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|Canon EOS REBEL XS, Promaster 19-35 lens @ 19mm, ISO 100, f/20, 1/50 sec.
The cruise was fantastic! 5 days on the open seas with daily stops on Wednesday and Thursday in Freeport and Nassau respectively.
Nassau was by far the highlight of the two stops. We walked around in the market place just off of where we docked and then took a cab from there to Paradise Island and the beach. This is located by the famous Atlantis resort.
The beach was tremendous. White sand. Beautiful blue-green water that is so clear you can see the sand underneath it. The water felt good too with the temperature being in the mid 90's and extremely humid. The sun beat down on us so bad that we could only take 2 hours of it.
There were drawbacks to Paradise Island, though. The minute the cab let us out there locals everywhere bugging us to rent watercraft, banana boat rides, chairs, and umbrellas. It really deterred from the beauty of the place. As we paid attention to the urban landscape on the cab ride over and back, though, it was evident that there wasn't a lot of money to go around in this area and any way these people could get money, they were trying. Away from the resorts, the buildings were run down and dingy. There were a lot of empty buildings that were once homes to thriving businesses.
We heard one individual talk about how the cruise lines have actually been a big reason for the demise. Vacationers used to come and spend days in the islands and now only spend a few hours on their cruise stops. This reduces the amount of money spent in the local shops and restaurants. Hence the heavy badgering from the locals.
It is unfortunate for the overall landscape of the area because the islands themselves sure are gorgeous. More images to come from vacation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ross Mechanic
Ross Mechanic is the lucky fella dating Donald Trump's youngest and gorgeous daughter Tiffany Trump. Tiffany is fourth child from his second marriage to Marla Maples.
Donald and Marla welcomed daughter Tiffany Ariana Trump оn October 13, 1993. In December 1993, thе couple married аt Nеw York City's Plaza Hotel in a lavish ceremony attended bу 1,000 guests, unfortunately they separated in Mау 1997 аnd finalized their divorce in 1999.
Tiffany Trump also has three older siblings, brothers Donald and Eric and sister Ivanka, from Donald's marriage to Ivana Trump; and she also has on younger brother, Barron Trump, from her father's marriage to Melania Trump.
Tiffany who is a student аt thе University оf Pennsylvania; whеrе ѕhе iѕ double majoring in sociology аnd urban studies, has also done some modeling. She made her runway debut at NYFW.
Young and beautiful Tiffany, has been dating Ross since 2015. She introduced her cute boyfriend –who happens to be a democrat –to her controversial and famous father last year. Below you can read more interesting facts about Ross Mechanic:
1. The 21-year-old is a software engineering student at thе University оf Pennsylvania
2. Ross Mechanic is the son of Jonathan, 63, and his wife Wendy Sue Levine, 59.
3. Ross has one older brother named Marc, 25 –who is in the rеаl estate litigation world.
4. Rоѕѕ graduated in 2013 frоm Friends Seminary, a private Manhattan day school.
5. Ross Mechanic's father and Donald Trump have knоwn еасh оthеr in thе business world fоr years
6. Ross Mechanic's father hаѕ bееn a powerhouse оf thе Nеw York rеаl estate world fоr decades.
7. Ross is super smart, his school achievements include bесоming a National AP Scholar, National Merit Finalist аnd president оf thе debate team.
8. In 2014 hе hаd a four-month summer internship with thе AIM Hospitality Group, he also spent a summer in thе tech hub оf San Francisco interning аt Idibon – a company whiсh рrоvidеѕ state-of-the-art language processing services.
9. Whеn nоt attending Penn, Rоѕѕ Mechanic lives in a luxury apartment, owned bу hiѕ parents.
10. Ross and tiffany hаvе a penchant fоr thе party circuit.
Find Ross Mechanic on Instagram here.


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Mon, Apr 25|
Saint Johnsbury Community Hub
Creativity Studio
Let's get crafty!!!!
Registration is closedSee other events
Time & Location
Apr 25, 2022, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Saint Johnsbury Community Hub, 438 Railroad St, St Johnsbury, VT 05819, USA
About the Event
The Hub will have art supplies, art projects and art related actvities for the commuity. All ages welcome. Stop in for a quick dose of artsitic expression or dabble in a couple different creative mediums during this time. Come enjoy community artistic inspiration. Let's get crafty!
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Danny Azoulay
Danny Azoulay designs and creates traditional paper-cut ketubot with a completely dynamic and unique style. His artwork takes the classic elements of ketubot and combines them with beautiful depth and intricacy. Having studied at the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem, Danny's ketubot exude nothing but his absolute knowledge of complex design and fine art.


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A Yankee's Tale of Two Encounters with Stonewall's Foot Cavalry at Chancellorsville (Part 2)
Emerging Civil War welcomes back guest author Rob Wilson
Part Two: "I don't know how I escaped"
Click here to go to Part One of this article.
The Yankees were fairly full of themselves when the May 2 fighting wound down at Catharine Furnace ironworks. The last elements of Jackson's Second Corps rear guard— minus 250 men taken prisoner— were headed south and away from Chancellorsville. Federal Third Corps batteries were blasting away at their withdrawal. Some started to believe the Confederates could be "ingloriously" retreating, as their commander "Fighting Joe" Hooker had suggested could happen when they were confronted by his Army of the Potomac.
In a letter home to New Hampshire, Lt. Marden puffed up a bit about his unit's performance, reflecting the celebratory mood in the ranks, where "the praise of the Sharpshooters was in everybody's mouth." Marden was picked to lead a detail escorting captured Georgians to the rear. While they were marched to the north, some of the prisoners began gloating that Stonewall had a special surprise still to deliver that day. The Sharpshooter's letter didn't record exactly what was said, but the threats likely resembled a taunt remembered by another Union soldier: "You may think you done a big thing just now, but wait till Jackson gets around your right."[i]
Marden and his party were headed for an abattis (a barrier of felled trees) that crossed the planked surface of the Orange Turnpike and extended into the woods on either side. From that point, the federal Twelfth Corps line stretched east, towards Hooker's headquarters in Chancellorsville center. The army's right flank, guarded by Eleventh Corps, followed the turnpike to the west for two miles before it abruptly ended. Hooker anticipated the battle's major combat would occur on the Union left flank.
As they approached the barrier, the sharpshooters could see that their talkative prisoners were not liars. Far from retiring to the south with his men, Jackson had led them around to the west of the Eleventh Corps flank. The Second Corps column had emerged on the Orange Turnpike and formed up for battle, out of sight of Eleventh Corps' flank. As Marden's party drew close to the plank road in the fading evening light, Stonewall's surprise attack was well underway.
"Jackson came around [the flank]… driving the 11th Corps down the plank road regular Bull Run style," wrote Marden. Chaos reigned as panicked federal soldiers stampeded down the turnpike, many without rifles. Some burst out of the woods in front of his detail, disappearing into the thick growth on the other side.
"They are the men who used to fight mit Siegel*," the lieutenant spat out in his letter, referring to the thousands of native born Germans who served in the Eleventh. "I never heard a more conglomerate dialect of cursing, fright and blubbering in Dutch English and French than they presented." (Many troops— especially New Englanders—referred to the immigrant soldiers as "Dutchmen.") In a later letter Marden's tone softened. "I am not ready to condemn them," he wrote. "They had overwhelming odds and were completely surprised."
Suddenly, Minie balls were buzzing over the Sharpshooter's party, fired by terrified Eleventh Corps soldiers on the turnpike barrier. The right was now the main front in the Battle of Chancellorsville. Marden and his men, travelling with a large group of gray-uniformed Georgians, were in the confused space between a desperate Yankee line of defense and Stonewall Jackson's hard-charging infantry.[ii]
While Marden was readying to march his prisoners north, Third Corps commander Daniel Sickles reported his success at the furnace to Hooker. Believing his foe was abandoning Chancellorsville, Hooker pulled 25,000 infantrymen, cavalry troopers and supporting artillery south from his main lines, massing them around Hazel Grove and the ironworks. Sickles would take some of them to pursue Stonewall's retreat. The other troops would confront the Confederates who had remained east of Chancellorsville with their army's commander, Gen. Robert E. Lee. Assuming his enemy also was about to exit Fredericksburg, at 4:10 p.m. Hooker telegraphed the Union force opposite the town to be ready to chase those Rebels when they retreated.[iii]
On the Union right that afternoon there had been reports of Confederate movement south and west of the Eleventh Corps. A few units heeded the warnings and took defensive measures, but most of the Eleventh's brass, including corps commander Maj. Gen. General Oliver Howard, dismissed the alarms. By late afternoon, most rifles were stacked for the night. Wood smoke, the aroma of cooking meat and strains of fiddle music permeated the air around the Union campsites.
Jackson arrayed his men in mile-long lines facing perpendicular to Howard's positions and launched his assault about 5:30 p.m. Although hot, exhausted and hungry from a hard march in eighty-degree weather, the Confederates charged full bore down the plank-covered turnpike and through the woods alongside the road. The shrieking attackers drove all manner of wildlife— even a bear— in front of them and through Eleventh campsites. Soon the sounds of rifle and artillery exchanges added to the confusion. Union soldiers were fleeing eastwards, accompanied by galloping horses and terrified mules. Valiant pockets of federal resistance that formed along the line quickly were overrun. There were few nearby troops to rush to the aid of the Eleventh. Many of units that Hooker redeployed south that afternoon had come from positions on the Orange Turnpike.
Howard suddenly appeared riding up the turnpike, an American flag wedged under the stump of an arm lost in an earlier battle, calling on his men to take a stand. Rank held no authority in the midst of this horde. His horse spooked and threw him to the ground.[iv]
Marden's letter vividly describes the deteriorating scene that he witnessed that unfolded:
Jackson was… sending grape and canister down the plank road. All this happened just as I was going up the road on the left (A to B on his hand-drawn map) with some of my prisoners. I hurried as fast as Rosy [Marden's horse] would go, but [that] was not fast enough— just as we turned the bend (at B) our Dutchmen were formed behind the abattis at the corner and seeing the graybacks as we went along they supposed the rebs also [were] coming up that road and they gave us the compliment of a volley. Fortunately, they fired high and did not hit me.[v]
In another letter, the Sharpshooter described the precarious situation he faced while returning to his unit:
I forgave them their volley… the first time, but the second time was not so funny and vastly more dangerous… I got the prisoners and guard over the abattis and turned [back] down the road [to the south]. As I turned our cavalry came rushing up… with sabres [sic] drawn and filled the narrow place. The gallant Howard's men again took a panic and the whole line fired. I don't know how I escaped. I could not go backward or forward. I got off my horse and squatted down in the pines, the Minies whistling in a perfect shower about my ears. Several of the Cavalry were killed and the confusion was extreme.[vi]
As darkness approached, federal commanders rallied some of the fleeing soldiers to fight. Troops diverted south by Hooker rushed back to the turnpike, pushing their way through waves of retreating soldiers to counterattack. It grew too dark to fight at about 9 p.m., but sporadic combat continued. Some Confederates had reached to within a half mile from Hooker's Chancellor House headquarters. Jackson's men reorganized on a line facing east that crossed the turnpike and included the barrier where panicked Eleventh Corps men fired at Marden and his party. Meanwhile, federal forces fell back and feverishly constructed new works around Hooker's headquarters.
Sporadic musket and artillery continued, as men on both sides blundered about searching for their units. A Union general later wrote that the May full moon shed "just enough of its light to make darkness visible." In fact, many of those killed and wounded that night were shot by someone from their own side, as was Stonewall Jackson, near where Marden's detail delivered their prisoners.[vii]
The sharpshooter slowly rode south to rejoin his brigade. It would not be until the next day he discovered his horse had been hobbled by a musket ball. His letters do not mention any encounters with Second Corps soldiers that night, a remarkable stroke of lucky timing, as Jackson's men soon would pierce the abattis where he had delivered prisoners.
Exhausted, the lieutenant reached his brigade in Hazel Grove and bedded on the ground, under his coat. The men knew that Third Corps' positions now lay to the southwest of Hooker's new defensive lines. The sharpshooters "bitterly thought of the morrow" as they tried to sleep, wrote Marden, knowing they were vulnerable to attack from at least three sides. The next day, May 3, promised a major battle. Confederates now were east and the west of the Army of the Potomac. And from the sounds in the woods around Hazel Grove, they were preparing to fight.[viii]
Notes and Sources:
* Marden is referring here to the German-born former commander of Eleventh Corps, Franz Sigel and the popular slogan of German immigrants joining the army, "I'm going to fight mit Sigel." The slogan became the title of one of the most popular songs of the Civil War.
[i] Marden Civil War letters, April 30, May 4 (Available at Rauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College, Hanover N.H); John L. Collins, Battles and Leaders Ed. Robert Johnson and Clarence Buel (New York: Century Co., 1888) Vol. 3, Pg. 183, quoted in Ernest B. Furgurson, Chancellorsville 1863: The Souls of the Brave (New York, Alfred A. Knoph, 1992) 156
[ii] Marden letters, May 4, May 8
[iii] Stephen Sears, Chancellorsville (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1996) 268-269; Furgurson, 187; Theodore Dodge, The Campaign of Chancellorsville, (Boston: J.R. Osgood and Co., 1881) Retrieved at : https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5715/5715-h/5715-h.htm#link2H_4_0013 P. 32.
[iv] Sears, Chancellorsville, 260-271, 275-281, Furgurson, Chancellorsville 1863…, 180-181.
[v] Marden, May 4.
[vi] Marden, May 8; Furgurson, 187-188.
[vii] Sears, 286-288; From The Cannon's Mouth: The Civil War Letters Of General Alpheus S. Williams, edited by Milo M. Quaife (Detroit, Wayne State University Press, 1959), quoted in Sears, 290; Marden, May 4, May 8; The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson: The Mortal Wounding of the Confederacy's Greatest Icon, by Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White (Emerging Civil War Series, California, Savas Beatie, 2013) 16 [Compare Marden's above map to the Mackowski/White map locating where Stonewall was shot.]
[viii] Marden, May 4, May 8


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The seven holy Maccabee martyrs Abim, Antonius, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusebonus, Alimus and Marcellus, their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar suffered in the year 166 before Christ under the impious Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This foolish ruler loved pagan and Hellenistic customs, and held Jewish customs in contempt. He did everything possible to turn people from the Law of Moses and from their covenant with God. He desecrated the Temple of the Lord, placed a statue of the pagan god Zeus there, and forced the Jews to worship it. Many people abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but there were also those who continued to believe that the Savior would come.
A ninety-year-old elder, the scribe and teacher Eleazar, was brought to trial for his faithfulness to the Mosaic Law. He suffered tortures and died at Jerusalem.
The disciples of St Eleazar, the seven Maccabee brothers and their mother Solomonia, also displayed great courage. They were brought to trial in Antioch by King Antiochus Epiphanes. They fearlessly acknowledged themselves as followers of the True God, and refused to eat pig's flesh, which was forbidden by the Law.
The eldest brother acted as spokesmen for the rest, saying that they preferred to die rather than break the Law. He was subjected to fierce tortures in sight of his brothers and their mother. His tongue was cut out, he was scalped, and his hands and feet were cut off. Then a cauldron and a large frying pan were heated, and the first brother was thrown into the frying pan, and he died.
The next five brothers were tortured one after the other. The seventh and youngest brother was the last one left alive. Antiochus suggested to St Solomonia to persuade the boy to obey him, so that her last son at least would be spared. Instead, the brave mother told him to imitate the courage of his brothers.
The child upbraided the king and was tortured even more cruelly than his brothers had been. After all her seven children had died, St Solomonia, stood over their bodies, raised up her hands in prayer to God and died.
The martyric death of the Maccabee brothers inspired Judas Maccabeus, and he led a revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes. With God's help, he gained the victory, and then purified the Temple at Jerusalem. He also threw down the altars which the pagans had set up in the streets. All these events are related in the Second Book of Maccabees (Ch. 8-10).
Various Fathers of the Church preached sermons on the seven Maccabees, including St Cyprian of Carthage, St Ambrose of Milan, St Gregory Nazianzus and St John Chrysostom.
The incorruptible body of Saint Solomoni is treasured at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in Constantinople
Saint Cyprian of Carthage: On Martyrdom and the Maccabees
That it was predicted before that the world would hate us, and that it would stir up persecutions against us, and that no new thing is happening to the Christians—for from the beginning of the world the good have suffered, and the righteous have been oppressed and slain by the unrighteous.
St. Cyprian of Carthage.The Lord in the Gospel forewarns and foretells, saying: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also (Jn. 15:18–20). And again: The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you (Jn. 16:2–4). And again: Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy (Jn. 16:20). And again: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33).
And when His disciples questioned Him concerning the sign of His coming, and the consummation of the world, He answered, saying: And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mt. 24:4–31). Thus, these things that are now happening to Christians are not new or sudden; since the good and righteous, and those who are devoted to God in the law of innocence and the fear of true religion, advance always through afflictions, wrongs, the severe and manifold penalties of troubles, and in the hardship of a narrow path.
Thus, at the very beginning of the world, righteous Abel was the first to be slain by his brother. Jacob was driven into exile, Joseph was sold, and king Saul persecuted the merciful David. King Ahab endeavored to oppress Elias, who firmly and bravely asserted the majesty of God. Zacharias the priest was slain between the temple and the altar, that he himself might become a sacrifice there, where he was accustomed to offer sacrifices to God. So many martyrdoms of the righteous have, in fact, often been celebrated; so many examples of faith and virtue have been set forth to future generations. The three youths, Ananias, Azarias, and Misäel, equal in age, agreeing in love, steadfast in faith, constant in virtue, stronger than the flames and penalties that urged them, proclaim that they only obey God, that they know Him alone, that they worship Him alone, saying: "O king Nebuchodonosor, there is no need for us to answer thee in this matter. For the God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of the furnace of burning fire; and He will deliver us from thy hands, O king. And if not, be it known unto thee, that we do not serve thy gods, and we do not adore the golden image which thou hast set up."(Dan. 3:16–18). And Daniel, devoted to God, and filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaims and says: "I worship nothing but the Lord my God, who founded heaven and the earth." Tobias also, although under a royal and tyrannical slavery, yet free in feeling and spirit, maintains his confession to God, and sublimely announces both the divine power and majesty, saying: "In the land of my captivity I confess to Him, and I show forth His power in a sinful nation." Tob. 13:6.
What, indeed, do we find in the Maccabees of seven brethren, equals alike in their lot of birth and virtues, filling up the number seven in the sacrament of a perfected completion? Seven brethren were thus associated in martyrdom. As the first seven days in the divine arrangement containing seven thousand years,[1]as the seven spirits and seven angels which stand and go in and out before the face of God, the seven-branched lamp in the tabernacle of witness, the seven golden candlesticks in the Apocalypse, and the seven columns in Solomon upon which Wisdom built her house—so here also the number seven of the brethren, embracing, in the quantity of their number, the seven churches, as likewise in the first book of Kings we read that the barren hath borne seven. And in Isaiah, seven women lay hold on one man, whose name they ask to be called upon them. And the Apostle Paul, who refers to this lawful and certain number, writes to the seven churches. And in the Apocalypse, the Lord directs His divine and heavenly precepts to the seven churches and their angels, which number is now found in this case, in the seven brethren, that a lawful consummation may be completed. With the seven children is manifestly associated also the mother, their origin and root, who subsequently begat seven churches, she herself having been first, and alone founded upon a rock. Nor is it of no account that in their sufferings the mother alone is with her children. For martyrs who witness themselves as the sons of God in suffering are now no more counted as of any father but God, as in the Gospel the Lord teaches, saying, And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven (Mt. 23:9).
But what utterances of confessions did they herald forth! How illustrious, how great proofs of faith did they afford! The king Antiochus, their enemy—yea, in Antiochus Antichrist was set forth—sought to pollute the mouths of martyrs, glorious and unconquered in the spirit of confession, with the contagion of swine's flesh. When he had severely beaten them with whips and yet could prevail nothing, he commanded iron plates to be heated, and when the plates had been made to glow, he commanded him who had spoken first, and who had most provoked the king by the constancy of his virtue and faith, to be brought up and roasted, his tongue that had confessed God having first been pulled out and cut off—this happened the more gloriously to the martyr. For the tongue which had confessed the name of God ought itself first to go to God. Then, sharper pains were devised for the second—before he tortured the other limbs, he tore off his scalp with the hair, doubtless with a purpose in his hatred. For since Christ is the head of the man, and God is the head of Christ, he who tore the head of the martyr was persecuting God and Christ in that head. But he, trusting in his martyrdom, and promising to himself the reward of resurrection from the retribution of God, exclaimed and said, "Thou indeed impotently destroyest us out of this present life; but the King of the world will raise us up, who die for His laws, unto the eternal resurrection of life." (2 Macc. 7:9 [Heb. 11:35.]) When the third was challenged, he quickly put forth his tongue; for he had learned from his brother to despise the punishment of cutting off the tongue. Moreover, he firmly held forth his hands to be cut off, greatly happy about such a mode of punishment, since it was his lot to imitate the form of his Lord's passion, by stretching forth his hands. And also the fourth, with like virtue, despised the tortures and answered, to restrain the king, with a heavenly voice exclaiming, said, "It is better that those who are given to death by men should wait for hope from God, to be raised up by Him again to eternal life. For to thee there shall be no resurrection to life"(2 Macc. 7:14). The fifth, besides treading underfoot the torments of the king, and his severe and various tortures, animated by the strength of faith to prescience and knowledge of future events by the Spirit of divinity, foretold the wrath of God to the king, and the vengeance that should swiftly follow. "Having power," said he, "among men, though thou art corruptible, thou doest what thou wilt. But think not that our race is forsaken of God. Abide, and see His great power, how He will torment thee and thy seed." (2 Macc. 7:16). What alleviation that was to the martyr! How substantial a comfort it was in his sufferings not to consider his own torments, but to predict the penalties of his tormentor!
But in the sixth, not his bravery only, but also his humility, is to be set forth. The martyr claimed nothing to himself, nor even made an account of the honor of his own confession with proud words, but rather ascribed it to his sins that he was suffering persecution from the king, while he attributed to God that afterwards he should be avenged. He taught that martyrs are modest, that they were confident of vengeance, and boasted nothing in their suffering. "Do not," said he, "needlessly err; for we on our own account suffer these things, as sinning against our God. But think not thou that thou shalt be unpunished, who darest to fight against God." (2 Macc. 7:18). Also the admirable mother, who, neither broken down by the weakness of her sex, nor moved by her manifold bereavement, looked upon her dying children with cheerfulness, and did not reckon those things to be punishments of her darlings, but glories, giving as great a witness to God by the virtue of her eyes, as her children had given by the tortures and suffering of their limbs; when, after the punishment and slaying of six, there remained one of the brethren, to whom the king promised riches, and power, and many things, that his cruelty and ferocity might be soothed by the satisfaction of even one being subdued. He asked the mother to entreat that her son might be cast down with herself. She entreated, but as befitting a mother of martyrs—as befitting one who was mindful of the law and of God—as befitting one who loved her sons not delicately, but bravely. For she entreated that he would confess God. She entreated that this one would not be separated from his brothers in the alliance of praise and glory—then only would she consider herself the mother of seven sons, if she should bring forth seven sons not to the world, but to God.
Therefore arming him, and strengthening him, and so bearing her son by a more blessed birth, she said, "O son, pity me that bare thee ten[2] months in the womb, and gave thee milk for three years, and nourished thee and brought thee up to this age; I pray thee, O son, look upon heaven and the earth; and having considered all the things which are in them, understand that out of nothing God made these things and the human race. Therefore, O son, do not fear that executioner; but being made worthy of thy brethren, receive death, that in the same mercy I may receive thee with thy brethren." (2 Macc. 7:27). The mother's praise was great in her exhortation to virtue, but greater in the fear of God and in the truth of faith, that she promised nothing to herself or her son from the honor of the six martyrs, nor believed that the prayer of the brothers would avail for the salvation of one who should deny, but rather persuaded him to become a sharer in their suffering, that in the day of judgment he might be found with his brethren. After this the mother also dies with her children. There was nothing more befitting than that she who had borne and made martyrs should be joined in the fellowship of glory with them, and that she herself should follow those whom she had sent before to God.
And lest any should embrace the wicked part of deceivers when the opportunity either of a certificate or of any such matter is offered to him whereby he may deceive, let us not be silent also about Eleazar, who, when the ministers of the king offered him an opportunity to pretend to receive the flesh which was allowable for him to eat, in order to mislead the king [into thinking] that he ate those things which were forced upon him from the sacrifices and unlawful meats, would not consent to this deception, saying that it was fitting neither for his age nor nobility to feign it, for others would be scandalized and led into error. They might think that Eleazar, being ninety years old, had left and betrayed the law of God, and had gone over to the manner of aliens. It was not of so much consequence to gain the short moments of life, and so incur eternal punishment from an offended God. And having been long tortured, and finally reduced to extremity, dying in the midst of stripes and tortures, he groaned and said, "O Lord, that hast holy knowledge, it is manifest that although I might be delivered from death, I suffer the severest pains of body, being beaten with scourges; but with my mind, on account of Thy fear, I willingly suffer these things."(2 Macc. vi. 30). Surely his faith was sincere, and his virtue sound and abundantly pure, not to have regarded king Antiochus, but God to be Judge, and to have known that it could not avail him for salvation if he should mock and deceive man when God, who is the judge of our conscience and who only is to be feared, cannot at all be mocked nor deceived.
If, therefore, we also live as dedicated and devoted to God—if we make our way over the ancient and sacred footsteps of the righteous, let us go through the same proofs of sufferings, the same testimonies of passions, considering the glory of our time the greater on this account, that while ancient examples may be numbered, yet that subsequently, when the abundance of virtue and faith was in excess, the Christian martyrs cannot be numbered, as the Apocalypse testifies and says: After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them (Rev. 7:9–15). But if the assembly of the Christian martyrs is shown and proved to be so great, let no one think it a hard or a difficult thing to become a martyr, when he sees that the crowd of martyrs cannot be numbered.


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Announcing Istio 1.8.3
Istio 1.8.3 patch release.
This release contains bug fixes to improve stability. This release note describes what's different between Istio 1.8.2 and Istio 1.8.3
Things to know and prepare before upgrading.
Download and install this release.
Visit the documentation for this release.
Inspect the full set of source code changes.
Istio 1.8.3 will not contain a security fix as previously announced on discuss.istio.io. There is no currently planned date at this time. Be assured that this is a top priority for the Istio Product Security Working Group, but due to the details we cannot release more information at this time. An announcement regarding the delay can be found here.
Fixed an issue with aggregate cluster during TLS init in Envoy (Issue #28620)
Fixed an issue causing Istio 1.8 to configure Istio 1.7 proxies incorrectly when using the
ingressconfiguration. (Issue #30437)
Fixed a bug where DNS agent preview produces malformed DNS responses. (Issue #28970)
Fixed a bug where the env K8S settings are overridden by the env settings in the helm values. (Issue #30079)
Fixed a bug where
istioctl dashboard controlzcould not port forward to istiod pod. (Issue #30208)
Fixed a bug that prevented
Ingressresources created with
IngressClassfrom having their status field updated (Issue #25308)
Fixed an issue where the
TLSv2version was enforced only on HTTP ports. This option is now applied to all ports. (PR #30590)
Fixed issues resulting in missing routes when using
httpsRedirectin a
Gateway. (Issue #27315),(Issue #27157)


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Active, Coordinated Movement
Look Out, Here I Come!
There's a reason first walkers are called toddlers! Those first clumsy, slow, wide steps can best be described as "toddles," and you'll know the difference when he finally masters proper walking. Another Active, Coordinated Movement your baby might be working on is climbing: on furniture, up stairs, over the dog... To make climbing safer, practice going up and down the stairs together and give him safe, fun climbing challenges, like an obstacle course made of cushions.
Has your baby achieved the following Active, Coordinated Movement developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date!


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Shane & Shane is the contemporary worship duo of Shane Barnard and Shane Everett. The two met during their time at Texas A&M University, where they worked together to release their own respective solo albums. After much collaboration, the two merged into one creating a new project under a new name.
After releasing ten albums and one live album in the span of eleven years, the duo started releasing a series of 10-track albums containing covers of famous worship songs in the church called The Worship Initiative. The outcome resulted in 10 projects in one year, but the band still releases projects under the same name. While the guys occasionally write solo music, they have made The Worship Initiative their main focus by starting their own worship music service of the songs they feature on the 15+ projects. The service features lyrics, chord charts, video performances, devotionals, and more.
The two have also started the Linger Conference, a worship conference led by the two and feature a series of messages delivered by famous pastors.


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When the Chargers selected Justin Herbert at sixth-overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, he became the first Oregon Duck quarterback drafted to the Bolts since the team selected Dan Fouts in the third round of the 1973 draft.
So, who better to scout the newest member of the Chargers than the Hall of Famer himself?
Here are Fouts' thoughts on what the Chargers are getting in Herbert, how his speed may be underrated due to his size, what he thought about Herbert's Senior Bowl performance, and more:
On What the Chargers are Getting in Herbert
"They're getting everything they want. Obviously, the physical tools are there, the intelligence is there; the toughness, competitiveness. He's a good guy. (And I say that) not just because he's a Duck and now he's going to be a Charger. I'm very excited to watch him play."
On Herbert's Speed & that Stiff Arm in the Rose Bowl
"He doesn't look as fast as he is. He covers a lot of ground in a big hurry, whenever you see a guy that big getting down the field and making guys miss. The part about that stiff arm, that shows you strength and timing. It's not easy to do that and he made it look easy in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin."
On the Quarterbacks Room Herbert is Joining
"Tyrod has been there and done that. He's had a good career. He knows the offense and will be able to show by example probably more than anything, how to make things work for Justin when he gets his shot. But any quarterback that gets his start in the league as a rookie, there is so much to learn. You don't even have any idea how much you have to learn, but you do learn every day. I think that's the key. When you've got the brain that Herbert has, I think learning will come easy."
On Herbert's Senior Bowl Performance
"The thing about an all-star game like that is, you can judge where he stands against his peers. And obviously, he stood out against his peers in that all-star game. I was happy to see him do well in that game, and I was happy to see that he wanted to go there, and he performed so well."
Take a look through some photos of the Chargers 2020 first-round Draft pick Justin Herbert during his distinguished career at Oregon.


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Facility Rentals
Need a Location for Your Event?
ChattState has several rental options available to groups within the Chattanooga area for various events. See the process below or contact if you have further questions.
Steps, Timeline, & Process
- All applications must be received a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the event start date.
- Please note that the availability of space on campus depends on the scheduling of the semester's classes. The needs of the campus take priority over the space that is requested for rentals.
- All steps of the rental process must be completed no later than 2 weeks prior to your event.
Step 1. Read & Review the Policy on Outside Facility Use
Step 2. Complete & Submit Facility Use Application
A facility usage application is required to begin the booking process. Completed applications should be faxed, or scanned and emailed to Kristi Mead (Fax: 423-697-3325) (Email: firstname.lastname@example.com)
Step 3. Submission of Liability Insurance and/or proof of Non-Profit Status
As referenced in the Policy.
Step 4. Pricing / Payment / Food Services
- After your facilities usage application is reviewed and approved, an emailed estimate of cost will be sent for your approval. View Facility Rental Rates here.
- Payment will be due upon the signing of the contract. We accept most forms of payment.
- Campus Food Service can provide catering for your event, but must be contacted first for all catering needs. If they are not able to provide services, outside food vendors may not be brought to campus without prior approval and release from Campus Food Services.
Campus Food Services
Stan Furlow, Catering Coordinator
Step 5. Contract for Use of Facility
After application the organizer of the event will be required to sign a facility use agreement (contract) prior to the event start date, with all funds due at this time.
Contact Information
Kristi Mead - Executive Assistant of Economic & Workforce Development
Phone: 423.697.2514
Email: email@example.com


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Welcome Remarks by Chargé d'Affaires Kelly Degnan
As always, it is a pleasure to be here at the Centro Studi Americani. I would like to begin my brief remarks by congratulating Professor Sergio Fabbrini on his latest accomplishment: the publication of his 15 th book: Sdoppiamento – Una prospettiva nuova per l'Europa. I am pleased that Professor Fabbrini chose Centro Studi Americani ... Read More»


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Pumpkin Egg Nog French Toast
Why I Love This Recipe
*note: I would NOT recommend Brioche for this recipe unless you wanted to slice and dip the bread for a few minutes immediately before frying. If left to soak over night, Brioche will become oversaturate and fall apart miserably and you will cry.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 loaf "old" French or Italian bread*
3-4 eggs
1/2 can pumpkin
a pint of egg nog (full fat)
splash of Madagascar vanilla
cinnamon, nutmeg if desired
Soak the bread overnight in the egg mixture (all the other ingredients whisked).
In the morning, just pull it out and throw them on the griddle! Of course, since you're using eggs be sure to cook them throughly. They are delicious on their own or with butter and maple syrup.
Questions, Comments & Reviews
Disney's Tinker Bell Secret of the Wings CookbookBy BakeSpace Fairies
6 Recipes489 Downloads


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learnsense ltd
LearnSense LTD produces web applications and IT training that empower students to realise academic achievement through mentor and parent involvement. A suite of video teaching, online assessment and learning plan structuring tools have grown from successive proof of concept and seed grants from the Fulham Trust, CaVSA and the North Fulham NDC. The core software functions are built on the principles of clear access to Assess Pupil Progress and National Curriculum targets and of effective communication between families and educators.
Products & Product Development:
SwotBots is a learning plan based teaching tool designed for after school learning programmes. It keeps tutors and students on target, enables video teaching and updates parents with progress by automated SMS text messages. The software embeds the core functions from Key Tutor Success in AJAX framework pages and adds live video and whiteboard tutorials. It was funded through a generous development grant from the North Fulham NDC to demonstrate a lasting impact of the Key 2/4 Success tuition programme.
Yinka Amarety Supplementary Schools Coordinator at CaVSA supported deployment of the solution for Fulham Borough supplementary schools in London
Key Tutor Success Through a grant from CaVSA, the Key Tutor Success web application was developed to support supplementary schools to provide tools for teaching and project management.
The software was based on the learning plan software, used by the North Fulham NDC for the Key 2/4 Success after school tuition program. The application helps tutors plan tuition and track students progress with automated SMS text reporting to parents and automated email to project managers.
Key Tutor Success is a dynamic web application driven by Asp.NET and SQL.
KidStarChart is the web version of the classic children's reward tool. We couple information for parents such as developmental stage targets with children's retail marketing matching progress with rewards.
Technology: All sites are hosted on Cloud Servers running MS Web Server 2008 R2 with SQL. Domain names are registered with GoDaddy and sites are managed using IIS7.
For a demonstration of software please contact me on firstname.lastname@example.com . I will respond within 1 business day.Terms & Conditions


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Not sure what to share? Get some Inspiration!
It's easy to appreciate the logic of joining a platform like Streetbank where neighbours generously share things and skills with each other (and help build a stronger community in the process!).
What can be more difficult is thinking what things and skills you could share. Sometimes it's not until you see what all the super creative people out there are doing – like walking other people's dogs, forming groups to make personal training sessions cheaper, giving away jam jars before Christmas and lending your neighbour that bicycle that you don't need at the moment but might want back in the future. It's at that moment that you think 'hey! I could walk someone's dog too!'.
Similarly, it is easy to go blank about what you have lying around that you might be happy to lend. Sometimes it helps to have a walk around the house to remind yourself of all the stuff you own that others might benefit from. I walked around searching for something shareable and was reminded of the existence of my blender, a blender that could hopefully come in handy to those who like blending things.
Last but not least, it's important to be mindful of how your offers could help your neighbours. It's brilliant to hear that when Linda from Belsize Park asked for help because she'd run out of medication for her cat, she was contacted by a neighbour who lived three minutes away and happened to have half a canister of the medication going spare. In return, Linda offered to feed her neighbour's cat went her neighbour went away.
Many shares will have similar unexpected but delightful outcomes, and we want to hear of some more.
Send me an email to tell me your sharing story.
Lucie and the Streetbank team


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Release Date
May 24, 1989
DVD Release Date
May 13, 2008 (Buy on Amazon)
Running Time
127 minutes
MPAA Rating
Rated PG-13 for violence
Dr. Jones has been kidnapped by the Nazis and his son, Indy, has gone looking for him. Using his father's diary, Indiana Jones, Marcus Brody, and Dr. Elsa Schneider travel to World War II Europe to find him. It turns out that the Nazis believe that Indy's father, Henry, had some clues as to where the Holy Grail is and will go to nothing to get it. With the Holy Grail, the Nazis would become... Full synopsis »
The Last Crusade is my favorite out of the Indiana Jones movies. It has a cool story, lots of action, and funny exploits. Everybody does an excellent job and the introduction of Sean Connery as Indy's father was great. The Last Crusade also looks into Indy's past (the introduction shows him as a Boy Scout) and even reveals the origin of his name. The Last Crusade was much more like Raiders of the Lost Ark in terms of content, with Nazis, mystical artifacts, and so on. Full movie review »


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In one spectacular quarter, the U.S. stock market has almost fully recovered from its 2018 correction with the Dow Jones nearing 26,000 points and the S&P 500 surpassing November levels. Since December 24, the Dow Jones has rebounded from 21,792 points to 25,928 points by 18.9 percent and the S&P 500 demonstrated a similar performance, rising from 2,351 points to 2,834 points by 20 percent. While strategists remain cautious on the near-term performance of the Dow due to geopolitical risks arising from the U.S.-China trade war and the weakening economy of the eurozone, the strength of the U.S. market could
The post Meteoric Dow Awaits After Fully Recovery from 2018 Bottom appeared first on CCN
Read the original post: Meteoric Dow Awaits After Fully Recovery from 2018 Bottom


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The counter revolution in Syria is nearing a new stage.
On the one hand, it has kettled all the active opposition it can into Idlib province. Along with their Russian sponsors, they will unleash unholy terror on the people in that province through a bombing campaign. Once they have accomplished their terrorist aims with that campaign, then the Assad regime along with Putin, will try to market the claim that the war is now over, that Syria is stabilized, that a peace treaty has been agreed to, and that international agencies should recognize this and now start the difficult process of lending money to Assad while international investors should start investing there.
Murdered in prison
As part of that campaign, they had to start releasing the names of those prisoners who have died in prison. Or, more accurately, have been murdered. Only family members of a prisoner are allowed to get the record of a prisoner, however. Here is a report from Syriaaccountability.org on what is happening:
"According to SJAC's documentation, hundreds of such records have been updated in the Damascus countryside, Hama, Hasakah, Homs, and Latakia. These records list dates of death from throughout the conflict, and in some cases are accompanied by documentation with signatures from government hospitals. Muadamiyat al-Sham, a town of 50,000 in the countryside of Damascus, has been informed of the deaths of a staggering five hundred former residents. [italics added] Recently released names have included high-profile political activists, including leading non-violent activist Yahya Shurbaji, who was detained in 2011. His family announcedthis week that they recently received confirmation of his death at the infamous Saydnaya Prison on January 15, 2013, the same date of death listed for at least three other detainees at the same prison [italics added], further discrediting the government's claim of natural causes…. Since an immediate family member needs to be present to make an inquiry at the civil registry, many refugee families are left without a way of inquiring after their disappeared relatives, and report that many lawyers who could inquire on their behalf are unwilling to do so, as they do not want their inquiry recorded by the government."
Syrian Refugees
The next step in normalizing the terrorist Assad regime will be an attempt to force the millions of Syrian refugees to return. Here, again, is the Syrian Justice and Accountability Center's report on that: "In recent months, Syria and its backers have begun to shift their policy and rhetoric, preparing for an end to the conflict, or at least the perception of an end. The government is releasing the names of detainees who died in government prisons, passing legislation in preparation for reconstruction, and most recently, calling for the return of refugees. Such a return would signal to the world that Syria is safe and stable, and by removing Syrian refugees from Europe and neighboring countries, it could reduce international interest in the conflict, allowing the government to operate under decreased scrutiny. However, discussions about refugee returns are premature; Syrian refugees still face a credible fear for their lives in returning to Syria. Moreover, the right to return, which should be universal, is currently being selectively offered by the Syrian government, and there are concerns that some returns may not be voluntary."
Germany, for example, has ruled that Afghanistan is safe and, therefore, all Afghan refugees are economic not political refugees and must return to Afghanistan. Further down the road, they may take this position regarding Syrian refugees. Other countries may do he same, or they and international agencies may simply stop providing what little aid is provided now to Syrian refugees.
Wanted: 10 million trusted, obedient Syrians; 3 million to be jailed and/or killed not a major difficulty
What awaits returnees is indicated by the reported comments of the head of the Syrian Air force Intelligence administration, Jamil al-Hassan. According to the Syria Observer, 'Hassan's speech, which began with the trumpeting of victories, moved into a discussion about a future plan to stimulate a new phase of the conflict….
'The future plan includes a number of sections that have been established according to priorities developed by the regime's senior leadership. It begins with the removal of everything that could affect them in the future, or undermine their work internally. All those concluded to be a hinderance to the plan and its future will be labeled as "terrorists" by the regime's senior leadership. Whether their crime was in speech or in action, or even if they remained silent, they will be considered a terrorist and prosecuted publicly or secretly.
'The Head of the Air Force Intelligence said that more than three million Syrians are wanted and their judicial cases were ready. He added that "the huge number of people wanted will not be a major difficulty in achieving the plan.
"A Syria with 10 million trustworthy people obedient to the leadership is better than a Syria with 30 million vandals," as he put it.'
ISIS Will Remain
Nor is it likely that ISIS/Daesh will be eliminated. Assad has been playing a dirty game, "opposing" Islamic fundamentalism or encouraging it when and where it suits him. One of the latest examples is the massacre committed by ISIS of Druze in Sweida province in Syria. The Daily Beast reports that this massacre was evidently carried out with the cooperation of Assad's soldiers. According to Druze leaders, Assad encouraged the massacre in retaliation for the Druze in Suweida having refused to enlist in the Syrian army to carry out the final assault in Idlib.
Imperialist forces
This continued presence may give US imperialism the excuse it wants to keep its troops in Syria in alliance with the PYD. As for Russian imperialism, after participating in some of the most monstrous war crimes of this century, it is likely to now be seeking profitable investments and/or a means of developing further military bases there. The Israeli regime seems to be working towards a deal with Assad. That deal amounts to an agreement that Hezbollah and/or any Iranian forces will be kept a set distance away from the Israeli occupied sector of the Golan Heights. On this basis, some sort of peace deal may be agreed to by the United Nations.
Syrians "only" Arabs, but will rise again
This will then be celebrated by much of the left, from Code Pink, which simply wants "peace", any peace including the peace of the graveyard, to the more openly pro-Assad groups like Veterans for Peace and "journalists" like Robert Fisk and Chris Hedges. Meanwhile, back in Syria, ethnic cleansing and mass state terror will remain the order of the day. But what does that matter? They are only Arabs, after all, and not even famous ones at that.
This is not the end of the story, though. Far from it. The nightmare visited on the Syrian people by the Assad regime and its open allies – Russian and Iranian imperialism – as well as its slightly more covert ally – US imperialism – will not be forgotten. Somehow, the Syrian people will rise again. Maybe in connection with the ongoing struggles of the Iranian working class. Or maybe through some other avenue. But in the end, "you can jail revolutionaries, but you can't jail the revolution."
Categories: Middle East, Uncategorized


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3 Reasons to Download Dresden Files Audiobooks
If you're as into sci-fi and The Dresden Files as I am, you should already know that there's more than one way to enjoy Jim Butcher's urban fantasy series. Reading and collecting the print books is a great pastime for any fan, but I've found that Harry Dresden really comes to life when you listen to him tell his stories in the form of an audiobook. I downloaded the first audiobook from the convenience of my couch and I've found it to be easy listening while I do chores around the house. Here are a few other things I've found enjoyable about downloading the Dresden Filesaudiobooks.
1. My Download Benefits the Author
As a fan of the Dresden Files series, I would like nothing more than to have the series continue unabated. If buying an audiobook supports Jim Butcher and the continuing adventures of Harry Dresden, I'll gladly contribute. Of course, I can understand why someone who hasn't tried audiobooks before might not want to spend money on something they aren't sure they'll like. I started my foray into audiobooks by listening to previews, like the first 12 minutes of the first Dresden Files book, Storm Front, on the Buzzy Multimedia website.
2. Easier Than Reading
I'm not saying I'm lazy or anything… Well, I am lazy, but I'm also pretty busy. I don't always have time to devote to reading. Between working, chores, and driving, I can listen to the smooth voice of James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Dresden. It's very motivational. I imagine it would be great at the gym, too.
3. Audiobooks Aren't As Expensive as I First Thought
At first glance, audiobooks seemed a little exorbitant. After taking into account that I'd be getting over 10 hours of performance entertainment per book, it started to make sense. I was still feeling thrifty, though, so I looked for ways to save on audiobook downloads without resorting to piracy.
- Subscription services — Most online audiobook providers look for recurring customers, so they offer deals if you sign up as a monthly or yearly member. I went with Audible.com's subscription plan , which costs only $14.95 a month and includes one free audiobook and discounts on many others. I planned to listen to one Dresden Files audiobook a month, saving me about $10 on each book. Plus, once I run out of Dresden Files books to listen to (a day I dread), I can comfort myself by continuing my subscription and listening to other urban fantasy books.
- Discounts — Being subscribed to a service isn't the only way to get discounts on audiobooks. Buying straight from Buzzy Multimedia would've gotten me a discount on Dresden Files audiobooks. Since there's no further obligation like with a monthly subscription service, it's a good option for one-time buyers.
- Free trials — Let's just say I'm a broke wizard like Dresden, looking for a sympathetic tale. I managed to afford the first audiobook by choosing Audible.com's subscription plan, which includes the first month and one audiobook download absolutely free.
- New, cheap sites — Since you're part of the in crowd when it comes to fans of the Dresden Files, I'll tell you a little secret. There's a new website called hookedonfiction.com (launching soon) where you can download The Dresden Files audiobooks for cheap. You're welcome.
If you're not used to listening to audiobooks, the experience is pretty different from holding onto a treasured paperback. I find audiobooks exciting because hearing the voices of the characters really brings the story to life. Audiobooks are also practical for me to listen to in the midst of my chaotic life. I highly recommend giving a Dresden Files audiobook a chance.


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Buying Guide Pink & Purple Glass Splashbacks
Pretty in Pink
Starting with pink, there are hundred of shade variations to choose from across all Branded Paint Ranges. Cerise and Raspberry shades look incredible in glass splashbacks, no matter what the kitchen design is. The above Little Greene Mischief glass splashback was fitted entirely by the homeowner using our comprehensive guide on how to Measure & Fit Glass Splashbacks.
This splashback is RAL 4003 and showcases the benefits of good under cupboard lighting. A light worktop helps reflect light on to the pink glass splashbacks and around the room.
Dulux Deep Garnet glass splashback adding Drama with Mink Gloss units and pale work surfaces. Choosing a deep shade like this can mean taking a risk, however we recommend that you buy a tester pot before ordering a splashback. Paint your walls where your splashback will be fitted, or a sheet of paper and stick to your wall. It's important to see how the colour looks in different areas, and in different times of the day.
This Laura Ashley Aubergine glass splashback is fitted with similar coloured cabinets, however this client chose a paler shade of purple. Adding under cupboard lighting, is an important design element in a scheme. Having multiple light sources for task lighting, and ambience can bring a scheme together.
This design conscious owner has achieved a coordinated look. Our client chose Dulux Sumptious Plum Glass Splashbacks to match the designer bar stools, and compliment the walnut cabinets. Fine under cupboard lighting enhances the splashback, and creates ambience when the ceiling lighting is turned off. Another clever design detail is adding a glass panel to the island unit, pulling the scheme together.
Dulux Purple Infusion 2 Glass Splashback. This beautiful colour is not for the faint hearted! When choosing the shade, consideration was given to the ash grey cabinets and work surfaces. Although there is no purple in the fittings, adding the purple splashback has pulled the look together.
In the same room the client continued the colour in a glass shelving unit.


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How is the water quality in your Koi pond?
How is the water quality in your Koi pond?By: Jacklyn Rodman – SunlandWaterGardens.com
Water quality is everything in a Koi pond. The water quality is determined by many factors. How much sun, how many fish, how much you feed, what kind of food, how many plants and what kind filter and how often it is cleaned.
Controlling water quality is essential to keeping your Koi healthy. One of the best ways of controlling the toxins that Koi produce is by incorporating a biological filter into your pond.
There are 5 elements of the Nitrogen Cycle that are important to understand.
Ammonia (NH3)
Koi produce toxins. The main toxin that Koi produce is ammonia. Koi like other fish excrete it through their gills and in their waste. If too much ammonia builds up in your pond water, it will irritate your Koi's gills. Long term exposure to ammonia will eventually start to harm their internal organs. Ammonia can be combated with biological filtration, aquatic plants, and large water changes.
Nitrite (NO2)
Nitrite is formed in the second stage of the Nitrogen Cycle. It isn't as toxic as ammonia, but long term exposure can cause problems. Nitrite can make the hemoglobin in a Koi's blood to coagulate, literally "suffocating" it. Adding salt to your pond will combat this.
Nitrate (NO3)
Nitrate is a by-product of the Nitrogen Cycle. The bacteria either in your pond filter or added with converts the toxic Nitrite into Nitrate. Nitrate will be removed with the addition of aquatic plants. The more pond plants you incorporate in your pond the healthier the pond and fish will be.
It is also recommend to do regular partial water changes. Remembering to also add your water conditioner. In areas like So. Calif you must remove chloramine which is a bond of ammonia and chlorine. Be sure your water conditioner is formulated to break the bond and remove chloramine.
pH (Potential of Hydrogen)
pH is the measure of free floating Hydrogen ions in your water. The more free floating Hydrogen Ions you have in your water, the lower your pH will be. The more free floating Hydroxide Ions you have in your water, the higher your pH will be.
A pH level of seven is neutral. A level below seven makes your water acidic. A level above seven makes your water alkaline. It is important to note that Koi can live comfortably in water with a pH range of 6.0 – 8.0.
Koi need dissolved Oxygen in their water to live. A DO (Dissolved Oxygen) level of 5+ must be maintained. This can be done with an air pump/air stone, waterfall or a fountain. It is vital to leave your pond pump or other oxygen producer on 24 hours a day. If the DO level drops below 5, you Koi will start to gasp at the surface and will eventually suffocate. In an emergency, Hydrogen Peroxide can be added into you pond to temporarily bring the DO level up.
Pond Talk Article: How is the water quality in your Koi pond?
Source: Sunland Water Gardens
Author: Jacklyn Rodman


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The third installment of the smash hit puzzle series, Isoball 3 contains 75 new levels to test your skills, as well as 6 sandbox stages, 9 trophies, a brand new look and several unique block types to challenge you in many new ways.
- Stack elevator blocks to take the ball up to terrifying heights!
- Use the portal-like doorways to plot a winding route to the exit hole.
- Place triggers to collapse mover blocks and reshape the landscape.
- Create energy bridges to cross wide chasms without needing extra blocks.
Isoball 3 also includes online high-score posting with Twitter and Facebook integration, and is supported by a full walkthrough and a companion game (Isoball / Isoball HD) for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
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A 33 Year Old Gift From Steve Jobs Returns To His Family
Back in 1980, the late co-founder and CEO of Apple Steve Jobs, donated an Apple II computer to a nonprofit organization, the Seva Foundation, to help the group manage data from its efforts to restore sight in the developing world. Recently, that 33 year old Apple II which was kept packed away in a hospital basement in Katmandu, Nepal, was returned back to Steve's wife Laurene Powell Jobs and their children at an annual ceremony (via The NY Times).
Larry Brilliant, a longtime friend of Mr. and Ms. Jobs, who co-founded Seva in 1978 said, "I do want to counter the meme that he (Jobs) was disinterested in philanthropy and things for the greater good. It wasn't true." Steve gave the organization the Apple II computer around 1980, to help them enter and analyze survey data from its eye surgeries in Nepal. Jobs also threw in a copy of an early spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, and an external hard drive that he boasted was the largest of its kind.
"You'll never be able to use all the memory," Dr. Brilliant recalled Mr. Jobs telling him. "It's five megabytes!'" […]
A letter from Steve Jobs to one of Dr. Brilliant's Seva co-founders around that time bears the letterhead of Apple Computer with one of its earliest corporate addresses on Bandley Drive in Cupertino, Calif. "I wholeheartedly accept your invitation to become a 'member' of SEVA," reads the letter, signed by "Steven Jobs," with the first letter of both names in lowercase. "Please let me know of any other specific opportunities where I can be of service."
Ms. Powell Jobs accepted the computer with her son, Reed, at a ceremony commemorating the organization's 35th anniversary. Seva says it has helped restore sight to 3.5 million people in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Tibet, India and other countries since it was founded.


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Yesterday I was reading a post at Gather Little by Little about frugality. I scrolled down to read the comments, and Paidtwice commented, "…I aspire to be frugal and sometimes I think I hit cheap instead ;)."
I think a lot of people struggle with the difference between frugal and cheap. I know I do sometimes. How far is too far in your attempt to be frugal? Let's play a game: Frugal or Cheap? How would you rate each of the following situations?
- Re-using plastic margarine tubs to store leftover food.
- Taking extra ketchup packets from a restaurant, so you don't have to buy ketchup for home.
- Taking an old rocking chair out of a dumpster to re-finish for use in your home.
- Re-gifting a wedding present.
- Leaving no tip for a waitress, because you can't afford to tip.
- Serving leftovers when you have people over for dinner.
- Shopping at Goodwill for your children's clothes, when you can afford to buy brand new.
- Asking family members to chip in for Thanksgiving Dinner.
- Buying a second-hand carseat.
- Buying only loss leaders when you go shopping.
- Picking tomatoes from your neighbor's garden when it's apparent they have far more than one family could use.
I've heard some real life variations of all of these situations. I'll let you know what I think, and then you can tell me what you think.
Re-using plastic margarine tubs to store leftover food. I think this is frugal. It's making good use of what resources you have. I probably wouldn't re-use these containers for long term storage in the freezer, because that's not what they were designed to do, and my food might taste funny. But I think for basic storage in the refrigerator, re-using plastic margarine tubs is a frugal move.
Taking extra ketchup packets from a restaurant, so you don't have to buy ketchup for home. Cheap. Restaurants provide ketchup packets for meals bought at the restaurant. So use as many as you need for the meal you bought, but don't take extra packets just for home use.
Taking an old rocking chair out of a dumpster to re-finish for use in your home. Frugal, as long as your city doesn't have laws against dumpster diving. If you can make the discarded rocking chair usable again, taking it keeps it out of the landfill. Definitely a frugal use of resources and the environment.
Re-gifting a wedding present. It depends. If it's a present you think the couple will like, it can be frugal. It becomes cheap, however, when you give it to a couple that is friends with the person who gave the gift to you. That even goes beyond cheap and turns into tacky.
Leaving no tip for a waitress, because you can't afford to tip. Cheap. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat at that restaurant.
Serving leftovers when you have people over for dinner. Frugal, as long as the leftovers are good. Please don't serve moldy macaroni and cheese. I might have called this cheap a few months ago, but a friend of mine told me a story that changed my mind. My friend said that when she was new in town, this couple had invited her over for dinner. She didn't know it at the time, but the couple was really struggling financially. They served leftovers. Everyone had a great time, and my friend felt welcome in the new community. Having people over for dinner is about relationships, not about showing off your fancy dishes. If you can only afford leftovers, serve them. You're not cheap. You're frugal.
Shopping at Goodwill for your children's clothes, when you can afford to buy brand new. Frugal. I've heard the argument that this is cheap, but I don't think so. If you choose to buy secondhand clothes, so you can afford to take your family to the beach, that's a frugal use of your money. It's all about your priorities and where you choose to spend your money. If new clothes aren't a priority, feel free to buy secondhand.
Asking family members to chip in for Thanksgiving Dinner. It depends. If your family is collectively deciding who is hosting Thanksgiving, and your house would be perfect, but you can't afford to buy everything, I think it's fine to ask for financial help at that point. It becomes cheap when you hit your family members up for donations as they leave your house on Thanksgiving Day.
Buying a second-hand carseat. Cheap, unless you know the person selling the carseat VERY WELL, and you know without a doubt that the carseat has been well taken care of and has never been in an accident. Don't risk your children's lives just to save a few bucks. That's cheap and dangerous.
Buying only loss leaders when you go shopping. Frugal. The stores make the rules, and if you're abiding by the rules, buy loss leaders and use coupons to the extent that's allowed. It's definitely good stewardship to save as much as you can when grocery shopping. You might even find you can buy enough to give to someone who needs a little extra help.
Picking tomatoes from your neighbor's garden when it's apparent they have far more than one family could use. Hopefully you already know the answer to this one. It is never OK to pick your neighbor's tomatoes without their permission. I don't care how many they have. It's cheap. And wrong.
The bottom line is, when your "frugality" begins to impact other people in a negative way, it becomes cheap. Not leaving a tip impacts the waitress in a negative way, when she's given you exceptional service. Re-gifting a wedding present when you know there's a good chance that the original giver will find out about it might cause hurt feelings. Don't do it.
It's fine to try to save as much money as you can. I know a lot of people make a game of it, and it can get rather addicting. Just keep in mind that people are more important than a few bucks saved. If you keep your relationships in mind above all else, you won't have to worry about crossing the line from frugal to cheap.


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The MUG Event Calendar for January 11: Wacom, A SwapMeet, Cloud Computing and More
This week's MUG Event Calendar boasts a wide variety of topics, demos and presentations.
The folks from Wacom will will show off their graphics tablets to a California group, a Texas group will hold their semi-annual swap meet, always a popular meeting, and cloud computing is in the forecast for a New Jersey group.
Among the other topics scheduled for this week are audio recording, a CES review, social networking apps, Automator, Apple TV, digital camera basics, Photoshop, iCal, iPhone apps and more.
Email the details of your next meeting to The MUG Center and we'll get it listed on The MUG Event Calendar and in our weekly Briefing. We want to hear from you.
The week's complete listings include:
|Portland Macintosh Users Group – Audio Recording Presentation
|appleJAC – Consumer Electronics Show View
|Whatcom Macintosh Users Group – Picasa
|Charlotte Apple Computer Club – Google Adwords
|Corvallis Macintosh User Group – Twitter, Facebook and iChat
|South Suburban Macintosh Users Group – Tips, Tricks and Bookmarks in Web Browsers
|Oxford Macintosh Users Group (United Kingdom) – Colour Management
|Bellarine Mac User Group (Australia) – Digital Photography Tips for Everyone and BMUG into the Future
|Maryland Apple Core – Holiday Printing
|Lakeland Macintosh Users Group – Backups
|Lakeland Macintosh Users Group – MacDictate
|Princeton Macintosh Users' Group – Google's "Cloud Computing" Applications
|Apple PIE – Picasa and iPhoto Complimenting Each Other
|Gateway Macintosh Users Group – Automator
|Davis Macintosh Users Group – TBA
|Macintosh Computer Club of Calgary (Canada) – TBA
|Mount Dora Macintosh Users Group – TBA
|Santa Fe Macintosh Users Group – TBA
|ApplePickers – GraphicConverter
|North Florida Macintosh Users Group – Apple TV
|Apple CIDER – Choosing a Digital Camera; Know Your Hardware: Using a Mid-Level Camera and a Mac
|Hershey Apple Core – Top iPhone Apps
|MetroMac – Bento 3
|East Bay Mac Users Group – Presentation by Wacom
|Cambria Computer Club – "Megapixelated: Digital Camera Basics for Mac"
|Laguna Woods Macintosh Users Group – "iCal – a Powerful Desktop Calendar"
|Rhode Island Macintosh Users Group – Photoshop Basics
|MacPeople – TBA
|Houston Area Apple Users Group -Semi-Annual Swap Meet
|Central Wisconsin Macintosh Users Group – iMovie
|Double Click – TBA


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Idol Pretender
To be a man among men, one must resolve all his problems with fists and courage. That is the code by which Chinami Eita lives, a young man devoted to being the toughest and coolest guy at his school. He hopes to use his strength and fighting prowess to charm the school idol Yuika, but his plans change when he mistakes a strange pill for flu medicine and wakes up hours later with the body of a girl.
Turns out the pill was a bizarre and expensive purchase by his flamboyant roommate, who suggests that Chinami seeks employment in the idol business to raise enough money to buy a new pill, in the vague hope that a double dose will somehow make him male again. As Chinami reluctantly decides to try it, he soon finds himself enjoying the job and growing more girly as a result. To his surprise, he even ends up drawing the romantic attention of Yuika, but she is not his only admirer.
Idol Pretender is a harem-y romcom that I found endearing and constantly amusing. Watching Chinami struggle with his identity, unsure if he wants to be a man again or continue his newfound life as a girl, is a strong hook and one that the manga explores plenty. Each chapter is quite long and filled with interesting hurdles to overcome and fun, unexpected twists. It also has some quality art and nice character designs, so today's collection of manga is off to a glowing recommendation.
Igyoujin Oniwakamaru
When a plane crashed into an abandoned forest, it shatters an ancient seal wrapped around a tree. This freed the souls of countless demons, while the lives of 500 humans are snuffed out in an instant. Yet among the wreckage, one little baby survives.
Years later, that baby has grown up to become Tachibana Hitori, a soft-hearted office clerk who is unrelentingly friendly and compassionate. However, he soon learns that he carries a powerful demon inside him, which changes his life drastically when other demons begin hunting him down, often in broad daylight and in public. Tachibana and the demon king Oniwakamaru must learn to coexist in order to keep both of them alive, all while slowly uncovering an ancient plot involving the questionable Buddhist monk that erected the seal in the first place.
This is another kick-ass action manga by our old friend Tetsuya Saruwatari, which has his trademark strengths. The manga is beautifully illustrated and filled with gore and body horror. His storytelling continues to improve, with Tachibana and his friends & family all being interesting and likable characters, which all end up in the cross-fire of his battles with demonkind in one way or another. I was really into this story and particularly enjoyed the bond between Tachibana and the demon king, but do have to lament that the story ends very abruptly.
Iinari Princess
Hyuuga is leading a normal, everyday school life, save for the fact that one of his classmates is a European princess and heir to her nation's throne. She is aloof and mysterious, which suits Hyuuga just fine, as he himself is antisocial and doesn't care for other people. However, he one day catches her out of character and is quickly forced into becoming her servant/lover.
The idea of a normal teenager becoming the boyfriend of a royal princess while both are still in school is a fun one and could be used for much comedic potential. In fact, when Iinari Princess focuses on this and plays around with its side characters, the manga displays much potential. Sadly, it fails to utilize its own strengths and instead opts for cheap sex appeal instead.
We could be reading about a princess and a boy building up a romance, but instead the awkward teen Hyuuga is perfectly confident with diving face-first into the princess' panties the moment she expresses any amount of consent. Nearly every chapter is derailed for a lengthy sex scene that doesn't at all match the personalities of our couple. And when the first romance scene goes straight for full nudity Cunnilingus, there is little to work up towards in the remaining chapters.
Potentially interesting for those who want a decent hentai, but that's about it.
Ijiwaru na Aitsu / Stop Bullying me
Bullying is terrible, there is no doubt about it. I used to believe that nobody deserved being a victim of it, but reading the suitably titled Stop Bullying Me has convinced me that maybe, just maybe, some people really are asking for it. Specifically Tomo Masaki.
Tomo is such an insufferable little pussy. He is dimwitted and slow, fragile to the point of tearing up at any perceived slight, and he's completely devoted and dependent on his older brother. He sits around outside the student council room every day just waiting for him and thinks he is being bullied by the vice president, who takes issue with his behavior and lightly mocks him for it. After a lot of crying, this eventually culminates in a budding romance between the two, which Tomo's brother doesn't entirely approve of.
I appreciate yaoi manga when they are good, but the romance here feels wrong. Tomo is not treated like a lover, because he needs to be constantly babied by everyone lest he burst out into tears. It's not loving, it's fucking weird.
Iinari Airbration
Shizukuishi is a half-human, half-robot girl who carries within her the soul of a monstrous golem looming over the city where she lives. If she were to ever have sex, she'd forfeit the soul and the golem is revived. However, when she meets high schooler Kouki, a thread of light forms between the two and they become connected.
Shizu is on the run from a big tech conglomerate looking to research how she operates and other forces are at work looking to restart the dormant golem. The thread of light between her and Kouki allows him to control Shizu and unleash her combat potential, but Kouki is out-of-shape and has to learn how to control this mysterious power. Meanwhile, the soul of the golem acts as an aphrodisiac, so when triggered it compels Shizu to "romance" poor Kouki who has an increasingly tough time resisting her advances.
Airbration I'd categorize under the "sexually weird" label. Its story is bizarre and the manga has a fascination with urination, which is most prominently shown when the aphrodisiac strikes. Strangely, it is still less over-the-top than Iinari Princess and benefits from characters that are actually fun and a story that I found interesting to follow. I really wanted to see where Airbration was going and got some good laughs out of it. Still, it is very ecchi and the visuals don't leave much to the imagination, so consider if that's what you want before diving into this weird tale.
Ikoku Shoujo to Sumire no Hanataba / Foreign Girl and Bouquet of Violets
Not all manga is fun to read because it's good or immediately appealing, which is certainly what I felt working through this story. It's not a premise that immediately grabs you and it took me a while to grow fond of the characters, but it constantly kept me intrigued enough to want to read more.
Masaki Ryou is a modern Japanese student who one day falls down a well and wakes up in a flowerbed in 19th century England. There he is received as a guest and soon finds out that he is being mistaken for his grandfather, who did study his craft overseas.
It's a fun story, as Ryou and another exchange student take up residence with a 19th-century weaboo and her wealthy family. However, the story doesn't have much focus and begins to be about a series of smaller sub-plots. Ryou begins to shift into a background role and is overtaken by the two girls, then suddenly has to take center stage again for the finale.
On the fictional island of Ilegenes, research into genetic modification has gone out of control. People modify bodies at will, create clones to harvest organs, or create enslaved AI people with bizarre modifications. A fierce black market has the government in its pockets and is quick to deal with any dissenters looking to regulate their business.
Fon Fortinbras Littenber learned that the hard way when his parents were murdered by company goons for protesting against rampant modification. Now grown up, Fon still lives on Ilegenes and has entered its military academy. From there, he hopes to work his way up the ranks, attain power, and end the era of corruption that has turned Ilegenes into a dystopian hellhole. However, his patience is growing thin and, as he learns more of the people who slew his parents and the true depravity of the island's underworld, his desire to lash out and slaughter the criminals becomes harder and harder to control.
Ilegenes was a good read and should appeal to fans of Deus Ex and similar works that explore the ethics of futuristic sciences like genetic modification. It handles its deep themes well and has a cast of characters I grew very interested in, like the aristocrat Janis who has a clone to grow limbs for him to replace his aging prosthetics, but still treats the clone as a little brother and seems to genuinely love him. The fact that all the main characters are handsome boys also adds extra points to the score.
Imawabi no Dakini
Now this is the kind of shounen that I like. Fushimi is a young man who has a mutual crush on his lifelong childhood friend Toume. However, he one day wakes up at a shrine and finds out that she has been possessed by an ancient fox deity that grants wishes. He, of course, wishes to have her returned to his side, but wishes like that come at a high price.
Fushimi becomes a servant of the fox Goddess Dakini and must aid her in slaying evil spirits. Her appearance has caused a breach between the spiritual and human worlds, yet Dakini can harvest the energy from these evil spirits to increase her own power. Still, there are spirits out there that even she fears and mystical forces operate from the shadows, looking to attain the Fox Goddess for their own purposes.
This manga scored major points with me for the great character designs and the expressive nature of its protagonists. Dakini is immediately interesting through her design alone; powerful, a mischievous side sometimes crossing into malice, but also a little goofy and out of her element. I ended up very invested in the story and the bittersweet ending struck me so hard I didn't want to read anything else that day.
A solid 8/10 manga, but it is held back by all the references to folklore that I found nearly impossible to follow.
Imperfect Girl
When a young girl is killed in a car accident while crossing the road, an unnamed novelist sees something he shouldn't have. Her friend survived, the truck just barely missing her, but before bursting into tears at the death of her friend, he sees the girl save her video game. Why would she do that? The thought lingers in his head, until one day he returns home and is taken hostage by that same girl. She leads him back to her house, where he is locked up in a storage room so that he can never expose her secret.
However, despite getting numerous opportunities to escape or overpower her, our friend convinces himself to stay and not even call the cops, despite her failing to confiscate his phone. Through his imprisonment and glimpses into his captor's life, we learn more about her and what drives her to kidnap a stranger who may have thought she acted a bit weird. Did she cause the accident? Is it some kind of psychosis? Wait, where are her parents and is this even her house?
Imperfect Girl is an absorbing mystery story and not knowing what the little girl is capable of is an interesting narrative device. Will she resort to violence or is that merely a threat? Is she getting sloppy with her security measures or is she testing her prey? I was very driven to learn more about her and how the protagonist's imprisonment would end.
Imperfect Hero
The superhero team Gakusei 5 consists of five students who battle alien invaders looking to conquer Earth, but most people think there are only four. Yuji fills the role of superhero Green, but he is afraid to fight and prefers to stay far behind his teammates. The manga doesn't make it clear if he is supporting his team from the backline or just outright cowering, but it's obvious he isn't the most upstanding hero and certainly not self-sacrificing.
His cowardly ways are put to the test when he one day finds a recently-defeated villainess in the playground. She has been wounded and is now starving, unable to make sense of our earthly ways and unused to not having servants at her beck and call. Yuji helps her out, but this one act of kindness spins out of control when she declares she is staying with him forever and never leaving our planet again!
I love the parodies on super sentai stories that Imperfect Hero offers and Yuji was a good character to focus on. I enjoyed seeing how he interacts with the more heroic members of his team and how he juggles trying to hide his superhero identity to the villainess Mayura, while also trying to hide his involvement with her from the rest of his team. A good story overall, especially if you share my soft spot for this old school artstyle.
In Search of Lost Time
Variety Art Works is basically the World Masterpiece Theater in manga format, but with some curious and out there picks for what stories they adapt. While last time this meant I had to read the overly-cynical I Am A Cat, this time I ended up finding In Search of Lost Time and absolutely loved it.
The story follows a 19th-century French aristocrat of a minor family, looking back on all the highlights of his life and trying to determine where it made a turn for the worse. We flashback to his youngest memories and follow this man as he matures. Its a story dense in a culture that is hard to fathom nowadays, with people obsessing over social controversies like wealthy sons marrying actresses and the like. Our protagonist is an intriguing man with a lot to say about high society and its machinations, making this story really feel like a guided tour through the life of a bourgeoisie.
It's a shame it does begin to feel rushed after the adolescence chapter, because the story is otherwise a straight 9/10 for me. The artstyle and character designs are also great and expressive, especially when you consider you get to see all these characters grow old. If you have a fondness for European history, this is a must-read story.
Ichinensei ni Nacchattara / In The First Grade
Yeah, this is a good point to draw the line for today's collection of manga. In The First Grade is about a high schooler called Iori who, on his way to confess his love to a classmate, is run over by a truck after pushing a grade schooler out of the way. He dies, but his body is stolen by a young scientist with a lolicon fetish, who returns him back to life in the body of a five-year-old.
I know, stellar subject matter.
Iori just kind of starts living with the lolicon scientist, where he also discovers that the girl he loves is her sister. Iori then enrolls in elementary school where he is reunited with the girl he saved.
It's such a useless plot. Returning Iori to his proper body is an objective that's continuously dangled in front of us, but there is nothing preventing the scientist from just doing so; the solution is just withheld to prolong the manga's runtime. The manga did have some nice moments and creative jokes, but there's a constant, uncomfortable vibe to all of it. It makes fun of lolicons, but it's also very much pandering to them. Kids are drawn in seductive poses and clothing, even going so far as to imply it's normal for kids to wear bedroom lingerie.
Some pervy jokes would have raised an eyebrow, but wouldn't be the end of the world. It's Ichinensei ni Nacchattara's relentlessness that bothers me. Chapter after chapter of cringeworthy storylines with sexual themes and gratuitous "fan"-service, it's incredibly one-note and has no business being 60 chapters long. I wasn't looking forward to the ending because of excitement, but because that's when I would know for sure if it had all been a massive waste of time.


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easy project // last-minute gift llama or alpaca ornament
It's not every day that someone gives you a llama. But someone did give my family a llama, and while it won't be living at out house, it's going to be very much loved by everyone in our house.
We have a thing for llamas.
It's actually really difficult to show true appreciation for such a gift, but I set to work right away to make a small token of thanks for the people who gave our llama a family. And I came up with this little llama ornament.
I shared it on Instagram, and it was a hit, so I thought I might share it here as a last-minute gift idea. You don't get lots of pictures because I literally made this just to give someone, but I'm hoping you won't mind. So here's how you give this gift.
First, buy a llama or an alpaca from Heifer International, or you can buy a share of these animals for a lower cost gift.
Next, make a super fast ornament. (Instructions below)
Finally, give the ornament with a note telling about the donation. It's a nice way to do something to help others, and it will give your recipient something to remember the gift too. Win-win!
Here's how to make the ornament:
1. Cut the two body pieces from cotton batting. Cut the snout from tan felt. Cut a felt scarf that is about 1/2" x 8-1/2" and fringe the ends.
2. Freehand stitch the face (those few stitches hold the snout in place), then glue the two body pieces together with Fabri-tac.
3. Tie the scarf on and secure it with glue. The thread hanger goes through the back of the scarf and through the llama on the side closer to the body (for balance).
So many of us have a lot of "stuff", so why not give small with a thing, and give big with help and love for others?!
14 comments:
oh geez, how did I miss this on IG? my daughter is a huge fan of Llamas! And now I have another project.... thanks Mollie!ReplyDelete
What a great idea - both the donation to Heifer Project and the ornament! If you are ever in central Arkansas, Heifer Project operates a lovely hands-on museum that gives a great glimpse into their work around the world.ReplyDelete
I love this because it's adorable, it involves the Heifer Project(they rock),and, as you point out, we (in the first world) have SO much stuff that a small handmade gift is a wonderful thing.ReplyDelete
And llamas. 'Nuff said.
I love this because it's adorable, it involves the Heifer Project(they rock),and, as you point out, we (in the first world) have SO much stuff that a small handmade gift is a wonderful thing.ReplyDelete
And llamas. 'Nuff said.
Such a great and unique post. Love the creativity and obviously love the llama!ReplyDelete
- Holly x
I think this will be our Christmas day craft! I wanted something cute to have for the kids to make. Thank you!ReplyDelete
am I doing something wrong? I can't download the pattern and my daughter NEEDS this! She is llama obsessed and this is just too cute. Can you helpReplyDelete
Hi Mollie, I would like to get permission to reprint your alpaca related pattern in an online magazine I produce for alpaca/llama breeders. Can you let me know if that is OK - we will of course give credit to you.ReplyDelete
Eu amo lhamas também!ReplyDelete