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4 Ways I've Found Truth in Fiction…and 1 Way I Haven't
Apr 29, 2020 | How to BE a Truthspeaker, KM Writing Tips, W.R. Gilmour | 0 |
In my last post, I told you that "Our books and stories contribute to the formation of our character. Our efforts and decisions shape and improve us, or they hold us back. The same is true of the stories we create and consume." And, I claimed that, "We don't tend to rise above the books we read." I stand by that, and I'll tell you why:
Not All Stories Are Created Equal
I recently read a short but wonderful blog post, from the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Lehi, Utah, which reminded me of content from the book, The Healing Power of Stories, by Professor Daniel Taylor. The post's author, Kim McCloskey, referenced the four labels that Professor Taylor uses to categorize stories. I had encountered the divisions before, while homeschooling my children, and I still use them myself as an author.
The categories Professor Taylor uses are: Whole, Broken, Bent, and Healing; and as I have considered the many stories I encounter and create, I have personally added a fifth category, which I have named, Warped. The categories are flexible, and sometimes even overlap, but we can make some generalizations about each one.
I love these categories because I know not all stories are created equal in their power for good or evil. As I consider my own backlist of books I have read through life, I remember tales that have elevated me to celestial heights, and others I still regret encountering, years later. Literature has the power to heal us, rouse us to action, or even harm our souls, depending on its content or intent. That is why we must carefully choose the stories we read, and consider the kind of stories we write. In the post I mentioned before, Kim McCloskey states:
"In the stories that we tell and the stories we seek out we can look for truth as well as hope. This doesn't mean that we avoid sad or tragic tales because they are seemingly hopeless. Sad, complicated stories can also elevate the listener if we realize that there are more complex ways [of] responding to them rather than by just simply being happy or sad. If a story can move us beyond our sadness to find empathy, healing, or a call to action then the well-told tale can continue to live on long after the story is over."
How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book. -Henry David Thoreau.
1. Whole Stories
In all of the stories we read and the tales we tell, there are a lot of different ways that we can experience and express truth. Probably the most common truthspeaking type of story is what we call "Whole" stories. A few of my favorites in this category are, The Lord of The Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien; Ready Player One, by Earnest Cline; and even Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak.
Whole stories are entertaining and enjoyable. They present good as good, and evil as evil. Aside from the necessary misdirection required to create suspense, there is little uncertainty about who the "good guys" are. The protagonists may be flawed but often tend toward selflessness. We root for the heroes, boo the villains, and good triumphs in the end. Children's stories of this variety usually teach simple truths in entertaining ways and may become beloved family "bedtime stories." Many Whole stories rise to the level of becoming Healing stories.
Many classic novels fit this category, and with good reason. We often read and reread such stories because they are masterfully crafted, memorable, and leave us uplifted and entertained as they reveal and espouse Truth. There is an underlying optimism in such tales that prompts us to look upward and reach for higher things. When the protagonist triumphs, we rejoice with them. Whole stories help us to focus on what is good and beautiful, even if they do not always have a strong religious tone. At their best, they are genuinely uplifting and inspiring. But, if written without due care, they often fail to connect deeply with some readers by being overly simplistic, "preachy", or featuring flat characters who achieve easy victories over non-threatening opposition.
2. Broken Stories
Like Whole stories, Broken stories contain both good and evil, but it may sometimes be hard to discern which is which. These are often fallen or dystopian worlds in which Evil takes a prominent role and may even win in the end, despite Good's best efforts. Broken tales are more like Lord of the Flies than they are The Lord of the Rings. In such stories, we have a sense of the brokenness of human nature, but Good is still believable and appealing. Although Evil may win at the end of some stories (1984 and Animal Farm), there is often an element that suggests hope is not lost, and the reader feels certain that Goodness and Truth will make a comeback (The Hunger Games). Readers are often unsettled as they read Broken stories and sense the parallels between the fictional world and their own lives and communities. Like a broken bone, that which is wrong in the story, and in the reader's life, can be reset and healed. While less obviously uplifting, such stories still have the potential to move us deeply, and motivate us to heal something broken in the real world. Unlike the open allegiance to Truth that appears in Whole stories, Truth is sometimes apparent in Broken stories only through its absence or opposition.
3. Bent Stories
Bent stories are essentially Broken stories that have gone too far. They may even purport to have "good intentions" and confront challenging issues and topics, but they are derailed from their potential for good by content and methods that do more harm than good. They often take matters of goodness and virtue and "bend" them to unworthy uses. Such stories are often easily identified and avoided in print but they can be harder to avoid in movies and other visual media. Often, their calculated intent is to deliberately "shock" or push boundaries. They do more to undercut faith, hope, and virtue than strengthen them. They may include good and virtuous characters, but often portray them as boring, weak, or ignorant of "the real world". Evil, on the other hand, is portrayed as seductive, powerful, and reasonable. Such stories typically conclude with Evil victorious. Even if Goodness is allowed token victories, Wickedness wins the overall war. Unlike Broken stories, which might highlight weakness, but leave room for redemption beyond the pages, there is little or no hope in Bent stories. The story seems designed to deliberately sway the reader's desires and actions toward darkness instead of light. Like a piece of twisted metal, no matter how we work to try and straighten it out, it remains damaged and unsuitable. Only "melting the story down" to start over could make it useful. Bent stories can make us feel trapped and hopeless about the world.
Despite these negative attributes, many Bent stories and films find large audiences to praise and promote them. If a virtuous reader or viewer does consume a Bent story, it is often after a lot of social pressure and rationalization, and may be followed by justifications intended to soothe the viewer's conscience. Bent stories may be popular with those of questionable standards and praised as "brave" or "edgy", but in reality, they are merely an excuse to indulge the reader or viewer's base passions.
4. Healing Stories
Healing stories are often the most complex ones, but can also include the simplest of tales. They present good and evil honestly and can arise from both the Whole and Broken categories, depending on the "half" the reader brings to the encounter. It is extremely difficult for a Bent story to be Healing, but it is impossible for a Warped one. Healing stories are the highest form of storytelling because they acknowledge the reality of Evil, counter it effectively with Good, confront Falsehood with Truthspeaking, and present characters that readers can identify with and strive to emulate. Like the reader, the protagonists in Healing stories are fallible and flawed, but good wins out in the end, even if it is beyond the pages. In a Healing story, the listener is profoundly changed or healed by the encounter. The answer to the story's problems, and perhaps even a problem in the reader's life, is offered within the story itself. Such stories spark positive paradigm shifts, personal revelation, and righteous resolutions. Not all Healing stories become classics, but many of them do. The test is whether or not the reader can come back to the story, again and again, to be reminded of Truth and further enriched and healed and instructed each time. Aside from the scriptures, some of my favorite examples include, The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom; The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho; and The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.
5. Warped Stories
Warped stories lie at the opposite end of the spectrum from Healing and Whole ones. These stories are not merely Broken or Bent, they are a deliberate and irredeemable distortion of Truthspeaking. Their content is spiritually corrosive, despite the praise they may receive from those of low morals. In such stories, virtue is ravished and corrupted. Good is either ignored or proclaimed to be the real evil, while Evil is presented as the ultimate good. Any higher power, such as God, is attacked, and replaced with the "god" of carnal appetites. Like a gnarled and twisted tree, there is no way to realign "the grain" of a Warped story and correct its mutilations. Such stories do not "sin ignorantly." They clearly recognize Truth because they strive to directly counter it. They abuse their First Amendment protection, work to be as morally objectionable as possible, and blatantly seek to promote wickedness and bondage in the reader as they simultaneously claim to promote freedom.
While Whole and Healing stories are memorable for their quality and virtue, Warped stories are like parasites that burrow into the brain; their wicked content and images are recalled unwillingly and with pain and remorse by readers of virtue. The process of becoming numb to such content, or of developing an addiction to it, is a warping of character that should be avoided at all costs. It is to be hoped that such content will never access your mind, nor mar your pages.
The Trouble with Content Labels
As we identify examples of the five types on our own bookshelves, or seek to critically assess stories, the specter of censorship rears its head. "You're censoring books and being too sensitive," people will say.
Censorship is a real threat, as it obstructs the sharing of ideas and opinions and hinders the spread of truth. However, cries of censorship are also heard in truth-speaking situations when a spade is simply being called out as a spade. The freedom that allows the truth to be spoken, even when it is unpopular, also allows much that is despicable and depraved to speak, as well.
Many harmful stories that are Warped or Bent have protection through the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but such freedom to exist does not equate to a right to demand that such stories receive an audience, nor guarantee their acceptance. The freedom of artists to produce such content is balanced by the rights of readers to clearly identify, reject, and avoid it if they choose.
As we compare and contrast examples of the five divisions, we see that boundaries can blur between them. Stories can fit multiple types, depending on the "half" that we bring to them as a reader. The combination or contrast of authorial intent and reader interpretation is also important; different readers may gain a benefit or receive harm from the same story, independent of its author's intention. Challenging content can be triggering to one reader, but it's transcendence and defeat by the story's protagonists can be inspiring to another.
When you reread a classic you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than was there before." -Clifton Fadiman
How well do the stories you read and write entertain or draw readers toward truth and personal improvement? And to what extent do you sense they do otherwise? To what degree do you agree or disagree with my categorizations? How might you label them differently? How would you categorize the stories you write and the books you read?
Because writers create at least "half the poem" in whatever they write, authors and poets have an awesome responsibility; and by "awesome" I don't just mean, "incredibly cool," I mean, "mind-blowingly important and impressive." You, as a writer, invite your readers to enter new worlds. They come, carrying all of the baggage and road dust of their lives, and together you forge a connection between their "half" of the story and the big ideas of your world. Your creative power is incredible in terms of its potential impact. What will your world contain? What truths will you express? What higher themes and elevating content will you share? Will your "half" of the partnership leave your readers better or bitter? Will you inspire greatness or merely entertain? Will your content heal hearts or break them?
The world awaits your answer.
Sothliche!
WRGilmour
PreviousCopy Cat Earth – 3: Unexpected takeoff
NextCopy Cat EArth – 4: Copy Cats
10: Truth in the Genres – A Matter of Density
13: Tell All the Truth, but Tell it Slant
High Stakes Motivational Writing
18 – How to Be a Punctuation Semi-pro, Part II


HomeNews2019/2020 Unilag Postgraduate Admission; What Course Do You Intend To Apply For ?
2019/2020 Unilag Postgraduate Admission; What Course Do You Intend To Apply For ?
Many are already making enquiries about 2019/2020 unilag postgraduate application form and when it will be on sale(clink link to read when it will be on sale) but in This Post I just want you guys to tell me the postgraduate course you intend to apply for so that I can give you all the necessary guide needed to gain your admission this year.
There will be an entrance exam after sales of form for all candidates irrespective of the course that you applied for and I always advice getting the entrance exam past questions and answers(click link to get your copy) because unilag normally repeats past questions for most courses .
Now simply drop in the comment below, the postgraduate course you intend to apply for as soon as the forms are on sale and if there is any relevant information about the course I will also drop it here too. You can also drop your enquiries and I will try and reply as soon as possible.
To know the the exact period the forms will be on sale, click HERE and to get entrance exam past questions and answers click Entrance Exam Past Questions.
Msc Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Part time tho.
I have interest in the following programs but havn't made my pick.
Please update me on the list of courses under each program, cost implications, criteria and other necessary details.
I want to apply for MBA.
Good day I have a BSc Accounting,I want to study MSc Finance, I just want to if am eligible,I also want to know other courses am eligible to study with my BSc Accounting. Awaiting your response soonest.
Good Morning Sir can a 2 class upper graduate in Early Childhood Education do Masters in pure English n pls wat r d requirement?
Please when will registration for newly admitted post graduate students begin?
Good day Mr. Timothy Pls I have Bsc(Edu) in social studies education and I want to apply for M.ED in comparative education? Hope I'm good to go, if yes please I need materials past questions and answers for it.
Unilag site for pg has been having problem since saturday, when will registration commence for new in take.
Pls does unilag offer MSC finance and MSC banking and finance? If so,pls what's the difference between the two?
I want to do Masters in Professional Ethics. It was not available last year. Please do confirm if it will be available this academic year.
I studied Edu/Admin (Econs option) form UNILAG for my first degree, can I apply for pure Economics in my Masters?
You can apply for MSC Economics.
Does unilag have M.sc Quantity surveying. I hold a B.sc from University of uyo.
Are you a medical doctor or a dentist ??
I would love my masters in social work. Does Unilag now have that?
I have a B.Sc in Sociology. For Academic Masters what courses are available and for non-academic masters, what courses are available?
MSc Economics or Project Management. Part-time for both.
MSc Economics or Project Management. Part-time for both. I have a BTech in project management though.
Hi, am Yinka, I want to apply for msc in chemical engineering. Pls how do I go about it?
Hello Timothy, just wanted to confirm when we that have been given admission to 2018/2019 session can start screening.
Good day. Please what course could someone with third class BSc. Ed Accounting go for or that is available.
I'd like to apply for M.sc public health, I did physiology as B.sc.
Morning Mr Tim, I can now view my payment advice for 2018/2019 Admission on the student portal. Am i to make all payment before the screening?
Good morning Timothy. I would like to apply for an MBA. I finished with a 3rd class, pol science. But I have years of work experience and some professional qualifications.
Can a mass communication graduate do masters in public health or PGD in public health?
Does Unilag accept B.Sc.Direct Entry into pharmacy?
Msc accounting full time, I finished from Tai solarin university of education with 2:1 in business education (accounting option), please I need to know the required documents I should have.
Hello Timothy! I want to apply for Msc. Marketing. I have a bsc. In Architecture,2nd class lower. What are the minimum requirement and what is the duration?
Have 2.2 in. B. A(ed) English .can I study masters in educational technology?
Can a 2nd lower of Electrical Electronics Engineering apply for MBA (part time)?
What are the fees for an MBA management?
Good evening Timothy. Please what is the O'level requirement for PGDE?
Please I want to inquire on the requirements and curriculum for masters in international law and diplomacy.
I've gone through the comment section and I didn't see anywhere you posted the requirements for Information technology that's why I'm requesting for it. I have a BSc in sociology, is it possible to apply for masters in Information Technology or could you just send the link to the requirements? I'd appreciate if my comment is responded to. Thanks a lot.
Please what's the requirement for Professional Master in Marketing.
Hello Timothy, I would like to know, if there wouldn't be any challenge if I apply for MBA full time instead of MBA part time as a working class person.
I graduated with a Second Class Upper in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and I would like to do my masters in mass communication as well. Please what are the requirements?


Is your eye sight failing you? The glare of the water making it harder to see the eye of the hook to thread that line? Then you need this Hook Threader Twin Pack.
The built in magnets, it holds your hooks in place, while you thread your line easily through one of the guides on the reverse side. It's so quick and easy, especially when bobbing around in a kayak or boat.
Suits all hooks from size 12 up to 2/0.
Rare earth magnet even holds stainless steel hooks.
Attachment hole for lanyard or also great for gripping hook while tightening knots.


Constantia Glen, the magnificently appointed boutique wine estate known for exceptional, award winning Bordeaux-style wines, has released the 2012 vintage of the Constantia Glen TWO, marking the second vintage of this lightly wooded white wine which made its debut last year.
Composed of 71% Sauvignon Blanc and 29% Sémillon, this cool climate wine has a vibrant intensity and remarkable fruit concentration with uplifting aromas of nectarine, grapefruit and elderberry supported by undertones of oak flavours imparted during barrel fermentation. The individual components were vinified separately and fermented and matured on the lees for six months in new, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill oak barrels before blending and a light filtration prior to bottling.
"This is the second year we have produced our wooded Bordeaux-style white, a classic Constantia wine that will integrate beautifully for five to ten years from harvest. In comparison to the previous vintage, it shows fantastic freshness, aromatics and improved integration with the oak. This is largely due to a slightly greater component of Sauvignon Blanc that has a higher natural acidity than Sémillon. The notable Sémillon component still adds a wonderful richness to the mouthfeel of the wine," says winemaker Justin van Wyk, who recommends enjoying the wine with Asian-style smoked duck breast salad or veal wrapped in prosciutto and rosemary.
The Constantia Glen TWO 2012 is available exclusively at the tasting room for R175.


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Q: Proving $(AB)^{\top} = B^{\top} A^{\top}$ using linear maps For $m \times n$ matrix $A$ and $n \times p$ $B$, I know how to prove $(AB)^{\top} = B^{\top} A^{\top}$ using summations and the definition of multiplication. I want to prove this more formally using dual maps, but can't figure out how to get started. Any help would be appreciated.

A: If you want to prove such a statement for abstract linear maps, then forget matrices and $\Bbb R^n$.
Let $T:V \to W$ be linear, so that $T^*:W^*\to V^*$ is given by $T^*(f)=f\circ T$. You can show that if $\mathcal{B}$ and $\mathcal{C}$ are bases for $V$ and $W$ with dual bases $\mathcal{B}^*$ and $\mathcal{C}^*$, then $[T^*]_{\mathcal{C}^*,\mathcal{B}^*}=[T]_{\mathcal{B},\mathcal{C}}^\top$. So what's next is indeed what you want.
Assume that $S:Z \to V$ is another linear map. Then $$(T\circ S)^*(f) = f \circ(T\circ S) = (f\circ T)\circ S = S^*(f\circ T) = S^*(T^*(f)).$$So $(T\circ S)^* = S^*\circ T^*$.

A: Let $f : \mathbb{R}^n \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^m$ be a linear map. The dual map $g : \mathbb{R}^m \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^n$ is the unique linear map given by $$\langle f(x), y \rangle_m = \langle x, g(y) \rangle_n,$$ where $\langle \cdot,\cdot \rangle_k$ denotes the Euclidian inner product on $\mathbb{R}^k$. If $A \in \mathbb{R}^{m \times n}$ is the representation of $f$ with respect to the standard bases, i.e., $f(x) = Ax$, then $A^T$ is the representation of the dual map $g$ with respect to the standard bases. Now returning to the task at hand. We have $$\langle ABx,y \rangle_m = \langle Bx,A^T y \rangle_n = \langle x,B^T A^T y \rangle_p.$$
It follows that $(AB)^T = B^T A^T$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


And a video is pretty good at selling the school – it says we're creative, have great facilities – and an English self-deprecatory sense of humour!
The combination of cheap video cameras, fast video-editing software and social media means all schools can use video to communicate a wide range of messages! ….


Ahh Boom Town Fair, how I love you! I always have a great time there but this year especially so! What an un-precedented level of carnage to be had! Great people old and new, bouncy music and giant exploding spiders. What more can you want?! Already looking forward to next year! Thank you to everyone who helped me cause trouble, especially Sunday night stomping crew. Big love to everyone!


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Q: Equivalent Norms for the Dual of Sobolev / Bessel Spaces Using standard notation, we refer to $H^s(\mathbb R) = W^{s,2}(\mathbb R)$ to be the Sobolev Hilbert spaces. As is often the case, it's natural to then consider properties of functions in $H^s(\mathbb R)$ by looking at how it behaves in the Fourier domain, more specifically, we have that for any $s\in \mathbb{R}$,
$
\begin{align*}
H^s(\mathbb{R}) = \{ g \in L_2(\mathbb{R}) : \int (1+t^2)^{s}|\mathcal{F} g(t)|^2dt <\infty\},
\end{align*}
$
where $\mathcal{F}$ is the Fourier transform. In particular to note is that this works for $s<0$ as well, and so negative order Sobolev spaces are easily defined. In particular, one can define the norm of $H^s(\mathbb{R})$ to be defined by the relation $\|g\|_s = \int (1+t^2)^{s}|\mathcal{F}g(t)|^2dt$.
$\textbf{My first question:}$ I have seen, in particular the book Sobolev Spaces by Adams, Fournier  (page 64), that another way to define the norm of the dual space of $H^s$, which appears to be $H^-s$ is given by the following:
$$
\begin{align*}
\|g\|^*_{-s} = \sup_{h\in H^{s}}\frac{\langle g,h\rangle}{\|h\|_s},
\end{align*}
$$
where $\langle g,h\rangle$ is the standard $L_2$ inner product. I am having difficulty figuring out whether the norm defined by Fourier transformations or the one defined by using the dual are equivalent or not. The furthest I have been able to show is that $\|g\|^*_{-s} \leq (2\pi)^{-1}\|g\|_{-s}$ by Parceval's relation.
$\textbf{My second question:}$ If there appears to be a relationship, then I would like to restrict attention to spaces of the form $H^{s}(A)$ where $A\subset \mathbb{R}$ with defined norm $\|g\|_{s,A} = \inf\{ \|g^{'}\|_s : g^{'}_{|A} = g\}$ for all $g\in H^s(A)$. Then is there a relationship between $\|g\|_{s,A}$ and
$$
\begin{align*}
\|g\|_{-s,A}^* = \sup_{h\in H^s(A)}\frac{\langle g,h\rangle_{A}}{\|h\|_{s,A}},
\end{align*}
$$
where $\langle g,h\rangle_{A}$ is the standard $L_2$ inner product restricted to $A$? I am having difficulty trying to relate the two, because there seems to be a natural relationship globally, which I would hope to think there is a local relationship as well.

A: Q1 has been addressed by Mark in the comments (absolute values are missing in your formula), but let me quickly look at this again: Just take Fourier transforms to see that
$$
\|g\|_{-s}^*=\sup_{\|h\|_s=1} |\langle g,h\rangle | = \sup \left\{ |\langle \widehat{g}, \widehat{h}\rangle | : \|(1+t^2)^{s/2}\widehat{h}\|_2 = 1 \right\} = \sup \left\{
|\langle (1+t^2)^{-s/2}\widehat{g}, (1+t^2)^{s/2}\widehat{h} \rangle | : \ldots\right\}=\|g\|_{-s} .
$$
Notice that in the third $\sup$, we can simply interpret $\langle. , .\rangle$ as the standard scalar product of $L^2(\mathbb R)$; this identifies this $\sup$ as the $L^2$ norm of the first argument of the scalar product, which is $\|g\|_{-s}$.
As for Q2, this formula will fail badly for restrictions because (unlike the case $U=\mathbb R$) the action of $H^{-s}(U)$ distributions on test functions does not extend to $H^s(U)$ functions. First of all, we probably want to insist on open sets $A=U$, so that we can meaningfully restrict distributions. (We restrict a distribution to an open set by only applying it to test functions with support in that set.) Then consider, for example, $g(x)=1/x$ on $U=(0,1)$. Then $g\in H^{-1/2-\epsilon}(U)$ according to your definition because $g$ is the restriction of $PV-1/x$ to $U$. However, if we test against an $h\in H^{1/2+\epsilon}(0,1)$ with $h=1$ near zero, then $\langle g, h\rangle $ isn't even defined.


Indians Baseball Cards: It's 2:30am, do you know where your gift packs are?
It's 2:30am, do you know where your gift packs are?
Yes, I am one of those crazy people that stays up all hours on the weekend, and this go-round netted the completion of 2/3 of the remaining 12 Days gift packs!
The first tonight (okay, this morning) goes to Brandon in Indiana. He provided a smorgasbord of options for me, which helped immensely, especially since by my calculations, his was the last request in: Yankees, Braves, Nationals, Ravens, and Browns. Without further adieu - On the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave away: twelve Washington Nationals (sidebar: they were ALL the Nationals I had!), eleven random Ravens, ten Tim Couch cards, nine assorted Yankees, eight insert/oddball Braves cards, seven Cleveland Browns cards, six Skybox Dominion/Thunders, FIVE TODD HEAP CARDS, four Chris Redmans, three Steve Sax, two Dale Murphys, and a Billy Martin World Series Heroes Card (okay, so you really have to stretch around the last one to make it fit the song, but hey, that's what mangled traditional favorites is all about, right?).
The second giveaway goes to Joe in Utah who also had an interesting request list: Titans, Saints, Penguins, and Reds. Thus, on the twelfth day of Christmas, Tribecards gave to Joe: twelve Aaron Brooks cards, eleven Barry Larkins, ten Tennessee Titans, nine Pokey Reeses, eight assorted Saints cards, seven Yancey Thigpens, six Deuce McAllister, FIVE PENGUIN CARDS (again, all the Penguin cards I could find!), four Kevin Dyson, three '07 Goudey Reds, two Austin Kearns, and a '71 Topps in tree-oh! Okay, the last one there? Well, the '71 Topps Reds I had were kinda roughed up, so I decided to include all the '71 Topps Reds I had in one "day." I know, it doesn't "follow the rules" of the song, but really, in the song, the guy gets a partridge in a pear tree, so that's actually two things. Besides, I made up the rules, so I can "shape" them as I need to, right?
Stock up on Yankees, Braves, Red Sox, and Orioles before you start.
The hardest days to fill are the days 7 through 11 (or were for me).
Day 1 is hard to fill because you want just the 'right' card, if possible.
Have your cards sorted by team (and player within the team) if at all possible BEFORE you start.
Coke and Mt. Dew will do wonders for creatively filling missing days.
Print out each request and keep track (generally) of what you are giving out to folks (so you can post it!).
Take pictures or scans of some of the cards included in the gift packs. I wish I had thought to do that before shipping them off, mainly to break up the monotony of all the text!
Get the kids involved, if you have youngins (kids, grand kids, nieces, nephews, etc) - they'll have as much fun as you are!
Have fun and don't take any of it too seriously!
Have no fear, David, your gift pack will be ready by the end of the weekend!
Good advice! If I'm insane enough to do something like that for X-Mas 2008, I'll be sure to refer back to this post.
Nice job on all the packages! I've enjoyed looking at all of the selections. Very creative!
Looking forward to the 71 Reds. And the rest, of course. Interesting mix you came up with.


Trained at The Purcell School of Music and as a Prince Consort Scholar at the Royal College of Music. He studied piano with Graham Fitch, but also with composers Graham Fitkin, Patrick Morris and Gwendoline Fung. Ezra performed at most of the important concert venues in Britain, including the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican and The Southbank Centre, St Paul's and other cathedrals. While at school, HRH Prince Charles invited him to perform at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family. He won the Herbert Howells Prize whilst at the RCM and has participated in Masterclasses with such diverse performers as Placido Domingo, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Robert Tear, Magnus Lindberg and Daniel Barenboim. He regularly accompanies for opera companies and ballet schools and is in demand as an accompanist for singers and instrumentalists. He is very busy as an operatic tenor, composer and organist. He teaches both piano and singing. Ezra is a published author and has appeared in various films.
After training and working as a singer and actress, Kirsty began directing in 1998. Musical Productions include Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me (both by Bock and Harnick); and Kurt Weill's Street Scene. Her plays include Couch (Boris Rumney); Diary of a Nobody (G & W Grossmith); The Fall (Albert Camus) and Hamlet; Tragedy of a Fat Man (Paddy Gormley); and Susan Odev's What's Next Factor? She has directed several plays by Ros Adler for London and Edinburgh Fringe venues, including: Jubilate!; LOL and Powercut; and in 2017 The Hub. She has worked with Brent Opera on Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore in 2014, returning for Nicolai's Merry Wives of Windsor in 2015 and Verdi's Macbeth in 2017 with a production of Oklahoma (Rodgers and Hammerstein) for Imperial Productions in between. She was tempted back to Harrow Opera by Rusalka seduced by the astonishingly beautiful score.
Raluca Ioana Negrut, Julian Brockless, John Lanigan-O'Keefe, Thomas Ward and off-night principals.


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Maj. Richard Saltonstall
Bef 1610 - 1694 (> 83 years)
Personal Information | Notes | Sources | All | PDF
Name Maj. Richard Saltonstall
Alternate birth 1610 Woodsome, Yorkshire, England [1]
Born Bef 1 Oct 1610 Almondbury, Yorkshire, England [2, 3]
Baptised 1 Oct 1610 Almondbury, Yorkshire, England [2, 3, 4]
Died 29 Apr 1694 Hulme, Lancaster, England [1, 2]
Person ID I14112 Ancestry of PNH, TNH, and others | Ancestors of JTS
Father Richard Saltonstall, b. Bef 4 Apr 1586, Halifax, Yorkshire, England , d. Bef 25 Oct 1661, Crayford, Kent, England (Age < 75 years)
Mother Grace Kaye, b. Bef 3 Sep 1579, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England , d. Bef 27 Jun 1625 (Age < 45 years)
Married 28 Nov 1609 Almondbury, Yorkshire, England [2, 3, 4]
Family Muriel Gurdon, b. Abt 1613, d. 1688 (Age ~ 75 years)
Married 4 Jul 1633 All Hallows, Honey Lane, London, England [2, 3, 4, 5]
+ 1. Nathaniel Saltonstall, b. Abt 1639, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts , d. 21 May 1707 (Age ~ 68 years)
One of John Turner Sargent Jr.'s ten proven "gateway ancestors."
He went to New England with his father in 1630, the first of at least eight Atlantic crossings in his lifetime. He was a man of many interests and offices, both in New England and during England's commonwealth period. Notably, back in New England after the Restoration, Richard Saltonstall donated £50 to support the fugitive regicides William Goffe and Edward Whalley, and he was one of the few people who knew where in New England they were hiding.
[S1585] Ancestry and Descendants of Sir Richard Saltonstall, by Leverett Saltonstall. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1897.
[S2306] The Winthrop Fleet: Massachusetts Bay Company Immigrants to New England 1629-1630 by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.
[S101] The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3 and The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England,1634-1635, Volumes 1-7, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1996-2011.
[S1585] Ancestry and Descendants of Sir Richard Saltonstall, by Leverett Saltonstall. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1897., "June 1633".

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Upper Lea home
The Upper Lea Catchment Partnership
Upper Lea catchment description
Upper Lea Catchment Management Plan
Visit the Upper Lea
11/04/17 – Upper Lea news
Local volunteer wins national River Champion award
A Wheathampstead volunteer has been awarded the title 'River Champion' by The River Restoration Centre for his work on the River Lea.
Patrick McNeill volunteers for Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and spends around half of each month monitoring and reporting on the condition of the River Lea. Over the five years he has volunteered on the Lea, Patrick has inspired his community to come together and embrace their local river and the Catchment Based Approach - a community-led approach that engages people and groups from across society to help improve precious water environments - through community talks and local engagement.
The River Champions Awards exist to acknowledge the often unsung heroes of the conservation world. The success of river improvement projects is largely contributed to by volunteers and the awards celebrate the outstanding efforts of individuals contributing to river restoration in their area. It aims to recognise those dedicating time outside of their day-to-day roles to contribute toward improving rivers for wildlife and people.
Patrick is known locally as 'The River Man' and works closely with the parish council and landowners. He has developed and delivered 15 projects to enhance the river, including the near complete eradication of Himalayan Balsam from his town.
Patrick McNeill said: "I am very pleased to have won this award – it was a real surprise! What really made me proud was that it was based on my involvement with the community as much as my knowledge of the river."
David Johnson, Living Rivers Officer at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, said: "Patrick really deserves this award; he works hard to monitor and protect his local stretch of the River Lea and the difference he has made is clear. This award really goes to show what a difference just one individual can make to our local habitat and wildlife. The Trust is lucky to count Patrick among its dedicated volunteers."


I've had a big big week! Bookish and other personal stuff. But that also means I'm broke. :) Anyway, enough about me. How are you guys?
I had to double check. Yep, this is YA, though the cover suggests it's not (they look a bit older). Okay, why does this sound a bit Battle Royale-ish combined with a bit of The Hunger Games? The whole kill or be killed between girls sounds very scary but intriguing. And you have to admit that the concept of girls becoming partners with vampires on missions sound fascinating.
That cover is pretty and very scary at the same time.Is it Medusa? I'm curious about the Navajo legend this book is based from, because it sounds terrifying. I thought shifters weren't that bad, but they make it sound something completely dark and horrifying.
So what are you waiting for this week? Share your links please!


Combine Malmö's world class sustainability, a stable, innovative economy and great quality of life, and you've got one exciting retail destination!
Read more about bringing your retail or eCommerce business to Malmö in this year's annual Retail Guide.
The Retail Guide provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamic retail market in Sweden, and in particular, it's third largest city, Malmö.
Find out why the city is fast becoming one of the most competitive and innovative in the Nordics, and access hard facts and information about the market, and supply and demand within the city. You will also be guided through the largest shopping destinations and retail parks in and around the Malmö region, including projects under development.
Please contact Invest in Skåne for advice, networking contacts and establishment support – free of charge and in full confidentiality – to assist you further in evaluating the opportunities and setting up a successful business in Southern Sweden.


Duluth and Pirmasens are not the only locations we have for you. There is a lot more to choose from. Just give it a try!
Choose from one of these combinations: The distance between Luanda and Mackay, The distance between Greenwich and Le Havre, The distance between Bonita Springs and Cologne, two random locations or choose from all locations available the one you want to start with.
What is the distance between Duluth and Pirmasens?
How far is it from Duluth to Pirmasens? How long would it take to go from Duluth to Pirmasens? What is the distance between Duluth and Pirmasens? Duluth is in USA - but where exactly? Rather in the centre or in the west? Before starting your trip to Duluth, make sure you know some facts about Duluth or at least USA. Surely you already have heard about Duluth in the news. Can you imagine, how near or far away that is? There is so much to see and explore in Duluth - take a look at our suggestions. USA has so much interesting cities, but Duluth is surely one of the top locations in USA. Now lets take a trip from Duluth to Pirmasens. How far would you have to travel? How long would it take to fly from Duluth to Pirmasens? Did you every make a journey from Pirmasens to Duluth? Surely you already have heard about Pirmasens in the news. Can you imagine, how near or far away that is? Germany has so much interesting cities, but Pirmasens is surely one of the top locations in Germany. Have you ever been to Germany or even Pirmasens before? Before starting your trip to Pirmasens, make sure you know some facts about Pirmasens or at least Germany. Pirmasens is in Germany - but where exactly? Rather in the centre or in the west?
You are not a fan of Pirmasens (which we have chosen for you as the destination for your travel starting in Duluth? Then maybe you want to start in Duluth and to go to one of the following cities: Bloomington, Ceuta, Tulcea, Peshawar or Karlskrona.
Just think about the distance between Duluth and Pirmasens - how far would you have to go? How long would it take? Choose the right answer by clicking on it!
A turtle would need 123 weeks, 3 days and 2 hours for this trip.
The distance equals nearly the length of 37430 American Football fields.
Shout out loud and it will take 9 hours and 22 minutes to get heard in the other city.
Ok, now let's try to do this one: How far is Kuujjuarapik away from Tamiami?
Did you here about Duluth or Pirmasens in the news? Or maybe you even have travelled from Duluth to Pirmasens or the other way round. Then you surely know the exact distance between Duluth and Pirmasens in kilometers or miles. But can you also determine the distance in other, more rarely used metrics?
This is not only a geography quiz about Duluth or Pirmasens - we have lots of other locations from all around the world. Just try to determine the distance between two random locations or choose from the menu above any location you search for or you might know. How far is Luanda away from Mackay??


Genjo Marinello Osho gave this Teisho on the occasion of the middle day of Spring Sesshin 2014. This talk explores Case 12 of the Mumonkan, Zuigan Calls Master, which examines what is meant by Mastery in Zen practice and how do we cultivate and support the process of Mastery.
Genjo Marinello Osho gave this Teisho on the occasion of Chobo-Ji's March 2014 mini-sesshin. This talk investigates the actions of Zen Master Sozan (Qinglin Shiqian) and our zazen intentions to be present and commune.


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'Once more, with feeling!' – Last EVER Edinburgh Show!
Rally & Broad 'Once More With Feeling!', Friday 17th June. The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, tix £5 in advance here or £6 on the door [a note though…they're fair flying out, so if you're planning to come along, book yer place in advance! xx]. With Don Paterson! Maud the Moth! Caroline Bird! Lara Williams! Paper Rifles! The most epic raffle of all time! And Rally & Broad, spraffling their last…
Hello dear pals, comrades, wonderful folk,
Look at those fresh faces! Way back when, in the mists of 2012, that was Rally & Broad. We always do love a bench.
Ladies and gentlefolk, this is our LAST EVER EDINBURGH CABARET. We have had such a glorious, generous, shining 4 years with Rally & Broad, and we would like to thank everyone who has sailed along with it, and helped to make it so special. Come help us see it off in fine style? Ah, go on…
And helping us to say au revoir, adieu and goodbye, these shining stunners…
…DON PATERSON!
Don Paterson was born in Dundee in 1963. His poetry collections include Nil Nil, God's Gift To Women and Landing Light. His collection Rain won the Forward Prize for Best Collection, and his most recent collection is the acclaimed 40 Sonnets. He was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2009.
"Dynamic, interrogative and unsettling; crafted yet open-ended; fiercely smart, savage and stirring – from the get-go, Paterson's poetry has been essential reading." (Ben Wilkinson, The Guardian)
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/don-paterson
…MAUD THE MOTH!
Maud the Moth was founded in 2010 as the solo project of Amaya López-Carromero. Hailing from Madrid, Maud the Moth has always been a fluid entity, cycling through various line-ups and formations, without losing sight of its fundamental sense of purpose.
Beginning with a minimal set up of voice and piano, with the occasional use of a looper, the project has also dressed up as a trio and duo in the past.
Drawing on a wide-ranging musical background, which includes jazz, classical, avant garde, soul and even some elements of metal, Maud the Moth carefully combines these disparate elements into a final product that is always musical, coherent and heartfelt.
Second full album The Inner Wastelands is out now.
https://maudthemoth.bandcamp.com/
…CAROLINE BIRD!
Caroline was born in 1986 and grew up in Leeds before moving to London in 2001. She studied English Literature at Oxford University. She has been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize twice in 2008 and 2010 and was the youngest writer on the list both times. She was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2014. She has also won an Eric Gregory Award (2002) and the Foyle Young Poet of the Year award two years running (1999, 2000), and was a winner of the Poetry London Competition in 2007, the Peterloo Poetry Competition in 2004, 2003 and 2002.
Caroline has had four collections of poetry published by Carcanet. Her fourth collection, The Hat-Stand Union, was described by Simon Armitage as 'spring-loaded, funny, sad and deadly.' She is currently writing the book and lyrics for Dennis the Menace the Musical for The Old Vic.
http://www.carolinebird.co.uk/
[PS! Rally & Broad will be running one final weekend Masterclass with Caroline Bird in November 2016, in the beautiful Invernesshire settings of Moniack Mhor. There are still some spaces available…find out more here!]
…LARA WILLIAMS!
Lara Williams is a writer based in Manchester. She has had short fiction published by McSweeney's, Litro and various other publications and websites, and her journalism and non-fiction has appeared in the Guardian, NME and the Manchester Evening News. Lara's debut collection of short stories Treats, was published by Freight Books in 2016 and is described by The Skinny as "a remarkable debut collection," and was awarded a 5-star review from The List.
https://larawilliams.wordpress.com/
…and PAPER RIFLES!
Paper Rifles is an Edinburgh-based musician who teaches History by day and plays acoustic punk rock by night. Having already shared stages with Billy Liar, Honeyblood, The Murderburgers, New Model Army, PJ Bond, Joe McMahon and many more, the "And Then Came The Tourists" 7″ is now out!. Conviction and choruses in 3 minute blasts.
https://paper-rifles.bandcamp.com/
And of course…US! Rally & Broad, spraffling, raffling and spikily waffling their way through it all. It's been beautiful, lads. Come say bye.
Ours is a cherry bourbon Tennant shandy, and lashings of waterproof mascara.
Posted in Events, Upcoming! and tagged Bongo Club, caroline bird, Don Paterson, edinburgh, Edinburgh Cabarets, Jenny Lindsay, lara williams, maud the moth, paper rifles, Poetry, Rachel McCrum, Rally&Broad on June 2, 2016 by Rally & Broad. Leave a comment
← The one where Glasgow bought £218 of raffle tickets.
'Once More, With Feeling!' – Glasgow edition. And the very last one. →


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FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Aged Care Plus: Journey of heart and soul
| by
Julie Houghton
Emotional focus is making a huge difference in dementia care.
More than 400,000 Australians have some form of dementia (healthdirect.gov.au/dementia-statistics). That's three in 10 people over 85, or nearly one in 10 people older than 65 (dementia.org.au/statistics).
So it makes sense to put time and money into caring for our older friends and relatives, but how do we do this best?
It's one of the most challenging areas for both families of those afflicted and staff who care for them, and until recently the way to care for sufferers often involved heavy medication.
But that's not the Salvo way of caring for humanity, so The Salvation Army in Australia has adopted a British-based innovative care program for people suffering dementia, the Butterfly Household Program of Care (the Butterfly Program) developed by the UK organisation Dementia Care Matters. The Salvation Army acquired Dementia Care Matters in 2017.
This model of dementia care focuses on the emotions of people living with dementia, and was developed by British dementia care expert Dr David Sheard, who founded Dementia Care Matters in 1995 to start a global dementia care culture change. It's an excellent fit for The Salvation Army aged care service as it has been adapted to the Christian values of the Salvos and the Australian lifestyle.
At the heart of the Butterfly Program is the training of carers to journey with people who have dementia in their reality—engaging with their memories. The atmosphere of daily life in aged care centres needs to have a 'go with the flow' more relaxed feeling, and the overriding concept is that residents' feelings matter most.
In the Butterfly Program, interior spaces of aged care facilities are refurbished to be full of colour and activity—replicating a small family household.
Residents are assisted to carry out normal daily living tasks by getting involved in domestic duties, including contributing to meal preparation, giving them a sense of purpose and greater freedom. They can do more for themselves and feel less restricted. Meals are shared with staff who wear everyday clothes, not uniforms, and who have undertaken emotional intelligence training to help them connect better with residents.
Aged Care Plus acting CEO, Carel Bothma explains that in the Butterfly Program, staff are responsive to individual residents and that the fixed routine of structured meal times, personal hygiene needs, and activities, has given way to living life based in the moment.
The Salvation Army has embraced a new model of dementia care that is guided by each resident's interest, feelings and emotions—truly a revolutionary new approach.
He says there have been signs of overall satisfaction of those living in homes with the Butterfly Household Program, with improved contentment and a reduced incidence of expressive behaviours.
When looking to commence a pilot program in Australia around two years ago Dementia Care Matters received more than 45 enquiries about the program from residential aged care organisations interested in becoming Butterfly Dementia Care Homes. Out of this The Salvation Army has been at the forefront of this new groundbreaking care program in Australia, and in 2016 commenced pilot programs in Aged Care Plus Centres in Chapel Hill (Qld) and Narrabundah (ACT).
One of only two Australian aged care providers to be selected by Dementia Care Matters to implement the internationally award-winning Butterfly Household Program of Care, The Salvation Army has embraced the new model that is guided by each resident's interest, feelings and emotions—truly a revolutionary new approach.
Since commencing the new care model, the need for psychotropic medication at the ACT's Mountain View Aged Care Plus Centre fell by 33%, while at Queensland's Chapel Hill facility, usage of these medications dropped by 10%. Similarly, the number of falls suffered by residents at Mountain View decreased by 85%, while at Chapel Hill there was a drop of 67%.
Mr Botha says the incredible results prove that a person-centred model is most effective when caring for people living with dementia.
"Focusing on feelings and tailoring the care approach to meet that individual's unique needs is at the heart of the program. We have replaced task-oriented care routines with relaxed home-like experiences, and the staff implementing the program are considered to be family," he explains.
"The benefits of this emotional connectivity have had a significant impact on the physical, psychological and social wellness of people living with dementia," he explains.
Families of residents have also been impressed by the improved quality of life of residents, with one commenting that the residents feel they are welcomed into a new home and are no longer bored or reserved.
Aged Care Plus hopes to help transform the aged care landscape by becoming the benchmark in dementia care in Australia.
While Mr Botha says the journey has only just begun, The Salvation Army is already disturbing the present to better the future for people who are misunderstood by society, resulting from diagnosis of dementia.
"Show respect to the person with white hair. Honour an older person and you will honour your God" (Leviticus chapter 19, verse 32).
Tags: Salvation Army Australia
Salvation Army services
Vol. 138, No. 46 // 16 November 2019
Pick up Warcry today from your local Salvation Army church or any Salvos Stores.
What's the problem with religion?
'A man amongst men'
The campaign for forgiveness
Negotiating the generations
Published for The Salvation Army Australia © Copyright 2018
About The Salvation Army (NSW, ACT & QLD)
About The Salvation Army (NT, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)


A degree in Political Science won't necessarily make you a politician (although several of our graduates have gone in that direction). With a degree in Political Science, you'll possess a broad range of skills that prepare you for employment in the government, education, journalism, law, business and civil society sectors, both within Canada and abroad.
Master's degree: Political Science, Applied Politics, International Public Policy, International Relations and Affairs, Global Affairs, Public Service.
College program: Digital Media Marketing, Government Relations, Human Resources, Paralegal, Public Administration, Public Relations - Corporate Communications.
Understand the origin, development and operation of various political systems; the inter-relationship of politics, the economy and geography; and the policies and strategies of resource allocation among competing groups.
Develop a globally-minded viewpoint and engage with different political perspectives.
Demonstrate knowledge of the factors that influence and change public opinion.
Design a research project and engage in empirical research by using various political science methods.
Display an understanding of the policy-making process and major approaches to policy analysis.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of effective argumentation for political science and policy-making in written and oral formats.
Understand the unique requirements of legal research, analysis and writing.
Critically evaluate the arguments of others and debate effectively.
Synthesize and analyze a wide range of informational resources.
Maintain a global viewpoint of leadership principles and social, cultural and political issues.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the unique requirements of legal research, analysis and writing.
Identify and access a wide range of relevant legal information and resources.
Make well-reasoned decisions, think creatively, identify and consider multiple sides of an issue.


Director Guillermo del Toro inherited a generations-old legacy of timeless monster movies when he signed onto Pacific Rim, a sci-fi feature of colossal proportions that pits mechas against seaborne terrors. From Godzilla trashing Fifties Tokyo to the creature from Cloverfield stomping around New York in 2008, we've watched onscreen monsters of all shapes and sizes try their hand (or claw) at destroying humanity for almost a century. Pacific Rim's baddies, then, have some pretty big shoes to fill. Here we take a look back at the greatest monster films in cinematic history.
After a century's worth of monsters coming from outer space, Pacific Rim shifts the paradigm: stop looking at the sky, the monsters are coming from deep beneath the Pacific Ocean floor. Known as the Kaiju, these monsters intend to exterminate humanity. The only hope of defeating them? Massive man-made machine called "Jaegers" which are controlled by two pilots whose minds are connected by a neural bridge.
It's pretty tough to trust your friends when a parasitic, extraterrestrial life form has infiltrated your remote research station located in the Antarctic tundra. The Thing assimilates other organisms and mimics them, making it nearly impossible to tell whom it's inhabiting. That is, until it manifests itself into horrifying and unimaginable creatures.
Intended as a Christmas gift, this cute Furby-esque creature named Mogwai is more devious than it appears. Water causes it to multiply into hundreds of rampaging creatures that, when fed after midnight, transform into grotesque little reptilian monsters that specialize in mayhem.
An iconic movie monster, The Mummy is a classic story of the mysteries of ancient Egypt. Imhotep, a high priest, has been buried alive for centuries, only to be awakened by a passage in the Book of the Dead. He isn't the only one to look out for, as his mummified priests and a swarm of flesh-eating beetles have the tomb surrounded. You're guaranteed to be wrapped up in this thriller, or your mummy back (badum-tsh).
This "found-footage" blockbuster crushed the box office with over $170 million, much the same as how this destructive space creature devastates New York City in a matter of days. The concept behind the monster is likened to that of a spooked elephant on a rampage, only on a mammoth scale. After it severs the head of the Statue of Liberty, its message is clear: Run for your lives.
Amidst an all-star cast of Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia and Steve Martin, the real show-stealer in this musical adaptation happens to be a massive, foul-mouthed extraterrestrial plant named Audrey II who feeds on human blood. Audrey II grows in size and power with everything (or everyone) it gulps down, rendering even the most formidable weed-whacker useless.
Those tremors aren't an earthquake you're feeling. It's actually an underground stampede of colossal carnivorous worm-creatures called Graboids making their way to the surface of the earth to devour you. It gets even better: the Graboids are in fact tongues of an even more colossal burrowing worm-creature deep beneath the soil.
In this dark and fantastic tale, Guillermo del Toro delivers with plenty of mythical creatures to dazzle audiences. However, the one monster in this film that takes the cake is the Pale Man. He is an emaciated, fleshy cannibal (if you can call him a human) who sits motionless at the head of an extravagant feast that you dare not touch. Perhaps his most terrifying feature – his eye sockets are in the palms of his hands that he inserts his eyeballs into.
trif·fid |'trifid| (n.) – gigantic, man-eating plants bio-engineered by the USSR that were accidentally released into the wild to wreak havoc on the world. Oh, and they can walk on their roots and sting people with poisonous venom, too. When an unusual meteor shower blinds almost the entire earth's population in one night, it's doubtful that the remaining humans can outrun and exterminate these deadly weeds.
Landing on Earth encased in a meteor, the Blob is harmless, mysterious goop. But it isn't long before it engulfs every human in its path, growing increasingly daunting with every slimy inch. Two teens first witness the wrath of this gelatinous monster and try in vain to warn the town. Assuming the youngsters are crying wolf, the townspeople ignore their alarm and realize their blunder after it's too late.
He appeared in comic books more than a decade before this feature-length adventure, but there's something infinitely satisfying about watching Swamp Thing flip military boats like toys right before your eyes. It wouldn't be a true Eighties monster movie without toxic waste, an attractive love interest and a whole host of other done-to-death clichés. Whatever. Swamp Thing rules.
Ever since Steven Spielberg set a high-concept benchmark with Jaws in the summer of 1975, we've been afraid to get our toes wet. The giant man-eating shark, accompanied by its ubiquitous theme music, preyed on helpless beachgoers – and viewers' psyches – with such ferocity it made this film a contender for the scariest movie of all time.
Overt campiness aside, dweebs everywhere can sympathize with New Jersey nobody-turned-superhuman Melvin Ferd. Maybe that's why a measly blip on the B-movie radar has remained a cult favorite for more than 30 years. Fortunately, our hero has his heart in the right place, which is why he's the only monster on this list who aids humanity instead of destroying it.
In search of the link between land and sea animals, a group of scientists find living evidence in the depths of the Amazon in the form of a creepy, amphibious humanoid. One of the most horrifying scenes, in which the Creature stalks Julie Adams underwater, is responsible for landing the Creature on this list.
What a premise. A scientist gets his atoms mixed up with a fly's, and the result looks exactly as repulsive as you'd think. The only thing more grotesque than a man with an insect head is the tiny bug that screams a chillingly human "Help me!" Incorporating elements of science fiction, The Fly proves you can make a freaky flick with a tight budget and a little imagination.
Though perhaps more of a horror film than a monster movie, Ridley Scott's scary-as-hell breakthrough deserves a place on this list if only for its chest-busting climax. Even without a space slug exploding through your sternum, the myriad creations of artist and creature designer H. R. Giger, especially the Alien itself, are enough to make anyone squirm.
Everything we picture when we think of werewolves comes from this film. While hours of on-set preparation were required for the transformation of man into hirsute beast, the visual impact is simply hair-raising. No silver bullets here, but the misunderstood creature does meet his end with a brutal bludgeoning, courtesy of a silver walking stick.
"There is no denying that it is far and away the most effective thing of its kind," reads a 1931 New York Times review of this monster masterpiece. Though it barely resembles Mary Shelley's source material, Frankenstein perfected a balance of creepy and horrifying in the form of Boris Karloff's humanoid menace. Those neck bolts and flat-head makeup gave us the heebie-jeebies, not to mention some great Halloween costumes. Plus, it's arguably the first zombie movie.
Fay Wray writhing helplessly in the clutches of a gigantic ape atop the Empire State Building is a Hollywood moment if there ever was one. The incredible stop-motion animation that brought Kong to life enthralled audiences and inspired a generation of city-smashing beasts that would, in their turn, lay waste to midtown Manhattan.
The movie that set the standard for creature features to come. More than a dozen sequels would follow, but none can match the 1954 classic in which a reptilian mutant the size of a skyscraper tears through urban Japan. Besides symbolically touching on the country's all-too-recent relationship with nuclear devastation, Godzilla debuted what has since become the most iconic monster to grace the big screen.


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Joe Biden Sees Massive Drop In Support From Asian-American Voters
For a few months now, lots of people in political media have been talking about Biden's drop in support from Hispanic voters.
Now there is evidence that Biden is losing a significant amount of support from the Asian-American community.
According to new polling numbers from Pew Research, Biden has dropped a whopping 30 points with Asian-Americans since April of 2021.
That's huge.
Townhall reports:
Biden Sees Stunning Loss of Support Among Asian Americans
President Biden's approval rating has cratered over the last year in general, but he's lost a stunning amount of support from one demographic in particular: Asian-Americans.
According to a July Pew survey, 55 percent of Asian-American adults either strongly or somewhat disapprove of Biden's performance on the job, while 44 percent somewhat or strongly approved.
These numbers represent a nearly 30-point drop from his support among Asian-Americans in April 2021, when Pew found 72 percent of Asian-Americans approved of the president's job performance.
Here are some other findings from Pew:
Among the overall public, 37% say they approve of Biden's job performance, while 62% disapprove. More than twice as many adults strongly disapprove of Biden's job performance as strongly approve (45% vs. 18%).
Black adults are the only major demographic group where a majority have a positive evaluation of Biden's job in office (57% say they approve, including 32% who strongly approve). Views among Hispanic adults and Asian adults are mixed – 46% and 44%, respectively, say they approve of Biden's job performance. By contrast, a large majority of White adults (68%) say they disapprove of Biden's job performance.
While majorities across all age groups disapprove of Biden's job performance, his approval rating is 10 points lower among adults under 30 (31%) than among those 65 and older (41%).
Joe is losing support all over the place.
Joe Biden's approval rating has fallen nearly 30% among Asian, Black, and Hispanic voters.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) July 31, 2022
Asian-American Support for Biden Dissipates before Midterms
Down almost 30 points in a year
via @nro https://t.co/KLsQ8RtxOT
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) July 31, 2022
Democrats should be concerned. Very concerned.
The post Joe Biden Sees Massive Drop In Support From Asian-American Voters appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Posted on August 2, 2022 by The People in News
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One night, I laid on my bed unable to sleep. Somehow, I was really disturbed by wetin no konsine me. I had watched Chimamanda Adichie's interview with Hillary Clinton where Chimamanda mentioned she was upset at Hillary's Twitter bio that began with "wife".
I moved on after watching the clip, because you know, Chimamanda is busy chilling with her dollars from the interview so why should I be taking panadol for someone else's headache? As you'd guess, it was a hot trending topic on social media. Most conversations I saw were normal people just sharing their thoughts on the matter. However, one struck me enough to keep me up at night, thinking. Or maybe it was just my pregnancy hormones. Either way I was sha up, on Facebook. In this post, Chimamanda was described as a "stupid feminist girl". Stupid ke? Of all things?
I wasn't disturbed by my Facebook friend's disapproval of Chimamanda, or her disgust at the interview with Hillary. It was the disrespect that got me thinking. Why can't we value and respect the opinion of others even when we disagree with them? This is common sense, right? Everyone should know this?
In addition to respecting others opinions, it is important to also consider their perspectives even if you feel strongly about yours. For example, my husband, Seyi, always has strong opinions on literally everything under the sun, well except for food; as long as it's edible he's good. I on the other hand am more laid back. Earlier in our marriage I didn't realize that because of our differences, the result was that Seyi had the last say on most decisions. He would provide 1000 more reasons to support his stance than I did mine. Part of it is because he's incredibly intelligent, and the other part is that if he was being honest he'd realize he wasn't entirely open to modifying his view irrespective of my come back.
Me: Oko mi, I am thinking we should paint our living room navy blue.
Seyi: Navy blue is odd, why not red?
Me: Eeeer that will feel like we have blood all over the walls. What's wrong with navy blue?
Seyi: Navy blue is too serious, we need a color with personality.
Me: Well, I don't really like red.
Seyi: Well, navy blue would reflect the sun into the house and the rays can ultimately cause cancer.
Seyi: I was thinking red. Any reasons you want navy blue?
Me: Red is just not my preference, reminds me of blood.
Seyi: Why don't we go to the store over the weekend to get swatches? We'll find something we both like.
See how much better that was? These are my five ideas on valuing others' opinions.
Not every time follow follow. Always think critically about things and form an opinion – for, against, or indifferent. You don't have to go based on what everyone else is saying. What do you think about the matter?
Not every time gra gra. Choose the times when you have a strong opinion; I only do so for things that matter to me.
Stop talking and listen. Ask the question – "what do others have to say?" Actually listen, and respect what others have to say even if it is different from what you think. Our differences make the world and our relationships all the more interesting.
Don't add salt and pepper. Take things at face value and don't infer meanings that someone didn't clearly state.
Waka pass. You don't need to always voice your opinions. You can disagree with a view point and be quiet about it. Besides, who asked you?
What do you think? Was my mind overreacting in thinking that the "stupid" comment was inappropriate?
Another great post. The comment was extremely inappropriate. How can you call someone stupid because you disagree with them? At the worst, you might think they're misguided but stupid ke? I used to argue for Africa in the past when it came to something I felt strongly about which back in my younger days was almost everything, lol. But now like you say, everything is not gra,gra. I don't even have the mental space to be doing all that, I do the agree to disagree thing a lot.
Thank you! Lol yep, no mental space 😂😂.
You are absolutely right. I can be very aggressive and I didn't know my husband can be also (in some situations). I guess I might have rubbed off on him a long the way (lol). I've noticed something about him based on the example you gave about your conversation with Seyi. But as much as I'm the loud and opinionated person between myself and my husband, I've learned to articulate my point and keep quite and even at that my husband will talk for hours still trying to drive his point home when I've already moved on (they what's want to have the last say….lol) I've grown to detest back and forth conversations. Abeg it takes too much energy…lol.
I guess it's human nature to want to impose ones perspective and opinion on the other. There are times that I'll be aggressive about something and be so strong about it until I hear the other persons' view and realize that my view might not necessarily be wrong but the other person's view is more reasonable.
We can sometimes be close minded without actually thinking thru but as you've stated everyone should be entitled to their own opinions and views as we can agree to disagree. Someone else's view should not be considered stupid or irrelevant (I'm so guilty of this)….lol…..
We should all learn to tolerate each other's views cos we can't all think alike. We are all diffent.
You said it right!! Abeg that energy for back and forth is way too much. And yes, being open minded to other's views is important; the world would be a very boring place if we all thought alike.
Thanks Annette! Lol @unpopular opinion. Yep, being respectful when expressing them is important.
You don't need to always voice your opinions.–yass!
I agree with you, other's perspective should be acknowledged and respected. I enjoyed reading this piece.
I have totally enjoyed the time I've spent on your blog today.
The thing about access to the internet is that it has given almost everyone the opportunity to voice their opinions without reasoning or common sense, that's why you go online and find the rudest of humans.
It's okay to disagree, but why must I take a blow from you because you don't agree with me?
Thank you for exploring and enjoying my blog; means a lot!


text:
Prime Volleyball gets nine sponsors for Season 1
Sports marketing firm Baseline Ventures, which has exclusive marketing rights to the league, has also roped in Byju's, Cred, Dafa News, EatFit, Amul Kool, and Nippon Paints as associate sponsors and Cosco as the official partner of the league...
Gaurav Laghate ,
Updated On Feb 1, 2022 at 01:20 PM IST
Read by: 100 Industry Professionals
Read by 100 Industry Professionals
Prime Volleyball gets nine sponsors for Season 1 (Representative image, source: ET)
The upcoming Prime Volleyball League (PVL) has roped in nine sponsors ahead of its inaugural season, scheduled to begin on February 5.
While RuPay has signed on as the title sponsor, online gaming platform A23 has come on board as 'powered by' sponsor.
Sports marketing firm Baseline Ventures, which has exclusive marketing rights to the league, has also roped in Byju's, Cred, Dafa News, EatFit, Amul Kool, and Nippon Paints as associate sponsors and Cosco as the official partner of the league.
"We have received a great response from the sponsors for the first season of the Prime Volleyball League," Tuhin Mishra, managing director at Baseline Ventures, told ET. "PVL has come to light only because of the immense faith and belief shown by the team owners, broadcasters, sponsors, and most importantly, players. This truly is a case of creating a global sporting league from India where we have avoided outside interference and have ensured that the main stakeholders—be it in terms of players or team owners—are the most important components to be given preference."
A brainchild of Baseline Ventures, the erstwhile promoter of the Pro Volleyball league, PVL will have its inaugural season in Hyderabad, and will feature seven franchises from seven different cities: Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, and Kolkata Thunderbolts.
The finale will be held on February 27.
PVL is the only private sporting league in the country with a similar operating structure to the NBA (National Basketball Association) and Major League Soccer (MLS), where team owners are also stakeholders in the respective leagues.
After the success of the Pro Volleyball League in 2019, which was later shelved due to a legal tussle between the organisers and the Volleyball Federation of India, Baseline partnered with a few original team owners to launch PVL.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), which originally telecast Pro Volleyball, has joined hands with the organisers to air the league this time too.
"We have already seen the way Baseline delivered the product last time. They organised it beautifully and even though it was aired only in Hindi and English, the viewership gave us confidence that the game would do well," said Rajesh Kaul, chief revenue officer-distribution, international sales and business head-sports, SPN.
SPN has planned a major marketing and distribution push for PVL. Apart from Hindi and English, the matches will also be aired in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. The matches will be telecast on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3, and Sony Ten 4, apart from the video streaming service, Sony LIV.
"Volleyball as a sport has huge traction in India as well. Volleyball viewership during the Tokyo Olympics was at 34 million on SPN, despite the Indian team not even playing. This just shows the popularity. Therefore, we also decided to put all our marketing might behind the property and give it a good reach," Kaul told ET.
Previously, the organisers planned to hold the tournament in multiple cities, but due to the third wave of Covid, they have decided to hold the entire league in Hyderabad, using bio-bubble.
A23 becomes associate title sponsor of Rupay Prime Volleyball League 2022
Beginning on February 5, the league will be held in Hyderabad, and will feature seven franchises from seven different cities…
By Gaurav Laghate ,
Published On Feb 1, 2022 at 01:20 PM IST
rajesh kaul
Prime Volleyball league
tuhin mishra
baseline ventures
eatfit
byju


You've resolved to finally lose that weight…the same way that you resolved to lose it last year, the year before that, and….etc. I've said it again and again. I begin by going on a strict diet…for about 8 hours (make the 4.5 this year), then something happens. I either "forget" that I'm watching my eat and pick something up, or I get stressed out and pick uncontrollably.
If you're like me, your weight has crept on, not as a result of bad choices so much as eating from anxiety. The problem is that eating is a part of life. Your body gets its nutrients from food. But, sometimes we can go overboard with our eating habits and it can result in gaining weight.
Emotional eaters like me use food to relieve stress.
We hide behind the food instead of seeking solutions to our problems. This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death. But, how do you zone in on the fact that you are using food in this way? The first sign is obvious. You gain weight.
Have you been under stress lately at work or at home?
1. The first step is recognizing that you have a problem. You'll experience feelings of helplessness and guilt. The guilt is over potentially ruining your health and the helplessness lies in the fact that you don't see a way out.
2. Seek counseling. There are many types of counselors out there that can meet your need. Emotional eating has nothing to do with dieting or changing your eating habits but gaining control over your emotions.
A counselor might suggest things like visualization, practicing problem solving skills, relaxation techniques and family support. Visualization helps you to see your problems in a realistic way and not blown out of proportion. You will also learn to see food as nutrition for the body and not an emotional crutch.
3. Your family can learn your triggers for stress and be on the lookout for changes in your eating habits. They can help you be aware of the foods you are eating, assist you in making healthy food choices and exercise along with you. Proper diet and exercise increases immunity, blood flow and positive thinking. Yoga enhances the mind/body connection so you don't eat when you aren't hungry.
Here's to a thinner 2018!


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My foundation has a wall clapsing inward to the basement. The sales experience was perfect. The sales rep Steve Milazzo arrived, diagnosed the problem, and worked with his team to provide a solution on the spot. I was provided exact pricing for numerous variations of the project. All off this happened in just over an hour. I was very happy.
Ruben Gonzalez came out to do a basement inspection to make sure I did not have any foundation cracks while I am in the process of selling my house. After his very professional inspection and very in debt explanation I am very happy to know that I have no problems to worry about things in my foundation and basement. Ruben ws wonderful. Thank you very much.
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Oct. 26-28, Nov. 2-4, 8:00 p.m.
MIT students should love MIT Shakespeare Ensemble's production of "The Tempest" — there are mythical creatures, magic, swords, funny costumes, and comedy! I was pleasantly surprised by the ensemble's latest production, which opened last Thursday in Little Kresge. Don't get me wrong. I am sure MIT's various theatre groups often put on great shows, but my past experiences have often been disappointments. Thankfully, in this production, the troupe brings a lot of energy to the show, which keeps the mood light and humorous — as it should be. "The Tempest" is one of Shakespeare's funniest comedies. I was relieved that the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble managed to make comedy a priority, and they were rewarded with plenty of laughs from the audience.
The plot of "The Tempest" comes in three parts: the love story, the power struggle, and the slapstick — all of which are manipulated by the powerful Prospero (Mike Haddad) and his nymph-like servant, Ariel (Margaret A. Rosenburg '07). Haddad's Prospero is well-balanced — not too forceful nor too comedic. He delivered his lines with clarity and at a good pace, allowing the audience to laugh when appropriate.
In the play, Prospero has been wronged by his usurping brother, and now he seeks to use his magical powers combined with some good fortune and fate to set things right. I find that typically this subplot involving the king of Naples and his companions to be the weakest part of the play. This performance was no exception, but it managed to remain clear and well put together if not terribly interesting or entertaining. The king, Alonso (Bonnie E. Krenz '10), his brother Sebastian (Deirdre J. LaBounty '10), the brother of Prospero, Antonio (Holly B. Laird '07), and the good and faithful Gonzalo (Sarah McDougal '00), make up this cast of royals left at the mercy of Prospero's magic. You might be wondering … why do these actors have such unusual male names? I don't know any men named Bonnie, Sarah, Deirdre, or Holly. I can explain. Fierce Forever wasn't the only showcase of drag on campus last weekend, as many of the male parts in "The Tempest" are performed by women. I wonder if it might have been possible to have actually changed the genders of a couple of these characters to women instead of just dressing them all as men.
Another tricky aspect of "The Tempest" is how to interpret the character of Ariel. I once saw a different production in which Ariel took a strange and "artistic" turn – he was dressed all in black with a bald head and delivered all his lines in a sad, dreamy way. The result, as one can imagine, was really a downer. I prefer the Ariel in this production, who was extremely energetic throughout the performance. Rosenburg threw herself into the role but at the same time refrained from jumping and wafting around the stage too much. Ariel plays a major role in manipulating all the other characters, which brings us to the romantic portion of the play.
The love story takes place between the king's son, Ferdinand (Anthony D. Rindone '10), and Prospero's daughter, Miranda (Anna T. Roussanova '08). The interpretation of this part of the play was well done, and it comes off as sweet and adorable. Instead of playing Ferdinard as a lame, boring weakling, Rindone went all out to become the character of a dorky, awkward, and pampered prince. His meekness was wondefully balanced by the large and powerful Prospero, and led to some great comedic moments.
Speaking of comedy, a large dose was delivered by the duo of drunkards Stephano (Jennifer L. Benoit G) and Trinculo (Sharon J. Gochenour '10). Benoit and Gochenour gave a terrifically comedic performance that sometimes teetered on cartoonish. They joined forces with the unfortunate Caliban (Kellas R. Cameron '10), a half-man, half-monster enslaved by Prospero, and the trio proceeded to ramble drunkenly about and provide plenty of slapstick.
I really encourage all of you to give "The Tempest" a try — it is a nice light piece that begs not to be taken too seriously. In fact, it might be just what you need after all those problem sets and tests.


Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:45 am Post subject: High quality game assets?
just a though but can flash carts such as the 64Drive and Everdrive64 make ROMs bigger than 512? If so I was wondering about Resident Evil 2 as many of the in game assets had to be so dramatically compressed that things like cut scenes, back grounds and audio had that unmistakable over compressed feel about them. I assume that the cart size was the biggest factor in this and if more space was available it would be possible to use higher quality assets. If a larger game cart could be used how difficult to replace these highly compressed assets with slightly more pleasing ones?
no, the N64's power was the issue.
I don't know what the maximum capacity of an N64 game cartridge truly is - 64MB was the largest ever used commercially, but I'd imagine that using paging, it would be exponentially larger. Certainly that's the case with a flash cartridge, where you can load data at will from the SD card, and so the maximum upper limit of the data capacity is the capacity of the SD card you're using.
So an N64 game could be 4GB in size, or 16GB, or 32GB, etc. The only limitations would be the loading speed from the SD card (which is much faster than loading from a CD or DVD), and of course the other hardware limitations of the N64, and each different make of flash cartridge would need separate code (written into the large N64 game) to be able to read from that flash cartridge (i.e. loading from an Everdrive 64 requires different code from loading from a 64Drive), but once you have the loading routine codes then you can use them in as many game as you like.
That could be an interesting project . Thinking about it people have already converted 64DD games to run on the Everdrive along with the game cart data.