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Here we have one of the player's perspectives on the fourth Star Wars session. We've already had the basic notes, but it's always nice to see the players making a contribution – and the differences in prospective can be rather revealing. It's best to try to keep those to a minimum though: when the players are effectively playing similar-but-different games it tends to lead to a great deal of awkwardness.
Besides, the character perspectives are always more fun than the dry details.
Recordings from the Holocron of Kira Keldav: Session 4
We had decided to split the group. Khadim, 10CH, and I would remain on the surface and meet or distract the coming Jedi and Sith. Telera, Handell, Lazlo, Alys, Garyan, Ben, and the two kids returned to the underwater Sith base to try and gain control of the facility. Ben's attempts to to try and test out the codes we had gathered on the Sith battleship's computer backfired quite literally when he shot at himself with the ship torpedoes. Ben had now found himself more or less trapped with a limited air supply and no way to contact the Nightraptor.
Back on the Nightraptor, Lazlo and Handell were trying to decide why Ben felt the need to torpedo himself. They concluded that no Sith Lord could possibly be that self destructive, but even then, should they rescue him? As the debate onboard the Nightraptor ensued, it was decided that Telera and Alys would attempt to swim over to the battleship and mount a rescue effort. The kids would be left with Garyan and would try to get him to tell them about old war stories. At the time this sounded a lot safer than letting him find ways to keep himself occupied.
Handell had pulled the Nightraptor away from the battleship when the torpedoes were fired. Those torpedoes were big enough to cause quite a bit of destruction and it took some careful maneuvering on his part to bring the Nightraptor close again with all the muck stirred up by the blasts.
Ben decided that if he was to have any chance of surviving the next twelve hours, he had to rescue himself. He called up the map layout of the ship, and found that one corridor had been clogged with wreckage and the other was filled with mud. He figured it unlikely that he was going to be able to dig his way out. At which point Ben figured out that if the ship was able to recall the torpedoes, then the ship should also be able to send a call for help. He busily got the transmitter working again after he had disconnected it.
At this point, Alys and Telera were about halfway towards the battleship when everyone realized that the series of explosions had drawn the jellyfish to the site. The amount of poison they had was not going to be sufficient for that many jellyfish. Lazlo proceeded to use the ship's blasters to provide covering fire, while Handell tried to start up the ship slowly to prevent dissipating the poison too quickly. Alys and Telera took refuge in a crumbled warehouse, using the partial walls and roof to restrict angles of approach.
Alys suggested that Telera use the Force to help keep the poison from dissipating, much to Telera's shock. To Telera's credit, I must admit there seemed to be something vaguely wrong with the notion of holding a cloud of poison around yourself. They were barely able to hold out long enough for Handell to bring the Nightraptor close enough for an escape as the jellyfish collapsed what was left of the roof. Lazlo provided heavy cover fire using the ship's blasters again.
Ben was going over what was left of the battleship's weapons that could be controlled. Looked like he had an ion cannon (little good that was going to do him underwater), some torpedoes left, the anti-boarding system (electrifying the hull underwater wasn't a good idea), and the ship purging system. Realizing the ship purging system would release toxins designed to kill water breathers, it might help keep the Jellyfish off of him. So Ben started the purge system.
Now Ben tried to contact me using the battleship's communication system. Here is where I learned of the events I just described, and found myself with a serious headache. I wasn't sure what Ben was expecting me to do, considering I was a great distance away with no diving equipment and no boat to come save his rear. It also irked me to no end that now there were broadcasts going out from "The Shard of Devastation" to me. This wasn't going to look good no matter what I tried. Little did I know, but the Jedi were already in orbit picking this up – plus bits about "inventorying weapons stocks" – from an ancient Sith battleship.
The Shard of Devastation was now requesting instructions since the crew had "just been purged". Ben told it to go stealth mode and bring everything to standby while he tried to make his way back to the Nightraptor. As he tried to dig through the mud, he failed to notice something digging in and was caught in a jellyfish tentacle. Promptly paralyzed, Ben was screwed in my opinion. Luckily the toxins from the purge system were having an effect, causing the jellyfish to retract it's tentacle and him outside the ship. I heard much ineffectual groaning in the microphone and I was wondering what the hell was going on.
Ben's efforts to commune with the jellyfish and get it to not eat him were largely ineffectual. My experience has been that sort of thing only really works well with vertebrates or other complex organisms, and even then things are iffy when they are hungry and you are food. Telera and Alys, now that they were back aboard the ship, spotted Ben easily. Telera heroically managed to pull Ben away from the jellyfish using the Force. Alys provided more covering fire and Lazlo pulled Ben into the ship most athletically I am told.
The kids were having a difficult time keeping Garyan away from the guns. He kept rambling on about the value of guns, blades, explosives and immediate violence, which I am sure is doing wonders for their upbringing. I am really going to have to do something about that, I am sure Telera would agree. At least they seemed to think he was crazy instead of getting hyped up with his notions.
Back on the surface, I was about as prepared for the Jedi as I was going to be. I had my (makeshift) Jedi robes, a large hat to block the sunlight, a beach chair to lounge on, a big umbrella to sit under, an alcoholic tropical beverage with tiny umbrella, and had set myself up in the spaceport landing terminal just to make a point. Khadim and 10CH had hidden themselves in one of the warehouses to provide support should things turn sour. They could impersonate miscellaneous electronic equipment real well apparently.
The Jedi came down in an over blaze of glory as they dropped multiple combat shuttles loaded with Republic soldiers all over the place. They busily tried to gain control of all the weapons and hostile ships in the area, which was a real easy feat considering there weren't any. I watched with considerable amusement on the whole affair until the soldiers began leveling all sorts of weapons at me.
I protested mightily at being disarmed, and turned their accusations of being a Sith back on them. After all, I hadn't come to this planet with a small army, belligerently taking control by force, and taking people into custody just because they happened to be sitting there. The female Republic soldier that tried to handcuff me did not appreciate my comment that I was not into that "kinky" stuff and slapped me. It felt like high school all over again. At least I wasn't handcuffed though, she seemed so annoyed that she forgot.
The Nightraptor was now busily fending off jellyfish, but was able to escape readily now that everyone was aboard.
As the soldiers loaded me into one of the dropships to head back into orbit, Khadim grabbed onto the outside of one of the dropships, dragging along a protesting 10CH. 10CH was definitely of the opinion that this was crazy, but Khadim is much bigger and stronger than 10CH was. Khadim even ripped off another missile launching pod to replace the one he lost some time ago.
The soldiers ignored the damage to the dropship for the time being, believing getting a senior Jedi to interrogate me was more important. A trio of older Jedi in their forties or fifties I would guess arrived and began one of the most asinine interrogations I have ever seen. They acknowledged I did not feel like a Sith, although one of them figured I might have learned how to hide it. My protests that I have been doing this for only a little over eight months seemed to sway two of them. Although again that same one protested that I might be an ancient Sith Master that has learned to transfer my essence into my student and of course I would deny that.
This led to the argument on whether or not me claiming to not be an elder Sith in possession of a young body was evidence that in fact I was. I called idiocy on this with the quip "Only secret ops would deny being secret ops". The other two were inclined to agree with me on that. I further explained that we had destroyed the bio weapons we had found, had disarmed the collapsium reactor, and were wanting to dispose of the collapsium portion of it. I also explained, that if I was a Sith, I certainly wouldn't have been sitting on a beach chair waiting for the Jedi to arrest me either!
10CH quietly informed me over the commlink that he and Khadim had managed to sneak onboard. Well good, that at least gave me an ace up my sleeve should things turn sour.
The argument was getting nowhere fast, although they seemed at least willing to believe that I might not be a Sith. The circumstances over the last eight months were just not in my favor. I was especially annoyed with the blank looks I got when I explained how to create an explosion using electricity and water. I finally got recognition when I compared it to a fuel cell. Score one for the high school and some college education. I am real glad I wasn't raised in a Jedi Temple.
Suddenly Khadim and 10CH arrived, 10CH had been knockout darting all the people on the way, and Khadim was still tugging along that missile pod. This led to an interesting standoff with dozens of Republic troops and Jedi training weapons on us and Khadim wielding a missile pod capable of blowing a hole in the ship. The Sith chose exactly that moment to arrive. The Shard of Devastation was (surprisingly enough) the first to notice, as the Jedi and Republic forces were busy with me. I announced that since negotiations had come to a halt, and the newly arrived Sith were an obvious danger to us all, that we call a truce for the duration of hostilities.
Quick assent was had all around.
Ben made one hell of a precognitive effort and directed the Shard of Devastation to where we were going to need it. Even if we did not know what we were going to need it for. Alys covered it in jellyfish and seaweed to help disguise it. They came up with the idea that maybe they could ram the Shard of Devastation into one of the Sith ships. It had limited drive capability, but wouldn't need much if they could figure out how to lure a Sith ship close enough.
The Jedi and Republic soldiers went to battlestations to prepare for the coming attack. We had nowhere to go, so I went to the bridge to see how the odds were after retrieving my lightsaber. Looked like we had a heavy cruiser, two light carriers, numerous shuttles and fighters. The Sith had some scout craft, two light cruisers, and a heavy warship. The locals were deploying half a dozen fighters and offers of alcohol.
In my opinion, the Jedi could probably stall for some time, but the Sith were going to win unless something drastic happened soon. Blast, this was going to be the third time I would be on a sinking warship in the last eight months! never mind the fact that it was the first time that really caused this whole mess! Damn it, not again, I swear it will not happen again!
Ben was busily trying to get the sensors on the Shard of Devastation working properly, and found he had to go outside to finish making adjustments. Alys and Lazlo provided covering fire and Ben was not eaten.
For all my swearing not to let this ship lose the battle, I could not find a way to make the situation on the map improve. I was about to curse my fate when Ben and Handell asked if I knew of a way to lure the Sith down to the surface so they could ram the Shard of Devastation into it. I immediately knew what I had to do. There was only one piece of bait the Sith would take and only the Sith would be stupidly arrogant enough to fall for it.
I asked the pilot of the cruiser we were on to take the ship down near the surface at the coordinates I provided. The pilot objected, saying I was outside the chain of command. Khadim wanted to know what the chain of command was. Admittedly, I went off on a tear then, lamenting that it was big idiots making decisions for little idiots under them, who in turn made more stupid decisions for the poor bastards that had to suffer the consequences. I could tell the commanding officer was seriously annoyed with me at that when Khadim misinterpreted my ranting.
He recalled that the bounty hunters at the guild had referred to him as "the biggest idiot they had ever seen" back when they had asked him to take off the helmet. Khadim promptly declared himself in command. When asked on what authority, Khadim pointed the missile pod at them silencing dissent.
The pilot began to take us down near the surface and was complaining mightily about how stupid this whole affair was as we would be an easy target. He did not seem the least reassured when I told him to be patient and trust me. Soon we were skimming the ocean surface with massive ship to ship fire going off all around us. The Sith followed us as I knew they would. They were so confident in their victory that it never occurred to them to wonder why the enemy was putting themselves into an even worse situation. Their arrogance cost them the advantage.
Garyan "fired" the Shard of Devastation into the path of the Winter Victory almost perfectly. I am afraid to ask where he had been practicing that sort of tactic. As the two ships collided at about the speed of sound, there was a horrific explosion that could be seen for hundreds of miles as all the stored weapons on both vessels detonated. Handell managed to get the Nightraptor through the underwater shockwaves with minimal damage, and the Republic pilot managed to maintain control through it all – although the fact that he was barely subsonic himself doubtless helped.
With the heavy Sith warship destroyed, the battle turned in favor of the Jedi. The Sith retreated shortly thereafter. The Jedi came to the bridge and demanded to know what happened. I gestured to the logs and let them see for themselves. The scene of a giant jellyfish draped in seaweed leaping out of the water into the path of the Sith was rather ridiculous looking I must admit. At first the one Jedi who'd come up with the "Ancient Sith Master" theory insisted that I had somehow had tampered with the logs in the short time it took them to come to the bridge. As it became apparent that that was nonsense, speculation ran rampant on how exactly I managed to arrange this.
I got vague and mentioned I had the services of a precognitive to thank for helping to set it all up. The Jedi didn't seem to entirely buy it, hypothesizing that I might have the legendary power of probability control instead. I made a copy of the logs to post on the galactic net the next time I was able to connect. I intend to utterly humiliate the Sith and bounty hunters chasing me. It's about the only way I have to strike back at them in any form.
The Jedi decided I wasn't a Sith, and that maybe the elder Jedi weren't as senile as even I had thought. The Jedi decided to respect the elders' orders to leave us be and let Telera stay as a liason and guide. It seemed to bug them to no end the idea that they shouldn't interfere. They cancelled the Jedi bounty on my head which made me happier. I couldn't keep the smug look off my face as the Jedi grudgingly admitted I gave them a victory.
They did inform me that my future was cloudy. While a precognitive in my presence would go a long way towards explaining that, they also said my future was especially clouded. The Jedi decided to speak of these events to as few people as possible then departed.
Dropped back off at the surface, I awaited the Nightraptor to pick Khadim, 10CH and I. The locals were most upset over being "abandoned" by the Jedi and that we managed to cause that explosion that sunk the enemy ship. I tried to appease them, first by showing the stupid collapsium reactor had been disarmed and by telling them that we had been busily destroying bio weapons in the ruins. Plus we no longer had any Sith battleships to ram into anyone. That seemed to relieve them a bit, they were pleased that we were destroying the weapons, but were worried that we had found them in the first place. Oh well, can't win them all. At least I think the locals believe we are not monsters.
I got a shard of the "Shard of Devastation" to put in my room for the irony of it. Alys and Ben bought better protective swimwear to use against the jellyfish. Ben had gotten pretty paranoid about the things. I can't really blame him. I bought more sunscreen and some drinks for the trip. That drink I had on the landing terminal was very good and now that the cooler on the ship was working, I felt the need to stock up. The girl behind the counter was cute, but was wary of the whole "Sith" thing I still seem to have going. At least she didn't run off to the mountains screaming. Damn it, I am going to have to ask Telera for advice on not looking like a Sith.
Cooler now fully stocked, we departed back to the Sith base. We were able to gain entry easily enough as the rest of the group had managed that earlier. We tried another one of the Sith codes we had purchased again with me relying on years of watching bad holos to guide my acting as a Sith. This time the code identified me as "Insert Sithy name here" who was apparently an inspector of some sort. I asked the computer for a full inventory of what was down here. After the list was read off to me, I then proceeded to ask what would happen if I found the weapons to be unsatisfactory.
That led to the computer informing me that the weapons would be destroyed, along with the staff being executed for poor performance. Seeing how the staff was already likely long dead, I couldn't see any harm in that. Although I had the nagging feeling this was going to haunt me somehow. With the dead staff thoroughly executed for the lack of progress over the last four millenia, I proceeded to declare the rest of the group replacement staff under me.
I still didn't have full rights to the place, but at least I could wander around without hindrance. The group distracted themselves getting the facilities to make new stuff for them as they broke the old equipment. Well, I suppose they have to amuse themselves somehow. I really need to get full rights so I can remove the blasted bioweapons and chuck them into the sun for safe disposal. Best to at least finish looking around for more surprises first.
While they played with their new toys, I perused the inventory again. Wait, experimental devices that granted specific Force abilities? Also devices that enhanced existing Force ability and other stuff. As far as I knew, that was blatantly impossible. To manipulate the Force, one had to be alive. This was why there were no Force sensitive droids after all. Something was wrong here, and it made my hair stand on end. Either what we had was an entire armory full of unholy artifacts of the Dark Side, or some assumption that has held for twenty one millenia was wrong. If this worked, there had to be some reason why it hadn't caught on.
As much as I wanted to investigate that, we really needed to clean out the base and gain full control of the facility. We continued to explore the place and take an inventory of our own. As we swam down one of the corridors, Alys and I spotted something unusual on one of the walls behind us. I noticed a small difference in the color of the wall and Alys noticed the same spot reflected a glint of light suddenly. Instincts set in as I pulled out my shield and lightsaber. The others crowded behind me and Garyan swam forward looking for a fight.
I asked the computer is there were any escapees around this area and was informed that there had been a total of four escapes from confinement since the base was abandoned. Two had apparently died from lack of food. One was elsewhere in the base, and one was here. Or at least part of it was here. According to the records and 10CH's scans, a crystalline silicon based life form able to restructure itself on the fly. I seriously thought such things were legend. Lovely.
It also apparently ate energy and could eat rocks. Vulnerable to kinetic weapons though. Well, I did have those throwing knives I had acquired. A telekinetic push with the Force should be enough to break the creature too. Garyan beat me to it though as he drew out a concussion missile launcher and took aim. The rest of us barely had time to swim further away before the crystal and Garyan attacked each other. Garyan was pelted with shrapnel and crystal spines while the crystal itself exploded in a hail of shards everywhere.
I couldn't begin to block all the pieces, although I did manage to get the fastest and largest ones. We all took several hits as we were pelted by debris. Ben was knocked unconscious again, and Garyan had taken heavy damage. Garyan also seemed insufferably pleased with himself. The computer was asking if we needed medical attention. I confirmed we did and got us back to the ship's medical bay for healing. Looked like – while there were more of that species around the base – that was the largest specimen by far.
Another query to the computer told me the other species on the loose was something that ate electrical energy hiding in the computer room we needed control of. Lovely thing about this one was that it could project stored energy into various energy weapons or shields. It could even mimic lightsabers.
Wait! I remember Nathan telling me something about that. Something along the lines that one of the major hindrances to modern technology was the static nature of the crystals used in everything. That was the reason shield systems and other things couldn't change shape readily like in the Holos. Alright so this stuff is alive, but it is doing something considered otherwise impossible. I may have to ask Ben his thoughts.
Meanwhile I was of the opinion to find the easy way to kill these things. If we cut electrical power, how long would it take for these things to starve? Over a week apparently. Not sure I have that long to wait. On the other hand, cutting power before we killed everything in stasis is probably not a smart idea. Damn, looks like we are going to have to do this the hard way. Why can't doing things the proper way be easy?
Well one thing is for certain. I, at least, don't have to explain to a Sith Lord why my commander and his heavy warship got eaten by a giant jellyfish while trying to capture one measly rogue apprentice. I would have liked to have seen the look on his face though.
Filed under: Campaign Log | Tagged: Campaign Log, Role Playing Game, RPG, Star Wars | 2 Comments »


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The group show "Carpet for a Lord" at the Berlin gallery of Supportico Lopez takes its name from a 1991 work by Henri Chopin (1922-2008), the avant-garde artist, poet and musician, and features the work of eight artists, including early career artists, Charlie Billingham, Than Hussein Clark, Daniel Milvio, Jill Mulleady and Ola Vasiljeva, and established artists, Judith Hopf, Ettore Spalletti and Haim Steinbach. Opening on 8th September and running until 22nd October 2016, this exhibition aspires to create a melody, from the references and forms of the artworks, about aesthetics, representation, enigma, personality, past, future and death.
The gallery is presented as a mise-en-scène with a large painting by Charlie Billingham placed on a royal blue wall, taking centre stage. Billingham's decoratively-coloured figurative paintings have associative references, namely late 18th century and early 19th century British cartoons, and are often imbued with theatrical and absurdist qualities. A reference to Luigi Pirandello's 1921 play, "Six Characters in Search of an Author" in the press release for this exhibition gives a clue to what the viewer should be looking for. This nonsensical play is about an acting company rehearsing a play when they are interrupted by six strange people, a mother, father, their child and the mother's three other children by another man, in search of an author to finish their story. The mother has walked in on the father offering to buy sex from his stepdaughter who he insists that he did not recognise after so many years. The director agrees to stage their story.
Turning back to the exhibition, one sees many of these peculiar characters crossing the stage, most notably two curious sculptures by Than Hussein Clark that are suggestive of a figure of sorts but made from reconstructed vintage chairs designed by the Austrian architect Josef Hoffman in 1907 for the Vienna-based Cabaret Fledermaus, an avant-garde nightclub and performing arts space. Other floor-based artworks add to the cast of actors, including Judith Hopf's humorous painted tile sculptures, resembling masks put together like a puzzle from a series of different geometric shapes and Billingham's bloated white plaster boot sculptures that look like they have fallen out of one of his paintings. Ola Vasiljeva's artwork plays the role of the director, sitting down exasperated, putting his feet up on a desk and gazing at his script notes pinned to the wall.
Populating the background of the stage are other wall-based props, such as a monochrome panel with gold leaf by Ettore Spalletti, one of Haim Steinbach's signature shelves complete with two antique golden hole punches and a meerschaum pipe, and two sconces by Daniel Milvio, each holding a lit candle from a bronze fist jutting out from the wall. Representational paintings evocative of the past complete the scene with excellent contributions from Jill Mulleady and Daniel Milvio.
As seen on FAD: http://fadmagazine.com/2016/09/14/supportico-lopez-opens-the-season-with-a-theatrical-group-show/
About the Artists
Charlie Billingham, born in 1984. Lives and works in London. Often large in scale and pungent with colour, his paintings typically depict figures excised from satirical drawings by Thomas Rowlandson, George Cruikshank and James Gillray – bulging, bewigged and cavorting. Selected Exhibitions: Carpet for a Lord, Supportico Lopez, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); A Scratching Not a Biting, Bureau, 2016, New York, US (group); Schaulust, Supportico Lopez, 2015, Berlin, DE (solo); The Ultimate Vessel, Koppe Astner, 2015, Glasgow, GB (group); The Funnies, with Helmut Helmut Middendorf, Werner Büttner, Philip Guston, Mel Bochner, Raymond Pettibon, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, George Condo, Cosima Von Bonin, Sarah Lucas, Rose Wylie, MOT International, 2015, Brussels, B (group); Tender 2 The Sunshine Room, OHWOW, 2014, Los Angeles, US (solo); Coming Out, Royal Academy, 2013, London, GB (solo).
Judith Hopf, born in 1969. Lives and works in Berlin. Professor of Fine Art, Städelschule, Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Kunst, Frankfurt am Main. Her art deals with stories and aesthetics, turned towards the sphere of everyday life. For it, she uses forms of expression like performance, video, sculpture and graphics. Selected Exhibitions: TBA, Hammer Museum, 2017, Los Angeles, US (solo); Le Grand Balcon, La Biennale de Montréal, 2016, Montréal, CDN (group); Carpet for a Lord, 2016, Supportico Lopez, Berlin, DE (group); Judith Hopf, Museion, 2016, Bolzano, IT (solo); !Hear Rings!, kaufmann repetto, 2016, Milan, IT (solo); Untitled (1-4), PRAXES Center for Contemporary Art, 2014, Berlin, DE (solo); Liverpool Biennial, 2014, Liverpool, GB (group); Documenta 13, 2012, Kassel, DE (group).
Than Hussein Clark, born 1981. Lives and works in London and Hamburg. Clark is a member of the London-based collective Villa Design Group. His work explores the histories of architecture, decorative arts, and theater by bringing into question queer trajectories within Western culture. Selected Exhibitions: TBA Solo Presentation, Mathew Gallery, Miart Art Fair, 2016, Milan, IT (solo); TBA (with Villa Design Group), MIT, 2016, Cambridge Mass, US (solo); A Month In The Country, Karin Guenther, 2016, Hamburg, DE (solo); Carpet for a Lord, Supportico Lopez, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); Tête-a-Tête (A Dolls House), Frans Hals Museum, 2016, Haarlem, NL (solo); Condo, Carlos/Ishikawa, 2016, London, GB (group); DEBTS (Erotic Review Sinai), Futura, 2016, Prague, CZ (solo); The Violet Crab, DRAF, David Roberts Art Foundation, 2015, London, GB (solo); Little Messages For Modern Shut-Ins, Aran Cravey, 2015, Los Angeles, US (group); Blue Moon (with Villa Design Group), Mathew, 2014, Berlin, DE (solo).
Daniele Milvio, born in 1988. Lives and works between Milan and Ansedonia. Daniele Milvio managed to combine creativity, constant research and innovation, within the legacy of the painting genre, making his work a leading and a true expression of Made in Italy. Selected Exhibitions: TBA, Weiss/Falk, 2016, Basel, CH (solo); Carpet for a Lord, Supportico Lopez, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); Mycorial Theatre, Pivo, 2016, Sao Paolo, BR (group); Granpalazzo, presented by Hester, Palazzo Rospigliosi, 2016, Zagarolo, IT (group); Cacafoco, Federico Vavassori, 2015, Milan, IT (solo); Schifanoia, Hester, 2015, New York, US (solo); Digos Boia, Hadrian, 2014, Rome, IT (solo); Heathers, Rowing, 2014, London, GB (group).
Jill Mulleady, born in 1980. Lives and works in Los Angeles. Jill Mulleady's paintings combine figuration and abstraction. She explores themes like decadence, displacement and memory, in an attempt to create a tension between high culture and the everyday to collapse the past with the present. Selected Exhibitions: TBA, Freedman Fitzpatrick, 2017, Los Angeles, US (solo); Carpet for a Lord, Supportico Lopez, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); This is not a love song, Gaudel De Stampa, 2016, Paris, FR (solo); Daniel Dewar & Grégory Gicquel, Jill Mulleady, Lin May Saeed, Min Yoon Trumpets, Bianca D'Alessandro, 2016, Copenhagen, DK (group); Surrreal, Köning Galerie, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); Fear, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, 2015, Napoli, IT (solo); LA Conversation, with Michael Callies, in collaboration with Jenny's, 2014, Los Angeles, US (solo); El Dorado, Island, 2014, Brussels, B (solo); Et dans une explosion de joie, with Raymond Legueult, Galerie Rue Visconti, 2014, Paris, FR (solo).
Ettore Spalletti, born in 1940. Lives and works in Cappelle sul Tavo. Over the course of 40 years, Ettore Spalletti has traversed some of the most significant episodes in the history of international art, developing an original idiom capable of establishing a dialogue between contemporaneity and classicism. Selected Exhibitions: Carpet for a Lord, Supportico Lopez, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); Ettore Spalletti: Every Dawn is First/Ogni alba è la prima, Marian Goodman Gallery, 2016, London, GB (solo); Anselmo Laib Spalletti, Galleria Lia Rumma, 2015, Milan, IT (group); Un giorno così bianco, così bianco, MAXXI - Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, Rome, GAM - Galleria Civica d´Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Turin, MADRE - Museo d´Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina, 2014, Naples, IT (solo); Ettore Spalletti - Giorgio Morandi, Galleria d´Arte Maggiore, 2014, Bologna, IT (solo); The Sea - salut d'honneur Jan Hoet, Mu.ZZE, 2014, Ostend, B (group); Ettore Spalletti, Galleria Lia Rumma, 2011,
Naples, IT (solo).
Haim Steinbach, born 1944. Lives and works in New York. His work engages the concept of display as a form that foregrounds objects, raising consciousness of the play of presentation. Steinbach selects and arranges objects, which range from the natural to the ordinary, the artistic to the ethnographic, thereby emphasizing their identities, inherent meanings and associations. Selected Exhibitions: Carpet for a Lord, Supportico Lopez, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); DLA Piper Series: Constellations, Tate Liverpool, 2016, Liverpool, GB (group); Cher(e) Ami(e)s, Centre Pompidou, 2016, Paris, FR (group); Once again the world is flat, Serpentine Gallery, 2014, London, GB (solo); Haim Steinbach and Objects from the Permanent Collection, Menil Collection, 2014, Houston, US (solo); Travel, White Cube, Mason's Yard, 2013, London, GB (solo); Haim Steinbach -Works 1983-2006, Galleria Lia Rumma, 2007, Naples, IT (solo); Slittamenti, XLVEsposizione Internationale d'Arte, Biennale of Venice, 1993, Venice, IT (group); The Ninth Biennale of Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2012, Sydney, AU (group).
Ola Vasiljeva, born in 1981. Lives and works in the Netherlands. Ola Vasiljeva works in various media, ranging from video to sculptural pieces, found and modified objects, printed matter and poetry. She often creates ambiguous, absurd, scattered installations and compositions, where the arrangement of the objects stages a choreographed dialogue between them. Selected Exhibitions: Carpet for a Lord, Supportico Lopez, 2016, Berlin, DE (group); Coeurtreregetour, Antoine Levi, 2016, Paris, FR (solo); You've Got Beautiful Stairs, You Know, Kunstverein München, 2016, Munich, DE (solo); Kunstnerbøger – Vildt Voksende, Den Frie, 2016, Copenhagen, DK (group); En Rachâchant, Vleeshal, 2015, Middleburg, NL (solo); XII Baltic Triennial of International Art, CAC, 2015, Vilnius, LT (group); The Limp of A Letter, Prix de Rome, de Appel,2013, Amsterdam, NL (solo); Le fragole del Baltico, Careof, Fabbrica del Vapore, 2013, Milan, IT (group).


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The Social Venture Network, a nonprofit that promotes socially and environmentally responsible businesses, has named the winners of the 2008 SVN innovation awards. The idea behind the awards is to promote and support undiscovered socially responsible business and nonprofit leaders. Among the six winning organizations are a sustainable seafood production company, an ecologically responsible design firm, and a microfinance program for poor people.
Entrepreneurs Changing the World
- Published on Oct 14, 2008


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Jang Tae Joon graduated from the Korean National Police University and worked as a detective. He wanted to gain more power and decided to work in the National Assembly. Now, he is the chief aide to a 4-time lawmaker. He has excellent intuition, a cold-blooded decisiveness and a strong desire to win. He was able to place his lawmaker in the position of the party representative, but Jang Tae Joon has higher ambitions.
Meanwhile Kang Sun Young is a first year lawmaker who got elected through proportional representation and is a spokesperson for her party. She worked as a lawyer and hosted a current affairs TV program prior to becoming a lawmaker. She is ambitious and does her job well. Kang Sun Young has an awkward relationship with Jang Tae Joon, whose boss is a rival of the senior lawmaker who got her to become proportional representation lawmaker.


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Methodistische Kirche in der Karibik und Lateinamerika
|Kirchenfamilie :
|Hauptsitz in :
|Antigua und Barbuda
|Vertreten in :
|Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaika, St. Kitts und Nevis, St. Vincent und die Grenadinen, Trinidad und Tobago, Niederlande, Panama
|Mitgliederzahl :
|Pastoren/-innen :
|Gemeinden :
|Mitglied von :
|Assoziiertes Mitglied von :
|WCC Member Since :
|Website :
The Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas was inaugurated in 1967 at the Methodist Conference Centre, St John's, Antigua. Beginning with the witness and preaching of the speaker of the House of Assembly in Antigua in 1760, the work grew into a mission field of the Methodist Missionary Society of London. The first leader of the island's Methodists was appointed by the Baltimore Conference of 1784 as an elder. In 1786 several British ministers arrived, who were stationed in Antigua, St Kitts and St Vincent.
The conference comprises eight districts: Bahamas/Turks and Caicos Islands, Belize/Honduras, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Panama/Costa Rica and South Caribbean. The church therefore covers an area where English, French, Spanish, Dutch, French Creole, Papiamento and Guyami (the language of the Guyami Indians of Panama) are spoken. Close ties have been maintained with British Methodists through its World Church Office in London, and both churches have a continuing interest in partnership and mission. There are strong and active relationships with the United Methodist Church (USA) and the United Church of Canada. Over the years, links have been established with other autonomous Methodist Conferences such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Ghana and Southern Africa.
The church has always been involved in ecumenical activity and, as a founding member, continues to be an active participant in the Caribbean Conference of Churches. The MCCA has among its objectives the releasing of a new spiritual dynamic in the territories, increasing the witness and service of the church, and mobilizing its resources to work for development and Christian unity.


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for Cinetalk.net
As the Montreal Festival of New Cinema (FNC) 2017 officially kicks off this Wednesday, it will unveil works by three Quebecois filmmakers taking previously existing material to make it their own.
First, red carpets will unroll, at Place-des-Arts, on opening night, with a special presentation of local filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's Hollywood Blockbuster, Blade Runner 2049. A select crowd of guests will get a peek at the director's take on the long awaited follow up to Ridley Scott's cult feature (out for nationwide release this week).
The FNC will extend across the orange cones capital to its full form and into various venues the very next day…
As remote as it can be from the kind of box office ambitions related to the opening film, but with a sure hand for the artistic side of it, another Denys (Desjardins) will open the Quebec/Canada Focus section with The Zone (Thursday October 5, 3PM – in English – and Tuesday October 10 – in French – both showings at Cinema du Parc). Denys Desjardins' piece is an engaging experimental homage to legendary film makers Chris Marker and Andrei Tarkovky. He pulled a nice job in borrowing material from the archives of an imaginary Muse, adding his own personal signature to the mix. A great "steal".
Another master cat burglar, Luc Bourdon, will be back on the scene of the crime. Ten years after the exquisite and lyrical The Memories of Angels, a poetically charged feature made from National Film Board archival footage that introduced us to 1950s and 60s Montreal, this Devil of a man raised hell to give us its follow up. This time, La Part du Diable (first showing, Tuesday October 10, 7PM – Cinéma Impérial) explores the swinging 70's. Going far beyond simple recycling, these films are works of Art with a personal signature.
It is not just Quebec's filmmakers who borrow from other material to create new original works. As guests of Temps 0, the most viciously provocative section of the Festival, Belgian cult duet of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, with their popping eulogies of Italian genre films of the 60's and 70's, are a logical highlight of the fest not to be ignored. Having plenty to offer with presentations of their three features, including, Laissez Bronzer les Cadavres (Let the Corpses Tan), their latest offering, a collection of shorts and also a masterclass. It may be a very unique occasion before it becomes more difficult to book them for such events, since their rumbling violent style (pregnant women should think twice before attending) may take them to Hollywood before the end of the decade.
In the wake of their presentation Cattet and Forzani were offered a Carte blanche and choose to introduce to FNC audience, non-Leone Spaghetti western classics, Faccia a Faccia (1967) and Keoma (1976), both shown in their English versions. This adds to a selection paying homage to the western in which another amazing spaghetti Western, Sergio Corbucci's Il Grande Silenzio (1968) starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Klaus Kinski, will be shown in its Italian original version with French subs.
Note that this year's numerous retrospectives also include works by late directors Andrzej Wajda (5 films) and Seijun Suzuki, an undisputed master of Japanese crime films.
Of course, films of award winning directors from the worldwide film festival circuit will be showing. New offerings from Aki Kaurismaki (The Other Side of Hope), Todd Haynes (Wonderstruck), Jane Campion (Top of the Lake), Ruben Östlund (The Square), Joachim Trier (Thelma), Andrey Zvyagintsev (Loveless), Yorgos Lathimos (The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Bruno Dumont (Jeannette), Faith Akin (In the Fade), Takeshi Kitano (Outrage Coda) and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Before We Vanish).
All this and much more. So follow us daily on Cinetalk.net!
FNC 2017 runs October 4 – 15.


text: Bitmanagement introduces the new release of BS Contact 7.2 Stereo for Windows at Siggraph 2009. BS Contact enables the visualization of applications in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality through integration of interactive realtime 3D technology. Supporting all 25 main features of the BS Contact 7.2 Web3D and including significant improvement in quality and appropriate software for major 3D-hardware manufacturers. In BS Contact Stereo OpenGL (GLSL) dynamic shaders can be used.


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A new European guide has been published by the EU Drugs Agency (EMCDDA), which includes the agency's first overview of actions and interventions currently available to address the consequences of illicit drug use.
Drawing on insights from 30 countries, Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide is designed to benefit those approaching drug problems from a public health planning perspective as well as frontline workers and practitioners.
The new guide provides practical guidance on how responses in the drugs field can be better conceived, targeted and delivered.
Pressing issues such as how to respond to the problems of older heroin users, how to tackle deaths from highly potent fentanils, and how to prevent harms from drug and alcohol use in festivals and clubs, are all explored within the paper.
The guide views health and social responses to drug problems from the three perspectives of responding to:
- problems associated with different types of drug and patterns of use;
- the needs of different groups (e.g. women, young people, migrants, ageing drug users); and
- in different settings (e.g. prisons, nightlife, festivals, schools, workplace, local communities).
Alexis Goosdeel, EMCDDA's Director, said: "This innovative new guide surveys some of the main public health challenges in the drugs field today and provides a map with which to navigate the various stages of designing, targeting and implementing effective responses.
"To remain relevant, those involved in responding to drug problems must be prepared to adapt, innovate and develop new partnerships. This practical guide equips them with the tools to respond to the drug problems of today, but also to prepare for those of tomorrow."
Designed as an initial reference point, the publication includes summaries and user-friendly signposting to highlight key information, best practice examples and implications for policy and practice. It also acts as a gateway to a wide range of online resources, providing links to evidence and tools.
Other useful resources that have been published by the EMCDDA today include 'background papers' that provide the background information that informed and contributed to the creation of the European guide.
Scottish Drugs Forum and Greater Glasgow and Clyde Alcohol and Drug Services have contributed to the European guide by authoring a background paper on older people with drug problems.
Older people with drug problems (OPDP) are considered by the EMCDDA to be those aged 40 or over, whose recurrent drug use is causing them harm or is placing them at a high risk of harm. This group are likely to encounter negative life outcomes due to their drug use and they have characteristics and trajectories distinct from those of their younger counterparts.
The paper, 'Responding to the Needs of Ageing Drug Users', outlines the main health and social issues for older people with a drug problem and also outlines the interventions and initiatives currently being delivered in Europe to address these issues.
The paper concludes by exploring areas for future development, and the opportunities and challenges in this area, outlining the key implications for those engaged in planning or delivering health and social care responses to illicit drug use, specifically in relation to ageing drug users.
David Liddell, Scottish Drugs Forum's CEO and one of the authors of the background report, said: "Across Europe, there is a growing number of older drug users, who, through years of continued drug use, experience multiple physical and mental health and social problems. This is particularly the case for Western European countries, including Scotland, who were the first to witness heroin epidemics in the 1980s and 1990s.
"We have seen a large increase in overdose deaths in this population over recent years (deaths have doubled in Scotland over the last ten years). In terms of protecting people from overdose deaths, retaining people in treatment is key. To achieve this and to address wider health and other issues, there is an increasing need to develop effective responses, policies, treatments and services to support this vulnerable group.
"Recommendations for policy makers and services include modifying existing service provision and the development of innovative, specialised services. Of course, this will inevitably have financial implications, and therefore appropriate and flexible funding as well as innovative use of resources is pivotal to ensure an adequate response."
Click here to view 'Health and Social Responses to Drug Problems: A European Guide'
Click here to view 'Responding to the Needs of Ageing Drug Users'


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BELLVILLE – Clear Fork coach Chuck Schmitt brought out his team's water bottles before the Colts played North Union on Thursday night.
It might have taken a fire hose to cool down the hot-shooting Cats at the Color Corral.
North Union shot 57 percent from the floor, paced by senior guard Taylor Day. The Cats jumped out to a big lead early and cruised to a 67-29 win over Clear Fork in a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference game.
The win improved North Union to 8-4 overall and 4-3 in the league. Clear Fork fell to 4-6 overall and 1-4 in the MOAC.
Recent winter weather has not helped the Colts, who have not played since Dec. 30 against unbeaten Loudonville.
An unfamiliar opponent in Clear Fork's first year in the MOAC didn't help either on Thursday. Varsity coach Chuck Schmitt was not available after the game, but JV coach Ryan Vermillion admitted the Colts didn't know much about North Union.
"We really didn't have a whole lot on them," Vermillion said. "It's the first year we played them and next year they will be out of the league. We knew a little bit, but not a whole lot."
Clear Fork certainly learned a lot about the smooth-shooting 5-9 Taylor, who poured in 20 points before sitting out the fourth quarter. Taylor's total included four triples.
The Cats went on a 14-2 run in the final 6:08 of the first quarter to turn a 4-3 lead into an 18-5 edge after one quarter. Trailing 20-9 in the second, Clear Fork watched North Union go on an 11-0 run to build a 31-9 edge with 2:30 left before halftime.
The Cats outscored the Colts 18-4 in the third period to take a 51-17 lead after three quarters.
Taylor was just one of three North Union players in double figures. Freshman forward Journey Blevins added 17 and senior center Avery Clak added 15.
The Colts had no players in double figures. Junior Reagan Marshall had seven points, all of which came in the first half. Senior Tabi Hamilton added six and junior Alli Studenmund had five.
"Defensively, (Marshall) came out and played well. Tonight, she was shooting and they were falling for her," Vermillion said.
North Union connected on 27 of 48 field goal attempts and added eight of nine at the line. Clear Fork shot 31 percent from the floor (12-39) and hit both its free throw attempts. North Union had a huge 32-18 rebounding edge and seven fewer turnovers, 14-21.
Clear Fork, which won its first two games, has now dropped eight of its last 10. Vermillion said the solution is clear.
"We just need to shoot the ball better and make plays," he said. "Turnovers are like our Achilles' heel."
Weather permitting, Clear Fork is scheduled to play Saturday at Buckeye Valley in another MOAC game.
Clear Fork senior Erika Robinson tries to stop North Union sophomore Kori Marvin.
Clear Fork senior Erika Robinson tries to stop North Union sophomore Kori Marvin.
Clear Fork senior Macy Wade dribbles up court against North Union sophomore Madison Amstutz.


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Dat cactus
Sorry, folks, but Arcana Famgilia's blogging is probably going to be a bit delayed this week as well; I'm still missing last week's episode, and so this'll be the fourth in a row where I'm not as snappy as I'd like to be on getting those done. Unfortunately, something fairly serious has popped up, so it'll just have to wait – this is also why there are no pictures for the shows in this post, either.
Hyouka 18-19
Hyouka's easing toward the end, what with the Kanya Fest arc over, and it shows, as we are treated to two one-shot-type episodes. Honestly, on the face of them, they shouldn't be that interesting – who cares why Houtarou thinks a former teacher loves helicopters and no one else does? And who cares about speculation on a "mystery" that won't ever have an actual solution?
Yet, it works. Houtarou acting of his own interest to puzzle out why his former teacher claimed to love helicopters yet didn't actually apparently love helicopters is certainly of note, although the show is hardly subtle about that. I was surprised to watch Houtarou and Chitanda have to go through such a hassle just to get some newspaper articles; aren't these things archived digitally? But I guess this is as such since the original books took place in roughly 2002, and digitally archived newspapers weren't so common back then (hell, in 2003 I recall having to use microfiche to look up newspaper articles from previous years, and all the newspapers from that year were simply shelved in their physical form in a separate room).
The other episode is Chitanda basically trying to convince Houtarou that he has a talent, with Houtarou trying to convince her that solving mysteries isn't a talent but relies primarily on luck. There's not so much to be had here, honestly – they try to figure out why a student or students are being called suddenly to the vice-principal's office after-school. I was amused since Houtarou figured they'd stolen something from a store ("students who shopped at such-and-such on October 31st…"), whereas my first thought was, "They were exposed to a dangerous disease and need to be quarantined!". Anyway, Houtarou and Chitanda have some cute, blushy moments, managing to steer clear of overdoing the cutesy crap.
Digimon Frontier 35-36
Saying that these episodes are dire is, quite frankly, being charitable. A lot of what is from with this iteration of the franchise is dialed up here – most of the kids are useless, there is very little that is formulaic, and its all a lot of stalling for time in order to stretch the storyline out to fifty episodes.
The first season of Digimon had a lot of predictable episodes that existed solely for the various kids to each overcome some inner issue they had and thus enable their Digimon partner to evolve. They were boring, but at least they served a purpose. Secondarily, Digimon's first season also had only two of the eight kids able to reach the highest level of evolution for their Digimon. But, even though their Digimon were the most powerful, that didn't mean that the other kids and their 'mons were shunted to the side. So what do we think Frontier does?
About two-thirds of the episodes of Frontier I've watched so far have been barely distinguishable from the episodes that surround them, and these two episodes are no different. Also, while all the kids of Adventure were relevant, only the signatue goggle-boy and the signature angsty-guy have mattered for a while here. The appearance of angsty-guy's even angstier twin brother gave some promise for some good old fashioned angst angst angst, but twin bro's whole whatever has been largely dropped. Basically, a wand was waved, and it was allll better, or at least enough so that the show could stare at goggle-boy and Kouji instead, neither of whom are interesting at all on their own.
I dread watching the rest of this. I will watch it, because I want to be able to say I watched the entire thing before moving on to the more recent Digimon series, but I won't enjoy it, and I'm expecting a lot of me skipping big chunks of episodes to minimize the torturousness of the experience.
Itoshi no Kotodama Episode 1
I, uh, don't actually remember a lot of this, despite only watching it four days ago. I do know that the main girl had a split-personality, and there was an animal spirit somehow involved… so, kind of like Sex Pistols, except no male pregnancy (thank fucking hell). This is also one of those hentai where there is sex within the first minute or so of the show. But since the girl has a split-personality, she doesn't remember it afterward! I can't decide how I feel about it, but its kind of weird at the very least.
Anyway, the second episode looks like it has ghost-sex. Or, uh, human-ghost sex. Yippee.


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Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves' marquee players, have appeared together in only four games this season.
Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger, expected to play key roles, haven't played since Week 2.
Even more concerning, the Wolves haven't won consecutive games since Dec. 14. They are 5-17 in 2013, yet they are averaging a respectable 16,736 fans in 24 home games — just 2,600 shy of a sellout figure.
The Wolves' popularity does not seem to be fading as fast as their playoff chances.
"The fact that we've been able to maintain the market, and put the number of people in the arena, is a testament to the team's increased relevance over the past couple of years," Wolves president Chris Wright said Tuesday, Feb. 12. "It proves what a great NBA market we have."
Or at least a collection of patient fans, who are still coming to Target Center to watch a team that was projected to contend for a Western Conference playoff spot.
The Wolves (19-30), 12th in the playoff standings, have not seen a fan withdrawal because of the injuries and losses.
"Fans have been supporting us, and we're grateful for that support," Wright said. "Everybody knows we're banged up. They're waiting for us to get healthy."
Injuries have forced Wolves coach Rick Adelman to use 13 different starting lineups this season. The Wolves knew going into the season Rubio would miss almost the first two months, but they were blindsided by the injuries suffered by Love, Roy, Budinger, Andrei Kirilenko, Nikola Pekovic, J.J. Barea, Malcolm Lee and Josh Howard.
Still, the team has not been hurt at the gate or in marketing efforts.
More than 600 people paid between $350 and $400 each to attend the club's "Taste Of The Timberwolves" event last week at Target Center, an annual gathering that gives fans and business leaders an opportunity to interact with players, coaches and staff. The fundraiser generated close to $400,000 for charity.
Wright said requests for player appearances remain high, as well as the team's social media appeal. As of Tuesday, the club had 135,224 followers on its twitter page, @MNTimberwolves, and 268,017 likes on its Facebook account.
Perhaps even more important, according to Wright, is the club's 50 percent renewal rate for season-ticket packages. Wright said he expects that number to climb to "70 or 80 percent" when the campaign for current season-ticket holders ends this month.
"We could only imagine how things would be if we were healthy," Wright said.
The Wolves, who rank 22nd in the league in home attendance, have had three sellouts this season, including a Dec. 26 game against Houston that drew 20,340, the third-largest crowd for a Wolves game in Target Center history. The Wolves have not had a sellout since.
Love is expected to return to the lineup in mid- to late March. The Wolves also have attractive matchups that could boost attendance, including Miami (March 4), Chicago (March 24), the Los Angeles Lakers (March 27), Oklahoma City (March 29) and Boston (April 1).
Kirilenko was named the 2012 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) player of the year Tuesday.
Follow Ray Richardson at twitter.com/twolvesnow.
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Make a Domestic Violence Safety Plan by Considering the Following
On the internet:
I'll click the gold HIDE PAGE button at the top of the Hope House homepage to be taken to a safe website if my abuser enters the room while I'm visiting hopehouse.net.
I'll be aware of the fact that my online activities are potentially being monitored.
I am aware that an abuser doesn't need to be a computer programmer or have special skills to monitor my computer and internet activities.
I will use a safe computer at the public library or a trusted friend's home to research an escape plan, look for new jobs or apartments, purchase bus tickets, or seek help.
I will make sure to say no if my email provider wants to save my password or keep me logged in locally.
I will choose passwords that are not easy to guess.
I will call the hotline (816-461-4673) if I'm in danger. I can call it if I need shelter, assistance with safety planning, or somebody to talk with.
I will save emails or messages that can serve as evidence of abuse.
At work:
I can tell my boss and the security supervisor about my situation.
I can ask a supervisor or co-worker to screen my calls and visitors at work.
I can ask a supervisor, co-worker, or other trusted person to walk with me to my car.
I can change my patterns such as using different transportation, changing my route, or changing my work schedule/location if needed.
In public or if being stalked:
If I think I am in danger, I will find a safe place for myself (police stations, family or friends' homes, domestic violence shelters, churches, public areas).
I can document my abuser's actions and keep the information in a safe place. This may include taking photos of destroyed property/vandalism, saving voicemail messages, keeping letters/notes, etc.
I can change my patterns — avoid stores, restaurants, and other places where my abuser might find me.
I can tell trusted friends and family about the situation and give them a photo or description of my partner and any possible vehicles he/she may drive.
When I am out of the house, I will try not to travel alone and will try to stay in public areas. I can ask my local domestic violence shelter to provide me with a 911 cell phone.
With an order of protection:
I will keep my protection order in my purse or on my person.
I will give a copy to my employer, my closest friend, and my children's school/day care provider.
If my partner/abuser destroys my order or if I lose it, I will get another copy from the court that issued it.
If my abuser violates the order, I can call the police and report it. I can contact the adult abuse office during business hours for help in knowing if my order was served.
If choosing to stay/return:
I can tell a neighbor, friend or relative about the violence and request they call the police if they hear concerning noises coming from my home.
I can teach my children how to use the telephone to contact the police and fire departments and how to contact a safe neighbor for help. I will make sure my children know our address.
I will use a code word to signal to my children or friends to call for help or to signal that we will be leaving.
If I have to leave home, I can go to the police station, hospital, a friend or family's home, or other safe place.
I can call 911 from a cell phone, even if it isn't active on a plan.
Evaluate your options:
I will be smart about whom I trust with information about my situation.
I will review my safety plan for domestic violence with my kids, family, and friends and keep it in a safe place.


text:
Published On: June 11, 2018 10:50 AM NPT
DOLAKHA, June 11: At least two persons were killed and eight others were injured after a Bolero Jeep met with an accident at Ladruk in Dolakha district on Sunday evening.The deceased are identified as Ishwori Thapa, 45, and Tika Bahadur Karki, 50, of Bigu Rural Municipality-4 in the district, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Basudev Pathak.
The vehicle (Ba 14 Cha 1681) was on its way to Bulung via Ladruk from Singti, it is said. Three injured are sent to the capital city for further treatment while others are receiving treatment in Singti Hospital. RSS


text:
[GUEST POST] James L. Sutter on Building Worlds: Using Astronomy to Create Interesting Settings
James L. Sutter is the author of the novel Death's Heretic and co-creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game campaign setting. His short stories have appeared in such publications as Escape Pod, Starship Sofa, Apex Magazine, and the #1 Amazon bestseller Machine of Death, and his anthology Before They Were Giants pairs the first published stories of SF luminaries with new interviews and writing advice from the authors themselves. In addition, James has written numerous roleplaying game supplements and is the Fiction Editor for Paizo Publishing. For more information, check out jameslsutter.com or follow him on Twitter at @jameslsutter.
Far too often, I run into authors who assume that science should be left to science fiction, on the grounds that fantasy is inherently science's opposite. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. Even if your world is filled with boundless magic, there are still natural laws governing ninety-nine percent of your characters' daily activities. And by injecting a little science into your setting, you can create far more interesting worlds than if you attempt to totally revamp reality from the ground up. Truth, as they say, is still stranger than fiction.
Whether you're creating science fiction or fantasy, one of the easiest ways to inject some strangeness into your setting is to take a page from astronomy. As one of the designers for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game campaign setting, and in particular the one in charge of designing that setting's solar system, I've found the tactic extremely useful, and several of the examples presented below ended up in the resulting sourcebook, Distant Worlds. By tweaking your planet even slightly off Earth-standard, you can radically alter your world, and the resulting changes may lead you and the cultures who reside there in directions you had never expected. When creating a new planet, here are a few factors to consider.
- Size: When designing a planet, most authors and game designers tend to go big, on the premise that it's better to have too much canvas than too little. But if your planet is larger than Earth, is the gravitational pull stronger? How does that shape the residents? Perhaps your dwarves are from a high-g world, while your elves are tall and thin because they live in orbital space stations. There are also more logistical concerns–on a big world, the horizon's going to be farther away, so your besieged castle may have a lot longer to prepare once they see the enemy approaching. And if distances increase, how does that affect your demographics? Is there so much empty space that territorial wars are inefficient, or many of your nations never make contact at all? (Remember, it was relatively recently that our own nations expanded enough to interact and start filling in their maps.)
- Composition: What's your planet made of? If it's hollow and full of prehistoric megafauna, how does that affect the gravity? How do volcanoes work if the core isn't molten? If you go the classic gaming route and have huge networks of caverns running throughout your world, why haven't they all been flooded? And don't forget to think about magnetic fields–if your planet's composition is different than ours, your compasses may not point north anymore. In that case, what would they point to? A city? An artifact? God?
- Movement: How fast a planet rotates determines how long its days are, and how long it takes to make one revolution around the sun determines the length of a year. Both may have huge effects on a planet's cultures, especially if there's an axial tilt. (Think about the difference between a winter in northern Alaska–the Land of the Midnight Sun–versus a winter in the Bahamas.) This also plays into how your characters reckon time.
- Moons: I've yet to meet an SF artist who didn't constantly put multiple moons in the sky. This is great in that it automatically tells the viewers they're on another world, but are you prepared for the physical consequences? Earth's moon is responsible for its tides. If your world has an enormous or particularly close moon, or several different ones, do you have enormous and erratic shifts in your tides, with giant tsunamis a regular occurrence? If you go the opposite route and have no moon at all, what stirs the seas and keeps them from becoming giant stagnant puddles? How does your lunar model affect your magic system–when does a werewolf change if the world has three moons? And of course, this doesn't even begin to address the question of how things change if those moons are themselves inhabited, or reachable via magic or science…
Most of the above factors presume that you're taking a relatively Earth-like world and tweaking it slightly. Presented below are a few more extreme astronomical phenomena and considerations to play with.
- Tidal Lock: This is when a celestial body rotates at a speed such that the same side always faces another celestial body (much like our own moon and its fabled "dark" side). If your world is tidally locked with the sun, one side might boil while the other froze (though last I checked, recent research suggested that the temperature differences might not be so extreme as to prevent life on either). What sort of cultures would evolve on each side, or on the line of the terminator? Would they ever come into contact, and if so, what would happen?
- Tidal Heating: This is when the pull of another world's gravitational field warps a planet or moon's shape, with the resulting internal friction creating massive amounts of heat. You want a Mordor-style world of horrible volcanoes? Maybe it's not inherently evil, just tidally heated. (Why ya gotta be so judgemental, anyway? Horrible wastelands didn't choose to be that way…)
- Eccentric Orbit: The more elliptical your planet's orbit gets, the more uneven its seasons become. Your world might slingshot around the sun and then move out into the darkness for a thousand years, causing all sorts of weird evolution to compensate, or it might simply have disproportionately cold or long winters. (If George R. R. Martin can build a fantasy world off an astronomical phenomenon, so can you!)
- Orbital Interactions: Earth passes through several clouds of dust and debris every year–those are the annual meteor showers like the Leonids, Persieds, etc. Your world might have similar fields left behind by comets or other events, and they could range from brilliant rains of star-fire to extinction-level events. And while bringing your planets too close together may get you smacked by your friendly neighborhood physicist, Anne McCaffery's Pern books used the idea of two planets passing near each other to great effect.
- Atmospheric Conditions: One of the factoids that first got me interested in astronomy was a college professor who explained how Venus's atmosphere is so thick that the wind is like a brick wall slowly scraping across the landscape. How would life evolve on a world like that, or one with exceptionally thin air? What about one with no atmosphere at all, just a crust of ice over darkened seas? (Europa, I'm looking at you.)
- Transient Objects: Not all worlds are here to stay. Our own sun is always capturing comets, asteroids, and other objects that wander too close to the gravity well. Maybe one is a generation ship, a world that travels through the blackness and only stops in a system long enough to refuel or use the sun's gravity to change course. How would such an object's residents view the cultures of the systems they passed through?
- Dying Sun: No discussion of astronomy in fantasy would be complete without a nod to Jack Vance, Leigh Brackett, and the other greats who've used this concept to such effect. How does the death of a system's central star affect its cultures? Do societies fall into anarchy as the lessened light cripples agriculture? Do the residents try to escape before the red-giant sun devours their world?
These are only a few seeds to help authors, gamers, and other creators take inspiration from the stars and planets. What astronomical phenomena have you used in your own work, or seen used well by others?


text:
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
I CouLd KiLL FoR ThiS HeeL #3.
47 comments:
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text:
25 books your kids will want to read over and over (and over)
What's your child's current favorite?
My favorite part of the day, hands down, is when my freshly bathed son is all snuggly in his PJs and he's about to sit down in my lap to tuck into a good book before bed. My least favorite part, though, is when he goes to his bookcase and grabs the same book we read earlier that day and the night before (and the night before that). I almost always say, "That one? But do you want to try something new?" (Spoiler: He doesn't.)
So I take a deep breath and remind myself about the research that says reading the same book to your kids over and over helps their brain development. And I dive into the world of Pete the Cat or Piggy and Gerald, and before we know it I'm wrapped up in the magic of that world, too.
We recently asked #TeamMotherly to share the books their kids want to read over and over (and over) and you didn't disappoint. Here's what you're reading (or, more likely, have already memorized):
What the Ladybird Heard
Kim says: "He's not even two yet and has it memorized!"
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late
Danielle says: "These are at least twice daily for weeks. More if they're kept downstairs!"
Aliens Love Underpants
Hope shares: "After two years of constant reading pages are missing and/or torn but he still keeps going to them."
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Nelly shares: "When I went to the hospital to have my daughter, my sister and brother-in-law watched my two boys. She FaceTimed me because they were crying and upset. They wanted mommy to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom because Auntie Cj wasn't doing it right.
"I cried as I recited Chicka Chicka boom boom from my hospital bed. I wanted so badly to be there to hug them and read it in person. They were really missing their mommy and were worried about the doctor cutting open my belly to get the baby out. I recited it all from memory of course. I cried. My sister cried. And my boys finally stopped crying. ?
"I went home two nights later and read it to them, never more happy to read the same book for the 315th time. ❤"
Pig the Pug (and the rest of the series)
Michelle says: "We have them all and I swear he knows them word for word."
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Tara says: "Anything Pete the Cat and especially 'I Love My White Shoes'!"
Good Night Good Night Construction Site
Nanako says: "Read it so many times I can recite the whole book!"
I Love You Night and Day
Samantha says: "I have read this book to my son at bedtime since I was pregnant and he's 7.5 months. His eyes light up and he gets the biggest grin and laughs now when I show it to him. ❤ It's one of my favorite special times with him."
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Stefania shares: "My 3yo loves the book, the song, the movie and even the Bear Hunt yoga for a year. Needless to say, her 3rd birthday will be themed ...you guessed it ??"
Dragons Love Tacos
Neveen says: "My 1.5 yo loves [it]."
Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups
Rainy says: "Just had to hide [this book] bc we've been reading it on repeat (sometimes 4-5x in a row) lately."
Home Sweet Home: a Lift-the-Flap Book
Pegah shares: "I can read it page by page without even looking at it. Pointless to read bc my impatient LO just goes to the flap lifting before I can finish a sentence ???"
Never Touch a Dragon (and the rest of the "Never Touch" series)
Lindsay says: "He doesn't like to sit long enough to read unless there's hands-on stuff involved ?"
The Bear Snores On
Mira shares: "Every time, over and over…"
The Monster at the End of This Book
Rebecca says: "It's so much fun to read as a parent too."
The Little Blue Truck (and the rest of the series)
Kate says: "I have the Halloween one memorized haha."
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
Kristina says, "My 2-year-old can recite it from memory because we read it so much! It's a game now when we aren't even reading it. 'What did the teacher see?' ?"
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Beejal says: "My 18-month-old daughter especially likes the page with all the food. It's so cute to hear her trying to say what each item is."
Good Night Moon
Charliena shares: "We have to read [it] every night…"
The Wonky Donkey
Leann says: "My little one is just altogether a fan of reading already..." (And check out this hilarious viral video of a grandma reading it to her grandchild.)
May I Please Have a Cookie?
Monika shares: "[It's] my daughter's fav book."
10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes
Shawn says: "It's so sweet to count your LO's fingers and toes and give three kisses at the end ?"
Stick Man
Rosemary shares: " She loves all of [Julia Donaldson's] books. We have most of them!"
Clifford's Bedtime Story Box
Thais says: "It has been almost six months of big red dog every single night. Thankfully, there's more than one book about Clifford."
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Janet says: "I guess it was so easy to relate to!!!" ?
Need more suggestions? The Motherly Shop has you covered.


text:
Department of Marketing
Marketing is the second largest department in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Our students ultimately benefit because our faculty collaborate with Walmart, J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., Procter & Gamble, General Mills, FedEx, and other leading companies with headquarters or offices in Northwest Arkansas.
Academic Programs
The Department of Marketing has 19 full-time faculty members, 2 staff members, and 6-8 doctoral students in residence. Marketing faculty members have been recognized for their excellence in teaching, research, and service. Students in the Department of Marketing benefit from cooperative education and professional organizations, allowing them to interact with professionals and augment their classroom learning.
Undergrad Marketing Major
Bachelor's Degree
This degree program is designed to prepare students for careers involving product planning, distribution, promotion, and pricing strategies.
In addition to a broad overview of the marketing functions within organizations, students are provided with knowledge and skills in consumer behavior, marketing research, and strategic marketing.Learn More
Undergrad Retail Major
Bachelor's Degree
The Retail degree program is designed to prepare students for careers in retailing or in companies that manufacture, sell, and distribute consumer goods to retailers.
In addition to a broad view of the business and retail environments students can select to concentrate their retail studies in accounting, economics, finance, information systems, international retail, management, marketing, or supply chain management.Learn More
Online Marketing Degree
Bachelor's Degree
This online program provides a flexible and cost-effective opportunity to pursue a marketing degree, whether you are new to college, completing a degree started years ago, or seeking an additional degree to enhance your career.Learn More
Graduate Programs
The Walton MBA
The Walton College has collaborated with our corporate partners to develop MBA programs that provide an applied understanding of the retail and consumer packaged goods industry.Walton MBA
The Executive MBA
Because the Walton College is located in the heart of the retail industry, we have designed our EMBA curriculum with a strong foundation in the value chain and the consumer-packaged goods industry.
Designed for working professionals, this hybrid/online program allows students to obtain a Walton Executive MBA (EMBA) in two years by attending classes approximately one Saturday each month.Learn More
Ph.D. Program
The purpose of the Ph.D. program in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing is to prepare individuals for academic careers in research, teaching, and service at universities.Learn More


text: This a wonderful excerpt from a poem by Chinua Achebe. The poem is centered around a mother in a refugee camp, most likely during the Biafran war. The link between the past and present and the way war ruptures this is focused so articulately in the mother's actions, combing her son's hair. The foreshadowing, 'like putting flowers on a tiny grave,' anchors the poem rendering it heartbreaking yet somehow full of hope. Most people know Achebe as a great writer, not necessarily as a poet but his collection of poetry in Collected Poems by Chinua Achebe is a brilliant, tender, and humorous exploration of a range of topics many centered around the effects of war in Biafra, colonialism in Nigeria, and the poets own observations on life.


text:
Every brand has a certain personality and some brands have even adopted a specific way of communicating with people. The challenge is finding a connection with people and this is where the influencer can play a direct role, potentially connecting with people the brand was previously unable to connect with.
The original role of the influencer was to find early adopters and work with these people to build brand awareness. In this respect the brand will often abuse the influencer, expecting them to be extremely vocal, over communicating and even spamming people about the product or service. The safety of this approach is that if people complain, it is easy to blame the influencer, or you can own the space – depending on how brave you are. There is no doubt that you need to be different and that is when you get noticed. It is often difficult for the brand to be different, but working with influencers can certainly bring about a difference to the way people perceive, engage and interact with your brand. Opinions can be given by influencers and the reaction of the audience can be gained, instead of the brand having an opinion that may be rejected by the audience.
Successful Stories
The stories told by the brand will be seen only as self-promoting unless they are stories told about people who interact with your brand, but they could still be viewed as contrived. However, when you establish deep relationships with influencers, the stories can be far more authentic. These relationships will need to be nurtured and the communication well thought of if you are aiming for a specific outcome.
If you want to be really authentic however, you need to provide great service by simply being kind to people and showing them empathy. If you are able to do this, every story that is ever told will be authentic and all you need is to ensure that influencers amplify the stories so that as many people as possible can hear your message.
Stories have incredible power. When someone can feel that they too could have been part of that story, then stories get told and passed on. People want something to talk about to get them noticed, and when they can be part of your story, they will carry your message forward.
Advice vs Truth
When talking about a product or service, too often stories involve how you could possibly use it, instead of how something was actually used. This is the same as when you ask a waiter at a restaurant if he would recommend an expensive dish and in turn he replies "sorry sir I don't know, we only get to taste the cheaper items on the menu".
Authentic stories are truthful stories and it is the truth that resonates well with people.
Stories are built over time, but it is your duty as a brand to find the stories that are being told about your brand, product or service.
Start with what you know and then broaden your brand engagement using the influencers.
Finding the stories can be done by social media listening, but influencers can and should also encourage their audiences to tell the stories. This is when brands can get the real value from an influencer.
Who is your audience?
Always try to understand your audience and how you can connect. Look for creative ways of getting influencers to interact with your audience. This can be achieved by using a variety of influencers with varying personalities, thus ultimately appealing to a broad spectrum of personalities.
Choosing Influencers
When thinking about influencers brands often tend to go for the big names, but more often than not these big names are more interested in building their brand and earning big money, instead of actually becoming a strategic influencer with a brand. These big name influencers will also be stingy and share as little as possible, whereas the smaller influencers will often give you much more value and share a great deal more.
Therefore for the same budget as one big influencer, you can often get ten smaller niche influencers, which will result in you getting 100 times as many stories to share.
Offline Influencers
Never forget the small people who interact with your brand, product or service on a daily basis. These people include the delivery people, the security guys and other people who are actually the real face of the brand. It is important to think about these people and think of some way to empower them in your influencer plan.
When it comes to modern marketing and especially influencer marketing, there are no silver bullets. Thinking differently, constantly looking for new stories and trying creative ideas will definitely pay off in the long run.