#Before passing judgment on eastern countries

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

Is North Korea actually bad

It is not what you have been told it is. There are many bad things about the government of North Korea, there are many bad things about those running it, but it is not what you have been told it is.

[recordtoday]

Dutch businessman accused of R6.8m swindle fails to have charges quashed

A Dutch businessman accused of swindling a bank of R6.8m has failed to convince the Cape Town high court to dismiss the charges against him.

Martin Korver, 55, faces charges ranging from theft to fraud and money laundering in the specialised commercial crime court in Bellville.

Korver allegedly duped Investec Bank Mauritius into giving him a loan using a four-star guest house in Somerset West as security.

He is also accused of instructing a law firm to register a mortgage bond over the guest house in “favour of Investec Bank Mauritius in order to secure the said loan”.

Korver, who lives in Plettenberg Bay, was a director of a company, Cobow, that owns Albourne Guest House.

He controlled the “financial and banking affairs” of the company before he resigned in 2016. That was after he opened a “call deposit account” on behalf of the company with Investec Bank in Mauritius and obtained a R6.8m loan.

His co-directors, Gustav Schaefer and Jan Eberhard Schliemann, said they were not aware of Korver’s intentions and the fact that the account was linked to his personal account.

Korver was arrested in 2018 on “two counts of fraud, alternatively, theft, totalling R6.8m,  five counts each of forgery, uttering and theft amounting to some R5.5m and one count of money laundering”.

He is out on bail and is yet to plead. He launched an application in the high court in Cape Town for a permanent stay of his prosecution in 2021. He also challenged the specialised commercial crime court magistrate’s order that he must hand over an audit report he had commissioned to the prosecution.

Judge Judith Cloete, with judge Lister Nuku concurring, reviewed and set aside the magistrate’s decision aside on Friday. But the court dismissed Korver’s application for a stay of prosecution.

“The investigation which I have conducted into the nature and degree of the irregularity complained of leads me to conclude that it did not result in irremediable prejudice to [Korver], whether by its very nature ... or its effect,” Cloete said in the judgment.

“There is nothing to prevent [Korver] from again approaching court at a later stage if he is able to demonstrate that any potential prejudice has become such a reality during the course of the trial that his constitutionally entrenched fair trial rights have been irreparably infringed.

"Accordingly, the case made out by [Korver] falls short of demonstrating the irremediable prejudice which he asserts, and the application for a permanent stay must fail.”

This was Korver’s second legal blow in three months. In December, Judge Ashley Binns-Ward dismissed his application for bail conditions to be relaxed so he could attend his daughter's birthday party in the Netherlands.

Korver told Binns-Ward he wanted to travel to his home country to “visit his elderly parents and one of his daughters who is currently living there”.

His bail conditions prevent him from travelling outside the Western Cape and Eastern Cape without notifying the investigating officer. He also had to surrender his travel documents.

Korver told the court he has lived in SA for 27 years and has been married to a South African since 2008.

“One of the primary motivations given in support of the application was the alleged desirability that [he] should be able to be with one of his daughters by a previous marriage when she celebrated her 21st birthday, which he regarded to represent her coming of age,” Binns-Ward said in his judgment.

“That milestone had already been passed however by the time the application was decided. The other was that he should be able to visit his elderly parents.”

Binns-Ward said, “the Covid-19 related travel restrictions summarily imposed and lifted by governments around the world during the ever-changing course of the pandemic show that if [Korver] leaves the country his ability to return on the date he is required for the purpose of court appearances could easily be compromised even if he wished to come back”.

[24-business-news]

Dutch businessman accused of R6.8m swindle fails to have charges quashed

Dutch businessman Martin Korver used Albourne Boutique Guest House in Somerset West as security when he allegedly forged documents to obtain a loan from Investec Bank Mauritius.

A Dutch businessman accused of swindling a bank of R6.8m has failed to convince the Cape Town high court to dismiss the charges against him.

Martin Korver, 55, faces charges ranging from theft to fraud and money laundering in the specialised commercial crime court in Bellville.

Korver allegedly duped Investec Bank Mauritius into giving him a loan using a four-star guest house in Somerset West as security.

He is also accused of instructing a law firm to register a mortgage bond over the guest house in “favour of Investec Bank Mauritius in order to secure the said loan”.

Korver, who lives in Plettenberg Bay, was a director of a company, Cobow, that owns Albourne Guest House.

He controlled the “financial and banking affairs” of the company before he resigned in 2016. That was after he opened a “call deposit account” on behalf of the company with Investec Bank in Mauritius and obtained a R6.8m loan.

His co-directors, Gustav Schaefer and Jan Eberhard Schliemann, said they were not aware of Korver’s intentions and the fact that the account was linked to his personal account.

Korver was arrested in 2018 on “two counts of fraud, alternatively, theft, totalling R6.8m, five counts each of forgery, uttering and theft amounting to some R5.5m and one count of money laundering”.

He is out on bail and is yet to plead. He launched an application in the high court in Cape Town for a permanent stay of his prosecution in 2021. He also challenged the specialised commercial crime court magistrate’s order that he must hand over an audit report he had commissioned to the prosecution.

Judge Judith Cloete, with judge Lister Nuku concurring, reviewed and set aside the magistrate’s decision aside on Friday. But the court dismissed Korver’s application for a stay of prosecution.

“The investigation which I have conducted into the nature and degree of the irregularity complained of leads me to conclude that it did not result in irremediable prejudice to [Korver], whether by its very nature … or its effect,” Cloete said in the judgment.

“There is nothing to prevent [Korver] from again approaching court at a later stage if he is able to demonstrate that any potential prejudice has become such a reality during the course of the trial that his constitutionally entrenched fair trial rights have been irreparably infringed.

"Accordingly, the case made out by [Korver] falls short of demonstrating the irremediable prejudice which he asserts, and the application for a permanent stay must fail.”

This was Korver’s second legal blow in three months. In December, Judge Ashley Binns-Ward dismissed his application for bail conditions to be relaxed so he could attend his daughter's birthday party in the Netherlands.

Korver told Binns-Ward he wanted to travel to his home country to “visit his elderly parents and one of his daughters who is currently living there”.

His bail conditions prevent him from travelling outside the Western Cape and Eastern Cape without notifying the investigating officer. He also had to surrender his travel documents.

Korver told the court he has lived in SA for 27 years and has been married to a South African since 2008.

“One of the primary motivations given in support of the application was the alleged desirability that [he] should be able to be with one of his daughters by a previous marriage when she celebrated her 21st birthday, which he regarded to represent her coming of age,” Binns-Ward said in his judgment.

“That milestone had already been passed however by the time the application was decided. The other was that he should be able to visit his elderly parents.”

Binns-Ward said, “the Covid-19 related travel restrictions summarily imposed and lifted by governments around the world during the ever-changing course of the pandemic show that if [Korver] leaves the country his ability to return on the date he is required for the purpose of court appearances could easily be compromised even if he wished to come back”.

[10yrsyart]

Signs of Jesus return

i felt lead recently to compile some of the signs and current events pointing to Jesus’ soon return. i don’t know who this is meant for, but i know it’s for someone. so i hope that whoever reads this finds it helpful and informative 💙 (this is not complete either, as there are too many to list)

The Fig Tree Generation:

Jesus often used a fig tree to describe the country of Israel in His prophecies. “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know His return is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place.” (Matthew 24:32-34)

In Psalm 90, Moses describes a generation being “70-80 years,' and Isaiah 66:7-8 says, “Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?” This did happen. In 1948, Israel became a nation in a day, after almost 2000 years. Israel needed to be a nation to fulfill its part in the Tribulation, so the countdown couldn't start without them. The imagery of birth pains is used in the Bible to describe the troubles that the world will go through before the Day of the Lord, meaning Israel must become a nation before the Lord's return.

1948+80 year generation= 2028. But since Jesus said “everything” (Rapture and Tribulation) would happen before the fig tree generation passed away (turns 81), we have to take away 7 years from the 2028 final count. That leads us to 2021-May 2022 approximately (right before they turn 74).

The Jewish Temple:

The book of Daniel speaks of the time during the 7 year Tribulation, when the Antichrist will come and take over Israel. “The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the (daily) sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” (Daniel 9:27) “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about- the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Matthew 24:15)

The second Jewish Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., and hasn't been rebuilt since. The Holy Place is a specific spot inside the Temple, and the daily sacrifices and offerings that go along with the Jewish Law are only performed with the Temple in use.

As of 2021, the preparations for the Third Temple are nearly complete. The plans are laid out, the priests have been trained in the rules and rituals, the materials are all gathered. One source even says that theoretically the Temple could be built in a matter of 3-6 months. All they are waiting for is the go ahead. Those of the Jewish faith don't believe that Jesus is their Messiah, and many expect that the building of Third Temple will coincide with their own messiah making his appearance.. It's noteworthy that they're so close to building it after all this time.

The Abraham Accords:

In September 2020 the Abraham Accords were officially signed, setting up a peace deal with multiple Middle Eastern countries, including the United States. Since then other countries have added themselves to the peace treaty. There hasn't been a deal like this in the Middle East in a long time, much less centered around Israel. When the Antichrist comes to power, he strengthens a treaty or proposal of peace that already exists, and so the Abraham Accords have come at a significant time.

“Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom (ethnicity) against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.” (Luke 10-11)

Wars:

So many of the great wars in history have been within the last hundred years. War is not an uncommon thing for humanity, but the impact is much greater now, as is the frequency of wars on the horizon. Currently, many of the World Powers are already declaring war and/or making preparations. China threatening war against Taiwan and it's allies, Iran desiring to destroy the US and wipe Israel out as a nation, and many more threatened. It's not a question of if but of when.

Earthquakes:

The frequency of earthquakes has drastically gone up over the last couple years, not only in numbers but also in magnitude power. As I'm writing this (8/22/2021), we've had over twelve 7.0+ earthquakes in the last two weeks. That's not a normal level, not even taking into account all the earthquakes of lower magnitudes. Volcanic activity is rising as well. Many volcanoes that were previously thought to be dormant are awakening, some even erupting. Iceland's volcano Fagradalsfjall was thought to be dormant for 6000 years, until it erupted last March. (“Dutchsinse” on Youtube is a good source for seismic activity.)

Famines:

Because of the change in weather patterns, with flooding and wildfires and droughts, many of the worlds “bread baskets” (where a large portion of their food is grown) are not producing enough food. A shortage is already coming on America, not to mention all the other nations that are in the midst of one. Greece, Turkey, Australia, Italy, California and Oregon (US) are all burning at record rates. And mass  flooding is impacting just as much area, like Indonesia, China, New York (US), Haiti, Germany, and more.

Plagues/ Diseases:

Everyone is aware of the effect of the C Virus on the world, and now a new variant is appearing. Diseases like Ebola and the Bubonic Plague are re-emerging. Animals are experiencing these effects as well. Massive animal die offs are happening all over the world, from mysterious diseases and unknown causes. Various plagues have swarmed countries, for instance the mass attacks of locusts that have eaten through parts of Africa, and the infestation of billions of mice in Australia.

Signs in the Heavens:

“And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth- blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives.” (Joel 2:30-31)  

As I mentioned earlier, volcanoes all over the world are waking up and erupting at an alarming rate. The super volcano centered in Yellowstone Wyoming (US) has been showing worrying signs of stirring as well.

In 2014, two Blood Moons landed on two of God's Feasts, which carry significance. Then in 2015 there was a Solar Eclipse, followed by another two Blood Moons that landed on the same Feasts as the previous year. In 2017, the Great American Solar Eclipse drew a line across the US. In 2020, the “Bethlehem Star” made an appearance as Jupiter and Saturn almost merged in the sky. Though it's not the same cosmic event as the true “Star” that heralded Christ's birth, its rarity and symbolism is important. This August 2021 we just had a rare Blue Moon.

The Revelation 12 Sign:

“Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.” (Revelation 12:1-2)

In September 2017, this sign appeared in the sky for the first time ever. The constellation Virgo represents the woman, and the nine stars of Leo plus 3 wandering stars lined up as her crown. The moon was near her feet in the constellation and the sun was at her shoulder shining on her “clothes.” Then Jupiter entered the middle of the constellation (her stomach) and stayed there for nine months and left. Jupiter is generally considered to represent a ruler, and the child in Revelation is believed to represent the Church (Jesus' Body). The rest of Revelation 12: 3-5 speaks of the child being snatched away from the Dragon (the devil), which represents the Rapture of the Church before the Tribulation. So it's incredibly significant that the first part of this prophecy was fulfilled in the stars. (There's also a type of 4 year grace period before judgment in scripture (Luke 13:6-9), so 2017+ 4 years warning = 2021).

The Vaxx System:

“He required everyone- small and great, rich and poor, free and slave- to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing the name.” (Revelation 13:16-17)

This is not about whether or not to take the vaxx, it's about the mentality around it. The animosity in the world media keeps growing towards those who don't wish to take it. The results don't add up to how single minded they are becoming, and it's easily paving the way for regulations to be carried out by brute force. There are stricter and stricter limitations to those who don't feel safe taking it, like being unable to shop at a grocery story or go to work... In the future, the world won't blink twice about a universal Mark of much greater magnitude and greater consequences. The consequences of refusing won't just mean an inability to buy or sell, but death.  

Alien Disclosure:

As of 2021, the US government has released the information they have on Unidentified Flying Objects, confirming the possibility of aliens. The first main stream event involving the alien conspiracy was the Roswell Incident of 1947, about a year before Israel became a nation. The reason why this is so significant is because 1) the Fig Tree prophecy was about to start when Israel revived, beginning the End Times countdown and 2) 2 Thessalonians 2:11 says the people left after the Rapture will believe a “Great Delusion.” Even a couple years ago, the thought of aliens coming down and taking people away would have been laughed at, but not now. Satan is the Prince of the Air; he uses his demons and spirits to appear as other things, so as to lead people away from the Truth of God. He knew when Israel became a nation the clock was ticking for the need of a believable lie. Now people could easily believe that all the Christians that disappeared were “beamed up” by aliens. (We don't know specifically what the Delusion will be yet, but this is certainly a possibility.)

Dreams and Visions:

“ 'In the Last Days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out My Spirit even on my servants- men and women alike- and they will prophecy.' “ (Acts 2:17-18)

Around the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2020, End Times dreams skyrocketed. The sheer amount that can be found on Youtube is astounding and it continues to grow. Dreams about the Rapture, dreams from Jesus, dreams about disasters that are coming; people from all over the world are sounding the alarm. And these aren't internet celebrities or self proclaimed prophets; these are every day normal people, some of which weren't even Christian to begin with. The amount of non-Believers that have had Jesus appear to them to save them continues to grow as well.

I personally felt an awakening through the Holy Spirit sometime around early 2020, that Jesus was returning soon. And the more I've studied Bible prophecies and current events I know that it's fast approaching. Although it's important to test the spirits of dreams to see if it's really from God or not, the message of the majority is clear. Time is short.

(This was just a small selection of the MANY signs that God continues to send as warnings. The frequency and intensity is rising like it never has before. A more in depth list can be found, along with Bible references and news sources, at https://www.ithasbeenwritten.com/ )

To You:

For those of you who are un-Believers, I am not writing this to be a fear monger. When evidence and reports come in that there's a bomb in a building, the people inside need to know about it. Even if it ends up being fake, the risk isn't worth it. This isn't just one fanatic Christian with a dream trying to convince everyone the end is near, this is the whole world. No matter what you believe about Bible prophecies, these current events are real things that are happening, and show no signs of slowing down. The good news is that Jesus died to save you from all this. He died to clear our sin debt and give us the hope of Heaven, a place we could never get to on our own. And His signs are saying He's coming soon to rescue everyone who accepted His sacrifice and entered His family.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

For those Believers that don't think Jesus is returning soon, please pray about it and study His word. He was angry at the Pharisees of the generation of His first coming, because He said, “You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know the how to interpret the signs of the times!” (Matthew 16:3).

Matthew 24's “no one knows the day/hour” is not saying that we won't know the season in which He will return. If it were, He wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of giving so many signs of the closeness of the event. “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42) “But you aren't in the dark about these things (signs), dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the Day of the Lord comes like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4) Are you watching? Let's do our best to be a light as much as possible before it's too late.

“So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation draws near!” (Luke 21:28)

[keltonwrites]

I'm not sure if that's a good thing

“Well you’re definitely the first.” This past week, we screened-in the eastern facing porch on the side of the cabin. The porch slopes to the South, with the brick-on-dirt floor crumbling in that direction as well until it reaches uneven slabs of stone acting as steps down to the “yard” below. A mixed material retaining wall wraps beneath the steps to the south facing garage, holding up one corner of the narrow deck on the front of the house. The deck, in the heat of a high altitude summer, droops off the house like it’s daydreaming about the winter snow’s embrace. It’s safe to sit on, though I would not recommend leaning on the railing.

The side porch takes the brunt of the wind. Our wooden rocking chairs have been rocked some 20 feet into the yard more than once in the two months we lived here. In the myriad of threats we heard about the weather, most people included the wind. We all know how I feel about this ongoing weather intimidation tactic. I asked, “what speed are the gusts?” “Oh, they get up to 70 miles per hour on some days.” This was the first quantifiable piece of weather information someone had offered — an actual number we could react to with data and our historical personal experiences of various weather events. And our reaction was: uhhhh…. OK???? Look, I get it. No one’s preaching the skin benefits of -20 degree wind gusts at 70 mph, building snow drifts against your house in the span of minutes that Cooper could die in. I am not going to pretend that’s pleasant. But 70 mph? Any wind I’ve driven faster than does not intimidate me. I used to rally the horses at 12 years old in winds over 70mph to get them in the barn before the latest tornado whipped through. I helped shutter the resort in the BVI as the Category 5 hurricane rolled in. Even in Topanga, 70 mile per hour gusts were not uncommon in Santa Ana events. We had our single pane windows shatter more than once from debris in the wind. We taped cardboard up and went to sleep. That “70 mph” was all I needed to hear to confirm our next project: we were going to build a catio for these cats, and we were going to do it on the pre-existing porch structure to save time and money. We spent a week framing out the structure. We had to carve into the logs of the house to embed the wood supports for the framing.

And from there, every piece of wood was custom carved and cut to fit around the existing timber supports. The existing porch was so wildly uneven that there are gaps between each piece of old wood and the new framing. Our plan is to mix all the wood chips from the project with mortar/chinking and stuff the gaps — a good solution for the log cabin look. We built a plywood pony wall up to 28 inches from the interior of the porch, which gives a height of ~4-5ft from the exterior ground below. It’s capped with a 2x6” railing for even the fluffiest of cats to find a perch. The exterior will be wrapped with corrugated metal that we’ll quick-age to match the metal that wraps the bottom of the cabin. On the interior of the porch, we’ll use shiplap to hide the framing.

The screens themselves can withstand winds up to 120 mph, but to-be-determined if they can hold the weight of a growing maniac cat who has already tried to climb them. In the event the screens succumb to cat (or wind or snow or neighbor judgment) we’ll reinforce with metal mesh. We’re going to maintain this screen porch regardless of what the screen is. We had the pleasure of running into one of our more industrious neighbors the other day, and Ben asked him, “hey we’re building a screen porch. Is this a terrible idea?” He laughed. “Well you’re definitely the first.” But he liked it. Great way to diminish wind into the house. Simple way to regulate the temperature with massive south-facing windows. And indeed a practical outdoor safe haven for cats in predator territory. Just because you’re the first doesn’t mean you’re foolish — just foolhardy. There’s plenty of that here. This town has the typical mountain town’s truncated version of a colonizers’ history: “established 1881.” But it was plenty established prior to that by the Uncompahgre Band of the Ute Nation, removed by the U.S. Army on September 7, 1881, nearly 140 years ago. The government relocated the Uncompahgre Ute People to Utah, and one year after the Ute were forcibly removed from their ancestral land, San Miguel County split off from Ouray County and was made its own political subdivision in the newly-formed State of Colorado. In 1879, the ore-laden valley already had 50 people living in it, with a new narrow gauge railway only 2 miles away. By 1885, it was a town of 200 people. There was a hotel, a couple saloons, a pool hall. Winters were treacherous; the valley was and is prone to avalanches. But where there’s gold, there’s gumption. The power needed to run the stamp mill to process ore drove innovation. Timber was scarce at such high elevations, so a wood powered steam mill wouldn’t cut it. But the San Miguel River just a few miles down from the mine looked promising. Thus began the development and construction of the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant. It was a hit. In fact, it was so successful that the Ames Plant led to the adoption of alternating currents at Niagara Falls and eventually to being adopted worldwide as a viable power solution. The plant remains, but the gold rush obviously didn’t. By 1940, the U.S. Census declared this little town I call home as tied for the lowest population in the country: 2 people. By 1960, it was one of four incorporated towns in the U.S. with no residents. But the joke was on the Census — the town’s single resident was just out of town the day the census came through. 1960 population: 1. By 1980 the population grew to 38, 69 in 1990, and about 180 now. (Plus 51 dogs according to the town’s website.) With modern amenities, it’s easier to be here. Studded snow tires, satellite internet, solar panels, instant coffee. No matter the hardships, there’s the reality of the present. In the 1880s, as the town boomed, the Ouray Times declared, “it will be at no distant day a far more pretentious town than it is now.” That day hasn’t exactly arrived, but I guess it depends on what you consider pretentious. I don’t think the town claims any airs of excellence beyond what’s true. In fact, the town hardly claims anything at all. There’s no sign indicating it’s even here. There’s just the old side and the new side. The new side, the Eastern half, was drawn out in the early 1990s, some 100 years later, and is separated from the Old Town by an avalanche zone—preserved open space for hiking in the summer, preserved open space for surviving in the winter. The town forbids short-term rentals, no one has a fence, dogs roam free, and all the houses have that cabin look to them. A boulder nests in a grove near a trailhead in the center of town with a plaque paying respect to the Utes who called this valley home. There’s no industry here. No businesses allowed. If you want a $7 latte, you can drive the 14 miles required to get it, assuming there’s not an avalanche blocking your path. You can, however, buy a pink lemonade in a

solo cup at the permanent lemonade stand run by the local feral child mafia. Crystals (rocks) can be purchased for an additional cost. We bought one, hoping to buy favor at the same time. The town plan has a few guiding principles, and it’s all in the name of preservation. We must preserve: 1 - the quiet atmosphere 2 - the rustic character 3 - the natural setting

And finally: 4 - protect the health and wellbeing of the people here No snowmobiles, no ATVs, no drones. In fact, the only sign of the outside world here are the passers-through. When you take the dirt road through town to the end, you enter National Forest, and you can hike over the pass saddle at nearly 12,000 feet before descending down the other side into Silverton. The pass road climbs rutted through an aspen forest before scaling across a scree field and then lurching over to the other side. Every day, it seems like 30 or so Texans and Arizonans in lifted and loud Jeeps with unused mods climb over this mountain in the comfort of their air conditioning, simply to drive down the other side. You could hike it, ride it, run it, and ski it, but they don’t. They rev their engines, kicking up dust in a town of feral children and roaming dogs, staring at us instead of waving. I’ve lived here for two months and look how salty I am. I’ll fit in yet. But today, there is a temperature that whispers of perfect trails and the dwindling of ogglers driving 35 in a 15. It’s already snowed in the mountains we see from our kitchen. Today, like a dedication to the Septembers of our youth, you can feel a chill in the air. A temperature akin to pencils and sweaters and reinventing yourself. A temperature that doesn’t exactly sing “screen porch” but could if you had the right slippers on. That’s what I did this morning: put my slippers on and sat there in the cool mountain morning air, thinking about the cemetery behind our house, about the Ute tribe, about the miners, about the mailman who died on Christmas in 1875 on the pass, about the 5 people who died in avalanches here just last year, about the people in their cars on their phones driving through, and all the people who’s very first question to us was, “so are you gonna live here part-time or full-time?” Maybe it will be a hard place to live. But at least we’ll have a screen porch.

Every week I'm writing about moving to log cabin in a small town at 10,000 feet. Subscribe here for free: tinyletter.com/keltonwrites

[misiwrites]

Beyblade Week Day 1

joining @beybladeweek2021 late but i’ll probably be doing these belatedly all may so, whatever! it is what it is.

i’ve never participated in a fandom challenge with writing before, but i was feeling adventurous this time and the seasonal themes were just perfect for the 4kingdoms AU-verse (which is this), i haven’t been writing much anything in so long that i’m mega rusty and thought i could use the bey week to do some warm-up oneshots. these aren’t going to be particularly interesting because i’m really bad at doing oneshots actually, but i like the idea myself and. that’s the only thing that really matters. right. (i’m not even sure if AUs are allowed for the beyblade week?? but the rules didn’t say anything about it so /shrug)

the day 1 oneshot is a little story from takao’s childhood about how he first met kyouju. this was inspired by my own childhood memories as the youngest sibling when i just wanted to hang out around my big sisters because i thought everything they were doing was Cool Big Sister Stuff.

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

Firsts / Childhood / Spring

”Takao! I’m trying to read this! Leave me alone already, will you?”

A groan of disappointment. Reluctantly, Takao backs away from his older brother by the desk, shooting him a frown of judgment and betrayal. Now, a quick change of tactics: he figures that, just maybe, Hitoshi allows him to stay in the room if he zips his lips to his best ability.

Wrong. Two silent minutes pass in the small study room until Hitoshi bellows at his brother again, swinging an arm in the door’s direction.

“I’m serious, you can’t keep doing this when I’m trying to do my homework!”

“I’ll just watch and keep quiet, I promise,” Takao insists, giving his brother his best puppy eyes.

“I can’t focus if you’re standing there! Now get out!”

Takao’s frown deepens; with heavy feet and a heavy heart, he trudges toward the sliding door. He doesn’t like this recent change in his brother, all this emphasis on what Hitoshi refers to as “important stuff”. Just because he’s now seventeen. Acting all high and mighty, pretending to be so adult and so important, too adult and too important to play with his younger sibling.

“It’s a very important time for your brother,” their grandfather responded to Takao’s fraternal laments once. “In one year, he will officially inherit the crown of the Seiryuu-ou. There’s much for him to do to grow into the role of the king before his coronation.”

Important this, important that. What about having fun, wasn’t fun important at all? And fencing – surely instructing Takao with the basics of fencing has to be important? Hitoshi’s fencing skills are second to only their grandfather’s, and Takao cannot imagine – doesn’t want to imagine – anyone else teaching him the art of the bamboo sword. And now Hitoshi is “too busy” to teach him, all of a sudden.

“But I’m boooored,” Takao whines from the doors, balancing his weight on his heels back and forth.

“How about you go study something too for once? You really should be reading a lot more than you do, you know. I don’t want my little brother to end up being a dumb prince who doesn’t know anything about the way the world works.”

Takao’s nose wrinkles in disapproval. The word “study” smells like old paper and dust and boredom.

“It’s the Sowmoon holiday now! And what the hell would I study?” he barks.

“Don’t cuss. Anything – whatever interests you. How about the history of the city?”

“Bahhhh.”

“The history of fencing, then. I don’t know – go to the library, take a look at the books or whatever, just leave me alone. I don’t have time for this.” Hitoshi lifts the yellowish document in front of his face and disappears behind it. A wall has risen between the two brothers.

* * * * * *

In the country of spring and year-round greenery, it’s difficult to stay sullen under the tranquil blue of the Eastern sky. Moments later Takao is skipping down the road that leads to the town of Tsuno below, his child’s heart already ignited with new-found hope and aspiration, his feelings of frustration shed by the sturdy wooden gates of the Cherrywood Castle and he's moving on, literally.

At first, the idea was dull at best; reading sounds like just about the flattest thing he could be doing on this beautiful Sowmoon day, a warm breeze blowing through his indigo hair as he carefully hops from one cobblestone to the other… but, in the end, it’s the wish to please his brother that has won him over. Now a plan is taking shape in his mind, the idea swelling like a balloon by each step he takes down the road, and soon his head is racing with the ambition of studying as many topics as he can think of; he’s dreaming up scenarios of impressing his brother with all his newly acquired knowledge, his brain buzzing and his proud heart thumping with all the imaginary praise from Hitoshi… and, just maybe, he’ll then agree to do something fun with his cool and smart little brother again.

So caught up in his daydreams, Takao hardly pays attention to all the familiar townspeople greeting him as he passes by their wooden dwellings and shops and stalls, and he prances past several flocks of tourists lingering on the streets of Tsuno, too busy taking pictures of the cherry blossom trees in their rare blue Sowmoon bloom to notice the royal prince walking right past them. Even if they did see him, not many would pay attention to him; people from outside the city would never imagine a member of the royal Seiryuu-ou family strolling around in a simple hakama without making a scene; but in the royal capital of the Country of East, this was a mundane everyday sight, and Takao was a regular guest of the pastry stalls on the main street of Tsuno. The townspeople loved to pamper this bold and friendly little prince, who hadn’t yet been spoiled by the privileges of the royalty.

Takao reaches the tall glass doors of the main library, only to face the reality of the numbers painted on the glass panel. Five minutes to closing time. So caught up in the rollercoaster of his imagination as he left the Cherrywood Castle, checking the opening hours of the library didn’t even pass his mind.

“Oh, hello, Your Highness,” he’s greeted by one of the kimono-clad library workers who spots him. (The surprise is evident; Takao is not a usual guest in the library.) “How wonderful to see you here. Are you looking for something?”

“Well, yeah, for something to read… but it looks like you’re about to close.”

But coincidence is on Takao’s side today, for the clerk tells him that the library is staying open for one extra hour every day this week.

“The reading hall has been reserved by Professor, a local researcher – but I’m positive he won’t be disturbed by Your Highness’s presence.”

“Really? Okay.” Relieved and triumphant, Takao enters the old-fashioned yet admittedly curiosity-inducing depths of the city library.

He quickly comes to the conclusion that he has underestimated the number of books in the world. Expecting there to be one of each subject of his admittedly limited academic imagination, he is instead hit by an entire universe of paper and ink and covers and words. The map of the library layout alone is full of complex characters that Takao hasn’t yet come across in his schooling.

Dammit.

In the end, Takao finds himself pacing back and forth a narrow aisle of local history books, looking for one with a cover that sparks interest. Perhaps he cannot read all the text, but at least he can look at the pictures.

That’s when he notices another person sharing the space with him, at the far end of the hall, where the shelves have been moved to hug the walls to make room for a reading area in the middle and the ceiling seems to climb up impossibly high under the arch of a dome roof. This person is another kid, hardly older than Takao, and he’s not paying the prince any attention in return; the boy is glued to the screen of a laptop computer that sits on a table in front of him along with several books, one of which has been spread open. Every now and then, his fingers dance across the keyboard at a speed that Takao didn’t even know a computer keyboard could be used with; then the boy crouches over to take a quick glance at the open book before turning back to the laptop again.

A curious sight. For a moment, Takao is tempted by the allure of calling out to this strange boy, to ask him why he’s still there after closing hours. He decides against it and swallows his curiosity. If there’s one thing that his older brother has recently taught him, it is to mind his own business and not bother other people hard at work.

* * * * * *

The next day Takao returns to the library, a pile of books in his lap that he leafed through all night last night. Hundreds of pages of buildings so old they probably stayed up in the pictures with willpower alone – so old that Takao half-expected them to crumble and disappear by the turn of a page, leaving empty picture frame squares behind.

He came to the conclusion that Tsuno’s history was perhaps not the subject to start from.

Takao returns the books, decides to try and find something about fencing, a subject he’s already in some way familiar with. (Between the important-looking books, he secretly slips in a story about Southern pirates; this one he’s not going to tell Hitoshi about.)

In the hall with the dome ceiling, the kid with the laptop is by the exact same table again. Only the array of books next to him is a little different… maybe. Takao is nearly seized by his curiosity again, but something about the air around this boy holds the lingering scent of “do not disturb”, so he bites his tongue once more.

* * * * * *

How could even books about fencing slap him in the face with all this wall of text?! The following day Takao once again turns up at the library, to return his previous findings that had only briefly managed to capture his interest with images of old fencing gear that were not only ancient but, as he ultimately decided, very ugly and stupid-looking.

What about archery, the other national sport of the East? Takao finds it boring and repetitive compared to fencing, but since books about fencing turned out to be boring, did it mean that books about the boring sport were, in turn, more interesting? It makes perfect sense, in Takao’s eight-year-old mind.

However, as he makes his way to the library at the cusp of closing hours again, he no longer pays much heed to the books. Instead, his feet take him to the reading hall under the dome right away.

Sure enough, the kid with the big round glasses and a laptop in front of him is there in his usual spot, all alone. And again the boy’s fingers are hammering at the keyboard faster than Takao can form a coherent thought about computers, the strange machinery that originates from the technically advanced Country of West for all he knows.

It’s been three days now, and Takao can no longer hold back his burning curiosity. Eyes on the strange boy, he takes small sideway steps between the bookshelves, inching his way closer and closer, until he reaches the open reading area under the arched skylights above.

“Hey,” Takao says as he enters the boy’s proximity by the table.

The boy doesn’t do as much as raise his eyes from the computer screen.

“Is there something I can do for you?” he asks, still typing away. The tone of his high-pitched voice is just slightly aggravated but his choice of words oozes formality, a strange speech pattern for someone his age. It throws Takao off a little.

“Umm, I’ve seen you here every day this week and was wondering what you’re doing, that’s all. You know the library was already closed, right?”

After saying this, the thought then passes Takao’s mind that perhaps this kid never leaves the library. Perhaps he’s not even aware that he’s in a closed library. What if Takao is talking to a ghost, haunting this remote corner of the library all day and night? Or, maybe, he’s nothing but a product of Takao’s imagination?

The boy’s voice is now so blunt in response that these phantasmagoric thoughts immediately vanish from Takao’s mind.

“Yes, of course I know. The library personnel was very kind to allow me this one working hour without other people disturbing me. So really, I should be asking – what are you doing here?” Now the stranger’s hands finally leave the keyboard and he lifts his eyes to Takao.

A moment of confused silence. Then the boy’s face begins to resemble the colour of a strawberry.

“Oh!” he squeaks and jumps up to his feet, only to bow his head toward the floor. “Oh, Your, uh, Your Highness! I am terribly sorry for being so rude! Oh, goodness me, how could I…!”

“Wow, calm down,” Takao interrupts, startled himself by the suddenness of the boy’s reaction. “And raise your head – I don’t like people bowing at me, it makes me feel weird. More importantly, what you said just now – are you saying you booked this extra hour from the library?”

Hesitantly, the boy straightens his back, which doesn’t increase his height significantly; now that they’re standing next to each other, Takao notices how small the person he’s talking to is, his head barely on level with Takao’s shoulders.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he says. “I wasn’t aware I was sharing it with the royal family, though. How thoughtless of me.”

“No, well, I kinda just walked in on my own, to be fair. So… you’re a researcher?”

“You could say so, I am indeed carrying out some research here. My name is Saien Manabu, but everyone calls me Professor.”

“Oh, wow. What exactly are you researching?”

“Right now I am writing a paper on the goddess cult of the Country of North. I know, it’s not exactly a topic that interests most children, but I find it so terribly fascinating…”

The mention of children – a nod to the fact that this boy, too, is a child just like him – makes Takao immediately feel more at ease. This person, albeit strange and overly formal and clearly too smart for his age, really is just a child after all. This notion alone is enough to make the kind-hearted and fairly simple-minded Takao like this boy more.

“Sure, that sounds cool,” he says with a grin. “Hey – you said you’re Saien, right? Like that ramen shop on the main street?”

“Yes, it is owned by my parents.”

“Well, it’d be real interesting to hear more about your research and all, but I’m kinda hungry, to be honest – the Saien noodles sound awesome just about now. How about we go there and then you tell me more?”

“Hmm. Well, I wasn’t making as much progress today as I wanted, in any case.” The boy, visibly at least a little relieved to get a break from staring at the screen, slams his laptop shut and tucks it under his arm. Then he flashes a friendly smile at Takao. “Very well, Your Highness. But my mother may pass out if I bring a member of the royal family to their shop all of a sudden, so please prepare for that.”

“Bah, just call me Takao, I’m not so into that formal stuff.”

“Alright, and you can call me Professor.”

* * * * * *

Once back in the Cherrywood Castle, Takao told both his brother and grandfather how much he’d learned about the Northern goddess Hiromi of time and space already; and from that day onward, Hitoshi never needed to refer to his younger brother as the dumb prince again, as Takao, who became a frequent visitor of the Saien family ramen shop both inside and outside business hours, never ran out of curious stories to share about all the things he learned from his new friend.

And while the royal Seiryuu-ou family wasn’t to stay together for much longer from the moment of this story, Takao and Professor remained best friends for many years to come.

[stillsomethingtoshoutabout]

Having a ball at the Court of Nobility - if you can afford it and make the grade

Practically every country or state in Europe has recognised some form of nobility since the Middle Ages. Those whose privileges were protected by law and where the possession of land was a characteristic mark and aspiration of these elites.

The Middle Ages was defined by a Feudal system in much of Europe typically consisting of kings, lords, knights, vassals, and peasants. The people who were part of the church played an important part too. So when a person was born into a certain section of society, they rarely moved to another level.

It was from European feudal system that nobility arose, where knights or nobles were mounted warriors who swore allegiance to their sovereign and promised to fight for him in exchange for an allocation of land - and these usually came with serfs in situ.

The use of the two terms nobleman and gentleman indicates the difficulty of definition. The terms were loosely used to mark the essential distinction between members of an upper class and the rest. In France, above knights and esquires without distinctive title, ranged barons, viscounts, counts, and marquises, until the summit was reached with dukes and princes of the blood. In Britain, by contrast, only peers of the realm, whether entitled duke, marquess, earl, or baron, had corporate status: numbering under 200, they enjoyed few special privileges beyond membership of the House of Lords.

Landowners

The gentry, however, with assured social position, knighthoods, armorial bearings, and estates, were the equivalent of Continental nobles. With the nobility, they owned more than three-quarters of the land. In contrast, in France, by 1789 the nobility owned barely a third. In northern and eastern Europe, where the social structure was generally simpler than in the West, nobles - dvoriane in Russia, szlachta in Poland and Hungary - were numerous. In these countries, many of those technically noble were in reality of little importance.

The fine figure of Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who was the main founder of the Order of International Court of Nobility in 1793.

You may think all of this as being of little relevance to Western society today - but you’d be wrong. There’s been a growing demand  in recent years by what might be termed neo-feudalists - everyday folk like you and me who want to buy - should they have the spare cash - Titles of nobility which have for the most part been defunct and gathering dust for many a year but are nevertheless very real. There are also plenty of fakes around so if you’re in the market for being Lord and Lady of the Manor of Chislehurst-on-Sea, do be careful. Go to every length to check out that the title is genuine article. They make excellent birthday and anniversary gifts for the proverbial ‘person that has everything’ but of course having a title has a prestige value of its own. After all, people open doors for you and turn their heads when you’re announced as Lord and Lady.

One step further and you could become really one of the elite - membership of the International Court of Nobility. It has a heritage of its own, being founded almost 230 years ago by a French noble. Now, you could protest that only Titles granted by monarchs are true nobility, but the order of International Court of Nobility accepts feudal Titles as the said holders of feudal Titles - always regarded as the Nobility Class. As the literal interpretation of feudalism means ‘once based on land ownership’ it could easily be argued that to rule an area of land is to be classed higher that the inhabitants or commoners, therefore, regarded as ruling class - the very definition of nobility. The Order therefore accepts Titles granted by Rulers, Feudal Titles, Military Titles, ancient Titles and Holy Roman Empire Titles.

Limit on Titles awarded

The Order of International Court of Nobility limits 370 awarded Titles to members every year and as these by tradition are a male preserve,  a “spouse” receives a complimentary Title automatically. Up for grabs are Lord and Lady, Baron and Baroness, Count and Countess, Marquis and Marchioness, Duke and Duchess and even Prince and Princess (just five annually).

So if you get through the membership qualification in the first place, there are still terms and conditions of these awarded Titles. Recipients have to accept and understand that Titles granted through ‘Letters Patent’ of the Order are subject to the judgment and opinion of the members of an adjudication council, their decision being accepted as final. The Titles are petitioned for and only one petition can be made per year, per title. You’ll also have to hit your wallet again for the correct regalia as it applies to your Title, because you won’t receive your award without it. Like a strict dress code.

Members may be awarded a medal for their achievements in one of eight categories, namely Honourable Deeds, Charity, Local Community Support, Politics, Industry, Sport and Humanitarianism.

While the International Court of Nobility makes no charge for awarded Titles it is expected that recipients remain members of the Order. If the recipient’s intention is to become a member just to get a Title, or drops out before five years pass, his Title will be deemed void and extinct. The whole concept and modus operandi of the Order is the preservation of the Nobility class through membership.

There is some secretiveness about the whole business, perhaps not surprisingly, given that this is an elite collective. Each year in early summer the Court of Nobility holds a membership ball where full regalia is on display along with some distinct ‘bought and paid for’ egos. The ball is held ‘somewhere in Europe’ amid tight security, the country, city and venue made known to members only days before the event.

So, can you see yourself having a ball among Europe’s neo-nobles? You can read more on the International Court of Nobility website www.courtofnobility.org

[darkagesrp]

(kaya scodelario, 28, cis female) Is that (ANDROMEDA ‘MEDA” ARCHERON) walking through the castle halls? (SHE) hails from (OSCANA) and is known as the (MARQUISE OF THE EASTERN MARSHES). Word around the castle is that (SHE) is (INTELLIGENT & COMPASSIONATE) but can be (HOT-HEADED & JUDGMENTAL) if crossed. (ooc: hayley, 20, cst, she/her/hers, no triggers)

Welcome to Oscana, ANDROMEDA “MEDA” ARCHERON. Be sure to complete the checklist after you settle in. Don’t take too long! Life at court moves fast, and you won’t want to miss a thing. 

“Why have you come to the court of Oscana?”

I was born here, and my place is here, both as the Marquess of the Eastern Marshes and as the lady-in-waiting and companion to Princess Sylvia. My mother and father, before they passed, instilled a great since of duty in me as their only child. I love my country, and I want to see it grow and prosper the way I know it will under the Crown Princess’s leadership. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and the realm.

“Do you support the alliance between Oscana and Ryhule?”

I do, but not through the bonds of marriage. For the sake of all our people, I want to see conflict between the two nations cease, but I also want to see the nation of Oscana thrive independently from Ryhule, and not become just an extension of that country. I believe both countries can prosper through mutual cooperation and respect without giving up their independence from one another.

“What secret or scandal are you hiding?”

In addition to acting as a confidante and lady-in-waiting for the Crown Princess, I also act as her spy. I’m protected while she remains in power, but if she ever were to fall out of favor and I were found out, my position would become precarious indeed.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

The Moons entered Paris in 1990; Hyo Jin fled in a black Mercedes when the police arrived!

▲ Gil Cornevaux, secretary general of the Mayor’s Office in Vélizy, negotiating with Patrick Jouan and Pierre Ceyrac, the French ‘Front National’ Party European deputy. Hyo Jin Moon, the eldest son of the Reverend Moon and Hak Ja Han, presided over the ‘Olympics’ in Vélizy.

‘Olympics’ at Vélizy, pseudo-debates at Cnit, high mass at the Palais des Congrès. The cult stealthily held its 7th Convention in France. The Express newspaper flushed them out.

Saturday, August 25, 10 a.m. Leaning on their windowsills, the residents of the low-cost housing which overlooks the Roland-Wagner stadium in Vélizy (Yvelines), look on in amazement with their eyes open wide. On the athletics track, delegations from 80 countries march behind their flags to the sound of a military march. Several hundred young men and young women salute, arms raised, passing in front of the VIP gallery in the stadium. They utter a guttural cry to a skewer of officials, mostly Asian, standing at attention in their white outfits. Banners proclaim in color: “7th Hanmadang Games in Paris”. The CARP acronym is that of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles, the student branch of the Moon cult. The Reverend’s son, Hyo Jin Moon, in the place of honor, as he presides over these curious ‘Olympics’. Holding a megaphone, he launched into a harangue directed at his disciples ...

Immediately a police superintendent crosses the turf and runs towards the stadium, brandishing his tricolor card. “Stop everything, or we will kick you out!” he yells. A dozen bodyguards, earpieces in their ears, intervene when a policeman tries to grab the megaphone. Moon’s son, Hyo Jin, takes the opportunity to flee in his black Mercedes. The faithful are petrified – as are the organizers, who watch as the police surround the stadium.

Without knowing it, Vélizy had been chosen, with Cnit at La Défense, and the Palais des Congrès, Porte Maillot, to host the 7th CARP Convention, which had been organized in France for the first time.

▲ It is probably Nansook Hong sitting beside Hyo Jin Moon in the VIP section of the stadium, above the CARP logo.

Founded by the Reverend Moon himself and led by his son, CARP brings together youth of the Moonist organization from around the world. It is in particular through him that student recruitment channels are organized. For three days, the delegates intended, with the utmost discretion, to debate the “role of students in the 1990s,” participate in a sports competition and attend a cultural show. These peaceful activities usually serve as a pretext for the Unification Church to recruit new followers. Faithful to a method which has proven itself, the Moonists advance behind a mask; and the Town Hall officials of Vélizy paid the price.

The city’s sports facilities had been booked more than six months prior by a “student group” which wished to organize their ‘Olympics’ at the location. Last week, the mayor learned that it was, in reality, the Moonists. The Secretary General, Gil Cornevaux, then summoned the French representatives of CARP. “You rolled me in the dirt,” he told them. Threatening to cancel everything, he demands to see a printed program and discovers that, in addition to the sports matches, the organizers have planned a “blessing,” a raising of the Moonist flag and a mysterious “pledge” ceremony. A speech is also to be delivered by Hyo Jin Moon. For the secretary general, this is unacceptable; he totally bans all these aspects of cultism. The CARP officials then promise to comply with the Town Hall’s instructions. Gil Cornevaux hardly believes it, and takes precautions: he locks up the sound system, removes the halyard from the flag pole and mobilizes the police, with the agreement of the prefecture.

CARP does not honor its word: Moon’s son, deprived of the sound system, uses a megaphone. The intervention of Commissioner Gilbert provoked the fury of the organizers: the convention turned into a fiasco. Some fans – mainly new recruits from Eastern European countries – left the stadium, disoriented. The Levallois-Perret brass band and Antony’s majorettes failed to stem the disaster. Korean leaders then send Pierre Ceyrac, MEP of the Front National and one of the Moon ideologues in France, into the fray. Parading in a white jacket reserved for officials, Ceyrac throws himself into the front line, hurling invectives at Commissioner Gilbert and Secretary General Cornevaux, swearing to drag them to court. Patrick Jouan, president of the French section of CARP, former chief of the Ardèche Moonists, arrives as reinforcement. He threatens: “I am going to call my friends: M. Taittinger, the mayor of Versailles, Cardinal Lustiger – and many others!” Gil Cornevaux doesn’t care. He repeats that he’s the boss here. His determination ends up triumphing. “It’s okay,” said the cowed Ceyrac, “we will only do sports. But it’s a shame for France!” Patrick Jouan must promise in writing that Hyo Jin Moon will not be returning later that afternoon to present the cups. These will be distributed in the evening, and behind closed doors, at Cnit in the Léonard-de-Vinci amphitheater. It is in this room that the convention started on Thursday, August 23rd.

Were Cnit officials also bowled over by the front group?

No! From mid-July, they were informed by ADFI (The Association for the Defense of Families and the Individual) of the true nature of CARP. The vice-president of ADFI spoke to François d’Hailly, the commercial director. Despite internal debate, the general management still had to honor the rental agreement. “Moon, I don’t know who he is ... And then, it’s not up to us to make judgments,” replied Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, boss of Cnit, interviewed by The Express. In their in-house magazine, “Vision Cnit,” a propaganda article presents this convention – without ever mentioning Moon or even CARP – as a meeting of “participants in the world university system”!

At the Palais des Congrès, Porte Maillot, the reservation for the large auditorium was made through an intermediary: the Brittany agency of the Fiduciaire Général, a business law consultancy. ADFI had once again warned the leaders. “That’s correct,” admits Claude Blot, managing director, “but, frankly, was it likely to disturb public order?” And he added, “You know, before Moon, we welcomed the Church of Scientology”! The Palais des Congrès is, however, under the supervision of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

French national education was also not immune to Moonist manipulation. Several professors participated in the ‘debates,’ including Bernard Valade, professor of sociology at the Sorbonne, and François Pitti-Ferrandi, professor of literature at Paris IV. As for the ‘students,’ many of them were housed in Châtenay-Malabry, on the campus of the Central School. ■

Renaud Leblond 

_____________________________________

The seventh CARP convention was chaired by Hyo Jin Moon. There were 3,000 participants, with strong foreign representation: Poles, Czechs, Soviets, Hungarians, Romanians, etc.

_____________________________________

Les Moon sont entrés dans Paris 1990

Sun Myung Moon was eager to infiltrate the European Parliament

Nansook Hong – The Dark Side of the Moons

Nansook Hong interviewed by Herbert Rosedale

Nansook Hong, transcripts of three interviews, including ‘60 Minutes’

Nansook Hong In The Shadow Of The Moons

Hiroko Yamasaki (Olympic athlete) joined and left

Tragedy of the Six Marys translated video transcript

Moon found guilty in 1955; started two year jail sentence

A huge FFWPU scam in Japan is revealed

United States Congressional investigation of Moon’s organization

I snatched my children from Sun Myung Moon

J’ai arraché mes enfants à Moon – Nansook Hong

[tomasorban]

THE INFLUENCE OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY ON THE CLASSIC TAROT

While it is generally agreed by scholars that the classic Tarot deck we know today first appeared in about the 13th Century A.D. in the hands of the Romany peoples of southern Europe, it is believed that the origins of the Tarot date much further back; to the Hermes-Thoth Order initiation rites of ancient Egypt.(2) However, even the most learned of these scholars has to admit that the identities of the true creators of the Tarot (and, by association, the original meanings of their symbols), are shrouded in the mists of time.

Since a considerable lapse exists between the time of the Hermes-Thoth Order and the first known deck of the Middle Ages, it is safe to assume that the deck underwent many incarnations hereunto its present form. Given the wanderlust nature of the Romany, it is probably also safe to assume that the Tarot picked-up various symbols and forms along the way from the many and varied regions throughout which the Romany were known to roam — certainly not the least influential among them being the Germanic and Scandinavian countries.

Of the Euro-Christian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences upon the classic, Renaissance-styled, Ryder-Waite Tarot deck, there can be no doubt. We find liberally dispersed in card after card such geographically and theologically diverse symbols as the letters of the Hebrew alphabet (“Wheel of Fortune”), communion wafers (Ace of Cups) and even Egyptian pyramids (Knight of Wands).

However, the aforementioned influences cannot completely explain all of the illustrations and symbols contained within the cards — that is, until we turn our attention toward the mythological icons of geographic regions considerably more northward!

“The Moon”:

When faced with the enigmatic “Moon” card of the Major Arcana, many who interpret the Tarot feel a nagging sense of halting ineptitude — as though there is much more to this card than has been outlined in existing texts — and it is likely they will remain uncertain as to exactly what the message is that is being conveyed with the imagery of The Moon unless they are familiar with the Viking epic “Edda” and its Viking vision of the end of the world: “Ragnarok”.

For it is in the description of Ragnarok that we find two wolves — one being “Fenrir” and the other simply referred to as “Devourer of the Moon” — “snarling, snapping and baying loudly” (6) just as they appear to be doing in “The Moon” card.

There, too, at Ragnarok, we find reference to a serpent-like creature, called “Nidhogg” (the serpent that surrounds “Midgard”, the Viking world) “rising out of the sea” (represented in “The Moon” by a crayfish) and the overall grey, disquieting, ominous tone attributed to Ragnarok — replete with the “Surts’ Flames of Doom raining down” (2) just as we see in “The Moon”.

“The Moon’s” traditional link with the prophetic powers of the dream state becomes far clearer, as well, when one is familiar with Norse mythology and the fact that Odin dreamt about Ragnarok and the destruction of the Viking world before it came to pass.

With one eye trained upon the legends of the Norsemen, many other odd pieces of symbolism within the Tarot that we cannot, at first, seem to relate to, begin to fall neatly into place…

“The Hanged Man”:

The “Poetic Edda” contains a passage describing Odin’s experience as he hangs, upside down, from The Tree of Life (or “Yggdrasil”):

“I know I hung on that windswept tree, Swung there for nine long nights, Wounded by my own blade, Bloodied for Odin, Myself an offering to myself: Bound to the tree, That no man knows, Whither the roots of it run.

None gave me bread, None gave me drink, Down to the deepest depth I peered Until I spied the Runes, With a roaring cry, I seized them up, Then dizzy and fainting, I fell.

Well-being I won And wisdom, too. I grew and took joy in my growth; From a word to a word I was led to a word, From a deed to another deed.” (6)

The correlations between the Major Arcana card, “The Hanged Man”, and these verses of the Edda are obvious. In the “Hanged Man”, one can see that Odin, tied to the “Tree of Life”, has fallen. The light of his “wisdom and joy in [his] growth” as told in the “Edda” shining about his head. He also wisely hides the “Runes” (which divulge “all the secrets of the world”) that he discovered while in this state in his hands — held discretely behind his back so that we, the uninitiated and un-godlike, cannot gaze upon them and thereby possibly decipher them.

Odin’s Other Appearances in the Tarot:

Showing up in his familiar roles, the Norse god, Odin, peers out at us from many other Tarot cards:

As “the Wanderer” (6) in “The Fool”, the Five and Eight of Cups and the Knight of Wands.

As “the Hooded One” (6) in “The Hermit”.

As “the All-Father” (6) seated with his back to us at a feast in Valhalla — his two pet wolves (thinly disguised as greyhounds) at his knee — in the Ten of Pentacles.

As the “God of Magic” (6) in “The Magician”.

As the “Father of the Slain” (6) in the “Death” card.

As the “God of Cargoes” (6) in the Three and Ten of Wands.

As “The Over-thrower” (6) in “The Tower”.

As “The Rider God” (6) in “Death” and “The Sun”.

As the “God of Victory” (6) in the Six of Wands.

As a blind god in both the Eight and Two of Swords.

As the “Grantor of Wishes” (6) in the Seven of Cups.

After studying the various incarnations of all of the other Norse gods, as well, one can begin to discern them, too, amongst the cards of the Tarot:

Freya sits upon her throne in the Queen of Wands — one of her cats, unhitched for the moment from its usual position pulling her cart, it seems, at her feet.

Thor’s common touch as an apprentice humbly wielding his hammer in the Eight of Pentacles; as he sits upon his rightful throne as “The Emperor” (holding one of Idunna’s golden apples in his left hand, and his divine hammer, “Mjolnar” (topped with the “Eternal Circle”) in his right; in his capacity as the “Driver God” in “The Chariot”.

Frigg in the Major Arcana card “Strength” gaining the assurance of the lion not to harm her son, Baldur.

Hodur, the blind son of Odin, in the Eight of Swords.

Baldur the “God of Light”, in The Lovers or “The Sun” or, after he has fallen from Hodur’s arrow in the Ten of Swords.

Hermod charging off to Hel to gain the release of his brother, Baldur, or, Vali charging off to avenge Baldur’s death by killing Hodur, in the Knight of Swords.

The Valkyries or the three “Norns” toasting and dancing in the Three of Cups.

The mischievous god, Loki, lurking about in both the Five and Seven of Swords.

Nowhere is the influence of Norse mythology more apparent than in the Ten of Cups which illustrates the famous “Rainbow Bridge” of Viking lore which spans the distance between the worlds of mortal men and the gods of the Norsemen.

The driver of The Chariot of the Major Arcana sports vestment replete with what appear to be runes of Norse origin: According to Ralph Blum, the runes of the gods Ing, Uhr, and Ogal (“retreat”,”bison” and “possessions”, respectively). (5)

The Judgment card also prominently displays what appears to be the flag of Sweden on its face.

In both the Five and Seven of Swords, a suspiciously “Loki-like” character gloats and lurks in the shadows. Could the Eight of Swords reveal something of the guilt of Hodur (the blind god) after his inadvertent murder of his brother, the fair Baldur (“The Sun”)? Could it b the serpent, “Jormungand”, that surrounds “The World”?

To be sure, there are many cross-cultural myths that could also be referenced by the Tarot in its pictography. Many Greek myths also contain similar elements to the Norse and vice versa. There are a multitude of other aspects of many diverse cultural myths that have similar such elements. Therefore, based upon some glaring similarities to Norse, I think one can safely assume that not all of these elements are coincidental!

I am sure that as one studies Norse mythology in-depth in relation to the Tarot, even more of these similarities will become apparent.

[egetravel]

Left Mondania about the middle of the day

“ We left Mondania about the middle of the day on Saturday, and within three hours all the fresh water on board was consumed. As we were then tacking to double the Cape of Boor-Boornoo, the captain ran ashore with the boat to take in more; but by the next morning this also was spent, together with all the bread. All that day we were without water, and the poor men had nothing but olives to eat, and I myself but little more.

“ Early on Monday morning we reached Constantinople, and preparations were immediately made for presenting the young men before the Capudan Pasha. Whether they were to be employed in the Sultan’s service for life; whether they were to receive any adequate pay; whether they would ever be permitted to visit their friends; whether they would be tempted by hard treatment, or by kind offers, to become mussulmans, — were questions which none present could answer.

One of them was recently married; one was betrothed; one was the son of a priest; and one ‘ was the only son of his mother, and she a widow.’ Oh, what misery has sin brought into this world! Oh, this ill-fated country! When ‘ one woe is past, behold another woe cometh quickly.’ God is desolating them with judgments, which follow each other in quick succession. But they repent not; they turn not from their evil ways; there is scarcely one that under- standeth, or that asketh the cause of their sufferings; they ‘ go on still in their trespasses.’ This is the general character of the present generation. And the high probability is, that they will never see the good land, but that the greater part of them will be swept off by the desolating judgments of heaven; and that it will remain for their children to live in ‘ the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ ”

Considerable portion of the earth

Plague, seemed to have its home at Constantinople. Like nearly every other destructive pestilence that has swept over any considerable portion of the earth, it had its origin in Central Asia, from whence it began its westward march about the middle of the fourteenth century. Under the name of the “ black death,” it passed over into Europe, and became, as it were, domesticated on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean. True to their belief in fatalism, the Mohammedans allowed it to come and go, without lifting a finger to prevent it. “ What Allah wills must be,” was one of the prominent articles of their creed. The Turkish government, until within the last few years, steadily refused to establish any sort of quarantine; and when the plague appeared, no effective measures were taken to prevent its spread. The consequence was, that it seldom prevailed anywhere on the Mediterranean without coming to Constantinople, and sometimes it remained for years.

[religiontravels]

Left Mondania about the middle of the day

“ We left Mondania about the middle of the day on Saturday, and within three hours all the fresh water on board was consumed. As we were then tacking to double the Cape of Boor-Boornoo, the captain ran ashore with the boat to take in more; but by the next morning this also was spent, together with all the bread. All that day we were without water, and the poor men had nothing but olives to eat, and I myself but little more.

“ Early on Monday morning we reached Constantinople, and preparations were immediately made for presenting the young men before the Capudan Pasha. Whether they were to be employed in the Sultan’s service for life; whether they were to receive any adequate pay; whether they would ever be permitted to visit their friends; whether they would be tempted by hard treatment, or by kind offers, to become mussulmans, — were questions which none present could answer.

One of them was recently married; one was betrothed; one was the son of a priest; and one ‘ was the only son of his mother, and she a widow.’ Oh, what misery has sin brought into this world! Oh, this ill-fated country! When ‘ one woe is past, behold another woe cometh quickly.’ God is desolating them with judgments, which follow each other in quick succession. But they repent not; they turn not from their evil ways; there is scarcely one that under- standeth, or that asketh the cause of their sufferings; they ‘ go on still in their trespasses.’ This is the general character of the present generation. And the high probability is, that they will never see the good land, but that the greater part of them will be swept off by the desolating judgments of heaven; and that it will remain for their children to live in ‘ the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ ”

Considerable portion of the earth

Plague, seemed to have its home at Constantinople. Like nearly every other destructive pestilence that has swept over any considerable portion of the earth, it had its origin in Central Asia, from whence it began its westward march about the middle of the fourteenth century. Under the name of the “ black death,” it passed over into Europe, and became, as it were, domesticated on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean. True to their belief in fatalism, the Mohammedans allowed it to come and go, without lifting a finger to prevent it. “ What Allah wills must be,” was one of the prominent articles of their creed. The Turkish government, until within the last few years, steadily refused to establish any sort of quarantine; and when the plague appeared, no effective measures were taken to prevent its spread. The consequence was, that it seldom prevailed anywhere on the Mediterranean without coming to Constantinople, and sometimes it remained for years.

[banskoholiday]

Left Mondania about the middle of the day

“ We left Mondania about the middle of the day on Saturday, and within three hours all the fresh water on board was consumed. As we were then tacking to double the Cape of Boor-Boornoo, the captain ran ashore with the boat to take in more; but by the next morning this also was spent, together with all the bread. All that day we were without water, and the poor men had nothing but olives to eat, and I myself but little more.

“ Early on Monday morning we reached Constantinople, and preparations were immediately made for presenting the young men before the Capudan Pasha. Whether they were to be employed in the Sultan’s service for life; whether they were to receive any adequate pay; whether they would ever be permitted to visit their friends; whether they would be tempted by hard treatment, or by kind offers, to become mussulmans, — were questions which none present could answer.

One of them was recently married; one was betrothed; one was the son of a priest; and one ‘ was the only son of his mother, and she a widow.’ Oh, what misery has sin brought into this world! Oh, this ill-fated country! When ‘ one woe is past, behold another woe cometh quickly.’ God is desolating them with judgments, which follow each other in quick succession. But they repent not; they turn not from their evil ways; there is scarcely one that under- standeth, or that asketh the cause of their sufferings; they ‘ go on still in their trespasses.’ This is the general character of the present generation. And the high probability is, that they will never see the good land, but that the greater part of them will be swept off by the desolating judgments of heaven; and that it will remain for their children to live in ‘ the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ ”

Considerable portion of the earth

Plague, seemed to have its home at Constantinople. Like nearly every other destructive pestilence that has swept over any considerable portion of the earth, it had its origin in Central Asia, from whence it began its westward march about the middle of the fourteenth century. Under the name of the “ black death,” it passed over into Europe, and became, as it were, domesticated on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean. True to their belief in fatalism, the Mohammedans allowed it to come and go, without lifting a finger to prevent it. “ What Allah wills must be,” was one of the prominent articles of their creed. The Turkish government, until within the last few years, steadily refused to establish any sort of quarantine; and when the plague appeared, no effective measures were taken to prevent its spread. The consequence was, that it seldom prevailed anywhere on the Mediterranean without coming to Constantinople, and sometimes it remained for years.

[travelsyhe]

Left Mondania about the middle of the day

“ We left Mondania about the middle of the day on Saturday, and within three hours all the fresh water on board was consumed. As we were then tacking to double the Cape of Boor-Boornoo, the captain ran ashore with the boat to take in more; but by the next morning this also was spent, together with all the bread. All that day we were without water, and the poor men had nothing but olives to eat, and I myself but little more.

“ Early on Monday morning we reached Constantinople, and preparations were immediately made for presenting the young men before the Capudan Pasha. Whether they were to be employed in the Sultan’s service for life; whether they were to receive any adequate pay; whether they would ever be permitted to visit their friends; whether they would be tempted by hard treatment, or by kind offers, to become mussulmans, — were questions which none present could answer.

One of them was recently married; one was betrothed; one was the son of a priest; and one ‘ was the only son of his mother, and she a widow.’ Oh, what misery has sin brought into this world! Oh, this ill-fated country! When ‘ one woe is past, behold another woe cometh quickly.’ God is desolating them with judgments, which follow each other in quick succession. But they repent not; they turn not from their evil ways; there is scarcely one that under- standeth, or that asketh the cause of their sufferings; they ‘ go on still in their trespasses.’ This is the general character of the present generation. And the high probability is, that they will never see the good land, but that the greater part of them will be swept off by the desolating judgments of heaven; and that it will remain for their children to live in ‘ the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ ”

Considerable portion of the earth

Plague, seemed to have its home at Constantinople. Like nearly every other destructive pestilence that has swept over any considerable portion of the earth, it had its origin in Central Asia, from whence it began its westward march about the middle of the fourteenth century. Under the name of the “ black death,” it passed over into Europe, and became, as it were, domesticated on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean. True to their belief in fatalism, the Mohammedans allowed it to come and go, without lifting a finger to prevent it. “ What Allah wills must be,” was one of the prominent articles of their creed. The Turkish government, until within the last few years, steadily refused to establish any sort of quarantine; and when the plague appeared, no effective measures were taken to prevent its spread. The consequence was, that it seldom prevailed anywhere on the Mediterranean without coming to Constantinople, and sometimes it remained for years.

[privatetourbg]

Left Mondania about the middle of the day

“ We left Mondania about the middle of the day on Saturday, and within three hours all the fresh water on board was consumed. As we were then tacking to double the Cape of Boor-Boornoo, the captain ran ashore with the boat to take in more; but by the next morning this also was spent, together with all the bread. All that day we were without water, and the poor men had nothing but olives to eat, and I myself but little more.

“ Early on Monday morning we reached Constantinople, and preparations were immediately made for presenting the young men before the Capudan Pasha. Whether they were to be employed in the Sultan’s service for life; whether they were to receive any adequate pay; whether they would ever be permitted to visit their friends; whether they would be tempted by hard treatment, or by kind offers, to become mussulmans, — were questions which none present could answer.

One of them was recently married; one was betrothed; one was the son of a priest; and one ‘ was the only son of his mother, and she a widow.’ Oh, what misery has sin brought into this world! Oh, this ill-fated country! When ‘ one woe is past, behold another woe cometh quickly.’ God is desolating them with judgments, which follow each other in quick succession. But they repent not; they turn not from their evil ways; there is scarcely one that under- standeth, or that asketh the cause of their sufferings; they ‘ go on still in their trespasses.’ This is the general character of the present generation. And the high probability is, that they will never see the good land, but that the greater part of them will be swept off by the desolating judgments of heaven; and that it will remain for their children to live in ‘ the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ ”

Considerable portion of the earth

Plague, seemed to have its home at Constantinople. Like nearly every other destructive pestilence that has swept over any considerable portion of the earth, it had its origin in Central Asia, from whence it began its westward march about the middle of the fourteenth century. Under the name of the “ black death,” it passed over into Europe, and became, as it were, domesticated on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean. True to their belief in fatalism, the Mohammedans allowed it to come and go, without lifting a finger to prevent it. “ What Allah wills must be,” was one of the prominent articles of their creed. The Turkish government, until within the last few years, steadily refused to establish any sort of quarantine; and when the plague appeared, no effective measures were taken to prevent its spread. The consequence was, that it seldom prevailed anywhere on the Mediterranean without coming to Constantinople, and sometimes it remained for years.

[foodtravelbg]

Left Mondania about the middle of the day

“ We left Mondania about the middle of the day on Saturday, and within three hours all the fresh water on board was consumed. As we were then tacking to double the Cape of Boor-Boornoo, the captain ran ashore with the boat to take in more; but by the next morning this also was spent, together with all the bread. All that day we were without water, and the poor men had nothing but olives to eat, and I myself but little more.

“ Early on Monday morning we reached Constantinople, and preparations were immediately made for presenting the young men before the Capudan Pasha. Whether they were to be employed in the Sultan’s service for life; whether they were to receive any adequate pay; whether they would ever be permitted to visit their friends; whether they would be tempted by hard treatment, or by kind offers, to become mussulmans, — were questions which none present could answer.

One of them was recently married; one was betrothed; one was the son of a priest; and one ‘ was the only son of his mother, and she a widow.’ Oh, what misery has sin brought into this world! Oh, this ill-fated country! When ‘ one woe is past, behold another woe cometh quickly.’ God is desolating them with judgments, which follow each other in quick succession. But they repent not; they turn not from their evil ways; there is scarcely one that under- standeth, or that asketh the cause of their sufferings; they ‘ go on still in their trespasses.’ This is the general character of the present generation. And the high probability is, that they will never see the good land, but that the greater part of them will be swept off by the desolating judgments of heaven; and that it will remain for their children to live in ‘ the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ ”

Considerable portion of the earth

Plague, seemed to have its home at Constantinople. Like nearly every other destructive pestilence that has swept over any considerable portion of the earth, it had its origin in Central Asia, from whence it began its westward march about the middle of the fourteenth century. Under the name of the “ black death,” it passed over into Europe, and became, as it were, domesticated on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean. True to their belief in fatalism, the Mohammedans allowed it to come and go, without lifting a finger to prevent it. “ What Allah wills must be,” was one of the prominent articles of their creed. The Turkish government, until within the last few years, steadily refused to establish any sort of quarantine; and when the plague appeared, no effective measures were taken to prevent its spread. The consequence was, that it seldom prevailed anywhere on the Mediterranean without coming to Constantinople, and sometimes it remained for years.