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Married at First Blight breaks national television ratings records.
Channel 9's brand new reality TV drama, Married at First Blight, has broken ratings records after its debut broadcast on Monday night.
While viewers have flocked to the show in their millions, Channel Nine has been mired in controversy ever since the show's shocking twist was revealed. While all 12 contestants believed they would be marrying a stranger, it was revealed on Monday that they are actually all marrying Malcolm Blight.
One contestant, Kym Koster, was overjoyed at the prospect of marrying his hero. "I love Malcolm. Oh my god ever since I got out of the limo and saw him standing at the alter it's been a dream come true."
However controversial contestant Dean (also known as Visionz) was less enthusiastic. "I thought I was going to marry a chick. Now I've got this bloke. I don't even know what he's saying half the time. Yesterday he told me if I didn't behave he'd throw me out faster than you can say Tony McGuinness. What does that even mean?"
Blight himself seems quite content with the arrangements. "I don't give a rat's tossbag about Dean. My life is great! You'd think a bloke with six husbands and six wives would be under a bit of pressure, but this is fantastic. Most of them will do anything for me if I promise to tell them about the time I played Shane Ellen forward."
"The experts have got this right."
Lil Pump reveals inspiration for smash hit "Gucci Gang" came from watching SANFL highlights of Jordan Gallucci


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Trail Smoke Eaters
Beaver Valley Nitehawks
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Trail Vacation Guide
Route 3 Summer 2016
The main 'culprit' behind Warfield logs that trapped young girl
Feb. 22, 2019 12:00 p.m.
According to your article ("Logs that trapped young girl part of on-going battle with Dutch elm disease in Warfield" Trail Times, Feb. 14) Dutch elm disease is the "true culprit behind a mishap that happened on a Grade 5-6 class outing on Friday" (Thursday).
If so, then it was certainly aided and abetted by others unwilling to accept any responsibility. To me the main "culprit" is the village. They made the decision to remove the large elm trees and, more importantly, they made the decision not to remove these stumps until spring. Science says the wood must be burned, chipped or buried to eliminate homes for the bark beetles (a factor in disease management).
Usually, the tree removal company removes all of the waste. If the decision was made to cut costs by using the village crew to complete the process, then it is their responsibility to remove the waste. If the swampy conditions made it uncomfortable, then removal should have taken place earlier in the year to avoid a dangerous situation or, since the firemen were able to extricate an 11-year old in a stretcher up the steep incline with a portable winch, then I am certain the crew could do the same with a stack of dead trees. Too heavy? Put one employee in the gully with a chain saw to cut them into smaller pieces.
Was the school notified about this hazardous situation? If so, they too are a "culprit."
Thirty-four years of experience tells me that avoidance of these risk areas is mandatory, especially where 20-30 pre-teens are involved. If not notified, then where the hell was the appropriate signage? The park should have been closed to the public or, at the very least, danger signs posted.
Sadly, this letter was written over two weeks after the incident awaiting an apology to the family from the main culprit. Nothing has arrived from a village representative. I know the principal and the teacher apologized personally as they were there. Their apology has been accepted.
Is it any wonder why municipalities are being sued for negligence? My wife and I are also aware of the extreme anguish and stress brought on by this avoidable tragedy. Our granddaughter was trapped completely hidden from us under a stack of logs for about 1.5 hours in -6 C weather.
On a positive note, my family would like to extend kudos to the firemen at the scene. I personally observed their diligence, resourcefulness and professionalism that day and we are indebted to them. They must also be frustrated when they are called to the scene of a preventable accident.
Jim Ling
B.C. VIEWS: Power politics wins over rational energy policy
Reliable air service is essential to the region's economy
Big White to host snowboard World Cup event
Professional snowboarders will race at Big White Ski resort at the end of January
Trail police looking for tips into arson cases
Arson, altercations, and accidents included in this week's police briefs
Trail Minor Hockey Day, more than just another day
"It all began here, of course, and it is still a mainstay of Canadian amateur hockey … "
Hospital in Trail goes from zero to 100!
Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital is one of 4 service hospitals operating in Interior Health
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Lawrence O. Jones
May 14, 1951 - Dec 14, 2021
Lawrence O. Jones - Obituary
awrence O. Jones, a life-long resident of Washington DC, died after prolonged illness on December 14, 2021, at the age of 70. Lawrence was born on May 14, 1951, to Erlene Jones and Henry Collins, nurtured and raised by his mother and grandmother Ida Jones. He attended Western High School, graduated in 1969. He was a life- long Federal Government Employee (over 40 years of service), which included the U.S. Patten Office and the U.S. Department of Labor. He retired in 2011. Lawrence's first-born son, Lawrence Martin Jones (Marty) preceded him in death (Gail Trimmer, mother). On January 2, 1977, he married Shelia, who worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce. They welcomed four wonderful children; Lorenzo Oliver Jones (preceded him in death), Olivia Yvonne Jones, Stacey Marie Jones, and Lawrence Oliver Jones, Jr. Lawrence and Shelia were divorce in 1995. Lawrence loved music and photography, winning awards in the community for some of his entries. He mentored and encouraged his brother Donnell's emerging photographic development. Another of Lawrence's favorite pastimes was fishing. He often shared that it brought him such tranquil joy and peace. Family members remember Lawrence to be caring and loving. He loved his cousins and nieces. Lawrence is survived by his three children, two brothers, Wornell, Donnell and Alvin who preceded him in death, one grandson (Robbie D. Dearman, Jr.), his nieces and nephew, Dierdre Porter, Karen Jones, Juanita Jones, Tyler Jones, Dana Jones, and Torrence Vailes, a host of extended family members and friends. On December 22, 2021, Fellowship and Viewing is scheduled for 10:00 am. The Celebration of Life Service at 11:00 am. Both will be held at the KALAS FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, 6160 Oxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill, MD 20745. Interment private at a later date.


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Open Access Published by De Gruyter Saur 2016
Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Information Science
From the book Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication
David Bawden and Lyn Robinson
Chapter Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication
Cassidy R. Sugimoto, David Bawden, Lyn Robinson 2016
Bawden, David and Robinson, Lyn. "Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Information Science". Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication, edited by Cassidy R. Sugimoto, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur, 2016, pp. 180-196. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110308464-012
Bawden, D. & Robinson, L. (2016). Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Information Science. In C. Sugimoto (Ed.), Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication (pp. 180-196). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110308464-012
Bawden, D. and Robinson, L. 2016. Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Information Science. In: Sugimoto, C. ed. Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur, pp. 180-196. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110308464-012
Bawden, David and Robinson, Lyn. "Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Information Science" In Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication edited by Cassidy R. Sugimoto, 180-196. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110308464-012
Bawden D, Robinson L. Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Information Science. In: Sugimoto C (ed.) Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur; 2016. p.180-196. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110308464-012
Download chapter (PDF)
Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication
The Incessant Chattering of Texts
Informetrics Needs a Foundation in the Theory of Science
Referencing as Cooperation or Competition
Semiotics and Citations
Data Citation as a Bibliometric Oxymoron
Type–Token Theory and Bibliometrics
From a Success Index to a Success Multiplier
From Matthew to Hirsch: A Success-Breeds-Success Story
Authors as Persons and Authors as Bundles of Words
The Angle Sum Theory: Exploring the Literature on Acknowledgments in Scholarly Communication
The Flesh of Science: Somatics and Semiotics
Informetric Analyses of Knowledge Organization Systems (KOSs)
Information, Meaning, and Intellectual Organization in Networks of Inter-Human Communication
Modeling the Structure and Dynamics of Science Using Books
Webometrics and Altmetrics: Home Birth vs. Hospital Birth
Scientific Revolution in Scientometrics: The Broadening of Impact from Citation to Societal
Altmetrics as Traces of the Computerization of the Research Process
Interpreting 'Altmetrics': Viewing Acts on Social Media through the Lens of Citation and Social Theories
Biographical information for the editor and contributors


We will be posting Photos and articles of interest to ski racing and Mt. Hood in this section.
Our end of season party and fun race is scheduled for Saturday April 25. We will have a dual GS race course set up for racing head to head in the morning. In the afternoon we will have a potluck barbecue with Pete's famous white chicken at the Dodd's cabin. And Door Prizes galore! Race and party is free and open to any and all who have trained with us. BYOB plus a side dish of your choice. Bring a chair if you can as seating is limited.


Cure Sinus Infection With This Simple Method and This Common Household Ingredients!
Cure Sinus Infection With This Simple Method and This Common Household Ingredient!
Acute sinusitis (sinus infection): Viruses, bacteria, or fungi infect the sinus cavity, causing inflammation. More mucus; nasal congestion; discomfort in the cheeks, forehead, or around the eyes; and headaches are common symptoms. Cold-like symptoms such as a runny, stuffy nose and facial pain that start suddenly and don't go away after 10 to 14 days.


Last summer I was introduced to the amazing. . .quinoa. Wow! This little grain or grain seed has provided lots of inspiration and health to our weekly meal planning! I first brought quinoa to the table in an effort to go meatless on Mondays. I put lots of different quinoa recipes in front of my family, which includes my hubby and 3 out of 4 little boy eaters (our youngest isn't quite into big people food yet). We've had fun ranking our quinoa favorites--this being one of my faves and this being one of my boys' favorites! And wouldn't you know, not everyone has the same favorites?!
However, this week, I tried out a new quinoa recipe that had everyone wanting more! Our boys even wanted seconds! And the best part about it in my opinion? It's healthy, full of protein, veggie-packed and light! So quick--if you've been wanting a new recipe, or to try quinoa, or to introduce your littles to quinoa, write this recipe down!! It was a two-thumbs up in our family!
1 cup quinoa--cooked according to package directions. Make sure to rinse first!
1. Prepare quinoa according to package. Let cool while preparing other ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, toss cooked quinoa, red onions, green onions, broccoli, cilantro, carrots and peanuts into a big bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
4. Pour dressing over quinoa and veggies and mix until combined. Serve chilled or room temperature.
Looks delicious. We have used it in several dishes. It is a great gluten free option.


Thanks to the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, Hamilton fans can sing along with their favorite songs from the show during Saturday evening's Hamiltunes at the Salem Middle School auditorium at 7 p.m., but if you can't make that event, don't despair!
Between all the paper hearts, bouquets of roses, and boxes of chocolate, don't forget about the furry family member that loves you unconditionally! Share your heart-melting photos on our Sweetheart Pets Page this Valentine's Day.
CARE Pregnancy Center of Salem is merging with a New Albany-based pregnancy help center, Choices Life Resource Center. The merger was approved by both boards of directors in unanimous votes.
Read more about Dance time!
Purdue Extension is once again offering the Strengthening Families program to local residents. This program focuses on family skills taught in group sessions to increase family strengths.


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Home//Blog//News//NHS rationing hearing aids
NHS rationing hearing aids
The NHS has begun rationing hearing aids. Some areas are restricting the availabilty of hearing aids to only those with severe hearing loss while in other places only one hearing aid is being offered.
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in North Staffordshire and Kernow, Cornwall, have announced that they are introducing eligibiltiy criteria that will see those with mild to moderate hearing loss denied hearing aids.
Other CCGs in Northern, Eastern and Western Devon have decided to provide just one hearing aid to patients, even though they suffer with hearing loss in both ears and experts have advised that two hearing aids would be beneficial.
A further five CCG are preparing to decommission some of their audiology services. Another six are also said to be reviewing their audiology services.
The proposed reductions in audiology services across the NHS could have a huge effect on the quality of life of those who use the services. Louise Hart of Action on Hearing Loss said, "If you have hearing loss but don't have hearing aids, you are more prone to depression".
In our experiences, clients often advise that whilst they used to have active social lives they no longer go out to restaurants or pubs or to the cinema because their hearing loss causes them to struggle to follow conversations. Hearing problems can also cause issues within the home as continually not hearing or mishearing someone can lead to arguments.
It is estimated that around 10 million people in the UK suffer with some kind of hearing loss. Currently around 2 million sufferers have hearing aids, these tend to be older people. Of those who wear hearing aids, 84% had these provided by the NHS.
The cost of a hearing test to the NHS is £49. A hearing test with the fitting of one hearing aid costs £294, raising to £388 to fit two hearing aids.
It is thought that one in seven people with hearing aids go through a private hearing aid provider. The cost of these averages around £3,000 a pair.
Many clients have approached us to pursue claims for noise induced hearing loss compensation after looking into the cost of private hearing aids. Many of those who suffer with hearing loss due to exposure to noise at work do not become aware of the problem until they are in their later years and are often retired and simply cannot afford the cost of expensive private hearing aids.
The proposed cuts to audiology services across the country are likely to affect a large number of people and could encourage other CCGs to follow suit.
Dr Roger Wicks of Action on Hearing Loss warned that there could be a "domino effect" of similar cuts. He also stated that, "Hearing aids have been free on the NHS since its creation in 1948 and this is the first time routine provision has come under threat. It's driven by the need to cut costs and has nothing to do with people's health needs".


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Insignificant Research into Trifling Details: René Guénon on the Failure of Universities
Fri, April 24, 2020
By Thomas Flichy de La Neuville
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Thomas Flichy de La Neuville is a Research Professor at IWP and History Research Director (with French Agrégation qualification) and Professor of International Relations at the Rennes School of Business.
When René Guénon published Orient et Occident (East and West) in 1924, the industrialization of knowledge had already been inflicted upon the university machine for over a century, gradually leading it towards the kind of brain death in which this process typically results. During the interwar period, universities still had a spark of life in them, as witnessed by the creative efforts of some of its members and by its vigorous debates. René Guénon did not merely diagnose the stricken body's ills; he shone a light on the cause of the disease and highlighted its consequences on how intelligence is formed.
Guénon's main observation was that dividing universities into industrial-style units resulted in the multiplication of specialisms. Historical study had done away with narrative and chose to limit itself instead to works of simple erudition, or to "insignificant research into trifling details."[1] Western science, which was nothing more than "analysis and fragmentation,"[2] caused intellectual myopia. In a strange inversion of natural hierarchies, universities prized narrow-minded experts who should logically have occupied the lower rungs of the ladder. In his words:
It is not among 'specialists' that we have the greatest chance of uncovering the potential for wide-ranging and deep-reaching understanding, quite the opposite. We should not count on them, bar a few exceptions, to train the aforementioned intellectual elite […] erudition is one thing, but real knowledge is another and, while they are not always incompatible, they do not necessarily support one another either. Surely, if erudition were content to serve the auxiliary role usually reserved for it, there would be nothing left to say as it would instantly cease to pose a danger and could, in fact, serve some purpose. Within these confines, one can very happily recognize its relative value.[3]
Nonetheless, the technicians of erudition played their specialist role tending to the great industrial university machine and mainly occupied themselves by digging deeper into and, first and foremost, defending their micro-fiefdoms. In no circumstances could they claim to hold any kind of vision. These technicians were characterized by a veritable "mental strife" – namely an unhealthy appetite for research – to the extent that this research was viewed as "an end in itself, without any thought paid to what solutions it might generate." This excess of erudition ultimately led to "an intellectual myopia that views knowledge as nothing more than research into details."[4] As for the philosophy underpinning this research, "with its explicative essays, arbitrary delimitations, pointless subtleties, endless confusions, fruitless discussions and loose verbiage," it was a "counterfeit version of intellectualism."[5]
So why did this failure occur? The main reason was that Western science, having limited itself to an analysis of the material world, sheered itself off from metaphysics:
Metaphysics understands the key principles of the universal order upon which all things necessarily depend, directly or indirectly. When metaphysics is absent, surviving knowledge of any variety truly lacks its guiding principle, and while this might lend it some independence (not because it ought to, but simply as a consequence), what it loses in terms of range and depth is much more significant. This is why Western science is, so to speak, all surface. It fractures into an undefined multiplicity of fragmentary knowledge, getting lost in countless factual details and garnering nothing about the real nature of things.[6]
Having been severed from metaphysics, Western science presents as "an ignorant form of knowledge." In fact, "a civilization without principles – or whose principles are purely negative and therefore not principles at all – is like a headless body stumbling on through a life that is both intense and disordered."[7] Western science and philosophy's ultimate fate is thus intellectual suicide.[8] Accumulating increasing amounts of analysis never allows a vision to emerge:
The Western idea that synthesis effectively serves as the end product of and conclusion to analysis is profoundly wrong. The truth is that one can never arrive at a genuine synthesis through analysis because the two belong to entirely different categories. So long as the subject being analyzed permits it, analysis can, by its very nature, be pursued indefinitely, without the analyst getting any closer to an overarching view of the subject. As such, it is a perfectly ineffectual means of reconnecting us to any superior kind of principle.[9]
As for teaching practices, they have almost entirely replaced intelligence with feats of memory. All we ask of students at every level of schooling is that they accumulate knowledge rather than assimilate it. As a result, the focus is on studying things that require no understanding. Facts have been substituted for ideas, and erudition is commonly mistaken for real science.
To promote or discredit a particular branch of knowledge or method, all one need do is proclaim that it is or is not 'scientific'. 'Scientific methods', as defined by official consensus, are actually the least intelligent forms of erudition and the most likely to exclude anything not based on researching facts for facts' sake, right down to their most insignificant details. It is worth pointing out that literature scholars are the most frequent abusers of the term. The prestige attached to the 'scientific' label – and it really is nothing more than a label – demonstrates how pure scientism has triumphed.[10]
The Grandes Ecoles that constitute France's elite universities were in a position to either replicate a system that had been brain-dead for several decades or choose a model of their own invention. It is quite telling that some of them opted for the former, despite the fact that it would have been quite simple for them to bring their universities back to life by exhuming the pre-industrial history of their institutions. Those schools with a future are restoring university colleges by teaching small but multifaceted groups. They opt for tutoring over the illusory belief that the masses can be directed in industrial style. They prize personal reading as a means of learning, rather than purposeless monologues. In this regard, creative life is reappearing where we least expected it to.
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[1] René Guénon, Orient et Occident (Paris: Editions Vega, 1924), p. 21. All extracts cited throughout this article are translations of the original French text.
[6] Ibid. p. 41.
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Posts Tagged 'literature'
I Open At The Close
Posted: February 26, 2018 in Photography
Tags: Bloomsbury, books, cats, Gryffindor, Harry Potter, Hufflepuff, literature, Persian, persian cat, persian cats, Persians, pets, Potterhead, Pottermore, Ravenclaw, reading, Slytherin, Wilfred, Wizarding World
Just finished my first Harry Potter re-read in over 10 years. Wilfred has been providing the full, 4D Crookshanks experience throughout. ⚡📚
Nora Bartlett
Posted: November 24, 2016 in Uncategorized
Tags: It's a Wonderful Life, Jane Austen, lecturer, literature, Nora Bartlett, professor, remembrance, St Andrews, St Andrews University, University of St Andrews
Last night, I had the tremendous joy and sadness of celebrating the life of Mrs Nora Bartlett at the School of English in St Andrews. The number of people in attendance, and the memories and passages read in her honour, were a testament to the love (and hilarity) she inspired in all of us. This is the story I shared:
I had the great privilege of studying under Nora for four years at St Andrews, though it wasn't – ironically – until our first disagreement that I had the infinitely greater pleasure of becoming her friend. During an otherwise unassuming tutorial session, our group digressed from the subject of contemporary fiction to classical cinema – in particular, It's a Wonderful Life: which you might know as the James Stewart Christmas movie classic, but might not know as one of my most hated films of all time. Well, I made the mistake of vocalising this opinion to the group; which caused Nora to stop dead in her tracks and tell me, in no uncertain terms, that I was "perfectly wrong" on the matter and required immediate edification. No sooner had I got home that evening than I checked my emails to discover a missive from Nora that began with the phrase "I hate to see such a clever person languishing in the outer darkness", and followed with a lengthy critique of the movie in question; enumerating the myriad ways in which I'd misjudged the film and should revise my opinion immediately. (She also sent a follow-up email the next day which read, "Mark, just to check if I said anything manifestly insane about IAWL yesterday. I was getting ill and also trying to get it all down before I got interrupted; which perhaps explains what happens to commas and full stops in undergraduate work.")
Now, it was a very compelling argument, and a valiant effort to make me see the error of my ways; though sadly unsuccessful because I confess that, to this day, I still find the movie saccharine to the point of cavity-inducing. But, whilst that was the one subject Nora and I were never able to agree on, it did have the happy side effect of leading to years of subsequent correspondence on the many other things we did share: chief among them our love of animals. Just to preface that, I have no greater life's ambition than to become a crazy cat lady, and Nora had written, in her own words, "encyclopaedically", about the passing of her cats over the years (including one named Lionel after the actor who played Mr Potter in It's a Wonderful Life). Describing one visit to London, she told me that her greatest highlight was the discovery of a monument at the Animals in War Memorial depicting all the animals who have won the Dickin Medal (which is the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross): including 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, 3 horses, and – we both thought rather unfairly – just one cat.
We also continued to exchange our opinions of movies (she told me, for instance, that's she'd learned of the "distressing existence" of a 1997 made-for-TV remake of It's a Wonderful Life called Merry Christmas, Mr Bailey: and noted, "How I hate remakes. The cast list is like a horror movie in itself.") and of course literature; where I learned that she used to hate Shakespeare's sonnets until she taught them and afterwards liked them immensely: especially the rhyming. "I'm crazy about rhymes," she said, "but you may be amused to know my sister considers the ability to produce or enjoy rhyme a form of brain damage."
I also came to learn of her endlessly fascinating life prior to her teaching career, including her time as a salesgirl in a Jenners Department store, a social worker in Manchester, a travel agent, and such wonderfully non-sequitur biographical details as how she was taught to cook by a dwarf. Similarly, I now owe a great deal of my own more colourful CV-builders to Nora; like the years I spent in Japan as a teacher with the JET Programme, which I'd never have known about were it not for my mentioning my love of Japan to Nora who told me that her daughter, Penelope, had gone out there with JET, and helped me through the whole, year-long application process; providing advice and references throughout.
And, as invariably happens when you experience life alongside someone for long enough, we talked about loss. Nora told me she thought the loss of animals particularly terrible, because their lives are so brief and without guile; and because very few people outside the family get to know how monumental they are. And in that sense, I think it's wonderful that her life was so abundant with stories, and that generations of people, ourselves included, were able to experience the gift of her company.
When I was notified of this event, I read Dr Jones' request that we read a poem or passage that made us think of Nora. I've been thinking about it in the weeks since, and, in spite of everything, what I keep returning to is this quote from the movie which Nora so loved, and I so vehemently did not: It's a Wonderful Life. In the words of the angel, Clarence:
"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
Posted: September 14, 2016 in Photography
Tags: books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, children's books, children's fiction, Fantastic Mr Fox, literature, Matilda, Roald Dahl, Roald Dahl Day, The BFG, The Twits, The Witches
These books were so much a part of my childhood, and the perfect way to celebrate what would have been Roald Dahl's 100th birthday.
"So Matilda's strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone."
Posted: September 9, 2016 in Photography
Tags: abbey, architecture, books, cathedral, literature, photography, ruins, Scotland, St Andrews, St Andrews Cathedral, town, traditional, travel, travel photography, Visit Scotland
A return trip to my favourite place in Scotland.
Our bodies were printed as blank pages to be filled with the ink of our hearts.
Posted: April 5, 2015 in Photography
Tags: Audrey Hepburn, body art, English, Gillian Turner, Gillian Turner Ink, Glasgow, grammar, ink, inspiration, inspirational, literature, Mark Liddell, photography, quotes, Scotland, tattoo, tattoos, Vanity Fair
I've mentioned before that my condition to myself on getting tattoos was that they had to represent significant milestones in my personal history. This particular one is dedicated to the four wonderful years I spent attaining my Master's degree in English at the University of St Andrews, and my enduring love of the written word. It's also inspired by the beautiful work of Austin Tott, whose (in his case, rather less permanent) design was the perfect symbol to represent those ideas.
And, on an equally belated note: a finished photo of the very first tattoo I got (almost a year ago already!). A dual inspiration, being my very favourite quote (and one you might very well recognise as the title of every blog I've ever run), in the handwriting of one of my very favourite people – the incomparable Audrey Hepburn:
Are not there little chapters in every body's life, that seem to be nothing and yet affect all the rest of the history?
~ William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair
(All of my tattoos are by the very talented Gillian Turner.)
Tags: author, authors, book, books, British authors, children's books, children's fiction, fiction, literature, novels, photography, Robin Jarvis, Tales from the Wyrd Museum, The Deptford Histories, The Deptford Mice, The Whitby Witches, twitter, Whitby, witches, writing, YA, YA fiction
I've recently begun to re-read the Whitby trilogy by Robin Jarvis, and it's probably quite telling that my childhood favourites had a George R. R. Martin-worthy death count.
One of the coolest aspects of living in the digital age, however, is being able to experience the books again whilst communicating with the actual author!
You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake
Posted: March 26, 2015 in Photography
Tags: birthday, books, Chaophraya, dinosaurs, events, family, food, Glasgow, Hunterian, literature, Museum, museums, photography, Scotland, The Hunterian, Voltaire and Rousseau
It was my birthday earlier this month, which I spent in the company of my fellow dinosaurs, and with a cocktail in both hands.


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Michael Porter (born 1947) is an American academic

Michael Porter may also refer to:
Michael Porter (wrestling) (1951–2010), American professional wrestling ring announcer and internet radio host
Michael Porter Jr. (born 1998), American basketball player
Michael Porter (footballer) (born 1945), Australian rules footballer
Michael Porter (cricketer) (born 1995), English cricketer
Michael Porter (rugby league) (born 1964), Australian rugby league player
Michael G. Porter (Tasman Institute) Australian think-tank founder and economist

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Even the most casual investor will know that certain sectors see periods of boom and bust over time – the present is a good time to look into commodities and also the best technology stocks.
Indeed, in the early 21st century the dot-com bubble burst spectacularly, yet now fast evolving tech companies are powering this part of the market to great gains even in these generally stagnant times.
If you can get money to invest, products like conference calls are doing very well, and they are worth considering for your next stock investment.
Communications is one of the biggest markets these days as telecom companies and other auxiliary providers are latching on to our need to stay in touch with people close to us and in far flung destinations around the globe.
Conference calls in particular are really taking off as companies are eschewing corporate travel for mobile meetings that cost a fraction of the price. Individuals are also using these services to keep in touch with friends and relatives around the world.
We can expect these firms to see solid growth in the coming years.
Cloud computing is one of the great uncertain forces in this emerging markets. Giants like Microsoft are throwing themselves behind it as they try and revolutionize the way organizations manage their files: cloud computing replaces traditional hard drives with storage that can be accessed through the web from anywhere.
It might be worth looking into some established companies pursuing this, or the myriad of smaller ones which offer less comprehensive solutions – there is no telling whether cloud computing will take off, yet it is certainly an exciting prospect and worth some investigation.
For people looking into major investments in mobile giants it is worth charting the progression of 5G – this is the next generation of cellular internet access and it is expected to be incredibly fast.
Governments will auction off the rights to use this service – keep an eye on this as companies which get a large share of 5G will be able to dominate the market. One such auction is forthcoming in the UK, so that might be an area to keep an eye on.
Finally, it is worth keeping an eye on tablets. The market for these has grown exponentially over the past few years as the iPad has proved that they can provide home and business computing solutions.
Apple dominates this sector handily yet it is receiving strong challenges from other providers, all of whom can expect growth as the market for them increases. An investment here is likely to turn out well.
Technology is a great place to put your investments – you can do this by focusing on a technology oriented equity funds in a Roth IRA or by picking promising companies individually. It seems like we will continue to see growth here for some years yet, though always be cautious and balance your portfolio accordingly.
There is no telling when the bubble will burst, and though cloud computing and conference calls will keep this sector aloft for some years yet, there is no doubt that it will return to ground eventually.


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Date: July 6, 2022 5:29 PM
"Management of municipal waste from the Capital City of Warsaw in the planned maximum quantity of 261,973 Mg" — selection of bid of the consortium of FBSerwis Group companies
The Management Board of Budimex SA hereby announces that it has been informed that Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Oczyszczania w m. st. Warszawie Sp. z o.o. [Municipal Cleaning Company in the Capital City of Warsaw] has selected the bid of the consortium: FBSerwis Kamieńsk Sp. z o.o. (a company owned in 80% by Budimex S.A.) and FBSerwis Karpatia Sp. z o.o., FBSerwis Dolny Śląsk Sp. z o.o., FBSerwis Wrocław Sp. z o.o. (companies wholly owned by Budimex S.A.), as the most advantageous in the tender procedure for the management of municipal waste from the Capital City of Warsaw in the planned maximum quantity of 261,973 Mg in terms of Task 2 (2.2*) — management of municipal waste from the Capital City of Warsaw in the planned maximum quantity of 65,025 Mg.
Bid value: PLN 54,007,586 net
The aforementioned bid resulted in the total value of orders with the same Ordering Party in the period from 8 September 2021 (i.e. from the date of the last current report No 66/2021) reaching PLN 199,878,586 net.
The terms under which the bid has been submitted:
Planned date of commencement of the service provision: from 01.08.2022, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the ToR; the estimated date of commencement of the service provision may change depending on the date of conclusion of the agreement.
Planned service completion date: up to 20 months from the commencement of the agreement implementation.
Payment terms: 30 days from the day of delivery of a correctly issued VAT invoice to the Ordering Party by the Contractor.
Remuneration payable for monthly periods, based on the quantity of waste received for processing.
Performance bond: 3% of gross contract value
The bid includes the management of a maximum of 65,025 tonnes of municipal waste from (residential property) in Warsaw. Waste stream includes municipal waste collected separately and mixed.
Maximum amount of contractual penalty payable by the Ordering Party: 10% of gross contract value
The Ordering Party reserves the right to seek damages under general applicable rules if the amount of loss sustained exceeds the amount of the stipulated penalty.
Other terms and conditions of the contract do not differ from the market standards.
The total value of contracts signed between Budimex and its subsidiaries and Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Oczyszczania w m. st. Warszawie together with the bid value exceeds the threshold of PLN 158,224 thousand net.


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August 24, 2020updated 22 May 2021 3:06pm
Employees affected as airlines implement measures to minimise the impact of COVID-19, finds Poll
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the aviation industry, forcing airlines to temporarily ground their fleet.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the aviation industry, forcing airlines to temporarily ground their fleet. The aviation industry is set to lose between $352bn and $390bn over the full year 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, estimates the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Verdict has conducted a poll to identify the major steps airlines and other aviation companies are taking in response to the effects of COVID-19.
Analysis of the poll results shows that a majority 79% of the businesses have taken one step or another in response to the effects of the pandemic, most of which affect employees, while it is business-as-usual for 21% who responded that no measures have been taken.
Majority of the actions directly affect employees in the industry, the biggest of them being pay cuts (16%) followed by headcount reduction (15%) and initiation of staff leaves (8%).
Flight route suspensions were initiated by 12% of the respondents.
Impact on aircraft orders and supplier contracts is relatively lesser, with 5% of the respondents withdrawing or deferring aircraft orders and 4% suspending non-essential and re-negotiating supplier contracts.
Quick financial support was needed by 18% of the respondents, including 12% applying for government aid, 4% needing to draw additional finance to meet financial commitments and 2% negotiating with banks for a payment holiday.
The analysis is based on 335 responses received from readers of Airport Technology, a Verdict network site, from 07 May to 21 August.
Steps airlines have taken to overcome the impact of COVID-19
Despite pent-up demand, consumer confidence in aviation remains low due to health risks and concerns over job security. Further, corporate or business travel remains constrained as companies are under financial pressure and opting for video conferencing in place of in-person meetings.
The IATA estimated in April that more than 25 million jobs in the industry are at risk due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 400,000 jobs have been lost or employees furloughed in the industry with more expected as recovery remains sluggish, according to the latest data from Bloomberg.
Airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Air Canada are either deferring or cancelling purchase of new aircraft. Boeing has an estimated 784 cancellations or uncertain orders, while Airbus reported cancellation of 302 orders as of July.
The support provided to the aviation industry by various governments varies between 1% and 25% of the 2019 revenues of airlines, according to IATA's estimates. North America provided the highest aid of 25%, while Latin America accounted for the lowest aid of 0.3%.
Strategic Defence Intelligence
Vital Global Homeland and National Security Data for the Airport Industry
Air Traffic Solutions
Air Traffic Expertise for Airspace Management Design, System Implementation, Training Support and Service Delivery
Topics in this article: coronavirus
Suvarnabhumi Airport to embark on $236m expansion in July
US airlines raise concerns over 5G service at airports
EU says no evidence of carriers operating empty flights


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Location: Archon MS 249 - Tom Frye Collection
MS 249 - Tom Frye Collection, 1982 | McCracken Research Library
Title: MS 249 - Tom Frye Collection, 1982
Predominant Dates: 1982
Collection includes clippings, letterhead, photographs, letter from President Reagan, posters, ephemera and art design of a Frontier 737 done by master shooter Tom Frye.
Administrative/Biographical History
Ohio native Tom Frye was a highway patrolman when he stopped trapshooting star Joe Hiestand for speeding. Sometime after, Tom joined the ranks of registered shooters, he enlisted in the armed services during World War II and found himself, as a lieutenant, reporting to Capt. Joe Hiestand. After four years in the Air Force, he joined Remington Arms and worked in Ohio and Los Angeles until his transfer to Billings, Montana where he retired in 1973.
In 1950 the ATA life member captured the first of his eight Grand American industry trophies, the Clay Target title with 199. He fired an 86 in the 1955 Preliminary Handicap to finish second among industry representatives. The following year, Frye claimed the industry crown in the Grand American Handicap for 94 from 24 yards and 23 in a shootoff. He shared category honors in the Dayton Homecoming with Tom Lynott following each having scored 197s. In addition, Frye paced other industry reps in the All-Around with 384x400 and the High-Over-All with 956x1,000. During the 1963 tournament, Frye regained the Clay Target title and earned runner-up laurels in the Singles Class Championship, both with scores of 200 straight.
During the 1952 Ohio State Shoot, Frye led industry men in the Singles Championship with 198. In Montana state competition he paced the handicap field with 98 from 25-yards at the 1962 tournament, and he headed industry reps with 198 during the 1964 Singles Championship.
Frye was named to the industry All-American team each year from 1951 through 1956; also in 1949 and 1965. He served as captain in 1964 and co-captain in 1957. From 1960 through 1963, he led national industry doubles averages three times and handicap standings twice.
The last trick shooter to be employed by a major arms and ammunition company, Frye often appeared on television shows demonstrating his expertise with a rifle and shotgun. March 1975 Trap & Field magazine carried this account: "Montana gunner Tom Frye gave a shooting demonstration on the nationally-syndicated Mike Douglas TV show recently, during which he etched the portrait of guest star Robert Goulet in aluminum with a .22 rifle. Frye also shot at wooden blocks and at small metal discs, about the size of silver dollars, thrown in the air by Douglas, Goulet and other show guests. Frye, who began shooting demonstrations more than 20 years ago, then showed his talent with a shotgun. He shot at heads of cabbage and at eggs and, finally, at some regulation clay targets."
Tom was especially famous for his silhouettes of Indian heads, many of which have been displayed at numerous clubs throughout the country. One Billings, Montana restaurant had a wall mural of a Western scene done by Frye with the .22 rifle. The Bureau of Indian Affairs sponsored Frye performances for children of several tribes, and he was adopted by the Shoshone and Crow tribes.
In October 1959 at Reno, Nevada, Frye established a marathon and accuracy world record by hitting all but six of 100,000 hand-thrown wooden blocks with a .22 rifle. He shot nine hours a day over a 13-day period while besting the record established by Ad Topperwein in 1907. Tom once held the 12-gauge skeet shooting long-run record, and in 1963 he had a trapshooting run of 800 in singles.
He died October 14, 1982 of congestive heart failure.
-From the Trapshooting Hall of Fame website: https://www.traphof.org/inductees/details/1/52-frye-tom
Author: Tom Frye, December 28, 1915 - October 14, 1982
Subjects (links to similar collections)
Frye, Tom (Exhibition shooter)
Languages of Materials
Acquired: 12/29/1986.
Acquisition Note: Source: Cody Firearms Museum.
Related Materials: Sharpshooter Tom Frye Exhibit, Yellowstone County (Montana) Museum
For more information please see http://www.ycmhistory.org/tom-frye.
Preferred Citation: Tom Frye Collection, MS 249, McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Scope and Contents: Formerly the Cody Firearms Museums Transfers to McCracken Research Library Collection.


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Q: Stop Music Once Playing I am trying to get a song to play in the background of Windows, after a little looking I found this:
@echo off
set file=RRLJ.mp3
(  echo Set Sound = CreateObject("WMPlayer.OCX.7"^)
   echo Sound.URL = "%file%"
   echo Sound.Controls.play
   echo do while Sound.currentmedia.duration = 0
   echo wscript.sleep 100
   echo loop
   echo wscript.sleep (int(Sound.currentmedia.duration^)+1^)*1000) >sound.vbs
start /min sound.vbs

This works well for starting the song but I have no way of stopping it from a .bat file. The only way I found to cut it short is to open task manager and close it from the processes.
I have tried:
taskkill /im wscript.exe

But I keep getting something in the window saying:
Success: Sent termination sidnal to the process "wscript.exe" with PID 185448
but the music continues to play until I manually end it with task manager

A: I'd use /T switch (Tree kill): terminates the specified process and any child processes which were started by it.
Here is a script to find ProcessID to terminate exactly needed process only using PID:
@ECHO OFF >NUL
for /F "usebackq tokens=*" %%G in (
      `wmic process where "CommandLine like '%%sound.vbs%%' AND Caption like '%%script.exe%%'" get ProcessID/value ^|find /I "="`
    ) do (
        rem echo %%G
        for /F "tokens=2 delims==" %%H in ("%%~G") do echo  taskkill /T /F /PID %%H
    )

Note taskkill command is echoed merely... Remove echo when debugged.

A: This work for me, and is only one line.
Taskkill /IM "wscript.exe" /F>nul 2>&1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Located in historic Sedalia, PieZanos is reminiscent of an old-school pizzeria. It is the kind of establishment that evokes nostalgic feelings of a favorite pizza place where kids went for a slice after a movie, coaches grabbed a pie for a celebratory win (or a needed pick-me-up), and reunion-goers gathered to reflect back on high school.
With more than 40 years of combined restaurant experience, co-owners Frankie Menna and John Johnson talked about opening a restaurant three years ago. Not much came of that conversation until Johnson stopped in Sedalia one day on his way to go fishing and noticed a "For Sale" sign. With a location found, Menna and Johnson's dream became a reality, and they were on their way to getting a piece of the pie . . . the pizza pie that is.
These longtime restaurateurs are no strangers to the kitchen. Menna has been a chef for 15 years and has worked in the Denver metro area. Johnson has 10 years experience as an executive chef in California and has worked for several national companies, opening more than 130 restaurants across the United States.
Part of what fuels Menna and Johnson's passion is making people happy through food. They believe that one of the things that sets PieZanos apart from other restaurants is their desire to take that passion and put it into their products. PieZanos sources only the best ingredients Menna and Johnson can find, and this may mean buying sausage from Rome's Sausage in Denver, bread from Chicago, or tomatoes from Italy. One bite from anything on the PieZanos menu explains why it was worth it for Menna and Johnson to taste 25 types of mozzarella to find the absolute perfect texture and taste.
Lunch at PieZanos was a mouth-watering experience. The simple margherita pizza was anything but ordinary with tomato slices, full, fresh basil leaves, the perfect balance of sauce and cheese, and a crust that was the right combination of chewy, airy and crispy. The Italian beef sandwich was bursting with beef, green peppers, onions and giardiniera and had a bit of a kick (in the best sense).
PieZanos offers traditional pizza, as well as artisan varieties. Menna and Johnson believe the possibilities are endless when it comes to making pizza, so they experiment and have fun. Every month, PieZanos offers a featured pizza, and while the January selection had not been created as of press time, the description of December's Rudolph's Holiday Ham Pie with honey smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pineapple, and caramelized onion on a Neapolitan crust with a thin layer of dough on top and served with a side of sweet horseradish aioli should be enough to propel readers to visit their website for menu information.
In addition to Neapolitan and Sicilian pizza by the pie or slice, PieZanos offers salads, sandwiches, breakfast and lunch/dinner calzones, soda, beer and wine. With several flavors of gelato from Italy, such as bacio and sea salted caramel, and a homemade triple chocolate brownie, Menna and Johnson do not believe in customers leaving with empty stomachs.
PieZanos has a cozy indoor dining space, as well as an outdoor porch. With an open kitchen, the casual atmosphere and friendly staff make customers feel at home, and that is just what Menna and Johnson want. "We want everyone to feel like they are part of the PieZanos family," said Menna. In fact, Menna and Johnson chose the name PieZanos, as a fun play on the word "paisano," which is what a friend from your home town in Italy is called.
Whether a place for a casual celebration or just a delicious meal is needed, PieZanos is ready to provide a memorable experience . . . and a box for leftovers!
Mon – Sat: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sun: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.


The Asharian Midlands is an area in west-central Ilefain, west of Erwynn and east of Crescent Bay. Its largest city is Arcas.
The region's terrain ranges diversely from verdant valleys to craggy hills, rich farmland and orchards to the spire-like mountains surrounding Mount Carrocas. The Asharian Midlands are home to many rivers, most notably the river Chas, which runs north-south across nearly the entire region.
The lands were once home to the first dynasty of the Shi'imti Empire, their ruins dotting the land, however, deadly gnolls have taken up residence in them and raid nearby settlements.


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Committee to Reveal the Future of Ride Sharing in British Columbia by End of March
by Usman Qureshi – Wed, March 13, 2019
The legislative committee, that was asked to put forward recommendations to Transportation Minister Claire Trevena on how to implement ridesharing in British Columbia, has finally wrapped up its work and is now planning to release the report publicly by the end of March (via Global News).
Chaired by Bowinn Ma, the committee was tasked with looking at four specific issues i.e. determining regional boundaries, the flexibility of pricing, the number of ridesharing vehicles allowed to operate, and most importantly, the class of licence required for ride-sharing drivers.
It appears that the requirement of drivers to have a Class 4 licence has become a major concern among the committee members. Both Lyft and Uber have also raised concerns to the committee about the licence restrictions. They say that casual drivers will not take the time or spend the money to get a Class 4 licence.
For those who unaware, a Class 4 licence is a commercial licence that can be used to drive buses with a maximum seating capacity of 25 persons, drive taxis and limousines and drive ambulances, on top of driving any Class 5 licence. To get a Class 4 licence drivers must pay additional fees and get tested.
Currently, all taxi drivers in British Columbia are required to have a Class 4 licence. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation has said that the province is still committed to introducing ridesharing in the fall, while defended the Class 4 licence requirement.
Online Banking is Now the Most Common Way Canadians Bank


Japanese Intervention was Not Sterilized – What Does that Mean?
The Bank of Japan said explicitly last night that their intervention will NOT be sterilized. This is VERY good because it gives their intervention efforts a greater chance of succeeding.
Intervention by central banks is one of the most important short-term and long-term fundamental drivers in the currency market. For short-term traders, intervention can lead to sharp intraday movements on the scale of 150 to 250 pips in a matter of minutes. For longer-term traders, intervention can signal a significant change in trend because it suggests that the central bank is shifting or solidifying its stance and sending a message to the market that it is putting its backing behind a certain directional move in its currency.
There are basically two types of intervention, sterilized and unsterilized. Sterilized intervention requires offsetting intervention with the buying or selling of government bonds, while unsterilized intervention involves no changes to the monetary base to offset intervention.
The intervention by the Japanese government in 2003-2004 was sterilized which is part of the reason why it was unsuccessful. The government sold Yen with money financed by the issuance of bills. When intervention is not sterilized, the money supply is increased because the funds used to sell Yen may be raised by printing money.
Many argue that unsterilized intervention has a more lasting effect on the currency than sterilized intervention and thankfully the latest intervention is not sterilized.
operations can achieve the same result.
The Federal Reserve has on occasion adjusted its monetary policy stance with an exchange market objective in mind, and it has sometimes intervened in the foreign exchange market while altering its federal funds target. Whether one refers to such interventions as nonsterilized or as a combination of a sterilized intervention in conjunction with a monetary policy change is inconsequential. In either case, the intervention is completely unnecessary since domestic open-market operations alone can achieve the same objective.


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Q: CSS selector works, jquery selector doesn't (IE only issue) Please note that the following is an IE only issue (as usual...)
I have the following HTML code:
<input id="foo" type="checkbox" checked="checked" />

  some foo text

I have a CSS rule that is working perfectly:
#foo + label > span{
    display: block;
    line-height: 1em;
    padding: 0.4em 1em;
    cursor: pointer;
    text-align:center;
    text-decoration:none;
}

I then have a CSS selector which match the same CSS selector which is not returning anything:
var textVal = $("#foo + label > span").text();

But for some reason if I use the following line, it is going to return the correct value:
var textVal = $("#foo + label").html() or .text()

I really want to select the label's span, because I want to change the text of it and don't want to append a new span everytime.
Thank you,
EDIT:
Interesting, if I do the following it works...
var label = $("#foo + label");
var textVal = $(">span",label).text();

A: Try the following:
var textVal = $("label[for='foo'] span").text();

A: This is working in IE8 for me.  Perhaps its' because you didn't close the " on checked="checked ?
Example: http://jsfiddle.net/mEAYr/


Our bookstore is going out of business	What to read this year?
My folks took us out to eat New Year's Eve. They said the owners of this place have a bunch of kids that run around the restaurant and they wanted to "get them back" by bringing my four kids. As my folks are not normally vengeful people I was intrigued and I asked if I should encourage my kids to be naughty, or just let things happen. We walked in and two little boys greeted us. After we got our table set up the boys (there were only the two of them) came over to visit. They chatted and pretty soon the ladies at the next table were moving the extra chair at their table to our table then another chair appeared, making us a party of 9 at a table meant for 6. We found out Adam was 5 and going to pre-school and Gabriel was nearly 3.
As their mom took our orders she took her kids' orders too and they ate with us. Adam thanked me when I broke his burrito for him, and Gabe thanked Mom for helping him with his taco, so they were polite.
Gabe and Adam spend half of the meal running around the restaurant, using the candy dispensing machine and in general staying on top of the happenings on their home turf. When Adam decided to crawl around under our table, I told him if he was going to eat at our table, he had to sit in his chair, and so he did. Their mom commented that whoever had been watching them at their home had brought them over earlier than they had originally planned, but Mom says they are always at the restaurant.
Mom said they went there one time and the boys were eating Spaghettios. My step-dad asked if the menu had changed and their mom said they were tired of Mexican food. I find this hard to believe. If I could only eat one kind of food for the rest of my life it would be Mexican. Mom said she would choose Chinese. I pointed out she would be giving up cheese and bread. She is thinking it over now.
Things I Never Thought I Would Say Paul, a famously messy eater to begin with, started drinking his Sprite and then letting it run out of his mouth. He was wearing a shirt with a huge rubber eye on it (Mike Wazowski…with one "i") and I found myself telling Mom, "He has spit out more than you think, it just doesn't look like it because his eyeball is not absorbent." We left the high chair sticky and the floor covered in rice, not all of it from our kids.
ha!We have a mexican/Italian restaurant. They used to be two restaurants across the street from each other owned by the same people. Now they have let one building go and have both inside one place. It's weird. The owners are Mexican. I've heard the Italian there is good but I don't want to try it.
Well I have to say~ I admire you. I might have been one to go with the flow~ and start a food fight. And then point my finger at Gabe and Adam.Mexican food everday~ AMEN.
Eh, I get grouchy when strangers try to join me and my family at a restaurant, no matter how old. I'm unfriendly that way. I guess if they were the owner's kids there would be no concern about how they were behaving, as long as they weren't specifically annoying or poking someone at our table, but even so…Of course I can afford to be particular about Mexican restaurants because I live in the Tex-Mex capital of the world, where we have everything from authentic Mexico City fare to Taco Bell within walking distance.
"I asked if I should encourage my kids to be naughty, or just let things happen." That made me laugh! Did their mom even ask if it were ok for them to join you at your table? Good for you for being such a good sport.
@jo63psalm – No, she didn't ask. My folks eat there about every other week, so she probably felt she knew them well enough to be comfortable with the situation. Clearly my folks don't have a problem with it either or they wouldn't eat there. Mom said the kids would probably have left us alone, mostly, but we had kids the same age. @ordinarybutloud – I found out later that the kids are autistic. They mostly acted like kids who spent a lot of time with their parents at work.
What was 3 days early!?!!I'm afraid real-time bookstores are kind of on their way out. Why would you use anything but amazon and the library?? I do like visiting a book store, but truthfully they are too tempting and it's too easy to spend money so I just stay away. I do like the collections of stationery and cards and all that. Oh, I don't know. I'm too antisocial to really weigh in on it.I am always curious about the xanga is going to die conversations. I don't know who starts them, but I guess as long as i get fair warning so I can archive and we can all move to another site and use the same names, I don't care that much. I like xanga and I want to keep my xanga friends. Plus, people are prone to exaggeration.Interesting restaurant experience… I have yet to go to that folksy of a restaurant. I have, however, had my child leave A LOT of rice on the floor!
@miss_order – I finished the Bible! get it …Amen I am now off to put my reading goals on paper… as it were.


text:
namespace ymaps.domEvent {

    // todo check is this correct
    interface Manager {
        add(htmlElement:HTMLElement, types:string|string[], callback:Function, context?:any, capture?:boolean):Manager;
        remove(htmlElement:HTMLElement, types:string|string[], callback:string|Function, context?:any, capture?:boolean):Manager;
        group(htmlElement:HTMLElement, capture?:boolean):event.Group;
    }

    declare var manager:Manager;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Five years after Usama bin Laden's death, new info — and a new nemesis
by SOFREP May 2, 2016
Five years ago, Rob O'Neill chomped on a sandwich watching television at Bagram Airfield. Usama bin Laden's dead body lay on a table next to him.
O'Neill was the reason bin Laden lay lifeless on that table May 1, 2011. He explained the details of the death of the world's most notorious terrorist in a matter-of-fact manner years later to relatives of 9/11 victims.
"I explained how I went into a room and I saw him and he was standing 3 feet in front of me and he was a threat and I shot him," O'Neill said Sunday on "Fox and Friends."
O'Neill said he and his fellow Seal Team 6 members were still in the uniforms they wore on the mission when President Obama announced the death on television.
"I heard him say Usama bin Laden, I looked at Usama bin Laden – I thought, 'How in the world did I get here from Butte, Montana?'" O'Neill said.
Even half a decade after bin Laden was taken out, little-known information about the operation and the hunt that led up to it is trickling in. O'Neill revealed Sunday that the much-publicized kidney ailment bin Laden was said to have and the dialysis machine he was said to have with him were merely counterintelligence myths propagated to weed out sources that were lying.
Image courtesy of putlockerfreewatchmovieonline
Osama Bin Laden's son releases new video offering 'advice for martyrdom seekers in the West'
The Pakistani doctor who reportedly helped the CIA find bin Laden is still stuck in prison
National Counterterrorism Center Director Recounts: Behind the Scenes of the Usama bin Laden Raid
A Dissenting Opinion on the Hersh OBL Report
Op-Ed: Charles Manson and the deaths of notorious men
Navy SEAL recalls career in night of 9/11 reflection


text:
Restoration at Church of the Nativity shows what cooperation can do
By Judith Sudilovsky, Catholic News Service
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (CNS) — When restoration on the Church of the Nativity's wooden beams and leaking roof began in 2013 with the blessing of the three custodial churches, everyone involved was aware of the historic significance of the venture. It was the first time in 540 years that any repair work was done on the church on the site where Jesus was born.
But what the team of workers — including local Palestinian committees and engineers and international restoration experts — did not know was the true impact of the initial ecumenical cooperation.
Historically the Franciscans, Greek Orthodox and Armenians jealously guarded their rights in the church, under the 1852 Status Quo agreement that regulates the ownership of spaces in various holy sites as well as the times and duration of religious liturgies. As recently as 2011, Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks came to blows over cleaning rights in a certain area in the church.
But with the leaking of the roof endangering the ancient structure, all agreed to undertake the necessary work.
And a new era began.
"Along the way the three churches noticed the good results that were coming from the cooperation and that it would be good to continue," said Khouloud Daibes, the new executive director of the Bethlehem Development Foundation, which has raised $2.6 million out of the $15 million needed for the restoration of the entire church.
"At first it was just supposed to be the roof, but then we continued to do much, much more," she said.
The project required coordination involving more than 400 specialists and the need to maintain the liturgical schedule and to keep the doors open for pilgrims, she said.
Imad Nasser, an engineer and technical representative of the Palestinian Presidential Committee for the Restoration of the Nativity Church, said safety requirements for visitors have been challenging, because the church remained opened throughout the restoration process.
After a process of extensive studies and negotiations, the project gradually grew to a more comprehensive endeavor and included restoration of Crusader-era frescos and wall and floor mosaics, which had been dulled by centuries of pilgrims burning candles and incense smoke; restoration of the outside facades; and restoration of the 50 marble columns inside the church, each one dedicated to a different saint.
Franciscan Father Ibrahim Faltas, representing the Custody of the Holy Land, told Catholic News Service: "This project has brought the three heads of churches closer and improved the relationship. In fact, the three heads of churches agreed to implement rehabilitation work at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. We hope that this cooperation will continue in the future."
Claudette Habesch, a member of the presidential committee for the restoration, said the ability of the churches to come together with a shared goal of restoring and protecting the church is not only a symbol of hope for Christianity, but should be a message to all people of the Holy Land. She said it was in line with Pope Francis' 2020 social encyclical, "Fratelli Tutti," which urges people to act as neighbors for the common good, rejecting the creation of a society of exclusion.
"This is a great achievement. This goes beyond the physical achievements … not only for Christians but for everyone one who lives here," Habesch said. "It gives us hope that we can also work on reconciliation and peace in this land."
Dependent on donations mainly from supporters from abroad, the restoration project has been carried out in several phases, with the COVID-19 outbreak severely reducing the amount of funds available and slowing down work.
The remaining work includes a firefighting system, a micro climate system, and restoration of the grotto itself.
Mazen Karam, outgoing CEO of Bethlehem Development Foundation, said if all the needed funding were secured immediately, the entire project would be completed around 2023.
The project also encouraged the three churches to undertake restoration work on their own private sections of the church, he said, and so most of the entire complex has been restored.
Currently, on the initiative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, two art conservationists have been working on the Greek Orthodox chapel's iconostasis, a wall of icons and religious paintings that separates the main part of the chapel from the sanctuary.
"It is a privilege to work here and watch the three different churches praying in one place. It is not an experience I could have in any other place," said art restorer Zacharias Zacharoudis.
While most pilgrims are not yet able to come to Bethlehem, a traveling exhibit of the restoration project was inaugurated at the Vatican Museums in 2019 and is currently being shown in Cologne, Germany.
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II. Mysticism Meets Sexology Re: Spectrosexuality Survey
Amy Marsh, EdD, DHS, CH, CI	God Spouses/Spectrosexuals, Loki & Lokean, Magic, Spectrosexuality Survey, Uncategorized	 March 12, 2019 March 20, 2019 13 Minutes
Survey data collection is closed as of March 18. Thank you.
Online dictionaries give simple meanings for the word "sexology." Examples include "the study of human sexual life or relationships" and "the study of human sexual behavior." What's not often expressed is the recognition that sexology often requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Any given inquiry may include investigations into history, erotic arts and literature, medicine, physiology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, pop culture, religions and spirituality, law and public policy, and so on.
I'm realizing that in writing about this simple survey of Neopagan people who report one or more sexual or "emotionally intimate" encounters with spirits (aka "spirit sex"), I will quite likely address a number of different topics. This blog post will describe a few. But first, another word about the (non-scientific, confidential, voluntary) survey itself.
The Survey Has a Simple Premise and Limited Scope
Premise: Human beings can and do have sexual and/or emotionally intimate encounters with unseen beings (gods, angels, demons, ghosts, the Fae, elves, etc.).
This premise includes the assumption that unseen beings (besides microbes) do exist. I can base this assumption on widespread beliefs and reported incidents, such as those found in religions, neopagan and witchy practices, mythologies, etc.
It's not that I accept all superstition, but as I mentioned in Part I, science is now strongly considering the idea that consciousness exists in all forms of matter. And since science also reports that we've got a lot of unseen matter in this cosmos it seems logical to wonder about the types of consciousness that might be intrinsic to dark matter and how that consciousness could possibly organize itself in ways that we recognize as sentient and communicative.
Limited Scope. I am focusing on the experiences and practices of neopagan-esque people who say this has happened to them.
Overlapping Perspectives
In Part I, I described my personal perspectives on the topic. Here are some others.
(1) Sexology
a) Spectrophilia as a fetish or kink
In sexological literature, sex with spirits has been considered a fetish or a kink. For example, in the Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices (1992), Brenda Love lists "spectrophilia" (pp. 269-270) and describes it as arousal by intercourse with a range of spirits. She says the union of the Christian God and the Virgin Mary provides one of the most famous examples of spectrophilia. I am not sure this is a good example as it falls more accurately in the category of spectro-sexual mysticism.
Seeking experiences with an incubus or succubus could be a better example of a fetish-like desire, as these beings aren't known for a transcendental quality in their trysts.
In medical articles, night terrors are the explanation for adult incubus/succubus experiences.
Preliminary Survey Note: None of the survey respondents report "night terror" sensations in the comments sections, though many reported dream encounters with spirit beings.
b) "Psychic Masturbation" and "Mind-Gasms"
Sexual pleasure from a spirit sounds improbable. But sexologists have documented orgasms that occur without physical touch.
Sexuality in the Human Male (Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948) found that only "three or four adult males" (out of 5,000 studied) were able to ejaculate purely from fantasy, without touch or physical stimulation (pp. 517-518). (Nocturnal emissions are another matter.) However two percent of "nearly 5,000" wide-awake women were able to achieve orgasm through "psychic stimulation" (Sexuality in the Human Female. Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin & Gebhard, 1954, pp. 163).
In 1992, Beverly Whipple, Gina Ogden, and Barry Komisaruk compared blood pressure, pupil dilation, heart rate, and pain threshold in ten women who experienced orgasm (1) without physical stimulation and (2) with self-stimulation. In both sessions, the above physiological responses were approximately doubled during orgasm. In a later study Komisaruk and Whipple used fMRI to compare thought orgasms to physically induced orgasms. The only difference was a lack of amygdala activity during thought orgasms. Both studies were cited in The Science of Orgasm (Komisaruk, Beyer-Flores and Whipple, 1992. pp. 260-261).
Mary Roach describes an interview with a woman who learned a "hands-free" orgasm technique from sexologist Annie Sprinkle in the mid-1990s (Bonk, 2008, pp. 239-241).
Other people can achieve "hands-free" orgasms through hypnosis. With practice, this can be very effective. In 2014, I did a survey of 225 erotic hypnosis practioners. Fifty-five percent of 223 respondents said they were "very satisfied" with their "hypno-gasms."
Preliminary Survey Note: some respondents are reporting the addition of physical sensation to enhance their encounters with spirits.
Ecstasy of St Theresa (detail), 1652, by Gianlorenzo Bernini. Cornaro chapel, Santa Maria Della Vittoria church in Rome. Photo by Nina Aldin Thune. Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.5.
(2) Spectrosexual mysticism
An example would be the ecstasies of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), described in the Aras.org website as part of a tradition of "bridal mysticism," a union with the Christian god.
Some ancient Tibetan tantra traditions include practices with an imagined and/or visualized partner. This could be a deity, dakini, or yogini. This is called jnanamudra (Miranda Shaw, Passionate Enlightenment:Women in Tantric Buddhism, 1994. p. 172). Judith Simmer-Brown describes the "creation-phase practice" of visualizing oneself as a "yidam deity" as "yab-yum in sexual union." When done correctly, Simmer-Brown says this can generate "tremendous passion, communication, and connection" between the self-as-deity and the imagined partner deity (Dakini's Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism, 2001, pp. 216-217).
Yab yum position.
Devoted and passionate god or spirit connections are also found outside Christian and Tantric Buddhist traditions. Modern variations of Norse Heathenry and Norse-inspired practices yield examples. Dagulf Loptson's well-researched book contains expressions of devotion to Loki as his "deepest love…most influential teacher…dearest friend" (Playing With Fire: An Exploration of Loki Laufeyjarson, 2014, Introduction).
Other examples of spectrosexual devotion and mysticism can be found in The Jotunbok: Working with the Giants of Northern Tradition (Kaldera, Ed., 2006). This book contains many passionate prose essays and devotional poems addressed to Loki, Hel, Angrboda and others in the Jotun pantheon. I find Elizabeth Vongsvisith's poem, "To Loki," especially moving (p.276).
As an aside, it doesn't seem fair that a young Lokean godspouse blogging their ecstasies on Tumblr is more likely to be trolled by an Incel than to have their mystic love immortalized in marble. As a mystic sexologist, I'm just sayin'.
Preliminary Survey Note: several respondents are reporting feelings of emotional intimacy as well as ecstacy and great pleasure when in union (sexual or otherwise) with a beloved deity or spirit.
(3) Beliefs and Narratives
The ancient Hawaiians believed in kane or wahine o ka po (male or female spirit lovers of the night) (Pukui & Handy, The Polynesian Family System in Ka'u, Hawai'i, 1998. pp. 120-122). These lovers could be 'aumakua (ancestor) or a kupua (ghost or spirit) or even a deity or a nature spirit like a mo'o (lizard-like fresh water spirit). Sometimes human beings could become so attached to their spirit lovers that their will to live could be weakened. In such cases, help would be sought from a kahuna (priest or expert).
The Hawaiian belief in spirit and human intimacy is also reflected in their mo'olelo (stories). The Epic Tale of Hi'iakaikapoliopele (Ho'oulumahiehie & Vogelmeier, 2006) begins as the goddess Pele falls into a dream. She flies to the island of Kaua'i, where she entices and seduces a handsome human chief, Lohi'au. Pele falls in love with him. When she awakes, she sends her youngest sister, Hi'iakaikapoliopele, to travel on foot and canoe from Hawai'i Island to Kaua'i, in order to bring Lohi'au back in the flesh. Quite a lot happens along the way. It's one of the great epic tales of all time.
Keith Dowman's translation of Lady Yeshe Tsogyel's life (Skydancer: The Secret Life and Songs of Lady Yeshe Tsogyel, 1996) describes transcendent tantric rituals, magical actions, and a vast array of supernatural beings.
Greek and Roman myths, and myths from other cultures, also contain many examples of love and lust between gods and mortals. Some fairy tales contain these as well.
A.S. Byatt's The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye (1994) is a fine example in contemporary literature. It chronicles the relationship of a middle-aged scholar (female) and a very sensuous Djinn. The sex is fabulous.
This supernatural "human-meets-spirit" plot line never fails to intrigue: even Marvel's version of the Norse god, Thor, falls for an attractive human scientist and mopes when he can't be with her. In fact, you can find examples of spectrosexual love just about everywhere you look–practically under every bush, burning or not.
(4) Witchcraft Persecutions
Witchcraft is still illegal and/or socially punished in many parts of the world. During the European witchcraft persecutions, sex with the devil and lesser demons played a huge role in trials. Confessions were obtained under torture. Plenty of salicious material was offered just to obtain relief from the pain. Walter Stephens blames the church's "crisis of belief" (in supernatural realities) for prosecution insistence on such "evidence" (Demon Lovers, 2013). As a sexologist, I can't help thinking the prosecutors were also getting off on the accounts of hot witch on demon sex. I believe it was an insistence based on prurience as much as theology.
William Naphy describes three 16th and 17th century cases of demonic sex and witchcraft (including two men so accused) and discusses the attitudes and beliefs of both learned and common people toward witches and their powers (Sex Crimes, 2002, pp. 224-232). According to Naphy, in the 15th and 16th centuries, educated men began to believe that witches really did have access to knowledge from preternatural beings: angels, demons, and other spirits (p. 228). Learned men were also in pursuit of such knowledge and power through studies of alchemy, Kabbalism, numerology, and so on (p. 228). Though their actions were heinous beyond belief, it is easy to understand the ire felt by such learned and pious men, knowing that witches could access such knowledge simply by courting the favor of demons through sexual transactions. This was, in essence, unfair competition and a threat to their status quo. That they could have courted demons in the same way seems to have escaped them…
I mention this topic as a counterpoint to the blithe assumption that such persecution will never happen again, that we–as privileged, computer-saavy Heathens, neopagans, and witches with cellphones–are now free to do as we wilt (even unto Instagram and Facebook). However, the American Satanic Panic had real casualties and the sequel, Son of Satanic Panic, could be just around the corner. Torture and death are still visited upon people suspected of witchcraft in many parts of the world. This even happens to children. Imagine being two years old and accused of witchcraft and demonic possession, then tortured by your parents and other adults. Not much of a life, is it? If you don't die during torture, you're likely turned out into the streets to die there instead. So let's give a thought for those folks–those kids!–and do what we can, even if only from afar. (See Part I.)
I find it ironic (and tragic) that the same religion that asks us to accept a divine baby conceived by a Holy Ghost and a human woman has also been responsible for the above. Perhaps I can be forgiven for seeing human history since the advent of the "Common Era" as a two-thousand-years-old war between dueling systems of magic?
FYI: if you travel internationally, there are a few places where perhaps you won't want to go if you're "out" as a witch or a god spouse on social media…
(5) Sex Magic
Before I mention the plethora of books (not to mention YouTube videos) devoted to obtaining a spirit lover, it's worth mentioning that some sexologists and psychologists have been discovering "transcendent sex" outside of any particular tradition of spirituality, religion, or magic. An example would be Jenny Wade's book, Transcendent Sex: When Lovemakeing Opens the Veil (2004). Wade discusses a range of phenomena, from unio mystica to taking on an animal spirit during sexual "shapeshifting."
Could it be that the "learned ones" are actually coming back full circle to where the witches, ceremonial magicians, and sexual mystics have been all along? If so, it's an interesting time.
So getting back to demons and spirits and sex magic and stuff…
In late medieval Europe, incubi and succubi became "a plague" (Tannahill, 1992, pp. 272-273). Incubi were most worrisome, as they gave pleasure to women. Plus, if they took the shape of a succubus, they could get it on with a man, retain the semen, change into an incubus, get it on with a woman, and get her pregnant with demon spawn (Tannahill, p. 273). It's not hard to imagine that in spite of such concerns, more than a few people would start to contrive ways to summon these spirits and others for spectro-sex.
In my own library, each of these books deals with some form of sex magic. The last three touch upon sex magic with spirit partners.
Anand, Margot. (1995). The Art of Sexual Magic. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
Connolly, S. (2006). The Complete Book of Demonaltry. USA: D. B. Publishing. (pp. 337-339).
Miller, J. (2015). Sex, sorcery and spirit: The Secrets of Erotic Magic. Pompton Plains, NJ: New Page Books. (pp. 151-167).
U.D., Frater. ( 2001). Secrets of Western Sex Magic. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications. (pp. 143-147).
Margo Anand's book blends western sex magic with western neo-tantra but is focused on human relationships.
For precise information about spirit sex (as well as humor), I would recommend Jason Miller's book over the other three.
Of course there are plenty of other books out there. These are just what I have on hand right now.
(6) A Word About Everyday God or Spirit Spousery
It's not all transcendent fireworks. Many god/spirit spouses or consorts have reported sharing quite prosaic activities with their invisible beloved, such as sharing food, drink, and movies. There's a quiet beauty in feeling your favorite god/dess is nearby as you wash dishes or rake the leaves. It brings "sacredness" into what is commonly called "profane."
(7) Spectrosexual Cautions
Spirit-human relationships may be much more widespread and "natural" (or preternatural) than we realize. Even so, there are many complexities and cautions to keep in mind.
Respect is key. For an overall perspective on creating respectful interactions with spirits (whether with erotic intent or not), I highly recommend Aidan Wachter's book, Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic (Red Temple Press, 2018).
Now, for the cautions.
The last thing anyone should do is plunge into a spectrosexual situation without preparation. It may be tempting to liven up a lonely Saturday night by summoning a succubus, but you know, it might not work out as you planned. Read, learn, talk to other magical people. Don't just look a ritual up on the internet and make a blood offering to something you don't even know. Get a lot of good advice and take it!
Learn grounding, warding, and protection skills before you do anything else.
Learn to court and cultivate a relationship with spirits and try to do it without a "one-track mind." Make offerings. Be sincere and humble. These are ancient beings who could be valuable teachers and allies for you, not just an astral hook-up. Again, respect…
Don't do this stuff until you're an adult. Honestly, just don't. You can't cultivate a good relationship with a spirit being until you know yourself a little better and get some experience dealing with other human beings with courtesy and respect. You'll need this with spirits too. If you're a teenager already involved in a spirit relationship, don't worry. You can always grow and learn, and you can always ask for what you want and you can always say "no." You have that right.
Whatever your age, learn to negotiate consent and boundaries with other human beings. Know your hard and soft limits.
I am sure there is much more to say, and others might want to add their comments below.
I hope to begin discussion of the actual survey results in Part III. Thanks for sticking with me as a reader!
Updated References
Anand, M. (1995). The art of sexual magic: Cultivating sexual energy to transform your life. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Connolly, S. (2006). The complete book of demonolatry. USA: DB Publishing.
de Quincey, C. (2005). Radical knowing: Understanding consciousness through relationship. Rochester VT: Park Street Press.
Dowman, K. (1996). Sky dancer: The secret life and songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyel. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications.
Grundy, S. (2015). God in flames, god in fetters: Loki's role in the northern religions. New Haven, CT: Troth Publications.
Ho'oulumahiehie & Nogelmeier, M.P. (2006). The epic tale of Hi'iakaikapoliopele: Woman of the sunrise, lightening-skirted beauty of Halema'uma'u. Honolulu HI: Awaiaulu Press.
Kaldera, R. (Ed.). The jotunbok: Working with the giants of the northern tradition. Hubbardston, MA: Asphodel Press.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B. & Martin, C. E. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders Company.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., & Gebhard, P. H. (1953). Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders Company.
Komisaruk, B. R., Beyer-Flores, C., & Whipple, B. (2006). The science of orgasm. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Lacquer, T.W. (2003). Solitary sex: A cultural history of masturbation. New York, NY: Zone Books.
Loptson, D. (2014). Playing with fire: An exploration of Loki Laufeyjarson. Hubbardston, MA: Asphodel Press.
Love, B. (1992). Encyclopedia of unusual sex practices. Fort Lee, NJ: Baricade Books, Inc.
Marsh, A. (2010). Love among the objectum sexuals. Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality. Vol. 13.
Miller, J. (2015). Sex, sorcery, and spirit: The secrets of erotic magic. Pompton Plains, NJ: New Page Books.
Naphy, W. (2004). Sex crimes from renaissance to enlightenment. Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus Publishing Ltd.
Pukui, M.K. and Handy, E.S.C. (1998). The Polynesian Family System in Ka'u, Hawai'i. Honolulu, HI: Mutual Publishing.
Roach, M. (2008). Bonk: The curious coupling of science and sex. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Shaw, M. Passionate englightenment: Women in tantric buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Simmer-Brown, J. (2001). Dakini's warm breath: The feminine principle in Tibetan Buddhism. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Stephens, W. (2013) Demon lovers: Witchcraft, sex, and the crisis of belief. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Tannahill, R. (1992). Sex in history. [No location]: Scarborough House.
Taylor, T. (1996). The prehistory of sex: Four million years of human sexual culture. New York: NY: Bantam Books.
Tedlock, B. (2006). The woman in the shaman's body: Reclaiming the feminine in religion and medicine. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
U.D., F. (2001). Secrets of western sex magic: Magical energy and gnostic trance. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Wade, J. (2004). Transcendent sex: When lovemaking opens the veil. New York NY: Paraview Pocket Books.
Wachter, A. (2018). Six ways: Approaches & entries for practical magic. [No location]: Red Temple Press.
bridal mysticism
demonaltry
god spouse
spectrosexual
spirit spouse
Tantric Buddhism
transcendent sex
witch persecutions
Published by Amy Marsh, EdD, DHS, CH, CI
Writer working on a fantasy novel series: The Dire Deeds of the Guild of Ornamental Hermits, The Witching Work of the Guild of Ornamental Hermits, The Queerest Quest of the Guild of Ornamental Hermits, & The Perilous Past of the Guild of Ornamental Hermits. Will be published through FuturesPastEditions.com in 2021. Sexologist and hypnotist are my day jobs. Neopagan polytheist. Lokean. Ze/Zir pronouns.	View all posts by Amy Marsh, EdD, DHS, CH, CI
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12 thoughts on "II. Mysticism Meets Sexology Re: Spectrosexuality Survey"
Lucifer came to me at two, raised me, and we entered a relationship at 11 when I entered menses. I would note that some spirits might have 4,000 year old views of when a woman is ready, which doesn't make it right. All other spirits waited until I was 23, so it's not a matter of whether they understand the age of consent or not, because they obviously do, I just COMPLETELY agree that teenagers should wait until at least 21, I wish I had the choice to wait ten years, but I at least delayed marriage until I was 23 when he proposed in high school. Didn't change the sex or being raised by Satan, but I was about a decade too young, and sometimes, spirits are greedy. I wouldn't change it, because I love him, but the Devil is not exactly known for waiting to claim what is his. It's fucked.
Amy Marsh, EdD, DHS, CH, CI says:
That sounds pretty intense! Thanks for commenting on this topic. Valuable advice indeed!
moonfire2012 says:
I first became interested in this subject as young as 12 There was a book back in the late 70s called "Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind." about women from various walks of life who had spirit lovers. My favorite was the one about the nun who had a handsome lover who came to her every night but always disappeared when another sister opened the door. I couldn't buy the book as my parents were strict christians, so I'd ride my bike to the store where it was at down the street every day until I'd finished it. Years later, eerily enough, similar events happened to me.
Wow! I want to find that book! Thanks for posting this!
Well, I can't find the right book to link it,(I keep getting the wrong one about aliens) but I found the story about the nun. One such incident between a sleeping nun and an incubus in the form of a spectral "young man" had multiple eyewitnesses and was recorded by Sinistrari in his work, Demoniality. The Catholic Father writes:
In a Monastery (I mention neither its name nor that of the town where it lies, so as not to recall to memory a past scandal), there was a Nun, who, about trifles usual with women and especially with nuns, had quarrelled with one of her mates who occupied a cell adjoining to hers. Quick at observing all the doings of her enemy, this neighbour noticed, several days in succession, that instead of walking with her companions in the garden after dinner she retired to her cell, where she locked herself in. Anxious to know what she could be doing there all that time, the inquisitive Nun betook herself also to her cell. Soon she heard a sound, as of two voices conversing in subdued tones, which she could easily do, since the two cells were divided but by a slight partition. [There she heard] a peculiar friction, the cracking of a bed, groans and sighs, her curiosity was raised to the highest pitch, and she redoubled her attention in order to ascertain who was in the cell.
But having, three times running, seen no other nun come out but her rival, she suspected that a man had been secretly introduced and was kept hidden there. She went and reported the thing to the Abbess, who, after holding counsel with discreet persons, resolved upon hearing the sounds and observing the indications that had been denounced her, so as to avoid any precipitate or inconsiderate act. In consequence, the Abbess and her confidents repaired to the cell of the spy, and heard the voices and other noises that had been described. An inquiry was set on foot to make sure whether any of the Nuns could be shut in with the other one; and the result being in the negative, the Abbess and her attendants went to the door of the closed cell, and knocked repeatedly, but to no purpose: the Nun neither answered, nor opened. The Abbess threatened to have the door broken in, and even ordered a convert to force it with a crow-bar. The Nun then opened her door: a search was made and no one found. Being asked with whom she had been talking, and the why and wherefore of the bed cracking, of the sighs, etc., she denied everything.
But, matters going on just the same as before, the rival Nun, become more attentive and more inquisitive than ever, contrived to bore a hole through the partition, so as to be able to see what was going on inside the cell; and what should she see but an elegant youth lying with the Nun, and the sight of whom she took care to let the others enjoy by the same means. The charge was soon brought before the bishop: the guilty Nun endeavoured still to deny all; but, threatened with torture, she confessed having had an intimacy with an Incubus.[xi]
Wow, thank you so much for finding this and copying it down. I appreciate it!
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Moon Rouge says:
The story about the nun is also in the Donald Tyson's Sexual Alchemy, the pdf book someone posted on FB Loki's Wyrdlings. I didn't finished reading it yet, but he quotes a lot, Sinistrari and others. He explains even the so called alien abductions were works of succubus or incubus. Not all there I take for granted, some informations are bit mixed up. I read different versions somewhere else, but still, it is interesting read. Which speaking off, Demons of the Flesh, The Complete Guide to Left-Hand Path Magic by Nikolas and Zeena Schreck is too (https://darkbooks.org/pp.php?v=1201684948) and so is Edred Thorsson's (Stephen E.Flowers) Lords of the Left-Hand Path. (https://ia601204.us.archive.org/34/items/259620268LordsOfTheLeftHandPath1997/259620268-Lords-of-the-Left-Hand-Path-1997.pdf)
Very interesting! Thank you! Obviously lots to explore on this topic!
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