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LOVE IS STRANGE. Mauricio Zacharias & Ira Sachs
- Damian Moore
- 3 years ago
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1 LOVE IS STRANGE by Mauricio Zacharias & Ira Sachs
2 INT. AND S APT, BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING The early morning sun fights to get in the bedroom through the edges of well drawn shades. JAMIN HULL( Ben ), early 70s, is in bed awake. Next to him lies GAREA, early 60s, turned on his side, still asleep. Ben is still. The only movement is in his eyes, shimmering with expectation. INT. AND S APT, BATHROOM - DAY George, handsome, well groomed and with an impeccable white shirt, is in front of the mirror tying the knot on his tie. He tries once and, not happy with the result, repositions the tie around his neck, and tries it again. Voices can be heard in the background. Ben enters dressed in a suit and a bow tie - the man has style. He s looking in the bathroom for something he might have lost. He looks on top of a pile of magazines by the toilet. What? My glasses. I can t find my glasses. Ben looks around the sink where George is, briefly interrupting his concentration with the tie. Oh, no. Not today. Please. Ben walks out, without his glasses. George hasn t gotten a good knot on his tie yet. INT. AND S APT, LIVING ROOM - DAY (CONTINUOUS) ZLATA, the housekeeper, Polish and in her 40 s, comes in from the kitchen bringing a big vase of flowers, which she places on the coffee table. The living room is spacious, high ceilings, comfortable furniture. There s a piano in the corner, art on the wall, a dining table for 6 people and an umbrella holder by the front door.
3 CONTINUED: 2. Ben is rearranging books and objects around, while looking for his glasses. EUGENIA, early 30 s, ZLATA s pretty younger sister, is dusting off the book shelves. She finds a pair of reading glasses - EUGENIA speaks with a heavy Polish accent. Ben comes to look. EUGENIA I find Mr. Ben. Yes! Thank you, sweetie. Where s the list? EUGENIA (in Polish) Zlata, you have the list. ZLATA It s in the kitchen. Ben goes into the kitchen. INT. AND S APT, KITCHEN - DAY (CONTINUOUS) Ben is reading a small list on a piece of paper. Zlata is cutting up more flowers by the sink. I think 40 will do. Maybe Eugenia can go to the grocery for you? Ben opens his wallet and realizes he only has a couple of single dollar bills. (CONT D) And the lasagna? ZLATA I ve just put it in the oven. Ben can t resist; he goes to take a peek inside the oven. Looks delicious. George comes in, in a suit and a tie, his face and hair perfectly fresh. Let me see.
4 CONTINUED: 3. He can t resist and also goes to peek at the lasagna in the oven. (to George) Honey, do you have any cash? (to Zlata) It s not too early to be heating this up? ZLATA Close the door! I know what I m doing. Zlata slaps his hand. George closes the oven. So how do I look? Zlata opens a big smile and gives George a hug and a kiss. ZLATA Fabulous. Both of you. It s almost eleven, George. We have to go. I m waiting for you. Sure. I need some cash for Eugenia. ZLATA You smell so good too. George takes out his wallet. Thank you. Before George can ask how much, Ben grabs two 20 dollar bills and leaves them on the counter. George is used to these kind of dynamics, and simply folds the wallet and puts it back into his pocket. Let s go. Thank you Zlata.
5 CONTINUED: (2) 4. We ll be back around 1:30. Honey said she d stop by before the ceremony, but I don t know where she is. (laughing) Honey and her monsters. ZLATA It s okay, I m here. INT. JAMIN & S APT, LIVING ROOM - DAY (CONTINUOUS) Eugenia is still cleaning. Ben looks around, moves the vase of flowers on the table by a few inches. Eugenia, I left some money with Zlata for the things we still need. EUGENIA Okay. I go to the grocery on 14th. No. Go to the nicer one, the one on 23rd. This is a special occasion. Ben gets the keys on the table and moves towards the door. Do you have the papers? Yes. I have them. Let s go. EXT. STREETS OF CHELSEA - DAY Ben and George are on the streets trying to catch a cab. A couple of OCCUPIED ones rush by as George still tries to convince them to stop. We should ve left earlier.
6 CONTINUED: 5. It ll be okay. George keeps waving as OFF DUTY or busy cabs fly by. (impatient) They re full, George. Let s go to Seventh. Come on! George starts to trot towards the Avenue. Wait! Ben tries to follow, but after a few fast steps, he is too tired, or too old to run. He simply walks towards the corner. I don t want to get all sweaty. 8 INT. 6BC BOTANICAL GARDEN - DAY 8 A lush community garden in the middle of the city, surrounded by NYC buildings. Friends and family of all ages are gathered for the ceremony, standing and sitting in a small clearing to the side. The MARRIAGE OFFICIANT, a very enthusiastic man in his 40 s, is standing in front of the audience, with George and Ben next to his side, smiling, paying attention to every word. OFFICIANT Welcome everybody, it s really wonderful to have all of you here in this oasis in the middle of Manhattan. And thank you George and Ben for asking me to do this. And thank you two for allowing me to do this. I want you to know that it s an honor for me. George dries out a few drops of sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.
7 6. 8 CONTINUED: 8 OFFICIANT And for everybody who s here, I would like to ask you to get rid of everything that s in your head about anything else, and concentrate only on this moment, and the ceremony, and these two people who we re about to join together. Sitting on the chairs, in the audience, are Ben s nephew and his wife, in their 40s. She reaches for his hand. OFFICIANT (O.S.) Try to stop thinking about your jobs, your marriage, your schoolwork, what you have to do tomorrow and what you forgot to do today. Let s just focus all our energies, and all our love on these two men here: George and Ben. A cell phone rings, with a cutting edge rap song, interrupting the speech. There s laughter all around. Kate pokes her 15 year old son, who immediately silences his iphone. OFFICIANT I d also like to ask the audience here to be part of this ceremony today. You are already a part of the community that made this love possible. You have made this moment possible. Right behind them is ROBERTO, dark skin, Domenican- American, early 40 s. Sitting next to him is his partner TED, a good looking all American man, early 30 s. And HONEY (late 50s), an old friend of the couple s, in an elegant dress, conservative but also a touch glamorous. Roberto shoots a picture with his phone, while Ted fights a yawn - maybe from a sleepless night. OFFICIANT And so I ask all of you, if you would commit to support and honor these two individuals in their life, and in their love, and in their marriage together...
8 7. 8 CONTINUED: (2) 8 George raises his eyes up above, as if silently thanking God, as Ben, standing next to him, absorbs each word with a smile. OFFICIANT...through the bad times and the good times, through rain and shine, in sickness and in health... There are a few other FRIENDS and COLLEAGUES, and last, but not least, MINDY, Ben s nervous looking older niece, who s already crying, next to her boyfriend JOHN, a friendly looking man her own age. OFFICIANT Will you make that commitment today? Smiles all around. Honey has an enthusiastic response, while Mindy raises both arms, sending good vibes. Roberto raises his iphone, registering the moment on filming mode. Yes! ALL AUDIENCE OFFICIANT Now, under the training that we get, there s something I have to ask, and the answer may seem obvious but still, it is a very important question: are both of you making this decision of your own free will? Somebody in the audience laughs, and it s contagious. George looks at Ben, both wanting to laugh. Yes. Yes. OFFICIANT All right. We are gathered here in the presence of these witnesses today, with the purpose of uniting in matrimony... George reaches for Ben, and they hold each other s hands as they look in each other s eyes, and smile.
9 8. 8 CONTINUED: (3) 8 OFFICIANT (O.S.)...George Esteban Garea and Benjamin Arthur Hull. Let me remind you that the contract of marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously and with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities... INT. AND S APT - DAY The party is going. PIANO MUSIC can be heard in the background. Honey walks around with a TRAY OF COOKIES. HONEY (with a deep Texas accent) Please, take one. I made them, they re delicious! She goes around to the grand piano, where GUESTS are gathered around George, who is playing and singing BABY YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES. (singing) Well now it takes more than a robin to make the winter go And it takes two lips for fire to melt away the snow Well it takes two hearts that are cookin' to make a fie grow And baby you've got what it takes. Ben sits next to George, sharing the piano seat and the song - they sing very well together, very much in tune with each other. It s a delight to see. You know it takes alot of kissin' to make a romance sweet Oh it takes alot of lovin' to make my life complete Oh well it takes somebedy special to knock me off my feet And baby you've got what it takes. There s laughter all around. George keeps on playing, and the two sing together.
10 CONTINUED: 9. & I said ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Aha ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Because it takes alot of effort to stay away from you And it takes more than a lifetime to prove that I'll be true But it takes somebody special to make me say I do And baby you've got what it takes C'mon say that again honey You've got what it takes [x5] George jazzes it up on the piano for a grand finale - he s a true musician. The guests applaud. The dogs bark. Kate starts clinking her glass. Guys, guys. Quiet everyone. Quiet! I just wanted to say something-- ROBERTO (already tipsy) Not now! Encore, guys, encore! Ted discreetly pulls his shirt, trying to shush his partner. ROBERTO This better be good. (in good spirits) It is. It is. Everybody has quieted down now. Laughter. When I met my husband Elliot here... Is there another one?
11 CONTINUED: (2) 10. When I met Elliot, you all know my Elliot..., but when I met him, he was walking around with a camera, making these amazing videos with people he met on the streets, creating scenes out of the most ordinary situations - I m sure you ve all seen them. Anyway, I was trying to finish my first novel and I immediately thought we d be such a great pair: two independent spirits, committed to our art, but alas, he wouldn t pay any attention to me. He had no time for romance. Actually, he had no time to eat - he was always hungry, so I started to invite him over for left overs, which was actually food I had made specially for him... but he thought they were leftovers. One day he called and said he was starving, so I told him to come over, but this time I had no food - just a bottle of wine, and that s when he finally started to pay attention to me. Laughter. Zlata and Eugenia come from the kitchen. Laughter. Zlata, Eugenia, come here, get your glasses. We started to go out, and one day he said he wanted me to meet his Uncle Ben. I asked why, and Elliot said since his mother had passed away, his uncle was his favorite person in his family. MINDY Thank you, Elliot. Not including siblings, Mindy.
12 CONTINUED: (3) 11. I said okay, let s meet the uncle, but I kept postponing, cause I didn t want to meet anyone: I just wanted to spend time alone with Elliot. So finally we came here one night - you guys had just moved into this apartment, and I met Ben, and George, who had made a delicious spaghetti bolognese for us, and we drank wine and sang and drank some more - it was just wonderful. When we left, Elliot said: I wanted you to meet them, because they ve been together for more than 20 years.... So I understood... Kate gets emotional, tears up. Oh my God, I m gonna cry. Everybody is quiet, listening. Mindy starts to cry again, but Kate swallows her tears. Elliot comes over and puts his arm around his wife. I understood at that moment that Elliot was proposing to me... (to Ben and George, raising her glass) because you guys... Your love, your dedication and your commitment to each other are an example to be followed. May this marriage, may this love, last forever and beyond. To Ben and George! Everybody raise their glasses and toast. EVERYBODY To Ben and George! And to Petra! To Petra! EVERYBODY To Petra Von Kant!
13 CONTINUED: (4) 12. Ben and George, on the piano seat, look at each other and kiss. Some applaud, some whistle, a noisy crowd. FADE OUT. INT. ST. GRACE S SCHOOL / AUDITORIUM - DAY FATHER RAYMOND is sitting alone in the back of a large auditorium where a choir rehearsal is taking place. His eyes are closed, his head tilted down, as if in prayer. In the background, the voices of the chorus sing the powerful Miserere, by Allegri. Up on stage, BOYS and GIRLS sing together, wearing their own casual clothes, under a modern sculpture of Christ on the cross. They sing in Latin; Tibi soli peccavi et malum, coram te fecci: ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris (Having sinned against none other than You, having done what You regard as wrong, You are just when you pass sentence on me). It s a very democratic group: different ages, races and attitudes. Each face has a story, and together they give extraordinary power to the music. In front of them, George conducts with passion for the music, moving his arms, mouthing some of the words that he knows by heart. In the back of the auditorium, Father Raymond continues to pray, invisible to the people on stage. INT. ST. GRACE S SCHOOL / OFFICE - DAY The small administrative office of Father Raymond. He is reading from a piece of paper, a computer in front of him. FATHER RAYMOND All who serve in the Archdiocese should: believe in God, support belief in Jesus Christ, engage in prayer, respect ecclesiastical authority, possess a basic knowledge of the Catholic Church, not take a public position contrary to the Catholic Church, demonstrate a public life consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church-- George is sitting across his desk. Both men look tense.
14 CONTINUED: 13. (interrupting) Father. You re not going to read me the whole Witness Statement, are you? Father Raymond hands him the piece of paper. FATHER RAYMOND The Christian Witness Statement, George. You signed it when you took this job. Father, how long have we known each other? FATHER RAYMOND I wish I didn t have to do this, George. Twelve years. Twelve years, Father. FATHER RAYMOND You must understand that... Understand what? FATHER RAYMOND That day when you announced you were getting married, at the spring semester meeting? You ve all known this whole time that Ben and I have been living together. FATHER RAYMOND Word got out to the Archdiocese. And then someone showed the Bishop pictures of you and Ben in Petra - on Facebook, of all places. I wouldn t have done it any differently, Father. FATHER RAYMOND I m not saying you should have, George. But the Bishop wasn t happy.
15 CONTINUED: (2) 14. What about the students? I ve known them since they were kids. I know their parents. They ve been to my house, and played on my piano. They ve sung with Ben and me. FATHER RAYMOND George, you understand I signed the same Witness Statement, right? We all did it here. Believe me: I wish I didn t have to do this, but it s not a choice for me. I need to talk to the students. FATHER RAYMOND Of course. I could go talk to them with you; or maybe you prefer to go on your own? It s up to you. What about regionals next month? Father Raymond picks up a print out from his desk, and reluctantly shows it to George. FATHER RAYMOND The decision is effective immediately. Oh. George takes a moment to process what s just happened. Silence. FATHER RAYMOND Let s pray, George. George stands up, ready to leave. FATHER RAYMOND (CONT D) It s important that you don t question your faith. Thank you, Father. I believe in Jesus Christ as my savior, and that won t change. But at this moment, I need to pray on my own.
16 15. EXT. ST. GRACE S SCHOOL - DAY St. Grace s Church and Catholic school in Manhattan. The School and Church are located on a quiet street in Chelsea, lined with trees, off the main avenue. There s barely any traffic. A small group of HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS in school uniform hang out outside, chatting and smoking cigarettes. The door opens and out comes George, carrying a backpack and a heavy shopping bag. He passes by the students without saying a word. It s hot outside. George walks down the street alone, sweating, passing the shopping bag from one hand to another. Busy New Yorkers pass by him, not noticing he has to stop for a moment, placing the heavy bag on the ground, cleaning the sweat off of his face. After a moment, he picks it up again, and continues on his way, disappearing down a busy avenue. INT. AND S APT - NIGHT George is pacing nervously by the piano, holding a pen. He uses an old fashioned calculator that s on top of the piano, as he scribbles something on a piece of paper. Let s not forget that the real estate agent gets a first month commission. The coop board gets one month also, and charges a 5% administration fee. A month? MINDY Roberto, Ted, Honey, Mindy, Ben and Kate are sitting in the living room. Roberto and Ted are both in police uniforms. They drink soft drinks, water and beer for Roberto and Ted, but this time, it s definitely not a party. Yes. MINDY That s ridiculous! Why do they have to charge an administration fee?
17 CONTINUED: 16. ROBERTO They just want to discourage rentals in the building. MINDY I hate coop s. HONEY But it s so hard to find a condo in Manhattan. TED Nowadays it s not. Anyway, I m just trying to explain that renting wouldn t help us, because... George is still finishing his calculations. MINDY You ve been to my house, right? You know how much my real estate taxes are? That s for the whole year! It s Poughkeepsie, Mindy. Renting would leave us owing about a thousand a month. If we can find a studio for 1,500 dollars, which isn t easy, we d start our month at almost 3,000. That s including the Cobra insurance. And you can t afford that? Well, between my private lessons and Ben s pension... George is interrupted by a knock on the door. MINDY Why did you guys have to go on such a fancy honeymoon? Ben gets up and walks towards the door.
18 CONTINUED: (2) 17. Mindy!! That s none of your business. MINDY Of course it is. Otherwise I wouldn t be here. Shush, Mindy. ROBERTO MINDY I m just saying... there s nothing wrong with Provincetown. Ben opens the door. It s Elliot. Sorry I m late. (O.S.) Anyway, we d still have to pay one month s rent to the agent and one month to the coop board right away. That s 4,600 right there out of our pockets. Come in. We re all in here. Elliot seems surprised to see everybody there. He notices the serious mood. Everything okay, Uncle? Yes, we just want to talk to you. George stands to greet him. Sit down. We just want to talk to you all. We invited you all here tonight, because you are our family. Do you want something to drink? Elliot goes to sit next to Kate. She gives him a kiss.
19 CONTINUED: (3) 18. Water, please. Are you going to tell us you re getting divorced already? ROBERTO Ha! That s what I thought also. No. We have to sell the apartment. We ve already found a buyer, so very soon we ll have to move out. Ben returns with water for Elliot. He and George sit together on the piano seat with their backs to the instrument. They face their guests. It won t take long for me to find another job, and for us to find an apartment. But in the meantime... It s just for this transition phase. Probably just a week or two. We need a place to stay. Elliot looks around at the Guests, and at Ben and George. Nobody says anything. Wait a minute. Did I miss something? The last weeks have been tough on us, Elliot. Losing the job, looking for health insurance... We just need a breather. Believe me, moving out is the last thing we want to do. And it s just temporary. We ll find a new place very soon. (angry) Uncle Ben, how did we get here?
20 19. INT. CORRIDOR OF AND S APT - NIGHT Outside Ben and George s apartment, the guests say their goodbye s to the hosts. I m sorry if I was a bit rough, Uncle. I ve had a bad day. Let s go, Elliot. TED Think positive, Ben. HONEY I love you guys. I ll call during the week. ROBERTO Hey buddy, thanks for the beer. MINDY Good night, sweetheart. AND (O.S.) Good night. Good night. The door shuts. The Guests walk down quietly towards the elevator for a moment. Roberto and Ted stop in front of another apartment, down the corridor. We re here. ROBERTO They start to say their good-byes, with hugs and kisses. HONEY I feel bad that I can t help out, but you guys have seen my apartment. MINDY It s okay. They can stay with me for as long as it s necessary. HONEY I just had this feeling that they were hoping they d stay with one of us, here in the city. Didn t you guys see the look on their faces? Yes, they saw that look on their faces. All but Mindy.
21 CONTINUED: 20. MINDY What are you talking about? HONEY I m just saying... They don t want to go live Upstate. George and Ben country boys, all of a sudden? I can t see that. MINDY It s temporary! Honey is right. Maybe there s something else we can do. MINDY I thought we had it all figured out already! HONEY Shhh, Mindy. Quiet. MINDY Why are we even having this conversation? I m the only one with the extra bedroom. It s not that, Mindy. It s Poughkeepsie. MINDY When was the last time you were there? Doesn t matter. George has his private students here. Ben has his galleries. ROBERTO And they ll need to look for a new apartment. HONEY It just doesn t make sense that they go live 2 1/2 hours away. MINDY It s an hour and a half, actually. TED Not by bus, it s not.
22 CONTINUED: (2) 21. By car. MINDY HONEY They don t drive! MINDY They can very well learn how to. HONEY Are you really serious, Mindy?! MINDY Shut the fuck up, Honey. You re not even family, so you don t get to decide anything! They realize at this moment that they can t let their friends go live with crazy Mindy. TED Pshhh... Quiet. They re right there. Elliot, let s go. I still need to do some work tonight. ROBERTO Since we re all here, why don t you come inside for a minute? Roberto puts his key on the door, opens it. Kate holds Elliot s hand, signaling that she wants to go. (whispers) It s almost 10 o clock. Honey, we need to figure this out. ROBERTO Come in, please. Come in. TED Reluctantly, Kate follows her husband Elliot. They all go inside.
23 22. INT. AND S APT, KITCHEN - NIGHT In the kitchen, Ben is washing the drinking glasses used by the guests. He washes thoroughly, slowly, taking this moment alone maybe to reflect, almost meditative. George comes in quietly carrying two plates. He leaves the left over cheese on the counter and pours the left over crackers in the trash. He gives Ben a kiss on his cheek, then leaves. After Ben finishes washing the last glass, he turns the water faucet off and proceeds to wrap the leftover cheese in plastic wrap, and then puts it inside a zip lock bag. He turns the water on again, and washes this last item - the plate that carried the cheese. Ben turns the water off, finally, and looks around. All is clean. INT. CORRIDOR OF AND S APT - NIGHT (CONT.) George leaves the door to his apartment ajar and walks down the corridor, carrying a full trash bag. As he passes by Roberto s apartment, he seems to hear voices coming from inside. He continues down towards a door at the end of the corridor. He opens it and throws the bag down the chute. On his way back, he stops in front of Roberto s apartment for a moment. He can t make out what people are saying, but he can definitely hear voices: a woman s voice, and then a man s voice - an argument coming from inside the apartment. He knows it s Kate, Elliot, Roberto. He feels sad that it s come to this. George goes back inside his apartment, and shuts the door behind him. The empty, silent corridor with its cold light. FADE OUT. EXT. PARK SLOPE - DAY A busy corner in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Old ethnic restaurants share the street with hip cafés. Young couples walk by with their kids, as an Older Indian couple open the doors to their store. On the street, a couple of teenagers on skateboards rush by noisily, crossing the screen.
24 23. INT. AND S APT, LIVING ROOM - DAY The spacious living room of this Park Slope apartment is bright, with big windows that face a tree-lined street. The apartment is just high enough so that the leaves of the trees filter the sun, and cast shadows inside the apartment in this early fall afternoon. (O.S.) We have the crew, plus 4 actors and 25 extras, so you tell me how or where we are going to accommodate this crowd if we can t close the street at 7. Elliot is on the phone, sitting at a desk by the window, with papers scattered around: a budget sheet, a couple of actors 8 x 10, Polaroids of locations, a shot list. (...) You told me we had the permit already! Joey shows up at the desk. Dad. Dad. Can I talk to you for a second? James, hold on. (to Joey) What s going on, Joey? That geography presentation I have to do. Which one? The one on sustainable development. I told you. Oh, that one. Yeah? Vlad and I are doing it together, as a team. They re painting his house, so I told him to come here.
25 CONTINUED: 24. (the phone calls his attention) No, no, no. It was from 7pm to 5am. That s what I requested. Hold on a second. Do you need the living room all afternoon? Joey, I m sorry but this is urgent. Can you give me just a few minutes? I m sorry, Son. (back on the phone) You know as well as I do that two hours will make all the difference, because if we have to wait till 9 to close the street... Joey waits quietly for a moment next to his dad. But soon, the BUZZER rings. Joey opens the entrance door, and VLAD, his buddy, is standing there. Vlad is 16, Russian, only one year older than Joey, but more developed, bigger. Whereas Joey still has boyish looks, Vlad already looks like the man he ll be one day. He comes in, carrying a backpack, and a SBOARD. VLAD I found the book on the Amazon Rainforest. There s some really cool old pictures, with naked natives and everything. Nice. (O.S.)...it means the crew won t be ready until 11, or 12, do you understand? (...) No! That s not a possibility. VLAD Your dad is home. They both look at Elliot sitting by the desk in the living room, still busy on the phone. I know.
26 CONTINUED: (2) 25. VLAD Let s go to your room? Not yet. VLAD Okay. Can I get some water? Yeah. INT. AND S APT, KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Vlad enters, and sees Eugenia at the sink, doing dishes, pretty as ever. Hi there. VLAD EUGENIA (Surprised) Oh hello. I m sorry. I didn t see you there. I m Vlad. VLAD EUGENIA My name is Eugenia. Vlad s staring. He makes her a little uncomfortable. EUGENIA (CONT D) I work for Mr. And Mrs. Hull. VLAD Are you Russian? Yes. EUGENIA Vlad reaches his han19d out. Eugenia dries her hands on the towel and they shake. VLAD (in Russian) Very nice to meet you, Eugenia. EUGENIA (in Russian) Nice to meet you too.
27 26. INT. AND S APT, BEDROOM - DAY Kate is sitting on her bed, with her laptop on a pillow. The door is ajar, and Joey enters. Mom. Yes? Vlad is here. We have to do our presentation on Sustainable Development today. Oh wow. I can t wait to see it. I think we re going to the library. But isn t Vlad here? I told you, yes. So why don t you guys just stay here? INT. S BEDROOM - DAY (CONTINUOUS) Joey s bedroom is small, with a bunk bed and a small desk by the window with a computer. There s a bookshelf full of books, photos and some quirky objects. On the wall a faux vintage poster of the Titanic (the boat, not the movie). And there, propped up on the lower of the beds, with an open book lying on his chest, is Ben. He is shirtless, and wearing only his boxer shorts underwear. His eyes are closed, his head tilted to the side - he has fallen asleep, his reading glasses dangling from his nose. The door opens, and Joey comes in, followed by Kate. Both take in the unexpected vision of the old man s nearly naked body. (whispering) Wake him gently.
28 CONTINUED: 27. You do it. (impatient) Oh, c mon, Joey... She moves gently towards the bed and gives Ben a tentative poke. He opens his heavy eye lids slowly. Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben, hi. Sorry to wake you. Joey wants to ask you something. Mom! Kate steps back and gently pushes Joey closer to Ben. Uncle Ben, my friend Vlad is here. We need to do a presentation for school, and there s nowhere for us to study. Who? (dazed) Vlad steps in from behind Joey, curious to finally see the old man in person. Ah, Vlad, it s so good to meet you. I ve heard a lot about you. Hi. VLAD I m sorry, I guess I ve fallen asleep. He sits up, but still doesn t move to get dressed. What time is it? 2:05. VLAD So what is this presentation about?
29 CONTINUED: (2) 28. Ben looks at Joey, who s looking at his mother, who s looking at him. Nobody says anything. INT. AND S APT, LIVING ROOM - DAY The desk in the living room now has been taken over by Kate, and her computer. Elliot is nowhere in sight. Only a few pages of notes neatly piled up next to the computer, while Kate seems concentrated, writing away. (O.S.) Did I tell you that my gallerist friend is a big fan of yours? It takes Kate a moment to register that someone is talking to her. On the other side of the room, Ben has created a makeshift studio, with an easel and a drawing pad. He has a few photos tacked to the wall beside him, and a box of charcoals that he is sketching with. (CONT D) Did I tell you? A fan of mine? She loves your book. That s nice. Kate, after this brief exchange, is back to the computer, trying to finish that one sentence interrupted a moment ago. Ben puts his charcoal back in its box. I need some tea. Do you want some? I d love some, thanks. Ben walks towards the kitchen. You remember her, right? Kate types the rest of the sentence before pausing again.
30 CONTINUED: 29. Who? Ada. My gallerist friend. Ben goes into the kitchen When did I met her? (O.S.) That group show I had? She s the owner of the gallery. In the Lower East Side? Yes, I met her, I think. Tall blonde. (pause) Swedish. (O.S.) Yes, I met her. (O.S.) She s very nice. And pretty. (O.S.) Gorgeous, that s the one. Last week I stopped by the gallery and she was reading your book. I screamed. I absolutely screamed. Oh yeah? INT. AND S APT, KITCHEN - DAY Ben washes a couple of dirty dishes. He cleans the kitchen top with a paper towel. He opens the top cabinet, and takes his time selecting two mugs amongst the large selection. She had no idea you were my niece. That s funny. (O.S.)
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SLFP – A Party Sans A Policy?
by Wimalanath Weeraratne
Recently a journalist inquired from Minister Susil Premajayantha as to why the Sri Lanka Freedom Front (SLFP) is safeguarding a United National Party (UNP) government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. His answer was "Why don't we take it as if the UNP leadership, and Prime Minister is helping a President from the SLFP?"
Although, the government does not fully constitute of SLFPers, one must not forget that the President was elected by anti-SLFP votes. A majority of SLFPers along with affiliated parties of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) voted not for President Maithripala Sirisena but for Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on January 8, 2015. As such, even though the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) constitutes of many parties, factions and camps, there is no doubt that Sirisena won because of UNPers.
There is no debate or debacle that cannot be disentangled here. But, this has been used as an argument only by the bankrupt politicians of the Joint Opposition supposedly led by Former President Rajapaksa. They only want a pure SLFP President not baptized by the UNP and having no affiliations with Tamils or Muslims.
Minister Premajayantha states:
"If we were not with the government, wouldn't Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe forge an alliance and still go forward? He would have. We are faced with a dilemma here. We are having a Hobson's choice."
Pro MR supporters are not ready to accept Premajayantha's theory. Unable to understand or comprehend this hybrid government, they seek a puritan SLFP President and a government.
Minister Premajayantha further states:
"This government was formed with the amalgamation of two opposing political movements which went along two opposite political schools of thought for close to 60 years. When a national government is formed it will face inherent teething problems.
We have to face these challenges. The primary question here is as to how we resolve the burning issues faced by the people. We are engaged in an internal struggle to eliminate these domestic discrepancies and mismatches within us."
One can say Premajayantha is looking at this in a very realistic manner. It is easy to being the government and work towards intensifying internal issues but difficult yet prudent to work harmoniously to iron out issues.
Resuscitating Premajayantha
Susil who was more or less like a dead man during the Rajapaksa regime has opened his mouth to come out with far reaching statements. Under Rajapaksa he opened his mouth only to eat and drink. Close to the August 17 General Election, he was removed from the General Secretary post of the UPFA. However, he accepted the decisions taken by the leadership in silence. He never opened his mouth to criticize the party leadership.
He did so only when Mahinda Amaraweera was appointed General Secretary of the UPFA quite recently. He announced that he would retire from the politics in the near future and reveal to the country several lesser known incidents that took place in the run up to the election. Furthermore he stated, had he not executed his role of UPFA General Secretary and acted as an Attorney-at-Law, the results of the election would have taken a different turn.
Furthermore he said that he would have never ever intended to send candidates rejected by the people to Parliament. He said he had no other option.
Self criticism
Both UPFA and SLFP must accept Premajayantha's revelations as constructive self criticisms and not as attacks against the party. He has been able to open his mouth and talk openly not because he became 'enlightened' in the run up to his retirement in politics but democracy which did not exist during the Rajapaksa regime seems to exist under Sirisena.
However, he cannot be white-washed for turning a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the Rajapaksa regime for his own political gain. This criticism is not valid only for Premajayantha but for many others who turned a deaf ear to Rajapaksa's wrongdoings.
Victor Ivan vociferously insisted that President Sirisena should dissolve Parliament and go for a general election soon after winning the Presidential Elections. Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya too said the same thing. Neither Sarath Wijesooriya nor Victor Ivan is Presidential advisors. In Sri Lanka leaders only accept the advices of 'official' advisors. If the government had worked according to this advice, Premajayantha would not have had to send defeated candidates to the parliament. President Maithripla Sirisena too would not have had to give nominations to Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and many others who are now trying to send him home.
Where he went wrong
Susil further said:
"I was always loyal to the party leadership. I was with tje late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike through thick and thin. I was loyal to former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. I was with President Rajapaksa for 11 long years and till I was removed from my position. I was with President Maithripala Sirisena."
He also stated, "I told you before that I always work according to the instruction of the leader."
It is important to be loyal to the leadership of party. However, it does not give licence to approve any wrongdoing of the party leadership. Sometimes when you do not approve wrongdoings of the leader, you may lose perks and privileges and fall into his or her bad books.
Susil cannot be given the benefits always because even those who were with Adolf Hitler, Vellupillai Prabhakaran and Osama Bin Laden did what their leader wanted them to do. A true friend would not always approve what his friend or leader does. Sometimes this may lead him or her to become unpopular with the leader, but the people will one day prove him right.
Common crisis
There has been a crucial crisis faced by the SLFP since its inception which no party leader has openly accepted. There is no one unchanging vision or coherent philosophy for the SLFP.
The party was set up by the late President S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike to go on the middle path in stark contrast to ultra-right UNP and the leftist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and the Marxist bandwagon. However, aligning with the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) in the run up to the 1956 General Election where Bandaranaike won a landslide victory; the party shifted from the center to left-of-center. In order to win power, the party had to give up its secular position and flirt with ultra-Sinhala nationalist and Buddhist revivalist camps.
SLFP propounded the 'Pancha Maha Balavegaya' (Great five-fold movement) which consisted of Sangha, Veda, Guru, Govi, Kamkaru classes (Buddhist priests, traditional physicians, teachers, farmers, and the working class) leaving out the minority groups such as Sinhalese Christians, the Tamils, the Moors, the Burghers, the Malays and other groups. He promised to bring the Sinhala Only Act within 24 hours of his coming into power. SLFP's licentious nexus with racism made the party lose its moderate policy and triggered the beginnings of the ugly internal conflict that resulted in the three decade long-drawn bloody civil war.
Again under late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in the 1960 and the 1970-77 United Front Government, the SLFP had no choice but to align with left parties and distant itself from Tamil and Muslim political groups.
In terms of economic policy, although, successive SLFP-led governments promised to foster a mixed economy, instead they promoted socialist policies, nationalizing private enterprises and taking over foreign business undertakings. The SLFP took over Colombo Port, Katunayake Air Base, Trincomalee Naval Base, public transport services, Bank of Ceylon, insurance industry, private schools, plantation companies, petroleum companies, graphite mines, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Lake House), and Times of Ceylon.
However, in 1994, then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga came into power with a People's Alliance Government with the help of Sri Lankan Tamils, Muslims and Indian Tamils, trying to get rid of the nationalist (or racist) policies of her progenitors for the first time.
Abandoning the traditional SLFP legacy, she proposed a United Sri Lanka (more or less a federal model) instead of the then hitherto unitary State concept. In the economic stage, she privatized many State owned enterprises (SOEs) such as Sri Lankan Airlines, Colombo Gas Company, Lanka Marine Services (LMS), Sri Lanka Insurance Company (SLIC), and many more.
However, towards the end of her tenure, she too had a private inner circle that got the majority of the best deals and made her the center of controversy in the deals of Colombo Gas Company-Shell Gas, Emirates-Air Lanka, Tawakkal, Channel 9, Water's Edge scandals.
She too espoused an authoritarian style by deploying underworld figures as part of her security to terrorize opponents and suppressing media freedom.
But when Mahinda Rajapaksa came into power in November 2005, he reversed many policies of his predecessor embracing the unitary State model, State-led economic policies and Keynesian school of thought. He opposed evolution and worked towards not only eliminating the ruthless Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam but also moderate Tamil and Muslim politicians.
He even went onto the extent of eliminating even Sinhala opponents to his rule and espousing ultra-nationalism and Buddhist extremism culminating with the 2014 Aluthgama incident, which proved to have been a decisive precursor to his downfall and ultimate defeat in January 2015.
Espousing State-led economic policies and Keynesian school of thought vigorously, he set up more and more State enterprises burdening the public and ended the vital foreign collaborations in enterprises such as Sri Lankan Airlines, Shell Gas, etc.
He started a vigorous infrastructure development progamme that was never seen in history before but at a huge cost to the economy, borrowing heavily from China. Finally, the most dictatorial and authoritarian ruler ever to reign in Sri Lanka – Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated on January 8 2015, and his successor made a comeback to moderate and progressive political and economic programme.
As such, the SLFP has never been fully faithful to either the left or the right leaning politics or to socialist or capitalist economic school of thought.
Lack of discipline
SLFP General Secretary several times announced that the party would take strict disciplinary actions against SLFP members who take part in activities of the Joint Opposition. However, no tangible action has been taken so far by the SLFP. Challenging the party leadership, MR faction stalwart Dullas Alahapperuma had the audacity to say that only a fool would talk about disciplinary action anymore. Those who participated in the Hyde Park rally openly breached the decisions of the Central Committee of the SLFP. One may say that as there was overwhelming participation at these activities, they cannot be reined in by disciplinary action. This too is a fault of the SLFP, rather than taking wavering decisions the party should implement whatever decisions it takes notwithstanding the outcome. If one takes the UNP from the Father of Our Nation and First Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake to his son Premier Dudley Senanayake to John Kotelawala to President J.R Jayewardene to President Ranasinghe Premadasa to President D.B Wijetunga to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the policies of the UNP have not shifted from its original stance during the last six decades. More or less, all promoted free market economy and right-to-center politics.
One may say that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has espoused ultra-capitalism, neo-liberalism and ultra-rightist policies but that too is within the policy framework of the party. Thus the current UNP leadership has not shifted away from the fundamentals of his party. Unlike most SLFP leaders, for Wickremesinghe, understanding global political and economic trends matter most, and he drives the government towards responding to them.
Taking a stand
If one does not have a stance, he or she would have to act dumb. It is high time that the SLFP adopts a political and economic policy programme of its own.
Till the party moves towards that goal, stopping SLFP members running towards Hyde Park behind a beleaguered leader in breach of party decisions is a farce.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mega Fortune
Net Entertainment never fails to deliver a superbly presented and visually appealing game. This time they bring you Mega Fortune, a 5-reel, 25-payline video slot with a luxurious and fancy style. If you always had a taste for yachts, limousines, expensive watches and champagne, you will surely enjoy betting on this machine.
Everything in the game is polished and screams attention to detail. Graphics are slick and icons are nicely animated. There is even an animation of a diamond turning when you bet on a line. The music is a bit repetitive but nice nonetheless.
Mega Fortune allows bets varying between €0.01 and €50 and features wild, scatter, bonus symbols and free spins. The Wild yacht icon can substitute for all symbols, beside scatter and bonus and can reward you with the 10 000 coin jackpot, if you get 5 on an activated line. Three or more scatters, represented by a bottle of champagne, will give you 10 free spins. During the free spin round two or more scatter symbols award additional spins or a multiplier.
Finally, the bonus game is triggered when 3+ Bonus symbols appear in succession on an activated payline from leftmost to right. In the bonus round you have to spin a wheel and get a chance for a reward or to move to another wheel with even bigger rewards!
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You can play Mega Fortune slot by making a deposit with one of the following payment methods: Paypal, Visa or Mastercard, Ukash, Skrill, Neteller, Click2Pay, ClickandBuy, Instadebit, iDeal, Poli, Entropay, Paysafecard or a prepaid card.


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Plastic Surgery Sells Celebs
The most successful celebrities embody perfection and fantasy as if it's a tangible reality. Between expensive wardrobes and daily appearances, popular celebrities advertise flawlessness as accessible for the hardworking average human. How many celebrity fashion spreads hang on the walls of young girls and women across the world? Undeniably, we try to "dress for less" or apply the same beauty techniques, mimicking our favorite celebrity style icons. But there's one thing that the mainstream fails to acknowledge when promoting the beauty of popular female celebrities. The majority had "work done" and plastic surgery remains a well promoted industry standard.
There's nothing wrong with plastic surgery or trading "god-given" for "man-made." As high-priced weaves, relaxers, and make-up reign supreme, it's no surprise that those, who can afford it, would have their bodies shaped and sculpted. It's questionable if a black female artist could even reach mainstream success without the above beauty sacrifices. Broad noses, Afros, less than perky breasts, A-cups, and non-figure 8 stomachs are not welcome in this industry. The Lauryn Hills, Erykah Badus, and India Aries are only one in a few.
Looking at the most popular black female celebrities, just about all have gotten "work done." Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Kelly Rowland placed their natural beauty on the sacrificial altar long ago. While some have gotten nose jobs and breast lifts, others have gotten breast and butt implants. But apart from Kelly Rowland, the others rarely will admit to "polishing" their image under the knife.
Perhaps, it's none of our business. Considering that each of these artists depend on their physical appearances to sell records and brands, admitting to such a drastic physical alteration might be the equivalent to career suicide. Undeniably, these women are gorgeous, both prior and after surgery. But it does feel like this unspoken secret allows brands and celebrities to hoodwink the majority of young girls and women into believing they can look like THAT.
Unless you have similar wealth, your weave will never look as natural, your perm won't last as long, your make-up won't look photo-shopped, your breasts won't naturally sit up, your nose won't slim, and your stomach won't flatten (without countless hours and a professional trainer at the gym). But maybe celebrities assist us in recognizing our natural beauty. After all, it's a far greater accomplishment to look naturally stunning than "unnaturally made."


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- Yung Coyote at NYE All-Night Warehouse Party
- Released Today: Yung Coyote "Path Of Symbols"
- Yung Coyote Takes Batona Music On New Path
- Batona 2016
- New: At Work "A Thousand Blended Notes"
- Cloud People Live in the Pines at Farrest Grove Music Festival & Campout 2015
- Alka Live March 28 with Musha, TJ Kurtyka, Yung Coyote, Sam Was at Gridwork, Atlantic City
Tag Archives: Field Recording
Batona 2016
Relevant Batona efforts that happened in 2016, from New Jersey to you. Cloud People Cloud People's Evan Wilder has been active expanding Pine Barrens field recordings in both series Hit Record and Long Shits. Here and see them below. Hit … Continue reading
Posted in Music, News, Video Tagged At Work, Batona, Cloud People, Evan Wilder, Field Recording, Floods, Hit Record, Long Shits, Messier Object, Pine Barrens, Pinelands, Video Comment
4th Hit Record from Cloud People: Hail Showers And April Flowers
Evan Wilder recorded the sound of a hail storm in mid-April, that left the ground white with ice and flower petals.
Posted in Music Tagged Cloud People, Evan Wilder, Field Recording, Hail, Hit Record, Pine Barrens, Pinelands, Spring, Storm Comment
Cloud People Hit Record #2 March Winds
Hit Record Number 2: "March Winds". One late winter windy night gets Evan Wilder out in the woods to record the wind passing through the forest, where branches can be heard knocking together in the treetops.
Posted in Music Tagged Cloud People, Evan Wilder, Field Recording, Pine Barrens, Pinelands Comment


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Creating keyboard shortcuts to open programs
You can create keyboard shortcuts to open programs, which can often be simpler than opening programs using your mouse or other pointing device. Before completing these steps, verify that a shortcut was created for the program to which you want to assign a keyboard shortcut. If no shortcut was created, browse to the folder that contains the program, right-click the program file, and then click Create Shortcut to create one.
1. Locate the shortcut to the program for which you want to create a keyboard shortcut.
2. Right-click the shortcut, and then click Properties.
3. In the Shortcut Properties dialog box, click the Shortcut tab, and then click the Shortcut key box.
4. Press the key on your keyboard that you want to use in combination with CTRL+ALT (keyboard shortcuts automatically start with CTRL+ALT), and then click OK.
You can now use this keyboard shortcut to open the program when you're using the desktop. The shortcut will also work while using some programs, though it might not work with some programs that have their own keyboard shortcuts.
* The Shortcut key box will display None until you select the key, and then the box will display Ctrl+Alt followed by the key you selected.
* You cannot use the ESC, ENTER, TAB, SPACEBAR, PRINT SCREEN, SHIFT, or BACKSPACE keys to create a keyboard shortcut.


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Why don't you ask God? Seriously - that's your best bet.
In Genesis 6:3 God says, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."However, we have people who have lived over 120 years old, I believe the oldest was a lady that was 122 (Jeanne Calment). I was just wondering. If God assured no one should live over 120, then why did the lady above for example live till 122?
^I agree with Fr. Anastasios. This number is meant to be taken metaphorically. You can take or leave this explanation, but both the numbers 12 and 10 were regarded as numbers that emphasized completeness or totality. Multiplying 12 and 10 together, of course, results in 120. I think that what God says here is that the contest between the Spirit of God and man's flesh can last for an eternity and not referring to only 120 years of existence, especially since Adam lived to be 930 years old!
O the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and of much compassion, and true, Who keepest mercy unto thousands: who takest away iniquity, and wickedness, and sin, and no man of himself is innocent before thee. Who renderest the iniquity of the fathers to the children, and to the grandchildren, unto the third and fourth generation.
OK Brother, You have too much time on your hands!
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεός Οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας, ἔσονται δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτῶν ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἔτη
I know that also a day to God could be a thousand years to us. So, perhaps 120 years really isn't 120 years..maybe it is 1,200 years instead.
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Advanced Search
Availability: Pre-OrderPlatforms: XBOX ONEPublisher: 505 GamesGenre: Action AdventureESRB: M - MatureUPC: 812872019475Region Free: YesMenus & Interface : English Expected Release Date is Friday 29 March, 2019.
Overkill's the Walking Dead is a four-player co-op multiplayer FPS action game set in Washington, D.C. You band up together with up to three friends on a variety of missions, securing supplies and survivors to strengthen your camp against the threat of both the dead and the living. Choose one of four playable characters, each offering their own skill tree, squad role, play style and background story. You all share a common objective where survival and teamwork is paramount. You can either take out enemies carefully with a silent melee attack, or go in guns blazing. Nothing is certain, as a horde of walkers could be right around the corner.


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If you're a collector, there comes a time when you have to face the sad reality that part of collecting is keeping track of your collection, and selling off the excess. Boxes is an iOS-exclusive app that does just that, offering a powerful cataloging tool with photos that allows you to document and organize your collection. It even allows you to make wish lists so you can find things other users are selling.
Now the app has been updated to include integration with eBay so you can quickly and easily sell your goods on one of the web's most popular marketplaces. It's a wise move for the cataloging tool. Imagine browsing through a list of your Beanie Baby collection one day only to realize you've got three of the legendary "Millenium" (sic) bears. Now with a simple swipe of your finger, that bear is a part of the marketplace, putting money back in your pocket.
The updated app also introduces a new Private Info Area so users can keep track of important details about their collections like receipts, warranty information, place of purchase or any other detail that might come in handy. As someone who has kept track of where exactly he bought specific pieces in his vinyl collection, this sort of fine-tooth nitpicking is a welcome feature.
In a move that's sure to end up being useful following a natural disaster or house fire, the app has introduced a barcode scanner that allows you to track each objects UPC code, serial number, model number, SKU, etc.
Finally Version 1.2 adds Public Boxes, allowing you to explore what other Boxes users have in their collections. You can find the update in the App Store for free.


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There are hundreds, if not thousands, of writing blogs on the internet. Blogs about craft, blogs about jobs, blogs about marketing and blogs about editing, genre-specific and blogs dedicated to a specific type of writing, but how many are there about actually writing? I'm sure there are many that I haven't come across, and you may want to know what on earth I'm talking about, so let me try to explain.
With this blog I hope to not only present to you information as listed above, but to foster a community of writers, where we can write, actually write, and motivate each other. Each week I hope to host word sprints, writing events, word wars, and other community driven activities that I hope will get you writing, writing anything at all. There may be prompts or themes we go off of, but the main idea is to get you, and me, writing, pour some words on a page.
Additionally, depending on when the writing activity is, I want to host workshops the very next day, while the spirit is semi-high. I'll ask you lovelies to post your writings to the blog and we'll go through each work quickly, or as quickly as is possible, pointing out what works, what doesn't and how you can improve, both from a reader and writer prospective. Keep in mind this format is subject to change. I don't know how well it's going to work on this site, so perhaps in future we'll migrate to something else. I'd love to hear your suggestions though, on this and anything else regarding the blog. Remember, this is for you!
And maybe this is all a tad bit ambitious. Maybe this has been done before. The thing about ideas is that nothing is ever original. On a lot of scriptwriting blogs they tell you that even if your idea has been done to death, it hasn't been done by you. So that's my first bit of advice to you! Never be discouraged to write because someone else has 'your' idea. Whatever it is, it hasn't got your spin on it, and so really, it hasn't been done.
Here's hoping you all find something at least remotely interesting here and that you keep coming back. We love seeing you. Don't forget to comment and leave suggestions! We'd love to hear from you!


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Meadville in Crawford County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
First Christian Church
Erected by Crawford County Historical Society - Donated by The Emmaline D. Barco Beautification Fund.
Location. 41° 38.342′ N, 80° 9.076′ W. Marker is in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in Crawford County. Marker is at the intersection of West Center Street and South Cottage Street, on the left when traveling west on West Center Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Meadville PA 16335, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Library Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Spirella Company (about 300 feet away); Roddy Law Office (about 300 feet away); Chamber of Commerce (about 400 feet away); Historic District (about 500 feet away); Birthplace of the Direct Primary (about 500 feet away); Crawford County (about 500 feet away); Raymond Philip Shafer (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Meadville.
Also see . . . Crawford County Historical Society (Submitted on May 4, 2012, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
Categories. • Churches & Religion •
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on May 4, 2012, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 380 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 4, 2012, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


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In the winter of 1879, Mark Twain paused during a European tour to compose a fantasy menu of the American dishes he missed the most. In Twain's Feast, Andrew Beahrs chooses eight of these forgotten regional specialties, retracing Twain's footsteps as he sets out to discover whether the author's favorite foods can still be found on American tables. Twain's menu, he finds, was also a memoir and a map. Weaving together passages from Twain's famous works and Beahrs's own adventures, Twain's Feast takes us on a journey into America's past, to a time when foods taken fresh from grasslands, woods, and waters were at the heart of American cooking.
Borsch expects the literary food events to continue. "We have noticed more and more books on the subject of the vast amount of crap that's in the food we often eat (Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlossler, books by Michael Pollan, etc.), but there are also a lot of food writers that have been covering the more personal and possibly even emotional side of eating. We have Ruth Reichl, who has been writing food memoirs for years, covering everything from her mother's poisonous cooking disasters to the often humorous secret world of being a food critic. But we also have newer writers, like Julie Powell who explore other ways of how food and cooking can change a person's life. The growing interest in celebrity chefs has also increased the glamour, I think, of food and food writing."


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Six weeks.
The first six weeks is the hardest. That's what I tell any friends who are soon-to-be or new moms. In my limited experience with my first child that's what I found to be true. Of course it then get easier after 3 months, 6 months etcetera, but the first six weeks? That's where the real tough stuff lies.
My son turned 6 weeks old this week. I cannot put into words what my body and mind have endured the last 6 weeks.
So much has happened. The moment I met my baby was one of the very best moments of my life. After my first birth experience being more traumatic, much longer, and more grueling than I expected, a 3 hour drug-free labour and quick delivery was a welcome and empowering surprise with my second. Sometime in the first hour afterwards, my midwife gave us the opportunity to go home in just two hours. How thrilled I was. I was convinced I was able and ready to get right up and walk (skip) straight down the hallway, babe in arms, ready to start our life at home as a family of four….eeek! Of course it only took a few hours for the adrenaline to wear off, and then getting out of the hospital bed to walk 8 feet to the bathroom was far from a treat. Not to mention waiting for over 20 minutes in there before realizing my muscles had forgotten how to pee. That's when it all started a downward spiral.
The pain: stitches, weakness, blistered bleeding baby feeders, organ displacement, queasiness.
The exhaustion: lack of sleep, lack of rest, lack of all things "me".
The emotions: hormone imbalance, guilt, inadequacy, sadness, numbness, everything-ness and nothing-ness all at once. All the emotions, all the time,
I knew this was coming. With my first baby I fretted for much of my pregnancy over the labour and delivery, hardly giving a second thought to the woes of breastfeeding, the changes that would happen to my body, my relationship with my hubby, nevermind caring for the little human I was about to bring into the world. With my second, I easily spent at least my entire third trimester being anxious about the newborn stage. Because the thing is, when you've never done it, people can tell you its hard, but hard is just a word, you can't fully 'get it' until you've done it. So with my second, I knew what was coming- and I was a little terrified.
In the first days there are so many ups and downs. In mere moments I could go from experiencing the ultimate euphoria, to a sobbing mess of a person. The love I feel for this baby is only matched by the love I feel for his sister. I created him, I grew him, I birthed him, he is human, he is mine. I breathe in his scent, I squish his (giant) cheeks, I kiss him as much as I like. This little person is just the best thing since sliced bread. And then I cry. I cry because he won't nurse, I cry because he wont sleep, I cry because he won't stop crying, and I cry because I feel like I am the only one. I cry because in this moment I can't see the end. I am in a tornado of tears and there are only flecks of light to remind me it is not going to last forever. I know in my heart it will pass, but in those moments I almost can't see it.
My post partum body took (is taking) much longer to heal this time. My postpartum emotions are much stronger this time. Generally, postpartum everything is just really kicking my butt.
And it's not to say that I am not hugely grateful for the opportunity to be a parent. We are so, so blessed. How lucky I am to experience life in this way. It's a treasure. And I've never been more sure of creation. I've never believed more that this was all on purpose. The miracle of life literally blows my mind. I can't think about it too much or it just overwhelms me.
The thing is, I know I am in the thick of it. In a few months I'll look back and dream of my babe melting into me and snoozing for hours. I'll wish the newborn smell back, and I'll relive the first smile, the first coo, and the first giggle. But right now, in these days, I often find myself bleary eyed, staring into the abyss, wondering when I'll start to feel like a person again. I feel guilty for the lack of attention my daughter is getting, and guilty I can't give my new baby the attention I gave his sister in the first few months. I've been told motherhood is one of the most guilt ridden professions, and isn't it true?
Don't misunderstand me. This is just a small snap shot of motherhood. It really is fantastic over all. No one can tell you how hard it is just like no one can tell you how incredible it is.
I don't write this to complain about becoming a mother. I'm sharing my experience in hopes that someone might relate, and know that it's okay if you don't experience "mommy-bliss" in the immediate weeks after the birth of your child- and if you do experience it I am genuinely happy for you! I'm trying to be realistic. If you know me or read my blogs you know I write to start a conversation. There's something so freeing in being real, in not pretending. In life, and in motherhood especially there is this huge sense of competition, and we put so much pressure on ourselves. It's so unnecessary.
It doesn't help that social media feeds into this new culture where we only display our highlight real. We post our big moments. We post our vacation pictures. We "check in" to the nice restaurants we eat at. We post the things were proud of, our accomplishments, as well as the things and people that we love. We show the world, or want to show the world that we're doing alright. "Look at me, I do cool stuff too". And it's nice, but you know sometimes it's just too much. We all feed into it, we all do it knowingly or unknowingly and it feeds into our desire to do more, to have more, to be more. But we don't need to. We just need to be us. We need to be real. When we are real with one another we become vulnerable. It's scary and hard but I think it's what life is all about. Vulnerability is what connects us- not just as moms, but as humans. Doesn't it feel good to know you're not the only one? It's especially true if you're struggling. There's nothing worse than feeling like you're falling apart while everyone else is handling life like a boss.
I know that personally I have felt guilty for having struggled in this postpartum period. I've wanted to avoid the well-meaning friends and family that so kindly ask how things are.
"How is he sleeping?"
"How is he eating?"
"Isn't it amazing?"
"How are you adjusting?"
"What is it like with two?"
"Are you all better now?"
Mostly, I'd like to tell them "No, in this moment I'm not really okay, I'm faking this smile and I only slept for 4 hours last night in 45 minute chunks. I haven't slept for longer than a 2 hour stretch in 6 weeks and I feel like I'm hanging by a thread- emotionally and physically". I want to tell them that although I love my boy, this newborn stage sucks butt.
I feel guilty when other new moms tell me how much they love this stage, and also when older moms tell me to soak it all in cause its gone in a flash. All. The. Guilt. All. The. Time.
In some ways its easier if people didn't ask because then I won't have to be stuck between lying to them or being a Debbie Downer.
I've always believed that honesty is the best policy. I think we'd all be a little more comfortable sharing our icky bits if we didn't feel like we were the only ones who had them. Something
incredible happens when we take the veil off. When we connect with one another on a real level we can relax a little, lower our standards a bit, and be okay with not being okay.
I know that without doubt, for me it helps to know that women before me have gone through this, women beside me are doing it right now, and one day in years to come women behind me will be doing it…and I'll probably watch them with a sense of admiration and nostalgia. Actually I'm sure I will.


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Meeting Agenda
State Board for Massage Therapy
New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
1411 Broadway
Tenth Floor
New York, NY
Monday, March 28, 2011 · 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Call to Order
- Review of Minutes
- Announcements
- Election of Chair and Vice-Chair - April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012
- Discussion of the Statutory Requirement for Continuing Education
- Discussion and recommendation regarding the statutorily mandated minimum of thirty-six hours of acceptable formal continuing education, a maximum of twelve hours of which may be self-instructional course work acceptable to the Department*
- Calendar and Adjourn
*This will be a detailed discussion regarding the content of acceptable continuing education and the development of recommendations for regulations to implement the statutory requirement for continuing education for Massage Therapy. The Board will confine its discussion solely to the content and recommendations regarding acceptable formal continuing education coursework.
The Board Meeting is an Open Meeting, but not a Public Hearing. Members of the public may attend and observe.
Last Updated: March 2, 2011


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What, you thought I was kidding about the Dark Eclipse coming right before the Earth starts bleeding? What kind of horrible jackass would joke about something like that?
This is a picture of a place called Blood Falls in Antarctica. Here's the actual explanation: "2 million years ago the Taylor Glacier sealed off a small body of water that contained a community of microbes. This small pool of wild animals has not seen oxygen, sunlight or heat since that time. As the earth warmed and the glaciers in Antarctica melted away, these organisms have been independently evolving for eons without any outside contact. Until now, when they've suddenly sprung forth from the glacier. The frothy water is rich in iron, which gives it the striking red color. These strangely alien microbes may exist nowhere else on earth, and they give scientists an idea of what kind of life may survive after the earth becomes uninhabitable by almost all other life forms."
So, there's a place called Blood Falls, located on the frozen, cruel and empty continent of Antarctica, that contains strange life forms which have been sealed away for untold ages, and have now awoken and spilled forth onto the world. Oh yeah, and they'll probably be the last things alive on the planet.


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Item information
- Title:
- Walnut Log
- Topics:
- Subjects:
Forests and forestry -- North Carolina
- Original Format:
Black-and-white print (photograph)
- Item identifier:
- ua023_007-005-bx0014-001-003
- Photographer:
- Graeber, R. W., 1888-1967 more info on Graeber, R. W. (Robert Walter), 1888-1967
- Created Date:
- circa
- Description:
- Transcribed from back: #534 Farm Forestry Series. By R. W. Graeber, Extension Forester. A choice walnut log for which the buyer paid $80.00, even in these hard times. This one of a group of logs shipped from Pittsboro and valued at $3,000.
- Names:
North Carolina State College. School of Forestry
more info on North Carolina State College. School of Forestry
- Location:
Pittsboro (N.C.)
- Digital Project:
University Archives Photographs
Source information
- Repository:
- Special Collections Research Center at NCSU Libraries
- Collection:
- Agricultural Extension and Research services (UA023.007) held by Special Collections Research Center at NCSU Libraries
- Note field:
- Not all materials from the physical collection may have been scanned. Images may have been enhanced for web access.
- Rights:
- For questions regarding copyright or permissions, please refer to our Reproduction, Use, Citation, and Copyright page (http://d.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/about).


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HOWDY! This is a platform for me to express myself. To bare my thoughts, emotions and life stories. Leaving bite-size pieces of me before I go. I graciously invite you to comment, swap stories and thoughts. Please post your comment or get in touch with me here.
hanoi ahoy*
I am off to Hanoi at sunrise tomorrow. 4 days trip. It's something I decided to do a week ago - felt strongly that I deserved a break. Ciao. Take care of you.
September 26, 2007 // anjali* pranced on tip-toes all over the keyboard at 4:35 pm
jane's cake*
Yesterday, I attended Jane's wedding. I must say that the whole thing was done in superb style, which was very personal whereby it was attended by people that she and her hubby, Kenny chose to have on their special day, but best of all, you can see that a lot of details have been thought through and were evidence to Jane's personal touches - from the self-made wedding invitation cards, to the special J&K logo she created, to the candid wedding photos taken by a photographer friend and best of all, the two-tiered handmade wedding cake.
Above is the picture of the ornament on the cake. Cool, isn't it?
September 16, 2007 // anjali* pranced on tip-toes all over the keyboard at 5:16 pm
love letters*Okay, it is now 4.11am in the morning and I can't sleep. Even after an hour of chatting with Apoo, my lids are as light as feathers. So I decided to check my spam mails, while waiting for him to type his replies at the speed of 1 word per minute. Heh.
Then I found these 3 so-called love letters from one fella by the name of James, amid hundreds of other offers to increase my penis size. I seriously didn't know I have one to start with, what more of its miniscule size. Hmm.
Speaking of which, this reminds me of the lyrics for the song 'Vicki Waiting' by Prince...
I tell her the joke about the woman who asked her lover - "Why is your organ so small?" He replied, "I didn't know I was playin' in a cathedral." Vicki didn't laugh at all.
Heh. Did I tell you that man is just BRILLIANT, besides being the sexiest, sexiest, SEXIEST man alive! Yum. Anyway, I digressed.
Letter 1:
Good day, my dear friend. We've got only one life to live and I want to live it as good as I can. I've found you and now I can't imagine how I lived without you for my entirelife?! I want to get used to you, I want to learn you, I want to accept you as you are. I try to imagine you and in my own imagination I am already getting used to you: I am used to your eyes, soft and wise, to your hands, to your gentle touch: I haven't seen you in real life, but inside, in my soul, I already feel how warm and happy your heart can be just from love. I realize that there can be another sitting by your side, touching your hair, watching you, hugging you: However I know that, you can't imagine my confidence, but I know that we can match. I don't think that our silence will help us, so I am here, at http://healthelovesite.com/wearelove, and I hope that you will touch my heart with your letter soon, my dear. Waiting for your reply.
Letter 2:
Hello, gentleman. I'm sure you are interested in my preferences in life. I love the sun and the sea and all water sports, especially free diving, swimming and waterskiing and I try this kind of sport just once a year when I go on seaside.I enjoy going out with friends, to a cafe or to a club to listen to good music. You can see that I enjoy enjoying life, may be you want to enjoy it with me?You know sometimes I dream about romantic evening with my beloved at home having a glass of good wine by the fireplace. I like the movies, especially the films that show real life stories. I like to read good books of any subject. I know that you think it would be great to share everything of this with me.I know that you also want to contact me just like I did, so I am waiting impatiently at http://joindestinies.net/kissme to read your emotions: Looking forward to get a letter from you.
Letter 3:
I saved the best for last...
Womens always laughed at me and even guys did in the public toilets! Well, now I giggled at them, because I took MegaDik. For 5-6 months and now my dick is much bigger than "average" size.
Honestly, what use is there to have an above average dick and still end up giggling. I'd say laugh your gut out loud! Or to quote Russell Peters - BE A MAN!
I need some sleep now...
September 12, 2007 // anjali* pranced on tip-toes all over the keyboard at 4:20 am
conscience. and ego.*Sometimes when I read about our leaders (of all three main parties), I can't help but to paraphrase this line from Mike Gayle's new book, Wish You Were Here.
They have none.
I think they had it surgically removed to make space for their egos.
September 10, 2007 // anjali* pranced on tip-toes all over the keyboard at 8:53 am
petition. sign up please*The Selayang Municipal Council is offering RM15,000, RM13,000 and RM11,000 cash prizes respectively for anyone who can catch 150 strays or more within the period of six months. Those monies mentioned are for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. 50 years of independence and what do we have? - this prehistoric barbaric idea from the morons. And people ask why I can't wait to leave this God-forsaken country!
Please kindly take the trouble to click here
to sign the petition to stop this nonsense.
In fact, let's raise fund to reverse the idea and catch idiotic morons who call themselves leaders of any kind. Click here for the poster wonderfully done by Mob1900.
To read more, click here.
September 06, 2007 // anjali* pranced on tip-toes all over the keyboard at 10:41 pm


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From the first bonfire, head over the bridge and you'll face two Alonne Knights. These guys are fast and do bleed damage, even when guarded. They deal heavy damage with their katanas, but are pretty easy to kill, just keep your guard up and let them attack first. Lure the first one out either with ranged attacks or simply by proceeding slowly. Head inside and turn immediately right, ignoring the two Alonne Knights in this room for now.
Merchant Magerold of Lanafir is at the end of this passage, whom mainly sells spells for mage characters. Backtrack down the hall and head up the stairs, where there's another Alonne Knight up the first flight. Turn left and grab the Pharros Lockstone from the body over-hanging the ledge, then head back past the stairs, pressing the action button along the wall to reveal a hidden room.
Keep heading through and you'll reach a ballista, there's another illusory wall where it's facing, hit the action button to reveal it. There's also fire arrows in here too. Once the wall is moved, there's an archer just on the other side, you can use the ballista, but it only does 170 damage, so backstabbing may be more effective. Once the archer's down, there's two more knights in this room to kill.
Turn left if you want to kill the other two knights previously ignored. The large stone ornament spitting fire is protecting an Iron Key, but running through and grabbing it will most likely mean dying.
Head back up the stairs and outside, this area is filled with archers, so it's important to stay behind the pillars to avoid their fire until you kill them. Head along the left and lure the first Alonne Knight back behind the pillars to avoid the archers. Turn right, head down the stairs and kill the second Alonne Knight, constantly moving to dodge the arrows. Don't open the door! This room is filled with fire that is an insta-kill, don't open it yet as you can turn this fire off in a moment.
Pull the lever then head back up the stairs and sprint to the far end below the platform with the archer. Drop down the gap with the ladder and grab the soul at the end of the platform, then climb all the way up the ladder and kill the archer, grabbing the Life Ring+1 and Twinkling Titanite from the chest before dropping down to the middle ledge again.
Head back along the path and turn left across the bridge lowered by pulling the lever. Lead the knight back behind the pillars before killing him, you're a sitting duck on that bridge with two archers taking shots at you. Run across the bridge, turn left and kill one of the pesky snipers found by the mist, but don't go through yet, that leads to the mini-boss, the Smouldering Demon.
Head in the opposite direction, jumping the gap and open the chest to get the Zweihander. You can jump the gap here into the door to the right, just be careful not to over-shoot and land in the lava - you can be extra safe by jumping into the doorway. Grab the dull ember from the fallen body on the broken stairs, which you can give to McDuff in The Lost Bastille to allow him to upgrade your weapons. Head up the stairs and kill the archer. Don't bother using the Pharros' Lockstone here, it just gives you a health pool.
Drop back down onto the path and turn left back onto the bridge, jump to the door with the rotating handle and use it to turn the fire off inside the chamber. Head inside by following the ledge to the right, where you can grab a Large Titanite Shard and petrified Dragon Bone from the dead body. Ignore the ladder for now, as this leads to the main boss of the area, but you want to kill the mini-boss to gain access to the second bonfire.
Exit the chamber back and head back over the bridge towards the mist. If you're a human, and have engaged with Lucatiel at each point thus far, you can summon her before taking on the Smouldering Demon. She's a big help as she takes its attention, giving you time to heal and deal some damage of your own. She doesn't deal much damage to the Demon, but can at the very least distract it.
Proceed through the mist and prepare for a very tough encounter.
How to beat the Smouldering Demon
Be mindful of your health bar as it will decay pretty quickly if you're anywhere near the demon in the second half of the fight (once his chest emits large flames). Equip any armour that has high fire resistance (if you have none, don't panic, just attack and get away quickly).
The Demon does large sweeping attacks which are hard to dodge, as well as a jumping plunge attack which, if it hits, it's pretty much game over. The good thing is this plunge has little range, and the last hit of many of his moves has a long recovery time. Be careful of rushing in and attacking while his sword is stuck in the ground, the Demon can emit a heat blast that does a ton of damage.
While the Smouldering Demon is summon fire from within itself, its damage resistance increases. You can rush in and attack without getting hit, but you won't be as effective.
Let Lucatiel get its attention before running in and swiping the back of its legs. Mages can stay back and take shots from distance to avoid the radial damage, too. This fight's tough, but once you learn his attack pattern, he'll soon fall.
After defeating the Smouldering Demon, you can buy its armour from Maughlin the merchant back in Majula, as long as you have spent over a certain amount of souls buying things from him. You'll know you have done so as he'll be in a slouched back position in the room, and will have more things to sell.
Head up the stairs and open the chest to grab the Porcine Shield and Flame Butterfly. The Porcine Shield isn't very effective, but causes pigs to flee at the sight of it. There's also a bonfire just ahead.
From the second bonfire, open the door ahead, this will lead to the path where the ladder took you from the fire chamber. Kill the lightning archer just ahead. There are two turtle guys through the doorway, one will smash the bridge, creating a gap, which is a good thing as it allows you to take them out one at a time. Kill the first turtle on the bridge, then jump the gap and kill the other one, being mindful of the archers in this new area.
Pull the lever to lower the platform ahead, killing the two turtles in wait by dropping them into the lava. You can open the door to the left, use a Pharros' Lockstone to reveal a hidden path leading to Belfry Sol. Don't head here yet, instead, exit the room and continue up the stairs to the left, heading down the stairs on the other side. There's an archer at the end of this pathway. If you step on the panels on the floor, lava will pour into the channels, stepping on it is an instant death. Kill the archer and grab the item.
Head back onto the platform suspended on chains, killing all the archers up here, there's a soul on the top-left quadrant and then head across to the ledge on the far side. Lead the final turtle into the fire being spat out by the huge ornament, it'll die pretty quickly. Grab the soul and Monastery Charm before proceeding through the mist.
There's an Alonne Knight to the left as you walk through the corridor, kill him before going down the stairs. There's two more turtles through this narrow passage, separated by a guillotine. The best way to deal with these is by getting close to make them attack, but not running too far away to make them chase you with the mace held high, as they won't stop until they hit you. Unless you're a light-armour/mage build, it's hard to escape these attacks.
Once these two are down, you'll come to a room surrounded by fire statues. Ignore these for now and head left up the ladder to get to the next bonfire. From the bonfire, head upstairs and pull the lever to turn off the flames from the statues. Pop back down the ladder and grab the Lightning Short Bow+1. Head down the stairs and lead the turtle back into this main room. You don't have to fight him once he's in the room with the statues; you can opt to sprint straight past out onto the roof, as the Old Iron King boss is just ahead through the mist. If you do choose to engage, it's probably a good idea to turn the flames back on and lead him towards them for a quick kill. Once it's dead, head to the Old Iron King.
How to beat the Old Iron King
The Old Iron King is a really tough fight thanks to the lack of space to escape its attacks and the fact its most devastating move can pass through the wall which acts as your only semblance of cover.
If you have any armour with high fire resistance, don that, otherwise try and go into the fight relatively light so your roll isn't encumbered. Be mindful of the small hole by the entrance to the fight - as you'll be locking on to the Old Iron King, it's very easy to fall in and die.
There are key attacks to watch out for: firstly, when the Iron King raises his right hand, and it's on fire, wait a moment before running at an angle away. The King fires a red laser beam that will take most of your health, if not kill you. You can run behind the wall to make an angle to dodge it, but know that the laser will pass through the building, one of Dark Souls 2's many 'quirks'.
The second attack to take note of comes when he's nearly dead: he'll raise both hands above his head then slam them to the floor, causing a flame shockwave. Again, move behind the building when you see this.
When the King spits out the fireballs, hide behind the building when his head is high. When it's low, stand next to his cheek and attack. Don't get too close, as getting stuck behind his horns will knock you into the lava, another amazing 'quirk'.
He takes a surprising amount of damage from melee, the trouble is he dishes out a ton and offers few chances to be hit. Be patient and he'll be down within a handful of tries. The bonfire beyond the King will return you to Majula.


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Yale Senior's 'Abortion Art' Whips Up Debate, Protests
Friday, April 18, 2008
A Yale University student's senior art project, which she said documented her bleeding during repeated self-induced abortions, sparked a protest on campus, an outcry on the Internet, and debates over morality, medicine, art and academia.
And -- the project was all faked. Senior Aliza Shvarts told Yale officials yesterday that she didn't get pregnant and didn't have abortions. But that didn't stop an outpouring of emotion as the story spread.
Shvarts told classmates that she had herself artificially inseminated as often as possible for much of this past year, then took legal, herbal abortifacient drugs and filmed herself in her bathtub cramping and bleeding from the miscarriages. She said her work will include video, a sculpture incorporating her blood mixed with Vaseline wrapped in plastic, and a spoken piece describing what she had done.
She declined to comment yesterday. Shvarts presented a mock-up of the project in class last week -- the final piece will go on display at the undergraduate senior art show at Yale on Tuesday -- and told the Yale Daily News that she wanted to provoke debate about the relationship between art and the human body but that the intention of the piece was not to scandalize anyone.
Well, it did.
Within hours after the article ran yesterday in the student newspaper, blogs were full of livid reactions, including horror that so many fetuses were apparently aborted, revulsion at the graphic nature of the piece, shock that someone would risk her own health in such a way, and general disdain for art and academia.
Students gathered in Beinecke Plaza near the administration building to protest yesterday afternoon, said sophomore John Behan, president of Choose Life at Yale. "CLAY and the entire Yale community, I think, are appalled at what was a serious lapse in taste on the part of the student and the Yale art department."
In a statement yesterday, Yale spokeswoman Helaine Klasky said: "Ms. Shvarts . . . stated to three senior Yale University officials today, including two deans, that she did not impregnate herself and that she did not induce any miscarriages. The entire project is an art piece, a creative fiction designed to draw attention to the ambiguity surrounding form and function of a woman's body.
"She is an artist and has the right to express herself through performance art.
"Had these acts been real, they would have violated basic ethical standards and raised serious mental and physical health concerns."
Shvartz, an arts major, told the Yale Daily News: "I believe strongly that art should be a medium for politics and ideologies, not just a commodity. I think that I'm creating a project that lives up to the standard of what art is supposed to be."
But to many, her piece symbolized the worst of art -- shock without substance -- and of academia, with professors encouraging useless introspection.


text:
- Overall Length:7.25"
- Blade Length:3.125"
- Cutting Edge:2.75"
- Blade Thickness:0.75"
- Blade Material:AUS-8A
- Blade Style:Clip Point
- Blade Grind:Hollow
- Finish:Black
- Edge Type:Plain
- Handle Length:4.125"
- Handle Material:G-10
- Color:Black
- Frame/Liner:Stainless Steel
- Weight:4.00 oz.
- User:Right Hand, Left Hand
- Pocket Clip:Tip-Down, Tip-Up
- Knife Type:Manual
- Opener:Thumb Stud
- Lock Type:Liner Lock
- Brand:Blackhawk
- Model:Hornet II
- Model Number:15H201BK
- Designer:James Keating
- Country of Origin:Taiwan
- Best Use:Tactical
- Product Type:Knife
Designed by legendary edged-weapons expert James Keating, the Hornet is a proven classic and a favorite of savvy knife users worldwide. The new BlackHawk Blades Hornet II continues the legacy of that timeless design by enhancing it with all-new materials, improved lock geometry, and expanded carry options. Built on a framework of CNC-machined textured G-10 handles, nested 420J stainless steel liners, and a heavy-duty liner-lock locking mechanism, the Hornet IIs blade is precision ground from AUS8A stainless steel and black Teflon® coated for a low profile and superior corrosion resistance. Its ambidextrous thumb stud and new four-position clothing clip also support lightning-fast deployment from all carry positions, making it one of the most potent tactical folding knives available.