4/5 of the charms are finished, but to be honest, some of them are probably unbalanced. I didn't pay much attention to balance, just went with what felt right, so if anyone looks over this stuff and notices something totally out there, let me know.
Graceful Crane Stance (Athletics 1): Spend one essence. The Solar automatically succeeds at checks to keep balance for one scene.
Soaring Crane Leap (Athletics 3): Spend 1 essence to jump 5 times as far for one turn.
Mountain Crossing Leap Technique(Athletics 4, Essence 2, Soaring Crane Leap): The exalt spends 3 essence and leaps over approximately 5 min, and covering Essence x 7 miles.
Thunderbolt Attack Prana (Athletics 2, Athletics Excellency): The character performs a signature attack action and spends one essence. Add +3 to the attack roll.
Lightning Speed (Athletics 1, Athletic Excellency): Spend 1 essence. For the rest of the scene, the solar moves (Athletics) yards farther with each move action. Athletics Excellency can increase this speed further.
Spider Foot Style (Athletics 3, Graceful Crane Stance): Spend 2 essence. For the rest of the scene, the solar can run or walk (but not stand) on vertical surfaces and upside down. Also, the character can run or walk on unstable or delicate surfaces as if he weighed no more than a feather. The exalt can stand still in both situations by spending essence per turn he does not take a move action.
Eagle Wing Style (Athletics 4, Essence 2, Spider Foot Style): Spend 1 essence. For the remainder of the scene, the character can fly at triple his normal move speed. HE must use one hand to direct the flow of essence, and cannot move more than 30 yards from a surface.
Increasing Strength Excercise (Athletics 2): Spend 1 essence per point to increase the character's STR for the remainder of the scene. You cannot spend more than your Essence stat this way.
Keen Sense Technique (Awareness 2, Awareness Excellency): Spend one essence to active this charm for a scene. Adds 1 to the solar's Awareness rolls, and allows the perception of things normally outside of the human range.
Unsurpassed Sense Discipline (Awareness 4, Keen Sense Technique): Spend 1 essence to add 2 to the Solar's awareness rolls for one scene. This stacks with Keen Sense Technique, and when the two are used in conjunction, it is conceivable the character could read with fingertips or gauge mood by scent.
Surprise Anticipation Method (Awareness 4): This charm activates itself when the exalt is placed in unforeseen immediate mortal danger. The charm costs one essence and guarantees success on the roll to detect the danger. If this charm is contested by magic, then instead of automatically succeeding, this charm cancels the magic.
Shadow Over Water (Dodge 2): Spend 1 essence when you are attacked to ignore penalties to defense for the attack.
Seven Shadow Evasion (Dodge 3, Shadow Over Water): Spend 1 essence to automatically dodge an attack. The attack must not be unexpected.
Reflex Sidestep Technique (Dodge 2): Spend 1 essence in response to an unexpected attack to make it expected.
Flow Like Blood (Dodge 4, Essence 1, Seven Shadow Evasion): Spend 3 essence to activate this charm. For the rest of the scene, the character suffers no penalties to defense caused by facing multiple enemies.
Flawlessly Impenetrable Disguise (Larceny 3, Larceny Excellency): As Exalted pg 228. 3 essence to activate.
Perfect Mirror (Larceny 4, Essence 1, Flawlessly Impenetrable disguise): As Exalted 228. 3 essence to activate.
Flawless Pickpocket Technique (Larceny 1): Spend 1 essence when making a pickpocket attempt to add 2 to the roll. In addition, characters using ordinary senses cannot spot the attempt and this charm cancels the effect of those using magic to augment awareness (In this case the character may be spotted).
Stealing from Plain Sight Spirit (Larceny 4, Flawless Pickpocket Technique): As Exalted pg 229. Costs 2 essence. 4 if the target could not normally be reached.
Lock-Opening Touch (Larceny 2): Spend 1 essence to automatically succeed at unlocking a mundane lock, with or without tools.
Door-Evading Technique (Larceny 4, Essence 2, Lock-Opening Touch): Spend 3 essence to pass through a closed portal.
Easily Overlooked Presence Method (Stealth 2): Spend one essence to blend into a crowd for a scene. Rolls to notice the Solar fail automatically unless the Solar is in battle, or the attacker has significant magical or circumstantial bonus.
Mental Invisibility Technique (Stealth 3, Easily Overlooked Presence Method): Roll DEX or SOC + Stealth. Any observer who fails a mental defense roll suffers unnatural compulsion to ignore the Solar when he is not engaged in battle.
Vanishing from the Mind's Eye (Stealth 4, Essence 1, Mental Invisibility Technique): The first time a character attempts to recall the Solar each say, they must roll INT + Lore against the a difficulty of the exalt's SOC + Stealth + Essence. On a failure the character does not remember the exalt at all.
Invisible Statue Spirit (Stealth 2, Easily Overlooked Presence Method): Spend 2 essence. The solar cannot be detected except by touch. This lasts until the exalt moves.
Durability Enhancing Technique (Craft 2, Craft Excellency): Spend 1 essence to permanently increase the difficulty of breaking the target object by one. This charm may be use up to 1+Essence time(s).
Chaos Resistance Prana (Craft 3, Durability Enhancing Technique): Commit 2 essence to make the target object immune to the Shaping effects of the wyld. After the charm is allowed to expire, the object permanently remains 1/10 as likely to be effected by random wyld effects.
Shattering Grasp (Craft 4, Craft Excellency): The exalt spends 2 essence and 5 minutes to disassemble an object. The character chooses whether to disassemble destructively or not. Any object can be disassembled if the character could break it by STR+Athletics+2xCraft, or if it is made up of such components. Large structures can be disassembled in 4 hours, one component at a time.
Craftsman Needs no Tools (Craft 3, Essence 1, Craft Excellency): Spend 2 Essence when making a roll to craft or repair an object. The Solar is treated as having tools which give a +1 to the roll, and completes 3 hours worth of work in one hour of effort.
Craft Observation Method (Investigation 2, Investigation Excellency): The exalt spends 2 essence and a few seconds observation to make an investigation roll as if he had spent 15 minutes ransacking the scene.
Evidence-Discerning Method (Investigation 3, Investigation Excellency): The solar commits 2 essence and rolls INT+Investigation against the target's mental defense. If the target deliberately send out misleading information, he may substitute SOZ+Persuasion+Essence instead of mental defense. If the roll succeeds, the exalt conceives a profile of the target's personality. This means that the target's defense in dramatic, social, and mass combat situations against the exalt is at a penalty equal to his own SOC. The effect lasts as long as the essence is committed. If the roll fails, it cannot be attempted again on the same target in the same story arc.
Judge's Ear Technique (Investigation 1, Investigation Excellency): The solar can spend 1 essence to automatically recognize all lies as such for the duration of the scene. If a lie is magically enhanced, then instead of automatically recognizing the lie, this charm cancels the magic.
Irresistible Questioning Technique (Investigation 2, Judge's Ear Technique): Spend 2 essence when making an interrogation. Roll SOC+Investigation against the target's mental defense. If the exalt succeeds, the target suffers a compulsion to answer his questions truthfully. Each time this charm is used against a target during the same story (successfully or not) the target's mental defense against it increases by one.
Courtier's Eye Technique (Investigation 2): By spending one essence, the exalt can size up a target socially. This charm tells the player the target's personal wealth and power, how many allies the target believes himself to have, and how much wealth and power he controls through any organization he belongs to. If these organizations and their associates are generally known, then the exalt knows specifically which organizations they are.
Know the Soul's Price (Investigation 3, Courtier's Eye Technique, Judge's Ear Technique): Spend 2 essence and roll INT+Investigation against the target's SOC+Persuasion. If the Solar wins, the target must declare his "price" truthfully. If the Exalt can meet that price, then the charm invokes an unnatural Servitude effect.
Legendary Solar Curriculum (Lore 4, Essence 2, Lore Excellency): When the solar spends at least 5 hours a week training a social group such as a class, ministry, or guild, he picks one of the following: Increase INT or SOC by one, Increase Craft, Investigation, Lore, Linguistics, Performance, Presence, Persuasion, Bureaucracy, Occult, Integrity, Medicine, or Larceny by 1. Multiple uses of this charm allow the exalt to train multiple abilities. Stats can only be increased by one each, while skills may not exceed the Exalt's own. The character may train with the group or alone, but characters other than extras must pay experience to retain the training for more than one month.
Chaos-Repelling Pattern (Lore 2, Essence 1): By spending 2 essence, the Exalt creates an island of creation within Essence yards of him. This area functions by the laws of creation even in the deep Wyld, Malfeas, etc.
Wyld-Shaping Technique (Lore 4, Essence 1, Lore Excellency, Chaos-Repelling Pattern): See Exalted pg 216. Roll INT+Lore, increasing the listed difficulties by 3. Otherwise functions the same as vanilla.
Wyld Cauldron Technology (Lore 4, Essence 2, Wyld-shaping Technique): As Exalted 217.
Essence-Lending Method (Lore 1): The exalt can give of his essence pool to another. In one action, he may give 3+Essencex3 essence to the target. This cannot raise the target's essence pool above the normal maximum.
Power-Awarding Prana (Lore 3, Essence 1, Essence-Lending Method): By committing 5 essence, the solar empowers a target mortal. The target Essence becomes 0, Essence pool becomes 5, and they become able to learn solar charms. These bonuses last as long as the essence remains committed.
Order-Affirming Blow (Lore 4, Essence 2, Wyld Shaping Technique, Essence-Lending Method): For 5+(target's Essence score) essence, the exalt can remove all shaping effects on the target, and make the target immune to shaping effects for the remainder of the scene. Using this charm on a fair folk outside of the Wyld destroys the target.
Touch of Blissful Release (Medicine 2, Medicine Excelleny): By spending 1 essence and touching the target, the exalt cancels any sickness, poison, and crippling penalties for 1+Essence hours. If used with an attempt medicine roll, this charm cancels any penalties for lack of equipment or medicine or unfavorable conditions.
Wound-Mending Care Technique (Medicine 2, Medicine Excellency): By spending 3 essence and one hour of care, this charm will heal 4 hit points by the end of the day.
Wound-Cleansing Technique (Medicine 2, Touch of Blissful Release, Wound Mending Care Technique): By spending 3 essence, the solar cleanses a wound of infection or poison, natural or supernatural, which might prevent healing.
Flawless Diagnosis Technique (Medicine 1): As Exalted pg 220. No roll necessary.
Instant Treatment Methodology (Medicine 1, Flawless Diagnosis Technique, Medicine Excellency): Spend 2 essence when making a Medicine roll to complete up to one hour's worth of care in seconds.
Terrestrial Circle Sorcery (Occult 2, Essence 1): Allows access to Terrestrial Circle spells.
Celestial Circle Sorcery (Occult 3, Essence 2, Terrestrial Circle Sorcery): Allows access to Celestial Circle Spells.
Solar Circle Sorcery (Occult 4, Essence 3, Celestial Circle Sorcery): Allows access to Solar Circle Spells.
Spirit-Detecting Glance (Occult 1): Spend 1 essence to allow the solar to detect dematerialized spirits for the duration of the scene. Also while active, the exalt may spend 1 essence when making an attack, to allow that attack to affect dematerialized spirits.
Ghost-Eating Technique (Occult 3, Essence 1, Spirit-Detecting Glance): Spend 1 essence after hitting a spirit with an attack. Transfer 3 essence from the spirit's pool to the exalt's. If the spirit is destroyed by this attack, it's essence dissolves, and it will never be remade.
Spirit-Repelling Diagram (Occult 4, Spirit Detecting Glance): Spend 3 essence to create a golden circle out to Essence+1 yards. For the rest of the scene, dematerialized spirits suffer a compulsion to leave the circle and not to enter it.
All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight (Occult 4, Spirit Detecting Glance): When the character activates Spirit-Detecting glance, he can see essence effects. The character can see when charms are being used, can see dematerialized and invisible characters, automatically recognizes creatures with Essence 2+ as supernatural. Targets using stealth to avoid detection suffer a penalty equal to their Essence score against the solar's detection.
Integrity-Protecting Prana (Integrity 1): Commit two essence to protect the Solar's body and mind from shaping effects.
Destiny-Manifesting Method (Integrity 2, Integrity-Protecting Prana): This Charm is always active and requires no essence to use. Shaping effects used against the character suffer a -2 to the attack/skill roll, unless the effect complies with the Solar's sense of his own destiny.
Righteous Lion Defense (Integrity 1): Choose two of the character's Intimacies, which must be ideals. The Solar may treat mental influence to betray or forsake that Intimacy as an unacceptable order.
Elusive Dream Defense (Integrity 2, Integrity Excellency): Spend two essence to protect the Solar from mental influence by instantly forming an Intimacy against the source or substance of the influence.
Transcendent Hero's Meditation (Integrity 4, Essence 2, Elusive Dream Defense): Spend 3 essence, or suffer one damage to shatter all long-term Compulsion, Illusion, and Servitude effects on the Solar. You may ignore mental influence which would prevent the use of this charm.
Sun King Radiance (Integrity 4, Essence 2, Elusive Dream Defense): Those loyal to the Solar replace their Essence with the Solar's when calculating mental defense. Characters loyal to the Solar who are actively betraying that loyalty suffer a -1 to any roll.
Respect Commanding Attitude (Performance 2): When giving a performance or oration, spend 1 essence and roll SOC + Performance. This charm exerts unnatural mental influence on everyone who can see and hear the Solar. Each subject whose mental defense is lower than the Performance roll suffers a compulsion to stay in the Exalt's presence and respectfully observe the Performance.
Phantom Conjuring Performance (Performance 2, Essence 1, Performance Excellency): When the exalt uses a Presence or Performance Excellency, he can conjure ghostly images, essence flares, and strange sensory effects within 20 yards of him.
Heart Compelling Method (Performance 3, Performance Excellency): Spend 2 essence when using Performance to inspire emotion in others. This charm exerts unnatural mental influence on every valid target whose mental defense is less than the exalt's Performance roll.
Memory Reweaving Discipline (Performance 4, Phantom Conjuring Performance, Heart Compelling Method): This charm enhances a performance for 3 essence. The charm encourages a specific belief in the audience and creates a commitment to that belief if their mental defense is less than the Performance roll.
Husband-Seducing Demon Dance (Performance 4, Essence 1, Heart-Compelling Method): The Solar spends 3 essence and makes a Performance roll. Any valid target whose mental defense is less than the Performance roll instantly falls in love with the Solar or a cause he represents. This is a commitment.
Hypnotic Tongue Technique (Presence 1, Presence Excellency): When giving an order, spend 3 essence and roll Presence against target's mental defense. If the Solar wins, the target receives a compulsion to follow the order.
Irresistible Salesman Spirit (Presence 3, Presence Excellency): Spend one essence when attempting to make a bargain or encourage an action to roll 2 dice, and discard the lower roll.
Worshipful Lackey Acquisition (Presence 4, Essence 2, Presence Excellency): Spend 4 essence and make a SOC + Presence roll. If the roll succeeds, the target creates a commitment to serve the Solar. The target cannot begin to break the commitment until 4 days have gone by.
Enemy Castigating Solar Judgment (Presence 1, Essence 1, Presence Excellency): This Charm may enhance a physical attack for 1 essence. The attack deals an additional point of damage against creatures of darkness if it hits.
This charm can also enhance a social attack to create shame, guilt, or fear for 1 essence. Creatures of darkness suffer -2 defense against this attack.
Whirlwind Armor-Donning Prana (Resistance 1): Spend 1 essence to don a suit of armor quickly. The number of turns required is equal to the armor's defense value.
Glorious Solar Plate (Resistance 3, Essence 1, Whirlwind Armor Donning Prana): The Solar can summon a golden suit or light plate made of the character's anima for 3 essence, and may summon a small shield for 1 additional essence. The armor and shield are no more fatiguing than simple cloth garments, and last for one scene.
Durability of Oak Meditation (Resistance 1): When the exalt is hit by an attack, you may spend one essence to ignore one point of damage suffered from the attack.
Iron Skin Concentration (Resistance 2, Durability of Oak Meditation): The Exalt may spend two essence when attacked by non-magical weapons or the unarmed attacks of creatures with Essence -1. Reduce the damage from all such attacks by 2 points until the Solar's next action.
Iron Kettle Body (Resistance 2, Iron Skin Concentration): Spend 1 essence to gain +1 defense for the rest of the scene against edged weapons. This includes unarmed attacks such as claws, but not bites, as there is a crushing and/or penetrating component in bite attacks.
Adamant Skin Technique (Resistance 4, Essence 1, Iron Kettle Body): Spend one mote to automatically defend against a single attack.
Essence Gathering Temper (Resistance 1): For each point of damage the Solar suffers, he gains essence equal to 1+Essence stat. This cannot increase the essence pool beyond its normal maximum.
Bloodthirsty Sword Dancer Spirit (Resistance 3, Resistance Excellency): Spend 3 essence to accept the spirit for one scene. The character gains +1 on all attack rolls, and cannot suffer penalties due to pain or by being stunned. The character cannot speak coherently and will attack those who get in his way. The Charm lasts until there are no enemies to kill.
Ox-Body Technique (Resistance 1): A solar may take Ox-body Technique up to one time per point of Resistance. Each time, it adds 1 hit point.
Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery (Resistance 4, Ox-Body Technique): When the Solar would be effected by a Crippling effect, spend 1 essence to shake it off.
Immunity to Everything Technique (Resistance 4, Essence 1, Resistance Excellency): Spend 2 essence to become immune to poison and disease for one scene.
Body-Mending Meditation (Resistance 1): Spend 3 essence to speed natural healing by a factor of 10, or to add the Solar's Resistance stat to a physician's roll to heal the Solar.
Friendship with Animals Approach (Survival 1, Presence Excellency): Spend one essence to prevent natural animals from attacking the exalt for one scene. While this charm is active, the Exalt can communicate with animals as if they shared a language.
Spirit-Tied Pet (Survival 2, Friendship with Animals Approach): The exalt may use this charm on an animal that is loyal to make it a Familiar. Each use of this charm requires several hours, 3 essence and 1 experience. The number of times this charm must be used it dependent on the power of the familiar.
Bestial Traits Technique (Survival 3, Essence 1, Friendship with Animals Approach): By training an animal or group of animals for at least five hours over a week, the exalt can empower it with one of the following: Increase STR, DEX, or INT by 1, Increase Athlethics, Awareness, Martial Arts, Resistance or Survival by 1. Multiple uses of this charm allow multiple stats to be increased. STR, DEX, and INT may only be increased by 1 each, and Skills may not exceed the exalt's own skill.
Hardship-Surviving Mendicant Spirit (Survival 2): Commit 3 essence to make the harshest environments a simple thing for the exalt to survive. The base difficulty to any survival roll the exalt makes is no more than that under ideal weather conditions in a temperate and friendly biome.
Element Resisting Prana (Survival 4, Essence 1, Hardship-Surviving Mendicant Spirit): When using Hardship Surviving Mendicant Spirit, the character becomes immune to environmental hazards (lava, under water, boiling acid).
Eternal Elemental Harmony (Survival 4, Essence 2, Hardship Surviving Mendicant Spirit): The solar need only commit two essence to activate Mendicant Spirit, and may do so even when unconscious, etc. At Essence 4, the cost is reduced to 1.
Trackless Region Navigation (Survival 3, Survival Excellency): The exalt must commit 2 essence to this charm. While in effect, the solar and a group of Magnitude no greater than the Solar's essence travel through normal wilderness at 20 miles a day, and through the harshest terrain at 10 miles per day. The exalt automatically succeeds at any Survival roll to Navigate.
Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique (Survival 4, Trackless Region Navigation): Spend 2 essence when attempting a tracking roll. The Solar automatically rolls a six. If the target uses magic to conceal the trail, then instead this charm cancels the opposing magic.
Traceless Passage (Survival 4, Essence 1, Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique): Spend 2 essence to conceal the trail of the solar and followers of a magnitude up to the solar's essence. The solar automatically rolls a 6 to evade detection. If the tracker uses magic to follow the trail, then instead this charm cancels the opposing magic.
Eye-Deceiving Camouflage Method (Survival 4, Essence 1, Trackless Region Navigation): Commit 2 essence and one hour to camouflage the solar or a target person or object. The solar rolls INT+Survival to determine the quality of the camouflage. Even so, the camouflaged thing is impossible to detect without a thorough targeted search, or superhuman senses.
City Moving Secrets (Survival 4, Essence 4, Survival Excellency): Any of the exalt's Survival charms that affect a group, now effect a much greater magnitude group.
Fists of Iron Technique (1 Martial Arts): Commit 1 essence to this charm gain +1 attack as a weapon bonus when using bare fists.
Dragon Coil Technique (1 Martial Arts, Fists of Iron Technique): Spend 1 Essence to add 2 to a Grapple roll.
Solar Hero Form (Martial Arts 2, Dragon Coil Technique): Spend two Essence. For the rest of the scene, the Solar can add Martial Arts or dodge to ranged defense rolls, treats his unarmed fists as dual-wielding, and adds 1 to grapple attacks.
Heaven Thunder Hammer (Martial Arts 2, Solar Hero Form): After landing an unarmed attack, the Solar can spend one essence to knock the target back a number of yards equal to the difference between the attack and defense rolls.
Ox-Stunning Blow (Martial Arts 3, Solar Hero Form): Spend 1 essence, and make an unarmed attack. If the attack hits, in addition to damage, the target suffers -1 to attack and defense rolls for 3 turns.
Shockwave Technique (Martial Arts 4, Heaven Thunder Hammer, Ox-Stunning Blow): Spend one Essence and make an unarmed attack. Ignore weapon bonuses to defense for this attack. If the attack hits, the Solar throws the victim into another target within 25 yards. Treat the original target as a weapon with -1 attack. The second target cannot add weapon bonuses to defense either.
The first part of this charm is an unarmed attack, but the second part is armed, counting the original target as the weapon. The second attack still uses Martial Arts for the attack roll. Weapon penalties to defense still apply against both attacks.
Not every weapon skill tree has the same type and quality of charm. Archery and Thrown have no defense charms. Only unarmed charms can aid in grappling situations. The reasoning behind this is weapon theme. Archery is overt, aggressive, and slightly better against multiple enemies. Melee is overt, defensive, and slightly better against single enemies. Thrown is covert, aggressive, and good at supplementing other attackers. Martial arts is offensive, with some utility in supporting allies.
Got five. If anyone doesn't show, we'll just have fewer characters or I might NPC the extras.
Everyone in Creation knows the stories of the Shogunate and the ages before that. But the stories of wonder and fantasy one hundred generations removed from any mortal's awareness. As far as any mortal is concerned, the current age is as good as it gets, and certainly they would be happy not to see what the future has in store. The Great Contagion of eight hundred years ago is almost never heard of. The Realm is kept in order by a strong Empress who shows no sign of losing life or regency for the conceivable future. Occasional squabbles between the kingdoms of the Threshold are quickly quelled without interruption of daily life, and tribute continues to fatten the coffers of the Realm. When this story begins, we are at the height of the Scarlet Empire's power, and also fast approaching the end of the Empress' reign.
It's midday in Chiaroscuro, the shattered city of glass and largest trading port in the South. Captain Gelag curses the tide that's forcing him to leave port in the heat of the day, rather than earlier in the morning. While everyone with any sense is hiding indoors, Bosun Bloodeagle barks orders at the crew: "Lash down those crates," and, "Make fast that yard," and, "You monkeys don't stow that jib, I'll have you swimming to Skullstone!"
The old scholar, Eternal River, and temporary ship's surgeon, Jasper Gullybore, are simply doing their best to stay out of the way. Eternal River can see the end of his days approaching, and is headed West to explore the world while he can. Purchasing passage even on this humble ship had cost most of his savings, but he has no intention of needing a return voyage. Gullybore, however, is paying for his passage with his medical expertise. Expertise gained in the Chiaroscuro navy which he recently deserted. While Gullybore hasn't told anyone the circumstances of his departure from service, the captain and bosun are just suspicious enough not to bring it up. Ignorance is safer than actively evading the law.
Despite the conditions, Captain Gelag's crew makes ready to sail no later than he requires of them, and the bosun calls ready to shove off. But as the captain is about to give the order, he notices a portly priest in the robes of the Immaculate Order running toward the boat as fast as he can and waving and calling out for the ship to wait. Gelag signals to wait and hops onto the dock to meet the priest.
Winded and gasping for breath the priest explained, "Harbormaster. Said your boat. Heading west. I need. To go."
Captain Gelag spits on the dock, and takes a drink from his flask. "Now look here, I got supplies for my crew and two more. There'll be another boat tomorrow."
"Harbormaster said there's no more boats for three weeks going west. I'll pay," the priest pleads as he take out an impressive purse and opens it to fish out some coins.
When the captain sees the contents of the purse, he snatches the whole thing and motions for the priest to climb onboard. Speechless, the priest acquiesces.
The characters in this story are heroic mortals. They are built with 8 stat points instead of 10, placing them below the average BUM hero, but well above the mean mortal in exalted. Obviously, skills are not limited by stat in BUM Exalted.
Captain Gelag gets +2 to mental defense against social attacks, and is immune to natural mental influence.
The bosun has an overriding will to survive. Whenever he fails a mental defense roll and instant or certain death is the penalty, he shakes off the effect, but instead must draw his sword and attack something. If he knows the source of the effect, that will be his target, otherwise, he will imagine a source and attack it.
Uroz is privy to certain secret techniques to avoid the notice of spirits. As long as he takes no direct action against it, and is not alone, a spirit will completely ignore him.
Eternal River is educated in a style of martial arts which focuses on the staff, and may use it with the martial arts skill. When River's hit points are reduced to 0, he may make a mental defense roll against difficulty 6. If successful, he is out of the fight, but at the end arises without injury. This does not apply when his hit points are reduced to -1 or less.
Jasper has a good instinct for survival. He has a +4 on the roll to detect a trap or ambush. He may personally act on any information gained, but if he warns another, the bonus is reduced by half for the rest of the story. For example, having detected a trap on a chest, he may attempt to disarm it, or he may simply decline to open it, but telling the others that there is a trap would be going against instinct, and reduce his bonus.


VictoriaMendoza . JohnyTiger. FelipeCool. EMILYDIAZ.
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text:
"Don't Look Up": A Movie With a Message
By Megan Cansino
*Spoiler Alert
Living in America, we as Americans expect our country's leaders (hopefully), to take on the job with professionalism, strength, pride and, above all, common sense. This was the complete opposite that the specific countenance from the Trump administration's logicality came from. Or more so, lack of logicality. For the majority of the American public, we wanted to banish the tyranny that was being held over the head of America. Remember the lies? Remember the racist speech that was being spoken on loud speakers to crowds of pitch-forking, red-cap wearing, unintelligent fools? Speech that was broadcasted on FOX T.V. and preached in white evangelist churches? Oh and, let's not forget the denial that the COVID-19 pandemic was all a hoax.
COVID-19 … jeez, what a shame. Or as the Trumpers would say, "what a sham."
The movie "Don't Look Up", highlights the foolishness of not only the Trump administration, but the sheep mentality of the American people. It's a direct hit to what has been happening and what can and will happen if we "don't look up." Like ostriches, many people have kept their head in the sand when it comes to the harsh reality that we, humans, have taken advantage of our planet and not of our minds. We have been shown to do great things. Invent products that save lives and kill them as well. The NRA would probably say that "it" is machinery at its finest.
What is it that we, Americans, and the world as a whole, have to do to "look up?"
The movie "Don't Look Up" used a different platform that directly parallels to the pandemic; relative to our real situation that has been drawn out for the past two years. Instead of a mutating virus, a meteor that measures between 5-10 kilometers is hurdling toward us, with the promise of direct impact. Racing toward with the promise of total extinction.
The character and leading role, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), is arguably the personification of the frustration that has been felt by the intelligent Dr. Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States. A scene in the movie properly depicts the ignorance that the Trump administration showed during the beginning of the pandemic. The mimicry of this scene is in direct correlation to the response of the Trump Administration to the COVID-19 and the effort in trying to debunk the scientific fact that this was indeed, a global emergency. Dr. Mindy is screaming–red in the face–to Madame President (Meryl Streep), about the severity of the situation.
She laughs it off.
Jeopardizing her position because of mass fear is not something that she is willing to do. A narcissism that withholds her from saving even her own skin. Madam President IS Mr. Trump. A dimwit, easily influenced by lobbyist and complete with an even more inane staff.
Let's look into the interest of the Republican Party and how it is represented in "Don't Look Up". The movie did a spectacular job with the mobs of red-hat wearing, lower-middle class Americans which undeniably showed what the real pursuance was. It's not hard, PERSONAL INTEREST. "Don't Look Up" is a variant of our non-fictional history; and it sure ain't "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." The flow of money, power and greed has consumed America. The misleading slogan "Don't Look Up" in the movie was an adjacent bash at "Make America Great Again". Both slogans were eaten up like slop in a pig's troth.
The neglect of the Trump administration toward America during his four years of reign was one of many faults. As of now, there have been 882,000 deaths in America alone and 5.62 million deaths worldwide and the numbers grow every day. Just like in "Don't Look Up", maybe with a faster response time instead of wasting it arguing against facts, less tears would have been shed and less coffins to be built.
With all this said, where do we find the clarity in what has happened? Yes, another president has been elected and there might be a glimmer of hope, but, in the long run, can we really repair such a faulted system that refused to acknowledge all wrong doings? "Don't Look Up" showed exactly what will happen, the eminent demise of something that was, us.
It's a scary thought. It freaks the "eff" out of me. I want to believe in my fellow man but with all the history that has been, it's hard to have the 100% belief that we will completely get out of this alive. The expectation of not just mental intelligence, but emotional intelligence–highlighting empathy–goes a long way. The human race rises and falls with every pivotal action that we decide. Our demise will be subsequent to our actions and the allowance of manipulation rooted in ignorance. The hard truth is that America has never been great. So, look up.
*Originally published in Substance Magazine
Tagged #COVID19, #dontlookup, #ignorance, #trump, Movies
New US airline Northern Pacific Airways unveils its first Boeing 757 in San Bernardino
"I'm Starting to Forget": Danie Cansino's Art Opening at the Charlie James Gallery

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With Malcolm Smith out for a couple of weeks and K.J. Wright moving back outside, Brock Coyle will start in the middle.
And Kevin Pierre-Louis figures to get much more playing time as well.
Here's a look at the Hawks' new 280-pound fullback.
The 14.5-point line for this game is tied for the third-highest home spread in Seahawks history. They covered the first two but needed OT to beat Tampa Bay, also 14.5-point underdogs, last year.
Derek Carr, Will Tukuafu and Brock Coyle are among the players to watch from Seahawks.com, The Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I.
Here's the team-by-team comparison. Guessing that turnover margin difference will be a big factor.
Richard Sherman jinxed Bobby Wagner.
At his media session last week, Sherman stumped for the middle linebacker to be voted into the Pro Bowl — and now it looks like Wagner will have no chance to make it.
Coach Pete Carroll said Wagner is likely to miss several games with a sprained toe suffered in the loss to Dallas on Sunday.
It's the second straight year Wagner has suffered a significant injury that has cost him games. Last year, he missed two games with a high ankle sprain, which affected him for a couple of games beyond that.
Wagner has played very well ever since he got over the ankle injury, and his 50 tackles this season are 13 more than No. 2 tackler Kam Chancellor and 15 more than K.J. Wright, who will now take over Wagner's spot in the middle.
Malcolm Smith will start at weakside linebacker, with Bruce Irvin at strongside. Both of them have been off to slow starts after offseason surgeries.
How did the Seahawks give up the tying TD?
Peyton Manning (at the 33-yard line) throws a touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme after Tamme beat K.J. Wright on a double move.
One of the big mysteries surrounding Seattle's overtime victory against Denver on Sunday was just how that game ended up in overtime anyway.
Yeah, we know Peyton Manning and the Broncos pulled off a nearly impossible task, marching 80 yards in 41 seconds with no timeouts and converting the two-point conversion to force overtime.
Pete Carroll provided the answers Monday.
Forget the whole Super Bowl rematch thing. The Seahawks' defense was just looking for redemption after a poor performance in the loss in San Diego.
Led by embattled safety Kam Chancellor, the defense proved its mettle for most of the game Sunday, but then the unit inexplicably gave up an 80-yard, game-tying touchdown drive to Peyton Manning in the final minute.
That left the redemption to the Seattle offense, which had basically done everything it could to give the game away in the second half. Led by Russell Wilson, the offense made up for it in overtime and let the defense off the hook in a 26-20 victory that for three quarters did not seem like it would be nearly that close.
For most of the game, the defense picked up right where it left off against Manning in the Super Bowl — making everyone realize that the San Diego game was indeed an aberration.
The folks running Earl Thomas' site give perspective to his impassioned press conference the other day in which he said he regained his "championship spirit" after the loss in San Diego.
Contrary to previous reports that had the Chargers' receivers saying they "exposed" Richard Sherman, several Chargers expressed admiration for his ability.
Bruce Irvin apologized "to the 12th Man" for his "boneheaded play" that helped lose the game and also cost him some cash.
Peyton Manning, 38, is in his third year in Denver, and he sounds like he will be back at least for a fourth.
Andy Benoit of MMQB predicts some of the strategies the Seahawks and Broncos will use against each other.
Denver tight end Julius Thomas is the next big challenge for Kam Chancellor and K.J. Wright.
According to this analysis, Russell Wilson is the league's third-best two-minute quarterback.
The Seahawks aren't the only team using a WR/RB hybrid (Percy Harvin). Danny Kelly of Field Gulls looks at the NFL trend.
Clay Travis of FOX Sports talks about the politicization of sports (the NFL) in the wake of Roger Goodell's very politicky apologies-and-promises speech. Along the way, Travis points out that Goodell is just the scapegoat for issues that social media (and one video) have suddenly turned into bigger deals than they were 5-10 years ago.
While the media frets and frowns about a few bad NFL apples and makes it seem as if the entire league is populated by felons, Russell Wilson goes about his daily good deeds.
Market for Maxwell is set, but will Hawks want to pay $5 million a year?
When Byron Maxwell finally made the Packers pay by picking off a pass from Aaron Rodgers in the opener Thursday, the immediate thought was: If teams keep throwing at him like that, he will end up in the Pro Bowl alongside Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.
And now we have an idea of the price after Pittsburgh gave cornerback Cortez Allen a five-year deal worth $26 million this weekend.
The week leading up to the start of the NFL season is always prime time for contract extensions, and this year certainly has seen its share.
Quarterback Alex Smith (Kansas City), linebacker Vontaze Burfict (Cincinnati) and defensive linemen J.J. Watt (Houston), Jurrell Casey (Tennessee) and Junior Galette (New Orleans) have all secured big contract extensions in the past week or so. Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton received a huge deal a month ago. And wide receivers Dez Bryant (Dallas) and Michael Crabtree (San Francisco) are reportedly in talks as well.
It's no surprise that the Seahawks also appear to be in on the action, reportedly exploring extensions for defensive end Cliff Avril and linebacker K.J. Wright.


text:
Why Me?: On Tressie McMillan Cottom's "Thick: And Other Essays"
January 30, 2019 • By Maggie Levantovskaya
Tressie McMillan Cottom
THICK IS A COLLECTION of essays that deals with very personal issues, including body image, sexual abuse, and the loss of a child. Yet, as the author Tressie McMillan Cottom asserts, the category of personal essay does not adequately capture her writing style or approach. This is to be expected, as McMillan Cottom generally defies single categories and genres in ways that have simultaneously helped her public image and given ammunition to academic gatekeepers. She's a sociologist who balances a remarkably active research program and university teaching with guest appearances on Fresh Air and The Daily Show. In her own words, she's "country" and, since entering academia, "middle class." She's an intellectual leader on Black Twitter but she can still be told by colleagues that, as a research pursuit, "black is over." While black women make up two percent of higher education faculty in the United States, McMillan Cottom is unapologetically "black-black," which to her means not only having a dark complexion and working-class Southern roots, but also being seen as "a problem." The essays incorporate these and many more biographical truths, putting them into a series of conversations between the author and other scholars and public intellectuals, from bell hooks to David Brooks, people she encounters in everyday life and her digital audience.
Rather than firing off a series of hot-takes or merely aestheticizing her personal pain, McMillan Cottom offers what she refers to as "thick description," a concept that, in the social sciences, refers to the practice of presenting detailed observations of human behavior and using its sociocultural context to extract meanings. This process is about combining the individual and the subjective with the empirical and the sociological to gain a richer understanding of the "how" and "why" behind what people believe and do. This phrase is an apt one to describe McMillan Cottom's work because it blends personal experience with structural analysis, demonstrating how systemic racism affects whether or not one considers oneself beautiful or receives medical treatment in time to save the life of one's child. Thus Thick in some ways again takes up the question at the heart of her first monograph, Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy, namely: how are American institutions designed "so that most of us always fail?" Answering this question is not just an intellectual exercise for the author. As she professes in the titular essay, her interest is in telling "powerful stories that are a problem for power."
Despite these high stakes, Thick is more thematically broad and stylistically free than Lower Ed, which should appeal to readers who like intersectional analysis with a side of pop culture. The playful, familiar tone of the eight essays reminds readers why the author has captured the attention of The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Slate, and her many social media followers. The essays in Thick are economical in their use of words. They can deliver a swift punch in the gut but also be pithy, tongue-in-cheek, and fun. This is writing with a soundtrack, or more accurately, a playlist, which the author released on social media. It features such songs as Grace Carter's "Silence," Fantasia's "Ugly," and Beyoncé's genre-bending "Daddy Lessons." This is all to say that one sees in this collection McMillan Cottom celebrating the kind of "fabulousness" — to use a concept she engages with — that ruffles the feathers of academic gatekeepers. But as the author herself knows, for the marginalized, fabulousness always comes at a price. When she was a grad student, a black senior colleague told her that she wrote too much and published too quickly, given the stage of her career. Though the criticism initially reminded her of being considered "too much of one thing and not enough of another thing" since childhood, it also led her to rethink her position in the racially exploitive economy of publishing, which hungers for black voices but not for black full-time employees. And yet, for McMillan Cottom, not writing is not an option, and so throughout Thick readers see her critically negotiate her participation in the various institutions designed to make someone like her fail. In addition to rhetorical thickness, the collection also reflects the author's versatility and multifacetedness as she tackles topics ranging from Miley Cyrus to academia's structural racism; she combines theory and slang, and speaks frankly about her desire to be "a socialist black feminist" while retaining a membership to Amazon Prime.
Sifting through the complexities that come with being a successful black female public intellectual, the author keeps in her rearview mirror the image of her grandmother, who educated herself with a public library card, took care of wealthy families for a living, and, at the end of her life, fit all of her possessions into a small senior apartment. "Why me and not my grandmother?" is a question behind all of the essays. Yet rather than answering it head-on, the author takes her readers on different journeys, among them, to a Trump rally, a 2007 Obama fundraiser party in a wealthy, predominantly white Charlotte suburb, and a hospital room where her father told her husband that when it comes to domestic violence, "There are two sides to every story." A particularly moving anecdote involves McMillan Cottom's mother, Vivian, who, by dressing to project an image of black respectability and using "the Queen's English," advocates for their next-door neighbor at the social services agency. McMillan Cottom transforms these narrative moments into analyses of whiteness, black misogyny, and status-signaling as means of survival for black women like her mother and herself.
Black girlhood and womanhood are themes that unite all of the essays, yet McMillan Cottom is not interested in making simple generalizations from her own experience. Being a thinker who is "hopelessly tethered to reality," she is always conscious of facts on the ground and their power to shape individual destinies. While America continues to be "stuck in first gear" Thick's essays challenge readers to go further, beyond "race 101." Rather than asking how the same country that elected Obama could elect Trump, the author suggests that the ascents of both leaders had to do, in part, with white voters' fantasies and fragilities. In a different essay, McMillan Cottom discusses beauty and, rather than advocating for widening beauty norms to include blackness, she theorizes why, without blackness, beauty itself, as concept and commodity, is impossible. She also offers an alternative to appeals for inclusion, the opting out of beauty, a refusal to play along and make white women, who tell her she's attractive, feel better about themselves. Yet perhaps the most urgent and devastating essay is the one in which the author discusses the risks black women experience in childbirth and in the American health-care system more generally. Contextualizing her personal story within statistics on pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths among black women, as well as black children's mortality rates, the author delves into the causes of black women's struggles to receive equitable medical treatment, a struggle that even Serena Williams could not evade.
Academics tend to be skeptics, and McMillan Cottom is plenty skeptical. How can she not be when black female intellectuals have to juggle multiple jobs while David Brooks gets to opine about soppressata and its connection to class conflict on the pages of The New York Times? As she points out in "Girl 6," the final essay of the collection, it is only in July 2018 that The New York Times, one of the most circulated newspapers in the United States, hired its first woman of color as a regular columnist, Michelle Alexander, author of the seminal book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. On its surface, the essay appears as a longform diss on Brooks, but it is much more than that: an interrogation of how a public intellectual with one of the biggest megaphones in the United States can avoid serious engagement with black female thinkers. But skepticism is not the same as hopelessness. If McMillan Cottom was hopeless, she would not spend her energy producing the kind of writing that's "a problem for power." Nor would she dare her readers to imagine a world in which liberal white America not only repeats the mantra "trust black women" but actually lives by it. What would it take to bring about such a world? First and foremost, black women would need to be presumed competent and thus taken seriously as authorities — at the very least, on their own experience — whether they are speaking in a major newspaper, a faculty meeting, or a doctor's office.
Maggie Levantovskaya is a writer, editor, and professor based in the Bay Area.
Maggie Levantovskaya
Urgent Call for the Respect of Women and Minorities: Kevin Powell's "My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man."
Charlie Braxton is excited by Kevin Powell's new essay collection....
Anger Persists: On Rebecca Traister's "Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger"
"Good and Mad" uses several prisms for revealing the nuances of women's anger in the second decade of the 21st century....
Young, Restless, Gifted, and Black: Exploring the Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry with Imani Perry
Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn talks to Imani Perry about her new biography of Lorraine Hansberry....
The Black Girl Looks at Other Black Girls: On "This Will Be My Undoing" by Morgan Jerkins
The themes in "This Will Be My Undoing" are the safe, plodding kind expected from so-called diverse writers....
Tenure and Diversity: An Interview with Patricia Matthew
Colin Dickey talks to Patricia Matthew about her new essay collection, "Written/Unwritten: Diversity and the Hidden Truths of Tenure."...


text:
Q: LINQ Transform/Pivot I am working on a project where I am using entity framework to hold information in simple POCO classes, manipulating it, and then outputting to OpenXML reports.
I have the following example class:
public class ClassA
{
   property string SectionName {get;set;}
   property string Status {get;set;}
   property int SingleValue {get;set;}
   property int CoupleValue {get;set;}
   property int FamilyValue {get;set;}
}

This could be populated for example:
SectionName = 'Category 1'
Status = 'Opening'
SingleValue = 0
CoupleValue = 0
FamilyValue = 0

SectionName = 'Category 1'
Status = 'Current'
SingleValue = 1
CoupleValue = 1
FamilyValue = 1

SectionName = 'Category 1'
Status = 'Closing'
SingleValue = 2
CoupleValue = 2
FamilyValue = 2

SectionName = 'Category 2'
Status = 'Opening'
SingleValue = 0
CoupleValue = 0
FamilyValue = 0

SectionName = 'Category 2'
Status = 'Current'
SingleValue = 1
CoupleValue = 1
FamilyValue = 1

SectionName = 'Category 2'
Status = 'Closing'
SingleValue = 2
CoupleValue = 2
FamilyValue = 2

In my code I have a ICollection of these:
ICollection<ClassA> Classes;

Is there a way to transform/pivot this collection to this ready for outputting using LINQ:
SectionName | ValueLabel | OpeningValue | CurrentValue | ClosingValue
Category 1  | Single     | 0            | 1            | 2
Category 1  | Couple     | 0            | 1            | 2
Category 1  | Family     | 0            | 1            | 2
Category 2  | Single     | 0            | 1            | 2
Category 2  | Couple     | 0            | 1            | 2
Category 2  | Family     | 0            | 1            | 2

A: You can come up with something like this:
var l = new List<Test>
{
    new Test { SectionName = "Cat 1", Status = "Opening", SingleValue = 0, CoupleValue = 0, FamilyValue = 0 },
    new Test { SectionName = "Cat 1", Status = "Current", SingleValue = 1, CoupleValue = 1, FamilyValue = 1 },
    new Test { SectionName = "Cat 1", Status = "Closing", SingleValue = 2, CoupleValue = 2, FamilyValue = 2 },
    new Test { SectionName = "Cat 2", Status = "Opening", SingleValue = 0, CoupleValue = 0, FamilyValue = 0 },
    new Test { SectionName = "Cat 2", Status = "Current", SingleValue = 1, CoupleValue = 1, FamilyValue = 1 },
    new Test { SectionName = "Cat 2", Status = "Closing", SingleValue = 2, CoupleValue = 2, FamilyValue = 2 },
};

const string strValue = "Value";
var cats = l.Select(x => x.SectionName).Distinct().ToArray();
var catNo = cats.Length;
var valProps = new Test().GetType().GetProperties().Where(p => p.Name.EndsWith(strValue)).ToArray();
var vals = valProps.Select(p => p.Name.Split(strValue).First()).ToArray();
var valsNo = vals.Length;
var elNo = catNo * valsNo;
var dictOpClCu = l.GroupBy(t => t.Status).ToDictionary(g => g.Key, g => g
    .SelectMany(t => valProps.Select(p => (int) p.GetValue(t, null))).ToArray());

var l2 = new List<Test2>();
var currCat = -1;
var currVal = -1;
for (var i = 0; i < elNo; i++)
{
    l2.Add(new Test2
    {
        Section = cats[i % (elNo / catNo) != 0 ? currCat : ++currCat],
        ValueLabel = vals[++currVal % valsNo],
        OpeningValue = dictOpClCu["Opening"][i],
        ClosingValue = dictOpClCu["Closing"][i],
        CurrentValue = dictOpClCu["Current"][i]
    });
}

Terst Classes:
public class Test
{
    public string SectionName { get; set; }
    public string Status { get; set; }
    public int SingleValue { get; set; }
    public int CoupleValue { get; set; }
    public int FamilyValue { get; set; }
}

public class Test2
{
    public string Section { get; set; }
    public string ValueLabel { get; set; }
    public int OpeningValue { get; set; }
    public int CurrentValue { get; set; }
    public int ClosingValue { get; set; }

    public override string ToString() => $"{Section} | {ValueLabel} | {OpeningValue} | {CurrentValue} | {ClosingValue}";
}

A: You can do this with LINQ by grouping on the SectionName and converting the groups into dictionaries on the Status:
var ans = Classes.GroupBy(c => c.SectionName)
                 .Select(cg => new { Key = cg.Key, Values = cg.ToDictionary(c => c.Status) })
                 .SelectMany(cg => new[] {
                    new Output { SectionName = cg.Key, ValueLabel = "Single", OpeningValue = cg.Values["Opening"].SingleValue, CurrentValue = cg.Values["Closing"].SingleValue, ClosingValue = cg.Values["Current"].SingleValue },
                    new Output { SectionName = cg.Key, ValueLabel = "Couple", OpeningValue = cg.Values["Opening"].CoupleValue, CurrentValue = cg.Values["Closing"].CoupleValue, ClosingValue = cg.Values["Current"].CoupleValue },
                    new Output { SectionName = cg.Key, ValueLabel = "Family", OpeningValue = cg.Values["Opening"].FamilyValue, CurrentValue = cg.Values["Closing"].FamilyValue, ClosingValue = cg.Values["Current"].FamilyValue }
                 }).ToList();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Common NFC Tags don't work close to metals.
These Anti-metal NFC Tags (also known as On-metal Tags) are specially made with the purpose to be applied on metal surfaces.
Why? Because on-metal tags have a special shielding layer of ferrite material.
All our NFC tags are tested before shipping.


text:
Senator Tom Coburn — Standing Up Against HIV/AIDS
March 10, 2006 by Bruce Carroll
This came to me earlier this week from Log Cabin Republicans.
Log Cabin Republicans are encouraged by Senator Tom Coburn's (R-OK) efforts to improve the Ryan White CARE Act. He unveiled legislation today to reauthorize the CARE Act, which expired September 30, 2005. "We applaud Senator Coburn's commitment to the Ryan White CARE Act," said Log Cabin President Patrick Guerriero. "Dr. Coburn's legislation provides a powerful jump start to the process of reauthorizing this critical act."
Dr. Coburn's bill aims to expand access to life-saving medical care, improve the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), reduce bureaucracy and increase accountability. "Log Cabin hopes this proposal will help spur action in Congress to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act as soon as possible," said Guerriero. "Reauthorizing and improving the CARE Act is crucial for the hundreds of thousands of Americans living with this disease."
Dr. Coburn's legislation was written with input from HIV/AIDS community leaders across the country. His proposal includes amendments to ensure the CARE Act can better respond to changes in the epidemic by targeting federal resources to communities most in need. It calls for prioritizing early diagnosis, expanding access to life-saving medical care and treatment, and improving ADAP.
Log Cabin has been lobbying GOP members of Congress on the importance of reauthorizing the CARE Act. Log Cabin also has been coordinating our efforts with HIV/AIDS organizations and GLBT groups. "We encourage people to examine this bill and engage in constructive dialogue in the coming weeks and months to help make sure this process produces the best bill possible," said Guerriero. "We look forward to working with Health Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) and other GOP lawmakers to help assure reauthorization of the CARE Act."
President Bush called on Congress in his State of the Union address last month to reauthorize and reform the Ryan White CARE Act, which is the principal federal program that provides assistance to Americans infected with HIV/AIDS. For 15 years, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act has addressed the health needs of persons living with HIV disease by funding primary health care and support services.
The story behind the story is that the Gay Left groups, especially groups like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, have sat on the sidelines while the Ryan White Act expired last year. It takes a hard core conservative Republican Senator to come to the program's rescue. Now why would the folks from San Fran not be wailing about the Ryan White program expiring?
Because the program's formula has been paying for dead people's healthcare in San Francisco. Yep, the current formula of Ryan White supports so much 1980s AIDS infrastructure in San Fran, that the real patients of HIV/AIDS in the 21st Century are being penalized.
So what do the Leftists in California have against blacks who live in the South — that's the new face of HIV.
At least Senator Coburn and President Bush are willing to stand up and help HIV patients in the here and now.
Filed Under: Gay Politics, HIV/AIDS
March 10, 2006 at 8:56 am - March 10, 2006
Arrgh. So, how much is the latest round of compassionate conservativism going to cost us? I think a cynic could make a case that our funding of AIDS has been excessive… especially because since at least 1985, AIDS has been a largely preventable illness. There is also a cottage AIDS industry of activist groups, awareness groups, charities, legitimate research, and medical care that is now dependent upon a continuation of people getting AIDS. Not to mention a distinct subculture of "bug-chasers" actively seeking to become HIV positive (who, in my view, ought not be entitled to any kind of social benefit if they succeed).
Yeah, I know, it's pretty cynical and mean-spirited to bring all this out, but I'm just not one of those people who think those who knowingly engage in self-destructive behavior (and those who enable them) have an unlimited entitlement to the taxes of people who have made better life choices.
Michigan-Matt says
I'm not sure the GayLeft liberals will be able to get past Coburn's pro-life positions… the Democrat Party masters holding down the plantation sure as hell won't allow that…
Good for Coburn >Good post Bruce! Again.
Lori Heine says
'Scuse me, but isn't this the same Senator Tom Coburn who was afraid to let his daughter use a public restroom because of all those "rampant lesbians" who might assault her there?
The Left is in a pretty sorry state if they are being shown up by conservative Republicans — but there we are. Personally, I will take my allies anywhere I may find them. If Coburn wants to do something constructive to help those suffering from AIDS, then I don't care if he is a conservative Republican. More power to him.
When are gays and lesbians going to stop acting like passive little kiddies and letting the Left coddle us? Our allies sometimes come from the most unexpected of places.
Gene says
Good for the Ryan White Act. The man, however, is a mixed blessing. Remember, please, he said the following:
"Lesbianism is so rampant in some of the schools in southeast Oklahoma that they'll only let one girl go to the bathroom. Now think about it. Think about that issue. How is it that that's happened to us? "
Some variation of Reagan's "Trust but verify" surely must apply.
Remember, too, the RWA covers all persons with HIV–infants, non-gay women; today a newspaper article says a "grandmother" thinks she got HIV from a bone implant from an illegal use of body parts.
When are gays and lesbians going to stop acting like passive little kiddies and letting the Left coddle us?
The Left will continue to use you for as long as you allow yourselves to be used.
VdaK, and as long as the GayLeft remains happy on the Democrat Party plantation… along with blacks, jews, free speech radicals, enviromentalists, anti-Christians and urban dwellers.
March 10, 2006 at 1:58 pm - March 10, 2006
Kudos to Coburn.
As to your "facts" regarding the S.F. AIDS Foundation "sitting on the sidelines," abuse of ADAP, etc., how about a point of reference? And let's be candid: When Focus on the Family trumps science as it does in Bush's Administration, including suppressing an HPV vaccine, channeling 33% of the AIDS budget through faith-based operations, suppressing Plan B, prohibition of referring to "condom" in AIDS prevention, "abortion" in family planning, and the first cut in health science research ever (See, New Yorker, Mar 13, two articles), why would S.F. AIDS Foundation become engaged in national politics? Especially in light of the Administration's contempt for science generally, and the reality that Focus on the Family can trump science?
Yes, something is terribly amiss. But the obvious — the big elephant in the middle of the room — seems to escape your scrutiny. And the piddling issues you do raise, even if true, are insignificant in the larger context. Scientists have a palpable fear of this Administration, and for very good reason. But once again you deliberately miss the obvious, and focus on trivia, hardly relevant trivia to boot. The patient is bleeding, and you focus on his hangnail?
North Dallas Thirty says
Because, if pushing condoms, bashing morality and abstinence, and promoting safe sex actually works, the SF AIDS Foundation should have a mountain of statistics and science showing a nonexistent new infection rate — after all, that's what they've been doing for decades.
Instead we have one of the highest rates of HIV AND STD new infections in the country.
Perhaps it's time we ask questions like WHY we get upset over Oklahoma schools not wanting teenage girls to have lesbian sex in public school restrooms, or WHY we get upset over telling teenagers that there are religious and moral reasons to abstain from sex, or WHY we promote a method of birth control that requires one to have unprotected sex to need it.
The answer is because gay "activists" don't care about ideology trumping science, as long as it's THEIR ideology.
syn says
Well, back in the 70's I was teached in collage that we has the collective constitution right to has sexual relations with anythings any time we want without no worrys cause sex learns us who we is. (me, a former liberal)
Seriously, when it came to fighting AIDS in the early 80's how were state public health officals going to get past gay activists demanding 'right to privacy' sexual behavior is no one's business for gay bath houses in major metropolitian cities where AIDS was allowed to incubate then spread throughout America's mainstream gays?
Oh I forgot, we were told that spread of AIDS was Reagan's fault. How many gays and grannies receiving bone transplants had to die before that lie was debunked?
The results of allowing politically correct politics controlled by collectivists whose sexual hangups inspire their narcissistic madness that screwing anything is the path towards self-understanding, sexuality is a pleasure not a responsibility and that it's Peter's job to pay for Paul's utopia.
How will AIDS be cured if we cannot speak of the behaviors which enable the spread of this disease. Last year in NYC a new stain of virus was found in a man high on speed having sex with hundreds of men. The story ran for a day then never spoken of again. Now one would think that after some 20 years of activism and billions raised to fight AIDS people would not be indulging in the behavior of having multiple sex partners engaging in high risk sex.
Waiting for some magical potion while people continue to spread the disease by ignoring behavior
hank says
The reason the story of the"new aids strain" faded, is that it was apparently an isolated case.
http://www.aidsmeds.com/news/20050725clin013.html
http://www.searchforacure.org/la_times.asp
This is not to say that there couldn't be a new virulent AIDS virus out there. People need to take responsibility for themselves and their partner(s). Are there still bathhouses?
We had a significant drop in the rate of infection here in NYC, simply using condoms. I don't klnow what has happened. What's with the "barebacking", and insane "bug chasing" nuts?
Stephen with "Scientists have a palpable fear of this Administration….", there you go again. NO, "they" don't; a small vocal minority of wingnut scientists do.
The ones that do are the scientists who think religion is not relevant to moral issues, that unfettered scientific research is the only acceptable norm, that science does not serve society… society should serve scientific inquiry as defined by the sientists and that the federal govt should pay for all research with a blank check and not question the scientists.
We saw this same kind of arrogance in the space program in 1960's, in the environmental sciences in the 1970's, in cancer research in the 1980's, in AIDS research in the 1990's and in genetic engineering in the 2000's.
Question, Mr-big-elephant-in-the-room-Stephen, why is that you think some scientists "fear" this Administration? Are they now the target of NSA terrorist wiretaps?
What utter rubbish. It's like saying that Catholic nuns are against the Church and hoisting up the last batch of radical feminists still lingering in the hallways of frigid convents and positing they represent all nuns.
Thank you. And when we've gotten to the point that something so basic and incontrovertible as "the only way to absolutely avoid STDs is to keep it in your pants" gets jeers and guffaws, then something is terribly wrong.
It's not the government's place to baby us, take care of us, or change our diapers.
rwp, you know in that libertarian yang and pile-on of VdaK's, you've turned your back on over 100 years of social progress and the expansion of government?
I think Thos Jefferson, aside from being a coward in the face of British troops, had one thing right: we need another revolution to "right" the ship of govt.
Reagan started it; Engler in Michigan helped it along… but whacking the federal budget by about 50% would be a good start… to hell with the Depts of Ed, HUD, Labor, Interior, Commerce and VetAffairs. DoD and Treasury could be pared down too.
hank, "barebacking" and "bug chasers"? It's their right to join the class of GayLefties known collectively as Victims. They fit in better with the GayLeft then.
Patrick (gryph) says
Wow. I don't suppose that anyone might be willing to consider that the "truth" of all this may be somewhere in the middle and may have absolutely nothing to do with what political party you belong to.
Why is every issue discussed here viewed through an absolutist idealogical lens that often very obviously reflects only scattered shards of reality?
I remember the early days of the AIDS crisis. Most of the men I knew at that time are dead now. There were plenty of angels and demons running around both caring for people and condemning them to hell. It had little to nothing to do with what political party you belonged too. AIDS certainly didn't give a fuck about this crap. Republicans got put in the ground just as often as Democrats did. And everyone made a lot of mistakes. The gay community did, the government did, the Congress and the President did, we all made a lot of mistakes. There was also a lot of good that got done. And not in the name of some political party.
Politics were and are a part of the history of AIDS. And both the Republican and Democratic parties have hijacked various parts of it to further their own ends. But it was primarily a struggle for survival, not political maneuvering.
I doubt that they have a political thought in their heads.
NDT mistakes a community outreach agency that helps PWA for a public health department. Just another categorical mistake. It happens a lot here. I've certainly been critical of the Foundation in the past, and it was wholly justified. But let's make sure criticisms are at least relevant, before pushing some "reject" button. Confusing something so basic as a community outreach program with a department of public health shows how confused this thinking is.
LOL…that's the best you can do, Stephen?
The simple fact, Stephen, is that the SF AIDS Foundation has regularly pushed condoms, bashed morality and abstinence, and promoted safe sex above all else. Given the degree of influence they have over the public health programs in this city, it isn't surprising that their attitudes are mirrored in them.
However, even after two decades of this enlightened and "scientific" ideology, we STILL have one of the highest rates of new STD and HIV infections in the country, even more than those "unenlightened" areas. Indeed, we've been the place where you can find diseases that were previously almost nonexistent in nearly epidemic proportions.
Science would seem to indicate that your ideology failed. But maybe that's the point; since the SF AIDS Foundation receives funding based on the number of cases they support, it's in their best interest to keep making sure that more and more people end up infected. Meanwhile, as GP ably points out, the black community is being shorted rather immensely.
March 10, 2006 at 11:37 pm - March 10, 2006
What do you suggest as an alternative? Quartantine?
I don't mean that in a flip way. But do you think that saying "don't have sex" would work. I don't.
Pfft, no, hank. That's illegal; besides, it didn't work in the Middle Ages, and it wouldn't work now.
What I would suggest is something to the effect of "Wait Until the Third Date", for two reasons; gay men have not only forgotten how to wait, they've forgotten why it's worth waiting in the first place. Things like conversation, getting to know you, and talking first would not only head off about three-quarters of the unprotected sex that takes place in our community, but might also lead to rediscovering the fine art of viewing another male as something more than a method of stimulation that doesn't require batteries.
The "romantic" in me is attracted to NDT's "Wait Till Third Date," but what happens at that magic date that is any different from the first, second, fouth, fifth, etc., date? If one only gets "it" right on the third date, whatever "it" is, then this romantic notion might have merit. But I really do not have any idea of why the third date is magical, or what epiphany, if any, happens.
Most HIV+ men are serodating. And because they are already positive, many in the community, bolstered by SOME medical specialists, claim this presents no health risks. Because the virus mutates, I'm not sure that claim can be sustained. But whichever is true, new HIV infections are almost nihl by virtue of keeping HIV contained. But STDs, sadly, are up. So maybe "use condom until serious" might be a more appropriate slogan, at which time all the "bugs" can be worked out before slipping off the rubber.
HIV infections among gay men have remained static; the increases are in the black and Hispanic populations. Even the static statistics are disheartening, because it's evidence that still too many don't practice safe sex. Where have these people been these past 25 years? Or, is it that antivirals make getting HIV "less" lethal? Or, is it because any AIDS education can no longer mention "condoms," but must promote abstinence only? I don't think Focus on the Family's approach to sex appeals to GLBT. "If one lives by the sword, one should die by the sword. Actions have consequences," Focus screams, "so those who play with fire deserve to get burnt." Something tells me that Jesus would not approve. But how often has the world heard from these religious wingnuts that gawd punishes those who disobey gawd? I guess Jesus's denunciation of that kind of thinking escaped them.
AIDS has no doubt changed many things, many for the better, some for the worse. But dealing with the viral epidemic through abstinence and not mentioning "condoms" aren't viable in the slightest. And, as always, some people just cannot accept responsibility for themselves or others. Others still, especially younger, think themselves immortal, and don't care. But worst of all, is the thought that AIDS is best addressed through faith-based organizations, just say "no," and prohibition of citing condoms as a means of prevention.
Yes, many values have become confused. Some of those confusions have their etiology in public policy itself. But, if we've learned anything, HIV is an equal opportunity killer. And it seems, every so often, we've completely forgotten that truth.
'Wait until the third date."
That is amature idea. But aren't we talking about fairly young people?
Those raging hormones from 15 to 25 (even longer with some), just won't listen to that developing mature voice in their heads saying "wait".
DinaFelice says
March 11, 2006 at 11:35 am - March 11, 2006
And let's be candid: When Focus on the Family trumps science as it does in Bush's Administration, including suppressing an HPV vaccine, channeling 33% of the AIDS budget through faith-based operations, suppressing Plan B, prohibition of referring to "condom" in AIDS prevention, "abortion" in family planning, and the first cut in health science research ever (See, New Yorker, Mar 13, two articles), why would S.F. AIDS Foundation become engaged in national politics?
Um, Stephen? Just a quick question…what do Plan B or abortion have to do with HIV/AIDS?
Or are you more concerned with ranting about Focus on the Family and Bush than talking about this serious health crisis?
Or are you more concerned with ranting about Focus on the Family and Bush than talking about this serious health crisis? "
Because Focus on the Family is preventing the widespread use of vaccines against a type of cancer spread by sexual contact on the grounds that if young people were immunized they would be more inclined to be sexually active. They have said that they would also likely oppose distributing AIDS vaccinations for the same reasons.
Not to mention that one of people on the board of CDC now is a former medical advisor to Focus on the Family and helps set health care policy for the country including efforts to combat AIDS.
If you can't see the connection, well….
NDT, even if the SF AIDS Foundation were replaced by Focus on the Family, SF would still have one of the highest rates of new infections in the country. Due to the fact that gay men are still largely concentrated in large cities. So SF, LA and NYC all have high rates of new infections.
I'm not saying you don't have a point, but thats not the whole story.
And there has been some controversy over whether the data on the rate of infections is accurate. Every newspaper in the country seems to think that, but I never see any data to back it up. And of course if we follow your logic to its conclusion, then it makes sense for SF Aids foundation to scream its a vast epidemic just in order to maintain its funding. Not that I'm conspiracy theorist mind you.
Besides, you live there now. Why haven't you brought out your can of whoop-ass and straightened these people out? 😉
However, even after two decades of this enlightened and "scientific" ideology, we STILL have one of the highest rates of new STD and HIV infections in the country, even more than those "unenlightened" areas.
And the liberal response: we're not doing enough of what we do. Never mind that what they do doesn't work; that's not conceivable to a liberal. It's the same with the War on Poverty and entitlement programs. They have demonstrably harmed, and not helped. But liberals claim they just aren't pouring enough money into them.
Tim Hulsey says
Except that the rate of new infections among Gay men is declining in San Francisco. Rapidly. It's about half of what it was four years ago, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Whatever AIDS groups are doing in SF, it appears to be working.
Carl says
-Perhaps it's time we ask questions like WHY we get upset over Oklahoma schools not wanting teenage girls to have lesbian sex in public school restrooms,-
The question I have is when did an Oklahoma school ever say that this was even an issue? Tom Coburn is the only one who ever brought this issue up. When the Oklahoma press asked schools if they were having a problem with lesbian sex in the bathrooms, they said no.
Because Focus on the Family is preventing the widespread use of vaccines against a type of cancer spread by sexual contact on the grounds that if young people were immunized they would be more inclined to be sexually active.
Oh really? What exactly does their position paper say?
Therefore, Focus on the Family supports widespread (universal) availability of HPV vaccines but opposes mandatory HPV vaccinations for entry to public schools.
And the "can of whoop-ass" I am using is straightening these people out on what groups like Focus on the Family are actually SAYING, so that AIDS and gay activists are no longer running around in the street making fools and liars out of the gay community by repeating false information based on their stereotypes of these groups.
Um, no, Tim; you see, they were doing the same thing when it shot back up again. What they basically are doing is wasting money on making themselves feel good while gay men blindly figure out our own way to manage.
Again, Carl, WHY do you get upset over Oklahoma schools not wanting teenage girls to have lesbian sex in public school restrooms?
The correct answer in this case is: "Senator Coburn is right. It is certainly inappropriate for teenage girls to be having sex in public school restrooms; if schools are concerned about it being widespread, they should enact appropriate policies, one of which could be allowing only one girl to go to the restroom at a time."
If it's a "who cares?" issue, than treat it like one.
-Again, Carl, WHY do you get upset over Oklahoma schools not wanting teenage girls to have lesbian sex in public school restrooms?-
I don't, but they never said this was a problem. So why is this even an issue? If PETA said that high schools were sacrificing kittens as part of some cult, and high schools denied this, then the response shouldn't be, "Why don't you want to stop kitten sacrifices?"
-If it's a "who cares?" issue, than treat it like one.-
It is a "who cares" issue for most people but Coburn.
#7 re: " the first cut in health science research ever " — The interesting bit is that Stephen… who favors with regular rants about Bush's irresponsible levels of spending… is now bitching about one of the rare instances in which federal spending is reduced.
#33, VdaK –Stephen is a contrarian just to be contrary. Please don't ask me provide cites –it's just too painful a task to consider going back over his comments and pulling examples.
For Stephen, Bush could propose something radical like increasing the minimum wage by $2 or ending 6-8 weapons systems and Stephen would say: "Doesn't Bush know a wage hike will stall the economy?" or "GOPers are no longer the party of National Defense; it's the Democrats because they know the importance of weapon systems development for our long term interests, local economies, and working families."
Like Ms Pelosi, WeScreamDean, Teddy-drive-my-way-K, Sen Debbie StupidCow or Governor Good Smile Granholm, he's going to be contrary to anything coming from Bush, the WH, Congress or the GOP because the Democrats are the party of "Just Say No; Just Do No".
It's the prayer of Saint Contrarian –btw, he's also the patron saint of hopeless causes.
#34 — I was mainly just intending to point that out by example, although I think contrarian is far too dignified a word for what he is.
As I've said before, if Bush personally discovered a cure for cancer, Stephen would rant endlessly about how Bush's idiocy was destroying the oncology profession.
Again, Carl, same answer:
"PETA is right. It is certainly inappropriate for schools to be sacrificing kittens for cult rituals. If PETA is concerned about it as a widespread problem, they should contact local school boards and lobby them to enact appropriate policies."
Never answer a vague charge without clearly stating what you oppose.
Actually NDT, the position paper proves my point. Instead of recommending it as mandatory inoculation for schools like for diphtheria, measles, etc., they want to make it optional.
They pulled this crap when the vaccine for Hepatitis B came out a few years ago too. So instead of recommending it to be included as part of regular vaccination for newborns, they made it optional but suggested it for "high risk" populations. AKA prostitutes and homosexuals.
But it wasn't until they relented and did recommend it as part of newborn vaccinations that the rates of Hepatitis B infections started to go down.
IF this weren't a vaccine against a disease that can be sexually transmitted, there would not be this discussion. Not vaccinating people is simply stupid. But "stupid" yet politically correct is the litmus test created by the Bush Administration for important scientific advisory boards.
Critical difference, Gryph; the diseases you mention, i.e. diptheria, measles, and even hepatitis B, are spread by means other than sexual contact.
The reason children are required to be vaccinated against those aforementioned diseases before attending public school is because they can be spread by activities that are normally carried out during the day and which cannot be easily stopped without damaging the educational process. The risk of vaccination (and there is a risk) is counterbalanced by those requirements.
HPV, on the other hand, is spread exclusively by sexual contact. The only legitimate reason for requiring it for public school attendance is if students were regularly and repeatedly having sex during the school day as a required portion of their activities.
In short, scientific evidence would show that there is no reason to require this vaccination for public school attendance.
But, since you need to cover your ass after getting it kicked by facts when you insisted that Focus on the Family was "preventing the widespread use" of the HPV vaccine AND because you are unable to admit you were wrong, there's plenty of ideological reason to insist that parents be forced to vaccinate their children against a disease to which they would never be exposed in the course of a normal school day in order to attend school.
My suggestion: Learn to hate Focus on the Family less before you make a complete and utter fool of yourself.
Learn to hate Focus on the Family less before you make a complete and utter fool of yourself.
Waaaaaaaaaaay too late for GrampaGryph.
"PETA is right. It is certainly inappropriate for schools to be sacrificing kittens for cult rituals. If PETA is concerned about it as a widespread problem, they should contact local school boards and lobby them to enact appropriate policies."-
And then people would think that high schools were sacrificing kittens, because they gave a statement which implied PETA was right.
God of Biscuits says
hey Bruce, how about some evidence of what you're saying? Or is actually backing up what you rant about anathema to extremists like you?
I want proof that SFAF sat on the sidelines, and weren't just overpowered by a—wait for it—Republican Whitehouse and Republican Congress? It was the REPUBLICANS that let the Ryan White Act expire. It's THEIR FAULT.
People in San Francisco and everywhere else who actually have some understanding of the tragedy and the history wail about the lapse of the Ryan White Act because it helped.
Yet there you are, blaming everyone but the people who actually let it end.
God of Biscuits, if Bruce can't respond at this point, it's not too hard for you to do your homework and answer the question you pose. Of course, you won't do that 'cause the truth hurts. Just like any political embarrassment you and your pals feel at having to have Coburn move reauthorization forward.
First, both the SFAF and CAEAR strongly advocated policy positions which were in opposition to the larger budget priorities of the WH and Congress >> for instance, opposing the 5% discretionary rule for the HHS Secy to better respond to agency needs. That's just one of many.
Or how about SFAF and CAEAR's choice to irritate the WH on spending priorities after the WH acted to increase funding by about $100m this year for CARE programs, plus another $90m for prevention, plus restoring and increasing the 2006FY cuts for housing. We're now up to $2.1b –billions! SFAF and CAEAR can grouse, bitch, whine, and undercut but it's billions of dollars not moving until reauthorization occurs.
And then what does the SFAF and its political actors do? They go to Nancy Pelosi –one of the best politicians to go to if you want to get anything done in DC– and encourage her to piss off the House leadership by demanding a revote on the 2006 Budget bill!! WTF, Biscuit? It's like salt in the wound; SFAF & CAEAR knew what their stunt would solicit.
Gheez, no wonder it takes a Sen GOP conservative with compassion to try to put the pieces back together and advance reauthorization.
With friends like SFAF and CAEAR and the other Democrat Plantation gays, our community's interests are being well served. Oh yeah, well served. Bruce was right in pointing out that SFAF has been sitting on the sidelines of CONSTRUCTIVE action…. 100% correct.
Here in Michigan, we don't work to piss off and irritate the people holding the purse strings, no matter how well it benefits the barnburners in the Democrat party or their cronies in the gay community. We work within the power structure to advance the goal of reauthorization. It's $2.1b and that's not chicken feed.
SFAF is sitting on the sidelines instead of working within the power structure in DC to advance our community's interests for reauthorization. They'd rather help their Democrat Party masters score political points. Like a lot of radical liberals, they'd rather hold clients hostage and inflame passions, beat up on political opponents and score partisan points instead of working within the system for progress.
Hope that answers your rhetorical question. I could speak volumes to how the GayLeft's Democrat buds have screwed us on this one, single issue. But you get the point.
Gosh, Matt, careful or people might think you have a thing for me.
*I* didn't make the initial assertion; therefore the onus of proof (or even evidence!) is not on me.
Am I to conclude, Michigan-Matt, that when Clinton was in the Whitehouse you didn't open your mouth and just played the lapdog until political fortunes were more in your favor?
One thing I *will* conclude is that you agree that the Republicans put their own greed ahead of the real needs of real people who are dying.
Sort of like the Roman Catholics in Massachusetts deciding that they won't baptize babies of gay couples, and have stopped helping with adoptions statewide because the state refuses to discriminate against gays.
But then, I guess only us bleeding heart types think that the money should be spend according to need, not according to how much ass kissing was done by those who need.
GoB, it's ok… people will cut you some slack 'cause you're in recovery.
You asked for some "proof" that the SFAF sat on their collective asses and twiddled away precious time on the reauth of White; not me. I gave it; not you. Case settled there.
As to the point about the Catholic Church in Mass. not baptizing gay couples' babies… well, what can one say about a Church organization that allowed C Law to stay in power when his hands were bloodied by the acts of gay priests predating on innocent altar boys and other crimes of sexual misprison and abuse? I guess when it comes to gay issues, the Church is rightly a little bit shy these days. That's ok. Bene16 is going to be kicking some royal clerical butt in the American seminaries soon. But I doubt you care about that –you're probably bringing it up to score gay activist points.
Here in Michigan, all 8 dioceses will baptize a baby of any Catholic parent who supports the Church. I've been to 3 at just our parish in 2005 and one in Columbus. In fact, in cases of illness, the baby doesn't need to even have Catholic parents. Can't speak for Mass. dioceses; sorry. C Law in is Rome as head of the Congregation of Priests, if you can believe that; go talk with him but be respectful –the Swiss Guards have big pikes (no, get your mind out fo the gutter).
And as to the issue of gay activists in Boston forcing the Catholic Church to abandon it's moral code and place at risk children in the homes of gay parents, I'd say there are hundreds of other agencies who can take care of the placement, so why are gay activists so Hell bent on forcing the Church to abandon its principles? These are special needs kids, GoB. Special needs. Mitt Romney (another Michigander) has it right: he supports the position I just outlined.
I see your position as kind of like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, the tub, the towel, the toys, the shampoo, the onesie and that extra soft little white brush. Foolish and impractical. Might feel good, but those special needs kids deserve better, GoB.
Now, to the heart of rant and anger: you don't like it when gays don't walk the marchline with you on acceptable political thought. It's clear from your blog; it's clear from your rants. Sorry, but policy always trump politics in my book and the politics of holding SFAF clients hostage so that CAEAR leadership can score political points with the Democrat Party is just wrong. It's putting those most vulnerable at the greatest risk.
Kind of like abortion. Kind like pedophile priests. Kind of like child porn producers and purveyors. Hazzarding the most vulnerable at the greatest risk –might be a Liberal tendency?
Policy first; the politics can take care of itself. Try it GoB; it worked for the first 200+ yrs of the Republic.
POZ Guy says
May 18, 2006 at 12:38 pm - May 18, 2006
Seeking other HIV positive people (AIDS, PWA) to chat about dealing with being "POZ", please drop in and visit me on http://www.13km.com 😉


text:
Q: Failed to load resources with Jekyll on a Github page I am trying to create a website using Github pages and Jekyll. After finding one preferred template, forking it, and running the website, I see that my website is not the same as the template.
I receive this error under "inspect element -> console":

Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)

A friend of mine said that Jekyll could not load the resource because this website is dynamic, whereas Github only hosts static pages.
Is it possible to host this template on GitHub?
Image of my website:

UPDATE: There seems to be missing a file titled modernizr.js which I could not find in the original repo. I created a new issue and hope the owners of the repo respond. This however is also shown when inspecting the original template. So this might not be the problem.
SECOND UPDATE: When I inspect both the original template, and my version of the website, under Sources I see that assest/css of the original template has two more .css files. My repo has those files, but my website does not seem to load them.

A: Without seeing the actual URL or knowing if the screenshot is the local or hosted website, it's a bit difficult to say what's going on. If possible, you could send a link or clarify if the screenshot is local or hosted.
However, usually this 404 indicates a base_url problem. It is possible, that on GitHub you are hosting from a subfolder, while you don't do that local.
If this is the case, you can fix it by using a baseurl. You can add the base URL in _config.yml. Or you could set it at generation time by using:
--baseurl URL

Another option would be to use environments. Personally, I would create a simple shell script for generating for GitHub and use the --baseurl modified, but that's totally a matter of taste.
Re your friends answer, GitHub is indeed hosting the website static. Actually you are running Jekyll "dynamic" local, but it's also generating static content. Thus Jekyll serve does nothing else than putting static content to a folder, which is then served by web rick. There is no "real" dynamics like in PHP. It should also not have anything to do with your problem.
UPDATE: I was checking your sites repository and it seems there is no file called modernizerjs. https://github.com/aulon/mjeshtri/tree/master/assets/js
Is it possible you forgot to commit it?
UPDATE 2: This is the problem: https://github.com/st4ple/solid-jekyll/blob/master/_includes/css/style.css#L13-L14 The files are both imported, but this import does not respect the baseurl. You can either process this file by adding front matter and applying the base url, or you remove these two lines and link it from head.html directly. I would do the second one.


My pattern is one quilt, two ways. The top version is made with a solid background and all Bonnie and Camille fabrics in red, green and a few grey. The version below is a scrappier version made with all Cotton + Steel fabrics.
I indulged myself by ordering the latest releases for my backing fabrics. The new Cotton + Steel with the little reindeer and a new green dot from Bonnie + Camille's "Little Ruby" line. The binding below is from "Little Ruby" as well.
Wow what a great line-up of pattern designers! Staying tuned.
My "Tinsel" leftovers may Just find their way into a Being Charming is a Plus quilt. thanks For the two variations.
Your quilts look wonderful! I really like the wavy quilting that you did for the C&S quilt….such a great stitch! I love the C&S Reindeer fabric too :).


text:
Q: Declaring multiple aliases in an advanced PowerShell function The documentation for declaring aliases in PowerShell cmdlets shows the following:
Function Get-SomeValue {
    [CmdletBinding()]
    Param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true,ValueFromPipeline=$true,Position=0)]
        [Alias("MachineName")]
        [string[]]$ComputerName
    )

    Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_ComputerSystem -ComputerName $ComputerName
}

What syntax do I use to create multiple aliases?

*

*[Alias("one","two","three)]

*[Alias("one")][Alias("two")][Alias("three")]

*None of the above

*Something else?

P.S. When using Get-Help, where are the aliases supposed to be shown?  So far I don't see them.

A: [Alias("one")][Alias("two")] and [Alias("one", "two")] both work. You see the aliases when you display the help for the parameter:

PS C:\> Get-Help Get-SomeValue -Parameter computername

-ComputerName <string[]>

    Required?                    true
    Position?                    0
    Accept pipeline input?       true (ByValue)
    Parameter set name           (All)
    Aliases                      one, two
    Dynamic?                     false

A: To complement Ansgar Wiechers' helpful answer:
If the documentation falls short, you can examine the underlying attribute class yourself, assuming some familiarity with C#:
[Alias(...)] implies class AliasAttribute in the System.Management.Automation namespace, i.e., System.Management.Automation.AutomationAttribute.
If you look up that class at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api, you'll find https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.management.automation.aliasattribute?view=powershellsdk-1.1.0, whose constructor has the following signature:

public AliasAttribute (params string[] aliasNames);

This tells you that multiple alias names can be passed to [Alias(...)] as individual arguments.


Josh Mannis, Zeal for the Law, 2012, still from a color HD video, 7 minutes 56 seconds.
The rather beguiling title of Josh Mannis's exhibition "Zeal for the Law" interconnects what might otherwise seem to be a rather disparate body of work. Such an emphatic allusion to authority also invites appraisal of the artist's drawing, collage, and video work as successful citations of art-historical styles and provocative explorations of genre. His compilation of procedures, which hits all the right contemporary signifiers, emits a distinct whiff of le bon ton; yet, with equal aplomb, Mannis transgresses these very same aesthetic regulations.