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current location:Home > Sales volume > Rat study shows that concussions can lead to significant thickening of the skull
Rat study shows that concussions can lead to significant thickening of the skull
[Garbage cleaning ] source:zerolimitart.com
It's well known that repeated head banging increases the risk to our nervous system health, but a new study seeks to fill in important details about what they might mean for the skull. Experiments in rats have shown that regular head impacts lead to "robust" increases in skull thickness and volume, and scientists now hope to explore what this means for its ability to protect the brain from damage. The study, led by researchers at Monash University in Australia, had hypothesized that, in addition to affecting the brain, concussions would also cause changes to the skull. The premise of this view is that bone is a living tissue that can be shaped by mechanical forces, especially if they are applied repeatedly. To explore this idea, the team simulated mild brain trauma in rats by designing a heavy hammer device to strike in one, two or three groups at 24-hour intervals. Skulls were collected for analysis at two weeks and again after the final round of impacts at 10 weeks, and then imaged with a micro-CT scan. Rats' calvarial bone thickness increased slightly after two weeks of blows, but at 10 weeks, the group that received twice-daily blows showed "robust increases in volume and thickness" of the skull proximal to the injury site. This is combined with a reduction in the volume of the marrow cavity in an area of the skull (called the diploë). Associate Professor Bridgette Semple, author of the study, said: "We have been ignoring the potential impact of the skull in how impact forces affect the brain. These new findings highlight that the skull may be a factor in the consequences of repeated concussions in individuals. Key factor". Scientists aren't sure if these effects are a good thing, but they note that, in theory at least, thicker skulls are stronger skulls, so it may be that the altered bones have a protective role in guarding the brain from further shocks. . To explore this idea, the team is planning further studies to investigate whether thickening the skull can alter the amount of force that hits brain tissue in this injury. "It's a bit of a tough question. As we know, repeated concussions can negatively impact brain structure and function. In any case, a concussion is never a good thing," said Sampel. The study was published in in the journal Scientific Reports.
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Canalys: Global TWS Q2 shipments reached 63 million, an increase of 8%, Xiaomi overtakes Apple in China
The Snapdragon 8 flagship chip has entered the clearance stage. These 4 mobile phones are currently cost-effective, with a minimum of only 2249 yuan
China's high-end mobile phone sales accounted for a reverse increase of 2% in Q2, and Apple finally swallowed Huawei's high-end market
The Chinese Academy of Sciences breakthrough again, Academician Ni Guangnan's pursuit of reality is expected to break the technological monopoly
For high performance and long battery life, I recommend these 4 mobile phones in a responsible manner
Samsung warns: memory chip sales decline will continue into 2023
The theme song MV of the League of Legends global finals will be announced tomorrow: the protagonist turned out to be him
A black artifact in the dormitory, a business travel companion: Flying Cat Zhilian U8 portable WiFi evaluation
Chinese people lose patience with Huawei, mate50 is complained about hungry marketing, and even more angry that if you don't want to sell it, don't sell it
From 4999 yuan, Huawei's flagship mobile phone with direct screen Mate 50 is out of the box, and the long-lost familiar feeling is back
The first sale exceeded 4 million units! Huawei Mate 50 series is stable and has begun to turn over
iPhone 14 Plus postponed sale, many shortcomings! Fruit powder tells you: not worth it
Is Smart Island an ingenuity or a failure? iPhone 14 Pro new machine picture tour
iPhone 14 series mobile phone cases on the official website, not compatible with iPhone 13
From 5999 yuan! iPhone 14 series pre-sale at 8 o'clock tonight, fruit fans pay attention
Ripped again? Sony accuses Microsoft of misleading consumers over Activision Blizzard acquisition
ZOL Technology Breakfast: All Huawei Mate50 5G mobile phone cases are on the shelves, and Xiaomi is developing its own operating system
iPhone 14 subscription service launched in China! Deposit-free monthly payment
Redmi K50 Extreme Edition, can it really weld the cost-effective door this time?
China's wearable device market fell in Q2, true wireless headset shipments are the highest
The budget is about 3,000 yuan, and the experience is comparable to a high-end mobile phone of five or six thousand yuan. These 4 models can be bought with closed eyes
Morgan Stanley agrees to pay $35 million to settle allegations of not properly disposing of retired hard drives
Logitech launches new Astro A30 wireless gaming headset for $229.99
Mobile phone sales return to seven years ago, why can't mobile phones be sold now? Come here to tell the truth
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NWA By Any Means Necessary, part of the NWA Pop-Up Event series, was a professional wrestling supercard produced by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in conjunction with Tried-N-True Pro Wrestling. The event took place on October 24, 2021, at the Valor Hall in Oak Grove, Kentucky. Matches from the event were taped for episodes of NWA Power, which aired on November 2 and 9 on FITE TV.

Production

Storylines
The event featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Storylines were produced during the sixth season of the NWA's weekly web series, Powerrr.

At NWA 73, Jax Dane attacked his War Kings tag team partner Crimson before the latter's hardcore triple threat match with Thom Latimer and Tim Storm. Two weeks later on Powerrr, the former partners participated in a slap fight hosted by NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Trevor Murdoch. However, Dane would soon punch instead of slap Crimson in the face, causing a scuffle between the two. On September 17, in the announcement of By Any Means Necessary, it was announced that Crimson and Dane would wrestle in a Steel Cage match to main event the show.

Results

References

External links

2021 in professional wrestling
2021 in Kentucky
Events in Kentucky
Professional wrestling in Kentucky
June 2021 events in the United States
National Wrestling Alliance shows

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Some years ago, I was listening to one of my favourite songs – Aa jaane jaa from Inteqaam. S, who usually recognises music directors by the way a song is composed, wondered whether the song was composed by RD Burman, and was quite surprised when he learnt the music directors were Laxmikant-Pyarelal. That got us into a discussion about 'RD's sound'. My introduction to RD had been rather unfortunate – I grew up in the 80s and my father dismissed RD as 'that noise maker'. A long time passed before I realized there was more to RD than 'noise'. This discussion also reminded me that while RD was most closely associated with Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle, he had used other singers to great effect.
In fact, Pancham, as RD Burman was affectionately called, had a great regard for Lata Mangeshkar (a regard she returned), and gave her some wonderful songs to sing. Here are some of my favourites, in no particular order.
Picturised on Sheila Vaz, who appears in a cameo, this is one of Pancham's finest compositions, and is widely regarded as his first independent composition. According to Anirudha Bhattacharya and Balaji Vittal (RD Burman, The Man, The Music), the tune was originally composed for Guru Dutt's Raaz, which was based on Wilkie Collins' Woman in White. The film, starring Waheeda Rehman and Sunil Dutt was unfortunately shelved. It was then reused for Mehmood's Chhote Nawab, which became Pancham's debut film.
The semi-classical number is exquisitely sung by Lata, who recalls meeting Pancham as a young boy at his father's recordings. Ghar aaja ghir aaye was also responsible for ending the estrangement between Lata Mangeshkar and SD Burman – Panchan was adamant that he wanted Lata to sing his first composition, and SD encouraged the wish. Music director Jaidev played messenger, and the rest is history.
An achingly haunting tune, sung with great poignancy by Lata. It was one among the many beautiful melodies composed by Pancham, fresh from the success of Teesri Manzil. In the context of the film, however, the song seemed out of place. It did not help that the film helmed by Nasir Hussain was a failure; perhaps it was the story – the serious tale of unemployment and despair was not what the public expected from a Nasir Hussain film. Perhaps it was that it was shot in Black & White in an era where colour had become the norm. Even changing the original ending to a happy one did not change its fate at the box office. Its failure hit Nasir Hussain hard, but Hindi film songs have a life of their own, independent of the fate of their films, and the songs, including Kya janoo sajan have retained their popularity over the ages.
This song, tuned in C minor (RD uses both the melodic and harmonic scale), introduces Lata's voice in an almost instrumental movement before the actual lyrics are sung. The lack of any direct percussion instrument at the beginning of each antara seems to create a question that is answered when the percussion comes in at the antara's repetition.
The film is not one of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's better efforts, but it was a pleasant watch nevertheless. Buddha Mil Gaya was the story of an old man (Om Prakash in a leading role) who's on the run and two impecunious young men, whose get-rich scheme embroils them in murder. Pancham rose to the occasion by composing a variety of tunes from the soulful Manna Dey number 'Aao kahan se Ghanshyam' to the romantic Kishore solos 'Raat kali ik khwaab mein aayi' and 'Bhali bhali ik soorat', to this one, Lata's flawless rendering of Jiya na lage mora.
Based on Raga Khamaj, this song has some lovely melodic movements in Lata's voice: note the way she takes "na ja re na ja re na ja o jiya na ". In, the first antara, she stops at "do pal toh teher ja" before the repetition, increasing the tension, the longing. The flute interlude , when the camera pans to Lalita Pawar, is very close to the flute in "Bada natkhat hai ye" (Amar Prem). Did RD use it to hint at the relationship between a mother and child? Notice the slight dissonance as Lalita Pawar disappears; the flute notes go lower, and the strings draw a sinister line against the higher quartets of notes on the flute (and perhaps a glockenspiel), as an inebriated Om Prakash totters up, before seguing back into the antara.
One of my favourite RD compositions, Baahon mein chale aao has made its appearance on several of my lists. Lata brings out the impishness in the lyrics, and Jaya Bhaduri epitomized that playfulness on screen. Tune, lyrics, singing, picturisation, all come together to provide us with a classic Hindi film song.
The guitar moves the song along in the beginning, with the strings entering softly in the background until they move centrestage with short, high notes supporting Lata's voice. The percussion and bass guitar help this forward movement. But, for me, it is the mukhda that contains the memorable portion. The first line has an odd chord change that seems to have an added ninth note. Then, it is the way Lata sings 'Humse sanam kya parda" and you can see she differs in the repetition... the first time she sings 'kya parda', the last syllables are pitched deeper, whereas in the repetition, they remain on the same note as 'Kya'. The first occurrence is a question; the second, a statement.
This was RD's second collaboration with Gulzar after Parichay (1972). While I mentioned how Hindi film songs have a life of their own independent of their films, that is obviously not true of all songs. (Madan Mohan would agree.) Doosri Sita's box-office failure meant that its score was erased from collective memory. Din jaa rahe hain raaton ke saaye is a poignant song with an undercurrent of melancholy. Filmed on Jaya Bhaduri as the protagonist (with glimpses of Lalita Pawar and AK Hangal), the song, written by Gulzar plays on in the background.
This song is a precursor to melodic lines that would be heard later in Aandhi. The lines are slightly monotonous, without much variation, but it has a lovely prelude. The first interlude is memorable for its use of dark strings and an almost-Raga Lalit-like movement. The last verse is slightly different in the way Lata sings and reaches for 'daaman toh choote'.
The Gulzar-Pancham collaboration was an enduring one, and gave us some beautiful songs to listen to (even if Pancham complained that Gulzar would ask him to set The Times of India to music).
Kinara, a film helmed by Gulzar, saw Pancham set music to Ab ke na saawan barso, a touching expression of a woman's helplessness (the heroine is visually impaired), and Gulzar's focus on the barred windows only emphasises that helplessness. The tunes in the film went against RD's image of a 'westernised' composer.
RD often complained that while his father was alive (and sometimes even after), his classical compositions were attributed to his father. Amar Prem saw RD offer a variety of exquisitely tuned melodies, including Bada natkhat hai re (where he says he was excoriated by his father for not being creative enough), Chingari koi bhadke and Kuch toh log kahenge. It was Amar Prem which saw RD gain his father's approbation; the senior Burman was extremely happy with his son's output for the film.
Forming an integral part of the movie, the song (in the background) expresses the emotions of a woman who feels affection for a motherless little boy but cannot forget that he's the living symbol of her husband's infidelity. She cannot bear to see him in her home, but children have a way of winding themselves around your heart, and she knows she'll miss him when he leaves. It's complicated. The wealth of expression that Lata brings to this song, with its very minimal instrumentation makes it all the more effective in context.
Very minimalistic, with most of the music carried by the bass guitar behind Lata to bring out Gulzar's lyrics, which are, at times, almost recited instead of sung. The interludes are a little more fleshed out with the sitar, sarod, etc., but one comes away with a memory of the lyrics, Lata's voice and the bass guitar (if one heard it on a record; Vividh Bharati and AM could never reproduce the bass guitar on a transistor).
The film that saw the professional metamorphosis of Rekha (and won her a well-deserved nomination for Best Actress), Ghar was another RD-Gulzar combination that worked wonders. With a stellar score (five songs, each one a gem), the composer-lyricist duo matched their earlier outings. Lata effortlessly brings out the emotions of a woman missing her beloved.
I'm not a great fan of lyrics that go 'Aapke kadmon mein hi rehna hoga' but I have to confess that the song itself is a wonderful melody. Having first rejected Bhola for tricking her into believing he could sing, Bindu realises that she's not just in love with his voice. When his rival (Mehmood) has Bhola attacked by thugs, Bindu's emotions spill over as she nurses him back to health.
A great song based nominally on Raga Abhogi (some people say the Raga is Bageshri). This piece by Ustad Rashid Khan always reminds me of this song. RD showcases a variety of instruments: it starts with an electronic keyboard roll, followed by a guitar-flute combination, which in turn segues into the santoor playing a few notes, and then, a strummed guitar. Lata comes in with the tabla, and apart from the strings accompanying her, we think the rest of the music is going to be classical.
However, in the first interlude, we have brushes on the drums, with the santoor and strings. In the first antara, the tabla does not make an appearance till the repetition of the first line, but you can hear the brushes on the drums throughout. There is a delectable sitar run in the second interlude followed by the taar shehnai. The third interlude uses a shehnai, which changes suddenly to a strings-and-sitar combination. The ending is interesting with the strings taking the melody from Lata, and then it's just her voice softly repeating the first line.
For the longest of time, my favourite song from Caravan has been Daiyya ye main kahan aa phansi. I ignored Dil bhar dil se pyaare as a pleasant song; it was not something I went out of my way to hear on repeat. Until recently, when S saw my list of RD-Lata and asked why this song wasn't on it. Let me just say that my previous opinion of the song turned a 180. I'm impressed by how smoothly Lata takes the notes, especially the repetition of 'nainonwaale' in the second antara. Each repetition is sung differently, and Lata beautifully aces the rise and fall of the notes.
RD was probably one of the first composers to think of a soundscape for his songs, that is to say, he was interested in sound as a conveyor of melody and rhythm rather than the other way around. His soundscapes became more pronounced as he experimented with different instruments and noises and orchestral and electronic techniques. The alternation of the soprano saxophones and the rabab with two banks of strings (note the notes from the violins and the piccolos in the interludes), the odd sounding instrument at the beginning of the song, the notes slightly off beat, Lata moving between quick staccato and long drawn out notes, accompanied by both male and female choruses – it all conveys a sense of back-and-forth oscillation to the song: even as the sound dies out, the song itself doesn't seem to end.
What are your favourite Lata numbers for RD?


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Q: counter in php do while loop I am checking ( or want to check ) if the counter gets to 5 I want to reset the counter back to one and start again until all the records have been read,I have the following code on a test page:

<?php do {
if ($count == 5) { $count = 1;}
echo $count;

echo "

" . $row_rsILU['ilu_fname'] . " " . $row_rsILU['ilu_lname'] . "

Concept Artist

email@artistdomain.ca

416-833-1111

www.portfolio.ca

";
$count++;
} while ($row_rsILU = mysql_fetch_assoc($rsILU));  ?>

The record set has three records in it but the count always seems to stop at two and only shows the two images. I am checking the count and if it gets to 5, I want to reset it to 1 and start over again until the total records in the record set have been read. Maybe I am just getting tired but I cannot get this. Would appreciate anyones help on this.
Cheers,
Dave

A: According to your code, you are trying to echo the row before actually fetching it (I mean the first iteration). Why not just use while loop instead?
<?php
while ($row_rsILU = mysql_fetch_assoc($rsILU)) {
    if ($count == 5) { $count = 1;}
    echo $count;

    echo "

" . $row_rsILU['ilu_fname'] . " " . $row_rsILU['ilu_lname'] . "

    Concept Artist

    email@artistdomain.ca

    416-833-1111

    www.portfolio.ca

";

    $count++;
}
?>

Please let me know if that solves your problem.

A: Humm ... well now, this is embarrassing! Turns out there was a second, older SELECT statement in the code that I missed and so it was not returning one of the three records because it was not looking for it, based on the older SELECT statement. Sorry about that but thanks for your help.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Jesse Owens' Olympic Gold Medal Up For Auction
One of the four Olympic gold medals won by track and field star Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games is up for sale in an online auction that runs through Dec. 7
The medal — being auctioned online — recalls both the Nazi propaganda myths that Owens busted with his world record-setting 100-yard dash, and the American segregation that he came home to when he returned to the U.S. after the Games, which Adolf Hitler orchestrated to showcase his ideas of Aryan supremacism.
"Almost singlehandedly, Owens obliterated Hitler's plans," SCP Auctions partner Dan Imler said. "You've got an African American, son of a sharecropper, grandson of slaves who overcame these incredible circumstances and delivered a performance for the ages."
Owens won gold in the 100- and 200-meters, the 400 relay and the long jump. But when he returned from the Berlin Games, he struggled to provide for his family.
His job options were limited by segregation and because he decided to return home instead of going on tour with the U.S. Olympic Team, he was stripped of his amateur athletic status.
article courtesy of TheGrio.com
1936 Berlin Games	, American segregation	, Auction	, Berlin Games	, Gold Medal	, Jesse Owens	, Olympic gold medals	, track and field star

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I fall into wrong methods to reduce my weight and it become worst than before. I try to be smart by myself; I try a lot of diet pills, home massage or even unknown tonic from the eldest. Clueless lead me to Mayfair Bodyline, Mayfair show me the authentic way to slim. Truly I gain without pain from Mayfair.


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РД-261 (Індекс ГРАУ — 11Д69) — радянський двигун розробки НВО «Енергомаш», що використовується у перших ступенях ракет-носіїв сімейства Циклон — «Циклон-2» і «Циклон-3» (11К68). Створено на основі двигуна РД-251 й складається з трьох РД-250ПМ.

У процесі експлуатації показав виняткову надійність. Всі запуски двигуна були успішними на різних ділянках польоту 1-го ступеня.

Характеристики двигуна
 Паливо — Азотний тетраоксид/Несиметричний диметилгідразин
 Тяга — 3032 кН
 Питомий імпульс — 301 с
 Тривалість роботи — 120 с
 Кількість вмикань — 1
 Висота — 2,52 м
 Кількість камер — 6
 Тиск у камері — 85 кПа

Посилання
 НВО Енергомаш Таблиця
 Російські і українські ракети носії і бойові ракети Таблиця
 РД-261 Енциклопедія астронавтики

Ракетні двигуни СРСР
Ракетні двигуни Росії


This year, at the Ontario Libary Association Super Conference, I presented Ad/Lib's Library Marketing Year in Review for 2017. It featured library marketing that caught my eye or was recommended to me, while other content was solicited directly from a variety of libraries across Canada. The goal of the presentation was the same as the website: show off great ideas and provide inspiration. I'll be sharing the content of that presentation over a series of posts. Content presented in no particular order. This third and final part is continued from Part I and Part II.
In 2017, RPL rethought their social media strategy to focus more on customer stories, and to talk about library services and initiatives in a way that the customer can relate to.
Thanks to Maria Jose Hernandez Cos, Graphic Technician at VPL, for providing the information below.
Visit the Victoria State Library's Vision 20/20 website for more details (website snapshot captured below for posterity).
The above cool ideas were spotted on the ACRL Library Marketing and Outreach Interest Group page on Facebook.


A huge range of car and bike skills photos, uploaded by you to share with your friends and other car enthusiasts.
You are currently in our Skills Photos section. Be sure to check out the unbelievable car crash photos in our Crashes section, some of the hottest females to ever stand next to a car in our Girls Photos section, and some of the funniest pictures of automotive related FAILs on the web in our FAIL section. Don't forget to share our Skills photos, pictures and images with your friends!


By Karin M. Higa, et. al.
JANM catalogue with essays, artist biographies and full color plates of works from the critically acclaimed exhibition, commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the Japanese American mass removal and incarceration.


CSM Certification in Calgary Located in the confluence of the Elbow River and the Bow River is the gorgeous Canadian city, Calgary. It is surrounded by prairies and foothills and has a population of over 1,214,800, making it Alberta province?s largest city and the 5th largest metropolitan in Canada. Be Prepared Calgary is a fast-developing city and its economy includes activity in financial services, energy, television, health and transportation. It prominently excels in the field of technology and tourism, giving you an opportunity at a promising career if you wish to reside in Calgary. To help you land a position that will provide constant professional growth, it is essential to have undergone Certified Scrum Master training in Calgary, offered by KnowledgeHut at the best price. Donning the role of Scrum Master is quite rewarding and is also a valuable opportunity to play a major role in the team?s application of Scrum framework. The CSM classes in Calgary help you understand the application of the values in smooth coordination with the product owner and the development team. Online training in this concept is not available, as Scrum Alliance believes that the depth of learning required cannot be imparted in a virtual environment. A New Alternative Undergoing CSM training in Calgary and taking up the exam after the training is an opportunity to help software development and product teams to adapt to business need changes on a regular basis. Certified scrum master course in Calgary assists teams to come up with new approaches that will accommodate the changing constraints and priorities without losing progress and momentum. The Certified Scrum Master training in Calgary helps deliver this with a straightforward experiential framework, which will help in building various products for today?s world. This new alternative is being utilized since the predictive and traditional approaches for creating innovative software are unable to keep up with the pace of change. Keeping Ahead of the Curve After undergoing Certified Scrum Master training in Calgary, the certification ensures that as part of your role you will understand and enact the Scrum framework in order for the team to achieve higher benefit by adhering to the practices, theory and rules of Scrum. As part of the course that includes instructor-led classes and training, you will be encouraged to work outside your team in order to improve interactions with members who are unfamiliar with the framework. By undergoing CSM training in Calgary you will gain the essential skill of working with unfamiliar situation and learn to maximise the efforts and values of the Scrum team for the benefit of the organisation. KnowledgeHut offers the best CSM certification cost in Calgary, and you can log on to the website for more details. KnowledgeHut Empowers You You can get your certification through KnowledgeHut, which also offers the best CSM certification cost in Calgary. It is highly recommended that you read the guide prior to registering for the course in order to gain more value from this module.


It's been a fairly slow news week (at least as far as items I have commentary on) and time is a bit short, so we may not have a podcast available this week (although a short one over the weekend is a possibility). I'd like to take this time out to get some feedback on the podcast though. What are we doing right? What could be improved and what would you like to see more of? Post your feedback in the comments of this thread. Thanks.
This entry was posted on Thursday, September 7th, 2006 at 10:12 pm	and is filed under LQ Podcasts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
I'd like podcast to stay a single person, no guests. Thats probably the main thing that you are doing right… guests may cause arguements and I'd rather take the arguement to the forums rather then hearing rambling. Just hearing one give news and maybe an opinion is better then getting lost in rants. Not to say you have done that, you haven't, but I personaly would probably switch off if a guest came on, but who knows.
What I would like to see? Maybe a little news on (though, obviously not much happens often) gaming for Linux. I know Linuxgames.com has a podcast, but your's seems to be much more active, will little delays in releases, so I confident I would probably get a podcast most every thursday.
Other then that I'm happy with the show as is.
Thanks for the feedback. The podcasts will always be one person. The panel discussion is LQ Radio, but that's unfortunately been on hiatus. You'll always be able to easily subscribe to either or both.
i'd like to see a few podcasts from events and, to disagree entirely with RHLinuxGuy, I would like a few guest appearances or interviews – it's often useful to hear an idea or opinion explained or expanded on with different viewpoints.
Audio from events is definitely something I'd like to do more of (although strictly speaking, as with the panel discussions, they'd be part of LQ Radio and not the podcast).
I like the touch of corporate orientation you have in this podcast. Yet, it is a little bit too sensible and diplomatic for my taste.
Don't change anything – it is balanced, not too long, sensible and diplomatic. I look forward to it.
I like the format of the podcast, but when will we be hearing more from lqradio?
This has indeed been on hiatus longer than I had planned for. No ETA at the moment, but it's definitely something I'd like to see return.
This podcast is my main source of open-source related news, so I often haven't heard about a story before you mention it. There are some stories that I could use a little more background about (for example, from this week, I didn't really understand the podcast story "FairUse4WM strips Windows Media DRM" until I got home and followed the article link from your blog article). Other than that, though, keep up the good work!
I like your podcast since it has a news type quality to it and also gives your views on the news. Particularly the last one, your opions are interesting. Don't make the mistake of the distrowatch guy that thought that just because you don't get feedback it's not appreciated. Like your podcast and keep them coming.
I think the podcast is one of the best linux podcasts out there. I've been following it for some time and find it insightful and entertaining. Anyway I think you should make it less repetitive, or with a less rigid format… you know, the "Hello, and welcome to another edition of the linuxquiestios.org podcast" part and the like. Apart from that, it's really good. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the feedback. I do tend to always start with the same intro, if more for familiarity than anything else. Hopefully aside from that it's not too rigid.
I'm new to Linux so I've been looking for podcasts to increase my knowledge. I think you're doing a great job! Your preparation is quite evident and I appreciate that. I find that a lot of podcasters ramble on endlessly with little purpose waiting to think of something to say. It's a waste of my time and good bandwidth. I also like your forums. I'm always looking for Ubuntu information.
It's the major way that I keep up to date with all Linux news. If I don't feel that you have covered the subject deeply enough then it never fails to lead the way. It's usual for me to listen to a lot of podcasts every week but this along with 'Linux Reality' are the only two that I feel I must have, the only two I never miss and the only two that I always keep for further reference. I think that it's great as it is, the only way that you cold perhaps improve it is by making it longer.
When the LQ Radio shows come back, they well be longer… but I try to keep the podcast between 10-20 minutes. Thanks for the feedback.
I just had my first dose of the lq podcast this morning on the way to work and was very pleased. Thanks! I really liked both the bulletin news and the recent interview with Doc Searls. My only complaint was that some of Doc's audio levels popped too loud. Any way to send the file through a filter to cut out the occasional high levels?
That interview with Doc is quite old and one of our first shows ever. Hopefully you'll notice more recent episodes have significantly better audio quality (we've made substantial upgrades to the LQ studio).
My feedback has to do with the MS comments. There are more than enough shows covering Ms news. This podcasts should stay away from MS altogether unless there is a true Open Source story (ex: the Open Specifications Promise).
Focusing on MS goofups, security issues, etc does nothing to further the Linux future and just looks silly. This podcast focuses on the converted and they don't need that info.
As I mentioned in the last podcast, I do indeed try to keep MSFT items to a minimum. That being said, the items I do cover I feel have a very real relevance to the general Open Source community. Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the feedback everyone – keep it coming! Don't forget you can help spread the word about LQ Radio by voting for us at Podcast Alley (votes reset once a month) or linking to us from your site or blog.
How do I look further into an item you have mentioned? It would be great to have the sources that you mention, ie URIs, available right here, so after I hear news, I can easily click here to follow up on the story. I have been listening while taking a break and chewing on something, and so I do not want to have to sit listening with a pencil ready, nor at the keyboard, in case I need to write down a URI.
Show notes are something we'll certainly keep in mind as a future enhancement. Thanks for the feedback.
On the MS coverage thing. Like many others have commented, Jeremy's podcasts are a primary source of Open Source news for me too. MS decisions can have a major impact on this area and I appreciate them being reported here. You see, I don't otherwise follow what MS is doing.
I enjoy the current podcast format, depth, and length.


Francisco (Paco) Trilla, M.D., has joined Tufts Health Plan as chief medical officer, leading the clinical strategy, program development and performance improvement for the company's public plans division across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Dr. Trilla recently served as the interim chief medical officer of Baylor Scott & White Health Plan in Texas. Previously, he served chief medical officer of Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island. He has more than 25 years of experience as an attending physician at Boston City Hospital, Faulkner Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School.


A global public relations and digital media agency, Lewis PR distinguishes itself by focusing on creativity and storytelling as its foundation. For its San Francisco office, the agency had the opportunity to consolidate two locations and align the new office with its client-centric work style. Abandoning traditional workplace models, the design team explored ways to break up the floor plate into neighborhoods with a strong narrative connecting them. The story starts at the main lobby where a living wall and a feature wall surfaced in reclaimed wood denote the loft-like environment visitors are about to enter. Work areas are based in each building corner where the ceiling is exposed to create larger volumes and to maximize downtown view and access to daylight. Modular seating centered between two of the neighborhoods draws inspiration from camp fire settings where employees can gather around and share ideas.


text:
Each language stack has its own Docker image used to execute code inside
a Docker container.

These images can be found inside the `dockerfiles` directory:

```
dockerfiles
│
├─── ruby.docker
│
└─── golang.docker
|
└─── ruby
|      |
|      └─── sync.rb
|
└─── shared
        |
        └─── run.sh
```

Each image has:

- A `Dockerfile` following the naming convention:

        $LANGUAGE_CODE.docker

    e.g.

        php.docker

- A shell script `run.sh` (in `shared` directory).

Images are following this naming convention:

    $REPOSITORY/exec-$LANGUAGE

Images are built has an executable Docker image. This allow us to do:

    $ docker run grounds/exec-ruby "puts 42"
    42

## run.sh

This script writes into a file the content of the first argument into a file
specified by environment variable `FILE`, compile with `COMPILE`command if specified
and then execute the command specified by environment variable `EXEC`.

e.g.

    FILE='prog.rb' \
    EXEC='ruby prog.rb' ./run.sh '<some ruby code>'

    FILE='prog.cpp' \
    COMPILE='gcc -o prog prog.c' \
    EXEC='./prog' ./run.sh '<some c code>'

## Create an image

Creating an image for a new language is really trivial.
Take a look at this example for the C language:

Add a `Dockerfile` inside images directory:

    touch dockerfiles/c.docker

### Inside the Dockerfile:

Checkout first [here](https://github.com/docker-library).
If there is an official image for the language stack you are trying to add,
just inherit from the latest tag of the official image and skip to step 4:

    FROM python:latest

If there is no official image for this language stack:

1. Base the image on the official ubuntu image:

        FROM ubuntu:14.04

2. Add yourself as a maintainer of this image:

        MAINTAINER Adrien Folie <folie.adrien@gmail.com>

3. Update ubuntu package manager:

        RUN apt-get update -qq

    >Use apt-get update quiet mode level 2 (with `--qq`)

4. Install dependencies required to compile C code (e.g `gcc`)

        RUN apt-get -qy install \
            build-essential \
            gcc

5. Specify file format:

        ENV FILE prog.c

6. Specify compiler/interpreter command:

    * If you need to compile the program:

                ENV COMPILE gcc -o prog $FILE

    * Run the interpreter or the program:

                ENV EXEC ./prog

7. Set development directory in env:

        ENV DEV /home/dev

8. Copy the shared files inside the development directory:

        COPY shared/* $DEV/

9. Add a user and give him access to the development directory:

        RUN useradd dev
        RUN chown -R dev: $DEV

10. Switch to this user:

        USER dev

11. Set working directory:

        WORKDIR $DEV

12. Configure this image as an executable:

        ENTRYPOINT ["./run.sh"]

When you run a Docker container with this image:

- The default `pwd` of this container will be `/home/dev`.
- The user of this container will be `dev`
- This container will run `run.sh` and takes as parameter a string whith arbitrary code inside.

**N.B. If you have some custom files that should be in the image:**

1. Create a directory for this image:

        mkdir dockerfiles/ruby

2. Add your files inside this directory.

3. Copy this directory inside the image:

    e.g. For ruby, add in `dockerfiles/ruby.docker`:

        COPY ruby /custom

### Build this image:

    $ LANGUAGE="c" rake build

### Tests

To add this language to the test suite:

1. Create a directory with the language code inside `examples/code`

    e.g. For PHP:

        mkdir examples/code/php

2. In this directory add two files with the appropriate file extension:

    * A code example who writes `"Hello world\n"` on `stdout`.
    * A code example who writes `"Hello stderr\n"` on `stderr`.

You can find great examples on
[Rosetta code](http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Hello_world).

3. Run the examples test suite

        rake test

4. If you want to test only a specific language

        LANGUAGE="ruby" rake test

**Thanks for your contribution!**

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Question What drivers do i need for my motherboard and how do i update my bios?
I recently built a computer and have no idea what I am doing when it comes to updating the bios and drivers? I have a MSI H81M-P33 adn would really appreciate any help i can get.
Install the drivers that came on a cd with your motherboard.
The very latest may be on the MSI web site but that is rarely necessary.
As to a bios update... don't.
None is needed except to fix a problem that is impacting you.
Do not flash on just speculation; a failed flash can be nasty or even impossible to recover from.
Should I update motherboard drivers?


Santana Solana Tandem (red). Derailleurs (Shimano Deore wide-cage rear & 105 front) & combo brakelevers /gearshifters (Shimano Sora Flightdeck Triple); Splinedrive triple crankset/freewheel. $400. West Michigan. Kensoper(at)yahoo(dot)com, 616 528 0443. Pictures available.
Copyright © 2000-2019 ~ Coyne Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us!


text:
Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books by Eileen O'Finl...
Friday's Guest featuring Eileen O'Finlan #MFRWAu...
Thursday's Third Scene - Horu's Chosen #MFRWautho...
Wednesday Healwoman #MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor #Boo...
Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Who - Last Bit on Charact...
Sunday's Book - Horu's Chosen #MFRWauthor #Books...
Saturday Featuring Blurbs of Books by John Wisdomk...
Friday's Featured Guest - John Wisdomkeeper #MFRW...
Thursday's Third Scene from Bast's Warrior #MFRWA...
Wednesday Moon Summoned #MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor ...
Tuesday's Writer's Tip - More on Characters - Acti...
Sunday's Book featuring Bast's Warrior #MFRWautho...
Saturday"s Blurbs featuring Books by Barbara Baldw...
Friday's Guest - Barbara Baldwin - Who She Was Bef...
Thursday's Third Scene Pursuing Doctor West #MFRW...
Wednesday Lines of Fire #MFRWHooks #MFRWAuthor @...
Tuesday's Writer's Tip Characters - Likes and Secr...
Sunday's Book - Pursuing Dr. West #MFRWauthor #B...
Saturday's Blurbs - Books by Karen Phelps #MFRWau...
Friday's Guest - Karen Phelps - What Was She Befor...
Thursday's Third Scene - Choices - #MFRWauthor #B...
Wednesday Gemstones #MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor #Bo...
Tuesday's Writer's Tip - From Idea To Finished Boo...
Sunday's Book - Choices #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove...
Saturday's Blurbs Feature Books by Priscilla Brown...
Friday's Guest - Priscilla Brown #MFRWauthor #Boo...
Thursday's Third Scene from A Marriage Takes Two ...
Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books by Eileen O'Finlan #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #historical romance #Ireland #Potato famine
On an evening in 1846 engaged couple Meg O'Connor and Rory Quinn join in an exuberant moondance. Observing is the parish priest, Father Brian O'Malley. The moondance brings bittersweet memories of Siobhan, the long-dead love of his youth, with whom he still feels a spiritual connection. Within days of the dance, the villagers of Kelegeen awake to find their potato crops destroyed by blight. They've been through famine before. But this is an Gorta Mór, a monster the likes of which Ireland has never seen.
At first Meg and Rory devise ways to help provide for their families, Meg through her sewing, Rory with his wood carving. But when tragedy and a costly mistake end those means of survival they turn to more dangerous ventures.
Father O'Malley reluctantly teams up with an English doctor, Martin Parker, to alleviate Kelegeen's suffering.
When Meg learns of ships carrying Irish passengers to a new life in America she is determined to go and bring Rory and their families after her. It will take all her strength and courage along with the help of her beloved priest and the English doctor to make the plan succeed.
Labels: Blurb. Books, Eileen O'Finlan, Saturday
Friday's Guest featuring Eileen O'Finlan #MFRWAuthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Historical #Ireland #famine
What were you in your life before you became a writer? Did this influence your writing?
I've always been a writer. Even as a child I would spend hours making up stories in my head. Photographs tend spark story ideas for me. I can't explain what it is about a particular photograph that does it, but something will draw me to it so that I can't take my eyes off it and a story will begin to unfold in my head. I can remember doing this even as a young child.
My first published story was printed in my Junior High School newspaper. I've continued to write throughout my life. So, what I was before becoming a writer, I guess, was a baby!
I suspect, though, that you are really asking what I've done for a living before being published. Other than a three year stint as a nanny, I've mostly worked in offices as receptionist, secretary and administrative assistant. The job that probably had the greatest influence on my writing was the three years I worked as a Museum Assistant in the Department of Research, Collections, and Library at Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum in Massachusetts. In the museum world, the title Museum Assistant is basically an administrative assistant. However, I also got to assist the research historians and curators in their work. That was my favorite part of the job. I completed my undergraduate degree in history while I was employed at the Village. Between that and the hands-on work of using primary documents and working with artifacts to assist in the historians' and curators' projects, I learned a tremendous amount about how to do historical research. Since I write mostly historical fact fiction, the discipline I learned there has been invaluable.
I also worked as a Continuing Education Assistant for the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System. That entity (which, sadly, no longer exists) provided a wide variety of services to all the public, school, university, and special libraries in central Massachusetts. Being surrounded by books and librarians on a daily basis fed my insatiable appetite for reading and writing.
I am currently employed full-time as an Administrative Assistant in the Tribunal Office of the Diocese of Worcester in the Roman Catholic Church. Since my novel, Kelegeen, has a Catholic priest as one of its main characters, I think I've been greatly influenced by the many priests of the diocese with whom I interact on a regular basis. Also, my Master's degree is in Pastoral Ministry and I have a certificate in Adult Faith Leadership and in Catholic Social Justice. The work I did to earn the degree and certificates has given me a strong background in the Catholic faith and church history.
I would love to say that I've been able to retire from office work and become a full-time writer as that is my life-long dream. However, Kelegeen is my first published novel, so I still have a ways to go before I can quit my job. I'm still what I was before I became a published author. Fortunately, I love my job so I'm happy continuing with it for as long as it takes to reach the point where I can write full-time.
2. 2 Are you genre specific or general? Why? I don't mean genres like romance, mystery, fantasy etc. There are many subgenres of the above.
Kelegeen is historical fiction. The ideas I have for future books are mostly historical fiction, but not all. Some are more general, set in the present. I do have a few ideas for fantasy novels. One thing I find, especially with the historical fiction, is that I like to explore unusual, dark themes. For example, I am fascinated with the whole idea of 19th century post mortem photography. I would like to write a novel with a post mortem photographer as the main character.
Though I don't write horror, elements of the paranormal do tend to show up in my writing quite often. On the other hand, a lot of my writing is deeply spiritual with faith, forgiveness and redemption being prevalent themes.
Then there is the story I've been working on for over a year. I can't even begin to figure out what genre it falls into. All the characters are animals. Humans don't even exist in the world of this story. The animals are highly anthropomorphized. The two main characters are based on and named for my two cats, Smokey and Autumn Amelia. In the story, Smokey is an architect and Autumn Amelia is a savant baker and chef with a penchant for eating the ingredients while she's cooking without even knowing she's doing it. The story incorporates current events in the real world. For example, Smokey is charged with designing a cat park. The property it's to be built on abuts Rodent Way. Imagine how the rodents feel about the idea of a cat park right next to their homes. The clash between felines and rodents echoes the tensions of race relations in the real world, but does it in a somewhat lighthearted (though definitely not making light of it) way. I must say, the animals handle things better than we humans seem to. There is also a lot of humor in the story, especially when Autumn Amelia is in a scene. I think the audience could be YA, but also adults who love animals, especially cats. But what genre would you call this? It's sort of Peter Rabbit meets Animal Farm.
As to why I write in these genres, it's because they reflect my own interests and life experiences. I love history, especially 19th century American history, but really I can fall in love with any time period in any culture.
I think my own Celtic spirituality leads me in the direction of both the paranormal and the religious aspects of my writing.
I also like psychology and I enjoy getting into my character's heads, figuring out what makes them tick and giving them complex personalities.
As for the cat story, I have no idea where that came from. I started it when I was very sick and experiencing a great deal of pain. I had major surgery for one problem and continuing rounds of medical appointments, tests, and biopsies for another problem. I started writing it out of the blue as a humorous story just as a way to distract myself, but it took on a life of its own. I never intended for the social commentary to become part of it. It just kind of happened. I may seek publication for it when it's finished. In fact, I think it could be a series. But, honestly, writing that story is what I go to when I need a break from life. It's just plain fun, sometimes laugh-out-loud, pure joy for me to write.
3. Did your reading choices have anything to do with your choice of a genre or genres?
Definitely. I read a lot of historical novels. In my late teens and early twenties it was historical romance. Later I started reading historical fact fiction. I also read a lot of non-fiction history books. My parents loved history as did/do many of my relatives. When the family would get together, the talk was often about historical subjects. History was a common topic of conversation in our home so it comes naturally to me.
I also love Stephen King and Anne Rice. I've devoured many of their books. Could that have something to do with my penchant for the paranormal?
I'll read any book that looks like a good story. A few of my favorites: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, The Shack by William P. Young, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid, God Game by Andrew Greeley, The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne (actually anything by Nathaniel Hawthorne – always a great mix of historical and paranormal) and of course, my favorite book of all time, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
4. What's your latest release?
Kelegeen. It's also my first release.
I've started research for a novel set in 1830s Vermont with the New England Vampire Panic as the backdrop. However, I've had so many people asking me for a sequel to Kelegeen, which I always intended to write anyway, I may have to work on that first.
6. Where can we find you?
My website: https://www.eileenofinlan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileenofinlanauthor/
Labels: Eileen O'Finlan, Friday, Guest
Thursday's Third Scene - Horu's Chosen #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Egypt Ancient #Romance paranormal
The early morning sunlight glinted on the sand and bounced off the rocks rising in erratic patterns from the ground. Merin gripped the saddle with one hand and the reins with the other. The swaying rhythm of the camel lulled her into a fugue state. Her eyes drifted shut and her thoughts wandered to the past. Once again she stood in the courtyard of the women's court of the temple the priests of Aken Re had stolen from the priests of Toth.
The fat priest raised his hands. The strange words he chanted rose in pitch. Dark clouds gathered. Bast Ka, sacred cat of the goddess, grew larger and attacked. Merin screamed.
A soft meow and a rumbling purr pulled her from the scene that had haunted her for days. How much longer would she continue to see that incident on the day of her escape? That had been the moment she deserted Tira. Merin's stomach lurched. She swallowed again and again to keep from spewing all she'd eaten and drunk during the long days of aimless flight.
Was Bast Ka an avatar of the goddess? With one hand she stroked the cat's silky gray fur. With each touch she repeated the command she'd been given. "Go to the delta. Find the pharaoh-to-be." Would finding him complete her task or was there more?
She glanced at the rising sun and knew midday would soon arrive. Shelter was needed. She scanned the horizon for a refuge from the sun's hot rays. Did those distant rocks promise shelter? Were they really there or was this a vision caused by the bright light?
She touched the nearly empty water sack. What would she do if she couldn't find a source of sweet water? Even with the water, her remaining food supply had dwindled and she had no coins to buy more. Once again she regretted the spooked flight,
She neared the jagged rocks and saw an order to their placement. Merin urged the camel forward. Bast Ka leaped to the ground and dashed away. When the camel reached the fallen stones she found a pool of clear water shaded by a rocky overhang. She tapped the camel and dismounted.
As she explored the rocks she realized this had once been a temple of Bast. Broken statues of the goddess and felines littered the ground. Who had done this? Had the priests of Aken Re and their guards murdered the women and men who served the goddess?
Before setting camp, Merin prowled the ruins. She found no bones of humans or sacred cats, only the shattered images. Though she wanted to blame the enemy for destruction there was no proof. The temple could have been laid waste during the war that had occurred in the year of her birth. She would never know the answers.
She hobbled the camel in a patch of grass beneath a palm tree. This done she set her camp. Bast Ka brought a huge lizard. Merin skinned the creature. She seared some of the meat in a small fire and added the rest and the last of the lentils to water and set it to cook beneath the sun's heated rays. With a sigh she curled on her blanket beneath the wide overhang. The cat lay beside her.
Merin's thoughts churned with questions. Would she ever learn what had happened to her friends? Were Namose, Tira and Kashe safe? Had they delivered the symbols of the rule to a safe place? Why had Bast Ka deserted Tira? Not that Merin disliked the cat's companionship. Did the avatar's presence mean she was now the focus of the goddess' power?
A shudder racked her body as images of the death of Pian and the fat priest surfaced. The screams had deafened her and sent her into panicked flight, only pausing long enough the grab the packs she had prepared. The arrival of a saddled camel driven from the animal pens by a jaguar had seemed welcome. She had planned to stop at the temple for the queen's jewelry but the animal had bolted through an opening in the gates.
Merin wasn't sure how many days had passed since the escape. She'd succumbed to the panic and days had flown past before she'd thought to count. She shifted position and finally slept.
Labels: Chosen, Horu, Third Scene, Thursday
Wednesday Healwoman #MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #fantasy #healing
Today I'm joining other authors in a blog hop. My book is a fantasy romance Healwoman. You can find the other authors here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com
Born under a dark moon, Norna has to battle rumors that she is tainted by evil and unworthy of being anything more than a servant. Discarded by her mother, she runs away from her aunt, a priestess who wants her to enter the temple.
Instead, Norna chooses to be a Healwoman, and a chance encounter with a novice hoping to be a priest helps her discover she has talents of water, air and fire at her disposal. With these gifts she is called on to battle treachery and attempts to prevent the promised prophecy of the god and goddess. As she battles evil powers, she loses her heart to Shandor, the man she met when her journey first began. She must come to grips with Britha who plots against her. Shandor has his own enemy Vorgan. When the pair of foes unite, the battles begin.
The Hodara of Healing in Bethsada
Mabe sat on one of the stone benches in the Grotto. The Eldest had called her here and she didn't know why. She didn't think she had done anything to deserve a judging, but why else would the god and goddess want her presence? Soon, the moon would rise and she would dip her hands in the chill waters of the crater lake. Midra and Midran would speak. The only time she had heard their voices had been the night she'd finished her training and had been accepted as a Healwoman. She rubbed her hands along her arms.
The Eldest touched her shoulder. "The time is near. There are things I must tell you."
"Are you sure 'tis me they want?"
"You are part of their plans for the future." The old woman smiled. "In the days of yore, the Three of Midra--Seer, Warrior, Healer--united with their mates. Together they defeated those who embraced the dark faces of Midra and Midran. For a time, the priestesses and priests who served the god and goddess walked in the light and brought miracles to the land. But as time rolled on its circular path, what was once came again. The dark face of Midra enthralled the priestesses. They turned from the light. Then the power of the goddess faltered. Midran drew his priests into the shadows. Still, what was will come again."
Mabe nodded. She'd read the old tales kept in the archives. She had found them fascinating, but were they true? They told of the days when the face of the goddess had darkened. 'Twas then the Healwomen had walked away from the temples to found their own place. In the years that followed, the temples had ruled and men had little power in ruling any of the four divisions of the land now known as nomes. Gradually, the priests of Midran had gained strength, first in the light. Then they had embraced the dark face of the god.
She glanced at the dome over the cavern. Rays of moonlight shone through the four crescent shaped holes, one for each nome. Keltoi, Sippal, Nilos and Incal. Bands of color--red, yellow, blue and white--spread across the water. The arrival of the colors never failed to startle and amaze Mabe. What caused them to appear? She turned to the Eldest. "What do the legends have to do with me?"
"One will come from Keltoi. She is a daughter of this nome. Her lineage rises from the Seer, the Warrior, the Healer and their spouses. She will have four talents and will be the gleaner who finds the Four and Four. One pair for each nome. They will bring light from darkness. You will seek and find her. Bring her to Bethsada so she can enter the hodara and learn."
Mabe nodded and accepted the task. She felt both humbled and excited to be chosen. "When do I leave?"
The Eldest rose. "The god and goddess will tell you when." She placed her hands on Mabe's head. "Seek their blessing. Their commands are for you alone."
Once the shuffling footsteps of the old woman no longer echoed, Mabe closed her eyes. Her thoughts turned inward. She had hoped to remain in Bethsada and join the other women who taught in the hodara. Though her talents in Earth and Fire were moderate, her years of travel had brought her knowledge of the customs and ways of the people in each nome. This knowledge was valuable to the Healwomen who staffed the many hodaras.
She rose and walked to the rock shelf surrounding the crater lake. She knelt and dipped her hands in the icy water. "Midra, Midran, I have come. What would you have me do?"
As the voices of the god and goddess sounded in her head, awe filled her being. The desires to laugh and cry co-mingled. She remained silent and listened.
*Go. Seek the one who will find the Four and Four. Beware all who serve the dark faces. They will try to keep you from completing your task.*
"How will I know the one I seek?"
*She will find you, for she prays for refuge from the ones who slink in the shadows.*
"And the enemies?"
*One you know, for you have faced and defeated her in the past. Of the other, if he knew the girl was his daughter, he would be filled with joy. While he is not of the dark, he might seek to sequester her so her growth would be stunted.*
*Of her enemies, there are two she must face. One would see her dead. The other will crave her as a possession. Rise. Gather your supplies. Choose a companion for your journey. On the morrow, leave for Keltoi.*
Mabe sank back on her heels. She dried her hands on her skirt. She rose and left the Grotto. There was much to do before morning. As she strode through the tunnel, she considered who to ask to accompany her. Glena was her choice.
MY PLACES:
https://twitter.com/JanetL717
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
bid=113639528680724
http://bookswelove.net/
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
BUY MARK
http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/
Labels: Fantasy, healing, Healwoman, Wednesday
Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Who - Last Bit on Character Development - Astrology #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Characters #Astrology
Now you know a lot about Characters and developing them from the major to the minor characters. There are also walk-on characters, so a brief bit about them. They are usually someone like the cab driver, the man who opens the door, the waiter or waitress, these kind of people. What you need to remember here is not to turn them into even a minor character since they won't be seen again. The gruff cab driver opened the door. That gives enough of a picture. Now it's on to the final thing I use to develop my characters. Astrology.
I'm not going to go through all the signs. There are posts on my blog that speak about the characters. Here's what I do.
The Sun sign - for me this is the character's inner nature. People may or may not see much of the inner nature. Depends on how revealing your character is. This is often the area that shows the characters secrets and desires as well as their reasons for wanting something.
The Moon sign - This is the characters emotional nature. How they react and act to things. Emotions play an important part in development. The Moon sign may be opposite of the inner nature, setting up the character's nature as one who is conflicted.
The Rising sign or Ascendant - This is the face the character shows the world. The traits here may be so different from what a person is inside. The gruff man who has a sympathetic heart. The friendsly person who is afraid of revealing herself.
Finding a good book that gives the traits for each of the signs, not only the Sun but the moon and ascendant helps develop the character who isn't flat. I use Llewellyn's Ato Z Horoscope Maker and Interpreter. Mine is quite ragged and perhaps someday I'll get a new one. I'm sure there are others but this is the one I've used for fifty years.
Labels: characters, Tip, Tuesday, Writer
Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Poem #protest #writing
Meander 1 - Poem - Cancer Woman
I am the sea
Rising, falling
Kept in time by the conductor moon
Liquid, flowing, inconstant
I am the shallow sea
Lapping shores with gentle tongue
Touching, retreating
Kissing fluid lips against the sand
Pulsing, holding, caressing,
I am the deep sea
Issuing challenges
Hiding secrets, mysterious
In caves and crannies
Deep, bottomless, Unexplored.
I am the raging sea
Throwing my frenzied self
White rushing caps against the rocks
grasping, reaching, mine.
I am the eroding sea
Silent, crab-like, digging from within
Eroding pits
Grinding rocks to sand
I am the calm sea
An amniotic fluid
Gently touching, nourishing friends
To stimulate contractions of their birth
Meander 2 - Protests - I wish I could have gone to Washington DC on Saturday. I would have liked to be with those brave children and adults protesting for better gun laws. How we can allow things like this to happen in our land troubles me. But I have been troubled by guns for too many years and by the people who feel they must have them to destroy other people. I hope this protest opens eyes but I doubt much will be done until these brave children are old enough to vote.
Meander 3 - Writing - Still slogging with getting the writing done. 4 snow storms haven't helped since then the help I need can't come and I have things I must do rather than write. Still, I think I will meed the deadline barely.
Labels: Cancer, Meandering, Monday. Janet Lane Walters, Protest, Woman, writing
Sunday's Book - Horu's Chosen #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Paranormal #Ancient Egypt
Seth, an undercover cop has been betrayed by his handler. To escape he calls a number on a flyer and is transported to an ancient Egypt he doesn't understand. He must rescue the Daughter from the evil priests of Aken Re.
Merin is the Daughter. She must find the man who by wedding her will become Pharaoh. She plots to escape the priests of Aken Re and flee to those who years ago saved her life.
Can Seth and Merin find a way to defeat the priests? Is love the answer to their problems? Can they join with the Warrior of Bast and of Horu to bring unity to the Two Lands?
RT Review
Following on the heels of The Warrior of Bast, this story is filled with magic and fascinating characters. Those interested in ancient Egypt will find this an enthralling tale. A satisfying ending is presented for the hero and heroine, with a promising lead-in to the next story.
Labels: Book, Chosen, Horu, Sunday
Saturday Featuring Blurbs of Books by John Wisdomkeeper #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Indian residential school #First Nations Culture #suspense
Fly Away Snow Goose, by Juliet Waldron and John Wisdomkdeeper
https://books2read.com/SnowGoose
Yaotl and Sascho splashed along the shores of the behchà, spears hefted, watching for the flash of fin to rise to the surface and sparkle in the sunlight. Tender feelings, barely discovered, flushed their faces. Waving their spears they laughed and teased one another with sprays of newly melted ice water.
In the distance, the warning about the kw'ahtıı sounds, but on this fatal day it goes unheard; Yaotl and Sascho fall into the hands of the Indian Agents. Transport to Fort Providence residential school is only the beginning of their ordeal, for the teachers believe it is their sworn duty to "kill the Indian inside."
All attempts at escape are severely punished, but Yaotl and Sascho, along with two others, will try, beginning a journey of 900 Kilometers along the Mackenzie River. Like wild geese, brave hearts together, they are homeward bound.
Review from Ann Birch
I have read many books about the Indian residential schools, but this one is undoubtedly one of the best. Its main character is a spirited young girl named Yaot'l Snow Goose who lives a happy life in the forests and lakes of the Canadian North West until, on a visit with her family to Yellowknife to trade furs, she is seized by force and taken far away to Fort Providence to the Sacred Heart Residential School. At the same time, her boyfriend Sascho Lynx is also captured. The novel depicts their journey from innocence to despair to hope and happiness as they manage to escape from the horrors of the school and find their way back to their families and freedom. Though the plot may sound familiar to readers, this one contains a number of surprises. Its authors, Juliet Waldron and John Wisdomkeeper, present their extensive research within vivid scenes that will linger forever in readers' minds. For example, I cannot think of any other book that shows the cruelty of these schools better than the writers' depiction of the hair-cutting that takes place as soon as the Indian children enter the institution. Yaot'l waits, watching the youngsters' hair being ruthlessly chopped off and knowing that when her turn comes, she must stand up to the enemy. When she bites one of the nuns, she is put into solitary confinement for weeks, a punishment that Waldron and Wisdomkeeper describe in harrowing detail. As Yaot'l looks out of the tiny window of her prison she sees a flock of snow geese flying south. "My own feathered family," she thinks, "strong and free." And then she collapses, thinking that she may never again be part of this happy band. Her ensuing life at the school contains other horrors as well. But along with their description of the usual physical and sexual abuses, the writers offer some surprises. Many of the Indians from warring bands learn to forget their battles as they confront the priests and nuns. Not everyone associated with the institution is a monster—in fact it's a Métis trader who uses his affiliation with the school to help Yaot'l and Sascho escape—and some of the worst bullying that Yaot'l endures comes not from the nuns but from a small coterie of Indian girls who seek praise for their cruelty from the Catholic hierarchy. The most memorable scenes in the novel are perhaps those describing the escape of Yaot'l, Sascho, and two younger children and the suspenseful events of their long trek back to their families. As she huddles under tarpaulin in the escape boat, Yaot'l, whose name translates to Warrior, acknowledges her terror and wonders if she is no longer a warrior but merely a rabbit. Gradually, however, she regains her courage. The trader who helps the children escape returns to Yaot'l the precious knife on which her brother Charlie has carved a snow goose. At about the same time, she sees a flock of snow geese returning to their northern habitat and she knows for certain then that she will succeed in her struggles. The trader tells her and her friends, "You four are Indians again." It's a lovely book from start to finish. I learned so much about the culture of these North-Western First Nation bands: their religion, their stories, their connection with the land. Most of all, I travelled with Yaot'l and Sascho on their metaphysical journey through the conflicts of life. It's the very archetype of the journey that many of us must take in order to survive in a difficult world.
Gifts from the Grandmothers: Traditional Recipes
BUY LINKS: https://books2read.com/Gifts-from-the-Grandmothers
Traditional recipes gathered from the Grandmothers of all cultures as I traveled the Canadian Prairies and listened to the stories and shared the food of elders.
Most of these recipes have been passed down by word of mouth, like the talking stories of First Nations culture. A grandmother, Lillian Mack, assisted me in testing and working with the recipes, adding hints and updating some of the ingredients so they could be used in modern kitchens where some of the traditional ingredients might not be readily available.
The herbal remedies are shared with the cautionary note that they should never be prepared or used for medicinal purposes without the guidance and instruction of a medicine teacher or a herbalist.
Healing Spirits, Bad Medicine by Jude Pittman and John Wisdomkeeper
BUY LINKS: books2read.com/Healing-Spirits
When the body of a young Native girl is found murdered in Vancouver's world famous Stanley Park, homicide detective Mark Hanson is desperate to solve the crime before racial tension divides the community. Native Support Worker Jesse Dancer is called in as a liaison between the detectives and his community, and he knows just where to turn for help.
Beautiful Martine LaChance has intrigued him since she joined the support staff at the Vancouver Friendship Centre. Together, the pair call on Spirit Water, a reclusive Shaman who takes them on a quest into the spirit world where they get a glimpse of a merciless killer who isn`t going to stop killing until they stop him.
Labels: Blurbs, Books, John Wisdomkeeper, Saturday
Friday's Featured Guest - John Wisdomkeeper #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Native American
1 What were you in your life before you became a writer? Did this influence your writing?
I've been a Native cultural teacher and an addiction counsellor for Native youth, and this was the foundation for my writing and continues to influence everything I write.
I write Native cultural stories and true experiences based on many travels.
Yes, of course, because my reading choices are in the areas that I study and teach.
Fly Away Snow Goose, a residential school, historical fiction novel co-written with author Juliet Waldron.
The second edition to the Wisdomkeeper Collection
http://www.bookswelove.net/authors/wisdomkeeper-john-aboriginal-cultural-shaman/
Labels: Friday, Guest, John Wisdomkeeper
Thursday's Third Scene from Bast's Warrior #MFRWAuthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Paranormal #Egypt alternate world
Tira opened her eyes and stifled a gasp. Where was she? The surface beneath her was softened by a thin pad. She turned her head and bumped her temple against a hard surface. Some kind of headrest prevented her from appraising her vicinity. The substitute for a pillow wasn't very comfortable. The cover felt like linen rather than the thin cotton sheet she used. She raised herself to a sitting position and the sheet slid to her waist. Light streamed through a series of openings set high on one of the white plastered walls.
Her heart fluttered in a series of rapid beats. Think. Had she been kidnapped and sold as some kind of sex slave? She drew a deep breath. Why did nothing smell familiar? She was Tira. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Someone had died. Why couldn't she remember who had betrayed her?
Tira wiped her face on a corner of the sheet. With that word memories prickled with the same sensation in her head as when an arm or leg woke after falling asleep.
If you could go to ancient Egypt tonight even if the Two Lands is not the one you've studied, would you go?
She had agreed. Had she somehow been transported to another Egypt? So far she'd seen nothing to prove or disprove the theory. The bed and the headrest had been pictured in books she'd read about the ancient land of the pharaohs.
Now what? She couldn't remain in bed and she definitely couldn't leave this room in the nude. Clothing was her first objective. She slid from the narrow cot and nearly fell. The bed stood on a wide platform. Tira visually explored the room and noticed a stack of near-white cloth on a backless bench. She wrapped the sheet around herself and crossed the room.
On a low table she found a pottery pitcher and a bowl. She dipped a cloth taken from the rim of the bowl into the water and washed. The heated air dried her skin.
As she studied the bench she noticed the legs were shaped like the feet of a feline. She drew a deep breath. She had arrived in ancient Egypt. One by one she lifted the pieces of cloth from the bench and studied them. Get dressed and learn where you are and why you're here.
After several attempts she managed to clothe herself. One strip formed a breast band. A second, she used as a loincloth. The third was a wraparound short skirt rather like a kilt. A leather belt held a knife and a pouch containing a black substance she decided was kohl. Since she had no idea how to apply the stuff she decided to pass.
She looked for shoes and found sandals. She sat on the bench and slipped a foot beneath the leather straps. She drew the shin guards up her leg and fastened the leather ties. Surprisingly they fit. The leather soles didn't slip on the stone floor when she performed a series of warm-up exercises.
The beaded curtains in the doorway rattled. Tira slid into an attack position. Two elderly women entered the room. Tira stared. Were they the ones who had sheltered her for a time? They looked similar.
One of the women wore the same clothes as Tira. Her graying hair was cropped short like Tira's but the woman's didn't curl.
The second woman's hair was dark and cut shoulder length. Was it a wig? The woman's ankle-length sheath bared her breasts. A collar necklace covered her upper chest.
When Tira tried to talk about the world she'd left the words wouldn't form.
The only knowledge you can take with you is what will fit into the time you reach except for your fighting skills. You will be unable to speak of this world or of modern conveniences.
She glided toward the women. If they proved to be a threat she would attack.
"Welcome to the Two Lands," the older of the two said. "I am the chief priestess of this temple of the goddess Bast, protector of women and children. A cat with a cream-colored coat wove a path around her legs.
Bast. She had read about the goddess, one of the minor ones in the ancient Egypt of her world. Was Bast a major player in this time and place? What other changes would she find? She swallowed a gasp. How odd that she understood the language. "My name is Tira." She could speak it as well. She crouched and allowed the feline to sniff her hand.
The priestess smiled. "Come and join us for a meal. We will tell you why you are with us. You are one of the awaited ones. There is a task the goddess has set for you." She turned to her companion. "Do you have the amulet that marks her as a warrior of Bast?"
"I do." The other woman smiled. "I am the head of the warriors of this temple. Do you willing accept your task?"
Even if you must remain for all your days.
Again she heard part of what the elderly women of the brownstone had asked. She was here and there was no possible return. "I do." She met the woman's gaze. "What if I fail?"
The priestess shuddered. "There will be imprisonment or death."
Tira swallowed. But she would have found the same future in her own world. "I won't fail." She made the vow aloud and silently.
The warrior held a chain of silver links with a large silver medallion hanging from the center link. Tira studied the piece. A cat formed from smoky blue-gray gems formed the center of the circle. Above the image were lapis hieroglyphics. Tira read them. "Chosen of Bast." She bent her knees so the shorter woman could slip the chain over her head/
"Where in the Two Lands am I?"
"In the nome of Mero."
Tira pictured a map of the Nile and didn't recognize the name. Was she in the north or the south? "Where exactly is this nome?"
"Near the first cataract," the chief priestess said.
In the south, Tira thought.
Tira followed the women along a corridor. The wall on the left was higher than the one on the right. Did the left wall form the rear of the temple?
They entered a large room where ornate columns braced the roof and allowed a view of the garden. Backless stools were arranged in clusters. Women dressed like the chief priestess sat near small tables.
The priestess chose seats in a secluded niche. "Sit. Food will be brought."
Before long, women carried plates and trays of food to the table. Tira selected from a variety of dishes, some she recognized and some she didn't. There were lentils and chickpeas, beef and some type of fowl, a variety of lettuces, onions both cooked and raw and cheese. Wine and beer were offered. Tira accepted beer. She sipped the bitter brew and put the cup down. The alcohol content of the beverage was more than the kind she knew. She needed food to counter the effect of the alcohol. Once she finished the food on her plate honey-sweetened dates appeared.
She swallowed the last of the beer and looked from one woman to the other. "What would you have me do?"
"You are our hope," the priestess said. "With the help of the goddess you were brought from a far land to this troubled place. The invaders came with their horses and chariots. Like a plague of locusts they swept through the land leaving destruction behind. Three treasures, gifts from the major gods, were removed from the pharaoh's house. Before those who took the symbols of the role were able to report their location they were killed. Their deaths took place in the Valley of the Pharaohs. Thus the flail, the crook and the double crown were lost."
The warrior took up the tale. "Twenty years ago the invaders were driven from the land. The pharaoh and his sons were killed. We have sought the symbols and have unearthed a clue as to where they were hidden. At present the land is divided and the nomarchs vie for the rule. Your quest will help us establish a new dynasty with ties to the beginning."
Tira looked up. "How can this be done?"
"Though the pharaoh and his sons reside in the afterworld one woman of his house remained alive. She fled the estate and vanished in the desert. Word came that she gave birth to a daughter. That child, now a young woman, can trace her lineage to the first dynasty. The man who weds her will sit on the pharaoh's chair."
"Where will I find her?" Tira asked. "How will I know her?"
"She is not your quest. When the time is right she will be revealed." The priestess leaned forward. "Your quest is to find the hidden symbols. When you leave the temple seek the compound of the nomarch of Mero. Among his scrolls I believe you will find information to aid your search. During the rebellion against the invaders he carried many scrolls from the temple of Toth. When you reach the town near his estate you will meet a warrior of Horu, the god of the skies. He will join you in the search."
Tira frowned. "How will I identify this companion?"
"He will wear an amulet marking him as Horu's choice."
Tira closed her eyes. "Can you tell me more about these symbols?"
The priestess rose. She crossed the room and entered an alcove. A short time later she returned with a small scroll. After unrolling the papyrus she showed Tira the pictured objects. Tira studied them. Beneath each of the symbols she saw another picture. There was a cat, an ankh and a hawk.
The priestess rolled the scroll and tied it with a strip of linen. "Take this with you to help in your quest. Other clues will be found."
Tira had seen pictures of the flail, the crook and the double crown in books. In the images on the small scroll she noticed small differences from the ones she remembered but she thought she would recognize the objects when she found them. She accepted the scroll. "How do I find this nomarch and his compound?"
"You will be shown a road." The priestess leaned forward. "Be wary. Ramis of Mero is no friend of the goddess. He is an ambitious man and wishes to see his eldest son named pharaoh. Though Mero sits at the gateway to trade with the dark lands Ramis wants more wealth. With his son as pharaoh he will become the power behind the chair. As vizier he will gain power. To achieve his goals he has allied with the priests of Aken Re, the abomination."
"If he is the enemy why will he allow me into his house?" Was the quest for the symbols a true one? Did the priestess want her to spy on the nomarch and the priests?
The warrior smiled. "When he sees your amulet he will offer his help. He will act like a friend. He plays a double game and wishes a sandal in each camp. He may try to learn what you know. He might decide to give you to the priests. Do not trust him. Learn what you need and depart as soon as you have the knowledge."
The chief priestess nodded. "You are a woman who will remind him of a past he chooses to ignore. His ancestors were slaves from Nubia who won their freedom and through marriage rose to power. You are also unlike the women on his court for you will not bear to be confined and controlled."
Tira swallowed. She had known men with the same nature as the nomarch and she hadn't liked them. "How far must I travel to find this compound?" Another thought arose. She had never ridden a horse. Driving a chariot was beyond her imagination.
"You will be guided to a path along the river. If you walk north you will reach the town where traders come and workers live. Anyone you meet can direct you to the nomarch's compound. You should be there by dark."
Tira rose. "I'll leave now."
The priestess clasped Tira's hand. "May the spirit of Bast guide and guard you."
Tira paused. "When I have these objects should I return here?"
"The goddess Bast and the god Horu will guide you. There are other temples to the goddess."
The warrior beckoned. Tira followed her down the hall. The older woman slipped into one of the rooms along the hall. She returned and handed Tira a heavy pouch and a bundle she could fasten on her back. "A blanket and five changes of clothes. Coins for the journey." She strode along the hall.
Tira pushed the small scroll into the bundle and fit her arms through the straps. The warrior opened a door into what Tira believed was the main temple. Drawing a deep breath she entered, halted and stared. A huge mural on the back wall showed the goddess surrounded by a variety of felines. One of the views showed Bast as a warrior, one within a circle of children and another of her offering the crook to a man and a necklace to a woman.
The beauty of the mural held her attention until the warrior touched her arm. "Come."
They strode along a walk with plinths on either side leading to an open doorway. The highest pair flanked the mural. On each pillar an image of a cat stood. Some were created from preserved skins, some modeled from clay and others carved from wood, semi-precious stones and various rocks. Had there been any temple like this in the Egypt she had studied? She couldn't remember reading of one.
One of the statues appeared to be carved from a smoky gray stone. As Tira passed, the cat stretched, yawned and leaped to the ground. Tira knelt so the feline could smell her hand.
The cat nipped the skin between Tira's thumb and fingers. A shock of awareness swept through her body. Truly she had been chosen by this feline as a companion. As Tira rose the cat rubbed her legs. Tira lifted the feline into her arms.
The warrior laughed. "Bast Ka has chosen to become your spirit guardian. She will go with you."
A rumbling purr vibrated against her chest. Bast Ka leaped to the ground and padded to the temple entrance where pillars carved into likenesses of cats flanked the rectangular doorway.
Tira followed. Though she would have loved to remain and explore the temple an urgency to be on the way filled her. She would return another time. This was her world until death claimed her.
That thought remained as she trailed Bast Ka from the temple. Occasionally the cat turned and stared at Tira. Beyond the entrance they passed walled enclosures where lions, leopards, cheetahs and a tri-colored breed she had never seen roamed. The huge cats moved toward the low wall. Bast Ka halted and yowled. The large felines retreated.
The warrior waited at the end of the walk. "This is your road." She pointed to a path of packed earth. "Good fortune to you. May we meet again in this time and place. If not, surely in the afterworld. Remember all we have told you. I leave you now. Good hunting."
"I'll do my best." Tira set off along the path. How much knowledge did she have of this new world? The spoken language was hers. She recognized and seemed to understand the things the priestess and warrior had told her. She knew what most of the foods had been and she had easily figured how to dress.
Wish I had a car. She could think the words but when she tried to utter them she couldn't. She had been warned that would happen. She could bring nothing from the future of the other world into this one.
The sun moved toward mid-afternoon. To the right she saw the rushing water of the river. The sound of the cataracts seemed distant. On the other bank she saw granite cliffs. Along the edge of the path reeds grew.
Would she encounter crocodiles or other unfriendly creatures? She edged closer to the cliffs. She was along but this wasn't unusual. She seldom allowed others to cross the barriers she had erected. Her sister had been close but Luci had cared only about drugs and escape. In this time and place Tira regretted her sister's death and the loss of a life poorly spent. Bast Ka purred. The sound brought comfort.
As she continued to walk, the sun sunk lower in the west. She wondered how far she had walked since leaving the temple. One thing she discovered was how much easier walking on dirt was that the concrete sidewalks she had known.
As the sunset flared in brilliant colors the river turned red and orange. When the light faded the water darkened. Tira smiled. She was almost where she had dreamed of being. Here was a different Egypt and a different time but she felt as if she belonged.
A crescent moon edged above the horizon. Stars appeared, more than she'd ever seen. There were no city lights to dull the night sky.
The cliffs on her left were further from the river. Ahead she saw the outline of buildings. Her stomach rumbled. Perhaps there would be a place where she could buy a meal and find somewhere to sleep. Were there restaurants and hotels in this land? She hoped to find someone to ask. Though she was wary of speaking to strangers perhaps the amulet would protect her.
Bast Ka jumped from her arms. The cat yowled and took the lead. Tira trotted after the feline. Where were they going and what would they find?
Labels: Bast, Third Scene, Thursday, Warrior
Wednesday Moon Summoned #MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Fantasy #Swords #Sorcery
Join me and the other authors who are doing a blog hop with some great books http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com Mine is a fantasy with three heroines, three heroes and three villains
Three Moon Summoned women. Ashiera the Seer who controls the winds and sees into the thoughts of others. Dian the Warrior who controls fire and fights with the sword. Egeria the Healer who controls fluids and heals those who are injured. They are joined in their battle by Sieper a sailor who knows the winds, Kobe once sworn to the Lord of Shadows and Jetan a healer of animals. These three vow to help the three women against those sworn to Evil. Lugal the Cabal reads the winds and thoughts. Sargon the Gladius controls fire and the armies of the Lord of Shadow. Lugal the Cabal has knowledge of herbs and uses them for evil. These three with their cohorts will face the three and three sworn to the Mistress of the Moons.
Previously published as Mistress of the Moons Janet Lane Walters has written a story that will take you to another time and place. She gives vivid descriptions of her characters and their role in this story. Ms. Walters has constructed a civilization so real that you will feel its very existence. A place where men rule women as chattel for their sexual needs, and three evil rulers who drain their bodies of their very essence for spells and to gain power. There is betrayal and treachery inside of plots, as each priest plans to rule alone. Ashiera, Egeria, and Dian are bound to the spirits of the ones who came before them. They discover a truth that will astound them, and have them doubting their chosen path. They will experience a love that is forbidden and discover that two stand together better than one. I could feel the emotional struggle between love and destiny, described so passionately by the author. I hope Ms. Walters plans to continue this story. I could feel that this is just the beginning of this tale. Janet Walters book, Moon Bright, Moon Dark will go on my keeper shelf, beside such authors as Charlotte Boyett-Compo and Nancy Gideon. I give this story Five Hearts and recommend it highly. Enjoy!
The setting sun brought shadows creeping along the mountain slopes. From the battle lines stretched across the plateau, the smell of blood mingled with the dust. Metal clanged against metal. Shouts, curses and screams filled the air. The moans of the wounded broke the Seer's concentration on the amber light streaming from the crystal atop her staff. The beam sent a jagged pattern through the growing darkness.
A piercing cry arose. The ruby ray from the Warrior's sword shot toward the sky. The Healer darted among the fallen and knelt beside the sorely wounded woman. Blue light from the Healer's wand focused on the Warrior's wounds. The Healer poured life-sustaining energy through the azure beam.
Gusts of wind drove thick waves of fog from the mountain peaks to obscure the plain and to cover the retreat of the women. A cluster of the servants of the Mistress of the Moons, clad in tunics of amber, red and blue, stumbled after those who bore the Warrior. They carried her between a pair of standing stones into a narrow passage that led to a crater lake and the Place of Choosing.
The Seer stumbled and would have fallen if the Healer hadn't caught her arm. Together they moved through the fog. The edges of their cloaks brushed the standing stones.
"How much time have we?" the Healer asked.
The Seer tightened her grip on the staff. "I pray enough to complete the ritual before the eclipse hides the light of the moon."
The Healer guided the other woman into the narrow passage. "With the coming of the fog, the bright moon and the dark moon have risen. We must succeed or all is lost for the One we serve."
"Pray our call is answered before the next eclipse and the time of the lunar of the dark moon. For now and to all eternity, the thirteenth moon, the dark moon will rise each year to fill the sky."
"We must wait thirteen years before this comes to pass. Pray the Mistress of the Moons will hold the Queen of Darkness at bay so the ones we call will have a chance."
"Unless those who serve the Lord of Shadows call the Queen forth."
The Healer sucked in a breath. "Never will the ones who serve the shadowed one share the rule."
The Seer sighed. "Mistress bless. So be it. We will call, the Three will come and all will be as it has been. Unlike those in the other nomes, we can't allow a drastic change to alter what we've built."
"Agreed," the Healer said.
They emerged from the passage and walked across the rock-strewn earth to the crater lake. The walls on three sides formed a crescent around the pool.
The Seer marshaled enough strength to walk unassisted. Her hair, darkened by age, flew wildly around her face. The Healer's hair was as black as a night beneath the dark moon.
The remaining women clustered at the edge of the lake. The Seer and the Healer took the ends of the stretcher on which the Warrior lay. They waded through the cool water to the isle in the center of the lake. Gently they laid their companion on the pale rock. The Healer placed the Warrior's sword on her chest and crossed the woman's arms beneath the orb in the hilt.
Those who served the Mistress as seers, warriors and healers held torches aloft.
The ebon globe slid across the surface of the pale golden moon. The Seer passed her hand over the head of her staff. From the depths of the amber crystal, a band of pale yellow light flowed.
"From out of time and out of space, we three, Seer, Warrior, Healer, send our spirits questing for those who will continue the battle against the Lord of Shadows. We call for those who will keep the faith exactly as we have. Mistress of the Moons, pray keep the Queen of Darkness in bonds so You will prevail."
The Healer raised her wand. The blue crystal on the tip flared and blue light shone. "The time of passing is upon us." Her voice held neither fear nor anticipation. "Moon bright becomes Moon dark. May this eclipse add strength to our quest."
The dark orb continued its stately progress across the face of the moon. The Seer held her staff so the light shone across the body of the Warrior. "How fares our sister?"
The Healer pressed a hand against the Warrior's chest. "Her heart beats, but her body weakens. Can she bring forth the light of her sword?"
"The Mistress will sustain her."
The Healer gasped. From the ruby crystal embedded in the hilt of the Warrior's sword, a red ray rose to touch the blue and amber. "Just as our lights unite, we three are one."
Moon Bright, Moon dark,
Mistress of the Moons.
From out of time,
From the depths of space.
Call the Three,
Seer, Warrior, Healer.
Empower them.
From conception comes the thought.
From the thought rises the desire.
From desire springs the seed.
And the fruit becomes the harvest,
Ending shadows, bringing light.
The women who had gathered at the edge of the lake added their voices to those of the Three. Once, twice, thrice, they intoned the call. As the dark globe completely covered the moon, they plunged their torches into the water. Clouds of herb-scented smoke obscured the isle. When the sun rose only a staff, a sword and a wand remained
Labels: Fantasy, Moon, sorcery, Summoned, sword, Wednesday