#The Motoring Arctic Fox

[seriousbrat]

I would not put it past the Rosiers to have an aiming spell at a magical crossbow!

I'm thinking about how wizards like cars simply for the fetish of a big and powerful shiny machine (don't the Malfoys have a Rolls Royce?), but they obviously can't really drive them. They're self-driving machines that bend every traffic rule, have their insides modified, and real non-magic motor enthusiasts would probably be baffled and offended.

I imagine with hunting things could be similar - sure, the thrill is the chase and the man vs beast, but just as we're already cowardly enough to breed a bird stupid enough to be easy to shoot, I think entitled posh wizards wouldn't mind a bit of magical help with their aim.

I clearly don't know much about hunting tho! Maybe there's a difference between the british and american hunting cultures. All I know is that British wildlife is not very dangerous, so people shoot deer and birds for posh fun, while Americans might feel manly and mighty for conquering hogs, bears, and wolves.

Werewolves are definitely more dangerous than deers and pheasants, so maybe hunting them would be a mix of the two.

Ok I'll answer this one first, I'm sorry it's from so long ago!

But yes, generally, British hunting is more for the 'sport' of it, subsistence hunting doesn't really exist in the way that it might in America. And look, my opinion on hunting in general changed very much after a trip to the north of Alaska years ago, during which I met subsistence hunters who were very dedicated to the preservation of local wildlife. I have full respect for that sort of lifestyle, indigenous or otherwise, something the people I met in the Arctic Circle underlined was the damage that recreational hunting caused not only to local wildlife but to the very people that depend on hunting that wildlife for their continued existence.

But I don't know that much about hunting either! I will say that I think in Britain, more than in America, hunting is generally considered an upper-class activity. Particularly shooting and things like fox hunts, defunct as they may be now. This is because hunting has very little to do with how people eat in the UK. So it's a recreational activity, one done by people with time to spare and access to guns and horses and hounds and country estates, etc.

And yes, I think upper-class purebloods would be willing to 'cheat,' and maybe with Nogtail hunts they'd use some kind of aiming assistance. I think for shooting birds it wouldn't make much sense but I also wouldn't put it past them. So maybe they have a spell that doesn't perfectly aim but helps them aim at least. That way there's the balance of skill but also the laziness and reliance on magic.

[nfr-reviews]

NFR Reviews #5: Nanook of the North

Released 1922 / Inducted 1989

Watch film here

Director Robert Flaherty first came into contact with the Canadian Inuit through a series of prospecting expeditions funded by Sir William Mackenzie to size up the area’s potential for building railroads and mineral mines. His first attempt at a film on the Inuit ended in the negative burning up and him disregarding the surviving copy as bad and boring. The solution was to make a single composite character to illustrate an entire way of life that existed in the arctic landscapes east of the Hudson Bay. The original attempt failed due to lack of focus. Focusing on one person, or even one family, gives a feature-length film a consistent throughline for audiences to follow and connect to. However, constructing a character to represent a whole ethnic group runs the risk of the director’s biases getting in the way of responsible documentary filmmaking. 

The harsh conditions in which Nanook lives are almost as much a character as the people. The opening shot is of ice floes bobbing in water, and the final scene is a three-way edit between wind blowing over stark white plains, the family sleeping in an igloo, and snow-encrusted dogs guarding outside. According to the images on film, the lives of Nanook and his family are dominated by hard work to attain the basic needs of food and shelter. Several scenes are dedicated to hunting walrus, fish, seal, and fox; one sequence is the building of an igloo. Revillon Freres, a trading company who’d been active in the fur business since the 19th century, sponsored this movie! After the film, Nanook’s image was used in marketing to sell products disparate as rental cars, phonographs, and refrigerators. One Stillwell Auto Delivery car ad drew a comparison dividing him from the audience: “he can’t step into an auto and enjoy the wonderful scenery and boulevards of our Southland. But you can!’’ Allakariallak (Nanook’s real name) died two years after the film was released. Initial reports indicated starvation as the cause of death, but it was later revealed as tuberculosis, possibly brought by foreigners such as Flaherty.

The details of the hunt are where Flaherty starts veering off from truth. The Inuit had incorporated modern technology like rifles and boat motors into their lives by 1922, but the film’s version exclusively shows traditional methods of harpoons, spears, and paddles. In filming the walrus hunt scene, hunters begged Flaherty to use a rifle to help them, but he refused and kept the camera rolling until they killed the animal using older tools. This pattern bleeds into the non-hunting scenes. Film Nanook is amazed by a gramophone and bites into a record, while the real person already knew what it was. The outfits are outdated as well. The Inuit are portrayed as museum pieces frozen in time and unaffected by other cultures around them. Flaherty believed white men had pushed Inuit culture to near extinction, but didn’t put any examples of that in the movie in an attempt to save a vanishing culture he admired. He claimed to avoid the subject matter of the fur trade in order to have Revillon Freres as sponsor without an egregious conflict of interest. However, fur traders do appear in one scene to give Nanook’s child castor oil and show him the gramophone. 

Shaomik Inukpuk, manager of the town where the movie was filmed, found value in the sequences as education for both younger generations of the community and outsiders who knew nothing about the Inuit. It shows how things have changed in the last century, especially regarding the more nomadic lifestyles and colder climates of the past. Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq, while creating a soundtrack for the film, had mixed feelings: embarrassment and frustration with dated stereotypes, but also pride in seeing her ancestors’ resilience. In my opinion, showing traditional hunting methods isn’t an issue on its own, but showing both ways of hunting or even adding the full context in intertitles would’ve given audiences a more truthful portrayal. 

Its major innovations in documentary filmmaking also put the film into an uncanny valley by today’s standards: not intended to be a fictional film but too staged and manipulated to be a documentary, even down to the main character's name being changed. Possible reasons for the change from Allakariallak to Nanook included "nanuq" meaning “bear” and fitting a heroic hunter, a tribute to the practice of the Inuit nicknaming white people, or simply to make the title more marketable to white moviegoers. Much of nonfiction filmmaking’s earliest years consisted of pointing the camera at people or places and interfering as little as possible. Nanook evolved from the travelogue, a type of actuality showing foreign locations for audiences to vicariously experience without spending money on a vacation. While possibly not the first feature-length documentary, it proved the format could be a box-office hit. 

Flaherty included elements of fiction filmmaking into his documentary: a structured piece with a main character and side characters. There’s also the symbolism of one character representing a variety of Inuit with whom Flaherty interacted instead of being a single person. The “plot” is a mix of daily life and the conflict of survival in a desolate environment. Director bias was probably inevitable on some level. Even deciding what to film and what to edit into a movie creates a layer of it. The Nanook character had several different influences shaping what he’d be in the final film. The Inuit participants often watched footage and provided suggestions, but the film was also impacted by Flaherty’s own opinions and the pressure to create something widely marketable to non-Inuit audiences. Flaherty defended the inaccuracies by claiming “one often has to distort a thing in order to capture its true spirit.” However, the distortions form a pattern to portray the subjects as simplistic and unaware of technological change. In 1922, other parts of the world didn’t know much about the Inuit. While the film acted as an awareness-raiser, its lack of context and staged images had more power over audiences and spread misconceptions. Alternative and varied portrayals, especially ones that gave the Inuit more creative control, were harder to access in mainstream media. Nanook of the North popularized a then-unique structure for nonfiction moviemaking that blended in elements of fictional film to give viewers one focus character to get invested in. However, it was also necessary for the medium to innovate past this to avoid making the same mistakes. 

Sources

https://www.documentary.org/feature/100-year-stain-nanook-north

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/42-nanook-of-the-north

https://www.catalystplanet.com/travel-and-social-action-stories/the-first-documentary-or-an-utter-falsehood-nanook-of-the-north

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nanook_of_the_North

https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/inukjuak-celebrates-nanook-of-the-norths-100th-anniversary/

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffpages/uploads/enl333/Marcus_2006a.pdf

https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/767ccb7a-5093-4619-b2c5-41962dad8be7/content

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+story+of+Revillon+Freres.-a0468851961

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/inuk-throat-singer-tanya-tagaq-on-reclaiming-nanook-of-the-north-1.2508581

[tropicana-on-the-walkway]

The coast guard has provided an updated image of the search field as of now

As well as updating the field of search Us Coast Guards report that for new vessels are assisting In the search , the Canadian the CGS Ann Harvey  , the Canadian CGS Terry Fox  , the Motor Vessel Horizon Arctic (ROV) , And the  French Research Vessel L’Atalante.

The British Naval forces have also deployed vessels such as the Air National Guard C-130 and the ROV from Magella.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.9 (after 1870)

1875 – The Herzegovina Uprising against Ottoman rule begins, which would last until 1878 and have far-reaching implications throughout the Balkans. 1877 – The inaugural Wimbledon Championships begins. 1893 – Daniel Hale Williams, American heart surgeon, performs the first successful open-heart surgery in United States without anesthesia. 1896 – William Jennings Bryan delivers his Cross of Gold speech advocating bimetallism at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 1900 – The Federation of Australia is given royal assent. 1900 – The Governor of Shanxi province in North China orders the execution of 45 foreign Christian missionaries and local church members, including children. 1918 – In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express, killing 101 and injuring 171 people, making it the deadliest rail accident in United States history. 1922 – Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the 'minute barrier'. 1926 – Chiang Kai-shek accepts the post of commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army, marking the beginning of the Northern Expedition to unite China under the rule of the Nationalist government. 1932 – The state of São Paulo revolts against the Brazilian Federal Government, starting the Constitutionalist Revolution. 1937 – The silent film archives of Fox Film Corporation are destroyed by the 1937 Fox vault fire. 1943 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Sicily begins, leading to the downfall of Mussolini and forcing Hitler to break off the Battle of Kursk. 1944 – World War II: American forces take Saipan, bringing the Japanese archipelago within range of B-29 raids, and causing the downfall of the Tojo government. 1944 – World War II: Continuation War: Finland wins the Battle of Tali–Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe. The Red Army withdraws its troops from Ihantala and digs into a defensive position, thus ending the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive. 1955 – The Russell–Einstein Manifesto calls for a reduction of the risk of nuclear warfare. 1958 – A 7.8 Mw  strike-slip earthquake in Alaska causes a landslide that produces a megatsunami. The runup from the waves reached 525 m (1,722 ft) on the rim of Lituya Bay; five people were killed. 1961 – Greece becomes the first member state to join the European Economic Community by signing the Athens Agreement, which was suspended in 1967 during the Greek junta. 1962 – Starfish Prime tests the effects of a nuclear test at orbital altitudes. 1977 – The Pinochet dictatorship in Chile organises the youth event of Acto de Chacarillas, a ritualised act reminiscent of Francoist Spain. 1979 – A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by "Nazi hunters" Serge and Beate Klarsfeld outside their home in France in an unsuccessful assassination attempt. 1982 – Pan Am Flight 759 crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 145 people on board and eight others on the ground. 1986 – The New Zealand Parliament passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand. 1993 – The Parliament of Canada passes the Nunavut Act leading to the 1999 creation of Nunavut, dividing the Northwest Territories into arctic (Inuit) and sub-arctic (Dene) lands based on a plebiscite. 1995 – The Navaly church bombing is carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force killing 125 Tamil civilian refugees. 2002 – The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, replacing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The organization's first chairman is Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa. 2004 – The Senate Report on Iraqi WMD Intelligence is released by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, casting doubt on the rationale for the Iraq War. 2011 – South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan.

[odd-the-motoring-fox]

The Big girl is thirsty 😋 Some good'ole 15w-40 should do the trick

[martinisnowfox]

COOL CONDUCTING... It took me a while to finish it. @odd-the-motoring-fox  got his dreamjob for the Zootopia Raillink and poses with his lovely bun before he have to do his first shift. 

__support me with Ko-Fi or get an cool item for it  - arctic fruitstore follow me on INSTAGRAM   TWITTER    DEVIANTART TELEGRAM FURAFFINITY   PICARTO-TV  FURRYNETWORK

[ewrthings-race-repair-repeat]

Extreme E has agreed a multi-year partnership with BBC Sport which will see the new electric SUV off-road racing series screened live and free-to-air across BBC digital platforms to British viewers. Every race on the calendar, comprising five formidable environments affected by climate change and environmental issues from the Arctic to the Amazon Rainforest, will be broadcast live across the United Kingdom, starting with the inaugural event in Dakar, Senegal, 23-24 January 2021. Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “Our goal with Extreme E is to open this innovative new series up to as wide an audience as possible. Securing this deal with the BBC is a massive coup in what is a key market for us. “The UK has an insatiable appetite for world-class motor racing and a groundswell of backing for sustainable technologies – particularly pertinent given the government’s plans to bring forward the transition to fully-electric motoring to 2035. “It’s highly likely that there will be a number of home-grown drivers in the fold come January 2021 for the Brits to back, with the likes of Jamie Chadwick and Billy Monger signalling their intent to compete for a seat in the series by signing up to our Drivers’ Programme. “Of course, there’s also an exciting British entry in Veloce Racing – the Esports outfit turned motorsport team – with Adrian Newey on-board as its Lead Visionary. I’m looking forward to seeing what the British talent can do come ‘lights out’ in just under a year’s time.” Top tier drivers and teams will compete across Extreme E’s five-race odyssey to some of the most remarkable, remote locations on the planet, with the Season 1 calendar recently confirmed: Provisional Extreme E Season 1 (2021) calendar: 23-24 January: Lac Rose, Dakar, Senegal 5-6 March: Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia 14-15 May: Kali Gandaki Valley, Mustang District, Nepal 28-29 August: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland 30-31 October: Santarém, Pará, Brazil The pioneering championship’s goal is to highlight the impact climate change and human influences on the environment in which it is set to race whilst raising awareness of the issues they face, driving sustainability and inspiring action. The agreement with the BBC is the latest broadcast deal to be announced by Extreme E, with the championship also set to partner with FOX Sports (United States, Canada and the Caribbean), FOX Sports Asia (Southeast Asia), Mediaset (Italy), Sony India (Indian subcontinent), TVNZ (New Zealand), RTM (Malaysia), Dubai Sports (Middle East) and BTRC (Belarus).

[universal-kitty]

   So!! @sosoftandsweet​ asked me about my boi, Yoshirou... He’s an Okami OC I’ve made that I ship myself with and because he’s an OC, you all can’t ship us if you don’t know about him!

   So, take this at last! A post about my kitsune boyfriend, Yoshirou~!

Faceclaim is Yuuzan Yoshida from Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun! ...Well, for his human disguise. His kitsune disguise is represented by arctic fox icons and in-between form is Keaton (Fire Emblem).

He comes from a clan of ice-white kitsunes that live in Kamui. Their clan tradition is, after a certain amount of years (about 200), they expel the young foxes from home to travel the world, and learn things on their own. It’s believed this allows kitsunes to gain their tails faster and live longer.

Both are connected, so. No wonder...

Another clan within Nippon follows this idea as well...and that’s how Yoshirou eventually meets the red kitsune, Akemi. They quickly forge a bond and, as far as they’re concerned, are basically siblings.

Akemi is younger than Yoshirou by a few hundred years. (Akemi is three tails; Yoshirou is at four.)

They’re also opposites in elements! Yoshirou is more lively in the winter (his native element), where Akemi thrives in the summer.

However, Yoshirou... Well, he’s a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. Poker face for days, snappish to new people/anyone he doesn’t trust. He even speaks in monotone to strangers!! Befriending him feels like a daunting task when one on one, but that’s why Akemi’s good to keep around; she’s the reminder that he’s a softie at heart, he just needs to see that in new people before they can see that side of him.

Once he softens up, it’s easy to see why he latched onto Akemi like a sister; he’s naturally protective, but just the right kind of playful. The ideal older brother figure anyone would want in their lives. If he was in the modern day, he’d be the type to listen to Akemi’s venting, drive her anywhere she wanted, and sometimes even buy That Thing She Couldn’t Afford.

You can see why he’s Ideal Man material.

Also, his kitsune abilities make him the ideal protector, so like. Again, you wouldn’t date him WHY??

The only downside is that he and Akemi do worship Ninetails (aka the motherfucker who took over Ryoshima Coast with a friend) as some kind of idol (think the celebrity of kitsune-kind), but this is largely only due to nine tailed kitsune being so uncommon and their might being....mistranslated over time. From a violent beast who killed many (and nearly killed many more) and held false power to a mighty kitsune who obtained all his tails naturally.

Yoshirou probably wouldn’t be surprised about the truth (very “don’t meet your idols” about it), but Akemi would be so sad.

Well, with this much known about Yoshirou... What’s he like in a relationship, right? Let’s get into that.

Yoshirou in a Relationship: While he keeps his head held high, looking so refined and elegant any other time... Softened by love, he’s a flustered mess more often than not. Sleeping? He swoons quietly, heart squeezing at how peaceful and gentle a sleeping face can be... Pouting? Oh, he’ll tease about it, but there’s that soft look again...

Akemi would joke her big bro is gonna make everyone sick and Yoshirou wouldn’t hesitate to say he doesn’t care. He’ll feel bad if Akemi doesn’t like him being too mushy, but he adapts; he’ll save mushier moments for alone time, then. Anyone else, however? Deal with it. He’s in love and proud of it.

Protectiveness amplifies. Now, I personally don’t mind it, as his protectiveness lulls my anxiety, but... If his S/O was more of the “free bird who can protect themselves” type, there’d probably be a few fights about it. His heart is in the right place and he’s not obsessive, per say, he’s just paranoid about losing them or them getting hurt.

...Not to say kitsune aren’t possessive, on occasion. There’s a lot of fighting between groups over things/places/etc., so it does run in their blood to a certain degree. Yoshirou has learned from humanity how to temper it and thus, teaches Akemi how to do the same, so they hurt as little people as possible.

He’s one of the lucky ones, to have learned of kindness and violence...or so he sees it as, since Akemi can learn from him without experiencing as much pain.

His body is littered with scars due to his past. People trying to kill a fox, usually, not realizing he is a kitsune in disguise. He’s a little embarrassed about them, as he recognizes he has a handsome build (he’s TONED), but thinks of his scars as a detriment from being as attractive as he could be. (Which is BULLSHIT, but. We’re working on that.)

His energy boosts in winter, so expect him to be a bit more like Akemi during this time. (While his poor summer-sister whines like she’s perma-sick.) Lots of energy to spare, will throw snowballs... Might change to his kitsune form and rush about, snow seeming to be brighter and sparkling when he runs through it, tails streaming behind him......

Loves cuddling in his kitsune form. His outer coat has a chill to it, like frost, but the longer you stay among it/sink into his fur, the warmer he gets. For a winter fox, he is a HEATER.

But this is also why he hates summer; it makes his coat thin and STILL the heat is unkind to him... Pouts so much and doesn’t want to do much of anything that isn’t laying around in ice while in fox form or swimming. Whatever feels better in hot weather.

“Does he purr?” Me, a bitch who loves purring HCs: Not specifically; it’s more like a rumble-purr... Close, but no dice, but nobody’s complaining. I’M not complaining. This is what I’m about.

So clingy when he sleeps. Struggles to fall asleep while cuddling, but you wake up in the morning with him half-over you and legs tangled together. It’s bliss.....until you need to get up to use the bathroom. Then good luck wiggling free from the clingy bastard-

My Okami SI has their own animal form- a three-tailed cat- and Yoshirou loves messing around with it. Kitsune form? We’re either playing tag or I’m riding on his head. Fox? He attempts to playfully bite me many, many times. Sometimes, I’ve been the cat and he’s gone walking around with me purring like a motor in his arms. It’s.....adorable.

Local man with Resting Bitch Face walks around Sei-an City with his happy cat. Nobody understands why this cat is so happy, but certainly a pet must bring good luck.

Only children are allowed to hold my cat form. I am terrified of everyone else, Yoshirou knows this, and if someone tried to take me from him, he’d get pissed and on the defensive immediately.

I am the Autumn to this seasonal merry-go-round. (We’re just missing Spring...) Akemi jokes a lot that this is how we ended up together; Autumn always is paired together with Winter, isn’t it?

Naps in animal form help him sleep faster...but it’s largely bc I always purr happily when around Yoshirou.

Akemi claims he cried once, when he went out on a patrol to find me and Akemi cuddled up together, sleeping. Yoshirou fervently denies it. I don’t quite know who to believe...but leaning towards Akemi.

It’s so easy to make him blush, but he makes me blush so much easier and it’s like...... Wow, rude. Of course you have the advantage with your handsome face... Yeesh. (To which he probably says something like, “Oh? Like I don’t get distracted by how beautiful you look?” Which....kills me in one hit...)

I gave a few headcanons about us in this ask, as well! [HERE]

   Anything else just ask, heyoo.

[zootopianlovers]

A cafe night

Heya Everyone ! well I wanted to surprise @nekomimiranger so I asked to some friends to help me by letting me use their zoosonas and do a very funny and nice story :) ( @soranii314 , @odd-the-motoring-fox, @nexijay & @laverne-wildhopps ). Thanks to @laverne-wildhopps for helping me editing all the mistakes ... that were a loooooot xD and to everyone to stand my crazy idea. to @nekomimiranger I love you babe, I hope you enjoy your surprise, you’re he light of my life and I’ll always be there for you <3

anyways is cheesy, funny and little spicy .. so if you don’t want to read... this is your chance...

...

....

CHANCE LOST !!! So we staaaart ! 

“Today is the day!” Cass thought when she woke up.  

She had been thinking about this opportunity since the day she had received a call from his work place, when they told her that they were very happy for the twenty three year old snow leopard turning four years of work in the kindergarten school where he worked at. He loved to work with little ones ever since he was in college and he started a trainee part time job in a local kindergarten in Outback Island. She was trying to think a way to celebrate this good news because she had returned from covering her work hours at her job, when she thought of an ingenious idea!. She knew Andy is a very forgetful person, so he wouldn’t remember this due to all his work. So that is when the mission “Surprise coffee” was decided of!

She noticed her very handsome and sexy snow leopard, who was sleeping next to her, waking up.

“Good morning, sweetie.” He said, still a little sleepy and trying to kiss his fiancé.

“Good morning, handsome. How did you… No… No.. No.. ! Remember that I have terrible breath in the morning?” She said sheepishly before he could kiss her on the lips.

“It’s worth to die for.” He grinned.

“Nothing is worth to die for I want my future husband to live” She joked, giggling.

They chuckled, she took a mint pill and finally kissed him. They got up from bed and prepared for the day. Cass smiled to herself, remembering the four days of vacation ahead of her. She went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her beloved, while he was taking a shower. She found this the innate moment to call her close friends Chase and Gloria.

“Hello?”  Gloria giggled in the background, before she turned to the phone making Cass smirk knowingly, that Chase was teasing her again.

“Hi Gloria! Sorry for calling this early but hey. Remember you wanted to meet up to collect some tickets, for your vacation in Pawaii, at the airport? I wanted to talk about something there. Important. You think you can be there earlier?”

“Yes, of course. Chase and I will meet you there. ASAP. We will leave in an hour.”  

“Sounds perfect! And before hanging up, I wanted to ask you, do you have some time this evening?”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chase spotted the lovely ocelot wearing a pink dress pulling Gloria through the crowd to get to her. When they finally met, they greeted each other and proceeded to get the tickets for the couple as promised, all the while Cass explaining her idea to her friends. She also asked them to keep the idea a surprise for Andy, knowing his nature to forget important dates, this being his own achievement at his own work place. She laughed as told how she played along this morning with the snow leopard, letting him assume that it was but a normal day. This kindergarten so happened to be the one where the infamous Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde brought their kits down, to Andy’s kindergarten - due to the good mannerisms and the wonderful way he taught the kits. Cass had also invited two other close friends - a couple, Su and Jay - down to the The Jungle, a cafe located in suburbs of The Downtown. Everyone had all agreed to meet up there by the set time Cass had provided.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was 4pm, and just as his lovely ocelot had asked him to, he stood in the designated spot she had asked. They were to get some lunch together. A few minutes later, in the distance, he could make out Cass’s car.

She usually doesn’t take the car… unless… His thinking was interrupted by Cass yelling his name, her head outside her car window, as she parked her car.

In that moment Cass jumped out of the vehicle, waving and running towards him, congratulating him for his great work.

“I thought you had forgotten about it.”  Andy said surprised and happy that she had remember.

“I couldn’t forget such an important day, hun.  I felt you would. Seeing as how you were mumbling to yourself all morning about your work. If it wasn’t for Principal Marsy you wouldn’t have remembered at all.” She chuckled.

“Well, you know me!”

“Of course I know you. You are my future husband.

“I hope I do that job correctly”

“ You already do.” She gave a reassuring smile.

They quickly finished their lunch, much to Andy’s dismay who wished to have a bit of dessert before leaving, walked to their car and gave each other a passionate kiss, before driving out to where Cass had planned the surprise, unknown to Andy still. Funnily enough, Andy didn’t know is that after that meal, they would go on a very funny date, one that everyone would remember.

An hour and a half later, they arrived at The Jungle. Cass gave a sigh of relief. Just in time...

Cass leapt out of the car in a flash, which again, astonished Andy, making him suspicious of her behavior because she wasn’t someone to be overly hyped about coffee, unlike some people Andy knew. So, this meant that there was more to this.

When he entered the cafe, and spotted Cass, he noticed the happy smiles of his friends, all waiting to congratulate him on a job well done! As he approached them, each one shook his hand or gave him a hug as they greeted and welcomed him to sit their table. A delicious apple pie sat atop the counter, making Andy’s mouth water. His favorite dessert! He smirked at Cass, seeing a huge grin on her face, as realization dawned on him.

Jay, the hazel-eyed arctic wolf, asked Andy in a cheerful tone, “Congrats, man. You’re doing pretty well. We’re all so proud of you.  So How is to live finally together and being engaged?” He gave a playful nudge with his elbow.

”I wouldn’t ask for more. It’s awesome to cuddle and see movies with someone.” Andy replied, smiling at his sweet ocelot, who was talking animatedly with the other girls.

“Yes, but he doesn’t like horror movies.” Cass faked annoyance and then smiled.

“What? No!” Su, the small white bunny, wearing a black hijab, exclaimed, turning her attention to them.

“Don’t worry. No ghost is gonna come get you when you have a fierce girlfriend as Cass.” Jay teased him, putting one paw on his shoulder.

As they all sat down, a waitress, a black panther, came with a menu to jot down their orders. She wore a normal cafeteria dress. A problem arose when the waitress, as she took the orders, behaved in a very flirtatious manner with Chase, Gloria’s boyfriend. Once she left to get the drinks for all of them, the girls tried calming the light brown bunny down, as she ranted about the waitress trying to steal her fox. As they tried speaking to her, the green-eyed panther had returned with their drinks.

“So. One glass of water, a hot chocolate, two sodas and two beers. One for the handsome fox right there, right?” She winked at him, and that’s when the arctic fox stood up angrily, startling the waitress and those around him.

“I’m sorry, but I am not interested. Could you please stop flirting with me? It’s making my girlfriend, as well as me, very uncomfortable. So, I would recommend you to stop if you know what is good for you.” He spoke in an serious tone, glaring at the waitress.

The waitress made an angry face, as if she was not used to be turned down. She huffed as she turned around and left them alone. When Chase faced back, Gloria jumped at him and kissed him on the lips.They all cheered and made a toast for that act of love and of course, to Andy.

The night was almost over. They all sat merrily, talking about future plans. They all wanted to get married and have little balls of fur running around. They all made a promise, that when the time came, they would take all of them together on wonderful adventures. Chase talked about the Pawaii vacation that he and Gloria were planning. Su and Jay talked about how they wanted to move to bigger house.

They finished their respective drinks soon and started to say their goodbyes, promising to do this more often, maybe going to a theme park next or just a meet up at someone’s house. The first ones to leave where Chase and Gloria in their Alpha Guilia, which amazed everyone with its beauty.

Su and Jay decided to leave as well, waving at them as they walked away, leaving Cass and Andy alone behind the shop, in the parking lot.

“Did you liked your surprise, babe?”

“Very much, mi amor. Thank you.” Andy held Cass’s face with his paw and went down to give her a tender kiss. Both smiled as they broke the kiss and entered their car.

When Andy started the engine, Cass turned around to him and said, “You know.. There might be another surprise for you.”  She winked and smiled devilishly at him.

“Oh? Something I should be scared of?”

“You know me sweetheart. Usually, of course. But this time, we need to lose some clothing.

“Let’s go home then!” Andy said, as he started to drive a little faster when he knew what extra little surprise was waiting for him.

Cass chuckled, and glared playfully at that cute and handsome snow leopard, who happened to be the love of her life, with great expectations for that night.

The End…? ;)

~Cass

[etacanada1]

Visa Canada

Discover life within the Canadian Arctic

All the stressed spirits with a Canadian visa in hand will discover within the second largest country on the planet every thing they seek on earth: dreamy landscapes and unique locations to explore. Certainly one of them is properly located within the Northwest Territories, virtually at the finish of the world, in the midst of the Arctic region. There the boldest vacationers may have the chance to see polar bears or beluga whales in the wild and to search out the appeal of places as distant as Nahanni Nationwide Park and the cities of Whitehorse and Yellowknife. Journey 100% assured!

For each style

Huge and spectacular, the Canadian Arctic is covered in ice sheets a lot of the year. Due to this fact, vacationers ought to make the most of the quick months of summer time to enter a magical surroundings, with uncommon wildlife and hospitable individuals, who take pleasure in displaying guests each nook and cranny of the Northwest Territories of Canada.

The choices to journey the Canadian Arctic are inexhaustible. Whether the plan includes an strategy to the historical past of the place, the exploration of natural wonders, or the strategy to the wonderful local tradition , a trip to this space of ??the country is a guaranteed success. After all, a good trip begins with a very good plan. And the one point of any good plan lies in ensuring you recognize the necessities to travel to Canada, what the process and the price of the Canadian visa consists of.

Love for wildlife

Respect and admiration for the many creatures of the Arctic delves into the culture of the people of those latitudes of Canada. All of them swear that they feel very lucky to be able to stay so close to unique species and environments. However they aren't jealous of their treasure. On the contrary, Canadian residents are blissful to have the ability to guide tourists by way of these pristine landscapes. Whether on sledges, in motorized vehicles, boats, skis, airplanes or climbing, the experienceto journey this white desert is a pleasure that we all must give us, even as soon as in our lives. You simply have to take some precautions first, like knowing every thing about the visa for Canada. Along with reserving your house on a tour, bear in mind to find out the requirements to go to Canada and how much the Canadian visa costs.

When to go

In this area the inhabitants do not concern the cold. They usually might by no means concern him, in the event that they need to survive in such a tough environment. Actually, they get some advantages from the cruel winter. For instance, as soon as the lakes freeze, roads open on the icy surface and the autos move by means of them without chains. Thus, make the most of the temperature of -30 degrees Celcius, which turns the ice into a type of non-slip surface.

However regardless of the area's preparedness to receive the coldest chilly on the planet, the Canadian Arctic is finest explored between July and September, when the ice gives up a bit of territory and allows the visitor to go by way of it. The common temperature in January in Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, is between thirteen and 21.

On this time, one of the best postcards of the northwest of Canada are obtained. It's as if nature stretched and all living beings had been awakened from a nap of a number of months. Including the polar bears (maybe probably the most photographed residents), walruses, seals and foxes take over the map, whereas hundreds of thousands of seabirds Eta Canada reproduce and take care of their little ones, on ledges or in barren islands.

There is nothing more thrilling to plan than a trip journey out of the ordinary. Not what to say if they are within the Arctic. Now, do not forget that to make it the proper getaway you need to be sure you have every little thing in order, beginning together with your Canadian visa.

[trustgo]

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[safereturndoubtful]

Day 35 - at Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park

The weather is supposed to be turning a lot colder this coming week, but for now, it is the Arctic at its finest, cool nights down to 4 or 5C, clear skies, and daytime highs about 16C, but with a decent breeze that keeps you moving when you’re out.

The circuit I had planned this morning, the Taivaskeronkierras Horseshoe, was the most stimulating so far this course. It began at the Lapland Hotel Pallas. These smart 4 star hotels owned by the Lapland chain and dotted around at various wilderness venues. They’re expensive to stay at of course, but get a lot of non-resident visitors for coffee, dinner or to use the sauna - none of its cheap though, I enquired about the sauna, 14 euros, too much..

There were quite a few people around today, with it being Sunday. It’s off-season prices at the self catering cabins and hotels and rental motor homes, so there’s quite a few visitors up from the cities in the south of Finland, having seen the start of autumn has such enticing weather.

Quite a few reindeer around also. I had wondered how they would be with the dog, and vice versa, but they pretty much ignore each other, Roja comes close to me, as he does with cows. Sensible, when you see the size of some of the antlers.

The Sami have many words for reindeer in their language. Names for them change as they age, and whether male or female. Those with bells around their necks have a different name also. They are descendants of the Scandinavian Wild Reindeer, now farmed for their meat, but also for their skins and antlers.

The ‘year of the reindeer’ begins in May when the calves are born, in mid-summer (June, July) they gather together closely because of vicious attacks from mosquitos and black flies. Herders often put them in corrals at this time. Autumn means rutting, not just yet, but in the next few weeks. As the first snows of winter settle they will be gathered again, and the unlucky ones will be off to slaughter. Reindeer are well kitted out for winter with their thick coats and legs with super circulation and special bone marrow for trudging through thick snow. They will have no problem at temperatures like -50C. Ground food is of course scarce, so they will live contentedly off lichen hanging from low trees, and so will frequent these areas.

A few pleasant chats on the way around the horseshoe, all based around the dog.. not many red fox labs up here, so he goes down well, and that he is so well adjusted to the hill, never on a lead, comes immediately I ask, and these days, never approaches another dog, and any people without checking it’s okay first with me. One such chat was with a couple we saw two days ago… 60 kilometres south on a hike. They have come to their cabin as it is their favourite time of year (this and January..), but so few other people think that.

The plaque at the summit commemorates the peak being used as a beacon for the opening of the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.

Back at the van for a late lunch, and a heavy shower drove us in for an hour or so. Without the sun it’s on,y about 12C also. Allowed me to finish The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, a new translation of a ‘narrative nonfiction’ or ‘factual novel’ (I don’t like those terms) which was quite captivating. Review at GR.

One other recommendation stroke comment.. I watched the new Jordan Peele film Nope last night. It’s a science fiction / horror. I enjoyed it, especially in its first 90 minutes. I’m of the belief that’s it’s really hard to end horror films well, and bound to get some criticism. The end is definitely entertaining, maybe a bit silly, but certainly it’s worth watching. And I’d welcome any discussion of anyone does..

[mystech-master]

Okay so starting with the Infernal Demon idea as that is what I started out with (I will be reiterating some on my ideas just for clarity)

Like I said I'd be tempted to do 3 cats b/c Morgana is a Cat, Ann = Panther, and the Tora part in Toranosuke Yoshida for Tiger. Again I am kind of stuck on animalistic designs. The only non-animal-based Demon Bayo had was Hekatoncheir and that is just a bunch of big arms.

My friend suggested a monkey with a cannon for Ryuji, I know that Ryuji has Sun Wukong (or Seiten Taisei) as his Ult but I try to ignore the mytho-historical figure of the persona b/c the actual Persona games never acknowledge that they are using these specific figures. Yeah P5 has them point out specific traits of the Personas like Makoto's being a bike or Haru's having BFGs. It would have to be something Ryuji-related, but he does have the monkey them brought up often so maybe it'd work, maybe with a bit of skeletal stuff mixed in.

Yusuke would have an Arctic Nine-tailed Fox with paintbrush tail tips, like Ninetails from Okami

Makoto I am not sure but I am leaning towards a kind of Bear due to her Buchimaru interest

For Futaba, my friend said just give tentacles, but again I don't just want to give him their Personas. Something mixing the Egyptian and Lovecraft theme. Blanking on this one for now.

Haru's Infernal Demon I am keeping a similar theme with the weapon which I will talk about later, plant-themed due to her Horticulture hobby and a tank-like creature due to her heavy weaponry (Axe and Grenade Launcher).

Akechi would of course be some kind of bird

For the non-party member Confidants, this can get tricky. Takemi was the first I came up with and it'd be a bit more humanoid b/c I was imagining his Spider Demon being a sort of Arachne/Jorogumo spider-woman with her legs being reminiscent of Takemi's (aka a trait everyone notices about her).

Iwai would of course have a gecko with guns.

I blank on everyone else and this is why I tried to switch over to weapons.

Not too sure on Mona.

The weapon for Ryuji's confidant would be Lightning Boots, meant to be reminiscent of running sneakers relating to Ryuji's track background, and they'd have lightning power. A foot-only weapon like Odette in Bayo 1.

For Ann, I wasn't sure but I would like the weapon to have a theme of Chocolate in mind. Hot chocolate-themed desserts bring Ann's Agi element in mind, Ann herself likes sweets, and Chocolate is associated with Love, thus connecting it to the Lovers Arcana.

Yusuke's weapons as I said would be a Naginata with a tuft of paintbrush-like fur hanging near the blade. Said tuft could then expand and cover the blade for paint-style magic. I could always just put a paintbrush-like pattern on the blade but this feels better IMO.

Makoto would have a pair of Motorized Gauntlets and Greaves. Think Gilgamesh from DMC4 where they can charge up their attacks, and Salamandra from Bayo 2 where if they are equipped to the feet Joker can sort of skate around.

Futaba is weird due to her non-combat status so I'll need to come back to her.

Haru would get a sort of heavy weapon, but not too sure if it'd be melee (would go more with the plant theme), or ranged (she is the one with the Gun Phys Skills)

Akechi would have dual light and shadow sabers, Jokers' answer to Durga and Undine from Bayos 1 and 2. Maybe they'd give a sort of hidden/mirage feel to them. The Shadows hide/conceal and the Light distorts/confuses.

I should probably stop here to make it easy on myself and Bayonetta usually only has 8 of the cool demon weapons per game (counting her standard 4 gun set), but I like to overachieve in matters like this.

Chihaya's weapon could be a sort of homing magic missile launcher that uses future prediction to seek out targets.

Iwai would either be a long gun or a sort of long blade since he is the guy who sells you the weapons, while Oda would have a smaller laser pistol with more varied options. Iwai is power, Oda is skill, and the two could fuse together in a style similar to Jhin from League of Legends (minus the shoulder piece). Oda being skill makes the most sense but for Iwai I wanted to make a description of how his weapon is so accurate that is could shoot a fly from a km away (in reference to how Geckos eat pests in the house)

I will quote what I said for Kawakami and Tae

"For Kawakami, I was thinking either some kind of minion maker or time power thing, since part of her Confidant is doing things for you so you can have more free time." So this weapon would essentially just be an item that gives Joker a version of Witch Time

"For Takemi I was thinking a sort of Spider that shoots webs for either grappling purposes, wire attacks ala Walter from Hellsing, or stitching up/bandaging wounds (this would be its main function)" If I decide to make the non-party confidants just supporting items instead of weapons (which'll be hard for Iwai and Oda), then this one will just have the healing.

But yeah those are my current ideas for Infernal Demons and Demon Weapons based on Joker's COnfidants.

Imagining Joker from Persona 5 with Bayonetta-style Powers/Weapons

With Bayonetta 3's release date trailer coming out it reminded me of those jokes going around when Joker was announced in Smash where Bayonetta was his mom.

So for funsies, I was speculating about what if his powers had a more Bayonetta-y twist.

I started by imagining what if he had Infernal Demons inspired by his Confidants, but I couldn't come up with something unique for all of them, as I was too locked into animalistic demons for designs and we'd have 3 big cats if I had my way (Morgana, Ann, and Yoshida).

Then I started thinking of weapons/tools that could be based on them. Lightning Boots for Ryuji, A sort of Naginata with a paintbrush-like tuft near the blade for Yusuke, Motorized Gauntlets and Greaves for Makoto, some sort of Plant-based heavy weapon for Haru, Duel Light and Dark Sabers for Akechi as sort of Joker's version of Durga/Undine (I am not just going to give Joker his teammates weapons, that feels lazy). For Takemi I was thinking a sort of Spider that shoots webs for either grappling purposes, wire attacks ala Walter from Hellsing, or stitching up/bandaging wounds (this would be its main function), Iwai and Oda would both have guns with different traits, but they could combine together. For Kawakami, I was thinking either some kind of minion maker or time power thing, since part of her Confidant is doing things for you so you can have more free time.

This is just a fun idea I was messing around with last night and I wanted to see if anyone else had any fun ideas.

If you guys could imagine Joker with either Infernal Demon summons or Demonic Weapons similar to Bayonetta's arsenal based on his Confidants, what would you give him?

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.9 (after 1900)

1900 – The Federation of Australia is given royal assent. 1900 – The Governor of Shanxi province in North China orders the execution of 45 foreign Christian missionaries and local church members, including children. 1918 – In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express, killing 101 and injuring 171 people, making it the deadliest rail accident in United States history. 1922 – Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the 'minute barrier'. 1926 – Chiang Kai-shek accepts the post of commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army, marking the beginning of the Northern Expedition to unite China under the rule of the Nationalist government. 1932 – The state of São Paulo revolts against the Brazilian Federal Government, starting the Constitutionalist Revolution. 1937 – The silent film archives of Fox Film Corporation are destroyed by the 1937 Fox vault fire. 1943 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Sicily begins, leading to the downfall of Mussolini and forcing Hitler to break off the Battle of Kursk. 1944 – World War II: American forces take Saipan, bringing the Japanese archipelago within range of B-29 raids, and causing the downfall of the Tojo government. 1944 – World War II: Continuation War: Finland wins the Battle of Tali–Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe. The Red Army withdraws its troops from Ihantala and digs into a defensive position, thus ending the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive. 1955 – The Russell–Einstein Manifesto calls for a reduction of the risk of nuclear warfare. 1956 – The 7.7 Mw  Amorgos earthquake shakes the Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The shaking and the destructive tsunami that followed left fifty-three people dead. A damaging M7.2 aftershock occurred minutes after the mainshock. 1958 – A 7.8 Mw  strike-slip earthquake in Alaska causes a landslide that produces a megatsunami. The runup from the waves reached 525 m (1,722 ft) on the rim of Lituya Bay; five people were killed. 1961 – Greece becomes the first member state to join the European Economic Community by signing the Athens Agreement, which was suspended in 1967 during the Greek junta. 1962 – Starfish Prime tests the effects of a nuclear test at orbital altitudes. 1977 – The Pinochet dictatorship in Chile organises the youth event of Acto de Chacarillas, a ritualised act reminiscent of Francoist Spain. 1979 – A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by "Nazi hunters" Serge and Beate Klarsfeld outside their home in France in an unsuccessful assassination attempt. 1982 – Pan Am Flight 759 crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 145 people on board and eight others on the ground. 1986 – The New Zealand Parliament passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand. 1993 – The Parliament of Canada passes the Nunavut Act leading to the 1999 creation of Nunavut, dividing the Northwest Territories into arctic (Inuit) and sub-arctic (Dene) lands based on a plebiscite. 1995 – The Navaly church bombing is carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force killing 125 Tamil civilian refugees. 1997 – A Fokker 100 from the Brazilian airline TAM launches engineer Fernando Caldeira de Moura Campos into 2,400 meters of free fall after an explosion that depressurized the aircraft. 1999 – Days of student protests begin after Iranian police and hardliners attack a student dormitory at the University of Tehran. 2002 – The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, replacing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The organization's first chairman is Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa. 2004 – The Senate Report on Iraqi WMD Intelligence is released by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, casting doubt on the rationale for the Iraq War. 2011 – South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan.

[odd-the-motoring-fox]

Okay we couldn't wait anymore 🤣

Thank you so so so so so much 😀 and Merry Christmas @theunaccomplishedwriter

I got decorations for my Volvo's Dashboard, A coaster for my new desk that's on the way! My own little 🦊! Also a cute Pokemon for my Toyotas rearview mirror and some fantastic pins from London. But the best is the wooden postcard.

It says " Hey Chase! Merry Christmas and have a happy new year! Let's keep writing together and have lots of fun doing it." - Kieran

Never have I ever had someone actually exchanged gifts with a friend before today for Christmas. I gotta say this fox is wagging his tail! 😀😋

Merry Christmas @theunaccomplishedwriter

We've got a story to write and have a blast doing it!!!

Let's go Skyebound!!!!

[breakingwindusa]

The Journey Back to Washington, Truck Shopping

We had already put down some money in January, prior to widespread Covid contagion, on an RV at a show in Tacoma WA.  Ever since in December when we became aware of our GVWR problem with our current setup while loading up, we had decided that if we’re going to do this full time thing it’s going to be safely and within the weight limit of our tow vehicle and RV.  So began frantic research.  I had already been intrigued with the Arctic Fox models, I liked the fact they made their very own robust frames in house, and that they were heavy for their size. I liked that build philosophy, which tells me they didn’t cut corners on strength to serve a weight limit.  Their priorities are reversed.  Yes they may lose business with people who don’t want to upgrade their tow vehicle for the size they want, it means it is an attractive and viable option for people that are going to completely retool anyway.  So after paying for a well reputed publication that reviews all makes/models of trailers, and learning that Northwood is well respected for it’s build quality and resale value, and was well reviewed for its full time capability, that was the clincher for us, and we were on a bit of a timetable.  I just had to get out of the work situation I was in and was not willing to forgo our plans for 1 minute longer than we needed to.  So when we attended the RV show in Tacoma, we did put down some money on an Arctic Fox 27-5L.

While sitting there one day in April, looking at the floor plans on the Northwood site once again, I began to have second thoughts on our floor plan choice.  Although we really loved the large cabinet space of the kitchen in the 27-5L, I could not shake the thought of possible buyers remorse for not choosing a floor plan that allowed at least a combo washer/dryer, especially with Covid in full swing.  So after querying people on IRV2.com about the pros/cons of washer/dryers, it became obvious we need to up our floor plan one level to a 29-5T, one we had actually taken pictures of at the RV show.  The question was, at this late date when we were due to pick up in July, did they even have any 29-5T models available?  After all they shut down their factory in Oregon for the entire month of April and part of May. Our sales person at Apache RV in Everett was very accommodating and spotted a model that had not been claimed, although lacking one option that we wanted, at the time.  We wanted a 10cu ft fridge so we could get the storage next to it, but this one had a 12cu ft fridge, that sacrificed adjacent cabinet storage.  After discussing, we decided that the extra storage is actually not that accessible, and converting that storage to fridge space actually made more sense.  It has turned out that our thoughts were correct.  We love the size of the fridge, and do not miss that cabinet space at all.

So we changed our order.  We are still committed at this point to shopping for a tow vehicle.  Long story short, I knew I wanted to stop by Dave Smith motors in Idaho on our journey back was to WA, (to spend the summer near our daughters in Bellingham), after reading positive reviews on the sales experience there.  They do very large volume and so that converts to less haggling.  We did stop there, got to visit Kathys cousin and her husband who actually live right in Kellogg, which was quite a pleasant stay, great people, and we looked around and sat with the sales guy discussing what we needed.  I left undecided.  My wife basically left the truck decision to me, with the request to please get heated seats.  Lol.  I had all but decided on a Chevy Silverado Duramax platform as I had been very happy with the 2.8L Duramax in our Colorado, but Covid had scrunched the availability and they did not expect to get many, much less with any choices.  Bummer.  My decision came later after perusing their website after arriving in WA, and calling back our sales contact to discuss options, details in a later post.