#i feel like a forest in drought i cannot take this anymore i need the funny dnd game

[pyporapy]

Hello Sharks (followers), I’m asking for 2.7 million dollar investment (2 dollars and 69 cents) so that I can acquire a piece of electronic gaming (baldur’s gate 3) for a soul that greatly needs it (me)

In return, you’ll get a 5% stake (drawing gay shit) in all my activities going forward

[tobealostwanderer]

Padawan

Grogu and Din introduce Luke to a friend

-

Again, I wrote this late at night and I haven't proofread. I am not a great writer but I thought that this was adorable so I wanted to write it down. Slight DinLuke mentions. This story can also be found on Wattpad. Enjoy!

It was a peaceful day at the temple. The padawans had the day of so in turn, Luke had some time to relax. Grogu's adoptive father, a Mandalorian called Din Djarin, would come and pick Grogu up in a few hours to have a father-son day.

Luke knew that the Jedi of old didn't agree to attachments with other people, including parents. But something stirred in him when he first picked up Grogu all those months ago. The Mandalorian and Child had a deep connection that wasn't easily broken. Grogu was practically unmanagable when he joined the newly established Jedi temple, and it wasn't until he got his metal ball, a replacement from what he used to play with on his father's ship, and the promise that his dad would visit him soon that he cooperated in the lessons.

Din visited once every two months and Luke got to know the man behind the helmet a bit. After all, the Mandalorian gave his name to him, which he knew was not commonly done. A tiny smile krept on the Master's face as he remembered that day..

Shaking out of the memory, Luke got up from his desk chair and made his way to the sleeping chambers of his pupils. It was about time he got Grogu ready. There weren't many pupils in Luke's temple. His own nephew wouldn't join until he was old enough to show the signs of the Force, but he was certain that he would grow up to be a powerful Jedi.

Knocking on a wooden door at the end of the hallway, a happy coo was heard. Luke opened the door to see Grogu play with his metal ball. The metal was starting to look less polished because of the creature's clawed, green hands. This obviously didn't bother the little alien as he couldn't be parted with it. Through the Force, Luke could feel Grogu's happiness. He knew what today meant.

As if on cue, the loud rumbling of a spaceship could be heard. Grogu squealed and hobbled to his tiny window as fast as he could. The familiar form of the Razor Crest landed closeby. Luke picked up the green baby and smiled down at him.

"Let's go greet your father, little one" he said with a tiny smile. His robes whooshed as he turned around, his leather boots clicking on the tiles as he powerwalked to the entrance. He too was happy to see the Mandalorian again. He was like a friend to him, although not in the way Han is a friend to him. It felt like... more. Luke had to surpress it though. Some people still remembered the Jedi of old, and remembered their customs. Even though most had forgotten, he still needed to be an example to the galaxy.

As the black-clad man and baby stepped outside, the hull door of the spaceship lowered to the ground. A cloud of dust sprang up as the metal hit the ground. The beskar clad man was quick to make his way to the two people in the yard. Happy to see Grogu for a bit. Grogu, in turn, cooed loudly upon seeing Mando.

"He has been behaving very well. He is slowly picking up his lessons. Every day his connection with the Force grows stronger" the sandy haired man said as he stopped in front of the metal clad bounty hunter. "I'm happy to hear that" the bounty hunter said, stroking the baby's green ears affectionately.

Luke handed Grogu over to Din. "I hope to have him back by dinner-" "Actually," Mando interrupted the Jedi Master. "I was wondering if you would like to join us.. Just for today. I think Grogu would like it" to which the Child indeed cooed loudly, raising a clawed hand towards Luke. "I understand if you are busy but he- we would very much like it"

It wasn't often that he saw the beskar clad man in a nervous state. In fact, he can't remember if he ever got nervous before. But Din was moving his weight from one leg to the other and looking around anywhere but at Luke. It was kind of cute...

Luke stowed away his thoughts for now and just grinned at the tall man in front of him. "I would very much like to. I don't go on many adventures anymore. Let me inform my second in command and I shall join you" he said, staying professional even though there wasn't really any reason to be this professional to the man.

Din nodded and turned to his ship, carrying Grogu to it as Luke made his way to his second in command. He quickly relied the message that he would be gone for the afternoon but would hopefully return before midnight. As he finished instructing the Twi'lek female, he made haste to join the father and son on the ship.

It didn't take long for Luke to be settled in and Mando to start the ship. The planet on which he build the new Jedi temple becoming smaller until he felt the familiar lurch of lightspeed. It took a few seconds before Luke was comfortable enough to talk to the Mandalorian.

"Where are we going?" He first asked. He knew he could look into the Mando's head for answers, but he had too much respect to infiltrate the man's mind. "A planet called Corvus. It isn't the most comfortable planet, but we want you to meet someone." Din responded. Grogu gurgled happily and Luke could vagually make out what he was saying: "Very nice, she is. Helped us, she did".

"Who is 'she'?" Luke asked, more to himself than to the two other beings in the cockpit. But nonetheless Mando responded: "You will see, no need to ruin the surprise".

It took exactly two hours when they started to lower into the atmosphere of Corvus. Luke looked at the fires that spread through it. Like it was never meant to be a forest planet, but trees grew anyway just to burn down because of the drought. As they landed close by a walled village, the white mist was almost omenous as ashes hung in the air.

Luke sensed her. She was somewhere inside the village. She almost seemed familliar even though Luke was certain that he never felt such a Force signature before. Whoever she was, was powerful, and most likely has trained like a Jedi. He wondered if she was interested in joining the Jedi again.

Before he realised it, the trio was decending from the Crest and started to walk into the village. Luke followed Din like an uncertain puppy. Because even though he was strong, he felt very out of place on this planet.

It seemed like the crackling of far away forest fires were always heard. Other than that, and the trio's footsteps, the village was quiet. Not many people were out and about and those that were slunk into the background. Luke had no idea why but he had a feeling that Din has scared these people a little.

It wasn't a big village and soon they were met with double doors. They were already opened, seemingly jammed and melted into place by a familiar weapon. Luke's fingers subconsciously stroked his own Lightsaber as they passed through the beautiful garden and to the last and biggest home in the village.

Before Din could knock, the doors flew open and a Togruta woman stood in front of them. Luke could make out a few wrinkles in her face. Her eyes shone wisdom and loss and on her belt she had two 'saber hilts. Even though he had felt her presence before, he was surprised to see the two powerful weapons hanging from her belt.

"Mando, Grogu. It is very nice to see you again. I see you have found a Jedi to train him? Please, do come in" the woman's smooth voice said. The trio stepped into the home and followed their host to the living room. As they all sat down, Grogu playing with a piece of fabric on the floor, Din introduced the two.

"Luke, this is Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka, Luke Skywalker." As the words left the Mandalorian's lips, the two people looked at eachother with wide eyes. "That's why you are familiar.. It is a pleasure, Luke, to finally meet you. I knew your parents..." She drifted off, thinking back to her Padawan time, thinking of 'her' Skyguy.

Mando had quietly taken Grogu with him outside to let the two Jedi talk. The moment Ahsoka had spoken, he felt like the two needed to speak in private, and havinf a babbling kid around wouldn't help them get to talking. This was a private moment, he knew.

Back with the two Jedi, Luke carefully placed his hand on Ahsoka's. "I have never met them.. truly met them. But I know they cared for you, miss Tano. Ben told me about you" he said, trying to comfort the Togruta woman. "Please," Ahsoka said "call me Ahsoka. And.. who is Ben, if you don't mind me asking? I don't think I've met one" her mind fluttered through memories, trying to remember a 'Ben'.

"My aunt, uncle and I knew him as Ben Kenobi, but his true name was Obi-Wan Kenobi." Luke said calmly. He could see one hundered emotions go through Ahsoka's eyes. Her Force signature seemed to pulse with the same emotions. Happiness, sadness, admiration, respect, hope, love and grief. "Master Kenobi... I... I felt him join the Force a while ago.." Ahsoka swallowed thickly. "He was a nice man. A very good General. Caring, but he never truly understood Anakin" Ahsoka smiled at a few memories that fluttered through her mind. So strong, that they were projected in Luke's mind. Visions of the start of the Clone Wars projected in his mind. A young Ahsoka standing next to a tall, dark haired man he assumed to be his father, Anakin, and a slightly shorter man with an auburn beard that looked very much like a young Ben Kenobi.

"Sorry" Ahsoka said, as the memories stopped playing. "I don't think back a lot to.. that time. I wish you could've met your father... I still cannot believe he changed to the Dark Side" Ahsoka sighed. She was about to stand up as Luke responded to her: "That is the thing, I have met him. In the end, I got to see him. The real him. Anakin. And though our moment was brief, his love was real, and I am glad to have met him" his words shocked Ahsoka. Tears pricked in her eyes as she looked around the room. "I want to believe you-" she whispered, the tears now streaming down her face.

"He is telling the truth" a voice behind them said. Turning around, the two were met with the blue Force Ghost of Anakin Skywalker. "My son is telling the truth, Snips" a smile formed on Anakin's face as he looked at his old Padawan with fondness.

"Skyguy..."

[camelotsheart]

Alright. I’m watching 1x11 and trying a new way of liveblogging. Which is just me writing random paragraphs. Enjoy.

A creature of magic mourning the loss of a creature of magic 😭

“Arthur is a hunter. It's in his blood. Whereas you are something entirely different.“ reminds me of “He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.“ “You are wrong.” Especially with the way that Arthur then proves what is in his heart by the end of the episode, and how his ‘heart’ is shown to constantly guide him towards the ‘correct’ choice in s5 (e.g. “My heart says do anything I can to save Mordred.“)

“You've got a face like a wounded bear ever since we got back from that hunting trip." Arthur means bear. I have no idea what to do with this information.

The unicorn as a metaphor for those sorcerers who “do no harm” and thus Camelot serves no purpose in killing them. Especially since people like the Disir and Alator describe the purge as a “hunt”.

The drought serving as a parallel to the events that happened before the purge to Uther, in that Arthur sees all the harm that “magic” is doing to the land and his people, just like Uther witnesses Ygraine’s death. Arthur initially refuses to accept that what happens is caused by him, just like Uther does. But unlike Uther, Arthur is able to acknowledge his mistakes given time (it’s interesting how in the book adaptation of 1x02 merlin makes this comparison too)

“If it is magic, it's more powerful magic than I possess.“ So unicorn magic is more powerful than Merlin’s magic. Would dragon magic be more powerful too? Is that why Merlin couldn’t heal Arthur from the poison of Mordred’s sword tha was forged in a dragon’s breath?

Merlin not understanding hand signals is my life 😂💖

Ok I can literally draw so many parallels between Anhora and Arthur’s first conversation, and Nimueh and Uther’s conversation in 1x09. Especially from how both Arthur and Uther seem completely unable to understand how the ‘curse’ that happened to Ygraine and Camelot was technically their fault.

“And could you bear for your children to see you be executed?“ The way in which Arthur says this breaks my heart because he does understand the feeling of blaming himself for the loss of a parent, just like those hypothetical children would. This is highlighted more by the fact that Evan later plays on Arthur’s insecurities about being his father’s son.

“If you're tested again, you have a chance to end your people's suffering. I know you want that more than anything." Reminds me of what Bradley says about Arthur putting Camelot above everything, even his personal relationships. Compare this to Lancelot and Merlin, who’s “something that is more important than anything” is a person (or people, in the case of Lancelot).

I LOVE S1 MORGANA. S1 AND 2 MORGWEN WOULD HAVE MADE A PERFECT QUEEN DUO FIGHT ME.

Merlin’s face when Arthur says he’s going to the forest to seek Anhorra out 🥺 Also the way he looks back like he wants to see the exact moment Arthur figures out that he’s eating rat meat 🤣 Merlin’s sarcastic little nod. Arthur’s shit-eating grin. This is what I mean by sibling dynamics.

AND THEN THEY TURN ON MORGANA ASDJSAJASLDKKLDJSA. MERLIN. ARTHUR. NO 🤣🤣🤣

“The King must wonder if you are even his son.“ I absolutely do not like how Anhora chose to do the test with Evan here. I hate it. But it does prepare Arthur for a lot of things. It prepares him to do things his father normally would not do. It prepares him to ignore when people compare him to his father (not that it worked with Agravaine, but Arthur does eventually come around most of the time with Merlin’s help). I find it like a mini 5x03 in a way. Also the fact that Arthur doesn’t even try to defend himself by saying that the looter would have been executed by the law of the land anyway; because deep down he knows that reasoning is wrong. What needs to be changed currently is Arthur’s arrogance in regards to his honour, not his internal morals. He has already proven his internal morals with saving Mordred, laying down his life in 1x09, as well as rescuing Ealdor and his reaction to finding out Will was a sorcerer in 1x10. Right now, Arthur needs to be able to accept that he is wrong.

“Besides I would rather starve than beg my enemies for help! What of our kingdom's reputation? Have you no pride?” “I cannot think of my pride when our people go hungry. They're all I can think of.” I’m screaming over the fact that what ends up beating sense into Arthur is his love for his people. I want to cry. He loves his people so much that his battle cry is “for the love of Camelot” 😭❤️

“Very well. But if you'd caught the sorcerer, I would not have to. That's your responsibility! One day you will understand what it takes to be King!” One day, Uther, you’ll learn to blame yourself for other people’s suffering.

“My people are starving. Camelot is on the verge of collapse. And it is all my doing.“ IT DIDN’T EVEN TAKE ARTHUR A DAY TO LEARN THIS I WANT TO CRY 😭 FUCK YOU UTHER YOU DON’T DESERVE ARTHUR AT ALL. (also the fact that Arthur fiddles with Ygraine’s ring as he says this 😭❤️)

“I trust Arthur with my life” the fact that arthur proves that trust right both in this episode by drinking the goblet and in the previous episode by admitting that he “of course” would not kill Will despite thinking he was a sorcerer.

Why the hell does Anhora use a sword to cast the vine spell.

“I thought I told you to stay at home.” Every time Arthur calls Camelot ‘home’ for Merlin I 🥺

Are those carvings... horseshoes...? Making the shape of a heart....? I--

(Sorry guys. By this point it’s 200% certain that my shipper brain is going to take over. Please expect a lot of screaming)

“What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?” “What it proves is for you to decide.” Which means that by the end, Arthur realizes what this test proves. And he proves what is truly in his heart by sacrificing his life for merlin. Remember “To sacrifice his life to save Gwen’s... I can’t imagine any man loving me so much.” “I certainly can’t imagine that either” “That’s because you’re not like Merlin. He’s a lover” “Yeah? Maybe that’s because I haven’t found the right person to love”. Remember how in the book adaptation this episode, it says that Arthur proves that there is love in his heart by giving his life for Merlin? Remember “there was magic at the heart of Camelot”? Remember how in the book version Arthur doesn’t deny having love in his heart when Anhora says so when the Unicorn lives again, and instead turns his head to smile at Merlin--

“I’m glad you’re here, Merlin.” @thebookluvrr1816​ More 1x11-finale parallels to scream about 😭 The book version describes Merlin’s surprise at this statement, and how he thought it was “ironic and unfair” that they understood each other "at the very moment that death was about to tear them apart.”

“No, I will drink it!” “As if I’d let you.” Someone stop these dollopheads from having a domestic about who will die for the other i beg

“You know me, Merlin. I never listen to you.” reminds me of “I’m the king Merlin, you can’t tell me what to do.” “I always have. I’m not going to change now.” Also, in the books Arthur actually says “farewell, Merlin” after this. Book Arthur is way more suave just saying.

HOW ARTHUR LOOKS INTO MERLIN’S EYES IN HIS FINAL MOMENTS UNTIL HE ISN’T PHYSICALLY ABLE TO ANYMORE. SOMEONE HELP ME 😭

“This was Arthur's test, not yours.“ idk but this reminds me of the fisher king saying “For this is not Arthur's quest, it is yours.“

“You've killed him! I was meant to protect him!” This is going to sound harsh but by this point I think Merlin was still putting Arthur’s destiny above Arthur himself. In the books, there’s a distinct difference in how he feels about Arthur’s death in this scene compared to 1x13 (I’m amazed at how fast his feelings changes, actually). Here, I feel like he focuses more on his own failure to protect Arthur as part of his destiny, but in 1x13, he says that the idea of destiny not being fulfilled was nothing compared to the idea of not being by Arthur’s side. I wonder what happens between this and 1x13 for Merlin’s feelings to change so much.

THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN STATED MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE BUT “HE HAS PROVEN WHAT IS TRULY IN HIS HEART“ AS THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON MERLIN. PRODUCERS YOU AIN’T SNEAKY.

Merlin’s smile as he looks down at Arthur sleeping 🥺

Arthur looking at Uther’s hand on his shoulder as if he’s trying to identify a foreign object 🙂 I can never say this enough but fuck you Uther.

“When he who kills a unicorn proves himself to be pure of heart, the unicorn will live again.” this is a stretch but it reminds me of “when Albion’s need is greatest, Arthur will rise again.”

And that’s done! I have a small meta that ties the theme of Arthur and magic in this episode to the same themes in 1x10, but I might do it on a separate post since this one is already so long 😂

[thechampagnecircus]

Fire is a Force

Earth, Air, Fire, Water; all natural elements that are beautiful and essential in their own rights.  But when out of control can wreak havoc on our world.  I am aware that wildfires have a place in the natural cycle, and promote the growth of new forests, but if run amok can destroy all in it’s path.  I feel as though people don’t consider them a normal natural disaster, but they are. Although they can -and are- sometimes started by careless humans, it’s just like a hurricane or tidal wave and we are at it’s mercy.  On this note, it is obvious that our trip to the lake this year was a bit different than the norm.  With the heat wave and drought the summer brought, there was no denying the plethora of wildfires scattered throughout most of British Columbia.  The entire province was a tinderbox and the inevitability of wildfires quickly came to fruition.  

I did not grow up with wildfires as a threat, or annual fixture like those on the West Coast.  There were the obligatory Smokey the Bear signs plastered in every small Maine town.  With a fire risk meter -usually on low- and the famous line “Only YOU can prevent forest fires” shaking it’s finger at you.  I learned from a young age to practice safe camping and summer behavior but I never experienced the fear of an actual fire that was spiralling out of control. Having said that, we were not short of other bullying weather entities. We had the rogue hurricane.  Bob, Irene and Sandy all made appearances throughout the years. Hurricane Matthew crashed my cousin Sara’s wedding a few years ago. The uninvited guest who made quite the splash. I also witnessed a small tornado once in the car with my Mum when I was young.  There were infinite thunderstorms married with hail and torrential downpours.  Power outages caused by massive blizzards, and even the famous ice storm of ‘99 which any Mainer will undoubtedly remember.  I mean, shit, Stephen King wrote a made-for-TV movie about it.  But no fires.  

I always heard crazy stories in California and Western North America, especially within the last ten years.  I am sure there are implications of global warming and climate change that could be made, but I won’t fall down that rabbit hole.  It is one thing to hear of devastating fires; as if they are some distant reality. But another to be in their path. Two years ago my first taste of this reality came to life.  A wall of heavy smoke rolled into Calgary.  It was a Friday and everything turned gray.  But not just gray, it was purplish yellow, thick and blocked the sun with an infamous red glare.  When I stepped outside, I could feel the weight of the air and the faintest smell of char.  However, it passed in time for work on Monday and it was back to business as usual.  

That same year, we had our first trip to the lake booked with friends.  We were so excited to show them the waterfront we rave about every summer.  As the plane landed in Kelowna we quickly realized that our dreams of a weekend filled with boating in the sunshine were not coming to pass.  The air quality was at an all time high.  We arrived in the afternoon but it looked like nighttime as the entire valley was shrouded in smoke.  We stuck it out for our four days, staying inside most of the time, playing games and drinking way too much booze to drown our dashed expectations.  

Fast forward to this year.  As I mentioned before, this summer has been filled with record breaking heat and rainfall decided to take a hiatus.  It was the perfect storm of dry conditions and intense temperatures that set the stage for a flash mob of fires to appear.  As we were driving to the lake ten days ago, we drove through varying degrees of smoke levels.  There were road closures, alerts and so many fires it was hard to keep track.  The Sunday before we left, one fire by White Rock Lake had begun, and that was the one we were most worried about due to its location.  It was still small and about 35 km away so we trudged on.  We knew we wanted to make the most of our trip regardless.  We arrived and within one day the air quality was at a 10++.  The air hardly felt like air anymore, thick with particulates and the deep smell of cinder.  The whole family was tentative and staying inside for the most part.  But after a couple days, we began to spend time outside anyways.  You know, YOLO.  It was our vacation and hell, high water, or smoke wasn’t going to ruin our holiday.  We were weary, and aware but still were able to boat, swim, drink pina coladas on the deck and seize the day.  It’s funny how quickly you can become accustomed to something and your threshold for certain things begins to ascend.  After about a week, the smoke had begun to wane and hope felt a bit restored, despite the fire to the North that was not letting up. We kept our heads up but were watching it like a flock of hawks.  

My uncertainty was building with everyday and every update. I have never been good at waiting for the other shoe to drop.  My anxiety and perhaps need for control cannot handle it.  I like to know.  Once I can make a decision and attack it, I feel comfortable. But limbo is not a place I like to be.  Everyone else seemed to have an easier time going with the flow.  Just relax and enjoy ourselves until we get news that we need to evacuate.  I envy that in others.  I truly do.  I had a hard time fully immersing in the moment the last couple days. We were checking perimeter maps and articles, Twitter posts and updates every couple hours.  Once we were under alert and the winds were unrelenting I knew it was only a matter of time.  I felt it in my gut.  My anxiety would run away with itself every once in a while, visualizing flames coming over the hill and us abandoning all belongings to dramatically escape in the nick of time by speed boat.  But then I would quickly bring myself back with reassurance and remember that the fire department would order our evacuation long before that situation was coming to life.  

Our plan for the last few days of our trip were to slowly clean, pack up and ease into a Saturday departure.  Truthfully, it took some convincing from my husband as I was feeling antsy to leave as the rumours of evacuation were swirling and the fire was creeping closer and closer by Thursday night.  But ironically Friday morning the smoke that had shadowed almost our whole trip had completely disappeared.  The sun was out, cumulus clouds were floating in stereotypical perfection as if plucked out of a Bob Ross painting.  The wind was blowing and if you breathed deeply for a second you forgot that just a few kilometers away the meanest, most out-of-control fire in BC was tip-toeing closer and closer.  Just as we got settled to soak up our last day of vacation, the evacuation order came in.  We took an hour or so to pack up and we were out by 1 pm yesterday.  Due to road closures, construction, two car accidents and general traffic, it took us about 9 hours to get home to Calgary.  

It felt wonderful to wake up in our own bed this morning, but our minds are still thinking about what is going on the Okanagan.  The whole of Vernon is now on alert. They fear embers from the fire could create new fires by jumping the lake. We saw a video showing parts of Westside road, the road we take to get to our place, ablaze in rampant flames.  Our hearts are sinking a bit in pessimism that it might reach our doorstep.  I can’t help but feel selfish, here worrying about a vacation home.  There are those who are displaced, in an evacuation center, praying their homes don’t burn to the ground.  And I feel for them.  Wholeheartedly.  I can’t imagine the torment and anxiety of such a situation.  But also, the lake house on Beachwood Road is our little slice of paradise.  It harbors countless family memories, photos, the kid’s heights on a hallway ruler, meals cooked over wine and laughter, projects started and finished, a safe haven during quarantine.  Aaron’s dad has put endless blood, sweat and tears into getting the cottage just right for every family visit.  Putting in stone patios, a brilliant deck built from scratch, his peach tree he desperately tries to save from the deer, bedroom renovations to accommodate the entire gaggle of us so everyone has a place to sleep.  Our kids have gone out a number of times to help their Bumpa hammer nails, dig window wells, drywall and install shiplap for their Amma.  I am sad to think all that will be lost and what it means moving forward.  At the end of the day, there is insurance and all materials can be replaced and structures rebuilt.  We are all safe and my fingers are crossed in hopes that the brave people fighting this fire start to get it under control.  May our piece of heaven be spared, but most importantly mother nature run it’s course with forgiveness.

Copyright © 2021 Carly Eddy.

[euroman1945-blog]

The Daily Tulip

The Daily Tulip – News From Around The World

Wednesday 8th August 2018

Good Morning Gentle Reader….  I hope you slept well and feel refreshed to face the day, Coffee tastes good this morning as always and I poured you a cup, so enjoy, Bella my dog is relaxed after walking under a clear sky filled with stars and is sleeping at my feet as I ready to type the Daily Tulip, having read the news from around the world, I don’t quite know where to start today, So as my Mother used to say start at the beginning..

SWISS POLICE SAY DOGS SHOULD WEAR SHOES IN HEATWAVE…. Police in the Swiss city of Zurich are urging owners to buy shoes for their dogs, in order to protect their paws in the high temperatures, reports say. According to the public broadcaster SRF, the police in Zurich have launched the "Hot Dog campaign", and are educating dog owners on how they can protect their four-legged friends in the hot weather, given that the overheated pavements can be painful on their feet. A prolonged heatwave throughout Europe means that Switzerland has had one of the hottest summers since records began in 1864, with temperatures this July hovering around 30C (86F). Parts of the country have also experienced droughts, the SwissInfo news website reports. According to Zurich Police Spokesperson Michael Walker, 30 degrees can feel like 50-55 degrees on the ground, and can cause particular discomfort to canines. "When a dog walks on hot asphalt, he can burn his feet - just like a human walking barefoot," he tells SRF. The Zurich City Police are advising owners to check before taking their dogs out on walks whether the ground is too hot, by measuring the temperature with the back of their hand for five seconds. They are also advising pet owners against leaving animals in hot cars, and ensuring that they have enough drinking water.

NEW ZEALAND SHOP BATTLES IN COURT OVER WEETABIX IMPORTS…. A shop owner in New Zealand is involved in a battle of the breakfast cereals after her plans to import British favourite Weetabix ended up in court. British expat Lisa Wilson wanted to sell the wheat-based breakfast to homesick Britons in her Canterbury-based shop A Little Bit of Britain, but has come up against domestic manufacturer Sanitarium, which says the brand name is too similar to their own local brand Weet-Bix, Radio New Zealand reports. Customs officials seized a shipment of Weetabix last August after a complaint by Sanitarium. Weet-Bix is a hugely popular brand in both Australia and New Zealand complete with celebrity endorsements, and Sanitarium are keen to protect their trademark. "The issue is the potential and real threat of Weetabix coming into this market and cashing in on this great brand that Kiwis love," Sanitarium's Rob Scoines told the New Zealand Herald. Mr Scoines pointed out last August that Weet-Bix cannot be sold in the UK because of its similarity to British brand Weetabix. With the case at the High Court in Christchurch hinging on whether customers are likely to be confused by the difference between a hyphen and the letter 'a', Ms Wilson thinks that her largely expatriate customers in New Zealand know exactly what they're buying. "The Weetabix box actually has the UK price in pound sterling written on the front... and I have never had anybody asking why our Weetabix are so expensive, thinking they were New Zealand products," she says. "They know they are British Weetabix as we sell British groceries." She went on to tell the local Newshub website that she's making no attempt to pass the cereal off as Weet-Bix, and has turned down a compromise offered by Sanitarium to have the Weetabix logo covered. Ms Wilson is hoping for a swift judgment in the case, not least because last August's shipment is still being held by customs officials. Tomorrow is the last day of the hearing; however, Ms Wilson may have a bit longer to wait, with Radio NZ saying that Justice David Gendall is likely to reserve judgement.

RUSSIAN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN TURNS SONGWRITER…. The Russian Foreign Ministry's chief spokeswoman seems to have a burgeoning second career writing lyrics for pop songs. Maria Zakharova, despite a full-time day job as the public face of Russian diplomacy, has supplied the words to "Paid in Full", a break-up song performed by popular singer Katya Lel, Argumenty i Fakty newspaper reports. The bouncy number, which would not sound out of place on Eurovision, came about as a chance encounter between Katya Lel and Ms Zakharova, the latter coming up with the lyrics "after a sleepless night". "I paid for everything… The race is over, and you are not the only one anymore. I'm free like a wave, once again," the Russian lyrics go. It's not the first time that she's branched out into song, either. Last year she wrote "Return the Memory", a song about Syria for singer Narghiz. However, Ms Zakharova has pointed out that she's not for hire. She told the official TASS news agency: "Many people ask me to write, but I don't work to order. I need to feel, to understand - emotions come first, and then the words." Nor is she the first Russian government official to go into music. Vladimir Putin's former speechwriter Jakhan Pollieva has written lyrics for a number of songs, including the 2007 hit "A Snowstorm is Coming", while the president's advisor and one-time deputy prime minister Vladislav Surkov reportedly wrote lyrics for the now-defunct Russian rock band Agatha Christie.

CANADIAN PUDDLE SPLASH VAN DRIVER LOSES JOB…. A van driver in the Canadian city of Ottawa has been sacked after they were filmed repeatedly splashing pedestrians. Contracting company Black & McDonald said in a Facebook post that the individual concerned is "no longer employed" with them after a video of their anti-social behaviour went viral, Canadian broadcaster CBC reports. A 45 second clip, filmed on a rear-facing dashcam, shows the unidentified driver veering into the kerb on a rainy day to drench pedestrians at least three times. At the very end of the clip, the company's logo is clearly seen on the side of the vehicle. The video has been viewed over 750,000 times, and Black & McDonald subsequently made an apology for their driver's behaviour on its Facebook page. It says: "We apologise to everyone impacted by the recent incident in Ottawa of unacceptable driving by one of our van drivers... This is an isolated incident and the individual is no longer employed with Black & McDonald." A spokesperson also said the company had been co-operating with the police over the incident. According to the Ottawa Sun newspaper, the driver will not face any criminal charges, with police considering the driver's sacking being punishment enough. "We consider the file now closed," Sgt. Mark Gatien told the press. "The outcome from the employer we feel is enough of a lesson learned for him and your readers and viewers."

BEAR SCARES TRANSYLVANIA POLITICAL SUMMER CAMP…. A summer camp for young Transylvania political activists is reeling from close encounters with a bear in the mountains of northern Romania. The local members of the ethnic-Hungarian minority were looking forward to lively debates at the annual Tusnadfurdo gathering of their branch of Fidesz, the right-wing populist party that governs neighbouring Hungary, according to the Budapest Sztar Klikk news site. But the first sign that events might be taking a livelier course than usual came on Wednesday night, when a female bear entered the camp at Baile Tusnad and bit a man on the arm and clawed his leg. He is receiving treatment in a local hospital, the Romanian newspaper Adevarul reported. But when the bear reappeared in the parking lot the following evening, many of the participants "ran screaming in panic", Sztar Klikk said. The encounters have more than local implications, as Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban is due in the camp at the weekend to deliver a keynote speech about his government's policy towards Hungarian communities abroad. He used the same event to set out his vision of building an "illiberal state" back in 2014. Csaba Borboly, the head of Harghita Council, said he had asked the Romanian government to deal with the danger posed by bears in the area for some time. Environment Minister Gratiela Gavrilescu responded by authorising hunters to move the mother bear to the Zarnesti Bear Sanctuary - in particular as it appeared that her cubs had been killed in a train collision, and there was a danger that she might become more aggressive, Romania's Observator TV reports. The forests of Transylvania are home to 6,000-7,000 brown bears, and controlling the population has been a hot political issue in Romania for years.

Well Gentle Reader I hope you enjoyed our look at the news from around the world this, morning… …

Our Tulips today are the world's largest tulip carpet is seen at Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Turkey

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Wednesday 8th August 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus