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Sierra Leonean-American Dancer Michaela DePrince: 'I Went From Being a War Orphan to a Ballerina'
Sierra Leonean-American ballet dancer Michaela DePrince was orphaned at the age of three. Born Mabinty Bangura to a Muslim family, she was sent to an orphanage where the 'aunties' who cared for the children believed that her skin condition, vitiligo, was a curse and called her the 'devil's child'. In 1999, DePrince was adopted by a US couple. Inspired by a picture of a ballerina she saw on a magazine in Sierra Leone, DePrince trained as a ballet dancer, winning a scholarship for the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre. In 2013, she joined the Dutch National Ballet. Her story features in a book called The Female Lead.
My uncle took me to the orphanage after my father was shot and my mother starved to death. He knew he'd never be able to get a bride price for me, because of my vitiligo. There were 27 children in the orphanage and we were numbered. Number 1 got the biggest portion of food and the best choice of clothes. Number 27 got the smallest portion of food and the leftover clothes. The aunties thought I was unlucky and evil because of my vitiligo. I was number 27. I was always dirty. They used to braid my hair too tightly because they wanted me to be in pain and they told me I'd never be adopted.
The only moments I was happy were because of my friend, who was also called Mabinty. We slept on the same mat and she used to sing to me and tell me stories when I couldn't sleep. She was number 26. I thought nothing good would ever happen to me and then, one day, I found a magazine outside the gate of the orphanage. On the cover was a picture of a ballerina in a tutu. I thought she was a fairy on her tippy toes in her beautiful pink costume. But what struck me most was that she looked so happy. I hadn't been happy in a long time. I ripped off the picture and hid it in my underwear.
We had a teacher who came to give us English lessons and I showed it to her. She explained to me that the girl was a dancer. I was walking with this teacher one day when some rebels came towards us. A boy was following them and another truck full of them around the corner. They had been drinking, I think. They saw Teacher Sarah was pregnant and started betting whether she was having a girl or a boy. So then they thought they'd find out and they got their machetes and cut her open. Her baby was a girl. They killed her and my teacher in front of me. The small boy thought he should imitate the older ones and he cut my stomach.
Later, the rebels occupied the orphanage and threw us out. We walked across the border to Guinea. There were plans for most of us to be adopted, but not me. Finally, there was a plane to Ghana. I was miserable because I thought I would never see my best friend, number 26, again. Then a lady with blonde hair, which seemed amazing to me, and wearing bright red shoes grabbed my hand and my friend's hand too, and said: 'I'm your new momma.' Number 26 became my sister Mia.
To read full article, go to: 'I went from being a war orphan to a ballerina'
article written by Michaela DePrince via positive.news

subset: commoncrawl


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Chapter 1
The ritual was held in the Temple of Union, inside the vast hollowed heart of a glowing wraith wood tree. The tree itself jutted upwards, jagged spires reaching high into the heavens. In the glow of the moon it shone faintly, its ghastly bark throwing out a whisper of icy blue light.
The inside of the tree was a great hollowed core, forming a large circular room with nothing but dirt for a floor. It had been stripped bare, save for a row of wraith wood chairs at the back of the room. Robed council members sat quietly, waiting for the ritual to begin. They wore cloaks the color of the midnight sky, their faces hidden in shadow but she could feel them watching. Candles were the only light in the room and they formed a circle in which she and another Bondless sat. The faint light flickered and shifted, colliding strangely with the blue glow of the tree.
It was the sixteenth year in their cycle and now it had come to this. Reaching up, the girl tucked her ashen hair behind her ear and stared at the boy across from her. He returned her gaze, his dark eyes wide with fright. He had a full face, a boyish chubbiness to his body that only a growth spurt could take away. His wavy brown hair had been smoothed back and he ran a hand through it nervously, no doubt afraid her gaze picked apart some untidiness he had failed to notice.
Their clothing was customary for the Ritual of Union. Dark blue robes encased them, a silver sash tied tight around the middle. They'd removed the dark leather boots they'd worn before entering and they sat barefoot on the floor, their feet tucked beneath them. The girl tugged impatiently at a loose thread and she couldn't help but wonder how many Bondless children had worn those very same robes before her.
It was on this day that they would cease to be Bondless. Over the course of their youth, the Council had watched them. They had picked apart their personalities, studied their interests and dissected every action they had taken. It was with this information that they chose one boy and one girl to bond together. After the process, the two would cease to be apart. Their thoughts, minds and hearts would meld. It is said that the Bonded can know each other's thoughts without speaking, can find each other even if a great distance separates them. To be bonded was an honor with no equal. To be given that special connection with someone was the greatest gift a Bondless one could be given. Such a bond would grant them the strength to face the Darkness that lurked outside the walls of Sanctuary.
It was also something the girl found completely and utterly pointless. She'd known her entire life that it would come to this moment. Sometimes she had watched the boys she'd been raised around, wondering which one the Council would see fit to match her with. As she'd gotten older, the allure of being permanently bound to someone had lost its shiny luster.
Now it just frightened her. The thought of giving her mind to another wasn't even something she could fathom. They'd tried to allay her concerns, her mentors assuring her it wouldn't be as terrible as she thought, but she'd known deep down that they were lying to her. And now she sat, watching the boy she'd be Bonded to with a dissatisfied frown.
It could have been anyone else and she would have been slightly more interested in the ritual but instead they'd chosen to stick her with him. His will was about as pudgy and pliable as his face. He was the kid that always did the right thing growing up, the kid that was first to tell the mentors when another had done something wrong. He would do anything for the good of Sanctuary and it grated on her nerves that someone could be so compliant. How could anyone not have an opinion of their own? How could anyone follow without questioning? It didn't make sense.
The only thing she was really looking forward to was getting her name. Throughout her youth, she'd always been referred to as the Bondless, or simply called 'Child.' During the Ritual of Union, they would finally be given a permanent name. To have an identity of her own after all those years was something she had been anxiously awaiting.
A soft rustling caught her attention and she glanced up, surprised to find herself staring at the Union Master himself. The man had always been a bit of an enigma. He commanded the lands of Sanctuary, keeping its citizens safe from the Darkness that threatened them. Along with the Council, he made the rules and kept the peace. Until their time of union, most of the children rarely saw him.
He was an old man, much older than she remembered. His thinning hair had faded to a dull gray and he had a sharp, weathered face that looked like it had been carved from rock. He wore the same robes as them; dark blue with a silver sash. They hung loose on his lanky body and swirled around him as he approached. He regarded them with hawkish eyes, his lips drawn into a tight line. She exchanged a nervous glance with the boy next to her.
With a gesture of his hand, the Union Master commanded them to rise. They stood, then knelt on one knee and bowed their heads with respect. The Union Master nodded his approval and cleared his throat before speaking.
"Welcome, Children. It is good to see you both today. As you may already know, I am the Union Master. No doubt you've seen me throughout the years, but now I may properly introduce myself. From this point on you may refer to me as Master Nyson."
"Yes, Master Nyson," they spoke in unison, just as the mentors had trained them to.
"Ah, such manners" he spoke, his gravelly voice taking on a tone of approval. "You come before me today, two Bondless ones ready to take the next step in the cycle. As you know, the Council has watched you closely over the years. They have seen your desires, watched your actions and choices and have been amazed as you've grown before their eyes. We are all honored to guide you through this process. Shall we begin?"
She nodded, feeling her stomach twist at the thought but she managed to keep her expression passive. She didn't want the boy next to her to think she was as frightened as he looked. Even now she could see him wringing his hands nervously.
From the shadows, two men emerged. They were identical. Tall and lean, they wore the same dark robes as the others in the room. Both seemed dreadfully pale and their chin length white hair made them look like ghosts in the light. They bowed respectfully to Master Nyson before taking a seat before them. Each held a leather bag and from these they produced several vials filled with a dark liquid, parchment, ink, quill and a strange instrument with a needle sharp point. This was all done in silence, the strange men hardly looking at each other. Their movements were precise and almost comical, so mirrored were they that they barely seemed to be separate people at all.
The girl watched this with fascination, her eyes wide as she observed the silent exchange. "This is what it is to be bonded," Master Nyson said. "To know the thoughts and feelings of another so deeply, you could mirror their movement without looking at them."
We'll share each other's thoughts, the girl thought to herself. It irked her that someone could be privy to the things that she thought or felt. She looked at the round faced boy and silently cursed her luck. She didn't want to be bonded, not to him or to anyone. It wasn't her choice, but what other choice did she have? Much like everything else throughout her childhood, this was something being decided for her.
Nyson regarded her with a level gaze. "Are you disappointed girl?"
The girl checked her face, skewing her expression to something more agreeable. "No, of course not, Master. My thoughts merely strayed."
He nodded, his eyes hovering over her for a moment longer. "Very well. Let us continue the ritual. I could bore you with small talk, but I think you already know the importance of this. This bond that you are to be given is unlike anything you've yet to experience. To succeed, you must treat your bond with the utmost respect. Treat each other well and you'll flourish. Now, I think it is time you both received a name."
At the mention of receiving her name, she turned her full attention to the man in front of her. He set a piece of parchment between them, dipped his quill and waited for Nyson to continue.
The Union Master shifted himself towards her and she met his eyes. She mentally forced her hands to be still, trying to keep her nervousness from showing. "It took quite some time picking a name for you, Child. Through your youth you've shown that you are spirited and intelligent. Your kindness and bravery are commendable traits and it is these qualities we smiled upon when we thought of who to bond you with. Your strength of character compliments him greatly and will bring him happiness and stability."
The girl smiled to herself as she listened, nodding in agreement as he listed off her more redeeming qualities. It was only when his face grew somber that the smile faded off her lips and she watched him with steely eyes. "One cannot just be made of good qualities, however. Be mindful of the doubt that plagues you, girl. We've seen it much over the years and we do not wish to see it lead you astray. You are curious about your new life and rightfully so, but curiosity can lead to trouble. Be thankful for the life you've been given and never cast doubt upon it. In this, your bond mate will help you. His dedication will reveal to you the value of devoting yourself to this process."
"Yes, Master Nyson. Thank you," the girl muttered, bowing her head. She bit back her frustration, glaring at the ground with enough force to burn holes through the world. Her cheeks burned and she was grateful for the dim light masking her embarrassment.
"Are you ready to hear your name?"
"Yes, Master."
Anticipation hung like a thick cloud and the girl found it hard to breath. She clasped her hands tightly, feeling her heart flutter wildly in her chest.
"From this day forth, you will take the name Kirheen. It speaks of strength and elegance, a perfect match for an intelligent beauty such as yourself." The girl nodded her approval, making sure to smile at the Union Master. She watched with great interest as the silent man before her wrote her name on the slip of parchment. He turned it towards her so she could see.
She whispered the name, letting it slip off her tongue. It felt good to finally have an identity, something she could claim as her own. It was a fine name and she couldn't help but grin as she memorized the letters on the parchment.
"Congratulations," the boy next to her whispered, touching her gently on the arm. "It's a beautiful name."
She was about to thank him when Nyson called for his attention. He turned away from her quickly, dark eyes shifting nervously to look at the Union Master.
"Ah, you're a dedicated one, boy. We've seen that much over the years. You are steadfast and loyal, always putting others first. You've a firm love of life and see good in all things. However, you're also doubtful of yourself. You're nervous and uncertain, lacking the strength of will to realize you are worth far more than you give yourself credit for. In this, Kirheen will help guide you. Her strength of character will help fuel your inner fire, showing you how to be courageous and confident." Master Nyson smiled at the boy, giving him a reassuring nod. "You'll grow to be a fine man. But you can't hope to be a man without a name. Are you ready to hear it?"
The boy said nothing, just nodded his head meekly. His eyes had grown large and he held his breath, waiting anxiously to hear his name.
"From this day forth, you will take the name Garild. It speaks of dedication and kindness, but also of a strength and confidence you will develop in the coming years."
"Thank you, Master Nyson," the boy said, bowing his head. If he was pleased with his name, he didn't show it. Instead he watched as the man in front of him wrote out his name in ink. Leaning over, Kirheen gave him a friendly nudge on the arm.
"Nice name," she said with a smile. "I think it suits you."
"T-thank you," Garild said with a stutter. He turned away from her, red rushing to his cheeks.
"Kirheen. Garild. You have been given names but you are still without a symbol. I've personally chosen a symbol for you. As I'm sure you've learned by now, your symbol is meant to represent two things found in the world that are unified. It is meant to represent a powerful bond, one that you will quickly develop. Your symbol is unique and special. It represents you both, unlike your names. To tarnish the reputation of your symbol is to bring shame to your bond. Do you understand this?"
"Yes, Master Nyson," Garild said while Kirheen nodded her head.
"Good. I want you to always remember that. It is very important. For your symbol, I have picked for you the sun and stars. It is a strong, yet subtle symbol."
This part of the ritual was one that Kirheen had found herself both curious and terrified of. The process involved having their symbol put into their skin using a sharp needle, a procedure that was supposed to be quite painful. Despite knowing that, it wasn't the process itself that scared her. What scared her more was the permanence of it. The symbol didn't come off. It would be in her skin forever making her a walking, talking advertisement for their bond. It would be a constant reminder that her life and her mind were no longer her own.
The silent twins took to work, creating the symbol on another piece of parchment. They drew the sun, hiding within its face a crescent moon and stars.
"This last part of the ritual is not without discomfort. It is through this pain that your bond will grow stronger. You'll carry your symbol not only in your heart but on your flesh as well." The Union Master pulled back his left sleeve and flipping over his arm, he showed them his own symbol marked in dark ink on the wrinkled flesh of his wrist. It was of an elegant fish with blue and silver scales. It looked to be leaping out of a pool of water.
"It's beautiful," Kirheen remarked. She wished nothing more than to move closer and inspect the design. The only thing keeping her rooted in place, other than humiliating the whole Council, was knowing she'd have her own symbol to gawk over soon.
"When you're ready," Master Nyson finished, stepping back into the shadows. The white haired men carefully set aside the design they had crafted, then took a moment to arrange two bottles of dark liquid within easy reach. Garild watched nervously as the thick liquid sloshed around within the glass confinement.
Kirheen spoke, trying to make herself sound eager. It was nothing more than false confidence to mask her nerves. "I'm ready," she said. Her words must have had the intended effect for Garild looked at her in shock, dismayed by her readiness. She was supposed to be strong and brave and she intended to live up to the impression she'd given them.
"You're going to let them put that in your skin?" Garild asked.
Kirheen rolled her eyes. "Of course I am, silly. You're going to have to as well. It's part of the ritual." Her lips spread into a smirk, a solitary eyebrow rising as she challenged his bravery. "Unless you're too scared?"
He retorted quickly, trying to hide the fear in his voice. "I'm not scared!"
"Prove it!"
The man in front of Kirheen held a sharp instrument. He dipped it into one of the vials and the tip came away dripping with the foul looking liquid. He motioned for Kirheen to sit closer. As she drew closer, the man met her eyes and gently reached forward to grab her left hand. The closeness alarmed her and she nearly drew her hand away. He smirked, raising one brow in the same challenging expression she'd given Garild. She realized he was taunting her and she narrowed her eyes, giving him a firm nod to continue. Her sleeve was pushed back and her hand flipped so her palm faced the sky. He wiped her arm with a clear liquid that tingled as it touched her skin and then he readied the needle. Quick as a snake the instrument descended, striking into the soft flesh of her wrist. She gave a small yelp and would have pulled her hand away if not for his fingers gripping her tightly. With an intake of breath, she steadied herself. White teeth flashed, the white haired man amused by her reaction. She pursed her lips and allowed him to continue his work, feeling the slip of the needle poke into her flesh.
Garild watched in silence, his mouth gaping open like a fish. He gave a visible shudder as blood welled to the surface where the instrument had pierced her skin, injecting it with that shadowy ink. As the man smeared away her blood, the ink spread with it. He looked faint.
Kirheen watched as the man seated in front of Garild reached forward and tugged on his sleeve. He looked irritated. Seeing no response from Garild, he reached forward and tried to grab hold of him. Garild pulled back sharply, a look of horror on his face.
"It really isn't that bad," she said reassuringly. Despite her comment, she winced as the needle dove back into her wrist. "At least we only have to do it once." She smiled at him sheepishly and he gave her a look that said how little he trusted her words. He gulped down his nervousness and let the man take his wrist.
Kirheen watched him tense as the man gripped him, watched his eyes grow to the size of the moon as the needle was dipped and raised above his wrist. Whatever brave thoughts he'd had of surviving the experience left him in a rush of escaped breath as the needle touched his skin.
His eyes rolled back and he slumped onto the ground. At first Kirheen was alarmed and then the man holding her wrist burst with laughter. He had passed out in front of the Council and in front of Nyson. Kirheen felt a wave of embarrassment knowing that this was the boy she'd been bound to and for better or worse, she was stuck with him.
Chapter 2
Garild woke with a start, feeling disoriented as he looked around. The familiar wraith wood walls common to Sanctuary surrounded him, but the room itself he'd never seen. He vaguely remembered waking in the middle of the night, but he'd been too tired to investigate his surroundings. He tried to think back on what had happened at the Ritual and felt his heart drop into his stomach. "Oh, Allseer…" He'd passed out in front of the Council, in front of Kirheen and in front of the Union Master himself. He was a fool, sure to be laughed out of Sanctuary by the rest of the Bonded.
The room was small and simply furnished. Two beds, one occupied by himself, took up most of the room. A small desk sat against the wall to his right beneath a large window allowing a pleasant view of the surrounding forest. Vibrant purple flowers filled a vase on the desk clouding the room with a scent he would have found agreeable if not for the dull throbbing in his temples.
As he went to prop himself up, pain flashed across his wrist. At some point bandages had been wrapped loosely around his arm, probably to protect the symbol that had been poked into his skin. He had no desire to look at it. Doing so was likely to make him pass out again.
Soft footsteps echoed outside the room and a moment later Kirheen pushed aside a blue curtain and entered. Her face was rigid but her eyes twinkled as she looked at him. He knew she was suppressing laughter and the realization made him angry. He didn't want to see anyone right now, especially the one person he'd been hoping to impress.
"Finally decided to wake up, did you," Kirheen questioned as she moved to the edge of the bed. "I hate to tell you, but those strange men got quite a laugh. Guess it's normally the girls that have that reaction."
Garild looked away from her, his face turning red with anger and embarrassment. He pulled his burning arm to his chest and nursed his wounded pride. "Good to know."
"Oh, Garild. I'm just messing with you. Don't be angry." Stepping closer she took a seat on the edge of the bed. "If you want to know the truth, it hurt pretty bad. Have you looked at it yet? It looks pretty cool."
Garild shrugged. "I really don't want to look at it."
"Stop it! Take a look!"
Kirheen had removed the bandage from her wrist and held it out towards him. A dark color against the pale flesh of her wrist caught his attention. She hadn't been lying, it was interesting. A sun held the delicate crescent of the moon, stars dotting the surface around it.
"It's nice," he said, looking away quickly. Seeing the puffy red skin around the mark made his own wrist throb. "Where are we anyway?"
"Once they finished up the symbol, we were brought here. It's… our new home. They've already gathered all of our things from the Temple of Growth. We won't need to go back."
The temple was where they had been raised. Two long narrow buildings had served as their home throughout their childhood. It was where they had learned of the world, where they had learned of the struggle the Bonded faced, of the duties that were expected of them, of the powers they possessed that would one day be used to battle the Darkness.
It was strange to think they'd never go back. All of the people they'd grown up with were going to be Bonded soon. The time for playing was done. Now was the time to become an adult, to face their responsibilities.
Kirheen sighed, seemingly lost in the same thought he was. Her eyes shifted and she turned her attention back to him. "Our instructor is supposed to be coming by today."
"Oh? Do you know who it is?"
Kirheen shook her head. "From what I've heard, it's supposed to be one of the Council members. Apparently most of them are also instructors."
"Not surprising. They are supposed to be the best of the best," he said. He hadn't met many of the people on the Council. Just like the Union Master, they weren't often seen until one became Bonded.
"Yes. Nothing like having someone here each and every day to help us learn about each other. I think having us share a room is going to take care of that just fine," Kirheen grumbled. She rose from the bed and strode into the other room, leaving him to his thoughts.
Garild winced at her words. He always had a hard time deciphering whether she was being serious or just sarcastic. She had always been an outspoken girl. Often he'd heard her openly challenge or question anything she deemed odd or interesting. She had no problem letting her thoughts be heard and he found himself envious of how easily she expressed herself.
It had never been that easy for him. Bottling everything up seemed to be a much better alternative. It also made him well liked, something Kirheen didn't have the luxury of. Her attitude hadn't earned her many friends over the years.
Although envious of her strength, a lot of her comments had a tendency to swing in his direction and she knew exactly how to hurt his feelings. It had never been a secret that she wasn't happy about being bonded. He'd heard her rant more than once about the delicate nature of her thoughts and feelings and that an intrusion into her mind wasn't something she could tolerate. She'd vowed to keep her mind strong. If someone truly wanted in, they'd have to have the strength to break through those barriers. She'd been quick to assure him such a thing would never be possible.
Despite her brashness, he couldn't have asked for anyone better to be bonded with. He'd always liked Kirheen and felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He doubted she realized it or would even accept his feelings if she did. For now just getting to spend each day with her was enough, even if her comments made it perfectly clear he was a fool for enjoying it.
Though he wished to remain in bed, his curiosity got the better of him and with a grunt he swung his legs onto the floor, favoring his wrist as he walked to the other room. It felt like he'd held his wrist to the sun. The skin was fiery and hot and he wondered how long it would feel that way. He pushed aside the blue curtain separating the rooms and stepped into a simple seating area. To his right were several cushioned wraith wood chairs forming a small semi-circle around a fireplace. It was empty now, the season still too warm for fires. The rest of the room was filled with a few large plants, and a couple light blue tapestries baring the symbol of the Allseer; a white eye with a jagged line through the center.
Kirheen was sitting in one of the cushioned chairs next to the fire place, peering into an intricately carved table he'd failed to notice at first glance. As he approached, he realized the center had been carved out and filled with water. Two colorful fish were at its center, swimming lazy circles around each other. Plopping down in the chair next to Kirheen startled them, sending them splashing away from each other. Kirheen looked up with a sigh, her chin cupped in her hands.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. She shrugged, eyes wandering back to the fish. She was strangely quiet and he wondered just what was going on in that head of hers. He was about to ask when a knock at the front door cut him off. He rose quickly, crossing the expanse of the room in a few steps. He opened the door to see an older woman standing before him. She was tall and thin with dull gray hair pulled back into a meticulous bun. Her sharp green eyes regarded him over an upturned nose, her lips pulled into a tight line. He had to wonder if the woman had ever had a happy thought in her entire life.
"H-hello," Garild stammered, feeling uncomfortable under the weight of her gaze. "Can I help you?"
"For starters, you could get out of the way. And in the future, not reenacting a certain fainting spell in front of the whole Council would be preferable."
Garild blushed, his cheeks turning as red as an apple. He stepped out of the way, allowing the old woman to enter. She surveyed the room, eyes slowly inspecting every surface as if she were committing it to memory. As her gaze fell on Kirheen, her face seemed to melt into a frown that told them she was more than a little disgusted to be in the same room. Kirheen caught on to the look and she stared back menacingly, one brow arched high, an expression that was quite common when she saw a challenge to be had. Their eyes locked and Garild felt a chill run through him.
"And just who are you?" Kirheen spat, twisted around in her chair so she could see.
"I could ask the same of you, but I find it unnecessary. Your ill manners speak for you, Kirheen. I was told my students would be a surprise. What an intriguing jest."
Kirheen huffed, a forced smile splaying across her face. "I'm glad you've heard of me. Saves me some effort."
"Still that flapping tongue of yours, girl. You may have earned a reputation around here, but it isn't one I respect. That is something you'd have to earn and right now, you're making a very poor case for yourself."
"My apologies," Kirheen said sweetly.
The woman ignored her. "Very well. Garild, go take a seat next to your companion."
He did as he was told, not wanting to test the woman's patience any further. He took his seat and watched as the woman passed around the chairs and tables to stand in front of them. He avoided eye contact, sinking back into his chair in hopes he would become less noticeable. He felt afraid to move, afraid to speak, as if a whisper might cause the room to explode.
"I'm glad someone can follow instructions. I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Herzin. So far, you've both been fortunate enough to have never stepped foot in my halls, but I'm sure you've heard stories. I am the Judge of Trials and now your instructor."
Garild felt himself drain of color. He'd heard about the Temple of Trials and none of it was good. For the Bonded that strayed from their given path, a trial was held to decide their punishment. Herzin alone held the keys to their fate and from what he had heard, her punishments weren't exactly kind or fair. He wasn't sure how much of it was truth and how much was grossly exaggerated, but the fact that she was now their instructor sent a chill of fear up his spine.
"We'll try to avoid getting into any trouble. We wouldn't want to see more of you than we have to," Kirheen snapped.
Herzin regarded her the way one would a bug they'd just squashed under their heel. "The feeling is quite mutual, dear. Do pray you never end up in my hall. I think your already dour opinion of me would sour quite quickly. Shooting down your insults is entertaining and all, but we have work to do. I need to explain a few things to you and I need your full attention. I assume that won't be a problem?"
Before Kirheen could shoot back with a remark, Garild spoke. "Of course," he said quickly. "No problem at all." Kirheen shot him an annoyed glance.
"Good. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions to get a grasp of your knowledge. Answer to your full extent. It will dictate the training you receive from here on out. First off, I'd like to hear your opinion on something. Garild, tell me what you know of your bond. What does it mean to be bonded?"
All his life, he'd been told being bonded was the greatest honor one could be given. To be granted such a connection with another was a beautiful and special thing, one to be cherished and respected. Deep within his heart, he truly believed that.
He also knew that their bond was meant to strengthen their powers; to help them learn and guide each other until they would be strong enough to face the Darkness. Though he believed in his bond so strongly, he found it hard to put to words such feelings, especially with Kirheen sitting next to him. For him, their bond meant a lot and though she didn't feel the same, he hoped there would come a time when her feelings would change. As long as he didn't give up on her, he knew she'd come around eventually.
"It's a great honor. It's the truest connection one can have with another person. It's quite a gift, being able to develop a connection so deep that you could know the heart and mind of another as well as you know your own. It is the best way to strengthen the powers we are blessed with." He felt himself blushing as he spoke, the words revealing what he truly felt in his heart. That feeling was quickly dashed against the rocks as Kirheen rolled her eyes, obviously at odds with his feelings on the subject.
"How very eloquent, Garild. It is a gift and one that should not be squandered." At this, Herzin cast a glance at Kirheen. "And what of you, Kirheen? Care to tell me how you feel about this subject?"
Kirheen sighed. "I don't believe it's a gift, so much as a curse. It allows our minds and hearts to be known by another, regardless of whether we desire such an intrusion. Using it to battle the Darkness is one thing, using our power to invade the minds of our friends is quite another."
"An interesting perspective."
Garild felt his stomach drop. He really was a fool. "Kirheen, you can't really feel that way."
"And why not?" she snapped. "Should you be allowed access to my thoughts and my heart simply because you desire it, because it is expected of me?"
He was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe she actually felt that way. Herzin spoke for him, calming the situation before it had a chance to escalate. "Strange that you two have been bound when you share such… different opinions on the matter. Perhaps you can find some common ground here. In ways, you are both right in your assessments. Our power, bestowed upon us by the Allseer, is a gift. To say otherwise is a slight against the Goddess herself, Kirheen. However, your bond, regardless of how you personally feel about it, is a means to an end. All of this training will lead you to one thing; battling the Darkness. But do tell me how you can expect to block out the power of the Darkness if you've never experienced the sensation? How would you know it was happening? You'd fall under that corruption without the training I am to provide you."
"There has to be others ways than this," Kirheen said.
"And we've tried them. This is the best method of strengthening your powers whether you like it or not. There is no argument to be had here. Either you learn to use your powers, or you spend the rest of your days toiling about and learning how to stitch."
Kirheen grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.
"I know you've both heard of the Darkness. Garild, please enlighten us on what that is?"
"The Darkness is a plague that swept through the lands beyond Sanctuary, destroying both the land and those that lived there, often turning them into violent husks. There used to be people like us but without the powers of the mind. They existed until the Darkness came and drove them all to madness. Only those blessed by the Allseer survived and fled north."
Herzin nodded. "Good. Do you have anything to add to that, Kirheen? What are your powers for?"
"Our powers are used to cleanse the Darkness. Our goal is to push back the corruption and reclaim the world that was taken from us."
"I hope speaking those words makes you realize the importance of our struggle, Kirheen. Without our powers, the Darkness would have taken this world long ago. You were both born with these powers and it is the only reason you survive. It is a heavy burden to bear, surely, but it is a responsibility that ensures our survival."
Kirheen sighed loudly, obviously bored by the history lesson. She had a tendency to disregard the dangers beyond their own bubble, believing it to be an exaggeration, something to spur them on the path of learning their powers. He wondered if the Darkness frightened her at all, or if it really was just the thought of having another in her mind that scared her so.
"You can be bored of this all you want, but you can either grow to fight the Darkness or you can become a testament to failure and spend the rest of your days aiding those that were more dedicated to the cause."
Something switched in Kirheen and a coldness seemed to grow in her stormy eyes. She locked her gaze onto her instructor. "I'll never be just a failure."
Herzin smirked. "Then you better stop acting like one."
Liked what you read? Find The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I online now!
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text:
After a seven-year wait, Sony's PlayStation 4 has finally been announced.
Sony introduced its latest game console at an event in New York City this morning. The PS4 will focus on "multidimensional" gaming and has superior hardware to improve the player experience, said Andrew House, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, at the event.
The goal is to put the PS4 at the center of the living room by offering the latest in console design, connected gaming and services, House said.
The PS4 runs on an eight-core x86 CPU and an improved graphics processor, delivering a combined 2 teraflops of performance. The console includes 8GB of memory and a local hard drive. Sony also introduced a new DualShock 4 gaming controller with a range of tracking and connectivity features to improve gaming quality on PS4.
The PS4 now effectively carries the system architecture of gaming desktop PCs, which are largely based on x86 chips. The x86 CPU is a big change from IBM's Cell processor used in the PS3. That should close the gap between PCs and gaming consoles, which for a long time have been incompatible as Playstation games could not be run on PCs. Sony did not announce the chip supplier for the PS4, but it is rumoured to be Advanced Micro Devices.
The PS4 console succeeds the PlayStation 3, which started shipping in 2006. Sony introduced a new PS3 model with a slimmer design and new hardware in 2009.
Sony's other flagship console, the handheld PlayStation Vita, has struggled since its worldwide launch last year. Earlier this month, the company slashed its sales target for portable games by 30 percent, to 7 million, and has announced it will soon cut the price of the device by a third in Japan.
The PS4 will also carry a specialised processor that speeds up the delivery of online games. It will also have a new social networking interface and be able to interact with tablets and smartphones. A remote play feature allows games to be transferred to the PlayStation Vita console, and Sony said it wants to make every PS4 game compatible with Vita in the future.
In the PlayStation Network (PSN), users will be able to try games before they download them. Facebook and Ustream are also being integrated into the network, which Sony executives said will make PSN the most social gaming network available. Gameplay can be broadcast through Ustream, and a broadcast button on the controller will allow users to interact with PSN friends, who can assist or even take over gaming.
Sony will deliver movies and music through its Sony Entertainment Network, and is working with online streaming services like Netflix and Amazon to stream movies and other content to the PS4.
The PlayStation 4 is a rare Sony gadget that still generates the kind of buzz that made the company famous. CEO Kazuo Hirai, who previously oversaw Sony's game division, has promised more hit products and said he personally selects and oversees promising projects.
In July of last year, Sony said it had agreed to acquire Gaikai for about US$380 million. The company said at the time it would use the purchase to deliver a "world-class cloud-streaming service" for its games and other content.
The company has made Sony Entertainment Network a core part of its future. Home gaming consoles increasingly share duties with set-top boxes – Nintendo's Wii U, launched last year, can be used as a universal television remote and has a free app for browsing programs.
The PlayStation 3, which caused deep losses for the company after its launch in 2006, has recovered to become a hit product. Each console was initially sold at a loss to consumers, but they are now profitable. The PS3 contains custom components including the Cell processor, which Sony spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing along with IBM and Toshiba.
Sony's main rival in consoles, Microsoft, is rumoured to be gearing up for the launch of its own next-generation console, the successor to its Xbox 360. Nintendo released its lower-spec Wii U last year. All three are increasingly competing with games on PCs and tablets, as well as new devices from game companies like Steam.
Sony is in the midst of a restructuring after booking a record annual price last fiscal year. The company has stuck to its target for booking a small profit this year, selling off assets including its U.S. headquarters in New York City.
Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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It seems that three years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) the law not only remains a flash point of controversy, but in fact is becoming even more unpopular.
For many, this law is not unpopular because it will adversely affect the way they obtain and utilize health insurance, but because the law attacks the very essence of what it means to be an American. The law does this through its onerous and, to many, unconstitutional mandates. Much has been written about the law's individual mandate which requires everyone to purchase insurance. Even though the Supreme Court ruled that this mandate could stand after defining it as a tax, many still feel it is an attack on personal choice and liberty. Even more dangerous however, is the law's mandate that every company that offers health insurance ensure that their insurance plans offer free contraception.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued this mandate under the authority given them by the ACA. That authority is vast, and in essence the law gives the HHS Secretary the power to define a minimum standard for insurance and then force all American companies to offer at least that minimum level of coverage. The Secretary can define all aspects of insurance plans and can include items for coverage as they see fit. Once those decisions have been made, the only recourse companies have is to make their case to the public or begin a costly legal battle against the federal government.
Current HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is arguably the most powerful player in Washington because she and she alone was the power to define a company's responsibility vis-a-vis health insurance and to define an individual's insurance options. Her most controversial decision was to require that all companies provide health insurance that covers all forms of contraception, including abortion-inducing drugs and sterilization. For millions of Americans this was a bridge too far because it went beyond health and directly attacked people of faith and people of conscious. It was an attack on one of the most sacred pillars of American democracy; religious freedom.
It is an attack on religious freedom because it requires religious-based institutions and company owned by people of faith the deliberately turn their back on their long held beliefs and betray their principles. For those who are not religious but who belief in the sanctity of the United States Constitution and its tenets of limited government, this mandate was a triumph of statists in the US government who believe in the power of the state over the rights of the people. There is no better example of the statist belief in the supremacy of the government and its bureaucracy to define what is in the best interest of the individual than this mandate.
Immediately after the announcement of the HHS Mandate, several religious institutions that offer health insurance to their employees and many businesses owned by people of faith filed suit in federal court to challenge the HHS' decision. These cases are working their way through the federal courts and most likely will land at the Supreme Court in the near future. Although the cases will most likely be seen through the prism of religious liberty and how far the federal government can encroach on that liberty, they should also be viewed in the broader context of whether this nation will continue to be one where individuals can make choices free from government interference or mandate or whether the country will continue down the path to a statist future. Only time and the courts will answer the question.


text:
The Instigator
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The Contender
Pro (for)
7 Points
Why would an all knowing God(Christian) create Lucifer, if he knew he was going to betray him?
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after 2 votes the winner is...
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|2 years ago
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A conceivable reason that a perfect being might create something that would end up as an ulterior power to him could be many. He could. In a strict sense the angel known Lucifer, the one first to descend beneath heaven, along with Beelzebub and Leviathan, would inhibit a prototypical, even ideal method of creation which is (perhaps) beyond the understanding of in this case humans, lesser beings in this sense. Suppose would be a progression of novel feats by this supreme being used to create things, in this case the earth and all that revolves around it, in seven days. An action we might take that could be similar might exist as art, like Pollock's intuitive slinging of paint onto a large canvas, but of considerably lesser gravity. Although it could also very well resemble the form of playing heads or tails with a coin, we must assume that a higher power is perfect, and thus it knows what's going to happen in the end. This conjecture aside, there are other reasons why the existence of lesser, anti-thetical, but still notably impressive, being could hold a place of imperative and necessity, in a reality like our own.
Assume that actions hold a permanence. A static--in religious texts, a moral-spiritual foundation where sometimes everything we do is being cemented and immortalized in the longer scheme of things-- an ever-lasting effect that is undying, though for instance scarcely, or even being an insight impossible by beings who, in comparison to a god are of a substantially lesser intrinsic awareness... To assume, now, that Eve had eaten the Fruit of Knowledge: and before that, Lilith had abandoned Adam and the Garden of Eden, and the children of Adam and Eve--the rib of Adam--had eventually ended up with a lifeline much a fraction of the span they and Abraham, and his sons and grandchildren and so on had possessed (beating our own by hundreds, sometimes thousands of years), as shown in the book "Chronicles" of the Bible, was found (somehow) to be real. And that, not it had all been for a reason, but that a god's first acts of creation, and what followed, would simply end up this way today without Him feeling the need to do anything about it. He is, after all, perfect. And a perfect, omnibenevolent entity doesn't need to rescind what has come to follow his actions. In Thomas Acquinas' interpretation of the greek "On the Celestial Hierarchy," there exists "three hierarchies each of contain three orders, based on their proximity to God, corresponding to the nine orders of angels recogtnized by Pope St. Gregory I."
1. Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones;
2. Dominations, Virtues, and Powers;
3. Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
It's typically said that Lucifer had been cast into hell as part of his envy of humanities origin as that of a template created in the image of God. When I was confirmed, I chose Michael as my Christian name. Michael is an Archangel (a bit low, isn't it!) though he is said to be the one leading an army of God's angels to combat Lucifer's forces. The force said to combat Lucifer himself in this regard to hierarchy is less certain in the reference I'm citing: the Classification of Demons in the "Marvelous History," by Sebastien Michaelis. Though one thing is extensively noted: the personification of humanity as "clay," a malleable, mold-able substance which though it can hold it's own once constructed into proper form in a furnace, is quite admirable in it's ability to hold together on it's own, without any help. Clay is a noble representation of free will in humanity, and in the context of Christianity, free will encompasses both good and evil, vice and virtue.
In the classification of demons, there exist different interpretations by many different individuals, starting typically from a first hierarchy, down to a second and finally third. There are over 9000 different demons said to inhabit certain people through events that have been written down. And for every which demons there is, there is usually a saint who stands in opposition to it.
Now consider an secondary possibility: The existence not of a being that has conceived the aforementioned, but rather than a god so to speak, exists as an entity.
An engine via which reality has come to rely unto its foundation. Perhaps it was created by a god who like before, has enacted fantastical, novel feats or more classically divine appropriation. Those of which are possible through his mastery of physical reality--but who now has either been made inert, or is unpresent altogether. This "engine" would exist as the super-structure for which reality continually exists, in a static continuity, an alternating, dynamic, ever-changing flux, or as any other number of possibilities unknown to us under which existence takes it's seat...
Demons have been known to be much like the angels of Christian heaven very much the same, concurring on what some would measure as the opposite end of YHWH and his angels in this the penultimate paradigm of good and evil presented to us via the various bibles which represent Christianity as a whole. Demons, as angels, stand simply as sentinels in the greater scheme concerning the battle between heaven and hell ajoint the fate of humanity. Demons, unlike angels, however, simply have some faulty programming: they do not necessarily recognize God as an ultimate power, creator.
Lucifer, a king of demons, stands simply as an aside aspect of the overall picture in any of the above contexts. In the eyes of a single, all-powerful and ruling god, or of an engine acting as as superstructure /in place/ of the god... the djinn, demons and Devil stand simply as what we might regard as transitory data on this subject, posing hardly any (if at all) possible deterrance to Him as such in the span of eternity concerning humanity: he's omnibenevolent--he already knows what's going to happen, when, and how. And thus the existence of a demon king is one of many irrelevant details in this ruling construct's eyes; his "love" for us all the while remaining pure, perfect and true.
It wasn't a qualifier to "back up" such things, though this can be explored. The existence of the devil certainly did cause pain and suffering to us under the doctrine of the Christian bible.
This additional query, although perhaps related, is tangential. In "betraying" god--something that is perfect--the devil has degenerated and rendered corrupt. And thus he has been thrown into the pits of hell.
As far as "Why God created Lucifer," my statements most prominently give the assertion that we simply cannot accurately conceive of why God would do anything he does. In it's full regalia, it is indeterminable due to our limitations, unless approached from the stature of a supposedly ideal morality.
Additionally, in the various texts represented under the umbrella of Christianity, there are various and different reasons as to why Lucifer's existence would have imposed upon us these happenings, which have arisen from circumstance which deviate from grace... in this case, pain, and death and original sin.
Lucifer is a fallen angel. A sentinel who would otherwise remain within the ranks of angels. If not for his faulty programming, he would exist as a being purely of an unadulterated reverence to God.
If not for his pride...
Many denominations believe he has been given conscription (or, allowance) by God to influence the realm of mortals. An integral part of Christianity--free will--goes hand in hand with this idea: as a human you can choose what you want to do, good or bad; the side of righteousness--perfection, or the milieu of evil, and Lucifer plays an integral part in this conjecture.
The creation of Lucifer by a God absent of faults has caused pain, suffering. Yes? It was God's actions that eventually allowed this. Lucifer and his deeds being simply an extension of this operation by God, perhaps even himself having free will (maybe not, it could be destined). In purity of a god as the highest power, this does not necessarily equate to destiny ending as a finality of circumstance equating to pain and suffering for humans, on God's part.
But that is a less than exemplary reasoning for this quandary you've supposed.
As a more direct reasoning in answer of your question, in a biblical passage: Isaiah 14:12-24, it is stated that "Motivated by pride, Satan set out on an irrational course to seize for himself God's authority over the universe." Though it may be redundant to say, by the word of Christianity, this would stand as a reason for why Lucifer has created suffering, pain and death--as an extension of being created by god, he is a backer of what Man as clay represents: malleability, the quality of being mold-able (wetness), while having a relative ability of being able to retain form. We are created in the image of God, with Satan existing as an influence as an aside, and as such we have the options of heaven, purgatory and hell.
This is the natural progression in the irrational course of action undertaken by him (Lucifer). in opposition to an almighty figure of absolute purity, an unbridled authority and power in the universe. We have free will and thus Satan, in his capacity of dissent, is able to tempt us. In retrospect, Lucifer represents one side of the same coin. But heads is still heavier than tails...
Your question about why God would be upset, angry, "mad" at "the serpent" can be answered in conjunction with my previous assertions.
It isn't necessarily that God is mad at Lucifer. It is not that he's not mad at Adam and Eve. In fact, that is impossible according to Christian doctrine, as YHWH is an entity of pure love. It is that by having disgraced himself amidst a supreme being, Lucifer essentially did not make the grade. And thus, though retaining the structural qualities of an angel, he has by his own intrinsic faults descended and inevitably motioned towards tempting Eve to pluck the proverbial fruit and thus enact what is known as the duality of evil, original sin, versus good.
Anything another entity does in comparison of the Christian God exists simply as a shadow that pales in comparison, lest present with him in heaven. And as such, the pain and suffering enacted upon us by Lucifer--the creation of God--is in the end the fault of only ourselves.
TheNextDaVinci forfeited this round.
To me, the whole reason of a debate is to find the truth, or the answer, and in this debate, you have, with logical, and reasoning thinking, and to me have provided many good references to support it too. I have also enjoyed reading you work, and thanks you for the amount of time you put into it.
In another question that could arise from this topic, that is some also not necessary for you to answer, but would be some what relavent, is why would Lucifer rebal againtst God, with Lucifer being God's "Left hand man" and a knowing God very well, why would he not love God? If God is all loving, merciful, reasonable, perfect, etr, why whould Lucifer not want that? and must also know that God is all knowing, and in the end would lose to God, not saying that's why you would love God, because loveing someone because of fear is meaningless love.
I don't think the left hand thing is in any Christian bible.
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Posted by TheNextDaVinci 2 years ago
Posted by Peepette 2 years ago
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Vote Placed by Ozzyhead 2 years ago
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Reasons for voting decision: No source. If con did their research and could word things better, he would have had a chance. But he did very little talking. No sources from either side.
Vote Placed by U.n 2 years ago
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Reasons for voting decision: I see Con as asking many questions (started to wonder if he wasn't simply tricking Pro into doing his school homework) and I even saw Con conceding in the 4th round that Pro has provided multiple solid points with supported reasonings. Due to the lack of a true rebuttal from Con, Pro won my vote in the 2nd round where he explained that it's impossible to know why God created Lucifer, Lucifer is akin to a fallen angel, and that despite Lucifer's assumed influence man is responsible for his own actions.
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Should the Church St. Sophia in Istanbul be turned back into a Greek Orthodox Church.
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Can you please explain as well, why the fact that St.Sofia is currently a museum is bad? I do not see anything "bad" about it. It is clearly income, and with the funds needed, St.Sophia will be repaired as much as possible (do not forget that St.Sophia is protected under UNESCO as well, which means that you can rebuild only a part of the monument in order to be called a "monument"). That way, more tourists will be able to visit such an astonishing historical building.
Last but not least, I must mention that St.Sophia wasn't the center of Christian Faith, it was the center of ORTHODOX Christian Faith, a religion of 300 million followers (while Catholics have over a BILLION followers [1.2 billion]). Even though this was a great impact for orthodoxy, things like this happened a lot throughout history. What can historians say about libraries (Great Library of Alexandria) being burned thanks to Julius Caesar?
Thanks for your time,
Dedsecz, Greece.
Income? You mention the word income. So your telling me that the Turks are taking income of a Hagia Sophia. So your telling me the Turks invade Constantinople, turn the church into a mosque and then make it a museum, and take income of off it. I am sure that is fair.
And about your last point, you are partly right. However, do not forget that only a part of the income goes to the Turkish Government. And do not forget our gorgeous monuments as well! The Parthenon, Delphi and many more. This is just the two most important points of interests for a tourist!
My opinion might not be the best I can express but I think my points are valid to a point as well! If my grammar has some errors please do not hesitate to correct me, since I am only 15.
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DedSecz forfeited this round.
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text: The eyes of a cat have a layer of reflective cells immediately behind the retina, known as the tapetum. Any light not absorbed by the microscopic rod-like structures in the back of the eye, especially when a cat's pupils are fully open, is passed back out. This process creates the distinctive, characteristic shine in the cat's eyes and is common to many land carnivores as well as seals.


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"We're Still Here": The Persistence and Resistance of the Ramapough Mountain Indians
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Tadrous, Kristen
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This senior capstone project examines the insider versus outsider perceptions of the Ramapough Mountain Indians, a tribe in New Jersey. Lacking federal recognition, this group is at odds with most of the outside community, namely the state and federal government. This thesis explores these relations from a historical and contemporary standpoint, as well as how the tribe maintains a strong cultural heritage.


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MBC's WGM's youngest couple are Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo. Although they started a little later than the other couples, the both of them are now celebrating their 100th day of marriage with a commemorative wedding photo shoot. Hwang Bo, who was left alone in Korea when the other couples (Andy- Solbi, Crown J- In Young, Alex- Shin Ae) were having their wedding photo shoots because her husband Hyun Joong was away in Japan for work related activities, can now put aside the disappointment then with the photo shoot now.
Compared to the other couples, the both of them were relatively more awkward with each other when they started. However, although their conversations are sometimes stalled with moments of awkward silences, the both of them can be seen to be becoming more and more in tune with each other. Based on their dates of birth, fortune master Lee Kyung Min will study their individual love luck and their harmony, as well as ways for the both of them to appeal to each other. His remarks about Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo's union was "The older meets the younger, brings about harmony. Great."
Hyun Joong's love luck:
The chances of him meeting older women are higher. More older women will be attracted to him compared to younger women. This is because most older women would feel comfortable around him, resulting in his high popularity with older women.
It is also likely that Hyun Joong will marry someone older than him. This type of birth details show that he is someone who is more delicate than he looks, somewhat similar to the psychology of a woman. It is because of this that it would be better to marry an older woman who could protect him.
Plus, it would be better for him to marry early as it would enhance his fortune. A late marriage will not be lucky for him so it would be better to meet a woman early and marry while he is in his twenties or early thirties.
Hwang Bo's love luck:
She is exceptionally stubborn and proud, opinionated and is not the type to give in. As she would not be able to lead in a relationship with someone of the either the same age or older than her, it would be better for her to meet someone younger that she can lead. If she meets someone younger, their relationship would be a better match as they would be able to communicate and develop further.
Based on her birth details, she is likely to marry late. Even if she meets a good person, it would be better for her to date him for one to three years before marrying him. Rather than getting married hastily, it would be better for her to get to know the person first before marrying him.
Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo's marital harmony:
As they are both a younger man- older woman couple, they are able to achieve harmony. They are a well fitted couple as the woman leads and the man follows. They are also a couple that would not have any huge arguments and their difference in age allows them to understand each other. Since their characters are at opposite ends of the pole, they are able to harmonize each other, which can be said to be a good thing.
If Hyun Joong was to steal Hwang Bo's heart:
As Hwang Bo's exterior seems to be tougher than a man, she naturally leads. However, Hyun Joong should also lead at times, showing his manly side and the side of him that he is able to lead. He shouldn't be timid and be more manly, knowing when to lead and not to, showing his charms which are appealing.
If Hwang Bo was to steal Hyun Joong's heart:
From his birth details, Hyun Joong is the type that likes women who can make him feel her warm side and are able to take care of him, showing him her heart. If she does this, then he will go towards her.
*Credits: gall.dcinside.com*


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Once you or a loved one is susceptible to a stroke or already has experienced one, you may perhaps be wondering in regard to specifically what is meant for therapy subsequent to a stroke. Each time a man or woman suffers from a stroke, you will find treatments/medications that might help regain blood circulation towards the brain. In addition, the victim will have to have extended treatment solutions to assist with the recovery process.
Primarily based on the section of the brain that was afflicted, the sufferer will probably need to have a number of years of therapy to be able to regain the application of that section of the brain once again. Numerous individuals require a certain measure of attention and care during the remainder of their life. First and foremost, we'll talk about what precisely takes place subsequent to a stroke for treatment. Next, we're going to look at what varieties of treatment solutions/therapies are used all through the long-term recovery process for the affected person.
Treatment Immediately Following a Stroke
The treatment for the stroke relies on just what sort of stroke it is. Ischemic strokes manifest the moment there is a obstructed artery that connected to your brain, either from plaque accumulating inside of the arteries or constricting of the arteries making a blood clot which comes loose. Ischemic strokes are arguably the most common form of stroke. Remedies for ischemic strokes would possibly embody:
Consumption of thrombolytic
Quite simply, these are medicine which help break down clots that are clogging the circulation into the brain. These are presented as fast as possible to grant the affected individual the biggest benefit for restorative healing
tPA treatment
tPA is basically an enzyme we have within our bodies, and medical doctors may render a dosage through pill form/IV form. This helps improve the clot breakup process and needs to be used in a 3 (three) hour time frame at the time the signs of the stroke manifested
MERCI retrieval system
This inventive device helps take away clots inside individuals who may not use IV-tPA, or do not react positively to that style of treatment. The device is a corkscrew model of item made to wrap round the clot to catch it, and promptly yank it out from the victim.
Penumbra System
This technique utilizes suction for taking out blood clots from the brain of significant ischemic strokes. Is used within eight hours of symptom onset with success. In regards to a hemorrhagic stroke, the medical doctors will combine treatment methods that help stop the bleeding inside of your brain. This aids in alleviating the pressure around the brain along with yield consistent vital signs. Blood pressure levels is definitely the most critical to get stable. The client is going to be watched very closely for warning signs that they've escalated pressure throughout the brain. Occasionally surgical treatment is needed to repair an aneurysm if that is what caused the brain to bleed.
Recuperating After a Stroke
For many clients, becoming well again will commence with a professional rehabilitation. This should help recover the patient's independence by helping them out to gain back their mental/emotional/physical functionality. Figuring out more in regards to stroke rehabilitation can certainly provide you the very best benefit.
You'll find life after stroke and restoring your life is the step one to rehabilitation. Each individual will probably have a unique recuperation solution depending on the region of the brain that's affected all through the stroke.
Please read our disclaimer and terms of use. Please note the use of the internet or any of our contact forms does not create an attorney client relationship. Attorney Advertising. Xarelto is a registered trademark of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. The use of this trademark is solely for product identification and informational purposes. Johnson and Johnson is not affiliated with this website, and Johnson and Johnson has no affiliation with our Law Firm. The use of any marks are solely for informational and product identification purposes and are protected under the trademark doctrine of nominative fair use, the Lanham Act, the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution policy, and the Anticybersquatting Protection Act.


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Welcome to Fabled Environments! We hope you enjoy your stay. Please feel free to look around and stay awhile. You never know what you might find.
Olympus Inc: The Pelion Report
The Pelion Report is the second setting book for Olympus Inc for Savage Worlds. This book features seven new bloodlines including two new Demihuman lines. In addition new powers for existing bloodlines, weapons and other elements are also introduced.
The crowdfunding campaign is being retooled and will be relaunched soon. Stay tuned!


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How to apply
To be admitted for the International Masters program in Language Science and Technology, you first need to send us your application. The deadline for application for the program is February 15 of the respective year. Make sure that all required documents belonging to your application arrive by this date; you will then be informed of the result of your application by the beginning of April. If you are not finished with your bachelor's degree yet, you should send preliminary documents instead; see the FAQ.
All documents must be submitted electronically using our registration data bank, log on using the password you received when you submitted your application, and upload your documents, with the exception of documents which are not sent out directly by the applicant, such as TOEFL scores or letters of recommendation. All documents which are required in certified form are to follow as hard copies. Any documents reaching us after the deadline cannot be added to the application file.
Please consult the application checklist and the FAQ for further details.
Applicants must hold the German "Abitur," "Fachabitur" or an equivalent foreign high school graduation certificate attesting to the qualification for higher education.
Additionally, applicants must have a Bachelor degree or equivalent in (Computational) Linguistics, Language Technology, Cognitive Sciences, Computer Science or other relevant disciplines.
Proficiency in English (for non-native speakers) must be certified. Knowledge of German is helpful but certification is not needed.


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Dunster SurgeryTel: 01643 821244
Porlock Medical CentreTel: 01643 862575
We are aware with an issue with Patient Access (online prescription ordering)- the system has been updated and the new update has added a screen asking patients to nominate their pharmacy- There is no option to nominate your dispensary at the practice.
This is beyond our control but we have reported the problem (as have many other practices) and we are awaiting a fix- In the meantime, you can order repeat prescriptions by:
With Dr Kelham retiring, Dr Fawden will now be based mostly in Porlock and take over Dr Kelham's list. This means that Dr Fawden will not be available very much in Dunster so we have reallocated his patients to Dr Sherry (who is currently being covered by three doctors part time whilst she looks after her new baby).
It's a time of tremendous change and we hope you will understand if there are occasional disruptions as we ease into our new patterns now Dr Kelham has retired.
The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.
The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt.
Model Publication Scheme - further information
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager and they will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception.
We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website contains detailed information on raising a complaint about any aspect of the NHS in England. There is also a leaflet explaining the procedure of bringing a complaint to the ombudsman.
Copyright 2006 - 2018 My Surgery Website | Privacy & Usage | Edit | Staff Home | Site Map | Accessibility | Site T&C's | Service T&C's


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Item #: 37988
Space Target Carnival Game Throwing Darts Set_D
Price: $26.99
1 available for immediate delivery
Test your sharpshooting skils against the galaxy's best! With artwork based on classic target games from the 1950s and 1960s, the Space Target Metal Sign takes you back with its retro rocket ships and flying saucers. Use the included magnetic darts for a fun night with the family or just hang it up in the office and feel like a kid again!
- Heavy-Gauge Steel Sign with Pre-Drilled Holes, Ready to Hang
- Includes 6 Magnetic Darts
- Made in the USA
- Measures 12W x 18H Inches
Weight: 1.20 lbs
Customer Ratings & Reviews
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I've always thought of myself as an optimist.
The future will be better.
That keeps me going.
When I think about myself I focus on the negative, though.
I have a lot of good qualities. I hesitate to share those. I feel like I'm bragging.
I don't think I should ignore my negative aspects. Those need work.
Maybe the trick is to focus on the changes I want to make.


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Ben Stiller Announces Penelope Cruz Joined the 'Zoolander 2' Cast
Big news — Penelope Cruz just joined the already star-studded cast of Zoolander 2, according to Ben Stiller.
The 49-year-old actor made the announcement with an adorable throwback picture of the 40-year-old actress on Instagram and Twitter.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Penelope Cruz
"Excited to announce Penelope "Little Penny" Cruz has joined #Zoolander2 cast! #fbf," Ben posted along with a hysterical photo, below.
Previously, it was rumored that Penelope had signed on to the film, but now we know for sure!
Zoolander 2 is set to hit theaters nationwide on February 12, 2016.
ARE YOU EXCITED that Penelope Cruz is joining Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson in the movie?


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Submitted by jwilcoxen on
Amos 8:1-12
Psalm 52
Colossians 1:15-28
Luke 10:38-42
For some peoples prophets have words of doom; for others the reign of Wisdom means an urgent altering of priorities.
Amos 8:1-12
Our second reading from the prophet Amos continues the prophet's report of a series of brief visions he received from the Lord. There are five visions altogether:
7:1-3, the locust plague;
7:4-6, the fire storm;
7:7-9, the plumb line;
8:1-3, summer fruit; and
9:1, destruction of the temple.
Last week's reading included the third of these. There was a definite strategy in the first three visions, all of which threatened disaster for poor, small Jacob. When God showed the prophet an explicit disaster, like a locust plague or the outbreak of great fire, the prophet jumped in and begged God to relent. "O Lord, forgive, I beg you! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" (7:2 and 5, NRSV). For the third vision, however, God changed strategy and showed the prophet something that wasn't a disaster already in progress. It was only an ominous sign of some kind.
In that third vision God shows the prophet a "plumb line," the device for determining when crooked walls have to be torn down. Then God said, "Amos, what do you see?" Now the prophet has to answer the question instead of pleading for pity for Jacob. When he reports what he sees, it is God's turn to say what the sign means and to state the judgment and punishment represented by the sign. God has circumvented the prophet's determination to intercede for poor little Jacob!
That was the divine strategy with the plumb line, and it is the strategy here in this Sunday's reading with the vision of the basket of summer fruit (verses 1-3). As the translators' footnotes in NRSV explain, there is a wordplay. You see a basket of summer fruit, a qaitz? That sounds like a qetz — an End. For Amos there is a message in this, for "the end has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass them by [= exclude them from disaster]." The rest of the divine judgment elaborates on the dead bodies lying in the streets, and concludes with an awesome command for silence, in Hebrew hās! The total silence of complete desolation and emptiness.
And why is Israel coming to its End? The reasons are given in verses 4-6, once again selling the poor for silver, trampling the needy, and in general ruining the poor. The culmination of punishment will be the elimination of any hope for divine relief. There will be a famine of the words of the Lord; there will be no divine guidance that might reverse the disasters (verses 11-12). Israel is doomed.
We have the book of Amos, not because Israel survived the judgment, but because Judah did. After the northern kingdom was destroyed by Assyria, Judah attempted to reform its own religious and social order, particularly under King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah. At that time the example of the northern kingdom was mulled over extensively, and the stories of Elijah-Elisha and the prophetic books of Amos and Hosea (in early versions) were preserved as parts of a new vision of Judah's place in history. In this new vision Judah would continue to be the holy city God had chosen and would continue to have a king descended from David the great anointed king, but it would also adhere firmly to the lessons of Yahweh's exclusiveness learned from the prophets and the disastrous history of the northern kingdom. This deliberate adoption of northern traditions about Yahweh's work in history was the beginning of the prophetic books as part of a larger complex of God's Word. These were prophesies that had been fulfilled; their messages had been established by God's own actions. Israel had died because it was unfaithful to Yahweh and Yahweh's justice. Perhaps Judah still had a chance!
Psalm 52
The Psalm reading is probably one of the least familiar of the psalms. It doesn't fit the usual categories for the psalms: hymn, lament, thanksgiving, etc. It is more like a reproach speech from a prophet, like Isaiah's pronouncement against Shebna, the mayor of Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:15-25).
The heading of the psalm, added later, relates it to an incident in the time of David and Saul when Doeg the Edomite was a competitor and betrayer of David, an outlaw at the time (I Samuel 21:1-8; 22:6-19). In the post-Exilic period, the Judeans greatly resented the Edomites, who had taken advantage of Judah's defeat and depopulation, and a prominent warrior (gibbor, the term translated "mighty one" in verse 1 of our psalm) of Edom was viewed as a tyrant epitomizing evil conduct. In the psalm the righteous ones will view with awe the punishment and destruction of this bully, who trusts in his wealth, his power to buy his way to whatever he wants.
In contrast to this Edomite gangland boss, the speaker compares himself to the evergreen, long-lived olive tree in the precincts of the Temple. Tyrants come and go; the strength of the Lord endures.
Colossians 1:15-28
The Epistle reading presents a passage that scholars have long recognized contains an early Christian hymn in praise of Christ. The hymn is quoted by the letter writer as part of the thanksgiving section of the letter. Originally, the hymn was about the work of Wisdom as God's agent in the cosmos. Where Wisdom was the original subject (feminine), some early Christian liturgists have read it as applying to Christ.
Andrew T. Lincoln gives a full discussion and description of the hymn and how it is used in the letter (The New Interpreter's Bible, vol. XI, [Abingdon, 2000] pp. 597-607). He reconstructs the hymn as having three strophes. (The bracketed phrases were additions to the hymn by the letter writer.)
Strophe 1 (1:15-16a)
who is the image of the invisible God
the firstborn of all creation,
for in him were created all things
in heaven and on earth
things visible and invisible
[whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers]
Strophe 2 (1:16b-18a)
all things were created through him and for him
and he himself is before all things
and all things hold together in him
and he himself is the head of the body [the church]
Strophe 3 (1:18b-20)
who is the beginning
the firstborn from the dead
[so that he himself might have preeminence in all things]
for in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace through him
[through the blood of his cross]
whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Lincoln makes the following comments on the background and adaptation of the hymn.
It looks very much, then, as if the Hellenistic Jewish composer of the hymn has taken the various attributes of Wisdom or the Logos and applied them to Christ in his relation to the cosmos. The hymn in its original form presupposes some major disruption in cosmic harmony and, therefore, sees Christ not only, like Wisdom or the Logos, as the divine agent in creation but also now as the divine agent in reconciliation, restoring harmony to the cosmos (p. 605).
The adapted Christian hymn views the divine agent of creation as visiting the world in which humans were left after creation. There this Wisdom / Logos / Anointed One passed through death and assumed a supreme reign over all the counter-creation powers that had taken the cosmos captive. This Anointed One became the head of the assembly of the saved ones – known to the hearers of this letter as the ekklesia, the church, the "body" of this divine visitor.
Luke 10:38-42
Compared to the previous readings, the Gospel text is remarkably straightforward – though not necessarily easier to live with.
As Jesus' "journey" continues, he is hosted by a householder named Martha. (The story is told mainly from her viewpoint.) Martha has a sister Mary who becomes absorbed in Jesus' teaching and "sits at his feet" (a phrase used of disciples, see Luke 8:35) rather than helping with the hostessing. Martha resents this, and resents it enough to go into the seminar room and make a major case of it (verse 40)!
Jesus' response seems to commiserate with Martha's many worries and management tasks (verse 41), but as usual he recasts things by radically altering the priorities. Too many distractions are not good; "there is need of only one thing" (verse 42, NRSV; there are several variant readings in this verse.) And he adds, somewhat cruelly it seems to us, that Mary (rather than Martha) has chosen that one thing (verse 42).
We may note, also, that the one thing Mary has chosen was improbable for a Jewish woman. They didn't normally sit as disciples, especially when hospitality was needed. Mary's response to Jesus, her "lord" (verse 39), is probably another innovation among Jewish women who became followers of Jesus.
We seem to have a classic conflict between the doers and the dreamers! We are tempted to work at this text until we can get a more comfortable result, something other than Jesus siding unequivocally with the dreamers. But the background of apocalyptic urgency that informs Jesus' requirements of those who would follow him (9:57-62) seems to shape the response to Martha also. The imminence of a whole new order for the world upsets routine agendas for ordinary household duties.
We want to say, "The world must also be managed on a day-to-day basis! Give us more Marthas!" Then there could be more hosting of traveling sages, and the members of the devotional seminar could have something to eat at their break times. And so it goes.
To us advocates of the Marthas of the world, the Reign of God seems too far off to allow its visiting representatives to seriously disrupt our management agendas.


text: Bad News Today Whenever you get bad news today it's like… =( Thanks for reading! If you're new here, you'll find some random comics below. You may want to subscribe to my RSS feed, or join us on social media, or get comics emailed straight to you! Single Friends Good News Today Share? ↓TweetWhatsAppTelegramMoreShare on TumblrPrintPocketEmail


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Less than a third of people in Britain now consider themselves 'religious', a new poll by WIN/Gallup International reveals. The finding strongly contradicts the most recent census which showed nearly three quarters of people had a religion.
The research questioned around 1,000 people each in 65 countries worldwide to compile the figures, providing a snapshot of global faith that suggests worldwide believers outnumber atheists and the undecided two-to-one.
This is a pattern that is only reversed in a small number of nations worldwide, including the most atheist nation China, where only seven percent are believers, and the United Kingdom, where the Christian faith is suffering a steady decline and only 30 percent of respondents reported being religious.
According to the poll, the UK was the sixth least religious countries in the world, and one of the least religious in Europe. Although the research did not include difficult-to-access nations, including many African countries and a number of Islamic theocracies in the Middle East where adherence to the Muslim faith is a legal requirement, it did find some countries where faith is almost universal.
While 94 percent of Thai respondents reported being religious, Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia and Morocco were all tied for second place at 93 percent. Worldwide, the African continent and the Middle East were the most religious overall, whereas Western Europe was the least, standing at the tipping point to becoming the first majority Atheist and Agnostic region, reports the Independent.
Despite the striking nature of the figures presented by the poll, the results for the United Kingdom stand in contrast to the findings made by the more representative national Census for 2011. Although the government research found a decrease in the number of Christians had again fallen in the preceding decade, the 59 percent who declared themselves to be followers of Christ suggests a more positive image than the Gallup poll.
All counted, only a quarter of the population of England and Wales reported they had no religion at all in the 2011 census.
Regional analysis of the census also revealed some interesting local variation in the distribution of religion in the UK. While London was the most religiously diverse area in the UK, with some some boroughs having a number of Muslims resident at seven times the national average, it found the north of England was the most Christian. One area of Liverpool had over 80 percent Christian residents in 2011.


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Palestinian News Item
PA daily: Israel is "colonialist pawn and spearhead of the capitalist West," founded on "fabricated Zionist narrative"
Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida - Oct. 25, 2016
"Us, the UN, and its anniversary"
Excerpt from op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, regular columnist for the official PA daily
"Yesterday [Oct. 24, 2016] a ceremony was held in Ramallah for the 71st anniversary of the establishment of the UN, in the presence of the [UN] Secretary-General's [Middle East] Envoy Nikolay Mladenov…
As the organization (i.e., the UN) was starting out, the
(i.e., "the catastrophe," Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel) of the Palestinian Arab people took place in May 1948. On Nov. 29, 1947, the organization adopted [UN] Resolution 181, regarding the division of historical Palestine – the land and homeland of the Palestinian Arab people – into two states (the Partition Plan, rejected by Arab leaders and governments –Ed.). One of them was named Israel, the colonialist pawn and spearhead of the capitalist West, [which the UN] allowed to exist, and gave it all that was needed in order to survive and live so as to serve its purposes, but [as opposed to this] it prevented the establishment of the Palestinian Arab people's state, and through pretexts and ridiculous excuses did not allow the return of 800,000 Palestinian refugees, who were exiled by the Zionist gangs that occupied their land. This was despite [the fact that] the international resolution that recognized the existence of Israel connected the recognition of it [Israel] to the return of the refugees….
The states that established the new international organization [UN], born out of the worst world war (i.e., World War II)… heralded to mankind a new world in which 'justice' would prevail and that would be 'free of weapons of mass destruction,' and likewise heralded the 'prevention of conflicts between states and making war impossible.'
In addition, they claimed that one of the main goals for the establishment of the organization was to guard 'human rights,' and they established this by publishing the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights' in 1948. [However,] these are the same states that caused a new global tragedy that same year, by establishing the Israeli ethnic cleansing state…
They established on the land [of the Palestinians] a rogue outlaw state, the State of Israel, and brought to it all of the Jews of different nationalities, who accepted the false and fabricated Zionist narrative and aligned with it."


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Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.
– Leo Buscaglia –
The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive
I've viewed myself as slightly above average in talent. And where I excel is
Talent is a flame. Genius is a fire.
There's a lot of women in the WNBA. There's a lot of women who could be here. To
Talent has no gender. People are hiring young male directors right out of film
Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts.
If you look at the history of Notre Dame, if you hire a coach who's been
Doing designs on a loom takes a lot of talent and experience, and, trust me, I
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not
Some people can be president, some people can speak, some people, you know,
Some people can be president, some people can speak, some people, you know, anything that's positive, man – a dentist, a doctor. Just hang in there and never give up, and find out what is your talent. First you got to find your talent and just stick with your talent, and I guarantee you'll get there, man.
– Juicy J –
A lot of times I find that people who are blessed with the most talent don't
At the beginning, Edo was a photographer, and I was more of a talent scout and
At the beginning, Edo was a photographer, and I was more of a talent scout and doing styling and modelling. Then all of a sudden, in 1977, he gave me a Polaroid camera, and I discovered that instead of having to go to a lab and develop the film, I could just take a click and get a picture! It was genius, and I was very good at manipulating it.
– Maripol –
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Re: June 17 letter to the editor, "PSC should stop T-Mobile takeover"
Let me get this straight:
A resident of Washington, D.C., writes a letter to the newspaper in Baton Rouge to let us know that she is opposed to the AT&T and T-Mobile merger?
And she mentions her organization is a competitor of these two companies?
Is this really news? Or even a surprise?
I would prefer that people living in Washington, D.C., stay out of the business of deciding what is good for Baton Rouge residents.
I am eager to see these two companies merge so that we can have better coverage, fewer dropped calls and more access to advanced technologies.
Maybe that isn't something that is needed in Washington, but it sure is here.
Linda Perkins
retired AT&T management employee
Governmental Affairs Department


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Designing a solar heating system for a swimming pool is much more complicated than it may seem. Swimming pools require a great deal of energy to heat, but they often have several sources of heat, which can compete to heat the pool - and a solar heating system can only heat part of the time, ie: when it's sunny. Most indoor pool solar heating systems we've seen (designed & installed by others) are significantly oversized, badly designed, and not working. This goes for systems that are being designed and built today, not just those from 25 years ago.
A seasonal, unglazed solar pool heating system on an indoor pool delivers the most rapid return on invested dollars amongst all the various solar energy technologies, while saving many tens of tonnes of carbon per swimming season. Glazed collectors can also be used to heat year-round pools, but at a cost that is four to five times higher, while delivering only up to 75% more energy a year.
Solar Ontario's commercial/municipal clients include; The city of Toronto - four indoor pools & four outdoor pools, the Town of Markham (two indoor pools), the City of Burlington (Canada's largest solar pool heating system), the City of Windsor (three outdoor pools), the Municipality of South Bruce (two outdoor pools), Toronto's Metro Central YMCA, and many others.