really badly! i saw a preview of a movie with russell crowe where in 24 hr period he has to fight for everything worth living for in his life. likewise, more than anything in the world, i want to get into a philosophy of religion phd program for next fall. when i say more than anything in the world, i mean just that. could i live with myself if i don't get in anywhere? yes. would i be happy? no. i don't think i ever felt as sure and focused about what to do with my life as much as i feel about pursuing philosophy of religion degree! my life doesn't depend on it. my sanity does. i really hope and pray and will do my best to get into a program for next fall. that's the plan anyhow.
Author bleuemoonPosted on November 24, 2010 Categories academic, philosophy, religion, theologyLeave a comment on how badly do i want it?
it's so uncool to cry in public places, especially a public place like starbucks where everyone is running from one place to another, sitting and chatting with friends or studying something because their entire life depends on that paper or exam or whatever. i can't help it though. tears find their way out the corners of my eyes, rolling down my face. how many days do i really have left to live? no, i am not terminally ill, as in having cancer or HIV positive. but i am deathly plagued by an illness, kind of like the illness where your white cells attack your own cells because they think their own cells are foreign antigens or something? actually, it's not exactly like that. i know i am me. i just don't want to be. i am not in favor of my physical well being if it is without psychological/mental/spiritual well being as well.
as i do sometimes when i'm not busy trying to end my life, i am sitting up in a coffee shop (instead of lying in my bed), and trying to read and write something that i find interesting and meaningful. these are just one of the few moments, one of the few things, that i find worth while and would choose to do in my waking hours. i don't know what it is about working out, understanding, and creating complex ideas and theories that most people walking down the streets don't think about for more than two seconds if they think about such things at all!
i find that i am blessed to be able to pick topics to read and write about that are of personal interest to me philosophically, theologically, or spiritually. my current project is one in which i try to work out two different theories on value: one person argues that values are for the most part socially dependent and the other pereson argues that there are intrinsic values in things, like being human beings. anyway i'll see if/what/how i can contribute to the discussion. today so far is a great day! with or without tears, even if i happen to be crying and feeling sad in a public place surrounded by christmas decorations, happy music and chatters of excitement, today is a day i am glad to have lived and looking forward to living.
since i got out of the hospital (basically since the last post), i have been traveling a lot. it's good that i was traveling since i am not sure i would have done any better at home. i saw family and friends and was kept busy, meaning not contemplating or deliberating on how to gracefully exit my life. somehow after the last hospitalization, i came to terms with the fact that depression is something i have to live with, work around, and accept, for now at least, if not the rest of my life. then i started thinking that if the rest of my life is going to be like how it's been in the past six years, that i would much rather not sign up for more. then recently, parts of the puzzle i've been thinking of when i was not feeling well started coming together. i decided that if there is a next time i attempt to end my life, that i will be more successful.
for a brief period during the hopelessness, i started looking forward to life like i had never done before as i was getting to know someone. i never met anyone that i wasn't afraid of getting to know better, spending more time together and it was strange but really nice. anyway, it was a brief but lovely pause in my ongoing dark hopeless days.
so as i saw the end of my life approaching, sooner or later but probably sooner rather than later, i wanted to prepare for the end. and most of the time when i am alone, which also seems to be times when i'm not feeling good, i try to make progress on planning my last attempt. as i have been consumed with thinking and planning about the end, i told a couple of friends and my psychiatrist. yes i did.
incidentally, my psychiatrist is planning to retire sometime in the near future. so she wanted me to find another psychiatrist so i could start transitioning as smoothly as possible while she was still working. and now she hopes that the new therapist will be able to do something different, say something different than she was able to and hopefully facilitate my recovery. last time we talked, she mentioned ECT (electro convulsive therapy) for about the third or fourth time and seemed quite upset that i wasn't even willing to talk to someone to gather more data about ECT. as far as i can tell, we're going to try one more medicine. then as she sees it, ECT is the only thing we haven't tried and would be the next on the treatment plan, so long as i was willing.
after i talked to her, i did some data gathering on the internet. for most people whose depression is medicine resistant, ECT treatments are pretty effective for relieving symptoms of depression. so i can see how ECT would be recommended for people when relieving them from depression seems urgent enough (like if a person is planning to commit suicide).
but at what cost? it seems like keeping someone alive would trumph any other considerations. most people just have short term memory loss and confusion for weeks or months. but some people lose long term memory and even some cognitive capacities. i agree that a lot of people would be protected from the grief of losing a loved one, if someone is kept alive by ECT treatments. but as for me, i don't know if i would choose life over death if the quality of life wasn't good physically, mentally and/or emotionally. if i had to choose, i would choose to live as me, with or without pain and suffering. so i figure ECT treatments are out, unless someone forces me, like a judge for instance.
everyday since i got out of the hospital, i think, breathe, obsess about finally exiting and being spared from depression. on some days, it's painful to be conscious. but today, for some mysterious reason, i did not think about the end of my life. today, i thought about what i would do for the rest of the day and found myself hoping to accomplish things in my life which i thought i no longer cared about! i don't know how long i will stay hopeful and free of pain. all i know is that today, even in this very moment, i am living life, not as i had done before when i was just waiting for the end of my life, but living life as though i will live tomorrow looking forward to the next day and the day after that and the day after that.
i wish i could say i had no more papers to write. wait, do i really wish for that? anyway i turned in the paper on nihilism earlier this week. i kept thinking of more and more things i could work on. so at some point i just called it "finished!" someone told me that paper that is done is better than a perfect paper (which is not finished and may never be finished).
i go on line obsessively to check for the grade. but it's only been two or three days. maybe on tuesday the grade for the paper will be up.
so after writing a paper on nietzsche when i knew virtually nothing about him before writing this paper, i'm writing about plato. i read the books easily enough. but man it's really hard to tease out the arguments in the dialogues!
all in all, i'd rather be working on papers than not. i know. it's sick. my friend seems to amuse herself by saying that she's a nerd whenever she's studying for an exam (especially if she's studying over the weekend). but if she's a nerd then i am off the charts. but not only do i study on weekends, i actually enjoy it and would choose to do it even if i had the choice to do something else! of course i don't always feel this way. there are "bad" days when i want to and do sleep the entire day. but then there are days like today when i love that i am thinking. yes. i am happy just to be thinking. and that i am thinking about philosophical and religious ideas is a huge huge bonus.
i'm loving life – with the aid of cocktail of drugs of course. my latest love: ativan!


text:
One Person At A Time
Log Archive » Logs for October 2008 » One Person At A Time
Ygraine and Colette reunite in the soup kitchen, but it's PARIAH's viral video that spurs conversation.
Cathedral of St.John the Divine
The largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine remains partially unfinished to this day, despite its construction having begun in 1892 - true to form for buildings of its type. Nonetheless, it is a grand and imposing sight; possessing the characteristic grand arches, pointed spires, and beautiful stained glass windows, including a large and striking Rose window. Where the walls aren't covered with old and meticulously preserved tapestries, they are often ornamented.
Guided tours are offered six days out of the week. Services are open to all. Since the bomb, the main nave is open at all but the latest hours, though the smaller subject-specific chapels close in the evening. The cathedral is also a site for major workshops, speakers, and musical events - most especially the free New Year's Eve concert, which has been held without fail each year since the bomb.
St. John's has long been a center for public outreach and civic service events, but since the bomb, those have become an even greater part of its daily affairs. Services include a men's shelter, a twice-weekly soup kitchen, walk-in counseling, and other programs besides. These are open to everyone - non-Evolved, unregistered Evolved, registered Evolved… the philosophy is that they're all children of God, and that's what matters.
The hours just before lunch are usually the busiest at the Cathedral of St.John, not because of the influx of parishners coming for services, but rather the number of homeless or otherwise destitute individuals who come for the free hot meals and warm surroundings offered. As late into the fall as it is, more and more people are turning up at the shelter offered by the Church for the wayward, and that means more mouths to feed, and more hands needed with which to do it.
The steady trail of people coming and going from the soup kitchen is only matched by the noise of that many people in a basement cafeteria all conversing. It has the sound and life that a busy diner in the middle of Midtown would have, if Midtown were even there any more. It's amidst this hustle and bustle, amidst the long lines of people waiting to pick up food at the steam tables that one person who had taken advantage of this system when she needed it, does her part to give back to the people around her.
"S-sorry! Sorry!" In only a way Colette can, "Here, let me wipe that up!" Crouches down in front of one of the steam tables, Colette swabs at a patch of chili that spilled onto the floor, not far above the puddle is a red-brown streak down the dark green table cloth, and an overturned bowl and ladel. "I ah, I-I've kind've got butter fingers!" She exclaims to a laughing middle-aged woman who crouches down to try and help with the mess.
"S'no worry darlin'," She picks up the overturned bowl, setting it down on the table, "Had m'self a son who was just as clumbsy as you are — It's just how kids get at your age." She stands up straight, tilting her head to the side as she hands the bowl to Colette, and the young girl tossed her rag into the boel with a crooked smile.
"E-er, yeah, thanks…" Tilting her head to the side with a swish of her bangs, Colette offers the woman a smile as she weaves through the crowd to get around on the serving side of the tables again, "Go sit down and I'll fix you up a bowl!" It's busy as usual down here.
Stalking through the crowd, her ease of movement assisted by the armoured breadth of shoulder her biker's jacket grants to her, Ygraine wends her way towards one end of the serving tables with a canvas bag cradled in her arms. Her pace slows a little, head cocking as she peers towards the source of Colette's minor disturbance - before a broad grin appears in response to recognising the girl who caused it. Completing her transit to the tables, she loiters a little uncertainly while trying to catch the eye of one of the helpers.
Filling up a new bowl with chili, Colette scampers around the table, slipping between two people in line to head over to where the woman she had spilled the food of had gone to sit. Once she sets down the bowl though, she catches Ygraine's profile, eyes going wide as she straightens up, rising onto her toes and waves wildly with one hand, "Ygraine!" The girl makes a skipping approach, ducking to the side of two young men in aprons carrying empty coffee pots away from the coffee counter. "Hey there stranger! Been a while!" Colette comes to a stop with a broad grin, folding her arms across her chest.
Ygraine cracks a broad, happy grin, shifting her grip on the bag to be able to offer one hand to Colette to shake. "Why, good afternoon to you, my dear old thing", she says in her poshest voice, cheerfully playing against what might have been expected by those seeing her dark and leathery attire.
Wrinkling her nose, Colette takes the offered hand with one of hers and lets out a snickering laugh, squeezing gently before taking a half step over and slipping an arm around Ygraine's shoulders in a quick hug. The girl steps back, head tilted to the side and a broad smile on her face. "Heh heh, I've been busy. A lot's been happening lately an' I, you know, always the center of something?" Her nose wrinkles again and the girl laughs to herself, glancing over to the people at the steam tray before looking back. "I got time to take a break, you wanna' sit down?"
Ygraine wraps her free arm around Colette's waist, giving her a warm squeeze in return. When she speaks, her voice has resumed its normal accent - posh and foreign by local standards, to be sure, but much less exaggeratedly so. "Sure. I'd love to. And it's not as if these'll go off in the time we take to talk." She hefts the bag.
The term go off earns a very serious stare from Colette, and she eyes the bags in an anxious way like someone might with anything that may have been misconstrued as a bomb. Then, after taking a moment to think of the source of the comment, the girl wrinkles her nose again and laugh to herself, "Been so much going on lately, I hardly even know where to start talkin'." She shakes her head, sitting down on the long bench seat with her back up against the table, elbows resting on the tabletop, "I think I was still living here last time we talked…"
Ygraine perches on the bench, setting her bag upon the table - the contents apparently at least somewhat loose, given the irregular way in which it settles. Its owner frowns pensively. "I think you mentioned something about… someone looking after you?", she ventures cautiously, not wanting to mis-speak.
There's a bit of a subtle nod, "Well, that might've just been me talking about my guardian angel," Colette cracks a warm, happy smile. "I was living with someone for a while though, a police officer named Judah Demsky. He… sort've took me under his wing, you know? He's a friend of someone really close to me, so I knew I could trust 'em." It seems that being a cop wasn't enough to earn her trust, "He got hurt in the line of work, that whole freaky serial killer thing?" A serious look comes over her face. "He'll be alright, but he's in pretty bad shape, um, he's over at St.Lukes." There's a worried, anxious look that crosses her face as she says this, "I'm staying with a friend of his now, out in Queens — " A pretty rough area of the city for a girl like her to be staying. "Name's Felix, he's an FBI agent. But he's, like, cool and stuff, and not like a jerk or anything." A smile begins creeping up on her lips. "So uh, t-that's me rambling…"
Ygraine does look rather concerned, paying very close attention to Colette as she talks. "I'm glad they're trustworthy. And I'll bear Judah's name in mind. Trustworthy cops are worth knowing about, certainly. But… you're okay? And… Judah'll be okay? If that's the serial killer I'm thinking of, it's a really nasty business…."
"Yeah, yeah it's alright." She waves one hand dismissively, "But, you know how it can be. Felix takes good care of me though, I mean, as much as he can. There's some really cool people who live in my apartment building right now. I was up at La Rivage in.. uh… I forget what part of town that is," Colette's nose wrinkles slightly, "That's where Judah lives, but now it's this loft in Queens and it's kind've a scary neighborhood." She accompanies the comment with awkward laughter, "S-so, what've you been up to? Still bein' Gracey's henchwoman?" Her smile turns a bit teasing, one brow raising over her blinded eye.
Ygraine lifts a brow, cocking her head. "Le Rivage? Really? That's where my place is. I'll definitely have to see if I can find a Demsky there…. If you need somewhere to doss for a while, I can offer my spare room - though I'm not an armed federal agent, and you'd have to put up with myself and my girlfriend. She'd, umm, probably be the major news since we last met. I'm sort of attached now. And not to Grace - really cute little actress called Jennifer."
Listening, Colette lets out a squeak when she hears exactly where Ygraine lives, "W-wait, really!?" Her eyes go wide, "We were practically neighbors!" There's a moment of silence at the other comment, and Colette's face turns just the slightest bit red, a little color rising up on her cheeks as she seems to take a good long while considering what Ygraine says — and specifically says so openly. She smiles, clearing her thought and awkwardly, perhaps shyly doesn't give comment, "A — O-Oh…" Her eyes divert to her lap, hands folded together there, "I um, I just met a girl named Jennifer the other day too — s'quite a coincidence." She cracks an anxious smile, "Over at Columbia University — I was asking 'round about my sister. She — "Colette cuts herself off, biting down on her lower lip with a hesitant smile, and when she speaks again, it's obviously not what she was going to say at first. "She's helpful."
Ygraine cocks her head, shooting Colette a very curious look indeed. "Shortish, curvy, brunette? Drama student? Yeah, Jennifer's adorable. And… ask whatever you had in mind. You don't need to feel shy."
A bowl of chilli.. or whatever that stuff is, plops down next to Ygraine. The hand who did the plopping belongs to Brian. Smiling down at her, he gives a bit a nod to her. Then he takes a seat next to Ygraine, greeting Colette with a smile. Picking up the old spoon out of the bowl he begins to eat. Only after his first spoonful does he ask of Ygraine. "Can I sit here?"
"N-no that's fine!" Colette stammers to Ygraine, and smiles, laughing awkwardly, "Oh ah, short? Yeah she um — I guess she was a little short." Her face turns more red and the girl smooths out the front of her t-shirt, "She ah — She made a copy — photocopy!" Her exclamation seems to very nervously try to draw attention away from Jennifer's secret, while at the same time doing the exact opposite because of just how socially awkward Colette is. "P-Photocopy of um, that picture of Nicole. S-she's going to ask Professor Gilbert about her, I guess he's been teaching at Columbia for a while…" One hand reaches up to nervously scratch at the back of her head, it seems the suggestive line of conversation has hit a point of anxiety for the young girl.
When she spots Brian coming to sit down at the table — no small surprise given how crowded it is here at the soup kitchen on a Saturday — the girl springs up to her feet, waving her hands in front of herself with a nervous laugh. "I-I should get back to work — you know b-because I have work t-to do and it's allll worky!" She's rambling now, and when she backs up it's right into a twenty-something man carrying a laptop over to Colette. The girl lets out a squeak and whirls around, mis-matched eyes wide as she stares up at the person she bumped into.
"Man you're a spaz." He says with a crooked smile, hefting up the laptop, "C'mere, I found what I wanted to show you." Colette glances over to Ygraine for a moment, then back to the apron-wearing man. She nods, quietly, and he moves over to where she was sitting, opening to laptop to reveal a web-browser open, and a video paused. He double-clicks inside of the black frame, fullscreening it. It's a little grainy, so blown up, but the image can still be made out clear enough. "I saw this on YouTube, it's wild. I wanted you to watch it."
Colette nods, leaning over the young man's shoulder, peering at the laptop screen with a quick look to Ygraine, and a crooked smile. The laptop itself, a Macbook, looks remarkably familiar to Ygraine. It's almost the exact same kind as Jennifer's. "You didn't get a virus or somethin' on my brand fucking new laptop, did you Trent?" Colette narrows her eyes, and Trent scoffs, waving one hand dismissively.
"Shut up and watch, Squeaky." Colette's eyes widen and her cheeks puff out in defiance as her arms are thrown down at her side, then one fist ineffectucually thumps on Trent's shoulder from behind, as if to imply that is not a good nickname, you big fat jerk!.
Ygraine watches and listens to Colette's performance with gentle amusement and some degree of bewilderment, smiling softly at the flustered young woman. Then she finds herself starting in surprise, giving Brian a decidedly surprised look… before Colette again regains her attention through her interaction with Trent. "Uhhh, no", she says rather distractedly to Brian, eyeing the laptop with considerable curiosity.
Brian raises an eyebrow at the girl. Then lowers his head as he starts to shovel food in his mouth. Though he watches Colette and this new guy a little oddly. "Friend of yours?" Brian asks with his mouth full to Ygraine. "Oh, and I went to that place." He says, bringing up his free hand to slap her shoulder with it gently out of excitement. "I think I did pretty good. We'll probably be working together soon." He gives a smile before taking another spoonful. Then looks back up to the weird girl with the weird eyes and the weird computer.
Ygraine shoots Brian a briefly confused look, then grins and nods. "Ah! Right. Glad to hear that they took you on. Good luck - the first week on the job can be Hellish, as you discover just how lethal New York drivers really are when given cyclists to aim for…."
Colette seems oblivious to Ygraine and Brian's conversation as Trent accosts her with the laptop and the video. For a while all that shows up on the laptop's screen is a black. Slowly, though, white lettering fades into view.
"On October 6th, 2008, a group of anti-Evolved terrorists entered the Brooklyn Public Library with intent to kill any Evolved they found present."
Colette looks from the screen over to Trent, head head tilted to the side, brows raised. He hisses a little, poking at her cheek with one finger to turn her head back towards te screen, as if to silently imply watch, don't ask. When she looks back, the girl leans in just a bit closer, scrutinizing the video more closely.
A series of images flash by quickly. One is an exterior shot of the Brooklyn Public Library on a rainy day, puddles of standing water outside of the building and a slate gray sky overhead. Then photographs of headlines of the event taken by snapping pictures of newspapers stacked up on a linolium-tiled floor. Then, the black screen and white lettering returns.
"What the hell is this, a movie trailer?" Colette asks ignorantly, tilting her head to the side, and Trent froens, palming the top of her head and turning her foxus back to the screen silently. Colette reaches up and swats wildly at the hand, then anxiously smooths out the top of her hair, as if somehow he had made her messy haircut messier.
"Eh, I'll be fine." Brian says without much concern. Something about having a power gives you confidence, even when its not appropriate. But he's not too worried.. yet. Looking up at the laptop that plays the video, Brian frowns lightly. "That's that terrorist thing." The young man murmurs between spoonfulls. Then he sets his spoon down in the bowl.
Ygraine cocks her head, peering quizzically at the computer - before a glance up lets her spot a free senior helper. Rising to her feet, she snatches her bag off the table. "Back in a bit. Best hand these over while I can", she says, slipping off into the crowd….
Colette catches the middle finger when Trent doesn't, snickering quietly before glancing back to the computer. Once more the screen goes black, except for the scrolling white letters: FORTIS ET LIBER.
The video ends, prompted by a large play button appearing in the middle of the screen, and Trent merely looks down to Colette with one brow raised. "Wild stuff, right? I've been reading up on them on the internet… I've been showing it to everyone I know." Nodding slowly, Colette looks up at Trent, then over to Brian, then down to the screen with an undecided and anxious expression.
"I — I don't know, I… I mean, I was a few blocks away when they did that whole confetti bomb thing…" Her words are somewhat muffled by the hand up at her mouth, teeth plucking at her thumbnail. "I… um — "
"Come on, you've gotta admit the whole registration thing is a huge crock of shit, right? I mean, the video's totally right, it's like the Nazis in our back yard!" Mis-matched eyes from Colette peer up at Trent, then look back to her laptop with marked concern. "Some friends of mine want to protest outside the television studio doing the debate coverage next week. We wanna show our support for Allen Rickham."
The name draws a puzzled look from Colette, and she tilts her head to the side, "Who's that?" She asks with a hesitant tone of voice. Trent sighs disapprovingly, tapping himself on the forehead dramaticly.
"Don't you watch the news?" He asks with one brow raised, and he leans forward, minimizing the video and bringing up Google, pulling up a search on the name Allen Rickham, and ends the search on a wikipedia article for a California Senator. "He's a pro-Evolved senator from California, he's running for President?" Trent stares at Colette, who only smiles and nods, giving him all the more reason to sigh desperately. "Come on, he's totally against the Linderman act and the whole nazi-party shit it represents. He's got a debate with Petrelli and Mitchell on thursday next week. You should come with us, we're gonna have signs and be shouting, and all sorts of other stuff, right?"
"Uh…" Colette purses her lips and tilts her head to the side, "W-well, I… I'd have to check with Felix, I mean, you know — That sounds like it's… dangerous?"
Brian watches Trent intently, his eyes shifting to Colette for a second and then back to Trent. "So what do they do man? To protect everyone else? Don't you watch the news? Two evolved went apeshit and killed like ten people or something and injured a whole shitload more. Unregistered right? People getting powers is like a huge load of people just being handed guns. Not everyone uses them wisely. So people gotta get permits and shit for their guns. You can't get permits for your powers. So Trent. You seem to be the reigning expert on this topic, what do you think should be done?" Brian asks, giving the man a steady look.
Colette shies away as Brian speaks up in a somewhat politically heated manner, shrinking back to slip around behind Trent and close her laptop. Trent's focus is entirely on Brian, however. He seems just like the type to love an argument, even if he may not be the best educated or best-armed person for the conversation. "Guns and people are totally different things. You can take a gun away from someone, you can't take a power away. So what happens if they're born with a power they can't control? They get registered, and then what? Thrown away for life in jail?" His arms fold defianely across his chest, head tilted to the side. "It's not the act of Registration that's the problem, it's the way it's handled. Having your picture, name and address printed on the internet for anyone to find? You don't get that kind've treatment for owning a gun. Only sex offenders get treated like that."
Sliding her laptop across the table, Colette sits down on the bench seat, listening to Trent with wide eyes, then glancing down to the otherwise unfamiliar man he's having an argument with. She looks over to the people tending the steam trays and crocks, then back to the conversation, hardly knowing what to make of all the points.
"You didn't say anything about the guys who went apeshit and killed a buncha people." Brian points out quietly. Then standing up he stares levelly at the man. " So, what if I'm an Evolved? And I'm pissed that you're an asshole so I decide to wipe you out. Because it's just so easy. What if I jump over this table right now and beat the shit out of you? Do you still want me to have my rights?" Brian asks, he doesn't look angry, or heated or anything, just talking.
Colette starts to back away when Brian speaks up as he does, "T-Trent come on, this guys's a nutjob…" She murmurs nervously, but Trent just isn't listening. He's bristling now, tilting his head to the side and walking around the table to come up on where Brian is sitting, "Treeeent!" A few people in the caffeteria are watching now, and he stares down at the man in front of him.
"What makes you any different than a mugger in central park with a knife? Anyone can be a dipshit and hurt someone, it doesn't take special powers to do that. But then you have to wonder, is the guy you're gonna pick on an Evolved too? Maybe he disintegrate people with a touch? Maybe turn them inside out with a thought? Maybe you shouldn't be picking fights?" He snorts, "Or maybe neither of us are Evolved and we're both scared shitless of people stronger than us?" He shifts his weight to one foot, and Colette is watching with a wide-eyed stare now. "Just because two fuck-heads make a bad decision, it doesn't make it right to screw over the people who are good, honest, and hard working people who don't mean to hurt anyone."
A little smirk tugs up on Brian's lips as Trent comes up close and really hammers it home. Raising his eyebrows the young man gives a bit of a nod in concession. "Well I guess you're right, T-Trent." He murmurs, flashing a smile over to Colette. "I can't argue with that. You got me." Raising his hands in defeat the young man steps over the bench and walks backwards a bit turning around, he starts to walk off.
Meanwhile, coming up behind Trent and the table comes another man.. Brian. With a bowl of chilli in his hands he takes a seat casually and smiles up at the man. "Hey Trent." He then begins to eat.
Arching one brow, Trent eyes the other man, then does a double take as he looks from one Brian to the other. His expression is momentarially dubious until he notices they're wearing different outfits. He laughs, crookedly, then sighs and watches the guy he was arguing points with slip away. He looks down to the other, "Your brother's a piece a work, man."
With things cooled down, Colette exhales a slow breath of relief as she slouches back down onto her bench, tilting her head to the side and watching the two conversing. It's only when a shout is given from over by the steam tables that the girl rises to her feet and jabs Trent in the side, "Hey! They need us back up there, lunch rush!" She doesn't notice the twin, what with him seated on her blind side as she hustles off to the food lines.
"None of my brothers live here, Trent. And don't you find it odd that I know your name?" Brian asks as he begins to eat. He watches Trent's eyes for any sign of recognition. He continues to eat as he watches the man. "I completely agree with you Trent. Thank you for your support." Then his eyes move over to Colette. "Sorry, I didn't get your name. I'm Brian." He says offering his hand to her.
Trent gapes at Brian, head tilting to the side. It hadn't dawned on him in the least, the significance of it. He smirks, nervously and admits, "W-well, I guess only one of us was bluffing then." He says with a crooked and anxious expression, edging away from the table and ducking his head into a nod. Now it's his turn to be sheepish, "Hey, ah, fight the good fight and all that." Colette, perhaps to Brian's benefit, doesn't hear the tail end of the conversation, already rushing to get back to work on the line. God knows what she'd have to say about a man who can create clones, but odds are it would ramble on for hours on end. Trent demures a bit less like Colette, tilting his head to the side with a wave, "I — I gotta get back to work…" He watches Brian for a moment, "Will you be at the Demonstration?"
Shrugging at him, Brian smiles lightly at Trent as he waves goodbye to the man, and also to Colette. "Probably. I have a knack of being in a few places at once." The young man says with a smirk as he finishes his meal.
Trent's eyes wander the strange man's seated form, then nods, "I… I imagine you would, wouldn't you?" He hesitates, looking back to Colette in the serving line, glaring daggers at him, then looks back to Brian. "See you there," he intones, slipping back through the line to serve meals to the homeless and needy alongside that rather strange girl.
But he did what he wanted to, turn opinions around, even if it's just one person at a time.
October 25th: Girl Talk
October 25th: Through a Mirror Darkly
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Linda always walks in the door with a smile and a positive attitude, friendly to everyone around her and I think we'd all agree, definitely easy to chat too!
We've seen great improvement in Chris' movement since starting with us, which is a testament to his consistency in his training.
We first met Mariah a couple of years back in 2015 when she initially tried out CrossFit up until she was struck with the travel bug and she went on an overseas adventure!
Trevor joined us in February this year after completing an Elements course. Ever since he has been a regular in the 6am sessions.


The residents of Eldora have worked to preserve the forests around their small community and are worried those efforts are threatened by the expansion of Eldora Mountain Resort.
Middle Boulder Creek Coalition and Sierra Club Indian Peaks Group have filed an objection to the Eldora Mountain Resort expansion that could land in court, if the U.S. Forest Service doesn't significantly revise its Draft Record of Decision allowing the resort to expand in either direction. Environmental groups and local municipalities, including the Boulder County Commissioners and Nederland's Parks and Open Space Board, have objected to the resort's expansion into the valley shared by the Hessie trailhead and former town site and questioned the Forest Service's consideration of a so-called infill alternative that would allow the resort to upgrade its facilities, add parking, update ski lifts and create new terrain without expanding beyond its existing boundaries.
Expanding toward the Hessie trail head and former town site would jeopardize a critical wildlife migration corridor, they argue, and expansion to the south would cross over existing trails used by cross country skiers and snowshoers, forcing those recreationists to cross up to four downhill ski runs heading each direction.
"We're pretty set on trying to have them do a full analysis of an infill alternative," says Dave Hallock, with the Middle Boulder Creek Coalition. In the more than 30 years he's lived in the town of Eldora, this is the third time he's run up against the ski area over questions of growth. The first, in the 1980s, overnight lodging in the town and the second, in the 1990s, was the addition of the existing Indian Peaks lift and snowmaking on Corona, on the side of the mountain that faces the town of Eldora.
The community of Eldora, Hallock says, has been working to maintain its footprint at the size it is — and have seen collaboration in working towards that goal from the county, which has purchased or co-purchased with the Eldora Civic Association almost all the mining claims between the ski area and the town of Eldora to preserve that land as open space. The owner of the 700-acre ranch on the east side of town has placed a conservation easement on it (he did so following a map issued from the Town of Nederland suggesting they saw that ranch as a future growth area). They've even worked to establish a shuttle to the busy trailhead at Hessie to prevent the construction of a larger parking area there.
The expansion proposed by Eldora Mountain Resort's 2011 Master Plan would require revisions to both the forest plan and the county plan to move forward.
"I think we've got a really strong case, and it's up to the forest service at this point if they want to avoid litigation," says attorney Mike Chiropolos, who filed the objection.
He cites overwhelming public support of at least examining the infill alternative, and he says elected representatives are listening to the public on this issue — and now it's time for the Forest Service to listen as well.
"For local governments to be signing objections and feel this ignored and marginalized by the federal manager — it's not good resource management," Chiropolos says.
They're hoping Forest Supervisor Glenn Casamassa will change his mind between this draft decision and whatever final decision is released, or that someone else in the Forest Service will take a look at the objections and decide to revise the decision. Hallock raises the point that turnover in the Boulder district office for the Forest Service punted the decision to the Fort Collins-area office, and managers there may have felt fewer ties to the communities affected by this decision.
The Middle Boulder Creek Coalition and Sierra Club Indian Peaks Group have requested a meeting with the Forest Service to discuss their objections. As of Tuesday afternoon, they had not heard back.
"Some of us have a heavy feeling that our only option, if we get nothing out of the objection process, our only option is to go to a court," Hallock says.
He cites other ski area decisions that have set precedent for courts ruling in the favor of a public opposed to a ski area expansion on their public lands, specifically the Snodgrass Mountain expansion at Crested Butte. The Forest Service determined in 2009 that that mountain was unsuitable for lift-serviced skiing and that the public support favored protecting the current recreational uses and environment on the mountain. The controversy over Eldora, Chiropolos says, parallels that one.
He estimates that 60 to 70 percent of what Eldora wants to do can be achieved within its existing footprint.
He looked through the comments received on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for other comments from Eldora residents, and he found 51 people who wrote in against the expansion and five in favor of it.
Existing management and ownership has said that's not the plan, but three decades in, Hallock has seen that ownership changes, and with it, so can those promises.


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Miners Call For Lesotho To Be Part Of South Africa
Last week's attempted coup in the land-locked and mountainous Lesotho has reignited talk that this poverty-stricken country be incorporated into South Africa.
Frans Baleni, the secretary general of the ANC-aligned National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), on Wednesday said sombre talks about Lesotho becoming part of the bigger South Africa should be kick-started.
"The developments in Lesotho are of concern," Fin24 quoted Baleni as saying. He reportedly told a press conference in Johannesburg that a large number of NUM supporters had urged the union to call on the government to return the country to stability.
Most the members that have been calling for this action are those that come from Lesotho.
South Africa's apartheid governments had allowed mining companies to recruit cheap labour from Lesotho and other poor neighbours of Africa's most advanced economy.
The move to incorporate Lesotho into South Africa could have a lot of benefits for Lesotho, which is completely surrounded by South Africa.
Though the South African government is not doing well in terms of job creation and providing proper health and other services to its citizens, it nevertheless does try to do something and this could help Lesotho.
In addition, by virtue of being part of the Southern Africa's Customs Union (SACU), Lesotho and other countries neighbouring countries get paid 1 percent of South Africa's annual budget. This is surely not enough to help these countries.
On Wednesday, rival Lesotho leaders reportedly agreed to resolve an 11-day crisis which has seen many people call for regional military intervention in the tiny African nation.
Trouble started when Lesotho military commander Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli attempted an early morning coup on August 30, a day after he was fired by Tom Thabane, the prime minister of Lesotho.
Kamoli attempted to abduct Thabane but was not successful. This was followed by an attack on a number of police stations in Lesotho. Thabane fled to South Africa in the aftermath.
The general has rebuffed calls for him to hand himself over to the government. Last week Kamoli led a group of army rebels in pillaging an armoury. It is claimed that he has hid himself in military barracks outside the capital, Maseru.
Mzwandile Jacks
Five years on, over two million impacted by UN programme in Egypt
Over 1500 people now dead in DRC's Ebola outbreak


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From Glasnevin to Kumamoto via Otago. 1 Irishman's handball journey.
While the Irish Men's team will continue their preparation over the next few weeks for the EHF EURO 2022 qualifiers in Luxembourg in January, one Irishman finds himself slap bang in the middle of a Continental Championships thousands of miles away.
Eoin Murray will be the assistant Coach at the 17th Asian Women's Championships for the New Zealand Ladies Team which will take place in Kumamoto, Japan from November 30th to December 9th.
So how did this adventure come about?
Eoin Murray was a player and one of the driving forces behind the Dublin City University Handball Club that dominated the IOHA Senior League in the Noughties. He was also a member of the Senior National team and competed in several IHF/EHF Challenge Trophies.
After completing his studies in Glasnevin, Eoin spent a year in Australia where he played for the famous Sydney University team before moving back to Europe and to Germany where he spent 2 seasons with HSG Volklingen winning a state league. Along the way he picked up a Sports Coaching Graduate Diploma and when knee injuries finally caught up with the winger he moved to Singapore.
In Singapore his coaching career really took off and he coached the men's, women's and youth national teams to relative success over almost 2 years.
Eoin's travels weren't finished there and he moved to the south island of NZ, where he founded and developed Otago Handball and is the head coach for their senior and junior state teams. Last year he joined the executive of NZHF and is currently developing a coaching education framework to develop NZ coaches. About 2 years ago he joined the coaching team of the NZ women's national team and has brought them to the Asian Handball Championship (their first tournament outside of Oceania) after qualifying as one of the two Oceania qualifiers.
"We have a big task in our opening game, taking on the hosts Japan. It's a big step up for the girls – most of them will be making their international debut and against one of the world's best teams who are preparing for a home Olympic Games in 2020."
Earlier this year he also completed a 6 day International Handball Federation Coaching course in Tokyo.
The IOHA wishes Eoin and the Kiwi ladies all the best in Japan.
Follow their progress here on the official website.


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National Action Programme (NAP), UNCCD, cost-benefit analysis, drought tolerant crops, early warning systems, irrigation, socioeconomic sustainability, soil carbon
(-) soil carbon (28)
(-) irrigation (8)
(-) drought tolerant crops (5)
(-) socioeconomic sustainability (4)
(-) cost-benefit analysis (1)
(-) National Action Programme (NAP) (1)
Irrigation, food security and poverty – Lessons from three large dams in West Africa - IIED new report
The new report from global Water Initiative- West Africa GWI – West Africa titled Irrigation, food security and poverty – Lessons from three large dams in West Africa. This report summarises the results of four years of research on three existing dam and rice field sites: Sélingué in Mali, Bagré in…
Invitations to contribute on Special Issues: soil organic carbon, soil erosion and more
A Special Issue on Soil Organic Carbon and its influence on agricultural and environmental effects is open for contributions in Agronomy (E. Lugato). A Special issue on "Soil Erosion by Water" is open in Water MDPI. Another Special issue on the workshops of soil erosion modelling (Ispra, Seoul) is…
Promoting gender-responsive adaptation in the agriculture sectors: Entry points within National Adaptation Plans
Using the framework of the National Adaptation Plans (NAP)process, this brief provides an overview of the key issues to consider and main entry points for gender mainstreaming in the development of NAPs for the agriculture sectors.
Grassland plants show surprising appetite for carbon dioxide
Results from a long-running field experiment suggest that a major group of plants could thrive as the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases.
Relationship between food waste, diet quality, and environmental sustainability
This analysis finds that US consumers wasted 422g of food per person daily, with 30 million acres of cropland used to produce this food every year. This accounts for 30% of daily calories available for consumption, one-quarter of daily food (by weight) available for consumption, and 7% of annual…
Copper distribution in European topsoils: An assessment based on LUCAS soil survey
Copper (Cu) distribution in soil is influenced by climatic, geological and pedological factors. Apart from geological sources and industrial pollution, other anthropogenic sources, related to the agricultural activity, may increase copper levels in soils, especially in permanent crops such as olive…
Dust Disregards Political Boundaries, Let's Act Together
In March this year, an unusual sand and dust storm nicknamed 'Mars on Earth or Orange Snow[1]' transported and deposited dust that transformed European landscapes into a surreal orange-tinted scenery. An even more drastic dust storm swept over India recently and left behind a trail of casualties.[2]…
When people are forced to leave their homes, they usually also leave behind their means of economic activity. In their new location, they may not be able, or permitted, to work. This has wide-ranging implications. This issue includes 22 articles on the main feature theme of Economies: rights and…
Networking our science to characterize the state, vulnerabilities, and management opportunities of soil organic matter
Soil organic matter (SOM) supports the Earth's ability to sustain terrestrial ecosystems, provide food and fiber, and retains the largest pool of actively cycling carbon. Over 75% of the soil organic carbon (SOC) in the top meter of soil is directly affected by human land use. Large land areas have…
New Article: Agroforestry systems: Meta‐analysis of soil carbon stocks, sequestration processes, and future potentials
Agroforestry (AF) has the potential to restore degraded lands, provide a broader range of ecosystem goods and services such as carbon (C) sequestration and high biodiversity, and increase soil fertility and ecosystem stability through additional C input from trees, erosion prevention, and…
Future of Food and Beverage . The new Raconteur report
The way we produce and consume food is changing, and fast. Producers must leverage modern farming techniques, factories must revolutionise the way they plan, and produce supply chains must be completely overhauled to account for years like 2018, which saw the Beast from the East give way to the…
How one tough shrub could help fight hunger in Africa
The trick to boosting crops in drought-prone, food-insecure areas of West Africa could be a ubiquitous native shrub that persists in the toughest of growing conditions. Growing these shrubs side-by-side with the food crop millet increased millet production by more than 900 percent, according to a…
Great Insights Magazine - the new issue: North Africa, hope in troubled times
North Africa was the birthplace of the Arab uprisings in late 2010. This movement affected all the countries in the region, albeit to varying degrees. And while protestors asked in unison for deep political and economic changes, the various governments in North Africa responded differently to their…
Gender, land and more. The gender factor in achieving LDN (compilation of references). Did you find the information you need?
The UNCCD library holds a specialized collection of monographs and series, reports, grey literature in fields of desertification, land degradation and drought, and its cross-cutting subjects such as development, economics, environment, land, soils, agriculture, energy, water, climate change…
New article: Land degradation neutrality: The science-policy interface from the UNCCD to national implementation
This paper examines the development of the scientific basis for LDN and how the team of global scientific experts in neutrality approaches worked in parallel with the teams who were conducting training events to launch the LDN target setting programme (TSP).
Put more carbon in soils to meet Paris climate pledges
Take these eight steps to make soils more resilient to drought, produce more food and store emissions, urge Cornelia Rumpel and colleagues.
Synergizing global tools to monitor progress towards land degradation neutrality: Trends.Earth and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies sustainable land management database
Highlights Remote sensing productivity indicators identified improvements in areas with sustainable land management. At least 10 years from the intervention establishment were needed for the impact to be detected. The impacts of some sustainable land management practices were not detected…
New Articles: Special Issue "Remote Sensing of Drought Monitoring" published
Drought is a complex and recurring natural disaster that occurs throughout the world and often has negative impacts on many sectors of society. Drought monitoring is challenging given the complex spatio-temporal dimensions of drought and its severity. Traditionally, drought monitoring has relied…
Environmental Migration Portal: Knowledge Platform on People on the Move in a Changing Climate
The path to a peaceful and secure future is paved with decisive actions against losing more productive land. Migration is often a last-resort option for those experiencing water shortages and crop failures.


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India restores 4G internet services in parts of Kashmir
FILE PHOTO: Children play games on their mobile phones in a neighbourhood in Srinagar October 10, 2019. REUTERS/Danish Ismail
SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - India on Sunday restored high speed 4G internet services in two districts of Kashmir after the Supreme Court last month said an indefinite shutdown of the internet there was illegal.
The communications lockdown had been imposed after partial autonomy of the Muslim majority region was scrapped by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
Authorities had said the security situation was not conducive to restoring mobile internet access. "The high speed mobile data services in the districts of Ganderbal and Udhampur shall be restored forthwith, on a trial basis," a government statement said on Sunday, adding the internet speed would continue to be restricted in other cities.
Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari; Editing by Alison Williams


South Carolina Project Learning Tree established a new program in our state – SC PLT Environmental Education Centers. A PLT Environmental Education Center is a special designation for nature centers, museums, 4-H centers, school district sponsored centers, state parks, etc., that use Project Learning Tree. These centers agree to host at least one educator workshop per year and also check in/out its "Tree Trunk" to facilitators who are leading a workshop nearby. The Tree Trunk has materials to lead some of the most popular PLT activities for a workshop. Each center has a Host Site Director on staff and a Center Coordinator, who is also a PLT Facilitator, to handle workshop logistics. Through certification as a PLT Environmental Education Center, the host site is advised to sustain Project Learning Tree outside of the formal school setting and foster area partnerships.
If you are a PLT Facilitator and interested in leading a workshop at a SC PLT Environmental Education Center or interested in renting the Tree Trunk for a local workshop, please contact your local Center Coordinator. The Center Coordinator may not be on staff but is the designated liaison for the site. Please contact them first for any facility inquiries. Click the center links on the map below for more information about our sites and their Center Coordinator's contact information. If you have general questions regarding the program - SC Project Learning Tree Environmental Education Centers - please contact Beth Foley at 803-896-8855 or bfoley@scfc.gov.
The SC PLT Environmental Education Center Tree Trunks are available to borrow by SC PLT Facilitators only. A full inventory of supplies and suggested activities is listed below. If you are interested in borrowing a Tree Trunk, please contact your Center Coordinator for availability and more information. Tree Trunks must be checked out in their entirety. Individual supplies cannot be checked out on their own.
Some links on this page require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader you can get it free from Adobe Systems Inc. Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) Copyright © 2018 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.


When you walk into the First Class Early Learning Center and Family Daycare, you will find a large, colorful and inviting room divided into carefully planned interest areas. It is filled with a variety of learning materials for your child to explore, manipulate, play with and share. Our center is specifically designed to encourage your child's natural curiosity and innate desire to learn about their world. The infant/toddler area is separated, yet very much a part of the preschool classroom. As a parent of infant and/or toddler, you will feel a sense of security and self-assurance just knowing that your child will be learning and growing in such a warm, nurturing and inclusive environment. We like to incorporate a sense of family and togetherness by encouraging the older children to positively influence the younger children. This philosophy fuels the preschooler's sense of self worth and responsibility, while creating a nurturing and trusting atmosphere for the infants and toddlers.
First Class Early Learning Center uses a diverse learning program of integrated curriculums to implement lesson plans, daily activities and monthly assessments for infants, toddlers and preschoolers attending our program. Our early childhood environment is based on the principles of Developmentally Appropriate Practice. These principles focus on how children develop and learn, how the classroom should be arranged, and what materials should be provided for learning. They also focus on how the teacher should interact with and observe the children to enhance their daily experience. First Class ELC provides an exciting academic platform for thriving cognitive development and kindergarten readiness.


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Watch Highlights From WIRED's CES Conversations January 16, 2021
The RetroBeat: River City Girls is a beat-'em-up delight January 16, 2021
How law enforcement gets around your smartphone's encryption January 16, 2021
The Biggest Ethical Concerns in the Future of AI January 16, 2021
Ethan Hawke reportedly joins cast of Marvel's Moon Knight series January 15, 2021
Virtual CES Was As Surreal As We All Suspected It Would Be January 15, 2021
Researchers propose using the game Overcooked to benchmark collaborative AI systems January 15, 2021
Walmart's Marc Lore is leaving e-commerce role to build a city of the future January 15, 2021
Hackers alter stolen regulatory data to sow mistrust in COVID-19 vaccine January 15, 2021
How Does Web Design Affect Your SEO and UX January 15, 2021
A Cut Cable Knocked Out Virginia's Voter Registration Site
News October 17, 2020 techietr
This week the New York Post published a story centered on information stolen from a laptop that purportedly belonged to Hunter Biden, and that...
This week the New York Post published a story centered on information stolen from a laptop that purportedly belonged to Hunter Biden, and that has a high likelihood of being part a disinformation operation. Not great! But the way the rest of the media handled the situation was a marked improvement over 2016, when leaks of John Podesta's hacked emails kicked off a frenzy that played right into Russia's hands. Here's to modest progress.
Take it where you can get it. The rest of the security outlook was a little more discouraging. United States Cyber Command mounted an offensive against Trickbot, one of the most dangerous botnets in the world. It didn't accomplish much, but did set a new precedent of US hackers taking on criminals rather than their military counterparts. That's all part of the long-term strategy of general Paul Nakasone, leader of both Cybercom and the National Security Agency, whom we profiled at length for the most recent issue of the magazine.
We also took a look at how internet freedom has suffered during Covid-19, as dozens of countries have used used the pandemic as an excuse to increase surveillance and tamp down on digital rights. Speaking of surveillance, Amazon's latest high-profile product announcements have been pushing the boundaries of data collection in discomfiting ways. (Yes, that includes the drone that flies around your house.)
Researchers have figured out how to make a Tesla Model X hit the brakes by flashing just a few frames of a stop sign image for less than half a second. It's maybe not the most practical attack, but on the other hand it could do a fair bit of damage on the highway it timed just right. And DDoS extortion is on the rise, including some criminals who have been posing as nation state hackers like Fancy Bear and Lazarus Group to increase the intimidation factor.
And there's more! Every Saturday we round up the security and privacy stories that we didn't break or report on in depth but think you should know about. Click on the headlines to read them, and stay safe out there.
The registration deadline for the state of Virginia was Tuesday, which is why it's especially unfortunate that an accidentally cut cable knocked Virginia's voter portal offline for several hours Tuesday morning. Utility workers hit a Verizon fiber line, which was enough to take out the entire system until deep into the afternoon. A judge extended the registration deadline by 48 hours to make up for it, so everyone should still have been able to get their name in. But the incident is an important reminder that for all the concern over hackers disrupting the 2020 election, creaky infrastructure—whether it's a cut cable or a confusing interface on a decades-old voting machine—poses a more realistic threat to Election Day.
Look, data breaches happen. After the Equifax hack, there's a good chance that a big chunk of your personal information has already been compromised. The more important question to ask when a major company like Barnes and Noble gets hacked—which it did, according to an email sent to customers this week—is how much the hackers actually got away with. In this case, it seems at least for now like the damage isn't terrible. The company said purchase histories, email addresses, and shipping information were potentially exposed, which isn't ideal. But passwords and financial information appear not to have been impacted, according to Barnes and Noble. Sometimes breaches turn out to be worse than first reported—looking at you again, Equifax—but at least for now, it seems like the fallout is about as minimal as you could hope.
The months-long Zoom encryption saga is nearing a resolution. After misrepresenting the level of security its video chat services offered—and then waffling on whom it would make end-to-end encryption available for—Zoom next week will roll out the feature to both free and paid users next week for a 30-day technical preview. Zoom chats with end-to-end encryption can accommodate up to 200 users, an impressive feat especially given the time frame. You have to opt-in to use the feature, and will give up features like live transcription and cloud recording. But if your privacy needs are that pronounced, odds are you wouldn't want those enabled in the first place.
Ransomware gangs have increasingly taken to posting companies' data online if they don't pay up. The latest apparent victims include gaming companies Ubisoft and Crytek, which a gang called Egregor says it has successfully compromised and published apparent files from on a dark web site. None of this is unique, but it's worth keeping an eye on—especially since the group has threatened to leak the much higher-stakes source code for Ubisoft's upcoming Watch Dogs: Legion and the company's game engine.
More Great WIRED Stories
techietr
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The Biggest Ethical Concerns in the Future of AI
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Aonuma Talks the Legend of Zelda's 30th Anniversary, Working as Fast as Possible on Zelda U
"I hope to give something everyone can look forward to next year"
by Mitch Vogel Thu 22nd Oct 2015
Though the 30th anniversary of the Super Mario series is winding down, the Legend of Zelda is actually next in line for the 30th anniversary treatment. As most of you are aware, Zelda U will also be releasing in 2016, albeit after a somewhat disappointing delay. For many, this is more than enough of an anniversary gift, though one does wonder what else – if anything – Nintendo has in store for this anniversary. If Eiji Aonuma is to be believed, nothing is planned yet, but this will likely change after Zelda U gets pushed out the door.
Famitsu recently conducted an interview with several developers for the Zelda series to coincide with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. While most of the discussion was centered around the new game, the interviewer mentioned Zelda's anniversary in the discussion with Eiji Aonuma. Aonuma didn't really have much to say on the subject, stating that Zelda U is the first and only priority at the moment:
This year we wanted a Majora's Mask concert, so it is not impossible that there may be a 30th anniversary concert next year. However, as we are trying to complete the new Zelda as fast as possible, that is all that is on our minds. That being said, we hope something will take form for the 30th anniversary. It is especially important to a producer of the series, so I hope to give something everyone can look forward to next year.
He then went on to give something of a status update on how development is proceeding. By the sounds of it; the team is really feeling the heat, but nonetheless progress is going forward at a solid pace:
We're doing our best. Everyday we improve it bit by bit. It is something that requires plenty of time, however, so please believe in us and wait.
What do you think? Will Zelda U be delayed again? What would you like to see for Zelda's 30th? Drop us a comment in the section below.
[source nintendoeverything.com]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U)
Lunapplebloom
Thu 22nd Oct 2015
As long as they get Zelda U done, I'll be satisfied. And a little bit of Twilight Princess HD on the side wouldn't hurt either.
AdanVC
Judging by Aonuma-San comment's on the status of Zelda U, looks like they are somewhat pressured. It worries me he said "bit by bit" and "takes plenty of time" on the same sentence... What if Zelda U doesn't even make it to release in 2016?? Either way this game is going to be something else I can feel it.
Gold_Ranger
Art Style change confirmed!
"However, as we are trying to complete the new Zelda as fast as possible, that is all that is on our minds. That being said, we hope something will take form..."
JustJulyo
This game better be second coming of Ocarina of Time seriously because they can easily show off anything, ANYTHING relating to Zelda Wii U because comments like this makes us really think they shifted to the NX just like Twilight princess. I wish they reassure us that Zelda Wii U is for the Wii U, we are going through 2015 with not a single thing about Zelda. Remember when we blew our minds over 30 seconds of probably CGI Zelda footage? We would have been just as excited if they hadn't revealed a release window.
Look, I am sure when it's all said and done Zelda Wii U will be a great game but until then I am staving for info, want my Wii U to be a lasting system for us dedicated fans, and get a full Zelda game that we have been waiting for years now. Nothing makes me feel uncertain about the Wii U than to have 2015 fly by with no news about Zelda Wii U when it was suppose to be released this year.
Sorry for such a long rant but this is ridiculous, that's why I still have the faintest sight of hope that this is part of Nintendo's strategy of building anti-hype when they do reveal Zelda Wii U and even eclipse the reaction from the reveal of Zelda Twilight Princess back in 2004. But that's just me and my rant.
Continue to scroll down for the funniest short comment regarding Zelda Wii U being delayed for the Nintendo NX U.
JaxxDuffer
Seems a bit of a coincidence that the Zelda U delay could eventually tie in with the 30th anniversary - of course we will never know for sure. As long as it gets released on the Wii U and not cancelled so it can be released on the NX then that would be great.
Side note......anyone noticed any marketing and posters suddenly appearing in GAME stores?? First time in a long while ive seen an effort to sell Nintendo product's in their stores!!
AlexOlney
In this entry Link's best friend is a talking pie.
As long as they don't delay it again I'm ok with waiting. I imagine they are trying really hard to meet the expectations that that preview trailer gave us.
I'm confident that the game will be amazing when we finally get to see it!
Aonuma on Zelda U's development:
Paulie1up
I'd rather enjoy this on the next platform. It seems like a no-brainer to me. Do we really want this on Wii U? I love Wii U and play Nintendo consoles and handhelds exclusively, but I would prefer to wait for what could potentially be the "definitive" The Legend of Zelda experience. Imagine the possibilities with all of the NX rumors floating about?
Give me a Twilight Princess HD and I'll be OK. I know, it's not necessarily ideal, but consider how The Wind Waker HD turned out. We could be receiving something stunning...
@Gold_Ranger Invalid deduction confirmed!
@Paulie1up Some people won't be buying the NX and only got the Wii U because they wanted this game. Terrible idea.
Crowded comment section incoming.
OorWullie
Notice how he doesn't call it Zelda U,just ''the new Zelda'' , NX exclusive confirmed!
@OorWullie Or you meant the opposite. In which case, its confirmed that it'll be on Wii U.
Seriously, the Wii U is gonna be three years old. How can anyone think of NX when it didn't even reach its fourth year?
@OorWullie
Or here's a better inference: It just isn't actually called "Zelda U" but that's a random placeholder name we all invented.
Sorry to burst your bubble (well, not sorry to burst this bubble in particular), but... Zelda 1, A Link To The Past, Ocarina Of Time, The Wind Waker, Skyward Sword... noticing a pattern? There has been no Nintendo home console without a Zelda game so far, I fail to see why they'd break this trend now. And no, Hyrule Warriors doesn't count since by "Zelda game" I mean a canonical Zelda game.
jrob23
the fact that he said "the new Zelda" instead of Zelda U seems like another nail in the Wii U's coffin. Since they aren't showing until next year it's obvious to me that the concept has changed a lot and it's moving to NX. I sold my Wii U today so I will have funds for when that happens. If it should ONLY come to Wii U next year I'll get another.
readyletsgo
Just tell me TPHD is coming in Jan or Feb 2016 and you guys at Nintendo can take another year to make Zelda U/NX. Would keep my Zelda itch sustained for at least a year.
After all, next year is all about Uncharted 4 for me now
@AlexSora89 @Dezzy @Artwark I wasn't really being serious,it was just a playful comment
MrSeitaro
I don't get the HD fuzz for Twilight Princess, I love the heck out of that game but I'd be more than fine if they just released it for Virtual Console, I don't need HD graphics to enjoy it. Hell I could even buy the Wii version and play it but it's honestly impossible to find that game here where I live. The new Zelda will be on Wii U, saying it won't come out on WiiU because he didn't call it "Zelda U" is ridiculous, have you ever seen a Zelda game with the console's signature on its title? There's no Super Legend of Zelda or Ocarina of Time 64, Skiiward Sword (lol), there's no reason to think just because he didn't say "Zelda U" it won't come out on said console.
I can't wait, since I can't care less for Tri Force Heroes, and I could only play the first 2 levels of Hyrule Warriors before dying due to boredom.
As much as I love Zelda and hope that Nintendo will celebrate it's 30th anniversary next year, I also hope that the big N will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metroid and Kid Icarus next year as well. Metroid Prime: Federation Force should be coming out next year but the least they could do is announce a proper sequel to the series next year.
I also will never give up on a new Kid Icarus game and the 30th anniversary year would be a good time to release one.
I'm fine with waiting, if the game lives up to the hype. And big titles like that usually do. Like Smash, Splatoon or Mario Kart.
Also, Tri Force Heroes won't scratch my Zelda itch but the Wind Waker campaign for Hyrule Warriors sure could!
@AlexSora89 While it's obviously true there hasn't been a home console without a new Zelda,there also hasn't been a home console with 1 ,possibly 2 remakes so nothing is really set in stone.There also hasn't been a home console that has sold this badly so that might have made them rethink their strategy.I imagine a huge open world HD Zelda will cost a significant amount of cash,if it arrives late in the Wii U's life and never really being a huge seller anyway it may be lucky to achieve 2 to 3 million sales.Having said that,I do still think it's coming to Wii U,just an inferior version as it'll be on NX as well.
@Nego Much as it pains me to say it, I think you'll be waiting awhile on Kid Icarus, but I feel like next year is when Metroid will be revitalised.
Not only is Federation Force releasing, but I remember a developer very heavily implied there's a bigger Metroid project in the works when he was trying to do damage control over the negative reaction to Federation Force. If there is one, we'll at least get an announcement next year.
Fazermint
30th anniversary celebration: Get Zelda U out before 2017
Zelda Maker for the 30th. It's only the overhead games, but you can pick from LoZ, LttP, or LBW styles. It's actually a terrible idea because it'd have to be nothing but dungeons. How fun would tiny little user-made overworlds be? Maybe Ninty could make it work.
sandman89
@ULTRA-64 yes I have been to game recently and it was alot better Nintendo wise they had a good selection of wiiu games! I was overwhelmed 😂
Boxmonkey
We all know this game is being held back so they can release it on the NX! Probably Wii u and NX release. But Nintendo would be mad to release a new console without a Zelda game.
@MitchVogel Yeah, I know I'll be waiting for a new Kid Icarus game for a while but I will never give up hope. Kid Icarus Uprising was such a good attempt at revitalising the franchise and the growing support for the series in Super Smash Bros makes me believe that it's possible we'll be returning to Angel Land someday.
errantrazor
Top priority and working as fast as possible? The what was all that time wasted dressing up like Link and playing Tri-Force Heroes on YouTube for hours at a time?
I don't mind a delay or two, I just want it on Wii U. Hey that rhymed!
If the rumours are true NX will be an expensive machine and I already bought one console to play a new Zelda. And we know how that has been...
Berto_Gamut
I'd like to see them actually plan something for Zelda's 30th and hype 2016 up in November/December with bits of news/gameplay clips. Aonuma is making it seem like nothing is lined up but I'm betting he's trying to downplay it and keep promoting Tri-Force Heroes (which I cant wait to pick up tomorrow).
Personally, their anniversary efforts in the past were lacking. So here's hoping that they actually show off for this one, I'll be turning 30 too
Whopper744
@AlexOlney Hmmm...what kind of pie? Could mean all the difference between a masterpiece of a game, or a Superman 64 of a game.
Grumblevolcano
Yep, this definitely sounds like NX launch title speak.
DinklingBoy
Zelda's 30th; this is how it'll probs go:
Spring: Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS/ Wii U eventually)
Summer: TLOZ TP HD (Wii U)
Late Autumn: Zelda Wii U (Wii U)
...and some Amiibo's, Special Edition's thrown in their somewhere.
All revealed in a November Direct to get all Zelda fans, so hyped they can't sit still..... watch this space.
Dpullam
My main focus right now is Xenoblade Chronicles X so I really don't mind either way if Zelda U gets delayed again. I don't have a bunch of time to play games in the first place. As for the anniversary, I wish they'd release new home menu themes around the Zelda series as a whole. I imagine Twilight Princess could potentially be Nintendo's answer to the 30th anniversary.
ikki5
It's ok, you can only work so fast during the development of a new console.
naw, it'll be a duo-platform Wii U/NX title like Twilight princess was.
Volmun
im just hopeing Metroid gets some Acknoledgement for its 30th this time... as when it was the 25th all thay wanted to do was go on about Zeldas 25th.. just sortof annoying
Still I am looking forward to Zelda WiiU.
Well, it would be great if it made the 30th and turned out to be one of the best Zelda games ever. Then all the pieces would just fall into place. We can but hope, I guess.
OneBagTravel
Please tell the story through gameplay and not cut scenes.
@OneBagTravel
Most of the Zelda games are pretty good about gameplay vs cut scenes.
HyrulianOfHyrule
I really hope it is ready this time around. And it would be great as a May release for the summer hits like Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon!
I always felt the 30th was the real reason the game got delayed. I think as the project went on they realized they couldn't release this game and then make a anniversary game in time so they rolled both projects into one. Zelda maker would be more work than its worth and I don't think it has the same charm as SMM. I'm actually more excited for Zelda I than ever!
Make it good Aonuma-san, make it right, take your time.
TheAdrock
I believe that they are working hard, and I'm sure it will be as good as they can make it. BUT... my criticism is that they didn't start this process 2 years before the U was released. No hate for the Zelda team now, its bad management planning back then. SS was 4 years ago.
Genesaur
Metroid celebrates thirty years, too, you guys...
@Genesaur
Zelda's total sales are over 70 Million.
Metroid total sales hadn't even reached 20 Million...
As much as I hate to admit it, I think there is a reason Nintendo is putting more focus on Zelda for it's anniversary.
I think LoZ TP HD will get a February release around the 19th to celebrate the 30th Anniversary. If we get another Direct it will get announced then. I don't think we will see anything on the new Zelda until E3. I do believe they will "remaster" the new Zelda for the NX but wont announce it till E3 2017 and it will be like the Last of Us PS4 release.
The new Zelda will get a late November release on Wii U in 2016.
MoonKnight7
"We're doing our best. Everyday we improve it bit by bit. It is something that requires plenty of time, however, so please believe in us and wait."
Just as vague as I was expecting; there was such confidence before the NX announcement. What he should have said was this:
"We're doing our best. Everyday we improve it bit by bit. It is something that requires plenty of time, however, so please believe in us and wait, for an NX announcement."
@ikki5
"It's ok, you can only work so fast during the development of a new console."
Lol, you've been on a roll lately. I agree wholeheartedly.
WanderingPB
so is it possible Zelda U aside from improving the game was also pushed back due to "Tri-again Heros" and Hyrule warriors coming out on the 3DS this holiday season? makes me wonder if Twilight HD is even meant for this year or possibly early next year?...either way as much as it pains me to wait i will for a legendary experience...i maybe a fool for believing the new Zelda will come to the Wii U but im ok with that
@Lunapplebloom I concur my friend!!!
gatorboi352
@Paulie1up your thoughts are pretty much exactly how I feel.
Going a step further, I'd argue that the mere existence of Twilight Princess HD is a clear indicator that Zelda U will AT LEAST BE a dual console release. Also, I believe they will unveil TP HD at the same time that they announce Zelda U won't be coming out UNTIL NX drops. #consolationprize
I expect the NX release window (first 6 months) to have Zelda U, new Metroid, and a few huge 3rd party titles.
Was sorta hoping that would be the case. As for your other response, to be fair, Twilight Princess did become a Wii launch title, but also got a GameCube release as well. But even then, Nintendo already got their shot at a Disappointment-Inducing Crotch Kick move (the hint is in the uppercase initials) by making Super Paper Mario a Wii-only title, so I doubt they'd pull it off again.
FX102A
Obviously his words can be taken in so many ways. Although I do hope the game remains a Wii U game if it ends up being a dual release I have to make sure I don't do the same mistake as last time and buy one copy for each platform.
Baircade
That's what you get for going open world >_<
FormalAnnoyance
30th anniversary Zelda special will be an endless rouge-like dungeon in the style of the original Zelda. You collect stat power ups, items used throughout the Zelda series, and item upgrades.
Actually, no. But that would be fun though ^3^
MikeW
I hope they ditch the Wii U version and bring it out exclusively on the NX!
Tyranexx
Ugh, to think I actually got my hopes up about them giving out at least a tidbit of new info. At least this does confirm that the game isn't cancelled, which will debunk some online rumors.
whodatninja
@MikeW Why on earth would they do that?
Yeah it's probably gonna get delayed again, perhaps into 2017. It doesn't seem ready for next year already.
bloodycelt
Having a dual platform NX/Wii U Zelda might be good for the NX launch.
OTOH, if NX was WiiU compatible... then it might not be as important as say... a Metroid title at NX launch.
Of course... they also need smash bros and mario kart at NX launch.
And if they can get dragon quest, and the latest shooter games for battlefield and COD at launch that might be good.
wazlon
@Lunapplebloom It would be awesome if Zelda U and Twilight Princess HD were released as a box set. Bring it Nintendo!
johnodaz
I don't mind as long as its polished plus an NX dual release aswell.
KayFiOS
@Genesaur So does Kid Icarus.
PenCapChew
Too many rumours here, so let me create mine. I truly think that is really coming to Wii U in 2016, because: 1. it is the platform it was meant to be; 2. not releasing it for WIi U would betray 10 million people who bought the system; 3. THEY ALREADY CONFIRMED IT WILL BE ON WII U. And they figured, "well, the 30th Zelda anniversary is coming, so let's put it out in 2016, plus we'll have more time to work on it". But yes, it is likely that the game will also be a launch title for the NX, if the system comes out on next year also. The launch of Twilight Princess HD within the next few months would be to hold on fans until Zelda U.
AVahne
Take your time bro. No need to rush and screw up.
The_Bossitron
I want there to be an 8-bit Link amiibo to release along side Zelda U. I also think an 8-bit Samus wouldn't hurt, but there wouldn't be much use for it...
starcatcher77
If possible, a 30th anniversary edition version of Zelda U(or Zelda NX if rumors are correct.) would be awesome, I got the 25th anniversary version of Skyward Sword and loved the music album that came with it,(infact i'm listening to it right now while i'm typing.) so I would love a similar idea, but I want the disc case on the anniversary edition to be Gold colored, not have a sleeve and rather print the title right onto the box, also perhaps come with a tips and tricks book for the game kinda like the mario maker idea book, and MAYBE Have a zelda u amiibo? and/or a zelda themed nfc item? Also, off topic having new 3ds cases use nfc to unlock themed wiiu backgrounds? I seriously think the wiiu is lacking on customization.
Steel76
By now, I rather see that they release it on the NX instead.
IF the system is released in late 2016, that is.
Would make one hell of a launch title for NX.
I want them to take as long as possible, even if it skips Wii U. I just want a worthwhile Zelda title, I haven't been inclined to finish any since Wind Waker, sure there's fans of the games but everything after WW has been a huge slog for me, only playing because I've spent the cash and I want my money's worth.
MrPuzzlez
Meanwhile, Metroid's 30th is slowly creeping in and will probably go with a whimper with Federation F***ers. My feeling are really hurt...
Ogbert
Pixel Link Amiibo for Zelda's 30th!
I don't care what it does, it can do the same as the current Link Amiibo for all I care. I just want it for my shelf to go next to Pixel Mario.
Zadaris
@AlexOlney Sold! Olney you've done it again!
GrailUK
I am sorry. I really tried. Honest. But the more I look at that picky at the top with the lush grass texturing the ground for pretty much as far as the eye can see, the rolling clouds casting shadows and how the grass actually reacts to explosions in the video...gah...it's not on Wii U. Even Xenoblade Chronicles X grass is patchy and sprite based.
Vriess
The NX will need solid launch titles. I'm sure that Zelda U got delayed in order to release it on both the Wii U and the NX.
I do hope they keep the art style because I love it!
Can't wait to play this on NX
@starcatcher77 I got that Skyward Sword LE with the wiimote and CD. It was so worth all the money! The special edition for Zelda U would have to be even bigger with an amiibo, an artbook, a soundtrack and maybe a map. I have so many ideas!
LinkSword
People sure are getting obnoxious with the Zelda U on NX thing, geez. Can't wait for reality to shut them down.
Also, I'm a bit disappointed at no small details being given away in the interview, but it's always nice to keep hearing from Aonuma that the team is giving it their all. Because unlike other creators, I actually think I can trust him and his vision.
Take your time, I can always wait some more for Zelda greatness.
Luigi_Skywalker
I am predicting holiday of next year.
amiiboacid
When I saw this article, I took it as evidence that the game is not going to the Nx. Somehow, people took this as the opposite. I don't know how they did it.
Anyways, I predict it's releasing during late May.
Pianist88
I think fans are too needy sometimes. The gap between A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time was significantly wider than Skyward Sword and WiiU. Let the people do their jobs at a reasonable pace. Big projects take a long time in any field of work if they are to be done well.
@whodatninja ikr!
Nintendo could surprise us and release the game as a digital download "shortly after this presentation" at their E3 Direct next year. Then again their servers would crash.
WrongChops
@AlexOlney Sold!
PlywoodStick
I agree with @GrailUK here, I don't think the Wii U can handle Aonuma's vision for this game, at least not graphics fidelity wise. If Xenoblade X can't handle this level of polish, I'm not confident Zelda can either. Good thing Aonuma is being vague, so he doesn't have to keep any promises.
It's better off as an NX launch title anyways, since the NX is going to need a blockbuster. It would be nice to have as Wii U dual release, but the game probably would barely break 1 million (if that) sales at this point (or 1 out of every 10 Wii U owners) as a Wii U only release.
Zelda home console entries are not quite the hot sellers people think they are, and the install base of 10 million is too abysmally low to expect more. Not to mention the almost nonexistent marketing for the Wii U... Nintendo would get a better return on investment to make this a dual launch title.
King_Johobo
New Zelda / Metroid crossover? Link in space.... Samus vs Ganon....where's my millions?
@LinkSword The reality is that if this Zelda entry only gets released for Wii U, it's going to sell like doggy doo. Nintendo would be wise to hold off and make this a dual release. (Or even NX only, if the project goes on for too long.)
cheleuitte
Fri 23rd Oct 2015
I would like to have this new Zelda U for the NX release instead, in the mean time a The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD released for the WiiU is very welcome!!
uhhhhhhhh
Opinion: They should have never made windwaker hd, tri force heroes, or even majoras mask 3d. And they definitely should not make twilight princess hd.
Instead there should be a full systems effort to produce a new full-scale zelda game. Period.
I just thought of something: skyward sword should have been developed for the wii u in hd with more open world concepts. If you think about it, the wii u would have been able to handle the overworld more effectively with more islands in the sky. I was really disappointed with that in the game as I was hoping to explore more villages in the sky
But yeah, it would have only been delayed by a year and then it would have been a wii u launch title. Wtf were they thinking and why don't mlre people complain about that? I mean this would have solved so many problems with the wii u launch!!!
Churchy
I'm willing to bet that the new Zelda will be on NX. I'd go further to say I think it'll be a release title for NX and might not appear on Wii U at all.
Well I'll wait until they finish the game (as always), because no one wants an unfinished Zelda game, so I'd rather wait for a polished game. But it would be nice to play it before the summer...
kyuubikid213
Sun 25th Oct 2015
All these comments about wanting this Zelda game on the NX.
We still don't even know what the NX is... And a lot of you guys assumptions on it being better is pretty much centered on the "it's not the Wii U" stance.
I'm pretty sure that they've spent quite a long time developing this for the Wii U and we're unlikely to see an NX port unless it's still running on a similar architecture, in which case all of your NX daydreams will come crumbling down.
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Annual city-wide festival features a Carnival, Entertainment, Fireworks, Food and more on the Mississippi riverfront; an Arts & Crafts Fair on the grounds of the Leduc Historic Estate, Sports Tournaments at venues throughout the city, Parade and more. Festival Coordinated by the Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. City-Wide Festival featuring a music festival, arts and crafts, fireworks, parade, carnival, tournaments and so much more!
Extreme Sandbox is a family owned and operated business, started in 2011. The owner, Randy Stenger, is a family man with 3 young boys. Several years ago while driving by a construction site one of his boys stated, "Dad, wouldn't it be fun to go play on those trucks". And from there an idea was born!
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We officially opened in early 2011 at our site in Hastings, Minnesota. We strongly support the local community and have had the opportunity to partner with Ziegler CAT and other advocates for the construction industry; helping local high schools provide tours and camps for teens exploring the construction industry careers. As much fun as this equipment is to operate, I think our customers ultimately walk away with a greater appreciation for the industry that keeps our economy growing (trust us….it's tough work!).
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Construction on the LeDuc house began in 1862 and was completed in 1866. Following LeDuc's service as Quartermaster in the Civil War, the family moved into the unfinished home in August, 1865. In March, 1865 he had been brevetted a brigadier general for "efficiency, intelligence and zeal in the discharge of his duties".
William G. LeDuc came to St. Paul, Minnesota Territory in 1850 from Ohio to open a bookstore and law office. In 1854 he purchased a quarter share in the town of Hastings from Alexander Faribault. In 1856, he and his wife Mary Bronson LeDuc, with their two daughters moved downriver to Hastings, where they had also acquired two wheat farms and 160 acres with a small grist mill on the falls of the Vermillion River. It was on this property that William and Mary decided to build their dream home.
They chose a Gothic Revival home featured in Andrew Jackson Downing's 1852 book Cottage Residences. Downing was a landscape architect and author, whose reputation as a horticulturist was widespread. He inspired Americans to surround their homes with the beauty of nature and encouraged the use of good design even in planning farmsteads. William and Mary chose three Downing designs for their rural home site; their residence, Carriage Barn and Ice House. The estate is an unusually complete example of the Gothic Revival style of Andrew Jackson Downing.
Located within a half hour of the Twin Cities, near the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers, Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center provides a unique opportunity for you to learn and explore the outdoors. With property on both the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the scenic St. Croix River, we are able to preserve wildlife habitat while also providing educational opportunities. Hiking trails wind throughout the tall pines, oak savanna, restored prairies, wooded ravines, around the apple orchard, and along the river of the 425 acre Main Campus. Carpenter's main Minnesota campus is just north of US Highway 10, near Hastings, MN and Prescott, WI on the south end of Minnesota's scenic St. Croix Trail. It is home to the Visitor's Center which has world-class exhibits with live animals on display and a raptor mews featuring a Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl. With over 10 miles of hiking trails, three-and-a-half which are paved to accommodate persons with mobility limitations, you will see a vast variety of plant and animal communities. Wildlife abounds in the restored prairie and wooded bluffs on the 300-acre Wisconsin Nature Preserve.
The story of Regina Hospital actually began on October 28, 1948, when the Catholic Sisters who operated Halloran Hospital in Jackson, Minnesota, received a letter from Demetrius Hagmann, a priest at St. Boniface Church. The letter asked the Sisters, who had come from Holland, if they would consider opening a "Sisters' Hospital" in Hastings.
The request was initially declined "for want of Sisters," but on June 9, 1949, the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, met with several members of the Hastings Hospital Committee to discuss the plans for the new hospital.
Regina Hospital, part of Allina Health, is incorporated in Minnesota as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation providing health care services. Allina Health also operates clinics in Hastings and Cottage Grove, Minnesota and Prescott, Wisconsin.
Regina Hospital, faithful to its Catholic traditions of respect for human life, will serve our communities by providing exceptional care, as we prevent illness, restore health and provide comfort to all who entrust us with their care.
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From its early beginnings, Hastings was shaped by its surrounding geography & water resources. Located at the junction of the St. Croix & Mississippi Rivers, with the nearby Vermillion River Falls to provide water power, Hastings was a shipping and milling center for many years. With a deep water harbor, steamboats could unload goods & passengers easily.
Crossing over the rivers were several bridges: the Covered Bridge south of town, the swing RR bridge (one of the first iron RR bridges in Minnesota) & the absolutely unique Spiral Bridge over the Mississippi River. s largest ethnic group, the Germans. The surrounding farmland provided incentive for generations of immigrants, and many of our farms continue today as Century Farms.
Serving as Dakota County Seat, Hastings offered its citizens many amenities from opera houses, an early library system, several health care facilities, an extensive parks system, numerous churches and public and private educational choices, include post-secondary opportunities.
With nearby highway linkages, Hastings has evolved into a suburb of the Twin Cities but retains its small town, rivertown characteristics.