#( ver. | edward. ) it's the family name that lives on.

[avalior]

@forlibcrty northwest passage

"How am I so different from the first men through this way? Like them, I left a settled life, threw it all away." Twice now, came the painful thought; Caroline alone, left with child and false promises so easily broken, and now Tessa, her genial warmth turned cold and insular, a wraith among a burning wreck.

I'm only seeing a job done, Torres, as you'd have done with me.

As we have done, I think: you have no family anymore, no friends, no future! Your losses are far greater than ours.

Still did Edward smooth such telltale signs of heartache from his countenance, adopting once more the mask of the affable rogue. Though the Jackdaw sailed no more beneath his feet, her body a wreck lost to the coast of Hispaniola, such times, it seemed, called far more for Captain Edward Kenway than they ever would Edward Kenway of Queen Anne's Square.

"But enough on me, lad. Surely you've more important things at hand than an old man and his woes." A moment's consideration, the image of Faulkner rising briefly, prompting a familiar lopsided smirk. "Well...old enough, at any rate."

[retro-vgm-revival-hour]

RETRO VGM REVIVAL HOUR: BONUS STAGE 7 – Friendship Edition

Now that the dumpster fire that is 2020 is coming to and end, Its time to look forward to the many new challenges and experiences that are in store for us, and with that It’s that time again here at the Retro VGM Revival hour, where you, the fellow listener, have entered another BONUS STAGE.

So let us take a little break from the action and distract ourselves with something to reward your progress thus far.

These video game tracks are a selection of random video game compositions that I have chosen as a reward for showing much love and respect to those have been with this podcast since its inception…but this time, It’s a little bit different.This special version includes various shout-outs to various friends that I’ve reached out to for suggestions of their top 3-4 tracks from their favorite games. They will be placed in-between the other random tracks already selected in order to say “Thank You” for them allowing me to be part of their lives.

Yeah, 2020 has been difficult with Covid taking peoples’ lives, jobs and just overall making this year very difficult to get by, but it was because of the family I have and the friends that i keep in my company that have resulted in me never losing hope.

Helping me, always supportive and encouraging……for for that, I wanted to do something to honor their friendship and thank them for everything they do.

                                       Full track listing: ===========Game – Composer – Title – Company========

1.) Sakura Wars 2020 – Kohei Tanaka (Vocals by Maaya Uchida) – “Onna!! Matsuri no kokoroiki (Woman!! The Spirit of the Festival/Hatsuho’s Theme) – December 12, 2019 – Sega CS2 R&D/SEGA – PS4

2.) OneShot – Casey Gu – “Eleventh Hour“ – June 30, 2014 – Future Cat/Degica – Windows PC, macOS & Linux

Joe Walker – Super Mario 64 – Koji Kondo – “File Select, Bowser’s Road & Staff Roll” – June 23, 1996 – Nintendo – Nintendo 64 The Backlog: https://www.youtube.com/user/PKBloggin

3.) Drakengard 3 (Drag-On Dragoon 3) – Keiichi Okabe (Vocals by Emi Evans) – “The Upcoming Battle/Zophiel“ – December 19, 2013 – Access Games/Square Enix – PS3

4.) Off – Alias Conrad Coldwood – “Pepper Steak” – June 5, 2008 – Unproductive Fun Time/Mortis Ghost & Martin Georis – Windows PC & macOS X

Kyle Mesce – Mother 3 – Shogo Sakai – “Name These Children, Natural Killer Cyborg & Sorrowful Tazmily – April 20, 2006 – Brownie Brown & HAL laboratory/Nintendo – GBA (Japan Only) Official: https://www.kmescecomposes.com/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sorven92 In Blood the gothic romance & lovecraftian visual novel Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/scribble-games/in-blood-a-visual-novel-game?ref=7hxpfm Wwise Adventure Game: https://www.audiokinetic.com/courses/wwise251/?source=wwise251&id=Wwise_Adventure_Game

5.) Sonic Forces – Tomoya Ohtani – “Arsenal Pyramid, Battle with Death Queen (Battle with Zavok Remix) & Luminous Forest” – November 7, 2017 – Sonic Team/SEGA – Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4 & Xbox One

6.) 1001 Spikes – Tadd Nuznov (RushJet1) – “Ninja Aban/Ninja Aban (key ver.)“ – June 3, 2014 – 8bits Fanatics/Nicalis – Linux, Windows PC, Nintendo 3DS, Mac OS X, PS4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U & Xbox One

Robert Menes – Mega Man 8 – Shusaku Uchiyama – “Cloud Palace (Tengu Man stage), Snowy City (Frost Man stage) & Wily Stage 1” – December 17, 1996 – Capcom – Sega Saturn & Sony Playstation Notsalgia Road Trip: https://nostalgiaroadtrip.com/ Support him on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/lambdacalculus

7.) Skellboy – Björn Schellin – “Skeleton Hop Clop “ – January 30, 2020 – Umaiki Games – Windows PC & Nintendo Switch

8.) Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt – Stefan Hurtig & Mattias Hakulinen – “Action & Skyboss – December 12, 2014 – Ludosity Interactive – Windows PC

Christina Walker – Earthbound (Mother 2) – Keiichi Suzuki & Hirokazu Tanaka – “Kraken of the Sea, Boy Meets Girl & Apple Kid’s Theme” – August 27, 1994 – Ape & HAL Laboratory/Nintendo – SNES seawalkerdesign: https://linktr.ee/seawalkerdesign

9.) YIIK: A Postmodern RPG – Andrew Allanson, Michael Kelly, Calum Bowen, Toby Fox, Hiroki Kikuta, Jose Alfaro, Tony Manfredonia, Paul Weinstein (Chipocrite), Steve Lakawicz, Mika Maruyama, Ken Snyder & Tomohisa Kuramitsu (Baiyon) – “Into the Mind, Wah-Wah Battle, Syncopated Battle & Krow Battle Theme – January 17, 2019 – Ackk Studios/Ysbryd Games – Windows PC, MacOS, PS4, PS Vita & Nintendo Switch

10.) Nights of Azure – Kazuki Yanagawa, Daisuke Achiwa & Hayato Asano – “Sad Vampire (Colosseum Battle) & Edge of Apocalypse (Mistral Boss)” – October 1, 2015 – Gust/Koei Tecmo – PS3, PS4, PlayStation Vita & Windows PC

Alyssa Menes – Kid Icarus: Uprising – Motoi Sakuraba, Noriyuki Iwadare & Yuzo Koshiro – “Chapter 8:The Space-Pirate Ship, Chapter 20:Destroyed Skyworld, Chapter 15:Aurum Island & Chapter 6:Dark Pit“ – March 22, 2012 – Project Sora & Sora Ltc./Nintendo – Nintendo 3DS Official Site: http://portfolio.acmenesmusic.com/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/acmenes Bandcamp: https://acmenes.bandcamp.com/album/meet-the-light

11.) Punch Club – Pitanime & DaVince – “Tropical Island, Russia & Prison” – January 9, 2016 – Lazy Bear Games/tinyBuild – Windows PC, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Nintendo 3DS, PS4, Xbox One & Nintendo Switch

12.) Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition – Casey Edwards (Vocals by Victor Borba) – “Bury the Light (Vergil’s battle theme)” – November 10, 2020 – Capcom – Xbox Series X/S & PS5

Edgar Velasco: @MoonSpiderHugs Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/NostalgiaRoadTripChannel Official Site: nostalgiaroadtrip.com/ FaceBook: www.facebook.com/groups/nostalgiaroadtrip/ Official Twitter: @NRoadTripCast

[full-course-identity]

@flightysquip​ I have a Rich/Mo AU for you :3

[serious nsft/No Children Allowed, as well as a serious Very Bad Content warning ahead, plus some other unpleasantries. Just assume if you have a trigger, it’s in here. I got a Link too that isn’t... great]

Basically: a universe where Rich is covered in fire burns, but he was never actually in a fire. 

When his mom lit herself up* (* = I’ll provide explanations for those out of the loop below), he was at Jeremy's house*, Liz* planned this ahead of time and asked Em* to take care of him for the night.

Both his dad and his mom died in the fire, while Cody* was out of the house at the time. As a result, they (Rich and Cody) both uh... actually live with the Heere’s? Em is given custody, and Cody is actually only 18 in this, so he comes too.

I know this is a lot of backstory, but I’m getting to the good shit, I promise.

Anyway, Jeremy and Rich (and uh, Cody I guess) growing up together means that they remember they’re cousins* by the time they’re teenagers. Em raises them as her children... sort of. She mistreats Jeremy as always, outright ignores that Cody exists except a few specific occasions, and... tries to actually parent Rich, but is, uh, bad at it. Very stunted. Blunt. Uncomfortable, actually, with her own attachment.

It proves to be too much. She runs off, as usual. Now it’s just Mr. Heere, Cody who already moved out, and 14-year-olds Rich and Jeremy

But, well, it’s not Rich, because he doesn’t know he’s a guy yet. He’s still Emily-the-first (second)*, an edgy teenage supposed-girl with a growing personality disorder, repressed trauma, and mommy/daddy issues. You can guess what happens, right? ‘She’ starts self-harming.

... except. She discovers her pain tolerance is very high, nothing seems to really kill her (I mean, she’s not immortal or anything, just her usual cockroach-y surviving self), and she doesn’t want to stop.

Like, ever. Her suicidal ideations are gone every time she cuts, and every time she’s waiting for an injury to heal. Why would she stop?

But uh. Her self harm is a bit... beyond the normal realms. Baaaaasically, she uh... well. Here’s that link I mentioned: cold/ness/in/my/heart, another girl with BPD who’s very infamous for how far she goes.

The difference between them, though, is what Emily does to “clean up” the wounds.

... TLDR: she cuts massive damage into his flesh and then “melts the wound closed again”. She started reading every book on medical science in the library, and then moved to the internet when it Wasn’t Enough Info and stockpiled medical supplies for herself. Learned how to stitch, clean, bandage, etc. Learned how to medicate herself. Traded sex with Cody for a shitload of oxycodone. Etc.

“What does this have to do with Moses?”

Simple: her and Jeremy took Squips to “fix themselves” in the way they thought they needed.

Jeremy took a Squip to stabilize, fix the growing psychosis, and help his debilitating social anxiety.

Rich took a Squip to convince herself to just go ahead and die before she turned 18.

(She wasn’t suicidal as long as she cut, but she knew. She knew she couldn’t make it as an adult. Why not go out with a bang and some fun?)

... if you’re curious: yes, Moses is absolutely fucking horrified.

[* = the backstory me and Oli have crafted for Rich is that he’s the (trans) son of Elizabeth Beaulieu (last name not final) and Kelly Goranski. Elizabeth’s sister is named Emily (I call her 2.0 even tho she was born before Rich) Beaulieu, married to Edward Heere and the mother of Jeremy Heere. When Rich and Jeremy are both very very young, Elizabeth lit herself on fire and died, mirroring what happens to Rich later. Kelly refuses to let Rich attend the funeral and cuts off ties from the rest of their family. Rich subsequentially represses most everything about his childhood. Mr. Heere, taking a cue from Mrs. Heere who was heartbroken, doesn’t talk about what happened, nor tell Jer about the cousin he doesn’t know he has.

Cody is Rich’s half-brother (dad’s side), and he’s evil. Kelly is also evil. They’re both sexually abusive to Rich, especially when Rich was a child. Kelly, as a 30-something y/o adult and a police officer, “seduced”, impregnated, and married Rich’s mom, who was 14 at the time. Elizabeth, who had undiagnosed Schizo-affective disorder like my vers of Jeremy does (there’s a lot of... symbolical mirroring, Liz to Jeremy and Em to Rich), suffered badly from psychosis and helplessness that kept her from being able to leave.

In most canons, Rich is at the house when his mother burns. He sees her on her way out, charred and half-dead. This time around is a little different, obviously.]

[screamqvccn]

TASK 1 // WHO ARE YOU REALLY?

@murderclubhq

NAME.

FULL NAME: Edwina Agnes Clussy NAME/NICKNAMES: Eds (everyone), Eddie (Holly and Kaz), Edsy (her mom), Wee (her dad) GENERALLY REFERRED TO AS: Edwina or Eddie

APPEARANCE.

FACECLAIM: Kristine Froseth SEX: Female HEIGHT: 5′0″ WEIGHT: Basically a sack of flour; easy to pick up and throw over your shoulder BUILD: Scrawny HAIR: Mousy brown and straight, but she usually curls it. Sometimes she’s got a ribbon tying some of her hair back HANDS: Small and kind of cushiony (think of Pooh Bear’s hands). Her skin on her hands is usually dry because she uses a lot of hand sanitizer CLOTHES: Plaid skirts and dresses, comfy sweaters, knee high socks or socks with frills around them, overalls, mary janes, fannypacks, cross necklace

SPEECH.

ACCENT: North Carolinian twang VERBAL TICKS: Tends to stutter when nervous LANGUAGE: English ARTICULATION: She's educated and has the ideas in her head, but she’s just really bad at getting them out in an articulate manner EDUCATION: Edwina will occasionally substitute a really simple word for something longer. Besides that, she speaks like a typical teenager LAUGHTER: She snorts a lot and tends to try to bite back her laughter because she thinks her laugh is ugly BREATHING: Can usually sound like she’s out of breath especially from all the screaming and yelling she constantly does

MANNERISMS.

FACE: Edwina wears her heart on her sleeve and in her expressions. She’s very expressive and has a hard time fighting back microexpressions HANDS: Because she’s got a lot of anxiety and energy she tends to talk with her hands LEGS/FEET: Her legs are always kept very tightly together (she learned to do this from her parents not wanting her to flash people) EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS: Literally cries all the time. Tends to get emotional easily and will yell and scream if upset HABITS: Hums when she’s thinking and will look around a lot if she’s nervous POSTURE: Stands up straight because she’ll look shorter if she doesn’t PERSONAL SPACE: Tends to like her personal space at first, but once she trusts people (which really isn’t hard to gain from her) then she’s okay with touching. She loves hugs, but if people are overtly touchy with her she may act like she’s annoyed, but will do nothing to fight it back

HEALTH:

DIET: Her mom takes good food really seriously so Edwina tends to eat well for breakfast and dinner. She gets all her food groups in, but tends to snack. Her guilty pleasure is Lunchables. SLEEP: Edwina loves sleep and if you wake her up she will probably kill you EXERCISE: LOL no ACTIVITY: Edwina is lazy as FUCK she would let someone carry her if she didn’t have to walk at all CLEANLINESS: Very cleanly. Grooms herself well and tends to clean everything else around her due to her thing with germs ODOR: Smells like strawberries due to her shampoo and the body spray she uses MEDICINAL DRUGS: She has an inhaler NARCOTICS: No ADDICTIONS: Addicted to One Direction ILLNESS: Asthma and lil bitch syndrome

PERSONAL.

INTROVERT/EXTROVERT?: She keeps to herself, but she gains her energy from being with people OPTIMIST/PESSIMIST: In between. She tends to think everything is the end of the world, but because of that she tries to look for the light in everything GENDER: Cisfemale SEXUALITY: Homosexual, but she’s in the closet. At this point Edwina doesn’t even fully realize she’s gay she just thinks there’s something wrong with her for not liking guys ROMANTIC: Soft romantic bitch. She wants love so bad like she just wants to get married and have like 5 babies MEMORY: Her memory is strong which is helpful with school, but not with her grudges PLANNING: Edwina prefers to plan things out because she knows that’s the safest thing to do, but is constantly getting swept away by people or acting on emotion so planning for things typically go out the window INTUITION: Edwina does everything with good intent, but most of the time it just blows up in her face PROBLEM SOLVING: She’s pretty good at figuring things out whether with context clues or doing research GOALS: Her goal that she tells people is to go to a school like Stanford for engineering, but she really doesn’t think she’s good enough to get into any big name universities. She wants to do something with cars, but her real goal is to get married and become a mom. INSECURITIES: Edwina is insecure about her everything lol. She especially hates her body because of how short and flat chested she is. Her gums and smile are also a really big thing to her and she’s also just ver insecure about her personality because people tell her she’s weird all the time ACHIEVEMENTS: Wins second place in the science fair every year and is in the top 50 of her class ANXIETY: Bitch is always anxious SELF-HELP: Edwina tends to cope by crying all the bad feelings out or screaming about her inner thoughts until she’s tuckered out COMFORTS: If she’s really upset she’ll want someone to just hug her while she cries, but if she can’t do that then she’ll sit in her bed under all the blankets and curl up with her stuffed rabbit BAD HABITS: Not standing up for herself, getting emotional over small things, trusting people too easy, overly washing and sanitizing her hands, screaming and being loud in inappropriate places, and crying easily PHILOSOPHY: Basically lives by the teachings and rules of the Catholic church, but she’s leans very much towards the New Testament and the idea that God is forgiving and therefore so should man TRIGGERS: Germs, blood, death, vomit, Satan, anything gay

THE PAST.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: She’s very close with her parents, but mostly her mom. Her mom didn’t let her out of her arms for so long that Edwina learned how to walk pretty late. Her parents always made her feel loved, but her dad was a little more strict with her. Even so, he still was always affectionate with her. Her parents wanted a bunch of kids, but it took them almost 3 years of trying to have Edwina so they tend to helicopter her and treat her like a princess. Edwina loves both her parents and would put them first always LIFE EVENTS: Edwina met Raquel in kindergarten and that was the first friend she made. After that they became inseparable and didn’t really have people to hang out with besides each other. This was mostly due to people thinking Edwina was sorta weird growing up or Raquel would scare off guys that she thought were trying to ask her out or get with her. Eventually this made people think they were dating which wouldn’t be a problem to Edwina until people started calling her gay slurs. It got worse when she looked at Heidi Dods in the locker room for a little too long and the whole school labeled her as a predatory lesbian. It got so bad that Mr. Kobbs told her she wasn’t allowed to change in the locker rooms anymore for other girls’ comfortability. WORST DAY OF THEIR LIFE: When Raquel’s mom died because that was really her first experience with death and that was the start of her having to watch her best friend’s life start crumbling BEST DAY OF THEIR LIFE: When Jamie let her drive Johnnie’s ‘64 Mustang LOOKING BACK: Edwina has always believed that things happen for a reason, but if she could go back and do anything different it’d be not letting Tommy go so he wouldn’t die

RELATIONSHIPS.

FAMILY: Mom; Susan Clussy. Dad; Edward Clussy. She has uncles on her dad’s side and some cousins, but she isn’t that close with them. She also considers Raquel family since she’s always at her house anyway and Mr. Torrance is awful FRIENDSHIPS: Up until this year Edwina’s only close friend has been Raquel. She has some church friends (i.e. Norman Normal), but no one she really hangs out with. Now she considers everyone in MC a pal, except perhaps Dolly (but that’s more so because Edwina doubts she’d want to affiliate herself as Edwina’s friend). FRIENDS IN NEED: Edwina will usually drop everything to help a friend out even if she has to put them first before her own emotional needs. She’s always there with reassuring being her greatest weapon to fight off tears, but Edwina will make other meaningful gestures if she thinks it will help NEEDING A FRIEND: Edwina tends to bottle a lot in and then will end up exploding all her frustrations or tears onto one unlucky person. She likes to only really talk to people she can trust not to make her feel worse, but sometimes strangers get caught in the moment she finally snaps ANNOYANCES: She yells a lot and tends to be snarky and sarcastic when she’s annoyed with someone ROMANCE: When looking for something romantic, Edwina tends to gravitate towards people that make her laugh and like being affectionate. If you wanna woo her then literally just be a pretty girl, make her giggle, and compliment her (she’s not that hard to impress) ADVERSARIES: Edwina would honestly befriend anyone and give anybody a second chance at redemption, but if someone was just cruel and showed 0 signs of having any sort of remorse or good in them then she'd stay away completely ENEMIES: She has a hard time with people who just go after her with little reason other than she’s weird STRANGERS: She tries to be polite to everyone because that’s how her parents raised her. However, Edwina can be a bit judgmental when she doesn’t keep that side of her in check FUN STUFF: Fun stuff she likes to do with friends are going to Marie’s, driving around town, going to the movies or staying in and watching cheesy films, napping together, private karaoke or dance parties, or even just sitting in silence while her and the other person/people just do their own thing or sit on their phones showing each other funny memes they find DATING: Everything above, but with kissing LOVE: Her fanny pack WORST ENEMY: Heidi Dods, Shoprite Cruz, and Mr. Kobbs

INTERACTIONS.

MINGLING: She’s nice but awkward as fuck so making friends is hard COMFORT LEVELS: Edwina gets nervous and anxious easily so talking to people can take a lot outta her, but if she’s comfortable around you then she’s more lax PHYSICAL: She’s very affectionate (but if you’re dirty she’ll be more reluctant to won’t touch you, sorry Kaz) GROUPS: Prefers smaller groups OPENNESS: It depends? She’s pretty open about most things, but she still keeps a lot buried down in her lil fanny pack and won’t talk about openly or easily GENEROSITY: Bitch would give the shirt off her back if anyone needed it JEALOUSY: Can get very jealous very easily, but tends to not understand her own jealousy. She’d go home and cry whenever Raquel would be hooking up with some new person, but just think it was her period making her emotional or something lol TEMPER: The human embodiment of an angry pomeranian EMPATHY: Thinks about other people’s feelings first and is a very strong empath AFFECTION: Cuddling, hugging, touching, forehead or cheek kissing, kind words, and meaningful gestures DISTASTE: She doesn’t usually show it to their face, but if she’s talking about them to someone else she’ll just call them an asshole and stuff lol ETIQUETTE: Tries to be polite in public, but tends to cause scenes if she’s upset or emotional RESPONSIBILITY: If she’s wrong then she’ll always apologize SELF ESTEEM: Edwina has really low self esteem because of kids at school picking on her. Her parents always tried to make her feel good about herself, but it didn’t do much because she always felt as though they were obligated to say nice things to her. She let’s people push her around for the most part, but if she does stand up for herself it’s in a very quiet way CONFIDENCE: She doesn’t really care what most people think of her, but she just wishes that they’d keep it to themselves instead of beating her down for it. She cares about what her family thinks though HONESTY: Edwina has always been taught to be honest, but recently she’s been lying a lot LEADER OR FOLLOWER: Follower PRAISE: Loves compliments, but is super bad at accepting them CRITICISM: Really bad at reacting to criticism, but takes it. Will likely cry, but take it to heart INSULTS: Doesn’t take insults well and will 100% cry EMBARRASSMENT: If she’s embarrassed she’ll usually turn red and start stumbling. Again, will likely cry FLIRTING: She isn’t flirty because she doesn’t think anyone would ever reciprocate. If someone does flirt with her it goes over her head ATTENTION SPAN: Gets distracted by shiny objects and fuzzy animals. Very easy to divert her attention SITUATIONS: Really bad at handling stressful situations. She will start screaming or crying or even hyperventilating in which case she’ll crack her inhaler out

LIFE.

TECH: Very tech savvy. Great with computers and figuring out how to make things work POLITICS: Her dad is a very vocal republican, but Edwina’s mother is a lot more loving and liberal so Edwina takes after her mom’s views COMBAT SKILLS: She’s scrawny, but scrappy. She’d definitely lose a fight if she got in one, but she’d go for the jugular HOME: Keeps her room immaculately clean. She’s one of those kids who makes her bed everyday and organizes all her clothes. Her mother is always cleaning the house so the whole place is usually spotless COOKING: Learned how to cook from her mom. She’s no Top Chef, but her food is good BUILDING: Likes to put things together so on any project she’d want to take the lead. It’s like a big puzzle to her CLEANING: Mom does most cleaning, but Edwina helps out sometimes just because she loves her mom. Her parents don’t really give her chores SHOPPING: Likes shopping DRIVING: Loves to drive. Grew up around cars because her dad owns the local dealership. Edwina could likely figure out how to drive any car FINANCES: Family comes from a decent amount of money PETS: No pets, but she’d love a bunny or cat. Pet hair makes her allergies act up and her dad doesn’t like animals so there’s a no pet rule in the house TRAVELING: The only place she’s really gone outside of NC is Disney World. Other than that, most family vacations are in stand MEDICAL: Is constantly going to the doctor because her and her mom are kinda hypochondriacs. Edwina had some health complications when she was a baby because she was born premature so her mom just wants to make sure she doesn’t lose her kid. Edwina doesn’t mind the doctor though for they always give her a lollipop ILLNESS: Asthma WORRIES: Is literally worried about everything lmfao PEACE: Likes peace and quiet, but will occasionally listen to music and stuff if she’s working PARTYING: Doesn’t go to many parties because she doesn’t get invited HOBBIES: Working on her car, building stuff, watching bad movies, and reading

[tintael]

OC meme

(...it took me ages, but here I am, with an old OC meme and one of the boys from ‘Daedric Alphabet’ as my victim xD)

tagged by @pigeon-feet​

GENERAL

Name: Verilius Strabo

Alias(es): Ver / Vero / Uncle

Gender: male

Age: 40+

Place of birth: Imperial City

Spoken languages: fluent Cyrodilic and Bretic, decent Altmeris, bits and pieces of Dunmeris

Sexual orientation: homosexual

Occupation: professional cartographer

APPEARANCE

Eye color: hazel

Hair color: chestnut with a tinge of gray

Height: medium

Scars: Verilius has self-harm scars on his left wrist, which he got after a really bad breakup some 20 years ago; his sister suspects a suicide attempt - he tried to explain that it was just a misguided urge ‘to feel something’, but, unsurprisingly, the lady remains unconvinced

Overweight: he exercises daily (one of the useful habits formed by his strict upbringing)

Underweight: not really - his weight is quite stable during the course of his life; when Verilius is absorbed in his studies, he tends to forget about such mundane things like ‘eating’, so he tries to follow a strict daily routine in order not to get lost in time and not to starve

FAVOURITE

Colour: green, gray, dark blue or black when it comes to his own clothes or furnishings; otherwise he doesn’t play favorites and tends to enjoy a very diverse color palette

Hair colour: used to think it was blond, but later switched to dark brown

Eye colour: used to be blue, but his Dunmeri lover made him appreciate red (‘vermillion’)

Music genre: not a connoisseur, but he enjoys lute music and sad ballads

Movie genre: modern!AU Verilius would probably secretly enjoy period dramas

Food: his sister now teases him that he always liked eggplants too much (this woman can’t resist a good dick joke); overall Verilius is not a picky eater, although he doesn’t like sweets

Drink: spiced tea; dry wines; his sister is an ale brewer, and Ver came to love her product

Book: historical novels like ‘2920’; ‘King Edward’ (not loving this book is a crime)

HAVE THEY

Passed university: Ver studied in the Arcane University for a couple of years (quite proficient in Mysticism spells, actually) but left it eventually; apprenticed to his father

Had sex: he is a firm believer in the merit of sexual intercourses for one’s mental and physical health - so he is used to have regular sex even when he’s single (via brothels)

Had sex in public: nope, although once Ver’s nephew walked upon him having sex in the living room - that’s how Attius found out that a) his uncle has libido; b) his uncle is gay

Gotten pregnant: NO

Kissed a boy: aye

Kissed a girl: yepp - didn’t particularly like it and understood that he was irredeemably gay

Gotten tattoos: nope, nothing of the sort - he’s pretty vanilla in this regard

Gotten piercings: no

Had a broken heart: quite often - a couple of bad break ups made him believe that he was fuckable but not romanceable; his previous partner wanted to make a trophy wife out of him

Been in love: he’s in a happy and loving relationship with his Dunmeri lover now

Stayed up for more than 24 hours: used to do it on a regular basis when he was younger - with the help of potions and spells - but tries to maintain a healthier daily routine now

ARE THEY

A virgin: lost his virginity when he was an Arcane University student - long, long time ago

A cuddler: not accustomed to cuddles but recently found out that he enjoys them a lot

A kisser: was single and hasn’t kissed anybody for a long time: tries to make up for that now

Scared easily: not particularly; he tends to worry about others more than about himself

Jealous easily: nope; when he got in a relationship with a pansexual man he found himself much more jealous towards women, scared that his lover would want switch to something more conventional and/or Verilius Strabo, an ordinary Nede man, would never be enough; he grew out of this mindset though - trusting relationship is really good for your self-esteem

Trustworthy: people find it easy to trust this mild-mannered, polite and attentive man

Dominant: not particularly, although he can be bossy in a more work-related context

Submissive: violently resists all attempts to ‘fix’ him, but is otherwise ready to compromise

In love: with Savos Verano, a Dunmeri scholar from a minor noble family of House Hlaalu

Single: nope

RANDOM QUESTIONS

Have they harmed themselves: cut himself with a penknife once in a misguided attempt to get through his emotional numbness; not willing to replicate this experience ever again

Thought of suicide: in a very detached manner - never started planning anything

Attempted suicide: never tried to really harm himself, despite his sister thinking otherwise

Wanted to kill someone: nope - Ver ss not above holding grudges, but he’s a peaceful man

Ride a horse: he travels a lot, so yeah - a horse, a camel, a guar, a silt-strider...

Have/had a job: he’s a freelance cartographer, with prince/king Helseth as his main client

Have any fears: living a miserable loveless and prudish life like his parents used to

FAMILY

Sibling(s): an elder sister Augusta, a widow of an Imperial officer and Ver’s close friend

Parents: deceased father; Ver is estranged from his mother who lives in Kvatch now

Children: he refuses to consider fathering a child and never had sex with a woman; he legally adopted his nephew / apprentice Attius who is Ver’s widowed sister's youngest son

Pets: nope

tagging @retardedlizard (and everyone who wants to do this :)) - would you like to try to do that with one of your characters? It’s a nice exercise and your OCs are so lovely! ^_^

[pamphletstoinspire]

Book Of Genesis - From The Latin Vulgate (1859 - Haydock Translation of The Roman Catholic Bible) - Chapter 23

INTRODUCTION.

The Hebrews now entitle all the Five Books of Moses, from the initial words, which originally were written like one continued word or verse; but the Sept. have preferred to give the titles the most memorable occurrences of each work. On this occasion, the Creation of all things out of nothing, strikes us with peculiar force. We find a refutation of all the heathenish mythology, and of the world’s eternity, which Aristotle endeavoured to establish. We behold the short reign of innocence, and the origin of sin and misery, the dispersion of nations, and the providence of God watching over his chosen people, till the death of Joseph, about the year 2369 (Usher) 2399 (Sal. and Tirin) B.C. 1631. We shall witness the same care in the other Books of Scripture, and adore his wisdom and goodness in preserving to himself faithful witnesses, and a true Holy Catholic Church, in all ages, even when the greatest corruption seemed to overspread the land. H.

—————————-

This Book is so called from its treating of the Generation, that is, of the Creation and the beginning of the world. The Hebrews call it Bereshith, from the word with which it begins. It contains not only the History of the Creation of the World, but also an account of its progress during the space of 2369 years, that is, until the death of Joseph.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock’s notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock’s Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers’ marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as .

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (½) and three-quarters symbol (¾) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber’s copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 23

Sara's death and burial in the field bought of Ephron.

[1] And Sara lived a hundred and twenty-seven years. Vixit autem Sara centum viginti septem annis.

[2] And she died in the city of Arbee which is Hebron, in the land of Chanaan: and Abraham came to mourn and weep for her. Et mortua est in civitate Arbee, quae est Hebron, in terra Chanaan : venitque Abraham ut plangeret et fleret eam.

[3] And after he rose up from the funeral obsequies, he spoke to the children of Heth, saying: Cumque surrexisset ab officio funeris, locutus est ad filios Heth, dicens :

[4] I am a stranger and sojourner among you: give me the right of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead. Advena sum et peregrinus apud vos : date mihi jus sepulchri vobiscum, ut sepeliam mortuum meum.

[5] The children of Heth answered, saying: Responderunt filii Heth, dicentes :

[6] My Lord, hear us, thou art a prince of God among us: bury thy dead in our principal sepulchres: and no man shall have power to hinder thee from burying thy dead in his sepulchre. Audi nos, domine : princeps Dei es apud nos : in electis sepulchris nostris sepeli mortuum tuum, nullusque te prohibere poterit quin in monumento ejus sepelias mortuum tuum.

[7] Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to wit the children of Heth: Surrexit Abraham, et adoravit populum terrae, filios videlicet Heth :

[8] And said to them: If it please your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron the son of Seor. dixitque ad eos : Si placet animae vestrae ut sepeliam mortuum meum, audite me, et intercedite pro me apud Ephron filium Seor :

[9] That he may give me the double cave, which he hath in the end of his field: for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me before you, for a possession of a burying place. ut det mihi speluncam duplicem, quam habet in extrema parte agri sui : pecunia digna tradat eam mihi coram vobis in possessionem sepulchri.

[10] Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the children of Heth. And Ephron made answer to Abraham in the hearing of all that went in at the gate of the city, saying: Habitabat autem Ephron in medio filiorum Heth. Responditque Ephron ad Abraham, cunctis audientibus qui ingrediebantur portam civitatis illius, dicens :

[11] Let it not be so, my lord, but do thou rather hearken to what I say: The field I deliver to thee, and the cave that is therein, in the presence of the children of my people, bury thy dead. Nequaquam ita fiat, domine mi, sed tu magis ausculta quod loquor. Agrum trado tibi, et speluncam quae in eo est, praesentibus filiis populi mei; sepeli mortuum tuum.

[12] Abraham bowed down before the people of the land, Adoravit Abraham coram populo terrae.

[13] And he spoke to Ephron, in the presence of the people: I beseech thee to hear me: I will give money for the field: take it, and so I will bury my dead in it. Et locutus est ad Ephron circumstante plebe : Quaeso ut audias me : dabo pecuniam pro agro : suscipe eam, et sic sepeliam mortuum meum in eo.

[14] And Ephron answered: Responditque Ephron :

[15] My lord, hear me. The ground which thou desirest, is worth four hundred sicles of silver: this is the price between me and thee: but what is this? bury thy dead. Domine mi, audi me : terra, quam postulas, quadringentis siclis argenti valet : istud est pretium inter me et te : sed quantum est hoc? sepeli mortuum tuum.

[16] And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had asked, in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred sicles of silver of common current money. Quod cum audisset Abraham, appendit pecuniam, quam Ephron postulaverat, audientibus filiis Heth, quadringentos siclos argenti probatae monetae publicae.

[17] And the field that before was Ephron's, wherein was the double cave, looking towards Mambre, both it and the cave, and all the trees thereof in all its limits round about, Confirmatusque est ager quondam Ephronis, in quo erat spelunca duplex, respiciens Mambre, tam ipse, quam spelunca, et omnes arbores ejus in cunctis terminis ejus per circuitum,

[18] Was made sure to Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of Heth, and of all that went in at the gate of his city. Abrahae in possessionem, videntibus filiis Heth, et cunctis qui intrabant portam civitatis illius.

[19] And so Abraham buried Sara his wife, in a double cave of the field, that looked towards Mambre, this is Hebron in the land of Chanaan. Atque ita sepelivit Abraham Saram uxorem suam in spelunca agri duplici, quae respiciebat Mambre. Haec est Hebron in terra Chanaan.

[20] And the field was made sure to Abraham, and the cave that was in it, for a possession to bury in, by the children of Heth. Et confirmatus est ager, et antrum quod erat in eo, Abrahae in possessionem monumenti a filiis Heth.

Commentary:

Ver. 1. Sara. She is the only woman whose age the Scripture specifies; a distinction which her exalted dignity and faith deserved. Gal. iv. 23. Heb. xi. 11. She was a figure of the Christian Church. C.

Ver. 2. City. Heb. Cariath arbah, Jos. xiv. 15. --- Which is Hebron. Serarius thinks it took its name from the society (cherber) between Abraham and the princes of the city. Hebron the son of Caleb possessed it afterwards. --- Came from Bersabee, (G. xxii. 19.) or to the place where the corpse lay, at Arbee, which signifies four; as Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their four wives, reposed there. C. --- And weep. In the middle of this word, in the printed Hebrew, there is left a small c; whence the Rabbins ridiculously infer, that Abraham wept but a short time. But the retaining of greater, less, suspended and inverted letters in the Hebrew Bible, can be attributed to no other cause than a scrupulous veneration even for the faults of transcribers. Kennicott

Ver. 3. Obsequies, or solemn mourning, accompanied with prayer. Acts viii. 2. Matt. xii. The Jews are still accustomed to say, when they bury their dead, "Ye fathers, who sleep in Hebron, open to him the gates of Eden;" herein agreeing with the Catholic doctrine, as they did in the days of Judas the Machabee. H.

Ver. 6. Prince of God, powerful and holy, and worthy of respect. H. --- A great prince. See Acts vii. 5. where S. Stephen says, that God did not give Abraham a foot of land, meaning as an inheritance; and that Abraham bought this double cave, for a sepulchre, of the sons of Hemor, the son of Sichem; (C.) from which latter he seems to derive the name of the place, which is here called Hebron. H. --- Nothing is more common, than for men and places to have two names; though some think, the name of Abraham has been inserted in the Acts by a mistake of the copyists, when Jacob was meant. See G. xxxiii. 19. C.

Ver. 7. Bowed down to the people. Adoravit, literally, adored. But this word here, as well as in many other places in the Latin Scriptures, is used to signify only an inferior honour and reverence paid to men, expressed by a bowing down of the body.

Ver. 16. Sicles. About ￡50. H. --- It was no simony to buy land for a sepulchre, as it was not blessed. M. --- Current money, was such as passed among merchants, though probably not yet coined in any part of the world; and therefore we find, that Abraham and others weigh the pieces of silver or gold. In this manner were bargains concluded before witnesses, who in those days supplied the want of writings and lawyers. C.

[lethe-rpg]

To a man that has lived as long as Edward, the only thing left sacred is his name. Forsyth, of the great Forsyth Clan came from Norsemen in Bergen, and earned their keep pillaging small towns around the coast of Scotland. They were proud, gutsy, and full of greed, yet their Chief, Harold Forsyth, fell in love with a Scotswoman from Galashiels, Scottish Borders. Ailith Mac an Leighe resented the Vikings for taking land that didn’t belong to them, land that her father farmed on, and made a living off of. The Forsyth clan cleared out her uncle’s bar one afternoon, thought they’d make a show of themselves. Ailith spit at their feet and told Harold their name derived from the word Fearsithe, which in Scottish Gaelic means ‘man of peace.’ He fell in love with her fire, her passion, and constant moves to deny his advances. But despite her initial resistance, she found compassion behind the eyes of a killer. In 806, Edward was born, and following about two years later, his brother, Alastair. They were raised in Edinburgh, Scotland alongside many other children with Viking blood in their bones, as other clans has risen, conquered lands, and taken wives of their own in this foreign land. Early on the Forsyth children knew of their origin, all of it, even the lamia blood that ran through their veins. With the promise to live forever, and abilities no human could match, they fought alongside their father and the clan. As they grew stronger, so did the clan.

In 1745, the Jacobite Rising came to Scotland. Nearly 940 years they’d been untouched by England’s wrath, as they too took land from others and made it their own. With their mother dead, the men fought for Edinburgh, the ground she lay buried under. They fought until nearly all of their men fell, even the great Harold Forsyth, and his youngest son, Alastair. The loss of his father and brother tore the demon in two, awakening his rage, his thirst for blood. As hard as Edward fought, and for as long as he held out, he didn’t stand a chance against the British Army. In the aftermath, he remained the last man standing, and beneath the rubble lay his family, his roots, his home…Edward spent the next 273 years going from country, country, hopping around the world so that his never changing appearance could be kept under wraps. He became very good at blending in, at changing, and adapting. He learned and mastered pyrokinesis as his father had, even learned things like jujitsu, meditation, and spoke more languages than any singular human being possibly could. Over time, his grief for the loss of his family and land festered. Edward played the part of the idealist, the hedonist, the anarchist, and so on, and he played them well. Almost too well, to the point where he’d began to lose sight of who he was. The face that stared back at him in the mirror no longer resembled that of Edward Forsyth, the son of the great Harold Forsyth and Ailith Mac an Leighe. This drove him to madness, made him drink, even lead him to the edge of a fucking building, yet he found while standing at the edge he could not jump. Alastair spoke to him then, subconsciously, urging Edward to find his place again, to find meaning. He took this as a sign, and through talk in town while visiting San Francisco, found himself in Lethe, Washington.

Of course it had taken a little convincing on Edward’s part, but even his age, he found it easy to compel them to allow a permanent residence. Much to his luck, he arrived just two months before people began rising out of the river. He remembered when the gossip began, and the fear set in. Just as they had back in the 800’s people seemed resistant to change. Things only seemed to get stranger when the second Riverborn presented on his doorstep was none other than his old friend, Arthur, whom he’d met years ago back at a job in Jersey. They’d been friends for years, even met up still when Edward decided to abandon ship, yet he’d sworn his friend died off years back when he stopped showing up or checking in. Now more than ever, Edward feels a gravitational pull to Lethe that compels him to stay. He knows it’s not just the sudden vague reappearance of an old friend, but the emotions brought on by a fairly new pink haired witch working at the local apothecary shop in town. With his fascination building in her, and the sudden rise of people without memories from the river, Edward feels his time in Lethe is only beginning.

[cassandra-acton]

ORIGINS & FAMILY:

Name: Cassandra Alice Acton.

Nickname: Cassie, Cass.

Birthday: November 8th, 1986.

Age: 31.

Gender: Female.

Place of Birth: Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.

Places Lived Since: London, United Kingdom.

Current Residence: Tower Hamlets, London, United Kingdom.

Nationality: British. 

Parents: Michael and Anita Acton (née Redgrave)

Grandparents: Edward Acton (grandfather, paternal, deceased) Renske van Ardenne (grandmother, paternal) Harold Redgrave (grandfather, maternal, deceased)  Hélène de Broglie (grandmother, maternal, deceased) 

Aunts & Uncles: Kathleen Acton-Fortescue (aunt, paternal) Charlotte, Georgina Redgrave (aunts, maternal) Lambert Redgrave (uncle, maternal)

Number of Siblings: One older sister, Elizabeth Acton.

Relationship With Family: To be honest, she doesn’t really have a relationship with anyone except Elizabeth, and her mother tainted it so much that even that one isn’t healthy. It’s a shame, really. As much as she knows she’s better off without them, she still misses her father, in particular. Cassie definitely envies people who are close to their parents.

Happiest Memory: When Harrison proposed to her, without a doubt. I’ll write about it someday. Getting her internship at Goldman is definitely second, though.

Childhood Trauma: I mean the parents definitely fucked her up for life, so there’s that.

PHYSICAL:

Height: 5'4”

Weight: 120lbs.

Build: Slim but very fit.

Hair Color: Blonde.

Usual Hair Style: Whilst working, she almost always wears her hair up in a ponytail, but she hates it. Much prefers to have it down. Keeps it just a little longer than shoulder length because of her dislike of short hair. Is too lazy to style it beyond neatness unless she’s going somewhere.

Eye Color: Blue.

Glasses? Contacts?: Neither.

Style of Dress/Typical Outfit(s): For work: neat, formal, and inexpensive. Lots of form-fitting skirts, blazers and blouses in blacks and whites. Out of work: a fuck load of jeans. Baggy jumpers and quirky shirts. Picks up a lot of her stuff from charity shops because who has time for fucking shopping.

Typical Style of Shoes: Cassie is never without heels. Prefers bright colours and eye-catching designs to contrast with her typically monochrome/ greyscale outfits during work. About the only part of her outfits she ever spends a decent amount of money on.

Jewellery? Tattoos? Piercings?: The only piece of jewellery she constantly wears is her engagement ring, which she has on a chain around her neck. She has three tattoos. ‘Hip to be Square’ in tiny font on the inside of her right wrist, Harrison’s birthday on her left shoulder blade, and a matching tattoo she got with her friend, Jessica, back in school, on her right forearm. Each got a hand from The Creation of Adam. As for piercings, she has her left ear pierced twice, her right four times, as well as her bellybutton.

Scars: A thin scar that cuts through her right eyebrow; a result of a drunken night out in university during which one of her friends fell down the stairs, and dragged Cassie with her.

Unique Mannerisms/Physical Habits: When she’s stressed, she has to play with her hair; pulling it, twisting it, whatever. It’s about the only good indicator she’s about to rip your face off because she will do that shit with a smile.

Athleticism: Very high. Cassandra naturally has a lot of energy, and so expends a lot of it keeping fit. Rowed competitively for LSE, and still competes regularly with many of the girls from her old crews, as well as having joined a new rowing club. She also plays a lot of rugby, though never competitively. Loves running and endurance, and almost always competes in the Tough Mudder when it’s nearby, as well as taking part in the London marathon annually. Also gets involved with a lot of charity races.

Health Problems/Illnesses: I think she seriously wavers into depression sometimes, though she’s far too proud to ever get it officially diagnosed. PCOS and all its friends, which is not a fun time. Does over attachment to her dog count? Definitely counts.

INTELLECT:

Level of Education: MSc in Economics and Management from LSE. Cassie finds studying relaxing, however, and often self-teaches about subjects of interest in her free time. Currently, she is working on a course in Arab Finance.

Languages Spoken: English natively, Dutch fluently. French and Mandarin intermediate. Is determined to take up learning Arabic at a later date.

Level of Self-Esteem: Very low. It’s why she aggressively overcompensates with an arrogant attitude. Partly to convince herself, but mostly to convince others.

Gifts/Talents: Surprisingly, she’s actually a pretty good violinist.

Mathematical?: Definitely. It’s sort of her thing. 100% could get a job on Countdown.

Makes Decisions Based Mostly On Emotions, or On Logic?: Usually, emotions, though she tends to berate herself afterward, because she knows—especially given the career she has now chosen to pursue—that she needs to learn to be more logical.

Life Philosophy: Someone else is happy with less than what you have.

Religious Stance: Was raised Anglican, but isn’t particularly religious.

Cautious or Daring?: Absolutely daring. Naturally, she’s a spontaneous person, and I     don’t think being cautious really lends to that.

Most Sensitive About/Vulnerable To: Being told she’s not good enough. Being criticised when it comes to her work. Being compared to her sister. People bringing up what happened to Harrison. Terrorism in general.

Optimist or Pessimist?: In between, leaning slightly toward the pessimistic side.

Extrovert or Introvert?: Extrovert.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Current Relationship Status: In a relationship with Adam Hassan, Shadow Health Secretary, and MP for Bethnal Green & Bow.

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual.

Past Relationships: Before Adam, the only person she’d ever been in a real relationship with was Harrison. They on-off dated their whole young lives. They briefly broke up when he joined the army and she went to university because they were worried about ‘distance’ but wound up missing each other too much for it to be a permanent thing. Dated one guy briefly, Matt, a few years after his death, but it scared her so much it took her until Adam to try again.

Primary Reason For Being Broken Up With: None.

Primary Reasons For Breaking Up With People: Not having moved on.

Ever Cheated?: No.

Been Cheated On: Not really. Unless you count that one time, by Harrison, when they were little kids. He kissed another girl on the playground because Cassie had been off school for a week. She pouted and promised she’d never date a boy ever again after that.

Level of Sexual Experience: Cassie’s slept with five people in her life, so limited-ish. Harrison, a brief fling during her first year of university, Matt, Silas, and Adam.

Story of First Kiss: His name was Richard and she only kissed him because all of the other girls wanted to.

Story of Loss of Virginity: The first time she and Harrison tried, they’d attempted to make it a ‘romantic evening’ that wound up being so awkward, they couldn’t stop laughing. Eventually, it happened spontaneously at a school social after party.

A Social Person?: Absolutely. Even though she needs some time to herself every now and again to process all the shit that’s going on in her life, she couldn’t go any extended time without her friends. Cassie has to be in a pretty bad place to cut herself of from people.

Most Comfortable Around: Jessica, and her old work friends at Goldman—they’re the people she’s closest to, and are still like a family to her.

Oldest Friend: Jessica Mirzoyan, a friend she grew up with in Oxford that now also lives in London. She can’t remember a time in her life when Jessica wasn’t in it, they’ve known each other for so long. Basically a sister to her.

How Does She Think Others Perceive Her?: Cassie has an incredibly skewed view of what people think of her. She automatically assumes people think the worst. Look at her like she’s not good enough, just like her mother always did. I think that’s why she keeps most people at arm’s length, because she’s so scared of letting someone in only for them to wind up criticizing her.

How Do Others Actually Perceive Her?: Depends who you ask. Amongst the public she’s very popular for her honesty. Amongst her colleagues back at Goldman she’s respected as a professional cutthroat. As for her critics, they probably just see her as a stuck up bitch.

SECRETS:

Life Goals: To help as many people through her political and charitable work as possible. That’s really all she cares about. Personal goals seem fairly irrelevant to her right now. 

Dreams: To be happy again would be rather nice.

Greatest Fears: Polystyrene and spiders. Why do either of those things exist?

Most Ashamed Of: How bitter losing Harrison has made her. How she still hasn’t been able to get over the anger and the hurt it left her with.

Secret Hobbies: Cassie kind of loves to knit? It’s a good stress reliever when she’s too tired to go running. Not that she’d admit to it, mind you. She’s also not very good. All she can make are the really simple scarves.

Crimes Committed (Was she caught? Charged?): None.

DETAILS/QUIRKS:

Night Owl or Early Bird?: Night owl. Begrudges being alive in the mornings.

Light or Heavy Sleeper?: Heavy sleeper.

Favorite Animal: Hedgehog.

Favorite Foods: Steak. Cheese and crackers. Orange jelly.

Least Favorite Food: Avocado.

Favorite Book: American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis.

Least Favorite Book: The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Favorite Movie: Burn After Reading. Gladiator. Mars Attacks!

Least Favorite Movie: Shitty horrors in general.

Favorite Song: Mr. Roboto – Styx. If you play that to her, she doesn’t just sing along, she fucking performs it, okay. (Honourable mentions for The Boys Are Back In Town – Thin Lizzy, and What Is Love – Haddaway.)

Favorite Sport: Rugby. Cassie can get pretty shouty about rugby and is a very dedicated Saracens fan.

Coffee or Tea?: Tea.

Crunchy or Smooth Peanut Butter?: Neither, thank you. That stuff is nasty.

Type of Car She Drives: A dark green Mini Cooper.

Lefty or Righty?: Lefty.

Favorite Color: Pink.

Cusser?: Pretty badly, although she does well to hold her tongue in public most of the time. Has had a few slip-ups that made the headlines. Luckily the general opinion was that it made her seem more normal, and it went down pretty well with voters, if not her critics.

Smoker? Drinker? Drug User?: Never used drugs. Occasionally smokes if she’s incredibly stressed and has been drinking. Drinks fairly regularly.

Biggest Regret: Letting her parents fuck her up so badly. Cassie wishes that she hadn’t taken it so much to heart, now that she knows better.

Pets: The love of her life, Brody the Corgi.

[marianajacqueline45]

Ayer cumplió años Sophie Marceau 51 años es una actriz, directora y escritora francesa. Conocida por el papel Princesa Isabelle de la peliculas Corazon Valiente y por el papel Elektra King de la pelicula 007: El mundo no Basta. Ayer cumplió años Lauren Hutton 74 años es una exmodelo y actriz estadounidense. Adquirió fama por ser la primera maniquí en firmar contrato con una marca de cosméticos y por sus roles en las películas Once Bitten y American Gigolo. Ayer cumpliria años Rock Hudson(1925-1985)fue un actor de cineestadounidense famoso por sus papeles de galán del cine clásico moderno estadounidense. Hudson es también conocido por haber sido el primer caso publicitado de sida en alguien célebre en los Estados Unidos, en los inicios de la pandemia, a principios de la década de 1980.Entre sus primeras películas, aún con papeles menores, destacan Escuadrón de combate(1948) de Raoul Walsh, con Edmond O'Brien y Robert Stack, y Winchester '73 (1950) de Anthony Mann, protagonizada por James Stewart. Durante la década de 1950 y principios de la década de 1960 se convirtió en uno de los grandes galanes de Hollywood, trabajando con Jane Wyman en Obsesión (1954) y Sólo el cielo lo sabe (1955), y con Lauren Bacall en Escrito sobre el viento (1956); las tres películas, dirigidas por Douglas Sirk. En Gigante (1956) de George Stevens, se codeó con James Dean y Elizabeth Taylor; por este papel consiguió su única nominación al Oscar. A raíz del éxito de Confidencias a medianoche(1959) de Michael Gordon, donde compartía pantalla con Doris Day, protagonizó en los siguientes años varias comedias entre las que destacan Pijama para dos (1961) de Delbert Mann y Su juego favorito (1963) de Howard Hawks. Luego diversificó sus papeles al participar en dos películas bélicas: Tobruk(1967) junto a George Peppard, y Ice Station Zebra (1968) de John Sturges, con Ernest Borgnine. En la década de 1970 su pujanza en el cine decayó, aunque participó en la película musical de Blake Edwards Darling Lili (1970), junto a Julie Andrews, y en la comedia de misterio y crimen Pretty Maids All in a Row de Roger Vadim, junto a Angie Dickinson. En 1978 rodó con Mia Farrow la fallida producción de género catastrófico Avalancha. Hudson retuvo su popularidad gracias a la televisión al protagonizar una serie policíaca de éxito, McMillan y esposa, junto a Susan Saint James; se grabaron varias temporadas en el periodo 1971-77. En 1980 rodó El espejo roto junto a su amiga Elizabeth Taylor, Angela Lansbury, Tony Curtisy otras numerosas estrellas veteranas. Su última película es de 1984: The Ambassador(Embajador en Oriente Medio) de J. Lee Thompson, donde trabajó junto a Robert Mitchum, Ellen Burstyn, Donald Pleasence y Fabio Testi. Su apostura masculina era muy apreciada por el público femenino de la época, lo cual no hacía sospechar ni en lo más mínimo de su homosexualidad, ocultada por el actor y conocida sólo en sus círculos más íntimos. Ayer cumplio años Martin Scorsese 75 años es un director, guionista, actor y productor estadounidensede cine, ganador de un Óscar, tres Globos de Oro, dos premios BAFTA, un Primetime Emmy, y un premio del gremio de directores de Estados Unidos, además de ser uno de los fundadores de World Cinema Foundation. Fue condecorado con la Legión de Honor francesaen 1987.Las obras de Scorsese abordan principalmente los temas de la vida italo-estadounidense. Le gusta mucho la música, mundo a lo que ha dedicado alguna de sus películas (No Direction Home sobre Bob Dylan, Shine a Light sobre los Rolling Stones y George Harrison: Living in the Material Worldacerca del exmiembro de The Beatles). Scorsese es ampliamente considerado como uno de los directores más influyentes de su generación. Ganó un premio MFA por su obra como director de cine otorgado por la prestigiosa escuela de cine de la Universidad de Nueva York. Tras múltiples nominaciones a lo largo de su carrera, ganó finalmente el Óscar al mejor director por su película Los infiltrados, la cual también ganó el Óscar a la mejor película en la 79.ª edición de los Premios de la Academia celebrados en 2007. El Óscar le fue entregado por Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas y Steven Spielberg, quienes son buenos amigos suyos. A su vez, el 17 de enero de 2010 se le otorgó el premio honorífico Cecil B. DeMille en la entrega de los Globos de Oro por su "sobresaliente contribución al campo del entretenimiento". Scorsese es presidente de The Film Foundation, una fundación sin fines de lucro dedicada a la preservación del material fílmico en deterioro. Ayer cumplió años Danny DeVito 73 años es un actor, director y productor estadounidense. Premiado con los premios Globo de Oro y Emmy por su participación en la comedia de situación Taxi. Destacado por su trabajo en los filmes Twins, La guerra de los Rose, Hoffa, Erin Brockovich, Batman Returns y Man on the Moon, Matilda,Lorax. En busca de la trúfula perdida, entre otras. Ayer cumplió años Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio w 59 años es una actriz de cine y cantante estadounidense.Su debut en el cine fue en 1983 en la película Scarface de Brian De Palma como Gina Montana, hermana de Tony Montana (Al Pacino). Durante la década de 1980, participó en varias películas de éxito. Así, recibió una nominación al premio Óscar a la mejor actriz secundaria por su papel en El color del dinero(1986) de Martin Scorsese. También destaca su participación en Sin vía de escape (1987), junto a Tom Hulce, El asesino del calendario(1989) junto a Kevin Kline, y The Abyss (1989) con Ed Harris. En la década de 1990 participó en siete largometrajes, y se casó con el director Pat O'Connor, dedicándose a su familia. A partir de ahí, sus apariciones se hicieron más espaciadas, destacando Robin Hood, príncipe de los ladrones (1991), La tormenta perfecta(2000) de Wolfgang Petersen, o su aparición en la cuarta temporada de Sin rastro. Ha aparecido más frecuentemente en Broadway, donde ha intervenido en The Human Comedy o El hombre de la Mancha en el que interpreta el papel de Dulcinea. Su último trabajo interpretativo fue el del personaje de Kelly Burkhardt en la serie de NBC Grimm (2011-2017), en la que participó en algunas temporadas. Ayer cumplió años Rachel McAdams 39 años es una actriz canadiense de cine y televisión, nominada al Premio Óscar.Después de graduarse en un programa de teatro de cuatro años en la Universidad de York, en 2001, trabajó constantemente en producciones canadienses, como My Name is Tanino (2002), Perfect Pie (2002) o la serie Slings and Arrows (2003-2005), hasta que encontró la fama con películas como Mean Girls (2004) o el drama romántico The Notebook (2004). Por esta última actuación Rachel logró buenas críticas. Posteriormente apareció en películas como Red Eye (2005), Wedding Crashers (2005), The Family Stone (2005), Married Life (2008), State of Play (2009), The Time Traveler's Wife(2009), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Morning Glory(2010), Midnight in Paris (2011), Sherlock Holmes: juego de sombras (2011), Cuestión de tiempo (2013), Spotlight (2015), entre otras. Ayer se cumplio 22 años del estreno de la pelicula en Estados Unidos. It Takes Two Dos por el precio de una (España) Doble de amor (Argentina) es una película estadounidense de 1995, dirigida por Andy Tennant. Protagonizada por Kirstie Alley, Steve Guttenberg, Mary-Kate Olsen y Ashley Olsen en los papeles principales. Ganadora del Premio Blimp 1996, otorgado por Kids' Choice Awards a la actriz de cine favorita (Mary-Kate Olsen y Ashley Olsen). Argumento Diane Barrows trabaja en un orfanato de Nueva York. Ella está encantada con una de las huérfanas, Amanda, y quiere adoptarla, pero la ley no se lo permite porque es soltera. Por otro lado la familia Butkis está tratando de adoptar a la misma niña. El millonario viudo Roger Callaway, que pasa sus vacaciones cerca del lago Minocqua, vive con su hija, Alyssa, su mayordomo, Vincenzo y su malvada prometida, Clarice. Alyssa quiere impedir que su padre se case. Las huérfanas van a un campamento de verano y viajan al campo Callaway, cerca del lago Minocqua. Amanda y Alyssa se conocen y se sorprenden al ver que son físicamente idénticas. Las niñas deciden intercambiar sus papeles y tratan de que Diane y Roger se enamoren. https://youtu.be/yh1OH4NnLWQ Ayer se cumplio 17 años del edtreno de la pelicula Rugrats in Paris: The Movie en Estados Unidos. Rugrats en París: La película (originalmente en inglés: Rugrats in Paris: The Movie) es una película de animación del año 2000 dirigida por Stig Bergqvist y Paul Demeyer. Es la secuela de la película Rugrats: la película de 1998 y es la continuación de las aventuras de los Rugrats. Esta película fue producida por Paramount Pictures y Nickelodeon Movies, y estrenada originalmente en los cines el 17 de noviembre de 2000. Fue retransmitida como cine de verano en Nickelodeon el 30 de junio de 2006. La película fue un éxito de taquilla, con un recaudo estimado de 287 millones de dólares en todo el mundo, y recibió comentarios muy positivos de los críticos. Historia Chuckie Finster toma ahora el papel de protagonista principal en esta segunda película de los Rugrats, después que Chuckie se diera cuenta de que necesitaba una nueva madre, ya que su antigua mamá falleció después que naciera, la suerte de Chuckie llegaría a cumplir después de que Stu Pickles, padre de Tommy y Dil, decidiera ir con su familia y amigos a París, Francia; a reparar un gigantesco Reptar que se lo había dado a la malvada Jefa Coco LeBouche de Euroreptarland (Euroreptalandia), luego Chas conoce en ese lugar a Kira una mujer muy amable con los niños, madre de Kimi, es encargada de su jefa Coco LeBouche, después que Angélica le contó a Coco sobre Chas y Chuckie que necesita una nueva madre, y ella arma un plan para casarse con Chas Finster, para que Coco LeBouche sea la nueva presidenta de Euroreptaland ya que su presidente actual Yamaguchi decide buscar a un reemplazo para su empresa y para eso quien esté a cargo de Euroreptaland necesita tener el corazón de un niño. Ahora los bebes tendrán que impedir que Coco se case con Chas antes que diga "Acepto" en la boda. Afortunadamente Chuckie impidió la boda diciendo su primera palabra a los adultos: "NO". Al final Chas se dio cuenta de que Coco no era una buena mujer para él ni una buena madre para Chuckie, luego Angélica le contó todo al Sr. Yamaguchi que Coco se casaría con Chas solo para ser la presidenta de Euroreptaland que al final el Sr. Yamaguchi le dijo a Coco LaBouche y su asistente Jean-Claude que están despedidos. Al final apareció Kira diciendo todo lo que tramaba acerca de Coco pero Chas se dio cuenta de que se apresuraba de tener una nueva esposa que se olvidó de conocer mejor. Y finalmente Chas se casó con Kira y ella es la nueva esposa de Chas y madre de Chuckie y Kimi se convirtió en la hermanita menor de Chuckie, y él se sintió feliz de haber cumplido su deseo y que ahora las cosas sean de aquí en adelante. https://youtu.be/X6u7JuLzmZE Ayer se cumplio 28 años del estreno de la película Todos los perros van al cielo en Estados Unidos. Todos los perros van al cielo (en inglés, All Dogs Go to Heaven) es una película animadadirigida y producida por Don Bluth y distribuida por United Artists en 1989. Fue sobre todo producida en los Sullivan Bluth Studios, en Dublín (Irlanda), fundados por los creadores británicos de Goldcrest Films. En su lanzamiento en cines compitió directamente con un destacado largometraje animado estrenado en la misma época, La sirenita, producida por Walt Disney Animation Studios. Este hecho impidió en parte que Todos los perros van al cielo pudiera repetir el éxito de taquilla de las películas anteriores de Sullivan Bluth: An American Tail (1986) y The Land Before Time (1988). Aunque no consiguió igualar el éxito de taquilla de estas dos últimas, Todos los perros van al cieloobtuvo un gran éxito cuando fue comercializada en formato VHS de vídeo doméstico, convirtiéndose en una de las películas más vendedoras de cintas VHS de la historia. La película tuvo una secuela estrenada en cines en 1996 (Todos los perros van al cielo 2), una serie de televisión y una película especial de Navidad. Argumento A las puertas del cielo es donde se encuentra Charlie, un pastor alemán granuja y estafador, asesinado por su antiguo socio, el malvado Carface, para hacerse con el control del negocio de apuestas ilegales más importante de Nueva Orleans. Con la inestimable ayuda de su fiel amigo Itchy Itchiford y de María, una niña huérfana que puede hablar con los animales, Charlie tendrá una oportunidad para demostrar que merece su entrada en el cielo. Personajes Charlie B. Barkin, un pastor alemán pícaro. El personaje fue diseñado especialmente con Reynolds en mente para el papel, y los animadores imitaron algunas de sus peculiaridades en el personaje.Itchy Itchiford, un nervioso perro salchicha, que tiene una larga amistad con Charlie. DeLuise repite su papel en las secuelas y en las series de televisión derivadas.Ana-María, la niña huérfana con la habilidad de hablar y comprender algún animal. Este era el segundo papel de Judith Barsi en una película de Sullivan Bluth, teniendo previamente que representar al personaje Ducky en The Land Before Time. Este era también su último papel; su padre Jozsef Barsi asesino a ella y a su madre Maria Barsi el 25 de julio de 1988, antes de esto la película había sido completada.Carface Carruthers un sospechoso Bull Dog gángster que controla un casino con Charlie, y que luego de que el lo matase se molestó mucho con sus planes.Killer un Quiltro quien es el compañero de Carface hasta que el barco es destruido. Reilly repite su papel para las series de televisión.Flo, una Collie hembra y amiga de Charlie. Charlie y Ana-María le traen a ella y a sus cachorros una pizza, y ellos cantan una canción sobre compartir "What's Mine is Yours".Anabelle, un whippet que da la bienvenida al Cielo a los perros fallecidos.Rey Gator, un enorme y ostentoso Alligatorviviendo debajo de las calles de Nueva Orleans. El número musical del King Gator, Let's Make Music Together, es una parodia a la elaboración de Nado sincronizado visto en las películas de Esther Williams https://youtu.be/GUvk7NNmB64

[sorairomemories]

Zettai Kaikyuu Gakuen ~Eden with Roses and Phantasm~ Overall review and contains spoilers

Okay let me start first the main reason I bought this game. Because it was rated D (over 18) and I was interested how it would be. But I was rather disappointed, it was rated D because of violence and drug abuse that was the main theme of the game. Not because of the sexual content *laughs away*

I’m playing the PSVita version which is released in 2016. There is also the PC version (released in 2014), but the PC ver. was so expensive. If you want there’s a setting that could tell you the choices that could lead to the happy ending (I knew this after I’ve done 80% of the game LOL and I also followed a cheat, in Japanese though, by xxchoroxx.blog.fc2.com, because it’s in Japanese you should look for 絶対階級学園 entry)

But I recommend the game although it’s not filled with sexual contents, the story itself was rather interesting and heart-piercing.

And they hired the top class seiyuus. Namikawa Daisuke as Takamine Riku, Kimura Ryohei as Saginomiya Rei, Kakihara Tetsuya as Kaji Ichiha, Maeno Tomoaki as Nanase Touya, Ishikawa Kaito as Igarashi Haru. And the supporting characters are also the veterans, Okaiyu Ryuutarou as Kaburagi Souichiro and Miki Shinichiro as Edward Takasaki.

 *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

 The background story is about an elite school placed in an isolated island. Fujieda Neri (The main protagonist, in the game other characters would call her family name, but her given name won’t be called and changeable). The world that they live in consist of  ring-areas (if I’m not wrong there is about 13 ring areas) which separates the rich and poor. The main protagonist lives with her father, Fujieda Tsukasa who work in a factory in the Low-class area (下層地区 kasou-chiku). But one day her father told her to live happily. The next day, when she got home, a fire struck her father’s workplace and her father is nowhere to be found. Not long a rich gentlemen, Kaburagi Shouichiro came to her and told her to go to his school which is Kaikyuu Gakuen, the most elite school that exists. She had doubts that her father knew such man, but Kaburagi told her that her father himself asked him to take care of her daughter. She then agreed and came along with him to the school.

The elite school is Kaikyuu Gakuen, the high school of elites of the future leaders, they say. When she came to the school she met Yagisawa Moeka, who is the same grade as her, and a Bee. I think I’m going to explain the hierarchy which exists in the game. The school has its own hierarchy which is Pebble, Bee and Rose. The highest hierarchy is the rose, which they can make lower classes obey them. And the lowest class is the Pebble. Although they have different hierarchy, they study in the same room (which is weird imo) but the front seat is for the roses, middle is for the Bees, and the back seat is for the Pebbles. Other than that there are many advantages for being a rose, like their uniform is more extravagant, their food, dorm room, and where they shop was life of the bourgeois. Thus this creates bullying to lower classes especially to the Pebble.

In the start of the story, the main protagonist is placed as a Bee. Then not long after being picked up by Moeka, Neri bumped into a Pebble freshman called Igarashi Haru. The choices would lead the love status, but this game doesn’t show the bar status so be careful.

The game consists of five considerable gentlemen as the love interests. There’s Igarashi Haru the Pebble Freshman, Nanase Touya as the Resistance Leader (A group opposing the hierarchy of the school) and a Pebble. Kaji Ichiha, a Bee and a member of the drama club, he’s the only Bee rank partner. The last are the rose ranks, The Red Rose Takamine Riku and The White Rose, Saginomiya Rei. These two roses, you could say who has influential background, came from really respectable families and serve the school ruler “Queen”. There is also the Health Counselor, Edward Takasaki who really thinks of the students.

The main objective of pre-route gameplay (?) is choosing the right choices to enter the routes. All of five characters have 10 endings (3 good endings and 7 bad endings) plus 1 overall bad ending. This one will happen if you got the wrong choices before the dance event, and the key scene is when no one helps you to practice dancing for the ball, and no one asked you to dance at the ball.

The overall ending is the main protagonist could not adapt to the school surroundings and sent back to the low class ring area. And that’s it.

The flow of the game will lead to two types of endings (other than good and bad ending) the Rose and the Pebble ending (True Ending). The Rose endings of every character are Good and Bad ones. The True Good endings are two (one of them is a flag scene actually), and the rest is the bad endings. If this explanation doesn’t make sense I’m terribly sorry. The Rose ending is when the protagonist became a Rose rank student, and the Pebble ending is when the protagonist became a Pebble.

Lastly I would like to recommend the characters you should conquer first is Takamine or Kaji or Haru, because their story is not that good (?) imo or actually centered on them as the main problem of the story, and also considering the other characters’ story that hurts so much rather than theirs. Then you should do Touya’s, because Touya’s route is exactly reaching for the truth. But! The most true-ending is Rei’s Ending. You could say the endings other than Rei’s Pebble-True-Ending is the TRUE ending of the game (Not making any sense LOL)

Okay, I think I will stop right here. I will try to post the next entries about the overall endings of each character. See you next!

[recentanimenews]

You're Not My Dad! Celebrating Genjuro Kazanari, the Best Dad in Anime

Anime has a long and sordid history of bad dads. Edward and Alphonse’s dad abandoned them when they needed him most. Shoto Todoroki’s dad has quite a backstory. And we all know that Shinji Ikari’s dad was The Worst. The dads of anime represent a laundry list of parenting sins: cruelty, abandonment, physical and emotional abuse, experimenting on your daughter and her dog, obliterating the world to be reunited with your dead wife, hiding in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and slowly going insane rather than stay with your kid. On the other hand, if you’re a good dad, you’re probably dead and your child is out avenging your memory. Unless you were secretly bad the whole time!

  In this sea of poor parenting decisions there is only one good (living) dad worth his salt. One dad to rule them all. Let us say his name: Genjuro Kazanari, Symphogear’s patron saint. Genjuro Kazanari, the only good man in the world. Genjuro is anime’s greatest dad and he isn’t even a dad.

Genjuro is a supremely muscular human, an upright man with perpetually rolled-up sleeves and a goatee. While his Symphogear wards fight monsters with outrageous weaponry, he punches those monsters in the face. His existence defies the rules of his narrative universe and renders him a Looney Tunes character in an already ridiculous cartoon. If he was handled a little differently he’d be an annoyance. But I love Genjuro — he’s stereotypically masculine in a lot of ways but embodies positive traits rather than negative ones. He’s strong but knows his own limitations. He’ll put himself on the line for others but would never do so if that meant making other people’s lives harder. He’s self-admittedly an ordinary guy staffing a department that manages superhumans, but he’s made it his mission in life to offer what support he can provide so they can succeed. With no strings attached.

  Genjuro goes to bat for every character in the first season of Symphogear, no questions asked. He stands up for Tsubasa as her uncle, even though Tsubasa has complicated feelings toward her family. He mentors Hibiki and sets her down the path to becoming the martial arts master who punches a hole in K2. He accepts Chris into his organization even when Chris had up until that moment been a staunch enemy. His martial arts training sessions are the stuff of Symphogear legend, as infamous as the beef stroganoff song in GX or Dr. Ver yelling about being the Last Action Hero. Nothing is more Symphogear to me than Genjuro’s insert song in the second season being a cover of the theme to Jackie Chan’s action movie classic, “Police Story.” Genjuro rises to the task of caring for his wards with the help of his life’s two guiding passions: working out and action movies. They are enough.

    It’s fun to compare Genjuro to the other fathers in the Symphogear universe since they can’t help but come up short. Hibiki’s dad is a coward, a sad and pathetic man who has never once been there for his daughter. By contrast, Genjuro will not only do anything for Hibiki but also believes in her strength and in her ability to succeed. Even more revealing is the contrast Genjuro makes to Tsubasa’s foster parent, Yatsuhiro Kazanari. Kazanari refused to have anything to do with Tsubasa, driving her to become independent but also lonely. When pressed in the third season, he insists that he did it for her — to give her the room to thrive on her own. Helicopter parents are a scourge, and it’s admirable in some respects that Kazanari wanted Tsubasa to learn to live outside of the constraints of her family. But Kazanari never asked Tsubasa what she thought — he simply presumed as her guardian that he knew better. Genjuro would do no such thing. He listens. When needed, he stands out of the way, and when needed he offers support. He does so with the consent of his wards and a complete lack of ego.

  Genjuro knows his limits. Despite being a super-strong martial arts master, Genjuro knows that he is not the hero of this story. He has no supernatural powers, and no absurd weapons. He works out a lot and eats the right foods, and that’s the extent of his abilities! Yet his humility and steadfastness set him apart. I could not care less for Hibiki’s dad or Kazunari, even as the writers struggle to endear me to them. They remind me of too many bad anime parents: the absent fathers, the domineering fathers, the self-justifying fathers. But Genjuro will never let you down, so long as he’s eaten his meal that day.

  Some of my friends at this moment are first-time parents; from what I’ve heard, it can be stressful and intimidating work. Caring for even a single human life is a heavy responsibility. But all parents could learn something from Genjuro: be who you are, let your kid be who they are, don’t infringe on their dreams but do what you can so they can attain them. It’s a challenge, but we all know that Genjuro is just an ordinary guy. Any of us can do it if we follow his advice:

      What are you doing this Father's Day? Who's your favorite anime dad? Are there any other good anime dads? Let us know in the comments!

  Adam W is a Features Writer at Crunchyroll. He sporadically contributes with a loose coalition of friends to a blog called Isn't it Electrifying? Adam wishes you a Happy Father's Day, though if you don't have a dad (or despise him, because he's the worst) that's cool with him. You can follow him at: @wendeego

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[asfeedin]

Latest Romance Book Releases – 04-28-2020

HAPPY TUESDAY NEW RELEASE DAY!! It’s a BIG list fully loaded with 85 books!!!! And yesterday’s list rocks worlds too, and then… I reviewed and awesome one so we have PLENTY to read, my friends.

In fact… Jan was already prepared!

Jan: Three new release preorders arrived on my kindle this morning. Whoops! I’d forgotten I’d ordered two of them. Where the Lost Wander (which I think I might read first), A Duke by Any Other Name by Grace Burrowes and another HR, Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter.

And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out:

AUDIOBOOK LVERS!

Not a member of Audible yet? Get a free 30 day audible trial (which includes 1 free audiobook + 2 audible originals)

READER RECOMMENDATIONS & BARGAIN FINDS:

TWO MONTHS FREE KINDLE UNLIMITED DEAL!!! <— If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s your chance (it’s still going on through the end of April).

and…

Infinite Us by Eden Butler <— EDEN BUTLER RE-RELEASE! “…Nash Nation loves zeroes and ones, over-sized monitors, and late office hours. He’s too busy taking over the world to make time for relationships—that is, until his new neighbor Willow O’Bryant barges into his life, and now Nash can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the first time she’s interrupted his world. Then, the dreams start. And in the dreams—memories...”

Kathy: On Amy Harmon’s Facebook page, she posted that she read Eden Butler’s Infinite Us and highly recommended it.

Mony: Just finished The Cornerstone by Kate Canterbary and loved it! Steamy story about Hot Guy & Sassy Girl as they steer through one night stands into something more. Sassy Girl is great – sharp-witted & a tough nut to crack. H is a great alpha. Loved the slow burn & Hot Guy’s transformation. Banter between h & H is clever and even sharper in second half.

A 4.5-star read (deduction cause too much about h’s family). Plan to read The Spire (#6 in series)…story about Hot Doctor & Rebel Girl.  Thanks Jan for mentioning this author!

Cicely: Hi Maryse! I just want to share that Absolution, the third book from The Disenchanted series from L.D. Davis is out now too!! The series is great and is worth some extra love.

Angst loving fanatic like me would love it!!!

  Michele G: Tasha, where are you? I read it because of your high marks….you weren’t wrong!! I just finished The Sun Down Motel and it was AMAZING!! I listened to the audiobook and felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone …or something at times…..so so good!!! I highly recommend!

Tasha J: YESS!! *claps hands* So glad you loved it

PARANORMAL/FANTASY/SCI-FI/DYSTOPIAN NEW RELEASES:

Shadowborn Academy: Year Three (Dark Fae Academy Series Book 3) by G. Bailey and Scarlett Snow <— REVERSE HAREM FAE!!

Possessive Alien Mate (Savage Martians Book 2) by Sue Mercury

Dragon Hero: Guardian Dragons of Prospect Falls by Serena Meadows

Playing Cards With Aliens (Kilbus Lord Book 1) by Erin Raegan

Mating Fever (Morgan Clan Bears, Book 3) by Theresa Hissong

The Unbound Queen: A Novel of the Four Arts by M.J. Scott

Wishes, Wings, and Woes: Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy (Gods and Demons Book 2) by Kaye Draper

The Impassioned Choice (Etherya’s Earth Book 5) by Rebecca Hefner

The Rising Queen Discovery in Water (The Elemental Chronicles Book 3): Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance Series by Gina Manis

Hidden Princess (The Elements Series Book 1) by M.A. Roth

Flourish: A High Fantasy Reverse Harem (The Blooming Courts Book 3) by Kendra Moreno and Poppy Woods

Kissed by the Alien Mercenary (Warriors of the Lathar Book 12) by Mina Carter

The Fourth Power: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Romance Novel (Order of Magic Book 3) by Michelle M. Pillow

Starbreaker (Nightchaser Book 2) by Amanda Bouchet

Embracing Destiny (The Fae Chronicles #6) by Amelia Hutchins <— ELA FOUND IT!!!

Ela: MARYSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Embracing Destiny (The Fae Chronicles #6) by Amelia Hutchins IS LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONTEMPORARY NEW RELEASES:

Where the Lost Wander: A Novel by Amy Harmon <— AMY HARMON ALERT!!! “…The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both. But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death...”

Tasha J: I finished Where the Lost Wander and I’m in . I cried a little when it was over. *sigh* Such a good book. …Where the Lost Wander is my best of read of the year for sure.

Mony: Where the Lost Wander is now on TBR list…thanks Tasha!

Michele G: I’m also reading Amy Harmon’s Where the Lost Wander and loving every word! She is such a versatile writer. I’m always amazed.

Rafe: An Arizona Vengeance Novella by Sawyer Bennett <— SAWYER BENNETT HOCKEY STAR SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE ALERT!! “…Now I’m home and when I’m not on the ice with my new team, I’m helping care for my dad. And in the midst of my grief, I find comfort from the one person I never expected. Calliope Ramirez stole my heart at a very young age. The beautiful, smart, headstrong girl next door, she was my first… everything. She has never forgiven me for leaving her, believing that I chose hockey over a future together. What she doesn’t understand is that every decision I made was for her, and I’ve never given up hope that one day we’d be together again...”

To My Arrogant Boss (The Inappropriate Bachelors Book 2) by J. S. Cooper <— SHE TOLD OFF HER GRUMPY BOSS! “…I thought it was time that someone addressed your big head and told you straight to your face that you’re not all that. Just because you have an Ivy league education doesn’t mean you’re the smartest man in the world. In fact, I’m not even sure if you would have gotten in if you didn’t have rich parents. Yes, I went there…”

Can’t Fight The Moonlight (Whisper Lake Book 3) by Barbara Freethy

Enchanted (The Accidental Billionaires Book 4) by J. S. Scott

Mayhem’s Betrayal: Operation Mayhem Book 5 by Lindsay Cross

A Monster’s Beauty (In the Arms of Monsters Book 3) by Sam Crescent <— TRILOGY CONCLUSION ALERT!!

Nailed (Four Bears Construction Book 2) by K.M. Neuhold

Heiress for Hire (A Duke’s Heiress Romance Book 1) by Madeline Hunter <— HISTORICAL ROMANCE ALERT!! “…Now he’s insisting that Minerva has inherited a fortune from his uncle, a wealthy duke. Only one thing could surprise her more: her sudden attraction to this exasperating man...”

Taking Liberty (The Next Generation Book 7) by Riley Edwards

Fierce Shadows: Shadows Landing #4 by Kathleen Brooks

Dirty Desires by Crystal Kaswell <— SHE NEEDS MONEY FOR HER SISTER’S MEDICAL BILLS... “...Ian Hunt has specific tastes. The feisty student is perfect. He has to have her. His offer is simple. Six figures. Thirty days. Him introducing her to every kind of pleasure. It’s ridiculous. The British businessman is richer than sin and hotter than hell. He can have any woman he wants. Why her?…”

Ransom for a Song (The Rockwater Suite Book 3) by Phyllis Clark Nichols

Still Wicked (The Wickeds Book 6) by Kathleen Ayers <— HISTORICAL!!!

Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways Book 8) by Cynthia Eden <— SHE HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED & HE RESCUED HER… “…Evangeline “Evie” Lake fell hard and fast for her tall, dark, and dangerous rescuer. Then he flew her back to her home, kissed her goodbye on the doorstep, and walked his sexy self away with looking back. He broke her heart into a million little pieces, and she swore off the “bad boys”—they were just trouble she didn’t want. Case closed...”

Hard Edge (Cobra Elite Book 4) by Pamela Clare

Cole’s Mistake (Haven, Texas Book 8) by Laylah Roberts

B*stard: Royal B*stards MC (Texas) by Sapphire Knight

Finally (Neighbor from Hell Book 12) by R.L. Mathewson <— R.L. MATHEWSON’S LATEST NEIGHBOR FROM HELL!!! “…After years of putting off taking the next step, Charlie was finally ready, mostly because her best friend had threatened to make her life a living hell if she didn’t. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to pull this off unless she made some changes, Charlie somehow finds herself moving into the in-law apartment of the man that seemed to go out of his way to avoid her only to find herself wondering if she was chasing the wrong dream after all...”

Treasure Island SEAL: Pirate SEAL Rescues his Mermaid (Sunset SEALs Book 3) by Sharon Hamilton

Torque (Wicked Mayhem MC Book 1) by Harley Wylde

An Officer, Not a Gentleman: A Traditional Regency Romance (Brethren in Arms Book 3) by Elizabeth Johns

The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée by Annika Martin <— HE NEEDS SOMEONE THAT IS NOT HIS TYPE AT ALL… “...my people go and hire Tabitha. My hairdresser. What were they thinking? Yes, I said annoying, but I didn’t mean Tabitha, the most frustrating woman in the world. Tabitha is sunshiny. She has a pet hamster. She loves Hello Kitty, and she gets under my skin like nobody else. As if that’s not bad enough, the minute we step on deck, she thinks that certain people on the yacht are up to something shady–based completely on her soap opera knowledge. She won’t listen when I tell her she’s being ridiculous...”

Saint (Heartlands Motorcycle Club Book 4) by Hope Ford

Hot SEAL, Bachelor Party: A Brotherhood Protectors Crossover Novel (SEALs in Paradise) by Elle James

Carpentry and Cocktails: A Heartfelt Small Town Romance (Green Valley Library Book 5) Nora Everly <— HE’S HER NEW NERDY-HOT LANDLORD!! “…Willa Hill has finally left her teen runaway past behind and wants a fresh start—alone. Men are nothing but trouble and she’s had enough man-trouble to last a lifetime. Too bad her irresistibly sexy, nerdy-hot landlord doesn’t agree. When their mutual yearning becomes a white-hot fling and passion crosses carefully drawn, albeit one-sided boundaries, Everett finds himself in love and Willa finds herself in a pickle. Because, unfortunately, when she returned to Green Valley, her problems came too…”

The Virgin and the Rogue (Rogue Files Book 6) by Sophie Jordan <— HISTORICAL!!

Unmatched Love: Henry & Lei Lu: A SEAL & Strong Heroine Military Romance (Black Swan Book 6) by KaLyn Cooper

Lessons in Lemonade (Starving for Southern Book 3) by Kathryn Andrews

Island Affair (Keys to Love Book 1) by Priscilla Oliveras <— THE FIREFIGHTER IS HER FAKE FIANCÉ!! “...Sought-after social media influencer Sara Vance, in recovery from an eating disorder, is coming into her own, with a potential career expansion on the horizon. Despite the good news, her successful siblings (and their perfect spouses) have a way of making her feel like the odd one out. So, when her unreliable boyfriend is a no-show for a Florida family vacation, Sara recruits Luis Navarro—a firefighter paramedic and dive captain willing to play the part of her smitten fiancé…”

A Shot at Redemption: The Detectives of Hazel Hill – Book Four by Liz Bradford

Losing It All (The Hellfire Riders Book 7) by Kati Wilde

A Duke by Any Other Name (Rogues to Riches Book 4) by Grace Burrowes <— HISTORICAL!!

Airborne by DiAnn Mills <— A VIRUS WAS RELEASED... “…As the virus quickly spreads and dozens of passengers fall ill, Heather fears she’s witnessing an epidemic similar to ones her estranged husband studies for a living—but this airborne contagion may have been deliberately released. While Heather remains quarantined with other survivors, she works with her FBI colleagues to identify the person behind this attack. The prime suspect? Dr. Chad Lawrence, an expert in his field . . . and Heather’s husband…”

Head Over Paws (Rescue Me Book 5) by Debbie Burns

Honey Buns: An Opposites Attract Romance by Cat Johnson

The Run Around by Bernadette Franklin <— SHE’S PLANNING HIS WEDDING... “…He wants her to plan his wedding. She wants to be his bride. Diving into the treacherous world of wedding planning, Hope keeps her word and arranges the vows for the one man she believes she could love...”

A Date for Midnight (The Dating Series Book 1) by L.P. Dover and Heidi McLaughlin <— THE ROCK STAR & THE NURSE ALERT!! “…There, amongst the craft beer and pork rinds, she comes face to face with her high school boyfriend, Brennan McLean. He’s a rockstar. She’s a nurse. To say life led them in different directions would be putting it mildly. Still, time hasn’t lessened the electric chemistry between them. By the end of the night more was dropping than just the ball...”

Her Seafaring Scoundrel (The Crawfords Book 3) by Sophie Barnes

The Highlander’s Lady Knight (Midsummer Knights Book 2) by Madeline Martin

How to Not Fall for the Guy Next Door: A Sweet and Humorous Romance by Meg Easton

At My General’s Command (Men of Fort Dale Book 4) by Romeo Alexander <— M/M ROMANCE!!

Swimming in the Dark: A Novel by Tomasz Jedrowski <— M/M ROMANCE!!

The Thief by Bonnie Dee <— M/M ROMANCE!!

The Wedding Dress: A Novel by Danielle Steel <— DANIELLE STEEL ALERT!! “…The Parisian design houses in 1928, the crash of 1929, the losses of war, the drug culture of the 1960s—history holds many surprises, and lives are changed forever. For richer or for poorer, in cramped apartments and grand mansions, the treasured wedding dress made in Paris in 1928 follows each generation into their new lives, and represents different hopes for each of them, as they marry very different men...”

Royally Treasured (Royal Sons MC Book 4) by Elle Boon

A Duke Too Far (The Way to a Lord’s Heart Book 4) by Jane Ashford <— HISTORICAL!!

Duke of Misfortune (Dukes of Destiny Book 4) by Whitney Blake <— HISTORICAL!!

The Rakess: Society of Sirens, Volume 1 by Scarlett Peckham <— HISTORICAL!!

The Hating Season: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance by K.A. Linde <— K.A. LINDE ALERT!! SHE WAS HIRED TO CLEAN UP HIS IMAGE! “...I’m hired to clean up his badboy image, which would’ve been easy if my life wasn’t falling apart. First, I catch my movie star husband having an affair with his co-star. Then when I return to work, my job is at stake, because Court has gotten himself into trouble…again. Instead of getting him back in line, I find myself falling for his charm...”

Wicked at the Library: A Curvy Woman Romance (Curvy Librarians of Sugar Hill Book 1) by Liz Fox

Reid: An Eidolon Black Ops Novel by Maddie Wade

The Billionaire’s Navy SEAL (Sutton Billionaires Book 5) by Lori Ryan

Knocked Up by the Wrong Prince: An Accidental Pregnancy Romance (Knocked Up Royals Book 6) by Lilian Monroe

Who Will Save Your Soul: And Other Dangerous Bedtime Stories by Skye Warren <— SKYE WARREN ANTHOLOGY ALERT!! “…Features four novellas by New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren. Each standalone story ends in a happily ever after….”

Kyler’s Blind Date Seduction (Hot Hunks Steamy Romance Collection Book 4) by Stephanie Morris

Not the Bodyguard’s Boss: Sweet Bodyguard Romance (Hastings Security Book 3) by Lorin Grace

Necessary Risk (Aegis Group Task Force Book 4) by Sidney Bristol <— SHE HAS TO INFILTRATE A HAREM… “...Ivy Ashley is striking out. Fired from her gig as a live-in bodyguard, she’s at the end of her rope when she is asked to join a special task force for a one-off undercover job. It’s easy. All she has to do is infiltrate a harem. She even has back-up in the form of a lone-wolf spy with the sexiest lips she’s ever kissed…”

ImPerfectly Happy by Sharina Harris <— “…When four college friends formed the Brown Sugarettes Mastermind Group, they had very different goals—but matched each other in ambition. Yet ten years later they can’t help wondering what happened to the hopeful, confident, driven women they used to be—and how to get them back . . .”

Asking for Trouble (Credence, Colorado Book 3) by Amy Andrews

The Letter by Anthony Sciarratta <— FORBIDDEN LOVE SOULMATES ALERT!! “...Victor Esposito mysteriously dedicates every novel he’s ever written to one woman. His trademark protagonist fits the description of Eva Abrams, the bright-eyed and blonde Long Island housewife. Tragedy suddenly strikes Victor’s life when a courageous act leaves him in a coma. Hearing the news from a television broadcast, Eva finds herself suddenly overcome with the memories of a love affair she’d left behind a decade ago…“

Undeniably Perfect (Perfectly Imperfect Love Series Book 1) by S.E. Rose

Promise Me Always (Against All Odds Book 4) by Savannah Kade

How To Date Your Brother’s Best Friend: A snarky, steamy contemporary romance by Karigan Hale

Hook Up (Taking Chances Book 2) by TC Matson <— HER BOYFRIEND IS IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE... “…While I’m helping my best friend plan her wedding, I get hit with a bomb. One that ruins all my hopes and dreams of marriage and starting a family. My long-term boyfriend isn’t only a lying, cheating, piece of worthlessness, He’s also in love with the woman he’s been seeing behind my back. Now I’m forced to act like my best friend’s wedding isn’t going to hurt my soul while I try to mend my heart. What’s the best way to get over a broken heart? A no strings attached hook-up…”

Spooning Leads to Forking (Hot in the Kitchen Book 2) by Kilby Blades

Gone With the Rogue (First Comes Love Book 2) by Amelia Grey <— HISTORICAL!!!

Searching for Signs by Mandy Lee <— “…Fans of the award-winning and beloved television series “The Office” will enjoy a story reminiscent of Jim and Pam’s long-awaited and championed romance, while readers less familiar with the show will enjoy a bilateral story of two sensible people navigating the hardships of love and loss while stuck in their small Southern town and surrounded by quirky personalities...”

Deep in the Alaskan Woods (An Alaska Wild Novel Book 1) by Karen Harper <— SHE MOVES TO ALASKA FOR A NEW START… “…Alexandra Collister came to her estranged cousins’ B&B in Falls Lake, Alaska, looking for a fresh start. The surrounding forest can be harsh and unforgiving—luckily, rugged wilderness tracker Quinn Mantell offers to be her guide. Still recovering from a toxic previous relationship, Alex is wary of getting too close, but when savagely deep claw marks appear outside her bedroom window, keeping her distance from Quinn is no longer an option. Then a body turns up exhibiting the same ruthless slash marks, and Alex knows it isn’t a coincidence…”

The Ingredients of You and Me: A Novel (Hopeless Romantics Book 3) by Nina Bocci

Under an Alaskan Sky (A Wild River Novel Book 2) by Jennifer Snow

PREORDERS (going live soon!!! )

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[abujaihs-blog]

How To Make A Housing Crisis

For most of American history, cities grew along a familiar pattern. Once a suburban community grew large enough, the neighboring big city would loosen its borders and swallow it up through annexation. Then in the 1950s, the developers of Lakewood, California—sometimes described as the “Levittown of the West Coast”—invented a new “municipal technology” to avoid this fate. By contracting out vital municipal services like police, fire and sanitation to the county or private entities, the 17,500-home subdivision just outside of Long Beach was able to incorporate as a city at a significantly lower population than it otherwise would have needed. Copycat contract cities became hugely popular in the ensuing decades, forming concentric circles around old urban centers and providing suburban homeowners with the solace that, safely within their incorporated entities, they would be protected from what might euphemistically be called big-city ills. Contract cities aren’t the first thing that come to mind for most people when they think of the affordable housing crisis that many American cities now face—these suburban communities tend not to have many homeless people or renters at risk of eviction. But in desirable regions like coastal California, contract cities have played a huge role in exacerbating housing problems outside their borders. For over half a century, they’ve been all too successful at implementing their founding mandates: preserving their physical and demographic character, and delivering consistently rising home values to homeowners. “One of the main reasons it worked was that these cities effectively opted out of paying for expensive social services by zoning out poorer people,” New York Times economics reporter Conor Dougherty writes in Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America. Dougherty’s new book provides a comprehensive account of the origins of California’s housing crisis, illuminating the many places where it hides in plain sight—in contract cities, in tax law, in shifting cultural trends, in structural economic transformations, as well as in the annals of policy and planning. Dougherty applies a similarly wide lens to the diverse activists who have emerged to challenge the housing status quo, leaving readers hopeful for the future of a broader housing movement—if perhaps also a bit overwhelmed by it. “There’s a lot layered on to this that has nothing to do with housing, but it’s manifesting in housing fights because of the seriousness of this issue,” he tells CityLab in a phone interview. Golden Gates is at its best as a history, whose breadth demonstrates the impossibility of silver-bullet housing solutions. One of many counterintuitive origin points for California’s current crisis was San Francisco’s freeway revolts that began in the 1950s, when grassroots neighborhood activists successfully prevented highways from being constructed throughout most (but not all) of the city. The revolts marked the beginning of the state’s anti-growth movement, which challenged California’s longstanding growth-for-growth’s sake philosophy. That doctrine had brought “urban renewal” projects that transformed minority neighborhoods into bombed-out shells of their former selves and inspired proposals to fill in nearly the entire San Francisco Bay. Anti-growth activism began as a close cousin of the state’s environmentalism, but as time went on, “the good intention of stopping sprawl soon became cover for stopping everything,” Dougherty writes. The broad language of the California Environmental Quality Act enabled this conceptual fudging, granting ordinary citizens the power to halt coastal subdivisions and green urban infill projects alike. As land use and planning power devolved to neighborhood groups, city governments followed their lead by “downzoning” large swaths of their land to preserve the existing urban landscape, as if it were a pristine old-growth forest. San Francisco has gone from having a housing crisis to being a housing-crisis meme.The infamous Proposition 13, a 1978 ballot initiative that capped property taxes, meant that new housing could cost cities more in services than it would bring in through taxes. In response, cities privileged much more lucrative commercial development—setting the stage for the state’s severe jobs/housing imbalance—and tacked hefty fees on new housing construction. Combine that with flatlining productivity in the construction industry and a persistent labor shortage following the Great Recession and you get construction costs that ensure new housing is by definition luxury housing. Meanwhile, in the depths of the 2008 foreclosure crisis, giant private equity firms snapped up tens of thousands of homes, creating a new category of renter households living month-to-month at the whim of Wall Street bottom lines. By that point, California’s once-robust tenant movement was already hobbled by laws from the 1980s and ’90s that severely limited rent control and expanded landlords’ power to evict tenants. These historical factors, and many more, bore down on the Bay Area right as it became the “burning-hot nucleus of some of the most epochal forces in human history” during the recent tech boom. San Francisco has gone from having a housing crisis to being a housing-crisis meme: the supercommuters, the homeless teachers, the poop on the sidewalk, not to mention the proxy housing battles over shadows, office construction, and gentrifier watering holes. This is where Dougherty’s history crashes into the lived realities of contemporary Californians, and their fight for a better housing future. Each character or group of characters Dougherty introduces represents a possible solution to the multifaceted crisis he has laid out. Among them is Stephanie Gutierrez, a 15-year-old from Redwood City who organizes her building against a 50% rent hike. The strikers win some significant concessions, but Gutierrez and her family are ultimately forced to leave anyway, leading her into a serious bout of depression. Multiply Gutierrez’s experience by a million and you have an entire generation of Californians whose childhoods have been shaped by housing insecurity. If Gutierrez represents tenant power—and tenant despair—Sister Christina Heltsley, whose community land trust buys market-rate housing and keeps it permanently affordable, represents the movement to get housing off of the private market. Rick Holliday, a developer who hopes to make construction more affordable by building apartments in a factory and stacking them together on site, embodies yet another solution. And then there are the YIMBYs, the “Yes In My Backyard” activists fighting to lower zoning and regulatory barriers to all kinds of housing—“so long as it was built tall and fast and had people living in it.” This group emerged in San Francisco in 2014, when an economics Ph.D. dropout named Sonja Trauss formed the San Francisco Bay Area Renter’s Federation (SFBARF). Using a combination of performance art-style provocations and Twitter activism, she brought legions of young, nerdy, white-collar San Franciscans to testify in favor of new housing at bone-dry planning meetings. In just a few years, the YIMBYs grew to be a powerful political movement, led by San Francisco’s state senator, Scott Wiener, who has thrice tried (and failed) to pass comprehensive statewide zoning reform. “The YIMBY movement and all the problems they were encountering—that complexity is the issue. That’s the story.”What’s unprecedented about the YIMBYs is not their ideology, but their political power. As early as the 1970s, MIT urban planning professor Bernard Frieden made the argument that California’s growth controls, applied to wildlands and existing neighborhoods alike, would only make housing progressively more expensive. In more recent years, economist Edward Glaeser, journalist Matthew Yglesias, and others took up these ideas in light of the 21st century “urban revival,” which saw big coastal cities boom without adding commensurate housing, thus locking people out of America’s greatest engines of opportunity. “What was interesting to me was that they were trying to create some kind of constituency around this,” Dougherty says of the YIMBYs. They upended Frieden’s notion that, unlike tenants or homeowners, the people zoned out of the housing market were “unorganized and probably unorganizable.” Close observers of the YIMBY movement will find plenty of gossipy tidbits in Golden Gates, like the fact that Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman reached out to then-journalist Kim-Mai Cutler about starting a pro-housing political organization after reading her legendary TechCrunch manifesto, “How Burrowing Owls Lead to Vomiting Anarchists.” Cutler refused, so Stoppelman ended up giving Trauss $10,000 to “keep doing what she was doing”—seeding the YIMBY movement with capital in much the same manner that he once received his first venture funding. The YIMBY movement’s rapid rise an ability to gain lucrative institutional backing—especially from the tech industry—has turned out to be its biggest political liability. “Encoded in that ascent was an age-old American message, which was that problems are only problems when they affect white people,” Dougherty writes. This perception issue was on vivid display when the Moms for Housing activists, a group of African-American women who drew national media attention for their occupation of a vacant home in Oakland, showed up to protest the unveiling of the latest version of SB50, Wiener’s unsuccessful zoning reform bill. A great deal of Golden Gates is spent parsing the divide between the YIMBYs and more traditional tenant activists. It’s a divide that plays out in dramatic fashion on Twitter, and, more substantively, helps illustrate the differing priorities of people in need of immediate relief from skyrocketing rents and those fighting to address California’s extreme housing shortage. Even for those versed in the minutia of housing Twitter, it can be difficult to follow the contours of this debate across the book’s many characters and scenes. And Golden Gates’s focus on YIMBY drama takes oxygen away from other types of housing activists, namely environmentalists and urban planners, who think about housing in the context of reducing carbon emissions and congestion, protecting open space from sprawl, and redressing historic inequities between neighborhoods. But Dougherty sees the thrust and parry of the Bay Area housing debate as the best way to dramatize a problem that resists straightforward fixes. “I thought the YIMBY movement and all the problems they were encountering—that complexity is the issue, that’s the story,” he says. Dougherty also sees a broader housing movement coalescing out of this scrum, offering “mixed solutions” that take pieces from both sides. “Building more housing does nothing for renters being evicted today. Rent control does,” Dougherty writes. “Capping rent prices does nothing to solve the underlying problem of a housing shortage that is the root cause of displacement. Building housing does.” Dougherty sees this logic reflected in the mixed housing solutions offered by nearly all the Democratic presidential candidates, as well as recent zoning reform victories in Oregon and Minneapolis, and new rent caps in California and New York. Even as housing becomes a more prominent national issue, and more cities across the country start encountering California-style housing problems, the Golden State is sure to remain the epicenter of the housing movement. The next few years are likely to contain enough drama for Dougherty to write a sequel. Some of the activists he follows are beginning to chip away at Prop 13 and California’s longstanding rent control restrictions. And as for those contract cities and other exclusive suburbs, Scott Wiener and his army of YIMBY activists are gearing up for round four. “This is ultimately a book about people who show up,” Dougherty said. “Apathy is a bigger problem than somebody trying to propose a solution, getting some blowback, and altering their platform. Maybe that’s the process working.” Source: City Lab Read the full article

[pamphletstoinspire]

THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES- From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 10

INTRODUCTION

This Book is called Ecclesiastes, or the preacher, (in Hebrew, Coheleth) because in it Solomon, as an excellent preacher, setteth forth the vanity of the things of this world, to withdraw the hearts and affections of men from such empty toys. Ch. --- Coheleth is a feminine noun, to indicate the elegance of the discourse. It is very difficult to discriminate the objections of free-thinkers from the real sentiments of the author. It is most generally supposed that Solomon wrote this after his repentance; but this is very uncertain. S. Jerom (in C. xii. 12.) informs us that the collectors of the sacred books had some scruple about admitting this; and Luther speaks of it with great disrespect: (Coll. conviv.) but the Church has always maintained its authority. See Conc. v. Act. 4. Philast. 132. C. --- It refutes the false notions of worldlings, concerning felicity; and shews that it consists in the service of God and fruition. W.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 10

Observations on wisdom and folly, ambition and detraction.

[1] Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.

Muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti. Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.

[2] The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.

Cor sapientis in dextera ejus, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.

[3] Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas he himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.

Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos aestimat.

[4] If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.

Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te, locum tuum ne demiseris, quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.

[5] There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:

Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis :

[6] A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.

positum stultum in dignitate sublimi, et divites sedere deorsum.

[7] I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.

Vidi servos in equis, et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.

[8] He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.

[9] He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.

Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis, et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.

[10] If the iron be blunt, and be not as before, but be made blunt, with much labour it shall be sharpened: and after industry shall follow wisdom.

Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit, multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.

[11] If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.

Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.

[12] The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.

Verba oris sapientis gratia, et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum;

[13] The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.

initium verborum ejus stultitia, et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.

[14] A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?

[15] The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not how to go to the city.

Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.

[16] Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning.

Vae tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est, et cujus principes mane comedunt.

[17] Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.

Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est, et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo, ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.

[18] By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.

In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.

[19] For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.

In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes; et pecuniae obediunt omnia.

[20] Detract not the king, no not in thy thought; and speak not evil of the rich man in thy private chamber: because even the birds of the air will carry thy voice, and he that hath wings will tell what thou hast said.

In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas, et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti : quia et aves caeli portabunt vocem tuam, et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.

Commentary:

Ver. 1. Ointment. A fly cannot live in it. Pliny xi. 19. --- Hence the smallest faults must be avoided, (C.) and superfluous cares, (S. Greg.) as well as the conversation of the wicked, (Thaumat.) particularly of heretics. S. Aug. con. Fulg. 14. --- Detractors may be compared to flies: they seek corruption, &c. A little leaven corrupteth the whole lump. 1 Cor. v. 6. C. --- The wicked infect their companions, and vice destroys all former virtues. W. --- Wisdom, or "a small...folly is more precious than wisdom," &c. of the world. 1 Cor. i. 25. and iii. 18. Dulce est desipere in loco. Hor. iv. ode 12. --- Heb. "folly spoils things more precious than wisdom." A small fault is often attended with the worst consequences, (C. ix. 18.) as David and Roboam experienced. 2 K. xxiv. and 3 K. xii. 14. C. --- Sept. "a little wisdom is to be honoured above the great glory of foolishness." Prot. "dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking flavour; so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." H.

Ver. 2. Hand, to do well or ill. Deut. i. 39. Jon. iv. 11. Chal.

Ver. 3. Fools. People judge others by themselves. C. --- Thus Nero could not believe that any were chaste. Suet.

Ver. 4. Place. If the devil tempt or persuade thee to sin, repent and humble thyself; or if thou hast offended the great, shew submission.

Ver. 5. Prince, who seems to have been guilty of any indiscretion.

Ver. 6. Rich. Such were chosen magistrates. Ex. xviii. 21. Prov. xxviii. 16. and xxx. 21.

Ver. 8. Him. Those who disturb the state or the Church, shall be in danger.

Ver. 9. Stones. Landmarks or walls. Prov. xxii. 18. --- Them. God will punish his injustice, in meddling with another's property.

Ver. 10. Made blunt. After being repeatedly sharpened, (C.) it will be more difficult to cut with it, and will expose the person to hurt himself, v. 9. H. --- Man, since original sin, is in a similar condition. --- Wisdom. The wise perform great things even with bad tools. Heb. "wisdom is the best directress." C.

Ver. 11. Silence. Prot. "without enchantment, and a babbler is no better." H. --- But he compares the detractor to a serpent, (C.) as he infuses the poison into all who pay attention to him. S. Jer. S. Bern.

Ver. 12. Grace. Pleasing and instructive. C.

Ver. 14. Tell him. How foolish, therefore, is it to speak about every thing!

Ver. 15. City. Being so stupid, that they know not, or will not take the pains to find what is most obvious. C. --- Thus the pagan philosophers knew all but what they ought to have known; (S. Jer.) and many such wise worldlings never strive to discover the paths which lead to the city of eternal peace: like him who contemplated the stars, and fell into a ditch. C.

Ver. 16. When thy. Heb. lit. "whose," cujus, as v. 17. H. --- S. Jerom give two senses to this passage, the literal and the mystical, according to his usual custom. The dominion of young men and of luxurious judges is reproved, as well as innovations in matters of religion. Is. iii. 4. Those are blessed who have Christ for their head, descending from the patriarchs and saints, (over whom sin ruled not, and who of course were free) and from the blessed Virgin, who was "more free." They have the apostles for princes, who sought not the pleasures of this world, but will be rewarded, in due time, and eat without confusion. T. 7. W. --- Child. Minorities often prove dangerous to the state, while regents cannot agree. --- Morning, as children eat at all times. This may relate to the ruler who is a child in age, or in knowledge, though it seems rather to refer to his counsellors. Is. v. 11.

Ver. 17. Noble. Royal extraction, (Esqlwn genesqai. Eurip. Hec.) and education, afford many advantages which others, who raise themselves to the throne, do not enjoy. Heb. "the son of those in white," (C.) or "of heroes." Mont. --- Eurim, (H.) or Chorim seems to have give rise to the word Hero. The advantages of birth only make the defects of degenerate children more observable. C. --- Heroum filii noxæ. "The sons of heroes are a nuisance," (H.) was an ancient proverb. --- Season. The time was not fixed; but it was deemed a mark of intemperance to eat before noon, when judges ought to have decided causes. Dan. xiii. 7. Acts ii. 15.

Ver. 18. Through. If we neglect our own, or other's soul, (H.) in the administration of Church, (S. Jer.) or state, all will go to ruin.

Ver. 19. Feast. As if they were born for this purpose, (Phil. iii. 19. C.) fruges consumere nati. Hor. i. ep. 2. --- Money. ---

             Scilicet uxorem cum dote fidemque et amicos,

             Et genus, et formam regina pecunia donet. Horace, i. ep. 6.)

- Heb. "money answers all purposes," (H.) to procure meat, drink, &c. C.

Ver. 20. Said. Pigeons are taught to carry letters in the east, and Solomon alludes to this custom, or he makes use of this hyperbole to shew, that kings will discover the most secret inclinations by means of spies. We must not speak ill even of those who are worthy of blame. v. 16. C.

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THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES- From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 8

INTRODUCTION

This Book is called Ecclesiastes, or the preacher, (in Hebrew, Coheleth) because in it Solomon, as an excellent preacher, setteth forth the vanity of the things of this world, to withdraw the hearts and affections of men from such empty toys. Ch. --- Coheleth is a feminine noun, to indicate the elegance of the discourse. It is very difficult to discriminate the objections of free-thinkers from the real sentiments of the author. It is most generally supposed that Solomon wrote this after his repentance; but this is very uncertain. S. Jerom (in C. xii. 12.) informs us that the collectors of the sacred books had some scruple about admitting this; and Luther speaks of it with great disrespect: (Coll. conviv.) but the Church has always maintained its authority. See Conc. v. Act. 4. Philast. 132. C. --- It refutes the false notions of worldlings, concerning felicity; and shews that it consists in the service of God and fruition. W.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 8

True wisdom is to observe God's commandments. The ways of God are unsearchable.

[1] The wisdom of a man shineth in his countenance, and the most mighty will change his face.

Sapientia hominis lucet in vultu ejus, et potentissimus faciem illius commutabit.

[2] I observe the mouth of the king, and the commandments of the oath of God.

Ego os regis observo, et praecepta juramenti Dei.

[3] Be not hasty to depart from his face, and do not continue in an evil work: for he will do all that pleaseth him:

Ne festines recedere a facie ejus, neque permaneas in opere malo : quia omne quod voluerit faciet.

[4] And his word is full of power: neither can any man say to him: Why dost thou so?

Et sermo illius potestate plenus est, nec dicere ei quisquam potest : Quare ita facis?

[5] He that keepeth the commandments shall find no evil. The heart of a wise man understandeth time and answer.

Qui custodit praeceptum non experietur quidquam mali. Tempus et responsionem cor sapientis intelligit.

[6] There is a time and opportunity for every business, and great affliction for man:

Omni negotio tempus est, et opportunitas : et multa hominis afflictio,

[7] Because he is ignorant of things past, and things to come he cannot know by any messenger.

quia ignorat praeterita, et futura nullo scire potest nuntio.

[8] It is not in man's power to stop the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death, neither is he suffered to rest when war is at hand, neither shall wickedness save the wicked.

Non est in hominis potestate prohibere spiritum, nec habet potestatem in die mortis : nec sinitur quiescere ingruente bello, neque salvabit impietas impium.

[9] All these things I have considered, and applied my heart to all the works that are done under the sun. Sometimes one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

Omnia haec consideravi, et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus quae fiunt sub sole. Interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum.

[10] I saw the wicked buried: who also when they were yet living were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as men of just works: but this also is vanity.

Vidi impios sepultos, qui etiam cum adhuc viverent in loco sancto erant, et laudabantur in civitate quasi justorum operum. Sed et hoc vanitas est.

[11] For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear.

Etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia, absque timore ullo filii hominum perpetrant mala.

[12] But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and by patience be borne withal, I know from thence that it shall be well with them that fear God, who dread his face.

Attamen peccator ex eo quod centies facit malum, et per patientiam sustentatur; ego cognovi quod erit bonum timentibus Deum, qui verentur faciem ejus.

[13] But let it not be well with the wicked, neither let his days be prolonged, but as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord.

Non sit bonum impio, nec prolongentur dies ejus, sed quasi umbra transeant qui non timent faciem Domini.

[14] There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are just men to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the wicked: and there are wicked men, who are as secure, as though they had the deeds of the just: but this also I judge most vain.

Est et alia vanitas quae fit super terram : sunt justi quibus mala proveniunt quasi opera egerint impiorum : et sunt impii qui ita securi sunt quasi justorum facta habeant. Sed et hoc vanissimum judico.

[15] Therefore I commended mirth, because there was no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry, and that he should take nothing else with him of his labour in the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.

Laudavi igitur laetitiam; quod non esset homini bonum sub sole, nisi quod comederet, et biberet, atque gauderet, et hoc solum secum auferret de labore suo, in diebus vitae suae quos dedit ei Deus sub sole.

[16] And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to understand the distraction that is upon earth: for there are some that day and night take no sleep with their eyes.

Et apposui cor meum ut scirem sapientiam, et intelligerem distentionem quae versatur in terra. Est homo qui diebus et noctibus somnum non capit oculis.

[17] And I understood that man can find no reason of all those works of God that are done under the sun: and the more he shall labour to seek, so much the less shall he find: yea, though the wise man shall say, that he knoweth it, he shall not be able to find it.

Et intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum quae fiunt sub sole; et quanto plus laboraverit ad quaerendum, tanto minus inveniat : etiam si dixerit sapiens se nosse, non poterit reperire.

Commentary:

Ver. 1. Most. Sept. "he whose face is impudent, shall be hated." The truly wise and virtuous man is always polite and affable. C. --- As we may form a probable conjecture of a person's disposition from his countenance, so we may judge of man's virtue by their actions. They are right and meritorious when the intention is good, (W.) and the works themselves blameless.

Ver. 2. I. Prot. add, "counsel thee, to keep, &c. "Obey the king and God." H. 1 Pet. ii. 17. --- Solomon proposes his own example, or speaks in the name of the just. --- God. The law of Moses, confirmed with an oath, or the engagement to be faithful to the king. 2 K. v. 3. 1 Par. xxix. 24.

Ver. 3. Face. This courtiers observe, while many Christians neglect God. --- Work. Defend not what has been said or done amiss.

Ver. 4. So? The eastern kings rule with absolute sway. Prov. xvi. 14.

Ver. 5. Answer. Heb. "judgment." He knows when to reprove even kings with effect; like Nathan, Elias, or S. Ambrose. 2 K. xii. 1. and 3 K. xviii. 17.

Ver. 6. Man. Solomon often reminds him of his misery. Sept. and Theod. "man is possessed of much knowledge," as they read dahth for rahth. C.

Ver. 7. Past. Prot. and Sept. "that shall be." H.

Ver. 8. Spirit from leaving the body, or the wind from blowing. There is no quarter given by death; so the wicked cannot escape vengeance.

Ver. 9. Hurt. Those who are despised in elevated situations, might have been happy in obscurity.

Ver. 10. Works. In life and death hypocrites are mixed with the unjust; and this excites indignation.

Ver. 11. Fear. Thus they abuse the patience of God, and grow worse, because he is good. His time will come. Apoc. xvi. 15 Eccli. v. 4. 2 Pet. iii. 10.

Ver. 12. Face. If God shew such clemency to the wicked, will he disregard his servants? Greek interpreters have read in a different meaning. C. --- Sept. "the sinner has done evil from that time, and for a long while," (T.) &c. See S. Jer. H.

Ver. 13. Let. Or, Heb. "it shall not," &c. Prot. H. --- Faith evinces that the wicked will be punished. --- But. Heb. "like a shadow." Sept. "under the shade," in prosperity.

Ver. 14. Vain, or afflicting. Hence some have denied Providence. Jer. xii. 1. C.

Ver. 15. No good for a man, &c. Some commentators think the wise man here speaks in the person of the libertine, representing the objections of these men against divine Providence, and the inferences they draw from thence, which he takes care afterwards to refute. But it may also be said, that his meaning is to commend the moderate use of the goods of this world, preferably to the cares and solicitudes of worldlings, their attachment to vanity and curiosity, and presumptuously diving into the unsearchable ways of divine providence. Ch. C. ii. 24. and iii. 12. Eccli. xv. C. --- Felicity is not attached to temporal prosperity, nor are the afflicted always miserable. W.

Ver. 16. Distraction of politicians, (Grot.) and of all human affairs.

Ver. 17. Reason. We know in general that God does all for his own glory, and for the welfare of his elect. But we cannot account for his treatment of mankind in particular cases. Rom. xi. 33. S. Jer.  C. - Say. Sept. "speak what thing soever, that he may know he," &c. H.

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BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAS (JEREMIAH) - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 5

INTRODUCTION.

In these Jeremias laments in a most pathetic manner the miseries of his people, and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, in Hebrew verses, beginning with different letters according to the order of the Hebrew alphabet. Ch. --- In the first chapter the order is exactly observed, but in the three next phe comes before ain, either for some mystery to us unknown, or by the derangement of transcribers, who perhaps thought that those verses were better connected, as they seem to be, (C.) though this is not very clear. H. --- In such pieces the sentiments of a pensive heart are poured out without much connection. W. --- The Greeks style this word qrhnoi, and Heb. kinoth, or lamentations. H. --- S. Jerom, (2 Par. xxxv. 25.) thinks it was the first composition of Jeremias, and sung at the death of Josias. W. S. Jer. in Zac. xii. 11. --- The eulogy of the king seems to belong to him rather than to Sedecias. C. iv. 20. C. --- Yet it might afterwards be applied to the latter, (H.) and to the ruin of Jerusalem. Eccli. xlix. 8. S. Jer. Pref. Theod. &c. --- The city is represented standing, and sometimes in ruins. Chap. v. seems to have been written after the rest. v. 4, 18. C. --- It is not acrostic like them. The prophet alludes to the wretched condition of the Jews, after the murder of their Messias; and hence the Church makes use of the lamentations on the anniversary of our Saviour's passion, inviting all sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, to repent: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord thy God." W. --- Many passages are applicable to a soul fallen into sin, as the commentary under the name of S. Jerom, (H.) compiled by Rabanus, (Du Pin) shews. H.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 5

The prayer of Jeremias the prophet.

[1] Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider and behold our reproach.

Recordare, Domine, quid acciderit nobis; intuere et respice opprobrium nostrum.

[2] Our inheritance is turned to aliens: our houses to strangers.

Haereditas nostra versa est ad alienos, domus nostrae ad extraneos.

[3] We are become orphans without a father: our mothers are as widows.

Pupilli facti sumus absque patre, matres nostrae quasi viduae.

[4] We have drunk our water for money: we have bought our wood.

Aquam nostram pecunia bibimus; ligna nostra pretio comparavimus.

[5] We were dragged by the necks, we were weary and no rest was given us.

Cervicibus nostris minabamur, lassis non dabatur requies.

[6] We have given our hand to Egypt, and to the Assyrians, that we might be satisfied with bread.

Aegypto dedimus manum et Assyriis, ut saturaremur pane.

[7] Our fathers have sinned, and are not: and we have borne their iniquities.

Patres nostri peccaverunt, et non sunt : et nos iniquitates eorum portavimus.

[8] Servants have ruled over us: there was none to redeem us out of their hand.

Servi dominati sunt nostri : non fuit qui redimeret de manu eorum.

[9] We fetched our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the desert.

In animabus nostris afferebamus panem nobis, a facie gladii in deserto.

[10] Our skin was burnt as an oven, by reason of the violence of the famine.

Pellis nostra quasi clibanus exusta est, a facie tempestatum famis.

[11] They oppressed the women in Sion, and the virgins in the cities of Juda.

Mulieres in Sion humiliaverunt, et virgines in civitatibus Juda.

[12] The princes were hanged up by their hand: they did not respect the persons of the ancient.

Principes manu suspensi sunt; facies senum non erubuerunt.

[13] They abused the young men indecently: and the children fell under the wood.

Adolescentibus impudice abusi sunt, et pueri in ligno corruerunt.

[14] The ancients have ceased from the gates: the young men from the choir of the singers.

Senes defecerunt de portis, juvenes de choro psallentium.

[15] The joy of our heart is ceased, our dancing is turned into mourning.

Defecit gaudium cordis nostri; versus est in luctum chorus noster.

[16] The crown is fallen from our head: woe to us, because we have sinned.

Cecidit corona capitis nostri : vae nobis, quia peccavimus!

[17] Therefore is our heart sorrowful, therefore are our eyes become dim,

Propterea moestum factum est cor nostrum; ideo contenebrati sunt oculi nostri,

[18] For mount Sion, because it is destroyed, foxes have walked upon it.

propter montem Sion quia disperiit; vulpes ambulaverunt in eo.

[19] But thou, O Lord, shalt remain for ever, thy throne from generation to generation.

Tu autem, Domine, in aeternum permanebis, solium tuum in generationem et generationem.

[20] Why wilt thou forget us for ever? why wilt thou forsake us for a long time?

Quare in perpetuum oblivisceris nostri, derelinques nos in longitudine dierum?

[21] Convert us, O Lord, to thee, and we shall be converted: renew our days, as from the beginning.

Converte nos, Domine, ad te, et convertemur; innova dies nostros, sicut a principio.

[22] But thou hast utterly rejected us, thou art exceedingly angry against us.

Sed projiciens repulisti nos : iratus es contra nos vehementer.

Commentary:

Ver. 1. The prayer, &c. This title is not in Heb. Sept. &c. Theodoret has passed over the chapter, as if he doubted of its authenticity. It does not follow the order of Heb. letters like the preceding, and seems to be a form of prayer for those who retired into Egypt. C. --- Jeremias foresees what would happen, and prays as the people would do. W.

Ver. 2. Aliens. The Idumeans seized and kept possession of the southern parts.

Ver. 3. Father. Many had none surviving, and all had lost their king. W.

Ver. 4. Water. Even this was not given for nothing.

Ver. 6. Hand; engaged to serve Egyptians, Babylonians, (C.) or other nations, to procure sustenance. W.

Ver. 7. Iniquities. This was the usual complaint of the Jews, (C. xxxi. 29.) as if they had committed no offence themselves. If any virtuous people were involved in common ruin, they bore it with resignation, and acknowledged that they had deserved it. 1 Esd. ix. 6. and 2 Esd. i. 6. Est. xiv. 6. Dan. iii. 29.

Ver. 8. Servants. One had command over another. Mat. xxiv. 45. The Chaldees were like slaves, and the race of Cham was condemned to servitude. Gen. ix. 26. C. --- The Jews had formerly dominion over Edom, &c. who now treated them so cruelly. M. Lyran.

Ver. 9. Sword. Any one might kill us.

Ver. 11. Oppressed. Heb. "afflicted." Brutal insolence prevailed. C.

Ver. 12. Hand. Thus Leonidas was treated, after his head was cut off, by Xerxes. Herod. vii. 238.

Ver. 13. Indecently, like the Sodomites. Heb. "they made the young men grind" at the mill, in their prison, (H.) as Samson (Judg. xvi. 21.) and Sedecias (according to the Sept. C. lii. 11.) were forced to do. To grind is often used in a bad sense; but it is not necessary to adopt it here. C. Amama. --- The Chaldees treated their captives without pity or shame. H. --- Wood; burdens, or stumbling-blocks, unless they were crucified; or, "roasted," if we admit a small alteration in the Heb. C. iv. 10. C. --- They were forced to grind naked, and were beaten with staves. W.

Ver. 14. Gates, where sentence was usually passed. H. --- The Jews had judges at Babylon, (Dan. xiii. 5.) but not at first, nor everywhere.

Ver. 16. Crown, used at feasts; (C.) or, we have lost the sovereign power. W.

Ver. 17. Dim, the natural consequence of extreme want. 1 K. xiv. 27.

Ver. 18. Foxes, which were very common. Judg. xv. 4. Thus, Horace says:

             Agros atque lares patrios, habitandaque fana

             Apris relinquet et edacibus lupis. Epod. 16.

Ver. 21. Convert. Thy grace must work upon our hearts, (C.) before we can expect redress, (H.) and an end of our banishment. T. Grot. --- Beginning, when our fathers observed the law. S. Tho. M. See C. xxxi. 18. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. ii. and iv. W.

Ver. 22. Thou hast. We might read with an interrogation, (H.) in Heb. "Hast thou?" &c. The Jews superstitiously repeat the last verse, for fear of ending the book in an ominous manner, as they do at the end of Isaias and Malachias. C. --- Having treated us so severely, stop thy hand. W. - But I perceive it will be in vain to beg for redress till the seventy years be expired. M.