the "Fiorentina house" will show itself under a new scenographic look. Thanks to a new LED system and our lighting direction, the stadium will be dressed both in the colors of Fiorentina but also in those of the 4 districts of historic football in Florence.
From Violet we will go to the Blue, to celebrate the district of Santa Croce, then White for Santo Spirito, Green for San Giovanni and Red for Santa Maria Novella.
A "GREEN" STADIUM
Artemio Franchi is one of the most important Italian stadiums. We already deal with the maintenance and requalification of all the technological and thermal systems of the offices and the playground.
We have upgraded the lighting of the stadium by carrying out the total overhaul and replacement of the lighting system of the playing field: 360 projectors distributed on 4 towers with a total power of over 1260 KW grant the Artemio Franchi the maximum visibility in case of events in night with TV coverage.
Our intervention has guaranteed the reduction of light pollution due to the dispersion of the old projectors and the containment of consumption. Moreover, we manage for Florence the "Luigi Ridolfi" athletics stadium and we are a partner of the services for the "Paolo Costoli" swimming pool, the only public swimming pool in Italy to have a state-of-the-art system that allows to maintain the ideal level of chlorine in water.
We have implemented energy efficiency measures in Italy in about 10,000 buildings, including 3,500 schools, 18 universities and 14 stadiums. We operate in 350 municipalities, representing the most symbolic villages nationwide, managing over 400,000 points of light.
Find out more about our projects.
ENGIE for Sport
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This Startup is Leveraging Technology to Improve Customers' Dining Experience
TabSquare, which recently raised Series B funds, aptly provides diners with the experience of eating as they shop
Aastha Singal
Entrepreneur Staff
Former Features Writer
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Gone are the days when you’d enter a restaurant and a waiter is waiting with the menu for you to choose your desirable dish. Things have changed, so has the restaurant world. Way before entering the dining space, a consumer is aware of the offerings. While the F&B industry is facing the challenges of optimizing efficiency in restaurant operations, it is steadily adopting the concept of personalization.
With the global POS terminal market expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.53 per cent during the forecast period 2016–2022 as per the analysts at Beige Market Intelligence, Restaurant solution providers like eZee Burrp, Zomato Base and TabSquare have a huge market to provide for. Among all, the latter has ambitious growth plans to expand their AI-powered solutions to the whole of Asia Pacific region.
With everything going digital, food & beverage industry has witnessed the consumer behaviour changing immensely over the past few years. Consumers expect a much more personalized and convenient experience while dining out. Diners today want to eat as they shop, an experience which the newly funded AI-powered Smart In-Restaurant solutions provider TabSquare aptly provides.
Talking to Entrepreneur India, TabSquare co-founder Anshul Gupta shared the reason behind being the pioneer of driving technology adoption and digitalization in the industry. “TabSquare has access to unique data and consumer insights and behaviours which we are using to address the needs of savvy diners (such as instant gratification and convenience but also offering them with the right content at the right time to make correct decisions),” he said.
Aiden – The AI
With Artificial Intelligence disrupting every industry, from retail and e-commerce to entertainment, the restaurant industry doesn’t want to remain constrained by limited data from Point-Of-Sale systems. While the industry has hardly leveraged the technology, TabSquare has built their AI engine named “Aiden” to change the standard experience of dining out.
“Aiden powers all of our restaurant solutions and enhances the dining experience by personalizing the experience for the diners,” inputted Gupta. He believes that if the restaurants actually cater to the needs to their diners, it can become a catalyst for their income, growth and long-term sustainability. The startup offers a plethora of tools - SmartTab, SmartApp, SmartKiosk and SmartWeb.
Through our digital solutions, over 6000 deployed devices, TabSquare collects over 30 million data points on a monthly basis that allows it to understand the behaviour and preferences of the diners in order to create a completely personalized dining experience for every customer in any restaurant in its network,” Gupta added.
The TabSquare suite provides smart in-restaurant dining solutions to create a convenient and engaging dining experience for customers while helping in more streamlined and productive in-restaurant operations to double restaurants’ profitability. The In-Restaurant solutions provider make personalized recommendations based on consumers’ tastes and preferences.
Shifting the Stigma
People love eating out for two basic reasons – good food and social interactions. While food quality is something chefs need to work on, the diner’s appeal decides whether it will make the cut for holding nice conversations. The only way to stand out among a pool of other players is evolution. “According to a Walker study, by 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.”
Technology is the ultimate means to evolve and improve customer experience. However, the biggest challenge remains shifting the stigma of technology in a consumer-centric business like restaurants. The fear of technology reducing the quality of service has kept the industry away for a long time but a recent Epsilon research states that 80 per cent of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if it offers a personalized experience.
Success stories of Amazon, Netflix and McDonald have worked as a testimony that personalization if efficiently utilized can make a business model work. Data analysis is another roadblock on the path of restaurant industry flourishing due to the lack of information present in the system. TabSquare’s cloud-based data warehouse and analytics engine Nucleus, allows restaurant owners to update the menu in real time as well as provide data analytics to understand consumer behaviour and spending patterns.
Funding Story
TabSquare recently raised $10 million in a Series B funding round led by Kakaku.com, a Tokyo-listed company that operates a comparison shopping website. Other investors to participate in the round were Australia’s CocoCola Amatil, Singapore-based Resorts World Inc and existing investor Walden International. TabSquare is a portfolio company of Mumbai Angels Network and Calcutta Angels Network.
The startup will use the money raised to enhance their AI-powered tech solutions, grow its geographic presence across the Asia Pacific including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. “The money raised will also help the company double our current headcount to support these efforts, especially in product development and data analytics to support our market expansion.”
Upon being associated with the new investors, Gupta expressed, “TabSquare now has three highly strategic investors that bring true value, networks and experience to the business by strengthening the three critical elements of the platform: consumers, restaurants and F&B Brands.”
TabSquare currently serves Quick Service, Counter Service Restaurants, as well as Bars and Cafés but plans to Hotels, food courts and even mobile food vans from an ordering perspective. Due to the similar concept, the startup is also eying the retail space to use technology in improving the customer shopping experience without having to rely on staff for every shopping experience.
With respect to expanding the offerings, Gupta shared, “Diners today need a much more seamless omnichannel experience and we will be working on adding these capabilities in our product portfolio. We will be investing heavily on adding more products, services and add-on modules to alleviate more of these restaurants’ pain points and help them further improve their profitability.”
The Singapore-based restaurant management platform was founded in 2012 by INSEAD graduates Chirag Tejuja, Sankaran Sreeraman and Anshul Gupta with the aim of using technology to improve the experience of dining out for consumers. TabSquare claims to have processed over 5 million orders with a GMV of more than $144.81 Mn (INR 1068.7 crore) annually.
With over 6000 devices that serve more than 12 million diners, the startup serves 6 million orders annually. TabSquare’s solutions currently collect over 30 million customer interaction data points on a monthly basis. With a unique data-driven approach to restaurant management and customer engagement, TabSquare helps partner restaurants drive higher sales, streamline operations, and provide a better customer experience.
A Market Leader in Singapore with customers in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, TabSquare currently serves Minor Food Group, Sushi Tei, Paradise Food Group, Japan Foods Holding, Zingrill Holdings, Chili’s, Strike Bowling, Old Town White Coffee, and PappaRich among others.
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Eric M. Larsen
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Assault Personalized Service Focused on Results
Franklin Assault Defense Attorney
Trusted Criminal Defense in & around Nashville
Are you facing an assault charge or investigation? You may be worried about what effect this will have on your future and possibly your freedom. An assault charge can stem from many different types of incidents and range from a misdemeanor to a felony. You could face a jail sentence or even a prison term, depending on the situation. Understanding where you stand, your legal options, and how to proceed as intelligently as possible is essential. That is why you need the trusted legal representation of our Franklin assault defense lawyer at Larsen Law PLLC.
Contact Larsen Law PLLC at (615) 933-2454 or online for a free consultation about your case.
Our firm has achieved the trust of numerous individuals facing difficult circumstances and the respect of local judges, lawyers, and the district attorney. We earned that trust and respect through calculated and effective criminal defense representation both inside and outside the courtroom. When you turn to us, we will be in your corner every step of the way providing the sound legal counsel and the support you need.
What Is Assault in Tennessee?
Under Tennessee law, you could face assault charges without even making physical contact with the alleged victim. You can be charged with assault by just threatening someone with harm and causing them to fear that you can and will follow through.
Simple assault is charged as a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
Consequences of Assault
The actual infliction of bodily harm on another person is a more serious offense that could be charged as a felony. The degree of the felony charge will depend on the extent of physical harm caused, intent, and whether a deadly weapon was used in the commission of the crime.
Aggravated assault may be charged as a Class D or Class C felony with penalties ranging from 2 to 15 years in prison and steep fines.
Our firm handles all types of assault and assault-related crimes, including:
Manslaughter/homicide
Call us at (615) 933-2454 to get started with a free case review today.
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Sometimes going to trial is necessary. Attorney Eric Larsen is not afraid to do so if it's in the best interest of the client.
Respected Amongst His Peers
Eric’s ability to maneuver through both trial advocacy and negotiations have earned him the respect of prosecutors, law enforcement, and the judiciary, which often leads to results that exceed client expectations.
Genuine & Personalized Legal Service
Attorney Eric Larsen works one-on-one with his clients in an effort to better understand their situation and goals.
GIVING THE ACCUSED A FIGHTING CHANCE
If you've been charged with a crime it's important that you start building a strong defense immediately. Call us at 615-933-2454 and schedule a free case review.
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I am Eric Larsen, founder of Larsen Law PLLC, and I have been around the criminal justice system my entire life. My father was a decorated homicide detective with the Michigan State Police. Some of his cases have been featured on the hit television shows, Forensic Files, Cold Case Files , and True Detectives . Following in his footsteps, I attended college at Michigan State University and obtained my degree in Criminal Justice. After college, I began a 12-year career with the Michigan Department ...
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Beelzebub's Salsas are the "Happy Accidents" that get hotter each season.
Beelzebub's Eric Laughery is passionate not only about his products (locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible, no additives or preservatives), but also their versatility.
by Matt Swanseger
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If there's one thing for certain about demonologists, it is that it's hell getting them to agree. There's little debate that fallen angel and demonic prince Beelzebub is kind of a big deal at cosmological juggernaut Lucifer & Associates, but no one's exactly clear on what he actually does. Depending on which demonology you follow (and we all have our personal preference), his title ranges anywhere from "Abomination-In-Chief" to "Idolator Outreach Coordinator" to "Vice President, Pride/Envy/Gluttony Division" (choose one). Or maybe, due to constant restructuring and reshuffling of the demonic org chart, he has tried his hand at all of the above. Sigh. Damned bureaucracy is enough to make your head spin in Nine Circles.
I caught up with Bubs on a country road in Cambridge Springs, just off PA Route 99 and well outside of the Inferno on a soggy Friday evening. He is in a much better place since stepping down at L&A and has found new purpose … as a model, surprisingly. His grinning mug graces the entire product line of Beelzebub's Salsas, the brainchild of gardening-enthusiast-turned-entrepreneur Eric Laughery. After sampling Laughery's creations, I am led to believe Bubs was at his best tempting through the 'buds … because Beelzebub's made a glutton out of me.
Laughery's entire operation was essentially a happy accident. Nearly a decade ago, a love of heirloom peppers and Mexican cuisine led to a particularly overabundant harvest – and the dilemma of what to do with it.
Laughery's entire operation was essentially a happy accident. Nearly a decade ago, a love of heirloom peppers and Mexican cuisine led to a particularly overabundant harvest – and the dilemma of what to do with it. The most obvious solution was to make salsa. Laughery developed three varieties – original, medium, and inferno – then shared them at family gatherings and special occasions. Word spread and before he knew it, he was selling salsa out of a cooler in the back of his truck to strangers in parking lots. "It kind of reminded me of a drug deal going down," he quips.
He mixed up batches of his salsa in a Meadville bar kitchen on the weekends to help meet growing demand, while experimenting with new varieties throughout the week. Eventually, pineapple, black bean corn, garlic-lime, and chipotle garlic joined the original three and Laughery saw enough promise with the business to "go legal." The Health Board approved his kitchen trailer in 2011, which has since been joined by a walk-in cooler and storage shed to complete the Beelzebub's compound.
In addition to the seven mainstays of the salsa line, a different seasonal variety is released every other month, employing whatever produce is in season. Given the timing of our meeting, he regrets that he cannot sample his cranberry salsa (November/December), which is his second most popular seasonal to the Maple Chipotle (March/April), made with Pennsylvania maple syrup and smoky chipotles. I settle for a taste of the Honeycrisp Apple salsa, which reminds me more of a chunky applesauce or chutney and feels somewhat mismatched with the traditional tortilla chip – but then again, Beelzebub's is "not just for chips!"
Laughery is passionate not only about his products (locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible, no additives or preservatives), but also their versatility. He has aspirations of releasing a cookbook highlighting the ways salsa can elevate ordinary meals. He also envisions a day when customers can experience his recipes firsthand from a Beelzebub's food truck or storefront. Although hesitant to compromise his intimate customer base or his connection with his suppliers (which include Mennonite cucumber farmers across the road!), he would like to quit his day job. The devil's in the details, I suppose.
Until then, you can obtain Beelzebub's salsa, pickles, and new Golden Eggs (hard-boiled eggs pickled with jalapenos in mustard brine) at Whole Foods Co-op, farmer's markets, and select music festivals. A pint of salsa or a quart of pickles sell at $6 each. The golden eggs come in two varieties – Premium and Farm-to-Table, for $8 or $9 per quart, respectively.
Check beelzebubsalsa.com for a list of varieties and locations.
Matt Swanseger can be reached at mswanseger@eriereader.com. You can follow him on Twitter @SwazzySwagga or read his blog at squanderoza.com.
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Essex News
'Its shocking' - 1500 houses were empty in Chelmsford last year 'yet somebody lost their life in the cold'
In Essex, there is one empty home for every 100 people
Lottie O'NeillMultimedia Journalist
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The number of empty houses in Chelmsford has been revealed, just weeks after a homeless man died on the streets of the city.
Out of the 1475 empty homes in the area, 435 were empty for six months or more and a campaigner says this isn't good enough.
The number of vacant dwellings has increased in recent years, from 1,278 in 2015 and 1,303 in 2016.
Andy Abbott, a local campaigner, said: "The figures are huge, and really quite shocking. Especially when we have such a huge housing crisis.
Where a man, who was sleeping on the streets, was found in the City Centre, Chelmsford
"In Chelmsford alone we have at least fifteen to twenty people sleeping rough, perhaps many more. There's an unknown number of people sofa surfing.
"As of April last year, statistics obtained by Essex Live show 249 households were in temporary accomodation.
"And there are many people in expensive and unfit privately rented dwellings."
Cost of Chelmsford's homelessness to taxpayers rockets to almost £1m
These figures, released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, come weeks after Rob O'Conner, who slept rough on the streets, died in Chelmsford.
Rob was found not breathing underneath a shutter in an empty doorway of the old Argos site on Springfield Road.
Emergency services were called to the scene and despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rob slept under the shutter at the former Argos site in Chelmsford
Andy Abott said: "With all these figures, and with somebody losing their life in the cold on the streets in our city centre, the question needs to be asked: 'Why isn't the council doing more?'
"When dwellings are empty for more than six months, the council can make use of an Empty Dwelling Management Order. Why aren't they doing this?"
What is an Empty Dwelling Management Order?
An Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) is designed to give local authorities power to bring empty properties back into use when they have been standing empty and unused.
They were introduced when the Labour government were in power to make it easier for councils to take possessions of houses that had fallen empty.
They allow a council to take temporary ownership of an empty house while they work with the owner to make it habitable again.
Edmos were launched in 2006 and councils could apply after a dwelling had been vacant for six months, but in 2011 this changed with the Conservative government, where the policy was amended to two years.
The number of empty houses in Chelmsford since 1994
In Essex, where houses cost more than nine times the average earnings, there is one empty home for every 100 people.
There were 13,999 empty properties in the county.
Argos will fix the shutters on its former Chelmsford shop after a homeless man died
Of this number, 4,378 were long-term unoccupied, meaning they were empty for six months or more.
The number of empty houses in Essex has increased over the years. There were 13,216 in 2016, and five years ago a house cost on average 7.5 times more than the average earnings in the area. Whilst in 2016, it cost 9.1 times.
A vigil was held for Rob O'Conner on Friday, March 2
Abbott added: "Leaving properties empty pushes house prices up even higher - it's one of the reasons this happens - and let's face it, house prices are ridiculous enough as it is.
"People on average wages, and even well above average wages, haven't a hope of buying anymore. Council housing isn't available anymore.
"The housing crisis is one of the worst scandals of our time. Urgent action is require by both the local authority and the national government."
Chelmsford pays respects to homeless Rob O'Connor at vigil as community anger grows
Helen Williams, chief executive of Empty Homes, a charity that campaigns to raise awareness of the waste of long-term empty homes, said: "It is time for empty homes to move back up the housing policy agenda.
"Building new homes is essential, but so too is making the most of our existing properties.
"We are urging the government to establish funding for neighbourhood improvement schemes in lower value areas to support local authorities and community organisations to buy and refurbish empty properties, and to tackle the underlying causes like poor housing in parts of the private rented sector.
Homeless people are living on the streets in freezing temperatures
"This would make a big different to the people living there and provide an attractive option for people searching for decent housing at a price they can afford in the wider housing market."
Chelmsford City Council said:
“Chelmsford City Council operates a policy to make contact with every property owner of a house which has been empty for a prolonged period of time.
"Often this contact alone is an effective prompt for the owner to bring the property back into use. However, if initial discussions do not result in the property being brought back into use in a reasonable period of time, the Council will employ a range of devices to ensure this happens.
"This ranges from enforced sales, empty dwelling management orders and empty homes loans to the prospect of the Council pursuing compulsory purchase proceedings.
"Since April 2017, the Council has been successful in encouraging 306 empty homes to be returned to use."
Councils across the country have recorded 605,891 empty buildings in 2017, which is 16,125 higher than in 2016.
Vigil for Rob O'Conner
Williams added: "At the same time, there is enough evidence to suggest that government needs to explore additional measures to stop people buying and holding onto properties not to live in but to store and grow their wealth.
What should you do if you see a homeless person on the street in the snow?
"Measures could include further reforms to the council tax system to enable councils to charge a lot more where properties are left empty or hardly ever used, or regulation or planning reforms to ensure properties are built and occupied first and foremost to meet housing needs."
Since 2013, councils have been allowed to charge a premium of up to 50 per cent on council tax after houses have been left empty for two or more years.
For Chelmsford City Council, property owners can apply for a 100 per cent discount for council tax if the home is empty and unfurnished.
The discount lasts for a maximum of three months and applies to the property, and not the owner.
After three months, the council will then charge the council tax in full.
However, if the house is empty and unfurnished for two years, council tax is charged in full with 50 per cent premium.
Chelmsford City Council say they offered homeless Rob "accommodation options"
Councils can use compulsory purchase orders to turn vacant lots back into homes, but this process can take two years to complete from start to finish, and even result in a public inquiry before it is settled.
There are two types of Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO), an interim and a final. An Interim EDMO lasts 12 months, but a final EDMO can last up to seven, 14 or even 21 years.
The order will bring the property back into use but the buyer will still own it, and won't need to pay costs to improve the condition of the house, as they will be taken from the rents received when the home is let out.
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It's all about polarity
Researchers discover a mechanism behind asymmetric cell division
IMAGE: This is a light microscopy image of an asymmetric central spindle. Microbutubles (labelled in green) are more enrichted on the left side of the central spindle (cell cortex labelled in... view more
Credit: © Emmanuel Derivery
The concept of sharing is a basic social principle that most of us are taught from an early age on. In general, we are told to share equally with each other. Sharing is also a concept that applies to cells; they need to share information during cell division to function properly. But in the case of cells, the exchange of information does not always have to be equal. During asymmetric cell division, so-called endosomes, vesicles that store signalling molecules, only go to one daughter cell. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) had discovered this already a few years ago, but they did not know the mechanism behind this unequal sharing. But now the team of Professor Marcos Gonzalez-Gaitan was able to shed light on how endosomes know to which cell to go to and how they physically do it. The results, which can further aid to understand the development of tumors, now appear in the journal Nature.
In living cells, information is encoded in signalling molecules that determine their fate. This "software" instructs cells what to do. During cell division, this information is handled in two different ways: symmetrically or asymmetrically. During symmetric division, the information inside the mother cell is passed on equally to the two daughter cells. During asymmetric division, the two daughter cells are different from each other. For instance, in the case of stem cells, one of the daughter cells is a carbon copy of the mother cell and becomes another stem cell, while the other daughter has a different fate and becomes specialised to perform a function in the organ.
The group of Marcos Gonzalez-Gaitan from the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Science at UNIGE has now reported a mechanism that explains how asymmetric division could work. Their study, which was supported by an ERC grant and the NCCR Chemical Biology, showed that no matter what kind of division, a scaffold structure inside the cell, the so-called central spindle, plays an important role for the dispatch of this signalling information. This scaffold is made up of so-called microtubules, tiny rigid rods that converge in the middle of the cell. Microtubules possess a plus and a minus pole, with the plus pole pointing towards the centre. Endosomes, the small vesicles that store the signalling information, use these microtubules as transportation routes, they move along them like on a one-way street. The "motor" for this molecular vehicle is a protein called Klp98A. Since the plus poles act as a direction marker, the endosomes move towards the centre of the cell.
Asymmetric spindle means asymmetric distribution
Two more proteins are at work on the microtubules, and those two are causing an asymmetry of the central spindle. The depolymerising protein Klp10A chops the microtubules from their minus ends. Patronin, on the other hand, covers the minus ends and stops Klp10A from chopping microtubules. Patronin is more abundant in one side of the asymmetrically dividing cell and, therefore, minus-end chopping of microtubules is counteracted in that side of the cell. As a consequence, this side will have more microtubules. This layout can be compared to a two-way highway with more lanes going in one direction than the opposite. If a driver enters the highway randomly, he will more likely end up at the destination where more lanes are going to.
For the cell, this asymmetry means that more microtubules point towards one daughter cell rather than towards the other, and in turn, this polarizes endosome motility because the "car engine" Klp98A moves the endosomes towards this cell. The researchers wondered if it was possible to invert this process. And they did indeed achieve this with the help of so-called nanobodies. With these tiny, very simple antibodies, they trapped away Patronin from the side of the cell where it was normally in abundance and suddenly more microtubules pointed towards the other cell. This inverted spindle sent the endosomes in the opposite, wrong direction. Like this, the scientists were like roadmen who changed the number of lanes in one of the directions of the highway. «This gave us the proof that endosomes can be indeed fooled as we were able to sent them in the wrong direction», says Emmanuel Derivery, first author of the study. "It means that it's really the polarity of the spindle that orchestrates the polarity of the endosomes."
In order to be able to analyse a multitude of different cells, the researchers developed their own software. This lets the computer measure by itself things like spindle size and velocity of the endosome movement on the microtubules, all based on movies of the process made with a spinning-disc confocal microscope. «By doing so, we can analyse thousands of tracks at once", explains Marcos Gonzalez-Gaitan. Furthermore, the researchers could show that this mechanism of asymmetric distribution works exactly the same in different cells including neural stem cells and intestinal stem cells in flies, as well as neural precursors of the spinal cord in zebrafish. "This gives us a pretty good concept of what goes on in an archetypical average cell during asymmetric cell division, and we obtain this information in a totally unbiased way because the computer does it», he adds.
Marcos Gonzalez-Gaitan is certain that these findings can also have an impact for cancer research. "If asymmetric cell division of stem cells does not work properly, proliferation in organs such as the intestine or the skin does not proceed to gradually replenish dead cells, but exponentially. And this uncontrolled growth may ultimately cause a tumor", explains the cell biologist. It is therefore vital to understand the molecular mechanisms and the physics of asymmetric cell division.
Marcos Gonzales-Gaitan
Marcos.Gonzalez@unige.ch
@UNIGEnews
http://www.unige.ch
Asymmetric Central Spindle (IMAGE)
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Home Lifestyle Technology News:WhatsApp to stop working on MILLIONS of smartphones worldwide in 2020 as...
News:WhatsApp to stop working on MILLIONS of smartphones worldwide in 2020 as it removes support for older iPhones and Android phones and all Windows Mobile devices!
Tony Winterburn
WhatsApp to stop working on MILLIONS of smartphones worldwide in 2020 as it removes support for older iPhones and Android phones and all Windows Mobile devices!
WhatsApp will stop working on Windows Phone after December 31, 2019
The app also ends Android 2.3.7 and iPhone iOS 8 support from February
The Facebook-owned company says it is focusing efforts on ‘the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use’
Support will be withdrawn
WhatsApp will stop working on millions of phones in the next couple of months as the company withdraws support for some older mobile platforms. From February 1, 2020, any iPhone running iOS 8 or older will no longer be supported, along with any Android device running version 2.3.7 or older. Users of these operating systems are already unable to create new WhatsApp accounts or re-verify existing accounts.
Furthermore, WhatsApp is withdrawing support for all Windows phones from December 31, 2019 — the same month that Microsoft ends support of its Windows 10 Mobile OS. Select phones running Linux-operated KaiOS 2.5.1 and older, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2, are also still supported.
Gradually phasing out support..
WhatsApp has been gradually phasing out support for various smartphone platforms that ‘don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future’.In a previous post, WhatsApp had said: ‘This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.’WhatsApp is the latest casualty of Microsoft’s almost defunct Windows 10 Mobile operating system. Earlier this year, Microsoft itself even suggested that Windows 10 Mobile users should switch to Android or iOS devices because of its lack of app support.
Windows Phone operating system was launched in October 2010 and then succeeded by Windows 10 Mobile in 2015. In 2017, Microsoft announced that work on Windows 10 Mobile was drawing to a close due to lack of market penetration and a dearth of interest from app developers.It will officially stop supporting Windows 10 Mobile, previously referred to as Windows Phone, starting December 10, 2019.
Facebook withdrew its Facebook, Messenger and Instagram apps from Windows phones back in April.
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SCEE Brand Manager Suggests Titanfall Will Come to PS4
Evil Ambassador Reyes
It has pretty much been confirmed up to this point that Titanfall, at least the first game in the series, has been announced to be a Microsoft exclusive. This means that it will only be available on Microsoft platforms.
So far, a release has been set for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC, and although many Microsoft representatives have already stated that it will be a lifetime exclusivity, many others aren't so sure this is the case.
One of the main reasons why I personally doubt Titanfall will stay on Xbox for the duration of it's lifetime is because EA have too much of a good chance to bring in both a huge revenue, and a massive player base if they aimed for the PlayStation 4 as well as the Xbox One.
So, unless Microsoft are paying a heavy load of money EA's way, I'd say it's very likely that future Titanfall games will be cross-platform.
I'm not the only one that believes this either. In fact, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Brand Manager Alex Moyet tweeted out to say that she too believes that it won't be long before Titanfall is moved over to cross-platform status. Her tweet was in reply to another twitter user and said,
"Nah we might have to wait another year or so but I've got a good feeling it'll come to PS4."
Although her tweet has since been removed, the internet won't let such a piece of information slip into the unknown. Her reply was short and simple, but it certainly got a point across.
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Home EOB News WATCH: Cedric McMillan UK Tour 2018
WATCH: Cedric McMillan UK Tour 2018
Earlier this year, Scitec Nutrition were pleased to host IFBB Pro Cedric McMillan as he visited the UK on tour. The Mr Olympia competitor, or ‘The One’ as he is affectionately known, made a number of appearances at gyms and health stores across the country.
Cedric McMillan is known for his impressive definition and muscle mass, often seen as a physique staying true to the more classic body building style. Cedric has had many successes coming in first place at the Arnolds in 2017, most recently coming in 3rd at the 2018 Arnold Classic in Ohio, and placing 3rd at the Toronto Pro Super Show in June.
This tour allowed him to spend quality time with fans, discuss his road to success and offer advice to his fans who see him as an inspiration.
The tour included visits to:
Absolute Gyms
Kings Gym
K2 Gym
Strength Asylum
Dino’s Gym
Platinum Gym
[aas_zone zone_id=”32389″]
A Scitec brand ambassador and also an ambassador to bodybuilding, Cedric admits that he wasn’t born a winner and being a winner isn’t something he ever thought he could be. For him, it’s not about the win but the process you go through to get to the point where you can win or lose.
Passionate about bodybuilding, the former soldier understands the struggles people face to be fit and healthy as well as working. A role model for many, it’s not just winning for him and getting first place, but rather motivating others to be the best they can be and inspiring them. Overcoming a tough childhood to grow and become the person he is today, Cedric uses his experiences to help and motivate others.
Speaking about the tour, Alex Breary, UK Marketing Manager from Scitec Nutrition, said:
“It was such a wonderful experience to host one of our favourite brand ambassadors but also that our UK customers got to meet this great athlete. He is such a huge inspiration, not just for us as a brand, but for so many people worldwide. It was fantastic seeing his many fans getting to meet him in person, for some their hero.”
Footage courtesy – Scitec Nutrition UK
Cedric McMillan
Previous articleWATCH: Schwarzenegger invites you to the 2018 Arnold Classic Europe
Next articleOfficial 2018 Olympia Weekend competitors list
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Rain didn't dampen the fun for families enjoying Saturday's Family Fun Games Fundie. The event was organised by the Rally for Rhys Foundation with the aim to help raise funds for Love Your Sister. Despite being moved from Punchbowl Reserve to the Launceston PCYC due to the weather, Rally For Rhys' Shannon Hodgetts said the turnout had still been fantastic. RELATED: Love Your Sister holding three Launceston fundraisers "We have been honoured to host a Love Your Sister fundie, and we've got Samuel Johnson here and the Love Your Sister crew," she said. Love Your Sister is aimed at vanquishing cancer, and passes on all donations toward scientific research. The not-for-profit was founded by Samuel Johnson and his sister Connie. "It's actually quite overwhelming. Samuel is talking about personalised treatment for cancer and people [were] lined up to sign up for that - which is monthly donations for the rest of their lives," Ms Hodgetts said. "It's making a big difference and saving lives, literally." Family Fun Games Fundie took place at PCYC Launceston from 3pm to 5pm, and included games for children and an opportunity to meet Mr Johnson. All funds raised went to Love Your Sister. Ms Hodgetts set up Rally for Rhys to honour her son, Rhys, who died three years ago. "We wanted to do the Fundie for Love Your Sister because Samuel is a bereaved sibling, and we raise money for bereaved siblings and support them within the community," she said.
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/36fcViXNZYDzTGfhKJqK5WP/5694e858-cfd7-463c-8caf-c19ecf7898bf.jpg/r1004_282_3644_1774_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Family Fun Games Fundie takes place to support Love Your Sister
Kasey Wilkins
Huon Brown, 5, of Legana with star Samuel Johnson at the Family Fun Games Fundie for Love Your Sister, hosted by the Rally for Rhys Foundation. Picture: Scott Gelston
Rain didn't dampen the fun for families enjoying Saturday's Family Fun Games Fundie.
The event was organised by the Rally for Rhys Foundation with the aim to help raise funds for Love Your Sister.
Despite being moved from Punchbowl Reserve to the Launceston PCYC due to the weather, Rally For Rhys' Shannon Hodgetts said the turnout had still been fantastic.
RELATED:Love Your Sister holding three Launceston fundraisers
"We have been honoured to host a Love Your Sister fundie, and we've got Samuel Johnson here and the Love Your Sister crew," she said.
Love Your Sister is aimed at vanquishing cancer, and passes on all donations toward scientific research. The not-for-profit was founded by Samuel Johnson and his sister Connie.
"It's actually quite overwhelming. Samuel is talking about personalised treatment for cancer and people [were] lined up to sign up for that - which is monthly donations for the rest of their lives," Ms Hodgetts said.
"It's making a big difference and saving lives, literally."
Family Fun Games Fundie took place at PCYC Launceston from 3pm to 5pm, and included games for children and an opportunity to meet Mr Johnson.
All funds raised went to Love Your Sister.
Ms Hodgetts set up Rally for Rhys to honour her son, Rhys, who died three years ago.
"We wanted to do the Fundie for Love Your Sister because Samuel is a bereaved sibling, and we raise money for bereaved siblings and support them within the community," she said.
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Power & Features Due In 2003 PC Core Logic
By Loyd Case on March 11, 2003 at 5:25 pm
Core logic — those chips that route data from memory to the CPU, plus handle all the I/O in your system — often gets little respect. That’s partly because chipsets tend to be CPU specific. Even when you choose a particular CPU or socket type, the arguments often revolve around motherboards rather than the specific chipsets.
However, the core logic wars are starting to heat up, and new chipsets often mean new features, as well as enabling new CPUs. So we’re writing this to help guide you through the maze of choices that are available or will be available shortly. Unfortunately, all these choices are relatively short-term, because the world will change (once again) late this year or sometime in 2004.
Already, we’re seeing signs of that shift on the Intel side. Mark Hachman’s recent peek at Intel’s Grantsdale project offers up the realization that PCI and AGP — mainstay I/O options for years now — will be fading away, to be replaced (or supplemented in the case of PCI) by the potentially much faster, and more compact, PCI Express. On the AMD side, Athlon 64’s arrival sometime late this year will usher in a CPU with an integrated memory controller, relegating traditional north bridge functionality to becoming a simple AGP bridge (actually the component provided by AMD as part of their 8000-series chipset is called the AMD-8151 HyperTransport AGP3.0 Graphics Tunnel).
The Ever-Expanding I/O Hub
When discussing chipsets, the memory controller always seems to get the lion’s share of attention. Since the memory controller can have a substantial impact on performance, that’s no surprise. However, the system interacts with the outside world through the South Bridge. Let’s take a look at a “typical” South Bridge (aka I/O controller hub) for 2003.
One key item to note is that the connection between North Bridge and South Bridge has evolved beyond the PCI bus. Intel was the first vendor to move away from PCI as the north to south interconnect back in 1999 with their first 800-series chipsets (810 and 820), and now every mainstream PC chipset vendor has a high speed link between the I/O and the memory controller.
Nvidia’s Nforce/Nforce2 chipsets use a standard, 800MB/second HyperTransport link, while most of the other chipsets have proprietary links of some kind. Intel has its hublink interface, at 266MB/sec. Via has its V-Link (533MB/sec), and SiS has a MuTIOL connection (also 533MB/Sec, except for the 963, which sports a 1GB/sec interface).
It’s fairly obvious why PCI has fallen out of favor — it had become a pretty serious bottleneck. Now, PCI is just another interface hanging off the I/O controller. It’s less important than it used to be anyway, given the level of integration now built into most South Bridge chips. About the only use we have for the PCI bus around here is for SCSI or PCI audio cards. And unless you’re a hard core gamer, or need the fast access times of SCSI, even that’s unnecessary. It’s a puzzle why motherboards today ship with five or six PCI slots, when two or three will do nicely.
In reality, the South Bridge gets little respect, which is unfortunate. There’s such tremendous functionality built into the I/O controller these days. It will be interesting to see how the chipset makers fare with the Athlon 64, which has an integrated memory controller.
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Home / Training / LOCKHEED T-33 SHOOTING STAR
LOCKHEED T-33 SHOOTING STAR
Titles: Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star No’s 1 and 2
The T-33 was two-seat trainer development of the P-80 Shooting Star, the first operational US jet fighter. It was designed by Clarence Johnson and first flew in 1948. It was extremely successful, over 5,000 being built and it was operated by more than 30 air forces.
We offer two titles which include flight manuals for the T-33. Each title is US$9.95. The first title covers USAF variants, and the second title covers Canadian jet trainers which includes the T-33 assembled in Canada and fitted with the RR Nene engine. The files have been scanned from the original flight manuals and retain any colour pages.
Title Choose an optionTitle 1Title 2 Clear
SKU: N/A Category: Training
Title 1 contains:
Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions for the USAF T-33A and the Navy TO-2, AN 01-75FJC-1 dated 24 Apr 1951, with approx 53 pages.
USAF Flight Manual for the RT-33A, T.O. 1T-33(R)A-1 dated 1 Apr 62, with approx 241 pages. (This was a version of the T-33 with cameras in the nose and a large fuel tank where the second seat was usually fitted.)
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Aircraft Operating Instructions for the T33 Mk 3 (later designated CT-133), EO 05-50C-1 dated 10-7-62, with approx 101 pages. (The last few pages of this manual have some rust staining on them.)
Canadian Armed Forces Aircraft Operating Instructions for the Canadair CL-41 Tutor (designated CT-114 by the Canadians), EO 05-195A-1 dated 18-1-68, revised to 11-4-73, with approx 114 pages.
CURTISS AT-9 JEEP
UTVA-75
CESSNA AT-17 UC-78 CRANE
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Home » News » Local News » HCT Announces Sylvia Cast, The Comedy Opens November 2
HCT Announces Sylvia Cast, The Comedy Opens November 2
Posted by FOCUS Newspaper | October, 12, 2017 | Local News
Hickory – Benjamin Thomas, guest director at the Hickory Community Theatre has just announced the casting for the Theatre’s upcoming production of Sylvia, a comedy by A.R. Gurney. It’s the story of an adorable stray dog that causes trouble between the man who adopts her and his wife, who is reluctant to have Sylvia in the house. In the play, the role of Sylvia is played by a beautiful woman.
Elisabeth Bokhoven plays the troublesome but engaging canine, Bob Smith plays Greg, Sylvia’s rescuer and Jane Lucas plays his reluctant wife Kate. Joshua Yoder, last season’s Hamlet, plays a trio of other characters including Kate’s female best friend.
Sylvia is on stage in the Theatre’s cabaret space, the Firemen’s Kitchen November 2-19. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays (Nov 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18) at 8:00pm, Thursdays (Nov 9 & 16) at 7:30pm and Sundays (Nov 12 & 19) at 2:30pm.
Tickets are $16 and are now on sale online at hickorytheatre.org or through the Theatre box office, in person or by phone at 828-328-2283. Box office hours are 12-5 Wed-Fri.
The Hickory Community Theatre is a Funded Affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. The 2017-2018 Season is sponsored by Paramount Automotive and A Cleaner World. Sylvia is produced by Robert Abbey, Inc. and Dr. George Clay, III, DDS.
Photo (L-R): Bob Smith, Jane Lucas, Joshua Yoder, Elisabeth Bokhoven are the cast and Benjamin Thomas is the director of Syliva, coming to the Hickory Community Theatre’ Firemen’s Kitchen November 3-19.
For tickets and information call 828-328-2283 or go to hickorytheatre.org.
PreviousCarolina BalloonFest Is Next Week In Statesville, October 20-22, Friday-Sunday!
NextWestern Piedmont Symphony Opens 53rd Season With Rhapsody In Blue
Register For Plein-Air Paint Out And Wet Paint Art Show, By 4/25
HCT’s Sister Act The Musical Stars CC Cooper & Edyth Pruitt
Catawba Valley Paralegals Meet Tuesday, August 9, 6pm
Poetry Hickory Hosts Kakalak All-Star Poetry Celebration, 3/14
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Home News Stark Co. 4-H’ers make the most out of the fair
Stark Co. 4-H’ers make the most out of the fair
By Sarah Donaldson -
Friends and family hurry to congratulate Billy Kegley, 15, for winning beef showman of showmen at the Stark County Fair Aug. 29. (Sarah Donkin photo)
CANTON, Ohio — As the Stark County Fair cavy, beef and open class lamb shows run early on Aug. 29, some people are showing, some are preparing for shows and some are almost done for the year. It’s the final step after months of hard work for 4-H’ers.
In the goat barn, Wyatt, 6, and Waylon, 4, help their mother, Sabrina Rittenhouse, sweep hay out of the aisle and load it into a wheelbarrow. Rittenhouse’s daughter, Sky, 17, will show in the Aug. 30 dairy goat show with her Nigerian Dwarf goats.
The family has a total of 12 goats, which are Wyatt’s favorite part of the fair, in the barn. Wyatt proudly announces that his older cousin, Billy Kegley, 15, won beef showman of showmen that morning.
“It’s a family affair,” said Rittenhouse. “My whole family is here.”
Sidney Hawk, 15, and her miniature horse, Peanut, walk around an indoor arena in the horse barn. They are preparing for their upcoming show.
Hawk walks Peanut backwards. Dirt kicks up as she coaxes him to rear up on his hind feet, balance for a few seconds and then come back to all fours.
She praises him. That trick is one she taught him just for fun.
Malena Cybak, 15, carefully lets her market hog, Eileen, out of her pen so she can get some exercise. Cybak named the hog to fit with the ‘80s theme the junior fair picked for this year, although she waited until the last minute to name Eileen in order to avoid getting too attached.
Cybak won her market class, but this was her first year showing a hog and her second year in 4-H. Last year, she showed chickens.
“I just wanted to do something a little bigger, a little more responsibility,” she said.
Because Cybak lives in a neighborhood, she keeps her hog at a friend’s house.
Her mom grew up on a farm, and Cybak always liked animals, so she managed to get involved despite living in a town.
“I always wanted to live on a farm,” she said.
That’s why she enjoys the fair so much.
4-H’ers are working hard, in more ways than one. In the sheep barn, Alexis Monnot, 14, sits on an upside-down feed bucket in a pen with Stella and Lamborghini, her sheep, while she reads To Kill a Mockingbird.
She has some time off from school for the fair, but homework assignments wait for no 4-H’er.
Monnot, who has been in 4-H for six years, is already done showing her sheep and chickens for the year. Now, she just has to wait for the upcoming market sale.
One of the sheep looks over her shoulder as she reads. Monnot turns another page.
Even though the 4-H lamb shows are over, the work goes on for Alexis Monnot. She sits in the pen with her sheep, Stella and Lamborghini, while she reads a book for school. (Sarah Donkin photo)
Sydney Miller, 9, holds Tucker, her beef steer, while she waits to go into the show ring. At this point, she had already placed third in her showmanship class. (Sarah Donkin photos)
Sabrina Rittenhouse and her sons, Wyatt, 6, and Waylon, 4, clean an aisle in the goat barn. Rittenhouse’s daughter, Sky, 17, is showing Nigerian Dwarf goats in the dairy goat show at the Stark County Fair. (Sarah Donkin photo)
Malena Cybak, 15, named her market hog Eileen after the song “Come on Eileen” to fit the 80s theme picked out for the junior fair this year. Sarah
Sidney Hawk, 15, a member of Country Crew 4-H club, trains with her miniature horse, Peanut.
Stark County Fair
Previous articleScenes from the opening day of Canfield Fair
Next articlePrices hitting bottom, but why?
Sarah Donaldson
Reporter Sarah Donaldson is a former 4-Her and a Mount Union graduate from Columbiana County, Ohio. She enjoys playing and writing music, cooking, and storytelling in many forms. She can be reached at 800-837-3419 or sarah@farmanddairy.com.
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Here's What's Happening...
On Monday, July 15, at 6:00 p.m. the Farwell Area Schools Board of Education will hold a special meeting. The agenda will include an overview of the November Bond Proposal as well as discussion of the long-term plan for facilities maintenance, improvement, and future sinking fund proposal.
FAS Bond Proposal Overview (Click Here for an outline of the Bond Process)
Date: Monday, July 15
Place: Farwell High School Media Center (Library)
480 E. Ohio St
Click here to view the 9 & 10 News Interviews with
Woodshop Teacher, Jeff Thompson; Art Teacher Krysta Neuman, and Farwell students
Culinary Arts Students Receive ServSafe Certifications
Emma Tideswell Signs with Mid Michigan College
Ali Sunderman, Barbie Judd, and Montana Shimmons Participate in All Star Band
Madison Hensley and Kendall Hickey Sign with Mid Michigan College
Halle Conroy Signs with Mid Michigan College
Sydney Seybert Signs with Lansing Community College
Zachary Carpenter Enlists in the Marines
Wyatt Tubbs Signs with the Marines
Senior Jenna Odykirk Signs with
Saginaw Valley Cardinals
Our Very Own David Smith at America's Got Talent!
David Smith, a sophomore at Farwell High School, auditioned for America's Got Talent at the Cobo Center in Detroit.
Thousands have already gone through auditions with field producers who are making decisions on who goes through to Hollywood.
To view the online article and interview, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZXGmmaq6oE
FARWELL HIGH SCHOOL
Scores Highest in the County on Mackinac Center's Performance Report Card
Farwell High School was the only high school in the county to earn a B on the 2018 Michigan Public High School Context and Performance Report Card published by the Mackinac Center. The report card is designed to measure high school performance. FHS was ranked 145 out of 674 school and at the 79th percentile. This report is a school-level assessment of academic performance based on a four-year average of state standardized tests. This report card is unique in that it takes into consideration the socioeconomic status of students when assessing an individual school’s performance.
Click here to access the full report.
Juniors Perform Higher Than State Average on 2018 PSAT
Results are in and our current junior class, last year's sophomore class, has a higher mean total score average than the state and the same average for the nation. Farwell scored a total mean average of 930, matching the national average and outscoring the state average of 924.
The assessment is broken down into two scores with Reading/Writing and Math. The data below shows the mean math scores for Farwell High School of 468 whereas the state was 453 and the nation was 460. A definite celebration for the hard work the students and staff have put in over the years. Similarly, the Reading/Writing for Farwell High School was 462 which is not far from the state score of 466 and nation score of 470.
These juniors will take the SAT (a college acceptance state assessment) in April and we are working hard to maintain mean averages above the state and nation. Currently, most of our juniors are enrolled in a SAT Prep course which prepares them with math and English refreshers as well as SAT prep work from Khan Academy and College Board. This spring, we also expect great results from our current 8th, 9th, and 10th graders as they will be taking the PSAT.
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So, Christmas: Here Are Unique Gift Ideas For That Eco-Conscious Fr...
So, Christmas: Here Are Unique Gift Ideas For That Eco-Conscious Friend
by KENG YANG SHUEN December 12, 2019
It's 2019 - so wake up to the idea that Christmas gift giving doesn't always have to involve buying something. We teach you how.
a vintage tale christmas gift guide christmas gift ideas environmentalism environmentally friendly KAUSMO Les Amis group NODEN prada sustainability the projector vintage fashion vintage furniture
Charlotte Tilbury Tells Us What You Should And Shouldn't Be Wearing...
All The Freshest Sneaker Drops To Look Forward To In 2020
Joo Chiat: Singapore's New Vintage Shopping Haunt
Meet The 5 Women In Singapore Championing Sustainability Through Music, Films and Festivals
The OG "Social" Influencer: Nadya Hutagalung
Meet Kara Inez, The Artist Exploring Grotesque Beauty Through Flesh-Like Sculptures
5 Cool Events This Week: Aliwal Urban Art Festival, Hans Ulrich Obrist Talk And More
Wool jacket, Moschino, www.avintagetale.com
Shopping vintage is a great way to both satisfy that itch to buy and make use of already existing resources. A Vintage Tale is one of our go-to specialists when in need of real sartorial treasures from the past. At this cozy joint located in Joo Chiat, you’ll find one of the most well-curated selection of designer threads (including eveningwear for fancier occasions) dating back to the ’50s that include names like Moschino, Missoni, Valentino and Gucci. Prices range generally from $75 – $300 (for apparel). To find out more about A Vintage Tale, head here. Ceramic vase, $260, Ingrid Attenberg, www.nodenhome.com
If you’re after something more home-oriented, there are many options available in Singapore for the vintage/second-hand lover – one of my own personal favourites is Noden, which specialises in clean-cut mid-century Scandinavian pieces, such as this lovely ’60s Ingrid Atterberg vase. PS. there are plenty of more affordable options as well. New York Times gift subscription, starting from US$15 (for three months), www.newyorktimes.com
Whether you’re in the media business or not, a good, trustworthy source of information remains vital. Subscriptions to legacy names such as Washington Post and the New York Times have increased since controversial figures like Donald Trump got elected – and we take that as a positive sign that people want to keep informed. Besides which, at US$15 for a basic 3 months digital subscription, that translates to S$20 – hardly breaking the bank. A year’s digital subscription comes at US$50 (S$68). For the fashion folks out there, perhaps a subscription to the Business of Fashion? Let’s hope our boss sees this. Image: New York Times screenshot The Projector Fan Club Membership for 1 Year at $60
Got a cinephile friend? Then they’ll surely appreciate this gift of a membership at The Projector – $60 gets you savings on every booking and four free, redeemable tickets to boot, along other goodies. And with award season kicking off (the annual run-up to the Oscars), this makes for a great clutter-free gift. That said, if arthouse and independent films are not your thing, you could also opt for gift cards with mainstream institutions such as Golden Village et al. Pictured above: French director Celine Sciamma’s highly-raved-about period drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which will open soon in theatres here. Metal water bottle, $120, Prada
Say you’re someone who drinks a lot of coffee – that’s a lot of disposable cups a year. Get one good bottle and – key message here – stick with it. Make that purchase count, in other words. There are plenty of brands that make reusable coffee cups and water bottles these days, but one of the most stylish right now is Prada’s limited edition version, currently on sale at their Dreamscape pop-up store at Paragon till December 27. We’ve heard that it’s moving really fast, so you’ll want to check it out quick. Cook a meal - prices variable
While gifting something non-perishable is always nice (that is, if the person actually likes the gift), you can show that you care via other ways, such as giving your time – which might arguably be more precious. That said, we do recognise that not everyone can or is able to whip up a meal, so alternatively, treat a loved one to environmentally-responsible restaurants such as Kausmo, the new-ish sustainability-focused joint from the Les Amis Group that emphasises on using ingredients that may not be so aesthetically pleasing for their dishes. Less aesthetically pleasing (i.e. blemished) produce are usually deemed to be unfit for sale at supermarkets and result in huge food wastage. Food wastage is a huge problem especially in Singapore FYI – 763 million kg of food wastage was generated in Singapore last year – and how a base ingredient looks does not necessarily affect the most important component – its taste. Illustrative photo: Courtesy of photographer and food stylist Dionna Lee (@tofurier) Donate to a good cause/charity in their name
Why not opt for something really different this Christmas instead of battling the crowds doing their gift shopping? If you’re at a loss of which cause and charity to donate to, get yourself educated first, advises United Nations Environment ambassador and celebrity activist Nadya Hutagalung, who we recently spoke to in our December 2019 issue. “The most important thing that you can do is to educate yourself,” she says. “For example, look at the UN’s sustainable development goals and see which one resonates with you most, then find organisations that address those issues. What we can do as humans is to feel empowered that we can contribute.” In other words, do your research first before supporting/donating a charity/cause.
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Boiler Breakdown
Cylinder Installations
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Fortune and Co Plumbing and Heating Ltd, Surrey - Plumbing and Heating
Boiler Breakdowns
24 Hour Emergency Call Out Service
We provide assistance to customers outside of our normal working hours and we can be accessed via menu options on 07856 717136.
Reliable and Experienced Plumbers
If you are looking for honest and trustworthy plumbers to tackle anything from fitting a brand new central heating system to fixing a leaky tap, you need look no further than Fortune and Co Ltd based in Surrey.
We are fast, friendly, efficient and we take pride in providing customers with high quality plumbing services and excellent value for money.
We undertake a wide range of plumbing and heating installations, repairs and servicing.
Fortune & Co carry out new boiler installations and replacements as well as providing a boiler breakdown service and repairs.
Powerflush should only be necessary every 5-6 years to clear debris and prevent significant blockages from taking hold.
FAST FRIENDLY AND EFFICIENT
Our 24 Hour Emergency Call Out Service is for assistance to customers outside of our normal working hours, it is accessed via menu options on 07856 717136 during these times. You will be given the option to speak directly with our Out of Hours Engineer in the event of an emergency situation, or leave a message on an answering machine to be dealt with when the office re-opens.
What is gas safe and why is it so important?
ONLY USE A GAS SAFE ENGINEER
Gas Safe Register maintain the register of businesses and operatives who are competent to undertake both piped natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) work in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Guernsey. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 for a gas engineering business to legally undertake gas work that is within the scope of the Regulations they must be on the Gas Safe Register.
The areas we cover
We are based in Epsom and Ewell and cover areas such as;
Chessington, Banstead, Sutton, Ashtead, Oxshott, Tadworth, Leatherhead, Morden, New Malden, Mitcham, Croydon, South Croydon, Purley, Coulsdon, Merstham, Redhill, Reigate, Betchworth, Brockham, Great Bookham, Fetcham, Downside, Cobham, Esher, East Molesey, Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, Byfleet, East Horsley, Wotton, Dorking.
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Why ImmunoGen Shares Are Falling Today
By Todd CampbellFool.com
What's happening: ImmunoGen hosted an investor presentation this morning that led to the company's shares falling over 10% earlier today.
Why it's happening: Since today's drop merely erases gains notched yesterday ahead of the conference, investors should probably keep ImmunoGen's drop in context -- especially since ImmunoGen has been one biotech's best performers this year, with shares rallying nearly 200% year-to-date.
Regardless, after reviewing ImmunoGen's investor presentation, it doesn't appear to contain any worrisome or overly unexpected revelations.
The company's update includes plans to advance its ovarian cancer drug IMGN853 into two phase 2 trials, one of which the company thinks could provide for an accelerated approval pathway.
Specifically, the company's Forward 1 study will contain two stages and will evaluate IMGN853 as a monotherapy in pre-treated ovarian cancers with an amenable genetic makeup.
The first stage will explore dosing options, including a once-every-four-weeks regimen that may improve the drug's safety profile, and determine the best patient population to target. The second stage will compare IMGN853 to the current standard of care, the findings from which could support a meeting with the FDA regarding the coveted accelerated pathway.
A second phase 2 study, Forward 2, will also be launched that will evaluate IMGN853 as part of a combination therapy with existing treatments in patients at an earlier stage of their disease.
Both trials are expected to begin before the end of this year, and full data supporting a regulatory meeting could be available at some point in the first half of 2016.
ImmunoGen also spent time updating investors on its other programs, including IMGN529 and coltuximab ravtansine, two therapies targeting B-cell cancers.
ImmunoGen plans include a phase 2 combination study of IMGN529 and Rituxan in patients with recurrent or relapsing non-Hodgkins lymphoma, including those with DLBCL, and a phase 2 study of coltuximab ravtansine in combination with other agents, to begin next year.
The company also reminded investors that its collaborators, which already have 8 clinical stage compounds, should add another 2 compounds to the clinic in 2016, and that its balance sheet still includes $278 million in cash, thanks in part to the sale of its Kadcyla royalty rights earlier this year.
Regardless, investors' negative reaction to ImmunoGen's presentation could be attributed to all the planned activity, which may quicken the pace at which ImmunoGen's cash stockpile disappears, or to the focus on combination therapy, rather than monotherapy, for its B-cell drugs.
Overall, it seems to me that neither of those reasons, nor anything else in ImmunoGen's presentation, is cause for a prolonged sell-off, and if I'm correct, then this drop may prove to be a good opportunity to add shares to portfolios.
The article Why ImmunoGen Shares Are Falling Today originally appeared on Fool.com.
Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned. Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends ImmunoGen. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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DISCOVER GEORGIA SOCIETY BUSINESS GEORGIAN CUISINE POLITICS BLOG
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President Salome Zurabishvili does not recommend building of the US military base in Georgia
According to President Salome Zourabichvili, it is not recommended to build an American base in Georgia. As Zourabichvili said in an interview with the VOA Georgian Service, it is not necessary to take steps that can be perceived as a provocation.
"I do not think this is recommended. I think the country needs to strengthen its security. There is no need to take steps that can be perceived as a provocation and I do not think the United States is ready
Georgia Defence and Security Conference opened in Batumi
to have a military base here, which would draw the attention of not only Russia but also of terrorist movements that are very active in our region. Based on the existing mutual understanding, we should deepen our cooperation and should not take steps that can provoke others' reaction," said Zourabichvili.
Salome Zurabishvili also made comments about the Geneva Format between Georgia and Russia.
According to President Salome Zourabichvili, when voicing the messages regarding the need to change the Geneva format, she talks not only to Russia, but also to international partners.As Zourabichvili said in an interview with the VOA Georgian Service, the partners should not have a feeling that we have put up with the current situation.
"The Geneva format should return to its first format, it was a much higher format with the same composition. I do not speak to Russia in this case. This is more a message to our partners, because they should not have a feeling that we have put up with the situation that the Geneva format plays a formal role, where only some technical issues are discussed.
All our partners should feel that it is not enough for us. This is a message. This concerns not only the Geneva format, but the bilateral formats as well. If you consider yourself a friend of Georgia, you should put the issue of occupied territories in all bilateral formats. Russia should be reminded that non-fulfillment of obligations is a violation of international principles," said Zurabishvili.
President should not visit TV studios - Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili is in hot water again
The style of Salome Zurabishvili, president elect of Georgia
“By ‘European Georgia’ I do not mean necessarily one that is a member of the European Union” – Salome Zurabishvili
Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia to participate in WEF in Davos
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia will participate in the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Prime Minister's press service reports.
US ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan sworn in
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Georgia Kelly Degnan has taken an oath.
Raul Khajimba resigns, publishes official letter
I want you to know that I am stepping down to maintain stability in the country, - reads the statement of Raul Khajimba, former de facto leader of the occupied Abkhazia.
Raul Khajimba signs decree on his resignation
De-facto president of occupied Abkhazia Raul Khajimba has signed a decree on his resignation, "Sputnik" agency has reported.
Anaklia Consortium will be fined $ 115000, Infrastructure Ministry says
The amount of the fine to be paid by Anaklia Consortium is up to $ 115,000, - representative of Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure said.
Unrest in Abkhazia, de facto parliament asks president to resign
MPs of the de facto parliament of occupied Abkhazia adopted a draft resolution calling on Raul Khajimba to resign from the post of "head of state."
How USA-Iran tensions may affect Georgia?
After the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani many in Georgia ask how tensions between the United States and Iran may affect the region and Georgia specifically.
Protests renew in Georgia in front of the Parliament
A clash has occurred between activists and law enforcers in front of the Parliament building.
Unprecedented number of NATO-Georgia joint exercises seen in 2019, Georgian PM says
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia summed up 2019 in terms of Georgia's cooperation with NATO.
Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili released from prison(Video)
Doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili has been released.
US provides $132 025 000 aid to Georgia
US budget law provides increased financial assistance to Georgia and still contains a record on non-recognition of Georgia's occupied regions.
Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan sign Action Plan for Tripartite Sectoral Cooperation
oreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey held the 8th trilateral meeting in Tbilisi today, December 23.
Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili sentenced to 1 year and 9 months in prison in occupied Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali occupation regime sentenced illegally detained Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili to 1 year and 9 months of imprisonment, Davit Asatiani, the lawyer of the Georgian Bar Association, wrote on his Facebook page.
Congressmen Kinzinger, Connolly send letter to Georgian PM
Georgians want a government of, for and by the people, want a government that is more aligned with the West and they aspire to join NATO and the European Union.
Third round of meetings between diplomatic corps and opposition parties ended without result
On Sunday another meeting was held between the leaders of the opposition parties and the representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Georgia.
PACE rapporteurs express serious concerns over appointment of 14 judges to Supreme Court of Georgia
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia,
Georgia’s PM, Ukraine’s President meet in Kiev
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, together with the heads of the GUAM countries, has met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
Parliament approved Supreme Court justices amid protests and clashes
Today the Parliament approved candidates for the Supreme Court in Georgia. Opposition parties claim that 20 candidates are politically biased.
Five Georgian soldiers injured in terrorist attack in Afghanistan
Five military servicemen of the Georgian contingent's rapid response unit were injured as a result of a terrorist attack at the Bagram Air Base in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Georgia chairs the Council of Europe: Why is it important for Eastern Europe?
The new PACE session beginning in January 2020 will be an arena of serious confrontation. The interests of Western and Eastern European countries are to confront.
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly calls on international community to use all available means to ensure release of illegally detained Georgian doctor
The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly has adopted a special statement regarding Vazha Gaprindashvili, the Georgian doctor who is in illegal detention in occupied Tskhinvali region.
Tbilisi hosts 8th ordinary session of Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
The 8th ordinary session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly - "Future Visions of the Eastern Partnership" has opened in Tbilisi.
Unrest in Mtskheta – Georgian dream activists attack opposition
During the opposition rally outside Mtskheta City Hall, supporters of the opposition and the Georgian Dream clashed with each other several times.
Surrounded Parliament and demonstrators – Police distracted protesters from picketing parliament in Tbilisi
Police had been blocking entrances to the parliament with metal structures since morning. Patrol Police Chief Vazha Siradze said the metal barricades have been installed due to security reasons.
Riot police used water cannons to disperse protesters in front of Parliament
The riot police used water cannons against the protesters gathered in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi.
Dutch FM : We expect Georgia to hold free and fair parliamentary elections this year
City Hall starts rehabilitation works in front of Parliament’s building
Magnitude 3.3 quake occurred in Georgia
FM Zalkaliani about Congressmen’s letter: Personal contacts are much more important than letters
Flight Number / Direction
GEL Exchange Rate
President of European Commission attended celebration of 100 years of the First Republic of Georgia
On 26 May, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, joined celebrations in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi
International community condemns Syria’s decision to recognize Georgia’s occupied regions as independent states
Violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by Assad regime has been strictly criticized
Georgia marks the first anniversary of Visa-Liberalization with EU
Exactly one year ago, Georgia was granted visa-free travel with the European Union.
Georgia’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili freed by his supporters
Georgia’s ex-president president Mikheil Saakashvili's supporters managed to free detained Mikheil Saakashvili in the center of Kiev.
US Ambassador congratulates Georgia on Independence Day
The US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly congratulates Georgia on Independence Day.
Historic day: Visa-free travel for Georgia officially signed in Brussels
The regulations on the introduction of visa-free travel for citizens of Georgia have been officially signed in Brussels.
Georgia’s Energy Minister dances dressed as Santa
The entire Georgia is involved in Secret Santa game, which means that people are sending gifts to each other secretly
“Where is the chacha?” – James Appathurai jokes with Georgian delegation at NATO Ministerial
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia is taking part in NATO Ministerial underway in Brussels, Belgium.
Special squad mobilized at Marneuli polling station as clashes occur
A special squad has been mobilized at the 48th polling station in Marneuli, Kvemo Kartli region.
Politicians' punch-up live on air in Georgia – Euronews
Two politicians in Georgia have come to blows during a live TV debate ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections, Euronews reports.
GEL Exchange
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 20202019201820172016201520142013201220112010
Dutch screenwriter Roelof Jan Minneboo working on new films in Georgia
Discover Georgia
Sulguni with Lapland Motives
Georgian Cuisine
Summer salad with green beans
Georgia recognizes Juan Guaido as an interim president
Michelle Obama wearing David Koma at “Becoming” tour in St. Paul
Copyright 2012 All Right Reseved
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Fundraising Strategy Reviews and Development Audits
Periodic Consulting
Education & Youth
Amy Stevens
Chris Goldie
Julie Day
Susan Lane
Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust
For many years, the East of England has felt the absence of a dedicated Children’s Hospital. Since 2005, this has been a key priority for local healthcare providers and after years of negotiation, they have now received the go ahead for a world-class facility at the Addenbrooke’s site in Cambridge.
Thanks to a step-change injection of funds from NHS England, the project is now being defined as a cutting-edge hospital, designed to embrace a radical new approach to caring for the region’s children and adolescents. The facility will combine ground-breaking science and research with a fully integrated approach to treating physical and mental health conditions. By intrinsically linking these two clinical areas, the hospital will be superbly positioned to become a global leader in paediatric care.
An Action Plan to generate major philanthropic investment
Gifted has been engaged to develop a robust Action Plan to support ACT’s ambition of attracting major philanthropic investment in the £350 million project. Amy Stevens, who managed ACT’s successful £3.5 million campaign for the Rosie Hospital said, ‘this is a wonderful opportunity for Gifted to be part of an extraordinary vision for paediatric and young adult care. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be advising ACT on how to secure funding for a Children’s Hospital that will deliver pioneering diagnostic research and exciting new models of care.’
If you have a project or programme that you're looking to get off the ground, please contact one of our directors and ask for a no-obligations discussion about your fundraising needs.
To arrange a no obligation discussion of your fundraising plans, please complete the Enquiry Form or call your nearest Gifted office on the listed numbers.
Leeds 0113 350 1337
Leamington Spa 01926 674137
Take a look at our practical guide to transforming donations into gifts.
The book is designed to be a practical guide for Third Sector fundraisers who are seeking to transform donations into meaningful gifts. It’s been written as a collaborative perspective by our founding directors, who share decades of experience and together see transformational philanthropy as our life’s work.
Find out more about what we do
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Pixar vs Dreamworks
By GamesRadarChrisAntista 2010-06-11T05:44:52.161Z
Which animation studio makes the best bad games?
Another mediocre win for the House of Shrek! Maybe I should just congratulate Dreamworks so we can move the hell on… So kudos, I guess. You’re pathetic, shitty-by-any-other-standard-but-your-own action game featuring guns, goliaths and extraterrestrials beat out an unadaptable licensed game starring an 80-year-old protagonist and a talking dog. Hope it feels good, DW!
Which brings us to this… Right back to where we started, with both animation houses’ golden franchises competing head-to-head, presumably for the last time. Shrek’s final chapter is doing well at the box office, yet we all know that’ll be forgotten by the time Toy Story 3 comes out next weekend. But Jesus, that game score? From the looks of the wickedly customizable Toy Box mode, I thought the Toy Story 3 game looked infinitely more promising… but I’m not sure it’ll be able to match the generous scores bestowed by the handful of outlets who still bother to review movie licensed games. Not only is Shrek Forever After on the Xbox 360 the ogre’s best reviewed game to date, it has the highest meta-score of any game on this entire list.
Dreamworks? Seriously?! A sad day for Pixar fans, as The House of Shrek tallied out to a 5 to 3 win according to our list and the data provided Metacritic and Game Rankings. Even if Toy Story 3 can manage to outscore Shrek Forever After in the final hour it wouldn’t even result in a tie. Dreamworks may produce far more movies and games, but their titles based directly off films, pound for pound, result in higher quality. Now, what’s of slight interest is the reason why…
Let’s take a look at some Pixar games that didn’t meet the criteria of our list, yet fared much better with critics
Dated though they may be, those meta-scores are higher than all but one Pixar game on our entire list. Okay, now can anybody see what they have in common? Take a look at the incredibly weird call out on the N64 version of A Bug’s Life.
Above: “Sold” by Activison?
Whatever the hell that means, you’ll notice above that Activision jumped ship to work on all of Dreamwork’s games right around Shark Tale, and that’s when they began critically surpassing Pixar games. You could say that THQ is responsible for the downward spiral of quality in Pixar’s games, but it’s much more fun and sensational to declare that Dreamworks gaming dominance is due to an unholy alliance between two companies the internet loves to hate! Activision and Dreamworks: A Forgettable Game Factory!
When you wish upon a console, dreams occasionally come true
Think Disney can't play hardcore? Think again
Digital Disney memorabilia that nobody wants
GamesRadarChrisAntista
I LIKE TO MAKE THE GAMESRAIDER!!!!!!!1
Prev Page Page 2
Shrek the Third
Toy Story 3: The Video Game
Shrek Forever After
Shrek 2: The Game
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Health & News
Saved By Garmin
TeamX Adds New Features to G3X Touch and G5 for Certified Aircraft
Our TeamX avionics engineers for experimental aircraft have added new features and panel configurations to G3X Touch, and cost-effective avionics options approved for installation in certified aircraft. New wireless engine data streaming and flight data logging give pilots additional insight into aircraft and engine performance, and additional G3X Touch display layout options give pilots flexibility when provisioning for a G3X Touch installation in their aircraft. Additionally, new features for the G5 electronic flight instrument include the display of density altitude while on the ground and the option to display additional data fields when the G5 is paired with the GTN 650/750 or the GPS 175/GNC 355 or GNX 375. These new software, display options and new hardware approvals are available immediately.
G3X Touch for certified aircraft
Pilots are provided with a comprehensive, in-depth look at engine performance and trend data with G3X Touch for certified aircraft, which includes built-in flight data logging and optional engine monitoring. Aircraft performance, engine data and any exceedances that may occur are automatically stored on an SD card in the display. Available as an option, pilots can view real-time detailed engine information from G3X Touch within the Garmin Pilot app, which is sent wirelessly from the flight display to the app. Engine information and flight data logs, as well as exceedance information is also automatically synced with the flyGarmin website for post-flight analysis.
Garmin Pilot EIS on iOS
New display configurations are also available with G3X Touch for certified aircraft. These new approved configurations include:
Dual 10.6-inch displays can now be installed and configured as a Primary Flight Display (PFD) on the left and Multi-function display (MFD) on the right, with optional engine information displayed on either display.
The 7-inch G3X Touch display can be installed on the right-hand side of the panel and can be used as a co-pilot display.
Up to three G3X Touch displays can now be installed in a single panel; up to a total of four displays can be installed in tandem aircraft.
The 7-inch or 10-inch G3X Touch display can be installed as a standalone MFD with optional EIS – a natural addition to thousands of aircraft that already have a G5 electronic flight instrument installed in the panel.
Dual Garmin G3X Touch (10.6-inch Landscape)
New avionics options are also approved for G3X Touch in certified aircraft, including:
GMA 245R adds a remote audio panel option that is controlled from a G3X Touch display.
GTR 20 offers pilots a remote comm option that is controlled through the G3X Touch display. Features such as 3D Audio, advanced auto squelch, two-place stereo intercom and stereo music input are available with the GTR 20.
GTR 200B is a two-place panel-mount comm that adds Bluetooth functionality with a phone or tablet, as well as 3D Audio, advanced auto squelch and more.
GAP 26 Angle of Attack (AOA) indicator adds the display of AOA on G3X Touch.
G5 electronic flight instrument for certified aircraft
While on the ground, pilots can now view outside air temperature (OAT) and density altitude on the G5 electronic flight instrument when it’s paired with a temperature probe. The G5 is also capable of sharing temperature information with other products. When the G5 is paired with the GTN 650/750 or the GPS 175/GNC 355/GNX 375, pilots have the option to add new display fields on the navigators, including air temperature, density altitude, wind direction and speed, headwind or tailwind and true airspeed (TAS).
Garmin G5
These new software, display options and new hardware approvals for the G3X Touch flight display and the G5 electronic flight instrument for certified aircraft are available immediately. Both products are supported by Garmin’s award-winning aviation support team, which provides 24/7 worldwide technical and warranty support. For additional information, visit www.garmin.com/aviation.
G3X Touch™ for Certificated Aircraft
Touchscreen Flight Displays
G5 for Certificated Aircraft
Electronic Flight Instrument for Certificated Aircraft
GTN Xi Series: Fourth Generation GPS/NAV/COMM Solutions
GI 275: Aircraft Flight Instrumentation Reimagined
inReach: Everyday Aviation Uses
TeamX Builder Spotlight: Back in the Pilot’s Seat
Clearance Delivery Phone Numbers and Where to Find Them
Order/Return Status
*Shipping, Returns, & Refunds
Garmin Sites
Garmin Gear
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Teen brutally murdered over Insta post
by Megan Palin
A 16-YEAR-OLD girl was murdered by a doctor who broke into her home and stabbed her to death because he feared she would expose him for sexually assaulting her, a court has heard.
On Wednesday, Venod Skantha, 32, was found guilty of murdering Amber-Rose Rush, 16, after breaking into her Dunedin home in New Zealand on the night of February 2 last year. He was also convicted of four counts of threatening to kill after a jury in the High Court at Dunedin deliberated for three hours, the New Zealand Herald reports.
The Crown alleged Skantha slain Ms Rush in a bid to silence her after she shared a series of messages between the pair on Instagram. Skantha knew the posts could ruin his medical career, according to prosecutors.
The killer was arrested two days after the teen's death but denied having a close association with her.
"I shouldn't really be hanging out with kids anyway," Skantha said.
"Hanging out with a 16-year-old - it's ridiculous."
Amber-Rose Rush was murdered when a doctor broke into her home.
As pressure mounted on Skantha and the evidence against him piled up, he started to crack.
"It's not in my nature. I promise you. I don't know where you're getting this from," Skantha said.
"It's not something I would do. Have you looked in my background?"
The court heard Ms Rush met Skantha through a mutual friend, a teenage boy, at a party in the doctor's home in mid-2017. Despite their age difference, the pair spent significant time together over the coming months.
The friend who introduced them went on to become the prosecution's key witness, describing Skantha's interest in Ms Rush as "creepy".
The witness, whose name was suppressed, said he sensed something unusual.
"It was just... very weird how much he seemed to like Amber," he told the court.
Skantha, he said, seemed "fascinated" by both the victim and her mother, who died of a suspected suicide after her daughter's death.
Venod Skantha.
Towards the end of 2017, Ms Rush told her friend she had been molested by Skantha.
"She told me she'd woken up with her bra off and Vinny's hand down her pants," the witness told the court, according to the New Zealand Herald.
"I don't believe she was lying to me."
During the trial, the court heard Skantha offered money to Ms Rush to have sex with him, which the defence agreed had happened.
"Initially it was $2000 and then it went up to $20,000 when she denied him," her friend told the court, Radio New Zealand reports.
"She told me she ended up slapping him in the face and getting herself picked up and leaving as soon as possible."
On February 2, Ms Rush called Skantha out on social media, sharing snippets of a text message exchange between the pair.
Amber-Rose Rush
"You're lucky I don't go into the hospital and tell them you turn up to work drunk, supply minors with alcohol, touch them up without consent, grow up Vinny you're 30 for f*** sakes," Ms Rush wrote to Skantha.
He replied: "U know I din mean it," (sic).
The tension reached boiling point when Skantha later realised Ms Rush had made some of their messages public on social media.
"U better remove that post," he wrote to her.
In her final message to Skantha, Ms Rush responded: "I hope you pay for it and I hope you go to sleep at night hating yourself".
Instead, Skantha drove to Ms Rush's family home, and stabbed her to death.
premium_icon Murdered teen given meth to stay awake
premium_icon Zlatko Sikorsky will face trial over Larissa Beilby death
premium_icon The family Australia forgot after horrifying crash
premium_icon $15 pills nearly killed my son
How a peephole helped ‘Miss Australia killer’ walk free
killed by doctor
teen murdered
killed by doctor murder sexual assault teen killed teen murdered
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#WALKinPVD
ProJo: Driver, victim identified in fatal Warwick pedestrian accident
Greenwich Avenue at Main Avenue in Warwick
Police have identified the 83-year-old man killed in a pedestrian accident Wednesday as Jose S. Dionisio, and the driver as Carmella Visinho, 92, both of Warwick.
Dionisio was crossing Main Avenue around 9:30 a.m., near the intersection with Greenwich Avenue, when he was struck by Visinho, who was driving in the right lane, eastbound. Dionisio was not in a crosswalk, according to the initial investigation.
– The Providence Journal
Crosswalk or no crosswalk, how do we expect an elderly person to ever cross that street? How do we expect anyone to ever be able to cross that street? A traffic engineer designed that.
As our population continues to age, and more elderly people are no longer able to drive, we’re going to have a lot more elderly people in suburbs trying to cross the streets we engineered for cars.
Also, from WPRI:
Several neighbors in the area told Eyewitness News they don’t believe there are enough crosswalks over Main Avenue, which is also Route 113.
“It’s dangerous,” said Sue Mello, who owns a salon in front of where the crash happened. She says many residents resort to jaywalking to get to businesses that don’t have a nearby crosswalk.
“I have clients who live across the street, and they will walk across the street,” she said. “There’s also a Dunkin Donuts…and I know they walk across the street to get their coffee. I’ve done it,” she added.
It is good that neighbors recognize the problem, but we all know that just laying some paint on a four lane highway is not going to make pedestrians safe.
#WALKinPVD Fatality Pedestrian Struck Pedestrians Road Design Warwick
Jef is Greater City Providence's co-founder, editor, and publisher. He grew up on Cape Cod and lived in Boston; Portland, Maine; and New York before settling in Providence. In addition to urbanism, Jef is interested in art, design, and ice cream. Please feel free to contact Jef if you have any question or comments about Greater City Providence.
WPRI: Two children struck by hit-and-run driver in Providence
ProJo: Woman seriously injured after being struck by car while crossing Phenix Ave. in Cranston
Recent traffic violence
There has been an alarming number of crashes involving pedestrians in the last few weeks; including in Providence, Dartmouth, Taunton, and West Greenwich.
How do you solve a problem like Atwells?
The main problem of course is, people keep getting hit by cars on the Avenue. There are perhaps two ways to stop this, enforcement and infrastructure.
FeaturedRoads
Thoughts on the Councilman Hassett hit and run
Atwells Avenue. Image from Google StreetView First, this goes without saying, but let’s say it because I’m about to get angry. Our thoughts (and I’m sure for those of us that do so, prayers) are with...
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Tricking drones with virtual reality to teach them to fly better, faster
Watch MIT's new system train drones in VR so they fly with fewer crashes
Lauren Barack
UPDATED It sounds like a gaming fantasy come true. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are putting drones into virtual reality (VR) spaces, teaching them to avoid barriers while flying fast — but not giving them anything to crash into as they speed.
Researchers were intrigued by drone races of recent years, where pilots fly quad-copters through obstacle courses at speeds of 120 mph and above. In these races, like those flow by the Drone Racing League, people make the decisions on how drones fly. MIT wanted to see if they could train their drones to handle themselves solo and autonomously.
The problem, of course, is that drones flying fast through hurdles, arches and doorways can crash, and then need to be replaced. So researchers wanted to figure out if they could train the drones with fewer crashes, while still giving them complicated courses to fly.
Enter VR. No, drones aren't physically strapping on VR goggles and taking to the air. (Drones don't have eyes.) Instead, researchers are programming the drones so they think they're in a living room or bedroom while they fly. They virtually see obstacles around them, but those impediments aren't really there.
Researchers are testing the new system, and their drones, in a new drone-testing space in Building 31 on MIT's campus, which just underwent a $52 million renovation. During testing, drones are being sent images faster than a human can register and see, at 90 frames per second. (For reference, movies are typically shown (and shot) at 24 frames per second.)
MIT has named its system "Flight Goggles," which is set to be shown at the IEEE's International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Brisbane, Australia this month. From there, after a couple more years of training, researchers hope to enter the drones into one of the competitive drone racing events, to see if a drone, flying solo, can beat any of the human pilots on its own.
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What's the Most Monogamous Animal?
Contrary to popular belief, not all animals are interested in getting down with every other member of their species 24/7.
What Was the Most Fun Thing Humans Could Do 5,000 Years Ago?
What, in those few moments not spent foraging, or fashioning rudimentary vases, did these people do for fun?
Why Is There No Male Birth Control Yet?
What’s the obstacle here, exactly?
What's the Healthiest Food?
What to eat to compensate for all that Christmas gluttony.
Why Am I Suddenly Afraid of Flying?
For this week’s Giz Asks, we reached out to a number of psychologists to get to the bottom of why we develop fears in later life.
What Causes Foggy Brain?
Is it ageing, or luck, or diet, or what? And can it be reversed?
Do Smart Drugs Work?
Do nootropics actually work? And if they do work, who do they work for?
What Are the Biggest Challenges Technology Must Overcome in the Next 10 Years?
We asked futurists, engineers, anthropologists, and privacy and AI experts to weigh in on the obstacles facing technology in the years to come.
Why Do Placebos 'Work'?
We asked the leading experts for their insights on where placebos get their power.
What Will the Internet Look Like in 2030?
The experts tell us what we can look forward to/dread in a decade's time.
Can You Give Yourself a Panic Attack?
We ask experts in psychology and anxiety disorders if someone can think their way into a full-on state of panic, thereby triggering a panic attack.
What's Going to Happen With Bitcoin?
Will it all come crashing down, or will this one-time punchline survive through the next decade?
Can You Overdose on Weed?
We asked experts in psychiatry, substance abuse, policy, and toxicology for their take on that very question.
What's the Best Medicine?
The experts weigh in on the paradigm-shifting, life-restoring, legitimately sort of miraculous medicines which have periodically brightened the planet.
What's My Best Chance of Living Forever?
The experts weigh in on the plausibility of scientific methods for achieving immortality, or something close to it.
Which Animal Will Develop Human-Level Intelligence in the Future?
Or, if you're more pessimistic, which species will become our planet's new overlords?
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See What the Cast of The Baby-Sitters Club Movie Looks Like 20 Years Later
The Baby-Sitters Club, the beloved coming-of-age movie based on Ann M. Martin's classic series, won our hearts 20 years ago thanks to the film's relatable depiction of small-town life as a preteen, the "Best Friends Forever!!!" message it taught us, and, of course, the charming cast. So, we have a treat for you, BSC fans: Last night, the cast reunited for an anniversary screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas—and director Melanie Mayron and stars Rachael Leigh Cook (Mary Anne), Larisa Oleynik (Dawn), Schuyler Fisk (Kristy), Stacey Ramsower (Mallory), Marla Sokoloff (Cokie Mason), and Bre Blair (Stacey) were all there to celebrate. We know you're dying to see what they all look like 20 years later—but first, here's a refresher for you (minus director Mayron, of course). Come marvel at a pre-She's All That Rachael Leigh Cook! And now, check out all of the reunion pics: It's ON! #BSCreunion Alamo Theater, Austin Tx A photo posted by Rachael Leigh Cook (@rachaelleighcook) on Nov 3, 2015 at 2:58pm PST I've known these ladies for 20 years and I feel so lucky to share this special evening with them. #bscreunion @drafthouse #cokiemason A photo posted by Marla Sokoloff (@realmarlasok) on Nov
By Anna Moeslein
The Baby-Sitters Club, the beloved coming-of-age movie based on Ann M. Martin's classic series, won our hearts 20 years ago thanks to the film's relatable depiction of small-town life as a preteen, the "Best Friends Forever!!!" message it taught us, and, of course, the charming cast. So, we have a treat for you, BSC fans: Last night, the cast reunited for an anniversary screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas—and director Melanie Mayron and stars Rachael Leigh Cook (Mary Anne), Larisa Oleynik (Dawn), Schuyler Fisk (Kristy), Stacey Ramsower (Mallory), Marla Sokoloff (Cokie Mason), and Bre Blair (Stacey) were all there to celebrate.
We know you're dying to see what they all look like 20 years later—but first, here's a refresher for you (minus director Mayron, of course). Come marvel at a pre-She's All That Rachael Leigh Cook!
And now, check out all of the reunion pics:
It's ON! #BSCreunion Alamo Theater, Austin Tx
A photo posted by Rachael Leigh Cook (@rachaelleighcook) on Nov 3, 2015 at 2:58pm PST
I've known these ladies for 20 years and I feel so lucky to share this special evening with them. #bscreunion @drafthouse #cokiemason
A photo posted by Marla Sokoloff (@realmarlasok) on Nov 3, 2015 at 5:06pm PST
That time the Baby-Sitters Club posed on my Baby-Sitters Club sleeping bag. #BSCReunion
A photo posted by Dana Collins (@toofast4love) on Nov 3, 2015 at 8:43pm PST
Fan girled oh so hard. #babysittersclub #BSCreunion #alamodrafthouse #drafthouse #atx
A photo posted by Marina Torres (@murunka) on Nov 3, 2015 at 8:12pm PST
Had a blast at The Babysitter's Club 20 Year Reunion @drafthouse tonight! Plus the girls had some fun chatting with @josejonesfilms after the screening and Q&A. #BSCreunion #babysittersclub #fonspr
A photo posted by Fons PR (@fons_pr) on Nov 3, 2015 at 9:31pm PST
[twenty years later & I still want to be a member of the baby-sitters club #BSCreunion thank you, @drafthouse
A photo posted by claire hogan (@claire_hogan) on Nov 3, 2015 at 9:21pm PST
__Want more '90s awesomeness? These fashion trends from the decade will give you a nostalgia trip:
Topicsmoviesnostalgia
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Ikonos Image of Amazon Rainforest
Remotely sensed image identifying areas of undisturbed forest, selectively logged forest, deforestation (clear cut), and secondary regrowth. The image of Amazon forest degradation was acquired by the Space Imaging Ikonos satellite over Mato Grosso, Brazil (11o°34’S and 54°39’W), on 13 June 2000. It was band- sharpened to 1-m resolution and the display is color composite (3,4,1). Credit: David Skole, Michigan State University.
Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005
Copyright protected. Obtain permission from the original figure source.
Observations, Land Use & Land Cover, International, Ecosystems & Biodiversity
View metadata in GCIS
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From: Thomson Reuters Foundation
São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade 2014
Ben Tavener / Flickr
New App Helps LGBTQ+ Brazilians Navigate Safe Spaces as Murders Skyrocket
The app aims to help address anti-LGBTQ violence in Brazil.
By Oscar Lopez
MEXICO CITY, Dec 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — An app that maps safe spaces for LGBTQ people and features a panic button to warn friends of risk was launched on Wednesday in Brazil, one of the deadliest countries to be gay or transgender.
The app is called Dandarah, after a trans woman who was murdered in 2017, and received its initial funding from Jean Wyllys, one of Brazil's few openly gay congressmen, who fled the country this year due to death threats.
"The LGBTQ community in Brazil as a whole, and especially the transgender group, is facing a large scope of violence," said University of Toronto's Monica Malta, a mental health expert, who has studied violence faced by trans women in Brazil.
"We hope that this app will be a strategy to help us [address the violence]," Malta, who helped develop the app, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Despite recent rulings in favor of LGBTQ rights, including a Supreme Court decision in June making homophobia a crime, religious conservatism and widespread violence often make Brazil a hostile country for gay and trans people.
Brazil had the highest number of trans murders globally — at 130 — in the 12 months up to Sept. 30, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring project. Almost 40% of deaths worldwide took place in the 200 million-strong nation.
Dandarah follows a global trend of digital platforms helping to keep LGBTQ people safe, with the GeoSure app, which rates risk for travellers in 30,000 neighborhoods worldwide, adding an LGBTQ safety category to its service last year.
The Brazilian app uses crowdsourcing to designate risky areas for gay and trans people by letting users mark locations where violent incidents occur, as well as police stations and safe spaces, like trans-friendly health clinics and charities.
Related Stories Feb. 22, 2018 LGBTQ Refugees Face Unimaginable Trauma, But They’re Rising Up
If they feel in danger, its panic button allows users to alert five registered contacts who receive the user's location and phone numbers for emergency services.
According to watchdog group Grupo Gay da Bahia, 320 LGBTQ people were murdered in Brazil last year.
Malta decided to launch the app after her study of nearly 3,000 trans women across Brazil revealed their "terrible and widespread experience of violence and discrimination."
"The key issue for us to think about was how could we build upon everything the community had and foster something that could give them a better tool to not only report [violence] but also reach out and support each other," Malta said.
Related Stories June 27, 2019 18 Empowering Photos of LGBTQ Pride Around the World
The rights groups and researchers behind Dandarah hope it will help paint a clearer picture of anti-LGBTQ violence in Brazil, where there are no official statistics on these attacks, and many crimes go unreported for fear of discrimination.
"It encourages the population to report crimes so we can reduce omission and impunity," said Bruna Benevides, a trans researcher and activist involved in the project, adding that the app is hosted on a secure server to protect users' identities.
(Reporting by Oscar Lopez @oscarlopezgib; editing by Katy Migiro. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
TopicsCitizenshipLGBTQLGBTIMobile AppsBrazilAnti-LGBT violenceviolencia lgbtqapp para ayudar a la comunidad lgbtq
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5 keys to Airbnb’s marketing success that you can learn from
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GlobalLinker Staff
7 Aug 2019, 07:00 — 6 min read
From having little traffic and bookings when founded in 2008, Airbnb has now grown into a global brand with about 150 million users and a valuation of $32 billion.
The success of Airbnb can be traced back to their clever marketing strategies that attracted travelers all over the world and disrupted traditional hotel businesses.
Aside from the determination of the founders to build the startup, the success of Airbnb can be traced back to their clever marketing strategies that attracted travelers all over the world and disrupted traditional hotel businesses. Here are some of the marketing strategies we can learn from the success of Airbnb:
1. Know your customers well
It starts with the basic. The success of Airbnb is because they managed to provide solutions to the pain points and aspirations of their target customers, and capitalized these solutions to create effective marketing campaigns. In 2016, Airbnb had their “Live There” campaign where they shared a unique way of travelling and encouraged travelers to travel like a local. They were able to highlight their unique selling point which is having an authentic travel experience by staying at a local home. This messaging captured the heart of many travelers globally which differentiated Airbnb from a typical hotel accommodation.
You can stand from the crowd when you harness your customers’ pain points and aspirations and leverage it to create a relevant marketing campaign that will attract customers.
Also read: Win them with your product, keep them with your service: 4 case studies
2. Connect your campaign with the trending topics
When the news broke out about a man who was trapped overnight in a bookstore in London, Airbnb managed to turn what seemed to be a PR disaster for the bookstore company into a successful social media campaign. Airbnb partnered with the bookshop to let 20 people spend the night in the bookshop which went viral over social media. Since Airbnb is about offering unique accommodation, they were able to maximize the trending news and align it to their service and create a relevant campaign out of it.
Thus, as a business, it’s important that you are always aware about the trending topics in your industry and also what’s trending in social media. Capitalize on the noise to promote your company, but make sure that the campaign is aligned to your mission as a business to avoid receiving backlash from the general public.
3. Leverage other platforms to drive traffic to your website
Back when Airbnb didn’t have hundreds of thousands of listings on their platform, they started leveraging Craiglist, a US classified advertisement website, to drive traffic to their platform. They reached out to home owners who made listings in their area and invited them to try Airbnb. The home owners eventually became the evangelists of the platform.
To drive more traffic to your website, you should know where you can find your customers. Examine on which platform they are most active so you can tweak your campaign effectively.
4. Utilize your uniqueness
While the competitors of Airbnb are fighting on the title of the “leading” online booking platform, Airbnb mastered the power of differentiation and stayed away from the bandwagon. Instead, they remain true to their core mission to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere, providing healthy travel that is local, authentic, diverse, inclusive, and sustainable. Airbnb’s marketing campaign always goes back to providing authentic travel experiences.
Instead of proving to your customers that you’re the original or the number one in the industry, learn to utilize your uniqueness and deliver this as your message.
Also read: How to build an evergreen brand
5. Tell a story
Don’t just sell your product; tell a story, but make sure the story is relatable to your customers. Content is still the king when it comes to marketing, and Airbnb has utilized this from the very beginning. Although they offer a cheaper accommodation than a regular hotel accommodation, they didn’t position their brand that way. What they do is that they focused on their strength of promoting a place of belongingness and experience like a local. This was evident by their published content in their website and social media accounts, providing local tips and featuring local homes and people.
So dig deeper. Don’t just focus on your product. You may be at the point where your product can already sell on its own, but just imagine its potential when you also connect your product to an empowering and relatable story.
These are just some of the many marketing strategies that we can learn from the success of Airbnb. Leverage on your resources and creativity so you can build a brand that your customers will authentically love.
Also read: 6 cost-effective marketing ideas for small businesses
Image source: Shutterstock.com
GlobalLinker Content Team
GlobalLinker Philippines / Makati city, Philippines
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Home South Asia Pakistan Top government officials involved in smuggling non-custom-paid vehicles
Top government officials involved in smuggling non-custom-paid vehicles
May 9, 2019 (Online): Top government officials, federal and provincial ministers, politicians and other high ranking personnel are allegedly involved in the crime of smuggling non-custom-paid (NCP) vehicles of foreign origin inflicting heavy loss to the national exchequer, reliable sources disclosed. The influential individuals are also using these NCP luxury vehicles by displaying fictitious registration number plates across the country, sources said.
The areas where these NCP vehicles could be seen moving on roads in herds included Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Karachi, Gotki, Hyderabad and various other parts of Sindh province while the Pakistani authorities, including Customs Intelligence, Excise and Taxation Departments, Federal Investigation Agency, police, and other law enforcement representatives have miserably failed to abolish this practice, sources mentioned.
Informants reported these luxury vehicles are being smuggled from various countries into Pakistan allegedly by the diplomatic and non-diplomatic staffers stationed in various embassies in Islamabad and are being sold overtly on a large scale including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and other parts of Sindh Province.
Muhammad Fiaz, another Superintendent deputed at the Car Section of IDP, was of view that the dry port deal very few cases of car imports and mostly vehicles are brought at Karachi Sea Port from foreign countries.
Above all, sources also revealed the involvement of diplomatic and non-diplomatic staffers of Afghanistan and the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, smuggling/importing luxurious vehicles into Pakistan and selling them through powerful government officials, politicians and other high and mighty to earn billion of rupees illegally.
A surprise raid by Customs Intelligence at some of the showrooms as well as courtyards of many embassies could lead towards unearthing the scam, they said. “It has been a routine practice that the smuggled or non-duty paid luxury vehicles are being plied on roads by displaying fake number plates in a bid to throw mud into the eyes of law enforcement agencies and other authorities concerned,” sources added.
The rampant smuggling/import of luxury vehicles from various countries into Pakistan has been going on unnoticed, depriving the national exchequer of huge revenues, up to billion of rupees, something that needs strong attention from Prime Minister Imran Khan and high ups at the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR). Additionally, further details revealed the purchase of two Mercedes Benz cars, models E63 AMG and E300, displaying the same registration number plates (AHZ-063) on both vehicles. They said the owner of these vehicles has sold out one car recently.
Read more: Toyota, Suzuki close their doors to most of Pakistan
A probe on part of Islamabad Excise and Taxation Department in the case may open a new Pandora box, they claimed. Similarly, a Lahore based big wheel has also been using two imported non-custom paid, a yellow coloured, Lamborghini Gallardo and a pearl white Chevrolet Corvette sports car with fake number plates (LED-15-8181 and LE-800), record of which were not registered with Punjab Excise and Taxation Department, Lahore…
“A former MPA, Mir Nadir Khan Magsi of Sindh government also owns non-custom paid vehicles,” sources claimed. Sources disclosed another Sindh based politician, who is part of the provincial government, has recently imported two luxury vehicles, a Mercedes S500 model 2017 and G63 model 2019 from Abu Dhabi. They said these vehicles were brought to Karachi seaport and cleared off by the authorities without receiving duties, causing the loss of millions of rupees to national kitty.
Rolls Royce Ghost, Mercedes S1500 and E Class, Range Rover Vogue, Cadillac Escalade G Class, Nissan Patrol, Toyota Land Cruisers, Lexus lx570, Range Rover and Hummer are other imported non-custom paid vehicles that are in use of big guns in Pakistan, they added. It was suggested that Customs Intelligence should launch massive crackdowns across the country and to carry out raids at houses/mansions of the powerful ministers to impound the NCP vehicles.
A personnel assistant (PA) of a federal minister, who is also accused of using non-custom paid vehicles, refused a correspondent the opportunity to talk, “You can never contact the minister by bypassing me,” he replied in a rough tune.
During background interviews, the car dealers said the imported cars were smuggled into Pakistan through private jets of foreign delegates/diplomats. Furthermore, Islamabad Dry Port, Afghan Border and Karachi Sea Port have become the hubs and a gateway for the smuggling/import of non-custom paid vehicles. The value of each smuggled/imported vehicle is approximately Rs 30 to 30.5 million, however, the top guns in Pakistan purchase these cars through meager prices ranging from Rs 3 to 5 million, they said.
Nonetheless, Customs Intelligence Islamabad HQ Superintendent Abdul Malik, during a chat with this correspondent, denied the fact that any diplomat is involved in smuggling NCP vehicles into Pakistan. “All the diplomats approach Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get Exemption Certificate and only after producing the EC to Customs Intelligence and Car Section at IDP, the diplomats can drive the car out,” he said.
Muhammad Fiaz, another Superintendent deputed at the Car Section of IDP, was of view that the dry port deal very few cases of car imports and mostly vehicles are brought at Karachi Sea Port from foreign countries. Mir Nadir Khan Magsi, however, when contacted for his comments, vehemently denied that he owned even a single non-custom paid vehicle. “I am a law-abiding citizen and use duty paid imported vehicles,” he said.
Read more: Auto-industry takes a major hit, bookings decline
Director General (DG) Customs Intelligence, Chairman Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) and spokesman to Prime Minister of Pakistan, could not be approached for their comments over the theft of custom duties on purchase of luxury vehicles by ministers, politicians and other high level personnel causing huge loss to the national exchequer.
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Fundraisers in Plymouth, ENG
Get help paying bills & expenses in Plymouth today
P.A.D.S Adult mental health charity
As an adult suffering with mental health difficulties I get to witness first hand the long waiting lists for professional help and wanted to do more so I set up my own adult mental health charity in Plymouth uk called P.A.D.S Plymouth Anxiety & Depression Support I run a closed facebook page and...
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Helping my hero that's helped myself and others
Where do i start! Here goes.... I would like to try and raise funds for a women that has spent years helping those around her. A truly wonderful friend of mine ( Katie ) has hit hard times after separating from her partner and left to care for her son alone. She works as a administrator but aft...
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Join university team
It's not easy to it done
Séan and Cían Trust Fund
I am running the Plymouth half-marathon on 23rd April 2017 in memory of my lifelong friend, Mark Pinnegar (aka Pins). Sadly, Mark died suddenly last year aged just 52. Mark was an Old Boy of St. Boniface College, Plymouth and a rugby man through and through who played for Plymouth Albion and Sud...
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Shane needs a good send off xx
we've decided to set up go fund me to give Shane hooper a good send off, Shane was a fishermen on the jmt trawler when it sunk just off the coast of Plymouth on the 10/07/2015. Shane sadly left behind two daughters and a son. His family are besides there selfs after this horrendous news and mysel...
£1,930 raised of £500
Three Peaks Extreme
The date has been set. On the 21st May a group of us shall be headed for Scotland to undertake the Three Peaks Challenge with a twist to raise money and awareness for the Freya Barlow Trust. We shall be marching up the peaks and sticking a wee 1 mile swim, 10km run and 85km cycle in for good meas...
Research Trip to Honduras for University
My name is Vikki Wakeham, and I’m currently studying Conservation Biology at Plymouth University. I’m raising money to fund my research trip to Honduras as part of my degree in the summer of 2020. It's a 6-week expedition, where I will be collecting data about venomous snake colouration or dead...
£10 raised of £4,000
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Sam's Coastal Challenge
Coastal Challenge is a solo paddle on a Stand Up Paddle board. Covering 250 miles following the Cornish Coastline from Bude in North Cornwall, to Plymouth on the Cornwall South Devon boarder. Working closely with The Wave Project Sam is hoping to raise £2500 in 6 months. The Wave Project is a...
Miles for Mason
We are doing Miles for Mason. On the 28th of May, we will be riding from Plymouth to Barnstaple - coast to coast - to raise some cash for Mason's next treatment at the Adeli Rehab Centre in Slovakia. This is an intensive treatment program, and hence it is pretty expensive to fund. With a little...
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Phil Mickelson finishes out three-shot victory at Pebble Beach Pro-Am
By Sean Zak
Phil Mickelson faced quite the deficit when he began playing Sunday morning. To make matters worse, Pebble Beach saw its wildest weather in years. But then the tournament took quite the competitive turn. Here’s what you missed on the PGA Tour this weekend.
Who won: Phil Mickelson (seven-under 69, 19 under overall)
How it happened: Mickelson began Sunday’s round in the final pairing, but trailed Paul Casey by three strokes. The 48-year-old wasn’t going to be handed the trophy; he’d have to earn it. Mickelson was bogey-free, catching Casey after a birdie on the 10th and extending his lead when Casey made bogey on the 12th and 13th. Wild weather from the morning kept the final pairing from finishing, so Casey and Mickelson headed back out to Pebble Monday morning.
Casey made the three-foot putt that awaited him on the 16th green and both players tossed solid approaches inside of 10 feet on the 17th. Both players missed their birdie tries, though. On to 18, where Mickelson’s three-shot lead was just too much. Lefty took an iron off the tee, reached the green in three. Casey made birdie on 18 but so did Mickelson.
Why it matters: The win is Mickelson’s 44th in his PGA Tour career, good for ninth-best in history. Remember when he won in Mexico last year and said he’d win 50 times in his career? Well, he’s one step closer to that Toal now.
Best use of Tour rules: Mickelson was in a rush to finish Sunday night as the sun set quickly. “I can see just fine,” he said. Casey disagreed. The Englishman said he’d rather call it quits for the day and return Monday morning. That’s all the Tour needed to make a call.
Best quote: “I’m a Sun Devil. I like the sun,” Casey said of the conditions. “This is brutal. This is why I moved away from England.”
Best job making good of the conditions: Pebble Beach saw a wild hail storm early Sunday, delaying the final round and blanketing the course in icy chunks. No problem for Sam Saunders, though, who decided to have a little fun.
When it hails on the golf course …
Let the games begin. ? pic.twitter.com/fhUbWHOiqv
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 10, 2019
Up next: The Tour heads to SoCal for the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club. Tiger Woods plays host in his second official event of 2019. Bubba Watson is your defending champ, while a bunch of other big names (Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson) populate the field.
Viewer’s guide: 2020 Farmers Insurance Open tee times, TV schedule and purse
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Home Hero Indian Open
The 2017 Hero Indian Open will be hosted at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi, India between Thursday March 9th and Sunday March 12th.
The defending champion at the Hero Indian Open is S.S.P Chawrasia who won last year's tournament at PGA National.
2018 Hero Indian Open Results & Leaderboard
Hero Indian Open tech join proven - March 12, 2018
Matt Wallace has won the 2018 Hero Indian Open with a 3 shot lead and a score of 11 under par at the DLF Golf & Country Club. 2018 Hero Indian Open Results The 2018 Hero Indian Open results, scores and...
Hero Indian Open Tee Times – 2018 Round 4 Player Pairings
The 4th round of the 2018 Hero Indian Open will be played on Sunday 11th March at the DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India. The Hero Indian Open 4th round tee times have been announced and...
The Hero Indian Open Tee Times – Round 3 Players Pairings
Round 3 of the 2018 Hero Indian Open will be hosted at the DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India on Saturday 11th March. The Hero Indian Open round 3 tee times have been announced and the...
The Hero Indian Open Prize Money– 2018 Purse & Payouts
Hero Indian Open tech join proven - March 8, 2018
The Hero Indian Open purse is €1,750,000 for the 2018 tournament at the DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India. The winner of the 2018 Hero Indian Open, Matt Wallace received the 1st prize payout of €235,495. The...
Hero Indian Open 2018 Round 2 Tee Times & Player Pairings
Round 2 of the 2018 Hero Indian Open golf tournament will be played on Friday 9th March at the DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India. The Hero Indian Open 2nd round tee times have been announced...
2018 Hero Indian Open Round 1 Tee Times & Player Pairings
Round 1 of the 2018 Hero Indian Open will be hosted at the DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India on Thursday 8th March. The 1st round tee times for the Hero Indian Open golf tournament have...
2018 Hero Indian Open Field – Hero Indian Open Field Golf Player Roster
The 2018 Hero Indian Open will be hosted at the DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India between Thursday March 8th and Sunday March 11th. The Hero Indian Open player lineup has been announced includes 144 players. The...
S.S.P Chawrasia has won the 2017 Hero Indian Open with a 7 shot lead and a score of 10 under par at the DLF Golf & Country Club. 2017 Hero Indian Open Results The 2017 Hero Indian Open results, scores and...
2017 Hero Indian Open Sunday Tee Times – 4th Round Pairings
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Zantac Lawsuits
Michigan Dangerous Drugs Lawyers
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that Zantac — a ranitidine-based antacid medication manufactured by Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim – contains detectable levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a suspected carcinogen. In both prescription and over-the-counter Zantac medications, the NDMA amounts have been found to be well over the FDA’s safe amounts. Some Zantac products contain NDMA in amounts 26,000 times greater than what is “safe.”
Consumers are now acting against Zantac and its manufacturers for selling a carcinogenic medication without disclosing the product's dangers. Plaintiffs speaking up around the country have mostly suffered from or been diagnosed with cancer after using Zantac regularly.
Anyone who has taken Zantac for six months or longer may be entitled to compensation. You do not have to be diagnosed with cancer to be eligible at this time. We are actively accepting all clients. Contact our attorneys today!
Do you think you have grounds to file a Zantac lawsuit against Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim? Call (248) 793-2010 to connect with our Michigan dangerous drug attorneys from Goodman Acker, P.C. Using our 150+ years of legal experience, we are not afraid to stand up to major corporations and Big Pharma when it means doing what is right for our clients and the wrongfully injured.
Did Sanofi Know Zantac Was Dangerous?
Ranitidine has long been known to cause a chemical reaction when it comes into contact with water. Depending on the strength of the reaction, the outcome may be NDMA. During digestion, Zantac will naturally come into contact with water inside the user, triggering the NDMA-forming process.
NDMA is also found in various dangerous substances, such as:
Jet engine fuel
Industrial-grade lubricants
Gasoline refining processes
Cigarette smoke
This information is available to the public and certainly should have been known by Big Pharma while making Zantac. To this end, it has been argued that Zantac’s manufacturers knowingly did not disclose the potential carcinogenic nature of Zantac. The alternative is that they were grossly negligent in its manufacturing process and never realized that ranitidine could cause the formation of NDMA. In either circumstance, the negligence may be enough to hold the companies liable for wrongdoing and damages suffered by Zantac users.
What Can NDMA & Zantac Cause?
The harm caused by prolonged Zantac use may be varied. The carcinogenic properties of NDMA are not fully understood at this time. It is, however, known to be destructive to the liver, kidneys, and lungs due to repeated exposure.
Some Zantac users have complained of or been diagnosed with:
Nausea, vomiting, and dizziness
Strong abdominal pain and headaches
It is also believed that NDMA can cause irregularities in the blood. Platelet deficiencies can cause a variety of health conditions, including immune system weakness.
Can You Sue Zantac’s Manufacturers?
Have you been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal cancer after using Zantac regularly and as prescribed? Are you suffering from unexplained health conditions similar to those caused by NDMA exposure? You might have an opportunity to bring a lawsuit against Sanofi and Boehringer with the assistance of our dangerous drug lawyers in Michigan.
Our attorneys can seek compensation on your behalf that pays for:
Medical expenses, including future treatments
Lost, missing, or reduced wages due to illness
Lessened enjoyment of life
As a consumer, you deserve to be able to trust the products you use, especially when they can be purchased off-the-shelf or over-the-counter. If Zantac and its manufacturers have caused you undue harm and suffering, then you deserve compensation and justice. Start your fight with the guidance and representation of our highly experienced lawyers from Goodman Acker, P.C.
Anyone who has taken Zantac for six months or longer may be entitled to compensation. You do not have to be diagnosed with cancer to be eligible at this time. We are actively accepting all clients.
Learn more about our legal team by browsing our client testimonials, reviewing our recent case results, or calling us at (248) 793-2010 to arrange a FREE consultation.
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Trump's DOT Retools Infrastructure Grant Program
June 30, 2017 • by Staff
The new grant program will emphasize projects that stretch federal highway funding. Photo: Evan Lockridge
The Department of Transportation has retooled the federal Fastlane infrastructure grant program to better align with the Trump administration’s goals of using more public-private partnerships.
The new Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant program changes the grant criteria for the program, which was established as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015. The DOT says the updated criteria will evaluate projects “to align them with national and regional economic vitality goals and to leverage more non-federal funding,” citing a focus on “projects that use innovative approaches to make each the federal dollar go further and encourage more parties to put skin in the game.”
The INFRA program criteria include economic vitality, innovation, leveraging of federal funding, and performance and accountability, according to a DOT fact sheet. Previous Fastlane criteria calling for community and environmental outcomes are not emphasized in the new program.
The INFRA Grant solicitation will make approximately $1.5 billion available to projects that are in line with the Administration’s principles to help rebuild, repair, and revitalize America’s crumbling infrastructure.
However, some are not happy about the fact that previous Fastlane applicants will now have to re-apply under the new criteria.
U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats representing Illinois, called on President Trump to fully fund the DOT’s fiscal year 2017 Fastlane grants.
“President Trump promised a trillion dollar infrastructure package, but instead his budget slashed transportation investments and his Administration continues to delay funding,” Durbin said. “I urge the president to immediately fund and advance the hundreds of millions of dollars in Fastlane grants around the country.”
Read more about Highway Funding U.S. DOT Infrastructure Funding Donald Trump
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Clemson’s youth movement in full effect in opener
McCloud leads all receivers with eight catches
Clemson’s youth movement in full effect in opener McCloud leads all receivers with eight catches Check out this story on greenvilleonline.com: http://grnol.co/1EIwjLf
Scott Keepfer, skeepfer@greenvillenews.com Published 7:49 p.m. ET Sept. 5, 2015
Clemson wide receiver Ray Ray McCloud (34) carries past Wofford safety Malik Rivera (31) during the first quarter Saturday at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.(Photo: BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff)Buy Photo
CLEMSON – The Clemson football team played 13 true freshmen against Wofford on Saturday, the most in a game since 1943.
But Dabo Swinney did it by choice.
In 1943, then-coach Frank Howard had no other option – the U.S. Government drafted Clemson’s entire junior and senior classes during the height of World War II, which meant Howard’s team was composed entirely of freshmen and sophomores.
And Swinney thought his team was hit hard by the draft.
Not surprisingly, the Tigers slogged to a 2-6 record that 1943 season; this year’s prospects are considerably better.
“We came right out of the gate, starting with our left tackle (Mitch Hyatt), who did a great job today,” Swinney said. “You saw a bunch of guys all over the field. I don’t care what type of player you are, until you experience this environment a little bit, it can be a really difficult thing to prepare for.”
No one appeared to enjoy his debut more than wide receiver Ray Ray McCloud, who said the toughest part of the day was concentrating on running down the hill for the first time in his career.
“Going down the hill and looking at all the people was crazy — that’s what I’ll remember most,” McCloud said. “I was nervous. But once I got on the field, I was good.”
He sure was. McCloud led all receivers with eight catches for 80 yards, continuing a trend of rookie receivers who have shined early in their Clemson careers.
A few years ago, it was Sammy Watkins bursting onto the scene, followed in succession by Martavis Bryant, Mike Williams and Artavis Scott.
“Every year for last four years we’ve had that freshman,” co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. “Last year Artavis was the young guy out there early.
“I sat down with Ray Ray and Deon (Cain) and I showed them 2011 and Artavis’s first couple of games, so they could get their feet wet. But I’m not surprised at all (today) — it was just like it has been in practice. We’ll see Deon and Ray Ray just continue to get better every week.”
Other Clemson freshmen making their debut on Saturday in addition to Hyatt, McCloud and Cain included quarterback Kelly Bryant, linebackers J.D. and Judah Davis, offensive lineman Jake Fruhmorgen, tight end Garrett Williams, defensive tackles Albert Huggins and Christian Wilkins, defensive end Austin Bryant, safety Van Smith and linebacker Jalen Williams.
With 28 freshmen on the Tigers’ depth chart, the youth movement obviously is in full effect, particularly on defense.
“A lot of the guys who are playing are mature,” Wilkins said. “The coaches have prepared us. They work hard to get us in a good position (to play), so they wouldn’t put us out there if they didn’t have confidence in us.”
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Cody Latkovski Wins FIA Motorsport Games Digital Cup for Australia
Esports 51 November 3, 2019 by Andrew Evans
GT Sport World Tour regular Cody Latkovski has won the first ever Digital Cup at the FIA Motorsport games. Latkovski, representing Team Australia, took the win after a hard-fought race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in which the lead seemed to change on almost a corner-by-corner basis.
The racing action started with three semi-finals, each using the Fittipaldi EF7 at Brazil’s Interlagos circuit. Each went pretty much as expected, with the seasoned Gran Turismo regulars taking the victory in all three cases.
Mikail Hizal, representing Germany, all but cruised to victory in race one, leading Team Hungary’s Benjamin Bader home. Latkovski repeated the act in the second semi-final, winning from Tommy Østgaard — more familiar as a Porsche esports Supercup driver in iRacing. The third semi also went the way of a GT Sport World Tour driver, Bernal Valverde from Costa Rica. Valverde won the Manufacturer Series in New York, as a Mercedes-Benz teammate of Latkovski. Recently crowned World’s Fastest Gamer James Baldwin placed third for the UK to also qualify for the final.
A repechage race gave three more drivers another chance to reach the final, using the Pagani Zonda R at the wet version of Red Bull Ring. That saw Leon Ackerman (Netherlands), Robin Noborg (Sweden), and Mior Hafiz (Malaysia) qualify, joining the other semi-final qualifiers Marcin Swiderek (Poland), Yi-Teng Chou (Chinese Taipei), and Stefano Conte (Italy) in the race at Barcelona.
An error-strewn race saw Hizal, Latkovski, and Valverde trading places at the sharp end. The final chicane proved to be the undoing of many drivers, with the X2019 Competition snapping round the sausage curbs, particularly on worn tires. Despite having a commanding lead for much of the early part of the race, Team Germany eventually made one mistake too many and slipped back to sixth.
Moving into the final pit stops, one lap from home, it seemed that Valverde was going to take the win. However the Costa Rica driver span at the chicane, allowing Latkovski to skim past into the lead in pit entry. He then guided the Team Australia car home to a narrow win over his Mercedes-Benz teammate, with home favorite Conte rounding out the podium.
That gave Australia its first gold medal of the games, moving it to joint first in the medal table with Drifting Cup winners Ukraine.
You can watch the entire race below:
FIA Motorsport Games
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