text:
The EZA Community Top 25 Best of 2010!
El Shmiablo Banned last edited by @Sentinel Beach
@sentinel-beach I've still got my Pandora's Box too. It sits on my computer desk.
Probably my second favorite piece of gaming tat I own next to the Infamous shoulder bag.
NeoCweeny last edited by
I'm very happy 3D Dot Game Heroes made the list. It's such an incredible game and I'm glad I'm not only one one who remembers it.
One of the best games from the last generation.
DIPSET last edited by
I have to say GOW3 is the game that got me into the series. I dabbled in GOW2 when it originally came out but the public anticipation of GOW3 had me play every prior game in the series and I ended up finding one of my favourite series ever.
I was in love with God of War III when the screen prompt of 'L3 + R3' came up as you were from the POV of Poseidon and Kratos has your head. Click L3 + R3 and you gouge out Poseidon's eyes, snap his neck, and push him off of Mount Olympus. I didn't know it could get crazier than that, but the whole game is just murdering your way up Mount Olympus. It's one of my favourite premises ever and this game never gets old to me. I've played it like 5+ times and its just as good every time.
Kaminski last edited by Kaminski
I remember playing all 3 main God of War games together after the 3rd was released.
I had a very negative impression of 3 as soon as the fatality sequence of Poseidon happened. That was so needlessly long and drawn out. It felt like it was indulging in its own violence without purpose or much creativity. That moment is burned into my mind as one of the most annoying sequences I've ever had to watch/experience in a video game. It's a shame because everything leading up to that moment was absolutely incredible.
The gameplay was pretty ok though. If you ignore the story it's an alright romp and the idea of battling through all the greek gods is really cool. I thought Ascension was actually a much better game in the end and the brand new God of War on PS4 is by far the best in the series.
Scotty last edited by Scotty
GoWIII is infeior to GoWII but it's still awesome. Like others said: Premise of the story is sooo goood! Also graphics are insane, gameplay is faster than before and using every God's skills in meaninful ways was so satisfying. Don't forget how the atmosphere change with every new murder. Ahahahha. Pandora needs to be talking point too, it was meaninful. Still didn't play 2018 game but it's about to change in near future I hope.
El Shmiablo Banned last edited by
Putting this out there.
Joel from TLOU and Kratos have a ton of parallels.
Both are endeared to the player by loss of family members.
Both do terrible, horrible things in their quest for revenge.
Both can be seen as the bad guy when you look at their actions from an outside perspective.
Both attempt to find redemption through somebody who reminds them of their lost family member.
Both have great beards.
TLOU 2 = GOW3
GOW2018 = TLOU1
Axel last edited by
#4. Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 33 points
#1: 2 (Phbz, tokeeffe9)
#2: 5 (Axel, Kaminski, HappyGaming, Jamicov, NeoCweeny)
#3: 0
HM: 3 (naltmank, Shoulderguy, El Shmiablo)
Release date: May 23 [US], June 11 [EU]
Genre: Platforming
Platform(s): Wii
GT Review
bard91 last edited by
I never played Galaxy 2, even though I loved 1, right now I'm just waiting for that supposed Switch collection.
Shoulderguy last edited by Shoulderguy
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is my #5. I originally completed it on the Wii when it released in 2010. Even though I mostly enjoyed it, I disliked the blurry look of the game and having to use motion controls. A few months ago, I played SMG2 on the Dolphin emulator using a HD texture pack, with an Xbox One controller. That version of the game is incredible. It fixes the few issues I had, while reminding me how great of a platformer SMG2 actually is.
I couldn't find one for SMG2 but this is a comparison for SMG1. Hopefully those Mario remaster rumors are true, so more people can experience the SMG games like this.
I just didn't really like the Wii at all. I didn't see the appeal in Galaxy 2 at the time because A) I don't like the art direction, and B) I don't like Wiimote.
I'd consider emulating this but how does it even work on PC? Isn't it built ground up with motion controls in mind?
bam541 last edited by
I have a lot to catch up on Nintendo games. Still haven't played any exclusives on the Switch besides Pokemon. This and the other Super Mario games looks like one heck of a jolly time. I just wish them Nintendo games aren't so damn expensive.
Shoulderguy last edited by Shoulderguy @DIPSET
@dipset You can customize the controls yourself. I downloaded a controller profile that someone made. It was:
Right Trigger as Spin Attack ( You would shake the Wii remote on the Wii)
Left Trigger as Shoot Star Bits
The Right Stick is your pointer ( You would point the Wii remote at the screen on the Wii)
You used motion controls to spin attack, gather and shoot Star Bits. There are also sections where you tilt to move. You probably do lose some precision by not using motion controls. But, you don't have to stick your hand way out in front of you and wave it around like a mad man.
Brannox last edited by
The most common discussion about Super Mario Galaxy 2 I've heard is that it's for all intents and purposes an add-on to the original, as from what I've been told, it doesn't do too much new. However, when played immediately after Super Mario Galaxy 1, the combined experience lends to one all-encompassing game. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, just pointing out for people like me who haven't played either Galaxy games, they both look the same, and I couldn't for the life of me tell you which feature/galaxy/story beat is in which game.
Still, they look fun as "traditional" 3D Mario platformers do, and the most interesting thing I've heard about 2 specifically came from what would be (sadly) the last Game Sleuth EZA will ever do.
Sazime last edited by
I have 4 games on my own list that haven't made this one that could easily be in the top 3, 1 that I'm surprised didn't make it, and 1 that will definitely not. Gonna be wild to see which of the 4 are in the top 3, or if any of them are at all. But, 2 of them HAVE to be, or this list is gonna feel really weird.
Phbz last edited by
SMG2 is the game responsible for bringing me back to gaming.
My mother in law gave me a Wii, out of nowhere, with a copy of this game. Completely random thing, unexpected, and I wasn't exactly thrilled with the silly console and what it looked like a kiddy game.
But damn, this game conquered me almost from the start. I love everything about it and is on my top 3 best games ever.
Hazz3r last edited by @Sazime
@sazime I'm fairly confident what the top 3 are. I have 2 HMs that won't make it. One I'm a little surprised, one is par for the course.
Sazime last edited by @Hazz3r
@hazz3r I can't wait to see if one my my fav HMs got any other votes at all.
I thought the first Mario Galaxy was just an alright game when it came out, but Super Mario Galaxy 2? This game knocked my socks clean off.
The sequel was 10× more creative and far more tight in its level design and challenge than the original. It's incredible the shear imagination and variety on display. A new, clever gameplay concept is introduced every few minutes. It just never let's up.
There's seriously enough concepts and ideas in this one game to create 20+ full fledged games.
I can't think of another instance where a direct sequel felt more fresh and novel than its predecessor.
Alright, I got some catching up to do.
Donkey Kong Country Returns is something I actually didn't play until recently, but I had a ton of fun with it! I do like Tropical Freeze more, but there's still a lot of creativity in those levels and it's, in my opinion, the perfect difficulty for a 2D Platformer of its kind.
I always go back and forth on what my favorite Pokemon games are, but HeartGold and SoulSilver are always in the conversation. Gen 2 was already one of my favorite gens, so having the Gen 4 DS aesthetic with those towns and those characters just ends up being some of my favorite vibes in Pokemon. Plus, post-game content in Pokemon is a big thing for me, and there's a lot to go through here, even beyond the second region. I also have a lot of nostalgia for how much I played this game with my friends.
And of course Super Mario Galaxy 2 is up there for me. I haven't actually played either of the games in a while, so I'm not sure which I prefer, but Galaxy in general is just such a masterclass in a lot of regards. The mechanics feel great, the music is great, the level design is great, it's just all very great. I do prefer the setup to the first game more though, I always agreed with Bosman's take on the tiny Mario head ship and just having a world map instead of exploring the observatory.


text:
package com.ikaimen.pattern.FactoryPattern.AbstractFactory;

/**
 * Created by ChenTao on 2017/7/8.
 *
 * 生产产品等级为2的工厂实现类
 *
 */
public class Creator2 extends AbstractCreator {

    //生产产品等级为2的A产品
    @Override
    public AbstractProductA createProductA() {
        return new ProductA2();
    }
    //生产产品等级为2的B产品
    @Override
    public AbstractProductB createProductB() {
        return new ProductB2();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: CSS: Fix container at the top without specifying height Is there a way to fix a container at the top without specifying a height?
I have a container which lays on the body so that there is a margin all around. The container is on overflow: auto so that it extends beyond the height of the screen (which is what I want, I do not want to specify a height).
What I am looking for is a way such that the container scrolls up but the margin stays visible (it scrolls up underneath the margin. Is there any way of doing that without fixing the height of the container?
Thanks in advance!
EDIT:
http://jsfiddle.net/aybjbxvc/
It's they grey margin at the top that I would like to keep when it scrolls while everything else stays the way it is.

A: You can do this by putting container inside a wrapper div:

    ...

Declare these styles for wrapper, and it will take up all except the top 5% of the screen.
#wrapper {
  position: absolute;
  top: 5%;
  height: 95%;
  width: 100%;
  overflow: auto;
}

Remove the overflow and padding styles from body and container.  Change body's margin to 0px.  These changes will remove extra scrollbars:
body {
  background: #e8e8e1;
  margin: 0px;
}

#container {
  width: 200px;
  background: #fcfcf7;
  margin: 0px auto 0px auto;
  box-shadow: 0 0 8px #a1a19a;
}

Fiddle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Total War: Attila will have 9 historical battles, and you can watch one of them now
Creative Assembly's shown off plenty of campaign action from Total War: Attila, but alongside the new campaign that depicts the fall of the Roman Empire are nine new historical battles, more than Rome II.
You can take a look at how Creative Assembly's James Given and his Western Roman and Visigoth forces managed when facing Attila and his angry Huns, below.
Skip to 6:30 for the big Roman versus Hun scrap. Before that, however, designer Simon Mann shares his list of the biggest challenges in Attila, including sieges against stalwart cities like Rome and Constantinople, and playing hordes, who are always on the move, making enemies everywhere.
Given says that, unlike the historical battles in previous games, Attila's will be more dynamic. Enemies won't be as scripted, and where they go on the map and how they engage the player forces can change.
Total War: Attila will be out on February 17th.
Get involved in the conversation by heading over to the Strategy Gamer forums. To stay up to date with the latest strategy gaming guides, news, and reviews, follow Strategy Gamer on Twitter and Facebook.
Fraser Brown
Total War: Attila Requirements

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Not since the Boom, or to be precise, since García Márquez published One Hundred Years of Solitude in 1967, had a Latin American writer enjoyed such sudden celebrity as Roberto Bolaño: After his success in Spanish—winning the Herralde and Romulo Gallegos prizes and his conversion into the guru of the new generation—he received unanimous praise from the French critics, his fame spread to the rest of Europe, and, five years after his death, it exploded in the United States, one of the most difficult media for foreign literature to penetrate. The publication of 2666 in English at the beginning of 2009 became the fifth moment of the Bolaño delirium, and so began the construction of a global icon: thousands of copies sold, each article and review more praise-filled than the last—including in the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, and the New Yorker, the trend-setters of intellectual fashion—and the launch of a legend that combined his personal excesses and his early death. And if that were not enough, his heirs abandoned the agency of Carmen Balcells, the mythical co-founder of the Boom, for Andrew Wylie, aka the Jackal, the New York literary agent who has concentrated more Nobel prizes and cult authors per square meter in his office (and who has already announced the recovery of a novel that Bolaño left among his papers) than any other agent.
While reading the reviews and articles published in the North American literary media about Bolaño, I was continually surprised that the American reading of Bolaño, especially the reinvention of his biography, had almost nothing in common with the reception of Bolaño in Spanish. I do not believe, as some Spanish critics and even some of his friends do, that the American Bolaño is a falsification, a marketing product, a forced reinvention, or a simple misunderstanding: on the contrary, maybe the power of his texts lives in the diverse interpretations, sometimes contrasting or opposed, that it is possible to extract from his books. But the reception of his American critics reveals, however, another phenomenon: not only does the Bolaño read and recreated by them have nothing to do with his Spanish reception, but it seems that none of his panegyrists took the trouble of reading what the Spanish speaking critics had been saying about him—with almost always the same admiration—for more than a decade. When he arrived in the United States, he suddenly became a cult author; Bolaño got across the desert, crossed the border, and escaped the literary migration, but he could not take his family with him: as a whole, the American critics boasted about their discovery, as if they were responsible for unearthing Bolaño; they considered only their contrived mythological creation and didn't take the real world into account.
Few authors were so conscious of their place in world literature, especially in the Latin America world, as this Chilean author: each one of his texts is a double answer—it might be worthwhile to say a slap in the face—to the traditions that obsessed him. Of course, none of that appears in the readings of the American critics. For a Mexican like myself, who also had the opportunity to converse with Bolaño dozens of times, it's hard to believe that a book as plagued with references to Mexican literary history as The Savage Detectives—in my opinion, a boxing ring in which Bolaño settles accounts with his past—could be read, understood, and enjoyed by a media that totally ignores them. However, that is what happened: his success in the United States was absolute. What does that mean? In the first place, the book is so universal—and so open—that Bolaño's scholarly winks lose their importance; and perhaps the prejudices and the superficiality of the American reading are huge. Bolaño has not been glorified in English for being Latin American or Chilean, nor because of his ties with this part of the world—he could easily have been Thai or Kuwaiti—but for other reasons, literary as well as extra-literary, and his case is not comparable, in any measure, to other writers of the region—or even Isabel Allende—and perhaps only to Haruki Murakami, the only international literary star capable of casting a similar shadow in English.
Beyond the discussion of Bolaño's supposed heroin use, none of the critics of his books in the Spanish language made a point of focusing on his life, "rebel, exile, addict". (If this were not enough, during his last decade Bolaño never lived "in the urgency of poverty", but the modest life of the suburban middle class, a life infinitely more placid than the other Latin American immigrants in Cataluña). Without a doubt, the relation between the life and works possesses greater enchantment in the United States than in any other part of the world, but the emphasis on his supposed or real penury have played a key role in interpreting (and, obviously, selling) his books. The American literary world has been obliged to construct a radical rebel from a simple misunderstanding: confusing a first person narrator with its author. Bolaño, who during the last years of his life had a more or less normal life, not full of luxuries, but clothed by an almost simultaneous recognition from the publication of his first books (Nazi Literature in the Americas and Distant Star in 1997 and The Savage Detectives in 1998), has been transformed into one of those furious writers who, facing down the scorn of his contemporaries and through a fierce individual fight, manage to convert themselves into tragic artists, posthumous heroes: a new example of the myth of the self-made man. Bolaño, thus, as the last revolutionary or the heir of Salinger or the Beats: it is not coincidental that the other Latin American figure exalted to his in the United States is the sugarcoated Che Guevara by Benicio del Toro and Steven Soderbergh. Both of them have become, in their American versions, bastions of fierceness and defiance, prophets equipped with a blind faith in their respective causes—in one case art and in the other politics—ideal models for the intimidated and disbelieving society of the United States under George Bush.
Although no one has dared point it out, the reasons for Bolaño's ascent are not that different from those that governed García Márquez's rise forty years ago: for the developed world, both have been mirrors of a necessary exoticism. The step from magical realism to the reaction of visceral realism sounds, all of the sudden, almost foreseeable: in both cases "the political" has been the key to drawing the attention of the meek American readers, no matter that the left-wing compromise of one has nothing to do with the acid post-political criticism of the other; and last, both have been received as a breath of fresh air—in other words, of savagery—before the contemporary lack of will power.
After a decade of reigning as the new paradigm for Latin American writers, Bolaño's ascent to the throne—let us not get to say "manipulation"—in the United States and his rapid inclusion in the official cannon, has severely perturbed us. As was expected, many of those who glorified him while he was a minor author now point out the dangers of his accelerated upgrade to the mainstream, and while some take advantage of his fame and present themselves as his confidants or literary heirs, others question a success that suddenly seems suspect.
The Bolaño case marks a watershed moment for Latin American literature. While he is unanimously idolized by the greater part of the new writers, none of them has continued the relationship that the Chilean used to keep with the Hispanic American tradition. Dozens of youths imitate his awkward style, his "fractal" stories, his games and stylish threats, his plots as alleys without exit, his delirious monologues, and his literary erudition, but none, in turn, has looked for dialogue, or war, with his predecessors—with the vast plot that goes from modernism to the Boom—that is found in the center of almost all of Bolaño's books.
Bolaño represents one of the highest points of our tradition—that spider web that goes from Rayuela to 2666—and at the same time a fracture at its center. It is difficult to know if this break will be definitive, but for the time being all of the signs point to a cataclysm: even if it were in a rebellious and radically ironic manner, Bolaño continued to present himself as a Latin American writer, in both the literary and political senses; after him, nobody seems to have kept that abstruse faith in a cause that began to be extinguished in the nineties. The followers or imitators of Bolaño do not follow or imitate his spirit, but his formal procedures, emptied of the Bolaño's eccentric political and artistic militancy.
It is not accidental that Bolaño, a Chilean who owned a house in Spain, wrote Mexican, Chilean, Argentinean, or Peruvian short stories and novels with the same ease and conviction. It was not about only copying the linguistic peculiarities of each place—a mere exercise of memory and a good ear—but of creating books that would really deal with the tradition of each one of these countries. If the members of the Boom wrote books centered in their respective places of origin with the goal of summoning an elusive Latin American essence, Bolaño did just the opposite: he wrote books that played at belonging to the literature of these countries and ended up revealing the vacuity of the concept. While he sounded the voices of his compatriots, Bolaño assumed the role of the last total Latin American, capable of supplanting a full generation of writers single-handed. Or in another sense, his imitation of different accents and idiosyncrasies, taking it all the way to parody (for example the Argentinean in the wonderful tale "El Gaucho insufrible"), hid a hilarious critique of the proper idea of national literature. Since Bolaño, writing in the solemn Bolivian faith of the Boom has become impossible: one of the central ruptures that mark his work. That does not mean that Latin America has disappeared as scenery or point of interest, but it is beginning to be perceived with that post-national character, devoid of a fixed identity, that is appropriate in a global world at the beginning of the 21st century. And Bolaño is, in a good measure, responsible of this change.


text:
A Culture of Fear
"The people don't want to go to war, but they can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
– Luftwaffe Commander-in-Chief Hermann Goering.
"We can fear WHAT we should not- either because the threat is not in fact great or immanent or because what we fear losing is not in fact good – or we can fear AS we should not; that is, we may fear the proper object but fear it excessively."
– Scott Bader-Saye, "Thomas Aquinas and the Culture of Fear," 2005.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 situation, we have witnessed the birth and careful cultivation of a culture of fear on a global scale which is unprecedented by any event in history, including both World Wars. Never before have so many people been bombarded daily with so many messages of fear, doubt, guilt, and division.
The new strain of Coronavirus which spread out from China in late 2019 has resulted in the entire global routine being forcefully suspended by governments and medical consultants. In the West, citizens of nations that once espoused liberty and inviolable personal rights have been placed under draconian restrictions allegedly in the name of stopping the spread of a supposedly tenacious sickness. Once, we were free men who could go where we pleased and do as we pleased so long as we obeyed the laws of the state, which were mere codifications of commonly accepted social laws of humanity. We could pretty much do what we wanted, so longs as we didn't willingly harm anyone else unless at utmost need. In my country, Ireland, we were some of the most free men in the world. But all that's changed now.
Where once we had freedom and rights, now we have only "permission." We have permission to buy food or medicine, care for the needy, go to work if our work is deemed "essential" by the government, and exercise within a state-sanctioned radius of our home. We have permission to watch TV, browse the Web, shop online, read books, paint, play with our children, work from home. We have permission to call our parents on the phone, associate with people from the same household, and wear masks when we stand in a queue for half an hour outside the supermarket. Finally, and most significantly of all, we have permission to watch our society stagnate and sicken at its heart while our children are sold a bleak and lifeless future.
Do you remember what it was like to be a child? To require permission for everything, the food you ate, the places you went, the people you played with, whether you could go to the bathroom or not? It's not quite the same, our present situation, but sometimes it sure feels as though we're being treated like children.
Is there a reason for all this? Well, we know now that the Coronavirus, although very deadly to a specific set of people, is relatively harmless for the young and the healthy. The average age of death from Coronavirus is about 82 years old, an age at which pretty much anything could kill you.
According to https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/, the percentage of people confirmed to have Coronavirus and died between January 1st and May 1st 2020 was 0.07%. That's 239,294 deaths divided by 3,394,342 confirmed cases. Now, let's not be flippant. 240,000 dead people is a significant loss. A tragedy. This virus is a real threat, at least to a very small section of the population. But to put things in perspective, here are some other stats from the same source between January 1st and May 1st 2020.
14,203,039 abortions.
835,582 deaths caused by alcohol.
450,983 road traffic accident fatalities.
358,254 suicides.
162,571 seasonal flu deaths.
239,294 Coronavirus deaths.*
The numbers don't lie. We are surrounded by danger, beset on all sides by threats and risks, which all have the potential to snuff us out of existence like the fly in God's soup that we are. How we manage to survive to old age in a typical year is a mystery, let alone in times of pandemic. But most of us do. Most of us live our lives, leave our houses, work our jobs, raise our families, play sports, lift weights, drive motorcycles, eat sugar, and we get by just fine. Most of us don't spend our time dwelling on thoughts of death. Most of us don't avoid doing what we want and must do if there's risk involved. There's always a risk involved, but we've developed a relationship with risk which allows us to live and operate in the dangerous environment that is the world. In the normal case of events, when we want to do something, we quickly assess the risk and determine whether the reward is worth the risk, and then act accordingly. We avoid unacceptable risks wherever we can, but we accept many seemingly lesser risks every day.
Let's talk about me. I drive a lot, and I'm a young man in good health who's never had a serious medical condition. I eat clean, exercise every day, have no mental deficiencies, and yet I typically dri0ve more than 60,000 kilometers per year, sometimes on a motorcycle. How much more likely am I to die in a road traffic accident than I am to die of Coronavirus? A lot. But that's just me. Am I so different to everyone else? A little, probably, but not a lot.
Many people are in relatively poor health due to poor dietary choices, lack of exercise, or underlying conditions. Not everyone is blessed with the good health that I currently enjoy, and I'm aware of that. But most people (I think, I'm not an authority) are in a relatively good state of health and have a fairly productive relationship with risk.
So why is there so much fear out there now? Don't pretend that you haven't noticed it, the fear, the doubt, the reluctance to engage with people. There's a park near where I live. I walk there every day, and
every day I see groups of people walking their dogs, sitting on the grass, playing with their kids, and enjoying the outdoors in the limited manner that's available to them while taking more precautions than they usually would.
But I also see something else.
I see the people who haven't developed a sufficiently productive relationship with risk. I see the people hiding in their houses, looking out the windows from behind their curtains and watching what everyone else is doing outside. I see the people on social media complaining about everyone else who isn't taking the risk as seriously as they are. I see the snitches. I haven't seen 'em snitch, but I know a snitch when I see one. There are people out there who needed nothing more than a little fear to turn on their neighbors.
It's not surprising given how well people have been programmed. I don't usually watch the news or TV or listen to the radio. I typically get my knowledge of world events from the people I talk to. But recently, the news and the media have been almost unavoidable. Anytime I see a government broadcast or a panel discussion, or an expert's report, I get a distinct impression that I'm being sold something. For a brief period in my life, I worked as a salesman (didn't suit me), but I did it long enough to recognize a sales pitch when I'm on the receiving end of one. So I feel confident in saying that the media, the experts, the Government representatives that I've seen are selling us fear.
They want us to be afraid.
Why would they? Because they're people, just like you and me, and just like you and me, they have agendas and plans. They, like us, want something. Sure, one of the things they want is to prevent the spread of a dangerous virus, probably, maybe. But certainly, one of the things they want is to take advantage of the situation to further their own agenda. That's normal. It's human. We all do it. We all try to make the most of whatever situation we find ourselves in, to get as much as we can from an opportunity that presents itself to us.
And what is a government? What does it do? It governs, it regulates, and it administers. The role of a government is to impose order on chaos, to create laws and restrictions. That's the government's job. It's what we pay them to do. So is it surprising that the government might want to capitalize on an existing state of fear to further its ends?
Fear is a powerful lever in the hands of a manipulator. Why does anyone buy insurance if they weren't sold fear? Why do we pay taxes if not for fear of reprisal? Why do we go to war if not for fear of losing something we're willing to die for? Nazi Hermann Goering understood. In his quote at the beginning of this article, he describes a simple process for leveraging fear to coerce an unwilling populace. Make people feel as though they're under attack, in danger, at risk, then turn the fearful against those who are unafraid, then manipulate this internal division to incite further fear, all the while imposing your will onto them in the name of their own benefit.
Treat people like emotional children, and eventually, they'll act like emotional children.
But I'm not a child anymore. I've established a process to deal with fear so that it doesn't govern my actions. I regularly expose myself to risk and danger, make assessments, and act accordingly, and so I'm not afraid of this virus despite the media's best efforts to make me so. But I am also not irresponsible. Those in poor health, I avoid unless they make it clear that they don't wish to be avoided. We direct our own fates, and we must respect the self-sovereignty of others as we would wish our own self-sovereignty to be respected. And there's a lot of people out there who really are at risk from the virus but who refuse to let it stop them from living meaningful lives. I salute those people.
To sum up, I propose the following:
Let anyone who's at significant risk of this virus, or any virus, or those who even think they might be at risk, stay at home. Give them state support. Give them every opportunity they might need to stay in their house for as long as possible. And let the rest of us, those of us who don't give in to fear, keep the wheels of civilization turning until they find the courage to come out of hiding.
Once, we were free men, but now we have little freedom. Now we have only "permission." It's become clear that the governments of most countries will not permit their citizens to do what's necessary for some time more. They plan to ride this wave of power for as long as they can get away with it. I ask myself the question, how much more will it take for previously free men to give themselves permission again?
I wrote this article around Easter 2020. Easter is a doubly sacred time for my people because of the Easter Rising of 1916, in which the seeds of rebellion sprouted once more in an occupied nation that had been docile and obedient for too long. The men and women who participated in the Easter rebellion gave their lives so that their children would be free to determine their own fate without the oppression of a tyrannical government that had gone mad with power. It seems to me that we've given up on their dream and submitted ourselves to tyranny by compliance.
Let the sick stay home. Let the fearful hide away. Let the strong carry the burden for as long as they must. And let us all remember that we were free once only because better men and women than us fought and died long ago to secure our freedom. Give yourself permission to make their sacrifice mean something.
*These figures were correct when I wrote this article, but more recent figures in 2021 show a death rate for COVID of just 0.02%. That's without even calling the number of recorded cases into question, which is perfectly reasonable to do given the overcalculation of cases that the authorities have admitted.
Bulls of The Táin: The Indo-European Legacy of an Irish Myth
The Sons of Lugaid Menn


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Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Biggest Drama Through the Years
Their fair share of drama! Below Deck Sailing Yacht may just be getting started, but the drama has already reached unexpected heights.
During season 2 of the hit show, the crew was rocked with a shocking twist when Dani Soares claimed that Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux was the father of her baby.
"He hasn't supported me at all in any way. He thinks it is not his child and he doesn't want to have anything to do with it," Dani explained during the June 2021 reunion episode after finally confirming that she got pregnant after their time together.
Jean-Luc, who wasn't able to attend the reunion with the rest of his cast members, later spoke with Andy Cohen and even left an emotional message to his ex.
"Dani, what we had on the show for me was real. I don't care what anybody says, even now that we're going through what we are going through. What I felt for you, and the time that we had, was genuine. Everything that I ever said to you was true," the deckhand said to the camera.
Jean-Luc tried to offer a fresh start after continuously asking for a DNA test before he would acknowledge Dani's pregnancy.
"The fact that we are at where we are now, I am really sorry and I would assume to say that most of it is my fault," he admitted. "Maybe it's because I am the boy that you think that I am. With that being said, I want to be there for you."
He concluded his speech, saying, "Though you may not want anything to do with me because of me asking you for a paternity test, that's something that I can get over. But what I can't get over if this is my child is not being there for her."
The exes have not spoken about their situation publicly since their separate appearances at the reunion, but Dani did open up to Us Weekly about life as a single mom.
"Not having a partner makes it hard for me to have time to shower, eat a meal with no rush or simply [sitting] down alone for a few minutes. I could definitely use [help] with having a nanny coming in even just for a couple hours a day so I could take care of myself and recharge," the reality star, who gave birth to her daughter two months prior, exclusively told Us in July 2021. "At the moment I can only recharge when a friend comes over, and obviously, they have their lives and can't be here every day."
The Bravo personality noted that her support system in Australia was always there for her.
"I couldn't be doing this without them," she added at the time. "They come over a couple times a week and save my mental health."
Scroll down for more of Below Deck Sailing Yacht's shocking moments:
Nepal Contemplates Shifting Everest Base Camp As Glacier Melts
Sri Lanka Shuts Schools For 2 Weeks Amid Fuel Crisis


An employer-employee relation is quite special, both of them stand to gain or lose a lot from each other. Astrology can help you understand your employees better which in turn can help build trust and loyalty among your employees and strengthen your bond.
Given below is the employee characteristics peculiar to people belonging to the different zodiacs.
Taureans are exceptionally hard working and prefer stability over changes. Having a Taurean employee is definitely an asset for your business. He is diligent and doesn't mind working late. But, if you don't recognize and give him credit for his hard work, the bull will come charging on you with its sharp horns.
Gemini has an inherent tendency to be overzealous. Communication is their forte, which is why they do well in jobs which require them to express themselves. They do not shy away from problems and are adept at handling difficult situations effectively. Whenever there is a crisis Gemini's are usually the first ones to act on it and resolve the problem swiftly.
Cancerians just cannot take stress. Most of their time is spent in ensuring that there is peace and harmony in the work place. They do complete their work on time, but their main priority is building a happy environment. Always the one to be helping others with their problems, Cancerians bring in stability to the office environment.
Oh yes, the lion roars and how! Don't take your Leo employee for granted. Not someone to settle with a low profile job, typical Leos seek the kind of respect and appreciation that comes with high flying jobs. Even if they aren't the boss, their personality is so strong and powerful that not only their colleagues but even their seniors are forced to bow down to their influential demeanor.
Virgos prefer to work alone. Team work is not their cup of tea. As they are blessed with a creative mind, their work is replete with creativity. Give a simple task to the Virgo and he will come up with the most innovative result.
The most charming of all sun signs, Librans know how to impress others. They may not be your fastest workers, but they do make sure that once they complete their work it has no mistakes. There balancing nature comes in handy while dealing with problems.
Scorpions take their work very seriously and stay away from office politics. To them their work is the main priority and anything that comes in its way should be avoided. They are clear headed and know what they are capable of achieving and leave no stone unturned to get what they want.


Seven years after a gas explosion at Chevron's oilfield off Bayelsa coastline, youths from Koluama have proposed an out of court settlement of conflicts caused by the incident of January 2012.
The position of the youths was contained in a letter to the Commanding Officer of the Front Operations Naval Base koluama 2 made available in Yenagoa..
Hundreds of Koluama youths had on Sept. 15 2014 boarded the North Apoi oil platform operated by Chevron over the non-payment of compensation for the rig blowout and vacated the facility after officials of the oil firm opted for dialogue.
The January 2012 explosion sparked off a fire incident which burnt at the oil rig for over 50 days before it was put out.
Victims of the Chevron's KS Endeavour Rig Explosion in Funiwa oil field in September 2015 dragged the firm to a San Francisco court in the United States where the hearing has been ongoing.
The youths under the auspices of Koluama Clan Youth Presidents Forum (KCYPF) said that they plan to table the peace deal before officials of Chevron Nigeria Limited at the Funiwa 5 well operated by Chevron in the area.
The letter was signed by Mr Digba Ikiotimi, Koluama 2, President, Mr Omietimi Henry and Mrs Perewari Boghomem, Koluama 2 Women Leader.
According to the letter, the community wishes to resolve the lingering litigation through meaningful dialogue and move on.
"The disaster destroyed our environment and the entire ecosystem which is our means of survival.
"It is sad to note that after seven years of patience, the CHEVRON/NNPC Joint Venture have not taken reasonable steps to resolve a salient issue affecting the lives and survival of her host communities.
"In view of the above, based on the overwhelming need to act now that we are still alive, the youths of koluama have resolved that a multi-stakeholders committee is set up to resolve the issue without any further delay.
"The anticipated multi-stakeholder committee ought to include representatives from Lead plaintiffs/counsels (legal) from every legal action against CHEVRON/NNPC home and abroad, Chevron representatives, government representatives," the letter read in part.
According to them, membership of the proposed committee should include representatives of individual claimants as well as community representatives.
It was gathered that officials of the Nigerian Navy at the Koluama base urged the youths to approach the Central Naval Command in Yenagoa as they were not competent to handle the issues raised.
Sub Lt Patricia Dike, Acting Information Officer at the Central Naval Command, Yenagoa told NAN that that the Navy had nothing to do with granting permissions for peaceful protest.
Public Affairs department of Chevron have yet to respond to an email requesting for comments on the 2012 rig explosion.
Nigeria to seek technical assistance from India on refineries repair.


I have SO many amazing photographs I have taken on my travels. As in SO many.
And so I decided that starting next week, I will give you a link to download it for your Desktop…a new destination every week!
So every week you will have a fresh new destination to inspire you to plan your next RoadTrip, Family Travel Experience and more!


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It Wasn't Always Late Summer
My novel, It wasn't Always Late Summer, is a powerful story of Mary, a single teenage mother living on a housing estate plagued with predatory abuse and prostitution, and Annie, an innocent girl whose ghostly presence links the central characters over two generations, bringing the events that led to her death, the loss of innocence and the unfolding story to a dramatic, thrilling conclusion.
It is a long held view that child abuse is rooted in the cultural heritage of denigrating children and that most abusers are repeating child rearing patterns they themselves experienced as children. It wasn't Always Late Summer, explores this thesis in the context of predatory sexual abuse. But it isn't intended to be an academic thesis.
It is a mystery-suspense thriller. It explores through the characters the psycho-social dynamics of the culture of sexual abuse and grooming. Some readers have said they find it compulsive and engaging but they do find it difficult. They put it aside several times. There is a vulnerability in all the characters that creates a sense of trepidation. It is a deeply disturbing story. I can understand the readers difficulty. I cried several times in writing it.
It is a ghost story too. But I didn't set out to write a ghost story as such. In many ways Annie represents the lost innocence that runs through the narrative. It is a story with an interesting twist.
'Popular' uprisings are not necessarily popular
Did Zoo follow guidelines when it killed Marius?
New English Language Tests for Doctors
Rural GP practices under threat
Is food packaging a threat to health?
No joy from taxing the rich
Saving the world from itself
Up to ankles in water does PM no good.
Sterling scuppers the SNP?
Ban smoking with children in car?
Hand wringing on Syria


ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr. 20) This is your very special time of year, what with all those upcoming planetary changes. This week will be coloured by a series of rather mysterious emotional events. Perhaps a close friend will set the cat among the pigeons by changing an arrangement.
TAURUS (Apr. 21 – May 21) You should probably pay more attention to family affairs over the coming few weeks. There are a number of ways in which you can brighten up your home, including a spot of decorating. You may not be aware of any plans to move house now, but some people will be upping sticks soon.
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21) The heat is off in most financial matters, at least for now. On the other hand, you're going to be obliged to explain yourself better in future. Your travel stars are looking considerably more lively and many short trips are forecast over the next month.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23) Many of you sensitive people will be too wound up in an emotional whirlwind to bother about ordinary day-to-day issues. You may be having too much fun to notice that the Sun is now offering you a wonderful chance to set yourself up financially for the next few years!
LEO (July 24 – Aug. 23) A number of planets are now occupying a colourful region of your solar chart. I am happy to tell you that, for the next few weeks, you will, therefore, be granted a tremendous degree of celestial protection and help. And just as well, too, you might say!
VIRGO (Aug. 24 – Sept. 23) It's because you're such a discreet and serious person that you can be so reserved – and happy with your own company. But strangely it's because the Sun is so supportive that you're entering a phase in which all your quiet, delicate and delightful qualities are about to become much more noticeable. All your hard work should be rewarded in about six months' time.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 – Oct. 23) Wednesday and Thursday should be your best days, for these will be the times when the Moon encourages you to do your best. If you've family arrangements to confirm or useful repairs to implement, Friday is the day.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 – Nov. 22) There's so much going on in your stars that it's difficult to know where to start! Venus is probably your brightest planet, offering the chance of romance to all adventurous individuals, no matter what their age or inclination.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 – Dec. 22) You're entering a marvellous period for travel and long-distance adventure and if you've delayed a well-deserved rest until now, then get on and make your plans. Business and pleasure seem to mix in strange ways and you'll gain from past investments in old artefacts or the arts.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 23 – Jan. 20) You may have no choice but to allow other people to take the lead. However, if you do put yourself second you'll gain enormously. First, close partners will become much more appreciative and loving. Secondly, new vistas will open in your most personal affairs.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 – Feb. 19) Working and ambitious individuals will happily soon find that relationships with colleagues will improve. A partner is also about to shed light on all sorts of personal questions that have remained unanswered until now.
PISCES (Feb. 20 – Mar 20) Venus is spreading the good word about love! This planet is so well placed that you really must enjoy the happy influences it brings and refuse to let family responsibilities or differences at work drag you down.


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July 13, 2012 by midwestcounselling
Article taken from
Suicide Ireland 13th July 2012
Information to help you spot the warning signs of depression and suicidal behaviour. We can all make a difference.
What are the warning signs?
These are some of the classic signs that someone you know may be in need of some help. Please watch for the following symptoms…
Talking About Dying
any mention of dying, disappearing, jumping, shooting oneself, or other types of self harm.
Recent Loss
through death, divorce, separation, broken relationship, loss of job, money, status, self-confidence, self-esteem, loss of religious faith, loss of interest in friends, sex, hobbies, activities previously enjoyed
Change in Personality
Sad, withdrawn, irritable, anxious, tired, indecisive, apathetic
Change in Behaviour
Can't concentrate on school, work, routine tasks
Change in Sleep Patterns
Insomnia, often with early waking or oversleeping, nightmares
Change in Eating Habits
Loss of appetite and weight, or overeating
Diminished Sexual Interest
Impotence, menstrual abnormalities (often missed periods)
Fear of losing control
Harming self or others
Feeling worthless, shame, overwhelming guilt, self-hatred, "everyone would be better off without me"
Posted in Suicide
Tagged black hole, clarity, Confidential, Counselling, Health, Help, light, lost, Mental, mental-health, Midwest, Personal Growth, Post Natal Depression, Professional, Psychotherapy, recovery, Relationship Issues, sadness, self harm, Service, service Limerick, therapy
Report from RTE News on Suicide stats in Ireland 2011
Reported on RTE News 11th July 2010
525 suicides, representing 11.4 per 100,000 of the population, were registered in 2011.
The vast majority of those who took their own lives were men.
The figures are contained in the Central Statistics Office Vital Statistics for 2011, which look at the numbers of births, deaths and marriages registered in that year.
The 2011 figures saw a rise in male suicides, which accounted for 84% of all suicide deaths.
Responding to the figures, the Irish Association of Suicidology said international research shows that for every 1% increase in unemployment there is a 0.78% increase in the rate of suicide.
It said that given the impact the economic downturn had had, especially on young males, it was not surprising that men were so at risk to suicide.
However, the association said that there is always help available to anyone suffering emotional distress or feeling suicidal, including through the samaritans or their family GP.
490 suicides were registered in Ireland in 2010.
Dan Neville TD, President of the Irish Association of Suicidology, said he was "extremely concerned" by the increase in the number of deaths by suicide.
Mr Neville said the figures were not a surprise because there was anecdotal evidence of an increase. He said the true figure was closer to 600 when "undetermined" deaths were taken into account.
He said the figure reflected the neglect of suicide prevention for decades, and the economic recession, which impacts on the levels of depression, anxiety and despair.
Mr Neville said that he has been assured that €35m allocated to the development of mental health services was safe from cutbacks.
He said in the past, the HSE did hive off money allocated to mental health for other services, and there must be vigilance that this doesn't happen again.
He called for the urgent appointments of a Director of Mental Health Services, and a new director of the National Suicide Prevention Office.
"They are key positions that there should be no delay in the appointment of," he said.
"Particularly the Director of Mental Health Services. This is a new position, promised by the government, by Dr Reilly. But it's something we have been looking at for years."
Tagged black hole, clarity, Confidential, Counselling, distress, Health, Help, light, lost, Mental, mental-health, Midwest, Personal Growth, Post Natal Depression, Professional, Psychotherapy, recovery, Relationship Issues, risk, sadness, self harm, Service, service Limerick, therapy


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we were expecting you.
Cookies? We don't eat cookies. We eat vlaai. Please accept—it's gluten-free.
Check the ingredients in our privacy or cookie policy.
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Sanoma Magazines Belgium NV
Bar Marie
Design a bar with its own identity, which has the same purpose as our magazines: tell stories, inspire and inform. We went to work for media publishing company Sanoma with that mission, as they wanted their head office entrance lobby to be more than just a reception desk.
The result is a bar concept with different zones such as the "sections" of a magazine. The bar provides the same feeling as the Sanoma magazines to visitors, readers and its own staff. When you enter the place it must feel like looking through a magazine.
In the 'gossip lounge', you can chat without being disturbed. In the "home zone" you can relax on the sofa. The "meet and greet" area has a long table to run meetings and can be closed. In the middle you will find the 'greenhouse', a wooden pavilion structure with plants and herbs. And for old-fashioned cosiness, there is the "DIY – zone".
We used a lot of graphics and typographic elements. We also added accessories that visitors can actually buy. The interior is a collage with something for everyone, a mix of different features and styles that cannot be captured in one word. It became anything but a classic media café.
Just like Sanoma's magazines, Bar Marie has a story to tell. Different structures function just like 'sections' in a magazine; This way, the bar keeps it's fixed layout but can change content on a monthly base
the face of marie
A custom designed curtain serves as a seperation wall for the informal meeting room. The curtain was custom woven on a jaquard loom at Textilelab Tilburg. The patterns contains flowers and scribbles. When you look at it from a distance you can discover the face of Marie.


Perpetual Traffic is a weekly podcast produced by DigitalMarketer and hosted by Ralph Burns (Tier 11) and Molly Pittman (DigitalStrategyBootCamps.com). The duo shares cutting-edge strategies on acquiring leads and sales for your business through paid traffic. Paid traffic is the act of putting your product, service, or message in front of your target audience… it's the act of acquiring customers online while also building goodwill, and is the lifeline of any business. So, whether you're a media buying expert or you've yet to create your first Facebook or Instagram ad, you'll discover actionable strategies that can be applied today. Perpetual Traffic combines the paid traffic strategies developed at DigitalMarketer with the real-life agency experience of Tier 11 and DigitalStrategyBootCamps.com. Listen to real stories of business owners just like you and how they overcame struggles with digital marketing and online advertising. Learn how to make Facebook advertising, Instagram advertising, YouTube advertising, Twitter advertising, Google AdWords advertising, LinkedIn advertising, (and more) work for your business.


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Author Archives: Francesca Jackman
Tellwell Books Tellwell News
Tellwell celebrates some of our author's 2017 publishing accomplishments!
Jan 23,2018 / By Francesca Jackman / No Comment
2017 was a great year for many of our authors! Huge congratulations to all who self-published a book last year. Here are just a couple of the authors who have inspired us with their 2017 publishing accomplishments:
Don Levers
Author of Loot for the Taking
After publishing his first book in the late spring of 2017, the author spent the rest of the year travelling throughout British Columbia and Alberta on a book tour which included stops in Kelowna, Kamloops, Victoria, Vancouver and Edmonton. He received quite a bit of publicity along the way, and was interviewed on the CBC's The Early Edition in September. Most recently, Levers was asked to appear in the Vancouver Public Library's Annual Report. The author's persistence when it comes to building relationships with the literary community has lead to his continued success both with events and signings and publicity. For more on Don Levers, visit his website: http://www.lootforthetaking.com/, or follow him on Facebook: @DonLeversAuthor.
Deborah Kane
Author of the Fifth Dragon Series
Not only did the author publish the first 3 books in the Fifth Dragon Series in 2017, but the series is also now available for Chapters, Indigo, and Coles bookstores across Canada to order directly through Ingram! The author worked hard to develop a rapport with Indigo and its affiliates and the combination of book sales, good reviews, and consignment in some of her local bookstores led to the wholesale agreement. Kane is currently working on her next book, and we look forward to seeing what 2018 has in store for this author. For more, visit her website: http://www.dkanebooks.com/ or follow her on Twitter: @dkanebooks.
Philip Wilson
Author of The Librarian
Wilson used a combination of professional book reviews, online advertising, print advertisements and consignment to grow his brand and readership in 2017. His commitment to continued marketing efforts and his willingness to try new tactics, led to a spike in e-book sales and Goodreads ratings leading into 2018. Wilson has also been featured in the Huffington Post twice, most notably as part of IndieReader's Best Reviewed Books of 2017. The author will be publishing his second book, Songs for Lucy, with Tellwell this spring. For more on Philip Wilson, visit his website: www.philipmwilson.com or follow him on Facebook: @authorphilipwilson.
We're excited to begin another year of self-publishing and look forward to seeing what 2018 has in store for our authors!
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Tellwell Authors in Bookstores
Dec 18,2017 / By Francesca Jackman / No Comment
Grant Patterson
Back in Slowly
Available at Indigo Bay & Bloor, Chapters Burnaby, Chapters Pinetree in Coquitlam, and several other locations throughout the Lower Mainland in B.C. For more information, visit his Facebook page.
A.E. Outerbridge
Liornabella
Available at Bryan Prince Bookseller in Hamilton, A Different Drummer Books in Burlington, and Janco Books in Las Vegas. For more updates, check out her Facebook page.
Tanya Sood
She Has Risen
Available at Chapters Waterloo and Words Worth Booksin Waterloo. For more, visit her Facebook page.
Getting your novel on Amazon is just the beginning by Philip Wilson
Nov 16,2017 / By Francesca Jackman / No Comment
Guest post – by Tellwell author Philip Wilson
I had The Librarian on my hard drive for many years, and never got around to doing anything with it. Although I learned you can self-publish directly on Amazon, it seemed to require a fair amount of effort – special formatting, cover design, etc., that I wasn't inclined to do. Then I discovered Tellwell. Their website said they'd handle all of the detail required to make The Librarian available on Amazon, Chapters and Barnes & Noble – both in hardcopy and e-book version for a set fee – and I'd keep 100% of the royalties. (I didn't expect the royalties to amount to much – but I liked the gesture.)
The fact that Tellwell was a small start-up company based in Victoria, BC, caused me some concern, but I decided to give them a shot; and they've been absolutely fantastic. The Librarian is now available on Amazon, Chapters and Barnes & Noble. Not only did Tellwell make the process easy, they actually made it fun. They've got great people and really took an interest. Like all first time self-publishing authors I'm sure, I had a lot of questions, but they patiently walked me through the process.
When I started out, I assumed that once the novel was available on Amazon, I was finished. With the millions of people on the site everyday, I assumed at least a small percentage would see it, like the plot and decide to spend at least a buck for the e-version. All wrong. Initial sales were negligible. I've now learned that if you really want people to buy your book, getting it on Amazon is just the first step. You have to market it, which means getting reviews, doing giveaways, getting into bookstores and so on. I've now been working with Tellwell on marketing for eight months since my novel was first on Amazon. Sales figures are starting to show some growth, but more importantly the entire process has been fun, educational and rewarding.
I don't look at marketing as an investment for a single book but rather an investment in writing. Writing is completely different than the career I had (finance and math) but I'm having a lot of fun with it. I'd like to sell more books, but as long as I'm enjoying it – both the writing itself and the marketing process – I intend to keep at it. I've now written a second novel, Songs for Lucy, and I believe that the more sales momentum and recognition I can win for The Librarian, the easier it will be to launch Songs for Lucy.
Edgerton R. Nicholson shares his recipe for concocting the spine-chilling scenes in Nightmare Pie
Oct 26,2017 / By Francesca Jackman / No Comment
It can certainly be quite scary to write and self-publish your first book. But, writing captivating content can be even more challenging when you're trying to send shivers up the spines of your readers. Tellwell author Edgerton R. Nicholson shares the spooky details that inspired his collection of short stories titled Nightmare Pie. The novel offers a glimpse into the netherworld
and the frailty of the human mind. Served on a cold plate of the surreal and macabre, it is a must read…Especially in the middle of the night.
Nicholson talks with me about writing horrific plots, believable character arcs, and bloodcurdling climaxes. Read on if you dare…
FJ: What motivated you to write a horrific/paranormal book?
EN: As a young boy I was enamored with books such as Tom Corbett Space Cadet and his intergalactic exploits, and the Hardy Boys with their adventures into local mysterious happenings. My Mom took me to the movies to see Conquest in Outer Space, The Angry Red Planet and the original Blob, which scared the daylights out of me. So as a youngster I developed a penchant for the mysterious, the surreal, and the macabre. As a young adult I savoured Rod Serling's Twilight Zone, and Hitchcock's movies such as The Birds and who can forget Psycho? I moved on to Stephen King and studied the film adaptations of his stories. I was hooked. I knew I wanted to write something, probably not a novel initially so I just started writing short stories about my own experiences, or offbeat and unusual items I had seen in the news.
Working in the film and television industry in special make-up effects on shows such as Supernatural, The Dead Zone, and Final Destination further stoked my interest in the surreal and netherworld. I showed a few friends some early stories and received a very positive response. I accumulated eleven stories and with the expertise and help of Tellwell Publishing created an anthology which became Nightmare Pie. I think there is a market for this kind of book, a collection of short stories all different, to be enjoyed when one has fifteen or thirty minutes freedom to read from start to finish during a commute, or in bed before falling asleep. Not everyone wants to take on an 800-page novel, either in reading or writing.
FJ: When and where did you come up for the ideas for this book?
EN: The common thread in Nightmare Pie is that something weird, bad, unexplainable, surreal, and yes in some cases, horrific is going to happen to somebody in each story. Much like life itself. When and where I came up with the ideas for the stories I sometimes wonder and I think the only answer I can give is based upon my own personal experiences.
For example, two stories, 'The Man with the Green Nose' and 'Red Roadster Revelation' are based on my experiences in working at a funeral home part time while I attended chiropractic college. 'Animal Avengers' is a reflection of my love for animals and a fitting end for those who abuse them. 'Garcia's Revenge' reports on the plight of Mexicans working in the fields of American farms and a case of severe injustice and retribution. 'Death in the Forest' is a new take on the Bigfoot phenomenon and 'Lowes Descent' is a story of one man's paranoid downward spiral caused by the in your face incessant news cycle. The stories focus on the seemingly endless human foible of making assumptions, not recognizing the law of unintended consequences, or finally simply encountering evil head on in one form or another. 'Teratoid' was written in response to the terrible Japanese earthquake, tsunami and ultimate nuclear plant meltdown and its effects on the Pacific Ocean and one unfortunate young couple travelling in Japan two years later. 'Mr. Nocebo Points the Bone' is a disturbing look at what happens when those in need place their faith in wrong people with ulterior motives.
Guest Post Meet the Team
Guest Post: Publishing Consultant Mitchel Anderson celebrates two years at Tellwell
What brought me to Tellwell at first was my determination to have a career in books and literature. As soon as I could reliably make my way through a novel at a young age, I would be asking for a new book every week until I had amassed what is a small library. The value of a good book was never lost on me which can be heard in stories my family would tell about how particular I was about the condition of my books. This carried me through my English Literature degree from York University in Toronto where I had the pleasure of arguing about the meaning of books with people much smarter than myself.
What drew me to Tellwell specifically was the different perspective we take to publishing in general. While authors I have known would lament about the difficulties of finding a publisher I would always ask why they didn't self-publish, but the logistics never seemed to make sense for them. When I first arrived here at Tellwell and spoke to our founder Tim Lindsay, I realized the rare opportunity we had to put the freedom and control back in an author's hands and help contribute to the global body of literature.
Coming in at the ground floor I had rare opportunities to be heard in the development of our company and I have always made it my responsibility to listen to the feedback we receive from our authors about their experiences here and elsewhere and use that to help shape our direction going forward. My favourite parts of my job are listening to our authors discuss their projects and being able to step in with my expertise to show them that what was previously an intimidating venture is actually very approachable as long as you have clear information and the right team.
At the end of the day, I firmly believe that creator-owned fiction and nonfiction is the only way to guarantee a diverse and lively discussion in literature. If every author listened to rejection and never took a chance on their vision, we would never have seen the likes of Dr. Seuss nor would we have the influential The Joy of Cooking, which was originally self-published during the Depression and used as a proof of concept for further consideration with traditional publishers. This is a route many of our authors take here at Tellwell and we do everything in our power to make sure they are situated in the best possible way to do so.
70 Years of American Captivity wins Book Excellence Award for Social/Political Change
This month, Tellwell author Chris Meier received a Book Excellence Award in the Social/Political Change category for her progressive and thought-provoking book – 70 Years of American Captivity: The Polity of God, The Birth of a Nation and The Betrayal of Government.
The Book Excellence Awards celebrate effort, dedication and creativity among traditional and self-published authors. In winning the award for the Social/Political Change category, 70 Years in American Captivity has been recognized for its high quality design and writing, and its overall market appeal.
Meier's book explores how America's diverse nation got along and continued to work out its differences while making it a birthplace of liberty and ingenuity. It's a look at historic, scientific and documentary evidence that indicate the Federal government has broken its covenant to the citizens it swore to protect.
Chris Meier is an ordained minister, pastor, author and guest speaker with 30 years of experience sharing the unexplained of the Bible with those who desire it explained– even to those who wish it would go away. For more information on the author, visit her website: http://70yrsamericancaptivity.com/
70 Years of American Captivity is available on Amazon, Chapters and Barnes and Noble.
To see the full list of 2017 Book Excellence Award winners, click here.
Sep 26,2017 / By Francesca Jackman / No Comment
Antoine Rahil
www.antoinerahil.com
Author Antoine Rahil spoke with the Oakville Beaver about his journey as an exile from Jerusalem, to the prosperity he found in Canada. Read the story here.
www.lootforthetaking.com
Levers recounts the 1977 Vancouver heist that inspired his book Loot for the Taking with The Early Edition's host Rick Cluff. Listen to the interview here.
Charles Louis de Bourbon
Charles Louis de Bourbon tells the host of Global Morning, Jeff McArthur, about his ties to Louis XVII and how DNA can prove the king's son survived prison. Watch the interview here.
Tellwell News Tips & Tricks
Take a Number: Understanding Tellwell's Production Queues
Unlike the majority of New Yorkers, your Average Andy doesn't love waiting in line. Rarely does a person wake up, stretch, rollover and think, "I know, I'm going to wait in line for something today."
Waiting in line — or "queueing" as our tea loving friends across the pond so fondly refer to it as — is no one's favourite part of their day, and yet we do it. Constantly. Every day.
And while we know you're not always thrilled about it, it's an integral part of our process here at Tellwell. It's how we keep ourselves organized, manage workloads and make sure our services are provided to authors in a fair and timely manner.
The queue system is applied to services from illustrations and editing through to design and distribution.
Nearly every member of our production team has a queue that project managers use to assign projects and it's important that we have every element in place before we add authors to a queue. If a project manager throws an author into design before they have all their images selected or haven't completed their design questionnaire, it adds a lot of unnecessary time to the designers' workload. One missed piece of the puzzle can hold up the whole process, and the more often this happens, the more likely our turnaround times are to be negatively affected.
It might seem like we're being nit-picky, but we do it to every authors, so please don't feel like you're being singled out. Each project manager goes over their authors' project assets to makes sure everything is accounted for. Things like editor and design questionnaires give our team insight into you as an author, what your goals are, and how we can best help you produce an amazing finished product.
Tellwell's Tips for Launching your Book
After months of preparation, you've reached the end of the self-publishing journey. You do a quick Google search and there it is – your book listing on Amazon, Chapters, and Barnes and Noble. Excitement turns to panic as you wonder, "What do I do now?! How am I going to launch my book?"
Launching your book doesn't have to be a grand event, and it doesn't have to happen the second your book is released. Many authors wait months to line up events or signings, and focus instead on spreading the word via social media. Others plan a book tour, involving readings and book signings at multiple venues over the course of several weeks.
Remember, the purpose of launching your book is getting the word out, whether that be online, over the phone, or through in-person engagements. Regardless of which approach you take, here are Tellwell's top 10 tips to launch your book when it becomes available:
Have promotional materials prepared: While your book is being designed, you'll want to start thinking about materials you can put together to give to people who ask about your book. Examples include a bookmark or business card to hand out in person, an email signature with links to your author website or social media profiles, or a poster of the book cover to take to in-person events.
Build an email/mailing list: When your book is available, you'll want to have people to tell. So, while you're working through the production process, start building a contacts list complete with names and email addresses. That way when the book is available, you can send out an email blast to all interested contacts with links to where they can buy the book.
Know your target market inside and out: While it may be tempting to say anyone would take interest in your book, it can be a lot easier to promote your book to smaller, niche markets. Ask yourself – "Who is the type of person most likely to buy my book?" Once you've figured that out, determine where you might find them, where they buy their books, and what they look for when adding a new book to their collection so you can tailor your content and keywords to their interests.
Get social: In a digital age, it's nearly impossible to avoid social media when trying to get the word out. Whether you're a social media guru, or you're just getting started, try to engage with readers on at least one social media platform.
Keep your audience engaged as your book is nearing completion: Use your social media platforms, or your mailing list, to share updates with your audience before the book comes out. This creates some pre-launch buzz that will kickstart your promotion efforts.
Network, network network! As a one-person operation, it's extremely difficult to generate buzz around your book. That's why it's critical to build valuable relationships with individuals and organizations who can help you get the word out about your book. Whether it be a local business who is willing to host you for events, or a charity you partner with and donate a portion of your book proceeds to, get networking!
Get Reviews: We know you feel passionately about your book, but having others praise it will help to attract new readers. Like any product, getting customer feedback will help others to decide whether they should buy your book.
Invest in book giveaways: Whether it be organized directly through your website, or through another source like Amazon or Goodreads, give away some free copies of your book to build momentum. Incentivize your audience to keep your book on their mind.
Use clear call to actions: When approaching people about the book, be very clear about what you want from them. Are you requesting a review for your book? Do you want people to subscribe to the blog on your website? Keep your prompts clear, concise and genuine.
Take it one step at a time: Marketing takes time and consistent engagement, so be sure to break down your goals into tangible steps, and don't forget to celebrate all the small victories!
"It's okay to look back, but you don't have to live there" – Kathy Tuccaro encourages readers to DREAM BIG!
Aug 31,2017 / By Francesca Jackman / No Comment
We've all heard the saying "people can change" at one point or another. While we might not always believe it, there's no denying Kathy Tuccaro did just that.
After years of physical, verbal and sexual abuse, assault, violence, eating disorders, substance abuse, job loss and homelessness, Tuccaro decided to start writing a different ending for her story.
She sought the help she needed through a Women's Recovery Program, got her certification in Occupational Health and Safety, and now drives the biggest truck in the world through the Alberta Oil Sands.
In her self-published memoir DREAM BIG! Tuccaro shares her journey from what she describes as the "root cellar of Rock Bottom" to inspirational triumph.
"I have always said I would write a book about my life because nobody would believe me otherwise," she says. After being encouraged by others at speaking events she attended last year, she decided to start writing.
"I started with a pen and paper while sitting in the 208,000L water truck at work, waiting under the water tree for the tank to fill up. I had written the book within a month," she says.
It was no easy feat to describe the physical and mental abuse she endured throughout her childhood, nor the sexual assault she faced in her modelling career at 17. Even after relocating to Jasper for a fresh start in 1991, Tuccaro was still confronted with challenges.
She graduated from her nursing program in 1998 as a divorced, single mother with a 3-year-old daughter. After several more years of physically and emotionally abusive relationships, Tuccaro resorted to self-harm and alcohol abuse, which ruined her career. With no job, she was evicted and her daughter stopped speaking to her.
"I had pushed everything into the background my entire life, and kept pretending that I was tough and that I could handle it until the time came when I lost my nursing career for good and relapsed hard with my drinking," says Tuccaro.
But the gravity of the situation hit even harder during the week she spent living on the streets, when her depression could no longer be avoided or forgotten.
"A man named Toothless Joe slapped me on the back and said, 'This is the life! Live it! Love it!' and smiled a great big toothless grin! He was quite content of the life he was living, and the sheer shock of hearing him say that stunned me," she says.
That was the moment that triggered her to get help. But, even after spending nearly two years in a women's recovery program, landing a full-time job as a Heavy Equipment Operator, driving a 400 tonne 797F Caterpillar Truck, and initiating and participating in several community initiatives, the pain from her past lingers. "You still relive it as you write about it," Tuccaro explains.


Plaid blankets and tweed might come to mind at the mention of country style. Whilst this customer was focussed on achieving a cosy look with a homely feel, there wasn't a hint of tweed in sight.
We've always found that customers are naturally drawn towards the inviting appeal of a classic county kitchen and have a number of ranges that suitably meet this requirement. In this case, the brief was for a timeless feel that was possible through the natural grain pattern, painted wooden cabinetry offers.
The outcome was a Kitchen that could be enjoyed by all with its welcoming, modern rustic feel. It opened up the opportunity for the homeowner to be creative with accessories and textiles to complete the look.
When designing a country kitchen, people often opt for white as a focus colour. This can make the room look more spacious, but if you want to add some real style and personality to your kitchen, you can use some brighter colours in moderation. Consider coloured tiles or wallpaper, or even appliances like an AGA Range Cooker or a Smeg 50s Style Fridge Freezer – both of which are known for their colour-led designs.
I absolutely love my new kitchen.


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Other things: 10 movies to watch before Stranger Things 3
Erik Adams, Randall Colburn, and Katie Rife
Filed to: Stranger ThingsFiled to: Stranger Things
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (left), Fast Times At Ridgemont High, and Back To The Future
Photo: Sunset Boulevard (Getty Images), Universal Pictures/Handout (Getty Images), Screenshot: Hulu
Every season of Stranger Things depicts another chapter in the peculiar history of Hawkins, Indiana, the American heartland's lightning rod for paranormal activity circa 1980-something. And whenever the forces of the Upside Down marshal anew, the question is raised: What fondly remembered pop culture from the era will they pull from this time? Following two previous seasons steeped in Spielbergian majesty and blockbuster sequel bluster, Stranger Things 3 sends Eleven and friends on a summer vacation with shades of the '80s finest mall-dwelling teen comedies, pyrotechnic shoot-'em-ups, and practical-effects gross-outs. With that in mind, The A.V. Club dug into the video-store shelves to pick out 10 movies we felt reflected the tone, spirit, and motifs of this latest Stranger Things season. Not every movie in this list is necessarily a reference point for Stranger Things 3—think of them more as recommended mood-setters for the next eight episodes. (Or, if you're a member of the anti-Hawkins camp, counterprogramming for the long weekend ahead.)
1. Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
Malls are an endangered species, and we'd challenge any child of the '80s to not get wistful while watching the opening minutes of 1982's Fast Times At Ridgemont High, wherein dolled-up teens suck down slices, rip tickets at the local cinema, and lock eyes on adjacent escalators. Fast Times, a feature adaptation of Cameron Crowe's book about going undercover at a San Diego high school, is about much, much more than the mall, but the capitalist hub does operate as a sanctuary for the film's deep ensemble, a gathering place uniting the story's disparate cast of characters, from starry-eyed sophomores Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) to the unsavory likes of Mike Damone (Robert Romanus) and Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn). You went to the mall to shop, sure, but you also went because it's where people went. You never knew who you were going to find in the food court. [Randall Colburn]
2. Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
If Fast Times At Ridgemont High sparks nostalgia for the mall, George Romero's Dawn Of The Dead imbues it with a healthy dose of dread. Desolate yet fully stocked, the mall at the center of Romero's Night Of The Living Dead sequel becomes a safe haven for the film's leads, a supply-rich hideout from the lumbering zombie hordes outside. But the undead keep coming, determined as it were to return to the capitalist comforts they devoured in life. Romero's commentary isn't subtle, but why should it be? The consumer culture exemplified by the mall has the potential to zombify in its own way. It also, by creating its own manufactured, curated hub, serves to separate the locals from the larger community. Shiny as they might be, there's a darkness beneath all the blinking lights. [Randall Colburn]
3. Halloween II (1981)
The second Halloween wasn't the first slasher sequel—Friday The 13th Part II beat it to the theaters by six months in 1981—but it was the first of a particular type of slasher sequel, one in which the survivors of the previous film must contend with an evil that managed to prevail after the credits rolled. Picking things back up on the night of October 31, 1978, Halloween II moves the action from suburban streets to the hallways of Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where masked killer Michael Myers continues his pursuit of a traumatized Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). While paling in comparison to its supremely taut predecessor, Halloween II introduces the notion that Laurie and Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) will never fully be able to separate themselves from what they experienced that night, a theme that resonated all the way through Halloween's 2018 relaunch (even if that film erases this one, and all other sequels, from the franchise's continuity). [Erik Adams]
4. The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter's 1982 remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World (itself an adaptation of John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella Who Goes There?) is foaming over with gorgeous grotesqueries, the likes of which unspool with practical effects that, nearly 40 years later, still manage to drop jaws. The story of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter a parasitic organism with a talent for imitation, The Thing breaks, mangles, and melts the human (and animal) body in ways as sickening as they are fascinating. The resulting paranoia spreading throughout the team is redolent of no shortage of American anxieties, the foremost of them being the U.S.'s penchant for post-war fearmongering of foreign assimilation. If one person is corrupted then everybody is corrupted. How does one ever know who's actually themselves? [Randall Colburn]
5. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
The second cinematic adaptation of Jack Finney's novel The Body Snatchers likewise updated a classic of Red Scare paranoia for an era of new dread and improved special-effects technology, channeling the spirit of post-Watergate conspiracy thrillers in its depiction of an American metropolis besieged by alien pod people. Their emotionless hordes leave an indelible impression, as do the shadows director Philip Kaufman and cinematographer Michael Chapman throw across the streets of San Francisco and the cast's faces. It's a familiar version of the world as it existed near the end of the 1970s, shattered in terrifyingly unfamiliar ways, from the shriek emitted by the duplicates to one harrowing example of body snatching gone awry. The Thing gives you a reason to distrust a handful of people; Kaufman moves his stars through whole city blocks of strangers who look dead-eyed and suspicious even before they start pitching the protagonists on giving up and giving in to the space spores. [Erik Adams]
6. The Blob (1988)
One more from the goopy ranks of updated drive-in fare that began with Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, slithered its way through The Thing and David Cronenberg's The Fly, and wound up absorbing the 1958 creature feature that pits Steve McQueen against the most deadly jelly in the universe. The 1988 version of The Blob isn't nearly as good as any of those other films, but it is a marvel of visual effects, the titular goo blown up into a writhing pink mass that has a tendency for giving its next victims a preview of a suffocated fate where their limbs melt and their faces slide right off their skulls. There's an attempt by the government to get the oozing terror under control, but they're no match for a leather-jacketed Kevin Dillon, sporting a coiffure that could inspire envy in Steve Harrington and Billy Hargrove alike. [Erik Adams]
7. Back To The Future (1985)
Released on July 3, 1985, Robert Zemeckis' Back To The Future knotted up science fiction, adventure, comedy, and teen angst in ways that prove irresistible to this day. Marty McFly's accidental journey back in time more or less terrorizes the future in which he exists, especially once he manages to ensure his parents never actually fall in love. There's something perverse about the film—Marty's mom falls in love with him instead—but it's exactly that willingness to toy with taboo that makes the stakes as high as they are. Balancing it all out, though, are the film's cartoonish qualities, which encompass Christopher Lloyd's eccentric performance, the over-the-top villainy of bully Biff Tannen, and the mere concept of a time-traveling Delorean that runs on precarious tubes of plutonium. Oh, and let us not forget those goddamned Libyans. [Randall Colburn]
8. Dead And Buried (1981)
Something is very wrong in Potter's Bluff, and Sheriff Dan Gillis (James Farentino) is the last one to know about it in Gary Sherman's 1981 paranoid Gothic chiller Dead And Buried. Although by day, everything seems normal in this seaside tourist town, at night, both visitors and locals alike are dying and coming back… changed. Gillis' investigation leads him into a web of conspiracy and black magic, led by a very creepy mortician who seems to have the whole town under his spell. More atmospheric and eerie than your average B-horror movie, Dead And Buried was co-written by Alien screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, and boasts effects makeup by the legendary Stan Winston. [Katie Rife]
9. Night Of The Comet (1984)
Is Night Of The Comet a post-apocalyptic movie with a mall in it, or a mall movie with an apocalypse in it? Either way, after realizing that they appear to be the only survivors of a mysterious comet that wiped out most of humanity the night before, sisters Reggie (Catherine Mary Stewart) and Sam (Kelli Maroney) do what most Southern California teenagers would do in 1984: They go to the mall. That decision soon puts Reggie and Sam in conflict with a gang of fellow survivors, but for a little while, at least, they get to enjoy a shopping spree with no credit card required. They do bring along automatic weaponry in case of emergency, however, a detail that ultimately tips the cinematic scales in favor of the "post-apocalyptic" label. [Katie Rife]
10. Just One Of The Guys (1985)
Although the poster for Lisa Gottlieb's gender-bending 1985 teen comedy Just One Of The Guys shows our protagonist Terry (Joyce Hyper) holding two football helmets in front of her chest, in the film Terry is hardly a jock. In fact, she's more of an A/V club type—specifically, an aspiring newspaper reporter who's convinced that no one takes her seriously because she's just too gosh darned pretty. (A problem we've all had at some point, we're sure.) After being passed over for her dream internship, Terry radically reinvents herself and enrolls in a rival high school as a guy—also named Terry—convinced that her new identity will finally get her the respect she deserves as a writer. We won't give away whether that turns out to be true, but we will note that the subsequent deconstruction of gender identity and the teen trans experience that Gottlieb smuggles into this otherwise campy '80s artifact is a story worth reporting in itself. [Katie Rife]
More in Stranger Things
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The Stranger Things kids freaked the fuck out of people at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
Cary Elwes invites you to his Fourth Of July carnival in cryptic new Stranger Things teaser
A.V. Club TV editor
Randall Colburn is The A.V. Club's Internet Culture Editor. He lives in Chicago, occasionally writes plays, and was a talking head in Best Worst Movie, the documentary about Troll 2.
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We're based at Leschenault Leisure Centre, Australind, but our venues spread across Australind, Eaton, and Bunbury.
so youth and young adults throughout the metropolitan and regional areas of WA can come together for an action-packed weekend of ministry and sport.
Get all the info before you take the leap (or tackle, or dive, or serve…) into SportsFest.
Sign up now, warm up later! Bring your mates, or sign up solo with a local church.


Explore the tabs on the left to find information on the different treatment options available for prostate cancer.
An online support tool for patients newly diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer in making a treatment decision. It includes answers to common questions from men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and a step-by-step guide to choosing a treatment that best suits them.
This program was part of TrueNTH Canada, awarded by Prostate Cancer Canada and proudly funded by Movember Foundation.
For more information about prostate cancer treatement, view, download, or order our resource Basics of Treatment for Prostate Cancer.


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Amash's Departure From the GOP Moves MI-03 From Solid Republican to Toss Up
In an Independence Day op-ed in the Washington Post, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash declared he was leaving the GOP to become an Independent, writing that "the two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions." Amash later indicated he plans to run for reelection in 2020 as an independent, but also wouldn't rule out pursuing a Libertarian bid for president.
Amash's party switch may be the culmination of a long-term evolution, but in truth, he's been on his own island for several years. He was first elected in 2010 as a movement, pro-life movement conservative backed by the Club for Growth and Ron Paul against primary opponents favored by the Grand Rapids business community. He quickly began rankling GOP leaders by breaking from them on major votes on constitutional grounds.
In 2016, Amash refused to back Donald Trump for president and earlier this year left the House Freedom Caucus and called for Trump's impeachment, drawing praise on MSNBC and further isolating himself from his party. In June, GOP state Rep. Jim Lower touted a MIRS poll showing him leading Amash 49 percent to 33 percent, making clear the incumbent didn't have much of a path forward in the GOP.
Sometimes party switches take, and sometimes they don't. But Amash is the first House Republican to change party affiliations in almost 20 years, so it could be difficult to apply past lessons to our current polarized political era.
In 2000, Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode left the Democrats to become an Independent, but he had long been very conservative, and Republicans didn't field a candidate that year; he easily won reelection and joined the GOP the next cycle. In 2009, Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith stunned Democrats by switching to the GOP. But Republicans had just waged a vigorous campaign against him in 2008, and he lost the 2010 GOP primary.
Amash's situation is unique because he's virtually guaranteed to have both a Democratic and Republican opponent in 2020. The question is how big of a market there will be for a pro-life, pro-impeachment outcast in the western Michigan electorate next year.
Michigan's 3rd CD — once represented by Gerald Ford — has long been Republican seat, but in recent years it's grown more professional and competitive. In 2016, Trump took just 52 percent there, a hair under Mitt Romney's 53 percent. In 2018, Amash defeated under-funded Democratic educator Cathy Albro 54 percent to 43 percent, cobbling together a coalition of GOP base voters and a few anti-Trump independents.
Even without Amash in the mix, the GOP field is very crowded more than a year away from next August's primary. Lower, who is attempting a leap from the state House to Congress at the age of 30 (ironically, like Amash in 2010), served as an Ionia County Commissioner and was the first in against the incumbent. But he was quickly joined by state Rep. Lynn Afendoulis and Afghan/Iraq war veteran Peter Meijer.
Meijer possesses the best-known last name in the GOP race. He's the 31-year-old grandson of grocery chain magnate Frederik Meijer and an heir to a family fortune worth billions. In 2018, he helped found With Honor Fund, a Super PAC that spent $14 million seeking to elect "principled next-generation veterans" of all parties. But the PAC's contributions to Democrats could come under attack from his primary opponents.
Democrats had trouble recruiting here in 2018 against an anti-Trump Republican. But now they're excited about the possibility Amash and a GOP nominee will divide their opposition, creating a path for victory in a seat trending their way. It's early, but Democrats have two credible contenders: Grand Rapids immigration attorney Hillary Scholten and former Obama White House personal aide Nick Colvin.
How does it all play out? It's too soon to tell, and there are several unknowns: first, will Amash abandon his party-less future in the House in favor of a quixotic presidential bid? Second, will Amash's independent presence in the race - assuming he's on the ballot next fall - help Republicans or Democrats? It's just as possible to envision Amash dividing the anti-Trump portion of the electorate as dividing religious Republicans.
In Amash's favor, he is leaving a party where he was likely doomed, has universal name recognition and has a long time to figure out his plans: Michigan's filing deadline for independent and third party candidates isn't until July 16, 2020. However, he's never been a prolific political fundraiser, had just $133,000 in his campaign account at the end of March and won't have any help from a party apparatus.
It will take months, if not an entire year, for the race in this district to come into focus. For now, the only appropriate place for Michigan's 3rd CD is the Toss Up column.
Image Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File