#Online School of Ministry

[cristianpaduraru]

Bible reading week 9 of 2023 Genesis Explained

Peace, this week we read Genesis then meet online 23-03-04 to share from the Scriptures and pray at the Bible study group 🌏 EN RO SP God bless you 🙏 We are fasting for Please the Romanian Bible School Broadcast done by Eforie.Church and the European Gospel Meeting – Thank you for your support reaching more with Relate4ever Resources Facebook Youtube…

[mannabibleinstitute]

Accredited Biblical Counseling Degree Online - Manna Bible Institute

Get your accredited biblical counseling degree online through Manna Bible Institute. Learn from experienced professionals in a flexible, faith-based environment. Perfect for those seeking a rewarding career in Christian counseling.

[linghxr]

The 的-地 mystery

Every learner of Chinese has feelings about the 3 de’s, 的-地-得. Well over the past couple years, I have noticed numerous instances of 的 used instead of 地 in Taiwanese Mandarin dictionaries. But it was a Taiwan Ministry of Education dictionary—they certainly know better than I do, right? So started doubting my understanding of 的 vs. 地.

Screenshots from Pleco MOEDict:

【匆忙】 他匆忙的走过去。

(Cōngmáng) Tā cōngmáng 的 zǒu guòqù.

【历历在目】 ���清楚楚的呈现在眼前。

(Lìlìzàimù) Qīngqīngchǔchǔ 的 chéngxiàn zài yǎnqián.

【若无其事】 发生了这么严重的事，你怎么还若无其事的在这儿喝茶？

(Ruòwúqíshì) Fāshēngle zhème yánzhòng de shì, nǐ zěnme hái ruòwúqíshì 的 zài zhè'er hē chá?

As I noticed more and more instances, I grew increasingly perplexed. I’ve been studying Chinese for so long, so I was pretty confident I understand how to use 地! Finally, this week I learned the explanation: at some point, the Taiwan MOE decided you can use 的 in place of 地, and the school curriculum was revised.

MOE online dictionary entry:

（4）置于副词后。同「地」。如：「慢慢的走」、「高高的飞」。

(4) Placed after an adverb. Same as 「地」. For example: 「mànmàn 的 zǒu」, 「gāogāo 的 fēi」.

So finally, the mystery is solved. This certainly explains a lot! But how confusing for us learners, especially because, from my understanding, using 的 like this would just be plain incorrect in Mainland China (although I’m sure some native speakers make this mistake).

So what do Taiwanese people think of 的-地? Well some are not a fan.

Facebook post from MOE:

3. 置于副词后，同「地」；如：「慢慢的走」

3. Placed after an adverb, same as 「地」; e.g. 「mànmàn 的 zòu」

Comments from said Facebook post:

副词地已经放弃了吗？

Has adverbial 地 been abandoned?

不要再慢慢“的”走了……只能接受慢慢地走

No more walking slowly with 的...I’ll only accept walking slowly with 地

解释3为什么不用“地”？？

Why doesn’t definition 3 use "地"? ?

A：明明小学教过【3.】只能用“地”不是用“的”，并且“的、得、地”得分清楚；现今不知道什么时候才开始说：“都能用。”，是因为轻声时都同音吗？

A: Obviously we were taught in elementary school that for [3.] only “地” can be used and not “的”, and that “的、得、地” must be distinguished clearly; I don’t know when people started saying “All of them can be used.” Is it because they have the same pronunciation with in the neutral tone?

B：国小64课纲就已经取消地了、至今也有45年以上

B: It was already abolished in the 64 elementary school curriculum, it’s been over 45 years

过了几年，教育部发现大家还是不会分：“的”是形容词，“地”是副词。所以干脆废除“地”

After a few years, the Ministry of Education found that people still couldn't differentiate them: "的" is an adjective, and "地" is an adverb. So they simply abolished "地".

The Facebook comments reminds me of how older generations complain about young people using “like” and “literally” too liberally in English. I’m sure your language has something similar that gets people riled up! We are all so very human.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Sanjana Karanth at HuffPost:

For the past 14 months, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya has faced Israel’s war on Gaza’s health care system head-on, documenting to the world his fight as a physician to treat patients and keep his hospital in the north afloat despite constant bombardment, depleted humanitarian aid, a painful shrapnel injury and the killing of his own son.

On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces arrested him. After nearly three months of daily Israeli attacks, soldiers stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, killing dozens of people and detaining more than 240 others, including patients and medics. Captives were forced to strip and wait outside in winter temperatures before soldiers took them to Israeli prisons and interrogation centers, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Among them was Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and hospital director and Gaza’s lead physician for the U.S.-based medical aid group MedGlobal. Kamal Adwan was the last functioning hospital in North Gaza, as Israel continues to wall the region off from the rest of the Palestinian territory and from any kind of outside humanitarian assistance. Still, despite the resulting lack of resources and the increasing casualties, Abu Safiya managed to keep the hospital in Beit Lahia at least partially running ― expanding its bed capacity from 120 to 200, and regularly posting updates online to show the world what Kamal Adwan, its patients and its staff were enduring at the hands of the Israeli military. [...]

“The IDF entered the hospital over the past year four times, and they interrogated [Abu Safiya] four times, and they searched every place in the hospital. So if there’s anything that could have been suspicious, they would have found it a long time ago,” Sahloul said. “So all of these talks about being [a] Hamas center and things like that is nonsense. No one believes these things anymore.” Despite soldiers telling Abu Safiya that he was free to leave, the doctor reportedly refused to abandon his medical team at the hospital. “He took all of us and wanted to get us out at night, but they yelled at him and arrested him,” nurse Waleed Al-Boudi told Middle East Eye, adding that Abu Safiya was taken captive at Al-Fakhoura School. Israeli army footage of the arrest shows what appears to be the last time Abu Safiya was seen before his detention, with soldiers shaking his hand, addressing him as “Doctor” and having him enter their tank with them. Abu Safiya, still wearing his white coat, can be seen telling the soldiers that there is no one left inside Kamal Adwan Hospital. Sahloul said the IDF would not confirm Abu Safiya’s whereabouts with MedGlobal, but that family and eyewitnesses said he was in Ofer prison with dozens of fellow medical workers before getting transferred to the notoriously brutal Sde Teiman prison. HuffPost could not independently verify Abu Safiya’s location.

[...] Groups like the World Health Organization, Amnesty International and the Council on American-Islamic Relations have demanded that Israeli forces release Abu Safiya from captivity and stop targeting Gaza’s hospitals and health care workers. Sahloul said that he and Abu Safiya’s family have asked U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President-elect Donald Trump to pressure the Israeli government to release the hospital director and his colleagues. The State Department is “aware of reports and still gathering information,” a spokesperson told HuffPost on Monday, adding that claims of Hamas operating in hospitals present Israel with “an unusual burden” but that Israel should do more to curb civilian casualties. The agency did not say whether it would pressure Israel to release Abu Safiya.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya took a stand against Israel Apartheid State’s war crime attacks on hospitals in Gaza, and he was arrested by the terrorist Israel Occupation Forces for his efforts.

[fagcrisis]

please support the hungarian student protests

Hello! you know i'm not the kind of person to be making these posts, but the situation here is kind of dire right now

as you may know, for the past year hungarian students and teachers have been protesting against the horrific state of our education system. we have been demanding better wages and work conditions for our teachers, and more funding diverted towards education

the government currently does not have a dedicated education ministry

our far right government's response has been a law known as the status law, or the revenge law. this law includes the following

taking away the professional freedom of the board of education, handing descisions over to the school district (a government subsidiary)

further widens the salary range, making the wages of teachers completely tied to the will of their employer. many teachers in the country are currently making barely above minimum wage

reduction of vacation days

increasing the number of daily working hours from 8 to 12

forbidding teachers from being critical of the education system. this includes participating in protests, but also simply voicing criticism of the system online

punishing students if their teachers are on strike

the termination notice period was changed from 2 months to six months, meaning that a teacher has to work in the school they quit for 6 months after quitting

extending the school year to 180 days

the status law makes it harder for unions to do their jobs. the teachers, at first, tried to protest through peaceful methods and strikes, but their requests were not listened to. Moreover, the oppressive hungarian strike laws make it impossible to do this effectively. around the carmelite monastery, from which the high and mighty overlords control the country, a cordon was raised to keep the press out, which was found to be unlawful by the metropolitan court of budapest in april. despite this, they have not removed the cordon.

on may 7, the students who were protesting for a better education system tried to lawfully dismantle the cordon, which resulted in the police using tear gas against children and beating them with batons. Use of tear gas was not justified, the police ignored regulations and acted against the law.

several people have been arrested at these protests with such charges as wearing a mask (illegal under hungarian protest law) and attacking police officers. several people at the last protest have been detained and kept from speaking to their parents. the majority of the protestors are minors, and those are not are teachers overwhelmingly over the age of 40.

we are going to protest again on may 19th (this friday), and we would really appreciate if you spread awareness about our efforts. people will likely be hurt, and arrested on made up charges to scare us away from fighting for our teachers, but we won't give up

on twitter you can show your support for the protests under the hashtags #freehungary and #fuckorban

[mariacallous]

A ninth-grade health and wellness textbook has caused a minor uproar in Russia after activist Yekaterina Mizulina — more commonly known for championing Internet censorship measures — unearthed excerpts showing dubious advice to young women about navigating the hostile world of male sexual predators. For example, the textbook urges schoolgirls to avoid wearing bright makeup and short skirts to prevent becoming victims of sexual violence, reasoning that such displays “provoke boys and men.” Despite claims from the book’s lead author that it’s not required reading in Russian schools, the victim-blaming lessons offered in the text have raised concerns that at least some schoolchildren are being subjected to a backward education in gender norms.

Sergey Vangorodsky, who coauthored The Foundations of Life Safety, told RTVI that Mizulina’s complaints are “unfounded” because the book is not standard reading in Russia’s high school curriculum.

However, several readers told Mizulina that the textbook is used in health and wellness classes at schools in Rostov-on-Don, Volgodonsk, and Tambov. It’s also available for sale online. “Given that not all school library collections are updated in a timely manner, it may still be in use in [other] schools. I’m confident that the Education Ministry will investigate the matter,” Mizulina wrote on her Telegram channel.

In a section called “Safe Behavior for Girls,” Vangorodsky and his coauthors write that women who are alone with a man “should be prepared for him to develop a desire for intimacy.” Here are some other eyebrow-raising snippets from The Foundations of Life Safety:

“Many conflicts and attacks occur due to the victim’s own behavior, signaling through her appearance that she is either ‘ripe for it’ (being in the wrong place at the wrong time), willing (too available), or defenseless (drunk, scared, aroused, [or] overly trusting). Avoid standing out among others with excessive extravagance.”

“If you are alone with a man (even one you know well), be prepared for him to develop a desire for intimacy with you. Maintain a relaxed demeanor, but do not try to flirt or tease him, as in an intimate setting, he may interpret your flirting as an invitation to intimacy and your resistance as playacting.”

“If you cannot escape or counter a rapist’s weapon or physical superiority, you can still defend yourself by leveraging men’s psychophysiological traits during sexual intercourse and targeting their vulnerable spots. Try to trick the rapist into believing you agree to intimacy, get him to lower his defenses, and then act decisively according to your chosen plan.”

“How not to become a victim of violence: When going to a party, a café, a bar, a concert, any large event, or somewhere with a bad reputation, do not wear very short skirts or paint your lips, eyelids, and eyelashes in wild colors. This provokes boys and men and is perceived by them as a signal.”

[balkanradfem]

Please share with your followers about what happened in Zagreb today(i don't have much followers, but want people to know)..i am so sad and angry about it

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stabbing-attack-croatia-school-7-year-old-girl-killed-6-other-people-wounded/

"A 7-year-old girl was killed and at least five other students and a teacher were wounded in a knife attack at a school in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, on Friday, police said. The local hospital said the wounded teacher had suffered life-threatening injuries, Reuters reported.

Officials said the attack happened at 9:50 a.m. local time at the Precko Elementary School in the neighborhood of the same name. They described the attacker as a "young male" and said he had been detained.

Croatia's Interior Ministry said the attacker was 19 years old. Local media reported the attacker was a former student at the school, and showed video footage of children running away from the school building and a medical helicopter landing in the schoolyard.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said he was "appalled" by the attack, and that authorities are still working to determine exactly what happened. He said several children have been taken to various hospitals in Zagreb.

School attacks are rare in Croatia. Last May, a teenager in neighboring Serbia opened fire at a school in the capital Belgrade, killing nine fellow students and a school guard."

I only found out after reading the ask, I haven't been online all day! I read some appalling articles in croatian, saying stuff like 'nobody is to be blamed because he is mentally ill', and 'he will probably be tried as mentally unstable'.

I'm devastated. This feels almost like a school shooting, even though the weapon was knife, and the attacker an adult attacking small children and their teacher. It's created terrorism. Most of the children who witnessed it and got injured will no longer be able to go back to school from trauma. A child is dead. And they have the nerve to write nobody is to blame. It's outrageous. No woman has ever done this.

[unforgivablengk]

Purpling

I have experience in youth ministry, both as a youth, and a leader, and working at Christian summer camp. There is a common camp rule, especially in evangelical spaces, known as "no purpling." It's very similar to the rule for dancing "leave room for the Holy Spirit," but it's very specific. Here is a photo of some camp rules I found online that are very common. It was difficult to find it actually written out. I found one camp that had it written, but the font color was atrocious and difficult to read, so I'll spare you. Usually this rule is spoken, again like the "leave room for the Holy Spirit." And, like that rule, is often said in a joking tone and gets laughs, but the concept is taken very seriously. #4 is "Boys are blue; girls are pink. Combined this makes purple. Purple is bad before marriage, especially on high school retreats. No girls in guy cabins, no guys in girl cabins. Girls, even if the boys side of the cabin is on fire, don't save them. They probably started the fire anyway."

And now, some rhink Purple. Also - bi colors/bi lighting anyone?

[lgbtqiamuslimpedia]

Boyah

Boyah (plural: Boyat) was subcultural identity of AFAB non-binary,tomboy,demi girl & trans-masculine folks of Persian Gulf. Boyat are asigned female at birth,but express gender atypical behaviour. The origin of this queer subculture is unclear, some boyat claimed that it was started through online forums & groups. [citation needed]

Boyah subculture was more visible in Gulf states (including Kuwait,Oman,Saudi Arabia,UAE,Bahrain). Boyah identity may fall under the modern Transgender and Non-binary umbrella. However some people may considered them as people of forth gender.

Sexuality

Boyat folk's sexuality can be confusing in various cultural contexts. Most of the Boyat had intimate and romantic relationships with cis-girls in their past life, but they do not consider themselves as homosexual.

The term Boyah itself does not mean lesbian in arabic.In later life many Boyat had to pursue a heterosexual marriage & had children.Because marriage is a obligatory in local arabic customs.In addition to this, some boyah were androsexual & interested in boys only.

Culture & Lifestyle

Trans-masculine/tomboys/AFAB non-binary/AFAB genderpunk took the “Boyah” cultural identity in their early adolescence. On the otherhand, some boyat took the male role to challenge societal gender norms and stereotypes in Arabic Gulf States.

In general, a boyah is characterized by no make-up, no feminine expressions, no feminine name,feminine pronouns.In boyah subculture, Boyat community may use a massive masculine watches.Boyat people worn loose-fitting male cloth with a touch of the military, vibrantly coloured dresses,shirts and boyah jeans(which are baggy with big prints all over them). Since the age of internet Arab's boyat community started informal groups,online forums.

Most of the boyat have to lead double lives because gulf states has strict cultural gender roles especially for womxn.Many of them are forced to get married.In general Boyah phenomena is considered a disgrace to an arab family's honour.Additionally atypical gender expression is seems to be indecent and deviant in GCC states.Many boyat face stigma for not adhering with rigid patriarchal gender roles.

After leaving home, many undergo a radical transformation,changing their clothes at school/college or a friend's house.While in transition ,they run no real risk of being caught because,while in public, Emirates women are required to wear the national dress - a long black over-garment called an abaya, which makes it easier to switch roles without drawing attention.

Media

In general, Gulf media portrays queerness in negetive ways. A Boyah named Abeer appeared on the Saudi TV Show “Ya Hala” where he/ze said that he/ze was attracted to women while still at school. He/Ze had a complete love relationship with a classmate for a long time. Another person named Hamood joined a show of Radio Sawa where he/ze explained ze was rebelling against social (gender) norms and his/zee family’s restrictions through this boyah phenomena.

On a national television of UAE, a boyah named Bandar openly spoke about his queer relationship with another girl and expressed the desire to marry her and have children with her through IVF. His statement on Abu Dhabi's national television shocked the whole nation.

Decline of Boyah Culture

In the Persian Gulf region, boyah identity became very controversial since 2007. In 2007, the Kuwaiti parliament amended Article 198 of the country’s penal code so that anyone “imitating the opposite sex in any way” could face up to a year in jail and/or a fine of 1,000 dinars ($3,500). A further problem was that the law made no attempt to define “imitating the opposite sex” So it was basically left to the discretion of the police. Within a couple of weeks at least 14 people had been arrested in Kuwait City & thrown into prison. Boyat made their debut as a public concern in 2008 when Dubai police denounced cross-dressing - its chief, Dahi Khalfan Tamim, called on the Ministry of Social Affairs to find out how widespread the practice is and what causes it.

In 2009, Dubai launched a public campaign under the slogan "Excuse Me, I am a Girl", which cautioned against “masculine” behaviour among AFAB queers & tomboys and aimed to steer them towards "femininity". The impetus for this was a moral panic which swept through several Gulf states at that time, regarding the Boyah phenomena. 2 months after announcing the campaign the police persecuted 40 people (for their gender atypical expression), imprisoned them for 3 years in jail.In addition, trans-masculine/trans males,trans women,gender-queers were also shamed & abused by the UAE's police team.

Public Attitudes

Many conservative patriarchal arab people see a greater danger in the Boyah subcultural practices; they fear it can become permanent and cause great distress for the women and their families.

Psychiatrist Yousef Abou Allaban says, "It can go extreme, where they change their sex and have an operation.'' Saudi journalist Yousef Al-Qafari said in an interview on Radio Sawa that family disintegration and lack of true love have led women to act like a man. Al-Qafari said education was the best way to tackle this phenomenon.He called on the Ministry of Education to take up this role.

Social worker Nadia Naseer said, “Families play an essential role in such cases. Families should monitor their female members, especially when they start acting like men by cutting their hair short, wearing men’s clothing, or refusing to wear women’s accessories”. She also said, when a girl or woman does this,she is looking for attention & sending a message that she is a boyah.

Saudi writer Randa Alsheikh, in one of her columns, said that she attended a social gathering where she saw a group of females who appeared almost completely like men.“I would not be exaggerating if I say I could not tell the difference between them and men,” she wrote.She said that they looked, talked and walked like men & “even worse” some appeared to be in their 40s. We need to quickly address this phenomenon to contain these girls so that they are able to build good families and a healthy society,”

[athena5898]

(Quds) The Palestinian Ministry of Education in Gaza has confirmed that 29,600 students in 11th grade have taken online exams to qualify for general secondary exams.

The ministry has also launched an e-learning initiative aimed at enrolling over 260,000 students in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing genocide.

The ongoing Israeli onslaught prevented 39,000 secondary school students from taking the secondary school tawjihi exams last year.

[beardedmrbean]

Women training as midwives and nurses in Afghanistan have told the BBC they were ordered not to return to classes in the morning - effectively closing off their last route to further education in the country.

Five separate institutions across Afghanistan have also confirmed to the BBC that the Taliban had instructed them to close until further notice, with videos shared online showing students crying at the news.

The BBC has yet to confirm the order officially with the Taliban government's health ministry.

However, the closure appears to be in line with the group's wider policy on female education, which has seen teenage girls unable to access secondary and higher education since August 2021.

The Taliban have repeatedly promised they would be readmitted to school once a number of issues were resolved - including ensuring the curriculum was "Islamic".

This has yet to happen.

One of the few avenues still open to women seeking education was through the country's further education colleges, where they could learn to be nurses or midwives.

Midwifery and nursing are also one of the only careers women can pursue under the Taliban government's restrictions on women - a vital one, as male medics are not allowed to treat women unless a male guardian is present.

Just three months ago, the BBC was given access to one Taliban-run midwife training centre, where more than a dozen women in their 20s were learning how to deliver babies.

The women were happy to have been given the chance to learn.

“My family feels so proud of me," a trainee called Safia said. "I have left my children at home to come here, but they know I’m serving the country."

But even then, some of the women expressed fear about whether even this might be stopped eventually.

What will happen to those women - and another estimated 17,000 women on training courses - is unclear.

No formal announcement has been made, although two sources in the Ministry of Health confirmed the ban to BBC Afghan off the record.

In videos sent to the BBC from other training colleges, trainees can be heard weeping.

"Standing here and crying won’t help," a student tells a group of women in one video. "The Vice and Virtue officials [who enforce Taliban rules] are nearby, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to any of you."

Other videos shared with the BBC show women quietly protesting as they leave the colleges - singing as they make their way through the hallways.

One Kabul student said she had been told to "wait until further notice".

"Even though it is the end of our semester, exams have not yet been conducted, and we have not been given permission to take them," she told the BBC.

Another student revealed they "were only given time to grab our bags and leave the classrooms".

"They even told us not to stand in the courtyard because the Taliban could arrive at any moment, and something might happen. Everyone was terrified," she said. "For many of us, attending classes was a small glimmer of hope after long periods of unemployment, depression, and isolation at home."

What this means for women's healthcare also now remains to be seen: last year, the United Nations said Afghanistan needed an additional 18,000 midwives to meet the country's needs.

Afghanistan already has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with a report released last year noting 620 women were dying per 100,000 live births.

[cristianpaduraru]

Jeremiah Helps us to Hope in God Week-28-of-2023

Peace friends, this week we read 8 chapters a day from the book of Jeremiah which can be listened audio here then meet to share from the Scriptures at the Bible study group 🌏 EN RO SP God bless your support for Relate4ever Resources as we are reaching new people every day at Eforie.Church https://relate4ever.com/wp-content/24-Jeremiah-Audio-KJV-Relate4ever.mp3 1:5 Before I formed you in the…

[mannabibleinstitute]

Studying the Bible in the USA: A Guide for International Students

This creates an opportunity for the international student to go deeper into theological studies with new cultural experiences from studying the Bible within the USA. Whether interested in a Bible college for clergy in Florida or other Bible schools in the USA that accept international students, this guide should provide key information within the scope of one making a wise decision. We will also nip in a discussion on how to access financial aid opportunities, including making opportunities for the Bible scholarship fund in Florida. Read more : https://mannabibleinstitute.blogspot.com/2024/08/studying-bible-in-usa-guide-for.html

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 1 Pt 21 (Chance Encounter in Brindleton Bay)

Heather was mostly finished with high school, save for a few technical courses aimed at her interests, and she took a few vet courses after school to learn all she could about helping animals. She found recipes online for a few different pet treats, testing them on Bernadette and the cats. But one attempt at a cooling bar left Bernadette with frostbite from too much liquid nitrogen, and Heather had to rush her to the vet in Brindleton Bay. She was wracked with guilt, and a teen boy a few years younger could tell she was upset. He struck up a friendly conversation, which lasted for hours as they both waited for vets to tend to their pets.

Conversation with him came so easily, she wondered if she was finally getting past her feelings for Everett. She thought he was cute and told him so, but he returned an awkward smile. He said his girlfriend was from Henford, named Gabi Rocca-Chopra, who he met when she’d come to visit her brother Rahul. He said he thought Gabi was the cutest girl he’d ever meet. Heather was so embarrassed. She apologized profusely but he laughed it off and introduced himself. He said his name was Lucas Munch, and when Heather said she had a dream to become a vet and eventually own her own clinic, Lucas looked down the hall at old Sorrel Jackson, the elderly vet who was long in the tooth and hard of hearing. He suggested maybe she’d need help here in Brindleton, but added she might want to stay away from liquid nitrogen treats if she wanted to be a real vet.

Though she’d struck out rather awkwardly in her attempts to flirt with Lucas Munch and resigned herself to the fact she was better off single, she brought Bernadette home, all healed, with her head full of thoughts about moving to Brindleton Bay. Could she really leave her family and picture-perfect Henford to live by herself in a town an hour away on the Simmerloop Superhighway? It seemed like such a crazy idea.

Winter in Brindleton Bay

vs.

Winter in Henford-on-Bagley

One night when the winter winds were less cool than usual, Heather called Everett and asked him to go to his favourite spot amid the ruins on the Isle of Volpe. He’d been busy with Spencer planning their wedding and they hadn’t spent time together in weeks, but she wanted to talk to him about her thoughts of leaving for Brindleton Bay. Everett had always loved animals as much as Heather and completely understood her desire to be a vet where she was needed. He admitted he and Spencer had talked about leaving for Oasis Springs once they were married, where he could enter the ministry and she could explore and adventure to her heart’s content in the desert as a geologist.

Then Everett asked Heather to be his sim of honour. She had dreams of standing beside him on his wedding day, but not like this. Still, saying no never seriously crossed her mind. With a pit of dread in her heart she tried to ignore, she agreed.

With Love Day around the corner, would more romantic drama be inevitable? ->

<- Previous Chapter | From the Beginning

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil apologises after three diplomats’ Black teenagers searched at gunpoint

Ministry of foreign affairs forced to say sorry to Canada, Gabon and Burkina Faso embassies after incident

Brazil’s ministry of foreign affairs has been forced to apologise to the embassies of Canada, Gabon and Burkina Faso after three diplomats’ teenage children – all of whom are Black – were searched at gunpoint by police officers.

The incident emerged when the mother of a Brazilian boy in the group posted a security camera video online, prompting outrage – but also a weary recognition that such experiences are all too typical for Black youths in Rio de Janeiro.

The three diplomats’ children were in Rio for a five-day holiday with a white Brazilian friend, celebrating the end of the school year. All attend the same school in Brasília, where they live. It was their first trip without their parents.

Late Wednesday, they were returning from a day at the beach and were about to enter a building in the wealthy neighbourhood of Ipanema when a military police patrol car drew up. Two officers jumped out, ordered the boys to face the wall and searched them at gunpoint.

Continue reading.

[mesetacadre]

hopefully not a weird question with everything that's going on, but do you have any recommendations about what geography toys/resources are best for kids? my little brother's really interested but I don't see him often enough to play globle with him or show him world maps (his favorite games rn) so I thought I'd give him something :} (just wondering if there's a good way to help him learn)

Online resources I'd recommend are sporcle and seterra for quizzes (the no borders blank map ones in sporcle are really fun), and for just looking at maps there's geamap, mapsland, gifex, library of congress, the rumsey historical map collection, the university of cape town, old maps online, the british library, and the national library of australia, there's many more but these are most of the ones in my bookmarks.

If you do want to encourage him to develop an interest in geography as a field of study, I would show him how some online geographical information systems (GIS) work, but I don't think I can link any useful ones because all I know are the GIS managed by the various Spanish institutions and ministries. I'd consider this important because geography is much, much more than memorizing features on a map, even if I've always enjoyed that (and if he's still in primary school/early secondary, it'll definitely be useful to memorize some countries). Those GIS allow you to pick and choose between many layers and a basic set of tools, so even if you're just curious and not in the mood for figuring some connections out, they have a lot more information than the set of printed maps, because not all that information has been actually mapped out and made available on those sites. For example, if you want to see the distribution of land plots where you live, it's simply easier, and probably the only option, to go look at the GIS an administration has made public, like the cadastre or the tax admin, than sleuth through all these sites and Google images for relevant already printed maps.