text:
AT&T will reportedly begin selling the BlackBerry Z10 later this month, according to Bloomberg.
Citing sources familiar with the plan, the news outlet tipped March 22 as the launch date for U.S. AT&T stores.
AT&T did not immediately respond to a request for comment. BlackBerry, however, declined to confirm the rumor. "BlackBerry has not announced official launch dates for the BlackBerry Z10 in the U.S., and we are not able to confirm any rumored launch dates on behalf of our carrier partners," a spokeswoman said.
After a delay, BlackBerry finally unveiled its BlackBerry 10 operating system in late January, as well as its touch-screen BlackBerry Z10 and QWERTY BlackBerry Q10 smartphones. All four major U.S. carriers have committed to carrying at least one of the devices, with BlackBerry saying they will be released in March or April, but no official launch dates have been announced.
Verizon has said it will sell the Z10 for $199 with a two-year-contract. T-Mobile has not yet announced pricing or a release date, and Sprint only plans to offer the BlackBerry Q10. Last month, an unlocked version of the Z10 went on sale at GSMNation.com, but it cost $999.
The Z10 is a slab-style, touch-based smartphone with a 4.2-inch display with 356 pixels per inch. Keyboard fans may want to stick to BlackBerry's Q10, which features the classic QWERTY keyboard, a 3.1-inch screen, and a "glass-weave cover" that is "thinner, lighter, and stronger than plastic," according to BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins. The Q10 is reportedly on track to launch in April on the Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T networks.
BlackBerry's long-awaited BB10 OS announcement made a splash earlier this year, but it has some competition. HTC has since announced its new One smartphone, while Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S IV at a New York City event on March 14.
For more, see PCMag's first look at the BlackBerry Z10 and the slideshow above, as well as our hands on with the BlackBerry Q10. Also check out our spec comparisons with the Galaxy S III, Lumia 920, and the iPhone 5.
Get Our Best Stories!
Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!Sign up for other newsletters


text:
Intestinal adhesions after abdominal surgery are surgical complications that can occur from days to years after surgery. Symptoms vary depending on the degree of intestinal adhesions, but the cause is that part of the intestine is partially blocked and the flow of contents in the intestine is inhibited. If it is left untreated initially, it may be necessary to reoperate to eliminate the cause.
Around the intestine is the peritoneum that surrounds it. If the surgeon touches the intestine during surgery, the membrane is damaged and inflammation begins. In this state, over time, the intestines stick to each other, or the intestines and the abdominal wall are entangled. This is called intestinal adhesion. This is a normal form of wound healing and mostly does not cause symptoms. However, depending on the degree of intestinal adhesions, the intestinal tract may be partially or completely blocked, causing intestinal obstruction through which the intestinal contents cannot pass.
During abdominal surgery, tissue in the abdominal cavity, such as the peritoneum, intestine, and mesentery, is damaged. The damaged area then heals, causing inflammation and fibrosis. Just after surgery, scars form on the abdominal cavity after surgery, and intestinal adhesions occur here. Intestinal adhesions can occur in all types of abdominal surgery, but the greater the range of surgery and the more damage, the better. In addition, if the hematoma that occurred during surgery remains in the abdominal cavity without being removed cleanly, the hematoma can harden to form a tight band, thereby causing intestinal adhesions.
Intestinal adhesions that occur after abdominal surgery are complications that can occur to anyone who has had surgery. Most of the patients have no other symptoms. Therefore, the intestinal adhesion itself is not a problem, but rather an intestinal obstruction in which intestinal adhesions block the flow of intestinal contents. When intestinal obstruction occurs, symptoms such as cramping abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and bloating may occur. If intestinal obstruction persists, symptoms such as dehydration, tachycardia, and low blood pressure may occur with imbalance of moisture and electrolyte.
Particularly in case of severe intestinal obstruction, the intestine in the upper part of the obstruction moves excessively to overcome the flow of blocked intestinal contents, which can cause severe abdominal pain. Abdominal pain may last for minutes or hours, but it may go away on its own, but it may be lost after visiting the hospital emergency room, inserting a nasogastric tube, and removing the intestinal contents.
When a part of the intestine is tightened by an adhesion band in the abdominal cavity, blood supply to the intestine is blocked, which may cause ischemia. At this time, if rapid surgical treatment is not performed within a few hours, symptoms of peritonitis due to intestinal necrosis may occur. Because of this, the patient may develop sepsis, and may eventually die.
Patients may experience symptoms due to intestinal adhesions or intestinal obstruction even after relatively small surgery such as appendectomy, and on the contrary, they may be diagnosed as intestinal obstruction due to intestinal adhesions due to sudden abdominal pain and vomiting after decades of no symptoms.
If the patient complains of digestive disorders at any time after abdominal surgery, partial intestinal obstruction due to intestinal adhesions should be suspected. If the patient is unable to discharge gas in the intestine and complains of nausea and vomiting, that alone can be diagnosed.
In addition, intestinal obstruction can be diagnosed in the form of gas shadow in the intestine through simple abdominal radiography. Chronic obstruction and repeated communication may be diagnosed by small bowel angiography or colon angiography, or abdominal computed tomography (CT).
1) Consevative treatment
If intestinal obstruction is suspected, the most important treatment is fasting. In addition, when vomiting is accompanied, the moisture and electrolyte contained in the stomach contents are lost without being absorbed, resulting in dehydration and changes in the electrolyte in the body fluids.
Partial intestinal obstruction due to intestinal adhesions is mostly treated by fasting and decompression through a nasogastric tube insertion reaching the stomach.
2) Surgical treatment
If chronic intestinal obstruction symptoms are repeated, or abdominal pain persists for hours, or if conservative treatment for 3-5 days does not resolve, surgery to remove the intestine may be necessary.
(Get the next post. It's Free!)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Claire's tests came out fine. Thanks to those who emailed.
Claire's tests came out fine. Thanks to those who emailed.
"Everyone in history who was used, betrayed, or double-crossed had it done to them by someone they believed they could trust." -- Michael Rivero
As I've been saying for some time, the rampant corruption of America's rigged elections is even more comically obvious in 2023 — than it was in 2021 and 2020.
Just look at last week's news from Pennsylvania, where a county official has resigned over the "failures" of the elections he supervised!
In Scranton, Pennsylvania, often celebrated as the hometown of President Biden, the sentiments of local residents tell a story that contrasts sharply with the narrative presented by the administration. Interviews conducted on the streets uncovered deep-seated feelings of disillusionment and discontent for the Biden administration.
"He praises here, but I don't, I don't think he actually, like grew up here," one Scranton resident said.
It's not just Republicans expressing their disappointment; Democrats are joining the chorus too. "I'm a registered Democrat, but I'm not happy," said another person.
"I think he's the worst president we ever had to be honest with you… this economy sucks," the last interviewee said.
One of the most fascinating ways to explore Toronto's past is through this remarkable collection of photographs that capture everyday life in the city in the 1960s.
These images, captured by gcosserat on Flickr, offer a unique glimpse into a bygone era, showcasing the people, places, and moments that defined the city during this transformative decade.
In the early 1960s, Toronto's skyline consisted of a collection of buildings painted in sepia tones, including banks, hotels, and church spiers.
Ex-Capitol Police Officer, as recently promised, has released the first tranche of twelve hours of J6 police scanner audio as Capitol Police discussed mobilizing to address the threat of extremists who have laid siege to the Congress during the 2020 election certification.
"Here we go… Episode 1," Johnson posted on X on Sunday. "The mainstream media is telling you that J6 was an insurrection."
"Please tell me if the actions of Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman were heroic and proper," he added. "To give so some context Pittman's call sign is Unit 2 and she is sitting on a dias in the USCP Commander Center where she can hear the radio traffic and she has a 360 degree view of the outside of the Capitol."
"She can also see the actives inside the Capitol where there is a camera," he continued. "Chief Steven A Sund was on the phone trying to obtain approval for the National Guard's assistance and assistance from other law enforcement agencies. I was on the ground trying to de-escalate the situation specially asking Pittman for help. My call sign was 405J-John."
Axios reports that new homeowners may not turn a profit for over a decade, creating a dire situation. Trapped in a cycle of debt and depreciation, they face a challenging housing market. Advocates urge government intervention to regulate and make housing more affordable and sustainable.
Things aren't always as they seem. This collection of photographs will show you a view of history – its people, places, and events – that offers a different perspective than what we see in our history books. You will see famous people before they were stars, the final moments of some people's lives, fads and trends of the past, and some intriguing slices of life in days gone by. History is full of fascinating little tidbits that make for wonderful stories. All we need to do to find them is to change our perspective.
The former general registrar of Prince William County, Virginia, Michele White, was arrested in September 2022 on two felonies and a misdemeanor relating to the 2020 election: election officer neglect duty (24.2-10001), Election officer corrupt conduct (24.2-1001) and False statement on required form (24.2-1016).
In a "surprising twist", however, both felony counts were dropped, leaving only the misdemeanor count of "neglect of duty by an election officer."
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday pointed a finger at Iran when discussing the attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea at the hands of Houthi rebels.
On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis struck three commercial ships, while the American warship, the USS Carney, downed three drones that were headed in its direction.
Sullivan echoed that it remained unclear whether the Carney was the intended target of the three unmanned aerial vehicles but said the incident 'is truly a source of global concerns and a threat to international peace and stability.'
'We will continue as we move forward to consult very closely with allies and partners to determine and take all appropriate responses,' Sullivan said.
A California lake could be sitting on top of the world's largest 'white gold' mine.
The Salton Sea in southern California has been swarmed by companies large and small looking for cost-effective ways to extract lithium that is dissolved in scalding hot brine water that flows beneath the lake's southern point.
But a new study funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) found the basin has even more lithium - dubbed white gold because of its soft, silvery-white look - than previously estimated.
It found there could be 18 million tons of extractable metal - enough to meet the US's demand for the valuable metal for decades.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has previously described the Salton Sea as the Saudi Arabia of lithium mining.
In the midst of the American Civil War, a tumultuous period that left an indelible mark on the nation, the practice of photographing soldiers and fighters in the studio emerged as a poignant intersection of history and art.
These studio portraits, taken during the pioneering era of photography, serve as lasting evidence of the lives, experiences, and roles of the people who participated in this historic conflict.
The mid-19th century marked a significant moment in the development of photography.
The daguerreotype, introduced in 1839, was the earliest photographic process, but it required subjects to sit still for several minutes, resulting in a single, unique image on a polished metal plate.
As photographic techniques advanced, the ambrotype and tintype processes allowed faster and more economical portraiture.
Soldiers cherished these pictures as symbols of affection for their families and loved ones. Encased in ornate holders, these images provided comfort and connection to their homes during the hardships of war.
In many instances, they decorated themselves with items representative of their trade, held weapons, or displayed cherished souvenirs, revealing unique aspects of their experiences and background.
Preserved in archives, museums, and private collections, these images connect us to the faces and stories of those who lived through one of the most transformative periods in American history.
Hundreds have gathered at a Christian church after the pastor was replaced with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for the service.
The Friday sermon at St. Paul's Church in Fürth, Germany, was delivered by the AI chatbot ChatGPT.
The chatbot replaced the human pastor and was presented as a black man with a beard on a large screen above the altar of the evangelical church in Bavaria.
Claiming to be a steward of God, the AI chatbot told the packed congregation not to fear death, according to the Associated Press.
"Dear friends, it is an honor for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence at this year's convention of Protestants in Germany," the AI avatar said.
Welcome to our extensive gallery showcasing the diverse range of Republican elected officials who are lending their support to Donald Trump for the 2024 presidency. From seasoned GOP veterans like Lindsey Graham to rising stars like Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert, this wide-ranging list reflects the dynamic spectrum of voices within the Republican Party who stand firmly with the former president.
As you peruse this collection, you'll see the breadth of support and the unity that Trump's candidacy has inspired within the party. Whether you're a devoted Trump supporter, a keen observer, or someone who wants to stay informed about the evolving political landscape, we invite you to explore the profiles of these elected officials who have made their voices heard.
Our gallery not only highlights their support but also provides insight into their perspective and reasons for standing with Trump. We encourage you to engage with the content and learn more about the individuals who are shaping the political discussion leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
Newsletter #52 of The Wheatley School Alumni Association, which is operated by Arthur Engoron, has revealed that once again, New York State Supreme Court Justice Arthur F. Engoron may have committed multiple acts of misconduct in violation of The New York State Unified Court System's Judicial conduct, specifically Section 100.4 while overseeing President Trump's civil fraud trial.
The Letitia Peekaboo James witch hunt officially commenced in March of 2019. The Communist New York Attorney General opened the sham proceedings by serving multiple subpoenas and discovery requests upon the Trump family, President Trump, and many others. By August 2020, The Attorney General convinced Judge Engoron to compel the Trump parties to comply with her deposition demands.
By September of 2020, Judge Engoron ordered Eric Trump to sit for a deposition no later than October 7, 2020. Eric Trump complied with Engoron's order and was deposed on October 5, 2020.
Justice Engoron was preparing and compiling information for the latest issue of his newsletter between the dates of October 2, 2020 through November 8, 2020. During this timeframe, Justice Engoron was also actively participating in the Trump witch hunt, while simultaneously communicating with an extremely biased, and anti-Trump federal prosecutor who is also linked to a witness in the Trump case.
The new Argentine government has refused the visit of a senior British official, claiming that the restoration of Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands is a crucial national policy.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry released a statement expressing discontent with the visit of David Rutley, the British Under-Secretary of State for the Americas, the Caribbean, and Overseas Territories, to the islands.
Argentina argued that the visit would happen "in the context of the illegal British occupation of the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding maritime areas".
In these photos, she shows a pioneering spirit, embracing the distinctive style of the 1980s with flair and grace.
The 1985 film "Perfect" presented an interesting story centered on romantic relationships in the high-energy and euphoric atmosphere of a Los Angeles fitness studio.
This story thrust Jamie Lee Curtis into the spotlight, establishing her as an attractive figure within the athletic community.
Her portrayal in the film cemented her status as an attractive fitness icon, garnering the attention and admiration of fitness enthusiasts across the country.
In a recent development, The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative websites in the country today, reported that its access has been blocked on networks within both the United States House of Representatives and the Pentagon.
On Thursday, sources from Capitol Hill informed The Gateway Pundit that attempts to access the website from the House network were unsuccessful.
A staff member from Congressman Paul Gosar's office detailed ongoing access problems for the past two weeks.
"Wanted to notify you that I have been unable to access the Gateway Pundit on the House network for the past two weeks," according to the email.
More young Americans are doomsday prepping ahead of the next presidential election over fears of a societal collapse or failed natural disaster response, a survey has found.
Gen-Z, adults born after 1997, is the most likely to be preparing for a disaster with a whooping 40 percent claiming to have spent money on doomsday supplies in the past year, according to a Finder survey.
The survey of 2,179 US adults was conducted from January 9 to February 17 and has a two percent margin of error. Finder - who has been collecting prepping data since 2017 - asked people if they had spent money preparing for emergencies over the last twelve months.
Across all generations, food and water was the most commonly bought prepping item and 20 percent of Gen-Z preppers purchased toilet paper. According to the latest survey 29 percent of Americans spent money on prepping, up from the roughly 25 percent who did in 2017.
Forget what you learned in history books. Often they tell only one side of a nuanced story. The rare finds collected here show an aspect of history that we rarely get to see. They peel back the layers of the stories we think we know to reveal little-known facts that make history more fascinating. If you're ready to see a different side of history than what you already know, click ahead...the truth is waiting for you!
Ladies and gentlemen, history buffs and curious minds, welcome to a captivating journey through time, where we peel back the layers of iconic historical images to reveal the untold stories that lie hidden in the shadows of the past . In this extraordinary slideshow gallery, we invite you to join us in uncovering the secrets, mysteries and astonishing stories hidden within these snapshots frozen in time. Many of these photographs never saw the light of day, or their true story has become blurred in the sands of history. As you set out on this visual adventure, prepare to be surprised, enlightened and entertained as we explore the remarkable stories that bring these images to life. There is much more to history than it meets the eye, and with your curiosity in mind, let's delve deeper into the fascinating stories behind these iconic paintings. So, without further ado, let's unpack the past and keep reading to discover the untold stories that have shaped our world.
Our national debt has hit an alarming $33 trillion and shows no sign of slowing down, signaling a looming financial crisis. The situation becomes even more concerning as recent bond auctions fail to raise the desired amounts, with some falling significantly short.
Britain's embattled Conservative government unveiled a raft of measures Monday aimed at cracking down on record levels of migration -- a key battleground in a general election expected next year.
The UK announced it would raise the minimum salary threshold for a skilled worker visa and prevent overseas health and social care staff from bringing family dependents to Britain.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office trumpeted the proposals as "the biggest clampdown on legal migration ever".
But critics said it would damage the state-run National Health Service (NHS), which faces staff shortages.
Excess deaths in 2023 continue to surge in the United States.
Life insurance executives and actuaries are alarmed.
Life insurers paid record levels of claims in 2021, the biggest one-year increase since 1918.
Younger adult death rate up 20% in 2023.
Hunter Biden sent monthly payments to his father out of a bank account he used to receive money from Chinese business associates, according to newly released bank records revealed by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who shared a Monday video on X detailing redacted bank transfers to Joe Biden from Hunter's Owasco P.C. bank account.
"Today, the House Oversight Committee is releasing subpoenaed bank records that show Hunter Biden's business entity, Owasco PC, made direct monthly payments to Joe Biden. This wasn't a payment from Hunter Biden's personal account but an account for his corporation that received payments from China and other shady corners of the world," Comer says in the video, adding that the payments began in September 2018 - six months before Biden announced his candidacy in the 2020 election.
"Payments from Hunter's business entity to Joe Biden are now part of a pattern revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in and benefited from his family's influence peddling schemes."
The recent findings of DNA fragments in the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines has led many to question why the FDA, which is responsible for monitoring the quality and safety of the vaccines, has failed to sound the alarm.
For years, the FDA has known about the risk posed by residual DNA in vaccines. Its own guidance to industry states:
"Residual DNA might be a risk to your final product because of oncogenic and/or infectivity potential. There are several potential mechanisms by which residual DNA could be oncogenic, including the integration and expression of encoded oncogenes or insertional mutagenesis following DNA integration."
Put simply, the FDA acknowledges the possibility that fragments of DNA left over by the manufacturing process can be incorporated into a patient's own DNA, to potentially cause cancer.
Front-end Treasuries have rallied big in the past month, but labor market data will pose a key test for traders this week.
Yes, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell did reiterate on Friday that the central bank is prepared to tighten policy further, but was just jawboning against the recent loosening of financial conditions rather than a statement of real intent given the clear disinflationary momentum we have seen of late.
The two-year Treasury yield, which was hovering around 5% before softer-than-inflation readings for October, has since shed some 40 basis points. While the decline has made the maturity look rather rich on the curve, some optimism is justified by comments from Governor Christopher Waller who became the first Fed official to explicitly open the door to rate cuts.
It's such an open secret and so much of a 'given' assumption that it can just be casually written straight into the New York Times headline at this point...
Nuclear missile program you say? (What nuclear program—nothing to see here... or the country's worst kept secret.) Militant Rocket Hit Base Linked to Israeli Nuclear Missile Program...
"A rocket most likely fired by Hamas militants during their Oct. 7 attack on Israel struck an Israeli military base where, experts say, many of the country's nuclear-capable missiles are based, according to a visual analysis of the attack's aftermath by The New York Times."
The report details the highly dangerous episode, noting that while no missiles or warheads were directly hit, a large fire was sparked and nearly spread to storage facilities that contained "sensitive weaponry" at the Sdot Micha military base in central Israel.
One weapons expert was cited as saying there may be up to 25 to 50 nuclear-capable Jericho missiles at the base where the fire raged. However, the nuclear warheads themselves are likely stored at a separate base, according to the analyst. But clearly the base in central Israel was directly targeted by Hamas, or also possibly Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) - which worked in concert.


text:
Buena Park, Calif. — Noritsu will hit the road starting this month to promote its new D701 inkjet printer.
The tour will be aimed at retailers, pro photographers and professional studios, the company said. Epson's wide-format inkjet printers will also be included in the road show.
The tour will encompass 11 cities and run to mid-August. A full list of Roadshow locations and dates can be found here.
Dry minilabs are likely to become more popular as the prices of silver-halide printing consumables increases, said David Haueter, InfoTrends associate director.
On average, it costs approximately 20 percent less to produce a silver-halide print than an inkjet one at retail, but that gap is narrowing, Haueter said. Kodak, Fujifilm and Nippon have all announced price increases for their silver-halide consumables.
"We expect to see silver halide continue in higher volume locations with 1,000-plus prints per day where the lower cost per print offsets the advantages of dry printing," he said.


text:
An address given by the Christ messenger Zodiac through the deep trance mediumship of Miss Winifred Moyes,
at Battersea Christian Spiritualist Church on 15th November, 1931
(Note: This message was edited for a more general readership)
"My dear children, joy is within my heart to come once again and to speak to you in this same way.
"I want from you your choicest gifts, I want from you not only your love, your dedication, but I want from you your determination to follow the path laid down by Jesus the Christ, for we together have much to do. So I appeal to each and every one. I ask you to do your best to prepare your hearts and minds for use in the great, great mission of the Most High.
"Today I speak to you upon that beautiful statement: 'The Light that shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not'. I want you not only to recall those words as something familiar, but I want you to bring a fresh light to bear upon that simple statement, that truth which has been given to man; for man, for the most part, has understood it not.
"The Light that shineth in the darkness! You think at once of Jesus the Christ, but I would remind you that Christ is but example for us all. The Master came and did and gave, and in return the earth body was taken from Him; but the Master would not have come in that same way were it not that He had to demonstrate what man could do in turn.
"For within man is the Divine Spark, within man is a mighty power, within man is something of God Himself; and what Jesus the Christ was able to do, so by the power of the Holy Spirit man can do - if he is willing to suffer and endure.
"I use as an example that which appertains to the earth plane. You know, dear children, that as you take your homeward way, the night seems dark if no stars appear; you miss these kindly friends. The man who has a long journey to take, the man who has a difficult task of navigation to perform, that man not only thanks the stars, but he is glad to have the strong clear light of the moon as well.
"In looking up at the stars, do not only remember that they borrow their light from the moon or the sun, but recollect that they borrow their light from that great Creative Power which comes from the Divine. Yes, in looking up at the stars which seem so far away and yet are as familiar friends, think you in this wise: You, too, in a darkened world, can represent to another a star of direction; you, too, hampered, hindered, restricted by poverty, by social conditions, you can indeed be as a glorious star to another who has lost his way to God.
"But you can do more than that, your light can be enlarged; your world - the world of effort which is built up by you around the physical self - the light of that world can be increased from that of the star, and can be even as the full moon, and not only one here and one there may borrow safety because of the light which shines from you, but thousands the world over will thank their God because by the light that you gave out they found their way safe home at last.
"Again, I take your thoughts on, for there are no limitations where man is concerned. Man is a child of God, and therefore there is no end to his power, no end to his opportunity, no end to his privilege. You can - by effort, by giving out, by thinking sweet thoughts - you can be even as a glorious sun.
"Oh, what man has to thank the sun-rays for! Health comes from that brightness; man owes so much more than he can grasp to the warmth, to the light, and to that which you regard as electricity. Think you of man without a sun, think you of this little world so dark and grey, think you of the sorrowful faces, of the weak bodies, of the rampant diseases. Thank God for the bright and glorious sun, for it is indeed a health-giver and health-bringer to the body, to the mind, and sometimes to the spirit as well.
"Think of this and allow your ambition to soar. From the stars you emerge into the light of the moon, yet the light of the moon is but a reflection of the glory of the sun which shines in the physical heaven.
"But what of the brightness of those 'suns' which shine in the Realms of Spirit? Is it not glorious that you are a child of the King of kings? For you can emerge out of your earthly representation; you can demonstrate your Divinity in the planes of light and among those creations which are hidden from your consciousness now.
"What are we here for? What are you in the earth body to work in and to work out? You are here, dear children, not as punishment, not as a victim of some angry fate, although I know that some of your lives seem hard indeed; you are not here to be treated by others as something less than themselves, you are not here to enforce your will upon those who are too weak to resist.
"Nay, you are here to develop your individuality, to release yourselves from that which binds you; you are here not only to show man that there is a life to come, but to show man that even as he takes his way day by day, hour by hour, he can create beauty and power and that which shall last for ever.
"So little of joy the earth life holds for some, so little of joy. The days pass, their monotony seems to chill the heart and mind. You arise at early morn and you know more or less what the day has in store, so you think - so you think. But you know not, dear children, what is going on in the life of the spirit, what is going on in the real self - you know not that by silencing the word of complaint, by doing your task to the best of your ability, you are creating the 'light' which shall safeguard your brother. And more than light, you are creating life, for out of light comes life, and out of life there is that which the mind of the body cannot grasp. Yet these things are held in the Heart and Mind of God, these things are built into the Planes of Spirit, something preserved, something harvested for the sweet by-and-by.
"So I come back to those who are hard beset at this time, and I say unto them: Be glad for the sake of the spirit within, be glad, for the little star which you represent in a darkened world is precious to many - aye, and precious to God. Soon, soon, the little star will extend its beams, the rays of light will not only illumine the path of those who are in your surroundings, but because light is of God, the rays of the star which you represent shall pierce those darkened conditions beyond the earth plane, and they shall arouse a slumbering brother, one who is dead to his higher self.
"And the next stage, as I have said, is brighter still. By the patience, by the withholding of the angry word, by the seeking of peace and all the beauty that lies within its folds, so, little ones, your light is enhanced a thousand-fold.
"Every ray that shines from you is blessed by the Master, every ray which you give out is charged with a holy power; and as time goes on, you emerge out of that which is the greater into something which is greater still.
"Did not the Christ example this in perfection? He was the Light shining in the darkness and the darkness comprehended Him not. But, thank God, there were the few who had a little light - and because a little light was released within them, so they comprehended something of that which was demonstrated by the Christ.
"And when the earth journey was o'er, when the mistakes, the blunders, so-called, were overlooked, they found to their great astonishment, to their exceeding joy, that that which they thought had gone wrong had been righted by the One Who loves us best. The little light which comprehended the Great Light was turned into the Light which faileth never.
"You, each one, have the same chance as Peter, the same glorious opportunity as Paul. What are you going to do? Are you going to throw away that which will mean all in all to you when the earth life is no more? Are you going to turn from the tests? Are you going to say: 'Not that, not that!'
"Oh, I entreat you to reason within, to allow the light from the Fount of Grace to shine down upon you and to make the path in front clear and bright once more; for whether in this stage or in the stage to come, you must be as a light that shineth in the darkness, and if at any stage you sorrow because the darkness comprehends you not, oh remember the Christ, remember His sweet forgiveness, remember His looks of love upon those who denied Him and the love He bore for them.
"The light shineth in the darkness, but if the darkness were not there, the light itself perchance would not be perceived. So you see the grace of God!
"Therefore I entreat you not to relax your efforts, not to lessen your haste upon the way; I entreat you rather to rededicate yourselves, to work out again and again not only the mistakes of yesterday but the mistakes of long ago; yet not with sorrow, but with a great joy.
"Light within, light without - the greater Light which shines from Jesus the Christ mingling with your light, giving unto you strength, courage, and a thousand things beyond your consciousness now. And drawing you, by the power of its loving rays, up and up and up, until at last as a pilgrim freed from self, you take your way by choice back into darkened places. Your light shineth in the darkness, and if the darkness comprehendeth it not, oh believe that because you come with the power of Christ, in time, in time, the darkness shall comprehend you, and a little of light shall be brought to those who dwell therein.
"Oh, I would that this truth could be forced upon the physical consciousness. It matters not to God what you do, in the sense of its importance or lack of importance - what matters to God is whether you do your part to the best of your ability. Nothing is common, nothing in the nature of toil is 'low' in the Mind of God.
"I want these thoughts to be placed upon your heart and mind, I want you to honour the work that you accomplish, I want you to see in the mundane tasks opportunity, sweet opportunity, to demonstrate the Divinity that is caged within, and to realise that as you take up this and lay down that, lo! you are indeed as a star shining in the darkness, and in time the darkness will be lightened because of that which you have done.
"Sweetness and peace, these are the vibrations today; sweetness and peace and comfort like a great cloud is descending upon you all. Comfort over your daily woes, comfort over your heart¬aches, your losses, your many disappoint¬ments, comfort for you each one; and the greatest comfort of all comes in the thought which I have tried to explain today - that out of that which seems to have gone wrong, out of the strivings and the apparent failures, so light in greater measure has been drawn to you.
"Thus I say in the Name of God that all is well; thus I say in the Name of Christ, go on. And I can promise, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that the strength for the going on shall never fail.
"Remember the Great Source of Light, and remember that because you come from Him there are no limitations, no restrictions, nothing which can stand between you and your high ideals; and more than that, nothing that can be strong enough to stand between you and God's Will regarding the Light that shall be your own.
"Rejoice in that thought, and hold fast to the staff of faith and trust which He has given unto you this day, and will give each day as the years go on.
"Farewell, dear children, but we shall meet again. "
John Chapter 1, verses 1-9
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Download Nine Volumes of Zodiac Messages (book-form PDFs)
Download nine printable PDF books of Zodiac Messages containing unaltered
chronologically-ordered scripts from the Zodiac Circle before the first public appearance
(New Revelation, 1923-1928)
Download Zodiac Messages on this site (for computer - HTML)
Download an executable file of every Zodiac Message on this website to read on a computer
(ranging from 1923-1957)


text:
This may be the most important blog I have ever posted. In order to make the greatest impact possible I have decided to also keep it short.
When I was younger my parents never let me quit a sport once the season began. Their philosophy was "Finish what you started. If you quit when things get hard you'll quit anytime you encounter adversity in life." I will forever be grateful for that lesson.
My parents also taught me about ownership mentality, and this is my definition:
Ownership Mentality: 1. When a person stops blaming others for their circumstances and begins to take control of their mind, body, and situation. 2. Demonstrating an outstanding work ethic that transcends the norm in society.
The opposite of ownership mentality is entitlement mentality. Here is my definition:
Entitlement Mentality: 1. When a person expects everything but doesn't want to earn it through effort or hard work. 2. Deadbeat.
In firefighter terms ownership mentality would be the equivalent of an aggressive offensive operation – a hard pushing interior attack. Ownership mentality is what we need in the fire service today. For example, it's not your organizations tools and equipment that you are using. It's yours and should be treated with the same care.
Entitlement mentality is a disease in our country. It is the adult equivalent to the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality that is plaguing youth sports today. One of the greatest moments of my young life was when I earned the most improved wrestler trophy. The trophy was a result of hard work, dedication, and a concentrated effort, and it felt great to get rewarded for that. I don't want my kids to think they will receive the same rewards as the hardest working members of their team even if they are lazy and/or behave badly. I want them to know that focus and hard work will bring more rewards than luck ever will. This has been the case in my life. I've had to work for everything and I'm still making that aggressive interior attack every day. Hard work has always trumped luck. In fact, the harder I work the luckier I seem to get. I believe I am not alone when I share my belief that there should be no reward for people who simply refuse to put in the effort and do the work.
A recent study focused on the top causes of low morale in the workplace. The number one cause was, "having to drag around dead weight" otherwise known as lazy coworkers that no one will discipline – better known as people with entitlement mentality.
Your organization, your community and your family needs for you to be a problem solver. Society in general needs people to step up and take ownership of themselves and their circumstances. We need examples and role models and you have the opportunity to become one. Stop blaming outside influences, other people, your boss, your equipment, or your past for the situation you are in today. Keep in mind that EVERYONE is a self-made person, but only the successful ones are willing to admit it.
I don't want to preach. I simply want to ask you one simple, important question…
What type of mentality do YOU have?
Now I dare you to step up and pass this along to others so we can fix this place before it's too late.
Views: 9683
© 2023 Created by fireeng. Powered by


text:
Logic In The Square World
'Music first and last should sound well, should allure and enchant the ear. Never mind the inner significance' - Sir Thomas Beecham, 1978
Getting old and conservative in my musical taste...no more noise, thank you.
Consider applying Vulcan logic to cultural consumption. Perhaps it's a good idea, preventing the purchase of avant-garde works that will provide little pleasure. Then again, as a philosopher once said, to buy an Anthony Braxton album is to be human.
In an episode of Enterprise, the (female) Vulcan berates the captain for being fifteen minutes late. The day before, Jane had done the same thing to me, for the same reason. The captain was exploring a new planet, whilst I was exploring the sale in HMV.
The sale saw the beginning of my current Blue Note fever. Albums at Ł4.99 are contagious. Bought two Medeski, Martin and Wood albums (Tonic, Combustication), Donald Byrd's A New Perspective, and Hank Mobley's No Room For Squares.
Whilst DJ-ing the other night four people walked out during Kraftwerk's 'Trans Europe Express' - a pretty tasteless thing to do. I tried not to take it personally. Perhaps I should always have Hank Mobley's 'No Room For Squares' on hand for such an occasion, but then, people are walking out of the bar all the time, so that idea isn't feasible.
Another possibility: looping the part from Sly and The Family Stone's 'Dance To The Music' where they shout 'All the squares go home!'.
The square world depresses me.
Another day, another megastore (are they contagious too?), another sale. Buy The Jazz Messengers' The Witch Doctor (welcome back home in CD format after big vinyl sell-off years ago), Hank Mobley's Soul Station, and Donald Byrd's A New Perspective - three for Ł20.
We watch a Channel Four programme about popular dance trends. Neither of us could believe how dumb it was. So wrong - telling it from the viewpoint of a thirty-year-old idiot. They briefly acknowledge that the dance phenomenon did exist before Saturday Night Fever, but still suggest that it was it the beginning of it all. So the lie is perpetuated.
The lie is that men didn't express themselves on the dancefloor before Travolta. Mods didn't dance, neither did guys on the funk/soul scene, or those into Northern Soul.
Who researches these programmes?
Write the history wrong and present is as fact. Square revisionist shit for the now generation.
Ride the new wave Trojan revival...
Duke Reid first claimed the name. A new release: The Birth Of Trojan - the complete output of his label from '67. Every single and B-side. Love the logic, the totality of the concept. It gives a better impression of Jamaican music of the time than a selective compilation. Some B-sides which are instrumentals in the very old-school schmaltzy waltzy instrumental vein, like 'Never To Be Mine (O Solo Mio)' by Roland Alphonso and The Supersonics. Or 'Starry Night' by Tommy McCook. Echoes of times past when couples danced in ballrooms and boys weren't as rude as they became in the mid-60s.
Equally old-fashioned sounding are 'I Want To Be Loved (I Need You)' by Oliver St Patrick and The Diamonds, and 'This Is A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening' by Phyllis Dillon. Both are ballads in almost doo-wop mode. Phyllis - the rocksteady queen, also showing how reggae-got-soul on 'Make Me Yours' and 'Leave It In The Hands Of Love'. Dobby Dobson's '(I'm A) Loving Pauper' is a song which no home should be without.
Ride on, further back with Jamaican R and B - triple CD box set of jumping jive and balladeering. As Owen Gray says: 'Mash It!'. There ain't nobody here but us chickens, I doubt. The treasure isle under the full influence of the land of the free - the connections are obvious - it's no big leap from RandB to ska.
I wonder, can it be true that Bowie's 'China Girl' was influenced by Lloyd Clarke's 'Japanese Girl'? Title aside, there's definitely a similarity in the 'Oriental' guitar riff.
Phone the painfully trendy Soul Jazz label for details of dates on their latest compilation, Studio One Scorchers. There are none on my promo copy. I explain to Karen. I also explain that I'm writing about it for a web site. She asks me if I've got e-mail. No, I haven't. She takes my address.
She doesn't send the details because, obviously, putting a stamp on an envelope and writing my address on it would be too much trouble. They are Soul Jazz, and they don't bother with such things.
So big up the Hoxton massive and other baggy-arsed types with spiky hair who dabble a bit in 'cool' reggae on Soul Jazz...
Wait, just because I'm old enough to have been around when reggae was essential to the fabric of smart working class culture, rather than trendy retro, I've no reason to criticise.
It's a good compilation, but fuck Soul Jazz.
Find Mr Lif's album, I Phantom, for Ł3 on promo. Don't buy hip-hop anymore, but what's Ł3?
Get the album home, play it, and remember why I don't buy hip-hop...
Mr Lif might be talking loud and saying something, but from one play, it's hard to tell. The track that stands out is 'Live From The Plantation', a tale of the torture of dead-end McJob exploitation. He takes on materialism and workaholic neglect on 'Success'. And, of course, there has to be at least one apocalypse now scenario, as on 'Earth Crusher'. This certainly isn't a bad album, but just how good it is I'm unqualified to say.
(Days later I realise that the best way to enjoy I Phantom is to play tracks in isolation, thus avoiding rap overload.)
Pop girl group Atomic Kitten record their version of 'The Tide Is High', taking a cue from Blondie, not even The Paragons' blissful rock steady of 1968. Nothing is sacred. The megastore DJ plays it whilst I'm in there and I have to leave, feeling as if a tiny part of my heart has broken off, been cracked by the act. As Harold Steptoe once said to his dad: 'The kids today, what do they know about music?'.
The current logical progression - is it from Atomic Kitten to a more 'mature' form of the same shit? Focus, look down the years, past my first discovery of Blue Note, beyond Punk, beyond Funk, to reggae and Bowie and even beyond that, to Hendrix and The Stones courtesy of my older brothers. One generation either feeds or poisons another. What will today's Pop kids pass on to their younger siblings? That particular chain reaction will consist of artistic ineptitude, spiritually barren - but will it effect the nature of all involved? Will it breed a more stupid generation?
How does music affect people, and what can we tell from the music someone chooses....what, if anything, does it symbolise?
My own vinyl reckoning, with respect to Mr Meltzer. Yes, Richard, like you, every time I've hit rock-bottom with nothing left to toss I find another item or five to weed out. Or in my case, about twenty items on average because, you know, it's just wouldn't be worth taking five albums to Music and Video Exchange.
It's logical to get rid of stuff that no longer has any value (however value, with regards to music, is assessed). I'm an exception in this case, I realise, since most music-lover I know tend to hang on to their stuff, as if selling music is sacrilegious.
It's time to be ruthless with the axe because I'm still on a mission to - what? - achieve a 'pure' collection?
Deep breath. Check my state of mind to try and ensure against over-enthusiastic rejection (there are always a few babies that go out with the bath water, but I've learnt to live with that and, ultimately, you know what? You never miss an album after it's gone, kids!)
Where to start? The top shelf. Some Rock up there (Hendrix: untouchable, Neil Young: likewise, even though I never play him, but when I do, it's always a pleasure, and Jane loves Harvest Moon).
Move to the far right - Derrick May, Innovator box set - god I hate (vinyl) box sets, they take up so much room. On the bottom shelf there's a complete Mahler symphonies box the size of a suitcase, but it's untouchable because a) I bought it for Jane, b) it's, er, classic, innit? Back to Derrick, play 'Nude Photo' because I remember it as one of my favourites - like the laughter, but how Great is it now? Can I play the 'historical perspective innovatory' card? No, I'm not that interested in it's academic value. How has it aged? Not too badly, but it still sounds...kind of amateurish (oh, sacrilegious to say, Detroit purists, I know). I think this is going. Damn heavy to carry, might need two panniers with this sucker in the bag.
Keep all the Carl Craig...and here's a metal box, yes, the Metal Box - but how often do I play it? Very rarely, but it's such a damn...awkward/nasty/nihilistic thing, and Wobble's bass and Lydon's inhuman/ultra-human shrieks against the Wrongness of things is, well, so right. Keep that (and all the other PIL albums). Company Flow's Little Johnny album? Touch on some tracks - some do nothing, enough are dark and fucked-up enough to be worthwhile. How come no-one else has put out 'hip-hop' instrumentals this good? Maybe they have.
The Cujo albums? Yes, keep them, not just because they remind me of Rumpus Room days and he namechecks me on the back of one of them but because they're good, possibly the best cut'n'paste mad-break jazz records ever made. Interstellar Fugitives - classic Underground Resistance. Metalheadz first comp and Logical Progression? Aaah, the days of drum'n'bass...LG's got some duff tracks but Bukem's 'Horizons', 'Demon's Theme' and 'Music' make it worthwhile. Platinum Breakz still reprezents (hey!), especially Doc Scott's 'The Unofficial Ghost', and look, here's 'Pulp Fiction'! (truly symbolic of great times) - (drift for a minute into dewy-eyed memories...)
David Holmes' album Lets Get Killed? Well, it's got 'Gritty Shaker' and 'My Mate Paul' - both from good clubbing times spent in basements plotting the overthrow of the conservative super club fascist regime. So it never happened, it killed itself (supposedly, now) - you can't say you weren't warned about that particularly evil empire (weren't you reading me/hearing us?).
Goldie's Timeless? Timestretch! Yeah! God, was it really seven years ago? 'Jah The Seventh Seal' still sounds like the real shit...and the bass that comes in on 'A Sense Of Rage' - 'you like hardcore'? I do. Goldie may be a prat (or just a lad made good, if 'good' is doing EastEnders) but once upon a time like then he made an album that sounded like it really was the future of dandb, the promise and, for the most part, the delivery - the sense of adventure - in retrospect, Timeless happens to sound, still, like the best dandb album ever made. Hearing 'Saint Angel' and 'Kemistry' again is still a rush.
Depth Charge, Shadow and Tricky's first are all safe, so are all the Rip Rig and Panic albums, and Portishead's first, plus PE's Yo! Bum Rush The Show (best hip-hop album ever made - that's what I need more of, definitive, indisputable 'Best' records, and 'Best Ofs' too, as in The Best Of Funk Inc and Best Of Marvin Gaye, and Kool and The Gang, and Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes - dontcha just love 'Best Of' albums? There's also Funkadelic Finest, which is all the Funkadelic you really need, although I'm keeping the Maggot Brain album. 'Greatest Hits' are essential too, as in Teddy Pendergrass - Greatest Hits ('I Don't Love You Anymore', 'The More I Get, The More I Want', 'Only You', You Can't Hide From Yourself' - I don't think Teddy P has made better records, and they're amongst my personal favourites in my whole collection. Any more? Yes, The Commodores Greatest Hits ('Brick House', 'Machine Gun', 'I Feel Sanctified', 'Slippery When Wet') - damn! That's a fuckin' collection, even with 'Easy' and 'Zoom' on board. Shit, how did Lionel go from bad muthafucker to housewife's choice? Why, Lionel, why? (Play 'Sanctified' and feel damn good).
I'm not going near my funk/soul section because, funnily enough, I've never been tempted to sell any of it, and that, surely, is confirmation that god made me funky and it's a music that will stay with me forever (grand statement, but probably true).
Move down a shelf to the first section, the dandb singles. I've already pruned these considerably but now I'm in a tough no bullshit mood there might be more. Adam F's 'Circles' - play it and see - no, still sounds great. Plate 1 of a V recordings comp (sold the rest) - kept this because it's got Roni's 'It's Jazzy' on one side, and Krust's 'Maintain' on the other. What would I get for this anyway? Shit! I've just discovered what 'Maintain' is, and can't believe that I'd forgotten this tune (that it ever existed or that I actually owned it) - I mean, I must be going senile. This track was so-o-o HUGE - the two halves, the vocal first leading to that bass, with the digital clank and clang that was Krust's trademark. Krust was king, for a while. Slot this alongside his other epic, 'True Stories' (so epic, I mean, if there's a 'story' to be imagined, it must be something like The Seven Samurai, or maybe Once Upon A Time In Bristol, I mean, America).
Keep the Photek twelves, and the Source Direct, the No U Turns and what little Dark Rave breakbeat I have. So now I'm realising that there isn't enough axing going on here. This is the disappointing part, ironically, to discover that so much of what's here actually deserves to stay because it's still sounds good. Funny that, isn't it? - the result of so many previous weeding out sessions, obviously.
Take a break and, whilst eating cold pasta, confirm to myself what I have suspected for some time - that I can no longer get anything out of 'late' Coltrane. This is a disturbing admission. I used to think that everything He did was automatically god-like, but part of this process is having to face oneself, and this can be a profound experience. Music evaluation as psychiatric session, yes. It's not that I consider his final stage of Outer exploration as worthless, simply that I can't listen to it. This makes me a wimp in the eyes of the True Believers, of course, but do you think I care? All these years of listening...it takes me this long to be able to stand by what I like, and what I don't, regardless of what is supposed to be 'essential', which is all bullshit and denies the personal. I'm jumping the Coltrane ship (Sun Ship, my latest Coltrane, a great album)) around the same time that McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones did - 1965.
I need some sanity so I turn to Art Pepper - Intensity - bliss. Throw out some Terry Riley (having listened, for the first time in ages, to In C. It drove the workmen outside away, at least) and feel better. Look at the Mingus albums and the ones I've got remind me of how great he was. Likewise Ornette and Miles, of course - but don't think I'm above weeding out certain records by all three because I have, in the past. That's how tough I am.
Cecil Taylor (earlier stuff) stays, not just because I think he's beyond the axe, but because he's totally Beyond full stop. Taylor's music is a mystery, one of the great mysteries, therefore actually impossible to 'understand' and, consequently, evaluate in the normal way. Bless 'im. I mean, what can you make of Unit Structures? Ditto Sun Ra, although he was a crazy muthafucker in all directions and, therefore, quite liable to infuriate as thrill. A few years on I might actually be able to determine which of his albums are my favourites, but not just yet. Listening to Ra is, in itself, a cosmic quest of both external (inter-galactic) and internal (fantastic voyage) proportions, don't you think?
CDs? Won't touch the 60s soul, or the reggae (60s and early-70s). I only listen to 'early' reggae now, having long since got rid of the rootsy stuff. Funny, how I'm back to where I started, in one sense, listening to Trojan. Back then though it was only the Trojan hits whereas today's reissue fever enables us all to catch up with the much rarer stuff. So I'm doing the double time-warp, back, and back again, to ska, for instance, which no-one listened to in the 70s (no populist skin'eads that I knew, anyway). The logical progression took me from crossover reggae and finally into all that Rasta business in the mid-70s, then the punky reggae party because, hey, us honky rebels so wanted to relate to our Jamaican brother in shanty town etc. Yes, Joe, I've been the only white man, not in Hammersmith Palais but Aylesbury Civic Centre during a sound system clash. I never want to hear 'Police And Thieves' again, incidentally.
I think I'm done, having bagged a few CDs (some contemporary, some not, some classical, some modern beats). The pannier is full. My racks are emptier, but new stuff will soon replace the unwanted since I always spend money made from music on music. Some of that might even stay for a long time since I'm getting more and more selective with age. That's the art, choosing well. Then again, you never can tell what will fall under the axe next time I sharpen it.
Money in my pocket from the sell-off. Go to Rhythm Records in Camden...
Pick up the reissue of Horace Silver's The Stylings Of Silver. Satisfaction guaranteed - it's logical. Although it's from '57 and my favourite Silver is his 60s work, as I've said before, Horace just makes me happy. They use the same photo on the back as they did for Blowin' The Blues Away, which is Horace hunched over the keys, two thick strands of hair flopped over his forehead (like Cab Calloway when he got excited) - and a beatific smile, like he knows how much joy he's giving to the world.
Still got Blue Note fever - tracking back to repossess gems from the past (my past too) - Kenny Dorham's Trompeta Toccata, Freddie Hubbard's Blue Spirits - re-running of old thrills, which are not the same as first time delight - now different but equally enjoyable. Am I trying to recapture my past? Is that it? Blakey, Pete La Roca, Big Black's congas - the rhythms propelling me forward, and back. Need the reassurance that in one sound universe all is well, more than well - the sartorial sharpness and clarity of recording - the spirit of sophisticated swing.
Apply logic once more and get Miles Davis In Stockholm Complete, a 4-CD affair. Coltrane is with the band in March, replaced by Sonny Stitt for the return in October. From first to last it sounds well, as well as anything can sound to me. Don't know about the inner significance.
© Robin Tomens 2002 2002


text:
You've recently come across a peculiar type of file with a .bak extension and you know you are supposed to restore it in order to get the data.This article will show you what to do in case you have such a file and you need to open it to access the information.
What is a .bak file?
You probably guessed up until this point, if you didn't already know, a .bak file is a backup file that contains the details or information related to a software system, the contents of a database, or another file.
The most common .bak files nowadays are database backups of SQL Server databases, but there are still other programs (like SqlBak) that might create files with this extension. You can find a more detailed list here.
Because this extension is used for backup files of any type there is no standardized format for creating .bak files, thus each program that creates .bak files can decide on how to format them.
This also means that unlike other types of files, like .zip or .rar which have a standard after which they are created and how they are un-archived, there is no standard program for extracting/importing information from a .bak file.
But there is still good news, as you don't need to download a special program to view the contents of a .bak file, but the bad news is that there is a high chance that you will have to open each .bak file differently.
How to open a .bak file?
As we have already said, .bak files can be created by multiple programs and, if you don't know anything about the file's history than you will have to go through a few more steps in order to extract information from the file.
If you do know a few details about the file's history, like what program it has been exported from, just go to that program and see if there is a restore option for your file.
But as this is a blog related to SQL Server and its backups the chances are higher that you want to open (or restore) the .bak file. Thus we will continue with how to open a backup file of a database.
In order to see the information in a backup of a database, you will have to restore it first. Unfortunately, there is no other way of seeing the information as it is formatted. You can try to open it with text editors like Notepad or similar software but you will just get a mess of characters displayed.
How to restore a .bak file?
As we said, there is no other way of opening and reading the contents of a SQL Server .bak file other than restoring it.
The process of restoring the backup file will create the table structures and insert the data, depending on the type of backup file that it is. To restore a .bak file using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) you must do the following steps.
On the database you want to restore, right-click it then go to Tasks -> Restore -> Database, as can be seen below.
Then check the radio button From device and click on the button to browse for the location of the .bak file.
You will get to a screen like the one below where you will have to click on Add in order to choose the .bak file.
The next screen that appears will be similar to the one below, where you will have to go to the folder that contains your .bak file and select it for restoring.
Once you have selected the file, click OK and then OK again until you get back to this screen where you will have to select the backups you want to restore.
You will have to tick both the FULL backup type and the Transaction log in order for the restore process to succeed.
Once you select them you press OK and you should pretty soon (depending on your backup's size) get a message similar to this.
And this is all you have to do. Now your database should be online and you will be able to access the data inside it.
How to restore a .bak file MUCH FASTER?
There is a simpler option to avoid doing all this through SSMS, or even if you don't have SSMS available. Just download SQLBackupAndFTP and you can restore your .bak file MUCH FASTER.
All you need to do is to create a backup job using the following instructions. It's as easy as 1-2-3!


text:
How to force a matrix display accordingly?
I am working with matrix groups in small and large dimensions (>20 or >100). Is there a way to fleece sage to make a matrix display as " d x d matrix over <ring>" where d>20? It does not do this for any matrix groups like Coxeter/Affine/Weyl/Braid TL Rep. etc.
"21 x 21 matrix over Integer Ring"
Thanks for your edit, adding an example. It helps understanding and answering the question.
Please also fix the "curly quotes" (maybe "smart quotes" is turned on in your operating system).
Copy pasting the current
results in an error, while with straight quotes it works:


text:
This event has passed.
January 24, 2021 @ 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
As per the recommendations in curbing the spread of the Covid-19 virus from the Government of Quebec, Transformation Church will be having a virtual gathering for kids 3-6 years old this Sunday January 24th at 3:30PM. Please contact Tamara Bruce or email the church for meeting link or more information.


text:
Welcome to Our World
We believe in you. We believe in passion. We believe in making it happen.
Here are some of our happenings.
Our Programs
Turnkey offers to get you THERE.
Intense retreats, workshops and workation!
We love being of service
It's all about you and it's always tailored to your specific needs.
Our enthusiasm and expertise is infectious.
Web Dev & Design
Cast a spell on your audience, engage them as we engage with you. Building meaningful connections is our mantra.
Wordpress Training
Learn the easy tricks of the "WP" trade, demystify the tech and save time and money. Learn the SEO basics.
Consulting & Brainstorming
Intense laser focus on your strategy, marketing and projects to get you that abracadabra clarity and fresh new ideas.
Brand & Identity
We'll make you stand out and stand proud by extracting your uniqueness and crafting your compelling identity.
Keep up to date, innovate and stay protected. We will protect you from all that scary stuff and keep the engines smooth.
We are an extension of you and your team. We're the magic potion for your concerns – we'll make them disappear.
Meet the Wizards
We are here, we are there, we are everywhere. It's a digital world!
Based in Montreal, the city that invented joie de vivre. We love what we do and it shows.
Musings and more from our minds.


text:
Uprooted people of the world
It happens everyday, somewhere. It happened in Sierra Leone on Tuesday: Several hundred Sierra Leoneans fled their homes to neighboring Guinea to escape the internal strife that reignited last week. This latest exodus of refugees is following in the footsteps of 460,000 other Sierra Leoneans who have sought shelter in other countries since the conflict first erupted eight years ago. At the end of 1999, armed conflict, disaster, or persecution forced more than 14 million people around the world to seek refuge on foreign soil. In addition, approximately 21 million people wander in their own countries, homeless. According to Refugees International, an estimated 80 percent of the world's refugees are women and children. Here is a look at the nations with the most chronic problems of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.
Sources: US Committee for Refugees; United Nations High Commission for Refugees; Refugees International
Ever since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the subsequent 1967 Middle East conflict, a large Palestinian diaspora has been created. Roughly 4 million Palestinians have fled their homes or been expelled by Israel, where nearly a million still live. Some 200,000 live as refugees in Lebanon alone. Lebanon says the refugees must be resettled, and the issue is a key factor in the ongoing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Last month, 405 Afghan refugees living in Iran returned home, bringing the total to almost 100,000 people who have gone back in the past year. They are among the 4 million Afghani refugees repatriated so far, a record for any refugee group in the world. Still, some 2.6 million live in squalid camps in Pakistan and Iran, victims of either the Soviet occupation or the brutal 10-year civil war that followed. A major concern, however, is the fate of some 500,000 IDPs currently facing a severe drought.
Human rights groups blame the Iraqi refugee problem on Saddam Hussein and the United Nations Security Council. For years, Baghdad followed a systematic policy of "Arabization" and expulsion of the ethnic Kurd community. (The Kurdish people, who number about 20 million worldwide, are the largest ethnic community in the world without a country.) Meanwhile, the UN sanctions that followed the 1991 Gulf War have also forced the migration of Iraqis.
Sierra Leone
Diamonds have been a rebel's best friend in Sierra Leone as well as a cause for conflict. The fighting that raged in Sierra Leone this week was first sparked in 1991. A democratic election in 1996 brought a year of stability. But a peace agreement signed in 1999 began to unravel when rebels aligned with minerals minister Foday Sankoh clashed with government troops and UN peacekeepers.
A 12-year struggle between rival clans has not only put the word "warlord" into common use, it has also splintered Somalia, which is now virtually three nations within one country. The heavy flooding in recent years has forced 425,000 Somalis to seek refuge in neighboring countries and internally displaced 350,000 persons.
Internally Displaced Persons
Civil war has embroiled Sudan for all but 11 years since the country achieved independence from British and Egyptian rule in 1956. But it is the ongoing 15-year struggle between the Muslim north and the predominantly Christian and animist south, combined with severe flooding, that has displaced 4 million Sudanese. In Africa's longest-running civil war, an estimated 1.9 million people have also perished due to deliberately engineered famines.
Angola's three-decade civil war and cycles of violence have been fought over every imaginable ruse: A war of liberation, a cold war sideshow, and now control of mineral resources, especially diamonds. The conflict has left between 1.5 million and 2 million people displaced internally. Another 340,000 have fled to neighboring countries such as Namibia, Zambia, and Congo. And many have perished as a result of 10 million land mines that dot the landscape.
In third place, Colombia has the dubious distinction of being the only country in the Americas among the top 25 nations with the most displaced. On Sunday, a Reuters report said that 2,000 people were forcibly displaced from Puerto Saldana. Nearly 2 million Colombians have fled their homes over the past 15 years to avoid violence linked to leftist rebels and ultra-rightist paramilitary forces. The government and rebels are engaged in slow-moving peace talks to end the conflict.
Burma's fiercely independent Karen ethnic minority has been at odds with the government since the country obtained independence from Britain in 1948. The conflict escalated in 1988 when the military seized control. More than 200,000 people have fled to neighboring countries, while some 500,000 to 1 million are internally displaced.
Internal displacement because of conflict, coercion, and, to some degree, choice, is part of a larger migratory pattern in Turkey. Many of the displaced are Kurds, some survivors of an earthquake that struck several towns and cities last year. Turkey's treatment of the Kurds helped keep it out of the European Union for years; under EU pressure, Ankara has committed funds for plans to rebuild Kurd villages. Many Kurds say they are scared to go back.
(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society


text:
In our MOS Robotics Newsletter we will inform you about brand new topics.
Fields with * are mandatory!
Furniture Production
Robotic Applications
Double-Opt-In and Opt-Out
When you sign up for the newsletter, you will receive a double opt-in email requesting you to confirm your registration by clicking on the link. You can unsubscribe from receiving the newsletter at any time. You can find an unsubscribe link in each newsletter or contact us directly at email@example.com.
Use of MailChimp
The dispatch of our newsletter is done by the service provider MailChimp. MailChimp stores e-mail addresses and other information about sending and analyzing newsletters.
Statistics and success measurement
To help us optimize our newsletter for you, you consent to our evaluation. We measure how often the newsletter is opened and on which links our readers click on.
Privacy Policy
You can find more detailed information about the distribution of our newsletter, the statistics and how to unsubscribe from the newsletter in our privacy policy.
+359 52 822 email@example.com
Контактна форма


text:
Quality Pools, the largest pool manufacturer, installer and custom pool builder in the Johannesburg and Pretoria area.View Our Pool Types
Buy direct from the factory. Quality Pools is the largest manufacturer of fibre glass pools in the Pretoria and Johannesburg area.
Quality pools was established in 1965 with a commitment to quality, service and attentive project management.
Quality Pools is renowned for their immaculate swimming pool solutions in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Owner and Principal, Mike Simpson, who is the third generation owner, has over 35 years of experience in swimming pool construction.Read more
That's an average of 300 new pools per year.
Three generations of expert pool builders offer peace-of-mind knowing that your guarantee will be honored.
Our commercial pool projects include school and commercial pools.
We build and export pools internationally and are proud to include a state president as a satisfied client.
QUALITY POOLS wants aquatic facilities to be efficient buildings capable of staging competitions...
Are you thinking about buying a pool? Let Quality Pools design your dream pool and outdoor area...
The Glamour of American Style Pools Imagine taking a dip in a luxurious swimming pool, a perfect...
Quality Pools is the largest manufacturer of pre-fabricated fibreglass swimming pools in the...
A gunite pool is named after the material used to make the floor and walls of the pool. It is a...
An attached Spa offers will compliment your pool and provide you with additional benefits. A Spa...
I am so extremely pleased over my new completed pool. Thank you so much for your input and helpful suggestions while installing my pool. You are very professional and true experts. 083 701 3252
At Quality Pools we turn dreams into reality. Our swimming pools extend the boundaries of any home by creating an outdoor living space that reflects the lifestyle and taste of our clients and adds value to their property. Our experienced consultants collaborate with our clients to find out what their needs are and what they want. We then translate their ideas and concepts into aesthetic goals that complement their property, landscape and views, meet their requirements and exceed all standards of efficiency.
When you decide to build a custom swimming pool, Quality Pools can assist with designing and building your dream pool, while our exclusive landscape design services can create a picture perfect outdoor area for you. If you are looking for a properly constructed swimming pool that will not blister or rot, has a unique shape and a long life expectancy, our top quality durable concrete pools allow for endless possibilities in shape, design and finish. For home owners and commercial establishments looking for a free-form pool, our gunite pools are the best option when it comes to customizing a pool.
With nearly half a century's experience in building outstanding custom swimming pools in Pretoria and Johannesburg, Quality Pools can provide the necessary equipment and experienced construction workers who are dedicated to the successful completion of your swimming pool project.
Our wide range of fibreglass pools are available in different colours and designs, helping you to select the pool you desire. There are many advantages when you decide to invest in a fibreglass swimming pool of which the cost of maintenance is probably the most important. Our fibreglass pools are easy to clean and require few chemicals to maintain. Fibreglass pools can maintain their beautiful appearance for life. Our top quality fibreglass pools are manufactured exclusively using SABS approved materials. The time frame for installing a fibreglass swimming pool is much shorter than the construction of customized gunite or concrete pool. It will take approximately ten working days to install your fibreglass swimming pool.
Click on Request a Quote to book your obligation free site visit with Quality Fibreglass Pools Pretoria or Johannesburg and begin the journey to your stunning new backyard! There are many reasons why swimming pools need to be renovated or restored, for example they might be damaged from a lack of proper maintenance, damaged by weather, experience interior cracking or the pool could simply be outdated. At Quality Pools we are masters in the renovation and re-modelling of swimming pools. Whether you are considering a "face-lift" or a major make-over of your "tired" and out-of-date swimming pool, the experienced crew of Quality Pools can transform your pool into a stunning masterpiece! A swimming pool is a major investment that adds financial value to your property when you decide to sell. At Quality Pools we understand that most home owners need a little help from financial institutions to make their dreams come true. Swimming pool prices can be financed by Fin You so that you and your family you can enjoy many hours of outdoor fun and entertainment. When you add it all up it becomes clear why home owners choose Quality Pools as the leading supplier of swimming pools in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Call Quality Pools today to schedule a visit with one of our pool design consultants and see your swimming pool vision turn into a stunning reality! We are Gauteng's leading swimming pool experts. Whether you are living in Pretoria or Johannesburg, we have a team ready to attend to your every swimming pool need. Click here to view our swimming pool gallery, or to read more about us.


text:
The British Library has revealed the current results of a public vote on the clauses that should make up a digital Magna Carta. The results are interesting.Posted on 15 June 2015 - Net Neutrality
Perhaps unsurprisingly the clauses that make up the current top 10, as voted for by a vote on the British Library website, are dominated by those that have made headlines in recent months.
Topics such as net neutrality, government surveillance and censorship all feature heavily in the list. Here's the British Library's digital Magna Carta as it currently reads:
We've banged the net neutrality drum regularly over the last few years, so it is good to see that the public clearly see the value of it. As we have previously mentioned on this blog, we need to remain vigilant to ensure that we continue down the road towards securing long-term net neutrality.
Given that connectivity is also a key part of our business, it is interesting to note that the digital Magna Carta points towards improved networks around the country. The mention of availability of the web to all those who wish to use it and a separate clause that this access should be equal, indicates a public desire to see superfast broadband rolled out with uniformity.


text:
Film Collection Part 2: 1920-1939
Designed for classroom teachers to enrich their history curriculum. Each set contains hundreds of historic newsreels, government, business and other films. Includes films designed specifically for the social studies classroom. Easy to use and royalty free, ideal for inclusion into PowerPoint presentations and multimedia projects. For PC and Mac computers.
If video at left does not play properly, try downloading it, or watch it on our YouTube page.
COMPLETE VIDEO LISTS (see what movies are on each DVD here):


text:
Other Opportunities
Dental Assistant
- Assist the doctors during dental procedures.
- Create a smooth, efficient and care free experience for all patients.
- No experience necessary- training will be provided!
- CDAMP Certified applicats welcome but not required.
- Minimum of an Associates Degree required. Bachelors degree preferred.
Patient Services Representative
- High energy team members needed to answer patient calls in our Scheduling Center.
- Pleasant and upbeat phone demeanor
- Computer savvy is a must
- Must be able to handle an extremely busy and fast-paced work environment.
- Position is located at our Vestal office.
- No experience necessary!
- Great opportunity for college students.
- NYS RDH Licence Required
- Must be a great communicator able to educate and explain treatments and care to our patients.
- Potential to lead to future full time position
- Must be willing to be scheduled at any of our office locations in Vestal, Binghamton, Horseheads or Endicott.
- Team members work in our front office. They check out patients, assist patients with financial arrangements and questions, and schedule appointments.
- Must be willing to be scheduled at any of our office locations in Vestal, Binghamton, and Endicott.
- Must be able to handle an extremely busy and fast-paced work environment.
- Need to be detail-oriented, and have excellent verbal and communication skills. Computer skills are also needed to be successful.
- Minimum of an Associates Degree is required.
- No experience necessary!
Learn More About Our Positions:
Please click on this link to see our current openings
Lalor Family Dental is an equal opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from consideration for employment because of race, religion, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, gender dysphoria, marital or family status, pregnancy, military status, veteran status, predisposing genetic characteristics or carrier status, arrest or conviction record, domestic violence victim status, or any other legally protected class or status. Furthermore, we will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment of our employees by co-workers, supervisors, customers, or vendors. This commitment extends to our policies on recruiting, advertising, hiring, placement, promotion, training, transfer, wages, benefits, termination and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.
1216 Upper Front Street
Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: 607-217-5581
Fax: 607-217-5728


text:
A year in the past I went to them to have a look at my options, without going into an excessive amount of detail about it, I wish to list all the dangerous reviews about them that I can discover. Consider your pet's weight hurtling at prime speed, into the again of your head, another lethal result in many automobile accidents. Another option is to plan small roadtrips by flying to your location and renting a automotive. Kindle FreeTime Unlimited is a new service from Amazon (announced Dec fifth 2012 and available within a number of weeks) that gives a subscription to youngsters content.
Select your alternative from the device under by both Category or Make and Model to find the proper car evaluations for you. We went 5 months with an issue now and again but the automotive all the time worked itself out. I've featured this automotive toy as finally I was searching for a storage you could fold away and that is the closet factor I might find with good evaluations. I love the Graco journey set because the car seat simply clicks into the stroller, even the double stroller.
Despite its pedestrian seem, the specific Camry has dealt with to capitalize upon Toyota top of the range, price, and anatomist to supply a automobile that is clearly a most interesting-seller. The Exogear Exomount is pricier than most common automobile mounts and initially I had a hard time justifying to myself to get it. But got it I did ultimately. Because the star rating straight influences how much cash you can also make, this could have an effect on your potential to earn money for those who maintain operating into unfair opinions.
AWD and RWD versions of the automotive have been both obtainable in addition to coupe or cabriolet configurations. What everyone has been patiently ready for has finally arrived… the all new, redesigned 2014 C7 Corvette. Ease of Transfer from one automotive to the other – Since we use 2 automobiles and we wished him to get used to sitting on the car seat in all journeys, we now have to switch it every time we modify vehicles.
I am very involved to join a class motion suite against NISSON if they do not come by means of tomorrow and fix my automotive. It is in truth a automotive that embraces its visitors with good flavor, comfort and kindness. We connected the Total OBD & ECU Auto Diagnostics Scanner Tool and it pulls up all of the codes which are causing your car or truck to display the verify engine light. I am driving on the freeway and all of a sudden I hear a wierd metalic sound coming from the underside of my automotive. This is in contrast to the older automotive which was able to accelerating to that pace in 9.5 seconds.


text:
Russia: Export growth softens slightly in March
Merchandise exports totaled USD 36.9 billion in March, recording a healthy 17.8% expansion from the USD 31.3 billion observed in the same month of 2017. However, March's growth was softer than February's 20.8% increase. The strong performance was underpinned by higher commodity prices and a healthy global backdrop, which has driven a surge in Russian exports over the past year.
Imports increased 15.2% year-on-year in March to come in at USD 21.9 billion, easing from February's 22.8% increase. The trade surplus came in at USD 15.0 billion, which was well above the USD 12.3 billion surplus recorded in March 2017.
In line with March's solid performance, the trailing 12-month sum of the trade balance rose to USD 125 billion, up from February's USD 122 billion and the best reading since March 2016.


text:
I suppose we are all familiar with the law of Chekhov's gun, right? That is the fiction equivalent of the law of gravity or the first law thermodynamics – it is the storytelling law first formulated by the Russian writer Anton Chekov that states that if a gun is introduced in the first act, it shall surely be fired in the third.
Now what if a story not only has a gun in its first few chapters, but is actually called Gun Love? What kind of mechanics does that put in motion? What kind of narrative law does that foreshadow?
Well, in the first place, you expect some kind of horrible massacre. You expect the O.K. Corral, or the Alamo. Or, less heroically, you expect Columbine or Parkland. You'll get neither of those with Gun Love, but don't get me going. This book will break your heart in more ways than one.
Secondly, you would aspect a book called Gun Love will have something to say about the current state of the US. Because, as we all know, the presence of guns is one of those almost weirdly unique facts of every day American life.
We here in Europe read American novels, watch American tv-shows, go to see American movies in our theatre. Many of us will watch American late night shows. We can all name one perhaps two American judges on the Surpeme court but probably can't name a single judge on our own Hogeraad. We read American newspapers and magazines and feel so connected to American culture that quite often we don't realise how different that country is.
But the best way to mark the difference is to mention guns. Just mention the 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms. It is the one thing no one in The Netherlands can relate to.
Few guns in Dutch life
I was thinking about guns in Dutch literature and I could think only of a couple. There are very few guns in Dutch books, as there are very few guns in Dutch life. In Doeschka Meijsings 'On Love' or 'Over de liefde', the narrator gets a gun and can't stop obsessing about it – not so much that now all of a sudden there is a gun in her life, but because she has gotten a gun, she created the opportunity of a gun going off in her life. The gun, if anything, is kind of life sentence. She feels her fate is sealed.
And the prominent Dutch essayist Henk Hofland once wrote his 'Shooting memoires'. To be a true god, a god should have a remote control, Hofland wrote. To be a proper god, one needs to be able to make things happen at a distance. Thor from the Viking myths had his lightning rods; now modern man has a gun, a remote controlling life and death. But mankind isn't godly, so for Hofland, every gun had an element of hubris.
Hubris and fate – those are themes that run through gun love as well.
Chekhov's law
Actually, to come back to Chekhov – Chekhov's law about the gun is a bit more difficult than just that. He wasn't speaking about guns in the specific. What he was talking about, was that if there is a rifle on the wall in the first act – it has to be fired sometime in the play. If it is not fired or used in any way, it should not be on the wall at all.
To a certain extent, Chekhov was arguing that prose should have a little austerity in details. Only the strictly necessary should be allowed on page.
Gun Love was published in the US last year, and the Dutch translation – Wapenliefde – shortly before Christmas. It is not as austere as Chekhov was talking about, but it is a book that runs smoothly; it knows what story it wants to tell and it does not get distracted.
About Gun Love
Gun Love – wapenliefde – runs at about 250 pages.
For me this is a first. Over the past couple years the John Adams Institute has asked me to do a couple of these events and all were on books that easily ran five to six hunderd pages. I'm a little afraid that Tracy and Maarten assume I have no social life whatsoever, and can pretty much phone me at any giving time, bike past my house, throw a book the size of a brick through my window and yell 'Read this!'
So 250 pages seems like a very moderate size book. For once.
But here is the catch. How should I put it? Gun Love doesn't feel anything like feel like 250 pages.
It feels like less: because the prose is fluid, runs gracefully, it filled with lively dialogue and pretty much every pages contains wonderfully poetic metaphors. It's elegant and stylish all the way through, no matter how sad the story gets. You'll finish the book in two evenings.
The world Jennifer Clement puts on paper is completely realistic, believable and even relatable, and yet at the same time it doesn't read like realism at all. She created her own world, poetic and vivid and filled with extraordinary images.
And yet, at the same time, Gun Love feels so much larger that those 250 pages. It starts out tiny, with two women living in a car, a Mercury Topaz from 1994, but by the end of the novel you feel you've finished that is about so much more than that. The canvas of Gun Love gets larger and larger with every chapter.
The girl's name is Pearl, she's fourteen years old. She the narrator. Her mom is Margot. First line of the book: 'My mom was like a cup of sugar. You could always borrow her.'
The problem of course with cups of sugar is that they are borrowed, but never returned. Margot grew up in an affluent family, got pregnant, ran away, had a baby, parked her car on the edge of a trailer park, promised to get her life in order but fourteen years later still finds herself living in that car, on the edge of that trailer park in Florida.
'Families are always rising and falling in America', Nathaniel Hawthorne once famously said. has said. Well, Jennifer Clement has found new ways to show how far one can fall.
First the trailer park Pearl lives in is filled with religion – eventually, there will be more churches than schools in America, Pearl thinks. Then the guns start appearing. First a few, than many, whole trailers get filled with guns, people show up buying them. Pearl's mom starts dating a man Eli, who gives her a gun. Not a ring, but a gun. Now I was brought up with Beyonce's If you like it than you should have put a gun on it. But in Jennifer Clements world, you don't put a ring on it, but a gun. Because, as one character says, if a man gives you a gun, that means he trusts you 100 per cent. Wow. Margot gets her gun and I suppose this is the part where we can't deny Chekhov's law any longer.
I'm not going to be spoiling anything.
The book expands, leaves the trailer park in Florida, travels throughout the states, and shows how difficult it is to get away from weapons.
Gun Love is a formidable book, from a formidable writer. I should point out it is by no means her first book. She published four books of poetry, wrote the novels A True Story based On Lies, The Poison That Fascinates and Prayers For the Stolen – that last one received quite handful of awards and was translated into many languages, also in Dutch, also published by De Bezige Bij. She has published a very vivid and fascinating memoir called Widow Basquiat, about the muse of Jean-Michel Basquiat and the art world of New York in the early 1980's.
Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Jennifer Clement.


text:
On Saturday 18 March Pope Francis will beatify the Italian layman Josef Mayr-Nusser: A Martyr for Conscience
Sentenced to death because of his faith when his conscience would not allow him to make an oath of loyalty to Hitler, Josef Mayr-Nusser died on 24 February 1945 in a cattle wagon on the way to Dachau concentration camp where he was to be shot.
We have produced an assembly resource to mark the occasion of the beatification of Bl. Josef, celebrating his life and the lessons we can learn from his courageous witness.
Download the Assembly Script (pdf)
Download the Assembly Slideshow (ppx)
Profile: Bl Josef Mayr-Nusser (pdf)