#Caroline Lever

[purplesigebert]

Favourite Line Tag Game

Thank you to @iamstartraveller776 and @artemisravencourtney for tagging me. Sorry this took forever 💜!

Rules: Share a favorite line that you've read or written that impacted you!

Mine is from the DW crossover.

Context: The Doctor is a fan of Klaus' artwork. As such, there is a room on the TARDIS filled with Klaus' paintings. Caroline goes to that room when she is stressed, upset, or is missing Klaus.

Caroline couldn’t stop thinking about all of the people that were buried under the remnants of the ash cloud that had settled over Pompeii. Twenty-thousand people; they were responsible for the deaths of twenty-thousand people. The three of them had pushed the lever that made Vesuvius erupt. The Doctor's justification of "it's Pompeii or the world" hadn't provided her any comfort in the last three weeks. Night after night, she would wake up after gasping for breath, the screams and the looks of panic and fear on the people’s faces were heart-wrenching. The only thing she could do to calm down was to push the covers off, tip-toe into the galley, make some vervain tea, and go to sit in the gallery. When she was in there, the TARDIS provided her with her favourite fluffy blanket and pillow. With a murmur of "thank you, Old Girl," she would only have to stare at the paintings for a few seconds before the tension started to drain out of her.

No pressure tags: @sergeantpixie @the-road-betwixt @thetourguidebarbie @kirythestitchwitch @forasecondtherewedwon @garglyswoof @allulily @galvanizedfriend @averseunhinged @idreamofspring1 (I know that you were tagged already but I thought you might like to see this), and anyone else who wants to play!

[zeldahime]

Highway to Pail Day 2

[Day 1] [Next] @do-it-with-style-events

February 2: You can always trust someone who works at a music shop. They give sound advice.

Aziraphale had known dear Caroline for forty-five years, and he knew she was suspicious. Humans usually were, after about twenty or twenty-five years of acquaintance, and she was no mere acquaintance. To her credit and his relief, she kept her suspicions to herself, never so much as alluding to his corporation's failure to age a day while she herself grew from a confident young woman serving on the home front to a raucous grandmother and pillar of the community.

He also knew she was suspicious for another reason. A reason with beautiful red hair currently cut in an atrocious bowl cut, trying to get his long, delicate fingers on the only thing that could actually kill him. This was suspicion that he knew Caroline felt was well within her jurisdiction, as the unofficial denmother of Whickber Street. He was not really one of her charges, but as she had told him so many times, he was something close to family. And human families, he knew from millennia of living among them and hearing their stories, meddled in each others' romantic affairs.

Caroline and Crowley hadn't often met, but they'd pass each other on occasion, if Caroline closing up The Small Back Room coincided with Crowley coming round to the bookshop to collaborate on paperwork. Aziraphale had never introduced them, but Caroline had always been sharp as a tack. He'd been mentioning Crowley offhand to her for twenty years before they were reunited during the war, and the very first time she saw a red-haired man in a sharp suit enter the locked bookshop after curfew in 1943 and not come out again until morning, she'd cheekily gifted him a small cake and ribbed him gently about his night.

She referred to him as "your Crowley," when she spoke of him. It always made him feel a little warmer, even though it wasn't true. Crowley was Hell's, just as Aziraphale was Heaven's. What Crowley might want was irrelevant and what Aziraphale wanted was even less of a possible consideration.

Caroline had been the first person to ask him about Crowley's activities in Soho, a month ago. "Your Crowley," she had told him with raised eyebrows, "asked our Jenny if she knew anyone who could lever themselves down into a secure facility on a rope. She pointed him to the BDSM hall on Duck Lane." She rapped her knuckles on the desk. "What is he up to, Mr. Fell?"

He hadn't answered, but whatever look was on her face must have told her something, because she had just tsked at him a bit and said, "Whatever he's doing, Fell, he's going to get someone hurt. If this is about that fight you had that you talk about, the one before he left, it's best time to try to fix the root." She had winked. "And maybe that will keep him from leaving before dawn like he does. Everyone knows you've a flat upstairs; nobody needs to know there's only one bedroom in it."

Meddlesome old woman, his Caroline Service. Aziraphale adored her.

Aziraphale had asked around, of course; he knew already, but what he heard confirmed it. Crowley was planning to rob a church, get holy water.

Caroline was right. He had to get to the root of that fight in 1862, one hundred and five years before. Crowley had asked for the only weapon in Creation that could really hurt him. Did Aziraphale trust him with it?

Did Aziraphale trust Crowley with his life?

Well. That question had been answered in 1941, he had thought. But—

No, it hadn't been. Aziraphale trusted Crowley with Aziraphale's life, but that hadn't been the argument. The argument had been about whether Aziraphale trusted Crowley with Crowley's life.

He took his favorite flask, solid and leak-proof and decorated with his personal tartan, and headed to St. James' Park to gather some water from the duck pond to bless. If he was going to give Crowley a suicide pill, Aziraphale would at least make sure it was his own holiness that would kill Crowley, not the impersonal, clinical holiness of a Heaven that had already cast him out.

[secular-jew]

What the Battle Over Judicial Reform in Israel Is Really About

By CAROLINE GLICK

Any complex issue deserves (no, requires) lengthy argument, and this piece by Caroline Glick this is no exception. But Caroline is a cogent writer who makes everyone smarter. So read it and get properly informed.

***************************************

In Israel as in states throughout the Western world, the political Left is an ecosystem of power, and not merely a political camp. It starts with the parties of the center- and far-Left. But it encompasses far more powerful institutions and actors, as well. These include the universities, the vast majority of media organs, most of the entertainment industry, and much of the economic elite. The Left also comprises the senior ranks of the security establishment—represented most clearly by politically active retired generals.

The most powerful component of the Left's ecosystem in Israel is the legal fraternity, which is comprised of the Supreme Court, the attorney general, the state prosecution, and the legal advisors to the Knesset and the government ministries.

Despite its control over vast power sources in Israeli society, the Left does not control the Israeli people themselves. A significant majority of Israelis define themselves as right-of-center. In the last elections, right-of-center parties won 64 seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament, the Knesset. The Left's parties won a mere 46 seats. The other 10 seats went to two anti-Zionist Arab parties, which are supported by, but are not constituent parts of, the leftist ecosystem.

For the first three decades after Israel won independence in 1948, the Left held all levers of political power. The Labor Party controlled the government and the Knesset. And its loyalists controlled the Left's nonpolitical ecosystem. When, under Menachem Begin, the Right won its first electoral victory in 1977, Begin disappointed his loyalists and opted not to replace Labor's apparatchiks in the public sector, the Israel Defense Forces, the legal system, and state media with his own. Begin's refusal to bring in his own people was a source of rancor, but when viewed in its historical context, his decision had its merits. Labor's apparatchiks were old-left socialists, ideologically, but they were experienced in the ways of governance and they were patriots. True, they despised Begin, but they loved Israel. Leaving them secure in their positions may have made them political thorns in Begin's side, but it didn't harm the national interest.

Begin would probably have acted differently today.

Like the Left throughout the Western world, over the past 30 years, Israel's Left has abandoned labor union politics for cultural Marxism and post-nationalism. Its new globalist ideals render the Left's constituent parts contemptuous, and increasingly hateful, of Israel's nationalist majority.

In the decades since Begin opted to leave the Labor apparatchiks in place, their post-nationalist successors have formed an oligarchy whose power sits beyond the reach of the elected Israeli government. Its members, particularly in the legal fraternity, have seized more and more executive powers away from the government, and more and more legislative powers away from the Knesset. For the past three decades, government lawyers have killed government decisions and legislative initiatives, before they were off the drawing board, by proclaiming them "unreasonable" or "legally problematic" (as opposed to illegal).

When the government and Knesset chose to disregard the unsubtle orders from their unelected lawyers, the Supreme Court pounced. The justices haven't flinched from abrogating the government's actions; and more often than not, the justices have based their decisions not on statutory law, but on the extraordinarily vague "reasonableness" rationale that has enabled them to strike down laws and lawful government actions simply by deeming them "unreasonable."

Today, led quite openly by Israeli Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut and her predecessor, Aharon Barak, the Israeli Left is in open rebellion against the Netanyahu government and its plans to reform the judicial system. Buffeted and sometimes led by a media that has abandoned all pretense of dispassionate journalism for propaganda, some on the Left—including the mayor of Tel Aviv—have outright called for civil war. Others have deployed a combination of riots, protests, boycotts, highway blockages, and lawfare in a bid to paralyze and intimidate the Netanyahu government into standing down.

The Netanyahu government's program for judicial reform is astounding for its modesty. If passed in full, it will simply realign Israel's currently unchecked judiciary with the checked judiciaries of the vast majority of Western democracies.

The judicial reform package's main components are: placing judicial appointments under more political control; requiring justices to base their judgments on the law, rather than the malleable veneer of "reasonableness"; banning the Supreme Court from amending or overriding Israel's Basic laws, which form the basis of Israel's quasi-constitutional rule of law; and placing constraints on the Supreme Court's power to abrogate laws duly promulgated by the Knesset, while providing the Knesset with a mechanism for overriding the Court's decisions.

The final clause of the government's reform package stipulates that the attorney general's opinions do not bind the government that he ostensibly serves.

While the Left has managed to engender a sense of chaos, the situation in Israel is actually far more stable than it appears. The Left's riots will continue so long as the billionaire funders in Israel and abroad send their checks. But the legal reform will be passed into law and implemented.

Any doubt that this would occur was dispelled two weeks ago, via a strategic intervention by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Although the position of Israeli president is a largely ceremonial post, two weeks ago Herzog inserted himself into the middle of the debate. In a primetime address, Herzog set out his own proposal for judicial reform. A former head of the Labor Party and the son of Israel's sixth president, the late Chaim Herzog, Isaac Herzog is a scion of the leftist establishment.

Herzog's proposal involved fewer limits on the Court's powers than the government's proposal. But his intervention was important—indeed, it was decisive—for three main reasons.

First, Herzog's proposal is predicated on both recognition and opposition to the fact that today, Israel's Supreme Court has no checks on its power whatsoever. To restore and safeguard Israel's democracy, the Israeli Supreme Court must cease to operate as a self-perpetuating judicial oligarchy.

Second, Herzog's proposal recognizes the fundamental legitimacy of the political Right. Knesset opposition leader Yair Lapid and his partners have so far refused to follow suit; as far as they are concerned, the Israeli people's vote last fall to restore Netanyahu to power was no more than an arbitrary moment, and far less legitimate than the unmoving positions of the nation's ruling elite.

Finally, Herzog's intervention gave cover to leftist politicians and luminaries who, like him, are willing to work with the Netanyahu government to reach a workable compromise on legal reform. Despite public denials by various opposition politicians, following Herzog's speech, prominent leftists have been meeting behind the scenes with Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Chairman of Knesset Law, Constitution, and Justice Committee Simcha Rothman, and their advisors, in order to bridge differences.

And those differences are not all that large. Nearly every single leading politician on the Left—including Lapid himself—has put forward a program of judicial reform similar to the Netanyahu government's plan. Back in 1994, Herzog's father, then-President Chaim Herzog, also called for constraining judicial power.

At the end of the day, the fight over judicial reform in Israel isn't about judicial reform at all. It is about the radical Left, and its refusal to accept the validity of democratic outcomes when its side loses. The Netanyahu government will win because, despite the fact that the radicals have taken over the leftist ecosystem, enough old-left Zionists are still around to work with their counterparts on the Zionist Right and cut a deal.

Caroline B. Glick is a Newsweek columnist, the senior contributing editor of Jewish News Syndicate, and the diplomatic commentator for Israel's Channel 14. She is also the author of The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East, (Crown Forum, 2014). From 1994 to 1996, she served as a core member of Israel's negotiating team with the Palestine Liberation Organization.

[penvcnens]

thinking about how much it annoys me that in the show, caroline continues to keep their marriage secret even after she finds out dwight has been taken prisoner. as his wife, she has rights! she has better standing to like... try and do things and find out information! but she just doesn't. even if it came to nothing, i don't believe for second she wouldn't at least try and use every lever available to her. it just. makes no sense to me.

[scionshtola]

top 5 songs you’ve been into lately? and/or top 5 black sails scenes/references/quotes? 🫶

ty dani!! the black sails one will be so hard agdhsj

top 5 songs i’ve been into lately

clarity by vance joy

already gone by dermot kennedy

love, let me sing you from bernarda alba

breathe from in the heights

oh caroline by the 1975

top 5 black sails quotes etc ahhh (i’m doing these off the top of my head sorry if i get something wrong!)

“they tell their children to stay close to the light. their light, their reason, their judgment. because in the darkness there be dragons. but it isn’t true. we can prove that it isn’t true. in the dark, there is discovery. there is possibility—there is freedom in the dark, once someone has illuminated it. and who has been so close to doing that as we are right now?”

”they took everything from us. then they call me a monster? the moment i sign that pardon, the moment i ask for one-i proclaim to the world they were right. this ends when i grant them my forgiveness, not the other way around.”

max’s apology to anne in season 4 but specifically “i’m so sorry for working so hard to protect the wrong things. for failing to see that there is nothing important that does not include you.”

”i want to watch this city—this city that you purchased with our misery—burn. i want to pull the lever with my own two hands.” :( so good though

”these men who brought me here today do not fear me. they brought me here today because they fear you. and they know that my voice, my voice that refuses to be enslaved, once lived in you…but know this. to fear death is a choice. and they can’t hang us all. get on with it, motherfucker.” (I FORGOT THE MIDDLE IM SORRY)

special shout-out to anne’s “it ain’t fear to want to do a hard thing smart” and max’s “this place is just sand eleanor it cannot love you back” and flint’s “everyone is a monster to someone. if you are so convinced that i am yours, i will be it.” and silver’s “are you FUCKING kidding me?”

[xocowilde]

More about Steddie + Johnny's relationship 🦇🍦🧷

Because I can and it's eating my brain

Mostly from Johnny and his mom (Caroline)

When their relationship is finally official, after finding the three of them are happy together & Eddie realized he actually really likes Johnny, they don't know if they should tell the others

Except, Johnny. He is the first one in spilling it out. He tells it the next day to his mom, the most important person on his life.

He arrives with more energy than he normally have, jumping and smiling. Caroline has to stop preparing dinner to look what's the new adventures of her son.

"Do you remember that Steve guy I told you about? And Eddie Munson?"

"That last one was the metal guy? On the news?"

Of course, how not to know him. But she smiles, because he is happy talking about how much he likes them, how fun is being with Eddie and how much Steve seems to care about both of them. And Caroline is happy about this, but still alert because the last time he got so excited about a relationship (not at this lever tho) finished in a very bad one where she had to help Johnny keep going and go away from bad people. She knew, as well, this Steve and that Eddie helped as well.

And she is cautious when Johnny ask her if they could go for dinner next weekend because "they need to taste your mash potatoes and peach pie." It is the second time he asks to invite their boyfriends, the first time was on middle school in his first relationship.

She is as nervous and worried now, because that means these two guys are another level. If they break Johnny's heart, he isn't going to be like last time but worse

And she does the best mashed potatoes and bakes the best peach pie. When Johnny tells her they want to bring something she just replies with "some ice cream and lot of stomach"

When the day arrives, she is ready with some nice clothes and warm food. The doorbell sounds like birds and she opens the main door because Johnny is still on his bedroom getting ready. Always a bit late.

She smiled when the door opens and finds two guys quite surprised. Maybe it is because she is black and has the whitest boy in town, or maybe because is the mother of their boyfriend. But they smile and are happy to be received with a big hug and the best of the smells from the kitchen and the house itself. What would you expect from the owner of the flower shop?

The dinner goes well, Steve and Eddie seem surprised by how easily Johnny talks about them both being his partners. He talks about Eddie's pronoun and Caroline just nods and smiles at this. She talks about Johnny's hobbies and old stories that would make him feel embarrassed and the other two laugh about it. They seem to enjoy the talk, the place, how Johnny holds the hand of Eddie, and how lets the other hand play with Steve's hair from time to time. It seems so normal and natural. And the two of them are enjoying it.

Steve helps with the dishes while Eddie and Johnny decide to prepare the dessert; peach pie with ice cream.

"I hope vanilla is ok." Eddie says as Johnny is the one who serves the ice cream on top. "Does Steve has to teach you?"

"Ah yeah, I forgot he was a professional ice cream server."

"Anyway, I want two scoops." Eddie says as he licks the knife he used to cut the pie

"Oh, this kid knows." Caroline laughs. "I want two as well, sweetie."

They are surprised she was at the door just looking at them with a smile. Because she was there to find out how Steve was washing the dishes and helping them with whatever, how would Eddie tickle Johnny's side and bite his shoulder and just make him laugh. How Steve gave him the scoop in hand and kissed Johnny's cheek before keeping going with the dishes.

All those little details, how Johnny seemed happier than a month before. That's what matters, and the important question.

They finish dessert and Steve asks if is ok to smoke there. She seems serious now.

"My house has few rules, sweet boy. And one of them is not smoking. That's why this kid has some table and chairs outside."

"Cant I take it?" Eddie stands up, with his half coffee and the piece of pie that Johnny will not finish.

She smiles and lets them go, Johnny being the last one as he takes the cigarettes and the matches. The way Caroline looks at him and smiles makes him know what she wants to say.

"They are very good, don't you think so?" Johnny jokes. "Very handsome and pretty."

"Yes, they are." She held his face in her hands in a gentle manner. "Are they really good?" he nods without a smile. "Are you happy?"

"So far... no, you know?" He smiles finally. "I think I will be happy with them. Don't worry, Mom."

"Oh, too late." she laughs, pinching his cheek. "Go with your boyfriends. Sorry, your boyfriend and partner. I will be upstairs."

Johnny nodes kissing her cheek before going outside to the backyard.

[nlkplumbingaus]

Raising the Water Level in Your Toilet Bowl: Expert Plumber Tips

Have you noticed that the water level in your toilet bowl is too low? It might seem minor, but if unchecked, it can lead to bigger problems. A proper water level is essential for your toilet’s functionality, helping it flush effectively and preventing any unwanted clogs or odours. If you're struggling with low water levels in your toilet, contacting a plumber in Caroline Springs VIC can be a great first step. 

In this blog, we'll explore some expert tips for raising the water level in your toilet bowl to maintain a well-functioning and efficient system. Additionally, if you're based in the area, a local plumber Werribee can offer expert assistance, ensuring your toilet operates efficiently and avoids further complications. 

Understanding How Toilet Water Levels Work

It's essential to understand how your toilet works to fully comprehend why its water level fluctuates. Inside the toilet tank, water is stored to create enough pressure for a proper flush. When you press the flush lever, the water is released into the bowl, flushing away waste. The tank controls the water level in the bowl itself, and if something goes wrong with the tank’s components, it can result in a low water level in the bowl.

Simple DIY Adjustments

Adjusting the Float in the TankTo properly fill your toilet tank, check the float and adjust the float arm to a higher setting to increase water levels in the bowl.

Checking and Clearing BlockagesBlockages in the refill tube or fill valve can affect water flow, so inspect and clear if necessary. If issues persist, clean or replace the valve.

Ensuring the Refill Tube is Properly PositionedSometimes, the refill tube can become dislodged or improperly positioned, preventing the tank from filling at the correct rate. Check the refill tube to ensure it's securely attached to the fill valve and positioned correctly inside the tank.

These simple DIY fixes can help you resolve low water level issues in your toilet. However, if the problem persists or you need clarification on making these adjustments, it may be time to call a professional local plumber Werribee for assistance.

When to Call a Plumber

Not all toilet water level problems can be fixed with a quick DIY fix. Sometimes, the issue may be more complex and require professional intervention. Here are some indicators that it might be time to call a plumber in Caroline Springs VIC:

Leaks Around the ToiletIf you notice water pooling around the base of your toilet, it could indicate a leak in the tank or pipes. Leaks can cause the water level in your toilet bowl to drop, and if not addressed quickly, they can lead to water damage and higher utility bills.

Damaged Tank ComponentsIf adjusting the float and checking the refill tube hasn’t raised the water level, the tank's fill valve or flush valve may be damaged or worn out. 

Persistent Low Water LevelsLow water levels may signal a plumbing system issue, despite your efforts. A local plumber can inspect the system, identify the problem, and fix it to ensure your toilet operates efficiently.

Conclusion

Maintaining the right water level in your toilet is crucial for its performance. From adjusting the float to clearing blockages, there are several simple fixes that you can try on your own. However, if the problem persists or seems more complex, don’t hesitate to reach out to a local plumber Werribee for professional assistance. Regularly monitoring your toilet's functionality can prevent bigger plumbing problems and ensure it operates smoothly for years.

For reliable plumbing services that you can trust, contact a professional plumber in Caroline Springs VIC, today to get expert advice and solutions tailored to your needs. With the right plumbing support, you can enjoy a fully functional toilet and avoid costly repairs in the future.

Source by - https://shorturl.at/OA6pM 

[le-bazar-de-chanchan]

Caroline : Ma puce, il est temps de te lever !

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/happy-90th-gloria/

Happy 90th Gloria!

A writer near my age admitted on Facebook that though she loved the feel of paper between her fingers and the smell of a new book, she’d shifted to an e-reader. No longer comfortable with small print, she needed an electronic device to adjust for size.    Much in life is a tradeoff.  The earth has a polar wobble, which is natural, but growing more pronounced because humans are pulling quantities of water from the aquifer. Global construction is at an all-time high. That makes sand, a key ingredient in cement, a valuable commodity. The scarcer it becomes, the more illegal mining grows.  Today,  quarrying sand is a $200 billion to $300 billion industry, making it more valuable than gold, logging, and fishing combined. Developments in technology may ameliorate some of these challenges. Reading devices that adjust print size is an example.  Sometimes, though, the remedy poses new problems. Think of all those passwords we need to maintain our internet accounts.     A woman In my late 80s, I’d like to see the world slow down. Is there technology for that?  In his book, Successful Aging, Daniel J. Levitin warns that clinging to the past isn’t good for human health.  Old folks should keep looking forward. That’s easy for him to say.  He’s not at the end of the line trying to keep up. On the plus side, Levitin writes that old folks have an edge over the young. Wisdom enables them to make good decisions. They’ve lived long enough to discern patterns in nature and human behavior.  A newborn may cry, terrified by its first glimpse of the sun, but adults head for the beach hoping for enough sand to throw down a towel.   Lacking experience, young people’s judgments are prone to err. Many, for example, criticize Joe Biden’s slow response to the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.  As the head of a powerful country, they presume he has levers to pull to affect change. Yet not since Teddy Roosevelt’s interventions in Latin America during the 1900s has an American President imagined he could interfere with another nation’s sovereignty and escape paying a political price–the incursions being short-lived or ending in failure. The heady era of being a dominant player among weaker countries is history. Today, democratic nations exercise diplomacy rather than brute force.  Biden has an edge on that score.  He knows the world players, the genesis of foreign quarrels, and the cards each country’s leader is likely to hold.  True, he hasn’t sold Benjamin Netanyahu on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. But Netanyahu isn’t thinking about the future. An unpopular figure in his country, he clings to power because of the war, holding fast to it the way a man lost at sea clings to an ice float even though it’s melting.  Youth may see Biden’s politics in the current conflict as uncaring, but their viewpoint may be too simple.  The suffering in Gaza is unconscionable, agreed. But, so far, Biden has kept our alliances intact in the Middle East; held Iran at bay; secured world trade by monitoring the Suez Canal, and made talks about a two-state solution credible. Not bad for a man forced to dance with wolves. In a bad world, only a fool looks for rainbows.  Hal Brands in an edition of Foreign Affairs argues that given the current morality,  “…the only way to protect a world fit for freedom is to court impure partners and engage in impure acts.” (“The Age of Amorality,” by Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs March/April, pg. 106.) Brands’ advice may be repugnant to young minds and old ones as well, but the difference between youth and age is that the latter is more pragmatic.  Older people know that facing reality doesn’t mean giving up ideals.  It means they may see taking a step backward as a prelude to moving forward.  Nothing I’ve written diminishes the contributions young people make in the world.  Innovation flows from their plastic brains the way stars burst from a supernova.  I doubt an 80-something could have invented Bitcoin. Because our complex problems require complex responses, neither youth nor age should be banished from the stage.  We achieve more when we make room for each other.   Gloria Steinem turns 90 this month.  After the loss of Roe v. Wade, she hasn’t given up on women’s rights.  When a fan asked if she was planning to toss her torch to someone else, her reply was unequivocal.  “I’m holding on to my torch. I’ll let other people light theirs from mine.”  (Successful Aging, by Daniel J. Levitin, Random House, 2020, (large print edition by Penguin) pg. 662.)  Happy Birthday, Gloria!

[thearchmanofgreenfield]

As the sun went on its ascension to the sky, afternoon fell upon Hatlynshire. It is in this afternoon sun that Anna found herself standing in a small yard in the farthest corner of Anatoli Hamlet. To her right stood the bare wall of a building while an eight-foot wall encircled her front and left. In front of her was a series of wooden posts planted into the ground in a line with flat tops. On top of each, post where empty glass bottles that had once been full of alcohol. Anna looked at the bottles with a narrow and focuses stare. She raised her right hand from which held a revolver. She pointed its barrel directly at the bottle. And without any hesitation, she pulled the trigger.

She missed.

She watched as, in the blink of an eye the bullet raced past the bottle and engraved itself into the wall behind it. A bang echoed through the air, but it wasn’t very loud. Anna had tried to use her other hand to deafen the sound by holding it over the barrel, but her results were mediocre at best.

“You’re getting better,” said Bon who sat on a wooden stool next to the wall. Anna looked at dent made by the bullet on the wall. She frowned, was she improving?

“I would hardly call still missing a target progress” she said. Bon gave her a sympathetic expression with a kind smile.

“Well you shouldn’t expect to be an accomplished marksman with only a few days practice. Now try again, and perhaps concentrate more on the silencing the sound of the gun. We cannot have your actions alerting others,” he said softly.

Anna sighed; she then once again pointed the gun at the glass bottle. She pulled the lever at the back of the pistol and heard the click as the barrel rolled into position. She kept her hand on top of the barrel and concentrated. She then pointed the gun once again at the bottle. She took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

What followed was near silence, the gun made all but a small pop sound as the bullet went racing through the air. Anna could barely blink before he saw the first glass bottle shatter into pieces as the bullet grazed its edge. Something Anna could tell due to seeing another dent appear on the wall moments after the glass shattered.

“Good!” said Bon, “You almost deafened the gun completely!” he said clapping a few times. Anna smile gratefully. But she still had issues.

“I cannot focus on the sound and aim at the same time,” she said, but Bon just shrugged. “Give it more practice,” he said. “You’ll get it eventually. Who knows, one day you may even be able to stop a bullet in the air”

“Is that possible?” asked Anna curiously.

“I hear it is, but only the most skilled of our kind can do it. An ability like that would likely be enough to get a soldier promoted to the Gratousy” said Bon.

“I doubt I’ll be that skilled in my lifetime. I doubt even Caroline could do it” said Anna holding the gun with both her hands. She pushed her hand and took out the barrel, which still four bullets in it.

“Your sister certainly has a skill with a gun. I should know, she came to me for practice years ago just like you do now,” said Bon, in a state of reminisce. “She had such potential to be a great soldier…before the incident”

Anna almost instinctively pulled the barrel back into the gun in surprise the moment Bon finished his sentence. She looked at the gun again before swiping the barrel and watching it spin around for a few rounds. Bon went silent. Anna then slowly walked to Bon and handed him the revolver. Bon took it without saying anything. Anna then looked back at the wooden posts with their glass targets. Her mind raced with old memories, those were then drowned out by a familiar sense of determination. Anna took a deep breath. She then turned her head to Bon.

“What was it like?” she asked, a question that made Bon raise his head. “What was what like?” he returned.

“Being a soldier. I mean, you’re not afraid to say you were one. You even accepted Caroline and mine’s requests for you to teach us how to shoot. Yet you do not speak of your time as soldier, no stories or tales or accounts of triumph,”

Bon took a deep breath. He did not meet Anna’s eyes, instead merely watching the ground pondering something. Perhaps he was reminiscing. Yet his expression was not of happiness. As though Anna’s words had somehow hurt him. Anna saw Bon rub his hand against his knee, he kept the revolver on his lap as though he did not want to hold it.

“There are no tales of triumphs to tell,” he said quietly with a somber tone. “Just blood and pain, both for us and our enemies. Those stories do not belong in the ears of even drunk men, let alone the ears of children”

“Yet you hold the soldiers in reverence. You said Caroline had the potential to be one, so there must be something other than pain,” argued Anna softly, she did not want to raise her voice as she knew from Bon’s disturbed look that he did not enjoy what he said.

“In service there is honor, lass. There is peace in sacrifice, pain only haunts those who do not die with gun in hand,” he said.

“So why didn’t you?” Anna asked suddenly without thinking twice. She only realized the weight of her words after they had left her mouth. He kept her hands on her mouth and watched as Bon responded. Bon then looked at her with an expression of tragedy with the gloom of death in his eyes. He then tightened his grip on the revolver and within a few seconds, he pointed it at the glass bottles and fired three shots in a series which still keeping his head facing Anna. He did not cover the barrel so the full sound of the gun echoed through the air. Anna watched as the three glass bottles shattered simultaneously one after another. She then turned back to Bon, who stood up and put down the gun.

“I wasn’t worthy,” he said putting the gun into his coat. He stared at the glass bottles for a moment with his eyes glistening from half-formed tears before we wiped them away as he turned back to Anna. Anna saw his sadness decrease as he cracked a small smile as he spoke to her.

“Perhaps it is time we finish for the day. Run along now, lass,” he said. Anna opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead she nodded and left, waving goodbye as he entered the path. Bon waved back as Anna disappeared amongst the buildings.

Anna went straight for the main building with the courtyard. She sat herself in one of the benches before screaming softly into her hands. She then took a deep breath before sighing and convincing herself that she had not ruined her only friendship. She decided to look at the passing crowd to keep her mind off it. She noticed that there were more soldiers walking the place then there had been before. Perhaps Mr. Howards had decided not to be frugal after all. She saw people walk by whispering to their peers. She saw children play hide-and-seek with the piles of crates laid in the middle of the courtyard. It was quite normal despite the still looming threat of the coming conflict. Anna knew that rumors were everywhere, some speculated as to where the heir of Everton had gone, others speculated as to the validity of the threats of war, some even denied that such problems existed. Some sang war hymns on the streets while others protested profusely. Anna wasn’t sure about any of it herself. She did not revere or even respect Mr. Howards personally. She had no peers to share her arguments. All she had was Bon and Caroline.

As Anna watched the common folk to do as they did, she did notice some oddities amongst the crowd. The most striking of which was a man she saw walk down arched pathway, which ran perpendicular to the one she was standing on. In a crowd full of modest and simple clothing, this man wore something bordering what considered flamboyant. He wore a large hat that looked like beret but much larger with the huge white feather sticking out of it. He wore a broad coat with outstretching shoulders and under it all we wore a crimson suits with accessories of gold. Anna raised her eyebrow the moment she saw such an odd figure. She even saw some other people staring at the man with the same kind of perplexed look. Anna saw the man walk down the path all the way to the door leading to Mr. Howards’ office. He looked around as though he was not familiar with the Hamlet, something that only confirmed to Anna that he was an outsider. He saw the man knock on the office door. He then stood outside, waiting. Anna was now intrigued, she watched that man as he stood impatiently outside the office. After about five minutes, he seemed to realize no answer was coming. Anna saw him knock again and wait some more. After a few more minutes, he seemed to realize his actions were fruitless because he turned away from the door and headed in the opposite direction. Anna watched him as he walked. She knew he was walking in the direction leading deeper into the Hamlet. Anna then began to follow the man once he walked out of sight. Anna could tell from the way he moved that the Hamlet looked foreign to him. She followed him while being at least twelve feet away, ducking behind corners and hiding behind taller people. She watched as the man awkwardly asked people for directions and tumbled his way through the road. Anna knew from his general direction that he was heading into the part of the Hamlet filled with houses. The residential area of the hamlet was located close to the center with houses being lumped into a series of blocks. All the houses were built this way, all except one.

Anna followed the strange man all the way, until he reached a lone standing house located far into the Hamlet. It was a large fancy white townhouse standing three stories tall with a sand blue roof. It was well maintained and detailed with fancy arches and paned windows. Anna knew the house well, for it belonged to Mr. Howards.

Anna watched from across the street as the man knocked on Howards’ door. This time he got an answer without having to wait long. Anna heard them talk before Howards let the man into his house. Anna couldn’t hear what they said. All she saw was a nervous look on Howards face as he looked at the road suspiciously before closing the door.

Anna was now overcome with curiosity since she had nothing else important to do. She knew that going in there would be a risk, but she was confident in her ability. She slowly made her way across the busy road and approached the house. Instead of walking directly to the front door she turned right and ducked into the gap between the house and the block next to it, which was a small side yard that was fenced off by a wall of iron bars with an iron gate that was locked by a brass padlock. Anna looked at the road behind her; she took a deep breath as she convinced herself that no one watching her. She then slow grabbed the iron bars and swiftly climbed over onto the yard. She then looked around to see whether anyone had seen her. The path in front of her was a narrow stretch that went between two opposing walls before opening into a large garden in the back of the house. Anna heard a noise coming from in front of her. She silently tiptoed to the corner and peered into the large garden. She saw what looked like a gardener, a wrinkly old man in dirt-covered outfit, pruning a flowerbed while kneeling with large scissors in hand. Anna quickly ducked behind the corner as the man was standing mere feet away from her.  She knew she couldn’t walk out onto the garden lest she be caught as trespasser. She started looking for some way to get into the house. She saw that there was a paned window leading onto the side of the house next to her. She walked to the window and peeked her head into the glass in order to glimpse into the house. But all she was a navy blue curtain blocking her sight. Anna took a deep breath; she glanced at the corner from time to time in order to see whether gardener was watching. She then pressed her hand against the glass directly in front of the window lock. She then closed her eyes and concentrated.

She could feel the glass shaking, but thankfully, it wasn’t loud. Within a few moments, she heard the sound of moving metal, which was followed by a thud. Anna opened her eyes as he slowly pushed the window and the window swung open. Anna crept into the house with her approach shielded by the curtain. He landed as softly and quietly as she could on the tiled floor. She leaned against the wall in order to avoid looking suspicious as she slowly used her hand to peek over the curtain.

The room she entered was quiet, and as Anna looked, she saw that the coast was clear. She quickly stepped out of the curtains and sneaked her way to the door. Anna had a lot of experience with this, not just, because she had broken into Mr. Howards’ office man times but also because she had fond memories of little hide and seek games she and Caroline had played long ago. And Caroline had been a fierce player.

She leaned against the wall and peered over the door, she seemed to be in a kind of lounge with the door opening into a much larger circular living room. The interior of the house seemed to be much larger than the exterior as Anna looked on into a room that, in her mind, was much larger than the exterior house around it. In this room, she saw a fireplace that was unlit, and in front of the fireplace was a small sitting area with a circular coffee table with two lavish cushioned chairs on either side. In those chairs were two men, one she knew to be the strange man from earlier. He wasn’t wearing his silly hat or his large coat, which revealed him as a large but slender man with blonde hair. Next to him was Mr. Howards, who looked small in comparison. Anna leaned in closer in order to hear what they were saying.

“You understand, do you not? Your Hamlet was sitting in the middle of a battlefield. Entire armies of Hunters will descend upon Everton Borough in the next few months. You need to be prepared for such an attack,” said the man.

“What you’re proposing to me is to sell my life for short term safety,” said Mr. Howards, who did not speak with happy voice. But in a rather distressed voice. “You are asking me to choose one death over another”

“There will be no death!” the man exclaimed. “All we ask is that you do nothing. In return, you will receive enough funds to line your hamlet walls with gold! And once our righteous endeavor is finished, you and your people will prosper!”

“I do not know why you came here,” Howards said plainly. “The Guilds usually stand against the Noble Courts. So why offer me anything?”

“We do not dwell on petty quarrels of class,” the man said confidently. “The Noble Courts have never held power outside the Table of Governance, just like the Guilds. It is Mr. Cunnington’s belief that we must unite to face the true threat. To liberate ourselves from centuries of oppression!”

“I see no oppression,” said Howards suddenly and sharply. The strange man’s kind grin faltered. But Howards did not back down. “I see a safe sanctuary that has lasted us for generations. That saved us from eradication! A system that you owe your life to, am I wrong?”

The man only chuckled. “Safe? Mr. Howards. You call the ever-present threat of the Hunters safety. You call the burning of children and the execution of dissenters unavoidable. I see that you fear the retribution of what I ask, what Mr. Cunnington asks. But ask yourself this, is your current state truly paradise? Is being blind to the evils of the powerful better than facing the evils outside your walls?”

Mr. Howards seemed to back off quite a bit. He sat further into his chair and watched the strange man with disdain. The man then stood up before walking over to the coat hanger where he grabbed his coat and his silly hat.

“You are a man of privilege, Howards. I understand that. You and your seventy or so other Nobles live quite lavishly in your little Hamlets. But I must say that you have your people to consider, the children that play on the roads and the residents who depend on you to keep them away from the fire. I do not believe that I have to explain your situation for you. Since you’re desperate for funds that you have decided to let criminals guard your gates instead of actual soldiers”

That last sentence the man said was what seemed to drive Mr. Howards over the edge. His professional and subdued expression turned to anger as he swiftly stood up from his chair and stared the man down with fur as he put on his oversized hat.

“Leave. My. House.” He said sternly. “Immediately”

The man didn’t seem to appreciate Howards’ tone. For he frowned with disappointment but remained professional. “We hope that you will make a decision before the enemy comes to our gate, Howards. Because when they do, our hands will not extend to you as you burn.” He then turned around and opened the door.

“Remember Mr. Howards, all we require is a signature. Goodbye for now” he then stepped out of the house leaving Mr. Howards alone.

Anna watched as Mr. Howards took a deep sigh and fell back into his chair. She saw him wave his hand in the air with a bottle of wine flying to into the room from another place moments later. Howards grabbed the bottle with his hand and didn’t seem to bother with glasses, for he simply drank from the bottle itself.

Anna decided that it was probably a good time to leave. She slowly backed away from the door while staring directly into the living room. She backed towards the window. She was only a few feet away when she accidently backed into a small table behind her without realizing. Anna nearly feel backwards as the table feel on the ground nearly tipping her off balance. The table had a porcelain vase on top of it, and as the small table fell with a thud, the vase fell releasing an ear piercing sound as it shattered into hundreds of pieces. Anna managed not to fall by grabbing onto a nearby small chair with her hands. She looked at the table with shock and fear. But it only lasted momentarily before that, feeling was swiftly overtaken by the fear she felt when she heard Mr. Howards’ voice.

“Hello? Who’s there?” he shouted from the living room. Anna did not waste a second. She quickly dived out of the window without bothering to close it behind her. She did not bother checking whether she was seen or not as he quickly jumped the fence. And as she entered the open street, she ran as far as possible. Her body still rushing with fear.

She ran a few blocks without bothering to look back. She saw the people on the street eye her with confusion as she ran passed them. It was only after she had ran all the way out the area where the houses were did she bother to stop. Anna quickly ducked into an alleyway and leaned on the wall as she took deep breaths and panted to calm herself down and relieve her exhaustion.

It was only after the sense of vigilance and fear went away did Anna star feeling a pain in her left leg. As the exhaustion went away that pain slowly replaced it. Anna lifted up her skirt in order to see and what she found did not please her. She saw that her thigh had been pierced by porcelain shards. None seemed to be stuck in her leg; she assumed they must have fallen off as she ran. However, the wounds they left made several streams of blood that ran all the way down her leg onto her shoes. She had not felt it earlier. But she did now. The pain only seemed to get worse every second. Anna took a deep breath and tried not to focus on the pain. She then covered her injuries with her skirt and walked back onto the street. In her mind, she had much more important things to attend to; she had something very important to tell Caroline.

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[container-of-claps]

Caroline Bachmann, b.1963, Switzerland

1 - DUANE THOMAS GALLERY, New York "Starry Sky, a survey of painted works 2014/2020" 15 décembre 2020 - 15 mars 2021 / Solo show

2 - Lever de soleil, 2017, huile sur toile, 30 x 24

[purplesigebert]

WIP Wednesday: DW Crossover #7

Continuation of Week 1:

“Yes, but why did you go there? Why are you continuing to go there?” Martha asked.

“Not to mention the week that you asked the TARDIS for a bed to be added to the room and slept in there, for a week,” Donna oh so helpfully added.

“Those were special circumstances! It was during, like, the weeks after Pompeii, the landscapes calmed me and helped me with the nightmares I had.” 

Caroline couldn’t stop thinking about all of the people that were buried under the remnants of the ash cloud that had settled over Pompeii.  Twenty-thousand people; they were responsible for the deaths of twenty-thousand people. The three of them had pushed the lever that made Vesuvius erupt. The Doctor's justification of Pompeii or the world hadn't provided her any comfort in the last three weeks. Night after night she would wake up after gasping for breath, the screams and the looks of panic and fear on the people’s faces was the worst. The only thing she could do to calm down was to push the covers off, tip-toe into the galley, make some vervain tea, and go to sit in the gallery.  When she was in there, the TARDIS providing her favourite fluffy blanket and pillow, a mummer of thank you, Old Girl, she would have to only stare at the paintings for a few seconds before the tension started to drain out of her.

Caroline refused to look anywhere near Klaus, she didn’t want to see his smug face. Her gaze wandered over to Tyler and she couldn’t help but flinch at the reminder of his rage when he had found out that Klaus had drawn her after the ball.  Never mind the glass he had thrown at her when he learned that she had traded one of his hybrid buddies' lives in exchange for a date with Klaus.

She didn’t see that Donna noticed her reaction to Tyler, and how she resolved to have a talk with her blonde friend. He has a violent look about him. Donna thought as she looked at the boy with the short brown hair.  She looked back at Caroline, who was blushing again. I wonder what the whole story is? I’ll have to call her in the future. Present?

Time travel was still so confusing but she knew that she wanted to hear the full story in the future.  There would be plenty of time, maybe the Doctor could drop her off. 

“And what are your excuses for sleeping there when you don’t have nightmares?” “I’m not answering that with him in the room!” She whispered, very pointedly not looking in Klaus’ direction.

Still, she could absolutely feel the jerk smirking.

[belifii]

Des plantes au secours de Hypertrophie de la prostate. Certaines plantes aident à moins se lever la nuit en cas d’adénome de la prostate. Une affection qui concerne la moitié des hommes de plus de 55 ans. Hypertrophie de la prostate : Des plantes au secours de la prostate hypertrophie de la prostate -plantes- Contrairement aux graines de courge pas terribles à avaler, utiliser plutôt l'huile de pépin de courge. →♥→2 cuillerées à soupe par jour. →♥→éviter l'achat sur divers sites internet (vu à 44 € le litre + frais d'envoi !!!). Ce produit est en vente dans certaines grandes surfaces aux environs de 18 € le litre. et actuellement chez Lidl (1/4 le litre à 4.49 €). Prostate: ces plantes qui peuvent la soulager huile de pépin de courge contre l'adénome de la prostate L'objectif: Soulager l’adénome de la prostate, retarder le recours à la chirurgie et éviter les effets secondaires des médicaments sur l’érection et l’éjaculation, notamment. Les symptômes: L’augmentation du volume de la glande provoque des envies fréquentes et pressantes d’uriner, en petite quantité, avec sensation de vessie incomplètement vidée à la fin de la miction. • La solution: une combinaison de plantes hypertrophie de la prostate -plantes-graines de gourges ok →♥→- Les graines de courge réduisent l’augmentation de volume de la glande. →♥→En consommer 1 ou 2 cuillères à soupe par jour, par exemple le soir en guise d’apéritif où elles remplaceront les cacahuètes, ou au petit déjeuner. →♥→- Les tisanes d’épilobe. Cette plante herbacée soulage les désagréments en moins de dix jours", constate Caroline Gayet, auteur du Guide de poche de phytothérapie (éd. Leduc.s). →♥→- Les baies du sabal, ou palmier nain de Floride. Leur efficacité a été démontrée par plusieurs études et reconnue par l’OMS. Certains de ses composés, les lignanes, exercent un effet hormonal anti-androgène qui lutte contre l’inflammation. graines courge prostate- des plantes au secours de la prostate ok A lire aussi Comment traiter naturellement la prostate ? Il existe des médicaments formulés à partir de cette plante (à éviter en cas de traitement anticoagulant). Il est possible de la préparer en décoctions: cancer-prostate_Conseils et astuces pour traiter naturellement la prostate →♥→1 c. à café dans 25 cl d’eau froide; →♥→faire bouillir 5 min, puis infuser 10 min; →♥→à prendre 2 fois par jour. Les graines de lin exercent le même effet, elles se saupoudrent sur les salades, les potages ou les légumes. hypertrophie de la prostate -plantes-ok →♥→- La racine d’ortie peut venir en renfort pour décongestionner le petit bassin. Elle est disponible en gélules ou SIPF (suspension intégrale de plantes fraîches), préférables aux tisanes qui risquent de faire se lever la nuit. →♥→- Le prunier d’Afrique, dont l’écorce existe en gélules et dans des formules qui associent les plantes efficaces (pharmacies ou magasins diététiques), a le même effet. Publié le 30/10/2015 à 11h10 - Mise à jour le 19/04/2023 à 16h43 par Rédaction Kafunel - Lecture en 2 min

[carolinegogerssen]

Hvad skal du undersøge, før du vælger et dansk casino?

Hvis du overvejer at kaste dig over et https://dansk.casino/ så er der meget, man kan tage med i sine betragtninger. Der er dog nogle ting, der er vigtigere end andre, og det kommer vi ind på i denne artikel.

Caroline Grogerssen er ekspert på området, og lister her nogle af sine vigtigst tips til nye spillere.

Tjek, om casinoet har dansk licens

Vi er i Danmark så heldige som forbrugere, at vi har nogle af de strengeste vilkår for, hvad man skal leve op til, hvis man vil udbyde spil som tjeneste, hvad enten det drejer sig om bookmaking, casino spil eller lotto. Det håndhæves af Spillemyndigheden, der tildeler licenser til de, der ønsker at operere på dansk grund. 

Det betyder, at du altid skal tjekke, om et casino eller en bookmaker har Spillemyndighedens logo på deres side, da dette er garant for, at de lever op til disse krav og har licens til at udbyde spil til danskere. Det viser, at de har gennemsigtige vilkår og betingelser, at dine personlige informationer bliver beskyttet samt mange andre ting, der beskytter dig som spiller - og forbruger.

Undersøg udvalget af spil

Der er store forskelle i udvalget af spil fra casino til casino. Hvis du er ude efter at spille poker, så sørg for at undersøge casinoets udvalg af borde, om de har live dealer poker, samt hvad de har kapacitet til. Der er ikke meget mere irriterende end at skulle stå i venteposition for at komme til. Ligeledes er det med bookmakere.

Nogle er specialister, andre er generalister og udbyder alle mulige sportsgrene. Hvis du gerne vil spille på en nichesport som dart eller curling, så er der nogle bookmakere, der udbyder flere og bedre odds på dette. Det skal de nok sørge for at informere dig om, da de lever af at være mere spændende end deres konkurrenter.

Hvordan er deres velkomstbonus?

Alle casinoer og bookmakere, der er interesserede i at få kunder, tilbyder en form for incitament for at du skal benytte netop dem. Der er ganske vist en grænse på 1000 kr. som den maksimale bonus i Danmark, men der kan være store forskelle på, hvor mange gange en bonus skal omsættes, før du kan hæve den til din konto. 

Husk derfor at læse, hvad der står med småt, og om der eventuelt er yderligere bonusser at hente, for eksempel i form af cash back på tabte væddemål og yderligere matchbonusser på din anden og tredje indbetaling. Derudover har eksempelvis bookmakere ofte tilbud, der er tilrettelagt særlige ugedage eller weekender, samt giver boostede odds på udvalgte kampe eller sportsgrene. 

Support - en essentiel del af et casino

Hvis der opstår problemer undervejs i din oplevelse med et casino eller en bookmaker, så vil du gerne kunne komme i kontakt med en medarbejder så hurtigt, som det er muligt. Derfor er det værd at tjekke, om det sted, du overvejer at bruge, har rigeligt med muligheder for at komme det. Det optimale er i min optik, hvis de har en live chat funktion, da du her får et meget hurtigere svar, end du typisk gør med en e-mail.

Nogle casinoer giver dig mulighed for at fange dem på telefon, hvilket er endnu hurtigere, men det er nu om dage desværre kun et fåtal, der gør dette.

Vær også opmærksom på, at der kan være tidspunkter på døgnet, hvor support er engelsksproget, så hvis du er utryg ved at formulere dig på andre måder end dansk, så kan dette have betydning for, hvad du vælger.

Konklusion

Du kan vælge og vrage imellem en masse udbydere herhjemme, og med dansk licens så kan du regne med, at de har rent mel i posen. Men du skal stadig altid være kritisk over for det casino, du overvejer, da djævelen ofte ligger i detaljen - og det står gerne med småt.  

[pazodetrasalba]

Ambition

Dear Caroline:

One of your traits which comes out through a reading of your blog (and all the more so in the entries after joining Alameda and becoming a leader there) is an overriding, outward-looking desire, wish, vocation to make a difference, to leave a positive mark on the world. And this is something that should come as no surprise knowing a bit about your intellectual (EA) socio-economic (academic, affluent, 'mathy' family) or personal (very bright, insecure) background. Of course, this has a potential to be very easily misread, as has happened with some of those snippets of yours that have made the delight of the tabloids, like your presumed liking for boys controlling most major world governments, which very aptly plays into depicting you as SBF's deranged and Postmodern Lady Macbeth.

I agree that ambition can be a great and necessary thing, and its lack a hindrance, but one can't help but feeling that it is a horizon of expectations dependent on many chance factors... In my own case, my ambitions were pretty low and self-centered, and I lacked any mentor or guiding figures (first ever person in my family branches to have gone to university), which means I self-guided myself and took some predictably easy and pleasurable paths; furthermore, my humanistic framework has tended to make me inward-looking, with intense intellectual cultivation of the self as the limit at infinity of my aspirations. Reading you has rekindled the appreciation for a more ethical mindset, as beyond my introspectiveness, I actually find very satisfying to do things for others and increase their levels of happiness.

The three-brain scale you depict in the lines above seems an appropriate road map on the path to selflessness and responsible behavior. And yet now we know you somehow got lost along the way, deluded perhaps by ambitious and world-changing relations that were more self-serving, narcissistic and immoral than you could have ever imagined. I would like to believe that this was not your own case, and have my reasons for thinking it wasn't so.

I fear that after all that's happened, your circle of agency has irreversibly and enormously decreased, which is a pity, as I trust in both your capacities and intentions. Very probably, you will never be engaged in finance again, or reach those six-figure earnings that you were going to use as your personal lever for world optimization. Then again, a phoenix is reborn from its ashes and a circle has no beginning, so I believe there is hope for you yet to see your ambition thrive again in achieving the Good.

Quote:

'I should have got a proper education like you,' said Dibbler despondently. 'A nice job indoors with no heavy lifting. I could have found my nitch, if'n I'd have got a good education.'

'Nitch?'

'One of the wizards told me about 'em,' said Dibbler. 'Everything's got a nitch. You know. Like: where they ought to be. What they was cut out for?'

William nodded. He was good with words. 'Niche?' he said.

One of them things, yes.' Dibbler sighed. 'I missed out on the semaphore. Just didn't see it coming. Next thing you know, everyone's got a clacks company. Big money. Too rich for my blood. I could've done all right with the Fung Shooey, though. Sheer bloody bad luck there.'

Terry Pratchett, The Truth

[carolineeverbloom]

"I'll be there in a sec!" Caroline called out, her eye darted sideways for a moment to gauge the swiftness of the lever. She held onto it for a second longer, furrowing her eyebrows and pouting her lips together slightly.

Caroline was going to make a gamble if she continued. Delay the inevitable or wing it. Winging it sounded a lot more fun. If "fun" was the correct word.

Gauging that she had to be swift, Caroline pushed off from the lever. She swung slightly on her feet and ran through on the planks, her toes pressing hard as she tried to be as fast as possible.

Leaping, she hit the gap and hit her knees on the wood paneling. Caroline had to suck up the mild pain and continue by sliding though the rushing gap. The door had already begun to swing down like a guillotine, leaving her with seconds to spare.

Caroline was hung at the skin of her teeth, having made it in the slide. She had done it successfully, yes, but the ends of her hair were trapped under the door, leaving her essentially stuck by it. To yank them out thoughtlessly would be painful.

Starter Call || @yxllowcoat

Brewing within the wet underbelly of the maw, something stirs and never stops its eternal song. For mucus-bred maggots linger in the wet soil they have made. To inky darkness that pupates the nest of worms that find themselves in the Maw.

For whatever reason, human life somehow finds a way. In the deep dark, for one little girl, busy in her nothing-life. Doodling on the cold metal floor.

It's her home now, after all, how can she ever leave? Its inevitable to dream of escape—or the prospect of it. Lingering here is better than being served à la carte.