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Print Edition of My Novel TIME FRAME Now Available!
TIME FRAME – My Debut Novel Now Available!
It's time for some happy news.
My debut novel, TIME FRAME, previously only available as an EBook from Necon Ebooks at www.neconebooks.com, is now available as a print on demand paperback edition.
There are several ways you can get a print edition of TIME FRAME. You can order it at https://www.createspace.com/5487293, you can order it at Amazon.com, or you can order it directly through me. Just send me an email at mjarruda33@gmail.com with your request and we'll take it from there. The print edition is on sale for $14.99.
The Ebook remains available for $2.99 and can be ordered at www.neconebooks.com.
TIME FRAME is a story about time travel. I love time travel stories, and I set out to write one that played with multiple timelines and had some fun taking traditional time travel tropes to the extreme.
I wrote TIME FRAME with the spirit of time travel movies and TV shows in mind, films like THE TIME MACHINE (1960), TIME AFTER TIME (1979), and any number of STAR TREK episodes. If you enjoy time travel adventures, chance are you'll enjoy TIME FRAME. I hope you decide to check it out.
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SNEAK PREVIEW: TIME FRAME By Michael Arruda – Chapter 5
My science fiction novel TIME FRAME is now available as an EBook from NECON EBooks at http://www.neconebooks.com. Previously on this blog I featured Chapters 1-4 of the novel. Today the sneak preview continues with Chapter 5.
This could very well be the final sneak preview.
And remember, if you like what you read, please spread the word and feel free to post reviews on Amazon as well.
Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for reading! —Michael
"Kathryn, where's your mother?" Papa asked.
The question hit Adam in the face like a brick. He looked across the living room at his mother, and she looked as mortified as he felt. He wanted to ask his grandfather, you don't know?
"Ma?" Kathryn said.
Papa nodded. His eyes were expectant, but Adam also saw fear in them, as if he knew what Kathryn was going to say.
"Ma died," Kathryn whispered. "Three years after you."
"Died?" Papa said, his voice barely audible. He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly together. His bottom lip quivered. His cheeks flushed red, and as he sat there, with his eyes shut tight, he looked like a child blocking out the world.
"Daddy, are you okay?" Kathryn asked.
He opened his eyes. They were puffy and swollen. He sniffled.
"How?" He asked.
"Just old age," Kathryn said. "She went peacefully, in her sleep."
"Good," Papa muttered. He sighed. "I really wanted to see your mother."
"I'm sorry," Kathryn said.
Adam thought about his grandfather's words and wondered, "Why didn't you?"
"If you don't mind my asking," Adam said. "Why didn't you pick a date when Nana was still alive? Why come back when she's— how come you didn't know?"
"I don't mind your asking," Papa said. "I didn't pick an exact date because I couldn't. The machine I used worked with decades. I couldn't pick one date. I couldn't even pick an exact year. I had to pick a decade. I chose the first decade after I died because I didn't want to come back while I was still alive. You're not supposed to do that. I don't really understand the reasons why, but supposedly you're not supposed to travel to a time in which you exist already because with two of the same people in the same time frame, I think that's what they called it, a time frame, it would have a dangerous effect. You'd both be sick, and they say, you'd both die. I didn't want that."
"What kind of a time machine doesn't let you pick an exact date to travel to?" Adam asked. It was a rhetorical question.
"A cheap one," Papa answered. "It was the only model I could afford. Yes, even five hundred years from now, everything still comes down to money."
"I w-want to go for a ride in one," Sandy slurred.
"No can do," Papa said. "The machine doesn't exist anymore. It disintegrated."
"Did you have an accident?" Kathryn asked.
"No. The cheap model also happened to be the one way model," Papa said.
"What's the one way model?" Adam asked.
"It only goes one way, then disintegrates. It's like a paper plate. Use it once, throw it away," Papa said.
"What's the point of that?" Adam asked. It didn't seem to make much sense to him.
"It's just cheaper," Papa said. "Most people don't use them because you can't get back. I didn't want to go back."
"But why even make them?" Adam asked. "If you can't get back, what's the point?"
Papa shrugged. "Why make a Slinky? Because it's cheap and someone will buy it."
"Sounds like they'd be illegal," Adam said.
"In some places they are," Papa said.
"So, you're stuck here, then?" Kathryn asked.
"I wouldn't put it that way. I want to be here. But no, I won't be hopping back into my time machine to revisit history, or to see your mother. I can't do that. I'm here to stay."
—END Chapter 5—
And that also ends today's sneak preview of my novel TIME FRAME ( available from NECON EBooks at http://www.neconebooks.com.)
Once again, thanks so much for reading!
-Michael
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TIME FRAME – Sneak Preview: Chapter 4
Posted on April 15, 2015 by marruda3
My science fiction novel TIME FRAME is now available as an EBook from NECON EBooks at http://www.neconebooks.com.
Previously on this blog I featured Chapters 1-3 of the novel. Today the sneak preview continues with Chapter 4.
The bald-headed bartender, with a white towel slung over his shoulder, turned from the cash register by the whiskey bottles and approached the two strangers sitting at his bar.
"Would you like another?" He asked.
The two strangers each had been nursing their drinks for the past half hour. The one who did most of the talking was a heavy set stocky fellow with dark curly hair and a chubby face that looked friendly. He had a soft somewhat high voice and nodded a lot when he spoke. He sipped a Guinness.
His friend was the one who made Duncan uneasy. A big man, close to 6' 6", an imposing figure who looked incredibly fit and strong for someone who appeared to be past his prime, perhaps in his early 40s, as his hair sported spots of gray and his face weathered lines. It was his face that disturbed Duncan the most, and more specifically, his eyes.
The eyes were cold, a killer's eyes. Duncan knew the type because he'd worked at the prison once, a long time ago, and he'd seen his share of murderers. Not all of them had this particular look, but the ones that did, he'd always kept clear of. It was the look of a predator, a wolf, eyes that spoke out loud, that said no one they encountered could best them. I'm the top of the food chain. The tall man sitting at his bar had these eyes.
The man made Duncan uncomfortable, and Duncan was not spooked easily. After all, he was the champion arm wrestler of Kilgarvan, and at six foot one inch, he was an imposing figure himself who not only owned Duncan's Pub and tended bar but also served as resident bouncer. Still, it was one thing to throw out a drunken lug from your establishment, and quite another to tangle with a killer. After all, Duncan used his muscles to prevent bloodshed, not inflict it.
The man sipped his whiskey, straight, no ice. He licked his lips, all the while keeping his eyes on Duncan. He didn't blink.
"No, thank you. We'll keep to these," the man said. His voice was emotionless, yet penetrating, like a gun with a silencer.
Duncan swallowed. "Just let me know if I can get you anything."
"Certainly. Thank you so much," the chubby man smiled. "You're very thoughtful."
"And you two are the oddest couple I've ever seen," Duncan thought.
He turned away from the two men, and his eyes fell upon the welcome sight of O'Leary, one of his regulars, the regular in his opinion. Duncan's Pub had been open for 11 years, and Duncan remembered clearly opening for business that first day and within the first five minutes of unlocking the front door, seeing O'Leary saunter in with a big smile and saying, "Pour me a stout, why don't ya?" That's how it had begun, and now 11 years later, that's how it continued.
"Pour me a stout, why don't ya?" O'Leary said. He looked over at the two strangers sitting at the bar to his right.
Duncan opened the tap and poured a frothy dark one into a tall mug. He slapped it in front O'Leary.
"Ah, I thank you," O'Leary said, lifting the mug to his lips and drawing in a long sip of the hearty brew.
"No. Thank you," Duncan said.
"Me? What for? You're the one who's working," O'Leary said.
"You keep me sane. It's good to see you every day," Duncan said. His eyes roved back towards the two strangers, and O'Leary followed them.
O'Leary nodded. "I know what you mean."
Duncan was able to have this conversation with O'Leary, in such close proximity to the two strangers, because as usual on a weekday afternoon after work, Duncan's Pub was packed, packed and loud.
Funny about noise, Duncan thought. It starts off low, then grows louder as the next guy raises his voice so his friend can hear, and then the next guy does the same, and so on and so on. You'd think it would reach the point where it would burst the eardrums, but it doesn't. Day after day the same thing happens. Suddenly, it gets quiet, all by itself, and inevitably someone makes a loud off color joke, breaking the silence, allowing the cycle to begin again.
It was loud now, and though the two strangers sat close to O'Leary, separated only by Tim and Tina, two other regulars who Duncan didn't know as well as O'Leary since they only came in once a month or so, it was easy to hold a conversation without worry that they'd be heard.
Duncan didn't know how old O'Leary was. He had looked to be in his 60s on that day 11 years ago when he had first come into the pub, and he still looked like he was in his 60s now. He was thin but had a round frame, and Duncan imagined he must have been a chubby young man. He had very fine hair and very coarse skin, no doubt from his career as a fisherman. He was retired now. His face could be harsh with all its weathered lines, but as soon as he smiled, all the harshness disappeared and he became as warm as everyone's favorite grandfather.
Duncan didn't know if 11 years ago O'Leary simply looked older than he was, or if nowadays he simply looked great for his age. Duncan just hoped the man remained healthy and kept coming in. Sickness in old age came on fast. He had seen it with his dad, and now with his mother. They go on and on in apparent good health claiming they're going to live to 90, but when sickness comes to a 70 year-old, serious sickness, the body just doesn't recover. Duncan didn't want to see O'Leary sick.
"Just how old are you, O'Leary?" Duncan asked.
O'Leary sipped his stout and placed the mug on the bar. "Old enough to drink as many of these as I want."
"You watching your health?" Duncan asked.
"Take my medicine every day," O'Leary said, raising his glass.
Duncan laughed. He happened to notice the clock on the wall opposite the bar.
"You're here early today," Duncan said. "What's the occasion?"
"The wife's out shopping," O'Leary said.
"You rascal," Duncan said.
He noticed the two strangers looking around the bar, as if they were looking for someone. He told himself to leave well enough alone, to attend to the customers at the other end of the bar, but the man with the cold eyes suddenly looked perplexed. The expression caught Duncan's curiosity. Still, he wanted nothing more to do with these two men, at least not until he had finished with the customers at the other end of the bar. Duncan was about to turn to those customers when he realized the man had caught him staring.
"Oops," Duncan thought, and he grinned. How to get out of this one? He decided to simply do his job, and that would take care of it. He stepped towards the two strangers.
"You look like your wheels are turning," Duncan said. "Something on your mind I can help you with?"
"No one's smoking. A pub without cigarette smoke. Why is that?" The tall stranger asked.
"Welcome to the 21st century," said Tim, who sat just to the men's left.
The stranger turned towards Tim and glared at him with wide opened eyes. "It's a new law," Duncan said. "No more smoking in the workplace, which includes the 10,000 pubs here in Ireland. If you want to smoke, you'll have to go outside."
"Ireland, the world's healthiest place to live," O'Leary said, lifting his beer mug. "Damned health minister!" Tim said.
The tall man turned to his chubby friend. "Why didn't you know about this?"
The chubby man shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see anything in the literature about it."
"Don't come down on your buddy too hard," Duncan said. "It's a brand new law. I'm sure it's not in any of the travel guides yet. I hope you weren't looking forward to that smoke too badly. You gentlemen on vacation?"
"No. Business," said the tall man.
"I see. What do you do?" Duncan asked.
The man made direct eye contact with Duncan but didn't offer an answer, at least not by speaking. His eyes, they did the talking, and Duncan knew what they were saying, "Stop asking me questions."
"We're in the travel business," said the chubby man. "That's why we're a bit put out that we didn't know about the 'no smoking' law. It's our job to know these things."
"Travel business," Duncan repeated. "Are you going to write up a report on my pub? Should I be on my best behavior?"
The chubby man chuckled. "No, it's not like that. We're more interested in the people doing the traveling than the places they travel to. We're sort of like the People's Choice awards. We don't rate the places we visit ourselves, but we talk to the real life travelers and see what they have to say. Do you get many travelers here, or do you serve mostly locals?"
"Locals, for sure. Very few travelers," Duncan answered. "On any given month you'd be the only ones, but it must be the week for visitors."
"You've had some tourists in this week?" the chubby man asked.
"One. A man. Pretty sure he's an American. He talks like an American."
"He sounds like the kind of man we'd like to talk to," the chubby man said.
"Really? Too bad, because you'd learn much more if you talked to one of the regulars," Duncan said.
The chubby man smiled. "Don't worry. We don't publish negative reviews. That's not what we're about. We're interested only in people's experiences in foreign lands. We're not critics. We're about human interest stories. It's too bad we missed this guy."
"He's been in more than once. Maybe he'll come in again today," Duncan said. He looked at his watch. "Around this time, too. Maybe you'll get lucky."
"Maybe," the chubby man said.
Duncan noticed the chubby man's beer mug was nearly empty.
"Are you sure I can't get you another? Duncan asked.
"You know, I think I will have another, thank you very much."
"Another Guinness?" Duncan asked, just to make sure.
Duncan looked at the tall man, still nursing his whiskey. The tall man shook his head.
"No thank you," the man said.
Duncan moved to the tap. "You are one creepy looking guy," he thought. "The sooner you're out of here, the better!"
As he poured the beer, he thought about what the chubby man had just said, and he didn't buy it. Travel business. He didn't think so. They didn't look the part. At least the tall guy didn't. He had killer written all over him. Maybe to other people he didn't look so obvious, but it was Duncan's job to know people inside and out, and the vibes he got from this guy weren't good. Whether he was some sort of international agent, CIA perhaps, or hired gun or even terrorist, it didn't matter. Duncan wanted him out of his bar.
"Your kind is the last thing we need," Duncan thought. "Ireland has enough of its own problems. We don't need violence from the outside."
Duncan filled the mug with a fresh Guinness. He turned and gave the chubby man his drink.
The front door opened, and Duncan saw the American visitor. His gut told him to keep his mouth shut, but the chubby guy had said the American was the type of person they wanted to talk to, as part of their travel business. Maybe he'd call their bluff and see what happened.
"You gentlemen are in luck," Duncan said. "Our American tourist just came in for his afternoon brew."
The two men looked over their shoulders.
The tall American, about 6'2", and lanky, had the slim yet fit look of a runner. He wore dark clothing, blue jeans and a dark blue sweatshirt with a hood which bunched up behind his neck. His white running shoes helped him bounce when he walked. His hair was jet black, wavy, and it possessed a gel shine. He had handsome blue eyes that put people at ease. He appeared a friendly chap.
He approached his usual table, a small circular job meant for two. Though the pub was packed, the small table was still available. Most of the patrons of Duncan's Pub preferred to either stand or hang out by the bar.
Duncan and the two strangers weren't the only ones who noticed the American come through the door.
Brenda, Duncan's best waitress, was already moving his way. He had just sat down, when she leaned her attractive body against him so that her hips touched his shoulder. She made it a point to touch all the male customers. Duncan let her do it because it was good for business. She had a way of doing it without coming across trashy. She came off like a kid sister who hadn't seen her "brothers" in months. The men loved it, and they loved her. They rewarded her by giving her the best tips in the house. Duncan didn't mind because they also stayed longer and bought more beer.
She and the American struck up a conversation, and Duncan knew Brenda would soon be approaching the bar with the man's order, a mug of frothy ale.
"Does he always come in alone?" the tall man asked.
"Yeah," Duncan answered. "Always picks the same table, right there, gets himself a beer and some dinner, and has a good time."
"You've never seen him with anyone else?" The tall man asked.
"No," Duncan said. "Why do you ask?"
Again, the man answered with his eyes, and they were none too happy.
"We ask different questions of solo travelers compared to couples or groups," the chubby man said. "Just doing our homework before we go over there and talk to him."
"I see," Duncan said.
The tall man reached into his pocket and tossed some money onto the bar.
"Thank you for the drinks," he said. He stood from his seat, and his chubby friend followed. Together they approached the American.
Duncan took the money, nodded in approval at the size of the tip, and turned to deposit the cash in the cash register.
"Is it a full moon tonight, you think?" O'Leary asked.
"Why do you ask?" Duncan said, looking over his shoulder.
"Those two."
"You noticed?"
Duncan closed the cash drawer and approached his friend.
"Noticed? I felt it!"
"The only thing you feel is a hangover in the morning!" Brenda said, coming up behind O'Leary and planting a friendly kiss on the back of his ear.
O'Leary smiled upon seeing Brenda. "I can still feel more than that, just ask my wife! Or perhaps you'd like a demonstration?"
"I have asked your wife, and I don't have the two hours it'll take to get you started!" Brenda shot back, bringing howls from the patrons on both sides of O'Leary. "Our American friend will have his usual," she said to Duncan.
"Thank you, Brenda," Duncan said. He looked into the crowd to see the two strangers approaching the American's table.
"Travel business," Duncan muttered, shaking his head. His stomach suddenly felt sour.
O'Leary made another off color joke causing more hearty laughter from the crowd around the bar. Duncan smiled and poured the ale for the American.
"Good old O'Leary," Duncan thought. "How can anything bad happen with him around?"
And that ends Chapter 4. Once again, thanks for reading!
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TIME FRAME by Michael Arruda – Sneak Preview- Chapter 3
Posted on March 11, 2015 by marruda3
On January 21 I featured Chapter 1 of the novel here on this blog, and on February 13 I unleashed Chapter 2. Today the sneak preview continues with Chapter 3. Hope you enjoy it.
"How is it possible?" Kathryn asked.
"It's not," Sandy said.
"If you don't mind, could I — hug you?" Papa asked his daughter.
Kathryn paused to consider the request, and then she nodded and stepped towards the man who looked exactly like her deceased father.
Papa opened his arms, and gently, very gently, Kathryn allowed herself to enter the man's grasp. Papa closed his arms around her back, drawing her close, and Adam watched as the man's face burst into tears.
"Excuse me," Sandy said loudly, "but am I the only one here who remembers that this man friggin died seven years ago!"
Kathryn gently broke away from her father.
"No, you're not the only one," Kathryn said, sobbing.
Adam grabbed a tissue from the dispenser on the end table by the couch and handed it to his mother. Kathryn thanked her son and used the tissue to wipe her eyes and nose.
"He has an explanation," Adam said.
Papa looked directly at Kathryn. "I am your father, Kathryn, and I am your grandfather, Adam, but — I'm also not him."
"Damn it, old man, make some sense!" Sandy said.
"I'm not trying to speak in riddles," Papa said. "Let me tell you the whole story. Then, you'll understand."
When they had settled into the comfortable seats in the living room, Papa began.
"We have to go back some years, to when I used to work for the gas company, to get to the beginning of how this happened. They were always shoving different forms in front of our faces. From 'do you want to give to this charity' to 'do you want to be an organ donor?" That sort of thing. I remember distinctly this one time, there was a form from a private research company. They wanted permission to take blood samples from us. I remember it because it was the only time anyone ever asked us for blood, other than the blood bank, of course. I didn't know what they wanted it for, but I believed in the principle of helping scientists, so a few of my buddies and me filled out the forms and gave these people some of our blood. Years went by, and we never saw or heard from these people again, and I never thought about them again. I went on with my uneventful life, and as you know, eventually had that stroke, and nothing was ever the same again."
"You got that right," Adam thought.
The stroke had knocked his grandfather out of the real world. His heart had taken such a hit his doctors had pretty much told him his career at the gas company was over.
He had to quit smoking, which to his credit, he did, cold turkey, and he had to be on medication for the rest of his life. He wasn't allowed to exert himself in any way, which meant little or no exercise, activity, or travel. What he could do was eat and sleep and sit and watch television all day. In short, he was through being a whole person. He was only 62.
Still, it could have been much worse. He didn't lose any of his mental faculties. He remained sharp and alert until the end. Of course, the end was a long time coming. Because of the advances of modern medicine, Papa lived on for 18 years this way.
The way Adam remembered it, the bulk of those years weren't so bad for Papa, but the last couple had been brutal for the man. In the end, he was doing nothing for himself. Adam's grandmother Nana could no longer take care of him. Nurses came to the house to bathe him and dress him. He even needed help going to the bathroom and cleaning up afterwards, it was horrible. As many family members remarked at the time, it was no way to live.
Eventually Papa succumbed to pneumonia and died at the age of 80.
In spite of his illness, he had always made Adam feel special, and Adam had always loved to visit him. He missed him dearly after he passed on.
"Do you know that my last memory was seeing your mother," Papa said, looking directly at Kathryn, "in the hospital room. I was in bed. She stood over me. I told her I loved her, and we kissed each other, and she left for the night.
"Later I felt myself slipping away. It was like hanging onto a ladder and then letting go. I was so content with the knowledge that I was going to die. You can't imagine the pain I'd been feeling for so long. I couldn't take it anymore. It was so peaceful, drifting off, thinking of your mother, of all of you, of happy times gone by. No regrets, just peace and contentment that I had been blessed with a wonderful life. And that was it, that was the last thing I remembered, that was the end, until — .
"Until I woke up again in a different time in a different place, five hundred years from now, five hundred years in the future, give or take a few. That research company that had taken my blood all those years ago, they had frozen my DNA. Four hundred years from now another company buys my DNA. Five hundred years from now, they take my DNA, and they bring me back to life."
Kathryn grimaced. "Why?"
"Simply put, my dear daughter, because they can," Papa answered. "Science in that day and age has progressed so far, it's unbelievable. Cloning there is like sex. Everyone does it. Parents sometimes even create their own children from a catalogue, like the way we pick out patterns for a room. DNA research is that advanced. Time travel is possible, which of course, is how I got here."
"You came here in a time machine?" Sandy asked.
Sandy burst out laughing.
Adam gently removed the wine glass from his wife's hand.
"Sorry," Adam said. "She's had more than she's used to."
"It's okay," Papa said. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true, and the fact that I'm sitting here in this room with you now is proof that it's true."
"Are you a clone?" Kathryn asked.
Papa chewed over the question for a moment before answering. Adam wondered what he was thinking about. "I guess it's cloning since this isn't my original body, but it is exactly the same. I can't tell any difference. Can you? And all my memories are intact, my whole life, from childhood to that last day in the hospital." He pointed to his head. "It's all in here. I don't think of myself as a clone."
"You're not wearing your glasses," Adam observed. "Can you see without them?"
"Yes, they made improvements," Papa answered. "I've got perfect vision, even better than I had when I was a young man."
"You look better too," Sandy said with a hiccup. "He looks better."
"I don't know what to believe," Kathryn said. "Daddy, let's just say for the sake of the argument that everything you said is true, that you were brought back to life five hundred years from now using your frozen DNA. What are you doing here?"
"I missed my family," Papa answered. "Who do I know five hundred years in the future? Nobody. I was homesick, and I'm not afraid to admit it."
"Were you brought back to life as an adult or as a child?" Adam asked. "Did you have to relive your childhood all over again?"
"No, I came back as an adult," Papa answered. "Both ways are possible. The company that resurrected me wanted me as an adult. They wanted me to tell them about my experiences in World War II. They still study history in the future. They're fanatics about it."
"Excuse me," Adam said, "but it's my understanding that clones don't come with memories. If I were to be cloned today, my clone wouldn't be born with my memories."
Papa nodded. "You're right, and that's true of the clones today, but five hundred years from now, it's quite the different story."
"You're asking me to believe that they harvested your memories from just a sample of your blood?" Adam asked. "I find that impossible to believe."
"Not from my blood," Papa answered. "From my atoms."
Adam didn't understand.
"It goes something like this," Papa said, "and don't expect a scientist's explanation, because as you know, I'm not a scientist. The scientists from five hundred years in our future were able to break down my blood to an atomic level, atom by atom, and supposedly, what they've discovered, is at that level, memories are stored, and it's possible to bring them back. That's what they told me. All I know is, I have my memories."
How could Adam argue with a science not yet invented?
"So, the people of the future. They wanted you to teach them about the past?" Adam asked.
"Yes, that was my job, to relay firsthand accounts of the war, and when I wasn't working they went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and be a part of the culture of the day. Life in the 2500s is pretty good, let me tell you, but I missed my family. You know how much I love my family."
Kathryn nodded. "Yes, I know."
"Anyway, I soon learned that time travel was possible, and in my spare time, I read all about it, how it was done, how much it cost, and I started to save up for it, because I asked myself, what am I doing here? The ability to go back to my family, in the past, exists. Why not take it?"
"And that's allowed?" Adam asked. "I mean, I would think there'd be problems with it. Interfering with history, for example?"
"It's legal. Up to a point." Papa didn't elaborate.
"Up to what point?" Adam asked.
"Do we have to talk about this now?" Papa said.
"Daddy, what did you do?" Kathryn said.
"Well, I — I'm not supposed to make contact with any of you."
"Ooops!" Sandy giggled.
Thank God for wine, Adam thought. He turned to his grandfather.
"What happens if you do?" Adam asked.
Papa shrugged.
"I don't know. But listen, I didn't return to change history," Papa said. "I returned to see my family. That's it. In the big scheme of life, I'm just a little man, and we're just a little family in little old New Bedford, Massachusetts. What's the worst that could happen?"
—-END Chapter 3—-
Okay, that's Chapter 3. Again, if you'd like to read the entire novel it's now available as an EBook from NECON EBooks at http://www.neconebooks.com.
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Posted on February 13, 2015 by marruda3
Last month, on January 21, as a sneak preview I featured Chapter 1 of the novel here on this blog. Today the sneak preview continues with Chapter 2. If you'd like to read Chapter 1, feel free to check out the January 21 post.
Hope you enjoy it. Here's Chapter 2 of TIME FRAME.
"You should have a glass of wine. It'll relax you," Adam said to his wife.
"Wine?" Sandy said, her wheels spinning, as if she had never heard of the beverage before. "Yes, wine sounds good. I will have a glass of wine."
Suddenly screams erupted from the second floor, followed by the cacophony of shouting boys. Running feet came next, down the staircase.
"Mommy! Daddy! Stephen hit me!"
Adam raised his hand towards his wife in a calming gesture.
"I'll take care of it," He said.
His youngest son, Nate, charged towards him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Stephen hit me in the head, and it hurts!"
"I did not hit him!" Stephen shouted.
His oldest son had also joined them in the dining room.
"Yes, you did!" Nate hollered.
"Alright, alright," Adam said. "Everyone just keep calm."
"He hit me, and I hate him! I hate him!"
Nate let go of Adam and burst into the living room.
Adam looked at Sandy. Her hands were on her hips.
"Way to handle things, honey," she said.
Little Nate trotted back into the doorway between the dining room and the living room. He pointed into the living room.
"Who's that?" He asked.
Sandy placed her hands on her little son's shoulders, and she looked at her husband. "Yes, Adam, who's that?"
Stephen was across the floor in a second and joined his mother and younger brother in the doorway.
"Who is that?" Stephen asked.
Adam's grandfather had been seated in the rocking chair in front of the television set, but he was standing now. Adam saw a look of joy and astonishment on his face.
"Your children," Papa said. "They're beautiful. That little one looks just like you. You look just like your father, little one."
"My name's Nate."
"Hello, Nate," Papa said.
"And this is Stephen, our oldest son," Adam said, pointing to his light-haired boy, who shared a complexion and facial features with his mother. Nate had dark hair and resembled Adam more.
"Who are you?" Nate asked boldly.
"Who am I? I'm—," Papa paused and seemed to look to Adam for guidance.
"This is—," Adam said, but then he paused. Looking at Sandy, he realized that if he had to choose his words any more carefully, he'd have to hire a publicist. "Remember I told you about my grandfather, Papa, the one who used to live in this house?"
Sandy cleared her throat, and Adam read her like a book. Don't you dare, she was saying.
"This is his brother," Adam said.
"I thought Uncle Leo was his brother?" Stephen asked.
"Yes, Uncle Leo is my grandfather's brother. This is another brother. He's not from around here."
"I'm from the old country," Papa said. "My name is— Bela. You can call me uncle Bela."
"Yes, Uncle Bela," Adam said. He appreciated the help. He certainly needed it. "Say hello to your uncle Bela, boys."
"Hello uncle Bela," the two boys droned.
"Hello, boys," said 'uncle Bela.' "What fine looking boys you two are! One that looks like the mother, and the other that looks just like his father!"
"Alright, boys, say bye to uncle Bela," Sandy said. "Mom and Dad need to talk to uncle Bela alone, please. Go back and play."
"But Stephen hit me!" little Nate whined.
"I did not hit you!" Stephen whined back.
Sandy rolled her eyes. "Go play some video games or something!"
"But you said we couldn't play until we cleaned our room," Stephen said.
"Well, I changed my mind!" Sandy said. "Go play!"
The boys cheered and immediately raced up the staircase, with all talk of who hit who erased from their vocabulary.
"You have beautiful children," Papa said.
Adam approached him. "Bela?"
"After Bela Lugosi. You know he was my favorite actor."
"Yes, I remember," Adam said.
"I am— Dracula," the man said, doing his best Lugosi accent and showing his fangs.
"If I shove some garlic in your face, will you go away?" Sandy said.
The doorbell rang.
"That must be mom," Adam said. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Papa said, his eyes watering, "to see my oldest daughter."
"Stay here," Adam said to his grandfather as he walked from the living room to the front door.
Adam opened the door and let his mother inside.
"Hello, mom."
"So, what's this about? You said on the phone there was someone here I needed to see?" Adam's mom asked. "Who?" "Kathryn! Good to see you!"
Sandy approached her mother-in-law holding a huge glass of red wine. "Can I get you a glass of wine? It's really good. This is my second."
Kathryn smiled at her daughter-in-law. "No, thank you, dear, it's too early for me."
"That's too bad," Sandy said. "You're going to need it."
Kathryn leaned into her son's ear. "Wine in the morning? What's she talking about?"
"Aren't you going to show your mom who's in the living room?" Sandy asked.
"Who is in the living room?" Kathryn asked.
"I'll show you," Adam said.
Sandy raised her free hand. "No! You tell her before you bring her in there. Don't you dare spring this on her without telling her first!"
"Without telling me what?" Kathryn asked.
"I'm not sure what to say," Adam said. "Just prepare yourself for a shock, but a good shock. I mean, it's nothing bad."
"Tell her," Sandy urged.
"Papa's here," Adam said.
"What?" Kathryn asked.
Adam ushered his mother into the living room.
A man stood in the center of the room.
"Hello, Kathryn," he said. "So, how's my oldest daughter?"
"Oh my God," Kathryn gasped.
She slumped into her son's arms.
Sneak preview of Chapter 3 coming soon!
Book promotion Michael Arruda fiction Michael Arruda novels NECON EBooks science fiction novels time travel stories	Michael Arruda fiction Michael Arruda novels NECON EBooks science fiction novels TIME FRAME time travel stories
TIME FRAME – My Debut Novel- Now Available!
Posted on January 9, 2015 by marruda3
Nothing like writing your own press release!
Seriously, though, self-promotion goes hand in hand with being an author. You've got to get the word out about your work. Books don't sell themselves.
Self-promotion is, after all, one of the main reasons I write this blog. Sure, I have fun writing it, and I enjoy writing about movies and the horror genre, but the goal really of the whole thing is to get my name out there so that if people like what they read here, they'll take a chance and buy some of my books that are on sale. That's the theory anyway. I don't think about it too much since I have so much fun writing the blog.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you write, you have to spend as much time and effort marketing your work as you do writing it, or else you'll be writing for you and you alone, and that simply isn't much fun!
So, that's what I'm doing here today, promoting my new novel.
My debut novel, TIME FRAME, is now available as an EBook from NeconEbooks at www.neconebooks.com. And right now it's on sale for the very low price of $2.99. What a bargain!
Writing TIME FRAME was a challenge because it's a story with multiple timelines and I had to make sure that by the story's end that they all made sense. I think they do. I also wanted to take things as far as possible, to write a story where I took those traditional time travel tropes and blew them out of the water. Not sure if I succeeded, but the story does include a large explosion on the high seas.
I also didn't want my science fiction tale to be cold and stoic. I wanted heated and emotional, which is why I wrote as my main characters a close family, with the thought in mind: how far would you go to protect your family? Would you break the rules of time travel to save your loved ones?
This one also started with a single idea. I had recently lost my own grandfather, who I was very close to, and I couldn't get the thought out of my head that I just wanted to see him one more time. And so I came up with the single scene of a young man opening his front door and finding his grandfather standing there looking perfectly normal, which the man knew had to be impossible because his grandfather was dead. This scene was the genesis for TIME FRAME, and I built the story around that, as I thought about possible scenarios that could make this scene true. What could account for a man who had been dead for several years returning to his loved ones looking happy and healthy again? The answer became the novel TIME FRAME.
Here's what others are saying about TIME FRAME:
"TIME FRAME is one of those books that had me from the first scene. It begins when Papa, who has been dead for several years, knocks on the door of his adult grandson's house. Why he's there (and more importantly, how) opens up a whole plethora of questions and answers involving the future, time travel, and deadly conspiracies to keep certain mouths shut. Somehow, Arruda is able to put a fresh spin on the concept of time travel, and deliver a gripping book that will have you eagerly turning pages to see what happens next. There's also something about his style and characters that has a quality similar to comfort food. You're in for a treat with this one. TIME FRAME delivers."
–L.L. Soares, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels LIFE RAGE, ROCK 'N' ROLL and HARD
TIME FRAME, by Michael Arruda, serves up both a tender family drama and mind-bending time travel story. An earnest debut novel with a lot of heart and plenty of twists and turns.
–Daniel G Keohane, author of SOLOMON'S GRAVE
"Michael Arruda's TIME FRAME is the kind of science fiction novel I love – full of great characters and ideas. It speeds along at a frightening pace with complications and time conundrums hurled incessantly at our heroes. In this way, it hearkens back to those great tales from the golden age of science fiction, but with all the time travel, explosions, fires, and heady concepts, it is ultimately the story of the importance of family in our lives. What a great ride!"
–William D. Carl, author of THE SCHOOL THAT SCREAMED and BESTIAL
"Arruda works the time lines, like a weaver on a loom. TIME FRAME is a fun, quirky and entertaining read. Time travel, clones, the occasional temporal paradox and a pinch of violence thrown in for good measure. A very enjoyable ride."
–Scott T. Goudsward, Co-author of HORROR GUIDE TO MASSACHUSETTS, Co-editor of ONCE UPON AN APOCALYPSE
And if EBooks aren't your thing, the print edition will be arriving soon, a little bit later on in 2015.
Book promotion horror fiction horror novels Michael Arruda fiction Michael Arruda novels NECON EBooks New England Horror Authors science fiction novels Uncategorized	Michael Arruda novels NECON EBooks science fiction novels TIME FRAME time travel stories


Friends for Good Health International Chairman Bobby Bobby K. Kalotee was interviewed by Simmy Harding. They where talking about me and Friends for Good Health. The interview was in both Hindi and English.
I am honored and humbled to march in the New York City Veterans Day Parade. The freedom we enjoyed since America's inception was celebrated today to honor the sacrifices the members of our armed forces so our children and grand children can continue to enjoy living free.
We thank our Veterans for our everyday freedom, I am glad our new President-elect Donald Trump strongly believes in support and respect for our Veterans. So today marching with all our Veterans along with honorable New York City mayor and my friend Bill de Blasio to remember and celebrate our Veterans.
Today I am so proud of President elect Donald Trump for keeping his campaign promises by visiting Carrier Air Conditioners Company in Indiana.
By visiting the company and meeting those hard working employees showing them how serious Mr. Trump is to his commitment to keep and make America great.He just showed how his business skills enabled him to communicate with other business leaders to keep the jobs from leaving the U.S. As usual liberals like Bernie Sanders think"Trump has endangered the jobs of workers who were previously safe in the United States. Why? Because he has signaled to every corporation in America that they can threaten to offshore jobs in exchange for business-friendly tax benefits and incentives. Even corporations that weren't thinking of offshoring jobs will most probably be re-evaluating their stance this morning. And who would pay for the high cost for tax cuts that go to the richest businessmen in America? The working class of America."Mr. Sanders skills are how to criticize others achievement with no solutions. Mr. Sanders knows how to say how to play with peoples minds by offering everything and give nothing. Its just like you cant give anything from an empty box. Mr. Sanders never communicated with any business leaders and knows little about anything else other a senator. Even at that he is not a good senator. So lets stand with President elect Trump and Vice President elect Pence for the success of their leadership for a better America. As I agree with President Obama and Hilary Clinton election is over now we have a new team elected, we all stand with them and we want them to succeed as our tradition of democracy is. Lets all join together in the spirit of the holidays in the hope of the best for all America and Americans. God Bless the USA the greatest in the world. Peace for all.
There should be no controversy when it comes to the flag of America. Every nation gets recognized by flying their flags to show their pride. The same way we do if not more when we landed on the moon we put our flag there.
It was a beautiful afternoon in NYC to join with MMUN delegates, teachers and parents from all over the world for the 2017 Inspiring the Youth conference.
I was honored to join with my friends and a leaders in humanitarian work Jack Brewer, Judith Cunningham and Michael Jacobson. I was thrilled to see that this year's participation from all involved was the largest gathering in the history of MMUN. All the delegates, parents and teachers showed their enthusiasm to work together for a better and peaceful tomorrow.
Dr. Dr. Bobby K. Kalotee National Chairman Friends for Good Health attended the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly in New York from Sept 25 to Sept 29.
Bobby had the honor to meet and greet so many world leaders. Here he is seen with H.E. Mr. Gaston Alphonso Browne, Prime Minister Antigua and Barbuda.GASTON ALPHONSO BROWNE, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Corporate Governance of Antigua and Barbuda, recalled how on 6 September, his two‑island State was victim to the ferocity of Hurricane Irma. "The island of Barbuda was decimated; its entire population left homeless," he said. Describing the sheer difference in size, he noted that Barbuda was 62 square miles while Hurricane Irma was 375 miles wide. "Barbuda did not stand the faintest chance," he said. "For the first time in over 300 years, there is now no permanent resident on Barbuda." The residents were moved to Antigua, whose population increased by 3 per cent overnight.The residents of Barbuda were now anxious to return to their homeland but the island remained unfit for human habitation, he said. There was no electricity, no potable water, and 95 per cent of the buildings had been damaged or destroyed. The preliminary estimates had placed the cost of rebuilding Barbuda at about $250 million, he said, adding: "It is simply a stretch beyond our reach." Antigua and Barbuda urgently required assistance from the international community, he continued, adding: "We have not stretched the palm of our hand because we crave, we plead because we need." He thanked the first responders, particularly from Venezuela, who "went above the call of duty", as well as all donors.The present international financial architecture was leaving small States such as Antigua and Barbuda behind, he said. Two Category 5 hurricanes in 12 days hit the Caribbean. That could no longer be dismissed as "vagaries of the weather". Climate change was man-made, and must be attributed to nations that consumed 80 per cent or more of the world's energy and emitted dangerous levels of pollution. All 14 Caribbean nations together produced less than 0.1 per cent of global emissions. "The unfairness, injustice and inequality are painfully obvious," he said, urging the international community to provide financing at concessionary rates without artificial impediments.Like many small island States, his developing country was categorized as "high-income" thus denying it access to grant funding, he said, adding that the per capital income criterion was skewed. He asked: "Where is the justice in large wealthy countries borrowing on their capital markets at 3 per cent, while so-called 'high-income' small island States are forced to borrow commercially at 12 per cent?" It was irrational to graduate a small island State that could not pay its debts to high-income status.He stressed the need to make trade more fair, recalling how Antigua and Barbuda won a trade dispute with the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Yet the United States had failed to settle, and the loss of trade revenue to his country had risen to $200 million. Honouring its obligation to Antigua and Barbuda was not a one-sided deal, of which the United States got nothing in return. The United States had been the greater beneficiary of trade with Antigua and Barbuda for decades while his country continued to suffer over 13 years of trade losses.Bobby K. Kalotee National Chairman Friends for Good Health attended the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly in New York from Sept 25 to Sept 29. Bobby had the honor to meet and greet so many world leaders. Here he is seen with H.E. Mr. Gaston Alphonso Browne, Prime Minister Antigua and Barbuda.Please click here to see the speech by Mr. Gaston Alphonso Browne, and comment on what Mr. Gaston Alphonso Browne had to say.GASTON ALPHONSO BROWNE, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Corporate Governance of Antigua and Barbuda, recalled how on 6 September, his two‑island State was victim to the ferocity of Hurricane Irma. "The island of Barbuda was decimated; its entire population left homeless," he said. Describing the sheer difference in size, he noted that Barbuda was 62 square miles while Hurricane Irma was 375 miles wide. "Barbuda did not stand the faintest chance," he said. "For the first time in over 300 years, there is now no permanent resident on Barbuda." The residents were moved to Antigua, whose population increased by 3 per cent overnight.The residents of Barbuda were now anxious to return to their homeland but the island remained unfit for human habitation, he said. There was no electricity, no potable water, and 95 per cent of the buildings had been damaged or destroyed. The preliminary estimates had placed the cost of rebuilding Barbuda at about $250 million, he said, adding: "It is simply a stretch beyond our reach." Antigua and Barbuda urgently required assistance from the international community, he continued, adding: "We have not stretched the palm of our hand because we crave, we plead because we need." He thanked the first responders, particularly from Venezuela, who "went above the call of duty", as well as all donors.The present international financial architecture was leaving small States such as Antigua and Barbuda behind, he said. Two Category 5 hurricanes in 12 days hit the Caribbean. That could no longer be dismissed as "vagaries of the weather". Climate change was man-made, and must be attributed to nations that consumed 80 per cent or more of the world's energy and emitted dangerous levels of pollution. All 14 Caribbean nations together produced less than 0.1 per cent of global emissions. "The unfairness, injustice and inequality are painfully obvious," he said, urging the international community to provide financing at concessionary rates without artificial impediments.Like many small island States, his developing country was categorized as "high-income" thus denying it access to grant funding, he said, adding that the per capital income criterion was skewed. He asked: "Where is the justice in large wealthy countries borrowing on their capital markets at 3 per cent, while so-called 'high-income' small island States are forced to borrow commercially at 12 per cent?" It was irrational to graduate a small island State that could not pay its debts to high-income status.He stressed the need to make trade more fair, recalling how Antigua and Barbuda won a trade dispute with the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Yet the United States had failed to settle, and the loss of trade revenue to his country had risen to $200 million. Honouring its obligation to Antigua and Barbuda was not a one-sided deal, of which the United States got nothing in return. The United States had been the greater beneficiary of trade with Antigua and Barbuda for decades while his country continued to suffer over 13 years of trade losses.
Dr. Bobby Kalotee said he agree with New York Governor statement Saint Patrick's day is a "day of inclusion". Several bagpipe bands led a parade made up of more than 100 marching bands after Democratic Gov.
Andrew Cuomo spoke briefly, calling it a "day of inclusion" and adding: "We're all immigrants."New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, also a Democrat, marched with police Commissioner James O'Neill under sunny skies.Varadkar, Ireland's first openly gay leader, watched the parade at St. Patrick's Cathedral before joining the march. In remarks, Cuomo said it was "my pleasure to march with him," especially in a parade that long tried to ban gays.The parade, beginning at 11 a.m., lasted nearly six hours. An estimated 150,000 marchers made the 1.4-mile (2.2-kilometer) trek past Central Park, the Cathedral and Trump Tower.Large since the mid-1800s, the parade has celebrated Irish culture and Irish immigrants, who once faced nativist calls for their exclusion from the workforce — and from the country — when they began arriving in the city in huge numbers during the Irish Famine.In the 1990s, parade organizers were involved in annual court fights over whether to exclude openly gay groups from the march. This year, at least two groups in the parade had banners identifying marchers as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.For the 167th time, the lead group marching in the parade was 800 members of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, of the New York Army National Guard. Cuomo joined them. The regiment, once predominantly made up of Irish immigrants, first led the parade in 1851 as a deterrent to anti-immigrant violence.Judy Hughes, whose father used to march with the 69th Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Fighting Irish," said she's been attending the parade "since I was a little girl."Her husband, Bill Hughes, a retired police officer who marched in the parade for 10 years, looked on as a band passed."It's better being on the other side," he said.This year's grand marshal was Loretta Brennan Glucksman, chairwoman of The American Ireland Fund, a group that has raised millions of dollars for philanthropic projects in Ireland, including funding for integrated schools for Catholic and Protestant children in Northern Ireland.She rode along the parade route in a Central Park horse carriage driven by a family friend.The parade was a familiar occasion for Matthew McCrosson, 68, who has frequently marched in it during the past half-century."The parade truly signifies the Irish investment over 250 years in the greater New York area," McCrosson said. "The parade represents not only Irish, but people from all nationalities."Danny and Carol Manley, an Irish New Jersey couple, watched the parade with their son, Dan Jr."We like to come back, get together, see the bagpipers and see how the generations have grown up," Danny Manley said. Nassau County Human Rights Commissioner/Chairman Bobby Kalotee was honored to be marching with NYS comptroller Hon.Tom DiNapoli and other elected officials. Bobby was thrilled to see all the people along the parade route celebrating Saint Patrick's day as he celebrates his birthday by joining so many on this great day and he said i was so happy o meet him eminence Cardinal Dolan.
Dr. Bobby Kalotee chairman of Friends for Good Health and chairman of the Nassau County Human Rights Commission would like to thank president Trump for nominating my friend Hon. John Bolton to be the next National Security Advisor.
Dr. Bobby K. Kalotee Chairman Nassau County Human Rights Commission attended the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly in New York from Sept 25 to Sept 29. Bobby had the honor to meet and greet so many world leaders.
Here he is seen with H.E. Mr.Please click here to see the speech by Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and comment on what Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili had to say. GIORGI KVIRIKASHVILI, Prime Minister of Georgia, expressed condolences and sympathy to the victims of hurricanes in the Caribbean and the United States and earthquakes in Mexico, saying no country, including his, was immune from natural hazards. Recalling that 2017 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of Georgia's membership in the United Nations, he said his country had, during that period, gone from being a recipient of United Nations humanitarian assistance to becoming a top reformer and Chair of the Open Government Partnership. It supported the Secretary‑General's proposed reforms for the Organization, he said.He reviewed Georgia's progress and commitment to democracy over the years, with its place in international rankings rising in such areas as fighting corruption, protection of property rights, an independent judiciary and law enforcement. "We are not making cosmetic changes," he said, drawing attention to progressive initiatives contained in a new draft Constitution. Georgia aspired to become a full member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as it had long been an integral part of Europe's broad cultural and historical tapestry.Member States knew fully well the Russian Federation still occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia in violation of its many international obligations, including dozens of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, he said. In 2017, the Russian Federation had intensified its policy of occupation and factual annexation. It had implemented so-called "integration treaties" and signed so-called "agreements" with de facto authorities, absorbing the two regions into its military, political, economic and social systems. The Russian Federation had also intensified the fortification of occupation lines, installing razor wire fences, trenches and motion detectors, he added.Georgia was committed to resolving the Russian Federation-Georgia conflict peacefully, with its Government complying with a European Union-mediated ceasefire agreement, he said. The Russian Federation, however, was not reciprocating. Georgia was grateful for United Nations support, including annual General Assembly resolutions on the right of return for internally displaced persons and refugees. However, he said, hundreds of thousands of compatriots still waited to return home because a Member State refused to comply with its international obligations. Georgia was determined to make the benefits of its European agenda available to people on the other side of the occupation line through a package of initiatives, including trade opportunities, health care, education and other social benefits, he said.
Dr Bobby K. Kalotee chairman of the Nassau County Human Rights Commissioner attended the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly in New York from Sept 25 to Sept 29. Bobby had the honor to meet and greet so many world leaders.


The fake event was part of a Rutgers University class assignment that was never meant to attract the attention of Cornell students.
An assignment for a Rutgers University writing class led hundreds of Cornell students on Monday to mistakenly believe that Eminem would be performing at Alice Statler Auditorium.
Eminem does not have any events scheduled at Cornell or in Ithaca, but more than 1,000 people have indicated interest in a Facebook event page that falsely claims the famous Detroit rapper will visit Cornell in May.
The event page was created by Oliver Kaczor, a senior at the school's New Brunswick campus, as part of a graded assignment for a class in Rutgers' writing program, Writing for Business and the Professions. Kaczor said he never meant to trick anyone.
A major component of the class is a semester-long project in which students write proposals to solve a specific problem. Kaczor chose to focus on suicide among college students because of his friend's recent experience, he said, and eventually narrowed the project down to focus on Cornell.
Part of the assignment — worth 15 percent of the project grade — requires students to create a social media presence, he said. The pages are supposed to appear as real as possible.
Some students in the class made pages about issues such as the effects of global warming in New Jersey, raising awareness for athletes who suffer concussions, or efforts to lower obesity rates, Kaczor said.
The New Jersey native made a page called "Cornell Cares" in late March, representing a fictional organization that says it is run by students for students who feel sad or left out of college life.
He posted some relevant news clips on the Facebook page and also created a few fictional events, including one at which Eminem, one of Kaczor's favorite artists, would supposedly host a conversation about suicide before performing at Cornell.
Almost no one interacted with the page for about three weeks, Kaczor said, except for a couple of his friends whom he asked to "like" the page to make it look more real.
Then, late on Monday night, his phone began buzzing as he was studying in an academic building at Rutgers.
By 1 a.m. on Tuesday, more than 1,000 people — many of them Cornell students — said they were either interested in or going to the fake event.
Some students began to complain that the link for tickets wasn't working, while others quickly suspected the page was not real. One Cornellian, after some internet sleuthing, posted a screenshot of the syllabus from Kaczor's class on the event page.
The fictional event has reached more than 20,000 people, according to Facebook analytics, and some people assumed Kaczor had intentionally created the page to fool students 200 miles away. But the page, Kaczor said, was solely for his class.
Kaczor, who is studying sports management, said he had originally planned to attach the social media page as an appendix to his final proposal, but now plans to contact his professor and ask if he can delete the page without his grade plummeting.
"This is kind of blowing up, so I might have to delete it because this is getting out of hand," he said.
Kaczor deleted the page shortly before 2 a.m. on Tuesday.
Once again, the Straight Edge will host its rooftop Pop-Up beginning on this upcoming Monday, April 29, with events every afternoon and evening through Friday, May 3.


text: Android App for MapaPlay "Panoramas"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


SPONGE COLA's "Kunwari" Music Video Will Break Your Heart - MYX | YOUR CHOICE. YOUR MUSIC.
Sponge Cola's latest single "Kunwari" now has an offiical music video and it's directed by vocalist Yael Yuzon himself. The music video, which was seen first on MYX last Saturday, has a very interesting theme - especially if you are into vlogging and of course, in love.
What can you say about this new music video from Sponge Cola? Leave us a comment!


text:
OPPRESSED MEDIA: BABY HAS FATAL ATTACKS BECAUSE MOTHER WAS FORCED TO TAKE THE SHOT BEFORE DELIVERY
"My niece had her second child last month and throughout her pregnancy she resisted being vaccinated. A month before the baby was born she was told that she would need a Caesarean section {C-section} and the hospital and doctors insisted that they would not allow her into the hospital unless she had the jab. With such pressure, and the worry of her baby's health, she felt forced to comply and take the CV [email protected] Now the baby is in hospital, has uncontrollable intermittent 'jitters' that are worsening and needs a brain scan as they cannot fathom what is causing this Every test that has been done has come back negative so they are being transferred to the Great Ormond Street hospital to do further investigations." ELTV on GAB: https://gab.com/ELTV ELTV REEL GROUP on GAB: https://gab.com/groups/47201 ELTV on NEWTUBE: https://newtube.app/ELTV ELTV on TWITCH: https://www.twitch.tv/eltvgrid
Gordon_Shumway
Any doctors who refuse to give appropriate medical care due to the patient freely choosing to not take any medical injections let alone experimental Covid 19 injections should be sacked and charged for neglegence.
Barbarossa 296
The "Jab" is population control in every sense of the term. It has two functions – to reduce the subject population and to tag every member of that subject population. With the first injection, the subject is permanently sterilized – so no more children for the "vaccinated". With the first injection and with every subsequent booster (of a never ending series), the subject's immune system is degraded to the point that eventually even minor illnesses become fatal. With the first injection, a microchip is inserted into the subject that, with the use of 5G technology, the subject's identity, location, and vital signs are tracked in real time. In other words, people are digitally tagged like cattle. Thus, the ultimate purpose of the "vaccination" in Western countries is genocide. Those members of the subject population who refuse "vaccination" are to be blamed for the rapidly increasing mortality of the "vaccinated" population and shall be forcibly put into "quarantine" camps where, at best, they'll be "reeducated" until they voluntarily accept the "jab". At worse, they'll be forcibly injected with the "vaccine". Genocide is nothing new to our cultural Marxist/Globalist (rebranded Communist) elite. Indeed, they would make their heroes Lenin, Stalin, Mao, et al (who together, murdered an estimated 120 million people during the 20th Century) very proud!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Suspence strings announce the presage of an incumbent tragedy ... the earthquake ... strikes down the city, with its fury destroys memories, homes and families. The notes of the piano (in Yann Tiersen style) rise one by one and they fade out like tears on the faces of the survivors, unarmed witnesses. Dedicated to the victims of the 1976 earthquake in Friuli, Italy.
Suitable for: reportages, documentaries, fictions.


Hunter's WorldWide Group offers complete operating system site design, complete with drawings. Our staff will provide both a plan view and elevation of your site. This is will show all necessary items and will be accompanied with a detailed equipment list.
We believe that this is required to insure the proper equipment is specified. This will assure that you end up with an efficiently operating system.


Material used in all divisions should be based on all approved NDCA Syllabus and allowable figures.A) Closed Divisions: Pro/Am & Amateur – American or International – Newcomer, Pre-Bronze, Bronze 1, Full Bronze, Newcomer Silver, Silver l, Full Silver, Gold 1, Full Gold,B) Open Divisions: Pro/Am & Amateur – American or International – Single or Multi-Dance: Open Bronze, Open Silver, Open Gold, Scholarships, Pre-Championships, Open Amateur Championships, Solo Exhibitions and all Professional Divisions.
No Lifts are permitted at any time in the above mentioned divisions with the exception of Professional Theatre Arts. Please see NDCA Rule Book.
Professional Theatre Arts Competitors and Pro/Am Solo exhibitions must provide their own music through a USB Thumb Drive MP3 Format.
Due to time constraints, the maximum time allowed for Solo exhibitions is 2½ minutes. Only the first 25 exhibitions will be accepted.
Scholarship Divisions: are merged ladies and gentlemen and age divisions are A/B/C unless otherwise stated. A competitor must enter in a minimum of 5 single dances (4 in smooth) in the same style of each scholarship entered to be eligible to participate in that scholarship. Student may dance one age division only.
The appropriate dress code for all Divisions and Standards as is outlined and stated in the NDCA Rule Book.
Teacher eligible for the Top Teacher Awards must be on a package and dance a minimum of 100 entries to qualify. Qualifying teachers will be awarded points based on the number of entries and placement in all Pro/Am divisions, including Solo and Scholarship Events. Points are based of the World Dancesport Series.
Uncontested will be 1/2 Point.
Entries received after this date will be subject to a late entry fee of $20 per dance. NO ENTRY can be accepted if not accompanied with payment. There are no refunds for cancellations. Cancellations will be issued a credit and applied to the following year's Championship. Hotel Package cancellation credits are subject to a surcharge if canceled less than 7 days prior to the event.
All persons attending this event, whether as a spectator, competitor, official or guest of the organizer, Capital Dancesport LLC, shall be bound by the rules of the National Dance Council of America, Inc. No responsibility for loss or theft of articles left in any changing rooms, ballroom or hotel room can be accepted by the organizer or the NDCA and neither can either party be held liable for any injury sustained by any persons attending the event. All attendees do so at their own risk.


Download at: withjoyretreats.com?book=?book=X Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga pdf download. 13 May transformative pdf -. Kundalini awakening shakti the transformative power of goddesses yoga sally kempton PDF ePub Mobi. Download. The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga In Awakening Shakti, you will learn how to recognize and invite: Kali, bringer of strength, fierce love, and.
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McCulkin family murderer's appeal date set ( admin posted on October 27th, 2018 )
Barbara McCulkin and her daughters were taken from their home in Highgate Hill in Brisbane in 1974.Vincent O'Dempsey's appeal against his convictions for the murders of Barbara McCulkin and her two daughters 44 years ago will be heard in July.
A Brisbane Supreme Court jury found O'Dempsey guilty of the 1974 killings last May.
One month later, he filed a notice to appeal the three murder convictions and one count of deprivation of liberty.
In the Queensland Court of Appeal on Friday, Justice Walter Sofronoff refused a request to delay the hearing until November.
Instead he listed it for July 25 and 26.
O'Dempsey was found to have taken Mrs McCulkin, 32, her daughters Vicki, 13, and Leanne, 11, from their Brisbane home at Highgate Hill on the night of January 16, 1974.
He then killed them in bushland near Warwick.
Garry Dubois was also convicted of the murder of the two girls but found guilty of a lesser charge of manslaughter for Mrs McCulkin.
Both men protested their innocence during sentencing, but Justice Peter Applegarth described O'Dempsey as "beyond redemption" and said he expected him to die in jail.
"You were the principal offender in each brutal killing," he said at the time.
Dubois has also launched an appeal against his convictions.
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This cake is themed from the Monsters vs Aliens Halloween special 'Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space'. The cake layers are chocolate Greek yogurt cake with chocolate Greek yogurt buttercream. I really like the cake layers but the buttercream is a bit too sweet for my taste.
Here's a close up of B.O.B. with the archway behind him. The faces on the jack o lanterns on the archway were done with edible food marker.
Dr. Cockroach is really thin and I was worried that structurally, he might not make it to delivery if I made his whole body. Instead I made a fondant skull for him to pop up out of.
The cake drum is covered with black fondant patterned to look like cobblestone. The three Monsters vs. Aliens characters are made from fondant. I brushed B.O.B. with a mixture of corn syrup and peppermint schnapps so that he would look more 'slimy'.
The bottom tier is covered in purple fondant with a white fondant fence. The archway is my absolute favorite part of the cake. I loved the house and the archway in the movie. I considered trying to make a cake version of the house but decided I didn't have enough time to be able to do it as detailed as I would want to.
The top tier is a mutant pumpkin. If you haven't seen the tv special, you can check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBpxXvQR1eU. I love the language these pumpkins speak - it is too cute!
The birthday boy wanted the cake to be healthy. Since that's a tough task to accomplish, I added this halloween themed fruit. Pumpkins made from clementines and celery sticks and ghosts made from bananas with chocolate chips.


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Kaushal Raj
421 // 15 Aug 2016, 00:55 IST
The winning moment: Justin Rose walks away with the gold
Golf returned to the Olympics after a 112 year hiatus and certainly didn't disappoint. Justin Rose of Great Britain won the gold, beating Henrik Stenson to the medal by one single stroke. Matt Kuchar of the United States of America put in an inspired performance to seal bronze for his country.
Justin Rose remained solid throughout the course of the four days, saving his best for the third day. He recorded rounds of 67, 69, 65 and 67 to end at -16 under par 268 and secure the gold medal. On the final day, he shot a -4 under par 67, one better than Henrik Stenson who shot a -3 under par 68. Henrik takes home a silver medal for Sweden.
The golfers couldn't be separated going into the final hole with both of them on -15 under par. Justin Rose recorded a birdie, while Henrik ended up bogeying the hole, proving to be the difference between the two.
Matt Kuchar of the United States of America recorded a -8 par 63 on the final day to secure bronze for his country. It was an inspired performance that equalled the lowest that was seen in the event.
Marcus Fraser of Australia, who started with a -8 under on the first day couldn't keep up the momentum and ended in 5th place with his total of -8 under par 276.
A number of pre-tournament favourites including the likes of Sergio Garica, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler performed nowhere close to their potential and weren't in the reckoning going into the final holes on the last day.
It was a disappointing performance from the Indians at large in Rio. SSP Chawrasia, who had offered a glimmer of hope at various stages, faded away in the last round with a +7 over par to finish at +5 overall for the event. The disastrous last day was enough to ensure he finished 50th in the 60 man field.
Anirban Lahiri had a torrid time at Rio. He recorded 4 over par rounds to finish 57th with a total of +10 over par 294.
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Jean had been a right-to-die campaigner all her life. At age 86 she had various medical conditions including episodes of fainting which she was finding increasingly frightening. She felt her life was complete and wanted to end it.
I am doing nothing wrong. We are not breaking the law.
What alternative do I have?
She was convinced that she wanted to end her life in a way that was legal, did not implicate anyone else, and she wanted to end her days in her own home.
She chose to starve herself to death. She died peacefully in her own bed with family members by her side in October 2014.
Jean stopped eating 5 weeks before she died. Normally death by voluntary refusing food and liquid takes about 2 weeks, depending on the level of health of the individual. However, Jean didn't stop drinking water until two weeks before she died.
There is a British Humanist Association, (now Humanists UK), tribute here.
She died peacefully in her own home, and she was not alone, and that was what she wanted.
… choosing to end your life in the way my mother did, by stopping eating and drinking … is perfectly legal and you still have access to medical care through your GP.
It is hell, I cannot tell you how hard it is. You wouldn't decide this unless you thought your life was going to be so bad. It is intolerable.
MDMD believes there should be more compassionate option available in this country in which lethal medication could be legally prescribed and professionally supervised for people who, like Jean, rationally and independently decide that their life is complete and they want to die.


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MLS BOARDINGPASS
Expansion is never off topic in Major League Soccer.
At just 22 years old, the league is on track to almost treble its original size by the time the 2022 season starts.
This is after some aggressive phases of growth, but the phase which really kicked it up a gear began in 2015 with five new additions joining the league over a three-year period, followed by its current expansion plan to expand to a further three markets by 2020.
This latest upgrade – taking the league to 26 clubs in total – had twelve markets contest to be part of it, with Nashville the first winner of the sweepstake, followed by Cincinnati and Miami.
The rest remain jockeyed for position to occupy the final two spots in a race with no announcement date but with expectations for the teams to begin play by 2022.
A PROCESS OF COMMITMENT
That's the governing factor of any bid. It is what the league want to see.
Commitment from an ownership group the league believes in, and with the resource to see any bid through.
Commitment in the form of a comprehensive stadium plan.
And commitment from a fan base showing a cities appetite to be a sports town; one capable of attracting sponsors, and therefore importantly, turning a profit.
It's these three factors which prove a bid has vision. That vision then needs to translate into community ties so that a club can become an anchor for the sport in the city. That's the long-term play.
And those that have moved the needle on these factors for the league so far have been awarded just cause.
THE FINAL SPOTS
A few cities are making their cause heard to take the final two places.
But if the league is looking for a bid – and club – ready to play out of the gate, it's difficult to look beyond California's capital city, and the Sacramento Republic.
There is no denying the city has their requisite fundamentals in place – already ticking the proverbial boxes of stadium plan, local soccer demographics, participation, history and size – but where they fall down, as they did in the running last time, is their ownership, and by that, the size of their pockets.
Sacramento Republic is a club about much more than just potential. They didn't simply establish themselves in the USL when they joined four years ago, they won the league title in their opening season and sold out every home game in the process.
Consistent, raucous turnouts are what define their supporter base – season after season – with average attendances of almost 11,500 per game ranking second all-time only to FC Cincinnati's astonishing gate numbers.
At the same time, they led all non-MLS clubs in season ticket sales, ticket revenue, sponsorship and merchandising – exactly the sort of stuff MLS looks for.
And all this from a team that is only 6 years old.
It's the sort of standing that has attracted clubs like Newcastle, Sunderland, West Brom and Rangers over for midseason friendlies.
But away from what they have been doing on and off the pitch, this is a city is crying out for more.
It's per capita rate of participation ranks second in the country, with nearly 100,000 youth soccer players in the region, almost doubling that in the state of Oregon, which carries the well-established Portland Timbers.
There is also plenty of merit to Sacramento's claim in its being the most underserved professional sports market in the country. It is the largest media market – and the only city out of the top 20 in the country – with just one major league sports franchise. Viewing this in context of other expansion franchises, they are a bigger TV market than Nashville (29th) and Cincinnati (34th in the country) while Miami sits just above them in 16th.
Finally, there is a spirit in the city for a Republic brand that has been fan-driven from the start and which would bring value to MLS. This local popularity proven with verve by its ability to formalise a theoretical 5-year front-of-shirt deal with UC Davis Health System (the city's third-largest employer) should the club be awarded an expansion franchise.
That's a powerful message about the strength of the brand in Sacramento.
What does all this mean? The Republic is quite simply ready to roll on account of any green light.
THEIR OWNERSHIP
This is the final piece of the puzzle. And their big challenge.
They need to assemble a world-class ownership group to ensure they have the conditional financial backing they need.
While they are doing all things right to give them a leg up in the expansion race, the bigger – and more fundamental – question is, where is the financial wherewithal to pay for it all?
Major League Soccer's top table want the financial stability a stable, secure ownership group brings. Respectively in John Ingram and Carl Lindner III, Nashville and Cincinnati arrived at the table with the deep pockets required to support their ambitions.
Sacramento needs to do the same.
In Chairman Kevin Nagle, right now, they have somebody who will contribute, but they need more to take it up a level and have a number of ownership discussions in play with several investors.
One scenario is Southern California billionaire – and Pittsburgh Penguins shareholder – Ron Burkle. While a quite different scenario is also in motion with speculation that Columbus Crew owner, Anthony Precourt could look to move Columbus Crew to Sacramento should he be unable to secure a stadium deal in Austin.
Republic represents an intriguing opportunity. For an owner who wants to build a brand or team in his own image – like Precourt, and the Crew – it may not work. But for someone who wants to get into MLS with minimal fuss, Sacramento is close to ideal.
Two very different solutions, but both with the ultimate ambition of bringing MLS to Sacramento.
A STADIUM TO FOLLOW SUIT
For most expansion efforts, a stadium is the last thing to fall into place. But for Sacramento, they have a shovel-ready stadium plan in waiting as part of the redevelopment of Sacramento's Railyards district.
The starting point for this is securing their ownership structure and getting their $400 million franchise investment in place.
If they could theoretically secure a stadium naming rights sponsor, they up the volume on their bid even further.
WHO ELSE HAS WHAT IT TAKES?
Multiple cities are standing by to compete with Sacramento to show they've got the components for the final spot.
The big player amongst them is Detroit.
They have a couple of billionaires in Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores leading a well-funded bid banking on the revitalisation of Detroit's downtown district.
But while theirs is a fairly complete bid – Detroit is also one of the three largest media markets without an MLS franchise – a couple of black marks exist on it.
Firstly the ownership group irked local soccer fans by opting not partner with existing semi-pro team, Detroit City FC. On top of this, their stadium plan is far from perfect. Early on, their bid included a $1 billion, 23,000-seat open-air stadium before that plan was abandoned, as the Ford family stepped in with a solution to retrofit Ford Field so that if games get played there. The group remains steadfast in keeping this solution, but could cost them dearly as MLS much-preferred stadiums specific to soccer.
Excluding Detroit, the Phoenix expansion bid is on the up, and features the gutsiest group amongst them – the story goes that when they weren't satisfied with the league's responses to their communications, they showed up at the league's doors and got a meeting.
More key to their progress is some of the significant developments they have made in recent months, securing an investor group made up of Advantage Sports Union headed by Chinese hotel magnate Alex Zheng with soccer legend Didier Drogba along for the ride.
They not only have a 21,000-seat stadium site picked out and designed, but have secured funding from Goldman Sachs to build it.
Arizona also has a booming soccer culture in general, and with Phoenix Rising FC making the USL playoffs last season, that is only doing more to keep this growing.
Phoenix is a bid on the rise. And with the San Diego bid also active, for Sacramento, it's a case of a rising tide lifts all boats.
SACRAMENTO'S TO LOSE
Nashville was more chic, Cincinnati was more rich and Miami was more Beckham.
Those were valid reasons going against Sacramento in recent times. But now its time for Sacramento to make their bid really matter.
And with a preferred investor and that piece of the puzzle filled, they may well have built the most perfect argument for MLS to pass over again. A soccer-loving city with everything they need.
So while there is no official timeline for the identification of the next team announcements, they could be simply too good to ignore when that time comes.
Posted on August 19, 2018 August 19, 2018 Posted in Major League SoccerTagged Advantage Sports Union, Alex Zheng, Anthony Precourt, Austin, Beckham, Carl Lindner III, Cincinnati, Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert, Columbus Crew, Detroit City FC, Detroit Pistons Tom Gores, Didier Drogba, Don Garber, expansion, John Ingram, Kevin Nagle, Major League Soccer, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, mayor Kevin Johnson, Miami, MLS, MLS Expansion, Nashville, Phoenix, Phoenix Rising FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, Railyards, Ron Burkle, Sacramento, Sacramento Republic FC, San Diego, sponsorship, stadium, UC Davis Health System, USL	By dfc605
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Home > Unlabelled > An open appeal to the Minister Douglas Devananda
An open appeal to the Minister Douglas Devananda
"It is experienced that your violent campaign against the LTTE also contributed towards brutalising the Tamil civilian population further in Sri Lanka."
by Rajasingham Jayadevan
(November 12, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The two news items under the captions 'Pragmatic Political Programme of the EPDP' and 'Douglas Devananda: The guardian of the Tamils' published in the Sri Lanka Guardian prompted me to write this open appeal. The purpose of writing this appeal is to touch on issues that have not (and you are unable to) addressed in these two documents.
As a school time friend at Jaffna Central College and having been involved in the political activities in the late 1970's, I too sincerely extend my birthday greetings to you when you are celebrating your 52nd birthday.
Your document titled 'Pragmatic Political Programme of the EPDP' gives a fair account of the overall historical circumstances of the conflict in a nutshell, but unfortunately, the stages suggested to resolve the conflict are very long drawn out and complex, when all out efforts are being made by the government to undermine any political resolution to the conflict. The 13th Amendment to the constitution has become an avenue to masquerade a military solution to the conflict with the view to force a Sinhala solution (or even a non solution) through the throats of the weakened Tamils in the country.
It is also feared the three stages suggested for a political resolution in your pragmatic program is only aimed to empower persons like you to preside over the running of the affairs of the north. This, I consider is a process to further weaken any permanent resolution to the conflict and only will help the government to play its rudimentary attitude towards the minority Tamil speaking people.
The drama that is unfolding in the Eastern Province claiming of Provincial governance to empower people there, regretfully is a naked reflection of the insincerity of the government to belittle the Tamil speaking people on the whole. In the name of democracy, the government is doing everything behind the scene to extent its age old agenda to further marginalise the Tamil speaking people.
The indigenous Tamil speaking people are being strangled by the government and the LTTE. The self proclaimed protagonist of the Tamil cause (the LTTE) in their crusade is able to continue with their writ over the Tamil people due to the intransigence and arrogance of the supremacy of the un-accommodative majority rule.
As the leader of the undemocratic EPDP, it is time (though belated) to review your role in the socio-political environs of Sri Lanka for over thirty years. Dr Tellipallai C Rajaratnam's restrictive analysis of only self-elongating of your achievements failed to address the adversities our people are encountering with the EPDP, due to the same fear they have for the LTTE.
I fully condemn the dastardly violent attempts on your life by the LTTE. There was all the purpose and need for you to protect yourself to confront the threat of LTTE violence against you. But unfortunately, your activities have gone beyond limits and your EPDP is one of the most detested paramilitary groups accused of committing untold crimes by enjoying impunity from the government for its violent conduct.
Over many years, numerous accusations have been levelled that your paramilitary outfit has carried out murders, kidnaps and all kinds of other human rights violations. Though some of them have been denied, I am privy to some of these accusations. It is an established fact that your paramilitary group gave birth to the white van abduction culture in Colombo and in the northern Jaffna peninsula. With the overall violent situation prevailing in the country and the government's indifference and inaptitude to deal with these crimes, a climate has been established for the paramilitary groups to enjoy the uninterrupted freedom to engage in human rights violations against their own people without facing the laws of the land.
It will be unfair if I do not touch on few specific human rights violations of your paramilitary group. The murder of the parliamentarian Maheswaran on the New Years day this year in a Hindu temple in Colombo is widely believed to have been carried by your group. The murder of BBC reporter Nimalaraj in Jaffna; causing serious bodily harm to the TNA parliamentarian Sivajilingam and threatening the doctors in Vavuniya to handover millions of rupees to your paramilitary group recently are some of the very serious crimes widely spoken in the community. These are crimes that have seen silent burial due to the indifference and inaptitude of the government.
At the time when self elongation of your achievements are being made in the media, it is also expected a clear statement from you to respond to the various very serious allegations against you are responded and a public apology is made for the sins that were committed. Those who are working to eradicate the LTTE cannot enjoy the freedom given by the government to perpetrate the very same violations the LTTE is condemned for.
It is also regretted that, being a Tamil minister, you have done very little to campaign against pro-government human rights violations against the Tamil speaking people. Most recently, when the Hindu Priest Siva Sri Siva Kadachcha Sivakugarajah was allegedly assassinated by the military in Trincomalee, you did not make any public statement to condemn the killing. Your silence over the human sufferings in the military operations in Vanni, further confirms your inability to go further than your remit as a party to the government.
It must be noted with considerable concern that there are allegations that you are a main functionary of the government to obediently accomplish any tasks entrusted to you. The recent pro-government demonstrations in the East to pressurise India and the failed hartal in the north were reported to have been executed by you on the instructions of the government. Indian engagement is vital for any peaceful resolution to the conflict and any such activities against India can only cause greater harm for our people.
You were telling your colleagues including me recently, that you have rightly reflected to the President Mahinda Rajapakse, that you feel hopeless that you could not achieve anything for your people by aligning with the government for nearly two decades. You had told the President, unless there is substantial shift in the government's attitude to resolve the conflict politically, you will be left with no alternative other than to either commit suicide or claim political asylum in another country to keep away from politics. But your pressure has not worked and the agenda of the government which you are part of has not changed an iota even.
The President is claimed to run a manipulative government and his scheming to undermine democracy are limitless. He is extending the age old concept of Sinhalisation of the Island with the sheer brutal determination under all sorts of pretexts. Regretfully, as a party to this government and involved in the violent paramilitary campaign against the nation's people, you have also become a participant to extend the state agenda against the Tamils.
It is my humble request for you to change your course of direction in the interest of your people and the country as a whole. Time has come for you to play a different role to the one that has failed you for such a long period.
Whatever your circumstances may be, it is time that immediate steps are taken to give up your paramilitary campaign against your own people. We all detest the LTTE. Let us defeat it by political means. Let us implore on the government to offer tangible political resolution to empower our people. By this process the LTTE can be withered from the society wholeheartedly.
Mere military campaign and bogy stories that the Tamils must not even claim a federal system of governance must be campaigned against. The government must be compelled to invest in socio-economic-educational infrastructures without wasting the resources on its military efforts.
I trust that you will consider this appeal in an overall context and in the spirit in which it is written and hope you will consider overhauling your future direction to help the suffering Tamil speaking people to redeem from their never ending sufferings. - Sri Lanka Guardian
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