#ek ministries

[seriousbrat]

gobbledegook and notes on goblins (part 1 of 2)

So I have a google doc full of HP goblin lore that I developed for a fic and then never really ended up using most of it rip. But I thought it would be interesting to share, in case anyone needs to include a line of Gobbledegook in their own writing or something! I know next to nothing about linguistics so I'm sure from that perspective it's probably full of errors but anyway, I had fun.

PART ONE: GOBLIN LANGUAGE

BASIC INFO:

Gravakeluk, or Gobbledegook (a human bastardisation) is the standard language used by most of the goblin population worldwide. (more on this in part 2)

The language is based heavily on compound words— short sounds can be interpreted in a variety of ways to transmit a specific meaning. 

For instance, the only word we're given in canon is 'bladvak,' meaning pickaxe. This can be broken down into "blad" (blood, ore) + "vak" (axe), so "bladvak" is translated as "ore axe." "Blad" + "vak" + "den" (carrier/wielder) means "miner" or, literally, "pickaxe-carrier."

For a more complex example, "Rravk" can be translated as "sword" but also "power/might." The word Vvargdenrravkrak is broken down as: "Vvarg" (wand) + "den" (carrier) + "rravk" (power) + "rak" (place), and means Ministry of Magic. Literally, "wand carrier power place."

Pronunciation: Gobbledegook sounds harsh and aggressive to many humans. The language is guttural and consonants are created from the back of the throat, producing a rasping effect that almost sounds like the words are being spat at you. This is just how Goblins talk, however, and many phrases that were not intended as especially aggressive have been interpreted as such over the years by wizards.

Writing: Goblins use a runic semi-syllabic script—  partially behaving as a syllabary and as an alphabet, similar to Paleohispanic scripts from the Iberian peninsula. Some characters represent syllables, while others represent specific phonemes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-syllabary

 A note— “uk” is often spelt “ook” by wizards, but there is no distinction in Gobbledegook, as there is one character for the sound “uk”. This is why something like Griphuk is often spelt as Griphook in English.

GLOSSARY:

Ak – The, or A. Usually to give importance or emphasis to the subject at hand, as it’s not grammatically necessary. “Ak Varld Vvargden” is a well-known publication that translates to “A World of Wizards”

-ak – a pluralising suffix. This is only used for certain words as many nouns (such as the words for goblin or wizard) can be used both as a plural and a singular noun. Rravk (sword) becomes Rravkak (swords). Since the “ak” sound is so common in the goblin language, it can sometimes be tricky for the untrained ear to distinguish it as a plural, an ability that is gained with time and familiarity.

Blad – ore, blood (ore is analogous blood in goblin culture)

Bladrak - mine, literally “ore place”

Bladvak – pickaxe (ore axe)

Bladvakden – miner, literally "pickaxe carrier"

Braz – whereupon, or “and then.” Used frequently to describe a connected sequence of events, where in English “and” might simply be used. “I went to the bank whereupon I took out a loan.”

Brun – bronze

-den – suffix meaning "carrier" or “wielder of”. For instance, bladvakden means “pickaxe carrier” or “miner”. More famously, “Vvargden” meaning wizard, translates literally as “wand-carrier”

Ek – on, in

Eluk –  tongue, language

Eskarr – thank you. Humans don’t typically hear this word.

Euskaldunak – the Basque people (see Vvargdeneluk below)

Fell – city

Gorak – loan/transaction (Goblins view the sale of any items to wizards as the object simply being on loan, but really belonging to its makers.)

Gra – people, often used to mean goblins in general, “the people”. Not used for non-goblin people.

Grauld – Elder, member or members of the Council of Elders.

Gravak – Goblin

Gravakeluk- the goblin tongue, once misinterpreted rather carelessly and condescendingly by wizards as “gobbledegook,” which then stuck and simply became the English word for the goblin language.

Gravakrak – Goblin place, anywhere goblins dwell or control

Gu – our, us, we

Ka – I, mine, my

Kagra – return

Kavktta – death/die

Kuld – gold/money

Kuldden - banker (literally “gold carrier”)

Kuldrak – bank (literally “gold place”)

Leshak – liberation, freedom

Nad – nothing

Nadden - Muggle, literally “nothing-carrier”

Rak – place. Can be added as a suffix to mean “place of”, as in “kuldrak” (gold place, bank)

Rifa – silver

Rrantz – foul, rancid

Rravk – sword, might/power

Shor – hammer

Shorden – smith, “hammer carrier”, artisan

Shorrak - forge, literally “hammer place”

Uld – old

Vak – axe

Varld - world

Vvarg – wand

Vvargden – “wand-carrier”, or wizard.

Vvargdeneluk –  any language spoken by humans. In general Goblins believe it is not worth differentiating between them. In the case of British goblins, English is only spoken by the few goblins who have regular dealings with wizards. The only known exception are goblins living in the Basque Country, who have assimilated words from Euskera (the Basque language) into their own parlance. Some of these words have even filtered over time into Standard Gobbledegook. In general, goblins like the sound of Basque and some wizarding historians theorise that Basque wizards and goblins once enjoyed a better relationship than in other parts of the world. Therefore, there does exist a word for this particular human language:

Euskaldunakeluk – the Basque language

Vvargdenrak – anywhere inhabited or controlled by wizards, literally “wizard place”

Vvargdenrravkrak – The Ministry of Magic, literally "wizard power place"

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

Example sentence:

English: “Return our swords to us, foul wizards, and then die upon them” Gobbledegook: “Gu Rravkak kagra, rrantz vvargden, braz kavktta ek.” Literal translation: “Our swords return(to), rancid wand-carrier, whereupon die on(it).”

part two here, covering goblin naming conventions and some notes on goblin society. I also talked a bit about gender in goblin society in this reply.

[beardedmrbean]

The prospects for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) next year look almost as gloomy as at the end of 2020, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Uutissuomalainen news group report (siirryt toiseen palveluun) in Jyväskylä's Keskisuomalainen.

The article reviews a fresh survey by the Finnish Confederation of Industries (EK) showing that 41 percent of SMEs are preparing for layoffs next year. Ten percent said that they may have to close down in 2023.

"The outlook is bleak in many respects. The biggest challenges are related to the rise in the prices of raw materials and energy due to Russia's war of aggression. At the same time, there is a shortage of skilled labour," said EK Chief Policy Advisor Jari Huovinen.

Other major challenges are a decline in domestic sales and weakening liquidity.

According to Huovinen, the outlook is particularly bleak for the smallest employers.

"They have gone from crisis to crisis. Many have pretty much used up their financial buffers," noted Huovinen.

According to the report, only 23 percent of small and medium-sized companies believe that demand will increase during the coming year. Just over one third anticipate a decline in demand.

The outlook is pessimistic all around the country – gloomiest in northern regions and somewhat more optimistic in Uusimaa and Pirkanmaa.

A company with at least two, but fewer than 250 employees is considered an SME. There are approximately 84,500 such firms in Finland.

Nato and nukes

Helsingin Sanomat reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) on an interview Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) gave to the Japanese news agency Kyodo News in which he said that Russia's nuclear weapons programme was one of the key factors influencing Finland's application for Nato membership.

HS notes that the interview, published on Sunday morning, was quickly picked up by the Russian state-owned news agency Tass which misreported Haavisto as saying that "Russia's alleged nuclear threats were the main reason for Finland's desire to join Nato."

According to Helsingin Sanomat, Haavisto spoke more broadly about Finland's Nato decision and mentioned Russia's nuclear weapons as one of several reasons behind the application.

The paper points out that this was nothing new.

For example, the Finnish government's report on changes in the security environment, published last spring, stated that Russia has "repeatedly expressed its readiness to use nuclear weapons". That report was one of the key documents considered when Finland's foreign policy leadership decided to apply for Nato membership last May.

Not gas dependent

The farmers' union paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (siirryt toiseen palveluun) looks at some of the historic reasons that Finland is buffered from the impact of natural gas shortages which now threaten much of central Europe.

In Finland, district and electric heating are overwhelmingly the most common forms of heating services.

Riku Huttunen, who heads the Energy Department at Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, pointed out to the paper that one key reason for this is that unlike central Europe, Finland does not have natural gas deposits.

According to Huttunen, when district heating networks started to be built in the 1950s, natural gas was not even an option. The Soviet Union started exporting gas in the mid-1970s, and by that time, district heating networks in Finland had already been practically completed.

Finland's wood processing industry started co-production of electricity and heat before the Second World War. Later, the lessons learned from the wood processing sector were adopted by cities, which started building plants that produce both electricity and heat.

Wood, oil and nuclear power are the main sources of heating and electricity production in Finland.

Even more snow

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) is forecasting over 10 centimetres of fresh snowfall around most of the country over the next few days, and 20cm to 30cm in some areas, according to Helsingin Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun).

FMI has issued warnings of hazardous driving conditions in the north on Monday, and the same in southern, central and eastern parts of the country on Tuesday.

Temperatures over the next few weeks will remain a few degrees below the average.

In the dark

It's the time of year that we here in Finland spend much of our time in the dark.

In an item that might bring readers some comfort, Hufvudstadsbladet reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) that Tuesday, at least for a brief time, almost all of humanity will be in the dark.

On 6 December, at 9:56 PM local time, the most populated areas in the world will simultaneously be on the night side of the earth - nearly 9 out of 10 people worldwide will experience darkness at the same time.

Although the sun will be up in the Americas, New Zealand and most of Australia, the earth is much more densely populated around Asia, Africa and Europe, meaning that a full 86 percent of humanity will have the sun at least 18 degrees below the horizon, and so some darkness, all at the same time on Tuesday.

[whitesmaverick]

Qatar Family Visit Visa

Qatar Family Visit ek temporary visa hai jo Qatar mein rehne wale expatriates ko apne close family members ko mulk bulaane ke liye diya jata hai. Yeh visa un logon ke liye hota hai jo wahan ke permanent residents nahi hain, magar unka close relation, jaise ke spouse, bachay, ya parents, Qatar mein rehte hain.

Key points for Qatar Family Visit Visa:

Eligibility:

Sirf close family members ko bulane ke liye hoti hai (spouse, parents, siblings, children).

Visa apply karne wala Qatar mein legal resident hona chahiye, jisme unki Qatar ID (QID) valid ho.

Visa Duration:

Initial visa 1 month ke liye hota hai, jo extendable hai up to 6 months (spouse and children ke liye) ya 3 months (parents aur in-laws ke liye).

Documents Required:

Qatar ID copy of the sponsor.

Passport copies of family members.

Relationship proof (jaise ke marriage certificate ya birth certificate).

Sponsor ka employment contract aur salary certificate (kuch minimum salary ka requirement hota hai, jo har case mein vary karta hai).

Application Process:

Online apply karne ke liye, Hukoomi portal ya Ministry of Interior (MOI) website ka istemal kiya ja sakta hai.

Kuch logon ko manual application bhi karna padta hai MOI immigration office mein.

Visa fee bhi applicable hoti hai jo application ke waqt pay ki jati hai.

Extension:

Visa ko extend karne ke liye, pehle 1 month ke end pe medical examination required hota hai. Uske baad extension ke liye Ministry of Interior se approval lena hota hai.

Yeh visa family ko temporary period ke liye Qatar mein sponsor karne ka ek acha tareeqa hai jab tak unka visit planned ho.

[fandomtur]

¡Buen Sábado fandom! 👋

😌 Cierro mis ojos y hago…“Ooommm”. Miren este viaje temático ▶️

🧘‍♀️ “INDIA MÍSTICA & ESPIRITUAL CON CLASES DE YOGA” 🗓 24 DÍAS | 19 NOCHES – SALIDA EL 06 DE SEPTIEMBRE DESDE BUENOS AIRES

✅ Miren todo lo que vamos a conocer ▶️

📸 Rishikesh -La cuna del Yoga-, Varanasi (Benarés) -El primer sermón de Buda-, Khajuraho, Orchaa, Agra -El Taj Mahal-, Nueva Delhi.

🧘‍♀️ ¿Es un viaje de yoga? ¡Sí! Tendremos seminarios y clases todos los días. Y nos acompañarán profesores y especialistas en las distintas disciplinas.

✅ Nuestro viaje incluye ▶️

✅ Pasaje aéreo ida y vuelta con Emirates Airlines EK desde Buenos Aires con 2 piezas de equipaje + pasaje aéreo de cabotaje de Delhi a Dehradun + Tren de Haridwar a Delhi y de Delhi a Varanasi y Khajuraho + 19 noches de alojamiento en hoteles 3* y 4* con piscina + Desayuno y cena diarios + Traslados y transporte en bus privado + Visitas y excursiones + Entradas a lugares mencionados + Seminario y clases diarias a cargo de maestros de Yoga + Asistencia al viajero.

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ℹ️ Ya subimos la info completa en www.fandomtur.ar. ¡Vayan a leerla! Recuerden que pueden unirse a nuestro fandom en el canal de Whatsapp para no perderse ninguna novedad. Cliqueen aquí. https://bit.ly/fandomturcanal

📸 Créditos Incredible India - Ministry of Tourism - Government of India.

Fandomtur® | Fandom de Viajes 🟣🔵

[gfablogs]

What Is a Charity Building Wells in Africa?

One charity building wells in Africa is GFA World. Our clean water ministry delivers safe, disease-free water to people across Asia and now Africa through clean water projects, including Jesus Wells. Each well can provide water for about 300 people per day for up to 20 years, greatly improving their quality of life and showing people the love of God.[1] GFA estimates that 37.5 million men, women and children now have access to clean water thanks to our clean water projects like Jesus Wells and BioSand water filters. The equipment is durable and heavy-duty, and it will continue functioning for years with the proper maintenance and care.[2]

An example of the impact this ministry has is the transformation of a little village nestled amid farmlands. Water pumps scattered along the roadway were scarce and unreliable. During the heat of the summer, the villagers struggled to find enough water to fill their pots. Many of them would travel 25 minutes to stand in a long line, hoping to get just one bucketful of water to eke out for their daily needs. The villagers had suffered through 12 years of desperate water shortages. Then, through his congregation, a GFA pastor heard about the village’s dire need for clean water. The pastor and the believers began to pray for a Jesus Well, and two years later, God answered them.

The well was drilled in the village and began providing enough clean water for all to drink and for cooking and cleaning. The villagers said, “What a wonderful privilege for us to get pure and clean water through the church.” The well was a testimony of Jesus’ love. Since it was drilled, many villagers’ hearts have softened toward the Lord as they have heard about His hope and care for them.[3]

Like the Samaritan woman in John 4, the people of this village—and many people worldwide—trek to a well every day for water. But their need for Living Water is even greater. Jesus Wells bear a plaque with an inscription of John 4:13–14, pointing people to the well’s namesake and the Living Water, Jesus Christ: “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’”

Click here, to read more about this article.

Click here, to read more blogs in Gospel for Asia.Net

[azeez-unv]

YUVA TOURISM CLUB

INTRODUCTION 

Yuva Tourism Club is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism to promote tourism among the youth and create young ambassadors of Indian tourism. 

The club aims to educate students about the tourism possibilities in India, appreciate the rich cultural heritage, and develop an interest and passion for tourism. 

The club also encourages responsible and sustainable tourism practices, improves physical and mental health through exploratory, adventure and sports tourism, and spreads awareness about tourism opportunities and careers in the hospitality and tourism sector.

The club was launched as a part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations to mark the 75th year of India’s independence. 

The club is open to students from classes 6 to 12 in CBSE affiliated schools. The schools are required to select a teacher or a group of teachers to coordinate the club activities and select a student body to represent the club. 

The club activities include webinars, quizzes, competitions, excursions, online or e-tourism, pen pals, language learning, and exposure to the diversity, natural resources and rich heritage of India.

The club is a great opportunity for students to learn about tourism and its value, and to develop skills like teamwork, management, leadership, and communication. 

The club also fosters national integration and unity among the students from different parts of the country. 

WAYS TO CREATE THIS CLUB IN SCHOOLS

The basic steps to create a Yuva Tourism Club in schools are:

The school management must select a teacher or a group of teachers to coordinate the club activities and select a student body to represent the club.

The club must have a minimum of 25 members from classes 6 to 12 in CBSE affiliated schools.

The club must follow the guidelines and suggestions given in the ‘Handbook for Schools for conduct of Tourism Clubs’ shared by the Ministry of Tourism.

The club must organize various activities to promote tourism, such as webinars, quizzes, competitions, excursions, online or e-tourism, pen pals, language learning, and exposure to the diversity, natural resources and rich heritage of India.

The club must also incorporate allied activities under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme, such as learning about the paired State/UT, and fostering national integration and unity. 

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN THIS CLUB?

The role of teachers in the Yuva Tourism Club is to coordinate the club activities and guide the students in learning and exploring tourism. 

Some of the specific roles and responsibilities of the teachers are:

Selecting a student body to represent the club and assigning roles such as student head, treasurer, and executive members.

Organizing various activities to promote tourism, such as webinars, quizzes, competitions, excursions, online or e-tourism, pen pals, language learning, and exposure to the diversity, natural resources and rich heritage of India.

Incorporating allied activities under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme, such as learning about the paired State/UT, and fostering national integration and unity.

Conducting compulsory meetings, reporting the club progress, and following the guidelines and suggestions given in the ‘Handbook for Schools for conduct of Tourism Clubs’ shared by the Ministry of Tourism.

Instilling a passion for tourism and its value in the students, educating them about the responsible and sustainable tourism practices, and encouraging them to be skilled professionals and entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism sector.

The teachers play a vital role in making the Yuva Tourism Club a successful and enjoyable experience for the students. 

ACTIVITIES:

Webinars: Online sessions with experts, professionals, and officials from the tourism sector to learn about various aspects of tourism, such as destinations, culture, heritage, sustainability, hospitality, etc.

Quizzes: Online or offline competitions to test the knowledge and awareness of the students about tourism in India and the world, such as history, geography, culture, etc.

Competitions: Online or offline contests to showcase the creativity and skills of the students in tourism-related fields, such as essay writing, logo designing, drawing and painting, poster making, acting and debating, etc.

Excursions: Field trips to various tourist attractions, such as monuments, museums, parks, wildlife sanctuaries, etc. to experience the beauty and diversity of India firsthand.

Online or e-tourism: Virtual tours of various destinations in India and the world using digital platforms, such as websites, apps, videos, etc. to explore the places without travelling physically.

Pen pals: Exchange of letters or emails with students from other clubs or states to share their experiences, opinions, and insights about tourism in their regions.

Language learning: Learning the basics of different languages spoken in India and the world to communicate with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Exposure to the diversity, natural resources and rich heritage of India: Learning about the various aspects of India’s culture, such as festivals, cuisine, art, music, dance, etc. and appreciating the natural resources and heritage of the country, such as flora, fauna, rivers, mountains, etc.

Allied activities under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme: Learning about the paired State/UT, their culture, history, tourism potential, etc. and fostering national integration and unity among the students from different parts of the country.

GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS FOR CONDUCT OF TOURISM CLUBS. 

This is prepared by the Ministry of Tourism to guide the schools in forming and operating the Yuva Tourism Clubs.

Vision and Objectives: This section explains the purpose and goals of the Yuva Tourism Clubs, such as promoting tourism, educating students, and fostering national integration.

Tourism Clubs: This section describes the benefits and features of the Tourism Clubs, such as developing skills, enhancing awareness, and encouraging responsible tourism practices.

Starting a Club: This section provides the basic requirements and steps to create a Yuva Tourism Club in schools, such as selecting a teacher coordinator, a student body, and a minimum number of members.

Club Activities: This section suggests various activities to be conducted by the club, such as webinars, quizzes, competitions, excursions, online qor e-tourism, pen pals, language learning, and exposure to the diversity, natural resources and rich heritage of India.

Organization Structure: This section outlines the proposed functionaries and roles and responsibilities of the club, such as the school teacher coordinator, the student head, the treasurer, and the executive members.

Operating a Club: This section specifies the operational strategies and guidelines for the club, such as conducting compulsory meetings, reporting the club progress, and incorporating allied activities under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme.

[whileiamdying]

Oscars: Iran’s Hardline Regime Submits ‘The Night Guardian’ As Woman Life Freedom Protests Mark First Anniversary

By Melanie Goodfellow September 20, 2023 2:58am

Iran has submitted Reza Mirkarimi’s The Night Guardian for Best International Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, in a move that will likely prompt pushback from the country’s dissident film community.

A press release announcing the selection said the film had been selected by the government-controlled Farabi Cinema Foundation from three short-listed titles which also included Omid Shams’s Conjugal Visit and Ali Hazrati’s The Town.

The drama stars Touraj Alvand as the story of a rural worker forced to move to the city where he ekes out a living on the streets.

The announcement coincides with the first anniversary of the Woman Life Freedom protests provoked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022 after being held in police custody for not wearing her veil correctly.

The drama stars Touraj Alvand as the story of a rural worker forced to move to the city where he ekes out a living on the streets.

The announcement coincides with the first anniversary of the Woman Life Freedom protests provoked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022 after being held in police custody for not wearing her veil correctly.

The event overseen by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance was widely boycotted by Iranian filmmakers and the international cinema community this year in response to the government’s hardline response to the Woman Life Freedom protests.

Iran has won the Oscar for Best International Film twice for Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation and The Salesman in 2011 and 2016 respectively. Majid Majidi’s Sun Children and Farhadi’s A Hero made it onto the short list but were not nominated in 2020 and 2021.

The submission deadline for the Best International Film category is October 2.

[seasideretreat]

What God wants us to do

I always thought theology was a field of certain faith. I understood the positions therein to be the keys to a unflinching ministry, that created an immutable teaching of eternal truths that would hold up the church for an immeasurable time. But now I see that the Christian faith is a work of improvisatory and opportunistic dispositives that are never fully rounded, but always remain merely lucky aids to pursue a dangerous goal.

Normal things are weird. We don't know what is going on or what is not going on, but things can happen and we create automatic trajectories from that. I don't know. The truth is that constant things constantly happen and we can only do what we can do. I don't know what is going on in the last analysis, but everything is known and we might be able to do something weird in the entirety of pure existence, that gives us power and that helps us think in some weird way, but these are all fundamental things, that do nothing to change our predicament. Lustre, and pure direction, move the idiotic things in a weird direction, and this does something with our synthesis, but the essence of the entirety of the world is invisible. But maybe there's something funny about the entirety of the world.

I dunno, I was just thinking about a lot of things today, and now that's all over. I just considered how Confucius really just wants the good old days back, except the good old days are some big mystery in his book, and we, in the West, can't look back on any period like that because with us it was all mayhem since the beginning of time, you see we've never been happy. In China, ancient China, people were happy, but only for a brief period in time, but it's a time that's fondly remembered.

Don't you see there's something incredible about the world we live in? Don't you see we can judge people based on how they act in some way, you know, like we can determine if they are living well or not, in some way - you know, that's what Buddhism is about.

Let's just take a random guy. Is Biden a good man? You know, he's probably a Christian, right? You know, my dad once said the Christian philosophers theorized that Christ put us living in the "perfect present". That's a thing. I don't think it is true. We live in a chaotic, barbaric world, but by the grace of God we've managed to eke out a passable survival in this world by technology and politics. You know, it's men like Biden that make the world a better place, through leadership, through vision. A priest can't make the world a better place, but he can keep people focussed on the things that really matter - after all, the passionate mind is easily distracted and led astray.

[swldx]

RNZ Pacific 1305 6 Aug 2023

7440Khz 1259 6 AUG 2023 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO = 45333. English, s/on w/bellbird int. until pips and news @1300z anchored by Vicki McKay. The new interchange at the State Highway 2 and 29A intersection in the Bay of Plenty is set to fully open to traffic in mid-August. ACT says it would aim to halve the more than 6000 staff at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It would also immediately shut down work on several government projects if elected to government, saying this could save more than $1 billion. The projects include Three Waters, fees-free tertiary study, growth and development grants, the provincial growth fund, Auckland Light Rail, Callaghan Innovation, Workforce Development Councils, Industry Transformation Plans, RMA reform, He Waka Eke Noa, MBIE's "Just transitions" unit and regional skills leadership groups, income insurance, fair pay agreements, space policy, the game development sector rebate, the major events fund, R&D grants groups Te Ara Paerangi and Vision Mātauranga, and any screen sector supports. A man has died after a firearms incident in Palmerston North. Police were called to an address on Croydon Ave, Highbury about 2.35pm after a report of a firearm being discharged. Historian Hélène Carrère d’Encausse (Paris, 1929), the first female perpetual secretary of the French Academy, died this Saturday at the age of 94 in the French capital. Italian mobster Vincenzo La Porta has been arrested in Greece after being on the run for 11 years. The police managed to track him down thanks to his devotion to his hometown soccer team. Sports. Backyard gutter antenna, Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 35°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 0759

[zhwj]

Scholar Zhang Offends a Widow and Loses His Lodgings

Late in life, the editor and essayist Zhou Shao 周劭 (also known as Zhou Li’an 周黎庵, 1913–2003) published several collections of observations and anecdotes about the cultural and political scenes of the ’30s and ’40s. In one entry in Xiangwan manbi 向晚漫笔 [“Sketches at Dusk”, 2000], he gives a brief sketch of the life and career of Zhang Ziping 張資平, the Creation Society 創造社 co-founder whose novels were bestsellers in golden age Shanghai and who was sent to prison for collaborationist activities. Here’s Zhou’s description of the circumstances behind his encounter with the novelist:

　　His wife and children weren’t in Shanghai, so upon his release from prison he was all alone and had no home to return to. He had to move into a room on the stair landing* of the home of an old friend’s widow. That friend was Liu Na’ou. Taiwanese and very wealthy, Liu had built ten or twenty lane houses near Hongkou Park. He had been shot by KMT agents, and after the Japanese defeat his property had been confiscated, leaving his widow with only one unit.

* 亭子间 tíngzijiān, a cramped room over the kitchen on the first landing in traditional houses in Shanghai, similar to the garret apartment in its association with writers.

　　Zhang Ziping behaved badly while living at the Liu house. His poor hygiene in particular so angered Liu’s widow that she locked him out of the only toilet. This left him in a bind—on one occasion he even took a dump in his room, wrapped it in newspaper, and then dropped it outside the toilet door. For Liu’s widow, this was the last straw, and she tried to evict him. He refused to leave, so they ended up in a lawsuit. 　　I was a lawyer in those days, and someone set me up to represent Liu’s widow, giving me the opportunity to see the celebrated writer for myself in court. He was a dark, stocky man. Naturally, such a piddly case didn’t go to an actual verdict but was mediated by the judge, and in the end Zhang voluntarily backed down and promised to move out of the Lius’ place. I don’t know what happened to him after that.

What happened after that: Zhang managed to eke out a living as a translator and later obtained a teaching gig through Pan Hannian 潘汉年, an old Creation Society colleague (and underground Communist agent) who became deputy mayor of Shanghai in the ’50s. Arrested again on counter-revolutionary charges in 1955, Zhang died in a reform-through-labor camp in Anhui in 1959.

As anecdotes of misbehaving authors go, it’s an amusing one, but it should be taken with a grain of salt. Writing in the late ’90s about events that occurred half a century earlier, Zhou’s memories are bound to include “inevitable factual errors,” as archivist Zhao Guozhong 赵国忠 puts it in a review of another retrospective collection. Earlier in this essay, Zhou’s account of one of Zhang’s literary scandals, the abrupt cancellation in 1933 of a serialization in the supplement to The Shun Pao 申報 because Zhang’s brand of torrid melodrama was out of step with a new editor’s more vocal left-wing positioning, misidentifies the novel in question as 明珠與黑炭 [Pearl and Charcoal] rather than 時代與愛的歧路 [The Crossroads of Time and Love]. The former was published in 1931 following a serialization in Lo Chun 樂群; both were banned by KMT authorities, Crossroads in 1934 for “fomenting class struggle” and Pearl in 1935 for “impropriety,” so perhaps that’s the source of Zhou’s confusion.

With that in mind, here’s a report from a mid-1947 issue of New Shanghai Weekly ��上海 that describes a lawsuit between Zhang and his landlord:

　　Under the puppet government, he served as a senior technical officer in the puppet Ministry of Agriculture and Mining and was also head of publications for the enemy’s China-Japan Cultural Association. Where he ought to have been satisfied with not being arrested after the war was won, he went and got into a fight over his flat in New Yiding Apartments on Edinburgh Road. The situation blew up and when the other party wanted to sue him, he got scared and fled Shanghai for Guangzhou, where he apparently found work at some official agency. 　　But Zhang refused let the matter of the flat on Edinburgh Road rest, and once the government stipulated it would no longer turn over traitors for prosecution, he crept back to Shanghai last month, intending to approach the other party to negotiate the return of his rooms as soon as he was settled. But news travels fast, and because Zhang was a suspected traitor, the prosecution bureau of the high court seized the moment to refer him for investigation. He cooperated. When the investigation revealed his was not a serious case, his bail was approved, and he went on to negotiate the reclamation of his apartment, as had been his expectation all along. Fully prepared for a lawsuit when he came to Shanghai, the fact that he ended up in court didn’t bother him—and now he must be exceptionally pleased with himself.

So what does this mean? Here are some possibilities:

Zhou misremembered the year of the lawsuit, placing it after Zhang’s prison sentence rather than before his arrest and situating the house near Hankou Park (now Luxun Park) rather than Edinburgh Road (now Jiangsu Road);

Zhang was a problem tenant inclined to get into legal battles with his landlords; or

The court-mediated settlement Zhou describes was merely one episode of a long, drawn-out grudge match between Zhang and the widow.

I've written about Zhang Ziping's misbehavior before, way back in 2008: Willow fluff and trashy romance novels. (Just look at how those links have rotted!) And read about more badly-behaved literati: When editors lash out (2015).

Sources

The header image, by Cao Hanmei 曹涵美, is an illustration for the serialized version of Zhang’s 1941 novel 新紅A字 [A New Scarlet Letter] that ran in the fortnightly journal 華文大阪每日 [Chinese Osaka Daily] (7(4), p21), a Japanese organ promoting regional co-prosperity under the empire.

Zhao Guozhong 赵国忠. “周黎庵及《葑溪寻梦》”. 书脞谈录, 2008. Readable at https://www.xuges.com/xdmj/zhoushao/009.htm

Zhou Shao 周劭. “张资平的下落”. 向晚漫笔. 上海: 上海古籍出版社, 2000.11, 51.

[fimomovies]

Manoj Bajpayee and producer of Sirf Ek Bandaa Kafi Hai receive legal notice from Asaram Bapu’s trust; latter seeks stay on release of film : Bollywood News

The makers of the upcoming ZEE5 movie Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and its main lead Manoj Bajpayee have received a legal notice from the charitable trust of the rape convict Asaram for allegedly modelling the character of the villain in the movie on the convict. They have also sent the notice to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry and CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) while urging them…

[iitroorkee]

IIT Roorkee (@iitroorkee) in association with Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) is organising Yuva Sangam - II (@EBSB_YuvaSangam) under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative (@EBSB_Edumin). Youth between 18-30 years age are encouraged to apply for this unique life enriching experience.

[biglisbonnews]

In Namibia, Lions Are Returning to Feed on the Skeleton Coast This article is from Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems, and appears here with permission. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. On a desolate stretch of Namibia’s arid Skeleton Coast National Park, an invisible fence is keeping lions and visitors apart. Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism and the nonprofit Desert Lion Conservation Trust (DLCT) created the virtual fence line, known as a geofence, to track lions approaching a 40-kilometer stretch of beach around Torra Bay, a popular fishing and camping area. Each time a lion wearing a satellite collar crosses the geofence, the system records the animal’s GPS coordinates and sends automatic alerts to the DLCT’s lion rangers and managers of the local campsite, who close the area to visitors. The early warning system is in response to a number of potentially dangerous incidents between lions and people. In one last year, a party of recreational anglers got too close to a lioness on a beach near Torra Bay, and the animal charged their vehicle. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the odds of aggressive interactions are increasing as Namibia’s desert lions re-establish themselves on the Skeleton Coast. Lions in Namibia’s northwest, renowned for eking out a living amid the Namib Desert’s harsh gravel plains and endless dunes, have a history of feeding on marine species, such as Cape fur seals, beached whales, and cormorants. Remarkably, they are the only lions known to target marine prey. But in the 1980s, the desert lions abandoned the coast after local farmers wiped out most of the population. When lions returned in 2002, it was a sign that the population was recovering. But the animals were no longer hunting marine prey, and lion ecologist Philip Stander, who founded DLCT, worried that the population had lost the knowledge. In the last eight years, though, three orphaned lionesses, known to the researchers as Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, have led a coastal hunting revival on the beaches around Torra Bay. The resurgence is exciting, but it has also brought risks; it was likely one of these lions—or a fourth, known as Xpl-108—who charged the anglers’ car last year. The lionesses started targeting coastal prey in 2015, when a drought decimated the park’s mountain zebras, springboks, oryxes, and ostriches. To replace these dietary staples, the young lionesses turned to marine birds, mainly cormorants, flamingos, and red-billed teals. Then, in 2018, DLCT scientists spotted the lionesses hunting fur seals—some of the first lions to do so in four decades. In a subsequent diet study that spanned 18 months, Stander observed that marine foods, particularly cormorants, seals, and flamingos, accounted for 86 percent of the lionesses’ diet. “It’s fascinating to follow from a biologist’s point of view,” says Félix Vallat, the DLCT’s project coordinator. “It is knowledge that has been lost. Now it’s slowly coming back.” One local who’s particularly excited about the lions' coastal revival is Naude Dreyer. Dreyer, who runs kayaking safaris in Walvis Bay, 350 kilometers to the south, had longed to see a desert lion since he was five years old. In January 2022, after a three-decade wait, he spotted two of the lionesses separately on the beach near Torra Bay and photographed one as she fed on a fur seal against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean. “She looked up a few times while eating but didn’t display any aggression,” says Dreyer, who kept his distance. The lioness Dreyer photographed was likely Xpl-108, who spent more than 30 days in the geofenced area from late November through January. She, Alpha, and Bravo have all been fitted with satellite collars, and the tracking project is as much for the lions as it is to keep visitors safe. Tourists crowding the beaches during peak seasons, such as southern Africa’s recent December–January holidays, could disrupt the lions’ hunting activity or push the animals inland, toward conflict with farmers. As a safety measure, the geofence isn’t perfect. One night, Xpl-108 slipped down to the coast and killed a fur seal. The next morning, anglers arrived to fish before the rangers could cordon off the beach and startled Xpl-108, who dragged her meal four kilometers inland to the safety of a rocky outcrop. But evidence from elsewhere suggests that the project should work. Matthew Wijers, a postdoctoral lion researcher from the University of Oxford in England, who is not part of the desert lion project, says that although costly, geofencing has been effective in other parts of southern Africa. “This technology, coupled with educational programs that highlight the ecological importance of desert lions as well as the potential dangers to the public, should help reduce the risks of conflict between lions and anglers along the Skeleton Coast,” he says. Whether the lionesses will continue to hang around Torra Bay is an open question. After nearly eight years, Namibia’s drought appears to have finally broken. In that time, the lion population fell from 150 to 80 animals. Vallat predicts that within a year or two, the lions’ land-based prey—and hopefully lion numbers—should rebound. In the meantime, Vallat hopes that the geofence will keep everyone safe. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/namibia-lions-hunt-seals

[thedhananjayaparkhe]

Requested Ministry-wise PIB releases.

Press Information Bureau Government of India Dear Dhananjaya Parkhe This email has been sent by PIB on your request to subscribe PIB releases. •Indian Railways to introduce Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train under ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ Scheme •World Wetlands Day celebrated at all 75 Ramsar sites in India •Text of PM’s address at Khel Mahakumbh in Jaipur •Allocation in Budget FY…

[thesocialorgan]

 HARIVANSH RAI BACHCHAN BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 27th Nov

Intro

Who was Harivansh Rai Bachchan?

Early life

Work and Career

Achievements

Intro- Nature has given us all same brain. It depends on us how we use it. Some people make history by using it. Every person has their capabilities and skills. Writing and the poetic field have always been fortunate with some great minds. William Shakespeare, Ruskin Bond, Rabindranath Tagore, Tulsi Das, Kabir Das, Rahim, Gulzar, Suryakant Tripathi, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, etc. contributed their best in the art field. One of them was Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

 

Who was Harivansh Rai Bachchan? – Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a great Indian writer and poet. He was born on 27th November 1907 to Pratap Narayan Shrivastav and Saraswati Devi. Thus Nov. 27th is celebrated as his birth anniversary. He was born in Allahabad (Prayagraj now) Uttar Pradesh, India. He started using his name Bachchan in his poems instead of Shrivastav. From 1941 to 1957, He taught In the English department at Allahabad University, and after that, he spent the next two years at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, Cambridge University completing a Ph.D. on W.B. Yeats.

Early Life- Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the eldest son of Pratap Narayan Srivastava and Saraswati Devi Srivastava. His father worked as a clerk in the office of the Pioneer newspaper. He was fondly referred to as “Bachchan” a sobriquet that would stick with him for a lifetime. His childhood was wrought with financial troubles which instilled in him a desire to rise above his situation. Very early on, the young Harivansh Rai developed a penchant for reading and spent long hours in the library, voraciously reading all the books that were at his disposal. 

Work and Career-  A grieving Harivansh Rai Bachchan took up various ill-suited jobs until he was offered a lectureship at the English department in Allahabad university. This opportunity proved favourable to develop his craft in poetry. While he is widely regarded as a poet, he was also a gifted translator, demystifying the writings of WB Keats, William Shakespeare and Omar Khayyam for the Indian audience. He based his PhD thesis on the works of WB Keats and occultism. additionally, he also wrote extensively on politics, love and philosophy. Harivansh Rai Bachchan also worked at the All India Radio Station and later at the Ministry of External Affairs, translating documents in Hindi. His career as a poet rose to fame after the publication of his renowned 146 verse poem “Madhushala”. Creating a fan-frenzy, Madhushala would always be demanded by the audience during his poetry recitals. He also published his 4-part autobiography, which was well-received and later translated into English by Rupert Snell. In the collection of his 30 poems, the last poem titled “Ek November 1984” was based on the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

 

Achievements- Bachchan's work has been used in movies and music. For example, couplets of his work "Agneepath" are used throughout the 1990 movie Agneepath, starring Amitabh Bachchan, and also later in the 2012 remake Agneepath, starring Hrithik Roshan. and recently in the TV Serial Ishqbaaz. His famous writings are Madhushala, Madhubala, Madhukalash, Sopaan, etc. “Never live like a flower, for you shall be shattered as soon as you bloom; live like a stone if you so wish, for one day you shall turn into a god”, was a quote given by one of the stalwarts of Hindi literature, Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Celebrated as the pioneer of the Chhayavad movement or the romantic upsurge movement in the 20th century, Harivansh Rai Bachchan has a collection of 30 poems to his name. His writings traversed various themes such as man’s need for freedom, tussling with the orthodoxy of religion, love, and dependence, and unequal societal power structures. His poetry is a testimony to his unmatched talent, rich in its imageries, and lyrical beauty and doused in a streak of rebellion. Regarded as the “romantic rebel”, he evoked passionate and wild enthusiasm from his audience, through his renditions. This blog covers the life story of Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the man who truly had his way with words.

[eli-kittim]

Theology Versus Chronology: A Soteriological View

By Author Eli Kittim

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John 7.39 Indicates that the Holy Spirit Was Unavailable Prior to Jesus’ Glorification. Is this Verse Giving Us a Chronological or a Theological Interpretation?

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Let’s use John 7.39 as a case study for this exegesis. It reads:

“Now he [Jesus] said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

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Question: When Was Christ Glorified? And Did Old Testament Believers Receive God’s Spirit Prior to Jesus’ Glorification?

The Greek word used for “glorified” is ἐδοξάσθη. But when was Christ glorified? Is it possible that he was glorified after his resurrection? No! It’s clear from the gospel narratives that in his postmortem appearances Jesus had not yet entered into his glory (e.g. Lk. 24.26).

Other passages have an eschatological twist, namely, the prophecy that we will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great glory (see Lk. 21:27).

Do believers have to wait till Judgement Day to see Christ coming in glory before they can receive the Spirit of regeneration? Certainly not! That would be too late, if that were the case.

According to most exegetical writers, Christ is actually glorified after his ascension, when he returns to Heaven for his coronation (see Dan. 7.13-14 and Rev. 5.6-14). But if John 7.39 suggests that Christ’s glory is the chronological cause of the outpouring of the Spirit, then how can the Bible talk about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with regard to Old Testament patriarchs such as David? Is it the case that no one had the Spirit of God prior to Jesus’ ascension and glorification? That cannot be! If in Psalm 51:11 King David prays to God, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me,” this would strongly suggest that he is already in possession of the Spirit of God! How then did David receive the Holy Spirit if it was not yet available until the glorification of Jesus? That’s one of the exegetical discrepancies we face if we interpret John 7.39, strictly speaking, from a chronological rather than a theological perspective!

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Christ’s Glory is Partially Exhibited Prior to his Death

There is another point. The Radiant Face of Moses (a messianic stand-in; see Exod. 34.29) reminds us of Jesus’ transfiguration prior to his death:

“There he [Jesus] was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” (Mt. 17.2).

So Jesus’ face shone, which is a temporary type of glorification, since no other human being besides Moses has ever exhibited any such phenomenon in their physical outward appearance. Still, this remains a partial glory, not the full glorification that John 7.39 seems to be indicating.

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Jesus’ Glory Beheld in Advance

Here’s an interesting side note. In John 1.14, the apostles testify, “we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” But how exactly did they behold his glory if Jesus had not yet been glorified? I think we can find out by reading Second Peter 1.18-19, which says:

“We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed.”

Wait. What? You mean to tell me that the-transfiguration-on-the-Mount narrative is a prophecy?? Yes, that’s what 2 Pet. 1.18-19 indicates!

Similarly, 1 Peter 1.10-11 suggests an eschatological soteriology that is also based on a prophecy: namely, the New Testament “testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory.” It reads:

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory.”

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Christ’s “Great Glory” is Displayed in the End Times

Christ’s “great glory” is fully displayed during the parousia when he executes judgment (Mt. 24.29-31; 25.31-35). However, according to Romans 5.2, this hasn’t yet happened:

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

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Conclusion

The answer is that John 7.39 is obviously giving us a theological rather than a chronological interpretation because it appears that the Holy Spirit was offered and fully available retroactively in both the Old and New Testaments •through faith• prior to Jesus’ glorification. The passage in John’s gospel (7.39) is simply trying to show the intimate connection between the reception of the Spirit and Jesus’ glorification. In other words, without Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, death, and resurrection (and ultimate glorification), there can be no salvation because the Spirit cannot be sent to reconcile humanity to God.

But if God already knows the future outcome and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ——since he has been “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done” (Isa. 46.10)——then believers in God can and do receive the Holy Spirit •retroactively• “through faith” (1 Pet. 1.3-5) based on the merits of the prophetic message revealed by God in Scripture! In fact, “this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Tim. 1.9)!

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