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The Elevator Problem
Buffy and Giles get stuck in an elevator. Buffy's pissed off. So is Giles.
Buffy slammed her fist into the emergency stop button and the elevator thumped to a stop so fast her knees bent. Somewhere above them a bell started ringing. An actual bell, ringing an obnoxious ancient alarm in this stupid ancient elevator.
"We're talking about this now," she said, raising her voice.
Giles's back straightened and his chin thrust out. "No, we're not."
He jabbed a finger at the ground floor button. The bell stopped ringing and the elevator wobbled in place. It didn't move, though. Another wobble. The ceiling lights in the elevator flicked off and the fan died. Then a dim emergency light wavered on from the back corner of the elevator. The silence made Buffy's ears hurt.
"Brilliant. Bloody brilliant."
Giles dug into his jacket's breast pocket and came out with a tiny black cellphone. He snapped it open and displayed what was, to Buffy, a surprising skill with stabbing at it and barking into it. He had a short conversation that didn't please him, which in turn didn't please Buffy.
"Electrical fault."
"Not demonic?"
"The repairmen are on their way. Nothing to do but wait."
He glared at his wristwatch. Buffy glared at him. "Awesome. You got us stuck in an elevator."
"I got us–"
"Yeah, you."
"You stopped the lift."
"I had to. Because you were being a butt-head. As usual."
"Look, you need to beat something up every couple of days. I get that. Too much time with those stuffy shirty museum pieces and I'd go crazy too. But you're not going vamp-hunting without me again."
"It's none of your concern."
"Three stitches in your forehead says it's my concern."
"You used to get worse twice a week."
"I'm the Slayer!"
"You're not. You can't handle it."
Giles slammed his fists into the elevator wall on either side of her head. He leaned into her. His nose was nearly touching hers. His eyes really were green. He was the only person she'd ever met who had green eyes. Oh god. He wasn't backing away, either.
"Do I seem feeble to you? In my dotage? In need of a nursemaid?"
His breath was hot on her face. No, he sort of did not seem feeble or anything within a thousand miles of feeble. He felt sort of macho and forceful and testosterone-soaked, despite the nice suit and the nice striped tie and the cologne. Which was not wussy cologne. It was spicy and sort of masculine and forceful and testosterone-soaked and edged with his sweat and about as sexy a way a man could smell as possible. It was the cologne he'd always worn, which she'd always liked in a bad-Slayer-don't-go-there kind of way. And under that was a whiff of cigarettes, and Buffy's reaction to that scent was something she'd never ever admit to in public.
She could climb out the emergency hatch. There were ladders, or something like that. Or maybe cables she could shimmy up. Anything that was not standing here in an elevator with Giles in her face, Giles who smelled like cologne and cigarettes and a tiny bit like sweat.
Buffy straightened up and stared at him right back. He didn't flinch, but she could outlast him. Maybe.
"My life to risk if I want."
"Not without me."
"Why the hell not?"
"Because I couldn't stand it if you got killed, you stupid sexy idiot!"
Oh shit, she'd blurted. She'd been going for distraction, but instead she'd done blurt. Nothing for it. She grabbed his tie and yanked him down so his mouth was in reach and kissed him hard. Then she shoved him away.
"Look what you made me do!"
Shock, then his brows came together.
He was on her a second later, throwing her back against the wall. Buffy swung at him in a wild haymaker but he dodged back. He sprang at her while she was off balance and slammed his fists against the wall on either side of her head. And then his tongue was in her mouth, and she wasn't going to risk losing that even for the pleasure of punching him out. There was no problem a little violence couldn't solve, but this might not be on the actual problem list. Not yet anyway.
Giles lifted her and set her on the handrail and then it got serious. He could kiss and he wasn't wussing out and going gentle on her. Maybe it was a problem. He shifted and dug his hand into her hair and pulled her head backward. Buffy let him, because the next thing he did was kiss his way down her neck. He used his teeth, nipping hard enough to make her moan. Oh boy, problem, but not the punching out kind any more.
She gripped him by the hair at the back of his neck and held him in place, just so he got the idea. He caught on pretty quick and bit down harder. Say what you like about Giles— and Buffy had said a lot in the years she'd known him— stupid he was not. Brainy, geeky, obsessive, reserved, repressed, but not stupid. Repressed? The hell he was repressed. Giles was lifting her skirt. Giles. Her skirt. Lifting. And his hand was chasing it right on up, between her thighs.
Now would be the perfect time to haul off and punch him. But Buffy didn't. Instead she said "yeah" and shifted to part her thighs to let him all the way up. He wasted no time getting his hand up to where he wanted, right where Buffy wanted it. No denying she was turned on now that he had his hand right on the evidence, exploring it, exploring her, pushing her panties aside to touch her bare flesh. He slid a finger deep inside her and Buffy moaned. He pulled it out and she thought seriously about punching him, but then he made up for it by finding her clit.
Finger and thumb in exactly the right places, the bastard, and he was moving them fast and not letting off even the slightest. Buffy's head slammed back against the elevator wall and she dug her fingers into his shirt hard. He bit again and she came. Not enough of an orgasm, just a little one, almost a tease, and his hand went still right away without driving her into a second one.
Buffy opened her eyes again to find him right there. Eyes still green, check. Masculine, forceful, check. A little sweatier than before. Still angry.
"Yeah?" he said. He looked faintly smug under the glare.
"Shut up," she said. "Kiss me."
He kissed her again, but took his hand away. Before she had time to get annoyed, he'd pulled her skirt up the rest of the way, all the way to her waist. Buffy spread her thighs to let him stand between, as close as he could get. His thighs had muscles in them, underneath those nice wool trousers. And there was something else in those pants, too, grinding against her. Somebody else was turned on. He was making no effort to disguise what he was doing, either. Giles was dry-humping her.
To hell with that.
Buffy undid his belt buckle one-handed. His trouser buttons gave her fits, though. He straightened up just long enough to undo them and shove his pants open. He didn't even bother to take her panties off, just tugged until they ripped and went right in. Not that she was complaining. He felt good. Thick enough that she could feel him, not so thick he was painful. Just right, in fact. Buffy locked her legs around his waist and pulled him in all the way. He grunted and stayed there for a few seconds, just pressing her against the wall. His mouth was against her neck and she could feel his teeth grazing her skin. Not biting, just nipping, while he settled in.
She made an annoyed noise at him and rocked against him as much as she could, given that she was pinned up against the wall. Once again the brainiac took the hint right away. He pulled back from her slowly then pushed into her again. He grunted.
Buffy dug her boot-heels into the backs of his thighs and she didn't care if it bruised him. "Faster," she said, and he gave it to her. Hard and fast, no time for exploration or finesse or anything other than crashing together, over and over. There was power in his broad thighs, in those hips driving her against the wall, slamming into her with all the delicacy of a man whose nickname had been Ripper. His mouth was on hers again and if he took it away they'd have an apocalyptic problem, because he sure knew what he was doing with his lips and his tongue and his body and his hips and that amazing body inside her and rubbing against her perfectly. Like she'd known it would.
Buffy came and that did it for him, too. Giles pressed her hard into the wall and held her there and shuddered. Then he blew out a long breath and his shoulders slumped. He eased back enough that she could breathe again, but didn't let go or pull away. He was nuzzling at her cheek and neck, kissing her and licking her skin where he'd bitten her, just a little bit, just enough that it was sort of cuddly and sexy at the same time. Buffy massaged his shoulders. Nice shoulders. Definitely lean-able. She leaned her head to test out this theory and sighed. He was softening inside her, which sucked because it meant it was all over.
Giles lowered her to the floor and took a step back from her. He pulled up his trousers and buttoned them. His face was red. His hair was mussed, sweaty at the temples and rumpled where she'd dug in. And his tie was crooked. Buffy found herself straightening it and tidying the knot. He looked down at her hands on his chest, blinking at her, and she had absolutely no idea what was going on in his Watchery head. He said nothing to clue her in, merely passed her his handkerchief and turned away to buckle up his belt.
Buffy's knees weren't completely stable. She sank down to sit on the elevator floor, back against the wall. She contemplated digging in her purse for her comb and a mirror, but her hands probably weren't steady enough yet for makeup.
Giles plunked down next to her. He was still breathing hard. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times. His brows were still pulled together in that patented Giles glare.
"What?" she said, though she wasn't sure she had the energy to stay pissed off.
"I'll hunt vampires when I damn well please," he said.
"And I'll go with you if I damn well please."
After a second, he nodded and the glare vanished. That was settled, then. Buffy fidgeted with the strap across the instep of her boots. Giles pulled his sleeve back and checked his watch. He opened his mouth, and at the moment something clicked and went woosh. Fresh air blew down from the ceiling. Fresh, cool air. The emergency light clicked off and the car ceiling lights winked on. Buffy looked at Giles, and he looked at her. He stood and offered her a courteous hand up to her feet. The car shifted, bumped, shifted again, then shuddered into motion downwards.
Giles let go of her. Buffy could still feel his fingers on her, his body in her. She rubbed the hand he'd just been holding under her nose. Cologne. Sweat. Sex.
Giles was staring at the elevator doors, not at her. "Are you free tonight?" he said, apparently to the place where the doors banged into each other.
Buffy blinked. "You want to go hunting tonight?"
The elevator wriggled to a halt and the doors creaked open onto the lobby. There was a guy in blue overalls with a toolbox just outside the door, ignoring them completely while he poked at the control panel. Giles didn't move, and neither did Buffy.
He said, "I was thinking we could stay in."
Buffy smoothed her skirt. "Yeah, I could do that."
giles/buffy mature
2058 words; reading time 7 min.
tags: c:buffy, c:giles, elevator, sex:first-time, post-series, sex:angry, f:btvs, p:giles/buffy


Posted at: 4/29/2012 09:20:00 PM .
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So please be patient as dilshan1987 helps give Making Cents of It a new style.
How are things going with your new Fiverr designer? Do you think you will be pleased? I am thinking of hiring a Fiverr freelancer to build a blog for me, and would love a good reccommendation. Good Luck with your site.
It started out rocky but I'm very pleased with his professionalism. It will be going up on the site soon and there are a few things I'm not sure about yet, but I think it's going to work. Anything is better than my current design!
I would say try it. For $5 it's a great deal. Just read the freelancer's feedback before hiring. There are tons of people on the site, so you should be able to find the right person for you.


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BC Fencing Association
About BC Fencing
Contact & Board Members
Category Archives: Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup
Competitions, High Performance, Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup
BC Men's Epeeists compete at the 2020 World Cup!
February 13, 2020 fencingAdmin
This past weekend (February 7th-9th), six BC men's epeeists competed at the Peter Bakonyi World Cup. The event was hosted at the Richmond Olympic Oval, where some of the 2010 Winter Olympics events were held 10 years ago!
Seraphim Jarov wasn't only the highest ranking BC fencer, but also the highest ranking Canadian at the end of the competition. In poules he went 2-4, beating Mateusz Antiewicz (POL) 5-3 and Rok Sobocan (SLO) 4-0. With a 124th place seeding and a BYE into 128s, he was against Rubes Martin (CZE) first. He won the bout 15-12 to move into the 64s. In a close bout, he fenced Jose Felix Dominguez (ARG) and won 11-10. With day 1 of the day finished, Jarov would advance into the top 64 on day 2 – facing world no.4 Kazuyasu Minobe (JPN). Another close bout, but this time his opponent would take the win, with a score of 12-11 for Minobe. Jarov finished the event with a 62nd place result.
(Seraphim Jarov. Photo by Devin Manky)
Fynn Fafard started off the preliminary rounds with 2 wins and 4 losses, defeating Yeisser Ramirez (USA) 5-3, and Michael Geraghty (IRL) 5-2. He was seeded 135th after poules, which landed him a BYE into the round of 128. He faced Peeter Turnau (EST) in his first DE, and despite hanging onto a substantial lead for a majority of the bout, an arm injury hindered the bout. Turnau caught up and they went to the overtime minute. In a tense close-quarters fight, the Estonian took the 15th point and won the bout 15-13. Fafard finished the event with a 154th place result.
(Fynn Fafard and Peeter Turnau (EST). Photo by Devin Manky)
Dylan French also went 2-4 in his poule, with wins over Yuval Shalom Freilich (ISR) 5-1 and Hoi Sun Fong (HKG) 3-2. He was 147th going into DEs, just narrowly missing the cut. In his first DE, he faced Anatolii Herey (UKR); 4-time Gold, 2-time silver Satellite medalist, as well as bronze medalist at Grand Prix and World Cups. Their bout was a close 15-14, but Herey took the win in the end. French finished in 163rd place.
(Dylan French and Anatolii Herey (UKR). Photo by Devin Manky)
Zakhar Vozovik, Eli Lippman and Mateo Kadyszewski all fought hard in their poule matches, but unfortunately didn't advance through to the direct elimination rounds. Vozovik went 1-5 in his poule, defeating Hongjie Song (CHN) 5-4. Lippman also went 1-5 in his poule, with a victory against Abdelkarim El Haouari (MAR) 5-3. Kadyszewski went 0-6 in his poule.
(Zakhar Vozovik. Photo by Devin Manky)
Dylan French and Seraphim Jarov both competed in the team event, alongside Marc-Antoine Blais-Belanger and Maxime Brinck-Croteau. The team faced Korea in their first DE. At the beginning of the 5th leg, the Canadians were leading 12-11, but by the end of the period the Koreans were up 19-16. Their momentum didn't halt, as their finished the bout with a score of 44-29. The Korean team (Sung Ho An, Jaeseon Kwon, Sangyoung Park and Jae Ho Song) would go on to win the Gold medal!
(Team Canada: Maxime Brink-Croteau, Marc-Antoine Blais-Belanger, Seraphim Jarov, Dylan French and coach Victor Gantsevich. Photo by Devin Manky)
Congratulations to Seraphim Jarov for his top 64 results and to all of our BC fencers for their hard work this weekend. Well done to all of the boys that competed at the World Cup for the first time this year. Looking forward to some good results as the Pan Ams and World Championships draw closer!
High Performance, Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup
Dynamo Fencers Off To The Ivy Leagues
February 3, 2020 fencingAdmin
No matter what sport, the chance to watch your favourite athletes perform up-close is an opportunity most young athletes can only dream of. However, if you're a BC fencer (or one willing to make the commute) you can do just that. The Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup is a competition that has allowed aspiring fencers the chance to learn from some of the highest ranked men's epeeists in the world.
For some BC fencers, this learning experience has shown great benefit in their own personal journeys. Christina Zozulya and Howard Zhao are two Dynamo Fencing Club athletes heading off to ivy league universities in the US this fall. Zozulya will be attending Yale, while Zhao will be at Columbia University. Beyond their academic achievements, both of these promising young fencers have developed significant resumes of results.
This season, Zozulya secured a gold and silver medal in junior women's epee across Nationals and the first Canada Cup in September, as well as a bronze medal and a 5th place result in the Senior division at these two events. In 2018, she won a Bronze medal at the Cadet European Circuit in Bratislava, Slovakia.
(Christina Zozulya)
Zhao has also proved himself on home soil, with numerous championship medals and national titles. Even more impressively, in 2017 he won a gold medal in cadet men's epee at the North American Cup in Anaheim, California.
(Howard Zhao and Igor Gantsevich – Photo by Devin Manky)
The Vancouver World Cup has been instrumental in developing fencing style, skills and motivation of local athletes. Other fencers like Dylan French (Notre Dame, class of 2019) and Seraphim Jarov (UBC, class of 2023) have not only spectated, but competed in the Vancouver World Cup. In the future, we hope to see even more young fencers pursue their sport both on a nationwide and international scale through the inspiration of the Vancouver World Cup.
Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup
Vancouver to host 2020 Olympic Qualifier – February 7-9
January 27, 2020 fencingAdmin
(Photo by Devin Manky)
By: Elizabeth Douglas – January 23, 2020
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics approach and tension builds as nations battle to qualify for extremely limited participation spots across all 33 sports. The struggle will play out in Vancouver in a few weeks with the world's best fencers competing to represent their country in one of the most elegant and ancient sports on the Olympic program. A fencing World Cup of men's épée at the Richmond Olympic Oval will be the scene – the second last chance in the world for these fencers to qualify for the Olympic Games. The Peter Bakonyi World Cup has been held since 2015, prior to which the Victor Gantsevich Grand Prix was held at the Richmond Olympic Oval from 2013-2014. The highlights, surprises and unexpected victories at these events over the years give a taste of the excitement and drama to come.
The World Cup in 2016 was an especially exciting one, as it lined up with the final competitions of Olympic qualifications for the team event. This means that a handful of countries were vying for the final qualifications spot. After a long, strenuous day of competing, the final spot came down to a fight between Hungary and Estonia in the semi-final. Tensions ran high as the two European teams fought for the chance to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil. With two strong teams betted against each other, it all came down to the final overtime minute, tied at 14-14. In fencing terms: "la belle". Ultimately, in a flash, András Rédli of Hungary scored the 15th point and took a victory lap around the venue, waving his epee in the air.
Coming off a high from the semi-final bout, the Hungarian team fought their way to a gold medal against Kazakstan – an Olympic qualification and a World Cup gold medal all in one day.
(Team Hungary on the podium – 2016 Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup – Photo by Devin Manky)
Another highlight came from the year before, with Pavel Pitra's individual silver medal in 2015. The Czech Republic fencer was an underdog of the competition, seeded 80th after poules. However, he quickly proved himself as a worthy competitor with memorable victories against fencers like 2-time Olympic medalist Ivan Trevejo (FRA) in the round of 32 and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Jin-sun Jung (KOR) in the semi-final. Despite the long two days of competing, Pitra notably kept a huge, bright smile on his face, shining through his intense focus. Two years later, the Czech Republic team would go on to win the gold medal against Ukraine in 2017.
(Czech Republic vs. Ukraine – 2017 Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup – Photo by
Devin Manky)
In 2019, Koki Kano of Japan took home the individual gold medal. Kano is currently ranked 9th in the FIE rankings, despite being only 22 years old. Not only did he win the gold medal, he faced some stiff competition along the way. The final saw Kano take on Italy's Enrico Garozzo, where Kano came away victorious with a score of 15-7 in the first period. Garozzo is a previous Vancouver World Cup gold medalist from 2016, as well as a team silver medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
(CUOMO Valerio vs. KANO Koki – 2019 Vancouver Men's Epee World Cup – Photo by Devin Manky)
With another Olympic Games just around the corner, there are sure to be some exciting bouts at this year's World Cup. Who will we see on top of the podium this year? Who will secure the chance to chase Olympic glory in Tokyo?
Men's Epee World Cup 2018: Volunteers Needed!
Get ready, because the Men's Epee World Cup is coming back to BC! This event has shown to be a thrilling spectacle for seasoned fencers and beginners alike, as it showcases high-level and even Olympic level fencing in our own backyard. However, such an event is only possible if we as the BC fencing community come together and lend a hand. So, if you are living in the greater Vancouver area, or are able to make it out for the weekend of February 16th-18th, don't forget to sign up to volunteer for. There are a number of different volunteer positions that need to be filled, such as hospitality, video replay, and weapons check, so we're going to need support from the whole BCFA community!
To sign up as a volunteer, please visit: http://signup.com/go/JjeRidW
For more details regarding the competition itself, take a look at the World Cup website: http://vancouverworldcup.com/
Peter Bakonyi Volunteers Needed!
We need your help! The BC Fencing Association together with the Canadian Fencing Federation is very excited to be hosting, for the 5th time, a world class competitive fencing event – The Peter Bakonyi Men's Epee World Cup event on the weekend of February 17-19, 2017. The success of this exciting international event depends on dedicated local volunteers. If you are passionate about the sport of fencing, Canadian athletics or in giving back to the community, join our team today! It is a great chance to get up close to some of the world's best athletes, and for youth to earn volunteer hours for their programs.
Please sign up for tasks that range from setting up prior to the event all the way through to taking down after.
We're using SignUp.com to help us organize the volunteer portion of our event. If you or anyone you know is interested PLEASE SIGN UP – here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
Click here or follow the volunteer links on the event web site at http://www.vancouverworldcup.com/Volunteer.php
Enter your email address: we need this to contact you with information about the event (you will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com)
Sign up to the roles that interest you, and the site will send you an automated confirmation message and reminders. Easy!
Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you there!
BCFA Return to Sport (COVID-19) Update: December 2020
BCFA Return to Sport (COVID-19) – Update: November
COVID-19 Restrictions Update (November 7, 2020)
BC Sport Relief Fund
BCFA Return to Sport: COVID-19 (Update)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Navigation Support is Not Coming to NBA 2K11 After All
Will be in 2K12 though
by James Newton Thu 18th Nov 2010
DualShock or bust
If you've been playing the superb NBA 2K11 with PlayStation Move, you might have been disappointed that the Navigation sub-controller is unsupported, leaving you with a Move in one hand and DualShock 3 in the other. Whilst we presumed Navigation support would be introduced later in the game's cycle, 2K Sports' Community Manager Ronnie Singh has confirmed that there will be no patch to add this feature.
In a PlayStation Blog post that revealed the game will soon be playable in stereoscopic 3D, Singh responded to a user comment to say:
Yeah unfortunately, we couldn't get the Navigation controller in there this year. Came up a little late in the cycle, I am sure this is something we'll want to do for 2K12.
This is bad news for Move fans who were anticipating a more comfortable way to play the game, which now won't be one of the upcoming improvements.
If you already own the game – and if you don't, read our NBA 2K11 review – does this decision disappoint you? Does it make you less likely to play with Move or are you happy to wait until next year's title to get Navigation support?
[via blog.us.playstation.com]
Review: NBA 2K11
NBA 2K11 (PS3)
din_djinn
Mon 3rd Jan 2011
I'm not really disappointed as I think they need another year to work on Move controls in general... or maybe it's just me. The truth is as great as this game is with the DS3, I don't think I'll ever play it, 2K12... with my Move. But hey, let them surprise me and show me the Move is the better controller. Won't happen in 2K11, but maybe they'll get it worked out by next year.
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author speaker
An Author Interview
Today I was invited to participate in an event for The Friends of Edmonds Library, as an author interview. Below are the questions and answers.
What kinds of stories do you tell?
I like to tell stories that challenge the reader. For example, a short story I wrote, which won an international flash fiction contest. In the story I portrayed a devoted mother of a severely mentally challenged son. He was 20 years old, 6-feet tall, strong as an ox, but with the mind of a 4-year-old. It was the 1960s, so the unfortunate word for her beloved boy was 'Retard'. After receiving the news that she had cancer and only 6 months to live, she was left with what to do with her son. With her gone, what would happen to him? They had no other family, and no one could handle his outbursts. The state mental hospital would lock him in a room and toss out the key, or worse yet, brutalize him. So, she was faced with this conundrum. The ending of the story––her decision born of hopelessness and love––shocked a lot of people. It leaves the reader to decide, was she right or wrong.
You can read this story for free on either my site at MindyHalleck.com or the Writer's Digest website. Then decide for yourself. It's been 5 years and I still get e-mails and tweets about this story.
My novel, Return to Sender (RTS) I explored a lot of things, among them was collusion. Collusion has fascinated me since a month-long writer's residence I did two decades ago, in a small village in Ireland. There, collusion was king—the people in that close knit society covered for one another like a tribal clan protecting sacred stones. I love stories about small groups of people who've got each other's backs no matter what.
In RTS, my colluders were the Rounders––people who lived year-round in Manzanita Oregon in the 1940s & 50s. These folks were very protective of one another, to the point of covering up a crime. RTS also about a war hero turned reluctant priest, Theo, who is not particularly religious, and whose heart was not in the job, it was elsewhere. But when faced with a religious fanatic serial killer who twists his own bitter religion to serve his murderous intentions, Theo is forced make some decisions. This is where plot and character intersect; without the religious fanatic villain, Genghis Hansel, who one reviewer wrote, "made Hannibal Lector look like a chair boy" ––without him, there would be no personal stakes/crisis or conflict sturdy enough to carry the storyline. The ensuing story pushes the boundaries of who Theo thinks he should be because of an obligation, and a resurrection of who he really is––he's a warrior who wants to be reunited with the woman he loves, because beneath it all, RTS is a love story. Would you cover up a crime to protect someone you love? Return to Sender is in the library, or available on Amazon, or the Edmonds Bookshop.
My current WIP (work in progress) a novel, and a companion series of short stories are about resilient young women surviving in a 1970s man's world. These are straight up character driven heroine's journeys. Set in Portland OR, when PDX was known as the porn capital of the west coast (true story). I'm drawn to that city and that time because it was my home and my coming-of-age era: the music, the clothes, and attitudes about sex and drugs that permeated the post-Vietnam age. It was a time when many young women felt doomed to marriage, crying babies and no career. Or they were 'turned out' forced into prostitution, or simply forgotten, 'the lost girls,' I call them in my up-coming book––young women often trapped in violence. In these stories I explore some unique ways these women find help and survive, escape, and thrive after being entangled with brutal men. They reclaim their minds, bodies, and souls by saving themselves, no prince charming needed.
Those are the kinds of stories I like to tell, stories about the resurrection of the human spirit.
Why do you tell those kinds of stories? Darker stories draw me in. I'm dark. I'm serious. Fluff has no appeal to me. You'll never find me on the beach with chick-lit, or romance novels. They are wonderful for people who love them. Just not my thing. I prefer literary style of writing, character exploration and themes that are universal like redemption, survival, and grief. Themes that resonate with the human spirit. RTS was called an existential thriller, which made me so happy. And Kirkus reviews said it was "A thinking person's novel." If I got people to think, with my first flawed novel, then I've done my job as a storyteller.
Where/how do you get your inspiration? EVERYWHERE! Because I experience the world through writing, I find inspiration and therefore, write everywhere. I love our Seattle area coffee shops. But I most enjoy escaping to a boutique hotel in PDX where they take great care of me. I write in the mornings in my room, no interruptions, no dog, no husband. Great coffee. Then I do some yoga, and head out to revisit my past life in PDX. The differences from my 1950s-70s life to the 2020s, are remarkable. But the vestiges of history remain. I take pictures and notes, then end up at the Portland Art Museum. There I luxuriate in front of great art, lounging on benches, writing in my notebook. Lots of ideas brew when in the presence of art. I do this in Paris, Australia, Italy, Scotland, Hawaii––anywhere were there's an art museum. I believe that written, spoken or painted art all bleed from the same vein, and I'm greatly inspired by all forms of expression. Also, old cathedrals draw my creative soul, like Roslyn Chapel, where they allowed me to sit and work while touring DaVinci Code fans circled, gawked, and awed at the holy site. I also love to write in graveyards wherever I travel, I'm inspired by the feeling of old souls gathered in one place, dead or alive. Ireland was that kind of place. Sacred ground for writers. During a one-month writer's residence there I spent a lot of time exploring graveyards, taking notes, drafting stories.
Where do you write and how? Mostly in my home office at my desk on my computer, and I need silence, so no music or tv in the background. Otherwise, wherever I am will do, on my laptop, phone or pen and paper. While waiting for doctors' appointments, or ferry boats, I may stop in the middle of a grocery store and text myself a long passage that suddenly leapt to mind, or when my husband and I are out for dinner, he's used to it. Live music, especially opera, moves me. And church, thought I don't go much anymore, a good preacher can certainly arouse my muse.
How do you come up with your plot and characters? In a short interview, we don't have enough time to fully explore that one. But the short answer is, I get an image of a character––a young girl walking down the street with torn fishnet stockings, carrying a paper bag of clothes, or a man sitting in a rowboat in the middle of a lake, shoulders hunched, hat in hand, sobbing. Both those real-life images have been used in my stories. I ask myself, what is that character doing and why? Then, based on the why answer, if it tugs my imagination, I jot down a three paragraph, three act structure outline and start writing. Characters are added as needed but only as a reflection of, or in exploration of the primary character. The man in the boat is in RTS, the girl with the fishnet stockings is one the lost girls in my current WIP.
Thanks to Judith Works and EpicGroupWriters.org for hosting, and for inviting me to be part of this Friends of The Edmonds Library event.
This entry was posted in Fiction Writing, write to heal, survivor and tagged author speaker.
What a Great Honor…
Posted on December 7, 2017 Updated on February 22, 2018
Me, as photographed by Mary Wastman Photography
Last month I had the honor of being selected as the featured author and keynote speaker for the Mukilteo Schools Foundation fundraiser breakfast at Boeing's Museum of Flight.
But before I get to that amazing morning, the night before the breakfast the foundation arranged for a local restaurant, The Red Cork Bistro to close for a private Author hosting party with me, the donors and other local school supporters. The Red Cork was gracious, and provided a lovely place for a private event with great food, wine, ambiance and lively conversations. What a way to kick off the week. Thank you Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce, especially Emma Leedy who initially suggested me to the board.
The next morning was the main event at the museum. Talented student chefs made a delicious breakfast akin to what you would be served at any 5 star restaurant, and the school jazz band harkened in the event, filling the (closed to the public) museum with enticing smells and invigorating music.
Senator Liias
When Senator Marco Liias introduced "Mukilteo's literary treasure" I actually looked around the room wondering what other author would be speaking. Then my friend Judy Gratton tapped my leg and said, "That's you." So I got up and went on stage. It was a surreal moment. NEVER in all the public speaking I have done has there been a plane hanging over my head and a fuselage to the right of the stage. I couldn't help myself, the first words out of my mouth were not from my planned speech, but instead, "WOW! What a venue. Is that a fuselage?" Of course I said that because 'fuselage' was the only word I knew for an immense airplane part.
Judy Gratton and me
Anyway, I quickly pulled myself together and spoke to the crowd about the importance, no, the life- saving magic that books are to children. In my troubled childhood of which I spoke about my soldier father's PTSD and ultimate alcoholism, books gave me refuge, inspired me to be brave, be kind, be curious.
Me on HUGE stage
Here's a short excerpt from my speech titled, Literacy is a Superpower;
"Ernest Hemingway said, 'There is no friend as loyal as a book'. And that certainly has always been true for me. I can honestly say Books saved my life. Well, books and a neighbor, a retired school teacher, Mrs. Gordon, who recognized a traumatized child when she saw one. I was about 6 years old when she invited me into her kitchen to learn to read. I recall on the pages of those books was another world, a world of raccoon mothers who fiercely protected their young and even carried their babies in their mouths on incredible adventures, and dogs and cats who loved one another despite their obvious differences.
In every story there was peril, but Mrs. Gordon assured me everything would soon be alright if I could hang in there and remember that soon I would turn the page.
And when she said, maybe you'll grow up to write a book someday, she altered the potential trajectory of my life. Because she knew then that I may have challenges, obstacles to overcome, and that I would need a quest, hope, something to aspire to, as do all protagonist on all long journeys, and she knew that for a child, literacy was a superpower. And it was.
Those books she gifted me became my companions, my loyal friends, as Hemmingway said.
Because to read, at any age opens a window into other worlds previously unimagined…."
Anyway, I went on about how books saved me from a troubled childhood and how literacy truly is a superpower. I got into why I wrote Return To Sender and how my dad's PTSD inspired my protagonist, Theo Riley and his Korean War nightmares after he returned home. And how books and writing guided me through 3 tours in cancerland. "Just keep turning the page, everything will be alright." Mrs. Gordon said. We always return to our childhood lessons, and that one has saved me time and time again.
But I circled back around to the literacy issue which is the Mukilteo Schools Organization's mission, and I ended on this note,
"In today's world what is more important than planting those seeds in the hearts and minds of our children? Valuing their education, their welfare and so importantly their imaginations is vital to our humanity in this otherwise chaotic and often uncaring world that can be turned topsy-turvy by a simple 140 character tweet. Well, now 280….
The Mukilteo Schools foundation literacy mission and getting books into the hands of children is one I believe in wholeheartedly. That retired teacher who put a book in my hands showed me there was a big world out there, she planted a seed of hope inside me and taught me to turn the page, everything would be alright. Books guided my future, literacy was the superpower that saved my life."
It was a wonderful event. I hope I rose to the occasion. During the book signing SO many people came up to me and shared their stories of being the child of a soldier who struggled with PTSD or other war time traumas brought home to the families. I honor the private things they shared with me.
My delightful breakfast companions, Mr. and Mrs. Klein
Teachers, and people like Mr. and Mrs. Klein who support literacy organizations earn a special place in heaven in this once a little girl, now grown reader and writer's mind. In a time of shrinking school budgets, cutting arts programs and an overall disrespect for literacy in America, these organizations and the people who support them are vital to our survival as a literate, competitive country. I was so happy and honored to take part in this event.
Author event at Red Cork Bistro
Red Cork Bistro
ALL photographs provided by Mary Wastman photography
This entry was posted in Fiction Writing, write to heal, survivor and tagged author speaker, edmonds arts, mukilteo, mukilteo chamber of commerce, mukilteo schools organization, red cork bistro.


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text:
Home/Bangladesh/Suicides increasing in Bangladesh : WHO
Suicides increasing in Bangladesh : WHO
London: Wednesday, 09 September 2015, 12:06 PM
Experts on Tuesday suggested an increased anti-suicide campaign in the country fearing the fatal tendency was gradually increasing with Bangladesh witnessing increasing number of suicides every day.
"According to the 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, Bangladesh scored 10th place in the list of high suicide-prone nations . . . the country witnesses nearly eight incidents of suicides among every 100,000 people," convenor of anti-suicidal campaign forum Brighter Bangladesh Joyosree Jaman told a press briefing on the eve of the World Suicide Prevention Day.
She said most of the victims aged between 21 and 30 who were led by extreme emotions due to different family or social reasons.
Joyosree added: "Suicide appears to many people as permanent solution to their temporary problems but the experts found that most of those who survived their suicide attempts are happy as they are still living in the world," she told the briefing at the National Press Club.
A journalist by profession Joyosree launched the anti-suicide campaign floating the Brighter Bangladesh as her two teen-aged children committed suicide together in September last year in Uttara area, sparking a nationwide shock.
The press briefing was organized to outline the campaign ahead of the WHO-sponsored Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.
Dr Helal Uddin of National Mental Health Institution told the briefing that in a country of some 16 crore people, Bangladesh now has a little over 200 expert doctors who treat mental diseases while most of them were concentrated in the capital alone.
Helal Uddin said counseling was crucial for people who developed an intention to commit suicide while family members and friends could play a crucial role in the absence of trained psychiatrists or doctors.
Journalist Anwar Kabir, who earlier carried out an extensive journalistic study called for engaging NGOs to spearhead the anti-suicide campaign which should be aimed to generate massive awareness in the family and community levels.
According to police headquarter recorded nearly 60,000 cases of suicides in the last six years while they recorded 1029 such cases in 2013 alone.


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The Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice has presented Change Maker awards to two University of Arizona professors to expand their work related to successful projects they launched with previous Haury funding.
Alison Hawthorne Deming, a creative writing professor in the UA Department of English and author, created a program in 2015 that takes UA Master of Fine Art students to Grand Manan Island in Canada to research and write about the environmental and cultural challenges surrounding the fishing industry there. In summer 2016, Deming broadened the program to fund two high school students from the Grand Manan community to attend the Biosphere 2's Science Academy, providing a unique opportunity for these underprivileged students.
With the help of the Change Maker award, Deming plans to model the master student program in Grand Manan and develop a similar course in the Southwest U.S., near Patagonia, Arizona, focusing on borderland issues associated with climate change and social justice. The new program, titled Southwest Field Studies, will be available for UA students in summer 2017.
Nina Rabin, a clinical law professor at the UA James E. Rogers College of Law, provides pro bono legal and social services to low-wage immigrant workers and women with the help of her UA law students. The funds from her previous Haury award allowed Rabin to collaborate with the Florence Immigration and Refugee Right Program to expand pro bono representation for women. Now, Rabin will use the Change Maker award to increase the capability of others to help additional vulnerable women, children and families and enhance the UA student experience.
"Alison Deming and Nina Rabin produced innovative, outstanding outcomes with the funds the Haury provided them in 2015 and 2016. Their work made critical new contributions to giving voice to underrepresented youth and immigrants. They changed lives," said Anna Spitz, director of the Haury program. "We are very pleased to have funds to recognize the important work they have done, their stewardship of Haury program funds and their continuation of Mrs. Haury's legacy. "
The Haury program awards financial support to non-profit organizations, UA students and faculty and others who are working on environmental and social justice issues in the U.S. Southwest. In turn, the awardees encourage additional work by others to honor Haury's legacy of innovative scholarship and support for social justice.


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Dos Pueblos Mock Trial Team Wins World Championship
Local High School Students Take 'Empire Mock Trial' Title in New York
By Keith Hamm
Mon Oct 26, 2015 | 3:33pm
Arguing a fictional case of a white cop shooting an unarmed black teenager, Dos Pueblos High School's extracurricular mock trial team won the coveted Empire Mock Trial world championships on Monday at New York's Brooklyn Federal Courthouse. In the final bracket, against Pennsylvania's Wyoming Seminary prep school and before U.S. District Court Judge Pamela Chen, the Dos Pueblos team defended the actions of the offending officer, who had committed suicide after the fatal shooting. Mock jurors — played by real-life attorneys — scored the students on case knowledge, poise, and their ability to respond to witnesses and insert objections, among other skills. "They're trained to look at both sides of an argument," said attorney Maureen Grattan, who coaches the Dos Pueblos team. "In Santa Barbara we don't know what it's like for the black community Baltimore, for example. For our kids this was really eye-opening."
https://www.independent.com/2015/10/26/dos-pueblos-mock-trial-team-wins-world-championship/
Santa Barbara County Amends Land-Use Code in Response to New State Housing Law
Homeowners and Renters May Apply for Storm Assistance
Wrongfully Fired Santa Maria Strawberry Workers Rehired, Paid Thousands as Part of Settlement Agreement


Pathways in this archive are an effort by the SBGN community to reach out to bioscience researchers. It is a redraw of a pathway diagram from a research article in SBGN format. It has to be pointed out that the SBGN redraw does not always match exactly to the original diagram. Since SBGN requires more concise and unambiguous representation of the knowledge, some modification is required based on the interpretation of the article by the SBGN curator.
An SBGN Process Desciption diagram was created based on Figure 7 of the following paper. SBGN-ED, an SBGN editing software, was used to draw the diagram.
Park S., Kukushkin Y., Gupta R., Chen T., Konagai A., Hipp M., Hayer-Hartl M., and Hartl F. (2013) PolyQ Proteins Interfere with Nuclear Degradation of Cytosolic Proteins by Sequestering the Sis1p Chaperone. Cell 154, 134-145. PMID: 23791384.
Misfolded proteins (green) are initially stabilized in a soluble state by Hsp70s (purple), and then ubiquitinated by E3 ligase (Ubr1). Recognition of misfolded protein by Sis1p dimer leads to remodeling of the initial chaperone complex, shifting from refolding to degradation mode. Sis1p stabilizes the association with Hsp70 and mediates protein import into the nucleus for proteasomal degradation. The nuclear E3 ligase San1, acting in parallel to cytosolic E3 ligases, contributes to efficient ubiquitylation. When the cell contains PolyQ aggregate, it will deplete Sis1 by binding it, and thus preventing the complex from entering the degradation mode. See the article for more details.
There are some modifications in the SBGN diagram compared to the original one.
In the original diagram, there is an inhibition arrow from the PolyQ aggregate. This is actually ambiguous. The PolyQ aggregate does not have the inhibition activity. Rather, it is the process of depleting of Sis1 by PolyQ aggregate that inhibits the binding of Sis1 to the misfolded protein. Therefore, this inhibition arrow is omitted in the SBGN diagram.
A logic gate is used to show that both nuclear E3 ligase and nuclear proteamsome are required to degrade the misfolded protein.
Huaiyu Mi, PhD, Associate Professor of Research, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine.
An SBGN Process Desciption and Activity Flow diagrams were created based on the Graphical Abstract of the following paper. SBGN-ED, an SBGN editing software, was used to draw the diagram.
Ma H, Groth RD, Cohen SM, Emery JF, Li B, Hoedt E, Zhang G, Neubert TA, Tsien RW. (2014) γCaMKII shuttles Ca²⁺/CaM to the nucleus to trigger CREB phosphorylation and gene expression. Cell 159,281-294. PMID: 25303525.
Activity-dependent CREB phosphorylation and gene expression are critical for long-term neuronal plasticity. Local signaling at CaV1 channels triggers these events, but how information is relayed onward to the nucleus remains unclear. Here, we report a mechanism that mediates long-distance communication within cells: a shuttle that transports Ca(2+)/calmodulin from the surface membrane to the nucleus. We show that the shuttle protein is γCaMKII, its phosphorylation at Thr287 by βCaMKII protects the Ca(2+)/CaM signal, and CaN triggers its nuclear translocation. Both βCaMKII and CaN act in close proximity to CaV1 channels, supporting their dominance, whereas γCaMKII operates as a carrier, not as a kinase. Upon arrival within the nucleus, Ca(2+)/CaM activates CaMKK and its substrate CaMKIV, the CREB kinase. This mechanism resolves long-standing puzzles about CaM/CaMK-dependent signaling to the nucleus. The significance of the mechanism is emphasized by dysregulation of CaV1, γCaMKII, βCaMKII, and CaN in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders.
Below is the SBGN PD map of the pathway.
Here is the SBGN AF map of the pathway.


A friend called last night to tell me that she'd just heard Glenn Beck say that the stock market was pretty much going to fall off a cliff either today or within the next couple of weeks. Those were her words, not mine. And since I don't listen to Beck, I don't know how accurate they are. But what I found most amazing, other than the fact that I really do have friends who listen to and believe what Beck has to say, is that his words troubled her. They threw salt on an already opened wound of worry about money and whether or not her family would have enough.
If there's one thing TV yappers excel at, it's scaring people. And for as much as people say there's more to life than money, tell them that their bucks are going to disappear and their once happy-go-lucky personalities turn wretched. It's not good—nor morally and ethically right– to prey on people's fears. But some networks, communication personalities and sales folks make terrific livings doing so.
It's Thursday, May 20, 2010 and the stock markets in Europe and Asia closed down over the night. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened down as well. When I checked it a few minutes ago, it was already opened and was down over 200 points. It's anybody's guess as to the direction the 30 stocks that make up the DJIA will take today.
But what we do know about stock markets is that the prices on the stocks in them change pretty much every day, almost always every year, most definitely over time. We also know that there has never been one individual in the entire world who has consistently been able to call the markets' directions accurately. Not one.
So let's look at the numbers– they show the facts– and where stocks stood at the closing bell last night, May 19, 2010.
As you know I've been keeping an eye on the companies in the DJIA selling for under $20 a share for nearly a year now. Yesterday there were four of them. The same names, incidentally, that have been noted before. Alcoa, (AA), closed yesterday at $11.78 a share, over the last 52-weeks it has traded as low as $8.70 a share and as high as $17.60.
Bank of American (BAC) closed at $16.31, its 52-week range $10.57 to $19.86. General Electric (GE) has traded between $10.50 per share and $19.70 over the last 52 weeks and closed yesterday at $17.26. And Pfizer (PFE) ended yesterday's trading session at $15.82. Trading range for the past year has been between $13.94 and $20.36. All numbers according to Yahoo Finance.
In the mutual fund arena, Lipper figures year-to-date through May 13 show that the average Diversified Equity Fund was up 5.98 percent. Small-Cap Value funds leading the way in that grouping—the average one here up 14.75 percent. The worst performing category over that time period was Diversified Short Bias Funds, down on average 11.43 percent.
Move into Sector Funds and Real Estate Funds have performed the best and the worst. The average U.S. Real Estate Fund was up on average 17.74 percent. The worst performers were International Real Estate funds, down 6.49 percent.
We all know that the world is in a bucket of hurt financially, those International Real Estate funds show that, so does the average return on World Equity Funds. The average in this grouping was down 2.69 percent.
If investing in the stock market is something you've chosen to do with some of your money, you must accept that fact that price volaitility is a very real part of the game. If you can't accept that fact— or emotionally take it—get out of the market. There are plenty of other ways to build a nest egg other than via the stock market. As for Glenn Beck, if his words are emotionally upsetting to you as well, turn him off. That's easy enough!


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ARCHANGEL MICHAEL APPEARS TO ELISABETH AND NIKO IN SOUTH AFRICA!
ELISABETH AND NIKO IN SOUTH AFRICA!
Sister Joainne came from Europe to live and minister with us. (She has been mentioned in the latest prophecies). She is such a great blessing and help.
On the first night she arrived in South Africa (June 27, 2006), Niko and I took her--along with our 18 year old Son--to my favorite seaside restaurant. We were sitting there when I looked up at a dark-haired, tan-skinned, very handsome man who stared back with a look of recognition and love. His huge smile was focused totally on me. Because it was so unusual, I am going to try to explain that look on his face. Only my husband Niko has looked at me like that. For example, after I go into a restaurant and wait for Niko to park the vehicle, Niko comes searching for me and, on recognizing me, his face suddenly lights up and he smiles. This stranger was looking at me the same way.
I didn't smile at first because I was so shocked. First, he looked at me with a spiritual connection and as though he knew me. Also, he was exceptionally handsome. Not only that, but my husband was sitting right next to me. I quickly bent my head and thought, 'I don't know this man, why would he be looking at me like that?' I said to myself, 'I must be imagining things.' So I looked up again.
The man was still staring at me with that big grin on his face, totally focused on me as if no one else was in the restaurant. Not knowing what else to do, I smiled back and mouthed the word, "Hi". The restaurant was so crowded that you could barely hear individuals speak. He stood inside, on the entrance way before the tables. I didn't know Niko had been watching me until he lovingly teased me saying, "Don't think I didn't see that man smile at you, then you smile back and say 'Hi'".
I was so embarrassed, for Niko knows I only have eyes for him and never look at any other man. So I quickly said, "He must be one of us and sees the Holy Spirit on me or anointing." Joainne and our beloved son were facing the other direction; they didn't know what was going on until Niko said this. We all laughed.
Niko said the man just appeared and looked at no one but me. Other than Niko and me, no one else seemed to notice him. Neither of us even remembers his clothes or the color of them. (We know it wasn't a robe--we would remember that!) All Niko and I remember is his face. Niko said it was as though the man just disappeared after he let himself be seen by me. That was his only reason and motive. Niko hugged me and teased me and we all laughed.
During this prayer time with Niko, I was told that the man in Hammond, Indiana, was the same man in South Africa. The angel's name is Michael the Archangel, in Heaven! Niko said he knew it was all about a spiritual connection between this man and me because before this, Niko had prayed that the next time an angel comes to Elisabeth that he would see him also. Well, he saw him too! I just have to wonder...did anyone else see him? The place was packed and we had the last table. Where did he go?
Niko said it was like he disappeared. One second there, next gone, and yet he never walked out the door.
Brother Conrad called me and asked me--as a prayer intercessor--how everything was going. This was the first phone call I have received from him. I told him about the angelic visitation. He surprised my husband and me and told us he had seen his angel appear to him in the form of a human about a week before. He has seen the same man about 20 times!
About a year ago on May 24, 2005, holy angels came to our bedroom and stood beside our bed. I shouted to Niko: "Honey, look! The angels are here." But he kept sleeping. I touched the wings of the nearest angel and I saw the wings sparkling with embedded jewels. I was healed of something life-threatening by touching the wings of an angel. (I still have to write more on this miracle but it was mentioned on the site when YAHUSHUA's Demon Stompers was birthed. In the book soon to be released, I will go into it more in detail).
One time I had my angels come in the form of two women and I've never forgotten that experience. Again I was in a crisis situation. This time I was saved, sanctified, and filled with the Ruach ha Kodesh, although at that time I knew nothing about the Jewishness of our MESSIAH...and I called the Ruach the Holy Spirit. My identical twin sons-�aged five-�were with me and I was trapped in an abusive marriage. If you read my testimony you will see I am divorced.
I thought to myself, 'This no big deal, they just think my twins are cute because they are identical.' I ordered a pizza and the whole time we were eating, the two women-�one was white and one was black�-kept starring at us. They continued to smile and talk quietly. I knew they were talking about me, but I didn't know why they would be. The kids behaved very well.
Niko and I thank all of you for your messages of encouragement, love and also for all your financial support. We especially thank the prayer warriors who are interceding. We can feel the anointing power in your prayers. We want those who are praying for us to know how dearly we love and appreciate you and that we also pray for you. Although we can't name all of you, we know that everyone who is praying blessings upon us, the same blessing will come upon them also. YAHUSHUA said, in proportion to the way that you are blessed, I will bless others who are praying for you.
Niko and Elisabeth Now Ministering In Africa!
I feel a strong urging in my spirit (I am not feeling 100% sure, but l feel it) to tell you that the blood covering of YAHUSHUA must be intensified around you and EVERY child of YAHUVEH that has come on this trip with you. The prayer covering by the prayer warriors must be intensified as well; l feel the enemy�s agents in South Africa rising up against the message you have come to deliver. Call for prayer warriors to begin to INTERCEDE WITHOUT CEASEING, l will begin to intercede. May YAHUVEH that we love and serve, protect and encamp around you and yours.
The first morning we awoke in our new high security townhouse in Africa, I remembered a dream I had on 6/6/6 I have only shared it with my husband and one other person. Now I share it with the world.
I dreamt I was sent to rescue mothers and children and women from "the daughter of lucifer�s house." I warned them this is a evil cult and of satan and I was helping them to escape from the house. However the fathers to the children did not believe me and refused to leave.
One last thing, where YAHUVEH has given us a temporary home the view from our backyard is a huge Orthodox Jewish Synagogue. It turns out we are in the midst of a Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. It�s very large one where even the store has an entire Kosher food and meat section. I grieve more then anything else when the Orthodox Jews refuse to accept YAHUSHUA as Messiah. I grieve when any soul refuses the shed blood at Calvary, the only remission for sin.
Immediately after Elisabeth wrote the previous letter, the alarm in the temporary house went off. Niko had armed the house, meaning it was put on lock down, full security outside and inside. Niko and Elisabeth heard a door slam. When Niko touched one of the bedroom doors to open it, the alarm went off. Even though the alarm was shut off, or disarmed in seconds, armed security arrived in less than 5 minutes! We need faithful prayer warriors. This is a whole new way of life! We truly do not know the kind of evil that the princes and powers and principalities and rulers in dark places have over this land. We need someone to come and mentor us to know more how to fight this evil. Please contact us.
My husband and I and our Son have been traveling all over Europe and even Africa. We have met with some of the Bride of YAHUSHUA face to face. We are trying hard to get the time to translate 4 new prophecies and get them posted. There just hasn't been enough hours in the day it seems.
Satan doesn't play fair. My husband's brother Rick committed suicide during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He took his own life by walking in front of a train. Please intercessors, pray for Niko and his family. When my beloved husband is able, he is going to write a memorial to Rick. The saddest part is the tragedies in my husband's family still haven't stopped. We just received news that Niko's dad now has cancer of the pancreas and needs surgery. Please pray for them. Seek and pray for what is needed as the Ruach leads you to do.
Remember this, only what you do for YAHUSHUA will count in eternity. Only what you do in HIS name will stand. Don't use your finances for selfish purposes or it will be like stubble and hay. Ask yourself...are you building up your treasures on earth or in Heaven? I know Niko and I only have treasures in Heaven, for on earth we don't even have a house to call our own or furniture. Even our vehicle was left behind. We have laid everything on the altar of sacrifice for the glory of YAHUSHUA.
These prophecies will be released together shortly now that Niko and I are safely out of America. They are the Exodus prophecies which follow the Passover, just as the exodus of the Jews from Egypt immediately followed the Passover, at which time the first-born in each household was taken EXCEPT in those dwellings with the Blood of a [spotless and without blemish] lamb put above and on each side of the entrance door.
OBEDIENCE! OBEDIENCE! OBEDIENCE! Just as Niko and Elisabeth have done...you MUST be willing to leave EVERYTHING behind and NOT LOOK BACK and walk forward in OBEDIENCE to YAHUVEH and YAHUSHUA! You cannot have it both ways. If you expect protection, safety and His blessings, you must do it HIS WAY!!!


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ConsentMate
YOUR RECORDS
Safety. Always.
At ConsentMate, we strive to emphasize the importance of sexual safety inside and out of the bedroom. It is our mission to create a safe space to record the transfer of consent between you and your partner(s) after a sexual interaction and educate more people when it comes to performing sex safely. With our highly integrated digital platform, we work to safeguard your sexual security and that of all others. At the end of the day, our goal is to end all non-consensual acts while providing protection for everyone outside of the bedroom.
ConsentMate was built due to the increasing number of careless decisions made by people in situations involving sexual engagement, and the ever expanding population of people who aren't asking for consent. More than anything, ConsentMate wants to bring awareness to all people, regardless of race, gender, background, or sexual preference, that the process leading to consent exists, and NEEDS to be followed every step of the way. Protect yourself. Protect your future.
What ConsentMate Is and Our Mission
(World-Record Sign Up Completed In Just 23.2 Seconds!)
*According to CDC
1 in 4 Men (24.8%) Experience Nonconsensual Sexual Contact
1 in 2 Women (43.6%) Experience Nonconsensual Sexual Contact
TGQN
1 in 2 TGQN People (47%) Experience Nonconsensual Sexual Contact
*According to NSVRC
The dangers of having the truth misinterpreted and falsely presented are becoming evermore sizable as the use of media increases. No one has a baseline for marking consent, people are becoming less careful when it comes to confirming whether or not they were actually given consent, and some people genuinely aren't even asking for it. Our mission is to bring awareness to as many people as possible, and remind others that THERE IS a process. And consent is to be given before, during/throughout, and after the interaction.
(In The United States Alone)
© Copyright 2021-2022 by ConsentMate ® SM
www.consentmate.com


This package consists of things which will set the perfect mood for a romantic evening.
We'll take you to your favorite restaurant in your preferred limousine.
Prior to this, our professional chauffeur will take you to your favourite concert or show.
You and your spouse can dine on some of the finest cocktails and spend the evening in romantic conversations.
You can dance with your partner on a romantic track and enjoy the evening.
Our professional chauffeur will take you to an amazing City Lights Tour around Toronto. This is the time when you and your partner can spend the evening touring the amazing streets in a stunning limousine and immerse in love!
It's a 4 hour package. Our chauffeurs will take you to your favorite restaurants in your preferred limousine. They'll take all the care throughout the journey till a safe drop off to your home.


I'm using LINQ to SQL to access Northwind here - you could use ADO.Net or whatever you want. The quick of it is this - I get the data, put the data in a table (ListObject) on Sheet2, then I create a PivotTable on Sheet3 using the ListObject on Sheet2 as the source data. Sheet1 is left empty.


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April 11, 2011 / 11:24 PM / 8 years ago
WRAPUP 1-Ouattara urges peace after Ivory Coast rival held
* Gbagbo captured after hiding in bunker
* Ouattara calls for calm, reconciliation
* Gbagbo and his aides to face justice
(Adds Gbagbo's first name in second para)
By Mark John and Ange Aboa
ABIDJAN, April 12 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's internationally recognised president called for peace and reconciliation after his rival was arrested with the help of French forces, but he faces a huge task reuniting a country shattered by civil war.
Alassane Ouattara, who won a November presidential election according to U.N.-certified results, can finally begin asserting his authority over the West African country after Laurent Gbagbo was captured on Monday — ending more than four months of stand-off that descended into all-out conflict.
Gbagbo, who had refused to step down after 10 years in power, was arrested after French forces in the former colony closed in on the bunker where he had been holed up for the past week, and placed under the control of Ouattara's forces.
That leaves Ouattara as the sole leader in charge of the country, although many analysts say it may not be enough to end the fighting that has bloodied the world's top cocoa grower over the past few weeks.
"I call my fellow country men to abstain from all form of reprisal and violence," Ouattara said in a speech on his TCI television late on Monday, calling for "a new era of hope".
"Our country has turned a painful page in its history," he said, urging marauding youth militias to lay down their weapons and promising to restore security to the battered nation.
Ethnic violence has festered during Ouattara's lengthy tug-of-war with Gbagbo, particularly in the west of the country, with hundreds of people killed as both sides to the conflict committed atrocities against civilians, aid groups say.
Ouattara said Gbagbo, his wife and aides who have been detained will face justice. But he also promised a South African-styled Truth and Reconciliation Commission to shed light on all crimes and human rights abuses.
IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE
In the commercial capital Abidjan, where people have been trapped into their homes with little food or water as fighting raged for 10 days, Ouattara faces a more immediate challenge.
Dwindling supplies as well as frequent power cuts and a shortage of medicines have led aid workers to warn about a humanitarian disaster unless the authorities can act swiftly.
Ouattara called for calm and said he had asked his police and gendarmerie forces as well as U.N. and French troops to help restore security.
Gbagbo himself, looking submissive and slightly startled, briefly spoke on Ouattara's TCI television and called for an end to the fighting after his arrest.
But it is not clear whether pro-Gbagbo's militias, who promised to fight to the bitter end and still control parts of Abidjan will now heed calls to lay down their weapons, nor if the 46 percent of Ivorians who voted for Gbagbo in the election will accept his defeat.
"Ouattara has to play this very carefully, to manage tensions at home and placate the domestic constituents of Gbagbo and so resolve not just the electoral dispute but also in effect a 10-year-long civil war," said Mark Schroeder at political risk consultancy Stratfor.
The November poll was meant to draw a line under a 2002-03 civil war which lef the country split in two. Instead, it reignited the conflict, killing more than 1,000 people and displacing one million.
Ouattara's legitimacy may be tarnished by accusations that his forces killed hundreds as the swept through the country to reach Abidjan — something that his aides deny.
FRENCH ROLE
He also faces questions about the role played by the French military in securing his rival's arrest.
A column of more than 30 French armoured vehicles moved in on Gbagbo's residence in Abidjan early on Monday after French and U.N. helicopter gunships pounded the compound overnight.
Witnesses said Ouattara's forces, who had failed to dislodge Gbagbo despite mounting a fierce attack on his bunker last week, joined French ground troops advancing on the compound.
France and Ouattara's camp insisted it was Ouattara's forces that arrested Gbagbo, eager to counter claims by Gbagbo's aides that Ouattara is nothing more than a foreign-backed stooge.
"Just after 3 o'clock, the ex-president Laurent Gbagbo handed himself over to the Republican Forces of Ivory Coast. At no moment did French forces enter either the garden or the residence of Gbagbo," French armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard said.
Gbagbo was taken to the Hotel Golf in Abidjan, where his rival has his headquarters. Ouattara's television showed Gbagbo in a room at the Golf, with Ouattara's troops standing by him.
Wearing a white undershirt, he looked in good health but submissive. He was given a towel and a green shirt, which he put on in front of the camera. His wife Simone, believed by many Ivorians to possess powers of witchcraft, was with him at the hotel, looking dishevelled.
Ouattara said all measures had been taken to ensure their physical security, and that their rights would be respected. U.N. officials said he would be moved within the next few hours to a secure location up north, without giving details.
Additional reporting by Emmanuel Braun and Loucoumane Coulibaly in Abidjan, Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations, Vicky Buffery and Elizabeth Pineau in Paris, Bate Felix and Silvia Aloisi in Dakar; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Michael Roddy


Let's discover a beauty and wonders of ancient Rome in a most original and funny way: do the MINI Cooper Tour!
Feel the wind in your hair in an authentic vintage MINI car while driving by the most wonderful monuments in the World and have the unforgettable experience! Not only will you see the fabulous roman piazzas (squares) and streets but you will also enjoy a very relaxing ride in a vintage Mini car with our charming roman guide!
Choose the one that fits you and be ready to put the sun cream as the fun begins!
See Rome with your own private driver who shows you around the Eternal city in a classic Mini Cooper.
Your charming and personal Italian guide will drive you around many famous Rome sights, such as Colosseum, Vatican, Circus Maximum, St. Peter Cathedral, Spanish Steps, Via Veneto, and Trastevere.
Discover the biggest beauties of the Eternal City in a very romantic and original way: do the MINI Cooper tour of Rome and see Rome with different eyes.
Let us drive you through the historical heritage of our beautiful city in a Mini Cooper!
Would you like to feel how is it to be an Italian for 3 hours?
Come with us on a MINI Cooper Aperitivo Tour and we will show you why we are so romantic!
See the most stunning monuments and enjoy a ride in a vintage Mini car with our driver who will take you to the breathtaking view over the Eternal City and feel a Dolce Vita in Italian style while stopping for the Aperitivo along the way!


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Rotifer – The Hosting Couple
5th December 2011 Joe Leave a comment
Rotifer, fronted by Robert Rotifer the Austrian born musician, artist, broadcaster and writer, may just be the most familiar band you've never heard of.
Now a trio, with Darren Hayman on bass and former Death in Vegas man Ian Button on drums, this latest album is full of recognisable musical influences, mainly from the 60s and 70s.
It is perhaps no wonder Rotifer has become one of the first acts to be signed to AED, the label created by Edwyn Collins whose career has been formed through a love of those decades.
Part Stones, part Kinks, part Bowie and even part Neil Innes in places this sixth album, and the first to get a UK release by Rotifer, focuses largely on the young Robert's journey from Austria as a schoolboy to stay with a hosting couple in Canvey Island during the summer of 1982.
The album, produced by Wreckless Eric in his studio in France, is full of references to English culture, mostly seen through the eyes of a child from Austria, from run down seaside towns and low quality 1980s English television to his less than enthusiastic hosting couple, who spent most of the time sunbathing in their suburban garden surrounded by the stench of creosote stained fences and sheds.
It's a nostalgic concept that works well, especially as years later Rotifer made Kent, the county located over the other side of the Thames estuary his home. Among my highlights is the album's centrepiece Canvey Island, full of lovely turns of phrases such as "white sock summer".
Another is the first track I heard, Aberdeen Marine Lab, which was released on Youtube earlier this year. It's my favourite on the album. Perfect pop.
Mr Extra Item Seat, like a mash up of Neil Innes and the Kinks, is another great track and riff of the album belongs to Ernst Jandell at The Albert Hall. The Kinks link is unsurprising given one of the young Robert's highlights of his stay was experiencing the mod revival of the time. There's also a hint of Elvis Costello on Ernst Jandell at The Albert Hall, also unsurprising as he was no doubt a familiar voice on radio at the time of Robert's visit.
The album's slow track, Art for the Spare Room, is perhaps the only one I've yet to warm to, although I concede it provides a necessary change of pace to the smart riffs and jangly pop of the rest of the album. I'm sure I'll get there though.
While plundering the music of the 60s and 70s for influence can often go wrong (see Oasis) Rotifer's genuine fondness for the music and culture of the country he now calls home gives this album a warmth and honesty that other plunderers can only dream of.
Darren Hayman – Chants for Socialists
Papernut Cambridge – 5D-EP
Jack Hayter – Abbey Wood
Darren Hayman – Thankful Villages Volume 2
Robert Rotifer – Not Your Door
Album Reviews Darren Hayman, Rotifer
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Troll Berry, at least in Swedish known as Trollbär (Lat. Solanum Dulcamara).
It is not to be eaten.
And here a mushroom (Fuligo septica) known as "Troll Butter"
As mentioned by Ebbe Schön in Svensk Folktro A-Ö this mushroom was once believed to be butter spillt during evil witches' "magical milking" intended to drain the farmers' milk cows of their milk. The "troll" element in this name thus refers to magic rather than to the troll creature.
The Scandinavian Tomte/Nisse/Gnome or Gårdbo (Farm Habitant) is not as invisible as the Vætte/Wight and often has a serving position on the farm. Those who have seen the Tomte report that he is a small grey-clad man with a red cap and a long beard. He lives in close vicinity to people, often in the stable or on the loft, and he easily gets annoyed with his human neighbours and teases them or makes life more hard for them. He looks like a little child, but is very strong. To have a Nisse/Tomte on your farm has its obvious advantages and if you don't have one you can always employ one, though this is like recruiting the Devil himself, as you cannot easily dismiss the Tomte.
"There once was a farmer who had taken a young Tomte into his service. The Tomte was quick and hard-working but was very afraid of ghosts. It did not last long before the Tomte had made the farm so prosperous that the farmer felt very content and wanted to get rid of his farm hand. On the farm there was also a young girl, the most clever girl in the whole parish. "If the farmer will double my yearly salary," she said, "then I will make sure that the Tomte will resign voluntarily." The farmer agreed to this and next evening when the girl as usual were going out to the Tomte with his bowl of porridge, she put the bowl on the floor behind her. Then she placed herself with her legs wide apart, bent down and grabbed the bowl with her hands between her legs. And then she walked backwards into the stable and put the bowl down in front of the scared Tomte who thought that she was a horrible ghost and ran and hid himself. Next day he went to the farmer and asked him to get rid of the horrible ghost which was working for him.
"Then I am leaving at this instant," shouted the Tomte.
And so he did and the farm girl got her yearly salary doubled.
The Nisse/Tomte can maybe be traced back to Roman house spirits. If you take good care of him, you will have a happy home, but if not, then bad things might happen. Here is a painting of one Tomte by the wonderful Swedish illustrator Harald Wiberg. You can see more of his paintings here. Wiberg illustrated several books about the Tomte by Astrid Lindgren, the famous Swedish children book's writer, and several are translated to English, incl. The Tomten.
The tomte must be the most visualised of all Scandinavian folklore creatures. So here are a few.
Here is first the classic 'postcard like' interpretation of a beardless Nisse by the artist Fredrik Wohlfahrt. The porridge which he is eating was a traditional gift to the Nisse during the Christmas season - a friendly gesture the Nisse would hopefully repay during the coming year. Porridge was the most common sacrificial food as it was also the most common prepared food.
One origin of the Nisse/Tomte is the Old Norse Jólasveinn or Yuleboy. The Jólasveinar or Yuleboys were sons of the troll woman Grýla and her husband Leppalúd (the horrible), trolls already known from the 12th century. They had a reputation for stealing and eating naughty boys. These had many different names acc. to old Norse tradition and reflecting what they had done wrong when alive, e.g.: Thvörusleikir (Pot Scraper Licker), Pottasleikir (Pot Licker), Askasleikir (Bowl Licker), Hurdaskellir (Door Slammer), Skyrgámur (Junket Gobbler), Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Snatcher ), Gluggagægir (Window Peeper) or Gáttathefur (Doorway Sniffer). Once a year they returned to scare other children, so they didn't behave badly. Medieval pedagogy in another word.
You can see some very funny pictures of the Yuleboys on this Icelandic page.
Other names: Åkarlen, Strömkarlen, Forskarlen, Bäckmannen (The River Man) and Åhesten or Bäckahäst (the River Horse). In Norway you find a special variant called Fossegrimen (an ugly but musically talented creature living under waterfalls or near water mills). The origin of this creature is debatable - as a sacrificial myth (in many parts of Scandinavia the river expected an annual sacrifice), to explain the melodious sound of water or simply to warn people against water.
The word Nøkken or Näcken dates back to a common European origin meaning 'to bathe' or 'to wash' [nig] but was used for 'sea creature' in the old Germanic languages, eg. nihhus (crocodile). The modern German Nix is a female creature, rather like the mermaid. The dangerous male sea spirit thus seems to be of Scandinavian origin.The English form Nixie was introduced from German in 1816 by the great historical novelist Sir Walter Scott.
Male creature who lives near streams and lakes, even beaches. Before going for a swim, it was wise to stick a knife in the ground on the beach as a protection against this dangerous creature. Sometimes he looks like an old man with a red cap and a long white beard (like a nisse/tomte), but he can also appear in the form of an attractive young man. In some stories his one foot is a horse hoof, in others he is an elegantly dressed man, in others again a cat or a horse.
He is known as a great fiddler who will teach anyone his skills for a minor sacrifice, though you can always expect him to try with different tricks to pull you into the water, but if you survive the lesson, you will become a great fiddler yourself, a myth similar to that told of the father of blues, Robert Johnson, who got his great musical talent from the devil himself. The Nix likes to receive meat as the price for teaching someone to play the fiddle, and there are many versions of the story where someone tries to fool the Nix by throwing him a meatless bone instead, but the Nix is no fool and instead "teaches" the offender to be silent.
"While saying various magical incantations one should place one's instrument close to the water, where the Nix usually appears. After a period, during which you are not allowed to shave, cut your hair or go to church, you return to the water where you left your violin and now there are two violins which look alike. You have to choose one of them, and everything depends on this choice. If you take your own violin which the Nix in the meantime has tuned, you learn the art of playing, but if you take the Nix' violin, you drown."
If you become his pupil, he gains total control over you. He will teach you a certain melody (Swedish "Älvastråged"), but if you play it more than 5 times, things can become very dangerous and at the end you and the dancers will dance your way to the river where you will all drown.
The Nix is a sexual predator who is particularly drawn to pregnant or unmarried women (also see the Sea Troll) - as well as to unbaptised children whereas men can in some cases, as mentioned above, control its power. There is no female Nix. The mermaid has many similarities though.
In some parts of Scandinavia he was a very attractive young man seducing young women and sometimes they became pregnant, but nothing came of this relation. The Nix as a grey or white horse living in the river is a very old motif. As a horse he tricks children to climb on to his back and ride him and then he takes them to the nearest water to drown them, an ancient abduction myth similar to modern urban folklore about alien abductions.
This myth also exists in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, old Norse territory, where the horse is called the Nuggle, and in Iceland, where the horse is known as the Nykur. You can read more about the Nuggle here and about the Nykur here.
First a beautiful John Bauer illustration of a giant as big as a church tower and with a fist as strong as hard rock.
Jætte/Jätte/Jotun (related to the verb 'to eat', meaning 'big eater') or Rise (related to the German word riesig (enourmous) or Kæmpe/Kjempe, similar to the Norwegian bergtroll (mountain troll). These giants inhabited Scandinavia before the arrival of the humans and many natural phenomena were attributed to their actions. Deep holes in the mountain were called 'jættegryder' (Da. for "giants' pots") and the megalithic tombs one finds all over Denmark were called "jættehøje" (giants' hills). Big rocks near a church had always been thrown by some giant, but the fact that it never hit, supposedly showed the power of the Christian faith. One giant, Finn, even helped build the cathedral in Lund, Skåne, but often these giants tried to cheat their employers, eg. by not finishing the work after being paid.
Acc. to Norse mythology the giants were the enemies of gods and humans and lived in Jotunheim, a northern part of Utgård, at the end of the world. To the east was the Iron Forest where a giant woman, Hyrrokin, gave birth to giants in wolf shape, Hate and Skoll, who chased the moon and sun to eat them. To the West on an island in the ocean lived the giant Ægir with his wife Ran who created disasters on the sea. The whole world had been created from body parts from the giant Ymer whose flesh became the soil, blood became the sea and lakes, the teeth became the mountains and the hair the forests.
The word is related to Norse alfar who can be good or bad.
According to Ebbe Schön very dangerous creatures indeed! If you happen to see them dance or even join them, you risk going mad or get seriously hurt. In the Middle Ages they were believed to be dead people who had led sinful lives. They can look like puppetlike figures or smaller animals. They are often dressed in white. As a rule, however, they are invisible and one only hears them speak or sing. They live in hills or meadows or in swamps. Fogbanks early in the morning or late in the evening are often seen as dancing elves.
The Bysen (or trullet - related to 'troll') - a ghostlike creature from the Baltic island of Gotland who walks around with an ax, slowly and carefully chopping trees or branches, generally to maintain and protect the forest. It is a human who committed some crime during his lifetime and now is condemned to walk on earth forever. He is small and grey, not directly evil, but makes life difficult for forest workers, turning over timber loads and delaying transports of timber from the forest.


So happy you came to join us!
I am on vacation! But don't worry, I will add this weeks features to next weeks party!
*Please comeback I am starting my September Scarefest. All month I will have lot's of crafts, recipes and ideas for Halloween!!!
Thanks Linda, and thank you for linking up with me!
Thanks for hosting. I'm a new follower!
Awesome and welcome! I am now following you back!
Ooo! i love your halloween stuff and can't wait to see it! your zipper face still haunts me to this day-LOL :>D oh and of course thanks for the party!
Ha ha, thanks Lisa! Love that you always link up with me!
I was a little late getting to your party but I guess better late than never! What a nice party. We were already following but I expanded the follow. Your Halloween post is awesome!


text:
Working for the FBI's Deep Cover Operations division, Martin Odum can transform himself into a different person — whether it's an assignment as a Serbian extremist, a corrupt Chicago police officer, a British special forces colonel, or a legendary computer hacker. But when he learns that his life, itself, may be a lie, he faces the demands of his job and a desire to solve the mystery of his identity. And given the choice between the two, Odum doesn't always make the right decision.
Skapare: Howard Gordon
Skådespelare: Aisling Franciosi, Kelly Overton, Sean Bean, Steve Kazee, Winter Ave Zoli
Nätverk: TNT
Keywords:fbi fbi agent secret identity special forces undercover undercover agent
Melon Music Awards
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星座愛情水瓶女 - 愛情有沒友
ビデオ戦士レザリオン
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Scenen var din – tæt på talenterne
60m, 50m, 55m, 52m min
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Åshöjdens BK
Serien skildrar hur Bagarn Olsson, en före detta landslagsman i fotboll, fl yttar till den bortglömda byn Åshöjden med knappt hundra invånare i norra Skåne, och lyfter det lokala fotbollslaget…
Genre: Familj, Kids
The Peggy Neville Show
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The list of articles and Q&A for travel to Japan about "Beef" by Hub Japan. If you are looking for the best sightseeing, things to do, or food informations about Japan, Hub Japan is your answer!
Teppanyaki is one of the most beloved Japanese food you should try while in Japan. Here are the 10 recommended teppanyaki restaurants in Shinjuku area to check out.
Where is a good place for Kobe beef teppanyaki style?
where should i try wagyu beef?
Sukiyaki or Japanese hotpot is a very popular dish in Japan. Visit the 10 sukiyaki restaurants in Shinjuku and enjoy delicious hotpot.
Teppanyaki is a popular Japanese cuisine where you cook food using an iron griddle. Dine on delicious teppanyaki in these 10 places in Asakusa for a perfect grill.
Japanese beef or Wagyu is famous around the world for its melt-in-your-mouth goodness. And flame grilling Japanese beef is truly an experience that can't be missed. Find your favorite yakiniku place in Giza to put on your list!
Yakiniku is the art of grilling meat in Japanese style. If you like Yakiniku, visit these 10 restaurants in Tokyo that will impress you.
Sukiyaki is a famous Japanese dish where the food is cooked and served hot-pot style (nabemono). Experience sukiyaki first-hand in the 10 best restaurants in Yokohama.
If you will eat Kobegyu teppanyaki in TOKYO,you go to "AJITETSU2 in AKASAKA.They buy kobe-beef one full head,you can eat teppanyaki course end enjoy good taste beef.
I recommend you "BIFUTEKI NO KAWAMURA" in GINZA.You can eat KOBE-BEEF at KOBE brick warehouse interior ,and enjoy performance too.
How about "teppanyaki miyachi". It is in Ginza ,and you can eat kuroge wagyu beef steaks with delicious wine.
I recommend "HERO'S" in Akihabara.You can eat one pond steak or handmade hamburg .It is not so expensive but delicios.


Canada's second turn to bat at Cannes seems to be a hit. Reports say that War Witch director Kim Nguyen's Two Lovers and a Bear premiered to great applause on Wednesday. The reviews are largely positive with special praise going to Nguyen's use of magical realism and evocative use of the arctic landscape, while the performances by Tatiana Maslany and Dane DeHaan are drawing strong notices. Critics and Croisette-goers also seem to like the appearance of Gordon Pinsent as a talking bear, which is a surprise previously unrevealed in the film's coverage. Here are the first reactions and we'll update as more Two Lovers and a Bear news comes in. Peter Howell speculates on a TIFF slot, so we'll keep fingers crossed for the film's North American Premiere.
Somehow, in the final stretch, Nguyen has transformed what felt like a relatively generic, un-special indie love story into something totally unpredictable, taking full advantage of the gorgeous widescreen lensing to convey the atmosphere and magic of his locations... The film's final image is one of incredible, heart-catching poignancy, one whose foundations trace back to what at the time felt like throwaway scenes in its opening minutes, and for the few who actually see this movie, the power of that ending will make the entire experience virtually impossible to forget.
The Hollywood Reporter: Unlike in War Witch, the writer-director's ballsy ambition isn't channeled into a sophisticated but smooth overarching storyline. Some individual scenes are certainly striking and the couple's complex relationship and chemistry are believable but the overall narrative retains an erratic and somewhat jerky quality as the various elements don't always logically build on what has come before.
No computer can outmatch nature's imposing creations, caught by cinematographer Nicolas Bolduc's wide lens and enhanced by Jesse Zubot's electronic score.
The Film Stage: Kim Nguyen's Two Lovers and a Bear is a film that suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. Like an indie playlist stuck on constant shuffle, unapologetically reveling in a sort of manic unclassifiable genre. This isn't always necessarily a bad thing, but, for some reason, Nguyen's scattershot tonal shifts — which hop between a romance on the rocks; a self-serious study of grieving; and a surreal buddy comedy — can prove quite jarring.
Games Radar: As far as Lucy and Roman are concerned, they're the only two people in the world, a fact Nguyen and cinematographer Nicolas Bolduc make explicit by placing them in a series of breathtakingly barren polar vistas. The alien environments also play host to some unsettling sights, including a herd of deer half submerged in a frozen lake after falling to their deaths. It's this willingness to go to darker places that sets Two Lovers and a Bear apart – despite the romance there's a realism and a brutality to the world that Nguyen doesn't shy away from, landing gut punches that won't soon be forgotten.
CineFile: Of course not easy to twist, Two Lovers and Bear manages to surprise at every turn, and despite being totally centered around the two main characters very well conveys the vastness of the desert of ice around them as well as its danger. Nguyen is good to alternate the records and to create extremely well managed sequences without overdoing it, never a wrong time (one, maybe ...) and coming to a conclusion of great emotional impact.