Last week we learned that director Ron Howard's Solo: A Star Wars Story would be making its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 10 days ahead of the film's theatrical release in the US on May 25. According to the Cannes Film Festival website, the finished runtime for the second Star Wars standalone film is set at 2 hours and 15 minutes. While it may come up a bit short of topping Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi (2 hours 32 minutes) as the longest-running Star Wars film, this stated runtime falls in line with the length of the other theatrical films released in the franchise.
Located in New York with his wife Dianna, Justin LaSalata is the US Editor of Jedi News responsible for reporting on all areas of Star Wars related news as well as coverage from NY Comic Con and Toy Fair NY.


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text:
David B. Coe, Author of Fantasy
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SPELL BLIND
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Professional Wednesday: Thoughts on Teaching Writing
March 17, 2021 David B. Coe
As I have mentioned previously, this past weekend, and the weekend before, I participated in the Futurescapes Writers' Workshop as both a lecturer and a workshop instructor. I gave a talk on writing epic fantasy, and then ran critique groups on fiction writing, query letters, and first pages/synopses. It was a terrific experience. I met and spent online time with new writers, all of whom were passionate and energetic and brimming with new ideas. It reminded me that our genre, and indeed the entire literary world, is constantly remaking itself. At times, publishing industry dinosaurs like me lose sight of that fact. I came away from the conference hopeful for the future of storytelling and reinvigorated with respect to my own work.
As you might expect, I did a great deal of prep work for my various classes — I wouldn't dream of entering settings like those if I weren't armed to the teeth with talking points, notes, topics for discussion, etc. For one thing, I have a responsibility to my students, and I take is seriously. And, though I don't think most people would know it to look at me and listen to me, I suffer from profound stage fright. That preparation is my armor, my spell of warding. If I prepare well, my thinking goes, I'm less likely to make a complete fool of myself. This doesn't always work — I'm perfectly capable of looking and sounding like an idiot even when I've done my homework. Still, I think my strategy is sound, at least in theory…
But my reason for bringing this up is that invariably — and my Futurescapes experience was no different — my best moments as a teacher come when I step away from my prepared remarks and lesson plans, and simply open the room to questions and discussion. It's not that what I prepare is bad, nor that am I so dazzling on my feet that my Q&As become some sort of transcendent pedagogical spectacle.
No, the magic of those open discussions lies with the students themselves. As much as I try to anticipate questions and concerns with what I prepare, the simple truth is I'm often surprised by the issues raised by my students. And those surprises almost always force me to think about the craft or the business from new perspectives. Their thoughts force me to make connections between seemingly disparate elements of professional writing, which then resonate through my thinking on a whole host of issues.
For example, since answering a question the other day about multiple points of view in a student's story, and how we decide which elements of a narrative might best be conveyed by a specific character, I find myself rethinking the structure of my current project. With multiple point of view storytelling, our readers always have more information than any one character is likely to, allowing our readers to anticipate key encounters and perceive dangers that remain hidden from our protagonists. But how far ahead of our characters do we want our audience to be? Is it a matter of sentences? Of pages? Of chapters? And how do we decide which plot points deserve that kind of treatment?
I don't necessarily have answers yet. And the discussion with my students didn't wander far down this particular path. But as Robert Frost once said, "ideas are a feat of association," and my conversations with my students have been sparking associations in my head right and left.
I believe that the discussions were similarly stimulating for my students. More than that, though, I think they were comforting. Again and again I was reminded of something that I often take for granted. Writing is a solitary endeavor — now, in our Covid world, more than ever. I am starved for the company of my colleagues, for the opportunity to drink beers with my friends and talk shop. I can't begin to imagine how desperate I would be for that if I wasn't a quarter century plus into my career, and all too familiar with the challenges and vicissitudes of this crazy profession. Young writers just want to talk, to hear that others are grappling with problems and harboring hopes similar to their own.
That's why the unscripted moments of teaching often stand out as the most rewarding. Those are the times when we — student AND teacher — let down our guard a little. That's when we step out of those strict pedagogical roles and allow ourselves — all of us — simply to be writers.
I'm so grateful to the young writers I encountered who offered me a week filled with such moments. I hope they are still buzzing with creative energy the way I am.
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Monday Musings: Writing Scared
It often takes me some time to settle on a topic for my Monday Musings post. Some weeks one issue or another is such an obvious choice that composing the post is easy. Other weeks I can struggle with the choice for a couple of days. To be honest, there is a part of me that wants to use this week's essay to rant and rail against the ridiculousness of Daylight Savings, but that's the lost hour of sleep speaking…
The truth is, I am troubled by a new calculus that has crept into my writing process: I find myself trying to anticipate the potential blowback I might receive from various subjects. I am, at times, writing scared. And that bothers me.
Now, no one who knows me, or who reads this blog, is likely to mistake me for a shrinking violet. I voice my opinions with passion. Usually. Certainly, I pulled no punches during and after the recent election. I believed our former President represented a fundamental threat to the integrity of our democratic republic, and I wrote accordingly. I make no apology for that.
I have touched on other issues over the past year — race, climate change, Covid denial — and I intend to keep advocating for the things I believe in.
The fact is, though, there are also issues I avoid, not because my opinions are so extreme — they're really not — but because they are nevertheless likely to provoke extremists. I am reluctant to put myself in the crosshairs — figuratively and literally — of those on the Right by jumping up and down with too much vehemence on the questions that get them most exercised. I am reluctant to incur the wrath of my friends on the Left, with whom I agree often on issues, but less frequently on tactics. I am all too aware of the simple truth that with some subject matter, regardless of our intentions, we are likely to push someone somewhere too far.
We are living in an era of emotional inflammation. We are, all of us, a bit more irritable, a bit more sensitive, a bit more liable to fly off the handle at slight provocation. I know too many people who have stepped in the proverbial hornet's nest without intending to, without even knowing the danger existed on whatever the inciting topic might have been. I have seen them swarmed by hyper-conservatives who berate and insult and cast wild, ugly, false accusations that are hurtful and damaging despite their lack of actual substance. I have seen others summarily judged and blacklisted by too many progressives who only a day before counted the people in question as allies.
I have seen people threatened by actors on both sides, and while many of those threats are made in the heat of the moment and probably do not promise real physical danger, who knows? And who wants to take that chance?
I'm not willing to assume the burdens that come with Being Controversial. I have a life to live, a career to maintain, a family to keep safe. Why would I want to put any of that at risk?
The problem with that thinking, though, is that it allows the bullies to win. It gives too much power to those at the fringes — the loudest, the most virulent, the least deserving of such influence.
And so I'm torn. A society like ours thrives on information, on diverse opinions, on healthy, productive debate. Many of the ills we see in today's America exist because these things have grown scarce. We can't agree on simple facts. We refuse to tolerate opinions that differ from our own. We're shouting at volumes that preclude an honest exchange of viewpoints. I want to write what's on my mind. I make my living writing fiction, but I engage with the world through my beliefs and my ability to articulate them. I enjoy a good political argument. I like it when something I write in this space fosters discussion among those I consider friends and colleagues.
Being afraid of that dynamic is relatively new for me, and entirely unwelcome.
I have no answers today. As I grope in the dark for some sort of meaningful conclusion to this piece, I wonder if I'm a fool to post it, if I'm inviting just the sort of backlash I seek to avoid.
John Milton called opinions "knowledge in the making." We are richest as a people, as a body politic, as a society, when reasoned discussion and informed beliefs are not just tolerated but encouraged, when those who are fortunate enough to have a platform, of whatever reach and scope, are unafraid to avail themselves of it. I want to live up to that ideal.
Sadly, the state of our nation makes doing so all but impossible. We need to do better.
Which is why I will post this, consequences be damned.
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From the Archives: A Photo I Took Several Birthdays Ago
Yeah, today's my birthday. I'm a year older, but, I assure you, no more mature.
I have a lot going on today — work stuff. So I don't have time to for much of a post. But I thought I would share this photo from a few birthday's ago — seven actually. Nancy and I went to Chicago for my birthday week and had a wonderful visit. In the middle of the week, a beautiful snowfall transformed the city. This photo, taken along Michigan Avenue, was probably my favorite from the whole trip. I hope you like it.
Have a wonderful weekend. Stay safe, be kind to one another.
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Professional Wednesday: The Two World-Builds
They don't care that the twelfth king of Hamsterdom was Belchamiethius IV, known to his subjects as "Conquerer of the Exercise Wheel." They don't need to know the names of each mountain peak in the Twelve Dunce Cap Range.
This past weekend I gave a talk on world building for the Futurescapes Writers' Workshop. It was a lengthy talk, and I'm not going to repeat all of it here. But I did want to focus on one element of the topic, because I think it's something writers of fantasy, of historical fiction, of science fiction, and of other sub-categories of speculative fiction lose sight of now and again.
When we build our worlds — and I include in this doing our research for historical settings — we actually have to construct our worlds twice. The first time, we do it for ourselves. We apply whatever techniques we use for such things, and we come up with histories, governing systems, economies, religions, social and cultural traditions, physical features for our land, climatic trends that influence everything from food production to troop movements, etc., etc., etc. We develop our magic systems, if our worlds have them, or perhaps technological developments if our books trend more toward science fiction. In short, we do everything one might expect in order to create a rich, complex, believable setting for our books and stories.
For me, this can be a lengthy process. I take my world building seriously, and I like to have most of the fundamentals in place before I begin to write. Naturally, I have to go back and fill in gaps after I've started putting words to "paper." I find it nearly impossible to anticipate every question I might need to answer, every detail of my world I might need to develop. To this day, I still come up with new spells for Ethan Kaille to cast in the Thieftaker books. In fact, the upcoming novellas have an entirely new element of magick — one Ethan hasn't faced before in a foe. So there's that to look forward to…
My larger point, though, is this: Even after we have finished building our worlds and have turned to the writing of our novels, our world building is far from over.
Because while the world now exists for us, the writer, it remains entirely unrealized in the minds of our readers. And so now we have to construct it again, this time in a manner that is digestible and entertaining and unobtrusive, not to mention elegant, poetic, even exciting. We have to present all the necessary material — and not an ounce more — without slowing our narratives, without resorting to data-dumps or "As-you-know-Bob" moments, without violating the basic principles of point of view.
None of this is easy. But we come to this second instance of world building with certain advantages that we didn't have the first time. Namely, we now possess an intimate understanding of our worlds. We have unraveled their mysteries, determined how societies function — or don't — and, most importantly, decided which elements of all that work we did during the first world-build are most important to our stories.
That last is crucial. We will always — ALWAYS — know more about our worlds than our readers do. That's as it should be. We have to know, to a ridiculous level of detail, our worlds' histories and mythologies and landscapes. We absolutely do not have to convey all that information to our readers. To do so — and I say this with utmost sensitivity to the effort expended in that initial construction of the world — would bore the poor dears to an early demise. They don't care that the twelfth king of Hamsterdom was Belchamiethius IV, known to his subjects as "Conquerer of the Exercise Wheel." They don't need to know the names of each mountain peak in the Twelve Dunce Cap Range. They don't want to read a recitation of the Gerbilord's Prayer in the original Quilmardian.
In all seriousness, I know the temptation. I understand pouring tons of work into a world and wanting to share every detail with our readers. But the fact is, we don't need to reveal everything in order to justify the work we've done. Sometimes, sharing a single necessary detail can communicate the weight and volume of all that remains unseen.
And so this second instance of world building demands that we prioritize. We must decide what our readers have to know in any given moment, and then tell them that much and no more. If we can do so with fluency and grace and perhaps even wit, all the better.
But the point is this: Our initial building of the world is an exercise in excess. We want to figure out everything there is to know about our worlds. We seek every crumb of knowledge, so that we are fully prepared for the creation of our characters and narratives.
The second building of our world, the one for our readers, is an exercise in restraint, in determining what is necessary information, and what is superfluous. It's not easy, but done correctly it will keep our readers coming back to our worlds again and again.
Keep writing.
bloggingD.B. JacksonDavid B. CoeEthan KailleFuturescapeshow to writenovelsreadingresearchsettingshort fictionThieftakerworld buildingwritingwriting advicewriting lifewriting tips
Monday Musings: A Paean to the "Shuffle" Command
March 8, 2021 David B. Coe
Let's begin with the obvious: Everything that's old is great, and new stuff sucks. It's important to get that out of the way before we move on. I mean who are we kidding? The way things were when we were young — well, not so much "we" as "I" — the way things were when I was young? That's how it should all be now. Progress is bad. Innovation is bad. Technology ruins everything and the world was a better place before people invented all that stuff. By which I mean, anything that hadn't yet been invented when I turned 21.
Music isn't meant to be sold song by song. We're supposed to buy albums. We're supposed to put up with the bad songs in order to enjoy the good ones. That makes the listening experience better. For every "Eleanor Rigby" and "For No One" we should have to endure a "Doctor Robert." For every "Brown Sugar" and "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'?" we should have to suffer through a "You Gotta Move." It's only fair. No one is entitled to a perfect listening experience, and songwriters deserve the chance to have their crappy songs heard alongside the good ones. This is America, damnit!
And don't get me started on CDs versus LPs. What ever happened to the art of piecing together a two-sided album, of figuring out the proper song order so as to make those horrible, vinyl-wasting tunes that we hated as hard to avoid as possible? I mean sure LPs warped and skipped, and got scratched, making them all but unbearable after a year or two of solid use, but that's a small price to pay for the inconvenience of having to interrupt a pot-induced haze to get up, walk to the stereo, and turn the record over.
Songs are meant to occur in a certain order. That's how God intended it. And by God, I mean Mick Jagger. Or John Lennon. Or Joni Mitchell. Or David Crosby. Or Aretha Franklin. Or James Taylor. You know. God. As day follows night and spring follows winter, "You Can Call Me Al" is meant to come after "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes." Except not really, because that album came out after my twenty-first birthday. But never mind that.
The point is, albums set the order of songs and never shall they exist in any other configuration.
Except for mix tapes.
Okay, I confess. Back when I still listened to LPs (Kids, ask your parents. And get the hell off my lawn…) I made mix tapes all the time. I loved the idea of cutting out those songs I didn't enjoy. I loved the idea of putting my favorite songs from any number of artists and any number of albums in one collection and being able to listen to all of them together. I loved listening to a new mix tape, of savoring the lingering surprise of the next tune from a completely different source.
Sadly, even in my pot-smoking days that surprise lasted for all of two or three listens. After that, the mix tapes became too familiar, taking on the wearisome predictability of the albums from which I'd culled the songs in the first place. As Rob Gordon (the John Cusack character in High Fidelity) says, "the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art." But even the best made mix can't save us from the fact that we remember and anticipate.
Enter the "shuffle" command on our phones and computers.
That stuff I said before, about everything new sucking? I didn't mean this. And that part about all technology after the mid 1980s ruining the world? I might not have meant that, either. And the stuff I said about how great LPs were — that was total bullshit. Not that a case can't be made. I mean, cell phones and computers and the constant presence of social media and "connectivity" in our daily lives — there's a lot there to dislike.
But the shuffle command makes all of it worthwhile. Hitting "shuffle" is like putting in the ultimate mix tape. Every song is one we want to hear. Every transition is a surprise. Every listening experience is destined to be different.
Nirvana.
The state of being. Not the band. They definitely came on the scene after my twenty-first birthday…
The other night, Nancy and I were cooking dinner, and we had my iPhone on shuffle. (iPhones are okay. They were invented way before I turned 21. Really. I promise. Same with Bluetooth speakers like the one we were using. I swear.) And, quite seriously, I was struck that evening, after the fourth or fifth excellent song in a row, by the absurd amount of pleasure I derive from the shuffle feature. Ridiculous, I know. The world is in the midst of a pandemic. The planet is melting. American democracy is on life-support. But I can listen to a collection of Eagles tunes without fear of hearing "Chug All Night."
It doesn't get better than that.
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Creative Friday: My Brother the Artist
For this week's Creative Friday post, I would like to tell you about my brother, Jim. [JamesCoe.com] It happens to be his birthday, so please feel free to wish him many happy returns of the day.
Jim is a painter. He started painting when he was all of fifteen years old. At that time, he was drawn to painting birds. Birdwatching had become a sort of obsession for Jim, Bill, and me, and Jim had a preternatural ability to capture not only correct plumage and structure, but also attitude and mannerism. His early works were stunning, the work of a prodigy.
My brother, Jim, painting on Martha's Vineyard, October 2017
For a time, he worked as a bird illustrator, and you can still find field guides and even an ornithology textbook with his work in it. Eventually, though, he wanted to get away from the limiting world of illustration, and he turned to plein air painting. For more than twenty years now, he has been painting landscapes, some with birds in them, some without. His work is known throughout the world. It hangs in galleries and museums. He has been honored again and again by fellow artists and art aficionados.
And never once has this praise gone to his head. Because that's the other thing about my older brother: not only is he the creative person I admire most in this world, he is the kindest, gentlest soul I know.
His art has been a presence in my life for almost as long as I can remember. When I was young, I tried to emulate him, hoping that I might be an artist someday as well. How did I do? Well, I write fantasy now, so that should tell you…
We have Jim's work all over our house, and I am always eager for another of his pieces. They're just that good.
But more important still is the fact that, outside of Nancy and our girls, he is the best friend I have in the world.
Happy birthday, Bro. Love you.
"Pond Light; Sun Dance" by James Coe
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Professional Wednesday: Writing All Sorts of Stuff
As I mentioned in last week's Professional Wednesday post, I have a teaching gig coming up. I'll be leading a couple of critique workshops, and this Saturday, I'll be giving a long talk on writing epic fantasy. This opportunity came my way because someone mentioned to a mutual friend that the people running the program needed an epic fantasist, and this person thought of me.
I'm flattered, and I'm grateful for the opportunity.
The thing is, though, I don't necessarily think of myself as an epic fantasy author.
At Boskone a couple of weeks ago, I was on a panel about historical fantasy and others forms of historical fiction. In fact, I am usually on at least one history panel at just about every convention I attend, whether in-person or virtual.
I don't necessarily think of myself as a historical fiction author, either.
I can go through this same formulation with media tie-in work, with urban fantasy, with novels and with short stories. I can even apply it to my blog posts. Am I a political blogger? An advice and instruction blogger for aspiring writers? A social critic? A commentator on the arts?
Yes. Yes, I am.
The writers I know who are happiest tend to be those who are least easily defined by genre speciality. I have one friend — many of you know him — who has written thrillers, epic fantasy, middle grade, YA, science fiction, something approaching horror. He's excelled at everything he's tried, and he's been a bestseller in more than one section of the bookstore. I have another friend — and many of you know her — who says that if writers haven't had to re-invent themselves at least two or three times, they're just not trying.
I have published twenty-four books. My twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth, and possibly my twenty-seventh, will be out this year. Of these, eleven are epic fantasy, nine are urban fantasy, with five — soon to be six — of the UFs also qualifying as historicals. Three more are a hybrid of epic fantasy and time travel. Two are tie-ins. And two of the books coming out this year are supernatural thrillers, a genre I've never tried before now. I can divide up my short fiction publications — I have somewhere between twenty-five and thirty — the same way. I'm all over the place.
And that's just how I want it. I would get bored writing the same thing all the time. I like jumping from epic to historical to contemporary and back to epic again. The variety keeps every project fresh.
I see too many young writers trying to define themselves by subgenre. I think some do it because the industry encourages a certain level of pigeon-holing. If we enjoy some success in one area, the market responds by saying, "That's great! Do it again, only better!"
I would encourage you all to resist that pressure. Certainly if you want to keep working for a time in the same world, with the same characters, do so. I can hardly fault anyone for that, having set eight novels in the Forelands/Southlands universe, and having turned Thieftaker into a franchise of both short fiction and novel-length works.
But I would also urge you to experiment, to try different sorts of stories, to challenge yourself to write something outside your comfort zone. Three years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed that I'd be publishing supernatural thrillers. Five years before that, I would have told you that I had no intention of ever attempting to write a time-travel story, much less a trilogy. Seriously. That shit will make your brain explode. And yet…
And yet, the time-travel novels of my Islevale Cycle might be the best books I've written. The thriller coming out this spring/summer is a book of which I'm deeply proud. The sequel, which I'm writing now, is taking me in all sorts of cool directions. I'm having a blast.
And that's sort of the point. As I said in last week's post about my new approach to writing, I am working with the goal of enjoying my work, of taking satisfaction in what I do. This remains a very difficult profession. So write for the joy of it. Stretch, push yourself, take chances. You'll improve your story telling. You'll hone your prose. Most important, you'll have fun.
So what's next? I'm not entirely sure. But I do have this science fiction idea I've been toying with. And a pair of contemporary fantasies based on Celtic mythology. And a middle grade book that I'd like to get back to. And… and… and…
bloggingBoskonebusiness of publishingbusiness of writingcreativityD.B. JacksonDavid B. Coeepic fantasyfantasygenrehistorical fantasyhow to writepublishing businesssubgenreurban fantasywritingwriting advicewriting lifewriting tips
Monday Musings: Taxes and Patriotism
I started work on my taxes this weekend, which is probably why taxes and government spending are on my mind for this Monday Musings posts.
Let's get this out of the way up front: No one likes to pay taxes. And if we didn't care about driving our cars on roads, or flying in airplanes that don't crash into each other, or eating meat that doesn't make us sick, or having some basic income in our golden years, or having access to health care after retirement, or going to beautiful National Parks, or doing about a thousand other things that we take for granted, we would love to keep all that tax money for ourselves, to spend as we see fit.
But, of course, we do want those things I mentioned. Plus we want a national defense. We want the police and fire and EMT services paid for by local taxes. We want to foster the arts and promote scientific research.
As Oliver Wendell Holmes famously said, "Taxes are what we pay for civilized society."
(A couple of other tax quotes for you: "The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale." — Arthur C. Clarke; "Income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf." — Will Rogers.)
I agree wholly with the Holmes quote (and probably the other two as well) and also with Joe Biden, who said during the 2008 campaign that paying taxes is an act of patriotism.
Biden said this after Barack Obama was criticized for proposing an end to the Bush tax cuts. Obama did raise taxes marginally, only to see them cut again under the most recent Administration. I have every expectation that the Biden Administration will roll back at least some of Trump's tax cuts — those that were targeted at corporations and the wealthy.
Without revealing too much, I will say that Nancy and do pretty well financially. We benefitted from the Trump cuts, and wish we hadn't. We didn't need the cut. Others did. We wound up increasing our charitable giving to compensate, and we will gladly pay more in taxes if it means cutting the tax burden for those who aren't as financially secure as we are.
What bothers me most about the conversation surrounding taxes in this country is those who say they don't want their tax dollars going to social welfare programs, because they don't believe in giving others a free ride.
First of all, if they honestly think that living in poverty is a "free ride," they're insane. Folks in Texas lost their heat and electricity for a week, and there was an outpouring of sympathy and aid — all of it justified and deserved. But there are plenty of people in this country who can't afford to heat their homes at all. There are people in this country who live on the streets, who wander from shelter to shelter seeking a meal or a bed or a bit of warmth. Every night in the United States children go to bed hungry.
In a civilized society, we try to take care of them, to feed and house, to warm and comfort.
And I would say to those who object to social welfare spending that I, too, don't like all the things my tax dollars buy. We spend nearly $700 billion a year on the military. I believe that is way, way too much. We spend money to benefit oil and gas companies, big pharmaceutical companies, huge agricultural conglomerates, and all sorts of other corporate entities. Most of those expenditures come in the form of tax breaks and credits, but that doesn't change the fact that they increase the tax burden on the rest of us. I object to much of that spending.
Some would tell me that defense systems, the search for oil, R & D for new drugs — these are things that benefit all of us. I might argue with these points — I don't think new defense systems are necessarily good for anyone, and I know that finding more oil to burn is a terrible idea — but I understand the logic of the argument. And I would counter that lifting up those in need helps all of us as well, that improving education for those with the least pays dividends for all of society, that enabling all to participate fully in the nation's economy improves that economy for everyone.
The larger point is this: We don't get to pick and choose where our tax dollars go. I have to pay for a new weapons system and for oil and gas exploration that Exxon can easily afford to do on its own. Others have to spend on school lunches, teacher training, childhood health subsidies, vocational retraining, etc.
This is the price we all pay in order to live in a diverse, thriving nation.
And one more point I would like to make. Interest on the national debt currently gobbles up 8 cents out of every tax dollar. The budget deficit for 2020 was $3.7 TRILLION (slightly less than the chart above projects — I included the chart for the trend line). Even before the pandemic hit, necessitating emergency spending, the Trump tax cuts had driven projected deficits way up over where they were by the end of the Obama Administration. Some will try to tell you that those tax cuts simply returned money to the pockets of Americans. Bull. Every dollar that Donald Trump added to the deficit increased that interest expenditure I just mentioned and forced the rest to pay more. By skewing his cuts to the wealthiest among us, he basically forced the rest of Americans to subsidize a tax cut for the rich.
In any case, I still have a bit of work to do on our taxes, but it looks like we overpaid for the year. Most likely, we'll take our refund in the form of prepayment of my estimated taxes for 2021. That's just the way it works.
Have a good week.
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REVIEW | Trina Solar Honey M plus 295 / 300 / 305 / 310 / 315.
Trina Solar's popular mono PERC variant, the Honey M plus presents some interesting qualities for a solar module at the more affordable end of the spectrum. Respectable efficiency, modern design and a surprising durability rating suggests excellent value for money. Like any global leader by volume, quality control issues have affected previous module variants and batches. It must be noted though, Trina Solar has done a lot to earn back the trust of end-users internationally within the last few years by ensuring more sustainable products. Therefore, is the Trina Solar Honey M plus the right solar panel for your installation?
.Make and model: Trina Solar Honey M Plus.
Variants: 295W / 300W / 305W.
One of the longest-serving vertically integrated solar module manufacturers of the world should be able to produce good solar panels? Not entirely. Specific batch issues in the past have haunted Trina Solar however the manufacturer has appeared to remain proactive in after-sales product support over the years which is comforting assurance for most. Matching the new wave of solar panel technologies, 18%+ efficiency (solar 3.0), is the Trina Solar Honey M plus solar module variants which perform surprisingly well when put through the Solar Review Module Assessment Criteria.
The overall design of the Trina Solar Honey M plus is the most surprising feature of the module range. A P-Type monocrystalline solar cell forms the foundation with a 5 busbar connection method. Further enhanced by the PERC (Passive Emitter Rear Cell) design a temperate environment is maintained with a white EVA substrate (back sheet). Black or silver frame options provide aesthetic design options for those which require a specific style.
More interestingly a feature is incorporated which many manufacturers fail to mention, advanced surface texturing. Solar cell surface texturing increases the surface area of the solar cell as opposed to merely slicing a flat surface. With no specific module listed Trina Solar recent claimed another DNV GL "Top Performer" award.
Two key criteria elevate the Trina Solar Honey M plus in the durability ranks where alternative so-called "more affordable" solar panels fail to compete. Damp heat testing is more than respectable at 2000hrs while hail impact resistance is impressive at 35mm/ 97 km/h. Alternative areas of exceptional durability are both salt mist and ammonia resistance both conforming to IEC61701 and IEC62716 respectively.
Average areas of durability are within both wind and snow loading which conform to only IEC Standard while leading alternative manufactures seek to test well beyond for extreme climate suitability. Thermal cycle testing appears to only conform to 200hrs, and PID (Potential Induced Degradation) is marked as resistant.
Amonia resistance certification IEC 62716.
Pushing efficiencies of up to 19.2% within what would be considered a standard 60 cell monocrystalline design is undoubtedly an exciting time in solar. Potentially what is more exciting is how rapidly such efficiencies are evolving. The Trina Solar Honey M plus is most certainly in the upper end of the spectrum with a 60 cell 5 busbar design. A slightly above average temperature coefficient and a 2% (+5W) power tolerance round off what should be considered a good efficiency rating.
Nothing exceptional the Trina Solar provides good support assuring the performance of the Trina Solar Honey M plus over 25-years. Performance should degrade at no more than 0.68% per annum after the first year's initial stabilisation period where a 3% degradation is accommodated. Considered a linear performance guarantee the Trina Solar Honey M plus module range should be producing within 80.68% of its nominal power rating at standard test conditions by year 25.
3% degradation in the 1st year.
Parts & service performance warranty.
A newly established trained installer network (Trinahome) ensures the Trina Solar Honey M plus ranks a GOOD score in the Guarantee category despite an average 10-year parts only warranty. With such, end-users maintain a higher chance of successful product warranty claims in the event of a failure as the installation of the Trina Solar Honey M plus is more likely to be installed to manufacturer guidelines.
Authorised installer network, with no ender-user benefits.
Product technology aggregate combined with the market purchase price defines the overall affordability of the Trina Solar Honey M plus solar module as exceptional. End-users could do far worse at this price point or below.
Approximately $0.45 per watt USD ex.
The below overall assessment for the Trina Honey M Plus is broken up into two final scores.
Overall technology ranking; the average of design, durability, efficiency, performance and guarantee (for those less concerned about price).
Overall ranking; the average of design, durability, efficiency, performance, guarantee and affordability.
Ranking overall VERY GOOD in the Solar Review Module Assesment Criteria, the Trina Solar Honey M plus performs well against alternative industry equivalent module designs with a better than expected durability ranking.
Previous articleREVIEW | Risen RSM120 poly 275 / 280 / 285 / 290.
Next articleREVIEW | JA Solar JAP60S01 poly 270 / 275 / 280.
REVIEW | SolarWorld Sunmodule Plus 250 – 260 (Polycrystalline).
COMPARE | German vs Chinese solar panels.


Hi need radio code for Micra 2005 1lt.
John_D thank you so much. first code worked. ( i wasted £10 on buying codes that didn't work). Nice to know that there good people out there!
can someone please help me with the radio code for my micra!
Please can you help me too?
Tried both of them and double checked the code but still not working, anything else I could try? I have the other part/serial number if that helps?
Try pushing the correct input button on the radio, perhaps the 'UP' button on the right hand white knob? Failing that I haven't a clue.
Anyone else got any ideas, still can't get it to work, when you input the numbers it just doesn't do anything when u press the up button. Doesn't tell me wrong code or anything the number just stays there. I can get the radio to Work temporarily (when you do the trick with 1 and 2 buttons) and the scan up button does work on the radio setting, so it doesn't seem to be faulty.
I'm a bit lost with anything else to try. I've double checked the numbers I gave in the first couple of posts and they are correct.
Anyone else got any ideas, still can't get it to work, when you input the numbers it just doesn't do anything when u press the up button. Doesn't tell me wrong code or anything the number just stays there. I can get the radio to Work temporarily (when you do the trick with 1 and 4 buttons) and the scan up button does work on the radio setting, so it doesn't seem to be faulty.
Codes right, you just haven't found the right button to input the code. Try pressing different buttons after typing the code in.
Hi, is it possible someone could help me with a radio code please. Just bought a 2004 and the radio is asking for the code and i have no handbooks 🙄. Thanks in advance.
Where can I find the serial number please?
You remove the radio from dash and it's in a sticker behind the radio. Like in the pictures above.
is there any other way to get the serial number without removing the radio?
I have code 0000 displayed on the radio.
The usual problem, have brought a Micrs SX dci and no hand book therefore no radio code. Clearly the previous owner had a battery changed at Halfords without keeping a voltage on the car. Result, lost coding. Both my other two micra's came with codes. I have the BP number as below but the part number (11) digits starts with 86 when everyone else seems to start with a 7.
Many thanks for that, 6202 worked first time. Whilst the standard radio is good quality, it does not have the bells and whistles of newer headunits. So I don't know why it is not easier to get the radio codes as who is going to steal such a unit!
Anyhow, we much apperciate your help in getting the radio up and running.
Many thanks, the code 5584 is working.
Please can somebody help me with the radio code Blaupunkt serial BP234746080887, Nissan part number 7642347318?
Can you help me with my radio please, i'd like to listen music again.


I always take what the "experts" say with a grain of salt. Expert analysis lags real life – they wait for the numbers to "confirm" what the rest of the world – literally – already knew: we are in a bad recession. You and I and everyone else on the street knew this at least 6 months ago. The prices were going up, people were losing jobs, and belt tightening was necessary for nearly everyone. But the "experts" refused to use the word recession.
The National Bureau of Economic Research is one of the major organizations that help define when we are or are not in a recession. While I agree 100% that just about any moderately educated person would have said "heck yeah we're in a recession" months ago, there kind of has to be some official rules and/or body that defines rules to determine when the economy has hit such a point. The common rule is "2 consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth." Note that this not declining growth. This is actual reduction in GDP, which is driven primarily by productivity. Which means an actual decline in productivity for two consecutive quarters.
The NBER uses many more stats, though, and determined that we actually have been in a recession since around the beginning of 2008. So forget about 2 consecutive quarters (I think we hit that only in Q3 last year, possibly Q4). According to the NBER it's been a whole year. That's pretty scary.
Another reason why defining recession is useful came up yesterday in my macroeconomics class. How can we define "depression" if we don't define "recession?" Technically, there is no definition of when we are in a depression. Which is kind of scary. That we have some dry definition for recession feels comforting in that light.
The major issues to watch for are the unemployment rate, because GDP growth is based on productivity, and we can't be productive as a society, on a macroeconomic level, if people aren't working, and inflation/deflation. If the dollar becomes weaker or prices drop and return on products goes down, then we have serious problems ahead. The specific issues we're seeing are in many ways responses – no credit because banks are scared about risk and their own futures is a reaction. One that has massive side effects, sure, because in an economy that relies on people spending money whether they have it or not, when banks don't lend to the population we have a problem. But still a reaction.
But the flip side will also be true. The recovery will be happening while "they" still think we are in a recession.
I'm actually not so sure about this, since it really depends on whether anyone has a clear idea of what is happening. What will define recovery? How will different people define it? When they are able to get a loan again? When they have cash in hand? When they feel safe enough to spend that cash with knowledge that they'll get more cash later, in the form of a paycheck from a job they're pretty sure they'll still have or something else?
I think that for many people it will be the other way around. The credit system, the mortgage system, the banks, etc will have gotten on much better footing well before people have the confidence to say that we're in the clear. This kind of stuff scares the bejesus out of people for a long time.
Look at how long it took before people were comfortable with tech companies again. It's not like people in the valley stopped being innovative or stopped having good ideas because of the .com bust. People were just scared of how terribly skewed everyone's perceptions had become. So they stayed scared a bit longer than perhaps was necessary.
So is it a good time to buy a house? If you can get a mortgage approved, yes! Mortgage companies are looking for solid loans to boost their bottom lines, so SOME people are in higher demand for loans. If you aren't staying in a house for 5 to 7 years, you don't need a house – that's been a long-standing rule of thumb, nothing new. If you lose your job or think you will – and you don't already have a house – don't buy one! Again, not rocket science here.
My comments in response here are 1) that yes, if you can get a mortgage on the right terms one should take it BUT that the incredibly low rates the government is aiming for are not likely (4%? something like that) unless the banks decide to lend and take on that kind of risk again. Banks are scared of people with FICO scores of 800, since that just represents past credit stability. What if that person loses his job tomorrow because of the economy? Well, that would make that 800 pretty meaningless. And if there is only 4% interest on that loan, it doesn't cover the risk taken. So banks won't do it. So if you can get the mortgage on the right terms for you, then great. But it might not be the terms that the government is touting they will be able to achieve.
And 2), the point of the post from MarketWatch was that they were stating something rather obvious. Indeed, if one does not have a job, then one should not buy a house :-).
Actually, most of this recession was caused by people accepting the "too good to be true" lines they were fed at face value. I actually blogged about this back in September of 2007. (http://12amusings.wordpress.com/2007/09/01/sub-prime-surprise/) What? I can get a home with no money down and only a few hundred dollars a month (interest only loan)? Wow! Sounds too good to be true!!
The funny thing about people going with adjustable rate mortgages is that mortgage rates in the..80s? or so were around 14%. So if you took an ARM back then, and gambled that rates would go down at all, then you'd win out. It's funny how that is.
Of course, an ARM is just adjustable rate. It isn't sub-prime. A sub-prime loan, once it goes into regular payments on principle, will always skyrocket. You can't go lower than prime after all.
4%? I hadn't heard that number as a goal. And I agree, rates are NOT going to get that low (and if they do – heck if they get to 4.75% – I'll be looking into a re-fi myself!).
Nope – gotta disagree here. FICO is a measure of more than stability. It measures available credit versus used credit and repayment history, among other (somewhat) mysterious criteria. So someone with a FICO of 800 (I'm not there, but darn close!) has a HISTORY of responsible payments, reasonable use of credit, and sound financial judgment that most likely transcends any one particular financial setback. These are the people to whom banks most WANT to lend because the relative risk is so low with that kind of proven track record.
But ARMs readjust frequently, often every 5 years depending on the terms. So yes, mortgage rates might have been 14% in the 1980's, but did they really drop drastically enough over that short time span for the average person to profit significantly from the adjustment? Not only that, but that person needs to know when to get OUT of the ARM into a fixed rate, or their short-term gains get quickly eaten by long-term losses.
I still think ARMs are like trying to make money by timing the stock market or winning in Vegas: you might get lucky, but you're much more likely to lose your shirt (or house), even if you do know what you're doing.
At one point, the idea was thrown out that a fund be setup that loaned only to people with good FICO scores. Which you think would be how…loans were determined and meted out in the first place, but apparently not.
re: ARMS – average person? Probably not. This was an economist talking :-). But over the last 30 years, rates have apparently dropped from 14% to even 6% or a bit more, right? So technically they would have worked out in the long run no matter what.


October ushers in festivities and celebrations. Halloween is round the corner and Diwali preparations have already begun. Kitchens are busy these days as new recipes are being tried and tested and added to the festive menus.
Dissolve sugar in ½ cup warm water. Add yeast and cover the bowl for 15 minutes. The yeast would have turned frothy by now. Add butter.
Whisk flour, salt and cocoa. Add water and knead soft dough. Add more water if needed.
Knead for about 6 -8 minutes till the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let it rise in warm place for an hour or until doubled.
Turn out the dough onto floured surface. Punch and divide into two. Roll each piece into 12 inch x 10 inch rectangle, brush with melted butter, sprinkle sugar, ground cinnamon, chocolate chips and walnuts.
Roll up each piece starting with the long side. Pinch seams to seal. Cut each roll into 10 pieces.
Grease two 8 inch cake tins, place cut side down. Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes or until doubled.
Bake in a pre heated oven at 190 degrees C for 20 -25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from the tin after 10 minutes and cool in the rack.
To prepare icing, combine icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Pour over the rolls while slightly warm.
Oh Namita.. that looks so so pretty! The first pictures looks straight out of some professional confectioners menu card! Humbly simple recipe, yet awesomely decorated. I love the look of it, taste am sure must be YUM!
I have been wanting to try these for the longest time..love your take on it and turning them into chocolate delight.
Hey.. if I just want regular glazed cinnamon rolls (eggless ). Would you have a recipe for it?
Hello! you may omit egg in the recipe. You'll get egg less chocolate cinnamon rolls.


Summer in DC has been busy!!! Semi-recent and random July happenings…..
OMD shoot for Chunky Glasses and 9:30 Club…..
Hang time w my homies…..
Got to drive a 1915 Model T w my Dad!!!
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion w We are Hex at Flying Dog Brewery's Gonzo Fest….
A quick trip up to NYC to visit with friends and the Gogol Bordello Pura Vida Conspiracy CD release!!!
I loooooove NYC!!! The Gogol show was awesome!!! More photos coming next !


text:
The 1974-1975 FIRA Trophy was the 15th edition of a Continental European rugby union championship for national teams, and the second with the formula and name of "FIRA Trophy".

The tournament was won by Romania, who defeated France in the opening match.

First division
Table

 Czechoslovakia relegated to division 2
Results

Second Division
Table

 Netherlands and Poland promoted to division 1
Results

Bibliography
 Francesco Volpe, Valerio Vecchiarelli (2000), 2000 Italia in Meta, Storia della nazionale italiana di rugby dagli albori al Sei Nazioni, GS Editore (2000) .
 Francesco Volpe, Paolo Pacitti (Author), Rugby 2000, GTE Gruppo Editorale (1999).

References

1974–75 in European rugby union
1974–75
1975 rugby union tournaments for national teams
1974 rugby union tournaments for national teams

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In the recent days, the Saudi government have arrested Salman al-Ouda (customary marriage fatwa and claim of a meeting with one of the God's angels, Gabriel), Awad al-Qarni and Ali al-Amri. They were criticizing the Saudi government and supporting Qatar.
Saudi security forces have also arrested a number of Saudi clerics, including Mohammad al-Khodayari, Mohammad al-Habdan, Ibrahim al-Harthi, Yusouf al-Ahmad, Ibrahim al-Nasser, Ibrahim al-Fares and Gorom al-beshe.
Hasan Farhan Maliki (cleric from Jizan city and opponent of Wahhabism and Saudi government policies) and the media activist Fahad al-sunaidy were also among the detained people.


Reading is a skill for life. Each student going into grades K-8 has a summer reading project to keep their skills sharp and their imaginations bright.
Keep those math and reading skills sharp as well as growing your Science and Social Studies Knowledge!
This year's challenge has two parts. You must complete both parts to succeed!
Just 30 minutes a day working on math and reading skills this summer will help you stay in school-shape for the coming school year.
Download File for a printable version.


As you have probably heard us say several times at TechwareLabs, storage is an ever increasing need as is the availability and reliability of such storage. Simply having a device to store your data on serves no use if it is not available to you wherever you go. Just having storage is not good enough for many users, we need our data to be available to us across several PC's and abroad. This is the very definition of what a network accessible storage device accomplishes. There are many devices on the market today, so selecting one to meet your needs has become difficult . . . until now. We have taken a look at several Synology devices in the past and our impression has always been good. It seems the engineers at Synology have the "everything and the kitchen sink" attitude towards their devices and the DS410j which we are reviewing today is no exception. So let's start with a basic explanation of a NAS and what it does for you.
Less outlay of $cash$ for an actual file server.
Ease of installation for those DIY'ers.
Ease of access to data across several PC's without carrying an external hard drive around.
Centralization of data and access of data.
Taking that a step further Synology has expanded the functionality of their products by building in functionality in all manner of areas. You will soon see why the DS410j could very well be a perfect product.
You tested thoughput over a 10/100 switch? Why in the world wouldn't you want to post meaningful numbers instead of this garbage? 12.5MB/s is the theoretical max of a 100Mb connection!
I understand your viewpoint and perhaps I should have clarified in the review. I tested using a 10/100 switch as unfortunately most SOHO and small businesses still employ as a standard those types of switches. Our numbers are therefore meaningful to the intended consumers of this device and not garbage.


The most important change over the last days was the Syrian government forces move (red areas and arrows) in the south-east towards the Iraqi border. The original plan was to retrieve al-Tanf further south-west to secure the border crossing of the Damascus-Baghdad highway there. But al-Tanf was occupied by U.S., British and Norwegian invaders and some of their proxy forces (blue). Their airplanes attacked Syrian army convoys when they approached. The U.S. plan was to move from al-Tanf north towards the Euphrates river and to thereby capture and control the whole south-east of Syria. But Syria and its allies made an unexpected move and prevented that plan. The invaders are now cut off from the Euphrates by a Syrian west-to-east line that ends at the Iraqi border. On the Iraqi side elements of the Popular Military Units under the command of the Iraqi government are moving to meet the Syrian forces at the border.
Meanwhile U.S. supported Kurdish forces (yellow arrows) are attacking the ISIS held city of Raqqa. The Russian military command claims that the Kurds and the U.S. made a deal with ISIS to let its fighters leave Raqqa towards the south and east. The fast progress the Kurds are making in taking the city supports that claim. There seems to be barely any Islamic State resistance left.
#SecDef Mattis: "I did not anticipate that the #Russians would move there (near At Tanf.) … it was not a surprise to our intel people."
[T]he Tanf garrison is now surrounded by hostile forces. The U.S. forces in the area would have to fight through regime positions to get to al Bukamal, further risking escalation.What now? Is the United States prepared to protect these forces in perpetuity? Will the U.S. provide air cover for forces that clash directly with regime allied assets outside of the 55-kilometer zone? Did the previous three strikes prompt a counter-escalatory act that undermined U.S. interests? Sadly, the answer to the last question is yes.
The U.S. has no legal authority to attack Syrian, Iranian or Russian forces. None at all. It is invading Syria with no legitimate reason. Syria, in contrast, has the legal authority to throw the U.S. troops out.


text:
Today I announced that the second edition of Mark of Odin: Ragnarok is now available in print and digital, both from the Mark of Odin website, as well as from the main external platforms of Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play Books and Kobo. This is an important milestone, as it is the first reissue…
There are ways and ways to start a new year, but this 2023 has wanted me particularly to do it by achieving the important milestone of reaching 130,000 readers of my fantastic fiction saga of Mark of Odin. This figure, which produces vertigo, has been achieved by adding the print and digital readers of both…


There has often been an assumption regarding the treatment of addicts whereby we expect that individuals will not become willing to acknowledge and accept the reality of their addiction until they hit "rock bottom". While this assumption is not true 100% of the time, it is certainly reasonable to predict that the addict will not willingly seek out help until they believe there are no other options, or until they are mandated to get help by the legal system. Because of the nature of the addiction cycle and how it acts as a temporary regulating system for the suffering individual, it seems almost inconceivable that an addict would decide, prior to being forced by the courts, a health problem, or another severe event, to voluntarily stop the very behavior that directs all other behaviors in their life.
The addiction industry has turned to interventions as a solution for the lack of willingness that generally accompanies the addiction cycle. The theory behind interventions is actually quite clever because rather than waiting for the addict to reach rock bottom, the theory states that the intervention experience will actually bring the bottom up to the addict. The bottom is brought to the addict by way of commitments made by friends and family to discontinue their support for the addict until they commit to entering treatment. There seems to be some utility in this approach, but it also seems it would be advantageous to explore other alternatives as certain individuals could be severely triggered by this "sneak-attack" approach conducted by their loved ones. If the addict experiences this type of intervention as a betrayal (whether real or imagined) they can become hostile, angry, and refuse treatment with even more veracity than prior to the intervention.
While there doesn't seem to be an obvious solution to the very real problem of getting the suffering addict to accept help prior to fully destroying their lives, it seems as though at least engaging with an open and honest dialogue may be beneficial. It seems as though disseminating information about addiction and especially about the benefit of seeking out help before things grow exponentially worse could help ameliorate, at least partially, this problem in question. While waiting for the addict to hit rock bottom, or bringing their rock bottom to them via interventions are both ways in which we can tackle the issue of getting people the help they need, honest communication and dialogue can also be of great motivational value for the addict, and for those looking to help.


text:
Shayna's sister Katrina (shown here in a recent pic) will be attending the family reunion later this month. (Submitted)
Strangers to sisters: Abbotsford neighbours discover they are related
DNA research leads to discovery that acquaintances have the same father
Ben Lypka
Aug. 6, 2021 12:41 p.m.
For years, Shayna Davison would go on a daily walk from her home at the Blue Ridge apartments on Tessaro Crescent in Abbotsford.
On those regular strolls, Davison would pass by a neighbouring house and engage in small talk with a friendly woman who resided there.
They'd say hello to each other, talk about the weather and give attention to Davison's dog.
Both women told The News that something drew them to each other on those chance encounters, a sense of closeness seemed to naturally occur between the pair, but it was never anything more than two acquaintances briefly chatting.
Years later as a pandemic raged on and COVID-19 forced many people into their homes, Davison received a Facebook message from her older sister saying, "Sissy, we need to talk."
Moments later Davison entered a FaceTime chat with her sister and another woman, who she quickly recognized as the same person she would encounter on Tessaro Crescent. What her sister said next changed Davison's life forever.
"Sissy, this is our sister," she said.
It was during that conversation when it was revealed that Davison's niece had submitted her DNA for ancestry research and made a number of remarkable discoveries. Davison's father had an entire separate family and had children with another woman before meeting their mother.
Davison and her sisters had never known they had three other half-sisters – one of whom was Beth Davison – the very same woman that she had interacted with so many years ago on Tessaro Crescent. Neither Beth nor Shayna had any idea their new half-sister had lived in the same city for so many years, or that they had spoken many times before.
RELATED: Family Feud Canada looking for Abbotsford families
"We did recognize each other and I just kind of said, 'Hi, nice to meet you,' " Shayna said, laughing as she recalled the unique introduction. "We instantly noticed we had a lot in common, we like the same music, we both love animals and to laugh at our sisters. We've only known each other for a few weeks but we are already finishing each other's sentences."
They went on to discover their father had three children apiece with their mothers. Shayna's full siblings are Katrina and April, Beth's are Rosemary and Brenda. Unfortunately both Brenda and April have passed away. Katrina is now located in St. Catharines, Ont. and Rosemary is in Saskatoon, Sask.
Their father is no longer in any of their lives and the pair believe he may have other children spread out across the country. According to the sisters their father was married at least five times.
Beth said the discovery of her new siblings has brought more meaning to her life.
"Now I feel like I'm not so alone anymore because I can pick up the phone now and call my sister anytime," she said. "We've become very close, very fast."
Shayna agreed and said it's given her a better understanding of herself.
"For me a circle has been fulfilled because I've always wondered about my father," she said. "I knew he was married before because my mother had told me so I always wondered if there were older siblings out there. It made me feel not so alone anymore. Like she said I can now pick up the phone and talk to her anytime."
A full reunion of the four living sisters is planned for Abbotsford on Sunday, Aug. 15. Rosemary and Katrina, along with many other family members from both sides of the family are gathering at Beth's house. More activities are planned for Monday, Aug. 16.
Both sisters stated that this discovery was a bright light in what has been a terrible time for so many living through the pandemic and it was all thanks to technology that the connection could be made.
"There's been all sorts of bad news with the pandemic and for us to come across each other it's been such good news for us," Shayna said. "I feel really happy that the during the pandemic this research was done and I feel like my family is finally completed."
RELATED: Norwegian man finds biological family in B.C.
abbotsfordCOVID-19Fraser Valley
Beth and her sisters Rosemary and Brenda from their younger days. (Submitted)
Abbotsford neighbours and acquaintances Beth (left) and Shayna Davison have recently reconnected after decades of not knowing they existed. The right side of the picture is Beth and her two siblings in earlier days. (Ben Lypka/Abbotsford News)
VIDEO: Seal gives birth on dock at Comox Marina
QUIZ: It's party time


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BLACK CROWN INITIATE - Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape (Review)
Written by: Beaston Lane
2020 was my first year delving into the obscure and current side of heavy metal, leading me to listen to a seemingly infinite amount of artists including critical darlings like Haken and Imperial Triumphant. However, one band that seemed to fly under the radar far too often--Black Crown Initiate--endlessly commanded my attention with their third album, Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape.
Having dropped on August 7th, this magnum opus has steadily gained momentum through the beginning of 2021, but I'm here to put it in the spotlight again. Artists who released albums during 2020 took a big risk with touring on hiatus, and they deserve all the attention they can get. Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape is my favorite album of the year--intoxicating, refreshing, poignant, and above all, beautiful.
Within a genre as consistently amazing as progressive death metal, bands who aren't already big names are much harder to distinguish from their peers. Residing in the technical realm, Black Crown Initiate rose to underground fame in 2013 thanks to their debut EP, Song of the Crippled Bull, which many a metalhead still hold in the highest regard. Their first two records, The Wreckage of Stars and Selves We Cannot Forgive, are great works of tech-death, but never quite achieved the heights of the EP. After bringing on drummer Samuel Santiago and guitarist Ethan McKenna in 2018, the band fully fleshed out the genius of past tracks like "Great Mistake" and "Again" on VPODE, capturing lightning in a bottle for seven epic tracks of transcendent extreme metal.
"Invitation" wastes no time getting things started, opening with subtle acoustic chords and melancholic clean vocals from Andy Thomas. These lyrics serve to foreshadow the album's narrative, fading out as James Dorton's colossal harsh vocals explode on the wings of abrasive distortion. This interlude fades seamlessly into the atmospheric verses, which build to unleash one of the best choruses of 2020. Outrageously catchy, thrillingly dramatic, and riffy as hell, this Thomas-led chorus is what cements "Invitation" as a classic, ensuring that even as a true progressive death metal song, it's as much of an earworm as something off Future Nostalgia. Even the complex guitar solos and bridges stick long after you've stopped listening, thanks to top-notch performances from every band member.
Instead of trying to follow "Invitation" with another epic, Black Crown Initiate switches gears on the differently structured "Son of War" and "Trauma Bonds." The former clocks in only four minutes, yet it runs like a heavier TOOL classic and maintains the dramatic atmosphere of its predecessor. If it wasn't already clear, the perfection of Dorton and Thomas's vocal dynamic becomes apparent here. Interestingly, Dorton's growls contrast the more atmospheric instrumentation while Thomas's angelic cleans contrast total brutality, creating an intoxicating mix of the light and the dark. "Trauma Bonds" continues the blending of styles, balancing devastating verses with poignant choruses. This track boasts the clearest lyrical concept, lamenting the tragedy of vicious cycles with cyclical guitar melodies to match. It's a song anyone can relate to, and its message of balance reminded me of shows like The Haunting of Hill House and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Closing the first section is "Years in Frigid Light," an epic track that fades into the oddly hypnotic throat-singing of the intermission track, "Bellow." With more moments of quiet than previous tracks, "Years in Frigid Light" gradually blends its abrasive and ethereal sections, starting off with stop-start transitions and ending with an effortless synthesis of the two. As the echoes of "Bellow" rumble through the speakers, you'll feel as though you've experienced a full album-worth of excellence, even though there's still about 23 minutes left! This is where VPODE surpasses its predecessors--mimicking Song of the Crippled Bull with its robust and captivating first half.
"Death Comes in Reverse" opens the second half with sinister clean guitars, establishing the eerie, fragile atmosphere that will carry this album to its conclusion. The first song that leans more overtly towards atmospheric, it's a savvy change of pace that consistently builds in magnificence to set up the jaw-dropping majesty of "Sun of War" and "Holy Silence."
The first of two epics that round out VPODE, "Sun of War" was the song that made me interested in this album in the first place, aggressively grabbing my attention in June and never letting go. Setting a scene of war and destruction with quiet vocals and soft instrumentals, the track explodes into what may be the heaviest and fastest riffs on the album. Similar to "Invitation," this controlled chaos culminates in a fantastic chorus, this time shared by Thomas and Dorton in paradoxical harmony. Angry like a fuming tyrant, the track sheds the calm of "Death Comes in Reverse" for an apocalyptic odyssey that concludes with a perfectly ominous outro.
As the last proper song on the album, the bar that "Holy Silence" needed to meet is astronomically high--but it had little trouble raising the bar even further. Incorporating all the motifs present on VPODE, this track opens as serenely as any of the others, but introduces an undeniable chorus that rivals even "Invitation," even though it's all growls! This alone is a testament to Black Crown Initiate's exceptional songwriting, but this song's overarching slow-build is the true crown jewel. With each passage, "Holy Silence" increases in intensity, but at the five-minute mark, the band strips their sound down to only clean guitars. This drastic shift soon sees the successive reintroduction of the bass, drums, and finally electric guitars, resulting in an absolutely spine-tingling guitar solo. Beautifully melodic, obscenely fast, and truly poignant, this solo is as memorable as any chorus or riff on this album; at times, it seems as though the guitars are expressing more emotion than a human voice ever could. As "Holy Silence" fades, the outro, "He is the Path," reprises "Invitation" for a narrative, emotional conclusion that ensures VPODE is complete.
It seems fitting to compare this album to great fictional battles between good and evil, like Lord of the Rings, but its true meaning is far beyond that. Black Crown Initiate has never been a band to explain what their songs mean, writing them so that they can connect with fans in an infinite number of ways. The "narrative" I've referenced throughout this review isn't so much a formal story as it is the journey of one's heart through difficult and uncertain times. What you see between the lines of VPODE will always be your own story, and that is truly where the band triumphs. As phenomenal musicians and performers, so much of what this record has to say is conveyed clearly through their mastery of the medium.
As we look toward the remainder of 2021 with optimism, it always helps to remember that even in the darkest of times, there will always be glimmers of light. Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape is a perfect reminder of that fact, and I'm beyond thankful that Black Crown Initiate made the tough decision to share it with us in a world of uncertainty. It has truly helped me through the toughest moments of 2020, and for that reason and many others, I recommend it to you with the highest praise I possibly can.
Black Crown Initiate - Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape was released Aug. 7th, 2020 from Century Media
Black Crown Initiate can be found:


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Home / Lotus
By Anthony Faccenda Nov 15 2012 - 4:17pm
Chrome Lotus Evora showcased in new trailer for Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host'
The Evora's inclusion in the upcoming film marks the vehicle's first appearance in a major US film.
Although most automotive enthusiasts could probably care less about the upcoming sci-fi/ teen love story film The Host, its latest trailer features a certain upscale sports car that is worth a look. Based on a novel by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), The Host tells the story of a parasitic alien race called "Souls" that have invaded Earth and have begun to possess the minds of the human race. The trailer is mostly void of details, but it appears that the aliens prefer to travel in chrome vehicles, in particular a chrome Lotus Evora.
In fact, the trailer showcases a pair of chrome Evora cars and a chrome helicopter in an impressive highway chase scene. One Lotus Evora sports coupe is scene skidding across the freeway whilst dodging bullets.
The Evora's role in The Host marks the first time the luxury sports car has been featured in a major motion picture. The Evora did, however, make a memorable appearance in the 2010 British short film The Commuter, which starred Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire).
Aside from film, the Evora has appeared in countless television shows including House of Lies, Chuck, Desperate Housewives, Switched at Birth and two episodes of Californication.
The Lotus Evora is a sports car manufactured by the British car company Lotus. Originally known as "Project Eagle," the Evora was launched at the British International Motor Show in July 2008.
The Evora touts a mid-mounted 3.5-liter DOHC V6 VVT-I engine and a six-speed Aisin transmission. The vehicle possessed a top speed of 162 mph and can go from 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. Furthermore, the Evora boasts a modular lightweight bonded aluminum body; Lotus tuned hydraulically assisted power steering and forged aluminum double wishbone suspension.
According to Lotus, the Evora is available in 20 exterior colors including several grey and silver options, but the silver chrome vehicle in the movie trailer appears to be custom.
Chrome luxury sports cars have been all the rage lately amongst Hollywood's elite. Most notably, pop star Justin Bieber chromed-out his Fisker Karma in April after receiving it as a birthday gift in March. Rapper Flo Rida also recently added chrome plating to his Bugatti Veyron touring sports cars. Lastly, reality star Scott Disick also previously owned a chrome Audi R8, which he sold on Ebay in June.
Check out the trailer for The Host below and look for the film when it hits theaters on March 29, 2013.
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POWER TO BLACKMAIL AND INTIMIDATE
POWER TO AFFECT LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL OUTCOMES
Op-Ed By: Rev. James M Wesley Jr December 14,2014 Sunday @ 10:49 PM
As the dust settles from the Republican betrayal of the people of this Republic concerning the illegal immigration portion of the budget bill that passed both houses of this LAME DUCK congress on it's way to Obama's desk for signing. Let us look at what appears to be a series of crucial coordinated LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL TRAIN WRECKS over the course of this administration's pursuit of FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE FOR AMERICA.
Our Republic seems to be on a suicide mission of self destruction
where all CONSTITUTIONAL SAFETY VALVES SEEM TO HAVE FAILED.These failures center around KEY CONGRESSIONAL AND SUPREME COURT INDIVIDUALS. From OBAMACARE TO HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. WHY ARE WE SHOCKED? This is the most criminal and corrupt administration in U.S. history...it controls all the levers of power JUSTICE DEPT.,DEPT OF DEFENSE,TREASURY DEPT, STATE DEPT. and under it's control is the ALL SEEING EYE OF THE "NSA"...SPECIFICALLY "PRISM". This gives the administration power that would make J.EDGAR HOOVER look like a kindergartner. Information of a personal nature that could be leveraged to force a legislators or judge to "DO THE RIGHT THING". This is a national security threat of the first order. The lack of character and courage that it would take to elevate one's personal issues above the fate of the REPUBLIC is disgusting. This issue is the "800 pound gorilla" sitting in our living room! Forget about what controls they claim the FISA COURTS are suppose to have...are you kidding me? The whole selfish, corrupt leadership structure is compromised. The fact is are there any in leadership that are not able to be effected? This nightmarish scenario seems to be endless...and the END GAME IS UPON US. PEOPLE PRAY!! DON'T BELIEVE? GET SAVED AND THEN PRAY!
The following is a Wikileaks run down on PRISM'S CAPABILITIES...
Edward Snowden[edit]
Further information: Edward Snowden
PRISM was publicly revealed when classified documents about the program were leaked to journalists of The Washington Post and The Guardian by Edward Snowden – at the time an NSA contractor – during a visit to Hong Kong.[2][3] The leaked documents included 41 PowerPoint slides, four of which were published in news articles.[2][3] The documents identified several technology companies as participants in the PRISM program, including Microsoft in 2007, Yahoo! in 2008, Google in 2009, Facebook in 2009, Paltalk in 2009,YouTube in 2010, AOL in 2011, Skype in 2011 and Apple in 2012.[35] The speaker's notes in the briefing document reviewed by The Washington Post indicated that "98 percent of PRISM production is based on Yahoo, Google and Microsoft".[2] The slide presentation stated that much of the world's electronic communications pass through the U.S., because electronic communications data tend to follow the least expensive route rather than the most physically direct route, and the bulk of the world's Internet infrastructure is based in the United States.[16] The presentation noted that these facts provide United States intelligence analysts with opportunities for intercepting the communications of foreign targets as their electronic data pass into or through the United States.[3][16]
Snowden's subsequent disclosures included statements that governments such as the United Kingdom's GCHQ also undertook mass interception and tracking of Internet and communications data[36] – described by Germany as "nightmarish" if true[37] – allegations that the NSA engaged in "dangerous" and "criminal" activity by "hacking" civilian infrastructure networks in other countries such as "universities, hospitals, and private businesses",[14] and alleged that compliance offered only very limited restrictive effect on mass data collection practices (including of Americans) since restrictions "are policy-based, not technically based, and can change at any time", adding that "Additionally, audits are cursory, incomplete, and easily fooled by fake justifications",[14] with numerous self-granted exceptions, and that NSA policies encourage staff to assume the benefit of the doubt in cases of uncertainty.[38][39][40]
Extent of surveillance[edit]
Alleged NSA internal slides included in the disclosures purported to show that the NSA could unilaterally access data and perform "extensive, in-depth surveillance on live communications and stored information" with examples including email, video and voice chat, videos, photos, voice-over-IP chats (such as Skype), file transfers, and social networking details.[3] Snowden summarized that "in general, the reality is this: if an NSA, FBI, CIA, DIA, etc. analyst has access to query raw SIGINT [signals intelligence] databases, they can enter and get results for anything they want."[14] According to The Washington Post, the intelligence analysts search PRISM data using terms intended to identify suspicious communications of targets whom the analysts suspect with at least 51 percent confidence to not be U.S. citizens, but in the process, communication data of some U.S. citizens are also collected unintentionally.[2] Training materials for analysts tell them that while they should periodically report such accidental collection of non-foreign U.S. data, "it's nothing to worry about."[2]
According to The Guardian, NSA had access to chats and emails on Hotmail.com, Skype, because Microsoft had "developed a surveillance capability to deal" with the interception of chats, and "[f]or Prism collection against Microsoft email services will be unaffected because Prism collects this data prior to encryption."[41][42] Also according to The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald even low-level NSA analysts are allowed to search and listen to the communications of Americans and other people without court approval and supervision. Greenwald said low level Analysts can, via systems like PRISM, "listen to whatever emails they want, whatever telephone calls, browsing histories, Microsoft Word documents.[27] And it's all done with no need to go to a court, with no need to even get supervisor approval on the part of the analyst."[43] He added that the NSA databank, with its years of collected communications, allows analysts to search that database and listen "to the calls or read the emails of everything that the NSA has stored, or look at the browsing histories or Google search terms that you've entered, and it also alerts them to any further activity that people connected to that email address or that IP address do in the future."[43] Greenwald was referring in the context of the foregoing quotes to the NSA program X-Keyscore.[44]
During a House Judiciary hearing on domestic spying on July 17, 2013 John C. Inglis, the deputy director of the surveillance agency, told a member of the House judiciary committee that NSA analysts can perform "a second or third hop query" through its collections of telephone data and internet records in order to find connections to terrorist organizations.[45] "Hops" refers to a technical term indicating connections between people. A three-hop query means that the NSA can look at data not only from a suspected terrorist, but from everyone that suspect communicated with, and then from everyone those people communicated with, and then from everyone all of those people communicated with.[45][46] NSA officials had said previously that data mining was limited to two hops, but Inglis suggested that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has allowed for data analysis extending "two or three hops".[47]
Posted by SHIELD OF FAITH MINISTRIES at 11:18 PM