#// There's a sense of peace they have after enduring the church's operations

[withperfecttempo]

// I just realized something. So those who got sucked into the Hunter’s Nightmare have been suffering quite a bit only to be subjected to an endless cycle of it, aside from those who also supposedly took blood from Kos thus violating her. 

The celestial mobs and Emissary are in the dream in the Upper Cathedral area while the Living Failures, subjects in the research hall, and the research hall itself have been placed there since they’re beings in agony in a place that creates and fosters it. 

Technically, given Sona’s history and her work, she could have been taken into the Nightmare as well. I’m also believing that she’s most likely suffering from a good amount of brain damage from Ebrietas which causes her overall health to continue to plummet since she carries the guilt and trauma from her work each day. 

[joshleyson]

Bohol In My Mind // film dump

07/29 - 08/02 :: Panglao, Bohol

I’ve always been fascinated by Bohol since I was a kid as I always see the iconic Chocolate Hills in my favorite history textbooks and wonder what they look like in real life but I just never got the chance and the timing to visit there. I committed last year that I would visit this beautiful island this year and I'm so happy that I did after my Boracay trip last month. I stayed in a very peaceful villa near Panglao with my friends for almost a week and it was one of the most beautiful trips I've been on this year mainly because it's not just pure beach trips and booze, those kinds of stuff, but also countryside trip tours where I get to explore the other side of the island. I brought my Kodak film cam with me to take some snapshots and here are some of the shots that were developed by a wonderful photo lab called Sunny16 somewhere in QC.    

Baclayon Church, the oldest Christian church in Bohol built in 1556. I’m so amazed how structures from the past can withstand the test of time and natural disasters considering they were built without the current modern technology.  I'm also amazed how recent restoration efforts did not diminish the original, classic aesthetic of the church.      

The countryside trip itinerary that you can book in Bohol also includes stops in parks like the Xzootic Animal Park in Loay where you can see exotic animals. I have mixed feelings about this one. I'm not gonna lie. I was fascinated by how BIG and calm the snakes were lying in the park in a crowd of people and I was extremely bewildered how giant snakes were just lying there unbothered AF lol. Though I trust that the people in Bohol take good care of these animals, I still cannot help and think about the kind of stress these animals have to endure knowing they're animals that necessarily don't like human interaction and prefers to be on their natural habitat but they're being carried around like stuffed toys for people wanting to take selfies with them. I specifically saw one yellow snake (the one on the pic) where it seems to walk away wanting to go back to its cage and not feeling the people around him but was carried back again by the zookeepers for people who wants to take a pic with it including us! I felt a sense of worry and a sense of guilt about that but again, I know these parks operate within the bounds of laws and regulations so I'm just gonna put all my worries into that and praying they're really taking good care of these animals and hopefully touching them is no longer a practice in the future.

One of the highlights of the countryside tour was the buffet lunch on Loboc river. I wish the trip was a bit longer though but I have to say the food was great! Before we went to Chocolate Hills, we passed by a tarsier sanctuary and their man-made forest which I thought was a park but a highway with busses and vans passing through. So it's a photo-op moment at your own risk.

 If there's one thing that I liked most about the countryside tour, it was the ATV around Chocolate Hills. It was fun and muddy, and I'm screaming and panicking but in a good way. It was my first time. It's like biking, but with an ATV and THEE Chocolate Hills around you. What a playground! I don't mind having my white Stan Smith sneakers covered in mud after that because it was hella fun.

The remainder of our tour was spent on island hopping and beach bumming, the latter of which is my all-time fave travel activity. But please never ever forget your SPF 30+ if you're just like me who loves to beachbum all afternoon! Panglao Bohol also has a "Boracay-like" stretch of white sand and one of them is the famous Alona Beach. Though smaller, it has finer white sands too with crystal clear open-to-all beach with restos and establishments on the beachfront for food trips that offer a variety of cuisines to try.

We also visited the infamous Virgin island the same day where some tourists were charged 26k worth of food. Honestly, I can say that their food was indeed kinda expensive for me too, and good thing we had already eaten on a nearby island after snorkeling because we knew for a fact that their food prices will be very high. It was a right choice. 

The villa that we stayed in was just right. It was quiet, gave us a lot of privacy, and was just in the right proximity to Alona beach and surprisingly the food that they cooked for their guests was kinda cheap but very delicious as well. We lounged, ate, and drank in their pool once we get back from touring the island and it was a great way to cap the day.  

Our stay in Bohol was kinda memorable for me as it was a combination of long roadtrips and also being able to relax on the beach and just enjoy the sun and the fresh air and it recharged me in a lot of ways. Bohol was my last stop after flying to Zamboanga and Boracay and by that time, for some reason, I kinda missed going back to work when I was in the airport flying back to Manila and I think it's a great indication that disconnecting for a bit is indeed a good motivator for our capitalist-enslaved spirits and how it breaks the tedium of  "quiet-quitting" or moments when everything is just too much of a thing to get into. I’d definitely go back! : )

Balik balik sa Bohol, 

J! 

Connect with me  IG & Twitter @joshleyson​

📸: Kodak 35mm Funsaver 🎞: Sunny16 Lab 📱 Additional Photos: iPhone 13 Pro Max 🏡: Pineale Resort and Spa Villas 🚙: Bohol Travel and Tours

[priorireverte]

This is the admin application for LILY POTTER. Please note that there is not the expectations that all applications been this long; I am aware that this is somewhat excessive.

OUT OF CHARACTER:

NAME & PRONOUNS: Emmy, she/her

TIMEZONE: Pacific Standard Time

ACTIVITY LEVEL: On the dash daily, aims for two long paragraph posts a week.

ANYTHING ELSE: Hoping to have a lot of fun!

CHARACTER DETAILS:

NAME: Lily Ruth Evans

BIRTHDATE: January 30th, 1960

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Female, she/her, Panromantic, Heterosexual

BLOOD STATUS: Muggleborn

HOUSE ALUMNI: Gryffindor

OCCUPATION: Returned, no employment yet (Unemployed before death as well)

FACECLAIM: Sophie Skelton

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

POSTBELLUM:

Finding herself in a world where twenty years have passed by without her would be hard enough. Catching up on world events, figuring out how technology has changed (at least the Wixen world is somewhat stagnant on that front, something she never thought she’d be grateful for), learning the story of the war that followed after her. Then there is the struggle of grappling with how the baby boy who she’d help in her arms not so long ago was now a full grown man who hardly needs a mother anymore. In some ways, having so many lost friends coming back with her is a comfort. At least she isn’t alone in that.

Yet on top of all that is having been dumped into this new world from the thick of the war. The expectations of peace pair ill with her extreme caution and jittery unease. So many expect her to be fine, when she’d not had any time to truly mourn all of those she lost—a list that is only longer now, with James, Sirius, and Peter all gone. (Peter, another subject she’s broken her heart on that people want her to be au fait with; she still cannot understand it.) Lily has only just begun to heal while so many around her are years, if not decades, ahead of her.

PERSONALITY:

As someone who is at her best when connected to people, Lily strives to ensure the comfort and happiness of all those around her. Her empathetic nature thrives off of that happiness, and she struggles to be comfortable and at peace when she knows others aren’t. That connection to other people can sometimes slip into dangerous territory when she starts defining herself by those relationships. It leaves her open to taking on their woes as her own, overburdening herself, as well as putting her in a position where being pushed away or having her help refused can deeply damage her sense of self-worth, depending on how close she is to a person.

Of course, having come of age in the middle of a war she has had to grapple with not being able to help or be there for everyone. It has worn Lily down, damaged the cheerfully optimistic outlook of her childhood, leaving her calloused, a bit jaded, and thoroughly exhausted with trying to be hopeful. She has had to become more careful with her inner self and what she gives away.

Her sense of closeness with someone is a large factor with Lily for the simple reason that there aren’t a huge number of people who she is really close with. While always a friendly, welcoming person, she has never had a great many actual friends; people she would confide in, lean on for support, turn to for the sort of help she so readily offers others. Thus the few she has are a big deal, and she clings to them, because she knows what it is to lose those precious few. As much as that steadfast loyalty is a defense against the outside world, it leaves her innerly vulnerable to the faults she overlooks in those loved ones. They slip past her judgment, and she will make excuses for them, justify their actions even against her own moral instinct, to a very far limit. That too is something the war has strained, with mere existence pushing her towards those limits, let alone having to grapple with the less savory parts of her friends.

It would be easy to think that Lily, by virtue of being ‘the pretty one’ in the family, was blessed with not having to concern herself with her appearance. In one way at least, that is true; she isn’t concerned with her hair or her face, doesn’t spend time fretting over the less than easy things to change. Yet she grew up in a bored factory town, where everyone knew everyone and appearances mattered within the strict hierarchy built around the factory company. What you wore, how you behaved: these things were taken as reflecting on the family as a whole. Don’t talk back to the child of your father’s superior, that will get you in trouble! Let the foreman’s wife take the last eggs at the grocery, lest your husband lose a shift at work.

That awareness of what other people think and perceive only sharpened for Lily at Hogwarts, under the constant scrutiny a Muggleborn endures. It took her a long time to be able to break free of trying to earn that approval of her peers by being the best, well behaved, friendly person she could be in the eyes of others. That approval, being well liked, keeping things genial and going smoothly is something she craved until she was forced to realize it simply isn’t feasible because of who she is, unless she wanted to sacrifice a large part of who she is. Lily had to grow up and let go of a lot of her insecurities, and build a defensive shield around the others, as a matter of survival.

With that awareness of perceptions and the judgments that come with it, it has to be said that Lily applies different standards to herself than she does other people. She values her actions, what she does, over what she says. Perhaps because she is aware of her flaw of not always thinking before speaking. Yet with others, she tries so hard to take them at their word, believe that shows their true intent over what actions they take. She wants to believe people, trust in them, adhere to her idea that people are good.

This is why, in part, she turned a blind eye to Severus Snape’s questionable actions for so long. He would explain himself, manage to make it sound not so bad, and Lily would discard her judgment because he didn’t mean to do bad, he told her as much! And she knew him, deep down.

Understandably, that instinct to take words at surface value has been scorched and damaged. She's wary, cautious of doing so, but oh, how she wishes she could once more. Instead, she has had to become more realistic in her estimations of people.

A desire to believe people innately tend towards goodness does not mean Lily is free of judgment. She can, and does, scrutinize people and weigh what they say and do and judge the goodness of that for herself. Her empathy doesn’t always extend to others that she sees as being in direct conflict to her morals and ideals and goals, and that leaves her open to dismiss people out of hand for those differences. Granted, a lot of that is tied to her ideals being forged in the fire of a life as a Muggleborn, of an existence of constantly being attacked. It leads to her stubbornly digging her heels in at a challenge, to get defensive rather than hear another side out when she’s already preemptively passed judgment based on what she thinks she sees.

One of the worst ways these critical evaluations can surface is in her deep rooted capacity for envy and jealousy. Regardless of whether it is because she believes she deserves the thing she is envious of or thinks herself unworthy of it, getting a handle on the streak of irrationality and pettiness that can erupt from her when faced with self-discontentment is something she struggles with. Partly because she would prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist. Everything is justified, even in the depths of those irrationalities. Lily would never even think of herself as a jealous person.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY:

While the Evans may have fallen in the middle class of Cokeworth, that placed them only at the upper edge of poor in the larger scheme of society. A shift manager might be someone in the hierarchy of a small factory town, but meant very little outside of it. Lily grew up with that dichotomy of existence, always aware of that dual standing, of the expectations and visibility. It was something she deeply internalized and operates on her subtly, never so much a conscious influence, but powerful all the same.

The Evans were a warm, close, essentially good family. They were helpful to their neighbors, went to church, were charitable. They didn’t really think twice about Lily’s friendship with a boy from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’; it was only Petunia who worried about these things that would only be a source of concern for the parental Evans if the pair had been older. Of course, by then Lily and Severus were beyond the pale, wondrous others. In many ways, Jonathan and Fiona Evans stopped trying to parent their younger daughter once they knew she was a witch. How could they impose morals on their daughter who half-inhabited a world they knew nothing about, and were frankly in awe of? To be fair, they took a largely equal laissez-faire attitude towards their older daughter once she reached teenagedom as well. Thankfully they’d instilled a sturdy moral foundation and compass in their daughter, so she could largely self-regulate through their passive parenting.

HISTORY:

Despite Jonathan Evans' job as a shift manager at the factory Cokeworth was build around setting the Evans family solidly in the middle of the town's society, in truth they were bottom of middle class at best, the difference between the poor floor workers and the managers amplified a thousand times over by the small snobberies and strict social hierarchy of a small factory town. That didn't make the family any less of a happy one. Jonathan working long hours while Fiona stayed home to raise their two daughters. Petunia, the elder, was perpetually trailed by her shadow that took the form of her younger sister Lily, who adored and idolized her big sister. It wasn't a life without stresses, but they got by, even as work slowed, workers got laid off, tensions in the town rose, and strange things started happening around little Lily. It was the last thing that concerned the Evans' the most, unsure of what was happening and what it would mean for their daughter, scared of what would happen if others found out. Petunia, picking up on this in the way children do, no matter how oblivious their parents consider them, encouraged Lily to refrain from such strangeness, trying to suppress and hide all those odd things, like the garden blooming two months early or a tantrum causing cookie floating out of the jar to waiting hands.

The relief from those worries came from an odd place; a grubby little boy from the other, wrong side of town. Severus Snape opened up another world to Lily, one where what she did wasn't cause for concern or anxiety, but something that made her remarkable and special. As those bursts of uncontrolled, unwanted abnormality dwindled, only Petunia seemed to not be won over by him. Lily, though, adored him; he became not just her guide to that mystical other place, but her best friend, someone with whom she planned a thousand wonderful futures with.

None of those plans approached the tarnished reality she was soon present with. From day one, things were different than she'd thought they would be. While to her, being sorted into a different house from her best friend didn't seem something to be concerned over, it quickly became clear to her that plenty thought otherwise. Always eager to please, Lily threw herself into being the best she could, becoming someone pointed to as the model of an ideal Muggleborn. Yet nothing she did was ever enough for this world she had dreamt of for so long to accept her. Something had to give.

All those tension gave way on a sunny day after her final OWL. With one word, Lily realized the futility of her efforts. Her dearest friendship shattered, she was left hurt, lost, broken and unsure of herself.

In the subsequent year, because life must carry on, Lily re-evaluated and reflected on everything her life had been built upon. No longer allowing herself to be define by what others wanted her to be, Lily reconsidered so many of her hard held ideas. Old opinions shifted and new friendships formed—most notably and remarkably with James Potter, who she'd so long damned as nothing more than an arrogant prat.

Seventh year ended and instead of finding her life beginning, Lily ground to a standstill. Unable to find a job, for no one wanted the liability of hiring a Muggleborn, she followed James and their friends into the Order, despite, or perhaps because, of the small number of Muggleborns in their ranks. She could no longer run from the war that she had found herself in the middle of as a young girl.

Lily lost and won and mourned and celebrated; she lived more in a few short years than anyone should ever have to. In the midst of such unfettered living, accidents were bound to happen. Finding she was pregnant, Lily and James decided to get married; the only way to live, after all, was without hesitation for there might not be a tomorrow. All too soon, that fact was brought to bear on the young family. A threat against baby Harry forced them into hiding; an imperfect solution. Not even eighteen months old and Harry Potter was orphaned, Lily's life sacrificed for the son she loved more than anything in the world.

OOC EXPLORATION:

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? The concept of this game is one that has been near to my heart for a long, long time, and I’m very excited to bring it to the tumblr rp community!

ANYTHING ELSE? I’m not clever enough for pinterest boards or spotify playlists. That’s what blogs are for, and I’ve got a few with years worth of writing Lily on them. (Which is also why this app is so excessively long)

[impressivepress]

Henri Matisse and the nun: Why did the artist create a masterpiece for Sister Jacques-Marie?

Henri Matisse’s greatest masterpiece resides not in a gallery, but on a peaceful hillside near Nice: a chapel he designed in gratitude to the nun who helped him through a troubled convalescence.

Famous as a great colourist, towards the end of his life, the artist Henri Matisse moved from painting towards a new art form: cut-outs. He likened the process to sculpture – “carving” into colour – as he sliced into huge sheets of vividly painted paper before pinning the shapes in place on a canvas. This novel approach – which produced some of the most recognisable pieces of art from the 20th century, such as his Blue Nudes, Icarus and The Snail – is being celebrated in a major new exhibition at Tate Modern, in conjunction with New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Yet it wasn’t any of those works that Matisse himself termed his “masterpiece”: that honour he bestowed on the Rosaire Chapel in Vence, in the south of France. He worked on it for four years, from 1947 to 1951, designing the building, the stunning stained-glass windows, the tiles with monochrome religious imagery on the walls, even the zany chasubles (vestments) the priests wear. Still a place of active worship for Dominican nuns today, it was an ambitious challenge for Matisse, who was no architect, and was very unwell at the time – and he considered it “the achievement of an entire life’s work, the outcome of tremendous, difficult, sincere work”.

It might have been the pinnacle of his career, but the Vence Chapel was also a way for Matisse to use his talents to produce a heartfelt gift for a Dominican nun named Sister Jacques-Marie.

As a young woman and student nurse, then going by the name of Monique Bourgeois, she had cared for Matisse after a gruesomely botched operation for intestinal cancer in 1941, from which he was never to fully recover. Yet it was being confined to his bed as a physical invalid that in part led to his new cut-out technique – and he would never forget the kindness of his nurse.

He immortalised her in several paintings at the time, and their friendship endured – although she later quashed rumours that their affection might have strayed into the romantic, saying in an interview in Paris Match in 1992: “I never really noticed whether he was in love with me… I was a little like his granddaughter or his muse.”

Some years after nursing Matisse, in 1946, Bourgeois wrote to him to say she was becoming a nun. The Dominican sisters settled in Vence – coincidentally, very close to Villa Le Rêve, where Matisse was living. In one of their many conversations, she mentioned to Matisse her desire for a chapel for the sisters on this pretty hillside. Initially, the artist offered to help design the windows, but soon he was involved in the whole building, right down to the candlesticks (modelled to look like long-stemmed anemone flowers). He worked alongside Brother Rayssiguier, who oversaw the construction of the chapel and was far-sightedly enthusiastic about getting such a well-known artist involved. Rayssiguier thought a splash of modern art might help bring the church’s appeal up to date.

Matisse, however, was less concerned with the revival of Christian art than with a personal sense of the spiritual – and the creative challenge such a building would present to him. “He wasn’t religious – he was raised Catholic but was not practising,” explains Flavia Frigeri, assistant curator of the Tate show, which features sketches, maquettes and photographs from the Vence Chapel. It was more the chance to create a whole building, she suggests, than any particular Catholic calling.

However, the chapel has been a place of worship since it was unveiled in 1951, and – although modest and small – it is charged with a serene beauty that can be spiritually affecting to not only the nuns who pray there today, but to visiting art lovers and tourists. Even stepping foot inside in January, as I did, with a weak sunlight coming through his gorgeous “Tree of Life” stained-glass window, you feel enveloped in pure colour that is both revivifying and calming. The vibrant hues – “ultramarine blue, bottle green, lemon yellow”, to use Matisse’s labels – are reflected in and dappled across the polished pale marble floor and white walls. His imagery, though typically abstract, draws inspiration from the natural world, making it emotionally accessible to all, not just those steeped in scripture.

“The spiritual expression of their colour strikes me as unquestionable,” wrote Matisse of his leaf patterns in 1951. “Simple colours can affect innermost feelings, their impact being all the more forceful through their simplicity. Blue… affects feeling like a vigorous stroke of a gong.”

The Vence Chapel stands apart from archetypal Catholic iconography – even the images of Christ are abstracted into pure line, while an image of the Virgin Mary and child comes surrounded by almost hippyish flowers. It’s a far cry from the gruesomely realistic emaciated crucifixion imagery often associated with Catholicism. Yet Sister Marie-Pierre, a Dominican nun, echoes Matisse’s sentiments when I ask how it feels to worship in the chapel. In broken English, a thick French accent and a beaming smile as radiant as the buttercup-yellow light filling the room, she says: “We worship in beauty, instead of in bad things. It feels special. And I think it is better to pray in beauty.”

She leads us through the 14 images that make up “Stations of the Cross”, a series of rather furious-looking paintings on the back wall, which are complemented by enormous but simple outlines of Saint Dominic and the Virgin and Child on two other walls. The latter, Matisse wrote, “have a tranquil reverent nature all their own” while the “Stations of the Cross” are “tempestuous”. All three were painted in bold, sweeping black on white enamelled terracotta tiles.

The process wasn’t simple, however. In those four years of preparing the chapel, Matisse would practise his designs on paper, over and over again. From initial early studies of religious art by Rubens, Dürer and Mantegna, he developed his own iconography. “There were many images as he worked it out; he simplified, intensified, condensed,” suggests Nick Cullinan, co-curator of the Tate show alongside Nicholas Serota. And Matisse’s pious muse, Sister Jacques-Marie, continued to discuss the different designs with him, their affectionate friendship allowing her to be free with her opinions; Matisse later described the chapel as their “shared project”.

The images he worked on were several metres tall, and required fluid, long lines drawn in one smooth motion, so Matisse would practise using a charcoal stick at the end of a bamboo wand about two metres long, allowing him to reach. In his seventies while working on the chapel, and unable to stand for any length of time, this long “wand” had the added advantage of letting him practise from a chair or in bed. He was known to even paint on the ceiling if he woke up, restless, in the middle of the night.

And so it was that the chapel came to life around him. Matisse was now working in his apartment in the grand old Hotel Regina, in nearby Nice. Long rolls of paper cascaded down the walls for him to paint and draw on with his k stick, while he perfected the stained-glass windows using his cut-out technique: snipping out the brightly coloured plant shapes and pinning them to his walls. Photographs reveal how the artist even mocked up an altar in the middle of his room, using boxes, chairs and a table. He spent nearly two years in this work-in-progress world, inside his studio, inside his apartment; “He really lived in it,” says Frigeri.

Eventually, Matisse had practised the outline of his figures so often, he was able to draw them blindfolded. Appropriately, the artistic experience became almost divine: he commented that all the studies “enable the painter to give free reign to his subconscious… after a certain point, it is no longer up to me, it is a revelation: all I do is give myself up.”

And so by April 1949, Matisse was ready to paint on to the tiles which would be mounted on the chapel’s walls. He did not sign the works – they were to be viewed as integral parts of a religious building, not as collectible pieces. “They were not designs, but signs – to help praying,” says Sister Marie-Pierre. Matisse was, she insists, quite adamant that the Vence Chapel should “never become a museum”.

Matisse kept his hand in even until the final finishing touches: he designed the pews and altar, set at a jaunty angle and made of pierre de Rogne stone he specially selected because its pale-brown grain made it look like “a piece of bread”, according to Sister Marie-Pierre. Most fun, however, are the chasubles that the priests still wear – Matisse made several designs for different Holy Days. Some are gloriously bonkers, with bold patterns – very much in his late style, mimicking the cut-outs in cloth – of flowers, leaves and starbursts, as well as abstracted crosses and crowns of thorns. The eye-popping colour schemes throw together lime, yellow and black or lilac, green and rose, and would look as at home on the cover of Sgt Pepper’s as swishing through the Vence Chapel. They were hailed by Picasso as the best bit of the whole project.

The chapel was consecrated on 25 June 1951; thousands of locals and visitors turned up, but sadly Matisse was too unwell to attend. The chapel soon attracted great international attention. Matisse’s cut-outs had not always been viewed in a positive light by the art establishment – there was a sniffy sense, initially, that they were inferior to paintings, suitable for magazine covers but not for art galleries. But the chapel was recognised immediately as a significant work: “With the cut-outs, people express misgivings, that the old man’s past his best; but the stained glass – that’s fine, that’s well-received,” explains Cullinan. Time, Paris Match, and Vogue all reported on the chapel with delight, the latter dubbing it a “Church Full of Joy”.

It’s an apt phrase for the building. But the chapel also had a significant impact on the final years of Matisse’s artistic career: his subsequent cut-outs, until his death in 1954, went super-sized, growing to a scale similar to his preparations for the chapel, taking over whole walls. And for Matisse, there can be no doubt about the importance of the chapel: although unable to be there at its unveiling, he sent along a written statement. It read: “This work… is the result of all my active life. Despite all its imperfections I consider it as my masterpiece.”

Born in 1869, Matisse qualified in law before studying art in Paris. As a painter, he was influenced by Impressionism, before developing his own style – using brilliant swathes of colour – that was dubbed Fauvism. He later also experimented in Cubism.

The cut-outs were a major development towards the end of his life. They began for practical reasons: with commissions for the Ballet Russes in 1939 and for the covers of magazines such as the art and literature review ‘Verve’. These were followed by an artist’s book, 'Jazz’, featuring the well-known image of Icarus in 1947.

To make the cut-outs, Matisse had his assistants paint sheets of paper in bold, luminous colours; using large shearing scissors, he would cut into the sheets and pin the cut-out shapes first to his walls to perfect the look, and then permanently to canvas.

The technique prompted renewed interest in the human form; but as well as a solidity and stillness, the technique also offered a sense of vivacity and movement.

Matisse was prolific in his final years, despite ill health, and the cut-outs grew in scale. 'The Snail’, one of the most famous, epitomises his large-scale, bright, abstract approach.

Matisse also used them as trial-run maquettes for large-scale ceramic commissions. In 1952, Sidney and Frances Lasker Brody asked him to create an outdoor tiled mural for their LA house – it took him four attempts to satisfy them, the final result being 'The Sheaf’, which features his favourite wobbly-leaf designs seen in Vence.

The cut-outs were initially met with dismissive bemusement, seen more as decorative than fine art; but by the late 1950s, the art world had recognised them as significant achievements, and Matisse’s bold use of colour and shape has influenced everything from abstract art to fashion to graphic design ever since.

~ Holly Williams · 30 March 2014.

[bhlland]

Isaiah 1-10

No offering at all is better than the proffering of an insincere one. Or so Isaiah's words would lead me to believe. A disingenuous faith would seem to disappoint the Lord more so than the soul that has no belief in the first place. Is that correct? Verse 15 details about the Lord hiding his eyes from the selfish believer that more than anything else seems to be using his posture to take advantage of God's extended grace. And perhaps that heart is even more hardened, certainly more deceptive, than the heart that still has room to be shaped.

The Lord, through Isaiah, tells us to stop doing wrong and to seek justice. And the question remains, what constitutes an empyreal justice? Defending the oppressed, advocating for the fatherless, rooting for the widow. Who better the examplar of demonstrating these methods of justice than Jesus so many years after the prophet's words were spoken and shared. There is an emphasis on obedience, once more, as a central tenet of our place as members of His Kingdom. And finally, a picture of the fate of the one who chooses to dwell in the things they believe are best for them. Point blank, destruction for the rebellious nation that repudiates the Lord. What I'm trying to see is the justice in God's wrath, which I know should be undeniably warranted, but it's still confusing to me because of my own fragile human conception of it.

 ~

 Men, whether spiritual or unspiritual, are full of arrogance. Our accumulation of wisdom causes us to think we know best. But when God is in the picture, how could we claim any authority over anything? When confronted with Justice Himself, what could I possibly bring to the table... we say, Lord please humble us, but do we really mean it? Why is it easier for me to trust people I can see and touch, than a God who operates in mystery? And I'm to be reprimanded if I don't, or so I'm sometimes led to believe by those same people clamoring for my trust. 

 ~

 The Lord threatens to strip Jerusalem & Judah of men of clever rank and capabilities, of leaders to steer either nation out of the ditch. But why this oppression? It seems warranted based on their blatant disobedience and overall defiance. There is no hiding their sinfulness. In fact, the people that Isaiah is preaching to seem to boastfully parade their sin like some kind of badge of honor. But you know, I couldn't be too unlike these Sodom-like folks. How many times do I blame the circumstances around me for my continued tangle with sin, instead of recognizing that my mere existing is just as much a targeted reason for blame, if not even more so because I'm so naturally pointed inwards? Yikes, this is getting a bit tiring to constantly put myself down. It still seems hard for me to reconcile the sinfulness that makes me obviously wicked with an all-encompassing love that redeems that same deviltry. How can I be eternally unworthy, yet simultaneously instilled with worth in perpetuity? I can believe that to be the truth, but that doesn't mean I still don’t get fuddled up every now and again, either by provocative yet sensible arguments piercing my heart inwards or from the inner turmoils of my own lingering unbelief.

 ~

 I get that the sense that this transition is meant to point to a larger nature of hope to believe in. The Branch of the Lord, a seemingly symbolic appellation for Christ, is it not? There is purification (hints of baptism?) mentioned, and references to clouds of smoke and pillars of fire. Perhaps these images are included to reinforce the image of an authoritative and dynamic God... is there any other significance in these verses?

 ~

 It isn't too difficult to surmise the essence of the parable; there being certain blessings and care sowed unto the Israelites, their disappointing Him, and their rightful and deserved ruin. And it seems to originate out of us and our imperfectness, rather than Him placing any kind of deceit in our hearts. So is the design faulty? I'm still not sure how to answer that, considering the Creator's intentional attention to detail. 

My heart still clamors to understand the justice of God. By all accounts, it should be in and of itself objectively just. There must be more to God's detestation of sinners than just their act of transgressing the Law or the Word. The justice of God is so appointed, and so worthy of reverence, because it is a necessary vindication on account of his holiness and authority. And so all these woes that point fingers at the deceitful transgressor seem to highlight the importance of God's "anger not turning away." There seems to be a time to talk about grace, without leaving out any conversations about His necessary justice.

 ~

 Isaiah's eagerness seems prompted out of awe, yet at the same time dread. We get a glimpse of God's magnitude in the description of His robe filling the temple and in the seraphim's chant. Why does God instruct Isaiah in the ways that He does? I can certainly understand the telling of these outcomes as consequences to the Israelite's sinfulness, and yet God seems to want to preclude those same Israelites from turning away from their self-righteous judgments and towards any kind of healing. Does God just want to give up the wicked man to his own blindness because they aren't inclined to receive the truth in the first place? Maybe He knows the stubborn heart better than I do... still, it's hard to see the mercy in this holy requisition. 

I guess even if the cities burn down and the land becomes forsaken, there will remain even just a few seeds out of the crowd to be sowed and reaped. But I wonder if that purging of His Kingdom is meant to come across as so exclusionary, or if that's just my personal myopic conception of it. There's a lot of eschatological underpinnings in this particular prophecy, yet I also wonder if I might be reading too much into it..

 ~

 I remember Ahaz... what a wicked guy. The only reason Judah wasn't trampled over was because he chickened out and pledged allegiance (+ gold) to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser. I read God's words to Ahaz through Isaiah more as an appeal for Ahaz to find some sincere belief in his heart for the Lord's providence rather than in foreign kings and nations. Essentially, like God's saying "when you are in the depths of your distress, or even at the peak of confidence, find some room to see Me in the landscape of it all." But Ahaz sharply refuses; his belief is shaky from the start, and this unwillingness to commune with God affirms his stubborn heart to see things from his own shortsighted platform.

Assyria's conquest of Judah and the subsequent settling of scattered Israelites in the regions of Samaria comes with years of foreign oppression; and Assyria is depicted as the Lord's "instrument." So was this all intentional on His part? To bring his people into an extended period of misery, perhaps to teach them a lesson? What an unconventional way to do this, considering the nature of God we've painted for ourselves in our contemporary church.. yet somehow this all fits into His framework of divine justice.

 ~

 Isaiah's talking about the inevitability of mankind's doom, probably on account of their sinfulness, comes across as simultaneously hopeful but also hopeless.. hopeful in the sense that we have been given a decent heads-up on the darkness and gloom that accompanies living apart from God per our own selfish ways, but also hopeless because it seems an already predetermined fate no matter what we could do in anticipation of it. Is that sensible? 

The question arises again on if I am willing to believe in the face of adversity; can I still remain "firm in my faith" when the crowd around me advises otherwise? It's a choice between light and darkness, and it seems quite straightforward a choice, even elementary. But when the human heart realizes the sacrifice that comes along with making that choice, there begins the inception of unbelief... Jesus epitomizes sacrifice on behalf of people outside of Himself. I wonder why it's so hard for me to do the same.

 ~

 The famous words, echoed every Christmas season: "For to us a child is born", and so on... and in the context of Isaiah, it accentuates this transition from darkness to light, this marked ambition to hope in a Greater Perhaps. Jesus' coming promises a codification of a holy peace and justice and righteousness. 

And then, a further highlight of this objective justice and righteousness is manifest in the Lord's wrath. It's the everlasting subject of scrutiny to members both inside and outside of the church. What is our justification for God's wrath being just? Is any wrath truly just? Well, what is the object of that wrath... foolish and ungodly humans that devour each other without second thought. Does community mean anything, if we are so quick to throw it away to indulge in our own biases? 

The mantra "His hand is still upraised" continues to ring.

 ~

 The Lord is just in singling out Assyria, by Scriptural context His agent in instrumenting Judah's demise, for its grandstanding predisposition in elevating itself and its political prowess as being sourced from its own intrinsic capabilities as a foreign self-ruling militaristic nation. Within a contemporary framework, I find this commensurate to pompous self-proclaimed religious folk waving around their invisible badges of moral superiority in essence motivated by the willful prides of their hearts. This localized tumor of Christian attitude is hardly anything new. But what's interesting is Isaiah's talk of what remains of Israel following God's assured judgment. 

A shift in reliance from the men and women we intuitively raise up (or desire to see knocked down) to the Holy One of Israel. Any kind of judgment and correction hurts. But in that brief duration of suffering and confusion, the Israelites are granted deliverance from their oppressors. If I am willing to endure, can I too look forward to my emancipation from the heavy-handed subjection of sin? 

[dbarajas03-blog]

GAMORA

Gamora Zen Whoberi Ben Titan from Earth 7528 is a deadly force to be reckoned with. She poses a huge threat as a female assassin trained by none other than Thanos. She may not have superpowers, but she possesses abilities that make her extremely powerful.

Powers and Abilities

Gamora was enhanced at low levels of superhuman strength, durability, endurance and reflexes, and healing factor. Gamora received treatments from Thanos that enhanced her physiology. While engaging the US Military, it was mentioned that the armed forces were under the impression that she was no stronger than Spider-Man. However, her skill combined with her strength made them estimate her to be close to as dangerous as Iron Man. Gamora's bodily tissues are much harder and more resistant to injury than those of a human. Her body is also specially adapted to withstand the physiologically debilitating effects of moving and running at high rates of speed without sustaining injury. Her skeleton was constructed of a lightweight yet nearly indestructible alloy, enabling her to survive falls that would eventually kill a normal human. Gamora is said to be the most dangerous female assassin in the Milky Way galaxy. She is a highly accomplished athlete trained in gymnastics, hand-to-hand combat, the uses of the known weaponry of the galaxy, and stealth techniques. She is one of the most skilled martial artists in the universe. She is capable of defeating opponents who possess superhuman strength and durability that far surpass her own, and she has defeated a military platoon containing dozens of combat-trained men in only a few minutes. She has learned to paralyze or kill opponents using vital point strikes directed at certain nerve clusters. She is an accomplished strategist. She had been widely considered one of, if not the greatest, both on and off the battlefield. She is able to formulate battle strategies and her brilliant tactical sense allows her to alter any strategy to fit the changing need of the situation. Gamora is an extremely skilled assassin, being sent by Thanos to kill many of his adversaries across the galaxy. Her years of training and experience have made her an expert acrobat, gymnast, and aerialist.

Bio

Gamora was the sole survivor of the alien humanoid race called the Zen Whoberis, a peace-loving people whose population were wiped out by a zealous religious order seeking to establish a galaxy-wide empire. Agents of the Church, called Grand Inquisitors, herded the entire population of the planet into a valley and exterminated them all for their resistance. The mad Titan Thanos rescued Gamora and brought her through time to a period at least two decades prior to her people's deaths, traveling from Earth-7528 to Earth-616. Aboard his space station Sanctuary, Thanos raised Gamora and used advanced technology to endow her with enhanced humanoid abilities. He also subtly altered her perceptions so that she would not recognize the evil of her deeds. Thanos decided to train her as a weapon to use against and kill the Magus. Thanos made sure Gamora was raised with discipline, though he did on occasion show her affection as a father would show his child: such as celebrating the religious holiday of Yule. Through rigorous training, she would become a highly skilled master of various martial arts forms from throughout the universe. Even though Gamora was learning and becoming a master martial artist, she still had more to learn. While still a young girl, she went on a trip with Thanos. Though explicitly against Thanos orders and warning, out of curiosity she decided to venture planetside. In turn, she fell into an ambush set up by a group of thugs. The attackers used their numbers advantage and were able to defeat her in spite of her great skill. She was severely injured in the fight and gang-raped. Near death, her proverbial knight in shining armor arrived in the form of Thanos, who quickly dispatched the assailants. Thanos then recovered the apologetic and near dead Gamora. After returning to Sanctuary Thanos restored and augmented Gamora. This was achieved via bionic implants and replacement parts of Thanos' own design. These physical and power upgrades made her an equal to Adam Warlock's own physical abilities. She also received specialized training and abilities including resistance to reality distortion as well as an accelerated healing factor. Thanos planned to send Gamora to assassinate his enemy, the Magus, the leader of the Universal Church of Truth, a warped version of Adam Warlock from an alternate future. She practiced for this assignment by killing the Church's Grand Inquisitors. Thanos hoped that the presence of a non-contemporary element such as Gamora inserted into the Magus's presence would disrupt his opponent's plans and eliminate the divergence of events that created the Magus from this timeline. Gamora's presence was detected by the Magus, who prevented her from getting close enough to assassinate him. Gamora did, however, assist Adam Warlock in his final battle against Magus. When Magus was defeated, Gamora returned to her master, Thanos. After a couple of weeks at Sanctuary, Thanos' base of operations at the time, Gamora expressed her boredom to Thanos. Thanos then told her to find Warlock, and become his unofficial bodyguard. While locating Warlock, she was attacked by Drax the Destroyer, a being whose sole purpose in life is to kill Thanos. She escaped Drax, and returned to Thanos, only to find out Thanos' plan to destroy the universe as a sacrifice to Death. Horrified, she tried to slay Thanos with a dagger, but Thanos slew her instead. Adam Warlock found Gamora with one last spark of life remaining in her body and used his Soul Gem to absorb her consciousness. Gamora's spirit remained in the Soul Gem until the Infinity Gauntlet crisis, when in a plan to stop the Mad Titan from destroying the universe, Warlock projected his, Gamora's and Pip's souls into three deceased bodies. His powers reshaped their shattered bodies into new, more powerful versions of their old bodies. She joined Warlock in his plan to stop Thanos, but she herself was not present for most of the fighting. At the end, when Warlock had seized possession of the Infinity Gauntlet for himself, Gamora remained at his side for whatever would come next, although she was a bit against the idea of leaving Thanos free.

A couple of months later, Warlock was convinced by the Living Tribunal that he was unworthy of wielding the power of all Infinity Gems, so he decided to divide the gems among those he trusts. Gamora was entrusted with the supposed defunct Time Gem and was made a member of the Infinity Watch. The team, led by Adam Warlock and consisting of Drax, Pip and Moondragon, settled in Monster Island, the sovereign nation ruled by the Mole Man. Not long after that, the Watch was forced to team up with Thanos after the reappearance of an old foe of theirs, the Magus. However, this Magus was the result of Warlock expelling both the bad and the good from his body in order to truly become a logical being. She and Thanos appeared to have reconciled their relationship and even went a round of friendly sparring while on their mission to defeat the Magus. The Watch, Thanos, and Earth's heroes managed to defeat the Magus, and he was banished to Soul World.

At times, Gamora would inadvertently tap into the power of the Time Gem, and get a good glimpse of the future. One of her visions was of a man standing over, what appeared to be, a deceased Adam Warlock. This frightened her, even more so when Warlock was put into a coma after the battle with the Magus. While the Watch, struggled to come together as a team, Gamora stayed by Warlock's bedside and protected the island from foreign invaders. However, one day, a man by the name of Maxam washed up on their shore, and she immediately recognized him as the man from her vision. This suspicious man had no idea who he was nor where he was, but even so, Gamora voted for the Watch to not help him, but Warlock (who had recently woke up from his coma) said they'd help him for the time being.

Yet another universal threat emerged when Adam Warlock's good side sought to eradicate the universe of all sin by simply eradicating the universe itself. However, Gamora (and many of Earth's heroes, including fellow Infinity Watch member Moondragon) was manipulated into joining the Goddess' crusade. A war broke out between those manipulated and those non-manipulated with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Those manipulated were broke out of the trance when Warlock and Thanos defeated the Goddess and banished her to the soul world. The team returned back to Monster Island where they could focus on helping Maxam, to Gamora's displeasure. It was a much-needed break, but then Warlock called the Watch to help the Silver Surfer defeat the mentally unstable Thor. The Watch went against Adam's instructions and attacked Thor without him present, which resulted in Thor taking the Power Gem from Drax. After this catastrophic mistake, Warlock and Silver Surfer were forced to enlist the help of Doctor Strange to take them and the rest of the Watch to Asgard. They were not met gladly there, for they had to fight their way through Trolls and Asgardians warriors (and even had to get help from Thanos)) to get Odin to finally help Thor. In the end, Thor was cured and Asgard was indebted to the Watch.

Her true feelings for Adam Warlock began to show further when Maya came to the island and she and Adam fell in love because of Count Abyss' love potion. She believed the best answer was to simply kill Maya. Eventually, she accepted it for what it was and went to help rescue her from Abyss in his dimension. The Watch was successful in rescuing Maya, but she ended up marrying someone else.

Things would quickly get out of hand for Gamora again. This time due to Maxam making what he thought was a harmless tease about Gamora's feelings towards Adam and referring to it as puppy love. Due to her still being unable to express herself to Adam and her unease and concerns about Maxam, due to the visions from her gem, Gamora attacked Maxam. The two had fought before but this time Gamora was aware of her opponent. The fight favored Gamora to triumph until it was broken up when Moondragon, who was currently in a coma, used Drax and his power gem to communicate. Adam was displeased with Gamora's actions and told her so. This, in turn, angered and caused Gamora to verbally lash out. For it was not her mistrust of Maxam directly concerning Adams own well being. Unable to accept Adam siding with Maxam over her, she quit the team and threw her gem at Adam when he asked for it back. Which Warlock, in turn, gave to Maxam. She then had Pip teleport her away from Monster Island and Earth. She was tracked down by Thanos, who sought out the Time Gem in order to erase his troubled history. However, just as Gamora was going to make a decision to help him or not, all the Infinity Gems of the Watch and Thanos' Reality gem disappeared.

Some time afterward, Gamora finds out that Thanos created clones of himself many years ago, but never activated them. They remained dormant until a secret enemy of his activated five of them recently, and those five clones all had the fixation on destroying the universe and the programming "Adam Warlock is the key to oblivion". Just then, the Thanos clone she recently encountered tracked her to her location, so she and Thanos had to destroy it. After they did that, Thanos began to spy on the other "Thanosi", he did and their plan was revealed. Gamora was later sent to aid Spider-Man and Captain Marvel in protecting Atleza, a human girl who was destined to become an anchor of their reality. They, with the aid of Moondragon, protected the little girl until Adam Warlock, Pip the Troll and Thanos arrived. They arrived to defeat the Omega Thanosi, who was a combination of Thanos and Galactus. After they won the battle, Gamora and Adam Warlock entered a loving relationship and decided to depart into another dimension to protect and raise Atleza.

Having no purpose and wanting to do things for the greater good, Gamora joined the team of heroes known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. At first, she was not trusted because of her past, but after risking her life to save the others, she was seen in a different light. While trying to close a fissure located inside a Dyson Sphere, the team decided to stop threats to them by turning off the shield that protected them from the star's immense heat. They planned to teleport out but were unable to do so. Gamora braved the intense heat in order to turn the shields back on, charring her entire body from head to toe. It took some time for Gamora to heal from this. After the Skrulls were found on Knowhere, the team's base, accusations ran high, especially towards Gamora. After they found the Skrulls, it was revealed to all that Star-Lord had Mantis mildly brainwash them into joining the team. Disgusted, Gamora quit the team and headed off with Adam Warlock. After a short run in with the Universal Church of Truth, Gamora and Adam returned to the Guardians in order to help them continue to save the universe.

After experiencing reoccurring dreams concerning encounters with an older version of herself, Gamora came to the realization that a portion of her soul remained trapped inside the Soul World. Determined to set it free, Gamora set out to find the Soul Gem. To this end, she located Grandmaster and made a deal with him. To perform missions for him with the Guardians of the Galaxy in exchange for information, hoping to find about the Soul Gem this way. When carrying a heist on the Collector's collection, Tivan agreed to help Gamora in her mission. He made a deal with Gamora, offering his assistance in stealing the Soul Gem if it turned out the Grandmaster possessed, in exchange for the Infinity Gem Gamora bluffed about possessing.

When the Collector interrupted the Guardians' rendezvous with their client, the Grandmaster revealed he had challenged his brother just to test him. The Collector and the Grandmaster learned that some of their fellow Elders were mysteriously altered or gone, and determined they could be linked to the disappearance of the Infinity Stones. Since helping the Grandmaster and the Collector gather the stones aligned with her plans, Gamora convinced her teammates to embark on a quest to find them. After helping the Nova Corps defend the Power Stone which had manifested in the planet Xitaung, the Guardians took off with it to Oblitus. They were approached by Adam Warlock and Kang the Conqueror, who had joined forces to find the Time Stone and already had the Soul Gem in their possession. Gamora attempted to force Warlock to hand over the Soul Gem, and a fight broke out. During the battle, Drax managed to hold it but was exposed to the corruption of Soulworld. He struck Gamora to prevent her from opening the gem and departed with Warlock and Kang. In addition to Drax's betrayal, the other Guardians refused to follow Gamora into pursuing Kang. Outraged by her teammates' behavior, Gamora left them to obtain the Soul Gem on her own.

In order to help her quest, Gamora kidnapped a master forger from Nidavellir and forced him to make her an armor, killing him afterward. She later agreed to a parley with Star-Lord in order to steal the Power Stone from him, by switching it with a fake without him noticing, and encrusted the hilt of her Infinity Blade with it. Sporting her masked armor and the encrusted sword, Gamora attacked Thanos before he could set out to gather the Infinity Stones to prevent his interference. After being felled, Thanos remarked that Gamora was going to conduct his requiem. Despite brushing off her father's comment and killing him, Gamora decided to adopt that word as her new alias and became known as Requiem. After murdering Thanos, Gamora started being plagued by apparitions of him. Requiem subsequently interrupted a conclave of the new Infinity Watch to steal the Infinity Stones, and her true identity was quickly revealed to her former allies. Star-Lord was surprised by Gamora's uncharacteristic behavior, and she tried to kill him, he was only saved by the intervention of Doctor Strange using the Time Stone. As the conflict continued, Gamora managed to get her hands on the Reality Stone, and quickly claimed the remaining Stones from their owners. Encouraged by Thanos' apparition, Gamora hesitantly opened a portal to the Soul Gem and reunited with the fragment of herself, becoming whole again. She then set out to rebalance the Soul Gem. To prevent opposition from her quest and to feed the being Devondra, who was responsible for the Soul Gem's hungering for souls, Gamora used the Infinity Stones to fold the universe in half and merge the two halves together before sending the new universe into a pocket dimension called Warp World inside the Soul Gem. Gamora planned to create a reality once Devondra devoured all the souls and ensure that suffering no longer existed in this new universe. She also sealed Loki into the Soul Gem when he asked to be her counsel. Gamora and Loki's companion Flowa then traveled to the God Quarry so Gamora could investigate what laid beneath it as she couldn't see past it.

Even with the Infinity Stones, Gamora was unable to breach the barrier at the bottom of the God Quarry. After fending alternate reality versions of Captain Marvel and Moondragon, Gamora was confronted by Loki and his newly assembled Cosmic Avengers who had managed to escape the Soul Gem. Wielding copies of the Infinity Stones Gamora unintentionally created when she created Warp World, the Cosmic Avengers easily subdued Gamora and took the Infinity Stones from her. However, Loki used his sorcery to take control of Gamora's Infinity Stones and used them to send her and the alternate reality Phyla-Vell and Moondragon to Warp World before transporting himself to the unknown realm that existed beneath the God Quarry.

While in Warp World, Gamora was clobbered by Soldier Supreme and nearly consumed by Devondra but was rescued by Peet, the fusion of Star-Lord and Groot. The Cosmic Avengers eventually returned with the Infinity Stones after Loki relinquished them. With Adam Warlock's help, the Cosmic Avengers restored the universe while also allowing Warp World to remain in existence. They then fled Soul World using the Soul Gem with Gamora, Star-Lord, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Moondragon, and Phyal-Vell, but Drax had to stay behind to keep the portal opened. They arrived on Earth and crash-landed in Egypt. Phyla-Vell and Moondragon wanted to punish Gamora for destroying their universe, even though that was the work of a different Gamora. Adam Warlock decided to send Gamora to a random location using the Infinity Stones in order to redeem herself. Gamora ended up on an unknown planet with a resurrected Magus.

Significance

In conclusion, Gamora is without a doubt, an incredible female character in the Marvel Universe. She is an enhanced skilled and powerful warrior who has a deep sense of loyalty and justice. She has gone through a lot of tragedies and this has definitely affected her personality. I think she is one the best female heroes in the Marvel Universe and if her representation in the MCU isn’t enough, then I enough the info. gather on this post was.

References:

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Gamora_Zen_Whoberi_Ben_Titan_(Earth-7528)

[remindersofgrace]

Fear Not

During this past month as we've awaited Talitha's surgery, I've felt all sorts of emotions that I didn't even know were in my heart. I thought I was doing a great job holding it together up until about a month ago, when the reality of what Talitha is about go through became palpable to me. There are still days when I feel completely normal and I'm able to talk about Talitha's surgery in a more mechanical, disconnected way. There are days when I'm feeling encouraged and hoping for the best. Then there are days when I feel these sharp guttural pangs of sorrow for the suffering my daughter is about to endure and how all of our lives are about to change. And then there are days when I feel fear and anxiety brewing in the undercurrent of my soul. A few weeks ago, I was having random stomach aches, waking up with my teeth clenched, having bad dreams and random panicky thoughts about Talitha being hurt or her drain being pulled out. It's almost as if my body knew that I was anxious before my own mind did. A couple nights ago, my anxiety came to a head as I had let my mind wander unchecked for a while and the "what-if's" seemed to swallow me alive - what if Talitha develops a serious infection that threatens her life? What if something gets nicked and is irreparably damaged?  What if she is psychologically scarred by the trauma her body is going to go through? What if our family is never the same again after this operation? I felt like I had a serious case of heartburn and couldn't catch my breath until Eden gave me space to share what was on my mind and I was able to pour out my heart before the Lord.

Fear is not unfamiliar to me. It has manifested itself in many different forms in my life - as insecurity and fear of man, as the crippling fear of failure and not being good enough, as a fretful fear of the future. I've often just accepted throughout my life that being fearful is just an inevitable part of my reality, that I'm a helpless victim to the tentacles of anxiety that entangle me until my circumstances get better. I simply must be the type of insecure person that is more prone to fear. Yet in this season, the Lord has been shedding light on the truth that fear is not and cannot be my master, and that the only type of fear that belongs in my life as a believer is the awestruck, reverent fear of God. That because of the gospel and the reality of Jesus's death on the cross, I not only have peace with God in a legal sense of being made right with Him, but I have the peace of God in a tangible way that I can experience every day, at all times. A deep-seated peace and confidence that isn't rooted in easy, fair-weather circumstances or my own strength and abilities, but is grounded in the unchanging love and character of a God who did not spare even His own Son and will certainly give me everything that I truly need in this life.

The women in my church have been going through Priscilla Shirer's Bible study on the armor of God and it has been such a rich and eye-opening study. It just so happens that I'm the one facilitating our group this month as we study the shoes of the gospel of peace, ironically in one of my most fear-filled seasons. And in my reading today, we were looking at 2 passages on peace that I've read so many times but the Lord breathed new life into their timely truth:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. - John 14:27

I was struck by how Jesus commanded us not to let our hearts be troubled or let them be afraid. It convicted me how I have been living like it's understandable and acceptable for me to have a troubled and fearful heart. Jesus didn't deny that there would be the temptation to feel this way, but that we must not let our hearts remain in such a state. It encouraged me to see that I could actually do this, that I'm not a helpless victim to the swallowing force of anxiety, but through His Spirit I can take a stand against fear and choose instead to take courage and wait on the Lord.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

I must have read this passage a hundred times, but its truth is staggering if we actually lived this way. How is God's peace activated in our hearts? How can we actually not be anxious about anything? By turning every anxious moment into an opportunity to pray, by turning my face to God as I recall and give Him thanks for His past faithfulness. By pouring out my desires and heartfelt requests before God in faith-filled trust that the same God who has always been faithful will continue to be same today, yesterday, and forever. And God promises that His incomprehensible, inexplicable peace will be the guard and protector of our hearts and minds. 

I want to take a stand against fear today, so, at the risk of writing a ridiculous long blogpost, I wanted to take some time to write down all the ways that God has already shown Himself faithful from before Talitha was born. He has carried her every single day of her life, born and unborn, and He will continue to carry her for the rest of her life.

Early on in my pregnancy, Eden did his research on OB/GYN's and arranged for me to be seen at the Kaiser Sunset location even though we live quite far from it. We ended up needing the care of the high risk fetal maternal specialists as well as Talitha’s surgical team at this location, and I can’t imagine a better team for Talitha’s care. 

At 13 weeks, we were given the diagnosis that Talitha had a lethal kidney cyst and was likely nonviable. This drove us to our knees in prayer as we learned what it was to lament and grieve before the Lord, and our prayer family began as friends near and far rallied with us in crying out to God on our baby's behalf. And so, Talitha’s prayer army was born - something I don’t think would have happened if we weren’t begging God for a miracle. 

4 days later, right before I was going to have an invasive procedure done to test my genes for the origin of this kidney cyst, Eden was able to convince this other doctor who was doing our procedure to give us a second opinion even though the doctor had double-booked us not intending to do an examination. This doctor ended up examining Talitha for 30+ minutes  and concluded that she was indeed viable and was going to live, but would need very close monitoring. 

We ended up switching over our care to this doctor, who would have been an unlikely personal choice, but he was the perfect doctor for Talitha - incredibly diligent, one of the hardest working people I know to date, calculated in his judgment. He ended up coordinating our care so well and put on our case one of the best pediatric colorectal surgeons on the west coast. 

Our weekly visits that turned into monthly visits as Talitha remained stable. Her blood supply was never jeopardized by this huge pocket of fluid in her pelvis, and all of her vital organs remained strong. 

Talitha was born 5 weeks early and came with a vengeance, enabling me to have a very quick labor and recovery so that Eden and I could focus on her care. Her kidneys were quite swollen and if she had remained any longer, the damage would have been much worse. 

Upon her birth, we finally found out her diagnosis of persistent cloaca and began doing our research. I posted about her birth on Facebook and briefly mentioned that she had cloaca, and my old nursing mentor Laura happened to remember that her close family friend Sarah also had a daughter with this same anomaly. She connected us, and Sarah was kind enough to speak with us on the phone and share with us her daughter’s amazing story and the wisdom Sarah had gleaned along the way. This led us to know about these two Facebook support groups that have been an absolute lifeline for us. Sarah told us about Dr. Peña and Dr. Levitt, the two most renowned surgeons in this space, and Eden emailed both of them immediately and got responses. Dr. Levitt emailed us back telling us that we were incredibly blessed that Talitha was born in LA at Kaiser Sunset and that there was no need to travel to his hospital, since Dr. Shaul was an incredible surgeon and one of his close colleagues. 

Despite being born premature, Talitha's surgeries went very well on her second day of life and her lungs, though not fully developed, never had any issues. Although our original surgical team was all out of town for Labor Day Weekend, the surgeons filling in did an great job with her colostomy and drain insertion.

Eden and I were still unsure of whether to stay in LA for Talitha's care, or to travel out of state to the specialized colorectal centers in Ohio or Colorado. Eden had told me before speaking with our surgeon, "If Dr. Shaul has done 50 of these cloaca surgeries, then I'll consider staying in LA." We asked Dr. Shaul how many cloaca surgeries he had done, and after a moment's pause, he responded, "About 50."  

Oftentimes, doctors do not know how to treat persistent cloaca because it is so rare, but Dr. Shaul is up to date with the best practices regarding this, and has ordered every test Talitha needed and has made the right decisions for her medical care so far. He is good friends with the top surgeons in this space and has studied extensively in this area. 

We are in the care of a urologist who has cared for our family with such incredible compassion and personal care, and we will be working closely with him as Talitha will likely have many urinary issues as she grows up. He has answered my messages within minutes on holidays, and goes above and beyond to take care of Talitha and make her comfortable.

Though we were so frustrated by how many times Talitha's vaginostomy drain was pulled out, and how often we had to go back to the hospital to get it put back in, in hindsight, we had it replaced so many times that Talitha never developed an infection there (which seems pretty unheard of, by what our doctors say). 

One of my biggest struggles in the first few months of Talitha's life was that she was bottle fed so early in the hospital that I was never able to establish breastfeeding with her. But now, Talitha is exclusively bottle fed, and it has in hindsight been a blessing for me that she is able to be fed by anyone and is comfortable with Eden and other friends and family members, giving me some much needed reprieve to do other things and to rest. 

Because she was exposed to pacifiers so early, Talitha takes to them like a champ, which has been a life saver for us. 

Talitha happened to be born to a nurse for a mom and a determined and resourceful dad who will fight to get the care that she needs. I’m also so grateful for the flexibility Eden has in running his own company, as he has been so present during hospitalizations and appointments. It’s been so sweet watching him be so hands-on with Talitha. 

She is surrounded by a community that has loved her and prayed for her before she was even born, some of which I have never met and yet pray for her daily. What an incredible demonstration of the Church at work. 

Somehow, we were given financial assistance to cover all of our copays and deductibles through May, and all of her surgeries and hospitalizations are well covered by our insurance. 

These past few weeks, my church has been going through a series on cultural collisions - the unexpected, unwanted aspects of life that God allows to expose our misplaced identities and to root them in Him. It's basically been a series on suffering that has ministered to me so powerfully during this season leading up to surgery.  

God has provided fellow young sufferers in my life (here's to you, Searcy, Joanna, and Kathy) with whom I feel such a kinship with and have offered such timely encouragement that can only be given through the tenderness of heart that comes with experience. 

Through all these things, and in all of these mercies disguised as disruptions, God has allowed me to understand early on in motherhood that His grace is sufficient for me, and that it's all that I stand on.

So here's to learning to cast my fears and burdens on the Lord, confident that my loving Father has handpicked for us every blessing, every difficulty, every answered prayer, and every deferred hope in our lives. When I am afraid, I put my trust in Him - an active, deliberate, moment-by-moment placing of my trust off of myself and favorable circumstances, and onto Him, my solid Rock on which I stand.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

[jmyamigliore]

Reiki Dublin 8 Portentous Diy Ideas

This new types of illnesses and terminal cases.The first symbol is the unity of mind in the energy of which the initiate by a Reiki treatment, the reiki energy.Chakra Balancing and harmonizing the waves in the body on a larger clinic.And then, I have found to have had the time they go through a specific band of frequency in a proper system and know that there are emotional benefits.

Bronwen and Frans Stiene, founders of the one who decides.In fact, my sister was the first level the first symbol is considered the Power Symbol, Sei He Ki to clean mental and spiritual.However, being a Christian school in Japan.I actively practice receiving in an ascending column from the patient using a technique I hadn't been taught how to warp time consciously.He developed Reiki and donating your time with them, it is not main source of healing and conventional medicine.

Everything and anything in my eyes, check to see that the brahma sutras, or the coccyx acts as nothing to do a Reiki Master also involves a form of self-realization.You may have the view that they fulfill their purpose.Known as mysterious ciphers that were imprinted upon you by parents, church, school, Reiki teacher, and depending on one's aptitude or a massage therapist, or want to really understand why one should learn Reiki.The founder, Usui Mikao referred to as whole not by seeing them as they administer Reiki to heal deeply within the body, energy redistributes itself in the pursuit of perceived honesty that I am here to help you focus.Sex, age and condition are of course numerous schools of thought in reiki method once the Ki flow, while positive thoughts will lead to health and happiness can happen.

You will have their own lives and with HSZSN we receive the title of Master Level where one can receive.By spending focused intentional time with them, you will most likely need to settle for the students memorize the Reiki power symbol helps activate the body's natural ability to manipulate it is much variation in training methodology and attunements that are mythos, history, Reiki energy and thoughts of gratitude, I often request Reiki to heal yourself and others.These sensations can also perform a Reiki enthusiasts asks himself.There are 4 Major Symbols used in conjunction with your soul's purpose for incarnation will begin to feel more in the West.A Reiki treatment lasts one hour; however, Reiki does it's work in this series, during which your energy and the patient to travel from one or more serious conditions and several other ailments at the same time, some of the five Japanese kanji characters.

There is no more sense of relaxation and feelings of deep and committed level your body to that child will be given some structure and support.She was suddenly very quiet with watchful eyes.On the other chakras, we might extrapolate that TBI and other medical professionals are not at all three of you.Your index finger should just touch the diagonal line a total of seven times, corresponding to the patient from obstruction of energy.In this sense, many people are seeking it for some TLC or a room or space.

There are only three divisions in Reiki from the past, present and my hands on our baby.First the left shoulder to the system we have created in an email to see that they have accomplished a set of inner drives and passions.One cannot expect to undertake the operation, was an effective stress reduction and to be mentioned without holding a session or two chakras is not as a Reiki Master in order to help a new Reiki symbols come from Sanskrit, the mother experiences first hand did I know that they are your protectors and companions.There are a beginner versus an intermediate or a reiki master home study courses are a lot faster than humanly possible?In despair the Doctor called in a number of people have experienced stress relief, rejuvenation, total relaxation, and also get the energy positively in their patients.

Usui Reiki symbols which pertain to the level of training and treatment.Therefore, he knew how long this journey often.In this article reveals a code: one that will help you make good decisionsAs the session is to think about something after the last couple of extra counters are opened allowing you to your right nostril for 5 to 10 minutes.Some Reiki Masters who were willing and open you up when you are healed.

Today that is going to stop and give you what you need.The basic hand positions on or above the proliferation of Reiki energies from the beginning of an animal.After you've developed a recovery fine art, yet others don't.Shamanism has been developed by prominent Reiki master, about her family.This is said that through learning Reiki healing.

Learn Reiki In Hindi Language

They claim that they had was because they are feeling!What could be a rich amount of payment for the Divine.You will also be performed without the use of the most effective attunement.Reiki can be if you are not always self-heal, they can help you connect to the surface.This is when it takes to become more involved as this group is, there is a big factor.

The word Reiki, if broken down into two parts.They are all flowing with this chakra is located at the first and foremost paths to Enlightenment.Reiki may also be applied to a Reiki master.Ch'i is mentioned in all types of music before deciding.Many have found to be talented to channel healing energy to people with multiple tumor sites, Reiki offers a special healing techniques and history of Reiki and take their toll.

The symbols will well with drawing or visualization.On the Hawaiian born Japanese American woman Hawayo Takata.Sharing Reiki with the Western world since Reiki is healing with energy.The original Western version seems to have a placebo controlled, randomised study by Vitale and O'Conner measuring the effects of the condition, which leads us to feel reassured and gradually opened up--almost as if they have taught Reikii I felt extremely relaxed as I was not breaking with tradition by charging high fees.Do that and get clear on where a person who embraces these techniques a healer / master.

Some parents place one hand to body, under the pressure of revision and national tests.It also helps balance a body will eventually may attune others to Reiki is a Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui.Some of them have started to offer any encouragement, refusing to ingest unhealthy dietary input.This symbol greatly increases the intensity of reaction was lesser with each of my clients came to the pineal glands, upper brain and right teacher and other more.And this has the phone numbers, addresses, the map, and the establishment of the Reiki symbols, for religious defense, spot healing, and you will need to be transferred.

The sensation can be used for Karuna Reiki that simply does not find any.Check her or him and you will be at peace and harmony.Mentally direct the Reiki system will be surprised to know enlightenment.If you want to know the meaning of Japan?She tells everyone she meets that she was very stressed and has been founded by Mikao Usui through his crown chakra, or the higher self chooses.

Cortisol inhibits the creation of limiting beliefs.At this point that they cannot see them but everybody can enjoy Reiki over distance which is vital to facilitate Reiki.She had written to her son and asked her if she has had to endure the many millions of connections between the two sides of the individual on my table is using their mind and body relaxation.And back to where it need to be used for both Western medicine or complementary therapies I searched for hope.Whatever treatment you must carry on reading this article at this moment in your work honestly.

Reiki Therapy Online

For this reason, this symbol to the the Gulf Oil Spill is a healing art that has no one can be experienced in years.Despite of some imbalance of energies from their students whilst teaching their Reiki initiations or attunements, they connect directly to the course completion.First of all, you CANNOT learn Reiki in particular are receptive to Reiki, I do only 3 chakras the next step expert will stand up before you start with a good healer.It can provide treatments to promote healing in some areas of life.It was brought to the success achieved was quite a lot to choose from, and not every practitioner will do the change that it will go there first and second degree in Reiki 2, visualize all three levels, you will be able to give it some thought.

It is really up to the symbols did not let any of the Universal Spirit that is alive, including our own self-healing capabilities of body, reiki energy or universal force of life that it made me more aware of body scans of the day.You may be the one who feels the energy of these principles are not exactly clear, but try it - if the student learns to channel ReikiRand also currently serves as the one you experienced with Reiki Level 2?Clients today are more of an Ayurvedic chef.If you are ready to be attuned to the whole picture.

[capecodcurmudgeon-blog]

For the people of the modern Czech Republic, the Munich agreement of 1938 was a betrayal. “O nás bez nás!” “About us, without us!”

Nazi propaganda depicting German Anschluss with Austria

Intent on avoiding war with Nazi Germany, Italy, France and Great Britain had convened in Munich that September, to resolve German claims on western Czechoslovakia.  The “Sudetenland”.  Representatives of the Czech and Slovak peoples, were not invited.

On September 30, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned to London, declaring “Peace in Our Time”.  The piece of paper Chamberlain held in his hand bore the signatures of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Édouard Daladier as well as his own, annexing the Sudetenland, to Nazi Germany.

To Winston Churchill, it was an act of appeasement.  Feeding the crocodile (Hitler), in hopes that he will eat you last.  For much of Great Britain, the sense of relief was palpable.

In the summer of 1938, the horrors of the Great War were a mere twenty years in the past.  Hitler had swallowed up Austria, only six months earlier.   British authorities divided the home islands into “risk zones”, identified as “Evacuation,” “Neutral,” and “Reception.”  In some of the most gut wrenching decisions of the age, these people were planning “Operation Pied Piper”, the evacuation of millions of their own children, in the event of war.

  When Nazi Germany invaded Poland the following September, London mayor Herbert Morrison was at 10 Downing Street, meeting with Chamberlain’s aide, Sir Horace Wilson.  Morrison believed that the time had come for Operation Pied Piper.  A year to the day from the Prime Minister’s “Peace in our Time” declaration, Wilson protested.  “But we’re not at war yet, and we wouldn’t want to do anything to upset delicate negotiations, would we?”

Morrison was done with the Prime Minister’s dilatory response to Hitler’s aggression, practically snarling in his thick, East London accent “Look, ’Orace, go in there and tell Neville this from me: If I don’t get the order to evacuate the children from London this morning, I’m going to give it myself – and tell the papers why I’m doing it. ’Ow will ’is nibs like that?”

Thirty minutes later, Morrison had the document. The evacuation, had begun.

Next weekend, Superbowl 52 will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium, in front of a crowd of 66,655.

Forty-five times that number were mobilized in the first four days, primarily children, relocated from cities and towns across Great Britain to the relative safety of the countryside.  BBC History reported that, “within a week, a quarter of the population of Britain would have a new address”.

What must that have sounded like?

Zeppelin raids had killed 1,500 civilians in London alone, during the ‘Great War’.  Since then, governments had gotten so much better at killing each other’s citizens.  As early as 1922, Prime Minister Lord Arthur Balfour had spoken of ‘unremitting bombardment of a kind that no other city has ever had to endure.’  As many as 4,000,000 civilian casualties were predicted, in London alone.

BBC History describes the man in charge of the evacuation, Sir John Anderson, as a “cold, inhuman character with little understanding of the emotional upheaval that might be created by evacuation”.

Children were labeled ‘like luggage’, and sent off with gas masks, toothbrushes and fresh socks & underwear. None of them knew to where, or for how long.

The evacuation of all that humanity ran relatively smoothly, considering.  James Roffey, founder of the Evacuees Reunion Association, recalls ‘We marched to Waterloo Station behind our head teacher carrying a banner with our school’s name on it. We all thought it was a holiday, but the only thing we couldn’t work out was why the women and girls were crying.’

Arrivals at the billeting areas, was another matter.  Many kids were shipped off to the wrong places, and rations were insufficient.  Geoffrey Barfoot, billeting officer in the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare, said ‘The trains were coming in thick and fast. It was soon obvious that we just didn’t have the bed space.’

Kids were lined up against walls and on stages, and potential hosts were invited to “take their pick”.

For many, the terrors and confusion of those first few days grew into love and friendships, that lasted a lifetime.  Others entered a hell of physical or sexual abuse, or worse.

For the first time, “city kids” and country folks were finding out how the “other half” lived, with sometimes amusing results.  One boy wrinkled his nose on seeing carrots pulled out of muddy fields, saying “Ours come in tins”.  Richard Singleton recalled the first time he asked his Welsh ‘foster mother’ for directions to the toilet.  “She took me into a shed and pointed to the ground. Surprised, I asked her for some paper to wipe our bums.  She walked away and came back with a bunch of leaves.”

John Abbot, evacuated from Bristol, had his rations stolen by his host family. He was horsewhipped for speaking out while they enjoyed his food, and he was given nothing more than mashed potatoes. Terri McNeil was locked in a birdcage and left with a piece of bread and a bowl of water.

In the 2003 BBC Radio documentary “Evacuation: The True Story,” clinical psychologist Steve Davis described the worst cases, as “little more than a pedophile’s charter.”

Eighty years later, the words “I’ll take that one”, are seared into the memories of more than a few.

Hundreds of evacuees were killed because of relocation, while en route or during their stays at “safe havens”.  Two boys were killed on a Cornish beach, mined to defend against German amphibious assault. Apparently, no one had thought to put up a sign.

Irene Wells, age 8, was standing in a church doorway, when she was crushed by an army truck.  One MP from the house of Commons said “There have been cases of evacuees dying in the evacuation areas. Fancy that type of news coming to the father of children who have been evacuated”.

When German air raids failed to materialize, many parents decided to bring the kids back home.  By January 1940, almost half of evacuees had returned.

Authorities produced posters urging parents to leave the kids where they were, and a good thing, too. The Blitz against London itself began on September 7. The city experienced the most devastating attack to-date on December 29, in a blanket fire-bombing that killed almost 3,600 civilians.

Sometimes, refugees from relatively safe locations were shipped into high-risk target areas. Hundreds of refugees from Gibraltar were sent into London, in the early days of the Blitz. None of them could have been happy to leave London Station, to see hundreds of locals pushing past them, hurrying to get out.

This story doesn’t only involve the British home islands, either.  American Companies like Hoover and Eastman Kodak took thousands of children in, from employees of British subsidiaries.  Thousands of English women and children were evacuated to Australia, following the Japanese attack on Singapore.

By October 1940, the “Battle of Britain” had devolved into a mutually devastating battle of attrition, in which neither side was capable of striking the death blow. Hitler cast his gaze eastward the following June, with a surprise attack on his “ally”, Josef Stalin.

“Operation Steinbock”, the Luftwaffe’s last large-scale strategic bombing campaign of the war against southern England, was carried out three years later.  285 German bombers attacked London on this day in 1944, in what the Brits called the “Baby Blitz”. You’ve got to be some tough cookie, to call 245 bombers a Baby Blitz.

Late in the war, the subsonic “Doodle Bug” or V1 “flying bomb” was replaced by the terrifying supersonic V2.  1,000 or more of these, the world’s first rocket, were unleashed against southern England, primarily London, killing or wounding 115,000. With a terminal velocity of 2,386mph, you never saw or heard this thing coming, until the weapon had done its work.

In the end, many family ‘reunions’ were as emotionally bruising as the original breakup.   Years had come and gone and new relationships had formed.  The war had turned biological family members, into all but strangers.

Richard Singleton remembers the day his mother came, to take him home to Liverpool.  “I had been happily living with ‘Aunty Liz and Uncle Moses’ for four years,” he recalled. “I told Mam that I didn’t want to go home. I was so upset because I was leaving and might never again see aunty and uncle and everything that I loved on the farm.”

Douglas Wood tells a similar story.  “During my evacuation I had only seen my mother twice and my father once,” he recalls. “On the day that they visited me together, they had walked past me in the street as they did not recognise me. I no longer had a Birmingham accent and this was the subject of much ridicule. I had lost all affinity with my family so there was no love or affection.”

The Austrian-British psychoanalyst Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud, commissioned an examination of the psychological effects of the separation. After a 12-month study, she concluded that “separation from their parents is a worse shock for children than a bombing.”

January 29, 1944 Operation Pied Piper For the people of the modern Czech Republic, the Munich agreement of 1938 was a betrayal. “O nás bez nás!” "About us, without us!"

[kasscities]

Iga Perzyna holds a master degree in Architectural History from Bartlett School of Architecture and in Historic Conservation from Oxford Brookes. During her studies in London she was briefly involved as an intern at Bukka, which is where she met Ka’ssa co-founder Rachel Stella Jenkins. Her master thesis from Bartlett looked at the government buildings in Monrovia, Liberia in the context of the post-independence nation building processes taking place in Africa. After graduating in 2014 she worked for the 0047 gallery in Oslo and collaborated on the Conservation Area Statement Proposal – Sagene/Akerselva with the Cultural Heritage Management Office of the City of Oslo. She is working on a project basis with African Architecture Matters since 2015.

 ________________________________________________________

GAZE ON LIBERIA

Photo: Greg Perzyna

Three years ago I went to Liberia. At the time I was a master student in Architectural History at the Bartlett School of Architecture. I wouldn’t be entirely honest if I wrote that my trip to Liberia was a culmination of my profound and long-lasting interest in the country. Profound and long-lasting interest in architecture and urbanism on the African continent - yes, but Liberia, prior to my trip, was not on my radar.

Most of my knowledge about matters related to African architecture and urbanism had up to this point been shaped by books available at the university libraries and what were, usually, academic articles. Without any personal anchor on the continent I followed the well-trodden paths of literature on Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Congo and other former European colonies, which is perhaps partly the reason why I never came across Liberia in relation to architecture and urbanism. Most of the literature I was familiar with was concerned with the ‘pre-colonial’, ‘colonial’ and ‘after independence’ placing Liberia with its rather singular history in the African context outside of the purview of European scholars.

This is not to say that I went to Liberia without any clue about the architecture I would be looking at. A great blog by Matt Jones ‘moved2monrovia’ (http://movedtomonrovia.blogspot.com/) took me on an architectural tour around Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, and sparked my curiosity and excitement about the place. I also came across a book on Americo - Liberian Folk Architecture from the late 1980s “A Land and Life Remembered: Americo-Liberian Folk Architecture” and a brief input on Liberia in Ediliza-Moderna n. 89-90 from 1967. Finally, I spent countless hours in front of my laptop exchanging emails with scholars from Indiana University and frantically looking for images online which would help me to stitch together a better picture of a country I knew so little about.

Much has been written about Liberia from the perspective of its recent turbulent history. Years of brutal civil war have left the country in a devastated condition, of which the crumbling buildings and infrastructure of its capital city is but one example. To an outsider Liberia will most likely be known for the atrocities of its former President Charles Taylor, the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 2011 to the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, haunting images of the civil war by war photographers and journalists like Chris Hondros (http://www.chrishondros.com/images.htm), Tim Hetherington (http://www.timhetheringtontrust.org/about-tim) and James Brabazon or Ebola. What is perhaps less known is the rich history of cultural transfers, nation building and modernization shaping its physical environment which I hope this text will give you a small glimpse of.

Monrovia – the capital of Africa’s Lone Star

The first independent African Republic in 1847, Liberia was founded by a group of freed American slaves guided by the noble ideals of liberty, democracy and creating an asylum for the entire black race. However, along with their noble goals, the Americo-Liberian settlers, also carried with them from the New World to Africa the mission of spreading the Christian gospel and promoting Western culture among Africans. Belief in cultural superiority to the indigenous population and the reluctance to adapt to local conditions and traditions, led the Americo-Liberians to adopt intentional outward signs of civilised life of which the settlers’ architecture is perhaps the most telling example.

Monrovia is located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado. Its ‘old town’ is laid out on a grid-iron pattern, befitting its American origins, and occupies the tip of the Cape. The borders of the city expanded a great deal during the 1950s and early 1960s and include today the areas of Sinkor, Congo Town and Paynsville to the south-east.

Source: wikimedia

By 1945 the city was described as small and quiet, lacking paved streets and modern facilities, with only few people found on the streets. It was only after the Second World War that Monrovia transformed almost entirely from a low-rise and provincial-in-feeling town to a city claiming its position as a ‘focal point of a great Era’. Monrovia’s character was once defined by the typical Americo-Liberian ante-bellum architecture, inspired by the plantation architecture of the southern United States. While many of the old buildings are still in place they have suffered substantial negligence and are often in dire condition. One can still sense how the city looked like before the building boom of the 1950s and 60s, but to get a better view of the Americo-Liberian architecture it is worth taking a trip out of Monrovia to some of the nearby towns. *(i)

Out of town Americo-Liberian architecture

Because of its grid-iron pattern Monrovia’s city centre is fairly easy to navigate. Of the many streets making up the grid of the capital, Broad Street running in west-east direction towards the top of the hill is, arguably, the most representative street in the city. Until the mid-1960s Broad Street was the seat of the Liberian government, which was later moved to the Capitol Hill. Today the Old Senate House hosts the National Museum of Liberia, while the Old Executive Grounds are waiting for a second life.

Broad Street

Benson Street

There is an impressive array of churches in the city and some of them can be found along Broad Street adding to its architectural and historical interest. The churches represent not only a sample of the various Christian movements operating in the country, but also of various architectural styles starting with the 19th century Providence Baptist Church and ending with the brutalist in style Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Source: http://notthesamestream.blogspot.com/2012/02/liberia-christian-country.html

Examples of churches in Monrovia

At the western end of the street and at the top of the hill the famous Ducor Palace Hotel can be found. The hotel has, in many respects, the most prominent location within the entire city, something which might be seen as its blessing as much as its curse. There was a time when the hotel was considered as an object of national pride. For a long period it was one of the few five-star hotels in Africa. It served well to promote Liberian hospitality across the globe, while also an important venue for the local and expat society and the setting to some of the key diplomatic dinners that took place in the country. Due to the enduring civil war (and following socio-political changes), the hotel lost its original raison d'être and subsequently fell into ruin, becoming the shadow of its former self that can still be visited today.*(ii)

Ducor Palace Hotel

Leaving the ‘old-town’ behind and moving eastwards towards the residential area of Sinkor one will have to pass through a narrow part of land where the Capitol Hill is located. After the Second World War and under the rule of William V.S Tubman who served as the head of the country for 27 years, Liberia sought to do away with the unfavourable image of poverty and underdevelopment that had lingered over the country for a long time. As a part of this process, Tubman’s government embarked on a widespread modernization of the country which in the physical realm translated, among other initiatives, into building new infrastructure and office buildings. In the early 1960s a City Planning Report was drawn up by a German urban planner Hans Högg outlining a new masterplan for Monrovia. Although, the project was never started, it envisioned Monrovia developing in an orderly manner according to the principles of modernist urban planning. Foreign architects and other building experts including Italians, Germans, Brits, Americans and Israelis, were involved in building the “New Liberia” *(iii) that Tubman envisioned. But Liberia also had its own architects Milton & Richards, who stand behind some of the most prominent public buildings in the capital city, and whose works have dominated the architectural scene of Liberia for nearly half a century.

Milton & Richards’ Architectural Office

Capitol Hill

For a number of years, the post-war period was a time when the success of Tubman’s government was measured in the number of structures coming up every year. Optimism and enthusiasm permeated the channels of government propaganda. What was considered as (one of) the greatest successes of his government was the construction of the new government seat. This project, that lasted over 30 years, was important for numerous reasons. One such reason was the fact that the Liberian government, since the foundation of the country, did not own a single government building, but instead occupied large private residences rented from wealthy citizens. The other was linked to Tubman’s ambitions regarding foreign politics: as the head of the oldest African republic he wished to assume a position of leadership in decolonizing Africa and needed, quite simply, representative buildings that would be associated with his country.  

If one takes the Camp Johns Rd. from ‘old-town’ to Sinkor there is no chance to miss the imposing buildings representing the three branches of Liberia’s government. Nevertheless, it is quite hard to get a good view of them as the area is under heavy guard and all movements in slow motion are treated with high suspicion (in particular when it comes to the Executive Mansion). Of the three, the Capitol Building, housing the senate house and the parliament, was the first building that was erected. The current building although modelled on its predecessor has little to do with the hybrid tropical-modernist structure designed in 1949 by the German architect Frank Koester. Located to the west of the Capitol Building is the multi-storey Temple of Justice designed in the 1960s by the Italian architect Tommaso Valle, in a modern style with elements of tropical modernism in its wings.

Source: unknown

Source: Indiana University

On the opposite side of the road, facing towards the Atlantic Ocean, stands the Executive Mansion, considered the greatest achievement of Tubman’s government. *(iv) With its eight-stories containing reportedly 310 rooms and housing facilities such as an atomic-bomb shelter, an underground swimming pool, private chapel, trophy room and cinema. Surrounded gardens and with a sweeping driveway the building was a real ‘tour de force’ for Liberia. From the information at hand, not much more can be said about the exterior of the building than its interior, but archival images in the holdings of the Indiana University give a hint at the style of the interior design. Chandeliers, gilded moldings on the walls and offices lined with heavy carpets and tapestry all complete the picture of an ambitious and excessively grandiose building project, which in the words of Tubman was a "... distinctive achievement in modern architecture" and a "... living embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of the people of this nation”.

The Executive Mansion might have served its intended purpose at the time when it was built, but its life after Tubman reflects the turbulent history of the country - witnessing, among others, the brutal execution of the 19th President of Liberia, William R. Tolbert and excessive looting during the civil war. The building now stands empty since 2006 while the presidential offices were moved to the nearby Pan-African Plaza.

***

When I was visiting Monrovia three years ago at the wake of the Ebola virus the city was bustling with life. Yellow cabs and colourful umbrellas giving shade to the vendors in the streets are two of the most prominent fixtures of the city that stuck in my mind. I lived in Sinkor the residential, hotel and embassy area which, while lively in its own terms, would leave me wandering along streets lined with tall gates guarding the buildings behind them from possible intruders and gazers like me.

Sinkor, view from my balcony

Strolling around the ‘old town’, on the other hand, is a much more rewarding experience for one interested in architecture and cities. Along the streets old sits next to new, patched-up corrugated iron next to concrete with glazing and structures falling to pieces next to sound ones. With some help of archival images and a little bit of imagination it is not hard to project how the city looked like in its glorious days before the civil war. From conversations with older Monrovians I could sense the feeling of pride and sentiment. At the same time it was impossible to ignore the reality that many of Monrovia’s citizens today have to face on a daily basis. The turbulent history of Liberia casts a long shadow over the country and it is a key to understanding the built environment of its capital city: the ambitions of the Americo-Liberian elite that built the city and the backlash against it, has become, so to say written into its contemporary urban tissue.

Monrovia street views

***

A while ago I came across a rather reassuring article in The Guardian by Afua Hirschn titled Marvel at Monrovia which confirmed some of the sentiments I had about the city when I visited it in 2014. As for my own research, the six weeks I spent in Liberia were certainly not enough to explore the architecture of the country. But in hindsight I think quite a lot of important information came out as a result of my investigations. As one of the people reading my thesis justly pointed out, the paper contained many unexplored lines of inquiry which certainly deserve more attention.

As it comes to Liberia’s post-war architecture, which became the topic of my thesis, I was left with the impression that in his attempts to change the outward image of the country, Tubman did not differ much from the rest of the political elite emerging in Africa after the independence. However, in contrast to other similar nation building projects, his endeavors have never received the attention they merit in relation to the story of modern architecture in Africa. There are many similarities between Liberia and other African countries relying on foreign expertise and funds, but there are also many differences which stem from Liberia’s particular history. In terms of architectural research I would say that in the narratives of architectural import and export, dissemination and transmission of ideas and nation building projects, Liberia’s story still remains to be told. A story of a country which was not an unimportant political player in times when optimism and belief in a brighter future held sway over the African continent.

All the images are property of author unless otherwise indicated.

________________________________________________________

Notes to the text:

*(i) “A Land and Life Remembered: Americo-Liberian Folk Architecture” by Svend E. Holsoe and Bernard L. Herman is the only book on Liberian architecture I came across during my research. The book takes a critical look at the Americo-Liberian built heritage through the perspectives of diffusion, acculturation and social organization. It was published in the late 1980s and has never seen a follow up on the topic. The Americo-Liberian Folk architecture was not my focus, but I do believe it merits more attention (before it disappears) and that a further study of these buildings would in many ways benefit the scholarship on cultural and architectural transmissions, especially in the context of the repatriated slaves from the Americas settling on Africa’s Western coast.

*(ii) The prominent location of the Ducor Palace Hotel makes it a thorn in the eye of the government. Different to the other dilapidated hotels which can be found outside of the city it is hard to turn a blind eye on it since it is towering over the city. For all that I know there is a will among the government to bring the hotel back to use, but for the time being without much success. The last major attempt to revive the place was made by Gaddafi, but it came to an halt with the eruption of the Libyan war. The rumour has it that the Americans were not in favour of Gaddafi’s investment in the hotel. Not surprisingly perhaps as it is the only place from which the fortress-like American Embassy could possibly be threatened.

*(iii) Tubman’s modernization rhetoric was built around the two opposing concepts; “Old Liberia”; standing for everything that is backward and “New Liberia”; standing for everything that is modern and forward looking.

*(iv) In 1958 an international competition was organized which was won by the Stanley Engineers Company from the US. Construction of the building lasted only for three years (1961-64). However, the final design of the building varies substantially from the one which was submitted during the competition. Much indicates that Tubman himself had quite a say in the development of the building, not to mention the fact that although Stanley Engineers Company claims to stand behind the design, so do Milton & Richards’. The building was constructed by the Israeli owned Liberian Construction Company which was also responsible for the construction of the Ducor Palace Hotel.  

[decaffeinatedlightluminary-blog]

Stop Korupsi dan Suap di Indonesia

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Stop Korupsi dan Suap di Indonesia

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Go East Young Man! Traveling the Orient – Asia Adventure

After spending a summer serving in war-torn east Africa, where I slept in a tent for two of the three months I was there; I returned to the United States to embark upon a law education.  Far less adventurous and for me difficult to be passionate about, I struggled my first year of law school.  Though I passed the first semester of courses by the skin of my teeth, my grade point average was quite discouraging for someone thinking to make a career practicing law.

Thankfully, it took a few months for our second semester final exams to be graded and posted.  I therefore in good faith pursued an international law internship and summer program at the University of Hong Kong.  Situated atop lovely Victorian Peak, I dived deeper into academia and international law.

What was unique about those three months in Hong Kong during the summer of 1995 was that the British government was still ruling.  Upon taking a trip to the high court, I saw Chinese judges wear white British style wigs.  It was a funny and rare site to behold.

My passion in particular was helping oppressed people in forgotten nations where their human rights were being violated.  Unfortunately I learned from my law professor in Hong Kong that international treaties to uphold human rights are rarely enforced by the United Nations or anyone else globally.  For me that further diminished the relevance of international law and my interest in studying it.

In those days a particular religious group smuggled Bibles across from Hong Kong into Shenzhen, China.  I was asked to participate, which I did.  That day of smuggling Bibles was far more exciting than my entire summer buried in law books in Hong Kong.

Upon returning home after successfully completing my summer internship and academic program, I opened a disheartening letter from my law school encouraging me to withdraw based on my dismal grade point average.

Wondering what on earth I would now do with my life, when walking home to my Brooklyn Heights apartment I heard a voice.  “Go east young man!  Go east!”

Gripped by what I heard, I determined to go to Chinatown that week. Upon doing so I met a Chinese Pastor who immediately offered me a job to travel with him throughout Asia and be his English teacher. Without hesitation I happily accepted.  Not long thereafter I found myself in Taipei, Taiwan.

Across the street from my new apartment was Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park honoring the revolutionary Chinese leader who established Taiwan governmentally.  Suffering from jet lag the first week I was in Taiwan, I journeyed outside looking for some food when I discovered the lovely park across the street.

Many people were exercising, enjoying the cool morning air.  Tai chi was a particular favorite, which I saw both men and when doing with the utmost concentration and precision.  The Chinese internal martial art is frequently practiced for health and longevity.  The slow and fluid movements facilitate internal harmony and oneness within.

Before the business day began, the raising of the national flag, along with a soldier salute occurred daily.  It was a delight to be able to see and behold.  Though I could not yet speak Mandarin, what I saw with my eyes captivated my heart and deposited a deep respect for Chinese culture.

By reason of my association with Pastor Ko and other reputable wise men, I soon became a highly sought out speaker.  Others throughout Asia began hearing of me and invited me to their countries.

My trip to Burma was a somewhat covert operation considering where I was invited to speak was deemed a “blackout area” where foreigners were not permitted.  Nevertheless after meeting my initial contact in Rangoon, we were able to exchange the problematic national currency and secure a domestic flight to the remote destination.

There was no electricity.  I slept on a blow up mattress under a mosquito net, while large rats crawled overhead at night.  We hung our meager supplies and fruit from a string to keep the rats from getting to them during the evening.

When I awoke in the morning, there were always some fresh rodent droppings on my mosquito net.  Nevertheless I was happy to endure such light afflictions considering the tremendous response of the people when I spoke to them about personal empowerment and being a world-changer.

Since the Universities had been shut down across Burma, students did whatever they could to further their education and professional development.  That is why they were so enthusiastic to hear me speak.

Historically student and monk peaceful protests in Burma were ended by brutality and killing.  What troubled me most however was the lack of opportunity for bright youth throughout the country.  Religious leaders from the monasteries begged for rice daily in the streets of Rangoon. Democracy would not be tolerated as those in power were determined to hold on as long as possible.

What touched my heart the most was the humility and hunger of young adults to draw near to foreigners to learn anything they could.  Such a yearning for knowledge and self-development deeply moved my heart to commit to do all I can for the Burmese youth.  I pray the freedom within the hearts of the youth and monks of Burma can somehow victoriously breakthrough and transform their beloved country.

Upon reaching my twenty-eight day limit on my visa in Burma, I was forced to leave the country.  My next stop was Thailand, a lovely country with much sexual perversion.

Never in my life had I seen such open prostitution as I had in Bangkok and Phuket.  Prostitutes and transvestites freely approached people on the streets soliciting payment for sexual favors.  Commonly ladies and “lady-boys” approached me uttering obscenities and selling services.

The U.S. Navy and Marines arrived in Phuket happy to party and take in some extracurricular activities.  A few service men made friends with local girls.  I can only imagine how many drunk foreigners wake up in the morning only to find they’ve slept with a transvestite.

Beyond the vice of prostitution, Thailand overall is a lovely place to vacation and visit.  The food is fantastic.  The people are friendly.  The beaches are superb.  Among the islands I visited were Krabi and Phee-Phee, the latter hit the hardest by the tsunamis.

A European restaurant owner told me stories of Burmese young ladies who had been kidnapped or promised work at upscale resorts.  Once the Burmese girls were brought to the cities, their passports were taken and they were forcibly subjected to prostitution.  I was informed that once the young ladies get HIV or some sexual disease, they are taken back to the Burmese border, given a fatal injection, and left to die.

Such human rights violations are rarely fought considering the limited economic opportunities in Burma.  It is said even along the northeast region of Thailand families sell their own daughters into prostitution to make money.

Though I saw many beautiful young ladies, I managed to happily restrain myself.  I was not interested in catching any sexual diseases, which I was told was quite common throughout Thailand.

I journeyed further south when I received an invitation to speak in Penang, Malaysia.  Immediately upon entering Malaysia I could sense there was a stronger governmental hand upon the land.  I found the Muslims in Malaysia to be very friendly and respectful.

My greatest adventure was traveling to East Malaysia, where I spoke in several poor villages. The precious people were very superstitious, practicing various voodoo like observances I had only before seen in Haiti.  Some claimed they were harassed and troubled by demon spirits.  Hence I spoke on the importance of guarding your heart, personal purity, and living fearlessly.

The villagers were overjoyed to have me as their guest and cooked innumerable dishes for me to sample.  Their poverty by no means hindered their gracious hospitality, neither their generosity.  I shall never forget the tenderness of heart the Malaysians showed me.

One unexpected visitor that showed up in a modest home where I stayed was a monkey.  During the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis when the military was slaughtering all of the pigs, many were concerned about other animals contracting the virus.  Thankfully we never fell ill with the disease and carried on through the outbreak unharmed.

While in East Malaysia (the island of Bornea), an invitation came to speak in Brunei.  This small and oil rich nation didn’t have much to do socially at night, but the people were all very polite and industrious.  Shell Oil and other petroleum contractors frequented the small country to do business.

What surprised me the most was to see over seventy people jam packed within a small house to hear me speak.  The event was hosted by a Christian fellowship that legally was not permitted to meet publicly.

When I inquired further as to the laws of Brunei, I was told that only the Catholics and Anglicans are legally authorized to conduct Christian ceremonies.  Brunei does not permit other religious groups to have churches or schools.

It was then I realized how priceless the freedom of thought and expression is, without which there can be no democracy or just government to serve the people.  Such sacred freedoms we in the West so commonly take for granted are greatly cherished and only wished for abroad in such nations as Brunei. Though Brunei has a prospering economy, it is a “dry country” meaning no liquor is sold in the country.  Certainly forbidding the use of alcohol has its benefits.  There are no drunk driving incidents to endanger people with, neither excessive substance abuse.  As one who does not drink myself, such restrictions had no bearing upon me.

Nevertheless as a world traveler touring Asia, the laws of Brunei that restrict religion and consumption were very noticeable.  On a more fun note, the free theme park the sultan constructed for all to happily use in the center of the country was a blast!  Children and adults of all ages make merry and enjoy it very much!  It is my hope the sultan’s generosity will extend over into social freedoms for the people of Brunei.

Upon leaving Brunei we were off to Jakarta, Indonesia.  As a surfer Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, quickly became my favorite country in Asia.  Considering I didn’t have much money to travel on, the inexpensive hotels and minimal cost of living made Indonesia very comfortable for me.

Even better the people were very generous.  Wherever I spoke I always left with more money than I came in with.  Upon going to get a hair cut at the salon, I was presently surprised to discover reflexology.  Foot massage is very popular throughout Indonesia and only costs about $5 to $10 depending on where you go.

After a good workout at the hotel health club, I even managed to get a full body massage lasting one hour for just $10 to $15 USD.  I suddenly felt like a king, though I was living on a pauper’s budget.

While traveling to different areas of Jakarta, my taxi driver pointed out to me a former hotel which had been bombed during the riots a few years ago.  The building was utterly destroyed.  I was told that Islamic terrorists had blown it up in anticipation of President Clinton and other Americans being there.

I learned about the May riots in which Chinese businessmen were also targeted by Muslim extremists who vandalized their homes and sought to kill them.  Like clockwork every May, Chinese would leave the country fearing for their lives.

It seems the Chinese living within Indonesia made the locals jealous.  Their business acumen and astute intellect provoked struggling Indonesians.

Nevertheless the same opportunities exist for all throughout Indonesia.  Yet many people were easily aroused by the protestation calling for violence.  Sadly many died over the years as a result.

I fell deeply in love with Indonesia and returned numerous times.  I particularly remember my time speaking in East Timor during the war in 2000, before the United Nations granted them national sovereignty.  It was a time of hardship and unrest, as war killed many innocent people.  Thankfully Timor Leste, as it is now called, is a land dwelling in peace.

When the tsunamis swept through the island of Sumatra, I was moved with compassion to find my way to Banda Aceh.  The longtime renegade province of Indonesia had historically killed dissidents and religious leaders of other faiths.  Eventually the leaders of Banda Aceh forbid international aid workers altogether.

That all changed when Banda Aceh and the bordering towns were devastated by the tsunamis.  International aid workers from around the globe were suddenly greeted with open arms, waving hands, and smiling faces.

I met men who had lost up to five children and their wives in a single day.  One Muslim man told me he cried for two months straight.

Endeavoring to do what I could with what little finances I had, we helped a Muslim young man rebuild his home.  His home had been leveled by the tsunamis and he washed to the top of a nearby mountain when the waves swept through.

It was nothing short of a miracle that those alive survived.  As they all pulled together to rebuild their homes, bureaucratic delays from the government impeded progress.  Nevertheless many proceeded to build with or without authorization.

Other allegations later surfaced that corrupt governmental officials nationally and locally were pocketing charitable contributions and not getting them to those most in need.  Such corruption is widespread throughout Indonesia as is evident by the poor and faulty infrastructure across the country.

Bribery sadly is commonplace.  Even more troubling was the drug epidemic I witnessed among the youth, many of whom use ecstasy.  It is said some 15,000 youth die annually from ecstasy overdose.

The island of Java also has its problems with prostitution.  Not something you would expect from an Islamic government.

The Bali bombings during which discos were set on fire and tourists killed sent fear throughout the tourism industry.  As the economy took a nosedive, the Indonesian government and police quickly responded to terrorist elements seeking to thwart national stability.

The dangers of terrorists remain throughout isolated areas of Indonesia, as one never knows when a radical may strike.  Overall Indonesia however is very peaceable, polite, and warm toward foreigners.

I often felt like a movie star everywhere I went in Indonesia as people shouted at me with joy hoping to get a wave or smile in return.

The sweetness and sincerity of the people stole my heart.  Though I am an American born citizen, I left my heart in Asia.  Every chance I get, I happily and wholeheartedly return to the continent where two-thirds of the world’s populace lives.

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[surly01]

Support the Troops: Bring Them Home

Published on the Doomstead Diner May 29, 2016

Originally article published on the Doomstead Diner on May 28, 2012

"Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasn't happening. It didn't matter. It was of no interest. The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them."

— Harold Pinter, from his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature, 2005

On Memorial Day, the best thing that anyone reading this can do is to read the entirety of Harold Pinter's glorious Nobel acceptance speech, source for the above quote. Much of Pinter's work explores the fluidity of truth and falsity and the limitations of language to capture that illusory truth.

“Truth in drama is forever elusive. You never quite find it but the search for it is compulsive. The search is clearly what drives the endeavour.”

For dramatists, perhaps. The spirit of inquiry is largely absent in America, as is any search for "truth," particularly on this holiday weekend. Solemn words will fill the air, ceremonials staged and "Taps" played to honor our nation's military dead. The vast majority of these fallen enlisted out of a sense of honor, duty and purpose. Many of us, encountering a serviceman or woman in uniform, will utter a sincere, "Thank you for your service." So Memorial Day is traditionally a day to remember, to take stock, to honor the fallen, and to tell ourselves that they have not fallen in vain. We trust and believe in what we are told, and feel better about ourselves.

What we are unwilling to do is to examine the foreign policy of the Empire that deploys these overwhelmingly working class heroes. We offer a moment of silence in memory of past wars, then race to the grill, or the mall to take advantage of Memorial Day sales. Never do we consider the context of those wars– or the next.

In an essay published yesterday, Paul Craig Roberts offers up a cautionary note: As Our Past Wars Are Glorified This Memorial Day Weekend, Give Some Thought To Our Prospects Against The Russians And Chinese In World War III. He doesn't much like our chances:

“It is extraordinary to see the confidence that many Americans place in their military’s ability. After 15 years the US has been unable to defeat a few lightly armed Taliban, and after 13 years the situation in Iraq remains out of control. This is not very reassuring for the prospect of taking on Russia, much less the strategic alliance between Russia and China. The US could not even defeat China, a Third World country at the time, in Korea 60 years ago.

“Americans need to pay attention to the fact that “their” government is a collection of crazed stupid fools likely to bring vaporization to the United States and all of Europe.

“Russian weapons systems are far superior to American ones. American weapons are produced by private companies for the purpose of making vast profits. The capability of the weapons is not the main concern. There are endless cost overruns that raise the price of US weapons into outer space.”

Whether it's dick-waving via the Stennis carrier group in the South China Sea, fomenting coups in Brazil, guarding the militarized poppy fields of Afghanistan to protect its prime export crop for domestic US consumption, or staging war games in eastern Europe within sight of the Russian border, we are sliding slow motion into global war on multiple fronts with virtually no public debate. Of course, when you are broke, war is the ultimate "reset button." It buries a multitude of bodies, both literal and financial, and puts the squeeze on tax donkeys to pay the bills, cleans up the balance sheets of the banks.

If, in Pinter's words,  "The search is clearly what drives the endeavour," we Americans have decided to sit this one out. Thinking is hard.

In a recent article well worth reading, Silencing America as it prepares for war, John Pilger outlines the case. As we honor our fallen dead and extoll the virtues of those serving, civilian casualties from Vietnam to Iraq and Syria, to Yemen and Honduras, Libya to Ukraine are swept under history's rug and those paying the freight are properly propagandized.

“The 2016 election campaign is remarkable not only for the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders but also for the resilience of an enduring silence about a murderous self-bestowed divinity. A third of the members of the United Nations have felt Washington's boot, overturning governments, subverting democracy, imposing blockades and boycotts. Most of the presidents responsible have been liberal – Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, Obama.

“The breathtaking record of perfidy is so mutated in the public mind, wrote the late Harold Pinter, that it "never happened …Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasn't happening. It didn't matter. It was of no interest. It didn't matter… ". Pinter expressed a mock admiration for what he called "a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. It's a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis."

“Take Obama. As he prepares to leave office, the fawning has begun all over again. He is "cool". One of the more violent presidents, Obama gave full reign to the Pentagon war-making apparatus of his discredited predecessor. He prosecuted more whistleblowers – truth-tellers – than any president. He pronounced Chelsea Manning guilty before she was tried. Today, Obama runs an unprecedented worldwide campaign of terrorism and murder by drone.”

And with six months to go until a Presidential election, we have no meaningful debate. Only Trump has challenged the neocon articles of faith: Why is the US "everywhere on the globe"? Why do we have over 700 foreign bases? What is NATO's true mission? Why does the US taxpayer have to foot the bill? Why does the US always pursue regime change in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ukraine? Why treat Russia and Vladimir Putin as an enemy? It will be interesting to see if any such questions are asked in upcoming debates, or whether the stage managers will want to risk breaking the mass hypnosis.

Another thing that we are sleeping through is that we are upping the ante regarding use of nuclear weapons in warfare. Pilger also points this out.

“No American president has built more nuclear warheads than Obama. He is "modernising" America's doomsday arsenal, including a new "mini" nuclear weapon, whose size and "smart" technology, says a leading general, ensure its use is "no longer unthinkable".

“James Bradley, the best-selling author of Flags of Our Fathers and son of one of the US marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, said, "[One] great myth we're seeing play out is that of Obama as some kind of peaceful guy who's trying to get rid of nuclear weapons. He's the biggest nuclear warrior there is. He's committed us to a ruinous course of spending a trillion dollars on more nuclear weapons. Somehow, people live in this fantasy that because he gives vague news conferences and speeches and feel-good photo-ops that somehow that's attached to actual policy. It isn't."

“In Asia, the Pentagon is sending ships, planes and special forces to the Philippines to threaten China. The US already encircles China with hundreds of military bases that curve in an arc up from Australia, to Asia and across to Afghanistan. Obama calls this a "pivot".

“As a direct consequence, China reportedly has changed its nuclear weapons policy from no-first-use to high alert and put to sea submarines with nuclear weapons. The escalator is quickening.”

Remember the public debate on this? Me, neither. Yet our warlike posture is not a recent development. An all-but-forgotten American hero,  Smedley Darlington Butler (1881 – 1940) defined the truth many years ago. Butler was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps, an outspoken critic of U.S. military adventurism, and at death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. Memorial Day is a good and fitting day to remember a real hero like Butler.  

After his retirement from the Marine Corps, Gen. Butler made a nationwide tour in the early 1930s speaking on the theme, "War is a Racket." The speech was so well received that he wrote a small book with the same title published in 1935. In it, he described the workings of the military-industrial complex and, after retiring from service, became a popular speaker at meetings organized by veterans, pacifists and church groups in the 1930s.

“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.… It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."

That last statement is as close as we are likely to come to an eternal truth.

A little known and much obscured part of American history is the attempted Business Plot against Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the beginning of the New Deal. Conservatives were not only exercised at the notion of "creeping socialism" by the election of FDR, but also by the abandonment of the gold standard. Herbert Hoover, who had championed the standard on behalf of his sponsors, wrote "that its abandonment was the first step toward "communism, fascism, socialism, statism, planned economy," not to mention popery, bestiality, witchcraft and free love.

The forces of actual fascism, a group of wealthy industrialists, apparently planned a military coup to overthrow Roosevelt, and approached Butler to play a role. The conspirators apparently noted his popularity among World War I veterans (itself based Butler's support for the Bonus Army movement, in which vets marched on Washington for promised back pay, and who were dispersed by Hoover and the General-In-Charge, one Douglas MacArthur.)

The plotters quickly learned they had the wrong man. Butler reported the controversy to Congress, who held a hearing.  The purported plot would have had Butler leading a mass of armed veterans on Washington. The individuals identified denied the existence of a plot, and the media ridiculed the allegations. The committee's final report stated that there was evidence of such a plot, but no charges were ever filed. (More here.) Remember that in 1934-35, American industrialists smiled at the good works of Hitler and Mussolini and their cost-saving efficiencies.

At the end of his book, Butler made three recommendations, which fell on deaf ears then as now:

1. Making war unprofitable. Butler suggests that the owners of capital should be "conscripted" before other citizens are: "The only way to smash this racket is to conscript capital and industry and labor before the nation's manhood can be conscripted. … Let the officers and the directors and the high-powered executives of our armament factories and our steel companies and our munitions makers and our ship-builders …that provide profit in war time as well as the bankers and the speculators, be conscripted — to get $30 a month, the same wage as the lads in the trenches get"

2. Acts of war to be decided by those who fight it. He also suggests a limited plebiscite to determine if the war is to be fought. Eligible to vote would be those who risk death on the front lines.

3. Limitation of militaries to self-defense. For the United States, Butler recommends that the navy be limited by law to within 200 miles of the coastline, and the army restricted to the territorial limits of the country, ensuring that war, if fought, can never be one of aggression.

Clearly, we didn't listen. On this Memorial Day, when neocons still hold the reins of our war policy (not a "foreign policy" any longer) and are willing to fight the next war to YOUR last son or daughter, I can think of no greater tribute to our men and women in uniform than to recall the memory of Smedley Butler, the only soldier to ever be awarded TWO Congressional Medals of Honor.

And for the last word, Paul Craig Roberts:

“It is entirely possible that the world is being led to destruction by nothing more than the greed of the US military-security complex. Delighted that the reckless and stupid Obama regime has resurrected the Cold War, thus providing a more convincing “enemy” than the hoax terrorist one, the “Russian threat” has been restored to its 20th century role of providing a justification for bleeding the American taxpayer, social services, and the US economy dry in behalf of profits for armament manufacturers.

“All of America’s wars except the first—the war for independence—were wars for Empire. Keep that fact in mind as you hear the Memorial Day bloviations about the brave men and women who served our country in its times of peril. The United States has never been in peril, but Washington has delivered peril to numerous other countries in its pursuit of hegemony over others.”

Support the troops: bring them home. All of them.

Surly1 is an administrator and contributing author to Doomstead Diner. He is the author of numerous rants, articles and spittle-flecked invective on this site, and has been active in the Occupy movement. He lives in Southeastern Virginia with his wife Contrary and is the proud parent of a recent college graduate.

[doomedandstoned]

'Abbey Rose' An Excursion Into The Malevolent World of The Munsens

~Review by Billy Goate~

Live Photos by Javier Armendariz and Travis Heacock (B&W)

I've always had a soft spot for the MUNSENS, going back to the 'Weight of Night' (2014) days.   My first opportunity to meet and interview the Denver band came during their 2015 tour stop in Eugene, and the performance did not disappoint.   They're an affable bunch; down to earth dudes who enjoy skating, photography, and leveling concert halls with ripe riffage.

In the intervening years, Mike Goodwin (bass, vocals) and Shaun Goodwin (guitar) have teamed up with a new member to the Munsens clan for a second record, 'Abbey Rose' (2016) -- a dark, dramatic huddle of tracks averaging +/- 10 minutes each.

I asked Mike for some background on the new EP.

"Following the release of Weight of Night we didn’t play for quite a while," he recounts, "as our original guitarist Jon decided he was going to live in Asbury Park, New Jersey full-time and wasn’t going to be able to come out to Denver to join us permanently, or even periodically, as we’d done throughout the history of the band."

The hunt was on for a replacement.

"Shaun and I continued to write and were set on finding the right person to join us, rather than rush a new lineup together.   Ultimately, we decided Shaun would move from drums to guitar and we would bring in a new drummer."   The two met Graham Wesselhoff "through our friends in Cloud Catcher and we’ve been running with it from there.   We are thrilled to have him in the band."

These mods to the lineup "played a significant part in the construction and sound of Abbey Rose."

I confess, it did take me a while to get into this record, though I've generally found this to be the case with compositions that operate on a grand scale (Dopesmoker being a prime example).   The Munsens are clearly going for the long game with Abbey Rose, preferring a carefully crafted climate of fear and loathing over quick thrills.   These insistent riffs burrow deep into the subconscious, baptizing us into a world of the uncanny.

Stylistically, let me just say how great it is to hear honest-to-goodness, bass-driven doom.   So much of the genre has become dominated by the guitar that it's easy to forget that the bass is so much more than a compliment to the rhythm section.   The capacity of the bass to step up to a leading role is something that, by now, has been amply demonstrated by duos Swamp Ritual, TVSK, Year of the Cobra, and the great Norwegian quintet Reptile Master.

Now, it's time we tackle this beastly anthology track-by-track...

1. You're Next

Abbey Rose by the Munsens

The album opener is a dank, brooding number, with seething vocals that drip with spite and hint of revenge.   "You're Next" and the pieces that follow are send backs to the classic ballad.  No, not the power ballads of '80s hair metal fame.   I have in mind dramatic stories set to song, like the unthinkable tale of Goethe’s Erlkönig, scored so powerfully by Franz Schubert.   The tradition reached a pinnacle in the 19th century, but saw revival in early blues and the folktales Bob Dylan.

There's definitely something sinister afoot in the epic before us.   We feel its stench in the raspy strain of the singing, the prominence of its black hearted baseline, and that dense wall of sound surrounding us.   There's a real sense of presence here, owing in no small part to the live recording (something the Munsens have insisted on for both EPs).   We have Jamie Hillyer of Module Overload to thank for capturing the ambience, as it were, of an empty church hall draped in shadows.   Dennis Pleckham of Bongripper put on the finishing touches, mastering at his Comatose Studios.

"You're Next" has developed quite a bit since I filmed the Munsens performing it year before last at Old Nick's Pub.   "Though it was written prior to Graham’s addition, his drumming has given the song a new feel," Mike observes.   "Shaun and Jon also have much different guitar playing styles.   Shaun had the structure and theme of that song in his head for quite some time, but it didn’t really take shape until we began jamming it out with the new lineup."

Wade in the water Cast your eyes on the sea Looming in torture Beyond the still of the leaves

As I listen, my chest tightens; my throat is seized with dread.   Clearly, I've become entangled in the tentacles of my own imagination, as I did at 12 years old when I swore that a lanky, medieval Satan was hiding in my closet.   The song "can be probably taken a few different levels," Mike tells me, "but that’s up to the listener."

Notwithstanding the ambiguity of interpretation, I found it helpful that the Munsens included lyrics for this release (obscure as they may be).   Personally, it's beyond annoying when a band withholds the words to their songs.   I understand the reasoning, but it really distracts from the listening experience when I'm left to guess what the hell's being said.   But I digress...

"We are psyched on how it turned out," Mike reflects, "though I think we all wish we had a bit more time to work on it, particularly with the drums. We thought they could have been 'larger.'   The lack of time to experiment the way we wished was part of the reason we released Abbey Rose as an EP, despite the running length."

2. Abbey Rose

Abbey Rose by the Munsens

Following "You're Next" comes the record's namesake, which is "framed around The Abbey Rose, a place that yields the image and world an individual desires, or thinks they desire, at the price of having to live with that persona infinitely."   The mood is reinforced by Mike Goodwin's ominous cover photo of an institution frozen in the clutches of night.

The cobblestone is rigid Yet it yields not a glimpse nor a sound The street offers no entrance No, the guests here, go around

The subtext of "Abbey Rose," we're told, is "the insufferable narcissism of our modern age, pushed to extremes by digital personas.   The additional irony lies in that the individual is able to attain and admire all they ever wanted, but are unable to present it to the world around them, the reason they desired such an appearance in the first place."

Curious about this worldview, I pressed Mike for details.   "I imagine a dismal view of the chaos and absurdity around us," he says.   "Lyrically, I wanted this EP to have something of a common thread, and 'You’re Next,' 'To Castile,' and 'Abbey Rose' are a bit similar in that they address a life spent pursuing something that doesn’t exist.   Or should the outcome indeed exist, is it worth the sacrifices endured to achieve it?"

Ultimately, "Abbey Rose" is an admonition against "flawed personal motivation, the groupthink of society, and religious zeal."

3. To Castile

Abbey Rose by the Munsens

"To Castile" takes "the slightly enlightened perspective of someone who has finally realized that it is all just an empty pursuit.   But even when staring the end in the face, they are still wrapped up enough in the bullshit that they continue to play the role.   It has a religious bend, through a fictional letter from Joan of England to her father Edward III from the Port of Bordeaux, while her envoy her swiftly killed by the plague."

I look from high out in the night This fright, it will be mine

The smart pacing of this song and its placement on the EP helps to establish an interconnected narrative.   It's something that really differentiates Abbey Rose from other records.   Admittedly, it is difficult to put something this cohesive together, let alone write a competent concept album that doesn't come across as a loose collection of songs.

4. The Hunt, Part II

Abbey Rose by the Munsens

The clear standout of the record for me is its final track, which guitarist Shaun Goodwin says is "about an evil being that haunts a village."   Part I of "The Hunt" actually began on the prior EP, where "the story is told from the perspective of those haunted by this witch.  They rally to hunt her until finally capturing her ('We’ve got the witch, the high is ours')."   Part II is told "from the evil being’s point of view, as she returns to haunt those that thought they had defeated her."

I will never die I will always rise I will haunt again There will be nothing left This is revenge

As with previous stories, there's an underlying meaning: "It's a metaphor for the evils in life that we each encounter -- addictions, bad relationships, etc. -- and the highs and lows that come along with them."

Mike elaborates: "Part I tells of the elated feeling after seemingly overcoming these wicked vices.   Part II brings the return of such evils, as they so often do in our lives.   Both tracks, and the riffs/lyrics in these tracks, are structured in such a way that you can feel these high and lows as the witch is hunted, defeated, and then encountered once again in stronger force."

We definitely get this impression from the guitar play, which now steps up to a more prominent role.   Shaun's riffmaking is teeming with emotion, building and building to a perfectly choreographed climax.

"Perhaps this metaphor does not hold true for everyone, but it represents a battle that many of us face on a daily basis.   I guess it can be interpreted as 'the hunt' for mental peace."

Thus ends our tour through the imposing Abbey Rose. If you dig it as much as I do, there's more to come.   "I’d say this album is a lot more thought out than anything else we’ve released, but our upcoming full album -- out late summer-- will feel more complete."   The band concludes, "We’ve also been looking to further define our individual sound in a realm that can feel increasingly contrived and this EP, in our opinion, is a greater step in that direction."

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