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dfroza · 4 years ago

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the body has become the Temple of the Spirit of our Creator

and we carry this treasure of Light in our ordinary selves, becoming weathered & worn on the outside, yet continually renewed deep within.

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 6th chapter of the Letter of First Corinthians where Paul begins with stating his case of resolving disputes among believers and concludes with the topic of sex:

Furthermore, how dare you take a fellow believer to court! It is wrong to drag him before the unrighteous to settle a legal dispute. Isn’t it better to take him before God’s holy believers to settle the matter? Don’t you realize that we, the holy ones, will judge the universe? If the unbelieving world is under your jurisdiction, you should be fully competent to settle these trivial lawsuits among yourselves. For surely you know that we will one day judge angels, let alone these everyday matters. Don’t you realize that you are bringing your issues before civil judges appointed by people who have no standing within the church? What a shame that there is not one within the church who has the spirit of wisdom who could arbitrate these disputes and reconcile the offended parties! It’s not right for a believer to sue a fellow believer—and especially to bring it before the unbelievers.

Don’t you realize that when you drag another believer into court you’re providing the evidence that you are already defeated? Wouldn’t it be better to accept the fact that someone is trying to cheat and take advantage of you, and simply choose the high road? At times it is better to just accept injustice and even to let someone take advantage of you, rather than to expose our conflicts publicly before unbelievers. But instead you keep cheating and doing wrong to your brothers and sisters, and then request that unbelievers render their judgment!

Surely you must know that people who practice evil cannot possess God’s kingdom realm. Stop being deceived! People who continue to engage in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse, or extortion—these will not inherit God’s kingdom realm. It’s true that some of you once lived in those lifestyles, but now you have been purified from sin, made holy, and given a perfect standing before God—all because of the power of the name of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and through our union with the Spirit of our God.

It’s true that our freedom allows us to do anything, but that doesn’t mean that everything we do is good for us. I’m free to do as I choose, but I choose to never be enslaved to anything. Some have said, “I eat to live and I live to eat!” But God will do away with it all. The body was not created for illicit sex, but to serve and worship our Lord Jesus, who can fill the body with himself.

Now the God who raised up our Lord from the grave will awaken and raise us up through his mighty power!

Don’t you know that your bodies belong to Christ as his body parts? Should one presume to take the members of Christ’s body and make them into members of a harlot? Absolutely not! Aren’t you aware of the fact that when anyone sleeps with a prostitute he becomes a part of her, and she becomes a part of him? For it has been declared:

The two become a single body.

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is mingled into one spirit with him. This is why you must keep running away from sexual immorality. For every other sin a person commits is external to the body, but immorality involves sinning against your own body.

Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary. You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood, so by all means, then, use your body to bring glory to God!

The Letter of 1st Corinthians, Chapter 6 (The Passion Translation)

to be accompanied by these lines from The Message:

There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

The Letter of 1st Corinthians, Chapter 6:16-20 (The Message)

our Creator designed sex and the human body made in the gender of both male & female which takes shape at the genesis spark of conception in the womb. sex forms two bodies into “One” body which is actually the marital bond of husband & wife and this is the only “safe” sex on earth, being a sacred bond of intimacy shared that is meant to remain faithful for a whole lifetime.

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 41st chapter of the book (scroll) of Isaiah where God speaks of restoring his people and also speaking against idols of metal that some trust in:

Eternal One: Keep quiet and listen to Me, lands along the seacoast;

give the people of the nations a chance to regain their strength.

Let them come close, all together, to speak their minds and present their case;

let’s consider the facts and make a judgment.

Who brought up this eastern hero? Who called up his justice service?

He lays nations at his feet and makes an end of their kings.

With a thrust of his sword and the bend of his bow,

this hero turns kings and their armies into dust.

With agility and speed unmatched, he chases them down

and is himself unscathed, even though he is passing over unfamiliar land.

Who has performed these deeds and accomplished this purpose?

Who calls each generation into being from the first on down?

It is I, the Eternal One your God.

I am the first.

And to the very last, I am the One.

The lands along the seacoast have seen and are scared.

The ends of earth take to shaking and yet still they draw near.

They try to bolster each other up saying,

“Have courage, brother, have courage!”

Recognizing their mutual dependence, the artisan encourages the goldsmith;

the one who hammers the metal emboldens the one who welds,

Saying, “Looks good! Fine job!” and fastens the idols together with nails,

making it stand firm and stable.

Eternal One: But you, My servant, Israel,

Jacob whom I have chosen and descendant of My friend, Abraham,

I have reached to wherever you are in the farthest corners of earth,

and the most hidden places therein.

I have called to you and said, “You are my servant.

I have chosen you, not thrown you away!”

So don’t be afraid. I am here, with you;

don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, help you.

I am here with My right hand to make right and to hold you up.

Look, everyone who hated you and sought to do you wrong

will be embarrassed and confused.

Whoever challenged you with hot-headed bluster

will become as if they never were, and nevermore will be.

You may go looking for them, but you won’t find them;

because those who tried to fight with you will become as if they never were.

After all, it is I, the Eternal One your God,

who has hold of your right hand,

Who whispers in your ear, “Don’t be afraid. I will help you.”

So don’t be afraid, Jacob, though you are nothing but a worm.

People of Israel, you little bug, you have nothing to fear.

Eternal One: I will help you. I am One who saves you,

the Holy One of Israel.

I will turn you into a formidable threshing sledge

with brand new sharp blades that will mow down entire mountains

and turn the hills into chaff.

You will separate value from waste, and a great wind

and a strong storm will take away what is useless and unimportant.

You will take joy in the Eternal.

You will glow with pride in the Holy One of Israel.

And when people thirst, when those poor souls with parched tongues

look in vain for something to drink,

I, the Eternal, the God of Israel, won’t leave them to suffer. I will respond

By making the hard, brown hills sparkle with streams of fresh water

and causing valleys to come alive with springs.

I will see that gentle pools wait on the desert floor for the weary traveler,

and great fountains bubble up from dry ground;

In the desert, I will plant cedars, woody acacias,

myrtles, and olive trees.

I will establish great cypresses to flourish in the desert places,

plant oaks and pine trees side by side.

They’ll see all this and understand. They’ll ponder together

and come to know that it is the power of the Eternal One that produced this.

They will know that the Holy One of Israel created it.

Eternal One: Present your case. Lay out your arguments

and call your witnesses to appear before the King of Jacob.

Come on and bring your idols. Now tell us what is to come,

and while you’re at it, tell us what happened before.

Can you explain to us so that we, too, may understand?

Go ahead, tell us what the future holds.

Surely you can, if you are truly gods. Do good, or do bad.

Just do something—anything—to amaze or frighten us.

Sure enough, you are not gods; you are nothing at all.

You have nothing to show for your work or yourselves.

Fools! Only fools would choose you to be their god. Detestable.

Eternal One: I, the Lord, I have called up for service

one from the north, and he comes from the rising sun

and he will invoke My name.

He will render rulers like mud under his shoes,

trampling them down like so much clay.

Did any of you gods tell us about this long ago, so we would know?

Did any of you indicate to us that we might agree, “He is right”?

No, no one told us. No one made an announcement, and no one hears what you say.

I was the first to say to Zion, “Look, here they are!”

I sent a messenger to announce the good news to Jerusalem.

But I am looking, and there isn’t anyone.

I have asked around, and no one knows, no one can tell Me.

See here, all of these so-called gods are false;

their works are nothing;

These cast-metal images are like wind, sheer emptiness.

The Book (Scroll) of Isaiah, Chapter 41 (The Voice)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for monday, july 19 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons that takes a look at divine hope:

Shalom chaverim. This week we will study parashat Vaetchanan (Deut. 3:23-7:11), a rich Torah portion that includes some of the most foundational texts of the Jewish Scriptures, including the Ten Commandments, the Shema (the duty to love God and study His Torah), as well as the commandments of tefillin and mezuzot. In addition, in this portion Moses predicted the worldwide exile and the eventual redemption of the Jewish people in acharit hayamim (the prophesied "End of Days").

We always read this Torah portion on the Sabbath that follows the fast of Tishah B'Av, called Shabbat Nachamu (שבת נחמו), the "Sabbath of Comfort," since the haftarah speaks about God's future consolation in the coming kingdom of God ("Comfort, O comfort, my people [Isa. 40:1]). With the advent of this special Sabbath, we have just seven weeks to prepare for the new year (i.e, Yom Teruah or “Rosh Hashanah”) and the High Holidays - a “jubilee” season that heralds the return of Yeshua... In addition to our Torah readings, on the 15th day of the month of Av we observe chag ha-ahavah (חַג הָאַהֲבָה), or "the holiday of love." Since it marks the "last" festival of the Jewish year, prophetically the 15th of Av (called Tu B’Av) pictures our marriage to the Lamb of God (Seh Elohim), the LORD Yeshua our beloved Messiah. On a soon-coming day those who belong to the LORD and are faithful to follow His ways will be blessed with the unspeakable joy of an eternally intimate relationship with Him. This is heaven itself - to be in the Presence of the LORD and to be regarded as His beloved (Rev. 19:6-9). Maranatha. [Hebrew for Christians]

7.19.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

July 19, 2021

When the Foundations Are Destroyed

“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)

The word here for “foundations” is not the usual word for, say, a building foundation. Used rarely, a better translation of this word would be “purpose,” or “basis.” The fear expressed is not that the foundations of our faith might be undermined but that we might lose our sense of purpose.

In the context of the psalm, David was in danger of becoming demoralized by the pressures of wicked desires and evil ambitions all around him, and Christians surely have the same problem today. Why should we try to maintain high standards of doctrinal integrity and moral purity when the people around us—even most Christians—seem to be occupied mostly with materialistic ambition and pursuit of pleasure? If we allow the devil to undermine the very purposes God has for our lives, wandering away from His will in favor of some temporal interest, then why even continue with a pretense of Christian living?

David’s solution was simply to remind himself that “the LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men” (v. 4). He may allow the righteous to be tried for a season, but we must not forget that “the righteous LORD loveth righteousness” (v. 7) and that “the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth” (v. 5).

When we are tempted to wonder whether it is really worth all the effort, and when our very foundation and purpose for living seems to be crumbling, we should remember that our God is Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of all—that He still is on His throne, and that we who belong to Him have been “predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). HMM

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theplaguezine · 6 years ago

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ANCIENT RITES

Interview with Gunther Theys by Daniel Hinds

(conducted February 2000)

Ancient Rites may not be the first name thrown out when the words 'black metal' are uttered, but they have been around as long as anyone on the current scene and produce a very unique version of the style. With all eyes on Norway for so long, perhaps their home base of Belgium has kept them a bit more in the underground circles than the likes of Emperor and Satyricon, but that isn't to say that Ancient Rites don't have a following. In fact, their fanbase is quite strong all across Europe (and beyond) and last year's excellent Fatherland no doubt expanded it considerably.

Bassist/vocalist Gunther was kind enough to take some time and answer a few questions regarding Ancient Rites, his other musical endeavors, religion, and the current state of the world...

Let me start by saying that I like the album Fatherland a great deal, but it is also the only AR album I've been able to get a hold of so far. Could you give me a brief summary of your other releases and your feelings about them now that some time has elapsed since their release? We have released one demo, one 7" EP, a split-LP and several split EP's. However the majority of the people only were introduced to A.R. after the release of our debut full-length album entitled "THE DIABOLIC SERENADES". We recorded our first two albums in a very professional studio where usually classical orchestras record their symphonies or soundtracks are being made. We feel this only increases the originality of our sound. We were always assisted by sound engineer (and studio owner) Louis Jans of STUDIO 20 who is a classical musician himself. He understood perfectly the essence of our music. Metal and classical music fit perfectly together for both are bombastic and can have a very dark approach. Using two different musical forms to express similar dark visions/thoughts/dreams. Interesting experiments are tracks such as "FALLEN ANGEL" or "LAST RITES (ECHOES OF MELANCHOLY)" which we first recorded with our usual equipment, afterwards we replaced our modern instruments by medieval ones. The end result is how A.R. would have sounded during the middle ages. We realize many bands/fans prefer a more primitive and poor production when it comes to Black Metal and that is fine by us but we always followed our own path. We seek a heavy/tight sound in old Metal tradition. We are satisfied with our first two albums "THE DIABOLIC SERENADES" and "BLASFEMIA ETERNAL" considering the time/budget available and even believe in our very first releases for they have been important steps in our career; nevertheless "FATHERLAND" our latest album is our most professional effort this far. We progressed as musicians and there was a bigger budget available which had a positive influence on matters like sound/production. Since there was almost no time pressure more attention could be spent on details. "FATHERLAND" was recorded in the brand new SPACELAB studios in Germany between 14.02 and 24.03 '98. Both our sound engineer Christian Moos and producer Oliver Phillipps are very talented classical musicians who are also active in the progressive Rock scene. They are perfectionists and checked every single note we played. Their demanding and very critical attitude certainly pushed us to higher musical levels. The fact they were not familiar with extreme Metal I felt as an advantage (despite the culture clash and stress!). This way we could be sure they would give us an original sound and maybe even come up with ideas extreme Metal producers would never think of. I was to be proven right, on "FATHERLAND" the fusion between Metal and Classical is more successful than ever before in our band's history. Oliver Phillips appeared as a session keyboard player. It is quite unusual that classical/ progressive musicians and extreme Metal musicians collaborate.

The artwork and layout for Fatherland is very well done (and also very readable, something a lot of bands seem to overlook). Is there a symbolic significance to the tree being chopped down on the cover? The painting represents the daily hard struggle to survive during the middle ages. Many bands focus on phantasy "art" when they settle for “medieval” illustrations. We prefer a more sober but realistic approach. The cover can be interpreted different ways: some say it symbolizes the destruction of the Holy Oak and the prosecution of Paganists and heretics by the Christian authorities in medieval times. Unfortunately we might be facing a lawsuit because of this painting. Although there are made alterations the artwork is heavily inspired by a painting of a long deceased master and now it turns out that the rights are owned by an author’s organization. Of course they demand money, something we do not have as a band. Rather unpleasant situation that can cost us our last penny. Now it is the time for our label to prove what they are worth.

I thought it was cool that you went through and kind of explained each song in the CD booklet. Even with this, have you had any problems with people misinterpreting the title 'Fatherland' and assuming you are some kind of ultra-right-wing group? Sure. There are many places we are not allowed to play. And often there are "politically correct" councils judging if our concerts can take place or not. They have people investigating our lyrics etc, although there is nothing there! Recently an A.R. gig could only take place after the promoters hired extra security with guard dogs and there had to be placed fences outside around the club. The mayor and club owners expected an attack of Arab immigrants because of the unholy character of our music and lyrics. Religious Islamic fundamentalism is also imported here in Europe by immigrants. And titles like "Fatherland" many (paranoid people) translate as plain Nazism while the only thing we say is that everyone should be aware of his/her own culture, history and roots. One can perfectly be proud of the own heritage while at the same time respecting other cultures/civilizations but often it seems to be under a taboo to have this attitude when a person is of European origin. Everyone should be able to cultivate their own roots. Why is it considered politically incorrect when we do the same? So indeed we are under a lot of flak but all the boycotts and hardship can be an inspiration.

Are you working on a new album yet? Do you have a title for it in mind yet? Everyone came up with ideas (demos with riffs, programmed drums, orchestra etc) recorded on a hard disc or computer but all is still in a rather early stage. Most ideas will be thrown away, we are rather hard on ourselves: "not bad" is simply not good enough! We are our worst own critics sometimes. I already have many lyrical ideas but titles are the last stage.

When you do an album, do you have it pretty much done when you enter the studio or do you come up with a lot of ideas while recording? In the old days, we had everything completely ready before entering the studio, nowadays there is much more room to experiment due to various reasons: there is a larger studio budget available, we have become better musicians and work with demanding producers who do many suggestions. Often parts are altered at the last moment and details are being added or changed, all this can change the entire "character" of a song. When this change is for the better, we are willing to throw away old ideas. Egos shouldn't be in the way of progress.

If you are working on new material, how is it turning out in comparison to previous AR? The track we currently are working on could have been on "Fatherland", similar atmosphere to "Mother Europe". Another track is very extreme and contains old school Black Metal parts while another song is more progressive, some riffs are very brutal, and other melodies are quite melancholic. Again a lot of variety will be offered on the next album. It is our aim to progress without betraying the essence of A.R.; nevertheless we wish to avoid stagnation.

From what I've read, your first label (After Dark) gave you a lot of problems. Could you tell me about that and how you came to hook up with Mascot? AFTER DARK turned out to be a total rip off and eventually ceased to exist leaving no penny for the band that had invested its own money in the recordings, artwork and photo sessions. In 1995, a deal was signed with Dutch MASCOT RECORDS.

Will Mascot be releasing the next album as well? We are not very pleased with their distribution in certain countries (like the USA) and lack of promotion outside of Northern Europe. Officially we have to release one more album for MASCOT RECORDS, though. We have to talk first.

Have you had a chance to do much touring (or traveling on your own) to foreign countries? What are some of the more interesting places you've been and experiences you've had abroad? We have toured throughout Europe and the U.K. many times. Life on the road is like an adventure, very unpredictable: one day all is going perfectly, the next nothing seems to work. Once we were stranded in England with all our equipment and without any money, food or a place to stay. Even that one we turned into an interesting experience, often larger than life, and continued touring in an alternative way in order to gain money to get back home. It is kind of strange to see we draw larger crowds nowadays while in the past only very few individuals were interested in our work. Guess this new Black Metal explosion must have got a lot to do with it. Since (especially in the beginning) we received way more appreciation outside our own country, we preferred to concentrate abroad. Nowadays our status also improved within Belgian borders. Most of the bands we toured with we already knew personally, which of course improved life on the road together. When mutual respect is shown we get along with everyone, no infantile rock star attitudes. We toured as headliners several times but also with major acts such as DEICIDE, CRADLE OF FILTH, MORBID ANGEL, METALLICA, MERCYFUL FATE, MOTÖRHEAD, S.O.D., MANOWAR etc. Highlights in our career were playing the legendary Marquee in London, the famous Thorns club at Athens, the very first big extreme Metal fest in Lisbon (sponsored by Coca Cola and the mayor!) and appearing on mega Metal festivals such as DYNAMO OPEN AIR or GRASPOP to mention a few. It is fascinating to see how crowds differ from country to country, city to city even. Whenever there is some free time available (after the sound check for instance) I leave the venue to taste a bit of the local culture. I’m thrilled when I have the chance to visit museums, monuments or ancient/medieval remains. All this keeps touring interesting. It often is hard and stressful, but there’s a certain charm involved too. Intensity, positive or negative, is what we seek.

Would you agree that the move toward a global community has resulted in a general deterioration in individual cultures? On the whole, do you think it is a bad trend, or do the positive elements (increased communication, ease of travel, etc) make for some kind of balance? I travel a lot and I wouldn't like every place to look or be the same. Personally, I prefer every culture to remain authentic, surely economical and spiritual evolution is necessary but one's roots or the typical local character should not be erased. There should be mutual respect between the different cultures but it remains a fact that everyone is a child of his own environment and there is nothing wrong with cultivating that. On the other hand, one shouldn't take that too far either, it is a pity that because of religious fanaticism, whole communities that once had such splendid civilizations and a glorious past today stagnate. Think of Iran: today a country in the grip of religious fanatics, an economical fiasco, once represented the mighty Persian Empire! Holding too fanatically on to the wrong aspects can lead to catastrophes as well. Difficult and interesting question, Dan! Nothing is black or white in life, always two sides to a coin! I applaud the fact travelling is more easy nowadays, but I regret the deterioration in cultures it often brings when people start to be ashamed of their own traditions and replace them by foreign life codes. I support civilizations holding on to their traditions but at the same time this very same "quality" kills innocent people when some blind persons take it too far. Dilemma!

You seem to be very knowledgeable about many of the other metal bands out there. How much time do you spend listening to music and keeping up on the scene? Is it hard to find time to do that and keep your own musical projects going full-time? It is difficult to keep track because actually too many records are released and unfortunately often by bands who seem to care more about their make up instead of the musical aspect. But sometimes a young band suddenly surprises me positively. I listen to music constantly, except when I'm reading or watching a movie. While answering this interview I have a self-compiled tape on the background which contains all kinds of styles ranging from the most quiet beautiful music to the most extreme noise. I like variety, I am an open minded person despite the fact I'm a Metalhead. When I'm working on my own musical projects, I avoid listening to bands working in a similar style. When working on A.R. I never listen to Metal, while recording DANSE MACABRE, I avoid Goth Rock/Industrial/Wave and when I'm active with DIVISION 99 I don't listen Punk/Oi! because I am afraid subconsciously one could get influenced.

Lately, it seems like a lot of bands in the black metal scene are taking their sound in a much more modern direction (Dødheimsgard, Satyricon, Kovenant, etc.). What do you think about this trend? I understand that bands wish to progress as long as it is not a turn of 90 degrees. METALLICA for instance should have changed name ages ago. I cannot comment on the latest DODHEIMSGARD, SATYRICON or KOVENANT since I did not hear the records you mentioned. In our band, only drummer Walter and keyboard player Domingo listen to these kind of bands. I was a bit surprised by the new look of KOVENANT (very much MARILYN MANSON indeed), but then again bands like C.O.F., DIMMU BORGIR or KOVENANT often appeal to the same (MARILYN MANSON or Gothic orientated) audience that like theatrical decadent imagery. I'm only familiar with the first two SATYRICON albums and when it comes to KOVENANT drummer Hellhammer, I prefer his work with MAYHEM and ARCTURUS which are more my taste. It is difficult for a band to remain interesting, too much stagnation is negative but so is too much change, a thin line it is, my friend. Besides what other bands do is not of my concern/business. Good luck to every one of them, but we walk our own path. Actually I'm mostly interested in the pioneers of the style when it comes to Black or Death or Heavy Metal. I couldn't care less for a Swedish band that tries to sound like German 80's Power Metal (which I found disgusting anyway at that time, too!), nor do I care for a German version of C.O.F. or a Mexican band claiming to be Norwegian. The originals have my sympathy, the clones leave me indifferent.

What is the current status of Danse Macabre? A band that is embraced by open minded Black Metal fans but not known enough in the real Goth world since our label only promoted D.M. a bit in the Metal press. Nevertheless, we already played several headline dates and the project turned into a real trans-european act consisting of musicians from Serbia, Germany, Austria, Greece, Holland, Finland and Flanders. We are currently working on a new album for a different label. MASCOT told us they didn't really know how to deal with our style or how to sell it.

What inspired you to start D.M. in the first place? Musically, bands like JOY DIVISION, BAUHAUS, FAD GADGET or SISTERS OF MERCY, KILLING JOKE, RED ZEBRA inspired me to work on that musical field. I discovered these groups already in the late 70's/early 80's. Nostalgia playing tricks? More recent bands I like in that style are CURRENT '93, DEATH IN JUNE, BLOOD AXIS, SOPOR AETURNUS, ATARAXIA. However D.M. does not sound like any of these artists. From a lyrical point of view D.M. enables me to express different emotions and feelings which do not fit to the A.R. concept.

I know some people in the goth scene (just like the metal scene) can be pretty narrow-minded. Have you had any problems being accepted with DM in the goth circles? Actually, my friend, I do not give a damn. Nor did I give it much thought. I know this sounds quite big headed but I started playing in bands to express myself musically/lyrically and I never lost too much sleep on what others might think of it. That is why I can take critics so well. Recently I read a review in this American magazine that takes the piss out of B.M. so also we didn't escape their pen. They wrote A.R. probably wears pink ballet trousers during rehearsals, that our drummer is retarded and that I probably sing with my trousers down. I found it really amusing. Once Kerrang! wrote they didn't like our way of dressing! Never knew it was a fashion magazine! Haha! Honestly, I couldn't care less. So when a 13 year old "vampire" appears backstage after a D.M. gig and tries to impress me with a "dark" grim or the lead singer of a famous Goth act tells me I should sing with a deeper "grunt" (like if his band is brutal!) I hope you believe me when I tell you it honestly does not matter one bit to me. I don't try to convince anyone of anything. I just do my thing you know. Nothing more, nothing less. I mind my own business; live and let live, I expect a similar attitude from other people. What matters at the end of the day is that I, myself, believe in what I do. Of course it is nice when people appreciate one's efforts but I do not want to sell my soul (only to the devil ahah!) to achieve that. I know exactly what an audience expects but when I do not believe in it I cannot play the game! I refuse to be jus another "romantic vampire" with plastic teeth and painted fingernails (although that sells the best) nor do I wish to impress ten-year-olds by taking photos with huge plastic swords in snowy forests. This stubborn approach often worked against us, but at least I can look at myself in the mirror and say I always truly believed in what we stand for. Come to think of it: D.M. has a mixed audience, I see Metalheads next to Gothic people, I see normally dressed persons in the crowd. All fine by me. Everyone who relates is welcome, the appearance does not matter. Same goes for A.R. gigs as far as I am concerned. Also with A.R. we do not attract one typical crowd.

I saw in an interview from '98 that you mentioned a project you were working on with Mortiis. Is that still in the works? If so, what is the material going to be like? The mastertapes are in Greece in the possession of the vocalist of WAMPYR SHADOW WOLF who was involved in that project, too. I guess in the future we continue working on it. Music was like a soundtrack. Typical MORTIIS actually which is only natural since he contributed most of the music.

In the same interview, you also said that Christianity is losing its strength in Northern Europe. Do you foresee a time when it will no longer be the predominate religion there? Do you think it will be replaced by a larger number of smaller, more individual belief systems or some other large religion? Many immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East moved to Europe and they strongly hold on to their Islamic religion. Recently many refugees from Kosovo entered Europe and they also are Islamic. More mosques are being built in Europe. I know many Arabs personally and they surprise me by how fundamentalist they often still are. In families I know who used to be rather well integrated in Western society, I suddenly see the men wear robes and women cover their hair and face again. I find it also rather peculiar that the USA and the NATO usually chose the Islamic side in conflicts. I think Islam will become the biggest religion since fundamentalism is increasing in countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Algeria, Iran where religious fundamentalist terrorists murder tourists from the West and even their own people they consider less fanatic. Bad indications. I believe everyone is entitled to an own opinion/belief but one should not be despotic about it.

What long-term impact do you think the highly materialistic consumer culture that has developed in the last half of the 20th century will have on society? Lack of humanity. Wrong values prevailing. Materialistic wealth will overshadow intellectual wealth.

Have you been to the U.S.? If so, what did you make of it? If not, would you like to visit here? Our drummer is considering to relocate to the States since he has a house with his American girlfriend in Virginia. He's the US connoisseur! I've been all over Europe, Asia, Africa but not America. Being the eternal traveler, sure I'd like to visit the US one day. I'd like to see the impressive nature (from mountains, to canyons to the desert) and immense nature parks. Musically, especially the New York scene has influenced my teenage years a lot with bands such as DEAD BOYS, RAMONES, ELECTRIC CHAIRS, NEW YORK DOLLS, JOHNNY THUNDERS AND THE HEARTBREAKERS, RICHARD HELL AND THE VOIDOIDS, SUICIDE. Even in pop: MINK DEVILLE, BLONDIE, PATTI SMITH, LOU REED, and TELEVISION. I like the N.Y. accent! Going to N.Y. would be a good opportunity to visit my old pal Dan Lilker of S.O.D.!

Do you have any long-term goals for AR or do you tend toward just taking things one day at a time? We continue our struggle, giving the best we can, but always expecting the least. All these years in the music industry have taught me all is unpredictable: one day god, the next day forgotten. All depends on how much money record companies, promoters or managers invest in a band to create a hype. Quality, authenticity or dedication mean nothing. How else to explain that a band who caught the essence of B.M. like MAYHEM never got the recognition they deserved while so many clowns who discovered B.M. overnight made it big? ARCTURUS made intelligent and original music but the band hardly got noticed, instead press and audience go crazy over Skandinavian bands trying to sound like HELLOWEEN! Goals, my dear friend, we gave up long time ago. We put our hearts and souls into the music we create. That should be enough. No mess, no fuss, no circus.

Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview for me. Good luck with all of your future endeavors and I can't wait to hear your next release! The pleasure was completely mine.

www.ancientrites.be

#Ancient Rites #interview #feb2000

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anavoliselenu · 8 years ago

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Creighton chapter 29

“Justin! What the hell is going on?” My sister bursts into the penthouse, leaving Selena standing with her hand on the door. “Greer, meet Selena. Selena, Greer.” Greer spins, holding out a hand. “I’m so sorry. I’m not usually so rude. But normally my aunt doesn’t call me to tell me you’re my half brother and your dad is a mobster.” Selena takes Greer’s hand and shakes it. “Don’t worry, we’re still absorbing the news.” My sister rushes toward me, her suit jacket buttoned wrong and her eyes wild. “Seriously? What the hell is going on?” “It’s okay, Gree. You probably know just as much as we do at this point.” I’m surprised my aunt called her, though. “You said Aunt Katherine told you? That’s shocking.” Greer shakes her head. “She was damn near incoherent, and I’m assuming near the bottom of a bottle of something. She rambled about never approving of how he treated you, and that you had no control over what your mother did. Sins of the father; blah, blah, blah. I just needed to make sure you weren’t freaking out and getting ready to kill Uncle Damon or something.” “I’m still working out a solution,” I say, but the power flashes twice and the entire penthouse goes dark. The overcast sky barely illuminates beyond the windows. “Well, shit. Now I’m going to have to take the stairs when I leave. Do you have to live on the top floor, Justin?” “It’ll come back on in a second. The building has a backup generator.” As Selena comes toward me and tucks herself against my side, my tone is wry as I say, “I’m sorry you two had to meet like this. I’d anticipated something a little less . . . dramatic.” Selena’s soft laugh reaches my ears and calms me further. Even in the midst of craziness, she’s a calm place to land, it seems. “I have a feeling our lives are going to be dramatic for a while.” “Not mine,” Greer says. “Mine is boring and is going to stay boring. No freaking missed connections gone viral for this girl.” I raise an eyebrow, although in the dark, Greer can’t see it. Her words make me hope that the boyfriend who I absolutely don’t think is good enough for her won’t last long. If I do have those Mafia ties, maybe we could— The power flashes back on, and Selena and Greer scream. “That’s it,” Selena says. “I’m done with New York. People walk through walls here? Hell. No.” I stiffen and pull Selena closer as my gaze lands on three men standing inside the doorway. They’re all imposing, but the one in the center draws my eye. The likeness is eerie, but not identical, and yet I feel as if I’m staring into the eyes of a much older version of me. About thirty years older, if I have to guess. He has gray eyes, where mine are dark, and I have my mother’s fairer skin, instead of his deep olive tone. But the facial features are all there. He’s flanked by two men in suits. Bodyguards. His inspection of me is just as close. “Justin.” His voice is deep and gravelly, also very much like mine, but with a hint of an accent. “You sure know how to make one hell of an entrance,” I say. “I believe I’m at a disadvantage. I know who you are, but not what your name is.” The man steps forward, and the suits move with him. “Domenico Casso. Dom. And yes, I’m your father.” Just like they did in Damon’s study, all my unconscious reactions become conscious. Every pint of blood pumping through my veins. Every cubic inch of oxygen flowing through my lungs. Every contraction of every muscle. He holds out his hand and I shake it, noting the surreal quality of it all. I’m shaking my father’s hand. “How did you—?” I don’t even finish the question. Apparently he knows not only where I live, but how to cut the power, get up to a penthouse apartment without permission, and that I just learned of his existence. And that’s really fucking creepy. If I learn he can read the thoughts going through my brain at this moment, I’m not sure I’ll be all that surprised. “Elisabetta.” “What?” “She’s kept tabs on you for years. The whole of your life that you’ve lived with your aunt and uncle. She’s one of my people.” The glimpse I got of her wringing her hands filters back through my brain, along with her quiet kindness to me during my childhood. “Elisabetta is on your payroll?” He nods. “May we come in?” I have a feeling there’s not much of a real question there. They may have helped themselves to entering, but it’s interesting that he’s maintaining a pretense of manners. This man makes his own rules. Maybe the apple doesn’t fall so far from the tree, after all. I step back. “Please do.” They file in, and I lead the way to the seating area. When the two men remain standing behind the couch he chooses to sit on, my question comes of its own accord. “Damon said you were a capo.”

Another nod from Domenico. Dom. My father. “That was a long time ago. I’ve . . . moved up in the family. CEO, if you will.” “Not surprising,” Selena whispers, settling beside me on the couch opposite from him. Dom’s gaze lands on her, and he smiles before shifting back to me. “I was happy to hear you found yourself a good woman. Although perhaps a little surprised by how you went about it.” My eyes narrow. “Have you really been keeping tabs on me my whole life?” He purses his lips and seems to be choosing his words carefully. “Not the first ten years. You were beyond even me then, and you had your parents. But after they passed away and you came back to New York? Yes. I’ve made sure to keep tabs.” “But why?” “Because whether you knew it or not, you’re my son.” The million-dollar question burns within me, and I have to ask. “Would you ever have told me?” He lifts his chin and takes a breath, studying me. It’s obviously not the first time he’s seen me, but I wonder if he’s ever seen me this close in person. We could have passed each other on the street dozens of times, and I would have never realized. Trying to comprehend this is like trying to learn string theory on a napkin in a bar after drinking a dozen pints of Guinness. He shakes his head decisively. “No. I never would’ve told you. But now that Damon has run his mouth, I had no choice but to intervene.” “An inconvenience, I’m sure,” I say, my tone dry. “One I was ready for. I’m actually surprised he’s held it in this long. Elisabetta has been waiting twenty-some years to make this call. But the timing works in your favor, as well as mine.” “What do you mean?” If he’s talking in Mafia code speak, I’m not following. “He used his connections a long time ago to get information he should never have had. I knew he had it, and as long as he did nothing with it, I would do nothing with him. But he’s broken the balance, and it must be righted.” Selena stiffens against my side, her hand landing on my knee and squeezing. “I’m sorry, Dom. We’re going to need to rewind the last thirty seconds and pretend we didn’t hear that.” I cover Selena’s hand with mine. “I think you should go in the other room.” Her nails dig into my leg. “Not a chance.” One of the bodyguards snorts, but silences it immediately. “Selena—” “Justin—” “Children, children,” Dom says. “The last thing I want is to cause marital strife. After having thirty years with my own wife, I can understand that these early days are delicate.” Selena shoots a glance at him, and I know exactly what she’s thinking. “Selena.” “Justin.” Dom smiles. “Yes. I know what she’s thinking, as well. And no, I wasn’t faithful to my wife. I should regret that, but then your husband wouldn’t exist. So, Mrs. Karas, how would you like me to respond?” Selena must be gritting her teeth, because she says nothing. Dom turns his focus to me and continues. “I understand your hesitance to know anything about my plans for Damon. That’s fine. But my world is not your world. A move like his cannot go unchecked. I stay in my position by exercising iron-clad control over my domain.” I shake my head. “I want his shares back; I don’t want him dead. The problem with him ending up dead is that I’ll be the prime suspect, regardless of how it happens. We’re in the middle of one shitstorm right now, but it’s a corporate litigation matter. A criminal investigation and potential charges would be a whole different ball game, and I want nothing to do with that. If my stock price has taken a hit from the derivative suit, it’s nothing compared to what would happen if I were questioned in Damon’s disappearance or murder.” Dom leans back and spreads his arms over the back of the couch, looking every inch the Mafia boss. All he needs is a stogie and a cloud of smoke to complete the picture. “You raise a good point.” He brings a hand to his chin and scratches it as flashes of classic mob movies run through my head. “Hmm, you say you just want your shares back? That solves your problem?” “Yes. The lawsuit goes away if he’s not a shareholder to maintain it,” I explain. “After the suit has been dropped a while, I’m assuming you don’t care what happens to him?” he asks. “I didn’t say that. He wasn’t a complete dick to Greer, and it would hurt her to lose him.” I glance at my sister, who has stayed oddly silent on the far side of the room. Her eyes are wide. Dom looks her way as well. “I assumed that’s who has been watching me so closely. It’s lovely to meet you, Greer.” Greer uncrosses her arms and nods. “Likewise, I’m sure.” She shocks me by adding, “I’ve seen you before. With the two guard dogs. In Midtown one night when I was leaving work.”

Dom lifts his chin. “You take too many chances with your safety, Ms. Karas. You’ve been lucky my men have been keeping tabs and have intervened on your behalf.” Selena stiffens beside me, and the color drains from Greer’s face. “What?” “I extend my protection to you out of courtesy to your brother because I know it would trouble him for you to be injured. But that’s no reason to be so careless.” My insides, which have already taken a beating today, once again turn cold. “Fuck.” I lift my hand from Selena’s and scrub it over my face. “Greer, you’re getting a bodyguard. Don’t argue with me. It’s happening.” Greer opens her mouth to protest, but I glare her into silence. Her lips snap shut. “I’m happy to recommend some competent ones,” Dom says, a condescending smile on his face. “I’ll take care of it, but thank you for the offer.” Once again, he gives me what I now think of as the Dom nod. “Now about Damon. You’ll have his stock certificate in hand tomorrow. Consider it a belated wedding present.” He stands and glances at Selena. “I’ll be keeping tabs on your mother, as well. If she gets out of line again, we’ll make sure she’s encouraged to not make the same mistake again. I believe that concludes our business.” Selena speaks up. “You’re not going to . . .” He laughs. “No. But she won’t be a problem.” Dom nods at both of us, and then looks to Greer. “It was nice to finally meet you. I don’t expect we’ll see each other again.” His gaze lands on me again. “And if you’re wondering, the wiring in your building has malfunctioned mysteriously, and we were never here.” Selena sucks in an audible breath, and I raise a brow. “And the doorman and other residents?” He cocks his head. “We didn’t exactly use the front door. We’ll see ourselves out. Take care, Justin. It was lovely to meet you, Selena. Good luck at the CMAs.” We stand in stunned silence while the room once again goes dark, and the mob boss—my father—exits our life with his two bodyguards just as quickly as he entered it. As soon as the door shuts behind them, Selena loses it. “Holy cow, Justin. Holy cow-tipping, runnin’ from the cops, falling into a pile of shit. Oh my God, did that really just happen?” From Greer, I hear a hushed, “Holy fucking shit.” “Do you think you’ll ever see him again?” Selena asks. The lights come back on, and I blink a few times before replying. “I have no idea. But my guess is, not unless he wants me to.” I’m still trying to comprehend everything that I’ve learned in the last couple of hours. It’s surreal. The man I thought was my biological father was not. All the hatred that has come from my uncle all these years has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with his own fucked-up issues. So, one burden lifted and another burden dropped like a wrecking ball through the very fabric of my existence. Greer crosses toward us. “As much as I’m a little freaked out right now to leave your place, I gotta go.” I hug my sister, and as she steps away, I tell her, “You’re getting a bodyguard. No more walking around Manhattan late at night because you don’t leave work until two a.m.” “I’m not going to win this one, am I?” she asks. “No.” “I respectfully reserve the right to argue the point later.” “Spoken like a lawyer. I’m calling Michael. He’ll be waiting downstairs in less than ten minutes. Don’t leave the building until you see him pull up.” Greer sucks in a long breath. “Fine.” She raises on tiptoe to press a kiss to my cheek. “Call me if anything crazy happens.” I ruffle her hair. “Of course. Now, go.” Once my sister closes the door behind her, Selena and I are left standing in the middle of the penthouse, staring at each other. She breaks the silence first. “Are we still on for Vegas?” Not where I thought she’d start the conversation, but a good choice nonetheless. I’ve never wanted to get out of New York so badly in my life. “Hell yes.” She smiles. “Good. Then I have one more question.” Her smile loosens something within me, and I feel my own lips curl up at the edges. “What, baby?” “Does that make you a Mafia prince? I’m not trying to make light of the situation.” She holds up a hand. “I swear, I’m not. Because this is crazy and emotional and intense. And just plain crazy. But that Mafia prince thing . . . if you’re down for some role-play when we’re in Vegas, I’m not going to say no to that.” My chest shakes with bubbling laughter, and the most insane situation I’ve ever faced in my entire life dissolves away for the moment because of the quirky, amazing, gorgeous woman in front of me. I drop a hand on each of her shoulders. “Let’s see what happens when we get to Vegas.”

“Karas International stock has risen sharply following the news that the shareholder suit against its chief executive officer, Justin Karas, was dropped earlier this week. Karas commented from the floor of Caesar’s Palace, where he stood at his wife’s side during her run on the craps table. ‘I’m happy to see that my uncle understands that the health of the company is more important than any grudge he has against me personally. We’re looking forward to another record-breaking year in profits.’ There’s no doubt the world will be watching Karas International, and its CEO, closely in the coming months.” I reach for the radio and flip it from the news station to my favorite channel, The Highway, which features up-and-coming country artists mixed in with all the old favorites. “Glad they got the part about the craps table in there,” Justin says. “And that Dom was as good as his word,” I add. Justin lays an arm across the back of my seat. “Yes, yes he was. Now let’s get the hell out of here.” I smile and shift my new Mustang into gear. After Justin showed me the basics of craps and dared me to lose ten grand, I threw myself into the game wholeheartedly. But I wasn’t able to lose. Nope, I just kept winning, at least until my inner Kentucky girl realized that I could buy a damn car with what I won, and I politely cashed out and walked away with my money. When we landed in Nashville, I told Justin I wanted to buy a new car. He asked the driver to take us to the Maserati dealer, but I vetoed his choice in favor of stopping at the Ford dealership. My one concession was allowing him to drag me out of the used-car section to look at the new ones—and I fell in love with a Shelby GT350. It was delivered this morning to the penthouse condo we’re temporarily staying in until we can find a house we both love. So, the first order of business today is stopping at the studio to finish recording the last of my new songs, and then house hunting. I floor the Mustang, my laughter echoing in the cabin as Justin grabs the oh-shit handle above his seat. I’m pretty sure the man is not going to let me drive much, because he doesn’t seem to approve of my newly adopted drive it like you stole it style. When we arrive at the studio—in record time and all in one piece, I might add—Justin lays a hand over mine on the gearshift. “Are you sure you don’t want a driver?” I tilt my head. “You’re going to lose on this one. I promise.” He narrows his eyes, and a low sound that mimics a growl comes from his side of the car. “Selena . . .” “It’ll be fine. I swear. I’m just seeing what she can do.” “She?” With my free hand, I pet the steering wheel. “Of course it’s a she. Her name is Cherry Bomb.” Justin shakes his head with an indulgent smile. “If you name my cock . . .” I raise an eyebrow. “Who says I haven’t?” His gaze sharpens on mine. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?” My smile threatens to split my face. “Nope,” I reply, making sure to pop the p. “You’ll just have to wonder.” “Oh, you’ll tell me. I have my ways.” I let another laugh break free as I push open my door. I meet my band in the studio, hugging each of the guys while Justin shakes their hands. We haven’t seen them since the tour wrapped up, and I think they’re as anxious to lay these tracks down as I am. Once inside the recording booth, I sling Eliza Belle’s strap over my shoulder, and we spend the next several hours getting everything but the vocals recorded. After a break for lunch, it’s time to finish up. My gaze darts to the glass window of the booth where Justin leans against the wall just beyond. He’s never heard the lyrics to this one, and I wonder how he’s going to react. The tracks we just laid down play through my headphones and I start to sing. Normally I tend to record with my eyes shut, feeling every note with my entire body, but today, I can’t help but stare into the eyes of the man I love. When we get to the end of the chorus, I let loose with everything I have in me. I thought I’d be lost on Fifth Avenue, but I was only lost until I found you. When we finish recording, I remove my headphones and make my way out of the booth. Justin hasn’t moved from where he’s leaning against the wall. As I walk closer, I note the glassy sheen in his eyes. When he speaks, his words are low so only I can hear them. “I was the one who was lost. I just didn’t know it until I found you.” He reaches for my hand and pulls me close. “I love you so goddamn much, Selena. I never want to go back to being that man.”

I reach up with my free hand and wrap it around his neck. It’s amazing to see how much my husband has changed since Christmas Eve. Yes, he’ll always be demanding, dominant, and deliciously dirty, but the intensity of the feelings underpinning all of those things makes all the difference in the world. “I’ll never let you go back to being that man, because I’m never giving you up, Justin Karas. I love you. You’re mine. Always.” I lean up to press my lips to his, and he threads his fingers into my hair, deepening the kiss. When I finally pull back, I meet his gaze as it burns into mine. “Mine. Always,” he says. “Now, let’s go find our new home.” Home. When he says the word, I realize that mine is wherever Justin is. It could be Nashville, New York, or New Delhi, but as long as he’s there, I’m home. Nine months later Watching Selena climb to the stage in her glittering gold dress to accept the New Artist of the Year award from my seat in the arena is surreal. I’ve made a habit of winning in my life. Winning the game. Winning the bet. Winning the deal. Winning the woman. But nothing compares to watching her win this award. Nothing. I’ve found contentment in my life, despite the whirlwind it now resembles as I try to keep up with both my schedule and Selena’s. Although honestly, I’ve backed off a lot from mine and handed off as much as possible to Cannon. He’s kicking ass and taking names, and has groomed a sidekick of his own. These days, Selena and I are spending more and more time in Nashville, and less in Manhattan. Our place in Tennessee is feeling more like home than the penthouse in the city, mostly because Selena loves it so much. She has also stretched her wings in the business world as well. She’s not CEO of Homegrown Records, but she’s been involved in a lot of the business decisions. Her practical nature and straight-up cheapskate attitude is exactly what that place needs to get back in the black. I spin the titanium ring on my left hand, following Selena’s every movement as she accepts the polished crystal award and congratulatory hugs from the presenters. She gave me the ring a few days after I first heard the lyrics to “Lost on Fifth Avenue,” the song that rocked the charts—and netted her the award she’s about to accept. On the inside of the band, the words Lost until I found you were engraved. She said it wasn’t about telling the world I was taken, but about carrying a piece of her with me everywhere I went. Someone will have to pry that ring off my cold, dead body, because I’ll never take it off otherwise. Selena steps up to the microphone with a brilliant smile, her left hand hovering over the baby bump the tabloids have been talking about nonstop. This morning, we learned that she’s carrying our daughter. There was no argument over her name either. Rosemary Elizabeth Karas, for Selena’s grandmother and my mother. Selena’s mother hasn’t been seen or heard from since the day she showed up at the gate of our house in Nashville to beg for money after she spent every dime from the Yammer payout. Her pleas were met with Selena’s “No fucking way on God’s green Earth will you get another cent from us,” and a threat to call the cops. Selena waits for the crowd to quiet before she begins her acceptance speech. “Hey, y’all. Thank you so much for this. I can’t even tell you how it feels for a girl from Gold Haven, Kentucky, who used to watch this show on the tiny TV in a singlewide trailer, to be standing on this stage accepting it. Surreal doesn’t even begin to cover it. I want to thank my husband, Justin Karas, a man insane enough to place a missed connection ad looking for a one-night stand.” The entire audience bursts into laughter at Selena’s blunt words. “Because his insanity is the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me. I would’ve never written the songs on the album without it, and the single that got me your votes would’ve never come to be if I hadn’t met him. I love you, Justin. This is for you. It’s all for you.” She holds the award over her head for a moment before lowering it and continuing. “I’d also like to thank my agent, my manager, and my very own label, Homegrown Records. This past year has been absolutely amazing. Thank you all.” She steps toward backstage, and I rise to slip down the aisle and around back of the arena to meet her. Selena doesn’t know it, but following the after party, the jet is waiting on the tarmac to take us on our actual honeymoon. It may have been delayed a while due to our busy schedules, but three weeks in Bora Bora without Internet is exactly what we need. I’ve got new journals for her and her guitar already packed. Along with a few bikinis. She’s posing for pictures when I get backstage, the award gripped in her hand. Selena turns her head mid-pose while the dozen or so cameras continue flashing. She doesn’t even care that she’s screwing up all of their shots, because she’s caught sight of me.

“Excuse me. Can you give me a minute? Oh, and hold this.” She shoves the award into the hands of some random photographer. He drops his camera, which is luckily caught by the strap around his neck, and clutches the award to his chest. Selena doesn’t even wait to see if he’s going to drop the thing; she just runs toward me. And when I say runs toward me, I mean she launches herself off the heels of her tall boots toward me. I catch her, wrapping my hands around her waist and holding her up, because she can’t twine her legs around me like she normally would, given the dress she’s wearing. “I did it! I really, really did it!” “Yeah, you did, baby. You sure did. Congratulations, Selena. You earned it.” Her arms wrap around my neck, and she whispers, “I think you need to get me out of here because I’m about to ugly cry.” My heart clenches at the rich tide of emotion underpinning her words. “Baby, it’s okay.” Selena lifts her head, and sure enough, tears are already gathering in her eyes. “You need to get that award, and we need to get the hell out of Dodge.” “You really want me to make our excuses?” She nods vigorously. “Okay.” I take two steps to the photographer, who is already holding out the award. “Thank you. Is there an empty room around here?” His eyes bulge dangerously close to out of his head. “Uh . . . uh . . . That way.” He points to the right with the award. “Around the corner and down the hall. Try the second door on the left.” “Thank you,” I say, swinging Selena up in my arms like a bride. Her face is still tucked into my neck. “Reach out a hand and grab the award, baby,” I say under my breath. Selena complies, and I head in the direction the photographer indicated. When I find the room, I shoulder open the door and fumble for the light switch. It turns out to be a dressing room, much like so many others I’ve been in with Selena. I lower us onto a couch, and try not to think about the number of groupies who’ve been fucked on it. Taking the award from Selena’s hand, I set it safely aside. That’s when the tears start falling. Happy tears, I hope. Selena shakes against me, and I hold her tighter. “I can’t believe it’s real. It just doesn’t seem like it could be real.” She swallows back a sob, and I rub her back. “It’s real. And you earned it. You worked your ass off to get here. It’s as real as it gets.” At my last words, she lifts her tearstained face. “As real as it gets? That’s what you said about us before.” “Yeah, I guess I did.” “Took me a while to believe that too.” “I have a feeling you’ll believe this one sooner. After all, you’ve got the trophy to prove it.” She shakes her head. “The real prize here is you.” When I lean down to press my lips to hers, I whisper, “We’re the prize. The absolute best fucking prize of my life.” I stand and swing her into my arms again. “Now, what do you say about a honeymoon before this baby starts running our lives?” Selena blinks, and a mischievous smile spreads across her face. “A honeymoon? Where are you taking me?” “Does it matter?” She moves her head from side to side, shaking it slowly. “I’ll go anywhere with you, Mr. Karas. Take me away.” The End

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New Post has been published on Alienation

New Post has been published on https://alienation.biz/how-bad-loans-are-holding-back-indias-economic-growth/

How bad loans are holding back India’s economic growth

The latest arrest of Vijay Mallya highlighted the problem of awful loans in India, but analysts say the rich person’s unpaid debts are simply the tip of an iceberg that is already retaining returned u. S . A .’s monetary boom.western sky loans

The multimillionaire owner of a Formulation One group and founder of the Kingfisher beer logo become arrested on Tuesday in Britain, in which he fled a yr in the past after allegedly defaulting on loans from Indian nation banks worth greater than $1 billion.

From the mid-2000s onwards, Mallya and plenty of corporate India went on a shopping spree, picking up assets both at domestic and remote places while a monetary crisis hit the worldwide financial system.

As an end result, Indian banks are actually saddled with some of the very best ranges of terrible debts inside the rising markets according to the International Monetary Fund.

Banks are so stretched that they’re now not even lending to wholesome agencies, maintaining again growth,” Rajeswari Sengupta, an economist in Mumbai, advised AFP.“That’s a huge collateral harm… The largest fall-out is the shortage of personal area investment —

Banks are harassed, private sectors are stressed, lending to corporates through banks has totally stalled

Banks coughed up coins for projects even if the enterprise plans made no feel—such as a Method One tune on the outskirts of the Indian capital that become nearly abandoned after three races.

Regulators, keen to spur growth, allowed many industries to restructure loans instead of writing them off, and additionally agreed to a moratorium on interest bills.installment loans

The excesses of the period remained hidden as banks sought to hold companies afloat via giving them sufficient capital to provider their loans—a exercise called ever-greening—to cover their personal bad money owed.

Basic Facts About Personal Loans

Non-public loans are usually well-known purpose loans that may be borrowed from a bank or economic organization. As the time period shows, the mortgage amount may be used at the borrower’s discretion for ‘Non-public’ use which includes meeting and surprising expenditure like sanatorium charges, home development or upkeep, consolidating debt etc. or maybe for fees which include educational or occurring a holiday. But besides the reality that these are quite hard to gain without meeting pre-requisite qualifications, there are some other vital factors to recognize approximately Non-public loans.

1. They are unsecured – because of this that the borrower isn’t always required to place up an asset as collateral prematurely to get hold of the mortgage. This is one in every of many reasons why a Personal mortgage is difficult to achieve due to the fact the lender can’t robotically lay claim to assets or some other asset in case of default by the borrower. But, a lender can take other action like submitting a lawsuit or hiring a set employer which in many cases uses intimidating processes like steady harassment despite the fact that those are strictly unlawful.

2. mortgage amounts are fixed

Non-public loans are fixed amounts based on the lender’s profits, borrowing history and credit rating. a few banks But have pre-constant quantities as Non-public loans.

3. Interest rates are constant

The Hobby quotes do no longer trade throughout the mortgage. But, just like the pre-constant mortgage quantities, Hobby costs are primarily based largely on credit score. So, the higher the rating the decrease the Hobby price. a few loans have variable Hobby prices, which can be a downside factor as bills can likely vary with adjustments in Hobby fees making it tough to manage payouts.

4. Reimbursement intervals are fixed

Personal loan repayments are scheduled over constant durations ranging from as little as 6 to 365 days for smaller amounts and as long as 5 to ten years for large amounts. At the same time as this will mean smaller month-to-month payouts, longer Reimbursement durations mechanically suggest that Interest payouts are greater whilst as compared to shorter loan Compensation durations. In a few instances, foreclosure of loans comes with a pre-fee penalty price.

five. Influences credit rankings – lenders report loan account details to credit score bureaus that screen credit score scores. In the case of default on month-to-month bills, credit rankings can be affected reducing the chances of acquiring destiny loans or applying for credit cards and many others.

6. Beware of creditors who approve loans in spite of a horrific credit history – many such times have verified to be scams where human beings with a horrific credit score history are persuaded to pay prematurely commissions thru cord transfer or coins deposit to cozy the mortgage and who are left with not anything in return.

What is a Holding Cross and How Can it Help You

A preserving move or a comfort go, as it’s miles once in a while called, is an uneven go that is made to fit ergonomically into the palm of one’s hand and is used at some point of prayer. it is the concept that the retaining pass is based totally on a historic design observed in ancient Eu chapels. Although the origin of the retaining/comfort pass tradition is not known, it is the idea that it dates again to the early Christians.

Retaining crosses are comprised of many unique forms of timber

However, for my part, none is extra suitable than a movie made from the olive wooden prunings of bushes that grow within the very region that Jesus become born – within the area around Bethlehem. Olive timber has scattered the panorama there because of biblical instances, where they develop each in terraced groves and at the hilltops. The oil from the fruit of the Olive Tree has been used for spiritual rites for the reason that biblical instances. Because the olive tree is a covered species in Israel and can not be reduced down, all olive wood artifacts are made simplest from the timber prunings. Olive wood items are imbued with spirituality, and do now not require much care because olive oil is naturally defensive them from corrosion and adjustments of color. In time the holding cross will expand its very own patina from frequent coping with. No crosses will ever appearance the same due to the variations in the grain on the timber.holding law

Who needs to have a protecting move?

· All people who’re in a time of conflict or loss and is looking for steerage.

· Every person who wishes to find comfort and is seeking out solace.

· Anybody who is suffering to grasp to their religion.

· All and sundry who’s searching out a partner for his or her prayers and meditation.

· In case you or a person is sick definitely keeping the move may be the fine manner to pray.

A keeping cross is a right gift to mark maximum present giving activities together with a baptism, confirmation, birthday, Easter, Christmas or simply to provide to a person to say Thanks. it is encouraged to preserve a supply of these crosses geared up to provide to your family of their instances of want.

retaining crosses are made out of many exclusive forms of wood, however, for my part, none is greater appropriate than a cross comprised of the olive wood prunings of trees that develop within the very place that Jesus changed into born – in the area around Bethlehem. Olive trees have scattered the landscape there considering the fact that biblical times, where they develop each in terraced groves and at the hilltops. The oil from the fruit of the Olive Tree has been used for religious rites on the grounds that biblical instances. Because the olive tree is a protected species in Israel and can’t be reduced down, all olive timber artifacts are made simplest from the bushes pruning. Olive wooden items are imbued with spirituality and do no longer require plenty care because olive oil is certainly shielding them from corrosion and changes of color. In time the holding move will broaden its very own patina from frequent dealing with. No two crosses will ever appearance the equal because of the variations in the grain at the wood.holdings synonym

Styling India Through Apparel Franchising

Apparel franchising potentialities in India is the maximum attractive noteworthy franchise business possibilities, an extensive fragment of the franchise industry and also a vital prospect to start your different commercial enterprise. There are categorized kinds of apparel franchises which includes worldwide manufacturers, fashion manufacturers, ladies apparels, youngsters fashion, rebate/bargain shops, profitable franchise, men’s apparel and other many identified brands. Moreover starting any enterprise even a franchise commercial enterprise isn’t always a cakewalk.

The global Clothing market is expected at three trillion greenbacks

3,000 billion, and accounts for two percentage of the sector’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The comprehensive retail value of the luxury commodities market is 339.four billion dollars. The style enterprise include of abundant sub-industries, such as causal, formals, girls’ wear, menswear, sportswear and many extras.

It is also speculated that with the cost electricity of Indian populace will go one hundred million dealings with the aid of 2020 merely by way of online, for this reason enlisting India a number of the topmost 5 luxury markets inside the globe by using 2025. Franchising underwrites around 14% of the GDP with the yearly development of 35% in approximately 2.3 trillion economies. This has added inside the transference of people’s intake from non-branded or disorganized to renowned manufacturers as India is an abundantly utilized expendable profits of its hundreds. With the foreseeable expansion in the luxurious market, Indian luxurious marketplace shall go $18.three billion with the aid of 2016 and moreover main to 18-20% over the following upcoming 3 years, driven via usage in smaller towns and towns.india cricket

There are numerous money-spinning openings within the segments of franchising

With extensive clienteles captivated to use up the widespread quantity of their money on clothing and accessories. Shoppers are actually set in to invest on their favored cutting-edge garments for themselves. Likewise, the Clothing enterprise is proved to be recession unfastened if one gets the offers of excellent products as in keeping with the marketplace demand. As per the set enterprise data, the Indian Garb marketplace currently stands at 1389 billion rupees elevating at about 12% Compound Annual Boom Price (CAGR). additionally, around 2600 franchise and greater are actually being mixed on an everyday basis from the infinite franchises to select from.history of india

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