Lawrence Lewis | 200 Posts….
Interestingly enough this is my 200th post since starting this blog…not sure whether I should feel proud or disappointed…is this what happens when you have a good intention, lol? Point being that there was no real plan – other than to try and capture the essence of those mostly pretty average days with dozens of hidden in plain sight amazing moments…often just flashes of passing by inspiration and love right through to the other end of the spectrum of pain and desperation…and quite literally, if you look close enough you find your days full of the whole gamut. I guess that is the magic really, and the trick is not to let your senses atrophy to that seemingly trivial, average and dull day…because each is everything but that – I guarantee it. So when I look back over those 200 posts, I find some satisfaction creeping in…and it's okay I realize to smile at this memoir of sorts, and appreciate its legacy for whatever its worth…history they say will tell, and I am okay with that.


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LGBT Community Protests Extremist Hate Speech After Orlando
I AM DONE protestors stand against religious bigotry and hate speech on June 26 to declare that "Love Beats Hate." I AM DONE Facebook photo.
Samsom Park, Texas – A fundamentalist pastor west of Fort Worth carried hate speech and religious intolerance of LGBTQ people to a new low in the wake of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Massacre. Donnie Romero, leader of Stedfast Baptist Church, a small, independent, exceedingly angry group, stirred opposition by declaring that the cold blooded murder of LGBT people in Orlando, Florida on June 12 was God's judgment upon the victims.
In starkly bigoted language, Romero went on to declare that his only regret about the massacre was that no one had finished what the shooter had started. Anticipating that members of the LGBTQ community might picket his small storefront church, Romero publicly declared that since members of his church were Texans who had weapon permits, protestors just might get shot.
The Rapid Response group, I AM DONE, organized a protest of Romero's religious bigotry and carried out the direct action across the highway from Stedfast Baptist Church on Sunday morning, June 26. An estimated 50 protestors from across North Texas, protected by police from four local municipalities including Sansom Park, where the church is physically located, Lake View, Lake Worth, and Fort Worth, sang, chanted call-and-response, waved signs proclaiming Love, and read the names of the Orlando victims through a bullhorn during the church hour. The Texas heat was oppressive, but the protest was deemed successful since Romero's hate speech had been answered forcefully but peacefully.
The following are the remarks Rev. Dr. Stephen V. Sprinkle of Brite Divinity School delivered at the protest, entitled: "Lament, Discover, and Repair."
The Orlando massacre has forced America to stare into the abyss of our broken society. We have recoiled from what we have seen: not only the brutality of fear and loathing that took so many lives at the Pulse nightclub that night, but also the sickening complicity of a national culture that has set up the conditions for the slaughter of our people for generations.
Our feelings of remorse and loss are real and sharply painful; our burning anger is hot and real, as well.
But we cannot allow the abyss of race hatred, misogyny and heterosexist privilege to paralyze us with fear or anger — not again!
If others must continue the endless finger-pointing, let them. Not us, not again, not now!
We have a gaping hole in the American character to fix, and it will take all of us to do it, queer folk of faith, faith-free queer folk and allies alike. The spiritual resources that belong to American LGBTQ people are at hand, and we must discover how to use them to heal our broken hearts, our troubled minds, and to repair the ruins that yawn up at us from the abyss that bears so many names:
Mother Emanuel A.M.E.
Sandy Hook Elementary
The Upstairs Lounge Inferno
Wisconsin Sikh Temple
Aurora, Colorado, and
Virginia Tech, and more.
The Rev. Stephen Sprinkle of Brite Divinity School, flanked by other ministers, ended the protest with prayer. Other ministers attending included Chaplain Aaron Burk, the Rev. Mark Weathers of University Christian Church, the Rev. Heather Dunham of Universal Life Church, and the Rev. Russell Dalton with Brite Divinity School. Tammye Nash, Dallas Voice photo.
We must act according to the sources of our power, no matter what makes us afraid. The practice of lament clears the spiritual space that makes effective action possible.
Sadness can empower our souls as well as dis-empower them. We can erect shrines that tie us to the past, or we can discover the power to lament as a people until hope takes the place of despair.
Phyllis Trible, the ground-breaking author of Texts of Terror who told the stories of the wrong done to biblical women, has said that mourning alone changes little. But true change comes from insight, a change that can inspire individuals and even a whole generation to repentance.
She writes: "In other words, sad stories may yield new beginnings."
God knows, we have sad stories, and plenty of them. What we must find is the courage to cry out in public acts of lament that change despair into hope.
Rabbi Denise Eger, lesbian and president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, shows us how to turn sorrow into a new kind of power for good:
"Sister that I never held near,
Brother that I never embraced, our memory is almost lost:
The one we don't talk about.
The loving one who never married.
The one for whom no Kaddish was said.
Your loneliness calls out to me:
I know of your struggles, we are not strangers,
And if my path is easier, I will not forget who walked it first.
We call you to mind, but did you not sometimes think of us,
Your children, lovers across the years,
Those who would follow and would think of you and bless your memory
And call you to mind?
With David and Jonathan, we will not forget you,
With Ruth and Naomi, we will not forget you,
In the name of God you are our sisters and our brothers, and we ask that you be remembered for peace."
When we cry out to God from the depths of our collective sorrow, as my friend, Dean Joretta Marshall, of Brite Divinity School says, we begin to discover new possibilities for memory, compassion, empathy, and vision.
As we collaborate publicly in acts of lament when we are overwhelmed, we discover new ways to collaborate together in "life-giving hope."
Protests are important, but they do not capture the spiritual power of crying out together so that our despair may turn into hope, and inspiration gives our activism fresh ideas to address the venom the LGBTQ community faces, much of it inflicted in the name of religion.
Sorrow is not a destination. We need movements, not monuments or shrines, movements of "life-giving hope." So, together, before all the world, with our enemies included, we cry out until despair begins to transform into something new.
We remember before God the tens of thousands of our LGBTQ family martyred in years gone by. We remember those who died in the Inquisition, the Middle Passage, the Witch Craze, the Holocaust, and the struggle for civil rights.
We refuse to forget those, driven to despair by a world that hated them and who they loved, who took their own lives rather than face any longer the intolerable.
And we cannot forget those who lived out their days lonely, repressed, and afraid to reach out for affection and comfort, too hurt to give or receive the love they craved.
To us, in the memories we share in our seasons of lament, they have all become the martyrs of God, signs that we must make the world better than they found it. In the name of love, we pray, "O God, remember the sacrifices of these martyrs, and help us to bring and end to hate and oppression of every kind!"
We say and we believe that "Love Wins!" But in the struggle to repair the world, we have learned that love must be ferocious to win the new world we seek for ourselves, our children, and for everyone.
The story of the struggle for our human rights has lessons to teach, and one of the undeniable lessons of our history is that LGBTQ people have never been "given" anything. The heterosexist society in which we live never surrenders its power willingly. Our freedom has had to be won.
If our great theme is LOVE, from the right to love the one we choose, or the love of country that inspired us to defy Don't Ask, Don't Tell, to the love of human life itself because we are a people who are represented everywhere — in every group and race, and in every known social demographic from the beginning of recorded history — then we know from our own collective experience that love must be fierce in order for it to survive.
There is something divine in love like that, a divine imperative that will not be forestalled any longer, or postponed, or sidetracked. From the days of our forebears in the 19th century, we began to network across the boundaries of nations, to count the ever growing number of ourselves, and to realize that we were a powerful people united by a new sense of the possibilities of love.
Today, we are strengthened by amazing allies from every walk of life who understand that their future and ours are bound up with us in a contest to determine whether diversity and pluralism will prevail in our world, or whether patriarchal fear of immigrants, gender non-conformity, non-Caucasian people, and non-Judeo-Christian faiths — fears intensified by the rejection of the leadership gifts of women — will drag us backward.
Our most powerful ally in LGBTQ history, President Barack Obama, has shown us what a love with real backbone looks like. Like many of our allies, the president had to evolve in this thinking about what justice and equality for LGBTQ people called him to do. Once he got there, to the place of true equality and justice, he became our full-throated advocate.
His spiritual mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., taught him to face challenges with "the fierce urgency of now." We LGBTQ people found that vision to resonate powerfully with our experiences of struggle beyond any counted cost, and, inspired by President Obama, we have recast Dr. King's idea in our own way. We serve a vision inspired by "the fierce urgency of love."
"The fierce urgency of love":
Love that refuses to be anemic in the face of hard times.
Love that has a spine, and bows before no opponent.
Love that will not back down, and will not back up.
Love that knows how and when to get loud and be proud.
A love where Everybody is Somebody, and nobody is a nobody.
Our activism at its best is motivated by the fierce urgency of a love that will not permit churches, synagogues, and mosques to remain silent on the sidelines of the struggle for justice, for silence in the face of injustice is its own form of spiritual violence.
The fierce urgency of love compels us to give no free passes when religious leaders of any stripe breathe out venom and hatred toward marginalized people. That is why we oppose religious intolerance to the same degree we oppose political and economic harms done to LGBTQ people in North Texas and anywhere else.
We have learned the lessons of ferocious love: that hate speech from any pulpit or from any rostrum in a governmental chamber is the ammunition that kills and maims real people, as surely as any bullet. We cannot permit any leader to hijack religion and force it into the service of oppression of any kind any longer without our calling out such an outrage.
As Rev. Dr. Cody J. Sanders, the pastor of Old Cambridge Baptist Church near Harvard Yard, a proud gay man says:
"For LGBTQ people, the mechanisms of oppression have nearly always been waged first against our souls. But it never ends there. This spiritual violence has led to innumerable suicides, hate crime violence beyond what we know through the collected statistics, and the marginalization of LGBTQ people in the very institutions they should feel most at home: their families, their churches, and their communities."
Sanders calls for spiritual reparations for the harm done to the souls of LGBTQ people, a fierce love of God and neighbor that seeks to heal the hurt and repair the broken world. Like Sanders, in the name of love, we must fiercely call for real and practical actions:
For LGBTQ homeless youth in our cities,
For effective ways to prevent LGBTQ suicides,
For funding for LGBTQ seminarians so that they can become faith leaders throughout America,
For the recruitment of qualified LGBTQ candidates to run for public office,
For literacy in LGBTQ life and history, and engagement between established cisgender and straight clergy with queer leaders in their communities, and especially
For churches and religion-based non-profits to stand up to their denominations and parent organizations when they participate in anti-LGBTQ discrimination by thought, deed, or silence.
Sanders concludes with the forthright demand of a community that knows how to stand tall and true, and has the courage to repair a broken world even in the face of spiritual opposition:
"Churches owe LGBTQ people a spiritual debt," he says, "for the decades upon decades of violence against our souls. It's time to start paying up."
The Hebrew prophets sounded like that, didn't they? That is an important dimension of the spiritual heritage of the LGBTQ human rights movement that was first born and nurtured in churches and synagogues in the pre-Stonewall era, and right up until this very day.
I work alongside lesbian, gay, and straight colleagues of courage at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, who like Cody Sanders, want to transform the world in which we live. So, with the whole Cloud of Witnesses, from the time of the Hebrew Prophets, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Prophet Muhammad, to the millions of LGBTQ people and our allies right here and right now, together with the Prophet Isaiah, we say:
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
Our greatest asset as a Queer/LGBT community, you see, lies in far more than our numbers, our economic strength, and our political allies. It lies in our spirituality of collaborating hope, hope forged in the furnace of our tests and trials, made powerful by the vision of a better world than we have ever known.
Our enemies are real. Their guns and their words spit fire and death. They misunderstand, sometimes with lethal consequences, who we are and what we contribute to the common world in which we all dwell.
But we know wherein our power truly lies, for as our Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde, taught us, "When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
Rise up, then!
We LGBTQ people were never meant to settle into paralysis, depression and despair on the far side of the pit our adversaries dug for us. It is time to build a bridge across the abyss that swallowed up our Orlando sisters and brothers. Bring your energies, your tools, and your resolve. We have at hand the resources of a rich spirituality, and a fierce, divine love.
There is a world to repair.
July 2, 2016 Posted by unfinishedlives | anti-LGBT hate crime murder, Anti-LGBT hate crimes, Brite Divinity School, Donnie Romero, Dr. Stephen V. Sprinkle, Florida, GLBTQ, hate speech, Heterosexism and homophobia, I AM DONE, LGBTQ, LGBTQ clergy, Mass shooting, Orlando, Protests and Demonstrations, Pulse Nightclub, religious hate speech, religious intolerance, Social Justice Advocacy, Stedfast Baptist Church, Texas, transphobia | anti-LGBT hate crime murder, Brite Divinity School, Donnie Romero, Florida, GLBTQ, Hate Crimes, Heterosexism and homophobia, LGBTQ, Mass shooting, Orlando, Protests and Demonstrations, Pulse Nightclub, religious hate speech, religious intolerance, Social Justice Advocacy, Stedfast Baptist Church, Texas, transphobia | Comments Off on LGBT Community Protests Extremist Hate Speech After Orlando
Charting the Future of Ministerial Ordination for LGBTQ People: When the Unthinkable Becomes Commonplace
(Note: This article first appeared in the Huffington Post on June 11, 2014. The original posting can be accessed here, and we encourage you to do so.)
A quiet revolution is taking place in once anti-LGBTQ denominational circles. Women and men who are widely known to be openly partnered and "practicing" queer people are being ordained as ministers in churches once ardently opposed to the ordination of gays and lesbians—and are being celebrated for it. The recently unthinkable is becoming commonplace, and none too soon.
Late May and June is prime ordination season, with Pentecost Sunday as the day of choice for many. Graduation Day has come and gone by then in seminaries, and Ordination Day approaches. In Texas, the storied "buckle on the Bible Belt," this season I have watched as several recently authorized women and men knelt for the laying on of hands in their sponsoring congregations, and their same-sex partners have participated in the ordination of their beloved spouses as openly and joyously as any traditionally married partners would: attending the service, organizing the reception, and in some cases participating in the liturgy itself. Denominational officials presiding at these ordinations are seemingly as happy to carry out their duties at these LGBTQ ordinations as they are for those of their "straight" ordinands. What a difference a year or two makes!
Make no mistake about it: the genuine acceptance of LGBTQ candidates for ordination in traditional and mainline contexts is revolutionary. Though closeted gay men have been ordained for generations, and more recently closeted lesbians as women's ordination came online, stigma often haunted any clergy person suspected of being a member of the sexual minority. Not long ago, authorizing boards were battlegrounds. Gay and lesbian candidates for ordination were rejected outright, and anyone already ordained by "don't ask, don't tell" systems who was perceived to be "different" was subject to church trial and defrocking. The bittersweet evidence of this sad history is on display at the Shower of Stoles Project, where over a thousand liturgical stoles and other sacred items of those defrocked and hounded into exile are archived in testimony to the injustice aimed at LGBTQ clergy. Today's spirit of openness is unprecedented. Though some ordaining boards are still rejectionist, each year the evidence mounts that once-ostracized queer people are moving from the periphery of their religious groups into leadership positions. The outrageous, wasteful loss of gifted religious leadership based on heterosexist, homophobic, and transphobic prejudice may be finally nearing its end for many traditional Protestant communions.
Of course, there are exceptions, like the struggle now taking place in the United Methodist Church. But the prophetic leadership of the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalists, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Alliance of Baptists, and, of course, the Protestant Episcopal Church is demonstrating that just as women's ordination caused none of them to collapse, just so, the ordination of LGBTQ women and men of faith strengthens the communions to which they belong. Even the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is coming on board quietly now, region by region. Though Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy seem unmoved by ordination developments among Protestants, their hierarchies are monitoring what is happening for queer folk as closely as they have watched the ordination of women, one of the great movements of the Holy Spirit in late 20th and early 21st century ecclesial life. Surely, the "Grandmother" of all LGBTQ ordaining bodies, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Churches (MCC), must be smiling at these developments.
Ordination: Celebrating the Gift of Ministry, by Stephen V. Sprinkle
I wrote a book about ordination to Christian ministry in 2004 when the open ordination of lesbians and gay men was virtually unheard of, save in one or two denominations. The Bad Ol' Days of secrets and ambushes over sexual orientation and gender variance were awful to live through. So much hurt and needless pain! Now, however, with the advent of a new day in ordination, anyone called by God and willing to prepare for a life of service in the church has a shot. Today, I celebrate what is coming to be, not what once was, and I live in hope of a clergy more realistic, faithful, and humane than I once knew. LGBTQ sensibilities have never been the most distinctive or predominant qualities of who queer clergy were, as important as sexual honesty and orientation are in anyone's life. The "Otherness" of gay people is a gift to the church's ministry, among the many gifts bestowed by the One Spirit, as L. William Countryman and M.R. Ritley said in their book, Gifted By Otherness. The obvious gifts of effective ethical leadership, compassion, courage, intelligence, skill, and devotion to God have always been what really counted in the formation of clergy. Now that the noisy clamor of bigotry in North American Protestantism and culture is dying down, the churches' ordaining bodies are more able to discern how often LGBTQ people display the true ministerial character that the 21st century church so desperately needs. While we must never forget the struggles that have brought us to this new era, we do not need the distraction of placing blame for what has been. Instead, straight and LGBTQ people must chart the future of ordination from this time forward, together.
Today's ordination of LGBTQ women and men, though officially unobtrusive, is a welcome antidote to the old toxic hatreds of the past. As these gifted ordinands take their places among their peers in ministry, the presence and witness of LGBTQ clergy will become less remarkable and more commonplace. Oh, how I welcome that development! But until the old has fully passed away, and the new is fully come, I cannot help pausing to reflect, to remember the pioneers who brought us this far along the way, and give thanks for the colors of the rainbow. For "there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone" (1 Cor. 12:4-6, NRSV). ~ Stephen V. Sprinkle, Founder and Director of The Unfinished Lives Project
June 27, 2014 Posted by unfinishedlives | GLBTQ, Heterosexism and homophobia, Homosexuality and the Bible, Huffington Post, Huffington Post Religion Page, LGBTQ, LGBTQ clergy, LGBTQ Ordination, Mainline Protestant Churches, Shower of Stoles Project, Texas | Alliance of Baptists, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eastern Orthodoxy, ELCA Lutheran Church, GLBTQ, Heterosexism and homophobia, Homosexuality and the Bible, Huffington Post, Huffington Post Religion Page, LGBTQ, LGBTQ clergy, LGBTQ Ordination, Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Protestant Episcopal Church, Roman Catholic Church and Homosexuality, Shower of Stoles Project, Texas, Unitarian Universalists (UUA), United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Churches (MCC) | Comments Off on Charting the Future of Ministerial Ordination for LGBTQ People: When the Unthinkable Becomes Commonplace

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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International Women's Day feature report substantiates women's growing confidence in the future
As the number of financially independent women around the world increases, so, too, is their optimism about the future, along with their focus on health and wellness, according to new gender-focused analysis undertaken by global measurement company, Nielsen.
Leading global IT and business solutions provider, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced findings from its global study titled, Winning in a Business 4.0™ World, which benchmarks large companies in their Business 4.0 growth and transformation journeys by mapping their adoption of four critical business behaviours: driving mass personalisation, creating exponential value, leveraging ecosystems, and embracing risk.
Peculiarities of influencer marketing in B2B
The terms influencer marketing and influencer relations, as well as their opportunities for corporate communication, have been discussed for around ten years now. Essentially, it is about how opinion building works for stakeholders, especially customers or other reference groups, and what levels beyond journalism or advertising are involved.
Melissa, a leading provider of global contact data quality and identity verification solutions, announced Privacy Flag, a seamless new feature in its comprehensive Global Email Verification suite designed to verify email addresses and improve overall email deliverability.
Making video work for telcos
Telcos are scrambling to offset loss in revenue from traditional communication services and are aggressively pursuing opportunities in online video. They have yet to recognize that where audiences go, advertisement dollars will follow, and are backing the wrong horse…
Risk management expertise and practice across construction, banking and energy projects in Asia
Sword GRC, a leading supplier of risk, compliance and governance solutions, has announced a new partnership agreement with Capcon Asia, a human capital consultancy firm in Asia. Capcon Asia, a specialist in the construction, property, real estate, retail and risk management sectors, partnered with Sword GRC for its proven credentials in the risk management arena.
Advance your customer experiences with Zendesk Sunshine
Zendesk just announced expansions to Zendesk Sunshine, its open and flexible CRM platform built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which include new partnerships and integrations that will make it easier to connect siloed data and deliver deep customer insight to advance proactive customer experiences.
Rockwell Automation releases AI module to improve industrial production
According to a recent announcement of Rockwell Automation, industrial workers can now more easily use the data from their equipment to predict production issues and improve processes with their existing automation and control skill set.
Adobe's new 2019 Digital Trends reveals that delivering first-class, personalized customer experiences (CX) is top of mind for businesses in 2019 and provides insights into the current state of digital trends that will impact companies in the year ahead.
Navigating a business successfully through the ever-changing digital marketing world is a huge challenge for many decision makers, especially when resources are tight. Co-operations with experienced and competent digital partners are indispensable and the selection of the optimal service provider is crucial for further growth and positioning in the market. A wrong decision can not only quickly blow up the budget, but also damage the brand image. That's why you should be aware of the most important parameters for a selection.
Major vulnerability in Evernote's Chrome Extension discovered
Guardio, a new breed of cyber security product designed to tackle threats and security concerns within the browser, discovered a major flaw in Evernote's Web Clipper Chrome extension's code that left it vulnerable, potentially allowing threat actors to access personal information from users' online services.
MediaMath and White Ops build transparency and trust into the Programmatic Supply Chain
MediaMath and White Ops, the global leader in bot fraud protection, announced a new partnership that will protect some of the world's largest advertisers, agencies and publishers from sophisticated in
AppsFlyer just released its APAC Ad Fraud Report 2019, providing marketers a comprehensive report on the evolving mobile advertising industry in the region. Covering activity between November 2018 to
ZTE's must-have solution for network operators undergoing a digital transformation.
As part of its strategy, ZTE Corporation, a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices, and enterprise technology solutions, is committed to providing customers with integrated en
RTB House, a global company that provides state-of-the-art retargeting for top brands worldwide, announced it will begin the alpha testing phase of its first MarTech innovations developed in its AI Marketing Lab, a new research division it launched in May with an initial annual investment of USD $5 ...
We are surfing, chatting, posting and commenting virtually on a regular basis: in fact, the amount of time users spend daily on social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Co. is growing faster than the rest of online usage. Around 60% of people visit social media every day, one third of them even ...
Adobe just announced its acquisition of Allegorithmic, a leading 3D editing and authoring company that set standards in the gaming and entertainment industry.
Global partnership announcement for Next-generation Network Services
Tata Communications Transformation Services (TCTS), a partner of choice for the world's leading Communication Service Providers (CSPs), and Zeetta Networks, a leading network slicing and splicing company, announced a global partnership agreement to facilitate early adoption of technologies like 5G and network slicing within the ICT space.
Progressive Web Apps & SEO
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) allow to send push notifications or provide offline access to an app's content, just like native apps do. But unlike native apps, content in PWAs is accessible to search engines, so that the same online marketing strategies could be used for PWAs just like for traditional websites.
HubSpot for authentic and personalized videos
Adobe Experience Platform delivers personalized experiences in real time
Engagio provides customized and relevant real-time account insights to sales and marketing teams


Assist the Vinedusk Rangers across Green's Marrow.
The Vinedusks are spread thin and need my assistance.
Talk to Dinwenel outside Hectahame.
Talk to Bodring at Driladan Pass.
Talk to Nara at Dread Vullain.
Talk to Girin at Verrant Morass.
When you arrive at Hectahame, you find a mystical barrier blocking the entrance. Dinwenel, one of the Vinedusk Rangers, tells you that she doesn't know how to break the wards, so whatever business you have at the ruin will have to wait. Instead, she asks for your assistance in aiding other Vinedusk Rangers across Green's Marrow. You can choose to help Bodring at Driladan Pass, Nara at Dread Vullain, or Girin at Verrant Morass. Once you have spoken to your chosen ranger, the quest will end.
This quest is only offered if you haven't already completed one of Retaking the Pass, Right of Theft, or The Blight of the Bosmer.
This page was last modified on 14 August 2017, at 23:46.


It is the first 'official solar partnership' that the world's largest theatrical producer has ever entering in, and conveniently it is with the world's largest PV manufacturer, which will see the two global powerhouses promote each other's brands and offer a selection of benefits to one another.
In a fitting partnership, Cirque du Soleil – translating as 'Circus of Sun' – has joined forces with the world's largest PV manufacturer, China-based Trina Solar. If the name alone is not enough to inspire the partnership, the two companies want to draw on one another's global reach and influence to further their brands and to offer each other a range of benefits.
The partnership, which is Cirque du Soleil's first official solar partnership, will be launched at the Solar Power International trade show in Las Vegas in September, where Cirque du Soleil artists will perform at the Trina Solar booth.
The partnership is mainly concerned with co-promotion, but, as a bonus part of the deal, Cirque du Soleil will offer Trina customers and employees 'Cirque du Soleil experiences.' The two companies believe that they offer services that are based on similar principals, which is why the partnership will be such a nice fit.


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Microplastics in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): Occurrence and removal. [Journal Article]
Chemosphere 2019; 235:1089-1096Xu X, Jian Y, … Wang LC
WWTPs may be one of the important ways for MPs to enter surface water. In the present study, the influent and effluent from eleven WWTPs in Changzhou were collected and analyzed. At the same time, the abundance, size, color, and shape of MPs in influent and effluent were investigated. The average abundance of MPs in the influent and effluent were 196.00 ± 11.89 n/L and 9.04 ± 1.12 n/L respectivel…
WWTPs may be one of the important ways for MPs to enter surface water. In the present study, the influent and effluent from eleven WWTPs in Changzhou were collected and analyzed. At the same time, the abundance, size, color, and shape of MPs in influent and effluent were investigated. The average abundance of MPs in the influent and effluent were 196.00 ± 11.89 n/L and 9.04 ± 1.12 n/L respectively, and the MPs removal efficiency of eleven WWTPs was almost over 90% in which it could be up to 97.15%. MPs were divided into four particle size based on abundance changes, and the size of MPs with the highest abundant was mainly concentrated at 0.1-0.5 mm. Among these MPs, fibers were the main shape in wastewater, followed by fragments, flakes, spheres and films. The colors of MPs in wastewater were various and 14 types of plastics were detected from wastewater using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Moreover, Rayon and PET were the dominant polymer types in eleven WWTPs. The research results provided basic data for the research and supervision of MPs pollution in WWTPs.
Microplastic contamination in Penaeid shrimp from the Northern Bay of Bengal. [Journal Article]
Chemosphere 2020; 238:124688Hossain MS, Rahman MS, … Nawaz Chowdhury MSC
Microplastic pollution has received increased attention recently due to potential threat to marine biota and human health. This study reports microplastic (MP) content in brown shrimp (Metapenaeus monocerous) and tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) inhabiting in the shallow and offshore waters of the Northern Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Gastrointestinal tract (GT) of shrimps (n = 150) were examined for…
Microplastic pollution has received increased attention recently due to potential threat to marine biota and human health. This study reports microplastic (MP) content in brown shrimp (Metapenaeus monocerous) and tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) inhabiting in the shallow and offshore waters of the Northern Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Gastrointestinal tract (GT) of shrimps (n = 150) were examined for MPs following alkali digestion, microscopic observation and chemical analysis by micro-Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscope (μFTIR). A total of 33 and 39 MP items were found in P. monodon and M. monocerous, averaging 3.40 ± 1.23 and 3.87 ± 1.05 items/g GT, respectively. Among various shapes, types and colours of MP, filament (57-58%), fiber (32-57%) and black (48-51%) were dominant amongst the various particles identified. Tiger shrimp had high numbers (23 items) of larger size fractions of MPs (1-5 mm) but brown shrimp had high numbers (15 items) of smaller MPs (250-500 μm), and μ-FTIR data confirmed 13 particles of polyamide-6 and 6 particles of rayon polymers. These results provide a baseline of MP contamination in seafood from Bangladesh that should be useful for future monitoring efforts.
[Comparison of rayon and flocked swabs for collection and transport of deep throat swabs for detection of bacteria causing whooping cough by multiplex real-time PCR assay.] [Journal Article]
Klin Lab Diagn 2019; 64(8):493-496Pimenova AS, Borisova OY, … Afanasiev SSKL
The aim of the work was to comparison of rayon and flocked swabs for collection and transport of deep throat swabs for detection of bacteria causing whooping cough by multiplex real-time PCR assay. The study included 87 patients aged from 1 month to 37 years, hospitalized in Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital No. 1 of the Moscow Department of Healthcare. 68 (78,2 %) people had a diagnosis of w…
The aim of the work was to comparison of rayon and flocked swabs for collection and transport of deep throat swabs for detection of bacteria causing whooping cough by multiplex real-time PCR assay. The study included 87 patients aged from 1 month to 37 years, hospitalized in Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital No. 1 of the Moscow Department of Healthcare. 68 (78,2 %) people had a diagnosis of whooping cough, the main group of which consisted of children aged 1 to 12 months (median 4 months); 17 (19,5 %) - other diseases of the respiratory tract; 2 (2,3 %) - contact with sick whooping cough. The initial examination of patients was carried out on the 1 - 8th week of the onset of the disease. The material from the patients was taken at one-day interval with commercial rayon swabs and flocked swabs. Identification and differentiation of specific genome fragments of the causative agents of whooping cough in biological material was carried out by real-time PCR using the «AmpliSens® Bordetella multi-FL» reagent kit. The efficiency of PCR-based diagnostics of whooping cough using flocked swabs at the preanalytical stage was 83,8 %, and rayon swabs - 82,3 %. The use of a flocked swabs at the preanalytical stage increased the research efficiency by 1,5 %. Thus, when collecting biological material for PCR-based diagnostics of whooping cough it is possible to use flocked swabs.
Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation. [Journal Article]
Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 142:394-407Zambrano MC, Pawlak JJ, … Venditti RAMP
The effect of fiber type (cotton, polyester, and rayon), temperature, and use of detergent on the number of microfibers released during laundering of knitted fabrics were studied during accelerated laboratory washing (Launder-Ometer) and home laundering experiments. Polyester and cellulose-based fabrics all shed significant amounts of microfibers and shedding levels were increased with higher wat…
The effect of fiber type (cotton, polyester, and rayon), temperature, and use of detergent on the number of microfibers released during laundering of knitted fabrics were studied during accelerated laboratory washing (Launder-Ometer) and home laundering experiments. Polyester and cellulose-based fabrics all shed significant amounts of microfibers and shedding levels were increased with higher water temperature and detergent use. Cellulose-based fabrics released more microfibers (0.2-4 mg/g fabric) during accelerated laundering than polyester (0.1-1 mg/g fabric). Using well-controlled aquatic biodegradation experiments it was shown that cotton and rayon microfibers are expected to degrade in natural aquatic aerobic environments whereas polyester microfibers are expected to persist in the environment for long periods of time.
Recycling of viscose yarn waste through one-step extraction of nanocellulose. [Journal Article]
Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 136:729-737Prado KS, Gonzales D, Spinacé MASIJ
Textile manufacturing industries generate large amounts of viscose yarn waste (VW) that causes serious environmental pollution. In this study, VW was used as raw material to successfully extract nanocellulose (NC) in a facile one-step extraction process, without any pretreatment. Different hydrolysis reaction times (5-60 min) were employed, and the extracted material was characterized by Fourier …
Textile manufacturing industries generate large amounts of viscose yarn waste (VW) that causes serious environmental pollution. In this study, VW was used as raw material to successfully extract nanocellulose (NC) in a facile one-step extraction process, without any pretreatment. Different hydrolysis reaction times (5-60 min) were employed, and the extracted material was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, atomic force microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Interestingly, it was possible to obtain NC in only 5 min of reaction without any pretreatment and with an increase of 50% in the crystallinity, which was attributed to the pretreatments VW undergone in textile industry that swell cellulose chains and make them more accessible to further reactions. The higher crystallinity index was observed after 30 min of reaction (87%), and through microscopy, it was verified that the morphology of the VW was completely changed to irregular nanoparticles with average size of 42 nm. The obtained NC showed interesting properties to be used in several potential applications, including stabilization of oil/water Pickering emulsions. These results indicate that VW is an attractive source to obtain NC, making the extraction of NC from VW a value-added alternative to recycle this textile waste.
Manufacturing and physical characterization of absorbable oxidized regenerated cellulose braided surgical sutures. [Journal Article]
Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 134:56-62Li H, Cheng F, … He JIJ
Suture is an important part of surgical operation, and closure of the wound associated with this procedure continuous to be a challenge in postoperative care. Currently, oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) is widely used in the absorption of hemostatic materials. However, there is no ORC medical suture product in the market. The objective of this article was to prepare novel braided sutures by T…
Suture is an important part of surgical operation, and closure of the wound associated with this procedure continuous to be a challenge in postoperative care. Currently, oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) is widely used in the absorption of hemostatic materials. However, there is no ORC medical suture product in the market. The objective of this article was to prepare novel braided sutures by TEMPO-mediated oxidation regenerated cellulose (TORC) to achieve a suturable material with biodegradability and ideal mechanical properties. Regenerated cellulose (RC) strands were made into sutures on a circular braiding machine, and TEMPO-mediated oxidation treatment was introduced alternatively after braiding. The RC sutures under different oxidation time were characterized by ATR-FTIR, electrical conductivity, XRD analysis, physical properties and in vitro degradation property. We further demonstrate that the RC sutures were oxidized and formed the carboxylic (-COOH) functional group. With the extension of oxidation duration, the carboxyl content in TORC sutures increased gradually from 5.1 to 10.4% and the strength, weight, and diameter of TORC sutures decreased gradually. Moreover, we proved that the knot-pull strength of TORC-45 declined by 77.8% after 28 days, thus this sutures fulfilled U.S. Pharmacopeia requirement of knot-pull strength. We have shown that TEMPO oxidation reaction significantly promoted the degradation of TORC sutures. Overall, TORC sutures were successfully produced with favorable biodegradability, revealing potential prospects of clinical applications.
[Industrial and Medical Material Applications of a Mega-polysaccharide Derived from Cyanobacteria]. [Review]
Yakugaku Zasshi 2019; 139(3):363-369Okajima M, Kaneko TYZ
Polysaccharides (PS) are one form of biomass occurring in great abundance on earth and are promising organic material alternatives to petroleum-based ones. We have focused on PS produced by cyanobacteria. Aphanothece sacrum, which is a freshwater unicellular cyanobacterium, produces large amounts PS as a main component of the extracellular matrix. We successfully extracted the PS sacran from A. s…
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Polysaccharides (PS) are one form of biomass occurring in great abundance on earth and are promising organic material alternatives to petroleum-based ones. We have focused on PS produced by cyanobacteria. Aphanothece sacrum, which is a freshwater unicellular cyanobacterium, produces large amounts PS as a main component of the extracellular matrix. We successfully extracted the PS sacran from A. sacrum biomaterials and demonstrated that sacran contains carboxyls and sulfate groups. Furthermore, the constituent sugars of the sacran extracted were determined to be fucose, rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, galactose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, and galactosamine. The sequence of sacran is still under investigation. In addition, we confirmed that the sacran was a supergiant with a high absolute molecular weight of 2.35×107 g/mol. Sacran shows a self-orienting behavior in dilute solution at a concentration range over 0.25 wt% to form a liquid crystalline structure. Using this property, it is possible to prepare a sacran cast film with an orientation structure, especially swelling in the thickness direction, to form anisotropic hydrogels. The anisotropy and degree of swelling of the hydrogels could be controlled by varying the heating temperature of the sacran cast file. Furthermore, sacran could be combined successfully with rayon as new fiber materials, and the sacran-rayon complex materials showed increased water absorption compared with the original rayon. This article introduces various applications of sacran in the industrial and medical fields.
Influence of calcium chloride impregnation on the thermal and high-temperature carbonization properties of bamboo fiber. [Journal Article]
PLoS One 2019; 14(2):e0212886Cheng D, Li T, … Wu ZPlos
In this study, bamboo fiber was pretreated with calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution by using an ultrasonic method, and then heat-treated at 250°C and carbonized at 1000°C. The effect of impregnation with CaCl2 on the thermal and chemical properties and morphology of bamboo fiber was determined using thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analyses, in situ Fourier transform infrared sp…
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In this study, bamboo fiber was pretreated with calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution by using an ultrasonic method, and then heat-treated at 250°C and carbonized at 1000°C. The effect of impregnation with CaCl2 on the thermal and chemical properties and morphology of bamboo fiber was determined using thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analyses, in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The pore structure of the carbonized bamboo fiber was investigated. The results revealed that bamboo fiber pretreated with 5% CaCl2 (BFCa5) showed a downward shift in the temperature of the maximum rate of weight loss253°C and increase in char residue to 31.89%. BFCa5 was expected to undergo dehydration under the combined effect of oxygen-rich atmosphere and CaCl2 catalysis from 210°C, and cellulose decomposition would be remarkable at 250°C. Pretreatment with 5% CaCl2 promoted the formation of porous structure of the carbonized fiber, which exhibited a typical Type-IV isotherm, with the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of 331.32 m2/g and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda adsorption average pore diameter of 13.6440 nm. Thus, CaCl2 was found to be an effective catalyst for the pyrolysis of bamboo fiber, facilitating the formation of porous carbonized fiber.
Microbial production of high value molecules using rayon waste material as carbon-source. [Journal Article]
N Biotechnol 2019; 51:8-13Vecchiato S, Skopek L, … Guebitz GMNB
Rayon filaments composed of regenerated cellulose are used as reinforcement materials in tires and to a lower extent in the clothing industry as personal protective equipment e.g. flame retardant cellulosic based materials. After use, these materials are currently transferred to landfills while chemical degradation does not allow the recovery of the cellulose (as glucose) nor the separation of th…
Rayon filaments composed of regenerated cellulose are used as reinforcement materials in tires and to a lower extent in the clothing industry as personal protective equipment e.g. flame retardant cellulosic based materials. After use, these materials are currently transferred to landfills while chemical degradation does not allow the recovery of the cellulose (as glucose) nor the separation of the high valuable flame-retardant pigment. In this study, rayon fibers were enzymatically hydrolyzed to allow recovery of glucose and valuable additives. The glucose was successfully used as carbon source for the production of high value compounds such as itaconic acid, lactic acid and chitosan. 14.2 g/L of itaconic acid, 36.5 g/L of lactic acid and 39.2 g/L of chitosan containing biomass were produced from Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus paracasei and Aspergillus niger, respectively, comparable to yields obtained when using commercial glucose as carbon source.
A comparison of flocked nylon swabs and non-flocked rayon swabs for detection of respiratory bacteria in nasopharyngeal carriage in Australian Indigenous children. [Journal Article]
J Microbiol Methods 2019; 157:47-49Wigger C, Morris PS, … Leach AJJM
This study compared flocked (nylon) swabs and (non-flocked) rayon swabs for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in nasopharyngeal samples from 20 enrolled Indigenous children under the age of 6 years living in remote Australian Aboriginal communities, and determined which swab the child or parent perceived to be more comfortable. There was n…
This study compared flocked (nylon) swabs and (non-flocked) rayon swabs for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in nasopharyngeal samples from 20 enrolled Indigenous children under the age of 6 years living in remote Australian Aboriginal communities, and determined which swab the child or parent perceived to be more comfortable. There was no evidence of a significant difference between flocked and rayon swabs in the recovery of common respiratory bacteria. Rayon swabs detected presence of S. pneumoniae (90% cf. 74%, p = 0.375), H. influenzae (79% cf. 74%, p = 1.00) and M. catarrhalis (79% cf. 74%, p = 1.00) at higher rates than the flocked swabs. Analysis of semi-quantitative growth scores also showed no significant differences in either the ranked distributions or medians. Rayon swabs median semi-quantitative growth scores were higher for S. pneumoniae (4 [IQR 1-5] cf. 3 [IQR 0-6], p = 0.699), and H. influenzae (2 [IQR1-5] cf. 1 [IQR0-5], p = 0.946). Sixty percent of participants preferred samples to be taken with flocked swabs. This study demonstrates that microbiological outcomes are not compromised when using flocked or rayon swabs in respiratory bacterial carriage studies in this population. Therefore, cost, methodological consistency across studies, and participant preference can be considered when choosing swab type.
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Small scale bioSNG technology based on allothermal gasification is able to compete with large scale bioSNG technology based on pressurised oxygen-blown gasification. This technology has proved competitive in terms of GHG emissions, primary energy needs and conversion efficiency without high production costs.
The final report with the results has been published as Renewtec Report 008:2018 (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32372.81280). The system study was conducted by Lund University and the project was coordinated by Renewable Energy Technology International AB (Renewtec AB). The project was financed by the Swedish Energy Agency and ten partners from six countries, including European Biogas Association.


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Ollie Williams (born February 23, 1983), better known by his stage name, Ali Vegas, is an American rapper from Queens, New York and founder of the record labels Council Recordings and Rich Soil Entertainment. After two failed deals with major record labels, Vegas frequently performed on underground mixtapes and established his own record labels. He is also the younger cousin of two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom.

Biography
He entered the New York City hip-hop scene around the late 1990s. Rappers like Onyx and Panama P.I. mentored him when he was young. Vegas's tracks, one of which featured Capone, appeared on mixtapes. He signed to Columbia Records in the early 2000s, and his first single "Theme of N.Y." was released in December 2000. Trackmasters lost their distribution deal with Columbia Records, so he signed to Tommy Mottola's new label Casablanca Records, which never achieved mainstream success. After failing to release a full-length LP on any of this first three major labels, Vegas founded his independent label Council Recordings. At a benefit concert hosted by New York hip-hop radio station Hot 97, rapper Fabolous verbally attacked Vegas on stage.

Vegas frequently participated in rap mixtapes, with noted street releases such as "The AV Theme", produced by Kanye West. He composed a song for DJ Boom's Boomtown in 2003. In 2005, he and basketball player Lamar Odom founded Rich Soil Entertainment, based on Vegas's rap lyric "I'm from the land of rich soil, expect the branches to follow." Rich Soil intended to release Ali Vegas's official solo debut album.

In April 2010, Ali Vegas released his latest mixtape Veganomics. In an interview with hip hop website Icon Hip Hop, he discussed his latest business ventures outside of music.

According to his official Facebook fan page, in May 2011, Ali Vegas returned to the music scene this time teaming up with Sydney based production team Sound Kamp, which is made up of The Iron Ghost & P.R to release a six-track album titled Bridging the Gap.

Discography

Albums
Generation Gap (Unreleased) (1999)
Generation Gap 2: The Prequel (2008)
Veganomics (Alpha Beta Paper, 2010)
AutoVegography (2010)
Bridging the Gap (2011)

Mixtapes
Whatevers Whatever (1999)
Heir to the Throne (1999)
The Rebirth of the Price Hosted By DJ Big Mike (2002)
Million Dollar Baby  (2004)
 The Best of Ali Vegas Vol. 1 (2005)
Black Card Council (2006)
The Best of Ali Vegas Vol. 2 (2006)
I Got My Glow Back Hosted By Superstar Jay (2007)
America's Prince (2008)
Leader of the New School Hosted By Statik Selektah (2008)
Transition to Power  Hosted By Superstar Jay (2009)

References

External links
 Ali Vegas on Twitter

1983 births
Columbia Records artists
African-American male rappers
People from Queens, New York
Rappers from New York City
Underground rappers
Living people
East Coast hip hop musicians
Hardcore hip hop artists
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century African-American musicians
20th-century African-American people

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Charged with the energy and soul of the area. Chosen for their size, weight and smoothness, the stones are oiled and warmed to ensure complete comfort and true relaxation for your body and mind. The placement of warm stones down your spine, chest, abdomen, between your toes and in each hand ensures instant relaxation as the warmth seeps into your body. Warm oil deepens the relaxation as the hot stones glide over your body. Your therapist will expertly ease you back to reality with the use of cool, smooth stones on the face, neck and shoulders.
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Book Review: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
cinder, cinderella, fairy tales, marissa meyer, the lunar chronicles
This review was first published on Dwarf+Giant, a blog of The Last Bookstore.
I just finished Winter, the fourth and final installment of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (plus a villain back story and other intertwined short stories).
Usually I don't want a series that I love so much to end, but Meyer wrung as much story out of these science fiction fantasy fairy tales as I think she could possibly find. All of her related short stories are pretty great, though, and I certainly wouldn't complain if we pick up on some of these characters a few years from the end of Winter. As far as their lives within the limits of their original fairy tales, however, Meyer is done.
Goodreads is responsible for me finding this series, buying Cinder, then binging on it during an airplane ride cross country while my infant son lovingly complied with his Mama the Bookworm and slept the whole way home.
Cinder
The first in the series, and an excellent example of doling out a story drip by drip, beginning with compelling characters (seriously, where's the Iko spin off?*). By the time Meyer reveals the real plot point that drives the rest of the series, you don't know whether to root more for her triumph in that regard (Spoilers!) or for Cinder and Prince Kai to kiss already. Throughout the whole series, whether or not she can have both is constantly brought into question.
This book really had me at Cinder being a cyborg mechanic, and it never lost that excitement with such a retelling. Meyer makes each separate iconic element of the Cinderella stories her own, but so beautifully weaves them into a futuristic fantasy world that the symbols of Cinderella often snuck up on me, making their reveals even more pleasurable. In contrast, something like Gregory Maguire's Wicked had me looking for his personal touch instead of them all flowing naturally from the story.
One of my favorite changes by Meter is Prince Kai: he turns the damsel in distress cliché on its head. Kai often feels like his hands are tied and all he can do is wait in his castle for others – namely, Cinder – to take action. Although his role in the plot is key as the series develops, Kai can often only take so many steps towards helping the cause before someone has to save him. He is one of the best incarnations of Cinderella's Prince, who is often given no character development, but at his best has to learn to overcome deep prejudices before he can accept the woman he loves. (Sapsorrow in Jim Henson's The Storyteller series is actually one of the best examples of Cinderella's Prince having a real and painful character arc.)
I wish this next point didn't matter so much, but considering how many Cinderellas are blond, it does. Meyer set Cinder in the Eastern Commonwealth, specifically our China, as an homage to what is thought to be one of the first Cinderellas (where magical fish bones are the original fairy godmother, but that's another story).
The second book was harder for me to get into at first but worth the wait. I think my struggle is partly to do with how much I adored Cinder, and Scarletstarts in a different place (The European Commonwealth, in France to us) and centers around a human. I didn't realize how intriguing I found Cinder right away by virtue of the fact that she's a cyborg until I found it hard to connect with Scarlet.
Once I got over that, Scarlet opened up an entire new dimension of the Lunar Chronicles world, giving more clues to Cinder's story and introducing Wolf! Scarlet and Wolf's relationship proves to be very complicated, and once again, much more balanced than the fairy tale romances you know. Add to that an incredible backstory for a kickass Grandmother, and Meyer proves once more that she is no lazy storyteller.
By the time we meet up with Cinder and the charismatic convict Captain Thorne (more on him later), I was hooked, ready for all the adventure and trouble in which our characters find themselves. As opposed to a lot of novels where the ensemble sometimes seems to get into fights just for the sake of having conflict, the internal struggles of our team are well motivated, complex and difficult.
Did I mention Captain Thorne? Ok, good, because next up is Cress.
This one was probably my favorite to read. I thrilled in all the storylines converging, getting separated then merging again. Plus the reimagining of Rapunzel tickled me in the same way as Cinderella: her tower is a small satellite, and she's a hacker for Queen Levana, the nemesis of our heroines and heroes.
It's hard to get into this story without offering spoilers, but suffice to say that Meyer pulls no punches in her interpretation. Cress's relationship to her captors is complicated; her hair and 'tower,' though symbols of her imprisonment, are hard to leave; she must find her way through a desert, and her "Prince" loses his eyesight (the source stories blind him when he falls on a bush of thorns, so then we understand where Captain Thorne falls into the picture).
Thorne and his relationship with Cress (not even moving beyond potential in this novel) brought me right back to school-girl crushes. As great as Prince Kai and Wolf are for Cinder and Scarlet, respectively, Thorne takes the fairy tale romance to a new level. How Meyer creates a deep friendship out of a trope that Cress herself acknowledges is testament to her maturity and concern for her characters – and by extension, her teenage readers.
In between Cress and Winter, Meyer published Fairest, the backstory to our villainess Queen Levana. I haven't read it yet, possibly to keep something for when I get the itch to return to the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
In Cress, we are introduced to Jacin, a Lunar Guard with unclear intentions but seemingly trustworthy, until he isn't. It turns out that he is the childhood friend and desired love of Winter, our Lunar Snow White. She doesn't use the mind control gift enjoyed by Lunars because she feels it is immoral, and that has her going mad.
Again, to go into too much detail basically gives the whole series away, but we are treated this time to an entire novel set on Lunar (with a few people en route). All of our ensemble play integral roles and hold their own even as their relationships and characters must fight internal and external forces in order to remove Levana from the throne and stop her from conquering Earth.
WIth Winter and Jacin, we are once again reminded that Meyer can write a damn good love story, a unique story with mutual respect and proving that both females and males can be vulnerable, strong, stubborn, gracious, right, wrong, and above all, equals.
Yet, the love stories are not even the main events in these books. Loyalties are tested and crossed, politics mingle with mind control, and an incredibly devoted team fight through so many dangers that I wonder if Meyer herself knew how to get them out of the traps she herself set.
It was a great ride. I always approach YA asking if it would have impacted me as their target audience, a pre teen or teenager.
I would have read the hell out of this series as a teenager, and made sure all my younger cousins read it too.
Male or female, you should introduce the young adults in your life to The Lunar Chronicles. They are equal parts Firefly, Star Wars and fairy tales.
*Silly me. Iko has her own graphic novel!
Have not read the other supplemental to the series, Stars Above, which is a collection of short prequels and explorations of the Lunar Chronicles world, including a Little Mermaid story and a preview of a Queen of Hearts novel.


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Do we really care for children?
Fair Comment
As we digest the outcome of the Independent Child Death Review Group's report into the death of children in care or known to the Health Service Executive, published yesterday by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald, we hear calls increased investment to put in place the safeguards that are required to ensure that this never happens again.
A spectre is haunting Europe - The spectre of Syriza
"A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism. All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Pope and Tsar, Metternich and Guizot, French Radicals and German police-spies"
-Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto
The only way is ethics
Mick Wallace has insisted that he is fit to be a TD despite making a false Vat declaration and under-declaring his company's tax liability by €1.4m. (€2.1m under the terms of his settlement with Revenue, including interest and penalties.) This tax liability will never be paid given his company is insolvent. However, Mick Wallace himself is tax compliant, hence his insistence on keeping his seat.
Labour Party must return to being equality and human rights defenders
It is the job of politicians to defend equality and human rights structures precisely because it's not a populist issue. Austerity has brought increased levels of unemployment and increasing levels of discrimination. It is precisely during this period of economic crisis and consequent austerity that the effective and independent functioning of our statutory infrastructure to address discrimination and promote equality is even more critical.
A crisis to fight the crisis
Back in 2007 I wrote an article for An Phoblacht about a debate within Sinn Féin on taking a position on coalition with Fianna Fáil.
I ventured a view that having upwards of 20 TDs elected would not of itself necessarily move the aims and objectives of the party forward if other factors influencing power in the State were not adequately addressed. Nothing new or earth shattering there. With all the reactionary forces that are marshalled to resist progressive change, it has always been necessary to have a subversive mindset when trying to fight for a civilised future.
Opportunity knocks at constitutional convention
The upcoming constitutional convention could and should be a fantastic opportunity for us to strike at the roots of so many problems in our political system. But the Government's preliminary proposal for its format leaves a lot to be desired.
Does class still matter to the Labour Party?
Sociologist Ulrich Beck has made the claim that class is dead, and in his work preferred to concentrate on the choices made by individuals. In the Irish Times on Saturday 2 June Brian Hayes of Fine Gael made similar claims in relation to class. With regard to the vote on the Fiscal Treaty, the paper quotes Hayes as saying, "I think every vote is about self interest".
Europhoria-2012
Having successfully passed the 'Stability' Treaty referendum, the Irish people can now turn to the serious business of the summer – Euro 2012. The low turnout in the referendum says much about the general apathy and confusion of the Irish public at a time of great economic distress, but relief is just around the corner.
The Fiscal Compact treaty - a sheep in wolf's clothing?
The debate on the Fiscal Compact treaty in Ireland has been dominated by duel scaremongering arguments; the threat of institutionalised austerity on one side and the threat of discontinued funding on the other. The result has been a complete lack of debate on the actual content of the treaty. The Yes side claim that it will bring stability. The No side claim that it would enshrine austerity into the Irish constitution and allow the EU to dictate our national budget.
If JobBridge is a success, then what is a failure?
AITT Group
Yesterday, Joan Burton declared JobBridge a roaring success based on the fact that 797 people of the 6,840 who have started internships under the scheme have managed to find jobs. This figure is misleading, however, because it includes people who got positions with companies they weren't doing their internship with.


W. Axl Rose was born William Bruce Rose, Jr. but his mom changed his name to William Bruce Bailey when she remarried, and he adopted the name "Axl" after a band he played in once.
Concert goers lost their patience with Guns N'Roses after the band was late starting a show in front of a capacity crowd in Dublin, reports the Irish Times.
Front man Axl Rose walked off stage after frustrated fans threw plastic cups filled with liquids and bottles onto the stage after a delay of over 40 minutes. The band was supposed to be on at 9:45 p.m. but finally appeared around 10:30.
The band was tearing into one of the best-known songs, "Welcome to the Jungle," when a plastic cup with an unknown substance landed on the stage. The incident promoted Rose to address the crowd.
"Here's the deal, one more bottle, we go home," he said. "We want to stay. If you don't want to have fun just let us know. We'll be on our way."
Shortly after that, another cup was thrown at guitarist Richard Fortus. The band then left the stage to a cascade of boos after the finishing "Mr Brownstone." They'd only performed 22 minutes.
Promoter Denis Desmond tried to call the crowd after Axl and company stormed off.
"We're trying to get Axl to come back on stage," he said. "I'm trying hard to get Axl to come back on stage. I'd ask you please to refrain from throwing items at him. I promise a great show, but you have to calm. I'm sorry about that."
Desmond blamed "technical difficulties" for the rocky start to the show.
The band eventually came back out at 11:20 p.m. and finished their set. By the time they were done near one in the morning, most fans had already left the arena.
Time management has proven to be a big problem for the band as they tour Europe promoting their "Chinese Democracy" album. They had sets cut short at musical festivals in both Reading and Leeds after taking the stage well after their scheduled time.


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The development of any society largely depends on accessibility and quality of its education. Quality education is almost impossible without quality teachers. Role of Teacher Education Institutions is very challenging as responsibility of making quality teachers lie with them.
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A Win for River East Library
Congratulations to River East Public Library and the Vote YES for River East Public Library committee for the win on April 7, 2015! This was our first endorsed Election Day for 2015, and a great new opportunity for the community served by REPL to benefit from a better funded library.
Congratulations to River East Public Library and the Vote YES for River East Public Library committee for the win on April 7, 2015!
This was our first endorsed Election Day for 2015, and a great new opportunity for the community served by REPL to benefit from a better funded library. With this 55% to 45% win, we helped them secure $59,000 in new funding each year for the next 15 years. The community service area is small, but it's 33% of their funding. And a cut that big would have been a huge problem for all their residents.
REPL lost their last two attempts at passing this funding measure, most recently in November 2014 with only a 40% Yes vote. EveryLibrary worked with the staff and the committee since after their loss in November 2014. The work that library director Cherie Wright did with Informational communications and outreach was fantastic. She clearly defined what passage and failure meant for the community. And that Plan A / Plan B approach to communications helped make the choices clear in the community.
We are also grateful to the community volunteers who worked the Vote YES committee. Their dedication, time, and efforts were the first- and last-mile for the success of the campaign, both in their neighborhoods and on social media. EveryLibrary was proud to make a $750 donation to the committee while providing tactical and strategic assistance, pro bono, to support their GOTV work.
We are happy for this turn around and this win for River East. Going from a 60% NO just 5 months ago to a 55% YES takes engagement, money, and time. Your support and donations make our work possible. Please let people know about EveryLibrary and our impact.
And feel free to put a few bucks back into our bank so we can do this again for another library.
EveryLibrary Supports NOPL and River East Library (announcement)


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The following is the privacy notice for Shropshire Council - electoral registration.
Who is the data controller for the information I provide?
The electoral registration officer is the data controller for Electoral Registration.
Why we are collecting your data?
The electoral registration officer is a data controller and collects the personal data you provide for the purpose of registering your right to vote. You need to be registered to be able to vote in any election or referendum for which you're eligible. We have a duty to maintain a complete and accurate register throughout the year. We'll only collect the personal data we need from you in order to do this.
Use of personal information to verify your application
To verify your identity, the data you provide will be processed by the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service managed by the Cabinet Office. As part of this process your data will be shared with the Department of Work and Pensions and the Cabinet Office suppliers who are data processors for the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service. Find out more from Gov.UK.
What is the legal process for collecting this data?
We do this as a legal obligation to comply with the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and Representation of the People Regulations 2001. This ensures you're registered to vote in any election or referendum for which you're eligible. The law makes it compulsory to provide information to an electoral registration officer for inclusion in the full register.
We keep records about potential and actual electors, voters, citizens, candidates and their agents, and staff employed at elections. These may be written down, or kept on a computer.
These records may include:
Your name, address nationality and date of birth
Unique identifiers (such as national insurance number)
Signatures for absent vote checking
Scanned application forms, documentary evidence, dates of any letters of correspondence
Notes about any relevant circumstances that you've told us
Your previous or any redirected address
The other occupants in your home
If you're over 76 or under 16/17
Whether you've chosen to opt out of the open version of the register
Do I have to provide this information and what will happen if I don't?
This information must be supplied to maintain the electoral register and for the purpose of administering an election. It's a legal requirement to be registered and there are penalties if you fail to comply.
Who will your information be shared with?
The information you provide is held in electoral registers which aremanaged by electoral registration officers who, using information received, keep two registers – the full electoral register and the open (edited) register. The full register is published once a year and is updated every month and can only be supplied to the following people and organisations:
UK Statistics Authority
Boundary Commission for England
Jury Summoning Bureau
Elected representatives (MP, MEPS, local councillors)
Candidates standing for elections
Parish and community councils
Police forces, National Crime Agency
Public library or local authority archive services
Government departments or bodies
Credit reference agencies
Electoral registration and returning officers
We also have to disclose (share) your information with our software providers and contracted printers.
It's a crime for anyone who has a copy of the full register to pass information from this register on to others, if they don't have a lawful reason to see it.
Anyone can inspect the full electoral register. Inspection of the register will be under supervision. You can take extracts from the register, but only by hand written notes. Information taken must not be used for direct marketing purposes, in accordance with data protection legislation, unless it's been published in the open version. Anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence and will be charged a penalty of up to £5,000.
The open register contains the same information as the full register, but isn't used for elections or referendums. It's updated and published every month and can be sold to any person, organisation or company for a wide range of purposes. It's used by businesses and charities for checking names and address details. Users of the register include direct marketing firms and also online directory firms.
You can choose whether or not to have your personal details included in the open version of the register; however, they will be included unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register won't affect your right to vote.
How long will you keep this information for and why?
The electoral registration officer and returning officer are obliged to process your personal data in relation to preparing for and conducting elections. Your details will be kept and updated in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods.
How will my information be stored?
The information is stored on the Electoral Management System, supplied by eXpress.
Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me?
Will my data be transferred abroad and why?
What rights do I have when it comes to my data?
You are entitled to request a copy of any information about you that we hold. Any such requests must be made in writing.
If the information we hold about you is inaccurate you have a right to have this corrected and you have the right to request completion of incomplete data.
You have the right to request that we stop or restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances. Where possible we'll seek to comply with your request, but we may be required to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement. If you're dissatisfied with how councils have used your personal information you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at casework@ico.org.uk
If you wish to contact us in relation to any of your information rights, please contact the Information Governance at information.request@shropshire.gov.uk or write to Information Governance, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND.
Alternatively the Information Governance Team can be contacted on 0345 678 9000.
Our privacy pages contain details of how we handle your personal information.
If you wish to complain about how your personal information has been handled by Shropshire Council then please contact the Information Governance Team in the first instance using the details above. If you're not satisfied you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, tel: 0303 123 1113, or you can visit their website.
Contact Electoral Services
elections@shropshire.gov.uk


This election cycle has been difficult to experience, even for adults. Civil conversations and respect for diversity have been sidelined, and the loudest voices in politics and on television now are frighteningly extreme.
Unsurprisingly the hateful rhetoric has filtered into American schools. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has just released a Report entitled "Teaching the 2016 Election: The Trump Effect". The Report delves into the impact the presidential campaign has had on school children.
The SPLC surveyed 5,000 American schoolteachers and asked them whether they have seen a rise in bullying, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment, and uncivil political discourse since the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign. They asked teachers to explain whether and how they are discussing the election in school.
The results of the survey are troubling, because it appears that children are bearing some of the worst consequences of the hate speech and racism connected to the election. Children are seeing politicians using slurs, suggesting mass deportations, bans, and internment camps. They are hearing Muslims, Mexicans, African Americans and immigrants described as terrorists, criminals, and rapists. They are learning that hatefulness, mistrust, disrespect and suspicion are an acceptable part of American life.
The SPLC Report reveals that school kids are mimicking what they see at home and on the television in their classrooms, and there is now an unprecedented level of bullying and harassment of Muslim American, Hispanic American, and African American students. This is despite the fact that close to one-third of American students have foreign-born parents.
An alarming 67% of the teachers reported that immigrants, Muslim, African American and other students of color have expressed concern about what might happen to them after this election. More than one-third of the teachers have seen increasing anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant sentiment.
Numerous teachers reported that Muslim students, along with Sikh and Hindu students who are mistaken for Muslim, are enduring heightened abuse, with many of them called ISIS, terrorist or bomber.
In December of 2015 a Muslim middle school student was beaten by classmates, called a terrorist, and had her hijab ripped off.
This explains the increase in depression and anxiety experienced by American Muslim children. As reported by one Washington state teacher, her teen aged students had repeatedly shouted slurs at a Muslim classmate from their car, and the girl began expressing suicidal thoughts.
In 2015 New Jersey high school senior Maliha Chowdhury committed suicide, after facing severe Islamophobia. She was beaten and called a terrorist. Classmates told her that her family was behind 9/11 and one of her class teachers said he was "afraid to be around Muslims".
A significantly higher number of American Muslim children have begun calling into suicide hotlines. One CNN commentator noted that there is at least a seven-fold increase in calls from Muslims in 2015.
There is much in the Report to alarm parents, because it shows that even young children are not sheltered from discrimination and hateful speech. Parents need to reassess the degree to which they discuss these topics at home and in their mosques, and remain vigilant about signs of bullying, depression, and anxiety in their children.
It is also clear from the Report that teachers are struggling to cope with the current environment, and would benefit from the assistance of parents who want to provide support in the classroom to deal with these issues. There is a great need for education about Islam and Muslims in America, and parents should consider reaching out to their schools and class teachers to volunteer to provide presentations or answer questions from students and teachers.
Uzma Mariam Ahmed is a regulatory lawyer, writer, and the mom of two boys. She is also the Chair of the AltMuslimah Advisory Board.
This week, a dictator's fall from grace is reflected upon, Christian women continue to be targeted in Pakistan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali speaks in Florida, an English judge voices concern over community pressure on Muslim women, and NPR reports on the high number of women converting to Islam in the UK.