Figueirense Futebol Clube, also known as Figueirense (Portuguese pronunciation: [fiɡejˈɾẽsi]), is a Brazilian football club based in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. Their home stadium is Estádio Orlando Scarpelli, also known as Scarpelão, with a capacity of 19,584.
In the state of Santa Catarina, Figueirense is the club that more often participated in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, with 17 holdings by 2016.
The club was founded as Figueirense Football Club on June 12, 1921. The club is named Figueirense after the neighborhood where it is located, in Centro neighborhood). Figueirense means "from Figueira". Figueirense was one of the founders of the defunct Liga Catharinense de Desportos Terrestres, organized on April 12, 1923. In 1932 the team won their first state championship. From 1935 to 1937, Figueirense was three times in a row Catarinense champion. In 1939, Figueirense won again the state championship, that was end of the Golden Decade of the club.
In 1972, was the end of the 30-year state championship titleless period. In 1973, Figueirense was the first team of Santa Catarina state in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. In 1974, the team won Catarinense again.
In 1994, the 17-year state championship titleless period ended. In 1995, Figeirense was Torneio Mercosul champion (not to be confused with Copa Mercosur) at Santa Catarina. It was the club's first (and only) international title.
In 2001, the club was Campeonato Brasileiro Second Division runner-up, and was promoted to the following year's First Division. From 2002 to 2004, Figueirense was three times in a row Campeonato Catarinense champion. In 2008, Figueirense won the Copa São Paulo de Juniores for the first time after beating Rio Branco-SP 2–0 in the final. In the 2008 edition of Serie A, Figueirense finished in 17th place, being relegated to Serie B the following year.
In 2002, Rivaldo's and César Sampaio's company, called CSR Esporte & Marketing, and Figueirense signed a partnership. The company was responsible for the administration of the professional football of Figueirense. The partnership ended in 2004.
Some famous players that played on Figueirense on the last decade are Edmundo, Loco Abreu, André Santos, Roberto Firmino, Filipe Luís, Cleiton Xavier, Felipe Santana, Michel Bastos and others.
As of 12 December 2018.
Figueirense's stadium is Estádio Orlando Scarpelli, built in 1961, with a maximum capacity of 19,584 people. In 2005, Orlando Scarpelli became an all-seater stadium.
Since September 2002, Figueirense's mascot is an anthropomorphic fig tree named Figueirinha, which means Little Fig Tree. The mascot is usually depicted wearing the club's home kit.
^ "Figueirense FC squad". Soccerway. May 18, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2016.


The evolution of gambling online on mobile is here, all thanks to Android. For many years, people sought-after mobile compatible casinos and games. Now, mobile software has made it possible for gaming enthusiasts to enjoy online gambling on the go by establishing and improving mobile casino software. The online casino industry is also increasing the number of casinos and games which support Android mobile devices. Most Android casinos are created using HTML5 so that players can access the casino site from a mobile browser. Allowing online punters to gamble online at the best casinos on browsers or mobile casino apps.
Australian online gamblers can enjoy a wide range of fantastic games at AU Android casinos. Punters can choose to play free casino games or gamble online for real money at the best Australian casinos 2019. Our readers can play pokies, scratch games and their favourite classic table games at an Android casino online.
Android casino games are available for download on the Google Play Store app found on your Android mobile phone or tablet. All you need to do is click on the app's logo and start searching for your favourite game!
Not sure what game to search? Here's a list of some of the free casino games online most Aussies enjoy playing.
Say your favourite Android casino site does not offer real money apps that can be downloaded on Google Play. What do you do? Well, the answer is simple. We at Pokies.com recommend only the best casinos which provide options for gamblers. Our top online casinos have what's called a 'no download' service which enables players to play real money online slots, classic table games and other games via the web browser on their Android device.
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Android Casinos are very convenient; they are the best option especially for online casino players that are always out and about. You can gamble anywhere, at any time.
Our recommended top online Android casinos also support a variety of banking methods that players at online casinos can use for deposits and withdrawals. So, no more buying chips, or having to travel home to your PC to gamble for real money.


Kenny Omega Going To WWE Would Be Taking "The Easy Way Out"
Nick Jackson was just trying to send out a message saying that they couldn't make AEW happen without their friend Kenny Omega. He said that they are excited about the challenge of changing the pro wrestling landscape. However, one fan had a differing opinion of things.
This rogue fan replied to Nick Jackson saying: "Challenge? He going to be AEW WORLD CHAMPION and main event every single time. If He want a challenge he should go WWE." These words did not set too well with Nick Jackson at all and he responded with a heated reply.
Some people aren't considering All Elite Wrestling as competition for WWE yet, but it could be coming sooner than we think. AEW is on the cusp of locking down a major television deal and could be an honest alternative to Vince McMahon's company.
Therefore, if you ask The Elite deciding on a jump to WWE would be taking the easy way out.


Full title reads: "Stratford-on-Avon. Shakespeare's Birthday - A Royal Occasion".
VS of Anne Hathaway's Cottage. Tourists wander around.
VS Royal Car arrives carrying King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Mother) and Princess Margaret. Crowds wave.
VS of the royal party visiting Shakespeare's Birthplace museum. SV King and Queen about to walk through garden. LV Royal party walking towards through garden.
VS of crowds. SV King and Queen leaving entrance of birthplace followed by Princess Margaret wearing new winged hat. CU Pan Queen waving from car as car drives away.
GV Stratford's Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. MV of Anthony Eden as he arrives through crowds. GV Theatre. MV of royal party arriving.
Int. Actors rehearsing scene from 'Julius Caesar'. SV Margaret, King and Queen watching Side view King talking to actor Anthony Quayle. SV Miss Gwen Davies shaking hands with Queen. SV Margaret and Queen talking to Quayle. SV King talking to Quayle.


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Vehicle Pollution Disproportionately Affects People of Color in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists finds that, across 12 states, non-white residents bear disproportionate pollution from cars and trucks.
By Sharon Zhang
Congestion Pricing Passed in New York, but Can It Be a National Solution to Traffic?
The failure of the subway system provided political will for the policy, but it might be harder to rally support for congestion pricing in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Boston.
By Sophie Kasakove
How Has the School Bus Evaded Revolution?
The old, yellow diesel monoliths have been largely unchanged in recent decades, despite evolutions among their public transit counterparts.
By Sarah Holder
We Need to Start Thinking About Transportation Like We Do Food or Housing
As poverty rises in American suburbs, all those people still need to get to work in the city.
By Francie Diep
Why Do Public Transit Systems Ignore the Poor?
Transportation planners have a tough time getting effective metrics for the social equity of their systems.
By Max Ufberg
Fare Money: Trapped on the Beijing Subway Without a Ticket
Public transportation passes are one of the most common forms of non-bank money that we interact with on a daily basis, but it's easy—perhaps too easy—not to think of them as such, until something goes wrong.
By Kyle Chayka
Does Expensive Parking Really Discourage City Driving?
A pioneer large-scale study suggests the common strategy to get people riding public transportation does, in fact, work.
By Paul Bisceglio
Why Trains Shouldn't Be Better Than Buses
And why, in America, it probably doesn't even matter.
By Jake Blumgart
Bicycles and the "Immigrant Effect"
Finally, some research that may have positive public health implications for minorities! (Or at least recent immigrants.)
By Elisabeth Best

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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'Air ambulance lands' as major road off M25 shuts after serious crash
There are long queues forming
James GregoryMultimedia Reporter
A major road off of the M25 is completely shut after a serious crash.
The accident happened on the A10, which connects to the M25 at Waltham Abbey, at around 9.20am today (Sunday, July 14).
An air ambulance has landed at the scene of the crash in Royston, Hertfordshire, after the collision between Royse Grove and Whitely Lane in Buckland.
The road is shut in both directions and long queues are forming.
Driver hurls abuse at paramedics treating heart attack patient in Basildon
Emergency services, including fire crews, paramedics and police officers, are at the scene.
Herts Police tweeted: "We are currently dealing with an RTC on the A10 between Royston and Buckland.
"The road has been closed to allow access to emergency services, motorists are advised to take alternative routes."


This sounds interesting – sorry for not posting it in time to make the first one – I'm sure it's ok to turn up to later sessions.
Do you want some drama in your life?
We're holding FREE classes for local residents aged 18 and over.
This 16-week drama course will be run by an experienced writer and director. No experience necessary.
You'll also get to know others in your community.
48 Collier Street, London N1 9QZ.
To book your free place, please call Nick on 020 7021 4127.


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Home › Academics › STEM at Spelman
Spelman College has a strong record of educating African-American women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. On average, during the past five years, 34 percent of the College's student body pursued majors in biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, physics, environmental science or engineering (dual degree program), and 25 percent of graduates received degrees in STEM disciplines.
The College employs 54 full-time faculty in the STEM departments and programs, of which 83 percent are racial/ethnic minorities and 52 percent are women. Of the 28 women faculty members, 64 percent are African-American. This represents an exceptional diversity while providing a support system of role models for our students. This diversity of research active STEM faculty is rare, providing a uniquely supportive undergraduate science training environment for female students of color.
Spelman has engaged in a sustained effort to build an exemplary undergraduate science program that responds to strong student interest in modern science and technology training. Infrastructural developments in the past decade reflect the institution's strong commitment to building the research active environment necessary to sustain innovative science curricular and training resources on par with other Carnegie Baccalaureate institutions.
In 2001, Spelman College completed construction of the $34 million Albro-Falconer-Manley Science Center, a 154,000 square foot training facility equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to support comprehensive STEM research and training. The current research infrastructure includes the Office of Research Resources, the Office of Sponsored Programs, Internal Evaluation Services, the Institutional Review Board, and the Office of Institutional Research Assessment and Planning.
Spelman also has an established practice of faculty-mentored student research in the STEM disciplines. Student research is supported through a number of programs on campus, including the RISE training program in biomedical science, the G-STEM program, and the MARC-U*STAR program awarded by NIGMS/MORE to the Atlanta University Center Consortium institutions (of which Spelman is a member).
Every year more than 100 students participate in a research/internship experience with faculty at Spelman College, AUC partners (Morehouse School of Medicine, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University), or nearby research institutions (Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University, CDC, EPA). Thus, the Spelman educational experience includes the benefits of a small college learning community enhanced by the variety of opportunities available within the research-rich Metro Atlanta corridor.
The result is a solid track record of graduates who pursue advanced training in their disciplines. Spelman, along with other historically Black institutions, continues to be among the top baccalaureate institutions of origin for African Americans earning doctoral degrees. Since 2000, 16 percent of Spelman's graduates have entered STEM graduate programs (including psychology), and in the past decade a total of 104 Spelman graduates have earned doctoral degrees in biomedical sciences.
Based on a 2008 survey, Spelman was ranked by the NSF as the No. 2 undergraduate institution of origin of Black Ph.D.s in STEM disciplines (National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2011 Digest, NSF 11-309,) Spelman's record of accomplishments considered against the current national backdrop illustrates the critical role this unique institution has to play in preparing STEM students to contribute to future generations of scientists, representative of our diverse national population.
Spelman Among Top 10 Colleges Producing Black Women Tech Startup Founders
Spelman College is among the top 10 schools that produce Black women founders of technology companies, according to the 2016 #ProjectDiane Report on the state of Black women in tech entrepreneurship in the United States. In the study, Spelman ranked 10th, tied with Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The top three schools are Harvard, Columbia and Northwestern universities. "I think that's extremely good news for Spelman College and the women that come here," President Mary Schmidt Campbell said in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article on the findings. The report, named for civil rights activist Diane Nash, was produced by digitalundivided, an organization that runs an accelerator program for Black and Latina women tech entrepreneurs.
Alumna Rochelle Williams Named Senior Programs Director of National Society of Black Engineers
Spelman Board Chair, Rosalind Gates Brewer, C'84, Named to Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women List
Dr. Aditi Pai Uses Genetics to Help Students Understand Biology
Junior Plans to Sponsor Two Ghanaian Girls for Her 21st Birthday
Taylor Miller Researches Impact of Space Weather
All STEM Stories


BODY MATERIALS – Space grade anodized aluminum alloy body. Borosilicate Glass mouthpiece.
BATTERY SPECIFICATION – 2000mAh lithium polymer battery (safe cell phone grade) Full charge takes 2-3 hours – lasting approximately 15 sessions. Takes approximately 60 seconds to reach optimal heat.
CHAMBER SPECIFICATION – Food grade porcelain chamber.
Allowing unobstructed flow of vapor while keeping the Hydrology9 leakproof is inherently a conflicting concept. Accomplishing both goals in a seamlessly integrated design was truly challenging. The ability to fuse all three requirements aesthetically into the Hydrology9 design is the heart of Hydrology9's innovation. The results are a brand-new approach to liquid filtration, and the birth of our patent-pending "tunnel tube" liquid filtration design.


The Band's Visit (CD of Original Broadway Cast Recording) | The Drama Book Shop, Inc.
Winner of 10 2018 Tony Awards, including Best New Musical!
After a mix-up at the border, an Egyptian Police Band is sent to a remote village in the middle of the Israeli desert. With no bus until morning and no hotel in sight, these unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways.THE BAND'S VISIT celebrates the deeply human ways music, longing and laughter can connect us all.


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Cossonay – szwajcarskie miasto na prawach gminy w kantonie Vaud, zamieszkiwane przez 3,812 osób (2017 r.).

Gminy w kantonie Vaud

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A Way Too Long and In-Depth Analysis on Gaming and Anime
The Studies of a Born and Bred Nerd
My Anime List of 2016: Part 1
Well the year has come and gone and with it comes a whole slew of anime both good and bad. But unlike the other anime-reviewing titans on YouTube, I've only gotten around to watching a handful, so I'm nowhere near qualified enough to label the best anime of the year. In fact, some of the year I spent watching shows that came before, such as Barakamon and Sasakemi Koto. Although I can't speak to which anime of 2016 is inherently the best, I would still like to take a moment to talk about all the anime I watched over the year. I'll also be talking about shows I've watched most of, so shows I watched 3 episodes and then ditched aren't gonna be a part of this list. I also will be nixing the synopses to make this article more manageable.
Starting the year off strong is an anime whose manga counterpart I had been a big fan of. In fact I discovered the anime adaptation by complete accident and almost fainted. A very real and dark tale about a guy who accidentally warps back in time to his childhood that talks about concepts like unstable households and whether or not to believe in those around you. The animation was superb, the acting was spot-on, and the tension, as many of you know, gripped you by the face and forced you to wait each week for a follow-up. Unfortunately, it came under the usual strain of a 12-episode run, so a lot of content had to be cut. While at first I was okay with it, I noticed that they had to leave out a lot of details that helped character motivations and explained certain nuances. Also, while I was okay with the alternate climax at the end, I can see why people were a bit let down. The final two episodes seem to be a rushed finale for frankly one of the best built-up suspenseful anime in a long time. But despite all that, ERASED is something I really enjoyed, as both a critic and a fan of the author. Here's hoping that Kei Sanbe will hit us with another masterpiece.
GRIMGAR: OF FANTASY AND ASH
Those of you who follow this blog know about my feelings on Grimgar. Objectively speaking, there isn't a whole lot going for it. There's a lot of problems in multiple areas, and the overall flow of the show is a bit shaky. But for what it accomplished, I think there's still something there. The regular-people-warped-to-fantasy-world trope has been done literally to death, but I do like the idea of them just trying to live there and not trying to have some sort of paper-mache ending. It wasn't perfect, but since the characters were done so well, I enjoyed it all the way through. I can understand people disliking it, because it is sort of wonky with its animation, battle direction, and plot consistency. I found a lot to enjoy in the smaller moments, however, so for me I think it's worth waiting around for whenever they decide to make a season 2.
This is one I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with. The manga's art, and sometimes the anime's too, do not look good. Artistically and design-wise speaking, Assassination Classroom looked quite ugly. It didn't help matters that a lot of plot points and character developments were either throwaways or really painful to watch. But despite that, it has one of the best characters I've seen in the form of the series antagonist, Koro-sensei. He's smart, insightful, but downright hilarious when it comes to multiple jokes. Supporting cast members like Nagisa and Karma are alright, and there are a couple of the other students that shine, but Koro-sensei absolutely steals it. I also appreciate that this story set up its ending within the first chapter, and surprisingly since this manga is from Shonen Jump, it follows through with that ending. So despite, artistically speaking, the anime isn't that good to look at, although it is animated well, the character of Koro-sensei with his antics and teachings help to push the series along to a very memorable finale. Even though he just happens to push a lot of other stuff with it that isn't that memorable.
With Mabucchi's dance moves circulating the meme-space for months, I finally sat down and watched it, and found myself a bit torn. On the one hand, it was a lot more in-depth in its premise than I had originally thought and was animated very well. But on the other, it IS a lot more in-depth and the series plot direction is almost only about its own meta. What I mean is that every development has to do with the world that Mabucchi and friends live in. There's no outward message on over-use of technology and there's no real character development that doesn't someway have to do with the Coil-centric world that they live in. Despite this, the concept of Dimension W makes absolutely no sense, so a lot of plot nuances come mostly from thin-air. There's some great action, and as said before the animation is fantastic, but the story direction is a little weak. But it's not awful, to say the least, so I still say it's at least worth the watch.
Starting off the Spring season strong is a gauntlet of a series that Shonen Jump has been dying to get on the small screen. Boku no Hero Academia has all the hallmarks of being the next big thing. There's a fantastic protagonist, a well-written rival, fantastic animation and style, and a healthy dose of action-packed fun. Hell, this show was so popular, it got a Season 2 Greenlight halfway through its first season's run. Unfortunately, there's a large problem I hope Bones fix with the next installment, and that is the pacing. Understandably, they probably wanted to stretch it out to cap off the season with a big battle, but nonetheless, the show suffers from a shockingly slow pace. Battles that would usually take place in one compact episode are stretched to two full episodes. Hell, you can't even write a proper synopsis without spoiling the first three episodes. However, the show does amazingly in every other regard, so if Bones tune it up for next season, then we got ourselves a mega-hit.
While I was super excited for Hero Academia being a fan of the manga, I had no freaking clue what Re:Zero was. Humorously enough, I actually remember reading the first couple chapters way before this story hit the mainstream, and just thought it was the typical frilly situation with misplaced gore. You do get a lot of manga like that, unfortunately. So I sat down and watched the double-episode premiere and still found myself skeptical of the whole thing. I could not wait to see how this would bomb. If only I knew. Re:Zero didn't exceed my expectations, it fired past them like a rocket going to Mars, and reminded me that there are still people out there that make fantastic stories and protagonists. This is the tale of a misplaced person in a fantasy world, but has no purpose. Main character Subaru, being an otaku shut-in, forcibly shoves his way into the limelight and is severely punished for it. His acts of typical protagonist heroism are met with surprisingly realistic disdain and disgust. Yes, the main character suffers repercussions for being an idiot. Who'da thunk. The only problem is that the first few episodes set it up as a more comedic parody rather than a tragedy. Subaru's unhealthy optimism is a great plot point later on, but for the beginning it does being to grate. If you're willing to sit through the initial rough start, then you'll be met with, hands-down, the best anime protagonist development of the year.
And here we come to the first big bomb of the year. I'm sure there were others along the way, but oh my god did this one suck. I got about halfway through the show and gave up. I'm throwing in the towel after there's a super-powered idol that can talk to giant bug creatures. First off, the show is every other Sword Art Online, Asterisk War, Chivalry of a Failed Knight knock-off, but somehow worse. The characters are painfully bland, the action is weak, and not a lick of it makes any sense. They're supposed to be defenders of an alien race known as Savages. What are Savages exactly? No idea. Why do they have an arena for the purpose of fighting each other? No clue. Is it possible to walk around with that much cleavage without any issue? Unlikely. I can't even really recommend this as a joke anime to watch, because even I lost interest at the halfway mark. It's that bad. Although there was some good to come of it, and that is one of the best anime images I've ever seen.
This didn't happen.
This anime was actually one I was anticipating for a while. I had never played the games, so I figured the anime would be a really cool way to be accustomed to the world. While most people found the series lacking, I actually had some fun with it. It wasn't perfect, the animation was pretty stiff and some of the jokes didn't quite land, but I couldn't help but wait week to week for it. What helped with that was the genuine fun of figuring out what happened along with the characters in the show. It wasn't so easy to see where everything was going, but it was easy enough for people who aren't good at detecting falsities to play along anyway. It was really fun to call out what would happen as soon as Phoenix got that click in his brain. I also appreciate that Crunchyroll had an option to change the names in the subtitles to the Western-Localized names. It's easier to remember Wright instead of Naruhodo. So it's not too impactful, but it is genuine fun to watch and figure out.
And that's just about it for the Winter and Spring anime seasons! There was a ton more, and I'm sure there's still a lot I need to catch up on, but for now this is the what I've seen and what I think of them! Tune in tomorrow for the Summer and Fall seasons!
dggrevolution
re:zero starting life again in another world
Whispered Words [Sasameki Koto] – SOAN SPOTLIGHT!
Follow The Studies of a Born and Bred Nerd on WordPress.com
Quick Bio!
Hey guys, my name is Travis, and I'm a dweeb. I've always had a love for the nerdy nature of the internet and a love for writing. It took me far too long to come to the conclusion of making a Blog dedicated to just that! My expertise lies in Japanese Animation and Video Games, so you'll be seeing a lot of articles based around Anime and Gaming!
New articles every Friday about either the hottest Anime or the greatest Games!
I apologize for any lackluster design and webpage layout for the time being. I've never actually run a blog before. Hopefully over time I'll begin to learn more! As for now, if you don't like how something looks, tell me about it and I'll fix it right up!


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Orazio Vecchi (6 de diciembre de 1550 (bautizado) - 19 de febrero de 1605), fue un compositor italiano del Alto Renacimiento. Nació en Módena, y estudió con Salvatore Essenga, un monje de la Orden de los Servitas de esa ciudad. Por otra parte, se preparó religiosamente en un monasterio benedictino, concluyendo los estudios sacerdotales alrededor del año 1577.

Vida
Hacia finales de la década de 1570, estableció contacto con compositores de la Escuela de Venecia (por ejemplo Claudio Merulo y Giovanni Gabrieli), a partir de que colaboró con ellos en la elaboración de una sestina para el casamiento de un duque. Durante este período acompañó al conde Baldassare Rangoni en sus viajes, yendo a Bérgamo y Brescia.

Él fue maestro di cappella (director de música) en la catedral de Saló entre 1581 y 1584. Luego de esto, fue el maestro de coro en la catedral de Reggio Emilia, hasta 1586. En ese año se trasladó a Correggio, donde fue nombrado canon en la catedral local; compuso copiosamente durante su estancia allí, aunque se sintió aislado de los grandes centros musicales de Italia como Roma, Venecia, Florencia y Ferrara.

Finalmente, se mudó a Módena, donde recibió el cargo de mansionario (sacerdote que también está a cargo del coro). Aparentemente, tuvo serias dificultades económicas durante este tiempo, a las que aludió en sus cartas y, ocasionalmente, en sus composiciones.

En 1597 visitó Venecia, donde publicó una serie de canzonettas. Además, ese mismo año publicó una enorme cantidad de otras obras suyas, incluida L'Amfiparnaso, que es su composición más conocida.

El duque Cesare d'Este contrató a Vecchi en el año 1598 para ser su maestro di corte, y Vecchi lo acompañó a Roma y Florencia en el año 1600; en este último lugar, escuchó la ópera Euridice, de Jacopo Peri. Después regresó a Módena donde continuó sirviendo en la catedral hasta su muerte, en el año 1605.

Música e influencias
Vecchi es célebre por sus madrigales, especialmente algunos de ellos agrupados en una nueva forma musical llamada "comedia madrigalística". Éste era un entretenimiento ligero, popular y dramático a fines del siglo XVI, a veces considerado como uno de los precursores de la ópera.

También publicó libros de canzonettas, una alternativa ligera a los madrigales, a medio camino entre estos y las villanellas, en cuanto a complejidad y seriedad. Publicó madrigales serios, pero no en cantidad como otros compositores (como Luca Marenzio).

Su música sacra muestra la influencia de la Escuela de Venecia, con la característica antífona y también contraste entre secciones de compás binario y ternario.

Enlaces externos

 http://www.icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer/Vecchi.php

Compositores del Renacimiento de Italia
Músicos de Italia del siglo XVI
Compositores de Italia del siglo XVI
Nacidos en Módena
Fallecidos en Módena
Madrigalistas italianos


David Sugich combines stained glass and optics to make a great kaleidoscope. The colors flow fast in this scope, giving you instant fireworks whenever you want. This kaleidoscope has an iridescent purple exterior and a wand filled with Purple colored beads and bright stars. More wands can be purchased separately in different colors and can be easily interchanged for an even bigger variety of fireworks! This child-friendly kaleidoscope measures 4, 6 and 8 inches in length.


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Top 3 Sexy Wives of African Footballers
inspire by Binta Kila | on 04-Feb-2018 12:20 PM
African football is Africa's most treasured sports. Its footballers have made buzz in the international scene and still continue to. They generate lots of income as a result of the great potentials and skills they possess. Samuel Eto'o, YayaToure, Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, John Obi Michel, Andre Ayew, Micheal Essien just to name a few are world African best players . But as the saying goes "Behind every successful man is a woman" we have decided to look at some of those footballer wives;
3 Olivia Song
This young sexy and stylish black beauty is married to her childhood sweetheart West Ham United F.C player, Alex Song. The couple have two sons. These two have been noted for their stylish outfits and way of doing things. Olivia always makes out time to the stadium each time her hubby has a match and watches him play.
What other way is sexier than this to show love to one's partner!
2 Diakite Lala Drogba
The shy Mrs Drogba and her husband Didier Drogba met in Paris, France. After 12 years of relationship, they got married in 2011 at Marie de Monaco in Monaco and have had a happy married life with three kids. The private ceremony included American singer Akon, J Martins, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou, Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Her Shy and simple nature just blows us away.
1 Georgette Eto'o
Georgette Tra Lou is the wife of the former "Pichichi" and former captain of the Cameroon National Team. They recently had a beautiful blessed their wedding on the 12 of June 2016 in Italy with just 200 invitees. Report has it that the Antalyaspor striker engaged his wife, the mother of his two girls with a $500.000 ring and has always showered her with expensive gifts. Despite Samuel Eto'o's relationship scandals with the old Baccelona woman who claimed Eto'o was father of her daughter and Nathalie Koah Eto'o Supposed mistress, Georgette still loved and supported her man.
Georgette's endurance, patience and love for her man makes us rate her as the sexiest footballer wife!


We are excited to be a member of one of three consortia short-listed to design and construct the New Museum project in Perth. The list was announced today by Culture and the Arts Minister John Day. Cameron Chisholm Nicol and Parry and Rosenthal are working with Ateliers Jean Nouvel on a team led by Doric Group and Tecnicas Reunidas.
The three short-listed teams will now work with Government on their design proposals to ensure they meet the State's functional and operational requirements. The successful Managing Contractor team will be selected this year, with the New Museum due to open in 2020.
The project is of great significance to the State. Located in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre, it will share the stories of Western Australia's people and place, acting as a gateway to explore all of Western Australia.
More information can be found on the New Museum website.


The last week in September, I was in a Rite-Aid drugstore, and was shocked to see Christmas decorations on the shelves. I've gotten used to seeing Christmas stuff out in October now, but the holiday commercial creep has now made it to September. I don't know about you, but I find it incredibly dispiriting.
When I was a kid in the 1970s, our little town didn't put up its Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving. We lived for that day, us kids, eager for the visible signs that we had entered the holiday season. Last night, my mom told me that when she was a little girl growing up in Woodville, Miss., the merchants downtown would cover their storefront display windows with brown paper on the night before Thanksgiving, and either on that Friday (or maybe Saturday, can't recall), they would take the paper down to reveal their Christmas displays. Mama said that all the kids couldn't wait to go downtown and see the signs of Christmas. I can well imagine it, can't you?
Now there's nothing all that special about signs of Christmas coming, thanks to the stores. If you've been looking at Christmas decorations in the stores since a month before Halloween, by the time you get to mid-December, you're worn out with it. At least I am. There oughta be a law.
Posted in Christianity. Tagged Christmas, Christmas decorations.
I haven't seen quinces forever but read you can find them sometimes at Whole Foods.
Japonica quince bushes sometimes produce fruits that aren't quite so good as the larger quince, but still make great preserves/jelly. They have a high pectin content. And beautiful flowers.
I picked two 5 gallon buckets of LSU Gold figs this summer at a friend's home. I use them for strawberry fig preserves for Christmas gifts.
Quinces are usually available at WF markets in the Boston area in the first half of November – a short season. They may need further ripening before use.
Otherwise, look to Latino markets.
Wild turkey's the best. I never had time to hunt them but our friends & neighbors did & they'd share turkeys with us. We even were given a road killed turkey once.
And if not a wild turkey, then fried turkey. And use peanut oil. But be careful. Every year someone ends up igniting their garage or home doing that.
Looking at that photo, I would be completely willing to try….
It can actually pose practical problems if you put out Xmas decorations after Thanksgiving & discover you need to replace some items & they are all gone!
mrscracker,thanks for the tip about japonica quince,I will investigate that!
Liam,cheers for the WF recommendation;I actually bought some there last yr though they were prohibitively expensive. In the last few years they've become very popular with chefs and my previous source at the farmers mkt has contracted to sell all of his crop to local farm to fork chefs. He's quite pleased as in yrs past he had hardly any demand. I hope he plants more! I love them poached & they make a fantastic marmalade with a bit of brandy added.
Thanksgiving has undoubtedly changed (I understand markets opening for a few hrs in the morning for any last minute needs but otherwise I'm firmly in the no shopping,let's have a real holiday break. The doctors in the family are often on call but we make sure they're well fed!) but I think it will endure. I don't mind having extra get togethers aka "Friendsgiving",etc. It's fun to spend time with those we love (or bregrudingly tolerate because they're married to your best friend) over good food & drink. And sometimes I find I have more in common with the best friend's difficult wife than I thought,which is a good thing on many levels. I digress as usual but there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of Thanksgiving.
Look at the bright side: living in an apartment means there are no kids to yell at on your lawn.
Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little Child!") is tamed and made of no significance.
There's nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas. For Christians, its a must! But I hate seeing Christmas obscured by the holiday of the gift wars.
If Thanksgiving disappears, then I will invite you to join me in celebrating Martin's Mass on November 11th. Not just a saint's feast day, it marks the end of the harvest and is a time to eat stuff while it is still fresh and offer thanks for the Lord's bounty. Another reason Thanksgiving gets short shrift is because too many people are so disconnected from the land and the effort it takes to produce food that they really don't see any reason to be grateful. They take pretty much everything that sustains their lives for granted.
For the past few years I've made a goose for Thanksgiving using a German recipe apparently originally intended for serving on Martinmas. It's quite good!
DS, the kids in my neighborhood ADMIRE my garden.
Will Harrington, +1000. Any reason a Protestant can't celebrate St. Martin's day?
There is a chain that has been advertising that they will NOT be open Thanksgiving Day, but will open at 6:00 am on Friday. I can't remember which one.
And Mall of America is closing for the holiday also. Erin is more powerful than she realizes.
Thank the gods for real paganism!
You're welcome. Temple hours are as posted, and an already cooked sacrifice is quite acceptable.
Let this be your legacy within the Benedict Option: the entire neighborhood/community sitting down to a meal in celebration or commemoration, pick the day of note or importance. Let good company and good food drive the anticipation, and ignore the rest.
Christmas: the one day of the year that lasts for weeks. Cosmologists and keepers of the correct time are the only ones driven crazy by this. What's not to love about it?
Rod, my four year old fig tree fruited like crazy this year– and grew so much my roses are in danger of being shaded out. I actually got tired of figs, which I didn't think possible, and let the ants have a bunch of them last month. Still plenty of unripe fruit but they will ripen only slowly now that it's turning cool here, or maybe not at all if we don't have some warm, sunny days.
MikeCA, when I was growing up we had a quince bush– it was beautiful when it came into bloom in the spring, but never fruited. I also planted one when I bought my Michigan house and same result (though I moved before it got very old): lots of flowers, no fruit.
Re: . Good luck finding a pumpkin or ghost a week before Halloween.
I know working class and completely irreligious types among whom Thanksgiving remains a holiday– but it's also thoroughly secularized as "Turkey Day" with no hint of giving any thanks to anyone except maybe the cook.
LOL. When I lived in Florida I always thought all the snow-themed Christmas decorations were ludicrous what with palm trees and all among them. Surely Santa should be arriving on a jet-ski not a sleigh? But I did appreciate being able to pick tomatoes and cut roses from the garden to take to Christmas dinner at my cousin's.
The chances are pretty good that on the night Jesus was born, there were palm trees in sight of that stable. But no snow. As we all know, the idea that Christmas means snow covered evergreens has nothing whatever to do with Christian tradition and everything to do with Germanic pagan traditions about Yule. (No offense, Franklin Evans).
And by the way, there's nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas on the beach. Not all Christians live in landlocked northern latitudes, you know. (Source: Me. I was born in Hawaii).
If I visited Bethlehem I'd expect it to have a talking donkey like the Little Drummer Boy Christmas special.
And if not a wild turkey, then fried turkey.
Darwin changed the world for orthodox religions including Christianity. Ancient texts, that begin with Genesis and "original sin" is no longer a workable concept.
Chances are pretty good that Jesus was born in April. Flocks of sheep are not kept out in distant pastures in Judea in December. But I love the esthetics of those German pagan themes, and missionaries have always tried to make the faith culturally relevant to their new converts.
Anyway, who can argue with "See Amid the Winter Snows…"?
Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus was written in 1956. Yes, that's a silly nitpick, but I want to plug the ISFDB, which is invaluable for answering this kind of question.
Perhaps it depends on the skill of the person frying the turkey. Our American Legion Post did a great job each year.
But wrapped in bacon sounds really good, too. Especially for wild turkey. Thanks!


text:
Biografia
Gail Collins Pappalardi era la moglie di Felix Pappalardi. Ha contribuito a molti dei testi dei Mountain e scritto i brani dei Cream World of Pain con Pappalardi e Strange Brew con Pappalardi e Eric Clapton. Entrambi i brani sono inclusi nell'album Disraeli Gears. Come Gail Collins, la sua opera appare sulle copertine degli album Nantucket Sleighride, Climbing, Flowers of Evil, Mountain Live: The Road Goes ever, Twin Peaks e Avalanche.

Il 17 aprile del 1983, Felix Pappalardi è stato colpito al collo nel loro appartamento al quinto piano East Side di Manhattan con una pistola Derringer calibro 38. È stato dichiarato morto sul posto e Gail Collins Pappalardi è stata accusata di omicidio di secondo grado . La donna dichiarò essersi trattato di un incidente. Fu scagionata per omicidio di secondo grado ma fu condannata per omicidio involontario e negligenza colposa. Il 30 aprile 1985 fu rilasciata sulla parola.

Il 6 dicembre 2013, Gail Collins è stata trovata morta dal suo padrone di casa nel villaggio messicano di Ajijic, una località turistica con molti espatriati residenti americani. Si era sottoposta a trattamenti contro il cancro sul luogo. Successivamente è stata cremata.

Note

Collegamenti esterni


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We're sending our love from the Gower.
If you are ever after endless beaches to share with few others, this is the place! We've had lovely long walks, splashed in the shallow waters and delved into rockpools. Little mobile reception, little interruption from modern life.
We bought our veggies straight from the farm from a lovely lady as old as fossils (according to Hugo) and our sausages from the jolly local roaming butcher coming to our campsite.


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Home Asia Pacific LogNet Deploys Next Gen Billing Solution for LaoTel in Laos
LogNet Deploys Next Gen Billing Solution for LaoTel in Laos
Telecomdrive Bureau
As a result of this next generation billing systems implementation, LaoTel is considerably improving its services and overall operations
Lao Telecommunications Company (LaoTel), the leading telecommunications service provider in Laos, has made its service offerings more competitive and streamlined its operations with the implementation of a new billing solution from the UK based LogNet Systems.
It is important to note that LaoTel is the incumbent telecommunications service provider in Laos and provides fixed line, mobile and Internet services to a growing customer base of over 3.5 million subscribers. LaoTel is the only communications service provider in Laos that provides full nationwide network coverage.
In an effort to make its services more attractive and its operations more efficient, LaoTel decided to overhaul and integrateits billing, service delivery and customer support systems and processes. After an intense selection process, which included a fully integrated proof-of-concept (POC) trial, LaoTeldecided to enlist the help of FPT Information Systems (FPT IS) to implement the MaxBillsolutions for Modern Billing from UK based LogNet Systems.
According to KingkeoVangkaneng, Deputy General Director at LaoTel, "The MaxBill solution is empowering us to grow our business with improved profitability and efficiency and increased customer loyalty to the LaoTelbrand."
By using MaxBill to upgradeits billing operation, LaoTelhas been able to automate its service delivery, offer attractiveservices packages, provide better customer service and improve billing transparency.The implementation of MaxBill has also had a strategic impact at LaoTel by enabling the company to define and implement comprehensive business processes that are completely integrated across its organization.
"Unlike most billing projects, which tend to be highly technical and overly complex, we have helped LaoTel facilitate holistic changes and implement strategic decisions that will allow LaoTel to attract more customers and grow its business," explained Kirill Rechter, CEO of LogNet Billing.
With a modern approach to billing enabled by MaxBill, LaoTel has been able to turn its service delivery and billing operation into competitive advantages, setting the company apart from a growing range of direct and indirect competitors that have gradually become available to customers in Laos.
LogNet Systems is a UK-based company with nearly two decades of experience in providing modern billing and customer experience management solutions. The company has customers across EMEA, APAC and the Americas in telecom, utilities, transportation and financial services industries.
FPT IS is based in Vietnam and is a leading systems integrator for telecommunications service providers in Southeast Asia. The company employs over 2,500 engineers specializing in developing application software, ERP services, information technology and system integration as well as systems for handling enterprise procedures.
"Our goal is to help telecommunications, mobile operators and other communications service providers to improve the management of their network and business operations," explained Le Anh Tuan, General Director of FPT IS Global.
FPT IS is currently expanding internationally and has recently partnered with LogNet Systems to target billing projects at telecommunications service providers similar to LaoTel as well as utilities companies and municipalities in emerging markets across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.
http://www.telecomdrive.com
TelecomDrive is an effort to create a unique content focused platform for the telecoms and communications segment.
Billing Solution
LaoTel
LogNet
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Orsina of Melidrie is a paladin of the Order of the Sun, sworn to drive out corruption and chaos wherever she finds it. She has been ordered to leave her home and travel around Vesolda in search of a great evil she is supposedly destined to destroy. But after two years of fighting monsters and demons and evil gods, she does not seem to be any closer to her goal—or ever returning home.
Aelia is the Goddess of Caprice, the personification of poor decision-making. The Order of the Sun has classified her as a chaos goddess, meaning that her worship has been outlawed. During a run-in with Orsina, she is trapped in a mortal body, rendering her unable to leave Inthya.
Aelia is found by Orsina again, but this time Orsina does not recognize her in her new body. So Aelia pretends to be a mortal woman who is fleeing an abusive family. Aelia plans to use Orsina as protection as she hunts down the magical relic that will free her from her mortal body.
As Aelia and Orsina grow closer to one another, Aelia wrestles with her own desire to tell Orsina the truth about who she is, and her fear that Orsina will turn on her if she does. But the decision might not be hers after all, because their actions have not gone unnoticed by Aelia's siblings.
Even from a distance, Orsina of Melidrie could tell something was wrong.
The little village of Soria appeared to be a typical Vesoldan farming community. A field of green barley stretched toward the south, almost ready for the springtime harvest, and the farmers raised their hands to Orsina in greeting as she rode past. Down in the olive groves, trees were beginning to put out tiny, cream-colored blossoms while Sorian youngsters rested beneath the branches and tended to flocks of fat sheep.
But when Orsina inspected the fields more closely, she saw the crops were choked with weeds and beginning to rot. It was as though they had been neglected for weeks, despite the presence of the farmers.
Orsina also didn't fail to notice that all Soria's sheep still wore their heavy winter coats, though all the surrounding communities had held their springtime shearing days nearly a month ago. Most passersby would probably not notice such small details, but Orsina had dealt with situations like this before. She knew the signs of a village in thrall.
According to storytellers, the correct attire for a paladin was heavy plate armor, and a matching set for her horse. Orsina supposed none of those storytellers ever visited southern Vesolda, for even in early spring it was too hot to even contemplate wearing anything heavier than her chain mail and tabard.
Still, when she rode into Soria, children dropped their toys in the dust and abandoned their games to follow her. She doubted any of them had seen a paladin before, and so she gave them warm smiles and tried her best not to look intimidating. She did not know how successful she was.
A temple of Eyvindr, God of the Harvest and Third of the Ten, stood at the center of town. But as Orsina rode past, she noted that the windows were dark and the orange trees in the garden were beginning to wither. Despite her curiosity, she did not linger there.
Orsina dismounted in front of the tavern and tied Star, the gray Vesoldan mare that had been her mount for the last four years. The children were upon her in a moment, asking thousands of questions simultaneously. Was she a paladin? Was she from the Order of the Sun? Had she ever spoken to Iolar? Or one of the other gods? Was she from Bergavenna? Had she ever killed a dragon? A demon? A chaos god?
Orsina answered the questions as best she could, but she wasn't even sure if the children heard her replies. Finally, a man stepped out onto the front steps of the tavern, drawn by the noise.
The children backed away reluctantly, and Orsina gave the man a grateful smile. He smiled back, but she could see the tension in his shoulders and the fear in his eyes. He did not want her here.
"I have endured worse than straw mattresses," said Orsina pleasantly, wondering if the man would outright refuse to serve her. But instead, he turned back and yelled into the tavern.
A young child, probably the man's son, rushed out to take Star's lead. Orsina let him do his work and went inside.
The tavern was nearly empty, save for a few old grandfathers sharing stories. When they saw her, their conversations ended abruptly. Orsina looked around, taking in the ancient wooden furniture and dust collecting in the corners. Open windows let in the midday sunlight, and a massive empty stone fireplace took up the entire north wall.
The question was innocently posed, the sort of question anyone might ask a strange traveler. But it was well known that paladins from the Order of the Sun were forbidden to tell lies. The tavern-keeper wanted to know how much she suspected, how much she knew.
The old men were all watching her as well, their filmy eyes locked on her.
The tavern-keeper looked uncomfortable. "And you believe that evil is here?" he asked uneasily, his eyes darting back to the old men.
"But you believe there is evil here?" the tavern-keeper pressed.
The atmosphere in the room became oppressive, but Orsina was not worried. After all she had faced in the last two years, she could hold her own against a handful of villagers, even ones in thrall. The real challenge was always when she happened upon a foe clever enough to use the villagers themselves as weapons, forcing them to throw themselves at her blade until she retreated or managed to subdue them.
At her request, the tavern-keeper led her upstairs to the tiny bedroom where his son had delivered her traveling bags. His assessment of its quality had not been wholly incorrect, but after two years of constant travel, Orsina was used to uncomfortable conditions.
Orsina went to the window and looked out at the neglected temple below. Regardless of whether this village was the home to Iolar's prophesized evil, there was something amiss here. Even if she had been blind to the little signs, the protective tattoos on her arms were slowly growing warm, reacting to the presence of something wrong.
Men's imaginations could get the better of them, and stories became wilder after every telling, so Orsina was careful to keep an open mind whenever she first heard a new rumor. Demons and chaos gods did walk on Inthya, but it was infinitely more likely that any given problem had nothing at all to do with the forces of chaos.
For example, ten months ago some terrified villagers had begged her to come investigate the nearby forest where, at night, young women could be heard screaming. The villagers suspected murder, sacrifices, obscene rituals. Orsina had marched in, ready for a fight…only to find out that the source of the noise was a single red fox.
And last winter, she'd gone to confront a werewolf that had been taking sheep and found only ordinary gray wolves who had become hungry enough to forget their fear of men.
But the most memorable occasion was when she had received word of a manticore terrorizing the southern shore. Manticores were native to Aquiim, but they were capable of flight, so it was not impossible to believe one made it across the Summer Strait. Orsina had prepared for the fight of her life, joining with five other paladins to track the beast down. But when they finally cornered the monster, they found that their 'manticore' was actually a rabid brown bear.
The fight had not been pleasant, but it was certainly an improvement over what Orsina imagined a battle with a manticore might have been like. After it was over, the paladins had wondered to each other how anyone on Inthya could manage to confuse a brown bear with a venom-spewing winged lion.
Orsina stepped away from the window and closed the shutters. The sun was still high, and the day was fair. Tonight she would confront whatever evil had taken root here, but in the meantime, her letter to Lady Perlita was incomplete. Orsina gathered up her writing instruments and went downstairs, intending to compose her letter at the long table just in front of the tavern's sunny windows.
Lady Perlita was the daughter of the Baron of Melidrie. In childhood, they had played together when none of Perlita's noble friends or cousins were around. Perlita called for raids upon the kitchens, or the cherry trees, or the Hedoquan cactus pears that had flourished in the warm Vesoldan climate, and Orsina carried out her orders without question.
Years later, Orsina returned home from her paladin's training in Bergavenna to find that Perlita had transformed from a wild, skinny girl into an elegant, olive-skinned beauty with topaz eyes and a waist so small Orsina thought she could have encircled it completely with both her hands (she was mistaken on this last point, as it turned out, but only just).
Orsina regularly wrote letters to Perlita, detailing her adventures. She never received anything in return, but Orsina knew that Perlita was very busy learning to take her father's place. Replies were probably too much to expect.
Orsina also occasionally wrote to her parents, assuring them that she was still alive and well. They did respond, but Orsina moved around so frequently and unpredictably that it was usually months before the letters found her.
As she wrote, Orsina was struck by the sensation that she was being watched. Without looking up, she folded the letter into thirds and packed her ink and quills away.
Moving at a leisurely pace, Orsina left the tavern and walked across the town square to the abandoned temple. It was one of the only buildings in town with glass windows, and it was dark enough within that Orsina could see her reflection in them.
Orsina did not spend much time in front of mirrors, but she recognized her own face: oval, sun-darkened, with a strong nose and stubborn lips. A few wisps of dark brown hair had escaped from her braid to cradle her face.
But something was amiss with her reflection. Orsina quickly tried to divert her own gaze, but her reflection smiled broadly, and she knew she had been caught.
"Will you meet me in the village square, or shall I hunt you through the forest tonight?" Orsina asked the presence in a low voice.
"Who are you?" demanded Orsina. Her reflection only laughed.
Orsina had not really been expecting an answer, for that would have made her job too simple, but sometimes her adversaries liked to brag. She waited, but after a few minutes, it was clear that the presence—whatever it was—had gone. Orsina turned and walked away from the glass, determined not to show any sort of reaction.
Dusk came soon enough, and the tavern filled as the people of Soria began returning from their day's work. Most were farmers or shepherds, but the village also had a carpenter, a miller, a few tailors, and a blacksmith. Orsina sat in her corner, simply watching, and most of the Sorians refused to make eye contact with her.
She could see they were not too deeply in thrall. They could still speak, and reason, and apparently retained a good deal of their own will, quite unlike the shuffling, empty-eyed thralls she had encountered in the past. But in a way, this was almost more insidious, for it gave the illusion of freedom.
Some of the younger Sorians could not resist approaching the paladin in their midst, and she was happy to oblige them with stories of her past adventures. The tale of the manticore-that-wasn't got a particularly good reception and by the time she was finished, the smiles of the young shepherds were genuine.
There had been no sign of the village priest yet. Nor had she met the administrator assigned to manage the village and send reports back to Count Doriano. Orsina knew better than to ask after them, unless she wanted every villager in the room to turn on her.
As the last traces of sunlight slipped away, the tavern-keeper's son came to light the fire. Curiously, many of the villagers were already beginning to leave. Orsina stayed seated but watched out the window as they vanished into the darkness in the direction of the olive groves.
Orsina rose to her feet, and remaining patrons fell silent.
Orsina drew her blade, and little Benigo froze mid-step. Before any of the villagers had time to react, she was already out the front door and moving in the direction of the olive groves.
The village was dark and unfamiliar. As Orsina walked, she raised her blade to her lips, murmuring a prayer. The sword began to glow with a steady golden light, enough to guide her way.
Like all paladins, Orsina was blessed by Iolar—a rare thing, for a woman, but certainly not unheard of. She had spent years memorizing the many, many Order-specific rituals and prayers that she channeled her magic through. Orsina's blessing was not terribly powerful, but she had never felt as though she was at a disadvantage. The Order of the Sun had always emphasized the importance of physical might, and the dangers of becoming overly-reliant upon magic and therefore complacent. Those with stronger blessings were usually better suited for the Temple of Iolar.
An idealist at heart, Orsina lacked the contempt for the Temple of Iolar that many of the senior paladins had. She did not see why their organizations frequently viewed themselves as rivals. Their methods might differ, but they had the same mission—to protect innocents from the forces of chaos.
Orsina was aware of the villagers leaving the tavern behind her, but she ignored them. None approached her, or even called to her, but she could hear their shuffling footsteps in the shadows.
By the time Orsina arrived at the olive grove, a mass of villagers had already gathered there between the trees, standing in a circle. She pushed her way through the crowd, and they all parted to let her by easily. None looked her in the face.
At the center of the circle was a woman. She had long, dark hair that gleamed violet and midnight and emerald in the torchlight. Her face was round, her lips stained dark, her eyes glittering amethysts. She wore a simple dress, the sort a Vesoldan peasant might, except for the fact that it was completely black.
Orsina could see no runes on her bared arms to mark her as a demon, and there seemed to be intelligence in her eyes. A goddess, then.
Most chaos gods that Orsina encountered took bodies that were tall and thin, with pronounced neckbones and cheekbones and ribs. Some displayed unnatural characteristics, like curling horns or bestial claws or leathery wings. But this goddess looked like an ordinary woman, more or less. She was only average height and had soft curves to her silhouette.
Of course, the body was merely an avatar, created to hold her spirit while she interacted with Inthya. Still, the sight of it, so unlike the other chaos gods Orsina was familiar with, was surprising.
Orsina tightened her grip on her blade. "Tell me your name, and I will tell you mine," she said.
"Are you Rikilda?" asked Orsina, naming the Goddess of Alchemy who was sometimes associated with dark practices. Rikilda was extremely powerful, and this goddess, whoever she was, would enjoy the comparison.
"Cytha?" This time, Orsina's guess was genuine. Cytha was an extremely minor goddess, associated with revenge. Her worship was outlawed, but that had never been an obstacle to the sufficiently determined.
This goddess was not powerful at all. It was likely that the village of Soria contained the entirety of her worshippers. Still, unlike demons, a god could never be fully destroyed. For the weaker ones, there were rituals to trap, to banish, to scatter. But eventually, they would return. They always did.
"Aelia," said Orsina immediately, years of rote memorization under the tutelage of Order scribes paying off.
"Enough. It is time you made your return to Aethitide." Orsina raised her glowing blade.
Orsina hesitated, though her grip on the sword did not weaken.
"I will make no pact with you," she said.
"No?" But Aelia's form was shifting now. She became shorter, thinner. Her hair shifted to an ordinary shade of brown and coiled itself into a coronet. Her peasant's dress transformed into a lady's crimson gown. Orsina gritted her teeth and looked away, for Aelia was now a perfect replica of Lady Perlita.
Aelia moved closer and rested one hand against Orsina's face. When Orsina did not rip away, Aelia pressed their lips together.
Orsina could taste the chaos magic in her kiss, and her protective tattoos blazed in warning. Without taking a step forward or back, Orsina raised her blade and stabbed through Aelia's chest.
Perlita's form began melting away as Aelia screamed in pain and outrage. Orsina ignored the noise and chanted the prayer that prevented her from retreating to Aethitide, her plane in Asterium. Once bound to Inthya, Orsina could destroy her form. It would take years, perhaps even decades, for Aelia's consciousness to regenerate.
"No!" snarled Aelia as she realized she was now trapped in a mortal body. She staggered backward, into the olive trees and away from the torchlight. Orsina moved to follow the weakened goddess, but hands grabbed at her, drawing her back. Orsina tried to wrench free, but the villagers were so numerous—and so horribly fragile.
Orsina twisted around to face them, bringing her sword about in a wide cleaving motion. Fortunately, the villagers still retained enough control over themselves to recoil from the gleaming edge of the blade. That moment of delay was enough for Orsina to turn on her heel and go running into the trees after Aelia.
The villagers were already pursuing her, but their movements were awkward and clumsy. She could tell Aelia's hold on their minds was waning. With only her sword lighting the way, she smashed through low-hanging branches, boots skidding downhill.
Aelia moved in an erratic, unpredictable path, swerving this way and that in hopes of losing her pursuer. She leaped ancient stone fences in a single, effortless bound, darted around trees, vanished into long shadows. Now thoroughly lost, all Orsina could do was stand still and wait to hear the goddess's footfalls.
Someone tackled her, and Orsina went sprawling across the dirt. The blade fell from her hand, and someone struck her across the face. Orsina drew her knees to her chest and kicked outward with all her strength, sending the unfortunate villager back into darkness. At the sound of rustling branches, Orsina grabbed her sword and lurched to her feet again, intent upon following the noise.
Aelia was beginning to slow, thanks to the massive wound in her midsection. An ordinary woman would have been dead ten times over, but goddesses, even obscure ones like Aelia, were significantly more resilient.
She caught up to Aelia shortly, bringing her sword's hilt down on the back of her neck. Aelia fell, crumpling as though she was made of plaster. By the light of her blade, she saw Aelia struggle to push herself back upward on her palms, and that was when Orsina struck her head off at the neck.
Slowly, slowly, her protective tattoos returned to their normal temperature. Orsina swallowed and looked around at the unfamiliar trees. She could very well be a mile away from Soria at this point.
But more shapes were moving toward her now—the villagers, now free of Aelia's manipulations. Irritation flared up in her chest. Aelia had not been a powerful goddess, and there were at least thirty of them. The goddess should not have been able to take advantage of them so easily!
"I don't know," he said. More shadowy figures were coming forward, but now their movement was natural and free. They gathered around in a half-circle, none approaching her directly. When she looked into their eyes, they glanced away.
A handful of villagers were already constructing a pyre as she began the trek back to Soria.
Her first stop was the granary, since it seemed none of the villagers wanted to face the men they'd imprisoned. When she unbolted the door and threw it wide open, both the priest and the administrator flinched. But their expressions turned to relief as they caught sight of the golden sun emblazoned on Orsina's tabard.
"Yes, and it only took him two weeks," said the priest dryly.
The administrator seemed pleased by what he heard, and set off for the tavern, declaring that everybody would be buying him drinks tonight if they wished to keep their names out of his report to Count Doriano. But the priest of Eyvindr stayed behind.
The priest bid her a good night, and Orsina stood alone in the shadow of the granary. She closed her eyes and raised her face to the night sky, waiting to see if Iolar's approval filled her mind with golden light, followed by an affirmation that her work was done at last.
To her great surprise, tears sprang to her eyes. What was this? She raised a gauntlet to her face in confusion and stared at the teardrop gleaming on the silver metal. A paladin did not fall into despair! She had never received a direct, personal acknowledgment from Iolar before, so why did its absence suddenly feel like a rejection?
Her mind flashed back to the moment that Aelia, wearing Perlita's body, had pressed their lips together.
"You must be terribly lonely," she had said.
I'm not, Orsina wanted to say, but she was forbidden to lie—even to the quiet darkness of a tiny, forgettable Vesoldan farming village.
Why had Perlita not written to her? Her heart ached at the question she'd refused to consider for two years. If Perlita missed Orsina even a fraction as much as Orsina missed her, she should have at least one letter!
She closed her eyes again, remembering the kiss. It had not been the real Perlita, but it had apparently been enough to awaken the longing that she'd thought she'd successfully buried.
Orsina felt her contempt for the villagers' weakness fade to something softer. It was so easy to judge them for their failings, but she had failings too. Even now, she still carried a glimmer of curiosity in her heart. What might have happened if she had accepted Aelia's offer to determine the true purpose of her quest?
Well, it hardly mattered now. Aelia was gone from Inthya and could not be expected to return anytime soon. Orsina would have to seek Iolar's destiny in the way he had intended: slowly, and with a paladin's patience.