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February 01, 2019 / Jordan Poss
"Mind the wire."
Last night I finally got to see They Shall Not Grow Old, a First World War documentary directed by Peter Jackson. It was magnificent—the best World War I documentary I've seen. Nothing I can say to recommend the film is as powerful as watching it, so: Go see it.
There are a couple of directions you can take a documentary on a topic as big as World War I. The one I think most of us are used to, courtesy of Ken Burns and the History Channel (once upon a time, anyway), is a God's eye view, with talking heads by historians, maps, photos and sometimes reenactments and, depending on the subject, real historical footage. This approach mirrors the top-down narrative approach of most historical books on topics this big and historically remote.
They Shall Not Grow Old takes a different tack, one I've appreciated more and more since discovering Sir John Keegan in grad school. In his seminal, discipline-changing book The Face of Battle, Keegan sought to explore not the cause-and-effect relationships leading to entire wars or even particular battles, but instead the "what was it like?" experience of combat. This gives us a grunt's eye or worm's eye view, a view in which the concrete details of daily existence—or the end of existence—are the focus, as they were for the people living through it. What was the weather like? How did it feel to be there? How much could you see? How did you sleep? What did you eat? And when? Did your boots rub and make blisters? How did a trench smell? What did it sound like? Perhaps most importantly—who were these soldiers?
They Shall Not Grow Old narrows its focus from the entire war to the lived experience specifically of British soldiers on the Western Front. Jackson, in a special behind-the-scenes feature that played after the end credits at the showing I attended, said his aim was to present "an accurate but generic depiction of combat" for this subset of soldiers. The film is the better for it, I think, in the same way that Dante or Jane Austen have told us so much about the human condition by minutely examining and dramatizing their tiny corner of the world. The effect of a film like this would not have been as powerful had it tried to encompass all the nations that fought.
The big draw is the scrubbed up and colorized footage from the war, and rightly so. Jackson and his team have done something really remarkable here. By slowing the old film's framerate, stabilizing shrunken and jittery old film prints or negatives, and repairing scratches and dust, the footage ceases to be an artifact and becomes footage again—a view of people, like us, going about their business, like we do. It's a cliche, but this hundred year old footage comes to life.
Jackson, assisted by foley artists, has also added sound to the film, further enhancing the sense of what it was like. Perhaps the most impressive feat is adding voice to the silent footage. Jackson enlisted forensic lipreaders to discern what, exactly, the men in the footage were saying (my favorite: "Hi, mum!") and then, in some impressive historical detective work, figured out what regiments the men belonged to and hired actors from those respective parts of Britain to record the dialogue. Mutters, giggles, coughs, exclamations, jokes, and even mundane talk—a sergeant pointing out where to lay down a load, an officer reading a pep talk to his company—all make it real.
Finally, the film features no talking heads by academics or novelists, no narration by voiceover artists, but instead a audio montage of actual World War I veterans recorded during the 1960s and 70s. You're seeing the world they saw, as much as they saw it as Jackson could manage, and hearing them describe it themselves. It's a profoundly unselfish way to tell the story, stepping back as much as possible and bringing the audience to the past, not subjecting the past to the present.
The end result is impressive and profoundly moving. Even those of us who have been moved by these photos and jumpy old newsreels have never experienced them like this. Over the course of the film, you feel like you get to know some of these anonymous faces; something of the character, the feel of the British tommy comes through, and when they suffer and die you feel it with them. The audience I watched the film with laughed with the soldiers, chuckled at their antics, cringed at their injuries, and cried when tragedy struck.
This film presents the kind of understanding—of these men, of their lives, of what they lived through—that you can otherwise only get from memoirs and makes it graphically real. Jackson and his team deserve all the praise they're getting.
They Shall Not Grow Old is a fitting monument to a vanished generation. Go out and see it as soon as you can.
February 01, 2019 / Jordan Poss/
World War I, history, movies, reviews
Chesterton on controversy
Local Author Expo recap


The stories published by Bible Art Books are designed to bring people into a deeper relationship and understanding of who Jesus Christ truly is. These books are developed by using characters with Christian worldviews. Following in the tradition of the great Christian art of the world, we, too, use artwork to reach today's people in a format that they can understand: comics. These stories are engaging and are meant to be used by pastors, parents and missionaries.


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Q: What is the exact meaning of 'give me a pair of'? Does a pair always means '2 of something' or can it be used more generically to indicate 'a few of something'? What is the exact amount indicated by 'a pair'?
Is there a different meaning whether a pair is used in formal or in informal language?

A: The OP is asking whether "a pair" can signify more than two things. Generally speaking it cannot but there will always be the odd exception; however, for now none come to mind.
The term couple is less fixed:

I'd like a couple of oranges, please.

This can suggest any number of oranges between two and four.
But a pair (of) will nearly always be two of something that are parallel to each other. They will look identical to each other and will be used together.

*

*A pair of scissors/ glasses/ gloves/ socks/ shoes and so on.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Results 1 - 10 of 11 for Agriculture Forestry and Fishing
Sustainable Cuisine, What Is Sustainable Cuisine and What Benefits Does it Offer for Improving the Quality of Food, Health and the Environment
Article - 3 Sep 2008
As transport improves, borders come down and tastes broaden, the food we eat comes from becomes increasingly distant and diverse locations, farmed in potentially damaging ways. The idea of sustainable...
Hundreds of Organizations Ask Congress to "Hold the Line" on Conservation Programs in the Farm Bill Source
Today, more than 500 organizations, businesses and individuals signed a letter asking congressional leaders not to further cut funding to the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill. Noting that...
Rising Temperatures Due to Climate Change Reduces Availability of Water in New England
News - 8 Apr 2008
The Connecticut River Watershed is vital to New England, serving as the primary water supply for Greater Boston and a National Fish and Wildlife Refuge for thousands of species of plants and animals....
Results of GLUES Project Provide New Insights into Sustainable Land Use
News - 4 Mar 2016
The way we use land is changing. Demand for farmland, food and energy seems insatiable, but land is a finite resource. The research programme "Sustainable Land Management" investigated the...
As Oceans Become More Acidic They are Corroding The Skin and Teeth of Sharks
News - 20 Dec 2019
Image Credit: Lewis Burnett/Shutterstock.com For nearly 420 million years shark species have ranked among the world's top predators. Most species are notorious for their fierce bite and...
Dual Mechanism Slows Peat Decay and Helps Reduce Carbon Emissions
Duke University scientists have discovered a previously unknown dual mechanism that slows peat decay and may help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from peatlands during times of drought. "This...
First Wind Commences Commercial Operations of 69 MW Kawailoa Wind Project
News - 21 Nov 2012
First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, today announced that construction of its Kawailoa Wind project has been completed and commercial operations have begun. Located on...
nova-Institute's 'Microplastic in the Environment' Conference Attracts 70 Participants from 20 Countries
The international conference and exhibition on "Microplastic in the Environment", organised by nova-Institute on 23–24 November 2015 in Cologne, Germany, attracted 170 participants...
Wetland Construction and Restoration Can Improve Living Conditions of Bird Populations
The construction and restoration of wetlands can improve the living conditions of bird populations. According to a recent study, grazing is the single most important maintenance method for wetlands,...
How is France Tackling Plastic Pollution and Emissions?
Article - 5 Jul 2019
Global warming and plastic pollution are two of the most serious global challenges. How is France reducing its environmental impact by tackling its plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Inspired by the beauty of a mountain forest, this unique pair of dangle earrings are available in lime green, silver, and copper color.
These hammered penny disks have silver tree charms on top. Above the trees are bright lime green cube glass beads, square silver spacers, cube copper beads, and a tiny silver bead on top.
Makes a great gift as it comes in a natural brown gift box wrapped in raffia.


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Isie () era una città dell'Argolide, posta sulla strada da Argo a Tegea, ai piedi del monte Partenio.

Storia
Nel 669 a.C. gli Argivi sconfissero gli Spartani presso questa città.

La città venne distrutta dagli Argivi, dopo le guerre persiane, insieme a Tirinto, Micene e altre città della regione, ma fu subito ricostruita e occupata dagli stessi Argivi durante la guerra del Peloponneso, che la trasformarono in fortezza di confine.

Gli Argivi rimasero nella città fino a quando questa non fu conquistata e rasa al suolo dagli Spartani nel 417 a.C..

Archeologia
Le rovine di Isie si trovano su una collina isolata sopra la piana di Achladókampos (, da ,  "pero selvatico", e , "pianura"). Sono stati rinvenuti i resti dell'acropoli, non identificati da Leake.

Note

Bibliografia
Fonti primarie

Fonti secondarie

Altri progetti

Isie (Argolide)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Myyki Blanco. Official Facebook image.
Queer Rapper Mykki Blanco is set to perform as a part of the "Initiation Tour" at UCSD's Porter's Pub on Sept. 13.
Michael Quattlebaum Jr. aka Mykki Blanco is living in the future. A place where the binary gender lines aren't constricted by a solitary "biological" gender.
If she isn't seen strutting the streets of New York in a new dress, she's at a photo shoot in Paris being styled by Nicola Formichetti, being shot for "V" magazine or at an underground warehouse rapping a collective of words.
Blanco isn't your ordinary rapper. From her alter egos Betty Rubble, Young Castro and the Black Sailor Moon, Blanco spits imagery and emotions, producing a story that goes with each character through experience.
She spits as hard as all the boys in the game and can keep up with them with her beats made by friends Flosstradamus and Le1F. Together, they are changing the face of hip-hop as we currently know it.
Opening the show are Psycho Egyptian, DJ Larry B and visual performing artist Boychild.
For tickets and information on the event visit www.porterspub.com.


Where to hear angelic voices sing.
For many people, Christmas only truly begins with the sublime broadcast on December 24 of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Cambridge. This year is the 60th anniversary of the first BBC television showing of Carols from King's, which will be marked by a 60-minute documentary before the broadcast of the service; the BBC will also show a restored recording from 1954, when the conductor and choirmaster was Boris Ord.
The service, which was originally suggested by G. H. S. Walpole, later Bishop of Edinburgh, and first performed in Truro in 1880, has been used at King's since 1918 and was first broadcast on radio in 1928. It has been adapted for use all over the world and millions tune into the BBC on Christmas Eve, including, on one occasion, climbers on Everest.
The Christmas Eve service, which is broadcast live on Radio 4 at 3pm, is free to attend; doors open at 1.30pm, the gates open at 7.30am and, generally, those in the queue by 9am will get in.
There are chances to hear cathedral choirs all over Britain performing the highest standards of heavenly Christmas music (see below). Many of the services listed are in the Nine Lessons format; they're free to attend unless it's indicated that you need a ticket.


Blackburn Rovers have released their new home football shirt earlier in the month and I managed to stick in a purchase. Well that shirt finally arrived in the mail.
Here is a video on my thoughts and opinions on the new home jersey which is a bit of a throwback to old retro Blackburn Rovers home kits.
Let me hear your thoughts and opinions on the new football kit in the comments section below.


ested in crawling out of bed.
the national championship in 2004.
lege football's best team in 365 days.
Rose Bowl East was a complete dud.
broke down before I could stop it.
yard dash during high school.
tell him, "I'm the luckiest coach in America."
Wolverines as a true freshman.
back I was right back on the bench."
ingly on the verge of tears. He hadn't seen the field.
almost all of his peers.
felt he'd get more playing time than he did.
player. They told me all kinds of stuff," Watson said.
defensive tackle Gabe Watson. Hoke accepted the head coaching job at his alma-mater, Ball State.
ing starters Grant Bowman and Heuer.
what it boils down to."
alma mater earlier last month.
my opinion. But I'm excited to take the next step."
Ball State recruits to reaffirm their commitments.
"It took about 4 1/2 hours," Hoke said.
to sit on the bench.
the floor in three of those five games.
available to substitute for Horton.
Buy USED BOOKS & Save 25%!
but right now I am paying for it."
All clinIcs are held at the Intramural Sports Building.


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Digital Qurabani: Booking of Cattles Online for Upcoming Eid ul Azha
July 9, 2020 July 9, 2020 Tayyab Awan	1 Comment	Azha, Booking, Cattles, Digital, Digital Qurabani, Eid, Eid ul Azha, news, Online, Qurabani, social media, upcoming
Unlike previous years, the trend of online booking for Eidul Azha sacrifices has increased because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cattle dealers who have arranged an online booking for the purpose have increased their prices by 20 to 25 per cent. The price for each share of sacrificial animal has also been increased.
District administrations have prohibited the setting up of cattle markets in metropolitan cities, including Lahore, to contain the spread of the virus – a move which has led to a growing trend of online booking to carry out the sacrificial ritual.
Subsequently, various welfare hospitals, religious schools, charitable organisations, and other institutions have started marketing sacrificial animals on social media platforms and are inviting citizens to perform the religious obligation through online purchases.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, the head of an online sacrificial animal charity in Lahore Rana Mubasshir Hassan said he not only owns a cattle farm but also has contacts with other cattle farmers.
"Cattle vendors are now publishing photos and videos of their animals on social media platforms, predominately Facebook. A lot of customers from Pakistan and abroad are placing their orders and reservations for sacrifices," Hassan said, adding that the price of each animal is determined by its weight, health, and age.
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"We are selling the same animals as shown in the pictures and videos," he explained. "My company does not cheat anyone because sacrifice is a religious duty, therefore, we are completely transparent in our dealings. The prices of animals are updated after every few days as the price of fodder and maintenance cost of these animals keep increasing over time."
In addition to the sales of cattle, several companies and organisations are also offering online reservations for slaughtering animals. The focus of these companies is mostly on expatriate Pakistanis who pay for the animals of their choice through online money transfers while sacrificial meat from their animals is distributed according to their instructions. Edhi Foundation, Minhaj Welfare Foundation, Al-Khidmat Foundation, and the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, among others, have made arrangements for the slaughtering of animals and the distribution of meat for both single and shared sacrificial animals.
A resident of Lahore Habibullah Butt said that the current situation caused by the Covid-19 outbreak has made it difficult to keep the sacrificial animals at homes.
"We will try to get sacrificial animals a day or two before Eid provided the cattle markets are set up. However, if no such markets are set up, we will book a sacrificial service online," Butt said.
Another resident Ahmed Hassan maintained that his family has already booked five animals online.
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"We have booked three animals for our family and one of them is for my uncle who lives in Malaysia. We will receive the meat on the first two days of Eid," Ahmed Hassan said.
Different prices
Organisations involved in providing the sacrificial services are selling the animals at different rates. The price of goats and sheep offered by Shaukat Khanum Hospital is Rs22,000, while a single share in a cow is offered at Rs9,500, and a whole cow is priced at Rs66,500. The Edhi Foundation is offering goats and sheep for Rs11,000 each, while a share of collective sacrifice is priced at Rs7,500 and a whole cow at Rs52,500. Al-Khidmat Foundation has set the price of a share in a cow at Rs11,000 per head, while the price of a goat and sheep is fixed at Rs24,000.
The share of a cow offered by Minhaj Welfare Foundation has been fixed at Rs13,000, a goat is priced at Rs24,000, while a sheep is available at Rs21,000.
In this regard, the Minhaj Welfare Foundation's director Syed Amjad Ali Shah said his organisation has been arranging for collective sacrifices for the past many years.
"The service is mostly availed by overseas Pakistanis. This year, owing to the coronavirus situation in the country, our foundation is providing easy, safe, healthy, and low-cost sacrificial services for the convenience of our donors and supporters all over the country and abroad."
Shah added that the foundation manages the entire process from the beginning to the end – from the purchase of animals to the sacrifice to the subsequent distribution of the meat, everything is taken care of by the foundation.
interesting reading: Facebook Threatens Australia To Ban News Stories Sharing
"Slaughterhouses with state-of-the-art facilities and hygienic practices are selected to fulfil this sacred duty," he said. "We inspect the animals provided by the slaughterhouse and make sure that they are healthy and suitable for the ritual. We ensure that the slaughtering and processing of the sacrificial animal are carried out following the prescribed Islamic procedure and that this process is completed within the designated timeframe."
On the other hand, some Muslim ulemas have expressed displeasure over the practice of Booking online sacrifice. According to the Central Ulema Council Chairman Sahibzada Zahid Mahmood Qasmi, religious scholars have given the consensus that citizens should engage in collective sacrifices but should take services from only the organisations they trust.
"We reject online Booking sacrifices on Eidul Adha or participating in sacrifices with certain organisations. There are benefactors in everything that comes under the commercial banner in Pakistan while we have hundreds of examples of fraud and deception every work," Qasmi said, adding that sacrifice is a ritual of Islam and every Muslim considers it a Sunnah to do it with their own hands and feels heartfelt satisfaction by doing so. "An important task such as sacrifice cannot be entrusted to secular NGOs," he said.
This news was originally published at tribune.com.pk
Tayyab Awan
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Alexandre de Batz created the earliest known images of Native Americans in the lower Mississippi valley from sketches he rendered while surveying Louisiana in the eighteenth century.
Signing the 1733 marriage register at St. Louis Cathedral as "Engineer to the King," architect, draftsman, artist, and engineer Alexandre de Batz was already years into a process that is his greatest legacy: creating the earliest known views of Native Americans in the lower Mississippi Valley. Based on sketches rendered while surveying French colonial inventories and the Native-American villages existing just outside New Orleans, De Batz portrayed in watercolor Tunica Chief Bride les Bouefs, appearing in warpaint and holding scalps. His other Louisiana subjects, beyond the assignment to document New Orleans' architecture, included the Colapissa, Choctaw, and Natchez tribes. De Batz was sent to Mobile in 1735 and returned to New Orleans in 1740 before being shipped to what French colonists called the Illinois Country (a region largely east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio rivers) after the French decimation of Native Americans in the Beaver Wars. There he worked as an engineer and architect at Fort de Chartres.
Staff of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities "Alexandre de Batz." In https://64parishes.org Encyclopedia of Louisiana, edited by David Johnson. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 2010–. Article published September 12, 2012. https://64parishes.org/entry/alexandre-de-batz.


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The student orientation 'Kids to Kids' video is supplied to all school districts that subscribe to the Safe School Helpline® service. In addition, our schools receive an implementation video and an Anti-Bullying Action Plan for Educators video. These videos are one of the many reasons why Security Voice's Safe School Helpline® is the most comprehensive helpline service available to schools today.


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Events and Anniversaries
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Michelin Manufacturing Masks and Visors
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a constant requirement to increase the number of masks available around the world.
Michelin Producing Medical Equipment
In response to this emergency, Michelin has mobilised its teams' capacity for innovation as well as the Group's expertise in research, materials, manufacturing and scientific intelligence to develop, produce and deliver several types of mask in large quantities and within short timeframes.
Through this initiative, Michelin is playing an active part in the global battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, both by increasing the number of masks it donates to health-care workers in the countries where it operates, and by protecting the health and safety of its own employees by providing them with masks.
Following the initialisation phase now underway, Michelin will produce some 400,000 category 1 surgical masks weekly, either in its own workshops or in collaboration with partners or subcontractors. Ten sites in Europe have already been selected, including La Combaude in Clermont-Ferrand (France), Olsztyn (Poland) and Zalău (Romania). European capacity will be extended in the coming weeks thanks to the deployment of similar initiatives in North America.
The OCOV FMP1 or FMP2 mask, entirely developed and manufactured in France's Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in record time, is affordable and sustainable. It can be produced in large quantities and reused up to 100 times thanks to five washable, interchangeable filters.
Production of a prototype batch of 5,000 units is underway. The goal is to produce one million masks per week by May, leading to total production of more than five million masks by end-June – the equivalent of 500 million single-use masks.
Posted by Richard Wilson on 10 Apr 2020
Richard Wilson is a correspondent for The Tyreman. Since 2015, Richard has worked as a correspondent for all of the titles across the Valebridge Publications Ltd Group namely: Retreading Business, Tyre & Rubber Recycling, Commercial Tyre Business and Truck and Bus News. Richard has worked on/off from the age of 16 for the company and whilst gaining a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and Business Studies at Coventry University, he developed his writing skills at the University paper and more recently writing his own independent blog.
Contact: richardjwilson@btconnect.com
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What if you could reduce down-time and get faster approvals?
You've done the quote and now you're waiting for authorization to repair, or the news that you need to revise your quote. Wouldn't it be great if you could quickly get electronic authority to go ahead with the repairs? That's what the shop version of EstImage is all about.
Our system lets you communicate quickly with insurers, providing a detailed quotation complete with digital images of the damage and your expert notes. EstImage interfaces with all certified quoting systems, and will automatically import the estimate details from whichever system you prefer. With a click of the mouse, the "paperwork" is done automatically and sent to the insurer. And that's better for you, because the next thing that happens is either an electronic approval to proceed, or a request for adjustment. Either way, you'll get your answer fast so you can get back to the business of smash repairs. And when the job is done, the EstImage invoicing module lets you submit an electronic invoice direct to the insurer so that it can be processed faster.
With EstImage, you're also more visible to potential customers. Shops that use EstImage are activated in our Locator. We quite literally put you on our map, complete with the details about your shop including any special expertise. You even have the option of including promotional messages and photos of your shop, creating an on-line advertisement.


Buckhorn's Extra-Duty Bulk Boxes are rated for load capacities between 2,000 and 2,500 lbs. They collapse flat in seconds and stack for storage and return shipment - optimizing space usage and saving money on returned freight. Hand-hold areas on panels provide a comfortable grip for panel movement.
New for 2014, Buckhorn is introducing 7" and 10" extension rings that can be added in any combination to the BN484525 and BN484534 boxes. While other options are available, Buckhorn has specifically added 35," 41," 44" and 51" heights to its official stocked product offering.


Don't make assumptions about how your professor will react. Sometimes anticipating criticism can get in the way of taking the steps you need to reach your goal.
Remember that we all tend to react better to requests than demands. Remember, your professor does not owe it to you to meet you request.
Don't be surprised when your professor asks for documentation supporting your situation. Think ahead and offer support.
Focus on trying to accomplish your goal, rather than how your Professor may be evaluating you. Attend to the help you need from your Professor in order to move forward, rather than worrying that your professor will be disapproving.
Don't fail to act just because you feel nervous or uncomfortable. Find ways to manage your stress and think of this as an opportunity to learn to handle stress.
Don't assume if a professor makes an exception for you that you can count on future exceptions. Rather, learn from this experience to handle future demands differently.
Think of your professor's office hours as a resource. Utilize office hours early in the semester, even if there is no problem; form relationships with your professors to support your academic goals.


IWASSA Co.: "Microsoft" is working to develop a feature to delete links to the Europeans of search results "bing"
"Microsoft" is working to develop a feature to delete links to the Europeans of search results "bing"
It's good to know that Microsoft is currently working on developing an option that would allow the Europeans to delete their links from Bing search results.
A spokesman for the TechCrunch in a short statement that Microsoft is currently testing this new option and is working to develop and support the full details, despite its inability to determine the launch date for this property.
We know that the judicial ruling last gave the Europeans the right to demand that Internet companies such as Google and other information and remove personal data from the search results pages.
What aroused exclamation everyone, that the elimination of the European student implementation of this rule as soon as possible, and that such a feature should be not be ignored later.
The site works ASCO is also developing a similar feature to the Europeans, but a company spokeswoman said that requests for removal of personal data already received, so the company staff to deal with them individually.


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New Digital Microform Scanner Graces First Floor of Library
The next time you are in the library, take a look at the microform (microfiche and microfilm) area on the first floor. Most of the previous readers/printers have been sent to electronic recycling. The newer remaining reader/printer that was connected to a computer has been moved and can continue to be used to view and print fiche and film. The most exciting addition is our new ST ViewScan digital microform scanner, which now sits next to the GRACE terminal. The all-digital ViewScan incorporates the newest imaging technology. No longer are you required to print the images as they appear on the...
WSR Student Conference Call for Papers
Women's Studies in Religion will host their 2nd Student Conference on Women and Religion on March 1, 2013. They are inviting submissions from all GTU students in any program. (Submissions from non-students will not be accepted.) All proposal submissions are due November 1, 2012. Proposals (maximum 1000 words) with accompanying application, outline, and bibliography can be sent to wsr@ses.gtu.edu. Scope: Proposals with a focus on gender and religion, on a wide range of topics and from any discipline within the GTU, will be considered, including but not limited to: Feminist theory, women in...
WSR | Women's Studies in Religion
Popup 3
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 requires that all institutions of higher education provide an emergency notification and warning system to alert their campus community in case of an emergency. GTU has contracted with Omnilert, a leading provider of emergency alert systems, to provide this service for the GTU Community. Our system, called GTU-ALERTS, is available to faculty, staff, and students of the GTU and its Member Schools on an opt-in basis. In the event of an emergency announcements will be sent out via text message, email and voice recording, as deemed necessary....
GTU AlertsEmergencyemergency alert
GTU Emergency Alerts
Center for Jewish Studies Welcomes Deena Aranoff as Director
For immediate release, January 28, 2016 The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies (CJS) at the Graduate Theological Union is pleased to welcome Dr. Deena Aranoff as the Center's new director. Dr. Aranoff, who has worked with CJS and served on the GTU faculty since 2006, takes over the role from Dr. Naomi Seidman, who served as CJS director for the previous 16 years. Dr. Seidman will continue to work with CJS and its students as the Graduate Theological Union's Koret Professor of Jewish Literature. Dr. Aranoff, whose teaching specialties include rabbinic literature and medieval Jewish...
CJS | The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish StudiesDeena AranoffNaomi Seidman
Naomi Seidman Is Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship
For immediate release, April 7, 2016 The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced that Dr. Naomi Seidman, Koret Professor of Jewish Culture at the Graduate Theological Union, has received a Guggenheim Fellowship for 2016. Dr. Seidman is among a diverse group of 178 scholars, artists, and scientists selected to receive the prestigious award this year; Fellows for 2016 were chosen from a field of nearly 3,000 applicants. The Fellowship, granted for Dr. Seidman's work in the field of literary criticism, will support development of her upcoming book, tentatively titled The Navel of...
CJS | The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish StudiesNaomi Seidman
WSR Spring 2018 Recommended Courses
The following Spring 2018 courses are recommended for students enrolled in the Women's Studies in Religion certificate program. Note that courses not on this list can also be counted toward the certificate if the final paper/project relates to themes connected to women/gender.
WSR | Women's Studies in ReligionSuggested WSR CoursesWSR Certificate
CJS at 50: Remembering Our Beginnings and Becomings
From the Spring 2018 issue of SKYLIGHT See a PDF of this article In 1964, just two years after the founding of the Graduate Theological Union as a partnership of Christian seminaries, the school's dean, John Dillenberger, approached the Conservative and Reform Movements to share his interest in establishing Jewish Studies on campus "to stand in its own right in relation to other studies, and not just as an adjunct to Protestant studies." The radical vision of the early GTU is well reflected in its desire to establish a home for Jewish studies supported rather than constrained by its...
The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies (CJS) Madrasa-Midrasha Program
CJS | The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish StudiesCJS@50Naomi Seidman
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Please join us at our September CLE Luncheon with social media & marketing expert Karen Yankovich. We will gather from 12:30-2:00 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at TPC Jasna Polana in the Travertine Room. This program is anticipated to be approved for 1 CLE credit.


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Piranhas: Toothy Nippers With a Bad Reputation
by Jesslyn Shields May 12, 2020
The red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) feeds on bits of flesh and fins nipped from the tails of other fish, insects, smaller fish and some plant material, such as figs or other fruits. Sylvain Cordier/Getty Images
Sometimes an animal just captures the collective imagination in a way that, while sensational, might not be entirely justified. Take the piranha, a toothy South American freshwater fish that has been the subject of not one, not two, but five Hollywood horror movies. Sure, they've got big teeth, but are they really as ferocious as their reputation?
Piranhas occur naturally only in the Amazon, but have been introduced into freshwater systems in other parts of the world, mostly through the tropical fish trade. They are illegal to keep as pets in most U.S. states, although most piranha species wouldn't be able to survive in a place much colder than Florida anyway.
Not All Piranhas Are Carnivores
It's very difficult to say how many piranha species there are in the Amazon basin, though around 40 are recognized by the scientific community. We don't know a lot about the habits of piranhas in the wild — much of what we know, we learned from keeping them in aquaria, and most animals tend to act differently in captivity. The largest piranhas grow to be about 2 feet (0.6 meters) in length, but many species max out at about half that length. Their jaws are lined with a single row of saw-like interlocking teeth that resemble shark teeth — razor sharp and always exposed due to a pronounced underbite. Most piranha species eat meat, but just because you have a jaw three times more powerful than a similarly-sized alligator and can bite through the plates of the most heavily-armored fish of the Amazon doesn't mean you have to eat meat all the time.
Piranhas, like most wild animals, eat what they can get. A typical piranha diet includes a lot of worms and insects, other fish, some carrion they find in the river, as well as seeds and vegetation. Depending on the species, the ratio of these elements vary — some piranha species are entirely vegetarian, while others, like the infamous red-bellied piranha, reportedly wait in the weeds every evening in groups of 20-30 to ambush prey.
Piranhas "Bark"
An underwater environment is full of sounds just like the ones in your neighborhood, and in the Amazon, piranhas are pretty noisy neighbors. They make distinctive "barking" noises by squeezing their swim bladders into different shapes. According to Rodney Rountree, a marine biologist and an expert in fish sound production, who has studied piranha vocalizations in the Amazon basin in Peru, the patterns of each species' underwater barks are very distinctive, which can help scientist looking for piranha in murky waters figure out which species are in an area without even catching them — all that's needed is a mic in the water.
Not only do different piranha species vocalize differently, piranhas make different types of noises to communicate different messages. For instance, a "bark" might be a warning for another fish to back off, while a group of piranhas may emit an intimidating chorus of grunts as they gather around a prey item.
"You hear all sorts of fish in the soundscape," says Rountree. "There are many different species of catfish, for instance. In the areas where I was catching piranhas for my research, I was hearing other fish sounds, and it became obvious that it was the sound of other fish screaming because they were being bitten by piranhas."
A school of red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), which can have a lifespan of 10 years or more.
Pikrepo
Piranhas Are "Nippers"
Although you don't want to tangle with the mouth end of a piranha, a lot of popular lore around these fish can be a bit overblown. For instance, that classic situation in movies wherein a cow steps into a river and is immediately pulled under and stripped to the bone by a pack of hungry piranhas isn't really something that happens in real life.
The waters of the Amazon are often very opaque — full of silt and tannins — and fish can't see very well, so they find their prey by smell or proximity. Most piranhas are "nippers," meaning they feed by sneaking up on their prey and shearing off a single chunk of flesh. It doesn't much matter to the piranha who it is — they'll even take bites out of each other.
According to Rountree, this "nipping behavior" isn't unique to piranhas — in fact, it's fairly common among fish in the Amazon.
"There are all kinds of fish that just take a little chunk out of other fish," he says. "Many of the fish are armored — especially some of the catfishes have heavy, boney scales — and part of this is for defense."
Teddy Roosevelt and the Piranha
The Amazon is full of fearsome underwater killers — electric eels, for one, are arguably a good deal more deadly than piranhas. However, in 1913, former U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt took a pleasure cruise in the Brazilian Amazon ( and it very nearly killed him). At one settlement, locals showed Roosevelt a pool full of starving piranhas, and reportedly fed a live cow to the fish to show off their ferocity. Roosevelt was really struck by their killing prowess and wrote about the piranhas in his journal, describing the experience and calling them, "the most ferocious fish in the world."
According to Rountree, while a piranha might take a single chunk out of you, the devouring of a cow is virtually unheard of:
"In some areas during the dry season, when water levels draw down to pools and shallow areas where the piranhas get concentrated — those situations could probably be quite dangerous. This is when feeding frenzies happen — not like stripping animals to the bone or anything, but you wouldn't want to go swimming in them."
The Megapiranha, a piranha species that lived around 10 million years ago in the Late Miocene, probably had the most powerful bite of any animal, ever.
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a: A Long Name for a Little Fish
Koi Fish: Shining Jewels of the Water Garden


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Sky is the limit for 11-year-old skateboarder looking beyond the Olympics
By Matthew Smith
Skateboarding sensation Sky Brown wants to make an impact beyond the sport after its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
The 11-year-old, who has a British father and a Japanese mother and was born in Japan, is hoping to represent Britain at the 2020 Olympics where skateboarding will feature for the first time.
Brown joined the British skateboarding team in January and has been busily collecting qualification points, reaching the Dew Tour semi-finals and finishing fifth at both the International Skateboarding Open in Nanjing and the X Games in Minneapolis.
If selected, she will be the youngest Olympian to represent Britain.
However, Brown – currently ninth in the Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings – is hoping to inspire young girls that their age and gender should not be a barrier in any sport, if she qualifies for Tokyo 2020.
She told Kyodo News: "I want to be someone who inspires girls.
"Hopefully, if I get there, they can see me doing this crazy trick and will think they can do it, too.
"I would tell them just get out and don't be afraid.
"Believe in yourself and just have fun."
The 11-year-old has enjoyed some impressive results on the skateboarding circuit this year ©Getty Images
Brown, who started skating competitively age seven after going viral on Facebook, still views the sport mostly as a hobby.
She said: "I don't feel like competing is everything, I don't care if I win or lose.
"I get out and have fun.
"It would be amazing if I get in the Olympics, but I don't care."
Despite being 11, Brown is by no means the youngest skater in with a shot of Olympic qualification.
Ten-year-old Kokona Hiraki, from Japan, became the youngest ever X Games medallist this summer with silver in Minneapolis and is currently ranked above Brown at number five in the world.
"It felt pretty cool being the youngest," Brown said.
"Now, there are younger kids, especially Japanese girls.
"You know Misugu [Okamoto]? She's crazy, she's next level."
Japanese skater Okamoto, 13, has also picked up gold medals at the Dew Tour, International Skateboarding Open and X Games.
July 2019: Eleven-year-old Briton wins women's quarter-final at International Skateboarding Open
June 2019: Ten-year-old skateboarder gets further boost in bid for Tokyo 2020 place
June 2019: Okamoto among five Japanese skateboarders through to women's park final as action begins at Dew Tour Long Beach event
March 2019: Ten-year-old star among athletes named on Skateboard GB's team targeting Tokyo 2020
October 2018: World Skate hail Park World Championships as "historic" first step towards Tokyo 2020 qualification
Matthew Smith Junior Reporter
Follow @@mattsmithitg
Matthew Smith obtained a masters degree in Print Journalism from the University of Sheffield before becoming a news reporter for the Enfield Independent in North London, while also covering Tottenham Hotspur football matches and other local sports. He joined the Daily Mail and Mail Online as a digital sports reporter in October 2016, and in 2017 was nominated for the NCTJ Award for Excellence in the trainee sports journalism category. He joined insidethegames.biz in May 2019.
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Sky Brown Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding GB Olympic Games
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Tashkent to host 2021 World Judo Championships as replacement for Vienna


An autopsy has been carried out on Astori, the former Fiorentina captain, showing he died from natural causes.
An autopsy has shown Fiorentina captain Davide Astori died from natural causes that led to heart problems, Udine's public prosecutor said on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday just hours ahead of his side's scheduled Serie A match with Udinese.
Antonio De Nicolo has now confirmed Astori died after his heart gradually slowed to a stop, with no sign of any external causes.
Speaking to Rai, he said the autopsy indicated "cardiac death without macroscopic evidence, likely with a bradyarrhythmia basis".
He added: "From the preliminary results, it does not seem there are any external causes other than that of a natural death, but prudently our advisers say we must wait for the result of histological examinations before declaring anything definitively.
"They have asked for 60 days to complete their report and, from that point, we will have a complete picture."
A funeral for Astori is now expected to be held Thursday.
De Nicolo said Monday that criminal proceedings were opened "on the hypothesis of manslaughter against unknown persons", as part of the investigation into how Astori died so suddenly.
The manslaughter process was understood to have been initiated to allow a full autopsy to take place and was not linked to any individual, with De Nicolo describing the theory as "purely abstract", according to ANSA.
Tributes have continued to come in from across the football world, with Paris Saint-Germain's Dani Alves describing Astori as "an admirable person", while former AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani said the former Rossoneri youth player was "one of our boys".
A minute's silence will be held before all Champions League and Europa League matches this week, while both Fiorentina and Cagliari have retired the number 13 shirt as a mark of respect.


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This Week on TV, Feb. 13, 2016
Posted on February 13, 2016 by Merlin
Yay! Castle is back! At last! 🙂
Agent Carter, Arrow, The Flash, and Grimm all continue to deliver the goods of a heightening plot with high stakes. Legends of Tomorrow, however, doesn't seem to be improving itself any. Honestly, I'm starting to feel disappointed with that one. Unfortunate.
"Tone Dead"
So, the creativity continues! Not only can the creep us out as great as ever (the scene with Castle and Alexis invading the abandoned mall, getting scared stiff at the weird shadows darting in every corner) but they also picked a new and most unexpected source of inspiration: the acapella music community! Complete with Pitch Perfect inspired riff off! Way cool! 🙂
Seriously, something profound happens when the human voice is transformed into a musical instrument. I love the orchestra, vast and varied and limitless as it is, but there is a potent, primal beauty to be found within a simple voice. That is the most basic element of our music, after all, the foundation of all our songs. Strip away the orchestra, steal away all the shiny toys, leave us barren, and not only can we survive, but we thrive. We can shine. That's what it's like for me when I listen to acapella music.
So, not only did I enjoy this little homage to acapella music in general and Pitch Perfect in particular, but I found it lent itself to a worthy theme for this episode.
We had something very basic: when our mothers are traumatized, we do what it takes to remedy the situation. Mind you, the three backup singers were the ones doused in blood, but Martha was the one to carry the emotional weight of finding the victim's body. Not only did she ask Castle to see to her case personally, but she saw it through to the end herself. She didn't hesitate one moment to give the girl's friends, her acapella group, every ounce of strength she could offer them, just with some genuine empathy, and sincere words of encouragement.
That's where the theme really came in, with the AcaCons. They're a group of young women, five one-time offenders and one repeat offender, looking for redemption. Their leader was murdered because she pursued the truth behind her own imprisonment, and with everything they were feeling, you know they had to be thinking, "We can't do this without her." And then Martha comes in and pulls them back together, to sing and shine and rise above their sorrow, to overcome their crappy pasts, for their friend. Everything has been stripped away from them, and they are left bare, with nothing… except their voices.
I say again, I love this episode! 🙂
By the way, Castle, after you've sent a distress signal because you got spooked and then found that it was a false alarm, it would be a good idea to send another message, say, with the words "False alarm," to the police buddies you just called for help. Poor kids, just having fun, and a bunch of cops come storming in!
As for the ongoing plot, Castle and Beckett are working together now, maintaining the cover of their separation by having public fights, and then sneaking around together. So convincing is their act, apparently, that Ryan and Espo confront Castle, believing he must have done something, like say, seeing someone else. Under pressure, Castle spits out a Russian-ish name, "Svetlana." When Beckett hears about this, she comes up with a fictitious Dr. Livingstone for her to date. Thus, they have a continuing cover for their romantic activities. In the end, it turned out to be clever, but it sure didn't start that way! I think I almost busted a rib laughing at everything Castle endured from Ryan and Espo!
Speaking of, I love Ryan and Esposito! How can you not? They are clever, they are loyal, they feed off each others' energy. They side squarely with Beckett in this little conflict, not knowing it's just an illusion. I kind of hope they already know what's going on and are just milking it for all its worth, ya know?
And… Espo can sing? …wow. Cool. 🙂
"The Atomic Job"
Well that's not an ominous title at all, is it?
Who can steal the corpse first? Who can steal the A-Bombs first?
It occurs to me that part of the thrill of Agent Carter is seeing Carter and a handful of friends with limited resources in the 1940's dealing with exotic dangers the likes of which even our modern-day Shield agents, with all their superior technology, manpower, and scientific knowledge, would be hard-pressed to contain. Zero matter definitely qualifies as an "exotic danger."
As does Whitney Frost, who is not only filled to the brim with zero matter, but is freaking nuts as well. Some of that is probably enhanced by the aforementioned extra-dimensional material of the void saturating her flesh and influencing her mind, but I don't think she was particularly stable to begin with. She's driven to obey it, finding that woman's stolen corpse and absorbing the zero matter from within it, then immediately contriving to replicate the incident of its discover, complete with atomic bombs. Yeah, no way that could go wrong!
As both Frost and Wilkes describe the effects of the zero matter as something which calls them, something that wants something, I can't help wondering if this stuff has some sort of intelligence directing it. That could certainly explain how both of its living vessels are alive instead of dead, if it purposefully refrained from killing them in order to infest them. Either way, it's clearly something that endlessly consumes matter and energy.
Frost's husband, Chadwick, isn't sure what else to do besides go along with his terrifying wife. It is somewhat disturbing that she, not her Hydra husband, is the one with connections to the criminal underworld, and one who is also crazy, beating a man into a stain on the floor just for looking at Frost. How, exactly, did that relationship happen, I wonder? But I digress. Chadwick is very much afraid, and at the same time, he is serving his ambitions. Unfortunately, all he's managed to do by the end of this episode is put himself in a most unenviable position. I almost pity him, being trapped between his wife, her mob boss friend, and the Council. "Almost" being a key word there. By the end of this episode's fiasco, he's decided to call the Council to an emergency meeting, and I doubt he's interested in anything but saving his own scaly hide.
Meanwhile, Wilkes has made an interesting discovery. The sample of zero matter they still have is drawn towards the zero matter of his own form. When he absorbs it, he suddenly knows where a certain corpse is, and sends Carter and Jarvis after it. They're just a little too late, but just in time to witness Frost absorbing the zero matter and talking about A-bombs. They figure out her plan, to make more zero matter by replicating the circumstances surrounding its discovery, and they know where she'll go for them.
What follows is a hilarious escapade as the two sides compete to commit the burglary first. Not much comedy on Frost's side, mind you, but plenty on Carter's! Between Jarvis being afraid of spiders in the vent, Carter stealing Hugh Jones' key (I believe I counted six zaps with the memory wiper?), recruiting Rose (who is highly capable and not to be trifled with) and Samberly (the lab guy, who turns out to be a regular first-generation Fitz!), and all the interplay between the characters (Sousa talking Jarvis through disarming two nukes while Samberly opens the door he accidentally locked while Carter and Rose take out the henchmen… hmmm, interesting reversal of typical gender roles, especially for that day and age), I couldn't stop laughing!
And, awwww, Samberly's sweet on Rose! Rose, you little vixen! 🙂
Speaking of sweetness, Sousa proposes to his nurse friend, Violet. It's not as he planned, as the ring has gone missing, but they were so cute! I was very wary of Violet at first, but between saving Carter's life and calling Sousa out on his feelings for Carter, I'm thinking I was being paranoid.
That whole life-saving thing would be because Carter went toe-to-toe with Frost, nearly got herself killed. She got away, but was at such an extreme disadvantage that this involved falling a number of feet onto concrete and re-bar. She's out of commission for now, but she's still alive and kicking, resting in bed. Frankly, I'm just hoping that her exposure to the zero matter, at Frost's hands, didn't have any lasting effects.
Oh, and also that Wilkes didn't just get consumed by the zero matter and die. He was just comforting Carter at the end of the episode when he suddenly vanished, leaving her screaming his name.
"Welcome to Earth-2"
So, Team Flash closes all the breaches. Then Barry and Cisco go to Earth-2 with Wells to find and rescue Jesse. Between the passage between universes and everything on this other Earth… there are so many interesting things!
Limitless. Easter Eggs.
Glimpse of Supergirl (really? Really? Puh-leeze!). Jonah Hex, soon to show up on Legends. A different Green Arrow. Legion Flight Ring. And a bit from a previous Flash show, which "Henry Allen" starred in as the Flash! 🙂 And that's just in transit.
The Captain's a criminal. Deadshot is alive, and a cop, and not a good shot. Iris is the detective (saw that one coming a mile away!). And she's Barry's wife. (huh, some things are constant across the multiverse…) Barry's mom is alive,which isn't just a gut punch, it's a guts-tearing-out. Joe is a lounge club singer, and hates Barry.
Less Easer-Eggy and more plot-significant:
Zoom is the ruler of Central City. Cait is Killer Frost and Zoom's minion. As is the Ronnie Raymond version of Firestorm, aka Deathstorm, who keeps Stein locked up inside. Oh, and Cisco's double is also evil. And ambitious. And scary. And calls himself Reverb.
Needless to say, a lot of things are getting personal.
Wells is finally on the brink of rescuing his daughter. Small wonder he snaps at Cisco for wasting time looking for himself and worrying about Barry when he doesn't come back.
Cisco gets a glimpse of the power he can command, such that he can put Killer Frost, of all people, in her place with only a warning. That is some serious mojo.
Just have to say, parading around as your double is a terrible idea. Not only did Barry put himself through the wringer needlessly, but he was there for Iris when her father died, depriving his double of that chance. Oh, and as Killer Frost and Deathstorm were only there to look for him, he is responsible for what happened to Joe. The mess snowballs and Cisco is dragged into it, and all while the clock is ticking until Zoom finds out about their incursion and kills Jesse as a result. So, no, not a good idea.
Iris, bent on revenge, goes after the metahumans, and it does not go well. Deadshot is badly hurt, and Barry is unable to fight both Reverb and Deathstorm. However, as Reverb and Deathstorm disobey Zoom's orders, he summarily kills them both. Killer Frost is spared because she tried to stop them, to avoid Zoom's wrath. She's in shock by the loss of her boyfriend, and runs off, leaving him behind. And Zoom kidnaps Barry.
Well, they do find Jesse. By being captured. By someone who knows how to keep a speedster contained. Not ideal. Now it's up to Cisco, Wells, and, likely, Iris to find and save the lot of them. They have one day left before their time limit to return runs out.
Though, considering how the speed cannon was destroyed by their departure, which they don't know about, returning may not work so well anyway. Small detail, that.
And there's a metahuman attack on Earth-1. When the Flash is not there.
That calls for confession time. Ah! So not only did Zoom steal a bit of Jay's speed, but most of it was lost to his own use of Velocity-6. Kind of like most drugs, it takes you up (or makes you go faster, in this case) and then takes you down, eating away at your body, mind, and soul (like suppressing your speed and killing you, in this case). But, with Cait's assistance, he's able to make Velocity-7, a quick patch job so he can fight Earth-1's Geomancer. …for about five seconds, before he collapses. Velocity-8 is in the works, but if Joe hadn't been there to just shoot Geomancer, that would be a moot point.
So, for the moment, Earth-1 has not died. Now, a few questions:
How are they all going to get out of this? …oh, right, Cisco now has Reverb's glasses, so he can vibe and find out where Barry and Jesse are. But what about after that?
If Hunter Zolomon is on Earth-1, then who is Zoom on Earth-2?
Who's the guy in the mask, tapping on the glass?
What did Wally want with his dad before Geomancer attacked?
No great wonder who this particular father is/ and what his sins are. It's a very long list.
Though, bonus, we have two fathers to work with here! It should have been "Sins of the Fathers."
Felicity is faced with the terrible truth of who her father really is. He reveals his identity as the Calculator to her, and in the same breath reveals his knowledge of her involvement with Team Arrow. He tries to worm his way into her life, spinning a few lies and half-truths, all to steal from Palmer Tech. That last gets revealed when Felicity tests him, letting him have unrestricted access for a few minutes. Her mother warned her, and she trusts her mother, but she's verified it with her own eyes now. So, next time she sees him, she turns him into the cops. It's an awful choice, and one that will weigh on her for quite some time, but it's the right choice.
Could we ever expect anything else from Felicity?
A more complicated situation revolves around the contest between Nyssa and Merlyn, and the resulting civil war amongst the League.
Ollie does not react happily when Nyssa asks him to kill Merlyn. He tries to take the moral high ground, but in defending Merlyn's life, there is precious little of that. However, he conceives a compromise, where Merlyn lives and surrenders the ring, the role of Ra's al'Ghul, to Nyssa. Merlyn flat-out refuses, not believing Nyssa's claims, but when her words are proven, he agrees to a meeting. Which, of course, was just so he could kill Nyssa and her followers and steal the Lotus.
Nyssa did drop the ball in not preparing more carefully for Merlyn's betrayal, but Ollie, Laurel, and Digs get super props for aiding their escape. And to think that Merlyn tried to profess his love for Thea at that very moment. It's sickening. He turned to murder after the death of his wife. He plotted for decades to murder people who had nothing with her death. By his actions, he killed Tommy, his own son. He beguiled and brainwashed his own daughter into killing her friend in order to force her brother to fight his battle for him! He's a coward and a killer, quick to turn to violence, and, oh, yes, instead of making the exchange to save his daughter's life, after everything he has done to her, he turns to violence again. And without considering the consequences! Like, "The elixir could be destroyed in the fighting." Sheesh, in every possible way I can think of, he is entirely unworthy of being Ra's!
He justifies himself by saying the League has been a force for change for centuries, and is very powerful, and does much good. Yeah, right. Have any example there, Merlyn? If the League is a force for "change," then what changes have they made, hmmm? Even when they helped save Starling City, they did so only at Nyssa's command and only for Sara, and it was not change. And let's not forget how he's helped Vandal Savage revive and reign destruction across the world within a couple centuries.
Still, I guess only time will tell if Merlyn was right or wrong about the League. If nothing else, I imagine they made the lives of several shadowy forces, like the Ghosts, very interesting. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
As the erupting League civil war is causing much collateral damage and leaving many civilian bystanders dead, Ollie is forced to find a final, third option. It involves a couple crazy ideas. As trying to take out the generals didn't work, though he did snag Nyssa, he then councils Merlyn to challenge Nyssa to a trial by combat. In which he takes Nyssa's place. And defeats Merlyn. And cuts off his hand instead of killing him. He gives the ring to Nyssa and takes the Lotus in return. The League bows to the new Ra's.
For about five seconds.
Nyssa has been awakened to herself. Laurel helped her see that she was still prisoner to her father, and Ollie helped her see that she need not be so, when he defended her life. So she frees all of her father's former-slaves. She disbands the League and destroys the ring, right in front of Merlyn's eyes. Nyssa walks away, free and dignified.
While Merlyn rages at Ollie, promising to repay a debt that calls for something much worse than death.
There really are some people who, having met them as enemies, should not be spared when opportunity has ripened. It was for his sister's sake, but even that can only extend so far.
So, even as Ollie suggests to Felicity that they get married pretty much right now, as the League is gone, Damien is quiet, and Thea is recovered (yay!), Merlyn goes straight to Damien and tells him about his illegitimate son, William.
No. Oh, no. I really don't want my theory of William being the one in that grave to be true! Really!
Meanwhile, back in the past, Taiana reacts as one might expect, turning on Ollie and trying to bargain for her freedom. Reiter does not do things that way, taking the stone Shado gave Ollie in his vision, and forcing he to nurture Ollie back to health. He's found a location, and now he means to dig to some sort of heaven. Ollie and Taiana manage to find a sort of balance again, as he reveals his own losses. So Taiana demands the world of him. He must become whole again, to be the man his father died to create, to find himself. Then he can free Tayana and all the rest from Reiter and the Shadowspire soldiers.
Uphill, both ways. Things going to pot.
"White Knights"
You know, I'm actually becoming less impressed with Legends. I appreciate the "personal" quality of things, but they keep making tremendously stupid mistakes.
Why did they not just have Ray shrink down and steal the file from the Pentagon? No, instead they have a thievery that goes predictably awry, and at a time of severe international tensions, the final height of the Cold War, with both sides having their fingers hovering just above the button that launches nukes. At least the Pentagon apparently prefers to look the other way instead of risk reducing the world to ash. They don't play so nicely in the USSR.
While the guys go out a-dealing with the present threat, Sara and Kendra are pushed together to train. They both need to control their blood-lusting ferocity, one by embracing it, the other by embracing her humanity. So, they train. An interesting take on girl time, and quite the way to address the friction between them.
Ray's got moves. Not very good moves, but moves. But he doesn't have the right moves to charm a Soviet scientist in Savage's employ. Cold, however, does. Ray wears his heart on his sleeves, while Cold keeps his reserved for special occasions. Ray thinks this lady scientist doesn't know what she's doing and for whom, but Cold suspects otherwise. Ray has Cold waylay said scientist at her top secret facility before she can get herself killed, but that just reduces the mission to rubble. He has to abandon his own people, something which is squarely against his code, in order to escape with the bare-minimum objective, in no small part thanks to Ray's softhearted nature.
Rip is approached by his old mentor, Time Master Druce (I think it was), who offers an olive branch. Rip is weighed down by his failures, his mistakes, and the offer to come home, to give up, always has a certain appeal to it. But as Heatwave knows, it's a trap to kill them all. And as for the Firestorm duo of Jacks and Stein, they weigh the potential dangers of continuing with those of surrendering, and they're not keen on dying. So they all err on the side of caution, knowing that an olive branch offered to quickly and easily, and by the organization that is resolved to stop them and has already demonstrated a severe lack of concern over who they kill in service to their ends, is likely a trap. And so it is, but they come out of it all right.
Still, Jacks gets badly hurt, and ever more friction is brought out in their unusual partnership. Stein is still devastated from the loss of Ronnie Raymond, so he pushes Jacks very hard in an effort to keep him alive. At the very least, he gets the chance to put his body where his mouth is. When Stein finds that Savage is trying to recreate his own Firestorm, he does not hesitate to put himself in the line of fire, even as Jacks tries to talk him down. As a result, Cold is able to escape with the goods, but Stein, Ray, and Heatwave are all captured.
For which, Cold is not happy, and neither are Jacks, Sara, and Kendra. Nor is Rip, but now, at least, they still have half the team free and able to liberate their comrades. From a Russian gulag.
No Firestorm, no Atom, no Heatwave, no Carter. I'm sure everything will be just fine. With no complications or screw-ups whatsoever.
Hang on, something just occurred to me… if Hadrian's Wall is not the Resistance, then why and how did Meisner kill the king in last season's finale?
Lot of unknowns about HW. Nick and the others are aware of that, and suitably wary of signing up with them. They want to know more about HW, but as they are a super-secret organization fighting a secret war, fat chance of that happening. Trust is a powerful thing, and the HW is asking exactly that without offering much in return.
Still, they can't afford to wait. Trubel and the others have identified one of Black Claw's higher-ups, a nameless man who happens to be in certain cities just before bad things happen to people who are an inconvenience to Black Claw, not to mention innocent bystanders. This person of interest is in Portland, and while Trubel, Meisner, and Eve are able to raid a Black Claw hideout and capture one of them alive for interrogation, their still one step behind. The war is getting worse and they need all the help they can get, especially now HW knows one of Black Claw's bigwigs is in town. So, it's decision time for Nick and his friends, who are none too keen to jump in blind.
Rosalee and Munroe get a phone call from her old "friend." She makes it clear she doesn't want to hear from him again, and Munroe tries threatening him but the man hangs up first. Hmm, how much do you want to bet this fellow happens to be the Black Claw messenger that the HW is hunting? Maybe, maybe not. I'm leaning more towards "maybe."
Nick, who can't seem to open that mysterious door at the end of the secret tunnel beneath his house, finds himself dealing with a ritualistic serial killer in this episode. There's a drought going, and some old, old ritual involves sacrificing seven regular humans to the Big Dipper, called the Plow in old Ireland, to bring back the rain. It's been centuries since it was last performed, courtesy of the Grimms annihilating every last member of every last family which practiced it. Grimms have had a lot of innocent blood on their hands, but they did do some significant good. Three guesses how this ritual got revived.
Yep, Black Claw. They have a recruiter active in Portland, and he's getting quite a zealous following. One of their followers, who has easy access to lumber, revives the old practice of human sacrifice. Wesenism at work, everybody.
Of course, the serial killer would overjoyed that his ritual seems to have worked, despite not having completed his final sacrifice. Which, even if he were right, would just mean he'd have committed a seventh murder unnecessarily, which would suggest that the other six were also unnecessary. Then again, he was the seventh body, but if his death and blood were all that was necessary, then why the elaborate ritual? Nope. Not buying it.
As a final note, yep, Renard is having intimate relations with that redhead who coached him through his endorsement. Something's very fishy about her. She charmed her way in with him too easily, he didn't seem thrilled to be alone with her last episode, and now she's whispering in his ear about how great he is. I could be jumping at ghosts, but I really don't trust her.
Oh, and Adalind, as a hexenbiest has an impressive knowledge of ancient rituals! Very cool! She helped him this episode!
Oh, and Trubel was so cute with the baby like that! Awww!
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text:
Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp of 'Hee Haw' dead at 94
The Canadian Press Published Monday, December 19, 2016 2:20PM EST Last Updated Monday, December 19, 2016 3:56PM EST
Gordie Tapp is shown in a 1972 file photo. Canadian entertainer Tapp, a comedian, musician and script writer who found success in radio and TV, has died at the age of 94. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Files-HO
BURLINGTON, Ont. -- Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp, a comedian, musician, script writer and pitchman, died Sunday from complications of pneumonia at age 94.
Born in London, Ont., the member of the Order of Canada and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee kicked off his career in radio before moving into TV.
During the 1950s, he was a founding member of "Main Street Jamboree," a radio and TV show out of Hamilton, and hosted the CBC music-variety program "Country Hoedown" from 1956 to 1965.
Tapp eventually took his act south of the border to the popular American variety series "Hee Haw," inspiring other Canadian performers to follow his lead.
Earlier this year, comedian Colin Mochrie visited the Lasalle Park Retirement Living Community facility, where Tapp and his wife Helen lived, to pay tribute to the entertainer.
During an onstage chat with Tapp, Mochrie said his career was influenced in part by "Hee Haw."
"For me, it was the first show where I realized that Canadians could make it big in America," Mochrie said. "It was sort of an inspiration."
Despite his successes with "Hee Haw," Tapp was resolute about staying in Canada, said his daughter Kate Tapp Mock.
"We were all up here and Dad didn't really think of himself as American. He was very proudly Canadian and he had enough work here," she said. "He was a good family man."
Tapp also had an undercover role that brought much joy to radio listeners: playing Santa for Hamilton radio station CHML.
"We kids used to have to stay out of my parents' bedroom because he would use that phone and they would make it sound like he was calling from the North Pole. And for hours he would have to sit there and listen to all the kids and what they wanted for Christmas," Tapp Mock said.
In more recent years, Tapp was also known for appearing in TV commercials for Ultramatic beds, and was a committed philanthropist, raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Easter Seals Society.
He is survived by his wife and his children Kate, Jeff and Barbara.
Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp, a comedian, musician and script writer who found success in radio and TV, has died at the age of 94. (Gordie Tapp via Facebook)
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text:
Пред крај XIV вијека, као последица ширења имена Зета, у савременим изворима се почињу разликовати Горња и Доња Зета. Поред старих дукљанских жупа (Лушке и Подлушке) Горњој Зети припада долина ријеке Зете, до Острога и планине на једној и другој страни, до највиших врхова. Граница између Зете и Пилота, била је на мјесту гдје обронци планина избијају на залив Скадарског језера, код Кушева (села, источно од Подгорице). Трг Подгорица, у Подлужју, лежала је у "усред Зете" (in medio Xente). Поред Котора, Горњој Зети је припадао планински ланац са брдовитим залеђем (називан "Црна гора") а који се простирао изнад Которског залива и града Будве, до Скадарског језера. Горња Зета је у ствари Зета Црнојевића (обухватала је посједе ове властелинске породице) па се захваљујући њима и сачуваним списима из њиховог периода, могу знати границе ове области. Године 1474. Иван Црнојевић тражи од млетачког Сената да остане господар Горње Зете, ако успије да је ослободи од Османлија "од једног краја до другога, то јест од Крушева до Острога" (da uno cavo fino I altro, zoe da Chussevo fin a Ostrog . ..)

Зета у доба Балшића и Лазаревића

Од 1360. до 1421. године Зетом господари династија Балшића.
Сједиште Балше I, као једног од обласних господара (од 1360. године и најмоћнијег) у Доњој Зети, било је у Скадру. Касније, по свом успону, Балшићи су повремено боравили у Улцињу или Бару и имали тамо вјероватно свој двор, али су се задржавали и по другим мјестима гдје су им се налазиле сеоске резиденције. Са својим синовима (Страцимиром, Ђурђем и Балшом) Балша I је постепено ширио власт и на област Горње Зете, а на рачун властелинске породице Црнојевића. Након Балше I, Зетом је до 1378. године владао Ђурађ I Балшић. До своје погибије 1385. године на Саурском пољу, Зетом влада Балша II Балшић, а након њега, од 1385. до 1403. године, Ђурађ II Страцимировић Балшић. Године 1387 Ђурађ II ступа у брак са Јеленом (Јелом) ћерком кнеза Лазара, али са својом војском 1389. године не учествује у Косовској бици. Године 1396. Ђурађ II се лако ријешио да град Скадар и Дриваст преда Млечанима, обзиром да сам није био у стању да их одбрани од Турака. Услов је био да му Сенат Републике плаћа годишњу провизију од 1000 дуката, колико је отприлике износио његов чист приход са тог подручја.
На подручју Зете, нарочито од почетка XV вијека, примјетан је успон тзв. ратничких дружина. Ратничке дружине нису биле велике: од 20 до 50 бораца. Као такве, препуштене само себи, тешко би дуго опстајале. Међутим, удруживањем би се стварале значајне војне снаге. О њих су се отимали међусобно зараћени феудалци и градови, па и страни освјачи (Млечани) награђујући их за ратничке подухвате. Самим тим, ове ратничке дружине су имале значајну улогу у политичком животу Зете. Од 1402. до 1421. године, Зетом је владао Балша III Балшић. Јелена Балшић, мајка новог господара Зете Балше III, прећи ће 1411. године у Велико војводство (које је у саставу Краљевине Босне захватало западни и сјеверозападни дио данашње Црне Горе) преудајом за великог војводу, Сандеља Хранића. Прије тога, покушаваће да се са сином супротстави продору Млечана у Зету. Наиме, користећи распад Српског царства, Венеција се полако ширила на обалама Зете. Најприје је посијела Драч и Љеш, а од 1396. године и Скадар, Дриваст и Св. Срђ на Бојани. Балша и његова мајка Јелена, водили су дуге и исцрпљујуће ратове са Млечанима, настојећи да им се одупру и поврате изгубљене градове и области у приморју (Први и Други скадарски рат). Венеција је ипак успјела да од 1405. до 1412. године држи у својим рукама градове: Бар, Будву и Улцињ. Да буде под Млетачком влашћу тежио је град Котор, што је и остварио 1420. године. Улцињ је потпао под власт Венеције 1421. године, а Будва привремено, од 1420. до 1426. године. Млечани су привремено запосједали и губили: Луштицу, Грбаљ и Паштровиће.

Владавина деспота (1421—1452)
 Године 1421. након смрти последњег владара из династије Балшића — Балше III, настаје општа пометња у Зети. Последњом вољом Балше III Зета је припала његовом ујаку Стефану Лазаревићу и припојена је Српској деспотовини. Не марећи за то, ситуацију користе Млечани, посједајући градове Балшића у Доњој Зети (Дриваст, 10. маја 1421. и Улцињ, 15. маја 1421. године). Ђурађ и Љеш Ђурашевић узимају више Балшиних села. Војвода босански, Сандељ Хранић (у то вријеме зет деспота Стефана Лазаревића) без успјеха жели искористити пометњу у Зети, тражећи од Млечана уступање Горње Зете и градова Бара и Будве у Доњој Зети. Стефан Балшић Мармонте се није најбоље снашао у овим догађајима или на њега нико није обраћао пажњу. У августу 1421. године српски деспот Стефан Лазаревић стиже са војском у Зету, уз сигурно залеђе новог султана, Мурата II. Заузео је Дриваст, а затим Бар, средином новембра 1421. године. Млечани су задржали Скадар, Улцињ и Будву (до 1426), лишени сваке власти у највећем дијелу подручја ван градских зидина. Деспотове војводе (Љеш и Ђурађ Ђурашевић) заузимају подручје Светомихољске метохије и Грбаљ. Чврста деспотова власт у Зети је уздрмана непосредно пред његову смрт јер је турски султан Мурат уговор деспота Стефана Лазаревића са угарским краљем Жигмундом протумачио као невјерство и са трупама упао из Бугарске у Србију. По смрти деспота Стефана (19. јула 1427. године) нови деспот, Ђурађ Бранковић, преузима власт у врло тешким околностима. Трогодишње примирје склопљено између Жигмунда и Мурата, омогућило је Ђурђу да се помири са Турцима и влада Рашком деспотовином као вазал. Владајући у бурном периоду балканске историје, овај је деспот доживио и то да Турци распишу уцјену за његову главу, као и осљепљење својих синова од стране Османлија, 1441. године. Исте године, привремено је изгубио Горњу Зету и град Бар у Доњој Зети (продори босанског војводе Стефана Вукчића Косаче). Нису успјели деспотови покушаји продора у млетачки дио Доње Зете, 1448. године. Ђурађ Бранковић се потпуно повукао из Зете (осим града Медуна) послије сукоба са Млечанима и горњозетском властелом, односно након два војна пораза нанесена му од млетачког војводе Стефанице Црнојевића, 1452. године.

Сусједни предјели
Оногошт је и у Барском родослову ван граница тадашње Зете (био је континенталана жупа, у оквиру државе Дукље) а у XIV вијеку, називан је још и Крајина (као једно до граничних подручја Горње Зете). За ранији период (X до средине XI вијека ) жупа Оногошт се у списима (Барском родослову) помиње као дио широке области зване Подгорје1 (на латинском Submontanа). Преко источне границе Горње Зете, на планинској страни, налазио се Медун, тврђава са подграђем, који је припадао дукљанској Горској жупи. Кроз њега је пролазио значајан пут за жупу Плав и утврђење је називано "кључем обеју Зета". Граница између Горње и Доње Зете не може се прецизно повући, осим подручја гдје су се двије Зете сусретале.

1Подгорје (широка област, са словенским жупама, коју помиње Барски родослов) чије име у народу као да је касније заборављено, простирала се од ријеке Мораче на истоку, до Раме, на западу.

Литература

Види још
 Списак катуна Горње Зете, из 1455. године

Аа
З
Историја Подгорице
Историја Цетиња
Историја Даниловграда
Историјске области Црне Горе


text:
Community seeing slight rise in RSV cases
By Hayden Savage
Published: Aug. 18, 2022 at 6:54 PM CDT
WEST PLAINS, Mo. (KAIT) - Some children in Southern Missouri and Northeast Arkansas have seen contracted RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, earlier than usual.
RSV mainly affects young children and babies, making it hard for them to breathe.
Back in 2021, a significant rise in RSV cases came in the spring and summer but compared to this year, cases are lower, said Ozarks Healthcare Pediatrician Carolyn Ellsworth.
"Last year, they peaked. Beginning in the spring, and a very high peak in the summer, but this year, there's been some increase in the summertime," she said.
RSV can shield itself from common cold symptoms such as a runny nose or congestion.
"RSV is just a cold virus, but it's just well known for being a cold virus that can cause breathing troubles. It triggers difficult breathing and having to push hard and make weasy sounds," Dr. Ellsworth said.
She explained there are symptoms to watch out for.
"Just like with other things, anything that's really affecting them, it's making them not drink, not being able to keep things down, and not being able to have the energy to do other things," Dr. Ellsworth said.
She added as a parent, if you think something is wrong with your child, take them to a medical professional.
Weekly Flu Report: ADH releases information on 2022-23 flu season
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Missouri adds 3,600+ cases in its weekly report; Arkansas adds 350+ daily new cases
Midday Interview: Heart Day 2023
Weekly Report: Arkansas Dept. of Health monitoring COVID-19


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text:
The places God takes us: Pastor Mark Kleemann
by Jessica Smith
Late 2013. As the aircraft prepares to land at a military base in Afghanistan the team onboard is notified that a suicide bomber had, the day before, attempted to breach the compound, detonating his vehicle after coalition forces had opened fire. The news brings a heightened sense of awareness and the mood is tense as the plane lands. Mark Kleemann, RAAF Chaplain, numbers among the arrivals. This is his first overseas deployment. Alongside the other military personnel, he steps off the aircraft in full body armour. The weapons he undertook hours of intensive training to handle are ready at his side. 'What are you doing, Lord?' is the phrase that runs through his head.
As a former parish pastor who had previously served for over 12 years across multiple Lutheran congregations in South Australia, this scenario is not one Mark ever expected to find himself in.
"If you'd said to me when I did my theological training and completed it and was ordained that God was going to take me down the path of military training and military chaplaincy, I would have laughed," he says. "I never thought that was possible – there was no way in the world I had even contemplated it."
Mark was working in parish ministry when his son entered military recruit training and shared with the family some of the challenges he could see his mates facing – loneliness, separation from loved ones and the demands of military life, among others. As Mark started thinking about what life in the military must be like, he felt an urging from God, a call that became stronger and stronger.
"I tried to push that sense of call away because I was thinking 'at my age? What are you doing, God?'", says Mark. "While the call itself was strong, I couldn't see myself fitting in there, in that space."
Eventually, though, Mark did decide to test the call, and in 2010, at the 'mature' age of fifty, entered 17 weeks of Officer Training School in Victoria, leaving his wife, Karen, and family in SA.
"My prayer to God was 'if this is the pathway you want me to take, open the doors and affirm it'".
Thrust completely out of his comfort zone, the rigours of military training meant Mark's physical fitness was tested against other recruits who were half his age or younger, most being aged between 19-25. Leadership exercises, classroom assignments, weapons handling and various tests to assess physical and mental competence under pressure were also part of the course. The training was gruelling, designed to 'deconstruct then reconstruct' recruits in the image of the ideal officer. Throughout the process, Mark questioned whether he would pass.
"I kept thinking there would be a door that would close, that I wouldn't pass some military aspect and that would be the end of that," says Mark.
"I remember saying once 'if you want me to do this, Lord, you'd better get me through the first time, because I 'aint coming back for a second bite at this cherry! And surprise, surprise, every door that I thought might shut and I thought might be an out for me, just stayed open."
Recognising him as a non-judgemental listening ear, other recruits would often come to Mark throughout the course to debrief or for support and guidance, forging comradeship despite the generation gap.
The day he discovered he'd passed officer training was an emotional one. Mark had suffered an injury, a torn hamstring, in the weeks leading up to the end of course field exercise that threatened to derail his final training. After undertaking a medical, he was deemed fit to participate in the last assigned field work and was determined to push through any lingering pain, but wondered if this might result in his effort not being at required the level.
"On the final day of field exercise, after having completed my "officer" lead component, one of the senior instructors came up and he put his hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear 'you've passed'. I put my head into my hat and the other young fellows around me – we were all good mates by then – had seen this instructor talk to me, and they thought something had happened and were all asking me 'Padre, Padre, what's wrong, what's wrong?' And I just looked up and I had tears in my eyes and I said 'I passed, I will graduate, I can go home for now, to my family!'".
Being privy to the highs and lows of people's lives – the excitement of a wedding day, the anguish of losing a loved one, the gamut of emotions that comes with either joy or challenge – are part and parcel of being a chaplain. These elements of the RAAF chaplaincy role were ones that Mark both expected and understood from his years in parish ministry. But the notion of 'military' was something brand new, and Mark admits that neither he, nor his family, quite knew what to expect.
Mark's first military post was at RAAF Base Edinburgh in Adelaide which meant he could commute from the family's Barossa Valley home. But getting used to life as a military family had its moments – particularly in the early days. During his second year of military service Mark was deployed overseas for the first time, to the Middle East. With a lot of information classified, there were limits to what Mark could reveal about on-base life, even to his wife, Karen.
"We weren't able to tell our families exactly where we might be going while we were over there, so I would say things to Karen like 'don't worry if I don't call you for the next three days', which was code for 'I'm going somewhere but I can't tell you the details'," he says.
"The family adjusted pretty well, but they weren't necessarily exposed to the day-to-day things that were happening, they'd only hear what I'd be saying. Generally the families of military personnel have a sense of anxiety when their people are deployed. For the most part our deployed bases are pretty safe, it's just when you have to go into the battle zones."
Deployment in Afghanistan was an eye opening experience. The beautiful, rugged scenery was in stark contrast to the dangers that were often faced and the 'very ugly side of war' that was all around. Adjusting to the rigors of life on-base also took some time.
"You'd walk around and have a semi-automatic at your side when you went to eat in the cafeteria and even when you went to the bathroom or took a shower," says Mark.
"Overnight we'd be locked in a vault – a bit like a bank vault – to sleep, to protect against any incoming rockets, but we'd share that room with seven or eight people, each with a semi-automatic weapon alongside of them. So there were guns pointed at us while we were sleeping – you'd just hope they had the safety catch on. You didn't sleep too well, I can tell you!"
Mark feels that God's hand was very evident throughout his time in Afghanistan and beyond. Three days into his deployment he felt a sense of urgency to prepare for a Ramp Ceremony, the formal process and protocols afforded military personnel killed in action.
"I just had a sense, and I think it was the sense of God, that we needed to do this," says Mark.
At his insistence the team ran through the procedure on day four of deployment. On day six the news came in – a member been killed in action. When the details of the person who died came across his desk, Mark was shocked to realise he had a previous connection to them.
"I was reading about this person and I couldn't believe it – I realised I had been a pastor in his school at the time that he graduated from year 12. It came flooding back to me. I remembered him walking across the stage on his graduation night and hearing he was going off to join the army. Since then he had joined the army's special ops and led countless missions against the Taliban.
"To have been a pastor in the school at the time of his graduation and then to be on the ground when he dies in action, the one watching over him, making sure he comes home with respect and honour, how is the preparation of God in that?"
Throughout the eleven years Mark spent as an RAAF Chaplain he felt the impact of countless moments that will stay with him forever. After his initial post at RAAF Edinburgh he served at numerous bases across Australia – at RAAF Tindal in Katherine NT, RAAF Pearce in WA, and RAAF East Sale in Victoria's Gippsland region – as well as further overseas deployments.
He's enjoyed the thrill of officiating sunset weddings on rock ledges overlooking Katherine Gorge while crocodiles sunned themselves on river banks below; been flown out to visit with chaplains and crew on board the USS George Washington aircraft carrier (a 24-storey high American ship that could accommodate 90 aircraft, stay out at sea for 50 years at a time, had its own fast food outlets on board and served around 18,000 meals a day), and is one of the few people who can say they've flown in every aircraft in the air-force ("bar one training aircraft," he clarifies). He's also stood with people while they go through the hardest moments of their lives – he's attended countless suicide interventions, counselled parents who have lost children, sat with people through relationship breakdowns, advocated for military members to be granted better outcomes for their end of year postings, and walked beside those who lost their homes in bushfires.
"The major role of a chaplain is to be a listening ear and a hearing heart, to meet people in the story of their life when they walk in, to stay with them in their story and to help them unpack the clutter of what stresses them. In identifying those issues they're then empowered to choose how they'll move forward, towards positive outcomes," says Mark.
"It never ceases to amaze me that when you don't feel that you've got words to say, or know what to do to make it better for someone, in these times of challenge it's the grace of God that gives you everything you need, in the moment that you're in."
While Mark's experiences could fill a book, it's the knowledge of the grace of God that has most influenced the way he lives today, and it's what he says he will take with him as he moves out of the RAAF Chaplaincy role.
"Live today with God and you will live it well," is Mark's simple mantra.
"If you're angry and frustrated about things in life, you're bringing yesterday into today – it doesn't work. If you're anxious about the life you'll live tomorrow, stressing because you can't see how things will work out, it doesn't work. We are called to live today, live today with God, and that's enough."
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