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The time has come for Baldrik to depart. But will quiet little Aimsbrusch be all right without him to protect it?
In his cottage at the far end of Aimsbrusch, Baldrik finishes tying off a rough sack that rests on his bed. At his feet is a crate, atop which is a large, round object, wrapped in cloth. Strapping his ax to his back and throwing his bag over his shoulder, he hoists the box up to the sound of clanging metal and the scent of iron. Then he's off with everything in hand.
In town, just moments later, he stands at the lumber mill, observing as one of the workers looks over a woodsman's ax that the retired knight had given him. "One newly forged ax, as promised," Baldrik says, reading the man's pleased expression. "How does it compare?"
"The craftsmanship is as top-notch as ever, that's for sure." The woodsman takes a few swings with the little thing. It doesn't hold a candle to the enormous weapon on Baldrik's back, but each slash through the clean, morning air is like a song. "So. You're really leaving, then?"
Baldrik folds his arms. "As a matter of fact, I am. I decided I'd travel for a bit. See more of the world, then perhaps return when I'm satisfied."
"That right? Part of your bucket list, or something?"
At that Baldrik gives a hearty laugh to the sky. "I've no intention of dying yet, my friend! There's always more to the adventure! Besides. I'm not so old that I can't take care of myself."
The woodsman leans against the ax like a cane with a faint chuckle. "Y'oughtta tell that to Adeline. Sometimes it's like the girl takes care of you more than the other way around."
A slight gleam, a twinkle passes through Baldrik's eye. Like the smallest flash of pride. Then he laughs, this time to himself, bowing his head. "It does seem that way sometimes, doesn't it?" From there he bends down, picking up his crate. "In any case, you'll have to excuse me. I have more deliveries to make before I get on my way. May that ax serve you well." And so Baldrik departs, heading further into town for his next stop.
After a bit of running around, Baldrik lands at the front porch of the Aimsbrusch Trader – the local general store. There, sitting on the wooden bench by the front door, is Seamus, thumbing through an inventory catalog of some sort. He lifts his eyes from the flimsy book as the great shadow of the hulking old knight engulfs him, eventually setting down the catalog and extending a hand to shake. "Well, now. This here is quite the surprise. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit from such a legend?"
"As a matter of fact, I was going to be leaving town soon on a trip. So I figured I'd take you up on that drinking contest. We can't have me leaving with any regrets now, can we?" Baldrik says, squeezing the man's hand tight. That he doesn't crush it is already an act of mercy.
Seamus sneers. "Really, now? Okay, then, old man."
But at that the sharp sound of a throat clearing itself, just behind him, strikes as if daring them to continue. Leaning through the window is Seamus's wife, eyeing both of these large men with a dangerous and foreboding look. Enough to rattle Seamus and even the mighty Baldrik to their very souls. All the Akuma I've slain… and that woman's gaze could frighten them all off, alone. Fine. Now's the time to concede. Baldrik sighs a somewhat disappointed "Of course, I'm only joking." He wasn't only joking. "Actually, I'd wanted to talk with you about that. Also…" Then he sets the crate down on the porch. "I come bearing gifts!"
"What kinds of 'gifts,' Baldrik?"
Rummaging through the mess inside, Baldrik soon pulls out a small lockbox, presenting it to Seamus, who takes it with a look of faint surprise. "You'd been complaining that your old one was getting stuck. I figured I'd do you a favor."
Seamus looks it over, its fine craftsmanship marked with a detailed pattern engraving. Eventually, he sits back down. "Well?" he says, nodding towards the far end of the bench. "Ya did want to talk, didn't ya?"
"Aye," Baldrik nods, taking a seat.
"So this is it, then. The big hero finally decided he was sick of this pit." Seamus sets the lockbox down in his lap and bends over, reaching to a half-full bottle, tucked away beneath the bench. But before he can pick it up, an invisible force like a small burst of wind rolls it away from his hand, stopping at Baldrik's foot.
"You know I'd never abandoned this place. I'll be back. And while I'm gone, I intend to stop by the capital, tell them to send some Templars to help watch over the town." Baldrik picks up the bottle and looks it over. "So you've resorted to hiding it now, eh?" Seamus sneers and turns away from Baldrik, hunching over. "You cannot go on like this, Seamus. The odd drink, the occasional drunken hoorah in good fun, all perfectly fine things. But this… You're going to kill yourself, my friend."
Seamus snatches the bottle away from Baldrik with a huff. Or, perhaps more accurately, Baldrik allows him to take it "Ah. You're startin' to sound like my wife." He pops the cork and attempts to take a swig but, to his surprise, none of the bittersweet nectar graces his taste buds. In fact, the liquid hasn't even shifted inside of the bottle. He turns it over, shakes it, but something… some invisible force holds every drop of ale inside. He cuts Baldrik a dull glare. "That's not funny, mate."
"Well, if the drink doesn't kill you, your wife most likely will," Baldrik says, observing the view of the street from Seamus's porch as children play and people pass by to start their day. "It's been over a decade, Seamus. Everyone else has moved on. How long do you intend to be the last one dwelling on it?"
Still hunched forward, Seamus tightly grips the bottle in front of him, holding it between his legs with a distant look across his face, like someone seeing a time far removed from the present. "Who says that's what it is? The way I see it, I'm givin' the lass some good business, is all. She earns it."
"She doesn't blame you for what happened, you know. She never has."
"Well, maybe she should," Seamus interjects. "A useless lout like me…"
"Oh? And what you're feeling now. Do you intend to put her through the same thing?"
Baldrik leans back against Seamus's house, crossing his arms but still looking straight ahead. "How do you think she'd feel if you finally died of alcohol poisoning?"
"Oh, don't be daft. That's different. If she wanted, she could stop me."
"Did she give you that bottle, Seamus?" As expected, Seamus has no response to offer. "Even if she stopped serving you, you're a stubborn old bastard. You'd find a way." Having said his piece, Baldrik pats Seamus on the back, just about nudging the pitiful thing out of his seat. "With me gone, the town's going to need its constable back in top condition. So you'd better sober up, eh? The town might believe you to be a joke, but I know better. And so does she."
Seamus remains silent, staring into the demon in a bottle at his feet – a creature as dangerous as any Akuma. And after a prolonged silence, he huffs, grabs the bottle, and brings it to his lips for a swig. Just a swig. "Ah, why don'tcha go on and get out of here, ya old nag…" Leaning in the windowsill on the opposite side of the door, his wife blesses Baldrik with a grateful smile. Worried… but grateful.
"Just try for me, Seamus. That is all I ask." The Old Knight grabs his crate of trinkets and stands tall, only to stop just shy of stepping down from the porch. "Ah! I'd almost forgotten!" He makes his way to the window where Seamus's wife still leans, now looking up at the veteran knight with confused eyes. "Isobel. I'm not worried about Seamus, but do keep an eye on him for me, would you?"
"Oh, you can be sure o' that," Isobel laughs with a wave. "I'm not holdin' my breath but, if I'm lucky, he'll remember why I married him and straighten himself out. Thank ye for talking to him, though."
"Of course!" Baldrik says, searching through his crate. "And before I forget again, I recalled you saying something about your skillet when last we spoke." Just like that, Baldrik materializes a jet black skillet from all the trifles inside, much to Isobel's surprise… and Seamus's absolute horror. "I took it upon myself to try my hand at helping you out a bit. Made from the finest metals I had in stock. I'd like to see the kitchen utensils that could wear this beauty down! It also makes a rather satisfying sound when struck just right."
Isobel takes the skillet, moving it around to test its weight and appearing all the more surprised at how light it is. "Very nice.
"May it weather even the most arduous kitchen jobs… and see you through many a marital squabble."
Seamus springs up from his seat and turns Baldrik by his shoulder. "Oi, Baldrik. What's the idea, givin' her a thing like that? You know what she's liable to do with it?"
"Cook?" Baldrik does his best to avoid eye-contact with a sly grin, but Seamus reads him, loud and clear.
The drunkard balls his fist at the knight that so dwarfs him, a raspy "You…" growling, up from the deepest reaches of his throat.
But Baldrik breaks away from Seamus's grip and steps down from the man's porch with his crate of trinkets. "If you'll excuse me, I have more deliveries to make."
"Oi," Seamus speaks up, catching Baldrik before he gets far. "You're sure about this, old man? She's gonna miss ya, somethin' fierce."
"Aye, she will." That thought. It's fit to make the towering legend pause for a time. Thinking. Remembering. Ten years it'd been. And as he peers over the street right down from this very porch, those ten years cycle by. Perfect visions of all the times he'd walked through this town with that feisty little girl, up through her years of being a feisty young lady, and then a confident… and feisty young woman. "But… she isn't going to need me, anymore. A Templar goes where he's most needed."
"Aren't you supposed to be retired?"
Baldrik lowers his head and laughs to himself. "Old habits die hard." He then looks over his shoulder at the pair as Isobel steps out to join her husband. "Take care of yourselves, my friends." And then he strolls off into town.
The sun hangs at its highest point in the sky over the town, its rays joined by the warm light of the Sky Fire. The day half over, Baldrik stands on the porch of the tavern, staring at the door. The crate of baubles now empty, it finally sets in. This is it. Eventually, wills himself to reach for the knob, making his way inside. The main hall is completely empty, save for the lone young barkeep at the back, wiping down the already perfectly polished counter without looking up at the creak of the door or the chime of the bell. Like a child trying their hardest to ignore the parent who irritated them. Clearing his throat, Baldrik makes his way over to the bar. "I'm… surprised no one's here. Even if the bar isn't open yet, your cooking always draws quite the breakfast and lunch crowds."
Adeline's hand comes to a sharp halt, yet she otherwise doesn't budge. "True. But people seem to be avoiding me today, for some reason." Then, just as sharply, her eyes dart up and meet Baldrik's, piercing through him like the spine of an Akuma's tail. "Can you imagine why?" Isobel must have taught her that look. There's no other explanation. Yet Baldrik has no answer for it. The answer to her question though… well, it'd be a lie to say he hadn't felt this aura coming from her through the tavern door. Heck, he'd felt it all the way down the street.
With Baldrik not knowing what to say, the pair stand there, overtaken by an awkward silence as Adeline stares at her old mentor. Soon, though, she grows tired of it. She turns her back to him, transitioning from wiping down the perfectly polished countertop to the perfectly clean serveware in the tub behind the bar. "Done making your rounds, I take it? That means you're about ready to be on your way then."
"Aye…" Such a cold, uncomfortable thing, talking to the back of her head like this. It's just wrong. "I wanted to stop by before heading out. Make sure you were the last person I spoke to before-"
The clatter of shifting dishes and mugs cuts Baldrik off as Adeline moves from wiping one tankard to scrubbing one already-gleaming plate. "I'm over it."
Baldrik's words die in his throat. "Come again?"
"I said I'm over it. You leaving. I'm over it. So ya don't have to waste your time worryin' over me. I was just bein' a daft little girl."
This… isn't right. "Adeline-"
But before the Great Old Knight has a chance to continue, the dishes clatter again. Adeline's head is bowed and she's perfectly still. "Honestly. What was I all bothered about? After all… you're not papa." As invincible as Baldrik is touted to be, there's no denying that something in that statement stung. Who knew mere words could do so much damage? And the words continue. "You're a living legend. You'll be back. Won'tcha?"
That question. As direct as everything leading up to it rings, that final assertion has a different tone. Something incredibly slight, but difficult to pin down. Still, Baldrik knows one thing from hearing it. He'd best answer her. "Aye," he breathes.
There's a pause. Then a faint "Right…" sneaks out under Adeline's voice and she nods to herself, pivoting around and folding her arms. "In that case, there's nothing to worry about. I'll hold down the fort, here, until those Templars you send show up. So you head on out and do your hero thing until you're ready to come back. Then I'll have a pint ready for you."
Baldrik cracks a smile. "Just a pint?"
Nothing. Her face as uncompromising as stone, Adeline sighs and extends a hand over the counter to shake. "Goodbye, Baldrik."
The old veteran winces at that cold, blunt reception. With just a gesture, the girl exerts a pressure that feels greater than anything even he could produce with his powers. But not wanting to leave things on a sour note, he shakes her hand. "Goodbye. Adeline."
And so, with their goodbyes said, Baldrik releases Adeline's hand and she returns to the dishes behind the bar. There truly is nothing left to be said, it seems. Yet something anchors Baldrik to that spot, for a moment more. Perhaps something he'd still wanted to say but didn't have the words for. It doesn't matter. Best not to drag out these sorts of things. So… he leaves. It hadn't gone as he's expected, but he steps outside and that's it. Now all that's left is to be off.
On his way to the gate, he passes by a great many faces. Ones he'd gotten to know over the past ten years or so. People came and went. Elders died, children were born. The faces of the town had become totally familiar to him. And now he's leaving for the first time since arriving, all those years ago and meeting a fiery little redheaded girl who showed him around.
Two days pass. In the tavern, Adeline keeps busy at work, wiping down the bar on that warm, spring morning. This early in the day, what few people sit around at the tables are there for food, rather than drink. The rougher men and women would come later in the day. They always showed up to have their fill of the tavern's signature ale after a long day at the mill. All but one, that is. So when the doors slam open, Adeline doesn't even look up from what she's doing. "For the thousandth time, Seamus, it's too early for… oh."
A group of five men stroll in, all of them looking even rougher than the hardiest of the townspeople, sporting prominent scars and worn armors of hide and leather, with various weapons – iron short swords, axes, one even has a bow. Though they'd given her a moment's pause, Adeline returns to cleaning the bar without so much as batting an eye. "Sorry about that. You boys feel free to take a seat. What'll it be for ya?"
"As a matter of fact, barkeep…" The youngest among them approaches her at the bar with a swagger in his step that may as well broadcast that he owns the place. "We'll be having everything. All your best ale, if ya would. And why stop there? You can also throw in all your coin, while you're at it."
Adeline leans against the counter, giving the thug a flat, totally unimpressed stare. "I'm afraid I'm a bit short on staff at the moment. I'll need help carryin' all that. What say you step around the bar and gi'me a hand?"
Puzzled by this calm response, the gang of crooks looks around. Not only is Adeline completely unbothered, her customers continue about their breakfast without so much as flinching. It's then that the leader laughs. "What? It's that easy? You lot really just givin' up? Ye gods, place really is pitiful without that ol' guard dog o' yours, eh?"
The door swings open once more and everyone, including the crooks, turns to it. In stumbles none other than Seamus, bottle-in-hand and carrying, with him, the smell of hard liquor. The collective eye-rolls of Adeline and the customers are palpable. Many a face falls into its owner's hand and in roll the groans. Oh gods, why now?
"Oi, Adeline! Them merchants don't know ale from dog piss. How 'bout a bottle of the good stuff, huh? For your most loyal customer." The whole time, Seamus can barely hold himself up. He nearly falls over, catching himself against one of the crooks, who pushes him off. "Oh, thank you, friend. Thank you. Oi, lass, how's about a round for my new friend, here?"
Adeline holds the bridge of her nose, an exasperated "Seamus…" rolling from her tongue. "Now's not the time. Go home."
Seamus raises his bottle. "Ah, come on, lass. You could stand bein' a bit more charitable. Tell ya what. A round for him and his mates, here," Seamus says. He brings the bottle toward his face to take another gulp. But before anyone can put together what's happened, the bottle swings through the air, cracking across the back of the crook's head and shattering, spilling its contents all over the floor and knocking the thug to the ground. "On me."
Adeline and her customers all stare, mouths agape, as do the rest of the hooligans. However, taking advantage of the distraction, Adeline grabs the leader by the head and slams him, face-first, into the bar. "Seamus!" she shouts, tossing him her sword from behind the bar. Seamus catches it just in time to parry one of the other ones who'd snapped out of it in time to draw his axe. With a simple twist, he disarms the thug and shoves him into his buddies.
"Thank ye kindly."
Hopping over the bar, Adeline bodychecks one of the ruffians into one of the wooden beams, supporting the building. And then there were two. Both Adeline and Seamus turn to the remaining adversaries, all of them slowly backing up, looks of dread across their ugly mugs.
Outside, moments later, the last two crooks from inside crash through the front windows, rolling to a stop in the street. Adeline and Seamus step out just behind them, Adeline wiping her hands of them. Such filthy creatures, these. "Surprised to see you sober, for a change, Seamus."
"Aye? Thought I'd shake things up a bit. Looks like we've got a good old fashioned bandit raid on our hands. I took care of a few on the way here. And my wife was dealin' with a handful of 'em back at the store when I left her. Y'know, Baldrik wasn't kiddin'. Skillets do make a very satisfying sound if they hit something just right."
"Not even gonna ask. Pretty convenient time for a bandit raid, though…"
Seamus nods. "Tells me they've been casing the town. Must've heard Baldrik was leavin'. Clever bastards."
"Opportunistic, but not too clever," Adeline says, taking her sword back. "They probably also hit the bank. I say we go check there, next."
"Lead the way, lass." Then Adeline rushes off, Seamus following close behind.
At the bank, the bandits stand at the counter and around the floor, all beyond annoyed. The leader of this particular group looks especially exasperated as he hunches over the counter, holding the bridge of his nose. "All right, sir, and now we're going to need three forms of identification," the teller says, somehow managing to keep a straight face, despite the perilous nature of her current situation. A face that her aggressor has no patience for.
"I'm a bandit!"
"Yes, well, that's no excuse for not going through the proper procedures, sir. As you can see, we take our withdrawals very seriously."
"You know what?" The bandit pulls out a silver blade with a fine luster and holds it to the woman's neck. "Here's my identification. Open it."
The teller freezes, staring down at the blade with fear in her eyes. The rest of the bandits carry on with harassing the other townspeople inside, all cackling like hyena. "It… would appear that your ID is valid. L-let me get right on that."
Before the teller can make her way to the safe, the bank doors crash open. With the leader's attention on the door, the teller ducks behind the counter and the people inside run for cover, diving behind the counter with her. Adeline stands in the doorway, her sword held over her shoulder and her free hand on her hip with Seamus just behind her, still wielding his broken bottle. A commanding "Gentlemen!" bellows from her powerful lungs. "On behalf of the fine people of Aimsbrusch, I'd like to welcome you to our town." She then points the tip of her blade at them. "Now go home."
"Did this wench just give us an order?" one of the crooks asks.
Adeline sighs. "Tell ya what. I'll count down from ten. When I'm done, you should be gone. Ten…"
"Oi, is she serious, right now?"
Seamus steps back and holds the door open. "I'd do as she says, lads."
One of the bandits backs up, brandishing a dagger as a bead of sweat drops down his brow and he turns to the one in charge without taking his eye off the woman. "What do we do?"
The group leader scoffs, stepping away from the counter and grabbing his underling by the collar. "What? You misplace your stones, mate?" He turns to Adeline and Seamus with a twisted grin and a carefree posture. "It's two o' them and six of us! Shame, though. Havin' to teach an elder and a wench some manners."
"Wait, what happened to-?"
Before there's time for the cretin to finish the question, Adeline uses her foot to fling a chair up, catching it with her free hand and throwing it into the bandit group's leader, who topples over, soon picking himself and rubbing his head with an agitated sneer. "Well? What're you idjits waitin' for, a 'pretty please'? Get her!"
But Adeline gives them neither time nor quarter. She's already well on top of them all. The one with the dagger from earlier takes a swing at her, but she swivels to one side. He then finds himself grabbed by the skull and shoved behind her, straight into a haymaker from Seamus, laying the poor sod out on the bank floor. Meanwhile, Adeline lurches forward, using her sword to cut another bandit's bow in half before tackling him to the ground and rolling off, using her sword to just parry a blow from an axe-wielder.
Another of the bandits sidelines Adeline with a kick that knocks her into the counter. But she shakes it off in a heartbeat and uses it to pull herself up. "Cheeky blighters," she grumbles. "Millie, you still there?"
The teller – Millie – peaks out from behind the counter, her eyes flooded with tears of sheer relief. "A-Adeline! Gods, thank you!"
"Good work, holding them up. We cleared the surrounding area before we came. If everyone's all right, back there, get them out through the back. Take 'em to Seamus's place. Isobel's there. It's safe." One of the bandits charges Adeline, but the instant he's on top of her, she reaches back, grabbing hold of the register behind the counter with one hand and swinging it across the fool's face before kicking him to the floor.
"O-okay," Millie says, nodding to the others. "You all heard her. Everyone, please remain calm. Keep low and follow me."
Adeline watches as the young lady guides the civilians to safety, then returns her attention to the fight in front of her, just in time to roll out of harm's way from the group leader, taking a swing at her with his blade. She deflects the follow-up and springs to her feet. Her eye falls on the sword, in particular. "That's a nice blade you've got."
"What, this old thing? Just found it lyin' around, to be honest."
Adeline surges forward with her own and the two of them clash, sending sparks flying from both blades. Meanwhile, Seamus fights his own duel in the background, backing himself more and more into a corner against a bandit with a warhammer, swinging wild. "Lad, that there's a weapon you've got to have some hair on your chest to use right."
The poor thing can barely hold the hammer, let alone swing it without losing his grip entirely. But a fight is a fight. And the instant Seamus sniffs out an opening, he exploits it, getting inside of its effective range and slashing the pup's hand with his bottle, forcing him to drop the heavy metal weapon on his own foot, leading to an uncomfortable crunching sound and a wail of agony before Seamus headbutts him and he collapses.
Adeline finds herself in a steady clash with her own opponent, neither of them really able to gain any ground. But then a short whistle catches her ear. Seamus holds out his hand in the background. She parries another blow of the bandit's, this time bouncing him back before tossing her sword to Seamus, behind him. The bandit pivots just in time to block a swing from Seamus, who simply smirks and nods to what's behind him. The bandit swivels again, only to be met with a punch straight to the jaw, courtesy of Adeline. A punch so hard it knocks him from his feet and causes him to spin in the air before finally hitting the floor with a loud thud.
Once that's dealt with, Adeline kneels down beside the bandit, eyeing the sword in his hand more closely. "That's what I thought," she says, prying it away from him. "You don't deserve this." The she stands and turns to Seamus. "We need to get to Baldrik's, now."
"What on Gaea for?"
Adeline tosses him the sword as he tosses back her own, letting him look it over to observe the unique and familiar signature etched into the steel. "It's one of his."
Adeline and Seamus soon arrive at the far end of town, where Baldrik's cottage stands, each taking cover behind a nearby tree. As expected, bandits – two of them – huddled around the forge. "I found more, over here, boss," one says, kneeling by a wooden chest next to the grindstone and rummaging through it.
A smug grin stretches across the leader's lips. "Good. We take these and we'll be livin' like kings in no time," he snickers, leaning against one of the supports holding up the roof of the forge, his arms crossed.
The leader's partner sits more upright and whistles. "I've gotta hand it to that old war dog. He sure knew how to make a good sword." Out from the chest he pulls a finely made steel edge, turning it over every which way and admiring the thorough craftsmanship. He, himself, is outfitted in pieces of armor, much too good for any bandit. "We sell this stuff, and we make a fortune. Or we keep it and no one'll be fool enough to take us on ever again."
A commanding "Oi," bellows out from the nearby trees, drawing their attention. Adeline steps out from her hiding place, sword over her shoulder. Her blood boils at the sight of these cretins in Baldrik's armor and swinging his weapons around like children playing dress-up. "Those don't belong to you." Her sword arm extends out, pointing the tip of her blade at the bandits with a fiery passion in her eyes. "Put 'em back."
Seamus emerges next from the bushes, wielding the sword they'd taken back from the bandit at the bank. "Unless you'd rather not listen. Worked out pretty poorly for the lads in town, though, if I'm bein' honest."
The bandit leader pushes off of the support beam, hands on his hips. "Oi, oi! What's this, then?" he laughs, sporting a wild grin. "Hey, have a look at what we've got here, mate." On command, his partner rises from the chest. "Care to repeat that, miss?"
"All of it. Back where you found it. I don't intend to ask nicely again."
The bandit leader cackles aloud and steps down from the porch, grabbing hold of a steel great sword leaning against the forge railing. "You hear that, mate? We're bein' asked to leave by this feisty little thing, and… is that the town drunk?" He shrugs back to his partner. "I didn't figure he could hit anything but a bottle."
Adeline narrows her eyes. "Ten…"
"Eh? Ten? Ten what?"
The leader's face twists back into his unnerving smirk. "Oho! D'you hear that, mate? She's counting down! I think we made her angry," he snickers, continuing to laugh along with his buddy.
Then, in the space between that and Adeline's next number, the bandit turns and breathes a menacing "One," swinging down the great sword on her, forcing her to block him. "Oh? You're pretty quick, eh? Sorry. You didn't think we'd fight fair, did you?" As Adeline struggles to stand her ground, the bandit bears down on her all the more. "Hmm? But what's that look about? Wait, wait. You didn't let that old war dog get you thinking you were all strong enough to fight back without him, did you? And now you're starting to get the real picture?"
"Adeline!" Seamus calls out, rushing to her aid.
But before he can do anything, he's cut off by a dagger slicing through the air just in front of his face and winding up in a tree to his side. "Ah. Just a bit off with that toss. I never could get the hang of knife throwing." He turns in time to just barely duck a swing from the leader's right-hand man, wielding the sword from the chest. "Graceful, aren't they? How silently they glide through the air. Any poor sod gets cut by these, they wouldn't know it 'til they'd already bled out." Seamus steadies himself just as the scoundrel lunges at him with the silver edge.
Adeline grits her teeth as the bandit leader keeps adding on the pressure, forcing her to bend more and more backward, threatening to nearly break her in half. Meanwhile, he proceeds to mockingly mouth snapping sounds in his own sick sense of humor. But the grimace Adeline wears then turns into a smirk, confusing the crook. With a simple shift of her blade's angle and her own weight, she slides him off to one side, forcing him to stumble forward. "Ho?" the bandit grins. He pivots just as Adeline takes a swing at him but bounces it from his great sword with a cavalier swing of his own. "Hey, you're not bad at all." Adeline sneers and continues her offensive as he casually goes about deflecting her attacks.
Seamus, meanwhile, ducks and weaves through the assault of silent slashes being made against him, backing up with every one he's able to avoid and wincing as he's caught by the tip of a few, leaving skin cuts in places and holes in his clothing that'd need patching later. "Maybe you should've gone sober sooner, pops," the bandit says. Eventually he goes for a thrust that forces Seamus to parry, lest his throat be opened. "All that liquor in your system has you bleeding like a pig from some paper cuts. Wonder what happens if I cut a little deeper."
"I'm no doctor, lad," Seamus says, backing up again. The bandit takes another swing at him but he parries it with a one-handed grip on his own sword, reaching down to his waist with his other hand. With his opponent's blade out of the way, he swings his free hand high, bringing a look of absolute shock across the bandit's face. At the end of his follow-through he stops. In that hand is the jagged, newly-bloodied remains of the bottled he'd smashed open earlier. "Why don't you tell me?" The sword slips from the bandit's hand as he reaches to his neck. When he pulls his hand away and sees it stained red, he looks back to Seamus before collapsing into a heap on the ground.
The thud of the bandit hitting the floor catches both Adeline and the bandit leader's attention. "W-what?" the leader says. He turns back as Adeline whistles for his attention, cracking her blade across his face. Though he blocks it with his great sword before he can take any life-threatening damage. "You…"
Adeline draws her blade back. "Sorry. You didn't think we'd fight fair, did you?"
The bandit leader growls and charges Adeline. Their blades meet, sending sparks soaring as Adeline rolls his blade down her own. As he raises his sword again to take a mammoth swing at her, she lurches up, head-butting him straight to the nose. He staggers back and turns to collect himself, only for Seamus to appear in front of him, lashing him across the face with his sword, leaving a large scar running diagonally down his face, between his eyes, and over the bridge of his nose, dripping blood.
"Why you… you annoying little… I'm gonna stomp you like mice!" the bandit roars, bringing up his great sword to attack Seamus. But as it reaches up over his head, Seamus whistles and tosses his sword past him. He looks over his shoulder just as Adeline catches it. "What?" He's robbed of any hope of turning around as Adeline crosses both blades with slashes into his back. After a moment's pause, the great sword falls to the ground with a clang, kicking up the dirt where it lands.
"It's like I said. That doesn't belong to you," Adeline echoes as the bandit leader tips over, lowering her weapons. "Seamus, let's head back and see that everyone in town's all right. There might've been some stragglers."
As Adeline takes a step away, though, an ominous sound like a faint cackle stops her in her tracks. She sighs. "Oi, if you're still alive, stay there for a bit and we'll be sure to find ya a nice, warm, jail cell." But as she turns, her eyes grow wide.
The bandit picks himself up, almost like nothing happened. The tattered remains of his upper hide armor fall away as every muscle in his body turns solid as iron and steam pours from the gashes in his back and face as they take to healing themselves. "Ah, that's the good stuff," he snarls as he turns around and looks Adeline square in the face, his manic eyes glowing blue as the same color pulses in his veins. Held in the corner of his mouth is a small vial that he spits out. "You know the trouble with drinking too much of it, though? I get this terrible urge to kill something. Guess you'll have to do."
Taking his great sword up in one hand, he hunkers down before tearing forward like a cannonball, kicking up dirt and shattering the windows of Baldrik's house behind him. But he stops himself dead in front of Adeline with his sword over his head. The sheer pressure of the sudden yield kicks up a backdraft that pulls Adeline further toward him as he swings down his sword on her. She raises both swords to block it but that yields no resistance at all and the next thing she knows, both blades are in pieces, shattered into metal shards all over the ground, leaving her with a look of absolute horror across her face. "T-that's not…"
"Adeline, snap out of it, lass!" Seamus hollers.
"I'll be with you in a minute, pop," the bandit says, waving the sword at Seamus and kicking up enough wind to knock him into some bushes. Then his gaze fixes back on Adeline. "Oi, oi! What's that look? Finally figuring out how small you are, little mouse?" The bandit says with a smug grin.
His jamming his blade into the ground brings Adeline back to her senses, just as he lunges at her. In a motion faster than she can even process, he brings his knee straight up into her gut, the blow itself rustling the leaves in the nearby trees and forcing her to cough up blood. When he lets her go, she staggers back, gagging and coughing for air and holding her stomach. "Still standing? You're way too stubborn for your own good, you know that? Life would be so much easier on you people if you'd learn just get the picture." Adeline cranes her neck up to look him in the eye. "This town belongs to me!" The bandit laughs and brings the back of his hand across her face to the sound of cracking bones, sending her flying face-first into a tree before falling to the ground.
The bandit strolls over to his little mess and kneels down to her. "Hm? Hey, now. Are you seriously still breathing?" He grabs her by her badly bruised and bloodied face and picks her up. "You must be sturdy." But before he can continue, something strikes him in the back. Over his shoulder, he spots a throwing knife on the ground before his eye wanders over to the bushes where Seamus now stands, having gathered a few more on his hands and prepared to throw them.
"Let the lass go, ye blighter." Seamus throws another knife that simply bounces from the bandit's body like rubber. "If you'd be so kind."
"Or what, pop? You'll buy me a drink?"
Seamus grins. "Well… ye might be needin' one in a second," he says, throwing another knife. But as this one travels through the air, he whistles and the knife soars directly by the bandit's face. But as the bandit follows it's path, he's stunned at where it ends up. Adeline now holds it up. Through the cracks in his grip, the bandit leader spies a glowing blue eye. And without giving him a chance to compose himself, Adeline drives the blade straight into his shoulder, making him let her go and cry out in pain.
"What?!" the bandit snarls, pulling the dagger out of his shoulder and snapping to Adeline with murder in his eyes. "How did you-?" The bandit finds himself taken aback when he sees it. The end of the chain around Adeline's neck rests in her mouth. "That thing around your neck was a… tch. Damn you!" Enraged, the bandit grabs his great sword again. With one swing he kicks up a gale that blows Adeline back.
Adeline dives out of the path of another slash from her adversary, if only just. But she's still swept up by the gust of it and the debris it kicks up in its wake. She doesn't exactly stick the landing, but rolls into a kneeling position quickly enough that she can avoid another swing, though he does manage to slice her forearm on the follow-through. The bandit hisses out a sadistic snicker and hoists his blade over his head for a follow-up swing to put Adeline in the ground before she can recover. "You lose!" he cackles.
A thunderous clang travels throughout the woods, sending flocks of birds flying off. As the hum of the metal dies down, what comes next is silence, soon interrupted by the baffled stammering of the bandit leader. There, in front of him, Adeline kneels, her hands clapped around either side of his blade. The ground beneath her ripples and cracks under the pressure of her stopping that blow and the gash in her arm leaks blood. Then a clatter, joined with a strained roar from the young barkeep as the muscles in her arms tense and a crack travels up the length of the bandit's sword before the metal shatters to pieces between her hands, leaving the bandit utterly stunned and staring at the now bladeless grip he holds in his hands. "W-what?"
"On the contrary," Adeline says before drawing back her arm and nailing him directly in the gut, knocking the wind clean out of him. "I win." Then, from her crouched position, she springs herself upward, bashing him straight across the face with clasped hands and knocking him several feet into the air. Finally, she balls one hand into a fist and draws back. The instant he drops back within reach, she throws a punch straight down over him, plowing him directly into the ground so hard that a pillar of dirt juts up from the blow and the earth, itself, is upheaved beneath him.
When the dust settles, the bandit's eyes are glazed over. Adeline stands over him, finally able to catch her breath. She tips over, but she never hits the ground. She's caught by someone. "Atta girl," a voice says, distorted by her fading consciousness. But even so. She knows this embrace. She knows it all too well.
"Bal…drik?" Her hazed vision goes completely black and she passes out in his arms, rather than in the dirt.
Some days later, Adeline awakens in her bed in the tavern basement. She sits herself up, albeit not without having to say hello to the aftereffects of a Luminite Potion, splitting headache included. She groans, bringing her hand to her head before noting the bandages wrapped around it. Her arm and torso as well. At the side of her bed rests a crutch, which she promptly ignores as she gets up and limps up the stairs to main room.
There, sitting at the bar, are Baldrik and Seamus, both with full mugs in front of them. "Of course," she says as she leans herself against the bar.
"Adeline!" Baldrik raises his tankard. "Finally awake, are you? Good! It's been two days. Seamus and I were just discussing the possibility of his plan to train more of the townspeople to fight! A good idea, yes?"
"Did either o' you pay for that ale, Baldrik?"
Both Baldrik and Seamus glance to one another, taking slow, casual sips from their respective drinks and setting them down on the counter. At this, Adeline sighs. It figures. "It's good to have ye back, lass," Seamus says.
Adeline smiles at the old drunk. "Thank you, Seamus. You too. I suppose a few mugs couldn't hurt. In celebration of us dealing with our little bandit problem." She goes on to pour a cup for herself, albeit smaller than both of theirs. "Still, I'd like to know what happened after I knocked out."
Baldrik raises his mug. "The apprehended bandits were placed in the town jail, stripped of my weapons and armor. The dead ones were rounded up to be disposed of."
Adeline sips her ale without a word, then sets the glass down. "I see. So. Baldrik. You're back awfully quick."
Baldrik chuckles. "Ah, you're as sharp as ever, I see."
Seamus glances between the two of them. "Ah, well I should be off for now. The wife'll have my hide if I spend too much time here. Especially now. She's been really enjoying cooking again, what with her new skillet and all." He goes on to eye Baldrik, who avoids eye contact and continues drinking his ale. "I'll be headin' out, now. Take care, lass. Baldrik." Before he steps out, though, he eyes the unfinished bottle on the counter.
Baldrik sets down his drink and gets up, throwing an arm over Seamus's shoulder and walking with the man toward the door. "I understand this will be difficult for you, my friend. But there are those who would gladly help you."
"And, failing that, I suppose I'll be gettin' real familiar with the sound of that skillet, 'ey, Baldrik?" Seamus says, earning a hearty laugh from the old veteran. Eventually he steps out and Baldrik returns to the bar to find Adeline's jaw agape as he continues drinking, himself.
"Did… did Seamus just leave without finishing his ale?"
"Times of crisis change a man, they say." Baldrik sets down his own now-empty tankard. As the suds settle inside, Adeline steps around the counter. She takes up a seat beside him, staring into her own, barely touched glass. "It's good that you're all right. You did well."
Adeline looks Baldrik up and down through the corner of her eye. He's still dressed in his travel wear and has a roughsack resting on the floor behind him, as well as the round package on his back from earlier. "So," she says, returning her gaze to the brine of her own drink. "You're… still leaving?"
One awkward silence later, Adeline laughs to herself. "Seems ya got yourself a front row seat to me gettin' knocked flat on my arse."
Baldrik smiles with a shrug. "Eh. You had it."
"So. You were watching everything, huh?"
"Not everything. But enough."
"Enough? Enough for what?"
Baldrik stands from his seat, reaching to the package on his back. "Enough to confirm that you don't need me, anymore." He presents Adeline the package with a proud smile. "Especially not now."
Though hesitant, Adeline takes the package, unwrapping the paper from around it. Underneath is a beautifully crafted, silver shield with a fine gleam that reflects in Adeline's eyes. "Baldrik, is this-?"
"Aye," Baldrik nods. "Adamantine. As sturdy as the woman it was crafted for. I didn't have what I needed here to finish it, so I planned to bring it when I made my next visit. But I learned about the bandits while I was away. Turns out I arrived just in time for you to deal with it." He reaches out to Adeline, placing a hand firmly on her shoulder as she marvels at the beautifully crafted weapon before her. "Remember what I said about why I trained you?"
"Because you thought I was strong."
"Because you are strong, Adeline. You will be their shield."
Adeline stares at the silver disc that rests in her hands for a moment, eventually setting it down and getting up to walk back around behind the bar. "Hey," she says, sliding another tankard down the counter before grabbing hold of her own glass, again, and raising it. Baldrik grins and picks the tankard back up, touching it to Adeline's glass. "To a stubborn old man who just can't retire."
Baldrik laughs. "To a hardheaded young woman with the best ale in town."
"What? You don't like that one? Then how about… to the woman with the adamantine will? May she always watch over this town."
Adeline chuckles. "Now, that, I'll drink to." Then she downs her entire glass as Baldrik polishes off his tankard in one go. The two of them set down their drinks with satisfied sighs then, in that momentary lull, Adeline looks to Baldrik and touches her fist to his shoulder before he can get up. "Oi. You make sure you come back."
"On my honor as a Templar," Baldrik says with a smile.
Before Baldrik exits, Adeline makes her way to the door and snares him in a hug, not unlike a daughter bidding farewell to her father. Yes. This feels right. Far more so than when he'd first left. If only it could last forever.
Outside, some time later, Baldrik departs, once again stepping through the gates with his roughsack over his shoulder, and his axe strapped to his back, waving behind him as his young apprentice sees him off. His first destination? The capital city. Paragon.


text: The Oui has a fundamental element of an effortless sophistication yet celebrating the strength of the modern women and current fashion trends. Oui collections offer a distinct confident edge to every modern women's wardrobe ranging from a raw shabby chic to urban luxe not forgetting the breath taking sartorial tailoring unique to its core. Once worn Oui becomes a lifestyle brand within your spirit and leaves an illustrious memory for all to aspire towards. Why not browse our exciting new Oui collection now.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Therefore Go"
At the Avenue, we know and believe that God has called the local church to seek to make disciples of all nations. That is why we are engaged in targeted efforts across the globe to aid other churches and organizations that seek to fulfill the great commission as commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28. Check out more below to see several of our partners that we regularly visit and look at our calendar for upcoming opportunities.
We have a long term relationship with numerous pastors in Romania that we support financially and with team trips. The time that we spend in Romania is used to help with kids camps in local villages, to provide encouragement and support to pastors, and to help with local outreach efforts.
Colorado Springs
Our church partners with a new church plant, Anchor Point Church, in Colorado Springs. Over the last two years our student ministry has taken trips to support local outreach efforts.
In India, we support pastors in their efforts to effectively reach the people India through individual churches, as well as partner with other pastors to help plant churches and train leader.


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It seems like our calendar keeps filling up with days to commemorate, and it's getting harder and harder to keep up. If you're anything like me, you're probably skeptical, thinking they're just another day for companies to make money off greeting cards and presents. Although this may be true for many of those days, we here at Muslim Girl are taking World Keffiyeh Day (#KeffiyehDay) pretty seriously because the message it sends–and the show of solidarity–is extremely important.
So, what is World Keffiyeh Day, you ask? It's a global movement to bring awareness and show solidarity with the Palestinian cause and struggle, and was strategically scheduled on May 11th to prepare us for Al Nakba (the day of calamity in 1948) on May 15th.
Initiated by the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights at Concordia University in Canada, the commemoration has spread globally, and is used to educate the world about the ongoing occupation of Palestine.
Now that we understand what the day is about, you may be wondering what exactly a keffiyeh even is? Depending on what region you hail from in the Middle East, it's a checkered scarf that is gender neutral that you can see in either red or black. The Palestinian keffiyeh is black and white, and most recently has been a popular fashion piece worn by the general public.
This day allows those who understand the significance the opportunity to shed some light on its significance–so if you're wearing it as an accessory rather than a statement, now you know. You're welcome.
Recently, an amazing non-profit organization, Impact Aid, provided some of our staffers keffiyehs in order to promote this day, as well as shed some light on this woman-run organization developed to uplift single women in the Middle East in need of assistance. They provide monetary, emotional, and professional sustainability to women in need living in the Middle East. Thank you, Lisa Jaradat and Sam Sherif for your contribution. And thank you for empowering women.
(Be on the look out for a full interview with Lisa and Sam regarding their amazing organization, Impact Aid, helping to empower women within the next week. Please check out their link above to learn more about the work they do, and how you can donate to their cause.)
"I rock my keffiyeh because I believe it represents cultural unity."
– Leah V., MG Contributing Blogger
"I rock the keffiyeh because I speak up for the voices gone unheard."
– Tahira A., MG Lead Writer
"I rock the keffiyeh because I believe in the revolution, the right of return, the dismantling of illegal settlements, the end of apartheid, and the end of oppression and occupation – because we are all Palestinian."
– Maysoon, MG Managing Editor
"I rock the keffiyeh because peace is the only medicine for hate in this world."
– Marwa, MG Contributing Blogger
"I rock the keffiyeh in solidarity with the nameless and the faceless, the young and the old, who continue to live under occupation."
-Fatima, MG Contributing Blogger
"I rock the keffiyeh because if not me, who? If not now, when?"
-Eman, MG Contributing Blogger
"I rock the keffiyeh because I believe in justice and equality for all those subjected to injustice and inequality."
-Sara, MG Contributing Blogger
"I rock the keffiyeh in solidarity against oppression."
-Aya, MG Contributing Blogger
Remember, the keffiyeh is more than just a garment. It's a political statement. It unifies us and empowers us. It says to the world, "We are one with the people of Palestine." It says, "We stand against injustice. And, it says, "We will never forget." How do you rock your keffiyeh on World Keffiyeh Day?


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Euchre Tournaments for all levels of players
Meet us in Waterford for Euchre night, drinks, and prizes!
You could win gift cards courtesy of Irish Tavern.
Single players or groups are welcome. Tickets can be purchased online before event or in person at event (cash preferred)
Let's get Euchre going in Detroit again!
Irish Tavern, 48327


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The Gantry Restaurant & Bar
As boats bob on the shimmering harbour, a mix of lovers, lunchers and hotel loafers sip cocktails on Pier One wharf. Thanks to the sweeping views, it's impossible not to be mesmerised when dining at this peaceful waterfront idyll. This is no stitched-up hotel restaurant. The kitchen at The Gantry focuses on producing uncomplicated, stand-out dishes using the best produce sourced from around Australia, including Eugowra quail and Flinders Island wallaby. A welcome change, this restaurant knocks our perceptions of hotel dining out of the park.
Pier One Hotel, 11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay; (02) 8298 9910


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See more at www.thenewsocialism.org
|SYNOPSIS | review | contents | preface |
Why Marx was right - and why the generation of economic values in a market economy goes hand in hand with the degeneration of ethical values. Deep Socialism shows how the generation of economic values under capitalism goes hand in hand with the degeneration of qualitative ethical values. Far from valuing the individual qualities of its employees, the modern corporation treats these solely as means to an end - profit - and thus fundamentally devalues them. By cleverly marketing its products as material symbols of those spiritual qualities, the employee is is doubly exploited - both as producer and as consumer.
A society in which "essential truth" can be the marketing slogan of a shampoo and "real feeling" is identified with "real chocolate" is a society in deep ethical crisis, substituting hollow symbolic "brand values" for deep
|human values. A society in which marketers honestly believe that brands have "souls" has already sold its soul - and wants nothing more than to trade yours for its commodities.The contradictions of the market economy exposed by Marx have now been shored up by a culture of marketing in which all deep human values themselves have been turned into commodities. "Deep Socialism" is a Marxist manifesto for the 21st century - a radical critique, not only of the capitalist market economy but of the cynical and ethically corrupting culture of capitalist consumer marketing. It extends Marx's profound analysis of economic value to ethical values, showing how the modern corporation, far from "valuing" people, actually devalues the real individual qualities of its employees - whilst at the same time relying on them as a source of surplus value and profit.
|REVIEW | synopsis | contents | preface |
|FULL CONTENTS | synopsis | review | preface |
Part 1
A New Communist Manifesto?
Part 2
Individuality and the Market in Values
Part 3
Relational Learning and Dialogical Ethics
|PREFACE | synopsis | review | contents |
Deep Socialism is a Marxian socialist manifesto for the twenty-first century. It is based on a new dialectical theory of value, one which not only reaffirms and reapplies the analysis of economic value presented in Das Kapital, but complements and integrates it with an analysis of ethical, ecological and educational value exploitation in capitalist society. Deep Socialism is radical socialism, not only because it digs down to the hidden roots of the market economic system, but because it exposes the false conflict between economism and moralism, the ideology of "shareholder value" promoted by investment fund managers and the clerical advocacy of traditional "shared values".
The dialectical theory of value articulated in this manifesto is the product of over thirty years' reflection on issues of socialist ethics and economics, which began when I first read the Communist Manifesto of Marx and Engels. This
was before the onslaught of Thatcherism and Reaganism, before the demise of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Today, as right wing commentators bask in the "defeat" of socialism and reaffirm the original principles of unfettered market economics, it is high time that socialists once again challenge these principles, not only ethically but economically. Yet to talk about socialist ethics "and" economics misses the point. The "labour theory of value" developed by Marx in Das Kapital, his analysis of how "surplus value" is extracted from labour in the form of profit and rent, was intrinsically interwoven with a fundamental socialist ethic. This ethic was based on the understanding that each person's labour has the same worth as every other's, and went together with the vision of a communist society in which work, instead of being a means to an end, would be an intrinsic source of deep value fulfilment. The fact that the same term - "value" - can be used to refer to the "use value" of things, to the economic value of commodities and of labour as a commodity, and to personal and social "values" is not a linguistic accident but an expression of a profound inner relation between ethics and economics that not even Marx explored in all its depths and ramifications. Dialectical value theory reaffirms and redevelops Marx's theory of value so as to bring out more clearly the dialectical relation between ethical and economic value(s), and in this way to shed new light on the most important ethical and economic issues of our day. It takes basic economic key words such as "value", "cost", "time", "employment" and "profit" and explores their deep social and ethical dimensions as well as their surface economic ones. Its aim is to expose the fundamental misunderstanding of the relation between economic and ethical value(s) that lies at the heart of capitalist ideology. The misguided "ethics" of the church and its efforts to promote "moral education", and the misguided economics of left-liberal advocates of the "social market" are both an expression of this ideology. And yet the fundamental mis-relation of ethical and economic concepts in capitalist thinking expresses a fundamental mis-relation of ethics and economics in capitalist society. It is not just a theoretical mis-relation but a real one affecting millions of people. Understanding and overcoming this mis-relation is not just a theoretical task but a practical one.
Dialectical value distinguishes itself from any purely economic or ethical, material or spiritual, psychological or biological view of human values. It is based on a fundamental distinction between symbolic values which are expressed in languages and currencies, communicative and commercial exchange, and deep values, embodied in the individual qualities that people bring to their work and relationships, and through which they imbue them with value. The Dialectics of Value(s) has broad practical implications which cannot be restricted to the specialist domains of ethical and economic theory, for it also transforms our personal and social-scientific understanding of health and education, psychology and politics, religion and culture.
The first part of this manifesto presents a new critique not just of the ethics and economics of the market but of its culture - the culture of marketing - one which transforms all deep human values and cultural symbols into commodities. I use the concepts of negative value and negative surplus value, negative time and negative quality, to show its effects on the environment, health and education. In doing so I offer a new "deep socialist perspective": counter-posing deep health to superficial symbolic health, deep education to abstract symbolic education, deep profit to symbolic financial profit and deep politics to the moral marketing of political personalities and policies.
The second part of the manifesto moves from the Dialectics of Value(s) to the Ethics of Dialogue - extending Marx's analysis of value from the sphere of economic relations, commerce and commodity exchange to the sphere of human relations, culture and communicative exchange. Its aim is to show that the true link between economics and politics on the one hand, and culture and education on the other, is not "moral education" or "emotional education" but the intrinsic connection between valuing and learning . It introduces the principles and praxis of "relational learning" - learning to value others and valuing what we learn from others. Herein, values are defined as individual human qualities embodied in relating to others and materialised in labour. This understanding of values as embodied relational qualities is counter-posed to economic, political and psychoanalytic theories which interpret and value these qualities only symbolically, through their expression in cultural symbols and symbolic behaviour, communication and commerce, spoken languages and traded words and traded currencies.
In the third part of this manifesto, I set out new principles for socialist political education, organisation and leadership, based on the praxis of relational learning and relational thinking - of Dialogical Ethics and Dialectical Thinking. Their basis is the understanding that the socialist transformation of economic relations can only come about through a transformation of the human relations on which the market economy is based and which it reproduces. Human beings need to relate to others in society, not principally in order to be valued for the individual qualities they embody, but precisely in order to embody those individual qualities - to embody them in their relating. Deep Socialism is fulfilled individualism - a social individualism in which deep relational value fulfilment replaces the purely symbolic value fulfilment of atomised individuals and groups in the market economy.
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Renegade Vienna Class B+ diesel motorhome 25VRMC highlights:
This is the perfect couples motorhome to explore the country! You will stay squeaky clean in the full rear bathroom with the 24" x 36" shower that has a skylight above it and a 22" x 50" wardrobe to store your towels and other toiletries. Depending on what time you enter this unit will determine whether you see the sofa or the 65" x 72" Murphy bed. The kitchen has a two burner cooktop, a convection microwave, and a 8 cu. ft. Norcold refrigerator to prepare home cooked meals, and a booth dinette to enjoy them at. You could even switch out the dinette for the optional theater seating instead. The 46" x 80" bunk mattress over the cab lets another member join in on the adventure too!
Luxury is in the details of each one of these Renegade Vienna Class B+ diesel motorhomes! They are built with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, a four point hydraulic leveling system with app control, and a 1200w Magnum inverter. You will appreciate the convenient and stored LP quick connect and the Truma™ AquaGo Comfort Plus water heater. The power skylight comes with a screen and black out shade and the two Maxx Air™ fans have rain sensors for added convenience as well. Hardwood maple cabinetry completes the luxurious décor throughout the inside. With five full paint color options to choose from, you can be sure to find one that fits your tastes!
|24 ft 11 in
|Ext Width
|7 ft 8 in
|Ext Height
|10 ft 11 in
|Int Height
|6 ft 9 in
|Interior Color
|Gemstone, Titanium, Vanilla Frost
|Exterior Color
|Blue Skies, Gold Coast, Lava Field, Mojave Sunset, Summer Sand
|11030 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|34 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|29 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|29 gals
|Furnace BTU
|20000 btu
|3.6KW LP Gas
|Fuel Type
|Blue Tec 3.0L Turbo Diesel
|Mercedes Benz 3500 Sprinter
|Fuel Capacity
|24.5 gals
|Number Of Bunks
|Available Beds
|Refrigerator Type
|Norcold Stainless Steel
|Refrigerator Size
|8 cu ft
|Convection Cooking
|Cooktop Burners
|Shower Size
|24" x 36"
|Number of Awnings
|LP Tank Capacity
|13.2 gals
|Water Heater Type
|Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus
|13500 btu
|Basement Storage
|42 cu. ft.
|TV Info
|LR 32" LED TV, Ext. 28" LED TV
|Awning Info
|Lateral Arm with LED Lights
|Shower Type
|Electrical Service
|50 amp
Renegade RV is part of REV Group, Inc., a leader in the motor vehicle industry for bus, emergency, recreation and specialty markets. The name REV is not an acronym but instead a statement that drives home our company's commitment to connect and protect thousands of people every day.
In short, REV builds "vehicles for life" thanks to its 18 manufacturing facilities, 29 vehicle brands and more than 7,400 REV employees across the United States. The company produces more than 20,000 vehicles annually, including ambulances, fire apparatuses, commercial buses, terminal trucks, street sweepers, wheelchair accessible vans and of course, luxury motor coaches, like Renegade RV.
Under the company umbrella, the REV Recreation Group, formerly Allied Recreation Group, is made up of some of the world's most recognized and admired RV brands. Each brand — American Coach, Monaco Coach, Holiday Rambler, Fleetwood RV and of course, Renegade RV — remains distinct, while together the group is a celebration of the rich heritage and future promise of the greatest manufacturers in the RV industry.
Burdicks RV Center is not responsible for any misprints, typos, or errors found in our website pages. Any price listed excludes sales tax, registration tags, and delivery fees. Manufacturer pictures, specifications, and features may be used in place of actual units on our lot. Please contact us @315-652-3764 for availability as our inventory changes rapidly. All calculated payments are an estimate only and do not constitute a commitment that financing or a specific interest rate or term is available.
Manufacturer and/or stock photographs may be used and may not be representative of the particular unit being viewed. Where an image has a stock image indicator, please confirm specific unit details with your dealer representative.


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Scorching Hot Or Not? The Best, Worst & Sexiest Bikinis Of Summer
Bombshell bikini, or bust?
From exclusive pool parties to the most luxurious beaches in the world, Hollywood's hottest stars have been stripping down this summer and steaming up the beach in barely-there bikinis – but not everyone has hit the high note with their swimwear style! RadarOnline.com has photos the best, worst & sexiest bikinis of summer.
Candice Swanepoel gets paid the big bucks to make a simple string bikini look like the sexiest attire out there. The Victoria's Secret Angel stripped down with her model boyfriend in South Beach, proving that less is definitely more when it comes to bringing sexy to the beach.
Rihanna has rocked an infinite number of scandalously sexy bikinis this summer all over the world, but her fabulously fringed L*SPACE bandeau definitely grabbed our attention! Just sexy enough without revealing too much of her hot bod, the sizzling singer nailed the look.
At 54-years-old, bona fide cougar Sharon Stone still has one of the best bikini bodies in Hollywood. Though we loved her Missoni bikini top during a recent romp on the shoreline, she didn't quite score a touchdown with her football-inspired bikini bottoms.
- A$AP Rocky's Ex-Friend Suing Over Alleged Shooting Hires Another Johnny Depp Lawyer as Prosecutors Reveal Shocking Security Footage
- A$AP Rocky Attempting to Settle Ex-Friend A$AP Relli's Lawsuit Over Alleged Shooting as Rihanna's Boyfriend's Criminal Case Looms
- 'Girl. Stop': Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Catch Backlash Over Baby #2's Unique Name
Beware of the saggy bottoms syndrome! Miley Cyrus fell victim to sporting bikini bottoms a few sizes too big, emerging from the water with an embarrassing wedgie.
For all the best, worst and sexiest celebrity bikinis of the week, click here.


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Simple flowers with a yellow center of 3 cm in diameter filled with 8 pink-lilac petals, very re-flowering, with a slightly prostrate habit, reaching 70 cm in height. Very resistant to diseases, it has dark green leaves; in its own right included in the "Bee Paradise Roses" group, it has been selected by Rosen Tantau in 2015. Thanks to its remarkable features it has received numerous certificates of merit: in 2018 the first prize in Hradec Kralové; in 2017 the ADR; the first prize at the Bagatelle Rose Trials (Paris), the international jury prize and a certificate of merit in Lyon; in 2016 the best ground cover rose at the Barcelona Rose Trials and a certificate of merit in Le Roeulx.
|Rose name
|Bienenweide® rosa
|Tantau Rosen
|A very flowery and disease-resistant shrub rose, compact and with lilac-pink blooms
|6,80 €
|1,8 kg
vaso 1,5 Litri


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Full-Length Play, Drama
3f, 2m
Dominique Morisseau
Morisseau's powerful play unfolds an explosive moment in our history – the race riots that ravaged the city of Detroit in 1967 – set to a vibrant soundtrack of the day's music.
Image: 2013 Public Theater Production (Joan Marcus)
"Must-see theater... Detroit '67 effectively captures a community coming to grips with its history and its future." – Detroit Free Press
Detroit '67 features a number of classic Motown tunes. Listen to the songs below, and be sure to check out Reach on Out for Me: The Playlist of Detroit '67.
"CRACKLING WITH HUMOR! Fire up some Motown, get those hips moving and everything will work out fine." - The New York Times, Read More
"If Detroit '67's sequels prove as good as it does, the search for the next Wilson or Hansberry could nearly be over." - Talkin' Broadway, Read More
"3 STARS! An endearing new play...it will draw you in!" - New York Post, Read More
Scene Study and Classroom Reading: Plays for Colleges and Universitiesby Becca SchlossbergAugust 23, 2019
Reach On Out for Me: The Playlist of DETROIT '67by Annette StorckmanFebruary 11, 2015Coming Out On Topby Gianfranco LentiniDecember 22, 2014
Detroit '67 at Northlight Theatre (Scene 1)
Detroit '67 at Northlight Theatre (Scene 2)
Image: 2013 Public Theater Production (Joan Marcus)
Dominique Morisseau is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle), which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit '67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays ...
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Charlotte Hastings
Charlotte Hastings


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At Curry Acura, we're dedicated to keeping your Acura vehicle running safely and smoothly. That's why our certified Acura service center is fully equipped with the latest in auto repair technology, not to mention staffed with certified Acura mechanics that know the Acura brand of vehicles inside and out. Whether for essential auto maintenance or an unexpected Scarsdale, New York car repair, our service center and body shop are here for you. Ready to get started? It's easy, schedule service with us online today!
If you're looking for an auto service center that makes a point of taking care of its customers in every way possible, you've come to the right place. Between our convenient tire center and parts department, as well as our customer lounge, shuttle service, and free WiFi, we've got you covered. To learn more about everything we have to offer, including our full menu of auto services in Scarsdale, NY, get in contact with us at Curry Acura today.
Staying up-to-date on simple car maintenance like oil changes, tire rotations, brake services, and fluid top-offs is important for the health of your vehicle doesn't need to break the bank. Our service center offers a variety of service specials to help you to save on auto service in Scarsdale, NY. Not sure if the value of your vehicle is worth what you're spending on auto repairs? You can value your trade and save on a reliable new or used vehicle from Curry Acura. No matter your next step, give our service center a call now and discover what we can do for you.
(914) 472-6800Call Now
685 Central Park Ave • Scarsdale, NY 10583Get Directions
Open Today! Sales: 9am-6pm
Open Today! Service: 7:30am-6pm
Open Today! Parts: 7:30am-6pm


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Sepage is now part of TravelSoft, in a deal to bring artificial intelligence tools for tourism to a wider audience.
Travelsoft is the owner of Orchestra, a travel offer distribution and reservation platform based in France.
The company says the deal with allow it to "address the full range of digital challenges companies face", covering both marketing and distribution.
Sepage was formed in 2013 (TLabs here) with a mission to use data to help with targeting and personalisation.
Founder and CEO of Travelsoft, Christian Sabbagh, says:
"The major challenge in e-travel is to provide the maximum flexibility and completeness, and at the same time to master the explosion of data volumes to improve the relevance of the the content shown to the user.
"The technologies created by Sépage will be a vital part of the industry's coming transformation."
Read original article


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First Run of the C&T Railroad
A couple of days ago I finally was able to attempt a first run of the season on the Chesapeake and Tenleytown Garden Railway.
Winter around here is not kind to my outdoor G scale track. Even though it was unusually warm during the winter months, the track still heaves and moves sideways with the temperature changes. And don't ask me where all the roadbed gravel goes. It just seems to disappear, needing replenishment every season.
Even the radio remote control had been giving me issues during the last season. I couldn't control the speed of the trains with it. That, unfortunately, has been a recurring problem. Expert help was needed for that one…which arrived via my friend Gerry in Perth, West Australia. He, being the ultimate tinkerer and retired electronics guru, had been here in DC visiting late last year with his other half and promised to fix my remote control issues. Sure enough a package arrived from Perth in due course, containing wires and a small metal box and very detailed instructions. Apparently, this was some sort of amplification system, with which the range of my remote control could be enhanced. Following the instructions to the letter it just took a few minutes to connect the whole shebang. With great anticipation I put a locomotive on the track and turned on the power. Well, the poor machine zoomed down the track like greased lightning, all the while I am frantically pushing the "reduce speed" button on my remote control. It finally flew off the track in a curve, ending that experiment. Well, back to manual non-remote control!
So back to a couple of days ago. The weather was great. Perfect for a first run of the garden railroad season.
The track was in bad shape (see video), but it was serviceable. I tried the remote again, but no dice. In any case, I had a train running, but it derailed a few minutes later. So there I was rushing back to the controller in the basement to turn off the power. Back outside to rerail the train. Once again to the basement to turn the power on. Back outside to watch the train. This was getting very tedious and one can easily see why a remote control would be very useful indeed. Then I thought: perhaps the battery in the remote needs to be changed! So I went upstairs into my little office and changed the battery in the remote. Somehow I got distracted and went downstairs again, sans remote. Of course the inevitable happened. I can't find the remote. Usually I have it in my pocket, but it is not there. So into the basement I go and there it is, right next to the transformer. Now I am back outside and the remote control works like a charm.
Wait, you say! You left it upstairs! Quite right. You see, I have a double track railroad. Each track is electrically isolated and has it's own remote control system. (Can you guess where this is going…?). I had been using the remote control for the inside track to run trains on the outside track. No wonder it did not work. Oh, well. And thanks Gerry. The setup has quite the range now.
Here is a short video. Ignore the bad track. I know it needs work:
Photos and Video by Ralf Meier (iPhone 11 and Sony RX100M7)


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Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Introduces New Perimeter Design Concepts for Diplomatic Facilities
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) announced the new Embassy Perimeter Improvement Concepts (EPIC) initiative during its Industry Advisory Panel meeting today. The EPIC team studied compound perimeter designs to improve the quality and appeal of the built environment surrounding United States diplomatic facilities abroad. The EPIC initiative is one of many efforts OBO is undertaking in its renewed commitment to Design Excellence.
OBO and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security collaborated with Davis Brody Bond Aedas, Rhodeside & Harwell, and Weidlinger Associates to observe and document the perimeters of four existing embassy compounds. After analyzing the function and aesthetic realities of perimeter designs, the team developed a range of alternate approaches to achieving mandated security requirements.
The goal of EPIC is to design new embassy perimeters that present a more positive and welcoming image of the United States abroad, while meeting all perimeter security standards and the functional needs of these facilities.
Design Excellence, implemented in 2010, is a holistic approach to building U.S. diplomatic missions abroad. Using the Guiding Principles of Design Excellence in Diplomatic Facilities as a road map, Design Excellence furthers OBO's mission to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.
For further information, please contact Christine Foushee at firstname.lastname@example.com or (703) 875-4131, or visit the OBO website for a copy of the Design Excellence Handbook and EPIC synopsis.


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This four-story, two-family home filled with artistic details and within walking distance to the beach is listed for sale at 129 West Olive St. in Long Beach.
Built in 1915, this nine-bedroom home has seven and a half bathrooms and 5,200 square feet of living space. Its high ceilings, two terraces, and intricate, hand-crafted gorgeous details in every room gives the feeling of being in a Tuscan Villa.
The brick-faced, one-of-a-kind house comes equipped with an eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, fireplace, and a fully finished basement. Outside, it has an attached two-car garage and a porch.
It's located two blocks from the Long Beach Long Island Rail Road station and is nearby Long Beach Boulevard, which links the Long Beach Island—a barrier island protecting the South Shore of Long Island from the ocean—and its eponymous city to mainland Long Island.
As for the other two bridges off the island, the house is three miles from the Loop Parkway to the east and three miles from Nassau Boulevard to the west. And it's within walking distance of downtown LBC, a lively seaside community that is the closest thing to California found on LI.
The house is in the Long Beach School District, which had its high school ranked No. 22 on The Washington Post's list of the Most Challenging High Schools on LI last year.
The asking price is $1,799,000, not including the annual property taxes of $13,754.
The real estate agents listed for the property are Todd Litz and Elaine Richheimer of Douglas Elliman Real Estate. They can be reached at 516-623-4500.


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Charity overview NUDGE FOUNDATION
Charity number: 1168440
Charity reporting is overdue by 35 days
Activities - how the charity spends its money
Nudge Foundation is a charity based in Croydon whose purpose is to prevent people from becoming socially excluded or isolated and assist them to integrate into society. This is effected through the annual issuing of grants to charities who operate in this sector and focuses, though not exclusively, on young people by such means as offering training or community support.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 December 2021
Total income: £0
Total expenditure: £0
3 Trustee(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000No employees have total benefits over £60k for this charity
This charity does not raise funds from the public
This charity does not have any trading subsidiaries.
Trustee payments
No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.


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Home > If You Build Them They Will Come
If You Build Them They Will Comeby Open-Publishing - Wednesday 12 August 2009
Healthcare Governments Television USA Daveparts
By David Glenn Cox
The healthcare debate just keeps spinning out of control, death panels and let's kill off granny movements bumbling, stumbling with overweight, jackboot wannbes. Watch them pretending outrage while keeping one eye on the director.
I was watching the video of the St. Louis town hall scuffle and one man seems to always be on the edge of the camera shot. When he looks at the camera the camera moves forward almost like he was giving instructions. But when you hire amateurs you get amateurs. The video really doesn't show anything more than people screaming at each other until the cops show up.
The problem for me, and I'm sure others like me, is that with Obama what we're promised doesn't always match what we get. Closing down Gitmo became relocating Gitmo to Afghanistan. Stopping the Bush military tribunals became slowing but continuing the Bush tribunals; the new transparency became the old transparency.
Attorney General Eric Holder is considering a special prosecutor to investigate torture accusations against CIA employees. But it is like Steve Martin in "The Jerk" as the weight guesser. You can only consider certain crimes against certain low level employees who went over the readily accepted definition of enhanced interrogation somewhere on this shelf right here between the Kewpie dolls and the pocket combs, but not the clock radio.
The employee free choice act was very dear to my heart. It was a real chance to put American workers back on their feet. You wouldn't have to start a union, but just the boss man knowing that you could would mean better treatment of workers. I both blame and excuse Obama for what happened. Congress gutted it by removing the card check provision and so effectively removed the free choice portion. Congress did it but Obama allowed them do it. So how am I to trust healthcare reform? How do I know what I'm getting? How do I know that when the dust settles it will be no more than mandates for people to buy phony baloney health insurance with the profits locked into the insurance companies for a generation?
The opponents have it made; just say no! But for the millions like myself who would like to see real, meaningful healthcare reform, how can we get excited when we have the great equivocator on our side? Obama's forte seems to be finding common ground and making both parties meet half way. That's fine unless you're right and the other side is wrong. If you ask for 10 you get 5, even though you need 7. This is how we got a stimulus bill that is almost half tax cuts and a banking bill that rewards struggling banks and punishes struggling homeowners.
I want to support Obama. I want to support healthcare reform, but I'm tired of being played for a sucker! We have no idea what kind of bill is going to come out of the Senate this fall, and quite honestly if the American people don't follow Obama and the congressional Democrats, whose fault is that? Being a great equivocator looks very statesmanlike. It makes for great press releases and photo ops, but it is very lazy politics. To willingly bargain away a little of this for a little of that means nothing is sacred when you are, in fact, dealing with a health insurance industry that is the devil incarnate.
The opposition have it made, most of their followers are the undereducated, overstimulated types. They listen to Fox News and Rush and it gets their blood to boiling; no corroboration or second source necessary. Most are so angry that it ruins "CSI" and "American Idol" for them. So they turn over to BTN (Bible Thumpin' Network) and there is the reverend Flash Humbug saying, "Obama wants to kill you!" Who wouldn't break out the lawn furniture to protest? But it is so sad; many of these folks see themselves as American patriot types. John Fat-Ass Adams sitting in his lawn chair with a teabagger sign or Betsy Lard-Butt Ross passing around Glen Beck petitions to sign sure makes me proud to be American.
I had a customer that sold scaffolding, and he used to say, "Scaffolding and prostitution are the only industries in the world where you sell it but get it back."
If you needed scaffolding for a three day job, it was cheaper to rent it for a week. If you needed it for three weeks it was cheaper by the month. If you needed it for three months it was cheaper to purchase it. The contractors, finished with the job, didn't need to drag a ton of scaffolding cross-country and would sell it back to the scaffolding company for pennies on the dollar.
So who is to say or to stop the healthcare or financial industries from hiring professional choreographers and videographers to stage these events? With proper lighting and operatives the job could probably be done cheaper than it is now. Twenty or so real toughs to replace the Tom Bosleys in the crowd and you've really got something there! A theater for the half mind, for the easily amused and vitriolically aroused.
How will the Democrats answer then, without it sounding like whining? How can they counter-rouse the troops? Like the rube in front of the three-card Monty game, we are tired of trying to guess where the queen is hiding. We've been burned and then burned again, while the Speaker of the House asks, "What's the matter, don't you trust us?" Or Obama says, "I'm gonna fight for health care and those Republicans who get in the way aren't going to matter. Go ahead, pick a card."
But you see, that is where our adversaries have us by the gonads. Sure, they are frightened with lies and rhetoric, steeped in propaganda and hyperbole, but it coincides with their base principles. They don't like change of any type; they're still angry that "Matlock" went off the air. They don't want any Black people living in their neighborhood, and they want to see Obama's birth certificate.
You know that this is stupid and I know that it is stupid; we can look at them and shake our heads and wonder at just how stupid some people can be. But those stupid people, motivated by a few lobbyists and bullyboys, are defending their principles no matter how stupid they are.
The war is not won in camp, it is won in the field. You'll change no partisan minds; few in the Democratically-leaning public will change their minds about healthcare. None of the Fox, Rush, Palin crowd will be swayed. So all that's left are those in the middle to sway.
Do you want to trust the American public with intellectual arguments made by less than trustworthy politicians, or a good old Jerry Springer-type TV fight show? Excuse me for not standing out on that pier with you. It's not that the Republicans have a monopoly on principles, they don't. Only on stupid principles. The Democrats have hammered out a composite, compromised, mediated, health care industry-approved bill, subject to radical change at any moment. Personally, if it is not single payer, I see it as a failure. This is also to their advantage; they don't have to agree on why they hate it.
Obama and Congress must find another argument to fight the Republicans, besides calling them nuts and whackos. That mostly fails to get their attention because they either already know it or are too far gone to understand it. Maybe we should have started from the beginning with a bill to inspire the left and the middle class, instead of a half-hearted camel of a bill punctured with Republican suggestions that in the end they will never vote for. Maybe then the birthers and the jerkers and the screaming in-toungers wouldn't be able to fit into the town hall meetings.
If you promise me X and give me Y over and over, don't be surprised when I don't get excited when you promise me X yet again.


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Tour Dates: Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th February 2024 (Tallin to Tallin)
Tour Price: £825pp plus flight
Estimated Flight Price: London to Tallin approx. £200 return
Deposit: £350 per person
Conservation Donation from Wise Birding: £50 – £100
Minimum Number: 4 people
Maximum Group Size: 6 people
Target Species
Steller's Eider, White-tailed Eagle, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl, White-backed Woodpecker, Capercaillie and Hazel Grouse
Tour Summary
This tour is specifically designed as a short break to see the wintering flocks of Steller's Eiders that congregate off the Estonian island of Saaremaa. Numbers vary each winter but generally you can expect a minimum of 300 birds and as many as 1,000 birds. Of course, during the winter months the diversity of species will be low but the quality of species is excellent. We should see a good selection of other seaduck, Sea Eagles and a good chance of Eurasian Pygmy Owl. We also spend a night on the mainland near Sooma NP where we will search for Capercaillie and Hazel Grouse as well as woodpeckers and with luck, the hugely impressive Ural Owl!
ACCOMMODATION: 3 nights in Estonia
2 nights in a manor guesthouse on Saaremaa Island and 1 night at a hotel in Pärnu.
Meals: Full board
DAY 1: Tallin – Saaremaa Island
On arrival at Tallinn Airport we will travel around 160Km to Virtsu where we take the early evening ferry to Muhu Island. This takes just 30 minutes and then we cross by bridge to Saaremaa Island. Depending on the severity of the winter, the Suur Väin Strait which we cross on the ferry can be covered with ice, or host large flocks of seaducks. If the sea is open we will be looking out for flocks of Long-tailed Ducks and Greater Scaup. We will then travel to the west side of the island where if the weather is suitable we will try for Eurasian Pygmy Owl. Overnight Loona Manor
Day 2: Saaremaa Island
Today our main target will be the wonderful Steller's Eider so we will travel to the north-western tip of Saaremaa Island. The hot spot for Steller's Eider is located close to Cape Undvao where we hope to find the dense feeding flocks where their synchronised diving is a real spectacle! Other species we hope to find include flocks of Greater Scaup and Long-tailed Duck as well as White-tailed Eagle and maybe Bohemian Waxwing. We also have chances of divers and waders including Purple Sandpiper. After lunch we will explore the island further and try and find Great Grey Shrike with chances of Rough-legged Buzzard and Nutcracker. As evening approaches we will again try for Eurasian Pygmy Owl. Overnight Lonna Manor
DAY 3: Return to mainland – Sooma NP
After breakfast we will return to the mainland. Once back at Virtsu Harbour we will then drive to Sooma National Park. This park is located in central Estonia and has very good quality forest. Woodpeckers, particularly White-backed and Grey-headed, Hazel Grouse and Capercaillie will be our main focus. Then once again during the early evening we will try for owls with good possibilities of both Ural and Pygmy Owl dependent on the weather. Overnight Pärnu Hotel
DAY 4: Pärnu Forests – Tallin
We will just have time for some pre-breakfast birding for those that wish to before we drive to Tallin airport where the tour concludes. If our flight time allows we may also have time for some birding en route.
Please note this is a flexible itinerary which may need to be adjusted slightly dependent on arrival / departure times, weather conditions and the most recent information from our local guides
Leader: Tarvo Valker
Included in cost: Accommodation in twin en-suite rooms, all meals, all entrance fees, ground transport and services of leader
Not included in cost: International airfare, travel insurance, drinks other than water and any airport/visa fees
Single Supplement: £80
Transport: Minivan or Minibus dependent on group size
Difficulty: Easy, though be prepared for snow and ice
The walking throughout the tour is easy going with leisurely walks on open trails. However, snow and ice are likely to make walking more difficult.
Climate: Very cold with sub zero temperatures expected.
Tour Start Point: Tallin airport, Estonia
Tour End Point: Tallin airport, Estonia
Suggested Airlines: Easyjet


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Parish Team
Fr Michael O'Connell
Parish Priest
Sr. Maria Bui
Pastoral Associate
Ingrid Leverett
Parish Secretary
Elizabeth Jernejcic
Parish Accounts Mgr.
Parish Pastoral Council
Marianne Love (Chair)
Parish office: 9401 6338
Communion to the Sick
Marianne Love
Tel. (03) 9401 6338
Legion of Mary
Philomena Lewis
Tel. 0403910446
St Vincent de Paul
Frances Essling (President)
Tel. 9895 5800
WHAT IS THE YCS-The Young Christian Students Movement (YCS)
The groups which make up the YCS are so many little cells
of the Church in the very heart of the student body"
Pope Paul VI
Youth Meetings
Youth aged year 7 and up are invited to our fortnightly meetings on Sunday mornings. Our meetings primarily use the See-Judge-Act model established by Joseph Cardijn, and the group is part of the international movement -The Young Christian Students (YCS). We review issues relating to social justice, our faith, or challenges which arise in our personal lives or the many communities which we are involved with, before taking personal and collective actions to combat these issues. Recent review topics have included homelessness/public housing, mental health, faith empowerment (Pentecost) and refugees/asylum seekers.
Details: Sunday morning 11am-12:30pm, room underneath St Martin's Church.
For more information on the Australian Young Christian Students Movement, please follow the link https://www.aycs.org.au/
Youth Masses
Youth masses are an integral way of allowing youth (approximately year 7 and upwards) to remain involved in the mass and parish life. During these masses youth are involved in the readings, offertory, prayers of the faithful and many other aspects including some of the music. Each year, St Martin of Tours has approximately 4-5 youth masses. Following each youth mass, we celebrate the group with lunch and activities.
The final youth mass for 2018 is Sunday December 9th, 10am.
2019 youth mass dates will be updated soon.
Other Activities
We coordinate a number of other events throughout the year which includes:
Stay tuned for an updated 2019 youth calendar!
For social media updates, please join our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/stmartinsycs/
The Young Christian Students Movement (YCS) is an international movement that is run for secondary school students, by the students themselves. The Movement aims to empower students to take action in their own lives, in order to change the world around them in the light of their faith and beliefs.
The YCS Creed outlines the core values of the movement, and what we as students believe in as our mission. It articulates our faith in a way that can be as the basis of a prayer at the beginning or the end of meetings.
As Young Christian Students we believe in God. We believe that God created the universe and that we, as part of God's creation, are invited to help complete God's plan.
We believe that the earth has been entrusted to us, to care for, to nurture and to respect. People, as God's creation, have a dignity and worth beyond measure, and deserve to be treated with respect and understanding.
We believe the Holy Spirit empowers us to live active lives following the example of Jesus Christ. We do this through communicating our thoughts, opinions and emotions and accepting and loving each other unconditionally.
We believe that our schools should promote these values through encouraging students to form and question their own opinions and beliefs, and treating each student as a worthwhile individual who has unique needs and talents. Our schools should educate for life.
And we believe that Jesus calls us to live through actions, not just words. Amen.
As mentioned, the Review of Life is in three parts. The following questions help the group reviewing to make sure that they are covering all aspects of the topic in line with each part. These questions are not restrictive however, and elaborations of these, as well as other questions within the group are definitely encouraged.
The SEE Section is about finding out exactly what is happening in a situation that the students want to talk about.
1. What exactly happened? What was your action in response? (the facts)-Â
2. What caused this to happen and why? (the causes)
3.How were people affected? (the consequences)
The JUDGE Section is about applying our faith and beliefs to the situation and developing an idea about what we are called to do
4. What does your faith say about this situation? What would Jesus do here?
5.What do you think about this? How were people affected? (the consequences)
6. What should be happening? (the ideal situation)
The ACT Section is about deciding what we can do to change the situation in the way that our faith and beliefs are calling us to. Remember, it is not a true Review of Life unless the actions are carried out!
7. What exactly do you want to change? (Long term aim) What should be happening? (the ideal situation)
8. What action could you take this week that would be a worthwhile step towards achieving this change? (Short term action)
9. Who else could you involve in you action?
|Last Updated on Friday, 02 November 2018 15:44


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I love my heart paper punch and my kids do too. It's fun to make hearts for Valentine's Day Crafts but you can also use them for math, write letters on them and play match.. the variations are endless. These three activities are just a few of the ways we have used punched out paper hearts lately.
Shake Painted Valentine
I love painting in new ways and this was a great craft for my 19 month old who as you can see even helps me make a mess with a low mess activity like this. For another version of Valentine shake painting check out Hands On As We Grow– older kids will dig how they did it for sure!
- Gather your materials. You will need a plastic food container, some punched hearts( or cut out from construction paper), a piece of card stock, glue and paint of your choosing.
- Punch out some hearts from construction paper.
- Place them and paint in the food container. It's easier to put the paint in first, they shake better that way. If you are nuts enough to hand your toddler the bottle of paint like I was be ready with a washcloth or my favorite- wipes.
- Put the top on and shake.
- Open and be amazed!
- Fold the card stock and add glue .
- Add hearts to glue and let dry. After seeing how cool the hearts looked someone else wanted in on the fun.
Heart Patterns
Click here for the full how to with heart patterns!
Heart Color Match
This is another easy tray activity. Using a silicone pan I placed a different color paper heart in each and had the corresponding colors in a pile waiting to be matched up. This was too hard for my daughter at 19 months and my son would be bored to tears with it. It's smack in the middle between their abilities so no pics of their participation but I still wanted to include the idea for the older toddlers and younger preschoolers who would love it.
Heart of Hearts Collage
I made this last year over at my other blog Craftitivity Corner on FamilyEducation.com pop over to see the tutorial.