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The Myths of Mexico and Peru, by Lewis Spence, [1913], at sacred-texts.com
"IN the year and in the day of the clouds," writes Garcia in his Origin de los Indias, professing to furnish the reader with a translation of an original Mixtec picture-manuscript, "before ever were years or days, the world lay in darkness. All things were orderless, and a water covered the slime and ooze that the earth then was." This picture is common to almost all American creation-stories. [See the author's article on "American Creation-Myths" in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. iv.] The red man in general believed the habitable globe to have been created from the slime which arose above the primeval waters, and there can be no doubt that the Nahua shared this belief. We encounter in Nahua myth two beings of a bisexual nature, known to the Aztecs as Ometecutli-Omeciuatl (Lords of Duality), who were represented as the deities dominating the genesis of things, the beginning of the world. We have already become acquainted with them in Chapter II (see p. 104), but we may recapitulate. These beings, whose individual names were Tonacatecutli and Tonacaciuatl (Lord and Lady of our Flesh), occupy the first place in the calendar, a circumstance which makes it plain that they were regarded as responsible for the origin of all created things. They were invariably represented as being clothed in rich, variegated garments, symbolical of light. Tonacatecutli, the male principle of creation or world-generation, is often identified with the sun- or fire-god, but there is no reason to consider him as symbolical of anything but the sky. The firmament is almost universally regarded by American aboriginal peoples as the male principle of the cosmos, in contradistinction to the earth, which they think of as possessing feminine attributes, and which is undoubtedly personified in this instance by Tonacaciuatl.
In North American Indian myths we find the Father Sky brooding upon the Mother Earth, just as in early Greek creation-story we see the elements uniting, the firmament impregnating the soil and rendering it fruitful. To the savage mind the growth of crops and vegetation proceeds as much from the sky as from the earth. Untutored man beholds the fecundation of the soil by rain, and, seeing in everything the expression of an individual and personal impulse, regards the genesis of vegetable growth as analogous to human origin. To him, then, the sky is the life-giving male principle, the fertilising seed of which descends in rain. The earth is the receptive element which hatches that with which the sky has impregnated her.
One of the most complete creation-stories in Mexican mythology is that given by the half-blood Indian author Ixtlilxochitl, who, we cannot doubt, received it directly from native sources. He states that the Toltecs credited a certain Tloque Nahuaque (Lord of All Existence) with the creation of the universe, the stars, mountains, and animals. At the same time he made the first man and woman, from whom all the inhabitants of the earth are descended. This "first earth" was destroyed by the "water-sun." At the commencement of the next epoch the Toltecs appeared, and after many wanderings settled in Huehue Tlapallan (Very Old Tlapallan). Then followed the second catastrophe, that of the "wind-sun." The remainder of the legend recounts how mighty earthquakes shook the world and destroyed the earth-giants. These earth-giants (Quinames) were analogous to the Greek Titans, and were a source of great uneasiness to the Toltecs. In the opinion of the old historians they were descended from the races who inhabited the more northerly portion of Mexico.
It will be well to return for a moment to the creation story of the Mixtecs, which, if emanating from a somewhat isolated people in the extreme south of the Mexican Empire, at least affords us a vivid picture of what a folk closely related to the Nahua race regarded as a veritable account of the creative process. When the earth had arisen from the primeval waters, one day the deer-god, who bore the surname Puma-Snake, and the beautiful deer-goddess, or Jaguar-Snake, appeared. They had human form, and with their great knowledge (that is, with their magic) they raised a high cliff over the water, and built on it fine palaces for their dwelling. On the summit of this cliff they laid a copper axe with the edge upward, and on this edge the heavens rested. The palaces stood in Upper Mixteca, close to Apoala, and the cliff was called Place where the Heavens Stood. The gods lived happily together for many centuries, when it chanced that two little boys were born to them, beautiful of form and skilled and experienced in the arts. From the days of their birth they were named Wind-Nine-Snake (Viento de Neuve Culebras) and Wind-Nine-Cave (Viento de Neuve Cavernas). Much care was given to their education, and they possessed the knowledge of how to change themselves into an eagle or a snake, to make themselves invisible, and even to pass through solid bodies.
After a time these youthful gods decided to make an offering and a sacrifice to their ancestors. Taking incense vessels made of clay, they filled them with tobacco, to which they set fire, allowing it to smoulder. The smoke rose heavenward, and that was the first offering (to the gods). Then they made a garden with shrubs and flowers, trees and fruit-bearing plants, and sweet-scented herbs. Adjoining this they made a grass-grown level place (un prado), and equipped it with everything necessary for sacrifice. The pious brothers lived contentedly on this piece of ground, tilled it, burned tobacco, and with prayers, vows, and promises they supplicated their ancestors to let the light appear, to let the water collect in certain places and the earth be freed from its covering (water), for they had no more than that little garden for their subsistence. In order to strengthen their prayer they pierced their ears and their tongues with pointed knives of flint, and sprinkled the blood on the trees and plants with a brush of willow twigs.
The deer-gods had more sons and daughters, but there came a flood in which many of these perished. After the catastrophe was over the god who is called the Creator of All Things formed the heavens and the earth, and restored the human race.
Among the Zapotecs, a people related to the Mixtecs, we find a similar conception of the creative process. Cozaana is mentioned as the creator and maker of all beasts in the valuable Zapotec dictionary of Father Juan de Cordova, and Huichaana as the creator of men and fishes. Thus we have two separate creations for men and animals. Cozaana would appear to apply to the sun as the creator of all beasts, but, strangely enough, is alluded to in Cordova's dictionary as "procreatrix," whilst he is undoubtedly a male deity. Huichaana, the creator of men and fishes, is, on the other hand, alluded to as "water," or "the element of water, and "goddess of generation." She is certainly the Zapotec female part of the creative agency. In the Mixtec creation-myth we can see the actual creator and the first pair of tribal gods, who were also considered the progenitors of animals-to the savage equal inhabitants of the world with himself. The names of the brothers Nine-Snake and Nine-Cave undoubtedly allude to light and darkness, day and night. It may be that these deities are the same as Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl (the latter a Zapotec deity), who were regarded as twins. In some ways Quetzalcoatl was looked upon as a creator, and in the Mexican calendar followed the Father and Mother, or original sexual deities, being placed in the second section as the creator of the world and man.
Flood-myths, curiously enough, are of more common occurrence among the Nahua and kindred peoples than creation-myths. The Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg has translated one from the Codex Chimalpopoca, a work in Nahuatl dating from the latter part of the sixteenth century. It recounts the doings of the Mexican Noah and his wife as follows:
"And this year was that of Ce-calli, and on the first day all was lost. The mountain itself was submerged in the water, and the water remained tranquil for fifty-two springs.
"Now toward the close of the year Titlacahuan had forewarned the man named Nata and his wife Nena, saying, 'Make no more pulque, but straightway hollow out a large cypress, and enter it when in the month Tozoztli the water shall approach the sky.' They entered it, and when Titlacahuan had closed the door he said, 'Thou shalt eat but a single ear of maize) and thy wife but one also.'
"As soon as they had finished eating, they went forth, and the water was tranquil; for the log did not move any more; and opening it they saw many fish.
"Then they built a fire, rubbing together pieces of wood, and they roasted fish. The gods Citallinicue and Citallatonac, looking below, exclaimed, 'Divine Lord, what means that fire below? Why do they thus smoke the heavens?'
"Straightway descended Titlacahuan-Tezcatlipoca, and commenced to scold, saying, 'What is this fire doing here?' And seizing the fishes he moulded their hinder parts and changed their heads, and they were at once transformed into dogs."
But other legends apart from the creation-stories of the world pure and simple deal with the origin of mankind. The Aztecs believed that the first men emerged from a place known as Chicomoztoc (The Seven Caverns), located north of Mexico. Various writers have seen in these mythic recesses the fabulous "seven cities of Cibola" and the Casas Grandes, ruins of extensive character in the valley of the river Gila, and so forth. But the allusion to the magical number seven in the myth demonstrates that the entire story is purely imaginary and possesses no basis of fact. A similar story occurs among the myths of the Kiche of Guatemala and the Peruvians.
Coming to semi-historical times, we find a variety of legends connected with the early story of the city of Mexico. These for the most part are of a weird and gloomy character, and throw much light on the dark fanaticism of a people which could immolate its children on the altars of implacable gods. It is told how after the Aztecs had built the city of Mexico they raised an altar to their war-god Huitzilopochtli. In general the lives rendered to this most sanguinary of deities were those of prisoners of war, but in times of public calamity he demanded the sacrifice of the noblest in the land. On one occasion his oracle required that a royal princess should be offered on the high altar. The Aztec king, either possessing no daughters of his own or hesitating to sacrifice them, sent an embassy to the monarch of Colhuacan to ask for one of his daughters to become the symbolical mother of Huitzilopochtli. The King of Colhuacan, suspecting nothing amiss, and highly flattered at the distinction, delivered up the girl, who was escorted to Mexico, where she was sacrificed with much pomp, her skin being flayed off to clothe the priest who represented the deity in the festival. The unhappy father was invited to this hideous orgy, ostensibly to witness his daughter's deification. In the gloomy chambers of the war-god's temple he was at first unable to mark the trend of the horrid ritual. But, given a torch of copal-gum, he saw the officiating priest clothed in his daughter's skin, receiving the homage of the worshippers. Recognising her features, and demented with grief and horror, he fled from the temple, a broken man, to spend the remainder of his days in mourning for his murdered child.
One turns with relief from such a sanguinary tale to the consideration of the pleasing semi-legendary accounts of Ixtlilxochitl regarding the civilisation of Tezcuco, Mexico's neighbour and ally. We have seen in the sketch of Nahua history which has been given how the Tecpanecs overcame the Acolhuans of Tezcuco and slew their king about the year 108. Nezahualcoyotl (Fasting Coyote), the heir to the Tezcucan throne, beheld the butchery of his royal father from the shelter of a tree close by, and succeeded in making his escape from the invaders. His subsequent thrilling adventures have been compared with those of the Young Pretender after the collapse of the "Forty-five" resistance. He had not enjoyed many days of freedom when he was captured by those who had set out in pursuit of him, and, being haled back to his native city, was cast into prison. He found a friend in the governor of the place, who owed his position to the prince's late father, and by means of his assistance he succeeded in once more escaping from the hostile Tecpanecs. For aiding Nezahualcoyotl, however, the governor promptly paid the penalty of death. The royal family of Mexico interceded for the hunted youth, and he was permitted to find an asylum at the Aztec court, whence he later proceeded to his own city of Tczcuco, occupying apartments in the palace where his father had once dwelt. For eight years he remained there, existing unnoticed on the bounty of the Tecpanec chief who had usurped the throne of his ancestors.
In course of time the original Tecpanec conqueror was gathered to his fathers, and was succeeded by his son Maxtla, a ruler who could ill brook the studious prince, who had journeyed to the capital of the Tecpanecs to do him homage. He refused Nezahualcoyotl's advances of friendship, and the latter was warned by a favourably disposed courtier to take refuge in flight. This advice he adopted, and returned to Tczcuco, where, however, Maxtla set a snare for his life. A function which took place in the evening afforded the tyrant his chance. But the prince's preceptor frustrated the conspiracy, by means of substituting for his charge a youth who strikingly resembled him. This second failure exasperated Maxtla so much that he sent a military force to Tezcuco, with orders to despatch Nezahualcoyotl without delay. But the same vigilant person who had guarded the prince so well before became apprised of his danger and advised him to fly. To this advice, however, Nezahualcoyotl refused to listen, and resolved to await the approach of his enemies.
When they arrived he was engaged in the Mexican ball-game of tlachtli. With great politeness he requested them to enter and to partake of food. Whilst they refreshed themselves he betook himself to another room, but his action excited no surprise, as he could be seen through the open doorway by which the apart. ments communicated with each other. A huge censer, however, stood in the vestibule, and the clouds of incense which arose from it hid his movements from those who had been sent to slay him. Thus obscured, he succeeded in entering a subterranean passage which led to a large disused water-pipe, through which he crawled and made his escape.
For a season Nezahualcoyotl evaded capture by hiding in the hut of a zealous adherent. The hut was searched, but the pursuers neglected to look below a heap of maguey fibre used for making cloth, under which he lay concealed. Furious at his enemy's escape, Maxtla now ordered a rigorous search, and a regular battue of the country round Tezcuco was arranged. A large reward was offered for the capture of Nezahual coyotl dead or alive, along with a fair estate and the hand of a noble lady, and the unhappy prince was forced to seek safety in the mountainous country between Tezcuco and Tlascala. He became a wretched outcast, a pariah lurking in caves and woods, prowling about after nightfall in order to satisfy his hunger, and seldom having a whole night's rest, because of the vigilance of his enemies. Hotly pursued by them he was compelled to seek some curious place concealment in order to save himself. On one occasion he was hidden by some friendly soldiers inside a large drum, and on another he was concealed beneath some chia stalks by a girl who was engaged in reaping them. The loyalty of the Tezcucan peasantry to their hunted prince was extraordinary, and rather than betray his whereabouts to the creatures of Maxtla they on many occasions suffered torture, and even death itself At a time when his affairs appeared most gloomy, however, Nezahualcoyotl experienced a change of fortune. The tyrannous Maxtla had rendered himself highly unpopular by his many oppressions, and the people in the territories he. had annexed were by no means contented under his rule.
These malcontents decided to band themselves together to defy the tyrant, and offered the command of the force thus raised to Nezahualcoyotl. This he accepted, and the Tecpanec usurper was totally defeated in a general engagement. Rcstored to the throne of his fathers, Nezahualcoyotl allied himself with Mexico, and with the assistance of its monarch completely routed the remaining force of Maxtla, who was seized in the baths of Azcapozalco, haled forth and sacrificed, and his city destroyed.
Nezahualcoyotl profited by the hard experiences he had undergone, and proved a wise and just ruler. The code of laws framed by him was an exceedingly drastic one, but so wise and enlightened was his rule that on the whole he deserves the title which has been conferred upon him of "the Solon of Anahuac." He generously encouraged the arts, and established a Council of Music, the purpose of which was to supervise artistic endeavour of every description. In Nezahualcoyotl Mexico found, in all probability, her greatest native poet. An ode of his on the mutability of life displays much nobility of thought, and strikingly recalls the sentiments expressed in the verses of Omar Khayyám.
Nezahualcoyotl is said to have erected a temple to the Unknown God, and to have shown a marked reference for the worship of one deity. In one Whis poems he is credited with expressing the following exalted sentiments: "Let us aspire to that heaven where all is eternal, and corruption cannot come. The horrors of the tomb are the cradle of the sun, and the dark shadows of death arc brilliant lights for the stars." Unfortunately these ideas cannot be verified as the undoubted sentiments of the royal bard of Tezcuco, and we are regretfully forced to regard the attribution as spurious. We must come to such a conclusion with very real disappointment, as to discover an untutored and spontaneous belief in one god in the midst of surroundings so little congenial to its growth would have been exceedingly valuable from several points of view.
We find Nezahualcoyotl's later days stained by an act which was unworthy of such a great monarch and wise man. His eldest son, the heir to the crown, entered into an intrigue with one of his father's wives, and dedicated many passionate poems to her, to which she replied with equal ardour. The poetical correspondence was brought before the king, who prized the lady highly because of her beauty. Outraged in his most sacred feelings, Nezahualcoyotl had the youth arraigned before the High Court, which passed sentence of death upon him-a sentence which his father permitted to be carried out. After his son's execution he shut himself up in his palace for some months, and gave orders that the doors and windows of the unhappy young man's residence should be built up so that never again might its walls echo to the sound of a human voice.
In his History of the Chichimeca Ixtlilxochitl tells the following gruesome tale regarding the dreadful fate of a favourite wife of Nezahualpilli, the son of Nezahualcoyotl: When Axaiacatzin, King of Mexico, and other lords sent their daughters to King Nezahualpilli, for him to choose one to be his queen and lawful wife, whose son might succeed to the inheritance, she who had the highest claims among them, for nobility of birth and rank, was Chachiuhnenetzin, the young daughter of the Mexican king. She had been brought up by the monarch in a separate palace, with great pomp, and with numerous attendants, as became the daughter of so great a monarch. The number of servants attached to her household exceeded two thousand. Young as she was, she was exceedingly artful and vicious; so that, finding herself alone, and seeing that her people feared her on account of her rank and importance, she began to give way to an unlimited indulgence of her power. Whenever she saw a young man who pleased her fancy she gave secret orders that he should be brought to her, and shortly afterwards he would be put to death. She would then order a statue or effigy of his person to be made, and, adorning it with rich clothing, gold, and jewellery, place it in the apartment in which she lived. The number of statues of those whom she thus sacrificed was so great as to almost fill the room. When the king came to visit her, and inquired respecting these statues, she answered that they were her gods; and he, knowing how strict the Mexicans were in the worship of their false deities, believed her. But, as no iniquity can be long committed with entire secrecy, she was finally found out in this manner: Three of the young men, for some reason or other, she had left alive. Their names were Chicuhcoatl, Huitzilimitzin, and Maxtla, one of whom was lord of Tesoyucan and one of the grandees of the kingdom, and the other two nobles of high rank. It happened that one day the king recognised on the apparel of one of these a very precious jewel which he had given to the queen; and although he had no fear of treason on her part it gave him some uneasiness. Proceeding to visit her that night, her attendants told him she was asleep, supposing that the king would then return, as he had done at other times. But the affair of the jewel made him insist on entering the chamber in which she slept; and, going to wake her, he found only a statue in the bed, adorned with her hair, and closely resembling her. Seeing this, and noticing that the attendants around were in much trepidation and alarm, the king called his guards, and, assembling all the people of the house, made a general search for the queen, who was shortly found at an entertainment with the three young lords, who were arrested with her. The king referred the case to the judges of his court, in order that they might make an inquiry into the matter and examine the parties implicated. These discovered many individuals, servants of the queen, who had in some way or other been accessory to her crimes-workmen who had been engaged in making and adorning the statues, others who had aided in introducing the young men into the palace, and others, again, who had put them to death and concealed their bodies. The case having been sufficiently investigated, the king despatched ambassadors to the rulers of Mexico and Tlacopan, giving them information of the event, and signifying the day on which the punishment of the queen and her accomplices was to take place; and he likewise sent through the empire to summon all the lords to bring their wives and their daughters, however young they might be, to be witnesses of a punishment which he designed for a great example. He also made a truce with all the enemies of the empire, in order that they might come freely to see it. The time having arrived, the number of people gathered together was so great that, large as was the city of Tezcuco, they could scarcely all find room in it. The execution took place publicly, in sight of the whole city. The queen was put to the garrotte (a method of strangling by means of a rope twisted round a stick), as well as her three gallants; and, from their being persons of high birth, their bodies were burned, together with the effigies before mentioned. The other parties who had been accessory to the crimes) who numbered more than two thousand persons, were also put to the garrotte, and burned in a pit made for the purpose in a ravine near a temple of the Idol of Adulterers. All applauded so severe and exemplary a punishment, except the Mexican lords, the relatives of the queen, who were much incensed at so public an example, and, although for the time they concealed their resentment, meditated future revenge. It was not without reason, says the chronicler, that the king experienced this disgrace in his household, since he was thus punished for an unworthy subterfuge made use of by his father to obtain his mother as a wife!
This Nezahualpilli, the successor of Nezahualcoyotl, was a monarch of scientific tastes, and, as Torquemada states, had a primitive observatory erected in his palace.
The period embraced by the life of this monarch and his predecessor may be regarded as the Golden Age of Tezcuco, and as semi-mythical. The palace of Nezahualcoyotl, according to the account of Ixtlilxochitl, extended east and west for 1234 yards, and for 978 yards from north to south. Enclosed by a high wall, it contained two large courts, one used as the municipal market-place, whilst the other was surrounded by administrative offices. A great hall was set apart for the special use of poets and men of talent, who held symposiums under its classic roof, or engaged in controversy in the surrounding corridors. The chronicles of the kingdom were also kept in this portion of the palace. The private apartments of the monarch adjoined this College of Bards. They were gorgeous in the extreme, and their description rivals that of the fabled Toltec city of Tollan. Rare stones and beautifully coloured plaster mouldings alternated with wonderful tapestries of splendid feather-work to make an enchanting display of florid decoration, and the gardens which surrounded this marvellous edifice were delightful retreats, where the lofty cedar and cypress overhung sparkling fountains and luxurious baths. Fish darted hither and thither in the ponds, and the aviaries echoed to the songs of birds of wonderful plumage.
According to Ixtlilxochitl, the king's villa of Tezcotzinco was a residence which for sheer beauty had no equal in Persian romance, or in those dream-tales of Araby which in childhood we feel to be true, and in later life regretfully admit can only be known again by sailing the sea of Poesy or penetrating the mist-locked continent of Dream. The account which we have from the garrulous half-blood reminds us of the stately pleasure-dome decreed by Kubla Khan on the turbulent banks of the sacred Alph. A conical eminence was laid out in hanging gardens reached by an airy flight of five hundred and twenty marble steps. Gigantic walls contained an immense reservoir of water, in the midst of which was islanded a great rock carved with hieroglyphs describing the principal events in the reign of Nezahualcoyotl. In each of three other reservoirs stood a marble statue of a woman, symbolical of one of the three provinces of Tezcuco. These great basins supplied the gardens beneath with a perennial flow of water, so directed as to leap in cascades over artificial rockeries or meander among mossy retreats with refreshing whisper, watering the roots of odoriferous shrubs and flowers and winding in and out of the shadow of, the cypress woods. Here and there pavilions of marble arose over porphyry baths, the highly polished stone of which reflected the bodies of the bathers. The villa itself stood amidst a wilderness of stately cedars, which shielded it from the torrid heat of the Mexican sun. The architectural design of this delightful edifice was light and airy in the extreme, and the perfume of the surrounding gardens filled the spacious apartments with the delicious incense of nature. In this paradise the Tezcucan monarch sought in the company of his wives repose from the oppression of rule, and passed the lazy hours in gamesome sport and dance. The surrounding woods afforded him the pleasures of the chase, and art and nature combined to render his rural retreat a centre of pleasant recreation as well as of repose and refreshment.
That some such palace existed on the spot in question it would be absurd to deny, as its stupendous pillars and remains still litter the terraces of Tezcotzinco. But, alas! we must not listen to the vapourings of the untrustworthy Ixtlilxochitl, who claims to have seen the place. It will be better to turn to a more modern authority, who visited the site about seventy-five years ago, and who has given perhaps the best account of it. He says:
"Fragments of pottery, broken pieces of obsidian knives and arrows, pieces of stucco, shattered terraces, and old walls were thickly dispersed over its whole surface. We soon found further advance on horseback impracticable, and, attaching our patient steeds to the nopal bushes, we followed our Indian guide on foot, scrambling upwards over rock and through tangled brushwood. On gaining the narrow ridge which connects the conical hill with one at the rear, we found the remains of a wall and causeway; and, a little higher, reached a recess, where, at the foot of a small precipice, overhung with Indian fig and grass, the rock had been wrought by hand into a flat surface of large dimensions. In this perpendicular wall of rock a carved Toltec calendar existed formerly; but the Indians, finding the place visited occasionally by foreigners from the capital, took it into their heads that there must be a silver vein there, and straightway set to work to find it, obliterating the sculpture, and driving a level beyond it into the hard rock for several yards. From this recess a few minutes' climb brought us to the summit of the hill. The sun was on the point of setting over the mountains on the other side of the valley, and the view spread beneath our feet was most glorious. The whole of the lake of Tezcuco, and the country and mountains on both sides, lay stretched before us.
"But, however disposed, we dare not stop long to gaze and admire, but, descending a little obliquely, soon came to the so-called bath, two singular basins, of perhaps two feet and a half diameter, cut into a bastion-like solid rock, projecting from the general outline of the hill, and surrounded by smooth carved seats and grooves, as we supposed-for I own the whole appearance of the locality was perfectly inexplicable to me. I have a suspicion that many of these horizontal planes and grooves were contrivances to aid their astronomical observations, one like that I have mentioned having been discovered by de Gama at Chapultepec.
"As to Montezuma's Bath, it might be his foot-bath if you will, but it would be a moral impossibility for any monarch of larger dimensions than Oberon to take a duck in it.
"The mountain bears the marks of human industry to its very apex, many of the blocks of porphyry of which it is composed being quarried into smooth horizontal planes. It is impossible to say at present what portion of the surface is artificial or not, such is the state of confusion obscrvable in every part.
"By what means nations unacquainted with the use iron constructed works of such a smooth polish, in rocks of such hardness, it is extremely difficult to say. Many think tools of mixed tin and copper were employed; others, that patient friction was one of the main means resorted to. Whatever may have been the real appropriation of these inexplicable ruins,or the epoch of their construction, there can be no doubt but the whole of this hill, which I should suppose rises five or six hundred feet above the level of the plain, was covered with artificial works of one kind or another. They are doubtless rather of Toltec than of Aztec origin, and perhaps with still more probability attributable to a people of an age yet more remote."
As may be imagined regarding a community where human sacrifice was rife, tales concerning those who were consigned to this dreadful fate were abundant. Perhaps the most striking of these is that relating to the noble Tlascalan warrior Tlalhuicole, who was captured in combat by the troops of Montezuma. Less than a year before the Spaniards arrived in Mexico war broke out between the Huexotzincans and the Tlascalans, to the former of whom the Aztecs acted as allies. On the battlefield there was captured by guile a very valiant Tlascalan leader called Tlalhuicole, so renowned for his prowess that the mere mention of his name was generally sufficient to deter any Mexican hero from attempting his capture. He was brought to Mexico in a cage, and presented to the Emperor Montezuma, who, on learning of his name and renown, gave him his liberty and overwhelmed him with honours. He further granted him permission to return to his own country, a boon he had never before extended to any captive. But Tlalhuicole refused his freedom, and replied that he would prefer to be sacrificed to the gods, according to the usual custom. Montezuma, who had the highest regard for him) and prized his life more than any sacrifice, would not consent to his immolation. At this juncture war broke out between Mexico and the Tarascans, and Montezuma announced the appointment of Tlalhuicole as chief of the cxpeditionary force. He accepted the command, marched against the Tarascans, and, having totally defeated them, returned to Mexico laden with an enormous booty and crowds of slaves. The city rang with his triumph. The emperor begged him to become a Mexican citizen, but he replied that on no account would he prove a traitor to his country. Montezuma then once more offered him his liberty, but he strenuously refused to return to Tlascala, having undergone the disgrace of defeat and capture. He begged Montezuma to terminate his unhappy existence by sacrificing him to the gods, thus ending the dishonour he felt in living on after having undergone defeat, and at the same time fulfilling the highest aspiration of his life-to die the death of a warrior on the stone of combat. Montezuma, himself the noblest pattern of Aztec chivalry, touched at his request, could not but agree with him that he had chosen the most fitting fate for a hero, and ordered him to be chained to the stone of combat, the blood-stained temalacatl. The most renowned of the Aztec warriors were pitted against him, and the emperor himself graced the sanguinary tournament with his presence. Tlalhuicole bore himself in the combat like a lion, slew eight warriors of renown, and wounded more than twenty. But at last he fell, covered with wounds, and was haled by the exulting priests to the altar of the terrible war-god Huitzilopochtli, to whom his heart was offered up.
It is only occasionally that we encounter either the gods or supernatural beings of any description in Mexican myth. But occasionally we catch sight of such beings as the Ciuapipiltin (Honoured Women), the spirits of those women who had died in childbed, a death highly venerated by the Mexicans, who regarded the woman who perished thus as the equal of a warrior who met his fate in battle. Strangely enough, these spirits were actively malevolent, probably because the moon-goddess (who was also the deity of evil exhalations) was evil in her tendencies, and they were regarded as possessing an affinity to her. It was supposed that they afflicted infants with various diseases, and Mexican parents took every precaution not to permit their offspring out of doors on the days when their influence was believed to be strong. They were said to haunt the cross-roads, and even to enter the bodies of weakly people, the better to work their evil will. The insane were supposed to be under their especial visitation. Temples were raised at the cross-roads in order to placate them, and loaves of bread, shaped like butterflies, were dedicated to them. They were represented as having faces of a dead white, and as blanching their arms and hands with a white powder known as tisatl. Their eyebrows were of a golden hue, and their raiment was that of Mexican ladies of the ruling class.
One of the weirdest legends in Mexican tradition recounts how Papantzin, the sister of Montezuma II, returned from her tomb to prophesy to her royal brother concerning his doom and the fall of his empire at the hands of the Spaniards. On taking up the reins of government Montezuma had married this lady to one of his most illustrious servants, the governor of Tlatelulco, and after his death it would appear that she continued to exercise his almost vice regal functions and to reside in his palace. In course of time she died, and her obsequies were attended by the emperor in person, accompanied by the greatest personages of his court and kingdom. The body was interred in a subterranean vault of his own palace, in close proximity to the royal baths, which stood in a sequestered part of the extensive grounds surrounding the royal residence. The entrance to the vault was secured by a stone slab of moderate weight, and when the numerous ceremonies prescribed for the interment of a royal personage had been completed the emperor and his suite retired. At daylight next morning one of the royal children, a little girl of some six years of age, having gone into the garden to seek her governess, espied the Princess Papan standing near the baths. The princess, who was her aunt, called to her, and requested her to bring her governess to her. The child did as she was bid, but her governess, thinking that imagination had played her a trick, paid little attention to what she said. As the child persisted in her statement, the governess at last followed her into the garden, where she saw Papan sitting on one of the steps of the baths. The sight of the supposed dead princess filled the woman with such terror that she fell down in a swoon. The child then went to her mother's apartment, and detailed to her what had happened. She at once proceeded to the baths with two of her attendants, and at sight of Papan was also seized with affright. But the princess reassured her, and asked to be allowed to accompany her to her apartments, and that the entire affair should for the present be kept absolutely secret. Later in the day she sent for Tiçotzicatzin, her majordomo, and requested him to inform the emperor that she desired to speak with him immediately on matters of the greatest importance. The man, terrified, begged to be excused from the mission, and Papan then gave orders that her uncle Nezahualpilli, King of Tezcuco, should be communicated with. That monarch, on receiving her request that he should come to her, hastened to the palace. The princess begged him to see the emperor without loss of time and to entreat him to come to her at once. Montezuma heard his story with surprise mingled with doubt. Hastening to his sister, he cried as he approached her: "Is it indeed you, my sister, or some evil demon who has taken your likeness?" "It is I indeed, your Majesty," she replied. Montezuma and the exalted personages who accompanied him then seated themselves, and a hush of expectation fell upon all as they were addressed by the princess in the following words:
"Listen attentively to what I am about to relate to you. You have seen me dead, buried, and now behold me alive again. By the authority of our ancestors, my brother, I am returned from the dwellings of the dead to prophesy to you certain things of prime importance.
"At the moment after death I found myself in a spacious valley, which appeared to have neither commencement nor end, and was surrounded by lofty mountains. Near the middle I came upon a road with many branching paths. By the side of the valley there flowed a river of considerable size, the waters of which ran with a loud noise. By the borders of this I saw a young man clothed in a long robe, fastened with a diamond, and shining like the sun, his visage bright as a star. On his forehead was a sign in the figure of a cross. He had wings, the feathers of which gave forth the most wonderful and glowing reflections and colours. His eyes were as emeralds, and his glance was modest. He was fair, of beautiful aspect and imposing presence. He took me by the hand and said: 'Come hither. It is not yet time for you to cross the river. You possess the love of God, which is greater than you know or can comprehend.' He then conducted me through the valley, where I espied many heads and bones of dead men. I then beheld a number of black folk, horned, and with the feet of deer. They were engaged in building a house, which was nearly completed. Turning toward the east for a space, I beheld on the waters of the river a vast number of ships manned by a great host of men dressed differently from ourselves. Their eyes were of a clear grey, their complexions ruddy, they carried banners and ensigns in their hands and wore helmets on their heads. They called themselves 'Sons of the Sun.' The youth who conducted me and caused me to see all these things said that it was not yet the will of the gods that I should cross the river, but that I was to be reserved to behold the future with my own eyes, and to enjoy the benefits of the faith which these strangers brought with them; that the bones I beheld on the plain were those of my countrymen who had died in ignorance of that faith, and had consequently suffered great torments; that the house being builded by the black folk was an edifice prepared for those who would fall in battle with the seafaring strangers whom I had seen; and that I was destined to return to my compatriots to tell them of the true faith, and to announce to them what I had seen that they might profit thereby."
Montezuma hearkened to these matters in silence, and felt greatly troubled. He left his sister's presence without a word, and, regaining his own apartments, plunged into melancholy thoughts.
Papantzin's resurrection is one of the best authenticated incidents in Mexican history, and it is a curious fact that on the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores one of the first persons to embrace Christianity and receive baptism at their hands was the Princess Papan.


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Pick up a copy of Future Music
and grab the chance to remix House-meister, Dave Spoon and get your remix released on his brand new label, Televizion.
After the huge success of Dave Spoon and James Talk´s remix of Liquid´s anthem Sweet Harmony, Dave Spoon is looking for FM readers to take up the challenge and get to work remixing Liquid´s other classic tune, Liquid Is Liquid.
On our DVD in this month's issue you´ll discover a folder in our regular interviews section containing samples and loops from the record. Mr Spoon was keen to point out the strong chances of a release to the best entry we receive. "I´m looking for a remix that is purely for the dancefloor", explains Spoon, "Dubstep and Drum ´n´ Bass could work just as well as the regular four-to-the-floor so I´m really interested to hear the different results."
Not only will the winner get the chance to have their remixed version released, but also, courtesy of Propellerheads and their UK distributors Sound Technology, we are giving away a copy of the Premium Edition of Reason, which comes complete with all the Propellerhead Hypersampled ReFill sound libraries. Plus, Propellerheads are throwing in a Reason goodie bag to kit you out stilll further.
Closing date: 31st January 2009.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home>News Center>World | ||
Suicide bomber kills 15 people in Iraq A suicide bomber detonated his car Monday at the gate of the home of the leader of Iraq's biggest political party, killing 15 people and injuring dozens, police said. The cleric was unharmed. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq ― the country's most powerful Shiite political group ― was in his residence in Baghdad's Jadiriyah district when the attack occurred, said his spokesman, Haitham al-Husseini.
"It was a suicide attack near the gate leading to the office," al-Husseini said. "Several of the guards were killed and wounded." Hakim also heads the candidate list of the 228-member United Iraqi Alliance coalition, which is expected to dominate Iraq's new constitutional assembly following the first free elections on Jan. 30. The coalition is supported by Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Al-Hakim's son, Ammar, accused Saddam Hussein's followers of being behind the suicide attack. "They are the remains of the dead regime and their allies who carried out similar criminal acts in the past," he said, adding that many of the blast victims were innocent civilians who happened to be on the street when the explosion occurred. The residence, where Hakim has his home and offices, was previously the house of Tariq Aziz, a jailed former senior aide to Saddam Hussein who has been in prison since April last year. Political and religious leaders of the Shiite community, who strongly back the holding of next month's vote, have been repeatedly targeted by the mainly Sunni Muslim insurgents since Saddam's ouster. The Shiites, who make up about 60 percent of Iraq's 26 million people, have traditionally been dominated by the Sunni minority, which accounts for about a fifth of the population. Their leaders are eager to translate that numerical superiority into political power after next month's ballot ― the first free elections since the overthrow of the monarchy 45 years ago. In another blow to Washington's plans for the upcoming elections, the largest Sunni Muslim political party that had planned to take part in the Jan. 30 ballot announced Monday it was pulling out of the race because of the rapidly deteriorating security situation and the lack of public awareness about the vote. "The security situation keeps going from bad to worse and has to be dealt with," said Mohsen Abdel-Hamid, the Iraqi Islamic Party's leader. In August 2003, a suicide bomber killed Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, elder brother of Abdul Aziz and former leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Like his late brother, Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim is a Shiite cleric who opposed Saddam Hussein from exile in Iran before returning to Iraq after last year's U.S.-led invasion. Meanwhile, a U.S. soldier died of wounds Monday and another was injured in a roadside bomb explosion in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement. The latest casualty brings to at least 1,324 the number of U.S. troops who have died in Iraq since the beginning of the war in March 2003. The violence came a day after the Iraqi militant group Ansar al-Sunnah Army posted a video on the Internet purportedly showing footage from last week's suicide attack at a U.S. base in Mosul. The group claimed that the bomber slipped into the base through a hole in the fence during a guard change. The footage showed a black-garbed gunman wearing an explosives belt around his body ― apparently the suicide bomber, identified in the tape as Abu Omar al-Mosuli ― bidding farewell to his comrades. The video gives no further details about the bomber beyond his name. The Ansar al-Sunnah Army had earlier said it would release a video of last Tuesday's attack, which killed 22 people, including 18 U.S. service members and civilian contractors. The bombing ― the deadliest attack on a U.S. base in Iraq ― has prompted a U.S. military investigation into how the bomber got onto the heavily guarded site and how security at bases can be improved. In the first section of the video ― with a time signature of Dec. 20, a day before the attack ― three gunmen wearing black masks and clothes and holding automatic rifles are shown sitting in front of a black banner with the group's name on it. One of them, apparently al-Mosuli, sits on the left, wearing an explosives belt. The gunman in the center reads a statement describes how the attack will be carried out. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified. The two men then embrace the one wearing the explosives belt. An image then shows a map of the base, as one of the gunmen points out locations using a military knife. One location is marked "the dining hall" in Arabic. A later outdoor video image ― shot on Tuesday, when the attack occurred ― shows a fireball rising from the distance with the accompanying sound of the explosion. A final image ― shot from a vehicle driving past the base ― shows the torn white tent that served as the base mess hall. |


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By Junaid Tahir Why Staying organized helps? S taying organized has many advantages in terms of having more time for you...
Why Staying organized helps?
Staying organized has many advantages in terms of having more time for yourself and family; in terms of saving money; peace of mind, better health, balanced life and improved professional/Social life.
Below are some considerations on how to be more Organized and consequently get the benefits mentioned above.
How to stay organized?
2. Differentiate between urgent and important tasks. Important tasks sooner or later will come out to be either very fruitful (if you have given them proper attention) or would be a complete disaster (if you have avoided them). Advantage: Attending Urgent tasks in timely manner will ensure healthy outcome in terms of family, personal, financial or professional life. You may want to read my article at http://paradigmwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/01/learn-to-differentiate-between-urgent.html
3. You need to closely observe your Time stealers. the routine tasks which takes away a lot of time but do not produce real good results should be optimized. Advantage: You will have more control on your time and arrange it for family & self matters.
4. Place your things at right locations. Allocate proper drawers, boxes, cabinets, Files, balcony for accessories. Advantage: you don't have to waste your time when you need something.
5. Google Calendar is a great service which sends you email and SMS for any event which you store in your online Calendar. You can set reminders for next car service, tires replacement, remembering birthdays & anniversaries and so on. Advantage: you will save money by avoiding disasters (car malfunctioning etc), you will have healthy family relations (birthdays etc)
6. Make a to-do list. Maintain it on daily/weekly basis. Use 'post-it' notes for shopping list. Advantage: Critical tasks will not be missed. Unnecessary market revisits will be avoided.
7. If you are Muslim, your Prayers timings can make you punctual and give you the convenience to organize a lot of events in-between two prayers. You can become a role model for others by being organized this way.
Stay organized for a concrete grip on your life starting today.


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Today, the Obama Administration announced plans to consolidate parts of the federal government, which may include moving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the Department of Interior. With responsibility for managing the largest sovereign ocean territory in the world, NOAA is a critically important agency. When considering moving NOAA to the U.S. Department of Interior, policy-makers should ensure that the agency's mission-critical functions, including management of the nation's fish stocks, are protected and strengthened.
Such a reorganization could have huge implications for the people who work hard at sea catching the fish we like to eat. I hope we can have a vigorous debate that looks carefully at the costs and benefits of any plan to move NOAA to Interior and make sure that the public, the nation's fishermen, and the nation's fish resources would truly benefit from it.


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Muskego, WI
W195 S6460 Racine Avenue
Muskego, WI 53150
(262) 465-2054
Fleet Rewards is Fleet Farm's new Rewards program designed to thank our loyal customers! Members earn points on purchases (after discounts and before taxes, fees, shipping, and handling) made at Fleet Farm. For every 500 points earned by a member, a $5 Reward is issued, good for use at Fleet Farm stores, through online transactions (including purchases made through the Fleet Farm mobile app), and Customer Care. Additional benefits include 1 points per dollar spent on most Fleet Farm purchases, exclusive member-only offers, early event access, 2 FREE tire rotations per year and Birthday Perks. Effective July 6, 2022 points earned by base members (non-credit card) will be adjusted to 1 point per dollar spent.
Membership is free! It's open to individuals residing in the U.S. who are at least 18 years of age. You can join the Fleet Rewards program by enrolling here, on the Fleet Farm Mobile App, by asking a Fleet Farm Team Member to enroll you, or by calling 1-877-633-7456.
If you already have a FleetFarm.com account - just sign in! If not, create one here. Once you're signed in, you'll be asked to complete your enrollment and provide the same information that you provided in store. Once you complete enrollment, which must include a unique email address and an optional cell phone SMS, you're all set! You'll start earning points for both in-store AND online purchases.
Full Enrollment, including the ability to earn points and redeem rewards, requires a valid email address and an optional cell phone number to receive program notifications and full benefits of the program.
If you sign up for the program in store with your phone number, an email address is not required. To receive the full benefits to the Fleet Rewards program, full enrollment is required. Part of the full enrollment status requires an email address.
Just visit your account page, log into the Fleet Farm Mobile App, or call 1-877-633-7456. If you have a FleetFarm.com account, your login remains the same. If you need to create an account, use the email address you used to sign up for the Fleet Rewards program. Having trouble accessing or updating your account? Contact Customer Care by calling 1-877-633-7456.
Just visit your account page, log into the Fleet Farm Mobile App, or call Customer Care at 1-877-633-7456.
You can find your Fleet Rewards member number:
• In your account on FleetFarm.com or the Fleet Farm Mobile App
• On a recent purchase receipt If you are unable to locate your number, contact Customer Care at 1-877-633-7456, or visit a store and have a Fleet Farm Team Member look up your account at the register.
Downloading the Fleet Farm Mobile App allows you to easily track your points balance, access your member account barcode, and have your Rewards available right in the app as you shop in stores and online!
Fleet Rewards program membership can be canceled at any time by calling Customer Care at 1-877-633-7456. If you have a Fleet Rewards Credit Card account and you close your Fleet Rewards program membership, you will no longer earn Rewards with your credit card. Canceling your Fleet Rewards program membership will not result in the closing of a Fleet Rewards Credit Card account. For more information regarding closing a Fleet Rewards Credit Card account, please contact Synchrony Bank at 1-855-485-6320.
Welcome back! It's easy to sign up again by simply re-enrolling in the Fleet Rewards program. You'll need to use a previously unused email address to create a new account. As a new member, you will start to earn points and receive program benefits again. Note that any points you had in a prior closed account will not be transferred to the new account.
Points are earned for qualifying purchases made at all Fleet Farm stores, through online transactions at FleetFarm.com (including purchases made through the Fleet Farm mobile app), and via direct phone orders. When buying in store, just make sure to let the Team Member know you are a member – you can show your Rewards card on your mobile phone, enter your cell phone number in the pin pad, or they can look up your account with your phone number or email address. When you're buying online (including online transactions at FleetFarm.com and purchases made through the Fleet Farm mobile app), be sure to log into your FleetFarm.com account profile before you complete your purchase. When making a direct phone order, be sure to provide your Rewards number, email address or phone number to identify your account and associate it with your purchase.
As a Fleet Rewards base program member (non-credit card holder), you earn 1 points for every qualifying $1 spent, rounded to the nearest dollar. Fleet Rewards Credit Card holders earn 4 points for every qualifying $1 spent, rounded to the nearest dollar.
When purchasing in store, online, or over the phone, the qualifying amount for earning points is the transaction subtotal for merchandise, excluding gift card purchases, after any discounts or Rewards have been applied, and before sales or other taxes, state fees, and shipping charges. But don't worry – you'll still earn points if you pay for your merchandise with a gift card! Points are not earned on the amount of a purchase covered by a Reward Certificate or Program Coupon, purchases of lottery tickets, tobacco products, alcohol, gift cards, tickets, permits, registrations, licenses, warranties, taxes, and shipping or other excluded charges specified by Fleet Farm from time to time.
When you buy a Fleet Farm Gift Card or eGift Card, you are converting your money into "store cash" for someone else to spend. If the recipient of the gift is a Fleet Rewards member, that person will earn points when redeeming the Gift Card.
Yes! You earn the same number of points whether you shop in store at Fleet Farm, on the Fleet Farm Mobile App, or online at FleetFarm.com. Just be sure to log into your FleetFarm.com account before you complete your purchase.
Yes! Be on the lookout for seasonal points promotions and special offers. Make sure to regularly check your emails, our website, and the Fleet Farm Mobile App to see what other opportunities we might offer to earn points.
If you didn't get points for a purchase within the last 30 days, please contact Customer Care. You will need to provide the following information to request points and credits for missing purchases: In-Store Purchase • Purchase Date • Store # • Register # • Transaction #* • Your Fleet Rewards Member # *The Transaction # is a 20 digit number and can be found underneath the bar code on the receipt. Online Orders • Order # • Your Fleet Rewards Member # If your purchase earned points, we'll post them to your account. Please note: • In-Store Purchases will appear in your Points History within 24 hours of your visit. • Online Orders will appear in your Points History within 72 hours from the date your order ships. Please wait for this time to pass and if your purchase still doesn't appear in your Points History, contact Customer Care.
Transactions can be applied to your Fleet Rewards account only after your join date.
Points usually post to your account very soon after your purchase. For in-store purchases, you should see your points within 24 hours after your purchase. For online orders, points do not display until after the purchases have shipped. You should see those points reflected within 24-72 hours after your entire order has shipped.
The points you earned from that purchase will be deducted from your Fleet Rewards program account. If you return a purchase after you have already earned a Reward for it, your points balance may fall below zero.
Rewards points expire 365 days after they are earned.
Fleet Rewards members are eligible for a $5 Reward every time they reach 500 points. Points are earned by purchasing items at Fleet Farm stores, on FleetFarm.com, or in the Fleet Farm Mobile App.
You can choose the denomination in which you receive your Rewards. Your default will be automatically set to receive a $5 Reward once you reach 500 points (or spend $500). However, if you prefer to save up for bigger Rewards, you can choose a $10 Reward once you reach 1,000 points (or spend $1000), a $15 Reward once you reach 1,500 points (or spend $1500), or a $20 Reward once you reach 2,000 points (or spend $2,000). Fleet Rewards® Credit Cardholders also have the option of receiving a $25 Rewards Card when you earn a total of 2,500 Rewards Points. You can update your settings at any time. Please allow up to one week for changes to be applied.
Rewards are automatically generated and usually issued within 24-48 hours after they are earned. You can find your available Rewards any time by logging into your account at FleetFarm.com or via the Fleet Farm Mobile App. If you've signed up to receive emails or text notifications from Fleet Farm, we will send you an email or text when you have a Reward available.
Once you have earned a Reward it will be sent to you via email and/or text, depending on your preferences. Your Rewards are also available in your online account, so be sure to log in at FleetFarm.com or via the Fleet Farm Mobile App to access your Rewards.
If shopping at a Fleet Farm store, just tell the cashier you have a Reward you'd like to redeem. If you're purchasing online or in the app, be sure to log in, and any available Rewards will appear right at checkout for you to easily apply! Remember that your Reward is intended just for you. And, remember to use it before it expires! You'll have 30 days to redeem it once it's issued.
Payment is accepted for Auto Services upon completion of the service. To redeem an available Reward for auto service, tell the cashier you have a Reward you'd like to redeem.
Yes! Rewards can be used with other offers, promotions, and coupons.
Yes, Rewards will expire 30 days after they are issued. Fleet Rewards® Credit Cardholders have the option of receiving a $25 Rewards Card when you earn a total of 2,500 Rewards Points, and the $25 Rewards Card has no expiration date.
Unfortunately, no. Once Rewards expire they can no longer be redeemed or reissued.
Points will be credited back to your Fleet Rewards account for all returns where Rewards were used as a tender. You will see the points in your Fleet Rewards account within 1-7 business days.
Rewards have no cash value and are not redeemable for cash. Each Reward may only be used once. No change or monetary currency will be given for Reward redemption.
No worries! If you think you're missing Rewards, please call Customer Care at 1-877-633-7456 and they can check your account to see if you have any available or pending Rewards.
Both Fleet Rewards Credit Cardmembers and Fleet Rewards Visa® Credit Cardmembers are automatically enrolled into Fleet Rewards program and earn 4 points for every $1 spent. That means more points faster! Cardmembers also enjoy special events and promotions throughout the year. Fleet Rewards® Credit Cardholders also have the option of receiving a $25 Rewards Card when you earn a total of 2,500 Rewards Points, and the $25 Rewards Card has no expiration date. Cardmembers who use their Fleet Rewards Visa® Credit Card for purchases made outside of Fleet Rewards locations, anywhere Visa is accepted, will earn 1 points per $1 spent on net purchases (merchandise purchased minus discounts, returns, adjustments) per transaction (rounded to the next nearest whole dollar).
The Fleet Rewards Visa(R) Card is subject to credit approval. Click here to learn more.
Absolutely! You'll get 10% off your first purchase* when you open and use your Fleet Rewards Credit Card or Fleet Rewards Visa® Credit Card. No coupon is required in store, and a discount code for online use will be provided upon credit approval. The discount is applied prior to sales tax and shipping & handling. It cannot be combined with any other coupon or discount code and is not valid for third party merchandise, previously purchased merchandise, or gift cards.
*Up to $75 discount.
Yes! Upon providing an active email address, you are automatically a Fleet Rewards program member! Be sure to use the same email address for both accounts so you receive all the benefits you earn.Cardmembers will continue to earn 4 points per dollar when they utilize their Fleet Rewards Credit Card for their purchases in-store or online*, and earn 1 point per dollar outside of Fleet Farm when they use their Fleet Rewards Visa Card.
*when logged into their Fleet Rewards account


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The Eleventh Annual Southern California Linux Expo
February 22-24, 2013
Hilton Los Angeles International Airport
February 22-24, 2013
Hilton Los Angeles International Airport
Philip Ballew is an active Open Source advocate in the greater Open Source community. Philip is currently heavily involved in the Ubuntu project, and he spends most of his time contributing to this project. When Philip is not contributing to Open Source, he can be found riding his bike, dancing badly, or attempting to pass his college classes.
Philip Ballew's blog


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I worked at post-DOJ-spanked Microsoft. I saw firsthand how wimpy Bill Gates got (I had a lunch with him and Mike Arrington where we talked about whether Microsoft would let us acquire interesting new companies. "No way" was the basic answer).
Today Jason Calacanis is taking Google to task for being naughty.
It's worse than that Jason. Google is behaving like Microsoft. It isn't buying the most interesting new startups (VMware is, having purchased SocialCast today, after SlideRocket and Mozy). It has done pretty sizable harm to its first service, search, and Microsoft is even kicking ass on its mapping technology.
So, what could Google in 2015 look like?
Jason lays out one vision of what Google could look like in four years: a nice company that helps the entire industry grow together.
Let's be honest. Big companies don't do what's right (translation: I don't think Google will listen to Jason). Why not?
Go into the heads of a big-company employee. Do they want to do the hard work of starting a new initiative? No. Do they want to take the personal risk to go into Larry Page and ask him to do something he isn't already doing? No. Do they want to go into Larry and say "hey, Larry, we've screwed up in social and we're screwing up in search, we need to do some small things to addict people to our services?" No. In fact, does anyone want to pitch Larry in doing something small, like it seemed Instagram was when we all first saw it? Or Foursquare? Or Twitter? Come on, how many of you, when you first saw those things, said to someone else "that's gonna be a big company some day?" I didn't even though I was in the first 15,000 to have a Twitter account. Even if I had, it's one thing to be a tech blogger or a geek in Palo Alto and it's a whole nother thing to go and pitch Larry Page and say those things.
What's small today? Here's a list over on Quora (I'm seeing Ashton Kutcher soon, so asked for startups to pitch me their stuff). Quick, any of these gonna be big companies someday? How do you know? Who made you an expert? I hang out with experts and even they really don't know. Quick, what was Facebook when it first came out? "A way to meet girls at Harvard." You really were gonna fund that? Even Ron Conway got involved after it went to other colleges.
Anyway, what will Google look like in 2015?
First, what will the trends be for the next four years?
1. Mobile will get bigger screens, more capabilities, and many more users will have more than 100 apps (today only the weirdos like me do, the industry even has a name for us, they call us "heavy app users").
2. Home entertainment systems will increasingly go completely Internet connected and many people will unplug their cable systems.
3. All media will be streamed, very few users will have downloadable files anymore.
4. There will be "apps of apps." In other words, there will be apps that join many apps together. Already that's happening. When I take photos with Instagram I can send those photos over to Foodspotting, Trey Ratcliffe's photo app, amongst others. Om Malik wrote about that trend yesterday.
5. Social networking will be far more nuanced than it is today. I saw one startup, coming soon, that figured out who people I worked with 10 years ago were. All by just looking at Facebook. How? Artificial Intelligence from a lab at Stanford University.
6. We're going to know EVERYTHING about ourselves, if we put the data in. Just this past weekend there was a Quantified Self conference with hundreds of attendees (held just a couple of miles from Google's headquarters).
7. Automobiles will have more interactivity and more "assisted driving technology" than today, but the fully automatic self-driven car will still be years away for the average person due to cost.
8. 3DTV will continue to struggle, due to lack of content and the continued requirement to wear glasses on most screens.
9. Our social graphs will bring us much richer experiences. Going to Sonoma? You'll know exactly where your friends have visited in the past and you'll be able to see where celebrities like Mark Zuckerberg or Ashton Kutcher have visited.
10. News has shifted very heavily toward socially-influenced real time displays like Zite, Flipboard, Feedly, etc, on tablets.
So, which ones is Google doing well at today in 2011?
Mobile? Oh, yeah, Google is doing pretty well here. They aren't the thought leaders, but are the market share leaders.
Home entertainment? Nope. Xbox rules here and Apple TV is the up and comer. Google's efforts are too expensive and too geeky to use.
Media streaming? Nope. Google isn't a major player yet. Netflix, Spotify, etc prove that Google hasn't made major inroads here yet and Apple is about to really demonstrate how lame Google's efforts in music have been so far. Even Amazon is making Google look bad.
Apps of apps? Nope, I don't see Google leading anything here. If anything the startups are making it happen. Heck, even Twilio and Simple Geo are showing innovation in areas where Google should be dominant.
Nuanced social networks? Um, Google isn't even in the game in social yet, not to mention making social networks that are letting us do something Facebook isn't.
Quantified self services? Richer social graphs? Google hasn't even figured that out, even though Google was an early leader here with its health efforts.
Automobiles? Google has the self-driving cars, which are good for PR, but, who has been putting units INTO today's cars? Microsoft and RIM. Not Google.
3DTV. Google is actually a leader here, with YouTube enabling new kinds of content. But, is this an area that really will matter? It sure doesn't look like it will anytime soon.
New news displays. Google isn't a player here yet.
So, will Google take the "bad door" and continue doing things that are anti-competitive and anti-consumer, which will invite even more government scrutiny of our industry or will they take the "good door" and actually start innovating in these areas?
Can someone call me and tell me what Google of 2015 will look like?
I so want Google to be innovative again, but it sure doesn't look like it will be. What do you think?
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Sustainable Travel
Happening now in France
Places to go
Things to do
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An arty outing in Roubaix with Jean-Christophe Levassor
Stylish mining area!
7 figures to know about the Louvre-Lens museum
8 inspiring experiences in Lille in 2018
In Northern France you take to the heights: but not the ones you might expect! To the north, dazzling monuments stand out: the splendid Gothic cathedral of Amiens, Arras square with its Flemish Baroque influences, and Renaissance-inspired Chateau de Chantilly. Plus the most important military cemetery in France! All these sit alongside extraordinary cultural spots including the Louvre-Lens, an Art-Déco art museum, and giant aquarium Nausicáa.
Gateway to Northern France, the Château de Chantilly is not only a magnificent chateau set in a park of 115 hectares – its sumptuous apartments, commissioned by the Duke of Aumale, also house the second collection of ancient paintings in France after the Louvre, and the second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts after the BNF (France's National Library)!
In Lille, the old capital of Flanders, do you have to wear your swimsuit to go to the museum? You might be tempted to believe it, as its André Diligent Roubaix Museum of Art and Industry is installed in a fabulous 1930s Art-Déco pool. Admire sculptures by Rodin, Claudel and Picasso at the edge of the pool, illuminated by the gigantic glass roof! Between the Lille Flandres and Lille Europe stations is another unusual place dedicated to contemporary art exhibitions, performances and parties: the Tripostal, a 1950s building formerly dedicated to sorting the city's post.
Visiting Northern France also means going back in time, strolling through the medieval streets of Amiens housing its flamboyant Gothic cathedral, or around the Grande Place in Arras, lined with houses merging classicism with French and Flemish Baroque styles.
Then we head for the Opal Coast, stopping at Montreuil-sur-Mer, a pretty town whose imposing 13th-century ramparts dominate the Canche River. Along the water we arrive at Le Touquet Paris-Plage, a chic Art-Déco seaside resort. The 'Jardin de la Manche' groups together around 20 buildings listed as historical monuments, mainly villas dating from the Roaring Twenties, neo-Norman or neo-medieval times.
If there's one place that symbolises the rebirth of a territory, it's the Louvre-Lens. Built on a former coal mining site, this 'other Louvre' is the locomotive of the cultural, tourist and ecological conversion of this flagship city of the mining basin. From antiquity to modern times, it revisits 5,000 years of art history in the Galerie du Temps where 205 Louvre masterpieces are on permanent display. Complete this with a visit to Lens, which has unsuspected wealth; although almost entirely destroyed during the First World War, it has been rebuilt in an eclectic style that gives pride of place to Art Déco.
Among the sweet delicacies of Northern France, the waffle from Méert is without doubt the most famous: filled with Madagascan vanilla, it's the emblem of this prestigious confectioner which has delighted the Lillois since 1761. If you have a sweet tooth, you should also taste the marvellous double meringues welded together by a chocolate whipped cream, and the tarte au sucre, made with brown sugar from sugar beet.
Do you know the Picardy ficelle? Unrelated to the mini baguette, it's actually a kind of crêpe (pancake) stuffed with ham and mushroom duxelle and topped with cream and grated Gruyère cheese.
In Northern France you can also feast on the ratte potato from Le Touquet, eaten in its skin; waterzoi, a dish originating from Belgium made from poultry or fish with vegetables cooked in a broth with crème fraîche; or Maroilles flammiche, an iconic cheese pie from the region.
As for the fricadelle, it's a must for any self-respecting ch'ti (Pas-de-Calais local): try this minced meat sausage in the local chip shops, accompanied by chips of course!
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Practical info
Handiplage, accessible beaches in France
Coast to a Good Time in Pas-de-Calais
Connect with American History in Pas-de-Calais
On the Green on the Opal Coast
Pas-de-Calais, a Tiny Paradise
Family activities on the Northern French coast
City breaks
Visit the Louvre-Lens Museum
Visit Le Touquet Paris-Plage
Visit Amiens
Visit Nord-Pas de Calais
Visit Picardy
Visit Lille
3 famous Frenchmen to follow through Northern France
Explore France
5 fabulous family activities in Northern France
Amiens-Lille: Lose your bearings in architecture
La Piscine – Museum of Art and Industry in Roubaix
Shopping in Lille
Merci Australia, ANZAC commemorations and Australian Remembrance trails
Remembrance trails in Nord-Pas de Calais
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Louvre-Lens Museum
Rendez-vous in Lens
Rendez-vous at the Museum of the Great War
Discover the Lille Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art (LaM)
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The Underground City of Naours
Discover cuisine of Nord-Pas de Calais
Explore the set locations from the Dunkirk movie
The Most Beautiful Golf Courses in France
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Labels to know for sustainable travel


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Our Values
RGL and its stakeholders prioritize unique and scalable opportunities with the potential to meaningfully increase local employment in and otherwise benefit the communities in which it invests. RGL actively supports open source communities, projects and companies.
Focus Areas
The Company and its professionals seek to create value by challenging assumptions and each other to innovate and leverage best practices from analogous sectors or markets. The Company's areas of expertise include cross border industrial transactions, incubation to growth stage technology and retail opportunities, corporate turnarounds and transformations, and special purpose large scale real estate projects. RGL is active as principal, sponsor and advisor.
Global Footprint
RGL has direct, portfolio and/or affiliate operations in Asia, North America and Europe.
Our Approach
We apply the same rigor, discipline and fundamentals based approach to all of our efforts regardless of transaction size, nature of involvement or for profit / not for profit status. With internal private equity, executive, finance, technology, legal and real estate resources and expertise, we value resourcefulness, an entrepreneurial spirit and a multidisciplinary perspective.


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CFUnited has been a handful this year! Its because we have so much great stuff going on.
Help me welcome Cara Beverage and Tara Kossari our new interns!
Cara, a friend of mine, has been a big helper every year and she's decided to join the Stellr team for a little while.
Tara also comes from University of Maryland and she's my event planning intern who is really eager to make this event amazing.
So that's Liz, Nafisa, Cara, and Tara who will be hosting your experience this year. Don't under estimate what's to come.


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My church's website that I am the admin over has been blocked by Mcafee and labeled as a high risk site.
The Website is www.newportchurchofthebrethren.org and also ncob.webs.com
I can no longer get to either one and this makes it very difficult for me to update the site and then check it to see that all is ok afterward. My whole network here at home is blocked. It has been categorized as Religion/Ideology and set as a high risk site. I am very agitated at the moment for having even allowed Mcafee on my computer in the first place.
My site is hosted at Webs.com and there seems to be no problem with the hosting site part since I can go login as normal. But to actually use the church URL is impossible for me. Others that have not used Mcafee on their computers do not have this problem and therefore they get to see the site just fine. It seems I'm the one with the problem.
I know longer have Mcafee on my computers.
Can someone please explain why it has been labeled high risk and tell me how to fix it so I can get there again?
Solved! Go to Solution.
Site has now been evaluated and deemed 'Minimal Risk'. This thread is considered taken care of.
Moved from Support Forums to McAfee WebAdvisor (formerly SiteAdvisor) > Discussions
Yes, I have already done that. I was discouraged to see..."These requests will be addressed within an average of 3-5 business days with some requests requiring additional review and taking longer."
When you're an admin of a website, 3-5 business days can be a very long time. I was hoping someone could tell me how to get around the problem until it is fixed. Plus, since this is the second time I've had to deal with this, I have very little confidence that it will be fixed like it should be. Thanks for your response.
If you could kindly provide me a Current (Ticket Number) I can personally contact someone internally on your behalf, and escalate your case.
Also ( Alternatively speaking ), If you are entirely certain there is no issue, you should be capable of (Accepting the Risk) and proceed to accessing your site, until it has been re-evaluated.
Our church website has been marked as medium risk too when I know 100% that it is clean.
I am concerned that "religious" content might be seen as risk??
If adware etc has been detected on the website then why is the report so vague and in no ways helps towards resolving the issue.
I found other online tools than scan websites for adware etc and our site has come back clean.
I am unable to supply you a ticket number. In my haste to somewhat 'complain' about the labeling of our church's website I neglected to see that I could have created an account to use...so therefore I guess I'm screwed. I'm not sure if I go back and re-submit my complaint through a login if it would do any good or not.
As for 'Accepting the Risk', ...if that would have ever been a choice I probably would not have shown up in this forum complaining about what has happened since I KNOW the website is a safe site. This site has been up and running for 3 years. McAfee has a way of sneaking its apps in on the computer through 3rd party means. I have always ignored its activity and disregarded it...however this time it seems something happened that now has me blocked. Luckily I've not heard any of our church members complaining about not being able to access the site and have warned them to not use McAfee and now I have to rely on them by asking a member of the church to go look for me and see if the updates I make are showing.
I too am concerned about religious content being looked upon as a risk and am now concerned of discrimination!
There can be a myriad reasons why a website is considered risky and of course any of those could be an error and I can assure you content is rarely, if ever, the reason. No detailed information is given publicly so you have to deal with Trusted Source. Who knows, it may have something to do with the host servers, but that will be discovered when you deal with them.
McAfee has a way of sneaking its apps in on the computer through 3rd party means.
That never happens if you keep an eye on the 3rd party software installer and refuse it. Adobe for instance offers McAfee Security Scan Plus as an optional download. Many people overlook that in their haste and let it in. All it is is a security software advertising tool and is easily uninstalled in the normal manner via Control Panel > Programs and Features.
That form of cross-pollination, for want of a better expression, keeps costs down by doing a bit of free publicity. A common practice among almost all software manufacturers.
It keeps the free apps free and the price of the others down.
New to the forums or need help finding your way around the forums? There's a whole hub of community resources to help you.
Thousands of customers use the McAfee Community for peer-to-peer and expert product support. Enjoy these benefits with a free membership:


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A friend of mine told me an anecdote about his mother, who drank too much caffeine, to the point she became hypotensive and would pass out. Because caffeine acts as a stimulant, I'm assuming the decreased blood pressure was some kind of tolerance effect.
How exactly would caffeine have disrupted her circulatory regulation and caused her normal pressure to decrease?


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The mirror led to an unremarkable corridor of stone and mortar. Windows opened on views of foreign planes, some recognizable, some not. At the end of the hall stood another door that opened on what looked very much like the house they'd just left.
"This leads to Dis," Kal said. "Let's hurry." He stepped forward through the door, or tried to, colliding with a seemingly solid wall. "Ow," he complained.
"Did you wish me to open the mirror?" Mal asked.
"Please!" Kal said. They climbed out on Mal's bed and down the stairs.
"Let's go," Sheen said. "The Jester's Palace is a good distance from here."
The street outside was the same as the Smith Street in Sigil, but it was filled with war. Everywhere devils were struggling against demons, surrounded by hordes of panicking petitioners.
"Oo, a party!" Mal announced.
Haden scoped out the street and led them through twisted back alleys. As they traversed the Lady's Ward they could see that the buildings were incomplete. The building facades were mostly complete, but the back alleys were empty and sterile, unlike the real Sigil. They crept out into Bloodgem Road, across from the temple of Shang-Ti. At the end of the road, near the park, a pit fiend battled with a swarm of familiar-looking four-winged, hawk-headed demons—Aspects of Pazuzu. They hurried across the street, petitioners racing past them. They emerged again near the Prison, where a blind and enraged demon over thirty feet high had smashed a hole in the wall, allowing a horde of petitioners to run free. One of them, a human woman, approached the group and stopped.
"Talan? Is that really you? It's me . . . it's Therya."


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Prior to his career in politics, Glover had a 22 year career at both Dow Chemical & POSCO Steel. From 1978 to 1980, Glover was an employee of POSCO Steel in Pittsburg, CA, what we know today as USS-POSCO. While there, Glover trained for various management positions and was a supervisor. After 2 years, Glover was offered a position at DOW Chemical, where spent the remainder of his industrial career. As an employee of DOW Chemical from 1980-1993, Glover assumed various roles as he did at POSCO. He worked in logistics, supervised the warehouse (shipping and receiving), and advocated for better safety training. While at Dow, Glover ran for Pittsburg city council in November of 1995. Encouraged by many to run for office, Glover's strength as a candidate was soon recognized as he expressed his vision for the city. Motivating Glover to run for office was his desire to create a sustainable economic base, his dissatisfaction with the city's transportation infrastructure and lack of attentiveness to the city's youth.
City Council & Mayor
Federal Glover was a City Council member from 1996-2000, and was the Mayor of Pittsburg, CA in 1998-1999. During his time with the city of Pittsburg, CA, Glover was responsible for several large projects. Of those projects was the construction of Pittsburg's new city hall (65 Civic Avenue Pittsburg, CA), and the creation of an independent power company for the city[5], which was established in 1997. Glover also partnered with the Pittsburg Police Department to create neighborhood policing, a program that required officers of the city to introduce and get to know the residents of the communities they serve. Glover also forged relationships with schools in the city, relationships that did not exist previously. Through these newly built connections, he was able to recognize the need in developing policy that was focused on ensuring students were in, and remained in their classrooms. This led to the institution of the first truancy ordinance in the city, created by Glover. He also started an annual event, known as the youth summit[6], which began in 1997. The Youth Summit is a community effort to build healthy attributes such as self esteem, honesty, and integrity. The goal of the program is to assist students in constructing the foundation they need to be successful, by equipping them with experiences that will enhance their personal and social standards. The interactive workshops provided at the Summit offer life skills, and assist with career development. Glover's time as a city council member ended in the year 2000, but the programs and institutions he helped build remain important elements to Pittsburg's community today. In addition, Federal Glover was able to establish sister city relationships with Japan and Korea, due to his experience and familiarity with local steel industries. These efforts were essential in forging business ties with international markets, and produced USS-POSCO, which was a merged company of US Steel and POSCO.


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Author Profile: Carlo Petrini
All Articles
The Tyranny of Urgency • Carlo Petrini
Issue 245 • November/December 2007 • The Moral Economy > Keynotes
Eco-gastronomy can help to restore the traditional knowledge regarding taste, nutrition, biodiversity and agriculture that we have lost in our rush towards development at any cost.
THE GOOD, THE CLEAN AND THE FAIR • Carlo Petrini
Issue 242 • May/June 2007 • Do we need God? / Food Futures > Food Futures
The founder of the Slow Food movement explains how local food economies create knowledge, wisdom and lots of flavour.
THE NEW GASTRONOMY • Carlo Petrini
Issue 236 • May/June 2006 • Animate Earth > Current Affairs
Slow Food: agriculture, the land and the table are totally interconnected.


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You will visit the following 22 places:
Buenos Aires F.D.
One of South America's booming capitals and major cities, Buenos Aires is a seductive and cultured city with an eclectic mix of people and places. Elegant yet always bustling, Buenos Aires also encapsulates the very essence of Argentina. The city is known for its European atmosphere, passionate tango and vibrant nightlife.
Alicante is a port city on Spain's southeastern Costa Blanca, and the capital of the Alicante province. The area around Alicante has been inhabited for over 7000 years. The first tribes of hunter gatherers moved down gradually from Central Europe between 5000 and 3000 BC. Some of the earliest settlements were made on the slopes of Mount Benacantil. By 1000 BC Greek and Phoenician traders had begun to visit the eastern coast of Spain, establishing small trading ports and introducing the native Iberian tribes to the alphabet, iron and the pottery wheel. By the 3rd century BC, the rival armies of Carthage and Rome began to invade and fight for control of the Iberian Peninsula. The Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barcaestablished the fortified settlement of Akra Leuka (meaning "White Mountain" or "White Point"), where Alicante stands today. The city is popular for its stunning beach views, nightlife, hotel resorts and festivals.
Natal is the capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Norte, a northeastern state in Brazil. As of the IBGE July 2009, the city had a total population of 806,203. Natal is considered by IPEA, the safest capital city in the country. The implementation of the Via Costeira (Coastal Highway), 10 km (5.5 mi) long avenue along the shore and the dunes, was the true starting point for the beginning of tourist activity in the State in the 1980s. That is where the main hotels, shopping centers and restaurants of the capital city, Natal, are concentrated. Natal has several tourist attractions and is famous for its natural beauty (such as the crystalline waters of Maracajaú and the largest cashew tree in the world), for its historical monuments and buildings, for its beaches and also for its off-season carnival, the Carnatal. The city also boasts second largest urban park in Brazil, the Parque das Dunas. $$https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALyH5D2V4vI$$
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento. According to the census of 2004, Montevideo has a population of 1,325,968. It has an area of 200 square miles and extends 12 miles from west to east. The southernmost cosmopolitan capital city in the Americas and third most southern in the world, it is situated in the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata. The city was under brief British rule in 1807 and was involved in the first major naval battle in the Second World War: the Battle of the River Plate.
Maceió is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state Alagoas, Brazil. The name "maceió" is of indian origin, and designates the natural spontaneously courses of water which flow out of the soil. Most maceiós flow to the sea, but some get trapped and form lakes ("lagoas", in Portuguese). There are plenty of maceiós and lakes in this part of Brazil; because of this, the city was named Maceió, and the State, Alagoas. The new Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport connects Maceió with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights. The city is home to the Federal University of Alagoas. $$https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9P5TaBdVts$$
Almere is a city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort (under construction) and Almere Pampus (design phase). Almere is the youngest city in the Netherlands: the first house was finished in 1976, and Almere became a municipality in 1984. It is the largest municipality in Flevoland with 184,405 citizens (7 July 2008), and the 8th largest in the Netherlands. In October 2007, the city council of Almere made agreements with the government to expand the city to 350,000 inhabitants by 2030.
Salvador is the largest-city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first colonial capital of Brazil, the city is one of the oldest in the country and in the New World. For a long time, it was simply known as Bahia, and appears under that name (or as Salvador da Bahia, Salvador of Bahia so as to differentiate it from other Brazilian cities of the same name) on many maps and books from before the mid-20th century. Salvador is the third most populous Brazilian city, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and it is the ninth most populous city in Latin America. $$https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hpxgO6-RZs$$
Tangier or Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco. It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. It is the capital of the Tangier-Tétouan Region and of the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture within that region. The history of Tangier is very rich due to the historical presence of many civilizations and cultures starting from the 5th century BC.
Lanzarote, a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. Covering 845.94 square kilometers (327 sq mi), it is the fourth largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 141,938 inhabitants, Lanzarote is the third most populous island of the Canary Islands, after Tenerife and Gran Canaria. In the center-west of the island is the Timanfaya National Park, which is one of the main attractions of Lanzarote. Its capital is Arrecife.
Barcelona – Spain's enchanting capital, second largest and most populous city. It is a huge city that vibrates with life, and there's certainly not another city in the country to touch it for its sheer style, looks or energy. It is one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centers, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Barcelona is home to masterpieces of many great architects – the most famous of which is Antoni Gaudí.
Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, is one of the largest and most important cities on the northeastern coast of Brazil. Known for its large scale production of sugar cane, its name is an allusion to the stone reefs that are present by the city's shores. The many rivers, small islands and over 50 bridges found in Recife city centre characterise its geography and led to the city being called the "Brazilian Venice." Recife stands out as a major tourist attraction of the Northeast, both for its beaches and for its historic sites, dating back to both the Portuguese and the Dutch colonization of the region. The beach of Porto de Galinhas, 60 kilometers (37 mi) south of the city, has been repeatedly awarded the title of best beach in Brazil and has drawn many tourists. The Historic Centre of Olinda, 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) north of the city, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982, and both cities' Brazilian Carnival are among the world's most famous.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro or just simply Rio, is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere and is known for its natural settings, Carnival, samba, bossa nova and balneario beaches such as Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. The city has a remarkable architectural heritage, some of the country's best museums and galleries, superb restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. With so much to see and do, Rio can easily occupy a week and you may well find it difficult to drag yourself away. As Rio achieved independence from the Portuguese rulers, the city expanded politically, culturally, economically and architecturally.
Rio Grande
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a city and resort on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Although the city has a year-round population of about 9,280, municipality to which the city belongs. It includes Punta del Este proper and Península areas. It is a beach resort town complete with casinos, beaches, yachts and lots of tourists. Many of these tourists come from the other side of the Rio de la Plata from Argentina to get some nice fun in the sun on a beach away from the brown waters of the Rio de la Plata.