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soft-pine · 2 months ago

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okay so @monstermoviedean is watching s14 rn and her takes are god tier!!! and you should all go read her blog please!

but it just makes me want to talk about lebanon/14.13 so much! like it really is one of my favorite episodes of spn. which is crazy i know because i truly hate john with every fiber of my being but i think this episode reveals so much about him & dean's relationship with him with delicious subtly!

and i've yapped at random on twitter about this but i want to gather all my thoughts in one place.

dean's relationship with john is The most important relationship in spn that i'm interested in unpacking. (i am normal and fine and this has nothing to do with my own issues)

i think for some people who understand john as abusive, it is frustrating and jarring to see him come back after so many years and just be kinda nice. especially given that dean has just finally started to talk to his family about some of the bad things john did.

i maintain that dean has been pretty clear with cas and like random strangers that his dad was shitty. but in 14.11, he tells mary the winchester surprise story. while he doesn't frame the story as truly a critique of john, it is a contrast to his quiet silence and pained expression after newly-resurrected mary says john was a good father in 12.02. in 14.12, dean opens up to sam about how when john was pissed off at dean, he would send him away. this is a stark new light on dean's comments from 7.14 where he apologizes to sam for sometimes "ditching him" when they were kids. sam quickly shuts down dean's apology in 14.12 and subsequent discussion about dean's regrets and feelings about john. but since sam's shift in his opinion about john in 2.02, dean pretty consistently keeps his criticism to himself in front of sam so this is a marked change. and the very next episode script draft includes the infamous "probably pulled the wide-eye hitchhiker routine. dad made me do it all the time on hunts. as bait." so, given the episodes and revelations that bookend 14.13, it's understandable how hard it is to see john and dean interact at all.

but i think it's perfect! because it so clearly shows every truth of their relationship.

firstly, we can look at who john apologizes to. in 1.16, 1.20, and 14.13 john is reunited with sam & dean after time apart. and in all three episodes, he apologizes and/or works to make amends with sam for their fractured relationship. in fact, in 14.13, it's a mention of the winchester surprise that triggers john's apology to sam.

in contrast, the only time john apologizes to dean for his childhood is 2.01 when he says sorry for making dean always have to look after him and sam. and then promptly asks him to kill sam if he has to.

it's crushing to me that at no point does john see the way he treated dean as anything to make amends for. instead, in 1.21 and 14.13, he frames dean not "having a home" or "having a family," "a normal life" as circumstances outside his control or as somehow dean's choice. and yet, john is entirely responsible. he is the one moving dean from school to school, getting him into credit card fraud, taking him on hunts. in 12.09 it's established that dean has as long arrest/warrant record which includes things we never see him getting arrested for in canonical spn. he is the one who always said hunting was temporary (6.02) and yet never allowed for a way out. so even though john's affect is kinder, we know he isn't meaningfully taking accountability for a huge amount of his actions.

it's the reason for the kinder affect we can look at next. because what is one of the most common indicators of abusive dynamics? treating people differently in public vs private. and critically for almost all of 14.13, mary is observing john. and we know that despite their marital problems (5.16), she considered him a good father. he doesn't know that the life he forced sam and dean into is the very worst thing she could have imagined for her children (4.03), but we can tell from his apologies to sam that john is at least aware of things he did which he regrets.

before mary arrives, he is giving sam and dean orders, "You boys better tell me what the hell is going on right now." i recognize he's very disoriented but this affect disappears entirely after mary shows up. i cannot overstate how much i love how not stern and harsh john is here because it shows that he could have always chosen to be like that. but there weren't negative consequences (a wife who might be angry with him) to face.

i've said before that i think one of the reasons that john kept sam & dean away from hunter gatherings and meeting other hunters (2.03, 12.06) is because hunters they met might have acted exactly how dean acts to krissy's dad in 7.11 and told him to quit. the hunters/community john did maintain relationships with were sometimes kinda shitty people - Deacon (2.19), Travis (4.04), Martin (8.09). not that Bobby, Caleb, Pastor Jim, Bill Harvell, Daniel Elkin were necessarily like that but I do think its worth looking at who John's friends who he didn't have a falling-out with were. Like Fred Jones who gave Sam & Dean their first beers when they weren't even 10 (8.08).

some other details about that first reunion kitchen conversation that always stick out to me are john finishing the drink dean pours for him while dean & sam barely touch theirs. it's also significant to me that dean tells mary in 12.01 that john died to save him. but here, he tells john that he died taking out yellow-eyes (which is literally not what happened. like specifically he died by making a deal with azazel). dean, always working to deescalate and maintain the peace, instantly clocks which thing they will each find more soothing to hear.

one thing that i see people often critique is the idea that john coming back is somehow the thing dean wished for the most. but what dean actually says is that this is something he's wanted since he was four years old. so it's really not about john back at all. john died when dean was 27. but mary died when dean was four. and that cause nearly every hard, traumatic, awful thing in dean's life. to some extent, i think it was about wanting john to have mary back. throughout dean's entire life, john used the loss of mary as an excuse for how he acted and what he made dean & sam do. so of course what dean wants most is... for that not to have happened.

and this brings my to my second favorite part of the episode. but you'll only catch if you're paying attention. dean says he's thrilled to have john back and yet at every chance he gets, he leaves the room john's in. he leaves the kitchen when john reunites with mary. dean gets the grocery list from mary while john has a tearful apology with sam. dean talks to john again only because he has to tell him about the pearl but then leaves to help cook. after dinner, he goes to do the dishes. dean really is not actually trying to spend time with john - even when they get a deadline for when their time with him is over, dean is not trying to make the most of it. and god i love him for that.

i sympathize with people who are frustrated to see dean fall back into the role of caretaker for john's emotions and wellbeing. and i agree but i appreciate that it is very clear that's what's happening. he's performing the role he's always been forced to perform. he may be more aware of it as a performance this time. he may be taking more steps to remove himself from having to interact with john. but i would almost feel worse if he wasn't getting john a drink, doing what he said, going on little errands, cooking, cleaning up. john says "You want to give your mom a hand?" and of course he goes.

i think dean always has held both deep hurt from and empathy for john and this episode is full of both of them. and while i think it's always hard to hear dean slip back into those moments of empathy (8.12 is always rough for me), it's so real that's where he would be sometimes. so much of being a child who's made responsible for your parent's emotions means that there is such a deep part of you that wants to protect them from harm.

i personally think the song "til it shines" by bob seger is an insane choice to play over their dinner scene. because, though that's not the part of the song that plays, the lines "Take the chip off of my shoulder. Smooth out all the lines. Take me out among the rustling pines, till it shines, ah, till it shines" always strike me as trying to see something through rose-tinted glasses in a way. or maybe acknowledging the performative, white-washing that's being done?

anyway, i understand why people want dean to have a cathartic yelling session with john. but honestly im not sure that would ever sit right with me. i think honestly 14.13 is kind of perfect. john comes back and it proves everything. john could always be kind (he took you to a freaking baseball game (4.19)). he could always apologize. he always did say he wanted the boys to get out of hunting but never even tried to make it happen.

and that brings me to my favorite part of the episode. my darling. my baby. my treasure. dean says, "i have a family." and what that means to him is his own. he gets to keep it. he gets to mean it without john's scrutiny. without him tearing it apart. the conversation sam & dean have over dishes is another deeply meaningful part. dean specifically rejects the idea of telling john the truth about any of it - even if it would change things. because he's good with who he is. "Cause our lives – they’re ours."

this matters so much to me because i don't think dean's healing can ever be contingent on john - not on his reaction, not on finally telling him the truth, not on john getting comeuppance for all the shit he did, not even on changing the past so john has more information because the critical thing that 14.13 and 4.19 show is that john literally did not do the best he could. so what could change that?

in the kitchen, dean tells sam that he blamed john for "the longest time". do you understand how much it means to me to hear him say that?! because i think of course blaming john is the first step! dean was hurt and he was angry about that and he should be!

but dean's healing can't just stop there. while i know there will be moments as he heals where he's angry with john again, the beautiful core of dean's healing i see in 14.13 is him being clear on where the boundary of him and his wants, goals, needs, and priorities are vs john's. i think a lot of dean's young relationship with john was him being forced to keep parts of himself (the parts that didn't like to hunt for example) secret out of shame and necessity. but here, i don't think dean is carrying that shame anymore. he is very clear on how what he wants from his life differs from what john would want but dean sticks to his own values. he has a family. he's good with who he is. it's just none of john's goddamn business.

anyway, as always mitski says it best....

plus we get two of THE MOST shots of dean's face of all time for me!!! like my god stabbing me would hurt less!!!

plus! PLUS!! CHERRY ON TOP!!! LOOK AT THESE NOOOOOODLES

in conclusion. your honor, i love her.

#14.13 lebanon #14.13 #damn i should have been posting on tumblr alllll along #twitter is so short compared to this #and boy do i love to yap #dean & john #spn meta #i understand i am doing a bit of a restorative reading of this #on purpose #and there are other readings which are totally possible #and make me sadder #but i like this one #dean studies

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incesthemes · 3 months ago

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happy wincest wednesday!! i'm curious about what you think might happen to sam and dean's relationship in a world where they never find john in season one (eg. azazel kidnaps him to take him off the chessboard, he dies on an obscure hunt without lining up the clues well enough for s&d to follow him, etcetera). where would that major lingering question leave them? in terms of wincest, do you think john's death was necessary to "allow" them to act on their codependency, or would his absence push them together regardless?

OK please excuse any typos, i AM writing this with a cast on. anyway HAPPY WINCEST WEDNESDAY!!!!! this is such an awesome prompt, you've definitely got me thinking.

based on my understanding of seasons 1-2, john actually serves more to drive sam and dean apart than being them together, mostly in the way he serves as a symbol for sam and dean's fates, which are diametrically opposed. by pursuing john, they are pursuing the fates given to them, and those fates dictate a retelling of cain and abel: dean is supposed to kill sam, who has become a monster. it's only when they abandon john that they can avoid their destinies—which is why, in season 2, dean is successful at avoiding his fate (for the most part, starting from 2.09), but sam is not. sam, rather, is following a path he believes john would have wanted for him by continuing to hunt (he completely made this up in his head which is still so funny to me), but in reality pursuing the hunt continues to push him down the road azazel wanted for him. and this is why, during their "honeymoon" phase circa 2.10 to 2.17 (and ambiguously continued into 2.20), sam is the one driving most of the conflict, while dean takes an emotional, supportive role to reassure sam that he doesn't have to succumb to fate. dean has, in these episodes, fully abandoned his fate, while sam still clings to it and introduces doubt into dean's mind through his own self-assured convictions. and this is paralleled by dean fully abandoning his father and the duty john saddled him with, and by sam wanting to honor his father by continuing to hunt down azazel (and hunt in general).

and we see this in season 1 as well: every time john makes an appearance in some way, it furthers the plot. and the plot is sam's fate (dean's fate isn't truly introduced until season 2, and so dean exists sort of ambiguously and as a result lacks narrative agency throughout season 1; his decisions make no impact on the story and sam alone drives the plot forward). john is a symbol for azazel, functionally speaking, and azazel is a symbol for sam's fate. john is azazel is destiny. thus why sam and john are so deeply paralleled and intertwined: they all come to reflect the same thing. in this way dean is the true outsider to the conflict pertinent to the story, and he's treated as such throughout the first season. he makes his mark instead by parroting john, by becoming his mouthpiece in his absence. his own individuality is constantly pushed to the side and suppressed until 1.18 allows him to finally move forward into some semblance of personhood, which is what he needs in order to finally defy john in 1.20.

i just realized this is a lot of context and not an actual answer lmao but basically all of this to say, i don't actually think john's death was necessary for their codependency. it took root in them around 1.11, long before they actually "found" john in 1.16. and it was 1.18, an episode which had little to do with john directly, which allowed dean to break out of the mold he had forced himself into. the act of choosing each other, specifically over john (who represents fate), is what allows them to achieve codependency. the moment where they choose to exist in a codependent relationship indeed is one where john is still alive, in the season 1 finale. sam chooses dean over john, in doing so abandoning his fate, and they solidify their deeper connection. it is in fact john's death which causes sam to falter in this conviction because of his desire to honor john's memory (again by just making shit up in his head about his father. i love him), and this decision has massive ramifications throughout the rest of the season.

if, instead, they simply lost john and never found him, i think a lot of the john-generated conflict would have been avoided. and john generates a lot of conflict for someone who shows up in just a handful of episodes, because he is a symbol of destiny for both of his children, pressuring them in equal amounts but in completely different ways. without that pressure looming over their heads, i think pretty much all of the conflict in season 2 could have been avoided: sam wouldn't feel the need to keep hunting azazel despite throwing away his fate and likely wouldn't be so resistant to dean's persuasions; dean wouldn't be torn between duty to his father and duty to his brother; john's memory wouldn't have caused the problems it did in the first half of the season (especially 2.02-2.04). assuming the rest of season 1 played out roughly the same even with john's absence, it would stand to reason that they would still choose their codependency, and they would settle into some kind of fucked-up domestic bliss—probably continuing to hunt small-scale until azazel inevitably forced their hand anyway (tenacious bastard). sam giving up on his revenge quest would settle most of the enduring conflicts in season 2, and sam only doesn't do that because of john's death.

of course, this makes the assumption that abandoning john is still their active choice. i think that's a reasonable assumption to make because they had begun the process of extricating themselves from their father way, way before john ever shows up or before the end of the season where they achieve codependency. for dean this looks like rebellion, defiance against the iron grip john has around him. and for sam this looks like forgiveness, which he steadily accomplishes across season 1. by 1.20 they no longer define themselves by john but by each other, and it's a mere two episodes before they make the final plunge into each other. it has little to do with john and much more to do with themselves and their interactions, their natural conflict and their unique resolutions. giving up on finding dad seemed to already be something dean was working towards by the time john showed his face in 1.16 (he was resistant to pursuing john single-mindedly and preferred to focus on the smaller hunts, both out of deference to john and out of his own desire to save people), and sam's gradual forgiveness of john began as early as 1.08. so really it was specifically his absence that allowed them to come together, because the groundwork for their extrication began without john and it bloomed despite john. he is the axis around which they are turned, but it is the process of overcoming him which allows them to choose each other. they replace their father with their brother (and in 2.03 sam even offers to replace john very, very literally, by "filling the hole" john left behind in dean) and this replacement—literally, as their father and the man who raised them, and figuratively, as the symbol for their destinies—is the foundation of their codependency.

at the same time, this doesn't exactly look at the potential conflicts that would arise with john's absence. there would be little plot movement without him there driving them forward; they would remain stagnant, and that stagnation could disallow the blossoming of their codependency through a lack of choices and decisions. it is of course the deliberate choosing of brother over father which inevitably drives them closer—in 1.11 it's sam choosing to save dean instead of finding john; in 1.16 it's dean choosing to send john away instead of braving the world together; in 1.20 it's sam and dean both standing up to john in equal measures; in 1.21-22, it's sam choosing to let azazel escape. without john exerting pressure on them, sam and dean sit comfortably without moving, together but with a marked distance between them. which was exactly meg's plan in 1.16: they weren't moving fast enough for her liking, so she used john as bait (the three of them were mutually bait for each other, rather) to force them to make decisions.

so it's sort of a double-edged sword. they steadily come together and twist themselves around each other without john there to drive them apart, but at the same time it is john's active presence which allows them to take definitive steps toward their desired state of being (codependency). without the pressure john exerts on the narrative, their progress is slow, and they're too nervous to make those drastic leaps from step to step without some external force pitting them against each other. in that way they're a little too comfortable with each other (a lifetime together will do that for you), and they have to be unavoidably forced out of that comfort in order for them to commit to anything. john is both the driving force for their codependency and the wedge hammered between them, which sums up his narrative role so poetically if you ask me.

so like, tldr (seriously), i think if john went missing and they made the active choice to stop looking for him, they still definitely would have the potential to achieve codependency, but it might take them a much longer time to do so, especially with azazel's meddling (because he, of course, wants them to kill each other—that's their destiny after all). without something to rotate around, they risk stagnation, but it would likely be a comfortable stagnation with steady, if slow, progress toward a better, closer relationship. i wouldn't say the end product would ever be healthy though, because it's clear early on that their ideal relationship with each other is that of codependency, and so they are constantly striving for that end goal. and like, thank god for that, idk what i'd do if they were normal about each other 💦

#ask #wincest #wincest wednesday #supernatural #wow. i didn't mean to write so much #my wrist hurts now LMAO???#anyway thank you for sending this to me........... wow this was fun #more people should do this actually it should be a trend #wincest wednesday send random people wincest-related questions and prompts and see what they do with it

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ginkgomoon · 4 years ago

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Victor's Pudding Recipe 🍮

Ah... pudding.

The pudding was put in a small, delicate porcelain cup, with a thing frosting of caramel.

As the aroma of pudding spread on my taste buds, deep in my memory, a door seemed to be gently pushed open.

What a warm, familiar flavour, buried deep in my memory.

Something suddenly dawns on me.

All these years, I've been trying to make pudding just to find this flavour. -Chapter 4-13

Finally, Victor's famous pudding.

I never thought finding one darn mint leaf would be so hard. The ones I brought home yesterday went bad, and the multiple stores I went to didn't have it available. But it's okay, I finally found it in the end. Whew! I personally hate mint, so this is the first time I've never been happy to see it. If money can buy happiness, my $1.20 is it.

The photo above is actually my 6th attempt at Victor's pudding. (The evolution item ver.) My original method was to steam them, not oven bake them- but both work just fine!

The huge sigh of relief when I took it out of its pudding cup and saw it PERFECTLY SIT THERE. IN ALL ITS PUDDING GLORY.

There are actually quite a few variations of Victor's pudding, but I'm doing mine based on the anime and of the evolution item. Sorry Weibo pudding, blueberries aren't in season now where I am, apparently.

Truly hope it ends up being perfect on your first try. If you have made the pudding with my recipe, please send photos so I can see!!

If there's any other recipes you want me to make, please comment them below :)

Good luck~

Ingredients

Caramel

4 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp water

1-2 tbsp hot water

Egg Mixture

2 eggs

250 ml milk

5 tbsp sugar

Decoration/Garnish

Pudding cups/bowl

Vanilla Wafer

Mint

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Coat the inner surface of the custard cups with unsalted butter. This will make it easy to remove the pudding from the cups. (I used small bowls/souffle moulds to hold the pudding instead if you don't have pudding cups)

Put the 4 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water in the pot. Heat the pot at medium heat.

Let it sit until the surface becomes darker. Swirl the pot and even out the sugar liquid. Wait for caramelisation.

Remove pot from heat after.

Quickly add the 1-2 tbsp hot water in. Swirl the pot and even out the hot caramel.

Pour the caramel evenly into the pudding cups/bowls.

Crack the two eggs into a bowl. Lightly beat the egg. Don't whisk too much to avoid making foam.

Add the 250 ml milk and 5 tbsp sugar in a pot. Turn on heat.

Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

Add the milk to the beaten egg gradually while whisking the mixture. Add in slowly to make sure you don't scramble the eggs in the process.

Sieve the egg mixture with a fine mesh strainer. Scrape off the bottom of the strainer with a spatula.

Remove any foam on the surface with a spoon.

Pour the egg mixture into an easy-to-pour container.

Gently fill the pudding cups with the egg mixture.

Cover each cup with foil. The foil will prevent the surface from getting dry. It will also help steam the pudding evenly.

Heat water in a baking tray and gently place the cups in it. There should be enough hot water to cover the bottom of the cups.

Bake for 40 minutes.

It should be a little bit jiggly and not overcooked when done.

Put oven mitts on and remove the custard cups.

When they become cool, store them in the fridge.

After when it's completely cold, scrape the side of the cup with the tip of a knife.

Place the pudding over onto a plate.

Add the garnishes of the mint and wafter.

Enjoy!

Don't forget to help clean the dishes for the bill.

This is the game evolution item version where the wafer is on-top of the pudding and not on the side of the plate.

Anime version and bird's eye view of the pudding.

I'm cutting into the pudding and it came out so smooth! I'm so happy that I persevered to make this beautiful pudding. Thank you, Victor!

"I've always liked cooking. Alone, I focus all five senses to find the most logical path. Working to achieve an ideal is a pleasant feeling for me."

"Is that all?"

"...I'm looking for someone. There was a possibility that this may lead to a clue. It was the faintest of possibilities."

"The food was made with that person in mind..." - MLQC Anime [Episode 3: A Taste of Reminiscence]

#mlqc #Love and producer #Mr love queens choice #souvenir #victor #mlqc victor #Li zeyan #Mlqc li zeyan #恋与制作人

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mittensmorgul · 4 years ago

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I think it’s pretty obvious that Dean was going to see Cas (even with the difference in time, his conversation with Bobby only makes sense if they were talking about Cas) and he ran into Sam around the way. The episode was missing about five minutes of content, which doesn’t make sense for a finale unless you axed a scene. Technically speaking, you can justify axing a Destiel scene if you think Destiel is obvious and the conversation with Bobby covers it, which is Covid’s fault

um... good for you for being able to believe that but...

I’m personally just going with my theory that our connection to their universe just... unplugged when Jack dissipated. It was obvious to me that he’d “fixed Heaven” at the end of 15.19, we didn’t need to literally murder Dean to learn that i mean... it was just... so disjointed and nothing fitted together right like without being able to “see” into their universe, our writers just went by the seat of their pants to cobble together a random hunt to have Dean effectively slip on a banana peel and die just to “prove” that Heaven was fun now and not just memories like WE GOT THAT ALREADY THANKS.

But like... literally nobody cared about that at this point anyway? But they knew they had to end the series somehow so this is what we got? Guesses as to how it might end, with nothing actually feeling satisfying?

Like... the most satisfying thing to me is the fact that we all have room to write FAR more satisfying closings to the universe.

Like ones were everyone actually gets to live and ENJOY the world they saved, and explore what it truly means to be a human with Free Will.

But ugh... how utterly disappointing in the execution.

I’m hanging my entire love of this show on a glitchy black screen in the opening shot of the episode, Dean’s weird “It’s my destiny” and “I have no other choice” but to feast on “Dabb’s Pies” and having one of those pies smashed in his face.

Then randomly arriving at a murder scene to a hunt for vampires that cosplayed as skeleton monsters that we all thought were human until they unmasked themselves, only to find Jenny the vampire from freaking 1.20 there, and then she died without any trouble at all but Dean... died in the stupidest possible way ever? Like how?

Sam gets the Happy Life With Wife And Son montage and grows old and dies, and shows up five minutes after Dean apparently arrived in Heaven?

Bobby gave Dean an El Sol beer, which has ALWAYS indicated deception on this show. It’s the beer of lies, first introduced in 1.20 as the source of Dean’s entire “fake life” in a djinn dream. He was dating Carmen the El Sol poster girl, rebranded as a “respectable” nurse, ffs.

And he even LAMPSHADED the fact it was terrible beer in that scene. Like he was openly acknowledging it was BAD.

And after the final shot, on the bridge, Jensen and Jared talking directly to the camera, and pulling back and seeing the entire production team standing with them just sort of capped it for me, that this was... that none of it was actually real in the sense of everything we watched before Chuck’s influence over their lives was severed, you know?

Like, acknowledging that what we just viewed was “just a tv show” as opposed to the epic story of Team Free Will. And on one level, I find that weirdly satisfying, knowing that all of us have written thousands of better endings for all of these guys than that. But also knowing that all of us aren’t beholden to network scrutiny and are actually free to write whatever we want about them, too...

Still... after how much of my life I’ve invested in this dumb show, I am just... profoundly disappointed that they didn’t at least give these guys a better ending than “well at least you can be happy in Bizarro Heaven!”

Because to me the entire episode just felt slightly off, and I’m clinging to that fact and using it to maintain my love for the entire rest of the entire series.

Because I do love it. So much. And I’ll forever be sad it fell short of its full potential only to stumble across the finish line.

But now? Now I have a bazillion ideas for fic that are all better than THAT.

(and exactly zero of those ideas involve Dean dying or anything to do with heaven...)

So I’m good with it. I have the episode’s own “backward” structure (with Carry on at the end rather than the beginning) and everything weird that happened in it to allow me to accept the understanding that it doesn’t even matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s as irrelevant to my love of this show as any other fanfic I would nope out of as soon as I saw the MCD tag. That’s all it is to me.

#spn 15.20 #spn s15 spoilers #Anonymous

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mokkoriness · 5 years ago

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ROCK AND READ vol. 085 - Show Interview

Photo credit: ROCK AND READ Twitter

Succession of "aesthetics"

At the final of the tour called "A9 LAST ONEMAN" at Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall on August 10, they announced that their band name would go back from "A9" to their name at debut, "alicenine.". Although the way we say their name has gone back from "A Nine" to "alice nine", why did they choose not "Alice Nine", but the katakana + kanji mix of "alicenine.", which once felt out of place to them? Junior bandman RYO:SUKE (WING WORKS) gets to the heart of the matter with the vocalist Show, who is responsible for the band's vision.

It has been a while, Show. Why did you name me, one of your junior musicians, to do this interview, which comes at such an important time?

Show: It has been a while. To me, you're one of my juniors that can speak logically. I suggested the idea, thinking that we would be able to deliver something interesting for the readers if a person such as yourself did the interview. I am really glad we were able to do this, thanks to the kindness of the editors.

I am really honoured. Thank you. Let's get straight into it. I was really surprised that you changed the band name back to "alicenine.". Frankly, why did you decide to do that at this point in time?

Show: Right from the start after we went independent, we almost got into trouble operating under the name "Alice Nine" without permission from our previous company. That was, of course, not our intention. We wanted to do our activities after having gone through the proper channels with our previous company. So we had no choice but to change our band name to do activities, and so we changed it to "A9". Since we changed the stylisation and even the way the name was pronounced, when people would call us this new name, there was this hesitant feeling. Even after 3 - 4 years, that feeling was still there.

Is that so?

Show: Of course, the fans accepted the name "A9". However, we did activities feeling bad for the fans, that they were in a situation where they wanted to call us the name they were used to, but couldn't. Some time after that, with the cooperation of many people, there was talks among ourselves of operating under the "alice nine" once again. So we decided to use this name again.

I was very surprised, and at the same time glad, that not only that, but the stylisation returned to the original "alicenine.".

Show: That's more interesting, right? Back then, we started to feel dislike at the fact that that stylisation made us stand out from others. When this band started from the lowest of the low in this scene, we gave it a name focusing on making it look as eccentric as possible and setting ourselves apart as much as possible when compared to other bands. However, 2 years after forming the band, we signed a contract with a major label and were able to land on the front covers of normal magazines. As a matter of course, won't your make up become more natural and your styling become more casual? So we felt that the band stylisation "alicenine." was very out of place, and changed it to "Alice Nine". At the time, the background to changing our band name was different from this time.

Meaning this time, that from the beginning, you decided to change the band name not to "Alice Nine", but "alicenine."?

Show: That's right. Although it's a name we gave the band 15 years ago, I feel like the times have finally caught up with this name. Over the last few years, no matter the genre, there has been a real increase in the number of bands that have a strong impact in terms of band name stylisation, but before anyone else, we had a history of attracting attention from people, who say, "How do you read that band name?". The same goes for the band you were in, "Lolita23q" (laughs).

That's right. Of course, that band name was also heavily inspired by "alicenine.". Even so, I bet the fans, particularly the ones that have been supporting you from the start, must be very happy.

Show: Yeah, rather than going halfheartedly with "Alice Nine", we thought that it would be easier for the fans to understand the meaning behind this name change if we went back to this stylisation. As there are many fans who accepted and supported our activities as "A9", after careful consideration of what form would make the most sense, we decided on "alicenine.", and here we are.

That said, I think that as you had done activities as "A9" for 5 years since leaving your previous company, people must have gotten used to it. Personally, the name "A9" doesn't feel out of place to me at all.

Show: In the band's 15 year history, we did our activities in cleanly divided eras; with 5 years as "alicenine.", 5 years as "Alice Nine", and 5 years as "A9".

Oh! I see!

Show: It wasn't planned at all, but before we knew it, it ended up like being different eras of dinosaurs, like the "Jurassic period" and "Cretaceous period" (laughs). Since we changed our band name back on the assumption that there were people who felt familiar with "A9", we understand that we ourselves need to have the determination to do this.

Hearing you say that, it means that you felt it necessary to change your name back from "A9", which you had used for 5 years. When doing activities, don't bands have times where something is like mysterious fate? Things like an important venue to you happens to be available on an important date, even though you don't intend it?

Show: There is that, but I also think that a band can't continue if there are no obstacles that they are supposed to overcome. I think it would be impossible to continue for 10 years without having any sort of obstacles. Because I think that with the momentum from overcoming an obstacle, you have a run-up to your next 5 years.

Do you have this awareness of trying to create your own hardships by changing your band name back?

Show: No. It might be more accurate to say it feels that all we are doing is what we're supposed to do. To be honest, the Visual-kei scene is in an ice age, and I think that it's a miracle that magazines like "ROCK AND READ" can continue to exist. Also, lately, I have been very busy, so busy to the point that I can't help but be annoyed that I have to do an interview for a magazine today (laughs). But I really have a lot of respect for the chief editor of "ROCK AND READ", in that they are playing a role in communicating the charms of this scene. That is why when I got the offer, I was able to say yes to doing this interview. I think that it's because this magazine has "aesthetics".

"Aesthetics"?

Show: In this age, where a DJ can fire up a large crowd with just a single mp3 track, bands, who do their activities while carrying around heavy instruments and equipment, are really inefficient. But as long as there are people who say "Even so, we are a band" and "Even so, I like bands", in terms of the manner of how to respond to such people, I think there is no choice but to persist with "aesthetics". Even the degree of influence that mass media has has changed, and I'll say it again: I am so busy that I actually think that accepting interview requests from the media is a stupid thing. But even so, I would like to accept the requests from media that I feel thankful for for covering us, and I strongly feel that I would like to be someone who persists with my own aesthetic. Precisely because bands and Visual-kei itself is no longer popular, by changing our name back to "alicenine.", I would like to once again appeal to the world about the coolness of this kind of persistence.

"Aesthetics" is a really good term. If you were to describe with words what exactly your "aesthetic" is, what would it be?

Show: To phrase my aesthetic in terms of kabuki, it would be "to make a grandiose gesture". Although I won't do something that I truly think is lame, if it is something that will make the people supporting us happy, then I will do anything; even if I have to drink muddy water, even if I lose face, even if people laugh at me. I think that it is painfully lame to put on airs only for your own benefit, but if it is to make the people supporting me happy, then I will desperately put on airs. That is my aesthetic.

I see.

Show: I only speak about it from this point of view because my main job is the artwork, vision, and management of the band, but I definitely do not reference other Visual-kei bands. What my aesthetic is is in the upper echelons of art, for example, top fashion brands; the part that is at the cutting edge of the times. I think that you show sincerity to those who support you by digesting such elements and then reforming them as art.

I think that's what the Paris Collection is.

Show: Yeah. To simply bring that into Visual-kei is the same as buying a product from a $1 shop and only changing the label and selling it for $1.20. That is betraying the people who support you, so I definitely will never do that. I agree with what MUCC's Tatsuro said in a previous issue of "ROCK AND READ", that "all bands that do uncool things should disband". I feel that perhaps aesthetic is to always wonder to oneself what the most correct thing to do is when creating a piece of work.

At first, I had always thought that you were an businessman-like artist, but after watching you over these last few years, I feel like you are someone who has a oddly unique balance between the business aspect and the art aspect.

Show: When it comes to the business aspect, ever since when we were in our previous company, I always wondered "Why do people suck at their jobs so badly?". Although I have met people who are really good at doing business, like the president of our previous company and the people that lent us a hand after we went independent, there are only a handful of people that truly understand the nature of business, and it has only been 2 years since I was able to understand business as well.

Surely, the way I saw you started to change from around then too.

Show: I think that before then, all it was was me desperately sinking my teeth into the "Neo Visual-kei" movement and being able to secure a position for myself. All it was was me riding the trends by doing things recklessly.

Does that mean that you don't think you were the trailblazers of the time?

Show: We weren't. The band that set the trend at the time was Baroque (currently active as BAROQUE). Baroque were the ones who "invented" the fact that you could still be Visual-kei even without make-up during an era that was teeming with flashiness, and the generation after us definitely must not forget to respect that. And that caught on overseas, and bands from the 90s, like X JAPAN and LUNA SEA, were well-received once again in the 00s. Of course, a big part of that is because our seniors were the founders of Visual-kei, and in addition to that, Baroque's reinvention in the 00s spread overseas, and Visual-kei was once again well-received as a part of Japanese culture. That's why I keep on saying that what Baroque did was amazing.

I see. I think that is a very accurate analysis.

Show: So all I did was desperately ride the waves of that movement that was born then and secured a position. Then, it was when we went independent that I realised the joy of having people who support you. They really are like family. They buy tickets and make the time to come and see us at our live shows, and I have nothing but gratitude. If they are going to be happy when a band sets aside their instruments to dance, then I feel like I'll do anything and everything, like dance practice.

That is wonderful determination.

Show: Because there are many people who dedicated their youth to the Neo Visual-kei movement that we ran with. I believe that only we can make those people happy. It's impossible for us to tell those people who have been supporting us since the beginning "Please forget about clean and fresh bands and fall in love with J-Pop or hip-hop instead". That is why they still come to our live shows. That is why going on as a band is an obligation. And that's what leads me back to saying that in order to keep this going, I don't mind drinking muddy water.

But with the history that alicenine. = Alice Nine = A9 and the relationship you have with the fans that you have met, I think that you have been able to continue activities in order to make people happy, even without having to drink muddy water.

Show: It is certainly true that there is an easy method to have people who were fans of bands in the 90s to come to your live show without hesitation just by being active as a Visual-kei band now. Doing that is like making a frontal assault, and that is yet another correct method. The way to approach the current scene is a business model where of the tens of thousands of people that like Visual-kei, you get a certain percentage of those people to come see your live shows to make a living.

That is exactly right.

Show: But ever since back then, we've always had more of a punk band spirit, or rather, this need to "break the format". You can see that when we set aside our instruments and dance, or like last year, when we incorporated 2.5D play-like elements into our live show. Although the tour we did in Summer for our best of album is pretty standard for a band, since it was a tour we did after having taken on such challenges, I feel that both the band and the fans are growing. I want people to think of the expression "to drink muddy water" as expressing the mentality of searching to see if there is something that is even more interesting, even if it means getting down on the ground on your hands and knees.

What is the driving force behind that? You're an intelligent person, have proven to be able to ride the trends of the time, have band members with high potential, and have many fans. Why would such a person as yourself continue to take on these challenges and even throw away the easy route?

Show: Since it's not as though I do this because I want to show myself off, to be clear, I don't aim for 10; it's either 0 or 100. If I imitate the format that the amazing bands of the 90s did, then I can aim for 10, but I definitely won't be able to aim for 100. Now, the only band that can compete on equal footing with our seniors from that era is Golden Bomber, because they had made a new "invention". Though it seems like a waste since Baroque stopped activities when they were at their peak, I think that that in itself is cool.

I see. It's either 0 or 100.

Show: To go even further, to speak of something I personally regret, when we had the experience of playing at a large venue overseas in 2007, when Visual-kei was at its peak overseas, even though it was right before our eyes, we weren't serious about the show. Right after that, K-Pop had taken the world by storm, and the cultural power landscape in the Asia region changed in one fell swoop. That was something that I painfully felt when we played at Singapore a few years after that. The regret of not taking on challenges in the past is with me today.

So that's how it was.

Show: I feel that it is much better to take on a challenge and fail than to not take on challenges at all. It is not my intention whatsoever to act self-important and say, "I always work harder than everyone else!". I just hate not taking on the challenge and regretting it later.

And this way of thinking was only possible because you have come to understand business, and because you took on the new challenge of doing activities as an independent band.

Show: Business cannot be understood if you don't understand the entire network of operations, marketing, management, politics, law, and finance. That's what I know. I think every waking minute was spent on studying business.

How did you study?

Show: With books. At first, I read books written by Japanese businessmen, but recently, it's been insufficient, so I've started to read mainly books written by American economists. I also get the latest information on business from Twitter. Apart from the several tweets I make a day and reading those replies, I only read information on business. I want to tell bandmen to read books. Myself included, I think it would be better to be aware of the fact that we are still in a primitive world.

This is something that I want to ask you precisely because I think you are a person that, in the middle of the movement of the 00s, came out of nowhere and stood out from the rest, and on top of that, is able to flexibly handle the changes of the times. Do you have any advice for the younger generation of artists that are currently battling in this scene?

Show: Right. Since advancement of the internet, the mechanism where information flowed in one direction from those people called "celebrities" to those people called "ordinary people" has completely disappeared. I want to tell them that when you understand the current world in this way, there are only two types of artists that are of any value to consumers.

And those two types are?

Show: Whether they are "convenient or not" and whether they "have meaning or not". To compare it to cars, there are only the two choices; one is pursuing "convenience", like a Toyota Prius that has good maneuverability, or pursuing "meaning", like a Tesla that is an environmentally friendly electric car. In other words, it has changed to whether or not artists can offer something that is necessary in a consumer's lifestyle, such as something they want to listen to to hype them up when they go for a run, or something they want to listen to to calm down before going to bed. I don't know how many people realise this, though.

So that is the context when you say "convenience".

Show: Yeah. In an era where you are questioned on what kind of manner you make something that fits into the lives of the listener, we have already been plunged deep into that. Conventional Visual-kei has a business model where people who like artists that wear make-up will come to live shows. However, I think that it is only natural that that sort of thing is disappearing.

What about whether they "have meaning or not"?

Show: That would be the "aesthetics" that I mentioned earlier. It's about whether or not the listener empathises with the artist, even though the genre is not popular and the artist isn't famous, and feels their life has meaning to it when they support such an artist. Meaning it's about whether or not you are persistent with your aesthetic to create something that people feel has meaning, and for as many people as possible. That is whether an artist "has meaning or not".

I really get what you are saying.

Show: To dig even deeper from a business point of view, there are the terms "problem resolution" and "reproducibility". If even one of the two is missing, then your thing is no longer needed by people.

If "problem resolution" is being able to offer "music that people want to listen to to hype them up when they go for a run" or "music that people want to listen to to calm down before going to bed", then what is "reproducibility"?

Show: For example, with YouTube videos that have a lot of views, it is not just information that the listener is passively receiving; it is content that can be reproduced in the viewers' lives. Something like "When I give speeches, I can talk in front of people without getting nervous" or "With these ingredients, I can make food at home that is like what you see at restaurants". Watching that kind of content is for your own benefit, right? That makes is reproducible.

Now that you mention it, that is certainly true.

Show: A Visual-kei band is content that is very difficult for the consumer to reproduce. Although when the consumer goes to a live show and headbangs because they are told to might just be to fulfill their need for recognition, at the end of the day, it is only unidirectional supply and demand, and you can only increase customer satisfaction on a small scale. Just like I said before, the boundary between a celebrity and an ordinary person probably doesn't even exist anymore, and it's an era where we're all equals. I want to tell people that they should understand this fact.

I see.

Show: What I'm going to say next applies to all of society from here on, but if we're to focus only on the Visual-kei market, right now, we are at rock bottom, so if you are going to keep on doing the same thing, then you'd best be persistent about it.

So that's the way you think about it.

Show: To put it in other terms, I think that there's only one way, and that's up, and that could be in 5 years' time or 10 years' time. I really think that we're in an amazing place right now.

But aren't Visual-kei fans also hearing sad news, like CD shops closing one after the other? What is your stance on that? Of course, there are many artists that are calling on for people to buy more CDs.

Show: That is just plain stupid. Don't you think it's like telling people to eat a Belgian waffle?

A Belgian waffle?

Show: Belgian waffles used to be popular in the past. [Telling people to buy more CDs] It's just as stupid as saying "Hey, quit drinking pearl milk tea1! If you don't start eating Belgian waffles, it's going to disappear! All the Belgian waffle stores are going to close!". It's not popular any more, and you have to accept that. People surely must have realised a long time ago that it would be impossible for a "Visual-kei CD shop" to exist. On the contrary, I think that the customers who continued to buy CDs to support the existence of such shops are really cool.

Earlier you mentioned an "obligation to fans". Going forward, what do you think artists should do for the people who love this scene?

Show: I merely have this feeling that I'm obligated to not let Japanese culture go extinct around the world. Just like I said before, "Visual-kei" is a format that YOSHIKI and HIDE "invented", and now, as it were, all we are doing is selling a watered-down version of that, so I don't think of it as something that needs to be kept on going at all cost. However, I don't want people to misunderstand me; I think that the that essence of the art form where there are people who are happy when men in genderless make-up play dazzling music should be kept going.

I understand. At a glance, that difference may appear similar, but they are two separate things.

Show: So there is absolutely no need for everyone to worry about whether Visual-kei will keep on going or not. There will be a time when people will stop drinking pearl milk tea. That's how it is. I can't help but think that it would be lame for us to try and protect it because we had a bit of a taste of success and have vested interests. Rather than that, I think it would be best to concentrate on the happiness of the people that listen to your music.

I went to see alicenine.'s first solo show at Shibuya AX. At the time, Shibuya AX was a place that bandmen first dreamed of playing at.

Show: That brings back memories. It was the gates to success for our generation.

I will never forget when you said on stage during the encore, "Dreams do come true!".

Show: Oh, really? I don't remember (laughs).

That's why there is something that I wanted to ask you no matter what today. What are your "dreams" now?

Show: Right. Now that I'm older, I do really think that in the end, you are held captive to and cannot escape from the things that you wanted when you were in your teens. So from that point of view, I want to be a person that be of use to someone in a form other than music and bands.

That's a typical answer from you.

Show: I am just an ordinary person, after all; I was a kid with no friends, I wasn't popular, and wasn't cheerful. So then how do you run a band, and how do you come to run a company? By communicating that methodology and scheme, I think that perhaps I can be of use to someone.

That is amazing.

Show: I've been thinking this lately. Although we see in the news that reclusive adults are committing violent crimes, I might have become such a person had I not encountered music. Or rather, it's not a matter completely unrelated to me. I want to be someone's strength in some kind of way. If there are some of our fans out there who want their husbands or boyfriends to be sharper, I believe that now, I can communicate that to those men.

Although it's a specific example, it seems like you could write a book about it.

Show: Right. It's my dream to be able to create such output, or rather, I want to be of use to even more people. Since Visual-kei bands are not reproducible in the lives of the listeners, in that respect, I've not really been able to directly become someone's strength. In terms of contributing to the happiness of the people who devoted their youth to Neo Visual-kei, it's only because I can be their strength that people come to see our live shows, and I think that I can be of use to them. It's only obvious that bands who appeared after the boom had passed will have a rough time, but because I think they are all wonderful bands, at this rate, it's painful, or rather, it's saddening. All the young bands are really amazing, too.

That's something that we all feel.

Show: If technology advances, people may be able to make a living by uploading music from a country with cheaper costs of living than Japan, but now, the only business model available is to communicate your music from around the Tokyo area, go on tour, and have people buy merchandise in order to make a living, right? I want to be able to resolve that kind of problem too. I think that doing such things going forward is the mission that I have been given.

I am really looking forward to the future of alicenine.

Show: Right. This is something I should have talked about in the very beginning, but by going back to this stylisation, a huge part of me feels proud to be a part of Japanese culture. Right now, the music people are listening to in the Asia region is only K-Pop, and I think that perhaps the Japanese culture that can compete with that is X JAPAN, LUNA SEA, L'Arc~en~Ciel, DIR EN GREY, and MIYAVI. There is also this sense of danger with the problem that the low birthrate and aging population will keep on getting worse in Japan, so I think that going forward, Japanese artists will have to go out into the world. I want to be a rock band that puts the fact that we are Japanese and the fact that we are oriental out in the forefront.

I hope we can hear your new song soon.

Show: Our first single as (the new) alicenine., "Kakumei Kaika - Revolutionary Blooming-", will be released on October 2nd2. We're finally doing the kind of interviews musicians do (laughs). I hope people feel our dignity as a part of Japanese culture, more so than Visual-kei artists.

Dignity, you say. That is another good word.

Show: Since we are communicating to the entire world, I think I'll try to be more particular about using Japanese in the lyrics. I mean, no matter the country, K-Pop competes on the world stage using hangul and the Korean language, right?

The Korean language has strong consonants, and people say that the advantage it has when competing on the world stage is that it is compatible with Western music.

Show: On the other hand, as Japanese is a language that has a dominant component of vowels and pauses, in order to compete on the world stage, it's becoming more important to find a method of singing where it sounds like you are singing in English. I think that going forward, Japanese artists will need to be more active in that sort of information exchange. Even if you were to sing the same language as they do overseas, that will probably take about at least 10 years to become proficient. So if that's the case, I think that you will have a chance at winning by putting the culture of your own language out in the forefront. Going forward, no matter what, we will be even more persistent with our "aesthetic" as alicenine.

1 At the time of the interview, pearl milk tea was incredibly popular in Japan. 2 The release date given on the official site/Twitter is October 23rd.

#alicenine.#alice nine translation #Alice Nine #A9 #A9translation #Show #ROCK AND READ

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EWS UPDATE I am glad to report, on behalf of the group, that all is going well and all is on schedule for November. The boat is chartered to leave Australia on November 3rd returning November 13th. Plans are being made around what equipment to take. The team is growing, the latest new member being […]

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-The dream of completely wireless connection between radio and computer is a reality with Firmware 1.20 on the ICOM IC-705. I know have a few of my computers setup to connect to my 705 on my home wifi AND in access point mode for fully portable control of the ham radio for running digital modes like JS8Call, WSJT-X and Winlink.

Antenna

KT31WARC, 18.068-18.168 / 24.890-24.990 MHZ

November 03, 2015

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The updated KT31WARC offers flexibility in size and frequencies. It is truly unique in many ways. The KT31WARC covers 12,17 and 20 or 30 meters. 20 or... Read more

New ! SteppIR SARK-110 Antenna Analyzer

December 28, 2014

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The SARK-110 is a completely new design concept for an Antenna Analyzer. This is a truly pocket size device, so you can take it anywhere. It of... Read more

Overview of the LNR W4OP Loop

March 12, 2018

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NR Precision’s newest antenna market entry is the phenomenal new LOOP antenna designed by a degreed engineer. The W4OP Loop has already received... Read more

Rotatable 160 Meter Receiving Loop – WB6RSE Wins July QST Cover Plaque Award

July 22, 2015

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The winner of the July 2015 QST Cover Plaque award is Steve Lawrence, WB6RSE, for his article “Rebuilding a Receiving Flag Antenna for 160 Meters.” Th... Read more

DX Commander Expedition Portable Antenna

April 23, 2020

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Review

Icom IC-705 Interview with Ray Novak from Orlando Hamcation 2020

February 08, 2020

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Icom IC-705 Read more

Your Questions Answered (Mobile Install, Inexpensive Radios, Power Supplies) – Ham Radio Q&A

December 07, 2018

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The new Malahit-DSP: A portable all-in-one wideband SDR receiver

November 12, 2019

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Technical Specifications 1 MHz to 1000 MHz. Bandwidth 160 kHz. Modulation types AM, WFM, NFM, LSB, USB. Powered by one Li-ion cell. Consumption up to... Read more

Unbox and Test MFJ-849 Digital SWR Meter

July 04, 2017

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MFJ-849$ 169.95 Each Read more

Why even good Antennas need good Coax Cable

January 14, 2017

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By Dennis Walter “Nothing’s going on shortwave anymore!” Really? Many ham radio operators and SWLs keep telling me that nothing is going on on shortwa... Read more

Equipment

Anytone AT-6666 All-Mode 10 Meter Mobile

September 10, 2015

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Anytone AT-6666 All-Mode 10 Meter Mobile 60 watts SSB – 360 Memories CTCSS / DCS Option Included Programming Cable Included General Speci... Read more

ACOM ATU04AT- REMOTE AUTOMATIC ANTENNA TUNER AND SWITCH

September 27, 2017

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Remote matching of antennas – less losses in the feed line. Designed for installation in a shack, under a shed, or in open (see mounting kit opt... Read more

DX Engineering – RXSHARE Audio Switch DXE-RXSHARE

January 17, 2019

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Audio Switch, Control Box, Independent Selection of Audio from One or Two Transceivers to Two Headphones, Passive Device, Each DX Engineering RXSHARE... Read more

ICOM IC-705 SDR transceiver Update

May 21, 2020

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IC-705 HF/VHF/UHF Mobile Transceiver – Coming Soon! The new portable HF/VHF/UHF IC-705 has many great features such as SDR platform, internal ba... Read more

Airspy HF+ Discovery is the Most Refined HF/VHF SDR

November 24, 2020

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The Airspy HF+ Discovery sets a new standard in terms of reception performance with extra pre-selectors for all the supported bands and a New DSP Core... Read more

News

Spacewalk Could Return ARISS Ham Station in ISS Columbus Module to the Air

March 09, 2021

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Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) reports that efforts to determine what’s keeping the ham station in the ISS Columbus module o... Read more

23-Centimeter Band in Region 1 Under Discussion Ahead of WRC-23

March 09, 2021

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In advance of World Radiocommunication Conference 23 (WRC-23), the amateur radio allocation at 1240 – 1300 MHz (23 centimeters) remains in the spotlig... Read more

Report: Radio Amateurs in Israel Lose Access to Much Microwave Spectrum

March 09, 2021

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Radio amateurs in Israel have lost much of their spectrum between 1 and 6 GHz and suffered a “draconian” power reduction on 10 GHz, according to a rep... Read more

Maritime Radio Day is Set for April

March 09, 2021

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The 10th anniversary of Maritime Radio Day (MRD) will take place from 1200 UTC on April 14 to 2200 UTC on April 15. The annual event commemorates near... Read more

North Carolina Radio Amateurs Adapt Tailgating Hamfest to the COVID-19 Pandemic

March 09, 2021

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With most hamfests canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some radio amateurs in Raleigh, North Carolina, have come up with a way to adapt with a tail... Read more

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael Ye (BD4AAQ), for the following guest post: In the Loop: PL-990 and LA400, a Perfect Match by Michael Ye (BD4AAQ) I have been a happy owner of Tecsun’s PL-880 word band receivers for years. In fact I have two PL-880 radios, one sitting at home and the other staying […]

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following announcement: Tune into WRMI for “The LIVE Friday Night Virtual Dance Party Request Party Thingy” from community station 89.5 KSKO McGrath, Alaska. The broadcast will take place on Saturday, March 20th 2021 from 0300 to 0500 UTC on 7570 kHz for the west […]

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WA7BNM Contest Calendar - 1900Z-2000Z, Mar 17

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Look for Sungki, HL1IWD/5 to be active from Goje Island, AS-081 during April 2-4, 2021. QRV on 40 & 20m; mainly CW, some FT8 using IC-706MK2 and Buddipole antenna. QSL via bureau automatically.

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HL1IWD/5 – Goje Island, AS-081

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doriscahill · 7 years ago

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Missing Re-fried Spaghetti

From Georgia with love.

Its the last of tomatoes; our weather has finally turned to rain and cool nights. My mind fixated, it would be Sunday and that it is spaghetti day at home. Gone are the blistering dry hot days. Most mornings raindrops bop and blip against my window. Yesterday, the rain had abated making it cool enough to walk to the bizarre.

Truly organic; our local bizarre charges 1₾ a kilo for garden tomatoes. Our Bizarre has two sections; an open parking lot with many vendors and an indoor warehouse. Outdoors most stands are shadowed from the sun and rain with umbrellas or tarps. Wooden crates and make-shift shelves are filled with seasonal vegetables and fruits. I stroll, look then stop, eye and point and mutter in my somewhat better Georgian, “please, 3 kilos of tomatoes” , the farmer carefully selects, weighs and bags me 3 kilos or close to 7 pounds for $1.20. He throws in one extra like a bakers-dozen. We thank each other after a normal chat about where I am from.

The indoor section is an array of merchants. Two floors of varied shops line the perimeter and the interior cement floor is marked with wide pathways and abutting merchants; selling clothing, poultry, fish, meat, spices, fruits, vegetables and home goods. I am greeted by a welcoming aged woman selling aromatic spices, she assists me with my needs: garlic, salt, pepper and parsley and charges 20 cents, plus a free vanilla.

Walking towards the exit, young women enjoying music, brew fresh Turkish coffee on sand. Irresistible I order up a cup at a premium of 1 ₾. The 4 minute wait was worth it, do delicious it I pinned it on google map and my pin project.(click here).

Bag of Tomatoes in hand and my knapsack full of other stuff, I trek the mile home. Thankfully the coffee provided the needed boost.

Home my task is tomato sauce. Carving out space in our kitchen (my home has 8 members) I lay out the olive oil (located in a Borjomi supermarket) and salt. My host mom observes and promptly supplies the purchased garlic, parsley, pepper and a cutting knife. Wrestling through the cabinets the strainer, cutting board, large bowl and pot to boil are visible. All is laid out. Oops, host mom hands me her best wooden spoon for the task. Perfect for flipping and manipulating tender fruit. I see a small petite potato masher that should come in handy, all ready!

Hand lighting the flame with match; the pot is 3/4 filled with salted water and brought to a boil. Half my fruit is set in the pot; one waits until the skins fall off, about 20 minutes. Wooden spoon in hand the delicate charges are lightly place in the strainer; the bowl underneath serving as a catch basin. Cool slightly for better handling. Repeat. I chop garlic and parsley and a dash of fire alarm chili pepper on the cutting board. Next empty the remaining stained pink water in the sink. I return the pot to the still lit stove.

In your hot pot, pour two tablespoons of olive oil, add the garlic, cook slightly til translucent, add salt and chopped pepper, another 2 minutes pass. Well heated and readied, place strainer full of fruit snugly to the pot rim, mash and strain the liquid until so only skins and seeds remain.. Lift the strainer and dispose of the mash mixture, lower the heat and simmer for at least 3 hours. Taste and stir occasionally to add salt or a tablespoon of sugar if bitter.

When the sauce has thickened, In a separate pot, boil a pound of spaghetti with salt and strain it. Combine sauce and spaghetti and let it sit in the fridge over night. This is the key!!!

For my breakfast I retrieve a small frying pan, a tablespoon of olive oil and heat it til piping hot, not burned. Place good serving of cold spaghetti in it and let the bottom crisp, then flip it once to heat through. Serve. Do not overload your frying pan, make small batches.

Dress with grated Parmesan cheese is optional, not available here. Its pretty flavorful with out. Thanks to my Nonnie and Mom! This recipe is meatless, but happy to add local meat once I return home. Doe

#peace corps georgia #samtskhe-javakheti #samtskhe-javakheti tomato #re-fried spaghetti #doris cahill #doris cahill cpa #peace corps #peacecorps

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sttngfashion · 8 years ago

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Heart of Glory - 1.20

We’ve got a Worf-centric episode here, where we learn some things about Klingons and about Worf himself. What we do not have are a lot of essential fashions, but there are a few jazzy Klingon looks, so settle in and let’s have a look-see.

The episode starts with Riker and Picard posing for their New Wave album cover on the bridge.

Hungry like the Worf

The Enterprise finds a damaged ship drifting in space, and after finding life signs aboard, Riker, Geordi, and Data go to check it out:

When the New Wave band goes a little industrial

We get to see a little bit of what Geordi’s VISOR looks like, which is a combination of night vision goggles and a Lisa Frank folder:

Needs more unicorns

But the VISOR glitches, and then Geordi gets only static, which is also beautiful:

Jake Sisko immediately asked for a jumpsuit in this print

Exploring the ship, they find...KLINGONS:

*beat* AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIII-EEEE-IIIII, WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUUU

The Klingons were hurt in the crash, so the one guy is carrying his friend like a BOSS. We can see here the traditional Klingon garb, which involves:

- lots of grey and black

- studs and spikes in oddly concentrated areas

- vests made of what appear to be the floormats of a 1987 Honda Accord

- fierce boots

They make their way with the away team to the Engineering section of the damaged ship, intending to beam up.

Love lift us up where we belong

You can see here that the Klingon carrying his pal is rocking those fingerless gloves, which shows that he is a TRUE BADASS who values MANUAL DEXTERITY but also HAND WARMTH.

There is (as usual) an issue with the transporter, and before the crew gets back to the Enterprise, THIS HAPPENS:

What shape do you see in the explosion? I see Fudgy the Whale

And that’s how Riker, Geordi, and Data all died. Just kidding.

Once on the Enterprise, the Klingons bring their critically-injured friend to sickbay, where Crusher attempts to save him and Worf looks on petulantly:

I am the only Klingon in the village

We can see here that this guy’s Klingon leggings, or kleggings, are a lovely aubergine shade, which is a nice change from the “gunmetal to vantablack” spectrum they typically employ.

Bev tries to save this guy, but it’s not enough, and he gets to do some great Death Acting:

Death: just, like, a really bad backache, I guess

While this guy is dying in sickbay, his comrades are being dicks to Worf over a nice Klingon meal:

KLINGONS HAVE NO NEED FOR MORE THAN TWO TINES. TWO TINES IS A WARRIOR’S NUMBER OF TINES

I’m not sure about you guys but I feel like Klingons aren’t like SUPER into garnishes, so all those dandelion greens seem really unnecessary to me.

Klingons love Buffalo wings

I just wanted to point out this guy’s Batman/Wolverine inspired gloves.

During dinner, the other Klingons are like “ha ha you’re basically HUMAN now you HUMAN lol lol” and Worf is like “no” and it’s a real brief glimpse into how hard it must be for Worf to just, like, LIVE. But then they’re all summoned back to sickbay because their boy just died.

He died as he lived: with absolutely glorious eyebrows

They check to see that he’s dead, and then they do a Klingon ritual that honestly I would love to implement in Western white people culture:

Just straight up yelling

I love Michael Dorn, but he does not look very committed to the yelling here.

He’s dead or whatever

After the Klingon death ritual, the Klingons are like “it’s an empty shell now, bye, not our problem.”

We get some quick civilian fashions in the hallway:

Ba-by jump-suit (👏🏼👏🏼/👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼)

Very much digging this little one’s bright grape, and her mom/teacher/whoever is rocking some truly impressive shoulder overhangs.

Can we also observe this Klingon’s shoes? That silver stripe is a design feature that looks like duct tape was used to repair them, which feels a little bit like when you buy a “vintage” t-shirt at Target, or pre-distressed jeans. VERY INAUTHENTIC, KLINGON.

Anyway it turns out that the three Klingons on board are criminals and need to be taken to the brig, so Worf does a walk-and-talk:

What’s next

In this shot, we have a nice look at how the two of them go together, but don’t match, like Destiny’s Child used to do:

I don’t think you’re reddo for this yellow

Kelly’s looks like Tina sewed the pieces together wrong and was like “you know what? I think it works anyway.”

On the way to the brig, they encounter a child who is the personification of sherbet:

Are you my vav

Her handler is rocking a belted poncho and some deep mauve leggings back there. Can we get another shot of her?

Counselor Troi is my hair goals

Worf is briefly worried the criminal Klingons will take the girl hostage, but apparently, that’s for cowards.

Also for cowards: being executed! If they’re handed over to the other Klingons, that’s what will happen, but they’re PRETTY eager to die an honorable death during battle, so they break out of the brig with some sort of belt device:

Fashion...and function. When you shop Klingon, you get the very best

A dance fight shootout ensues...

I trained under Baryshnikov

...and eventually both Klingons do, in fact, die in battle, with one of them being killed by Worf himself:

I only just now noticed his Muppet fur sleeves

Worf learns that he isn’t quite Klingon, but he isn’t quite human, and he loves the Enterprise, and hooray.

A couple of stray hairdos:

The cleanest sideburns with the messiest literally everything else

Our band is called The Engineering Updos

Also visible in this shot: just how fucking hard it is to sit in a skant and not show your butt.

#tng #Star Trek TNG #season 1 #fashion #tng fashion #star trek fashion

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justinjohn · 8 years ago

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This weekend’s events. 1.20-1.22.17. Spills and stew and satan.

What a strange weekend. Can I tell you? I just have to tell you. First of all, I spilled everything I touched. I don’t know if I am developing Parkinson’s or I’m just particularly spastic of late, but I almost missed the women’s march yesterday because, upon trying to leave the house, I went to grab a water bottle. but missed, sending it skidding like a hockey puck across the counter top, at which point it plowed into a COMPLETELY FULL LARGE COFFEE out of which I had not yet taken a sip, which toppled over and the top came off, and it projectile splattered all over the kitchen.

It was one of those spills where you just stand there in complete shock for a minute with your hand over your face. It was truly as if someone had been shot.. but with milky caffeinated blood. I just stared at the pool of brown liquid dripping from the counter top down into all of the drawers below, and ultimately pooling again on the floor.

My parents don’t have rags so I just had to sop everything up with paper towels, which made me feel like an environmental hobgoblin, and I also started to have one of those break-downs, like, “you can’t even grab a cup of coffee right you clumsy idiot.,” as I obsessively wiped up the spill like Lady-Macbeth, “just make it disappear, make it go away. No one will ever know. Out, out damn spot.”

Of course it was the day after the cleaning woman came, too, because that’s just how life works.

Okay so that happens.. I have an incredible time at the march. It’s invigorating, empowering, unifying, fun. And so I come back, and I’m exhausted, and I take a nap. And I was up FAMISHED.

I looked at the clock and my dinner with my friends wasn’t until 8, so I needed to go down to the store in the building and grab some food because there was not a snowball’s chance in hell I was going to make it until then. So, I grab some asiago noodles and a little carton of chicken salad and I go to the counter to pay.

There a few girls who man the register at the store in the building, whom I’ve gotten to know because I am there constantly and eat two out of three meals a day there because I have no desire to leave the premises on account of probably a mild case of agoraphobia mixed with a tinge of laziness.

Anyway, so yesterday it was the gothic one. She’s fairly new, but she immediately caught my attention when she started because she has black hair and wears a pentagram earring-and-necklace set prominently outside of her work uniform, and I couldn’t help but thinking, “Who the hell makes a matching pentagram set like that that you can buy together in one purchase?” Like one satanic piece isn’t enough but you need to have all three and wear it at one time? Anyway, she makes it work but certainly she is proud to represent her beliefs, which, whatever, be a witch, I’m so good with that, just don’t double-charge me for my eggs. So, anyway, I pass the asiago noodles and the chicken salad to her and she scans them, and as I take out my wallet to pay, she goes, “Oooh!”

Hearing the strange, unexpected remark, I look up to see her smile and say, “That will be $6.66.”

I mean, come ON. How is that possible?! Of course that had to happen. And then immediately I, as you can imagine, I thought my life was in danger. Like, if ever there is a moment that satan is actually present, it is when a pentagram is near, and I had the trifecta from hell two-feet away from me. So, here I am just wanted to get some goddamned asiago noodles, and now I was in fear of a dark force taking over my soul in the grocery line.

It was one of those moments that normally you’d be like, “Woah, well, look at that,” and perhaps uncomfortably laugh, but it was just a little too real, so I just scurried out of the line convinced Satan himself just contacted me through a portal in the check-out line to let me know I’m marked for death. That’s fine.

So then I had dinner with my friends which was completely lovely. I had gotten all dolled up because they’re two of those friends that exclusively sees me when I look like shit or haven’t washed my hair in three days, so I felt compelled to show them that I can be a productive member of society when tasked with the assignment, and don’t only exist in a state of sleep deprivation / hangover.

We went to an Asian restaurant, and I’ve recently been into this whole movement where I let other people just order, mostly in part, because I’m lazy and I don’t want to be responsible for ordering a basic-bitch dish that no one wants and that appeases my philistine tastes.

They ordered catfish stew which made me dry-heave when they said it out loud, but turned out to be delicious in practice, some sort of bone marrow situation but without bread which was not okay because then we were actually just cave people spooning that into our mouths and I felt like I should be slouched over an open fire pit somewhere in a one-shoulder animal skin like Barney Rubble. And then fish on the bone. The last time I had fish on the bone was spring break in Puerto Rico in 2006 because we couldn’t find a shitty American restaurant to eat dinner and the San-Juan people prepared the food locally. So, I was essentially trying to tell jokes and be super-likeable, all while saying to myself, “you better take that bone sitting in your cheek cavity out of your mouth before you choke on it.” Which happened 20-30 times that meal.

And then I spilled laundry detergent all over the floor this morning. Granted, this is something for which I take full responsibility because I’m a big idiot. It was one of those powder detergents in a plastic tub, but it was sort of old and the powder had coagulated into little rocks which was annoying me, so as I walked down the stairwell to the laundry room, I decided I would violently shake the box to loosen the rocks. Unfortunately, the top wasn’t completely on and I basically shook powder detergent all over myself and the floor of the stairwell, like a human sprinkler. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have to go get a broom and dustpan from your apartment to sweep the stairwell because you rattled a tub of detergent without the top on? I’m 32. I wanted to just put myself though a wash cycle after that. Maybe it would knock some shit back in place.

Anyway, now I’m here. I went to a Presbyterian church service even though I’m not religious, partly because I’m trying to ‘center’ in a difficult time, and partly because I received an omen from hell on Saturday. It was enlightening, minus the fact that I was sitting next an incredibly rancid-smelling homeless person, which caused me to have to uncomfortably snuggle up to the man next to me and his young child. But it was church so I couldn’t very well explain to them that I was not interested in touching either one of them sexually but rather just inching away from the arrestingly-terrible smell emanating from the other side.

And now I’m going to order in Thai food and on-demand a movie because that is my signature ‘cozy’ move to usher in a relaxing Sunday evening before I wake up in my usual panic attack on Monday morning.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to spill something else on the floor.

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dazzledbybooks · 5 years ago

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A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future. When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl. But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for. Thorn by Intisar Khanani Publisher: Hot Key Books Release Date: March 24th 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36443368-thorn Amazon: https://amzn.to/368iK6x B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thorn-intisar-khanani/1111104034?ean=9780062835703#/ iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/thorn/id1329410102 Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Thorn-Intisar-Khanani/9781471408724?ref=grid-view&qid=1579381994072&sr=1-1 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/thorn-17 Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=M7WeDwAAQBAJ Favorite Quotes: Mother has never kept me safe from my brother The only time I can remember not fearing him was before my father’s death. This is how you survive: one breath to the next, refusing each thought as it comes to you. This is how you get through the worst of things. Deep inside, I hear Ash ask, Who pushed you? It is a question I have waited half a lifetime to hear. I am amazed the sun does not shine. I am not about to let one unfriendly man rob me of my chance at happiness. Review: Thorn by Intisar Khanani is a retelling of "The Goose Girl". I was really looking forward to this book. It sounded so good. I found that I enjoyed this book. Princess Alyrra has never been a very good princess. Alyrra wants nothing more than to get away from her family. She has a very cold mother that does not show love and then she has a very abusive brother. My heart ached for this girl. When a king show sup and asks for Alyrra's hand in marriage to his son, Alyrra realizes that she doesn't have very many choices in life. She can either marry this prince or she can stay with her abusive family. Then Alyrra switches places with her handmaiden. The adventure takes off from there. I have to say that I really enjoyed these characters. I thought that each one of them was very thought out. I felt like they had great personalities and that they were very well written. I really loved the magic. Khanani did a great job with the magic in this book. I thought it fit quite perfectly. I really liked how Khanani approached some of the more sensitive topics in this book. I thought she did a really good job. I feel like when it comes to tough subjects, our society likes to hide and pretend that things don't happen. I think that this book really touches on some great hot topics. Ultimately, I really liked this book. I think it is definitely worth giving a shot. Excerpt: I lead the king down to the back entrance to the gardens, and we walk along between plots of dill, thyme, and chives. I wait, knowing he will speak when he is ready. “How much does your mother confide in you?” he asks as we near the middle of the gardens. I slide a look at him from the corner of my eye. “Enough. My lord.” His lips quirk, the first true smile I have seen from him. “Is that honest?” I pause beside a bed of borage. “How much do I need to know, my lord? You are here seeking a wife for your son.” “I am,” he agrees. “How often do you participate in the discussions between your mother and the council?” “I don’t, my lord. You should know I am not . . .” I hesitate, aware that I have no place telling this king what he should or should not know. Or jeopardizing such an alliance for my land. “Not what?” I struggle to find an appropriate way to finish. “Not—it is not thought my place to attend such meetings.” “You would never inherit the throne?” I could inherit, it is true, but I doubt the council would allow it given my history—and certainly not now that I might marry into another royal family, one that would be happy to add our lands to their own. Either way, should my brother die, the council would certainly pass over me in favor of our nearest cousin. “It is unlikely,” I say finally. “I doubt that,” the king says. “It has been my experience that even young men die. What you mean to say is your council would not accept you should your brother die without issue and you were yet unwed. Why?” If he knows all the answers, why is he asking? I look him in the eye and quip, “Perhaps I am too honest, my lord.” He laughs. “And too straightforward. You will have to learn to play with your words more.” He reaches out, his fingertips brushing my arm where my brother held me. I flinch back reflexively, as if the bruises have already darkened—as if he could see them through my sleeve. He watches me, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. “Once you are Menaiya’s,” he says, “your brother will never hurt you again.” About the Author: Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Intisar’s debut novel, Thorn, was picked up by HarperTeen and will be re-released in Winter 2020. In the meantime, she’s hard at work on the remaining books of The Sunbolt Chronicles. Links: Website: http://booksbyintisar.com Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Intisar_Khanani Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksbyintisar Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/booksbyintisar/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/booksbyintisar On March 24th Thorn will be releasing from Hot Key (UK) and HarperTeen (US/CA)! To celebrate, I’m offering some amazing Thorn goodies to everyone who … · pre-orders/orders a copy of Thorn before March 31st at 23.59. · OR requests it from their library (library hold / suggested purchase) before March 31st at 23.59. Here’s what’s up for grabs: Physical goodies (US/UK): PHOTO AVAILABLE ON DROPBOX · A Thorn Bookmark · A set of Chibi Stickers featuring Thorn characters · A Signed Bookplate PLUS Digital goodies (worldwide): · A PDF of Brambles – a Thorn prequel short story so you can jump into Alyrra’s world now! · A PDF of The (Annotated) Goose Girl – the original fairytale with annotations from yours truly in the margin · A coloring page of three Thorn-themed bookmarks All you need to do to enter is send a proof of purchase (or screenshot of your library hold), your name and address to [email protected]. T&Cs apply! UK entrants: Hot Key Books rocks and can mail you physical goodies as well as the digital. Check it out here: https://ift.tt/3dBVTVP Non-US/UK entrants: I really, really wanted to offer you the physical goodies, but postage is a bear. If you would like to cover the cost of an international stamp ($1.20), I can absolutely mail you the goodies as well. E-mail in your proof/screenshot for your digital goodies, and I’ll link you up so you can do that. Original link: http://booksbyintisar.com/thorn-pre-order/ The universal book link for purchasing Thorn is: www.books2read.com/thorn Giveaway: 1st Prize: Win a book of your choice from Bookdepository (INT*) 2nd Prize: Win a THORN swag pack (stickers, bookmark, and a signed bookplate) [INT] T&Cs: - Bookdepository: Open INTERNATIONALLY, *where Bookdepository ships to (https://www.bookdepository.com/help/topic/HelpId/3/Which-countries-do-you-deliver-to#helpContent). - Swag bundle: Open INTERNATIONALLY. Starts: 24th March 2020 Ends: 7th April 2020 Tour Schedule: March 24th The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post March 25th My Bookish Escapades - Guest PostMythical Books - ReviewMoonlight Rendezvous - Review + Favourite QuotesMarzie's Reads - ReviewMaBookYard - Review + Favourite Quotes March 26th L.M. 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magmasliveblogs · 5 years ago

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1.20

aaaaaaaand im back! internet issues, which are this weeks irl issue of the week, came back up again, but im back! this is the 22nd chapter! to recap: last chapter erin snapped out of her depression, confronted the shopkeep who ripped her off, and proceded to trounce said shopkeepers nephew at chess.

“Checkmate.”

At last Erin slid her last rook into position. Olesm stared at the board and then tipped over his king with a trembling claw.

Erin cracked her fingers and grinned. It wasn’t her best game, but she’d gone for style over efficiency. Her opponent had a single king left in the middle of her pieces and she had a small army surrounding him. She smiled up at Olesm who’d turned pale. Her audience was gaping at her and the chess board.

“Good game. Let’s play again sometime, okay?”

She reached over and patted Olesm on the shoulder. The Drake looked slightly shell-shocked and made no reply. Erin shrugged and stood up.

Klbkch and Relc made their way through the crowd to her. Relc was gaping at the board.

“You won. But how did—but he’s—you won!”

“Congratulations on your victory, Miss Solstice.”

“Why thank you, Klbkch.”

Erin grinned at Klbkch. The ant man nodded back.

“May I ask how you managed such an incredible display? I would not have thought it possible, nor deemed it prudent to bet against Olesm in a game of chess until this moment.”

Erin shrugged. There was no harm in telling. Besides, both the shopkeeper and his nephew were still staring at the board.

“You said he’s played for a year, right?”

Klbkch nodded.

“And he is a Level 22 [Tactician]. There are no higher-level Tacticians even within the Liscorian army.”

“Good for him. But I’ve been playing chess for twelve years now. I started a bit late, but I used to play at least three games before I went to sleep each night. He might have a fancy skill, but a rookie’s still a rookie.”

This time it was Klbkch’s turn to do the staring with Relc. Erin smiled at both of them and then tapped the shopkeeper on the shoulder.

first of all, the tactician statement is false and has since been retconed. doesnt change her accomplishment, level 22 is higher than level 0 either way. innate skill is better than applying military thinking to chess it seems

“I want my money back. All of it, thank you. And while you’re at it I’ll buy the chess board and pieces too.”

The Drake gaped at her. Then the color returned to the scales in his face and he backed away.

“I—that game was—”

Erin interrupted him.

“If you’re about to say it was rigged, don’t bother. And if you want a rematch, I’ll gladly play again if you double how much you owe me. But otherwise, don’t bother. I want my money.”

The Drake blanched and his scales turned pale. Erin smiled at him. His tail was twitching hard in agitation.

“My mind is…slightly hazy. I’m afraid I have no recollection of how much you spent. Unless of course you could tell me?”

Erin gave him a winning smile.

“I have no idea. But I’m sure Klbkch and Relc could help you find out.”

The shopkeeper turned pale. Klbkch nodded seriously and bowed in his direction.

“As a Senior Guardsman we would be happy to provide assistance in assessing all financial income for your business, as well as any unpaid taxes that may be extant. For now we will have to order your shop closed while we begin a thorough investigation of your wares and inventory.”

Relc grinned evilly.

“Right. Let’s start flipping over tables until we find a receipt.”

The Drake shopkeeper made a strangled shrieking sound. He tried to block Relc, but the other Drake was already happily trashing his store. Erin hid a grin.

ah i see that this shopkeeper will have a bad day. also erin is leveraging her connections

Olesm walked up to her, his tail dragging low on the ground.

“I must congratulate you, Mistress Solstice. I have been truly humbled by your skill. Please, accept my sincerest apologies for questioning your ability.”

Erin fidgeted awkwardly. She hated this bit.

“Oh no, you were a good player too. I really shouldn’t have played like that as well against a rooki—another player.”

“You are too kind. But I know when I’m outclassed. I have to ask—are you a [Tactician] by any chance?”

“Me? No. I’m not. Sorry?”

Olesm drooped further. Erin could practically feel him kicking himself. She tried to cheer him up.

“Don’t feel bad. I’m not a professional player, but I’ve won a chess tournament or two in my time. I even played a Grandmaster, once. One of the few female ones which was really cool. But I was so nervous at the time I totally forgot to castle, and I lost my rook to—”

Erin broke off and cleared her throat, blushing. It was a bad memory, but at least Olesm stopped looking like a kicked puppy-lizard. Indeed, he was staring at her with vivid interest.

“Is this Grandmastery you speak of a class? Is it possible—could I take such a class myself?”

An alarm bell went off in Erin’s head. She tried to think fast and failed.

“Um. Maybe? It’s more like a title where I come from. Besides, Grandmasters only play chess. I’m not sure if that’s a class.”

Olesm nodded. Erin could practically see him taking notes in his head.

“Perhaps it’s a class only obtainable at high level in the [Strategist] class line. If ever I have the opportunity I shall take that class at once.”

“You can do that?”

Erin blurted it out. Olesm nodded again.

“Of course. I am merely a lowly [Tactician], the first of the strategist class line. But should I advance in level and learn more skills I might qualify for the [Strategist] class. And perhaps after that I might one day become a [Grandmaster]…? It makes my scales shiver to imagine such a class.”

Olesm stared dreamily off into the air. Erin edged away from him a bit.

“Right, well good luck with that.”

She wanted to go back and get her money, which the Drake shopkeeper was practically begging Relc to take as the other Drake frolicked in the destruction of his shop. But Olesm had her cornered and now Klbkch was on her tail.

uh i wont say anything, but remember this convo for later. much later, but later. it will be on the test! there is no test

“Miss Solstice. I believe this is your wager.”

He offered her three gold coins and a few copper and silver ones. Erin took them gratefully.

“Thank you, Klbkch.”

“I am merely fulfilling my duty as a member of the Watch. And once again may I congratulate you on your victory? I would greatly enjoy playing a game against you once I am off-duty. ”

Olesm nodded in fervent agreement. Erin smiled and wondered whether they’d follow her back to the inn.

“Another game? Sure, sure. After I finish my shopping—maybe another day?”

Klbkch nodded while Olesm visibly drooped. Erin felt bad, but she also knew his type. As in the type of player who would challenge her to another game day and night unless she said no.

“Tell you what, next time we can play a few games. Not just chess—if you guys have got other strategy games I’d love to play them too.”

Olesm’s face lit up.

“Do you like these kinds of games, Miss Solstice? I’m sure you must be quite good at any game you play.”

Erin grinned and waved a hand self-deprecatingly. She noticed Klbkch glancing at Olesm silently, but then the ant man returned his attention to her.

“Oh, I love all kinds of strategy games. I always surfed Youtube for—uh, what I mean is I used to watch and play tons of chess games. And not just chess; I learned how to play shogi, go, and even a few card games. But I couldn’t gamble so there was that.”

Erin shrugged. Klbkch stared at her blankly.

“Excuse me, but I am unfamiliar with these games. Is ‘shogi’ another game of strategy as chess is?”

“No, no. Shogi is a game that originated in Japan. And uh, Japan is…and…um…”

Erin trailed off. Klbkch and Olesm stared at her intently. She could practically see the Drake’s eyes lighting up in eager interest.

It occurred to Erin that trying to explain a game that originated in a country in a world that no one had heard of that used a language based off a culture which also didn’t exist would probably be a bad idea. But they were both staring at her.

“Um. Never mind?”

awkward. this sort of thing is why i sometimes skip portions, because all i would say is awkward or cringe at the events

Liscor had several markets that were open at any given time during the day. It also had many streets. So it had more than one Market Street too. But only one had a human walking down the stores and admiring the displays.

Erin’s feet hurt. She felt that was ridiculous. After all, she’d been playing chess while sitting down for nearly an hour. But then again, she’d had to stand around and creatively lie and avoid the truth with Olesm and Klbkch for another hour until they went away.

“At least they’re gone now.”

Erin jingled the money pouch at her belt. Klbkch had helped her buy one to carry all the money she now had. It was wonderfully heavy and made lovely chinking sounds as Erin walked, but she was also worried someone would steal it.

That was why she had to spend all of it fast. Erin hesitated, and then walked a few stores down from where the Drake shopkeeper was screaming over his destroyed shop and cursing Relc and humans in general. She approached another stall, filled to the bursting with all kinds of goods. It looked nice. She’d thought so just the other day, too.

Unlike before though, this time the Gnoll shopkeeper standing in front of her shop did not greet Erin. Instead, she looked at her as she approached and gave a loud sniff.

Erin winced inside, but there was nothing for it. She stepped closer and waved at the tall Gnoll.

“Hi.”

The Gnoll looked down at Erin. She—it? wasn’t smiling.

“Human. What do you want? Are you here to look down your nose again at my goods?”

“What? No, no. I’m actually here to uh, apologize.”

Erin tried to gauge the Gnoll shopkeeper’s reaction. It was hard to read her face. Like Relc and Klbkch, a Gnoll’s face didn’t display the same expression as a human one. But Erin didn’t detect the same amount of hostility in her features.

“Oh? What do you have to say then?”

“Um. Sorry?”

The Gnoll raised one eyebrow and her ears twitched back. That was a human reaction so Erin went on quickly.

“It’s just that I was having a bad day and I met this other Gnoll who really didn’t like me. So uh, I was kinda afraid you would get growly at me too. But I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t judge by uh, species.”

The Gnoll looked at her. Erin still couldn’t read her face. But—weren’t Gnolls kind of like hyenas? They looked like it. And hyenas were cats. Or maybe they were dogs. Either way, Erin peeked at the Gnoll’s ears.

They were twitching. And once Erin saw that she saw the Gnoll’s lips were twitching the merest fraction. Erin tried out a smile. To her surprise, the Gnoll smiled back. And laughed.

first of all, fun fact hyenas are so unique that they have their own family separate from canines and felines, and second its good that a simple sorry and explanation worked

“It is the first time I have heard a Human apologize. A good day, yes? It is good you come to make amends. I will forgive you, and forgive the smell you stink of as well.”

Erin frowned. Was this good or bad?

“Sorry, I don’t want to make you mad again. But—do I really smell that bad? I just had a bath.”

The Gnoll shopkeeper laughed again. She – and now that Erin looked she was definitely a she – clapped one hand on Erin’s shoulder. Erin’s knees buckled.

“I do not mock you, Human. But I laugh because I forget others do not have our nose. Forgive, please.”

Erin rubbed at her shoulder surreptitiously.

“You’re totally forgiven. But I really do smell, then?”

The Gnoll shopkeeper nodded, turning serious.

“You smell of burned ash and trash. No; not just that foul smell. Even burning trash smells better. I know not what it was, but I can still smell it on you.”

“Really?”

Erin sniffed at her arm experimentally, but she smelled like she always did. Better, actually since she had new clothing.

The Gnoll wrinkled her nose.

“Oh yes. It’s not too bad now though. All that blood and oil covers it up.”

Erin froze. The Gnoll laughed at her expression.

“Think I can’t smell it on you? Every creature with half a nose could tell you were in a fight. And that you won. First blood. You don’t stink of fear anymore.”

“It’s nothing to be proud of.”

Erin replied automatically. Her stomach was dropping out of her legs, but the Gnoll shopkeeper didn’t seem to notice.

“Are you not proud of your kill? You have blooded and killed your first prey. Is it not good?”

“No.”

Erin cut the shopkeeper off flatly.

“It’s not anything to be proud of. At all.”

The Gnoll stared down at her. Erin met her gaze. At last the Gnoll shrugged.

“Hrm. If you insist. Humans are odd creatures.”

That last remark stung. Erin gritted her teeth.

“Why do all of you say that? I’m human. So what?”

The Gnoll grinned at her with all her teeth.

“Because you are Human. Few of us have ever seen your kind here, let alone talked to one.”

Erin smiled sourly.

“Well, you’re the first Gnoll I’ve talked to. The first one that wasn’t angry at me, at least.”

The Gnoll shopkeeper laughed and slapped Erin on the shoulder again.

“Hah! You are a spirited Human! I like you. So I will introduce myself. I am Krshia, shopkeeper and seller of goods. And you are the Human who slew the Goblin Chieftain! What is your name, brave little one?”

“I’m Erin. Erin Solstice.”

Erin stuck out her hand but found herself grabbed and squeezed tightly by the Gnoll shopkeeper. It was a bear hug by a creature that looked sort of like a bear. She was strong enough for a bear too, and Erin felt oxygen quickly leaving her body.

sounds nice, though i wouldnt want all my air forced out

The Gnoll must have heard Erin squeak or felt her dying because she eased up on the pressure. She sniffed at Erin, only wrinkling her nose slightly. For Erin’s part, she smelled spices, sweat, a strong doggish smell, and that earthy smell that came from a day or two of not bathing. Then she was on the ground blinking up at the Gnoll.

“There. We have met, and we are now friends. Come into my shop Erin Solstice and tell me what you want.”

Erin blinked at her, but stepped inside the stall and looked around.

“Wow. Okay. That’s a lot of stuff. But that’s good, because I need a lot of stuff. Like food, clothing, um, soap. Toothpaste—do you have—?”

“Enough, enough!”

Krshia cut Erin off.

“I am not an insect-creature, with perfect memory. We shall fetch what you want and I will write it down. It will take time, but you will get what you want.”

Erin nodded. Krshia bared her teeth at her again, but Erin was pretty sure it was a smile.

“I will give you a fair price. Not too fair; you have much money. But I will not charge you more than any other customer. And then I will have your goods delivered rather than make you pay for a bag.”

Erin blinked.

“Delivered? You do deliveries?”

Krshia laughed.

“Of course. Did you think many would carry off bags of flour as you did? It is too hard. No; the stupid shopkeeper Lism, fur sheddings that he is, didn’t tell you and gave you the bag on purpose.”

Erin glanced over at Lism. He was still screaming at his store and his nephew. It looked like Olesm was recreating the game they’d played on another chess board. Erin had already bought the one she’d won on.

“I feel bad about that, actually.”

“Bad?”

Krshia stared at Erin in surprise and then laughed again.

“Humans are strange. He would not give you the same if he were in your place, he surely would not.”

Erin shrugged.

“Still, it’s not nice. And the law should be equal for everyone.”

Again, Krshia stared at Erin. She shifted uncomfortably.

“Well, that’s what I was always taught.”

The Gnoll shook her head.

“Humans. If one is greater, they are greater than others, yes? There is no fairness in the hunt. And the sharing of the kill only comes after the pack leader has eaten her fill, yes? You have friends. And you have more courage than foolish Lism. You two would never be equals, no.”

“I guess you’re right. But I still feel bad.”

Erin changed the subject.

yay erin has a supplier!

“So. These deliveries…how do they work?”

Krshia smiled. She pointed to a small wooden bowl filled with brightly painted wooded triangles. Erin looked at them and saw each had an intricate little design of red and gold that made up a pattern around the edge.

“These are Messenger Seals. They are for Runners. When I give you one, I will keep its twin, yes? Then when a Runner delivers your goods you will give him the Seal you have, and then I will know my goods have been delivered. It is simple.”

Erin picked up one of the pieces of wood.

“So you’re saying it’s like a postal service?”

“A what?”

“Um. A delivery service?”

“That is what I have said, Erin Solstice.”

Erin blushed while Krshia grinned toothily at her and laughed.

“Right, sorry. I just haven’t ever heard of these Runners before. What do they do, besides make deliveries?”

Krshia gave her a long look. She seemed to be checking whether Erin was making fun of her.

“Runners run. They are quick ones, those who can run long distances to earn money. Sometimes they deliver letters, other times valuable things. Goods, yes? Magical items, messages that must only be spoken to one person. Such are expensive requests though. Only the best carry such things. Most just deliver goods very cheaply. I can call one and have all that you buy delivered to your inn for a good price.”

That sounded good, but Erin had learned skepticism here.

“What’s a good price?”

“It is the broken inn a few miles east of here, yes?”

Erin nodded. Krshia scratched her chin.

“Four silver coins. Not a small price. If it were the city it would be one, or maybe coppers for a small delivery. But it is far, yes? And if it is heavy and monsters lurk, the price goes up. You are lucky the Goblins are scarce and the Rock Hiders do not travel this late in the season.”

Erin thought about that. It sounded really good. Better than carrying anything herself.

“I like it.”

Krshia grinned at her again. This time Erin grinned back using all of her teeth.

“I knew I liked you for a reason. Then tell me what you want and let us not waste the light, eh?”

“Sounds good to me.”

i wonder if [runner] is a class or is the runners guild is more of an umbrella organization for deliveries in general

Later that evening Erin sat in her inn and felt at her money pouch. It was a lot lighter now, but she felt a lot better about it. She felt a lot better about life, actually.

She had fresh clothes on, and she no longer smelled of…well, she no longer smelled. Instead her skin had been bathed in a minty scent from the soap she’d used. And she hadn’t had to dodge fish in the stream while bathing either. She’d gone to a bathhouse in the city.

The day had been full of busy things, and none of them had been entirely bad. After she’d bought all of Krshia’s goods and even haggled a bit over the price the Gnoll had shown her to the bath house to have a proper wash. Then Erin had gone back to her inn, eaten the rest of the pasta and she was now enjoying a minor food coma as she sat in a chair in her inn.

Erin played with one of the chess pieces on the table. She’d carried the chess board and a few essential items like soap with her back to the inn. She hadn’t wanted to let it go. It was incredible, really. Chess? In a world like this? Actually, it made sense but Erin was still amazed. She had to keep touching the pieces to make sure they were real.

But she had to focus. Erin dragged her mind back on track. Krshia told her the Runner would deliver her stuff tomorrow at some point. Until then, she could clean up the inn a bit. Or maybe play a game against herself. That was fun too. It was just—

Erin stared down at the chess board. She murmured to herself.

“Knight to D4. Pawn to E3.”

Suddenly her good feeling vanished. Erin felt cold. Suddenly the food in her stomach was dead weight instead of comfort, and she felt sick. Her hands shook as she put the pieces back on the table. Everything was better. It really was. But…

—If she closed her eyes Erin could still see a Goblin lying on the ground next to her. If she opened her hands she could still feel the dead weight between her palms.

Erin moved a pawn up and took the knight. She stared at the pieces on the board.

“It’s kill or be killed in this world, after all.”

She put her head in her hands and rubbed at her eyes. Yes. That was what she’d learned. And she hated it. All of the good that had come to her seemed like it had been built on the bad.

The bad. The dead. A game of chess on a pile of corpses. Erin stared at the chess board.

She was good at chess. She liked chess. She’d grown up playing chess and other games like that, despite the fact that girls weren’t common in chess tournaments. Chess had been fun to her, until she’d grown up and realized she’d never become a Grandmaster herself. She was good, but not great. But chess had still been her hobby. Chess was fun. It was about outwitting the opponent, about using strategy—

It wasn’t at all like killing someone.

Erin stared at her hands. They were quivering. She could still feel them burning. It was all a game, though, wasn’t it? A game with levels and classes. A game like chess.

“It’s just a game. Just a game?”

Erin stared at the board. Pieces. If she thought about it like that, then death seemed to matter less. She’d done the right thing. She’d defended herself, killed the monster.

Killed the monster.

She stared down at the three dead Goblins. They were so small. Like children. And they had family. Friends. Those who loved them.

The ragged Goblin. The ones hiding outside her inn, scrawny and afraid. They were the enemy too, if she played the game like chess. The right thing to do would be to hunt them down and kill them. That was how all games worked.

That was how you played chess.

Erin sat up. She remembered the Goblin’s hand in hers, the feeling of his skin. She remembered his smile. She remembered laughing.

And then she understood. Erin put her hand underneath the chess board and flipped it off the table. Both white and black pieces soared into the air and clattered against the floor.

Erin stood up.

“I remember why I got bored of chess. There’s only one winner and one loser. The best game for both players is a draw.”

She walked over to the door and yanked it open. Then she stopped and turned. She raised her middle finger and flipped off the chess board a second time.

“I’ll make my own rules. And anyone that doesn’t like it can go to hell.”

The door slammed shut as Erin walked out. A few minutes later she rushed back into the inn and carefully put all the pieces back onto the chess board.

“Still a great game, though. Don’t take it personally. Let me just get a quick snack for the road. And I need some soap. Proper hygiene and all that. Where did I put the soap? Soap, soap, soap…I should really organize all this stuff. Maybe tomorrow.”

Then she was gone, running down to the city. There was still plenty of daylight left in the sky. And she had one more thing left to do. The most important thing of all.

what is erin doing now? also, it seems erin got stuck in the space between casual and pro, where you beat all your local stuff but cant get accepted to pro stuff

The sun sets on the grasslands. Shadows lengthen and fall upon the old structure, hiding flaws and concealing the age of the building underneath an evening shroud. The sun is setting. High above this world, in a sky twice as high it sets slowly.

After a while the young woman walks back towards the inn. She is carrying a bucket and a brush. And a piece of wood. And some nails. And a hammer. It’s quite heavy and she mutters and curses as she drags her burden along.

Eventually though, she reaches the inn and sets her many burdens down. Then she looks up.

Above the inn a faded sign bears the traces of letters, but the young woman cannot read the language. Nor does she care what was once written there. She only has eyes for the sign. The inn has lost its name. It needs a new one.

The girl picks up the bucket and brush. Then she looks up at the sign and down at the ground. The plaque above the inn is several times her height off the ground.

The young woman looks up at the sky and shouts an obscenity. Then she goes back down to the city once more. She comes back with a tall ladder, panting and muttering to herself.

It takes a while for the young woman to realize she needs to anchor the ladder or else she’ll fall right off. She picks herself off the ground and this time she gets to the top of the inn. Once she’s steady she goes back down for the bucket and carefully walks back up the ladder with it.

She dips the brush in the bucket and paints a stroke on the wide plaque above the inn. The dark paint glistens in the sunlight and the young woman smiles and hums in satisfaction. She begins painting on the sign above the inn.

It takes her a long time and several coats of paint. Black paint for the letters, white paint to erase her mistakes. A paint-scraping tool to get rid of the paint when it becomes too thick. A hammer to hit things while she vents her frustrations.

But eventually the sign is done. The young woman sighs in relief and then picks up the piece of wood she has brought. She takes the paintbrush and writes on it briefly. Then she hammers the sign into the ground and walks into her inn. The tools she leaves on the ground. She’ll pick them up tomorrow.

The sign is done, and the paint dries in the fading light. The lettering is crisp and clear, catching the eye of any traveler that passes by. But no travelers are nearby. No visitors come to the inn, and indeed, none will come this night.

It doesn’t matter. The sign is what matters. The name and message are what matter. They have been written, and now they are here to stay. As is the young woman.

So as she sleeps the sun fades and the last bit of light catches the plaque above the inn. The letters glow in the dusk.

The Wandering Inn.

Next to the inn, a large sign is hammered into the earth. It reads:

“No Killing Goblins.”

Thus begins the story of The Wandering Inn.

is this where the title card would go? i dont know, this seems to be about 19 chapters too late

thats the end of the chapter! will this gnoll prove to be a good friend? will olesum be a good friend? will the sign be read by anyone?

see ya next post

#chrono

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nobuckingway · 6 years ago

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We both really enjoyed our first lesson with Christa Dillion from Blackhill Eventing, so much so that we got her out for a second! Lessons where you get pushed and challenged to the best of your ability are definitely the kind of lessons that we need at the minute. We both feel we need something or someone to push us forward.

Have a read below about what we tackled in our lesson along with a short Q&A with Christa herself.

The 3 Exercises We Tackled

Exercise #1 – Related Distance Canter Poles

Our first exercise was a basic set of 2 canter poles with a distance of four strides in between. Trying to maintain a steady forward rhythm & focus on a good approach to the first pole was key in hitting this exercise correctly.

Exercise #2 – Bounce Poles

To begin with, this exercise was set up with 5 bounce/canter poles. As we progressed through (after a lot of time spent putting poles back in place by Christa!) the 5 canter poles became 4 with a cross pole jump put in place of the 5th pole at the end. Talk about challenging!

Exercise #3 – Double with Trot Poles and Bounce Poles

Finishing up the lesson Christa set up a small grid. This consisted of an approach of 3 trot poles into a cross pole, two bounce ground poles then into an upright, which then progressed into a spread. Both horses surprisingly rode this exercise spot on each time. I think all the pole work above definitely helped set them up for it.

How Did Coco & Dante Get On?

Orla & Coco

My focus for this lesson was getting Coco to stop tanking me into fences. She has started rushing into fences and then dropping at the last second causing her to jump like a donkey. So the exercises Christa set out were perfect!

My first issue however was Coco’s irritating spooking in her least favourite corner of the arena. Trying to get her to concentrate was difficult but after a while I decided I just needed to ignore it and try to get on with things.

After a quick warm up we started over the related distance canter poles. Well..you’d swear I had put a 1.20 spread in front of her the way she bombed at it. When she did this my focus had to be on correcting her but not letting the correction kill all of her impulsion. That is something I need to find the balance with. Coco’s a very eager jumper who tends to do a few leaps before jumps so I sometimes struggle to control that energy without killing it and having to build it back up again. The way to do this was to compress the canter by half halting while also applying leg to keep your impulsion. Needless to say I was quite nackered by the end of this lesson!

Funnily enough she took to the other two exercises extremely well. She was quite consistent with the bounce poles and our only issue with the grid was that she kept trying to pop into canter over the trot poles so I needed to contain her energy and not let it explode too soon. At the end of the grid was the scary corner so we had a few silly moments down there when we put all three exercises together but thankfully it wasn’t anything that stopped her from jumping (which has been the case before)!

All in all I was delighted with how well Coco did. I feel like our confidence is improving so the plan is to gradually start increasing the height of fences at home and getting ourselves out to do some schooling in new environments.

Darielle & Dante

For this lesson I went in not really expecting much from Dante. I have found in the past that if I do it all tends to flip & go backwards.

Working on Dante accepting the contact more from my leg up into my hand is still a major issue we are tackling, some days he’s fantastic, soft & subtle then some days hes a stubborn mule. He is a horse that likes to be in control of his own self, and when I step in and interfere or try get him to listen to me he kicks up a fuss… this at times is frustrating, but it is something I am dealing with & learning to correct myself, all whilst still trying to ignore his ratty behaviour.

As we progressed into the lesson, Getting Dante to listen to my leg aids became quite difficult that in turn with trying to half halt him, he blatantly just ignored me & continued to try do what he wanted to do, blasting forward at times or not wanting to move forward at all. This sounds dreadful, but picture an octopus trying to run… this is Dante…but he is a massive horse that still doesn’t know how much body he actually has, and to be fair to him he has come a very long way with managing it to the best of his ability & mine!

The most beneficial exercise to us were the canter poles into the cross pole. There were a few moments where I had to pull him out of his approach as he’d cock the jaw and try run off with control, there were moments that I had to circle to get a good balanced canter on our approach. There were some good moments in there too, dont get me wrong but most of our work consisted of compressing his canter & keeping a firm leg on him all whilst trying to keep a flowing moving canter.

It was god dam difficult let me tell you, but we got there in the end!

We had some great positive moments in our lesson too, his approach to fences was a lot more relaxed, he waited and listened to me more than he did in our previous lesson, so over all great progress is being made & I am quite content with that & delighted!

Moving forward a LOT more work is needed in his canter, within the different paces pushing him forward and out of his comfort zone, getting him moving rather than letting him stick to the same consistant pace, but hey, perfection takes time!!

Q&A with Christa Dillon of Blackhill Eventing

How did you get into coaching, tell us about yourself?

Answer: I am a 37 year old farmer’s wife and mother of one small, flame haired and feral four year old boy. I am a professional lorry driver in my spare time, and I am staunchly proud of my Artic license! I competed in eventing until 2012, when a lack of horses forced a change of direction into producing youngsters. I adore showjumping, especially the training-we are so lucky in Ireland to be able to learn with some truly exceptional riders and coaches, enabling us to produce confident, well educated young horses capable of good success in any sport. During the winter, I gave a friend a hand with her horse. To my great surprise, my advice actually worked. I generally always know what to do when I’m in the saddle, but watching from the ground is a whole other ball game. My friend is extremely persuasive, and she encouraged/demanded that I took out insurance to teach. The same friend then twice over arranged training clinics for me, and thanks to her I now have a good client base. I really enjoy helping others, and I’m very grateful to those who have helped to make coaching a reality.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Answer: ‘Hot horses are always lazy’, from Paul O’Shea. It can be taken literally, but it’s more to make you remember that if a horse is throwing a ton of attitude at you to avoid actually working, there is pretty well always a reason. It’s up to you to figure the reason out! Also, ‘The best place for four year old horses is often the field’, from Trevor Breen. This has proven to be true a million times over for me

What’s your favourite part about producing horses?

Answer: Oh everything! Learning about who they are, how they need to be ridden, what they find easy and difficult. It’s so satisfying when they suddenly understand something, or make a big jump forward in their training. To quote Piggy French, ‘I’m just addicted to working with horses’.

Do Coco or Dante remind you of any horses you’ve owned or worked with in the past?

Answer: Coco reminds me a lot of my own 4 yr old mare-both very willing and absolute workaholics, supremely intelligent and genuine, but both with their own boundaries of acceptance-find the key, and you have the horse of a lifetime. Dante reminds me-in looks at least-of a very cool KWPN gelding I had a few years ago called Vector M2S. He went on to jump 1m40 in Ireland, before being sold to Italy. I am in contact with his owner which makes me so happy as I adored the horse. He is stabled at Luca Maria Moneta’s yard, near Lake Como.

What tips would you give to anyone producing a young horse to keep their confidence levels up?

Answer: Be patient. Find the most experienced person you can, and learn as much as you can. A young horse needs a wide foundation of education to maintain confidence throughout his training, so work hard to put that in place. Never rush or overface a young horse, praise him always-especially if he’s struggling with something-and never be afraid to take a step back or take a break. Avoid the pressure of age classes and the ‘your horse should be doing X Y Z at 4,5,6’ brigade. Train each horse as an individual, at a pace that best suits him.

Finally, in your opinion what types of exercises should we be doing with both horses to keep progressing forward?

Dante: Dante has made huge progress since I saw him a month ago. He’s a difficult horse who ultimately needs to learn to compress his frame and listen to his rider. He currently alternates between listening almost too much, or not listening at all when Darielle asks him to come to work, but I would take this as a huge positive as it shows that he’s trying so hard to work it out and very close to a more permanent and consistent way of going. Lots of canter poles so that horse and rider can work on a more consistent stride pattern. Rows of bounces can be helpful, as can gridwork with ground poles. Anything to get Dante to look at what he’s doing, and begin to learn to balance himself in a more ‘together’ canter. He’s a fabulous horse and this is a very nice, progressive partnership.

Coco: Coco is the coolest. She’s so willing and interested in work. She’s quite consistent now in her way of going, and like Dante I see a huge improvement on how she was going a month ago. With a horse like her, I would use loads of poles in trot and canter to keep her thinking. I would give her enough to do, without pushing her too hard. I imagine that variety would suit her, so I would encourage plenty of hacking, shows, trips away schooling, a spin up the gallops, lunging etc. Make every day fun for her. Coco and Orla look like best friends hanging out together, having the craic.

Well there you have it, our lesson with Christa. We are having another lesson tomorrow so hopefully we will see even more progress with both horses and continue to grow and move forward.

If you do want to try out the exercises we did in our lesson above, head over to our Instagram page to have a look at how we got on & how they were set up!

Darielle & Orla

NBW Meets Christa Dillon of Blackhill Eventing #schoolingexercises #riderhour #247equestrian #nobuckingway #horsebloggers #Horses #horsehour #equestrians #equestrianbloggers We both really enjoyed our first lesson with Christa Dillion from Blackhill Eventing, so much so that we got her out for a second!

#dante #blackhill eventing #christa dillon #coco #horse #Jumping #jumping exercises #lesson #pole exercises #polework

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everettwilkinson · 7 years ago

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Kicking The Can Down The Road, It’s What We Do! – Daily Pfennig

Chuck Butler’s: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts

December 7, 2017

* Dollar buying continues…

* BOC leaves rates unchanged…

* Chuck explains dollar buying..

Good Day… And A Tub Thumpin’ Thursday to you! The Pfennig won the coin toss today, much to my chagrin, as I was looking forward to catching a few more zzz’s this morning… But here I am, and I’m ready to rock you like a hurricane! Not! I took a step backward yesterday, as Tuesday was a pain free day, and I got cocky and thought I could ditch my walker and go back to my cane yesterday.. Bad thought! I guess I need to be more patient… Stevie Wonder greets me this morning with his song: I Wish… which is from my fave album by Stevie Wonder… Songs in the key of life..

The buying of the dollar which began on our Tom Terrific Tuesday, continued throughout yesterday and overnight, with the Dollar Index rising from 93.11 a couple of days ago to 93.77 this morning. Or, you could very easily see that the dollar has the conn right now, by looking at the euro, which has fallen from near 1.20 last week to 1.1780 this morning…

So… what’s all this dollar buying about I hear you asking? Well, I think it’s investors getting in ahead of the final Tax Bill is approved, for in that Tax Bill is a provision much like the one that we had to suffer through in 2005, where U.S. Companies doing business overseas will be able to repatriate earnings held in the overseas country back to the U.S. at a reduced tax rate…

From what I’ve read, the numbers go like this: The President’s numbers have the total holdings overseas at $4 Trillion. It is estimated that 70% of that total is already held in dollars, which leaves 30% or $1.2 Trillion that’s held in a foreign currency, that could be converted to dollars and returned to the U.S. That would be a HUGE positive move for the dollar, folks… But it would be a one and one deal… I suspect that the majority of the conversions would take place in the first quarter of 2018.

But that’s a HUGE number to get converted, so that’s what I think is happening right now… Investors that see this coming are getting in ahead of the deal… Of course the Senate Tax plan still has to be reconciled with the House Tax plan, and be on the President’s desk by year-end… We are approaching the Christmas break, and that could very well be a roadblock for the approval before year-end…

Before we get to Christmas though, we have to get through the passage of a Budget here in the U.S. Tomorrow is the deadline that was put in place when the lawmakers couldn’t agree on anything a couple of months ago, except to extend the talks to 12/8/2017, which happens to be tomorrow!

I fully expect the lawmakers to pass another extension tomorrow to keep the Gov’t from shutting down, which is nothing more than kicking the can down the road, folks… Like the GEICO commercials.. Kicking the can down the road, it’s what we do…

Alrighty then, I’m going to move along here, because I could feel my blood pressure rising while talking about our lawmakers inability to pass a budget…

The Bank of Canada (BOC) met yesterday, and left rates unchanged, but sent the loonie downward with their comments following the rate announcement. Seems the BOC is worried about rising inflation, but with no rate hike to combat that worry, the markets immediately believed the BOC will be behind when inflation begins to take off… And that meant the selling of the loonie, which lost nearly 1 full cent yesterday.

The Aussie dollar (A$) and kiwi were also on the selling blocks yesterday, as traders are looking at their positive rate situation to the dollar, and seeing it narrow, as these two currencies’ respective Central Banks are in now hurry to hike rates, and that will leave their positive rate advantage to the dollar at risk…

The price of Oil has really drifted downward this week, after a report showed that U.S. gasoline supplies were more than ample. And with the price of Oil slipping, the Petrol Currencies get sold in sympathy to the falling Oil price. Our friends (NOT!) at OPEC continue to adhere to their self-induced reduced production levels, but all that does is give the U.S. shale producers the thought that they could rule the world… And their production goes sky high… The OPEC members truly thought that by now their production cuts would yield an Oil price of more than $60… Instead they are dealing with a slipping Oil price of $56 and change..

But the slippage in the price of Oil is peanuts compared to the slippage in the price of Gold lately… The shiny metal lost another $3 in trading yesterday, which wasn’t that bad, but has lost over $9 in the early morning trading today… UGH! Somewhere, probably in Russia and China, they are not so upset with this drop in the price of Gold, due to their continued buying of the shiny metal…

Is all this selling in Gold just a move ahead of the price reset that James Rickards talks about? I sure hope so!

The U.S. Data Cupboard had the ADP Employment Report for November yesterday, and it disappointed the markets… The expectations for the data was that it would show 235,000 jobs created in November, but instead it only showed 190,000… So, like I explained previously, this ADP report is supposed to give us an indication of what the BLS comes up with tomorrow…

The BLS report is as useless as the G in Lasagna, to me… For I am aware of a few of the games the BLS plays with the report, and it just makes me sick to my stomach to think that the markets still put their faith in the BLS and trade accordingly… UGH! I had better stop there before I get all revved up about the BLS.. Come on Chuck, move along… OK… I was this close to ripping them apart at the seams, but I’ll save that for another day…

To recap … The dollar has the conn, and it appears to Chuck that these dollar buyers are getting in ahead of the passage of the Tax Bill for in the Bill there’s a repatriation piece that allows U.S. Corporations doing business overseas to repatriate their earnings at a reduced tax rate, and it could mean tons of currency conversions to dollars, folks… UGH! The BOC left rates unchanged and then opened mouth and inserted foot, and it cost the loonie a full cent in value…

For What It’s Worth… Yesterday I told you about how U.K. PM May was in trouble regarding her views on BREXIT, and to my delight zerohedge.com had an article explaining it better, so that’s what I have for you today and it can be found here:http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-06/pound-tumbles-amid-brexit-chaos-headline-havoc

Or, here’s your snippet: “Cable traders are suffering through a news overload this morning, with the optimism and euphoria which sent the pound to two month highs as recently as 2 days ago fading fast on speculation whether U.K. P.M. Theresa May will be able to engineer a Brexit breakthrough in time. And following overnight speculation that her cabinet may revolt, and what one desk dubbed “headline havoc” this morning in which DUP sources saying that there will be no deal this week, it’s looking increasingly in jeopardy.

Overnight The Telegraph and Bloomberg reported that Theresa May is facing a revolt from inside her Cabinet over her plan to keep U.K. regulations aligned with the European Union after Brexit, “a split that threatens to undermine her chances of breaking the deadlock in negotiations.” Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Environment Secretary Michael Gove “will lead a Cabinet revolt against Theresa May over fears she is forcing a soft Brexit” the Telegraph reported. While this is hardly the first time we’ve heard this sort of speculation, considering the closeness to the EU Council Summit next Thursday/Friday, the clock is ticking for May to come up with a solution.

That may be tricky because with just days to go until a deadline to get talks back on track and the pound sliding for a second day, May is struggling to get the Northern Irish party that props up her government to sign up to her Brexit strategy. Wednesday had been tipped as the day May could head back to Brussels to resume talks that suffered an embarrassing breakdown on Monday. Explaining the tension, DB’s Oliver Harvey believes the question of a December breakthrough is now in doubt after the DUP rejected the proposed compromise over Northern Ireland’s status after Brexit, and so scuppering talks. He notes that the failure of the UK to reach agreement is problematic for four reasons. 1) the DUP appears to have drawn a red line over continued regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland the Republic. 2) proposed regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and the Republic has emboldened leaders of other devolved administrators, most notably in Scotland. 3) the rejection of the deal has emboldened some hard Brexiteers within the Conservative Party, and 4) time is now tight.”

Chuck again… I know that was quite long for a “snippet” but I wanted to make sure you understand the problems that PM May is facing and apply that to how we should continue to steer clear of pound sterling…

Currencies today 12/7/17… American Style: A$ .7520, kiwi .6833, C$ .7797, euro 1.1780, sterling 1.3345, Swiss $1.0073, … European Style: rand 13.5036, krone 8.2770, SEK 8.4453, forint 267.10, zloty 3.5746, koruna 21.7220, RUB 58.99, yen 112.75, sing 1.3506, HKD 7.8107, INR 64.50, China 6.6135, peso 18.92, BRL 3.2375, Dollar Index 93.77, Oil $56.11, 10-year 2.34%, Silver $15.84, Platinum $898.44, Palladium $1,000.44, and Gold… $1,257.00

That’s it for today… It’s Pearl Harbor Day… A couple of years ago, I took a trip to Hawaii, and visited the Pearl Harbor museum… I wish everyone could make that trip, for that’s a very “moving experience”… So… today marks the 76th anniversary of the first “day in infamy” for the U.S. I will be taking a minute to reflect on that day today, and I would hope you would too… I’ll go back to being careful with my movements today, and store away that cockiness I had yesterday for sure! I told you the other day that I was visited by good friends, Rick and Laura, and today’s song that takes us to the finish line is one of Laura’s favorites songs… The Scorpions and their song: Still Loving You take us to the finish line today, and with that… I hope you have a Tub Thumpin’ Thursday, and Be Good To Yourself!

Chuck Butler

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from CapitalistHQ.com https://capitalisthq.com/kicking-the-can-down-the-road-its-what-we-do-daily-pfennig/

#TrumpNews #CapitalistHQ.com

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melindarowens · 7 years ago

Text

Kicking The Can Down The Road, It’s What We Do! – Daily Pfennig

Chuck Butler’s: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts

December 7, 2017

* Dollar buying continues…

* BOC leaves rates unchanged…

* Chuck explains dollar buying..

Alrighty then, I’m going to move along here, because I could feel my blood pressure rising while talking about our lawmakers inability to pass a budget…

Is all this selling in Gold just a move ahead of the price reset that James Rickards talks about? I sure hope so!

Chuck Butler

Source link

source https://capitalisthq.com/kicking-the-can-down-the-road-its-what-we-do-daily-pfennig/ from CapitalistHQ http://capitalisthq.blogspot.com/2017/12/kicking-can-down-road-its-what-we-do.html

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johnboi-oh-snap · 8 years ago

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What I've noticed in my 29 years on this planet, science is full of unprovable unobservable theories about how we got here and what our earth actually looks like. The bible is filled with observable, provable facts through archeology, history, and OBSERVABLE science. When I read the bible and it tells me how we were created and what earth looks like it makes way more sense. I've tested the theories of science and they do not match up to my God given observation or to the Holy word of God. So when a Christian is provided with evidence that what science says goes against the bible, a true christian, it is there obligation and to look in to it. No matter how ludacris it may sound. Our Heavnly Father warned us that Satan would deceive even the elect if he could. I say he has done one hell of a job. Am I blaming Christians for ignorance? Of course not! I have been deceived many times. I have been lead astray. I know what the devils traps look like and what they feel like. It is so important to get to know Satan and how he works. He can not create anything knew but only imitate and twist God's word. I think it's actually easier to deceive us that way, especially if we aren't really reading and studying the bible. I believe that God is very literal and specific about the creation event. Nothing is a metaphor or parable. He told Moses to write every word in that book, so every word has a very specific meaning and placement. I remember when I was younger and reading genesis it didn't make sense. The forming of the earth and the sun, moon, and stars didn't make sense to me. What science told me didn't even come close to what the bible said. It left my confused but instead of looking in to it and second guessing science I just went on with my life thinking the bible doesn't know what it's talking about. That last statement above is probably the most important point I want to make. Isn't that what Satan wants? He wants us to doubt the bible. When the bible doesn't match up with what we have been told by science we begin to question it, except for evolution, which is sort of weird... If they would willingly lie to us about how we came to be why wouldn't they lie about everything else? People forget that satan is behind all of this. He is working double time right now to deceive people and turn us against each other. Matthew 10:21 “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” I've been waiting to really come out to all my Christian friends about what I have found but I have feared being mocked and losing respect... As a Christian, I shouldn't fear that. 2 reasons. 1) because God told me to go to all nations and share HIS truth without fear 2) I shouldn't fear rejection and judgement from my brothers and sisters. I have told some people and the reaction has been awesome. But others, I can sense a spirit of rejection. One of the reasons I've held off is because I truly feel that God needs to prepare people's hearts before something is shared with them and it's sad to say that even the most diligent Christians heart has been hardened in some way. It's not your fault though. It's the people before us who knew the truth and just let it slide. They weren't brave enough to face the ridicule and death that came with speaking God's truth. But we have got to stop living in fear. We have got to stop letting man lead us away from the honest, pure, and true word of God. It is so important that we understand God's creation as He has intended us to. We can't bare our knowledge on theories that aren't observable, ever changing, and will never be proved. We will know God by His creation and if we have a false interpretation of His creation than we don't truly know Him. You can't truly grasp the wonders of God. That relationship is missing something very important. You arent seeing life the way God created you to. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7‭-‬10 KJVA http://bible.com/546/job.12.7-10.KJVA The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Psalm 19:1‭-‬4 KJVA http://bible.com/546/psa.19.1-4.KJVA For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Romans 1:20‭-‬23 KJVA http://bible.com/546/rom.1.20-23.KJVA Praise ye the Lord . Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord : for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. Psalm 148:1‭-‬6 KJVA http://bible.com/546/psa.148.1-6.KJVA Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: fire, and hail; snow, and vapor; stormy wind fulfilling his word: mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Psalm 148:7‭-‬10 KJVA http://bible.com/546/psa.148.7-10.KJVA I want to leave you with one last passage. That is genesis 1:1-18 paying the most attention to the formation of the earth. I want you to submit every area of your heart to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to reveal to you the secrets of His creation. If the description doesn't match what we are currently told I want you to look up " Ancient Hebrew cosmology " in your Google search engine and compare what the bible says to what science says. I leave you with this. God bless you brothers and sisters and may you find rest in the truth. Romans 3:4 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

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