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The Master of Chaos – XXVII
Posted in Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, God, Life, Love, Religion, Short Stories, tagged addiction, Angel, angels, Archangel Michael, Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, Church, Death, Demon, Demons, Devil, Dispair, Dying, Бог, Иисус Христос, Церковь, Eternity, God, Heaven, Hell, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Love, men, самоубийства, Pain, Prophecy, Prophet, Religion, sadness, Satan, Short Story, Suffering, suicide, The Devil, The Way on July 1, 2012| Leave a Comment »
A Fiction Series; Begin Here The Master of Chaos
The old office was gone, in its place a grand staircase as wide at the base as the entire office had been. The stairs were carved out of black obsidian and shined like glass as they wound ever upward. When they finally terminated at a landing, there were a series of twenty-four thrones also of carved obsidian, and regal in design. Seated at the twenty-four thrones were twenty-four kings wearing twenty-four crowns of gold, and singing praises. Inside the circle of thrones, the stairs began again, although much narrower and arose to another landing. On this landing, there was another throne, much larger and more opulent than the ones below it. The king of kings sat at his throne, wearing a huge gold and jeweled crown, and a silk robe spun from the finest, the cuffs at his wrists were silver, like that of the Alpha and the Omega's. He smiled at his surroundings; it was good to be king indeed.
Lucifer's kings were nothing more than demons selected at random to do as they were told, but it certainly made him feel much more important. Lucifer sat and listened to his demons chant in the kingdom he had fashioned after the heavenly one, and he wondered. Everyone was always taunting him with the scripture, every time he had a victory, there was always some angel there to say, "Yes Satan, but never forget how it ends". He was sick of it, his people were ruling the vast majority of the earth these days, wasn't it just possible that he could turn the tables on them? Wasn't it possible he could catch them off guard and write his own future? He loathed the enemy for all of His righteousness, like that was ever any fun. No, Lucifer had a plan, and scripture or no scripture, prophecy or no prophecy; he was bound and determined to hang on to his kingdom no matter what it took. He leaned back in his throne chair and sighed heavily, it was good to be king, or god, yes, it was good to be a god.
MONDAY EVENING, 7:25 pm
"Are you out of your flipping mind, I would lose my license if I did that" said the enraged man across the table from Sam Preston. The DEA monitors all of that activity, and any abuses or even suspected abuses are ferreted out, besides losing my license I could do jail time on top of it, the answer is no. Sam looked around the table at the other elders and guests, hoping someone would jump in and help him out. Tim cleared his throat, "Bill, excuse me if I am butting in, but I need you to know something. After this week, your license will be useless anyway; if you come with us you will be in a different state or country. Aren't medical licenses a state by state thing"? The Dr. nodded, then said, it doesn't matter though, after all of this is over, I will need to begin a new life for my family, and if I have lost my license then that isn't going to be possible.
Tim nodded soothingly, then said, "Bill, this is it, there won't be any rebuilding afterward, what we are asking you to do is help us stock the infirmary in the place God has prepared for us, and do it now while we can. When we leave here, you are never going to be coming back". Bill sat back in his chair with a stunned look on his face, the realization of Tim's words sinking in for the first time. Tim continued, "Dr. Jordan has made up a list of common prescriptions that are taken by many for a variety of reasons, and we are going to need a lot of them before we leave. We have 347 people ready to go out all over the city to different pharmacies to fill all of the scripts that the seven of you write, but you have to be willing, and you have to be looking at the big picture, none of these meds will ever be abused, what you are doing is not unethical". Bill just sighed heavy and said, "okay, I will do it, but I won't like it". Tim smiled, that's good enough for me.
The death of president Conroy dominated the news, flags were to be flown at half-staff for one week, the funeral was set for Tuesday at 1pm. Ted Sackett was just hoping there would be no bumps in the road that would require him to do anything presidential. He had just met with the Army Chief of Staff on budget issues when his aid said that there was a call waiting for him, and that it was president Petrovski. He told the aid that he would take it in the oval office. A secret serviceman escorted the president into the office, and then Sackett dismissed the man, to which the man replied, "I am sorry Mr. President, someone is to be with you at all times". Sackett just turned and went to the desk without another word and answered the phone. "President Sackett, I just wanted to extend to you our condolences on behalf of every nation in the League". Thank you Vlad, said Sackett kindly, it was so unexpected, we never suspected that Lerner was suicidal, you think you know someone. Yes, I couldn't agree more, I never saw president Conroy like that, he was always such a strong man, such a leader. Sackett agreed, thinking how he wished the man was still alive so he could finish the job he had started.
Ted, I am going to be in town for the funeral tomorrow afternoon, I was wondering if we could meet for dinner and a drink afterwards? Sackett had always been impressed with Petrovski, unlike Conroy who thought the man was rotten to the core. Sure Vlad, I can make time, I will have my secretary set things up with yours, will two hours do? That should be more than enough time, said Vlad as he smiled wickedly into the phone, that will be perfect.
TUESDAY MORNING, 1:32 AM
Tim couldn't sleep, so he was out in the garage going through cabinets, sorting the things that he would be taking from the things he would be leaving behind. He was so tired, and his mind so full and heavy as he went through each cabinet systematically. He found his old ball glove from little league and smiled at the memory, noting the leather was now cracked and brittle. He remembered putting leather balm on it every week, and every time he wasn't using it for practice or game, he had kept a baseball in the mitt with rubber bands around it, so that the glove would hold its form. He smiled as he placed it in the "to go" box then turned back to the cabinet. He threw a couple of cans of old spray paint away revealing an old stash of Wild Turkey whiskey he had forgotten about, the bottle almost full. He stared up at it for a moment, and then pulled the bottle down and looked at the label, wondering how long it had been there. He unscrewed the lid and placed the mouth of the bottle beneath his nose, smelling the strong drink. Memories of many nights lost in the bottle came flooding back to him, but also the memory of the numbness from pain and hurt, and as much as he hated to admit it, he longed for that escape now. He looked at the bottle longingly, like the forbidden fruit of a lost love, sin whispering into his ear that one night would be okay, no one would ever know about it. He thought about all of the responsibility that had been heaped on his shoulders since the dream-vision, whatever it was that he had had. Why him, surely there were many much more capable leaders than him out there, why didn't God lean on them. Then he realized he was feeling sorry for himself, so he walked over to the large garage sink by the washer and dryer, and unscrewed the top again. He poured the entire bottle down the drain, then screwed the cap back on and tossed it into the trash. It was time for bed. God Bless-JFT
Note: This series is a work of fiction entirely, for entertainment purposes only, all rights reserved.
The Master of Chaos – XXVI
Posted in Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, God, Love, Religion, Short Stories, Uncategorized, tagged addiction, Angel, angels, Archangel Michael, Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, Church, Death, Demon, Demons, Devil, Dispair, Dying, Бог, Иисус Христос, Церковь, Eternity, God, Heaven, Hell, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Love, men, самоубийства, Pain, Prophecy, Prophet, Religion, sadness, Satan, Short Story, Suffering, suicide, The Devil, The Way on June 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Ted Sackett, the Vice President of the Unites States was already in the air aboard a secure plane circling Texas when news of the Presidents death reached him. Sackett was stunned and overwhelmed at the thought of what awaited him. Ted had agreed to be Conroy's running mate because he admired the strong man and his conservative values, but Ted had never thought he would ever have to occupy the office of Commander in Chief. Sackett immediately called Mary Conroy to offer condolences on the death of her husband. When the first lady was patched through, she was sobbing as she took the phone. Ted, I am so glad it's you, because I needed to tell you something, there is something horribly wrong here, Lerner was never suicidal. I knew that man since I was a freshman in high school, and if there is one thing that he wasn't, it was suicidal. You must believe me, something is going on, don't you think it is just a bit odd that on the same day there was a horrific nuclear strike in the Middle East that my husband would also be found dead? Ted just listened, he agreed with her that Conroy was someone he never considered weak or suicidal, but he didn't know what to tell her, so he just said "Mary, I am so very, very sorry for you and Mackenzie, I know this does not sound right, and I want to assure you that I will insure a full and thorough investigation is carried out. We will find out what happened Mary, and if there is anything that you and Mackenzie need, please let me know. I have to go now, I am so sorry but I am being paged as we speak to the videoconferencing room".
They said their sad goodbyes and Sackett entered the videoconferencing room in the rear of the huge jetliner, immediately seeing the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court waiting for him on the large video monitor. The elderly justice asked Sackett to raise his right hand and repeat what he said; he would be swearing Ted Sackett in as the next President of the United States. Sackett repeated everything that the Justice said, yet he wasn't listening to the words he was repeating, his mind was racing a hundred miles an hour, anxious at the responsibility that he was taking on now. So much for just riding out this term, he was about to work harder than he ever had before. He wasn't smiling when he finished taking the oath.
Tim and Carrie were amazed at the outright power and loyalty of their God. They sat in church listening as one by one, four of the elders went before the congregation and opened their hearts about the visions they had all been given. The people in the assembly were quiet as the elders spoke of the one they were told about who would come, and how it happened exactly as they were told. Tim thought to himself that if someone had relayed that story to him a year ago he would have run from the building and would have never returned. Yet now, no one did, everyone was rapt with attention. They told of Tim's vision where the great angel Gabriel told of a time of tribulation that will come, and that we must leave now without delay, because a place has been prepared for us. At the end, Sam asked if the congregation would give a show of hands who would be going, and everyone was shocked when all of the family heads raised their hands. Some raised them tentatively, seemingly shy as they looked around them to see who else would be going, but in the end, everyone was on board. It was truly nothing short of a miracle, because attendance that Sunday morning was just over a thousand.
The elders ordered pizzas delivered for the entire congregation and they suggested everyone eat and relax for a couple of hours, and then the planning and inventory would begin. Tim approached Sam Preston with a gym bag that he had over his shoulder and waited as Sam finished talking to one of the other elders. "Hey Tim, I think all is going well, don't you? We have so much to do in such a short time, but it seems as though God is really paving a trail for us". Tim agreed, and then removed the gym bag from his shoulder and handed it to Sam. Sam, here is twenty-five million dollars in cash; Sam's face went slack as he took the bag. Start the purchasing of vehicles and supplies first thing tomorrow, have the people who do the buying to go all over the city and buy our supplies from many different locations so as not to raise a flag to spying eyes. Purchase whatever you need, and do not worry; you don't have to give me an accounting for anything. Let Carrie and I know how we can help, we are at your service, and should you need more money, just let me know.
While they were still speaking, Carrie came up and interrupted them with the news of President Conroy's death. A chill ran up Sam's spine as he thought, "everything is accelerating so fast now". Tim said "Well, if that doesn't underscore the urgency of the situation, then I don't know what would.
Tim and the elders worked late into the night, putting everything together that they could think of until they were literally about to collapse. Although it seemed almost impossible logistically, they were shooting for a departure of early Thursday morning. Tim thought to himself, it will take an act of God to make that deadline, but he had no doubt that they would, everything else up to this point had been facilitated by God, Tim had no reason to think God would abandon them now.
Ben-Asher stood at the Wailing Wall alone with his thoughts, it was past ten in the evening, and the crowds had dwindled from the daytime until there was just a handful of people watching him. As the rabbi faced the wall and awaited his next prophetic moment, he heard the click of heels on pavement getting louder as someone approached him from behind. Suddenly he knew who it was approaching him although he had never seen the man before, and he knew his next prophecy was at hand. He turned to face the tall man, who was impeccably dressed in an incredible Italian cut suit, and was wearing dark glasses despite the fact that it was nighttime. The man stopped a few feet from Ben-Asher and was about to speak when the rabbi said, "Take me to the one who has requested my presence". The man said "this way", and turned on his heels, leading off toward the avenue. Ben-Asher and his escort rounded the corner and came up the street to a black limo that was waiting for them. The man opened the rear door and held his hand out for the man to get in, so the rabbi complied, climbing into the dark cabin of the car. After the rabbi was seated, a familiar voice greeted him. It was that of Vladimir Petrovski, the supreme leader of the World League of Nations, and the president of Russia. Vlad held out his hand as the rabbi shook it gently.
I know you must be wondering why I have asked to meet with you Ben-Asher. I know you are a prophet, and that you have prophesied the return of Elijah, and I am here to tell you that I am he. I am the one that you have prophesied has returned. Ben-Asher nodded and said, "I know, your highness". Vlad then explained to the rabbi that he would like him to join his staff as the supreme leaders personal prophet. Ben-Asher wasted no time in accepting the proposal saying, I would be honored your highness.
Brooke sat at the edge of the sparring circle with the other angels she had come to know so well in recent times. Kennady's name was called to take a turn on the grass, and then Brooke was selected to spar against her. Kennady stretched out quickly on the grass as Brooke stood and prepared for the match. Although they had become the best of friends, it was pure primal battle in the ring; no favors were asked, no mercies given. The two pretty warrior angels squared off and began to side step in a circle, eyes locked on one another. Kennady struck first as Brooke merely leaned back and Kennady's sword caught only air. The lithe angel then whirled in a roundhouse assault and was surprised to find Brooke gone as she came back around in her 360 degree attack. She looked around quickly to locate the tall beautiful angel when her legs were knocked out from under her. She had been ambushed from behind she thought as she landed on the grass in a heap. Before she could bound back up in her customary fashion, she felt Brooke's foot on her throat and she turned her face to look up, only to be greeted by Brooke's gleaming sword. Brooke was smiling wickedly at the other end of the sword and she chuckled and said, "Gocha". God Bless-JFT
To be Continued– The Master of Chaos – XXVII
The Master of Chaos – XXV
Posted in Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, God, Love, Religion, Short Stories, tagged addiction, Angel, angels, Archangel Michael, Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, Church, Death, Demon, Demons, Devil, Dispair, Dying, Бог, Иисус Христос, Церковь, Eternity, God, Heaven, Hell, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Love, men, самоубийства, Pain, Prophecy, Prophet, Religion, sadness, Satan, Short Story, Suffering, suicide, The Devil, The Way on June 23, 2012| 4 Comments »
President Conroy had been awakened from a light sleep and flown out in Marine One along with his wife Mary and daughter Mackenzie. They had boarded Air Force One and taken off in record time; they were still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes when they reached cruising altitude. President Conroy still didn't know what the threat was until he dressed and appeared in the videoconferencing room on the plane. Secretary of defense Merrill Stroud appeared on the monitor, a grave expression on his face.
Mr. President, I am sorry to inform you that there have been hostile nuclear detonations in the Middle East within the last hour. Conroy's mouth fell open, and then he said "How bad is it Merrill, give me the straight story". Stroud said, "It is bad Mr. President, there have been six high yield nuclear blasts in Iran, Tehran seems to be hardest hit because it was the most populous area. Conroy then asked "What happened, Merrill"?
Stroud said "It seems at this point that it was retaliatory, the Iranians launched three high yield nuclear Shahab-3 medium range ballistic missiles at Israel. Israel then countered with Arrow interceptors as a defense shield. The Arrows successfully intercepted all three of the Shahab-3's before they even reached Israeli airspace. What happened next is still a little fuzzy Mr. President, we are still trying to piece things together, but it appears that sea based ICBM's were fired from the Gulf of Oman in retaliation, but they were not Israeli. Conroy's mouth dropped open again in shock, he had fully expected the nuclear explosions to have been retaliatory strikes from Israel, but if not them, then who?
It was the Russians sir, they had a sub in the Gulf, and when it determined that Iran had fired on Israel, it attacked Iran. Russia is currently awaiting Israel's answer on whether or not they will join the league, I would say Israel will surely join now. Conroy was stunned, he had been hoping he would never see a nuclear strike in his lifetime, much less during his Presidency, and he knew the world would never be the same again.
Tim and Carrie awoke Sunday morning to the horrible news of what had happened in the Middle East. Tim didn't know where they were headed yet, but he knew it was north somewhere and he knew they had a long way to go, considering they lived in Phoenix Arizona. As he and Carrie watched ANN, the American News Network, they couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency to get on the road as quickly as possible. President Conroy was on television condemning the attack by the Russians, and applauding the action of Israel in successfully defending itself from attack without counter-attacking. President Conroy said there were still a lot of unanswered questions about why the Russians had chosen to attack Iran. He condemned the Russian attack, stating that while Iran had attacked Israel, it was the government of Iran that had attacked Israel, not the citizens. It was way too early to estimate loss of life, but estimates were already saying it would be over two million people, because all of the warheads had landed in Iran's major population centers.
As sad as this all was, Tim knew it would help the elders segue into the difficult talk that they needed to have with the church later this morning. While they were watching, a news anchor broke in on the Presidents press conference to say that there was breaking news. The President of Russia, Vladimir Petrovski would be holding a press conference, and the network would be covering it live. They also promised to cut back to the Presidents address immediately following the Russian President's press conference. Immediately President Conroy disappeared and a podium at the Kremlin became visible. A few seconds later, Petrovski quickly took the podium and greeted the World League of Nations, and any of the other nations that may be watching.
While Tim and Carrie watched, he told of the events that had occurred, and their response to them. A covert nuclear sub had been on a cruise in the Gulf of Oman when radar had picked up the launch of three medium range ballistic missiles from Iran. The destination of the missiles was quickly determined to be Israel, and the missiles were identified as Shahab-3's. Recently, on ground intelligence in Iran has reported that Iran had recently fitted advanced nuclear warheads onto ten of the missiles. Our on ground intel. even provided us with photographs of the nuclear armed missiles, and based on the intelligence that we had, we were able to verify that the missiles that Iran launched were Shahab-3's, and it didn't take much imagination to realize that they were the nukes.
Upon realization that Israel, and even Palestine were under attack, we had an opportunity to defend Israel, and launch a crippling attack against Iran, and I made the snap decision to do so. Had those missiles reached Israel, the vast majority of the country would have been destroyed. Even though the missile defense was successful, Iran would not have stopped, they would have kept firing everything they had until either they ran out of missiles or they successfully destroyed Israel. The world has been reaching out to this tyrannous regime for decades without results, it is time our world lived in peace.
Yes, sadly there were innocent people killed, and a lot of them, but every war has casualties, every war has collateral damage, and sadly the innocents of Iran had to pay that heavy price because of their countries leadership. I also caution any world leaders that have aspirations of starting new wars or performing terrorist acts against any nations that belong to the league, an attack against one is an attack against all. The time for tyranny is past, peace is the future for the League of Nations, and anyone who would take that away will be dealt with in the same manner as Iran. He paused for a moment and seemed to gather his thoughts, then smiled warmly and said "I would like to welcome our newest nation Israel to the League of Nations, they have kindly requested membership in the League, and they were accepted with open arms. Vladimir then began clapping enthusiastically as the crowd surrounding his podium also began to clap. Tim and Carrie couldn't believe it, the largest nuclear strike of all time had just occurred and the Russian President was clapping warmly and congratulating Israel for becoming a member of his club. They knew one thing; they needed to get out of here soon.
President Conroy was beyond angry; he couldn't even give a press conference in his own country without being interrupted anymore. The networks had cut him off to carry the press conference given by the Russian President, he was taking top billing even in America these days. Conroy leaned back in the plush leather desk chair at his private office at Camp David and let out a heavy sigh. He looked up at Tom, his faithful secret service agent. "Tom, can you give me a few minutes of privacy please"? "The brawny secret service agent said "I don't think it is a good idea Mr. President, not with the things that have occurred today". "Tom, please, a little latitude if you will"? Yes sir, Mr. President, Tom said and he stepped out of the door. Lerner Conroy poured himself a stiff drink of bourbon and began to sip it as he looked out the window at nothing in particular.
How are you Lerner, a voice said from behind him? Tom, I said I just wanted some…. he said as he turned around, stopping in mid-sentence when he saw who was speaking to him. Petrovski, how could he have possibly gotten here so fast, who would allow him into the president's personal office without an announcement? "Mr. President, I am here to close the deal on the U.S. joining the League". Conroy was aghast, "well Vlad, don't hold your breath, because it will be a cold day in…… Vlad held his hand up palm out to silence the President. America will join without your help or approval Mr. President, the Russian said coolly. Conroy tried to answer but found he could no longer speak, his voice was gone. Vladimir glided over to Conroy as the American President tried to back up but found he had also lost the ability to move. Vladimir raised his hands and President Conroy began to rise up off of the ground as fear began to flood his heart. He found himself standing on the presidential desk, he tried to scream but no words escaped his lips. He tried to jump off of the desk, but he couldn't move and he was terrified. Suddenly he felt something around his neck and looked down to find a noose around his neck, the other side tied over the log rafter. He looked at the Russian President, who was now smiling. I extended a warm invitation to you Mr. President, you had every opportunity to join me, yet you chose to snub the League of Nations. You alone have stood in the way of my destiny, so this must be your future. Conroy pleaded with his eyes to the Russian, but the Russian President was cold as he extended his hand toward Conroy. Vlad then said, "by the way, I don't think I ever told you my middle name did I, you might want to remember it for the afterlife, it's Sartan". With that, Vlad yanked his hand back toward himself and Conroy slipped off of the corner of his desk. Vlad stood and watched as the life drained from the once powerful American President, until finally all that was left was a lifeless corpse. Vlad, also called Sartan, then turned and walked through the wall of the rustic cabin. God Bless-JFT
To be Continued– The Master of Chaos – XXVI
The Master of Chaos – XXIV
Tim and Carrie entered the classroom that their boys usually went to on Sunday mornings for Sunday school and took two chairs that were arranged in a circle. The nine elders of their church greeted them with hellos and handshakes before they sat, and then waited quietly for Tim to begin. Tim cleared his throat nervously and then began to tell them about his dream, or the vision that he had while dreaming. He expected the men to think he was crazy as he laid out the story, but they didn't, they listened as he unfolded the message the angel had given him. He ended by telling them that the angel had awakened him, and remained in full view so that he would know it was real, and not just a dream. When he was finished, he waited for them to comment. The elders looked from one to another, and then one of them known as Sam Preston spoke first. Tim, we have all had similar visions, the angel you described was the same one that visited each one of us. In our vision, we were told that our country as we know it would dissolve, and that our allegiance is to be to God before country. That a time of great tribulation is at hand, and that one who has the means and the guidance from the Holy Spirit will be coming to see us. We are to gather our families and the families of our flock and to trust the leading of the one who comes to us. We were all told that our flock will not question us but will follow our gentle leading, and the leading of the one who comes to us.
Another of the elders named Nathan Brass spoke next. In my vision, I was told that we will be preparing a place for others in the remnant that will be coming seeking safety during the dark days ahead. And that we are to help you in gathering what we need, which will be a lot. I was instructed that we are not to delay even one day in our preparations, because time is of the essence.
Tim didn't know what to say, he looked around the room at the other serious faces that stared back at him and nodded. Great then, we are all agreed. While I don't know exactly where it is that we are going, I do know it is north, and that we will need to prepare ourselves for life in the north. Church meets tomorrow, so you need to talk to the congregation about this and find out who has four wheel drive vehicles, and make a list of the families that don't. The angel told me that the congregation will follow us, so don't be afraid when you talk to them. We need to begin buying food, clothing and supplies for our group times four for several years to come, and we need to buy things that will last and not perish, canned goods, dehydrated food, warm clothing and bedding etc.. Whoever doesn't have a four wheel drive vehicle needn't worry, we will buy them one, and money is no object. Let's go home and get a good night's sleep, because the work begins tomorrow. Sam led them in a closing prayer and they dismissed, knowing their lives would never be the same again.
Ben-Asher stood before the Wailing Wall again; he seemed to be there during all of his waking hours as of late. Behind the barriers there was an enormous crowd these days, ever since he had announced his vision that Elijah had returned. People were hoping to be there the next time he had a vision, Ben-Asher had become quite popular among the Jews. Without warning he stood and stretched out both of his arms and said; God's chosen have come under attack, take shelter now. Everyone in the crowd looked at him in question, trying to understand what it was that he was saying. He lowered his eyes and shouted in a voice louder than a normal man could shout, "I said take shelter, now"!
They heard it before they saw it, the deep rumble of several large Arrow missiles being launched at once. The sky became a canvas of white streaks as Arrow missiles sought their unseen targets. The streets of Jerusalem became a scene of chaos as people ran in all directions, seeking shelter from the attack that they knew was coming. Air raid sirens began to blare all around the holy city as more missiles were launched from unseen sites.
A trio of Shahab-3 Iranian medium range ballistic missiles was headed for Israel, two for Jerusalem, one for Tel Aviv. They were all armed with high yield nuclear warheads; the two headed for Jerusalem were enough to level everything and render it un-inhabitable for centuries to come. The supreme leader of Iran Ali Khomeini had personally pushed the button that had launched the attack; it was the beginning of the end of Israel. There was much celebration in the command center as the Iranians danced in the aisles at the thought of the destruction of the Zionist state.
A man that was tracking the missiles across Iraqi airspace called loudly for quiet and the celebrations stopped as everyone looked at the party pooper. He wasn't smiling but had stress and tension on his face as his hands worked quickly on the keyboard. How can this be, he asked no one in particular? What is it, Khomeini asked impatiently? Sir, according to my radar we have incoming. Khomeini looked annoyed, of course you do, they are sending up their missile interceptors. How did you get this job if you are not smart enough to know that they would try to shoot down the missiles we launched at them? No sir, these are not countermeasure interceptors, these are ICBM's coming at us, and not from Israel, but from the Gulf of Oman. They were sea launched and we are the target sir. There are two targeting Tehran, one is on a course for Shiraz, two at Tabriz, and one at Isfahan. They are coming in fast sir, our defense missiles are being launched as we speak. The young radar tech's screen was a beehive of activity, following the outbound nuclear missiles, and the appearance of the Arrow missiles just entering his screen, the inbound ICBM's and the interceptors that were just now launching. Khomeini lost his composure, "The American's"; we should have blown their subs out of the water when we had the chance. Sir, the radar tech said, the inbound missiles do not have an American radar signature, they are Russian. Khomeini was stunned as he watched the inbound missiles streak right past the interceptors on the radar screen, their interceptors were not fast enough, they had not stopped them. Fire everything you have now, shoot those missiles down now boy or I will personally remove your head when this is over. More missiles came onto the radar screen in an attempt to take out the inbound ICBM's, but the missiles kept coming. Sir, there is nothing I can do, our missiles are too late. Then, as they watched, the first of the three medium range ballistic missiles that they had launched at Israel disappeared from the screen along with the Arrow missile that was tracking it, then the second and finally the third. The Iranian Shahab-3 long range missiles had been shot down. Without another word Khomeini turned and ran for the access door to the underground fallout shelter below the command center. Although the command center was underground, it wasn't deep underground, not deep enough to be safe from a nuclear attack. He never made it to the door; the massive explosion collapsed the concrete roof of the command station in on all of the people inside. Those who were dancing at the thought of Israel's destruction just minutes before had become the target, and as it turns out, the people of Israel would be dancing in the streets at their survival from such a horrific attack. Iran had been so focused on destroying Israel that they had not even considered the possibility of being attacked from the other side. All of Iran's major cities were incinerated beneath the shadow of a Russian mushroom cloud. God Bless-JFT
To be Continued– The Master of Chaos – XXV
The Master of Chaos – XXIII
President Lerner Conroy was a ball of nerves on the inside, but he was a cool character on the outside, it was something he had always been able to do, acting calm under pressure. He had lost his voter base in the wake of the tsunami debacle by not following his own gut instinct and declaring emergencies on the less affected states above Florida. The Russians were the heroes by coming to the rescue and he had been labeled as a lame president, something he knew inside he wasn't. Now those same voters that had placed him in office were calling for him to accept membership in the World League, they saw that as an end to all of their problems. Vlad had made the rounds to many of the 198 countries in the world, and right now he was running about 75% acceptance. The world was being flooded with his "world dollar", backed by Russia; so far their countries were flourishing. Russia had mandated a high minimum wage in the member countries, effectively ending the class differences and raising the standard of living for everyone. Now his own American voters were protesting outside the White House, demanding our leaders swear allegiance to Vlad and the League. Not on my watch, he thought, not on my watch.
Vlad was shown into the Oval Office and President Conroy greeted the Russian president warmly for the press photo op, but inside he wanted to wash his hands after the handshake. This man was here to take control of his country, and he wasn't about to let it happen. After the greeting and coffee was served, the two leaders were alone in the room except one secret service agent each, and Vlad wasted no time. President Conroy, you know why I am here. The reason I have waited as long as I have to offer membership in the World League to you is because I knew America would be the most hesitant to join. I wanted to allow the other countries in the league to prosper so that you would see how good membership would be by their example.
Conroy raised his hand and said, "Pardon me President Petrovski, but I want to save both of us a little time. America is a sovereign nation, built on sovereign principles and will never swear allegiance to a foreign power. You are wasting your time here sir, we will not be a part of your league".
Vlad sighed heavily and said "Yes, I know you won't. You are a proud country, and you have always been a proud country, but are you sure you represent your citizens here today? As my motorcade drove through the city, there were thousands of protesters outside the gates of this White House holding signs imploring you to join me. It seems to me and to the other members of the League that America is ready for a change. Join me and you will reinstate confidence in your voter base, and I will insure your re-election next year".
Conroy balked, "You will insure my re-election? This is America, only the people will decide who gets elected, not you. I hope to be re-elected, but if the people choose someone else, then that is their right, that is democracy at its best. This meeting is over" Conroy said hotly and stood, holding his open palm towards the door, a sign that he wanted Vlad to leave. Vlad stood and smiled confidently, thanking President Conroy for his time and extending his hand to shake. Conroy just let Vlad's hand hang in midair, refusing the handshake. Unflappable, Vlad smiled and walked calmly out the door without another word, and then he was gone, leaving Conroy alone in the Oval Office.
Tim slept next to Carrie, and as he slept he began to dream. He was in that state where he was asleep, yet was aware of his surroundings, a shallow sleep he referred to as "the twilight zone", a place where he was able to dream yet was aware of himself. He was approached by someone he knew instantly as Gabriel, although the angel introduced himself as "An angel of the Lord". Gabriel then began to speak, "Tim, I come bringing a message for you from the Alpha and the Omega. You are to know that you will be a leader of His remnant. You are to tell the leaders in your church of this vision and the words I say to you, and they will know that these instructions have come from the Lord your God. Use your resources and stock up with supplies of food and sustenance, and with weapons to defend yourselves against the enemies of God, who will soon rule the world for a time. Travel north; using the Spirit as your guide, and go to the place you are led to, a place that He has set aside for you to endure the great tribulations that are coming. Be true to your God and He will never leave you. Do not doubt this vision and do not delay in obeying what you have been told, for time is short and you have been chosen. A time of great persecution is coming for the children of God, and there will be many martyrs in the coming months and years, but you and your remnant will be given safe passage, and you will escape persecution by the evil one. Now awaken so that you know this was not just a dream". Tim awoke instantly and opened his eyes. The room was aglow and a giant figure dressed in shining armor stood at the end of the bed, with a gleaming sword in his hand. "Now you have seen me while you are awake Tim, and you know this was not a dream, do as your God has commanded you through me; go and lead". The big angel then disappeared as Tim gasped at what he had just seen; he then looked to Carrie, still sleeping at his side. He jumped out of bed and stood panting heavily at the vision he had just witnessed, waking Carrie up. "What's wrong Tim", she asked? He looked down at her and didn't know what to say, how could he explain this, so he just looked back at her and stared as she climbed out of bed.
All of the angels in Heaven surrounded the throne of the Alpha and the Omega, singing praises to Him. The four living creatures surrounded the throne on all sides, and around the throne were the twenty-four elders of Heaven, seated on their thrones. As the four living creatures said constantly "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." As the four living creatures gave glory, honor and thanks to Him seated on the throne, the twenty four elders would fall down before Him and lay their crowns down before him saying "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Lauren Brooke, Ivy, Kennady, Michael and Gabriel fell down in worship too as the Lamb broke the 2nd seal, and one of the living creatures said "Come", Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. God Bless-JFT
To be Continued– The Master of Chaos – XXIV
The Master of Chaos – XXII
Posted in Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, God, Religion, Short Stories, Uncategorized, tagged addiction, Angel, angels, Archangel Michael, Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, Church, Death, Demon, Demons, Devil, Dispair, Dying, Бог, Иисус Христос, Церковь, Eternity, God, Heaven, Hell, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Love, men, самоубийства, Pain, Prophecy, Prophet, Religion, sadness, Satan, Short Story, Suffering, suicide, The Devil, The Way on June 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Josh Simpson nursed an unsweetened iced tea across from Samantha in the burger joint he had taken her to for dinner. Sam had actually found him to be fairly unflappable as a trader, taking the losses better than most. He was not what she had expected when she first met him. He had turned out to be quite the gentleman, controlled and disciplined. When they had first begun to see one another, she turned on the charm and had tried to seduce him, but he had not responded as she had hoped, instead kissing her on the forehead and saying goodnight. After several attempts at seducing him, she had discovered that he was a follower of the enemy, a "devoted" one and was not going to be an easy trophy on her shelf. Even though she was a warrior for the other side, she felt a spark of something she had never felt before, admiration. She knew it must be a side effect of living in this human form, as with other feelings she had encountered since the beginning of her mission. She had felt guilt, happiness, euphoria, longing and another feeling that she couldn't yet describe that caused an ache in the middle of her chest, and it only came when she thought of Josh. She didn't understand them, but no matter, she had a job to do and she would stick it out until the end, feelings or no feelings he was just a pleasant distraction from the mission. The master had told her that pleasure in excess was one of the biggest tools to be used against mankind, so certainly he wouldn't mind if she enjoyed a little of it too.
The market was bust; it had been dropping for months now and was at an all time low, at levels not seen since the 80's. Clients were bailing now in record numbers, doing exactly what they were "not" supposed to do, selling low in an attempt to keep from losing everything. The effects were being felt worldwide as other markets were at all time lows too. The only ones that seemed to be doing great were the Russians, and they were flush with money right now. Josh emptied the last of his iced tea and asked the waitress for a refill. She took his glass and said "coming right up hon, but I am going to have to charge you for the refill, our owner said no more freebies". He said okay and she headed off to get it, he then smiled at Sam and said "things are getting pretty bad when you can't get a refill of iced tea for free anymore". It was true though, the banks had quit loaning money except to the very wealthy, and the unemployment rate was higher than it had been since the 70's because companies were laying off. Small businesses were closing their doors in record numbers, and foreclosures and homelessness were at never before seen highs, the country was on the edge of complete economic collapse. The waitress set his refilled tea before him and he smiled at Sam and said "oh well, easy come easy go, at least I have good company and the best burger in the Big Apple in front of me, things could be a lot worse". She chuckled and took a bite from her sandwich thinking "if you only knew".
"I do" Tim said staring deeply into the eyes of the woman he had always loved. "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride" the pastor said as Tim kissed Carrie passionately in front of the small gathering of friends and family. The divorce had never gone through, they had stopped it in time, but Tim insisted that they be remarried anyway because he knew their lives had changed so much, there had been so many miles since that first wedding, he wanted to do it over.
They had sold the big mansion that contained nothing but bad memories, and moved back into the small house that held so many good ones, but Tim did have the kitchen remodeled for her. Tim had gone through rehab and cleaned himself up from the drinking and the cocaine, and had done everything he could to set his life right again, but this time they grew their marriage around God, and He had blessed it. They had set themselves up with a modest salary from the lotto winnings and just let the interest grow the balance; that is until the first week of the stock market plunge. Tim had decided to pull the money out of the market within a day or two of the initial plummet, and it had proven to be an almost prophetic move. Their initial winnings of 196 million after taxes, and spending a few million on cars and houses had grown substantially in the markets initial gains, and had swelled to 287 million. They would have lost most of it had Tim not removed it from the market when he did. Even though the money had almost ruined them, Tim was walking by the Spirit now, and the Spirit had led him to act as he had, protecting it. Tim had even gone a step further afterwards and removed it from the bank, which turned out to be one of the largest cash withdrawals they had ever done. They then divided the money up into several large sums and stored them in large fireproof safes at different locations, this move too they felt was Spirit led. They had no idea what the money was to be used for, but they knew it was important to protect it, so that is what they did.
Vladimir Petrovski laid out his plan before the Presidents of China, Greece, Italy, and a host of other small nations in what would be known as the first of the "world summits". "Russia has remained strong during this time of economic crisis. It has been able to aid its brother nations at a time when the U.S. has not been able to. In fact, we have even been able to aid them at a time when their own infrastructure was not able to provide aid in their time of need. During the past decades, even centuries as other countries have swelled with prosperity, Russia has struggled with its own tyrannical leaders at the helm, using fear and what is tantamount to communist slavery to keep order. But those days are gone now, and our country has flourished in the wake that memory. I come to you now with an olive branch my brothers, an olive branch and a promise of brotherhood unlike any in the history of the world".
"In the past, the United Nations has been the standard for world cooperation, built on the foundation of policing the nations and preventing tyranny, setting a humanitarian standard and for all nations to live by. As we have all seen, this has not been effective. We still have tyranny, human slavery, genocide's, persecution and government sponsored terrorism occurring worldwide. Consider if you will Somalia, a country with no effective government. In the absence of leadership, leaders will rise to the surface and take control. Somalia is governed by drug crazed gangs who kill UN troops and take the food we ship there in the hopes of feeding the millions of starving families who cry out for help. Darfur is very near to the same, a land where there is almost no clean water for its people to drink, where most of the children who are born will not live until their first birthday. A country where 50% of its citizens are infected with AIDS, and there are no medications to treat them, and no education to teach them how to stop its spread. The UN has outlived its usefulness brothers, and I have a proposal that will usher in a new era of cooperation among the nations".
"Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, heads of state, I propose the formation of a new governing force for the world, one that will reach out and meet the needs of those countries, as well as those in every corner of the earth. I propose the formation of the World League of Nations". As he spoke a curtain behind him began to part and a huge screen became visible, a slide show then began. Pictures of starving children in Somalia were cued up; their little bloated bellied evoking gasps from the crowd of world leaders. Another slide came up showing families begging for food at the back of a UN food truck manned by well fed rebels in shorts and sunglasses, gold chains around their necks and camouflaged jackets on carrying AK-47 assault rifles. Another slide was cued of the same scene, only the truck was gone and the bullet riddled bodies of the families shown in the earlier slide remained. The next slide showed a massive rocket on a mobile launcher with Arabic writing across the rounded nose, subtitles translated the writing for the guests and read "for the destruction of the Zionist regime, may you rot in hell". Vlad explained that the photo had been taken two days ago inside Iran's secret nuclear complex, and that it was ready to fly along with nine others just like it; it was enough to obliterate Israel completely.
The slide show continued for another 30 minutes as Vlad explained the pictures one by one. When it was finished, a slide of the world's continents came up, and Vlad turned to face the crowd again. Brothers and sisters, I ask you to join me in the formation of the World League of Nations, and let us create a world that is safe for all of us, a world that will be safe for all of our children, and their children as well. I will lead the league, and all of you according to my plan will remain presidents of your own countries. You will have not only the backing of your own countries military should you need it, but also that of all of the nations in the league. Your economy's strength will no longer be regional as they are now, but we will replace our currency with a "world dollar", which will be backed by all of the member countries. Together we can end unemployment, poverty, starvation, and homelessness. We can provide clean drinking water to those who do not have the technology to help themselves, and we can end tyrannical rule on a worldwide basis.
A slide of the world dollar appeared on the screen; the picture on the dollar was that of the Chinese president, which was obviously a surprise as he grinned proudly. Vlad continued "each of you will appear on the dollar of your country, although the dollar will be accepted mutually in all of the member countries. I have taken the liberty of printing up all that is needed to begin the process; currency has already been minted to replace the currencies in circulation within your countries. All that is needed are your agreements to join the league and become united in our worldwide goals, and then to pledge loyalty to me as your leader in the league.
By the end of the summit, everyone who had attended pledged their loyalty to the leader, even China. There had been much personal talk with Vlad during the two days following the initial speech; the leaders had questions, most of them revolving around the retention of their own power. In the end though everyone was more afraid of what it would mean to not be in the World League of Nations, and nobody wanted to be on the wrong side of Vlad and his league, they knew they would rather be on the inside than on the outside looking in. God Bless-JFT
To be Continued– The Master of Chaos – XXIII
The Master of Chaos – XXI
Posted in Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, God, Religion, Short Stories, Uncategorized, tagged addiction, Angel, angels, Archangel Michael, Christ, Christian, Christian Fiction, Church, Death, Demon, Demons, Devil, Dispair, Dying, Бог, Иисус Христос, Церковь, Eternity, God, Heaven, Hell, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Love, men, самоубийства, Pain, Prophecy, Prophet, Religion, sadness, Satan, Short Story, Suffering, suicide, The Devil, The Way on June 14, 2012| 2 Comments »
Vladimir Petrovski sat in his office at the Kremlin, it was late and had been a very long day but he wasn't tired; he never seemed to tire. The day had begun early at 4am, and here it was 11pm and he had no plans to pack it in any time soon. He looked down at the spreadsheet he had requested from his economic advisors, detailing the poorest countries in the world. Countries like Mexico, Haiti, Somalia, Darfur and so on. Also listed were countries that weren't typically poor, but had been hard hit by the crashing economy, and also those that were severely affected by the high value of the euro in countries whose economic structure would not support it. This included countries like Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and a host of other small countries whose economies had been destroyed by their leaders decision to join the European Union. They would be the easiest ones to reel in, but the others would follow as well, after all he would be bringing them the greatest commodity of all, hope.
His secretary announced the arrival of the economic advisor in the waiting area and he told her to send him in. The man looked stressed and tired, Vlad knew his entire staff was tired and he needed to send them home soon. Comrade, Vlad said as he stood, walking around the large presidential desk. He embraced the middle-aged man warmly and then accompanied him to the comfortable lounge area arranged beautifully around the massive fireplace with a fire going. Vlad went over and removed an ancient bottle of cognac, it was the same bottle that Ivan used to pour them drinks from, it was for special occasions and it never seemed to run dry. Antonii Lebedev thanked the President and sipped the drink slowly, savoring the warmth as they both settled into large leather couches, specially made for the previous president from the soft leather of Siberian Caribou. One would be hard pressed to find a more comfortable couch.
First Antonii, let me take time to thank you for your hard work and long hours, I could not have done all that I have without you, and you will be rewarded for your loyalty. The Americans have changed their opinion of the evil power seeking Russian regime since the tsunami and the role we are playing in helping them out. They were also not expecting it when I ordered a cash payout of a trillion dollars in disaster aid to the states up the coast that were ignored by their own government, especially when I explained that it was not a loan that would need to be repaid, but a gift from one brother to another. Antonii smiled warmly at the thought, Americans looking fondly on Russians, brotherhood with former enemies, it was worth it even if it was draining the Russian defense budget to never before seen lows.
Vlad then said "Antonii, what I am about to tell you will sound strange, but I need you to just trust me brother. In the morning when you report for work, you will find the defense budget has been restored to the same level it was before we gave money to the Americans. Antonii looked surprised and raised the palms of both hands up, saying, "How can that be Mr. President, have you transferred funds from…."? Vlad held his right hand up and said "Trust Antonii, trust", he then continued. The defense fund will be as large as it has ever been, and then some. In the morning I would like you to take this list of countries that are teetering on the edge of economic collapse and disburse what they need to turn things around for them. You and your staff will be very busy tomorrow, but I would like for you to accomplish this tomorrow, all of it. I am also going to tell you something else that I need you to trust me on. As you disburse funds tomorrow, the defense fund will continually refill itself, once again Antonii, I ask trust in the matter. Also, you are to tell no one about this, only the Vice President, you and me are aware of this. Antonii nodded and said okay quietly. Vlad stood once more, a sign that the meeting was over. As Antonii stood, the Russian President embraced him once more, and told him to go home and get a good nights sleep, for they had a big day tomorrow. Antonii nodded and thanked him again as Vlad walked him to the door.
Returning to his desk again, he looked at a meeting agenda outline for tomorrow that he had typed up and sent to the leaders of both Israel and the Palestinians. He looked at his watch and mentally gauged the time before his flight would leave in the morning. He called his secretary on the intercom and asked her to come in. The attractive woman in her mid fifties was always impeccably dressed, it didn't matter the hour of day or how long Vlad held her over at work, she still managed to always look fresh. Her name was Helga, and Vlad knew she was tired. Helga, I am going to be wrapping things up in the next few minutes, I have a 6am flight to catch in the morning, so it will be another short night and a long day tomorrow. I want you to go home now, and take the next two days off, with pay of course. Sleep in and relax, maybe you and your husband can take your grandkids to the zoo, but whatever you do I want you to relax. I will be in Jerusalem for the next couple of days and I plan to stay the weekend too. Take advantage of this time to rest up, because next week will be busy. Helga smiled and said "Thank you Mr. President". Vlad smiled and said "that is all", and she smiled again and said, "Travel safe Mr. President, and good luck in your negotiations sir". She then left the room, and Vlad went right back to work, he would not be going home tonight, he would be working straight through.
President Lerner Conroy was upset, that Russkie President "who hadn't even been elected to run the country" was really doing a lot of PR lately, and it was making Conroy look bad in his own country. First the ships, which even though he hated to admit it, had saved a lot of lives in Florida with their search and rescue choppers and hospital ships, humanitarian aid and such. What burned his hide was that he had sated the states who were crying out for money, this was America doggone it, we are the ones who provide aid, we don't take it. He had given those states a huge amount of money, more than the US was even able to provide, and it had really hurt his presidency. The same Americans who had elected him were now calling him a "do nothing" president, he knew he shouldn't have listened to Jack Norton. The tsunami had left a worse taste in their mouth than Katrina did back in 2005, his re-election would definitely not be "in the bag". He didn't really know what the Russian was up to, he just knew he didn't trust the guy.
Vladimir shook the hands of Israeli Prime Minister Abram Zahavi and Palestinian President Fatih Massri, two men who typically hated to be in the same room with one another. They were in a secure room of the David Citadel hotel in Jerusalem for peace talks, which had previously always been hosted by the Americans, and had never worked. The three men sat down and Vlad opened a folder with notes and diagrams inside, they would be approaching peace from a different angle today, and Vlad knew it would work this time. Four hours later, the doors to the meeting room were opened and the three men stood in the doorway laughing and smiling. After the laughing subsided, Massri approached Zahavi with tears in his eyes and the two embraced. Massri then said "This day is momentous, not only has our country finally achieved statehood, I have gained a brother". The Israeli prime minister's eyes watered too, and he said "I never thought I would see this day in my lifetime, praise be to God". Massri echoed the sentiment, "praise be to Allah", and they sealed their sentiment with a handshake. Peace was coming to the Middle East.
The elderly Hasidic Jew had been praying at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem for hours now. He was well known and respected by those in the Jewish community as a wise and learned rabbi. Now he turned and faced all those who stood watching and raised his hands skyward. Speaking just below a shout, he proclaimed "I have seen a vision, the prophet Elijah has returned. Watch for him and he will be apparent, the prophecies foretold in the Torah will now be fulfilled". He then lowered his hands and turned back toward the wall as if nothing had happened, while everyone around him stared at him with rapt attention. God Bless-JFT
To be Continued– The Master of Chaos – XXII
The Trial-Final
The Trial- Part 3
The Trial-Part 2
Chick-fil-A and the Homeless
Jesus and The Great Commission
The Master of Chaos – Update
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Not the kind of dragon art style I imagined as her tat.
I think most, if not all, "Americanized" films—remakes of foreign films, translated into English (with or without accents from the country the story originally hailed from) and with big-time actors—are a waste of money and time, most especially when the original film was brilliantly done. Now you know where by biases lie. But then again, there are some good points to this version.
Just a taste of a big plus reason to watch this film
Title card/opening credits. To post a snapshot would not give justice to this sort of music video that clearly sets the mood of the entire film: dark and disturbing. The music added more bang for your buck there. One thing that was consistent in both film versions is the treatment and gravity of the subject.
Needless to say; it's graphic.
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander is great and she deserves the noms, but I can't help comparing her to Noomi Rapace, who really awesomely rocked the part before her. Touch-move, Rapace was first. But it's all good—even with Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, and their Swedish-accented English.
"I am insane(-ly great)!" Nod!
Style. The overall look of the film is a welcome improvement: more sophisticated outfits, a really nice newspaper office, and comfy home interiors. Black, white, and subdued colors and lights work. It's noticeable maybe because of the two-year age gap. Swedish style circa 2009 wasn't bad, but I guess Hollywood owns this aspect.
A big contrast to the film's theme and tone—and it looks comfy, too.
A different take. Basically, this version made research into the past more engaging as opposed to the original Swedish version that made the whodunit search a real thrill to watch. It's probably a good thing since I already knew who did it; no more suspense there. The film also focused more on the characters and relationships.
Are you going to stare or are you going to fuck—or cuddle?!
I don't want to rant about the liberal changes this version had taken, but there are a few I feel strongly about: an easy clue to solve the number mystery of the past, their version of Lisbeth and her relationship with Mikhael, and the ending. It also seemed that this film opted to spoon-feed interpretations of character relationships when I didn't have a problem discovering them on my own while watching the original version. See now why I'm biased to the Swedish film?
In the end, it's a good watch—more so, if you haven't seen the original (or read the book)—and we have David Fincher primarily to thank for that.
I've already seen the next two films of the Swedish trilogy. (Yes, I should read the books.) If there are Hollywood remakes of those in the works, let's see then if they can even the score.
Round 1: Swedish Original, 1. Hollywood version, 0.5.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo gets a seven out of ten, for being a rather tasteful remake of an already brilliant Swedish film adaptation of the Stieg Larsson bestselling novel.
*GIF by me; screencaps courtesy of VLC
You may also want to read the review for original Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and other book/movie reviews of The Millenium Trilogy.
2011 christopher plummer daniel craig david fincher millenium movies noomi rapace reviews rooney mara stellan skarsgård stieg larsson the girl with the dragon tattoo
Sting Lacson said...
Watched this a second time, and appreciated everything about this film. The music, the acting, the editing─these were all brilliant. And the ending, although totally different from the Swedish version, actually works if you think of it as a set-up to the next films.
Sue Denim said...
The liberty they took in writing the ending sort of implies that their audience couldn't figure it out by themselves. But, yes, it's all good. It wouldn't be nominated in the Oscars if it was all crap. But if I had to choose one, I'd still go for the original Swedish version, at least for this first film.
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NewsroomCurrently selected
Chase Cook, Acting Director of Communications, 410-767-3536
Maryland Department of Health and partners increase access to COVID treatments in Baltimore
State Center and Infusion Center offer accessible test to treat and infusion treatments to keep Marylanders COVIDReady
Baltimore, MD— As Marylanders head into the holidays and COVID case rates begin to rise, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and partners are offering increased access to COVID treatments at the State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site (300 W. Preston Street) and the nearby BCCFH Infusion Center to meet a growing need for accessible, potentially life-saving COVID services.
The State Center has expanded its hours for Test to Treat (T2T) services, open six days a week, and the BCCFH Infusion Center now offers remdesivir infusion seven days a week for patients who are not recommended for oral antivirals. Oral antivirals and remdesivir are now the only two treatment modalities available to Marylanders since the FDA no longer authorizes monoclonal antibodies for use in COVID treatment.
State Center and the Infusion Center are both operated by the BCCFH COVID Task Force, a long-running partnership between MDH, University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins Medicine offering free COVID testing, treatment, and vaccination services to Marylanders.
"Being COVIDReady means knowing what to do if you test positive for COVID before it happens, and treatment can mean the difference between a mild case or severe illness and hospitalization," said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. "State Center, and the BCCFH Infusion Center, are part of the over 90 locations in Maryland that offerTest 2 Treat services to anyone who needs them."
BCCFH Infusion Center is one of only two facilities in Maryland offering remdesivir as an outpatient treatment.
"We are seeing more patients coming in for treatment from all over Maryland," said Charles Callahan, D.O., Director of the BCCFH COVID Task Force and Vice President of Population Health for the University of Maryland Medical Center. ""We are ready for whatever winter brings, so Marylanders can also be ready."
Test to Treat services are available at State Center with no appointment needed:*
Mon: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tues: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Wed: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Thurs: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Fri: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sat: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
*Please see BCCFH COVID Treatment for updates on holiday hours.
There are several other options for Marylanders to quickly get potentially life-saving COVID-19 treatment through the COVID Treatment Program if they test positive for COVID at home. Using this simple online form, anyone can self refer and answer a few questions to learn if they are eligible for treatment. They will be given the option to schedule a telehealth or phone consultation through the site — and if treatment is recommended — receive a prescription filled at the nearest participating pharmacy to them, or a referral for remdesivir infusion.
Vaccinations, including bivalent boosters, are also available at State Center for Marylanders 6 months and older on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. No appointment is required.
For more information about COVID-19 in Maryland, including treatment options, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov. For the most recent Maryland COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov.
Information about COVID-19 treatment is also available by calling 855-MDGOVAX (855-634-6829). To find a Test to Treat site near you, visit covidTEST.maryland.gov to locate one of more than 90 sites statewide.
The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.
Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/MDHealthDept and at Facebook.com/MDHealthDept.


The picture above is a satellite view of the Washington D.C. area earlier this week from NASA . Look at all that snow-covered ground! And that part of the country is supposed to be getting even more snow. It's neat to see the Appalachians highlighted by the snow. I bet some people in D.C., Philly, and NYC are hoping that whoever upset Al Gore will apologize to him so that he'll give them back their global warming. As the Lord dumps tons of snow on some of the hotbeds of the global warming hoax, He is proving that He has a delightful sense of humor. Fill-in-the-blank test item: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became ___."
With all the snow lately and with the Winter Olympics beginning soon, I thought I'd post a classic that I sent out as an e-mail iv a few years ago.
10. Visit your local butcher and pay $30 to sit in the walk-in freezer for half an hour. Afterwards, burn two $50 dollar bills to warm yourself up again.
9. Go to the nearest hockey rink and walk across the ice 20 times in your ski boots carrying two pairs of skis, accessory bag and poles. Pretend you are looking for your car.
8. For ski boot simulation at home, put a pebble in your street shoes and tighten a C-clamp around your toes.
7. Buy a pair of gloves and immediately throw one away.
6. Go to McDonald's and insist on paying $6.50 for a hamburger. Be sure to wait in the longest line.
5. Clip a lift ticket to the zipper of your jacket and ride a motorcycle fast enough to make the ticket lacerate your face.
4. Drive slowly for five hours — anywhere — as long as it's in a snowstorm and you're following an 18 wheeler.
3. Fill a blender with ice, hit the pulse button and let the spray blast your face. You'd almost believe you're skiing in front of a snow maker!
2. Dress up in as many clothes as you can and then proceed to take them off because you have to go to the bathroom.
1. Repeat all of the above every Saturday until you go on your ski vacation.
How is the snow situation where you live? Will you be following the Winter Olympics closely? Now that the government has improved our lives with mandated DTV, we can no longer pick up WYFF-4, our local NBC station, because Paris Mountain blocks the signal for us. Oh well, we'll just read online who wins what or catch news highlights on the Spartanburg station.
I've heard it said that cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the driveway before it has stopped snowing.


Sterilization Supplies Product Category - MDS Associates, Inc.
To prevent the spread of infection and disease, medical equipment must be cleaned, disinfected and sterilized before it can be used again. The sterilization process causes the equipment to be free from all sorts of bacteria and viruses. Equipment such as gloves and needles are disposable but it is not financially feasible to dispose of more expensive medical equipment between uses.


Placing an Order: Custom Athames, Bronze and steel swords, magical items, and sculpture.
The first step in placing your order for a sword (or other custom artwork) from Omega Artworks is to review our construction techniques and design ideas to figure out what you want. Look at handle materials; decide whether you're interested in plating or engraving; consider other specialized touches to make your sword your own.
Once you have a good idea of what you're looking to have made, contact us via email or give us a call at 651-503-0273 to let us know what you're interested in. We'll work with you to refine your concept so you can get exactly what you want.
Almost all of the items in our catalog are available as custom orders. We start with a basic hilt (not necessarily as shown in our photography) and blade, then work with you to build the knife, sword or ritual blade which is perfect for you.
Since every piece is unique, the price and time to complete will vary for every order. We work on each item individually, fitting every element uniquely to that piece, so it can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months to create your custom work of art.
Prices and time frame will vary depending on your use of gems, choice of handle materials, engraving, silver or gold plating, and other factors beyond the basic wooden hilt with a steel blade. We will work with you to go over every detail and how it will effect the price.
We accept payments through the web on PayPal or we can accept most major credit cards over the phone. We also take personal checks or money orders through the mail. Payments on custom orders can be made in whole or in part. Normally we take 1/2 down with the remainder due at time of completion, although we will gladly work with you to set up an individual payment plan to suit your needs.
We have been in business since 1982. We work closely with our customers and do our best to create for them the item they imagine. Of course it is not always easy to make a purchase based on pictures from the web, so we want our customers to rest assured that if for some reason they are not satisfied with our artwork we will personally work with them and together we will do our best to get things corrected.


This change puts those that don't meet Google's mobile-friendliness threshold caught in the crosshairs, suffering a loss in mobile traffic — something that most businesses simply cannot afford.
Cue the alarm bells and widespread panic. With countless rumors, articles and dissenting viewpoints online, it can be challenging for marketers to cut through the noise and develop an action plan.
How much traffic does your website get from mobile devices? How about ecommerce sales or leads from form submissions? If you're like most businesses, chances are a quick look at your web analytics will reveal that you've been experiencing a continuous increase in mobile activity on your site. Depending on your current business situation, mobile traffic might be critical to the bottom line of your business. But how do you keep that mobile traffic coming? That's where mobile SEO comes in. Optimizing your site for mobile search goes way beyond title tags and meta descriptions. Usability, design, content, links and local SEO all come into play. Google's algorithm update really hones in on usability (more on that in a bit), but the point is that mobile SEO isn't a once-and-done thing.
As a marketer, the first step is to understand the current value of your mobile traffic in dollars and cents. From there, work toward a valuation of the opportunity gained or lost through mobile SEO, taking Google's mobile-friendly ranking updates into account. If you need help determining this, here's a handy guide to help you estimate lost mobile traffic.
As of April 21, 2015, Google is using mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. Put simply, if your website does not meet Google's criteria for mobile-friendliness, it's likely that your non-friendly pages will suffer a loss in rank (and subsequently search traffic).
It's important to note that this only affects mobile searches — not desktop or tablet searches. The affects of the algorithm also happen at the page level. If some pages on your site are mobile-friendly while others are not, only those that aren't mobile-friendly will experience a potential loss in ranking.
Having a mobile-friendly design (i.e. a responsive site or a dedicated mobile site).
Ensuring that touch elements are spaced properly and font size is readable.
Reducing mobile page load and page speed times. A big culprit in high load times can be images or interactive media, so make sure to double check your file sizes.
In order to assess the mobile-friendliness of your site, Google has developed a mobile-friendly test that's quite easy to use. Simply enter your website or dedicated mobile site and click "analyze". The results will help you determine what, if anything, needs to be fixed to comply with Google's mobile-friendly algorithm updates.
In addition to this, you should make sure that you have signed up for Google Webmaster Tools. Google Webmaster Tools offers a mobile usability report as well as automated email alerts that will help you stay ahead of mobile SEO challenges.
Nick Lucente is the Digital Marketing Manager for Harrisburg, Penn.-based JPL, a provider of strategic thinking and creative execution.


Catch León Gallery's online auction on July 27 and 28.
(SPOT.ph) National Artist for Visual Arts Carlos "Botong" Francisco is revered for single-handedly reviving the forgotten art of mural-making. He's also one of the 13 artists who pioneered the Modernist art movement, which broke away from Fernando Amorsolo's romanticism and pastoral themes. You can now own a piece by Botong himself for as low as P1,000—at least, as long as no one outbids you—through León Gallery's upcoming two-day online auction on July 27 and 28. You just have to sign in through León Exchange and register as a buyer.
"The online auction gives clients the convenience of bidding through their mobiles or laptops, with-out having to trek all the way to where physical auctions happen," says Jaime Ponce de Leon, gallery director and founder, about this latest edition of León Exchange.
Other works to be auctioned off are treasures from the Ramon N. Villegas collection, such as magnifying glasses with tortoiseshell handles and mother-of-pearl paintings attributed to Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo; books and paintings previously owned by Philippine dance icon Felicitas "Tita" Radaic; and collectible furniture from an old Malabon family, the Dionisios. This lot goes under the gavel on July 27 as part of "The Collectors' Vault."
On July 28, León Exchange focuses on a range of furniture, chandeliers, silverware, crystal, and china. Expect to see beautiful creations from Eames, Fortuny, and Ralph Lauren.
The León Exchange online auction is on July 27 and 28, 11 a.m. For more information, visit León Exchange's website.