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Gene Brucker's Giovanni and Lusanna: Summary & Analysis
Gene Brucker's Giovanni and Lusanna:…
In the story Giovanni and Lusanna, written and researched by Gene Brucker, there is a woman who has taken her alleged husband to court, because he has married another woman. The story is a factual account of what transpired during this court case and the remainder of Giovanni's life. There are several similarities between their world and ours, but for the most part we live in a totally different environment.
Our standards of living have greatly improved, but more than that our society has grown more tolerant toward the people who
deviate from everyday standards. The story starts out with Lusanna as a married woman who caught the eye of a wealthy young man named Giovanni. As time wore on they allegedly fell in love and enjoyed all of the pleasures of their love. It was later claimed by Lusanna that Giovanni had promised to marry her in the event of her husband's death. Her husband soon died a questionable death that left open the possibility of poison. Unlike today's world divorce was unheard of, and unacceptable. Giovanni then refused to marry her in a public wedding because his social status would be greatly hurt to marry someone in the working class of Florence. This is another example of why today's society is so much different from how it was when they lived.
Another strange thing about their society is the open humiliation that people were subjected to. It was said that Lusanna first husband was called a "cuckold " to his face. People who were said to earn money in a dirty fashion often had blood or paint thrown on their steps. These kinds of things are just not normal or permitted in today's world. It is true that they do sometimes occur, but the responsible party often ends up looking worse that the person they were trying to hurt. Lusanna was said to have had several lovers. She was not able to become pregnant due to medical problems. This pretty much left her free to have unprotected sex with as many lovers as she wanted. It is true that there are women today with this same type of free love attitude, but there are serious consequences in today's world that will greatly hamper such a life style. One thing that is very similar about their time and today's world in the fact that women will condemn each other for being guilty of immoral acts. It seemed as though many of the women in this story were against Lusanna because of her actions. There is no question that women in today's world act in a very similar manner. A difference about women in this day in age is that they have ea great deal more freedom. It was said in the book that a woman was not supposed to look a man in the eye while in public. They were without question second class citizens.
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: Jeremy Finch Analysis
In this story Giovanni ended up having his way probably because of who he knew and what family he was a member of. In this world, no matter when or where a person lives, the upper class will always have the power. The fact is, money is power, and with the greed that is naturally built into every human, money will consistently come out on top. It is very true that there are some similarities between this time and that one, but it should be apparent that people of today's world have socially evolved.
Tags: AnalysisBpokGene BruckerGiovanni and LusannaNovelSummary


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Daimler Purchases Europcar Group's 25% Stake in car2go
March 5, 2018 • by Staff
Photo courtesy of car2go
Daimler Mobility Services announced that it will acquire the 25% stake in car2go Europe GmbH from joint venture partner Europcar Group.
The acquisition means that following approval of the transaction by the relevant authorities, 100% of the car2go Europe shares are in the hands of Daimler Mobility Services. In 2012, car2go Europe GmbH was created as a joint-venture owned 75% by Daimler and 25% by Europcar.
Today, car2go Group is present in Europe, North America and China, and has more than 3 million users worldwide.
Daimler Mobility Services is poised to further expand its mobility portfolio, expand its customer base and enhance the customer experience through bundled mobility products.
With the customer insights gained through 24 million rentals for both combustion engines and electric cars alone in 2017, car2go has laid the ground work for Daimler's CASE strategy as the company shifts to a fully connected, autonomous, shared and electric vehicle portfolio. Today, car2go has algorithms which predict mobility demand and the fleets are strategically moved to optimize maximum usage and meet demand.
The goal is to develop the required expertise and resources so that we are a leader in the future business with self-driving cars.
In addition to car2go, Daimler Mobility Services is responsible for moovel and mytaxi. The mobility platform moovel offers on-demand access to various mobility offers, including booking and payment. mytaxi is a market leader amongst the taxi hailing apps in Europe.
Moreover, Daimler Mobility Services holds minority stakes in Blacklane, Careem, Flixbus, Turo, and Via. Almost 18 million customers are registered with car2go, moovel and mytaxi, which are offered in more than 100 cities in Europe, North America, and China.
Related: Toronto Delays car2go Parking Program
Read more about Carsharing Car2go Europcar Aquisistion Daimler Trucks
Waymo Expands Its Self-Driving Shuttle Service to California
The company has been permitted to take part in the state's autonomous vehicle passenger service pilot program, along with Zoox, AutoX, and Pony.ai.
Enterprise Completes Acquisition of UK Rental Firm
Enterprise will now begin an integration process to create one of the U.K.'s largest and most diverse commercial vehicle rental businesses, with a combined fleet of more than 45,000 vehicles.
Getaround Acquires Nordic Carsharing Group
The rapidly expanding carsharing platform will now operate in seven European countries including Norway.
Toyota Appoints Fordiani to Lead Fleet Sales
Toyota Motor North America has named Don Fordiani group manager for fleet sales to replace Dave Depew, who retired earlier this year.
Getaround Completes $300M Acquisition of Drivy
Headquartered in Paris, Drivy has quickly built a community of two and a half million users across Europe with a track record of local market execution and innovation.
Co-Wheels Car Club Joins Carsharing Network
Currently, Co-Wheels operates in more than 40 municipalities in the U.K.
Enterprise UK Acquires Multimodal Rental Firm
SHB Hire operates from 16 key locations nationwide and offers a diverse fleet of over 18,500 vehicles ranging from cars, light commercial vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, golf buggies and all-terrain vehicles, 4x4s, HGV tippers, and specialist HGVs.
Uber Buys Middle East Rival Careem for $3.1B
The San Francisco-based ride-hailing firm will pay $1.4 billion in cash and $1.7 billion in convertible notes.
GM Fleet to Discount 450,000+ Parts
GM Fleet will offer commercial, government, and rental fleets substantial discounts on replacement parts under a new program unveiled at NTEA's The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.
Europcar Makes Norwegian, Finnish Acquisitions
This single transaction marks the fourth and fifth national franchises acquired by the Group and extends its corporate network from 18 to 20 countries.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A one-stop shopping experience offering a diverse collection of fine art, crafts and food. Over 200 booths selling everything from pottery to cutting boards to tie-dye. If you are looking for a unique treasure, gifts, or a Eugene souvenir, this lively market is the right place to find it! Located on two park blocks in the heart of downtown Eugene with the Lane County Farmers' Market across the street. Come prepared to shop with your own re-useable bag. Every Saturday, rain or shine, April - mid-November. Moves indoors to Lane Events Center for the Holiday Market, November - December.


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Home > Indian > Ayodhya verdict: Indian Supreme Court awards holy land to Hindus
Ayodhya verdict: Indian Supreme Court awards holy land to Hindus
Nirmohi Akhara's case dismissed
Muslims to be given 5 Acre alternate Ayodhya land
by Dinesh Malhotra, Bharat Times
In the long protracted dispute of the Ayodhya Temple Babri Masjid case, the Supreme Court of India has delivered its judgement. Ina unanimous judgement by five judges of the apex court headed by the chief justice Rajan Gogoi, ownership of the disputed holy site of Ayodhya in northern India has been awarded to Hindus to build a temple there.
The bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer, S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan ruled possession of the disputed 2.77 acre land rights will be handed over to the deity Ram Lalla, (baby Lord Rama) who was one of the three parties in the case. Deity Ram Lalla or baby Lord Rama represented by Triloki Nath Pandey.
The court has ruled while the ownership will vest in Deity Ram Lalla, the possession will remain with a central government receiver. The central government has three months to put the framework in place.
For Muslims, the Court has ruled that they be given 5 acres of alternate land in Ayodhya to build their mosque.
Although some media agencies are reporting 'mixed' reactions by Muslims, generally the verdict has been well received and is being seen as "win for the people of India".
The Muslim group, party to the proceeding, according to Hindustan Times, has said, will not appeal the decision.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the judgment tweeting:
"Every point of view was given adequate time and opportunity to express differing points of view. This verdict will further increase people's faith in judicial processes," he said in a tweet.
Primary basis of the decision
Sifting through the maze of religious, cultural, political and societal pressure arguments, the court, in the judgement running into 1,045 pages, refers to a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which it said provided evidence of the remains of a building "that was not Islamic" beneath the demolished mosque.
The bench noted that the faith of Hindus that Ram was born at the site of the now-razed masjid is undisputed.
The Court also recognized the existence of structures like Sita Rasoi, Ram Chabutra and Bhandar Griha as testimony to the religious facts of the place.
The position the Court was taking was perhaps more securely premised on the scientific evidence of the report of the ASI led by the prosecuting team on behalf of the Deity Lord Ram Lalla and not on other peripheral and emotive things, the five judges noted that the title cannot be established on the ground of faith and belief and they are only indicators for deciding the dispute.
To a sharp legal mind, the bench was appeal-proofing the judgement in the case which has already taken far too long and far too much of the country's time.
In the same vein it can be said that the Court's finding that the demolition of the masjid was 'against the rule of law'.
To those simpleton minds who might find a direct conflict between the decision of the Court in favour of Deity Lord Ram Lalla and the court saying the demolition was against the rule of law – the court has provided its main substantive premise of the report of the ASI.
In other words, the Court has accepted that the masjid was built on, in a layman's language, a temple or Hindu place of worship and thus the ownership now must return to its rightful owners. The court has found that the masjid was built on a structure "that was not Islamic". It has also found "clear" evidence of a place of worship by the Hindus.
Other supporting findings
Recording its other supplementary and supporting observations, the Court has also found:
"On the balance of probabilities, there is clear evidence to indicate that the worship by the Hindus in the outer courtyard continued unimpeded in spite of the setting up of a grill-brick wall in 1857. Their possession of the outer courtyard stands established together with the incidents attaching to their control over it."
The Court further added:
"As regards the inner courtyard, there is evidence on a preponderance of probabilities to establish worship by the Hindus prior to the annexation of Oudh by the British in 1857. The Muslims have offered no evidence to indicate that they were in exclusive possession of the inner structure prior to 1857 since the date of the construction in the sixteenth century."
And then clarifying the act of demolition was against the law, the Court observed:
"Justice would not prevail if the court were to overlook the entitlement of the Muslims who have been deprived of the structure of the mosque through means which should not have been employed in a secular nation committed to the rule of law."
Five Acres of Ayodhya land for the Muslim community
The Court, in lieu of 2.77 acres of the disputed land, ordered that either the Central Government or the government of the state of Uttar Pradesh should allot five acres of land in Ayodhya to the Sunni Central Waqf Board. The Court said:
"Having weighed the nature of the relief which should be granted to the Muslims, we direct that land measuring five acres be allotted to the Sunni Central Waqf Board either by the Central Government out of the acquired land or by the Government of Uttar Pradesh within the city of Ayodhya."
Asaduddin Owaisi has expressed his disappointment with the judgement saying the Supreme Court is "definitely Supreme" but not "infallible". Speaking to the BBC Hindi, he extrapolated his feelings.
Decision of Allahabad High Court 2010: – the Three Way Split
Keen observing followers of this dispute would remember the Allahabad High Court, on September 30, 201 had ruled that the disputed land be split into three parts: the site of the Ram Lalla idol would go to the party representing Ram Lalla Virajman (the installed infant Ram deity), Hindu ascetics' outfit Nirmohi Akhara to get Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabutara, and the Sunni Waqf Board to get the rest. All three parties then appealed against the decision in the Supreme Court.
While the appeal was pending before the Supreme Court, the parties continued, unsuccessfully through mediation, to arrive at an out of court settlement.
The matter then of course progressed to the hearing in the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi. On October 16, the Supreme Court concluded hearing 40 days of arguments on the pleas and reserved its judgement which was delivered on Saturday, November 11, 2019.
Nirmohi Akhara – the Biggest Losers?
The judgement, as it stands now, as far as the ownership of assets is concerned, the Nirmohi Akhara are the biggest losers. They lose Sita Rasoi, Ram Chabutra etc. they had won as per Allahabad High Court judgement of 2010. Not only their claims for more have been dismissed, the Court having dismissed their case by reasons of limitation, they have lost all claims to ownership as the whole site has been awarded to Deity Lord Ram Lalla.
However the Court has directed the Central Government to allow them 'appropriate' representation in the new Trust or body to be formed. The Court said:
"In exercise of the powers vested in this Court under Article 142 of the Constitution, we direct that in the scheme to be framed by the Central Government, appropriate representation may be given in the Trust or body, to the Nirmohi Akhara in such manner as the Central Government deems fit".
In the interest of the nation and all the people of India, one would hope, this is the end of Ayodhya dispute.
You can read full 1045 pages judgement here. Ayodhya Case Judgement 9-11-2019
Tagged Ayodhya judgement Nirmohi Akhara Ram lalla
University Of Melbourne wins Victoria's Top Exporter honours
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Connect your portable audio device to an auxiliary 3.5mm stereo audio input with this mini stereo cable to enjoy stereo sound through your car stereo, portable speakers, computer or TV.
Compatible with most portable audio devices: With a 3.5mm headphone jack, including most Apple® iPad®, iPhone®, iPod® and Mac® models.
Connects to auxiliary 3.5mm audio stereo inputs: Including portable speakers, car stereos, computers, laptops or TVs to provide stereo sound.
6' cable length: For flexible use.


Vacuum source: one for MJLJ (blue), another for progress-meter (vacuum-meter).
Front view trigger wheel + sensor at TDC (gap less than 1mm).
Fantastic job! did you make the trigger wheel yourself?
Nooo, I am working at an electric locomotive factory and my mates makes it on a OKUMA CNC machine. It was painted in electrostatic field with a special green-gold paint. "Project" was mine.
Unfortunately, untill I'm working on sensor braket fixing on distribution chain cover, I discovered that the cylinderhead is fractured (a cup of antifreeze in oil pan ) in the exhaust valves area in cylinder 2 & 3 . This weekend: another refurb head and ... first spark.
Note that the engine pulley ( and flywheel ) was lightened according to original Skoda drawings founded on czech sites.
After 5+ years of happy motoring with MJLJ it's time now for an upgrade to my engine: supercharging.
I want to attach an A/C electromagnetic clutch to the engine pulley for driving supercharger on demand.
May crank sensor be influenced by the A/C electromagnet?


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Maersk warns global container demand to shrink this year
Updated / Wednesday, 13 May 2020 14:23
Maersk expects global container demand to contract this year, after previously forecasting growth of 1%-3%
Shipping group AP Moller-Maersk has today warned of a sharp drop in global container volumes due to the coronavirus pandemic, with weaker retail sales and depressed car production dampening demand.
The crisis has thrown the container shipping trade off balance as supply chains have been upended and businesses and factory activity in China and later across the world was disrupted.
Maersk, which also reported a 23% rise in first-quarter core profits today, now expects global container demand to contract this year, after previously forecasting growth of between 1% and 3%.
"As global demand continues to be significantly affected, we expect volumes in the second quarter to decrease across all businesses, possibly by as much as 20%-25%," its chief executive Soren Skou said.
Maersk, which handles one in every five containers shipped by sea worldwide, had idled almost 10% of its fleet capacity at the end of March.
It plans to take more vessels out of service to match the slowdown in container trade and keep freight rates from falling.
Declining retail sales and automotive production in Europe and the US were the main reasons for the slump in demand for container freight, Skou said.
"Many of our big customers are retailers or suppliers to retailers, so naturally this is hurting us," Skou said.
While some retailers impacted by lockdown closures had asked Maersk to delay shipments, others like Amazon were growing volumes and asking for even quicker deliveries via rail or air freight, Skou said.
To meet demand for e-commerce shipments, which have been impacted by the halt of commercial air traffic, Maersk had launched a new service where it loads small packages on a container vessel in China and ships them to Los Angeles for further distribution.
The company suspended its full-year guidance in March due to uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic and did not give new guidance today.
But Skou said in his main scenario, business would bottom out in the second quarter followed by a relatively weak third quarter and a partial recovery in the last three months of the year.
Maersk reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) at $1.52 billion, slightly above company guidance provided in March.
The world's biggest container shipping company reported revenue of $9.57 billion versus the $9.59 billion forecast by 16 analysts in a poll compiled by Maersk.
AP Moller-Maersk
Accreditation: Reuters


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Asia Pacific|U.S. Tweaks Message on Troops in Afghanistan
U.S. Tweaks Message on Troops in Afghanistan
By ELISABETH BUMILLER NOV. 10, 2010
An American base in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. American officials are now emphasizing that there will be no significant troop withdrawals in 2011. Credit Christoph Bangert for The New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is increasingly emphasizing the idea that the United States will have forces in Afghanistan until at least the end of 2014, a change in tone aimed at persuading the Afghans and the Taliban that there will be no significant American troop withdrawals next summer.
In a move away from President Obama's deadline of July 2011 for the start of an American drawdown from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all cited 2014 this week as the key date for handing over the defense of Afghanistan to the Afghans themselves. Implicit in their message, delivered at a security and diplomatic conference in Australia, was that the United States would be fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for at least four more years.
Administration officials said the three had made loosely coordinated comments at the conference, in Melbourne, to try to convince Afghans that the United States was not walking away next summer and to warn the Taliban that aggressive operations against them would continue. Although Mr. Obama and administration officials have repeatedly said that July 2011 would be only the start of troop withdrawals, the Taliban have successfully promoted the deadline among the Afghan populace as a large-scale exit of the 100,000 United States troops now in the country.
"There's not really any change, but what we're trying to do is to get past that July 2011 obsession so that people can see what the president's strategy really entails," a senior administration official said Wednesday.
In Australia, Mr. Gates said the Taliban would be "very surprised come August, September, October and November, when most American forces are still there, and still coming after them."
The message shift is effectively a victory for the military, which has long said the July 2011 deadline undermined its mission by making Afghans reluctant to work with troops perceived to be leaving shortly. "They say you'll leave in 2011 and the Taliban will chop their heads off," Cpl. Lisa Gardner, a Marine based in Helmand Province, told a reporter this past spring. This summer Gen. James T. Conway, then the Marine Corps's commandant, went so far as to say that the deadline "was probably giving our enemy sustenance."
Last year the White House insisted on the July deadline to inject a sense of urgency into the Afghans to get their security in order — military officials acknowledge that it has partly worked — but also to quiet critics in the Democratic Party upset about Mr. Obama's escalation of the war and his decision to order 30,000 more troops to the country.
American soldiers at the Kandahar patrol base. The change in tone about the troop presence is aimed at both the Afghan government and the Taliban. Credit Christoph Bangert for The New York Times
On Wednesday, the White House insisted that there had been no change in tone. "The old message was, we're looking to July 2011 to begin a transition," a White House official said. "Now we're telling people what happens beyond 2011, and I don't think that represents a shift. We're bringing some clarity to the policy of our future in Afghanistan."
Like most people involved in the issue, the official asked for anonymity because a review of Mr. Obama's strategy in Afghanistan is under way and people involved in it are reluctant to speak openly to reporters.
Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman, was adamant on Wednesday night that the White House had not shifted. "The president has been crystal clear that we will begin drawing down troops in July of 2011," he said. "There is absolutely no change to that policy."
The 2014 date will be a focus at a NATO summit meeting that Mr. Obama is to attend next week in Lisbon, Portugal, where the alliance is to be presented with a transition plan, drawn up by Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, that calls for a gradual four-year shifting of security responsibility to the Afghans. Administration officials said that the document had no timetable for specific numbers of troop withdrawals and instead set forth the conditions that had to be met in crucial provinces before NATO forces could hand off security to the Afghans.
Administration officials emphasized that the 2014 date was first set by President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, who mentioned it in his inaugural address last year and again at a conference in Kabul this past summer.
The officials acknowledged that the 2014 date was based on the presumption that the American military would be successful enough in fighting the Taliban that significant withdrawals would be under way by then. Recently, commanders in some parts of Afghanistan have reported a tactical shift in momentum away from the Taliban, but officials in Washington, though encouraged, have been skeptical or reluctant to say this will translate into strategic success.
Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who was last in Afghanistan in September, said the 2014 date made sense, because the Afghan Army and the police were scheduled to increase their numbers to 350,000, their goal, by 2013.
"It is far enough away to allow lots to happen, yet it is still close enough to debunk the myth of an indefinite foreign occupation of the country," Mr. O'Hanlon said.
But Mr. Gates has said that the United States will nonetheless be in Afghanistan for many more years to come.
A version of this article appears in print on November 11, 2010, on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: U.S. Tweaks Message: Troops Will Still Be in Afghanistan in 2014. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Operation "Dragon Strike" NOV. 11, 2010
Insurgency Suspect Seized Aboard Afghan Airliner NOV. 10, 2010


The New Samsung W2017 Smartphone is The Renewal of Flip Phone Technology!
If we look back to 2000, the generations of flip phones were so many that we could never imagine a phone with a full touchscreen display. Still, the market for flip phones is visible inside Asia, who still love to grab any flip phones right on their palm. To match up the thirst of the many people around the world as well, Samsung W2017 is the smartphone, which is the 2nd generation of the flip phone after introducing its first Flip-Smartphone from Samsung. To be precise, LG also manufactured the Flip phone for many of its customers as well. Though you might be very keen to know the specifications of the Samsung W2017 Flip phone, Samsung made it powerful by providing a Snapdragon 820 with 4GB of RAM!
The clamshell has a pair of 4.2-inch Full HD display which is one on the outside and one within, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD card slot, 12MP camera with 4K video recording, 5MP front camera, double SIM with LTE, NFC, remote charging, fingerprint sensor, and a 2300mAh battery.
The pricing was not even released, but we have found the pricing of this Flip Smartphone on the SamMobile Website which was an astounding ¥20,000 ($2,960), the price is twice the cost compared to last year' Samsung W2016 (¥9,999 ($1,480)! Though this phone is a limited version for the users who love to enhance the power of Touch and Type.
Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth In-Ear Headphone Will Cost You $22, It's Also IPX4 Rated!


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A prisoner carries out a well-planned escape during a routine prison transfer, and Wycliffe and his team embark on a race against time to recapture the dangerous criminal.
1. All for Love - A prisoner carries out a well-planned escape during a routine prison transfer, and Wycliffe and his team embark on a race against time to recapture the dangerous criminal.
1. All for Love
2. Trojan Horse
Wycliffe is sceptical about a man's distraught claims concerning his missing wife, until a ransom note is found and a body is discovered at the wheel of a crashed car.
3. Charades
Wycliffe and his team move in to investigate the death of a man found blasted by a shotgun at a Cornish holiday home.
4. Lost Contact
A body with gunshot wounds to the head is washed ashore. Although the corpse is almost unidentifiable, two women each claim that it must be their missing husband.
5. Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Wycliffe is summoned to trace a farmer who has disappeared, and discovers crime at the heart of a farming community struggling to survive.
6. Happy Families
When a schoolgirl is found dead in a science lab after a school disco, Wycliffe sets out to discover whether it's a case of murder or suicide.
7. Wild Oats
An archaeological dig uncovers a 30-year-old skeleton that seems to unsettle a local landowning family, who are steeped in archaic values.
8. Breaking Point
Wycliffe is called in when a surfer is washed up on a beach, with head injuries. Evidence points to an accident, or possibly suicide, but things could be far more sinister.


HEXEN II Pc Cd-Rom. With the destruction of D'Sparil and Korax, the forces of Light believed that they would gain respite from the vicious attacks of the Serpent Riders. They were wrong. All of humanity rests on the edge of your blade.
Create a new character or import your Baldur's Gate character into Baldur's Gate II. Baldur's Gate Collection 4 in 1 Boxset - PC DVD. The Complete Baldur's Gate Compilation! Continue your adventures with the character you created in Baldur's Gate.
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Rocksmith All New 2014 Edition - With Real Tone Cable (PC). Rocksmith 2014 Edition for PC. Includes Specially Designed Rocksmith USB Cable. New & Sealed. 50 New Songs 80 Lessons Plus New Session Mode.
NIGHTMARE CREATURES. CLAIM PROCESSES CAN TAKE A FEW WEEKS. ORIGINAL BLACK LABEL. DISC = LIGHT SIGNS OF USE. CASE = DISC HOLDER HAS A TOOTH MISSING.
TOMB RAIDER. CASE = CRACK TO BACK AND. ORIGINAL BIG BOX. CLAIM PROCESSES CAN TAKE A FEW WEEKS. INSTRUCTIONS = COVER HAS A P AND LIGHT CEASING. DISC = LIGHT SIGNS OF USE. IS VERY SCRATCHED.
Special guest appearance by Dante, from Capcom'sDevil May Cry series.
Octopath Traveler (Switch). Each character has his or her own Path Action that can be used to interact with the people they encounter in a distinct way. For example, the warrior, Olberic, can "challenge" almost anyone to a duel.
Building upon the popular Rainbow Six franchise, not only will you play nine exciting new levels, but you will also get an insider's look at the world of covert operations. Lock, load and learn. Special Bonus section - The Making Of Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear.
Blue Dragon Promo New & Sealed Xbox 360 "FREE UK P&P"
BLUE DRAGON PROMO FOR THE XBOX 360. These are available as an option at checkout.
Live the saga, take part in the epic events from the STAR-WARS: Episode 1 story and beyond while taking on the roles of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala and Captain Panaka. Exotic locations of Episode 1, such as Otah Gunga.
Basic attacks can easily be strung together to pull off combos, while tying these to the analogue stick will instigate launchers, aerials and sliding attacks. Timing a dash during a combo will extend its length and finisher moves will dispatch enemies with flair.
Massive attacks in the form of "Ultimate Jutsus", energetic evolutions with the "Awakening", the inimitable shurikens & kunais and a unique playstyle for each ninja! Players will be able to switch characters during the fight!
Rocksmith 2014 Edition for PlayStation 4. Includes Specially Designed Rocksmith USB Cable. New & Sealed. 50 New Songs 80 Lessons Plus New Session Mode. Improved Interface More Songs and New Features. When will my order be dispatched?.
As is required, all of the fighters have unique moves and combinations, and every fighter has at least three different 10-hit combinations. I AM A COLLECTOR. Release Date : Sep 15, 1996. All boxed and unboxed consoles are sent inside a double wall cardboard boxes.
TOMB RAIDER Pc Cd-Rom. 16 massive levels encompassing 4 continents. Adventurer Lara Croft has been hired to recover the pieces of an ancient artefact known as the Scion. Outer Box - Good Condition.
George and Nico are embroiled in another mysterious escapade of brutality, calamity and immorality in this sequel to the highly successful Broken Sword TSOTT. Kidnap - stolen treasure - astronomy and deadly drug barons are the least of the daredevil duo's worries - as divine forces threaten to annihilate mankind!
Here we have Fire Emblem Warriors Limited Edition box for the Nintendo Switch. This is the PAL version. Very good - May have small imperfections. Box in very good condition - light marks.
Transmissions from an FWA spy reveal the location of a secret multi-national laboratory deep within Siberia, the Cyberia Complex, where a mysterious weapon is being developed. Cyberia - Original Big Box Pc Cd-Rom.
Jump into the cockpit of the Falcon F-16C Block 50/52. Falcon 4.0 - Big Box Version Pc Cd-Rom. Intense instant action. Comprehensive flight training with 28 missions to help you hone your skills. Outer Box - Acceptable Condition.
KKND - KRUSH, KILL 'N' DESTROY Pc Cd-Rom. Finally, a formidable computer opponent to challenge the smartest cagey old vet. The survivors lived under the surface of earth for years, and after the crawled up to the light again, the whole world has changed.
BALDUR'S GATE II - Shadow Of Amn Pc Cd-Rom. The classic rpg on pc just got a whole lot better. Encounter hundreds of monster, thousands of NPC's and a total of over 300 spells.
It takes place in the island region of Jarrah, commonly known as the 'Wheel Of Life' for the fact that it is shaped like a wheel. It consists of seven islands, but nine locations in all. Silver - 'Best Of' Big Box version Pc Cd-Rom.
This is the official add-on for The Settlers II. Windows 95 or MS Dos 5.0 or higher. Requires The Settlers II to play! Continent climates - fight Vikings on Greenland in deep snow or the natives of Africa in desert/veld.
They're back, they're cute and deadlier than ever! Humiliate your friends, take revenge on your family, annihilate complete strangers - Worms 2 is frenetic, frenzied fun. WORMS 2 Pc Cd Rom. Take your revenge with an astonishing array of wild and wacky weapons - blow enemy Worms into the stratosphere.
In this corrupt gambler's paradise, the stakes are high and The House always wins. WIN AGAINST ALL ODDS. Live out an action-driving fantasy. Play as three distinct characters united by one common goal: revenge.
~ EXCELLENT CONDITION ~ FULLY TESTED ~ BOXED & COMPLETE ~.
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy (Switch). Rediscover the Naruto story! Naruto, the rejected child, has grown up fighting against a host of enemies. Once again, take part in those thrilling battles alongside your favourite characters!
The latest 3-D engine and state-of-the-art motion-capture technology give Braveheart serious, make-you-cringe combat realism. BRAVEHEART - ORIGINAL RARE BIG BOX EDITION. Realistic formations and battle tactics.
Shenmue I & II (Xbox One). New & Sealed. When will my order be dispatched?.
TERRA NOVA Strike Force Centauri - Original Big Box Pc.
CASE = HAS A LARGE CHIP ACROSS THE BOTTOM WHICH HAS ALSO CRACKED THE FRONT ALSO HAS A CRACK TO THE BACK ALSO A TINY CRACK TO THE BOTTOM BY THE HINGE BUT HINGE IS NOT EFFECTED. ORIGINAL BLACK LABEL. CLAIM PROCESSES CAN TAKE A FEW WEEKS.


The husband-and-wife team of Massimiliano (Massi) and Jennifer Boldrini have made this off-the-beaten-track, brick-and-steel former spice factory a destination for seasonally inspired northern Italian food, especially that of Boldrini's native Emilia-Romagna. Ingredients shine brighter than techniques in such dishes as burrata salad with cream-filled mozzarella, house-made spinach ravioli, fusilli al polpio (slow-braised octopus ragu) and tonno alla griglia (grilled tuna) served with roasted fingerling potatoes and peppery wild arugula. Lunch Tue.–Fri., dinner Tues–Sat.


Tech companies such as Facebook, Netflix, Amazon.com and Alphabet (also known as FANG) have ballooned in value in recent times and are now locked in a race to become the world's next trillion-dollar firm.
Despite their dizzying rise in value, none of these fabled tech firms pay dividends, putting them at odds with giants in other industries like consumer staples, industrials and retail.
However, the relative absence of dividend payments is actually in line with a tradition of many tech companies not being considered income vehicles, and therefore not paying dividends.
To understand why some tech companies generally shy away from paying dividends, it's important to start with the basics.
What are dividends and why do investors like them?
Simply put, dividends represent profit made by companies which are then distributed to shareholders. You can think of it as the money you earn from owning the shares of a particular company.
So, in practice, say shares in a company were bought at $1.00 each and a dividend of 5 cents per share was paid every year, then you would see a 5 per cent return (excluding any changes to the share price).
How you get dividends is that firms consult their books, take their financial pulse, and then determine whether it's better to pay some profits to shareholders as dividends, reinvest in the business, or buy back stock.
The advantage of dividend-paying shares is that they deliver a source of income and, if the share price goes up, may provide capital gains when held for a certain period of time.
In today's low interest-rate environment, dividend-paying shares can be a preferable form of income for investors compared to term deposit or government issued bonds.
In Australia, unlike many other jurisdictions, there's the added advantage that companies can attach to their dividends "franking credits" -- a type of tax break that that saves investors from having their dividends double-taxed as is the case in many other countries.
So what's the deal with tech companies?
Thing is, many tech companies generally see paying dividends as a sign that the exciting growth phases of their businesses are drawing to a close, or indeed finished.
Put another way, tech firms tend to believe their profits can be better used to fund growth objectives. And dividends should only be paid when no other rational uses exist.
Remember, paying dividends is only one of the ways that companies can decide to use profits and for companies that are still growing rapidly, like many tech start-ups, it generally makes more sense to invest as much as possible into future growth.
That's why dividends tend to be more associated with mature sectors like healthcare and industrials, and established stocks, think Coca Cola Co and Exxon Mobil Corp, than in tech.
In the tech world even established firms like the FANGS believe they can do a better job of increasing their value, and share price, by reinvesting earnings than by paying dividends.
One big reason is tech firms generally need to fund acquisitions and often look to keep growth firing by snapping up the best and brightest new innovations. Notable examples include Facebook's 2014 acquisition of messaging app WhatsApp, Apple's 2018 acquisition of Shazam and Beats in 2014 and Google acquiring Nest Labs in the same year.
It's of course also handy for a company to have cash on hand in case it hits trouble or if it needs to make rapid changes in line with shifts in the industry, which can occur very fast in the technology field relative to other, safer, sectors like industrials or utilities.
While historically many tech companies have rarely paid dividends, many large and very successful companies in the sector have, over time, come to pay substantial dividends to shareholders.
Examples include Apple, the world's most valuable tech firm by market cap, and software giant Microsoft that started paying dividends all the way back in 2003.
Other notable income generating tech stocks include Cisco, the largest manufacturer of network routers and switches in the world, tech legend IBM, mobile chipmaker Qualcomm, and hard disk drives manufacturer Seagate.
There have also been recent calls for Facebook to pay dividends due to the social media giant "pushing up against the limits of growth", but this has yet to materialise.


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Hey, Look! A New Song!
Seriously, this one is brand new. I wrote it during the last two weeks. Since it's a Valentine's Day song, I wanted to get it posted today, so I only had time enough to whip up a dry, bare-bones "demo" mix. As usual, it's published under a Creative Commons license, and I've added it to my music page and my lyrics page (separate from my ever pending album…my still pending album…yeah, I know).
Anyway, I'm pretty proud of it. Here it is! Enjoy! (Oh, and hint: it's not really about Valentine's Day.)
02/15/2017 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment
I mean it. I got a tremendously time-consuming job about two years ago (quite suddenly, in fact) and decided to put my entire life on the backburner for a few weeks. The weeks turned into years, and the years turned into eons, and before I knew it, I had shrunk away indefinitely into a placid, meaningless hermitude.
So what? Shakespeare made them up all the time, and everyone just loves him. Shut it.
Anyway, I swear I'm back now, and this time for good, though I suppose I should mention that I do still have the aforementioned job and thus will not have the time to post random filler garbage twice a week. I will post when I actually have something to post, but rest assured, such circumstances will only increase in frequency in the near future. I have a good few bits of news up my sleeve already (and that includes new songs!), so stay tuned, chums.
Oh, I've made a few changes to the music page. Most notably, I've begun to greedily demand compensation for my efforts. No, but really, the more money I can make with my music, the more time I can make for my music, which means more of it for you more often. There. That's my sales pitch. I'm done now.
I've also tweaked the mixes slightly in ways that are not even worth mentioning.
The good news is that the downloads are of better quality now and come in a variety of formats for all of your silly needs. Soon enough, I'll even have tasty physical CDs.
Holy Potatoes! It's time for sleep! Good night!
06/28/2014 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment
WHAT????!!!
All right, so it's one thing for a kid to have an amazing level of mechanical skill, but Billie Tweddle is the absolute definition of genius in my mind. She is yet another singer-songwriter, singing about heartbreak and what have you, and she does it really, really well. I mean, this is real poetry, folks – some of the best use of language I've ever heard, I think. Seriously. There is some kind of twisted level of depth achieved by this here girl, and on top of it, her voice is friggin' polished, as is her ability to express herself through her performance in general. And she's twelve. She's TWELVE, for God's sake! Aaaaarggghhh!!!!!! Shoot me right now in the face! Aaaarrrrggghhh!!!!! Seriously, you should watch this.
You see what I mean? You see? I give up. I quit. Okay, not really. I think instead I'll just drink heavily for several days to get my bearings and be on my way. You take care of yourself, too. Bye now!
Yo. I wanted to share this video because of the strangely profound effect it has on me. For me, this video represents some kind of eerie depth of reality that inspires in me a weird combination of feelings. There is a feeling of strangeness – I feel slightly uncomfortable, but in a good way – mixed with some sort of simmering excitement and and at the same time, peaceful warmth – like I feel whole and complete.
I think this response has something to do with the series of spiritual experiences I had about ten years ago. I also did a lot of reading back then. One of my favorite authors at the time was Lewis Thomas, a guy who wrote a whole bunch of essays in the seventies on the topic of biology. He wrote one essay entitled "The Music of This Sphere," in which he celebrates the sounds life on Earth makes, observing that more than anything else, creatures love to make noise. From here, he draws an analogy to music, suggesting that if we could hear all the sounds life's creatures make all at once, it would sound like the most incredible musical composition we've ever heard. After first reading this a decade ago, I was standing outside the woods one summer midnight while hanging out with some friends, and I was just listening to the noise of the insects emanating from the mysterious blackness of the forest, imagining a great symphony, with each species as a different instrumental section. The experience was really something.
I was high at the time, of course.
You see, music is really magical for me. I've thought about this a number of times. There's something really unique about music. I mean, there's more to it than just "really cool sounds." The experience of listening to the sound effects in Star Wars is very different from the experience of listening to a really good piece of music, even if there are no lyrics. We feel "moved" by music. What the hell is that? I mean, neuroscientists tell us that our brains are wired from birth to appreciate music, and even more fascinating is the fact that the most ear-pleasing pairs of frequencies happen to be perfect mathematical fractions of one another. Music is it's own animal in the human experience. There's nothing else like it. Because of this, music is a surefire way for me to tap into spiritual feelings.
Now, I know that most bird formations will probably not sound pretty when translated into musical notation, and I know that if we actually heard the biosphere's collective noise, it would probably just sound like static, and I know experiences influenced by The Sweet Leaf should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Scientific skeptics will surely explain away all of my feelings whilst rolling their eyes, but I'm not so naive that I haven't already considered such explanations, and quite frankly, as atheistic as some of my song lyrics may seem, scientific skepticism is one of my great pet peeves. I don't see any value in what seems to me to be a dogged effort to strip magic from a reality which is full of magical things, magical things which we've renamed with "proper" words, like "electromagnetic energy" and "sinusoidal plane wave frequencies."
I don't know about anyone else, but when I see music, math, and nature line up like they do in this video, I get the staggering feeling that I'm witnessing a glimpse of reality in its totality, rather than in little bits and fragments like we usually experience. And that centralized, holistic, and fundamental truth of all reality is how I personally define God, in contrast with the bearded old man in the clouds.
So, yeah, it's God on YouTube, I guess.
Also, there's this:
Try to imagine a wedding that this band wouldn't ruin. If you can, you have a better imagination than I. 2:07 to 2:24 is my favorite.
The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys
All right, remember that really great bluegrass band I posted about a few weeks ago, The Henhouse Prowlers? Well, these guys are even better. And they're, like, 10 years old. Jesus Humphrey Christ. I watched this video two or three times, racking my brain to try to figure out whether or not these kid's heads were somehow photoshopped onto some adult's torso, only to see another performance of theirs on Letterman. You may have seen this because it was a big YouTube hit a year ago, but in case you haven't, I thought I'd share. Watching it was a pretty surreal experience for me, like some sort of eerie, twisted dream. Why do people like this exist? Are they trying to make me look pathetic? I mean, when I play the guitar, there is a persistent, lingering fear that every single one of my plucks will miss the strings entirely, my awkward, contorted fingers trembling and aching from the crippling effort of producing simple chords. Where do these…these…infants get the gall to embarrass me like this? I think they need to be thrown in prison. Enjoy.
The Magic of Music
Okay, so this is awesome. Just watch!
I think my favorite stuff on the internet is this sort of thing. This kind of creative effort that really reaches into multiple media to create something that nobody's ever seen before. I'm not saying this is the only guy in history who's ever done anything like this, but I've sure never seen anything like it before. What's awesome about it, though, is that we've all seen the individual elements of it many, many times. Everyone has heard songs, and everyone has seen card tricks. But when the two are combined in such a clever way, it amplifies everything that's impressive about them individually. It helps that the song's lyrics are already clever and allude to playing cards, and it helps, of course, that this guy is already amazing with his sleight of hand skills and his inventiveness in crafting his tricks. But when the two are joined into a single act, it has this exponential effect, and the vision to harness that is what makes this guy really brilliant.
I've always thought that was the essence of creativity, really. Not to create something out of nothing, which I think is impossible anyway, but to take different familiar elements and join them in a way that is unfamiliar and yet somehow seems completely logical and even inevitable. I think when people try to just be "original," they sacrifice their audience's ability to connect with the art. The audience needs to see something familiar in order to understand the art, and so they can have a frame of reference with which to recognize and truly appreciate what's "new" about it. They need to contrast the new with the old.
It also makes the art more impressive if the audience can see the challenge the artist overcame. If I invent something completely new, like, say, a Goolakfa Brump, nobody will be impressed that I've created such a thing because I had no boundaries against which to struggle. It took no effort to create it because I didn't have any rules by which I had to abide in order to create it. I made up my own rules. But if I start with two already established things, like two different film genres, and combine them, I have to follow the conventions of each and make them line up in a way that fits and even makes it seem like they were supposed to be together all along. If I can achieve that, people will be really impressed because they will recognize the challenge of what I did. In that sense, art is more like a game than people realize, I think.
Okay, that's Matt's philosophy lesson for the day. Happy Thursday, everyone!
Archer: The Second Helping!
Sorry for not having posted anything in almost a week, but I'm still losing my mind from my new sleep schedule. Also, I will soon be working frantically on fixing up a new house, so I may not be able to post as much of my own stuff in the coming weeks, but try I must! It's a good thing, though, because with the new house, I'll finally be able to really get some recording done, and you should see a good deal more output from me pretty soon.
For today, I thought I'd share a really fun video I got to take part in. My friend Dan submitted this video to a film editing competition in which contestants were asked to use footage from three separate Nicholas cage movies to creatively edit together a single movie trailer for a silly, nonexistent, new Nicholas Cage movie. The source footage was taken from the films Raising Arizona, Face-Off, and Ghost Rider. Dan decided to go for a 1960s-style James-Bond-type trailer for a fake sequel called Archer: The Second Helping (if you haven't seen Face-Off, the protagonist's name is Sean Archer), and he asked me to provide the voice over, so I tried to do a cheesy, old-school movie trailer voice. You know, Mid-Atlantic accent and everything, although I didn't have time to properly learn the accent, so I sort of faked it. Anyway, I think Dan did a really good job with this. I know he put a lot of work into it, and apparently, it paid off because he won second place. Hellz yeah. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy!
A Couple of Really Great Videos
No video of me today. I'm starting a night job tonight, and I've spent the last few days trying vainly to adjust my sleep schedule, an effort which has left me in a grotesque state of enduring zombification. There's no way I could possibly smile for the camera or sing today without looking and sounding like a chain smoker on morphine. I could have covered "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang, and you would have shot yourself in the bathroom immediately after watching the video. So instead, here are a couple of really neat YouTube videos by other people that you probably have not seen but really should…
I want to know how long it took them to do this. I wish they'd done the whole song, but it's absolutely delightful either way.
I don't think I even need to say anything, other than why in the hell do these people look so goddamned bored? This is so unbelievably cool!
Right. So, I would like to submit these two videos as further evidence in support of my argument that the two best things that ever happened to the universe are human beings and the internet. Unless you wanna add The Lord. I'll accept that. But he was technically human, so I'm still right. Oh, I also really like spiders and whales, so those can be honorable mentions, I guess. And puppy-dogs. And candy. And birthdays. And sex. And birthday sex. And Fred Rogers. But he was technically human. Okay, I should probably stop there.
Wait, why did I put "birthday sex" and "Fred Rogers" right next to each other? Christ, I need sleep.
Once Is Never Enough
Back in college, I was fortunate enough to take part in an embarrassingly amateur 007 film spoof, quite perfectly entitled "Once Is Never Enough." It was oodles of fun, and I was commissioned (at a rate of zero dollars and zero cents per hour) to write the title song, which was even oodlier in terms of funness. It's rather silly, so there's that. Anyway, I thought it would be kind of fun to throw it up on YouTube for all to hear (by "throw up," I mean "stream," not "vomit." And by "stream," I mean "broadcast digitally via the world wide web," not "urinate.") I've never thought of myself as someone who is very good at deliberately mimicking musical genres, but I must say I'm pretty proud of just how well this turned out as far as sounding like a James Bond movie title song (at least musically. I know the lyrics are over the top). Well, go ahead and enjoy, why don't you?
08/09/2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | 4 Comments
Another Cover
Hey, Remember Emma Louise? I raved about how I thought she was gonna be super famous soon. Remember? Okay, well, I thought tonight I'd throw up a video of myself playing one of my favorite songs of hers. It's called "Temporary Friend." Enjoy it, mother-effers. Glaz out, yo.
Musical Microbes
What up. I know I vanished for a few days, but I've been rather busy helping my friend Jerry get married and helping some fictional zombies eat me alive (I had a small role in a short zombie film which shot this weekend). There. That should explain it.
Okay, well, I hope to be a good deal more productive the next couple of weeks while I have the whole house to myself to record. Hip. Hip. Hooray.
For now, why don't you write some music, too? Take a look at this ridiculous and fun site called Seaquence which allows you to create little biddy musical organisms that play whatever goofy chiptune sounds you want them to and swim around adorably while you giggle. Below you can check out the one I made, but you can create your own, too! It's jolly, proper fun, if I don't say so myself. Enjoy!
Woohoo!!! (My Microbial Diddy)
Now You Don't Have to Decide
If you don't know, metal fans have been arguing for years about whether Metallica or Megadeth is the better band. Well, here's a video mash-up that gives you both! Hey hey! The Taskmaster takes various songs from each band and combines them into one, and the results are both hilarious and really impressive. Some of them fit better than others, but there are so many that work, this channel has gotten me to think that you can combine any two songs successfully. It's amazing. It's not just Megadeth and Metallica, either. Check out the Justin Bieber/Village People mash-up. If only these wonderful artists hadn't entered the music scene thirty years apart. Sigh.
Trevor Green – Story Keeper
Yo! Look how awesome this guy is! This is also a long, epic song, but it's just so darn nifty! What I really like is how interesting and unique it is, what with the instrumentation and all, but it doesn't have that typical "indie music" style that sometimes feels a bit forced in its attempts at originality, in my opinion. This guy just really seems to love making music without any concern for anything else that gets in the way when people try to make songs. Oh, and I love the really spiritual lyrics. Pretty rare, I say. Anyway, 'til next time, chums!
Oh yeah, and he's got a website. It's right over here.
Howdy! Yeah, this is a long beast of a song, but it's got that epic feel that makes that sort of thing okay. At least, that's what I tell myself to rationalize the grim throes of torment which I so wantonly bestow unto the wailing face of mankind. Seriously, the song's so long, it took seventeen billion days to export and upload the video. That's why I'm posting this today instead of really really early today, or really really late last night, depending on how "square" you are. I happen to be "hip," and thus I prefer the latter. Why am I speaking such nonsense today? Oh, right, because I'm still myself. Whatever. Just watch the video.
Existential Pathology Naked
I think that's officially my favorite blog post title that I've published so far. It's like I rolled three dice with random words on them. Or stayed up one drunken night rearranging magnetic poetry. Anyway, here's another video, just me and the guitar, performing "Existential Pathology." I like this version. It's intimate, and painfully bare. You can really wallow in the suffocating abyss of despair (Oops, that rhymes)! That and hear a zany mouth-guitar solo! Hey hey!
Bluegrass!!!!!
This band is really quite impressive. They call themselves the Henhouse Prowlers, and they are a bluegrass band from Chicago, but you wouldn't guess it seeing them in action. They've got the genre down cold, they're experts on their instruments, and their vocal harmonies are real tight. I saw them perform Saturday at the Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL (which is a really neat place in its own right), and they were a whole barrel of fun. See for yourself!
Check out their website for sure. They've got show dates and albums on there and everything. That's it for now. Toodles!
The Day After Independence Day
Woohoo! I hope everyone had a rippin' roarin' good time for the 4th of July. I wasn't able to put all of this up last night because the hours just got too late, but look! I put together a fun all-acoustic-guitar arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner" just for the balls of it ("balls" = "hell" or "fun")! Check it out!
https://mattglaz.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/star-spangled-banner.mp3
Hey, and if you missed the fireworks this year, here's the grand finale of last night's show in Ithaca, IL, the largest 4th of July fireworks display in the state of Illinois, which I videotaped for some reason!
So, those are my Independence Day gifts to the world. Later, my fellow Americans (and non-Americans. Hmm…that was awkward.)!
Got It Made
Okay, here is a truly new song (not one I wrote ten years ago and am trying to pass for new). In fact, it's my newest song. I wrote it a couple of weeks ago. Only one person in the world has heard it up until now – the person about whom I wrote it (besides myself). You get one guess. Correct! IT'S ABOUT CLARISSE, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know, I generally don't like love/relationship songs because EVERY SINGLE GODDAMNED SONG EVERYBODY WRITES IS A LOVE AND/OR RELATIONSHIP SONG. So, you know, I think the topic has been overdone. When I write, I actually make a point to make each song different (especially lyrically), and though I have written a few love songs, I try to keep them in check due to the above all-caps statement. I actually wasn't setting out to write a love song here. It just turned into one. I guess I better cool it for a while and write a few hate songs. The problem is, I don't really hate anybody. Except for that one guy. That guy is such an asshole.
Did you notice though? That's a new microphone! It's the ADK A6, and I think it sounds fantastic! It's a stark contrast from the Rode NT1-A I've been using, which makes you sound like your vocal chords are made of broken glass. Ooh, and I've got a new mic preamp on the way, too, which will make my recordings sound EVEN BETTER! Wait a minute, why am I telling you this? You don't care. You just want to hear pretty melodies. Balls.
Josh Scholl
Nothing of mine this time, but I've got a friend who's totally becoming a pop star, and seeing as today is his official "launch date," I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to exercise my bragging rights. His name is Josh Scholl, and he was crowned Karaoke King last year on ABC's nationally televised Karaoke Battle USA, a feat which led swiftly to a record deal with Hollywood Records. His debut single and accompanying official music video premiered today, so I thought I'd share it here. One of the most fun things I did in my college years was all thanks to him. He started an a capella group the second semester of my senior year, and I got to be in it those couple of months. It was the sort of thing I had been wanting to do since high school but had always been too shy, and it was a real joy to finally get to do it. Josh's singing was good even then, but I'm really impressed by how much he's grown in recent years. He's got a pretty damn rockin' voice, if you ask me. Anyway, he's the nicest guy in the world, so I really wish him well. Here's his super-slick new song:
See that guy? I know that guy! I know him! How cool is that! Haha! Time to milk him for all he's worth! Hear that, Josh? Buy me a house, you crazy rock star son of a bitch!
The Greatest Song in the World
Okay, this isn't really the greatest song in the world. It is, in fact, a song (which I wrote) entitled "The Greatest Song in the World." I still think it's a good song, though. I really do. At least, it's as good as it can be. Anyway, I was rummaging through a dusty old, cobweb-laden chest in the attic when I stumbled upon THIS BRAND NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO OF ME PLAYING THE AFOREMENTIONED SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Star Wars Song
Yay! Here's another YouTube video! This is a song most people who know me have heard, but I'll bet you've never seen the Eyebrow Acting Version! Well, the wait is over, because here it is, at long last! Anyway, I dedicate this video to all of my fellow Star Wars fans, wherever you may be. Enjoy!
The Smurfs Sing Death Metal. In German.
All right, I've got nothing of mine this time, but here's something bizarre and (for me, at least) inexplicably funny:
This video was created by a guy named Andy Rehfeldt (I can't imagine how bummed he must have been when he found out this song didn't make the cut for The Smurfs soundtrack). Andy is a guy who does all sorts of really entertaining cross-genre overdubs of (usually) famous songs. He does metal and death metal versions of pop songs, but even if you find death metal to be unbearable to listen to, you should still check out his channel because he also does smooth jazz, reggae, and Radio-Disney versions of famous heavy rock and metal songs (like this one), all to hilarious effect. Oh, and he takes requests on his website, which could prove to be quite fun. Anyway, come back in a few days for another video featuring a new song! Right. Okay. Bye.
Another Song You Have Not Heard (Unless You're That One Dude)
All right, here's another one I've got up my sleeve. One day I'll make it nice and pretty for you. But for now, here is some video footage of a grotesque, unkempt figure warbling shamelessly, his shrill, grating howl piercing the gentle night. Enjoy!


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The organization aims to invests in organizations that are working to ensure that our political system is responsive to the public and able are able to meet the greatest challenges facing our nation.
Established in 2011 - The fund was founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar as an initiative of the Omidyar Network. In 2014, the fund became an independent private foundation.


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Aug. 8, 2013 / 10:58 AM
Don't forget Kony, U.S. lawmakers say
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. government can play a key role in helping its African allies eliminate the threat for Joseph Kony and the rebel LRA, U.S. lawmakers said.
More than 70 members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama calling on him to stay in task with the effort to tackle the regional threat posed by Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army.
Kony is the target of a 2005 arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court. His militant group is suspected of conscripting child soldiers and using girls as sex slaves.
Obama in 2011 deployed military advisers to the region to help military forces take on the LRA. U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met in July with U.S. soldiers in Uganda helping with the fight.
U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined 72 other lawmakers in signing a letter to Obama urging him to stay focused on the issue.
"Mr. President, the United States must continue pressing this effort until the LRA is defeated once and for all; there can be no let up," Royce said in a statement Wednesday.
The U.N. Security Council and human rights advocates have expressed concern about violence in the region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The Security Council said ensuring stability following a rebellion from the militant Seleka coalition in CAR meant a rise in activity from the LRA.
Justice absent in Libya, human rights group says Minsk harassing critics, rights group says Ivory Coast frees Gbagbo-era officials Thai police prepare for amnesty bill protesters Thailand called out by Human Rights Watch over amnesty bill
14 states, D.C., NYC sue Trump over new food stamps rule
U.S. now says 11 troops hurt in Iranian missile strikes
Texas diocese fighting lawsuit from deacon on list of accused abusers


text:
namespace blink {

class CORE_EXPORT ContextMenuAllowedScope {
  STACK_ALLOCATED();

 public:
  ContextMenuAllowedScope();
  ContextMenuAllowedScope(const ContextMenuAllowedScope&) = delete;
  ContextMenuAllowedScope& operator=(const ContextMenuAllowedScope&) = delete;
  ~ContextMenuAllowedScope();

  static bool IsContextMenuAllowed();
};

}  // namespace blink

#endif  // THIRD_PARTY_BLINK_RENDERER_CORE_INPUT_CONTEXT_MENU_ALLOWED_SCOPE_H_


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Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › District Courts › West Virginia › Northern District of West Virginia › 2017 › Greene v. Felster et al › Filing 62
Greene v. Felster et al, No. 5:2016cv00051 - Document 62 (N.D.W. Va. 2017)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ADOPTING AND AFFIRMING MAGISTRATE JUDGE'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION, GRANTING DEFENDANTS' MOTION TO DISMISS OR, ALTERNATIVELY, FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OVERRULING PLAINTIFF'S OBJECTIONS AND DENYING PLAINTIFF& #039;S MOTION FOR VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL: Granting 39 Motion to Dismiss for failure to State a Claim; Adopting 57 Report and Recommendations; Denying 59 Motion to Withdraw and Overruling 61 Objection to 57 Report and Recommendations. Case to be Dismissed With Prejudice and Stricken from active docket of this Court; Clerk directed to enter Judgment pursuant to FRCP 58. Signed by Senior Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. on 8/16/17. (copy to Pltff by cert. mail)(soa) (Additional attachment(s) added on 8/16/2017: # 1 Certified Mail Return Receipt) (soa).
Greene v. Felster et al Doc. 62 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA MICHAEL JERMAINE GREENE, Plaintiff, v. Civil Action No. 5:16CV51 (STAMP) SIDNEY FEASTER and DOUG WHITE, Defendants. MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ADOPTING AND AFFIRMING MAGISTRATE JUDGE'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION, GRANTING DEFENDANTS' MOTION TO DISMISS OR, ALTERNATIVELY, FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OVERRULING PLAINTIFF'S OBJECTIONS AND DENYING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL The pro se1 plaintiff, Michael Jermaine Greene ("Greene"), filed this civil action asserting claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The case was referred to United States Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert. The defendants filed a alternatively, for summary judgment. issued a granted. report The recommendation. complaint. recommending plaintiff that filed motion to dismiss or, Magistrate Judge Seibert the defendants' objections to the motion report be and He also filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss his For the following reasons, the magistrate judge's report and recommendation is adopted and affirmed, the defendants' motion is granted, the plaintiff's objections are overruled, and 1 "Pro se" describes a person who represents himself in a court proceeding without the assistance of a lawyer. Black's Law Dictionary 1416 (10th ed. 2014). Dockets.Justia.com the plaintiff's motion to voluntarily dismiss his complaint is denied. I. Background Greene alleges that, while incarcerated at the Huttonsville Correctional Facility, he was pepper sprayed then not permitted to timely and thoroughly wash the irritant off. Greene claims that, while in his cell, he repeatedly activated his staff-call light without a response. The defendants then instructed Greene to stop hitting his call light. kicked his cell door. kicking his door. Id. ECF No. 1-1 at 3. He then repeatedly The defendants instructed Greene stop ECF No. 40-2. Greene then continued to kick his door, and the defendants pepper sprayed him. Id. The defendants then removed Greene from his cell and allowed him to shower. Id. Greene was then examined by medical staff and returned to his cell. Id. Greene alleges he was not taken to the shower for at least five minutes and that he was not given enough time to shower. He further alleges that the next day he gave a nurse a request for a sick-call note, and that his request "went missing" in retaliation for his earlier noncompliance. Finally, Greene alleges that the incident and lack of followup medical care constitute deliberate indifference of his medical needs. violated the Eighth Amendment 2 by He claims the defendants pepper spraying him, by retaliating, and by being deliberately indifferent to his medical needs. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) or, alternatively, for summary judgment under Rule 56. The magistrate judge entered a report recommending that the defendants' motion be granted as a motion for summary judgment. Greene then filed a motion for voluntary dismissal of his complaint. He also later filed timely objections to the magistrate judge's report and recommendation. II. Applicable Law Under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C), this Court must conduct a de novo review of any portion of the magistrate judge's recommendation to which objection is timely made. Because Greene filed objections to the report and recommendation, the magistrate judge's recommendation will be reviewed de novo as to those findings to which objections were made. As to those findings to which objections were not filed, those findings and recommendations will be upheld unless they are "clearly erroneous or contrary to law." 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A). To survive a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), "a [pleading] must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). 3 This plausibility standard requires a plaintiff to articulate facts that, when accepted as true, demonstrate that the plaintiff is plausibly entitled to relief. Francis v. Giacomelli, 588 F.3d 186, 193 (4th Cir. 2009) (citing Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678; Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). "The plausibility standard is not a probability requirement, but asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully." Hall v. DirectTV, 846 F.3d 757, 765 (4th Cir. 2017). "[C]ourts must accept as true all of the factual allegations contained in the complaint and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff." Id. "[A] [pleading] is substantial justice." to be construed liberally so as to do Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). Further, this Court must liberally construe pro se complaints. Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007); Gordon v. Leeke, 574 F.2d 1147, 1151 (4th Cir. 2007). However, while the plaintiff's allegations are assumed to be true, Erickson, 551 U.S. at 93, this Court may not ignore a clear failure in the pleading to allege facts that set forth a claim. See Weller v. Dep't of Soc. Servs., 901 F.2d 387, 390-91 (4th Cir. 1990). This Court may not rewrite a complaint to include claims that were never presented, Barnett v. Hargett, 174 F.3d 1128, 1133 (10th Cir. 1999), construct the plaintiff's legal arguments for him, id., or "conjure up questions never squarely presented" to the court. Beaudett v. City of Hampton, 775 F.2d 1274, 1278 (4th Cir. 1985). 4 Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, this Court must grant a party's motion for summary judgment if "there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). A fact is "material" if it might affect the outcome of the case. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). A dispute of material fact is "genuine" if the evidence "is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party." Id. If the nonmoving party "fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial," summary judgment must be granted against that party. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322 (1986). Celotex Corp. v. In reviewing the supported underlying facts, all inferences must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587 (1986). The party seeking summary judgment bears the initial burden of showing the absence of any genuine issues of material fact. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322-23. See "The burden then shifts to the nonmoving party to come forward with facts sufficient to create a triable issue of fact." Temkin v. Frederick County Comm'rs, 945 F.2d 716, 718 (4th Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1095 (1992). However, "a party opposing a properly supported motion for summary judgment may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his 5 pleading, but . . . must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial." Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256 (1986). Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Moreover, "[t]he nonmoving party cannot create a genuine issue of material fact through mere speculation Othentec or Ltd. the v. building Phelan, of 526 one F.3d inference 135, (internal quotation marks omitted). 140 upon (4th another." Cir. 2008) The nonmoving party must produce "more than a 'scintilla'" of evidence "upon which a jury could properly proceed to find a verdict for the party producing it." Id. (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 251). III. While the magistrate Discussion judge did not expressly consider qualified immunity, the defendants raise the issue in their motion to dismiss or, alternatively, for summary judgment. Accordingly, this Court considers the issue de novo. "The doctrine of qualified immunity protects government officials from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known." Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223, 231 (2009) (internal quotation marks omitted). Courts must consider two steps in determining whether an official is entitled to qualified immunity. Id. at 232. "First, a court must decide whether the facts that a plaintiff has alleged 6 . . . make out a violation of a constitutional right. Second, . . . the court must decide whether the right at issue was 'clearly established' at the time of the defendant's alleged misconduct." Id. Courts need not determine whether a violation has occurred if the court finds the right at issue was not clearly defined. 236. Id. at For the reasons set forth below, this Court finds the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity because Greene fails to demonstrate that his Eighth Amendment rights were violated. A. Eighth Amendment The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. This right extends to "the treatment an inmate receives in prison and the conditions under which he is confined." Danser v. Stansberry, 772 F.3d 340, 346 (4th Cir. 2014) (citing Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 832-33 (1994)). Eighth Amendment objectively subjectively violation, serious the the deprivation defendant plaintiff of his prison "sufficiently culpable state of mind." marks omitted). To prove this kind of must rights; official show: and acted (1) (2) an that with a Id. (internal quotation Greene alleges the defendants violated his Eighth Amendment rights by using excessive force, by retaliating against his complaints regarding that use of force, and by failing to provide adequate medical care. 7 1. Excessive Force "[T]he Eight Amendment forbids 'the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain'" by a prison official. Hill v. Crum, 727 F.3d 312, 317 (4th Cir. 2013) (quoting Whitley v. Albers, 475 U.S. 312, 319 (1986)). To prove an excessive force claim, a plaintiff must show: (1) that the prison official's use of force was objectively harmful such that it violates contemporary standards of decency; and (2) that the prison official's use of force was not "applied in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore discipline," but was intended to "maliciously and sadistically . . . cause harm." Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 7 (1992). It is the nature of the force used, and not the extent of the injury caused, that serves as the relevant inquiry. Wilkins v. Gaddy, 559 U.S. 34, 34 (2010). However, "not every malevolent touch by a prison guard gives rise to a federal cause of action." Id. at 37-38. Thus, "an inmate who complains of a 'push or shove' that causes no discernible injury almost certainly fails to state a valid excessive force claim." Id. at 38. The magistrate judge concluded that Greene failed to state an excessive force claim. Greene alleges he repeatedly hit his call light after not receiving an initial response. He then kicked his door two or three times the defendants told him to stop or he would be pepper sprayed. While Green alleges he did not kick his door again after that, the Use of Force Review Committee's findings and 8 the defendants' use of force reports indicate that Greene was ordered multiple times to stop kicking his door and that he did not comply. See ECF No. 40-2. spray Greene. Only then did the defendants pepper Although the magistrate judge concluded that Greene failed to state a claim, this Court further finds that there is no genuine factual dispute regarding whether Greene failed to comply with the defendants' commands. Thus, this Court finds that the use of pepper spray by the defendants was "applied in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore discipline." Hudson, 503 U.S. at 7. Accordingly, the defendants are entitled to summary judgment on Greene's excessive force claim. 2. Retaliation To state a retaliation claim, a plaintiff "must allege either that the retaliatory act was taken in response to the exercise of a constitutionally protected right or that the act itself violated such a right." Adams v. Rice, 40 F.3d 72, 75 (4th Cir. 1994) (citing Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 327 (1989)). "A claim of retaliation that fails to implicate any constitutional right 'lacks even an arguable basis in law,' and is properly subject to dismissal." Id. (citation omitted) (quoting Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 328). Greene offers only conclusory allegations that the defendants caused his sick-call note to go missing in retaliation for his earlier noncompliance with their commands. 9 These allegations do not state a plausible claim that the defendants caused his note to go missing. Further, Greene fails to allege that the defendants caused his note to go missing in retaliation for the exercise of a constitutional right. In his objections, Greene argues that the retaliation occurred after he filed his complaint. However, he fails to offer sufficient factual allegations to support such a claim and has not sought to amend his complaint to include any such additional allegations. Accordingly, Greene's retaliation claim must be dismissed. 3. Deliberate Indifference The magistrate judge concluded that Greene failed to state a claim for deliberate indifference. conclusion. Greene did not object to this Accordingly, the magistrate judge's conclusions as to this issue will be reviewed for clear error. Corrections officers violate the Eighth Amendment if they were deliberately indifferent to a risk of substantial harm to an inmate. Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 833, 834 (1994). To show such a claim, the plaintiff must show: (1) that he suffered a "serious or significant physical or emotional injury"; and (2) that [the] offic[er]s were deliberately indifferent to a known risk of such injury. 2014). Danser v. Stansberry, 772 F.3d 340, 346-47 (4th Cir. To show that a prison official acted with deliberate indifference, the plaintiff must show two things. First, "that the official in question subjectively recognized a substantial risk of 10 harm. It is not enough that the officers should have recognized it; they actually must have perceived the risk." Parrish ex rel. Lee v. Cleveland, 372 F.3d 294, 303 (4th Cir. 2004) (emphasis in original). Second, "that the offic[er] . . . subjectively recognized that his actions were inappropriate in light of that risk . . . . [I]t is not enough that the offic[er] should have recognized that his actions were inappropriate; the offic[er] actually must have recognized that his actions were insufficient." Id. (internal quotation marks omitted) (emphasis in original). Knowledge of the risk may be inferred, but the risk "must be so obvious that the fact-finder could conclude that the [official] did know of it because he could not have failed to know of it." (internal quotation marks omitted) (emphasis in Id. original). Moreover, a claim for deliberate indifference requires more than mere negligence, as "deliberate indifference describes a state of mind more blameworthy than negligence." Farmer, 511 U.S. at 835. Greene was exposed to pepper spray then taken to a shower for decontamination after a delay of a few minutes. examined by a nurse, who found no injuries. He was then Further, Greene does not allege his exposure to pepper spray led to some lasting physical reaction or injury. These allegations do not constitute serious or significant physical or emotional injury. Siggers v. (concluding Renner, that 37 use F. of App'x pepper 11 138, spray 140-41 to (6th force See, e.g., Cir. an 2002) inmate's submission to a haircut did not constitute a serious injury because the inmate was decontaminated and examined by a nurse). Thus, this Court finds no clear error in the magistrate judge's conclusions. B. Motion for Voluntary Dismissal Greene filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss his complaint for "improper venue." He states that the Northern District of West Virginia is not the proper venue for this action, and that he will refile his complaint in the Southern District. However, the Huttonsville Huttonsville, Correctional Center is located in Randolph County, West Virginia, within the Northern District of West Virginia. Because "a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim[s] occurred" in this district, venue is proper in this Court. 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)(2). Accordingly, Greene's motion to voluntarily dismiss his complaint for improper venue is DENIED. IV. Conclusion For the above reasons, the magistrate judge's report and recommendation defendants' (ECF motion No. to 57) dismiss is ADOPTED or, AND AFFIRMED. alternatively, for The summary judgment (ECF No. 39) is GRANTED, Greene's motion for voluntary dismissal (ECF No. 59) is DENIED, and Greene's objections to the report and recommendation (ECF No. 61) are OVERRULED. It is ORDERED that this civil action be DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE and STRICKEN from the active docket of this Court. 12 Should the plaintiff choose to appeal the judgment of this Court to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on the issues to which objection was made, he is ADVISED that he must file a notice of appeal with the Clerk of this Court within 30 days after the date of the entry of this order. IT IS SO ORDERED. The Clerk is DIRECTED to transmit a copy of this memorandum opinion and order to the pro se plaintiff by certified mail and to counsel of record herein. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 58, the Clerk is DIRECTED to enter judgment on this matter. DATED: August 16, 2017 /s/ Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. FREDERICK P. STAMP, JR. UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 13


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Leaf Seligman
Opening the Window: A Sabbath Meditation on Paradox, Meaning and Joy
Leaf Seligman, writer and Unitarian Universalist minister, seeks to help us grapple with the challenges of modern life, inviting us to find in spirituality a path to contentment. She approaches traditional religious texts in a creative manner, offering new ways for us to consider abstract questions. How do we reconcile the brilliance of technology with the exploitation enlisted to produce it? How do we make sense of our lives in the context of the world that contains and sustains us? How do we answer the call to joy amid despair and disparity? How do we render wholeness out of brokenness, creating mosaics of beauty and functionality from the rent pieces of our lives? How do we open ourselves to spirit?
With a pastor's sensibility, a writer's lyricism, and a generous heart, Leaf Seligman invokes poetry, thinking from diverse spiritual traditions, and stories from her own walk through life to grapple with enduring religious themes and contemporary challenges.
Leaf Seligman is the minister at First Parish Church, Unitarian Universalist, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and author of Opening the Window: Sabbath Meditations. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, where she won the Billings Prize for Preaching, Leaf's ministry has taken the shape of a volunteer chaplain in a hospital and a jail, a parish minister, a writing instructor, and a daily worshipper of the New Hampshire woods.