162/365

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgqSI1BESVE

Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.

Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean.

The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule.

But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm but to have compassion on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future yet never neglect the past; to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength. They give you a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman.

---- General Douglas MacArthur

Seven Truths

 

- When I was little I used to go in my closet when I cried. It was dark and nobody could see me. It’s funny because I don’t go there anymore but I find that same secret place inside my mind as crazy as it sounds. Nobody can see it and I like it that way.

 

- I’d rather be known as the crazy church girl than the one nobody expected to be religious.

 

- I don’t feel that release in skating anymore. I haven’t been writing. I haven’t been taking pictures for myself. It’s like I’m purposely keeping everything held back. Then I go and become absorbed and obsessed with school. With getting good marks. With having teachers love me. Of course, when I mention how excited I am to do an upcoming essay I laughed when my friends made fun because really, who actually likes essays. But I’m noticing it. It scares me, it’s like I’m looking for a way out somewhere and every release I find becomes dangerous in some sense.

 

- My fear of those dark things hit a peak last weak. I felt a new type of fear…one I had never even imagined feeling. Me. The kid who writes like it’s her job can’t even find words to express this.

To anyone who is dealing with a fear that is controlling your life, that is making you do things you wouldn’t normally do, or just making you uncomfortable in your own skin just know that that fear has more power over you than the actual thing you are scared of. Fear is only an emotion. You can’t shut it off but you can control it.

(and the hypocrite of all time award goes to Hannah Martin)

 

- I have the most amazing friends. But I feel like god is playing some sick joke on me. Every single one of them is either destroying themselves slowly or destroying me. There are a few very important ones who I could never give up on because I see their strength through those weaknesses but the truth is sometimes I want to escape. I don’t want to help. I don’t want to watch them ignore me and hurt themselves worse. Sometimes I just want to stop and remember what it’s like to actually breathe again…

 

- Sometimes I get so frustrated with myself because I just wish ‘I’ would find myself beautiful. Sometimes I don’t even need other people to tell me. I don’t want it. In the end I’m not stuck with them, I’m stuck with me.

 

- I felt so good last week while I was in the hospital in sweats with no make up. I hate wearing face make up or too much of anything because I want to feel natural until I see all the girls at school. The gorgeous ones that I would die to look at. I know how much make up they wear, I know how I feel about that. Yet I just want to look like that and feel like they do and have other people look at me like that.

I hate it.

 

I don’t want to talk about these. I feel vain. And stupid. And immature. Starting this ‘project’ was easy. Everyone said I was so brave but I wasn’t. They were easy. Now though…I resent these truths. You have no many ideas how many times I start a seven truths and delete it all because it’s too hard or too personal.

But I hope you’re all well.

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083134488329

 

424735605_370664282381385_3579570144301062866_n_upscale 2

And the calf that you carve with a smile

Is murder

And the turkey you festively slice

Is murder

Do you know how animals die ?

Kitchen aromas arent very homely

Its not comforting, cheery or kind

Its sizzling blood and the unholy stench

Of murder

"Be careful what you wish for."

 

"Mostly because you might just get it freaking jammed down your throat and have everything you've ever done, touched, spoke to or on, said, loved, disliked, and thought about dragged out for the entire world to see and pass their infinite wisdom, experience and judgment on."

 

"This includes being called a MILF, an idiot, unpatriotic, stupid, corrupt, hypocritical, a mouthpiece, ignorant, just a pretty face, arrogant, a Luddite, and having yourself and your daughter's sexual proclivity slandered and lusted after as well."

 

"Welcome to the Big Time, Sarah. I hope you enjoy your time in the sun."

  

btw... Thank you so much for dragging the rest of us along with you.

  

Can you tell that I'm loving being an Alaskan right now? : )

 

In all seriousness, her administration's done some good things for this State. I didn't vote for her in 2006, even though I was happy she won the primary, it was mostly because I just really, really didn't like Murkowski at all.

 

I posted this same shot of her back when I originally took this in August of 2006.

 

I was thinking about that shot on the drive home from work today as I listened to story after story about this situation. Figured I'd check it when I got home.

 

Yup. 7K+ hits, most all of them in the last six days or so.

 

Shocking! /sarcasm

  

All I really care about right now?

 

LEAVE HER KIDS (AND THEIR FRIENDS) ALONE.

 

Do I see the delicious irony in the fact that her daughter is pregnant and she advocates for abstinence only as a basis for sexual education? Well, duh.

 

Regardless of her mother's political policies/ideology, she's still entitled to be a child (and/or young adult). I can't repeat some of the horrid things I have read just tossed about about this seventeen year old and her boyfriend. Whom, I must admit from his myspace page, seems like a complete tool, but you know what? HE'S A KID TOO. We were all freaking tools as teenage boys. (Go on. Lie to yourself. We were.) Some of us made stupid mistakes. This guy makes one and his GF's mom gets picked for a Veep ticket and now he won't be able go to the local store or answer his freaking phone and has HIS every action and statement "vetted" and magnified? WTF?!?

 

I feel that somewhere between the mid to late 80's and today, the world just up and forgot that we are all human. We all have feelings and are all trying to make a life. Now everything and everyone seems to be fair game for everything.

 

LET ME BE CLEAR: I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for Sarah right now. She's in her 40's and a public figure. She's old enough and smart enough to know what awaited her once she accepted that nomination. Let the chips fall where they may for her. But her kids shouldn't be part of that reality. Every politician and public figure's kids shouldn't be. Sue me. It's what I believe.

 

And don't give me the "I'm being naive", or "it's Sarah's fault for dragging her kids through this" crap either. Use that for an excuse and we should all just go back to being knuckledraggers and be thrilled with the occasional fire. It's news worthy because people condone the salaciousness of the reporting. Because there are reporters who feel the need to get "in depth" with this sh!t.

 

She's human. Her daughter's human. Her daughter's boyfriend is human. If anything, this makes her a real human being with real problems just like the rest of our country deals with on a daily basis.

 

God forbid we ever have one of *those* in an office that matters. *gasp!*

  

PS: That last statement (well, this whole post, really) is not an endorsement of the McCain/Palin ticket. I am, and have always been, an UNDECLARED voter. That should not equate as apathy, for I do vote. Every single opportunity I have to. It's just that I am as disenchanted with our society (and its political processes) as I have ever been right now and this lack of reason and candor in all of this stuff, both liberal and conservative, well, it's just not helping me one iota.

 

PPS: God Bless The Internet. : )

 

EDIT 04 Sep 08:

 

The only thing I will mention in detail from last night's speech is this:

 

I watched little Piper Palin ask her Daddy to hold her brother last night and when he let her, the camera came back to her licking her palm to use her spit to smooth out his wild baby hair (lol!), and again to her gently brushing something off his face with her hand as she looked at him. That was truly an amazing, non choreographed display of innocence and gentleness that completely touched my heart. That it occurred during the firestorm of snarkiness and partisanship that was being conveyed to the entire planet?

  

The dichotomy that moment of humanity represents should not go unnoticed.

 

If you'd like, you can read the full comment below. Thanks.

This photo needs to be viewed on anything other than Chrome or Internet Explorer (I am being a massive hypocrite and typing this on Chrome...) to see the colours POP! (Although even then, they're nothing like the original photo, silly Flickr).

 

Straight out of camera besides crop.

 

I doubt anyone would, but would anyone be interested in buying prints?

Mr. politicians, these girls give "thanks" to you for his speeches hypocrites.

www.abaimagen.com

Rhythm of Line GLEITZEIT ESSAY BY ELLEN YUSTAS K GOTTLIEB CIRCA 1995 New York City

In Early period Jaisini has more meaning manipulation creating concept of visual line’s enclosure in unison with logical line.

Movement in the space and constructed thinking process together seem to come to a deceptive simplicity of continuous line.

In reality the artist works in complicated manner of multiple approaches that has multi personalities united in one through a fight.

Was line predetermined in her movement?

But it is technically immediate, imaginative, and not prepared.

In accordance to the artist’s own assumptions, his line matures in his mind for long period of time before he could release it on the canvas together with the painting’s unique plot.

The plot of the picture’s characters usually serves purpose of mixing the originality of beauty with simple decorative purpose of line interlacing and sometimes it brings images in most unexpected connections, mixing such themes as classical music with semi erotic depictions where aesthetic flare of creative fertilization is deeply connected to erotic display of mastery, a dialectical incentive of creation.

Mixtures of refine eroticism and ultimately conservative in appearance subject of classical musicians brings the theme to unexpected prominence.

In paintings subject is not ever explicit or hidden too deeply between the lines to be hypocritically implied, to the opposite the artist sets his ideas in perfect harmony.

Jaisini tends to perfect all angles of his creation to the level of condition with constant curiosity about his art.

If you had learned the meaning you would start to see more of its visual technique.

Then it could start to change the meaning.

The process of growing together with Jaisini’s artworks is unlimited.

Just when you thought that you have grasped the capricious creation it starts to run away from you again.

And this is exactly what Jaisini stage in his art, the game that never ends and develops into new game.

Music is a particularly relevant aspect of Jaisini’s inspiration as a part of the artist’s daily life.

The connection of art images and subjects is not straightforward but still in many ways is connected to music sensitivity.

with film on black

 

Say hello to my Nikon FM.

 

My dad bought me this lovely simple wind on just over a year ago and I love it! There's no digital screen, no complicated menu's, no buttons. It weighs next to nothing yet built like a tank. And best of all?.....

It takes film! :)

 

Now I know you might all call me a hypocrite as I've just bought a new camera and I wont lie to you, digital is convenient and cheap BUT I still personally prefer film.

The quality just still has the edge in my personal opinion. The grain! The texture!

It's just so romantic. Taking a 36 exp roll and waiting to get it developed, did it work? How did they come out? Oh the excitement of not knowing!

 

There's just something about it, it looks so real, like you were there, like you could touch it, almost as if you could smell that place your looking at through the print.

 

When I studied photography I was taught on black and white film. I had to develop all my own negatives and photos in a dark room and I tell you what if you haven't experienced a photograph develop in front of your very own eyes you are truly missing out. Its so amazing watching an image slowly appear in the developer. There's no feeling like it. And the smell! Ohhh the smell, it stinks! I remember coming out of the dark room and people would be like Arr yuck you stink man! :) he he. Yeaah I did.

I really miss the excitement and romance of it all so I have decided to make sure I use this little feller more often this year.

 

I really hope film continues for many many many years to come. I think its a revolution in the way we view the world today. It helps us express ourselves and as Ansel Adams said,

 

''A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed''.

 

He also said...

 

''No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit''.

 

Amen to that.

 

So here's to film, Ansel Adams and many years with my FM.

 

So thanks pa for this wonderful gift..I'll treasure it forever.

  

P.S Thanks to James for letting me use his soft box and holding it up while I got the shot right :)

At times I just enjoy hanging out in the yard, catching a glimpse and an occasional photo of the native wintering birds. I love to watch them at my feeders. I have always found it interesting, if not quite hypocritical, that so many people are perfectly comfortable providing food for native birds, yet so many of these same individuals frown on providing sustenance for other wild animals in need. Mankind, indisputably the most invasive species, has wreaked havoc on innumerable animals throughout the world and history. We destroy and restrict extensive habitats, lay waste to hordes of prey animals, and yet we are reluctant to help sustain the remaining wildlife, for fear that we might change their natural ways. Well, we've already done that! While I certainly don't condone providing sustenance to wildlife in a way that puts that animal or the person doing it in mortal danger, I do believe that providing food, safe passage, and at times shelter, should be conscientiously pursued rather than dissuaded. We have a long way to go to make up for the damage for which we are responsible. I suspect there are many misguided souls who would argue against this point. For now I will enjoy the simple pleasures that nature offers, like this Tufted Titmouse perched on a branch, and reserve that conversation for another time. #iLoveNature #iLoveWildlife #WildlifePhotography in #NewJersey #Nature in #NorthAmerica #TuftedTitmouse #Birds #DrDADBooks #Canon #WildlifeConservation

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/news/the-hypocritical-ccp-instig...

Since coming to power, the CCP has never stopped persecuting religious belief. Especially since Xi Jinping has taken office, religious persecution, and in particular, the suppression of Christianity, has escalated to new heights today. The unscrupulous suppression, arrests, and persecution have not only been carried out against house church Christians. Even officially-run Three-Self churches and crosses have been demolished in large numbers. Christians have been arrested, sentenced, and jailed in large numbers, and some have even been beaten to death. Countless Christians have had to flee their homes to avoid the CCP’s arrest, unable to return, and many Christians have been persecuted so severely that they have no choice but to flee to democratic nations to seek asylum. Yet the evil CCP is hardly content to allow these Christians to escape. The CCP not only uses diplomatic and economic means to put pressure on these democratic nations, it also trains and embeds large numbers of special agents to work in these countries and monitor Christians, with the goal of extraditing these escaped Christians to China by every possible way. In September of 2018, for example, an incident occurred in South Korea targeted at threatening these Christian refugees. A Korean woman led over ten family members of escaped Chinese Christians living in Korea, in a demonstration, in which she claimed that the Christian asylum seekers of The Church of Almighty God (CAG) in South Korea were “false refugees,” and demanded that the Korean government repatriate them to China. The demonstration proved immediately controversial. But, the demonstration poses a question: Why would a South Korean citizen, living long-term in South Korea, lead more than ten relatives of Christians, of Chinese nationality, in such a demonstration? She was entirely unfamiliar with these Christians’ family members, and didn’t know the background of the CCP’s persecution of Christians, so why would she organize the relatives of these Chinese Christians to conduct such a demonstration in South Korea? Why did she claim that these CAG Christians fled to Korea were false refugees and demand that the South Korean government repatriate them? It truly is a puzzling situation. What hidden factors were behind this demonstration? On today’s program, our guests are two Christians from The Church of Almighty God whose Chinese family members took part in the demonstration. Today’s topic will be a discussion of the events surrounding the demonstration.

Reported by correspondent Zheng Guangming

Recommended for You:Christian Documentary

 

Image Source: The Church of Almighty God

Terms of Use: en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html

 

Ash Wednesday

 

Shrine's flood light was very bright so I manually moved camera's setting to negative 2, which produced what you see. Hope you received inspiration and wisdom as you discern that ultimate question. Thanks for visiting etc. Let us pray we all meet in Paradise later!

  

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Joel 2:12-18

Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

  

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

 

When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. (Matthew 6:6)

 

Ash Wednesday allows us to practice what Jesus taught as we observe this first day of Lent. We fast and receive God's blessing with ashes on our foreheads to express our sorrow for offending Him. Today's Gospel reading invites us to do this with sincerity, asking our Father for forgiveness openly and honestly, but from the inner rooms of our hearts.

 

When Jesus taught His disciples how to fast, pray and practice good deeds in a manner most pleasing to our Father, He said they shouldn't act like the hypocrites who made sure others saw them, so as to win their praise. The hypocrites received the praise they pined for, but that was it for them, Jesus warned, "They have received their reward."

 

When the praise of man is our only incentive to do good, then the praise of man is all we'll get. On the other hand, if our acts are done from the heart with the intent that only our Father see them, a most excellent reward comes to us, "and your Father who sees in secret will repay you." What we receive from delighting our Father is lasting. Our recompense begins immediately with His grace and continues on for eternity—what could be better?

 

Not everyone can distinguish sincerity, but our Heavenly Father sees everything. Let us humbly speak with faith to the One who knows of our hunger, hears our every prayer, sees our every deed, forgives us of everything and rewards us greatly.

 

- Elizabeth A. Tichvon | elizabethtichvon@comcast.net

 

EXPLORE # 362 on Thursday, February 7, 2008

spent the entire day doing ap world summer homework (seriously why would anyone give out summer homework...)

 

didn't take any pictures today. this was from yesterday.

 

just realized how boring my captions always are and i'm way behind on tags so heres one. tagged by hsien hsien :) (HAHA okay sry i love you noel/natasha. you have way too many names.)

 

10 random facts

1. when i was little the first thing i'd do when i wake up is draw a rainbow, cut it and tape it to my door. by the time we had to move, my whole door was covered in rainbows and they've been on there for too long so my mom had to scrape it off. haha i was devastated.

2. i feel like it's so hard to concentrate on one thing.. i mean, i still get things done but i just jump around a lot before the thing gets done.

3. i like movies that make me cry.

4. although im in my yellow phase right now (i think i'm kind of getting over it already) my favorite color is blue. i like burgundy too.

5. haha everyone tries to do the "ingrid smile" but i dont even think there is one. HAHA they just do a random smile and say "LOOK IM DOING THE INGRID SMILE" but CLEARLY i don't smile like that.

6. haha if i make fun of you, it probably means i'm comfortable around you :) some people take it too seriously. i'm pretty goofy most of the time but i can be dead serious when i need to.

7. i think i changed a lot over the past few years. i used to so mean, a judgmental bitch. now i tell people they shouldn't talk about people behind their backs. kind of hypocritical, don't you think? i don't even know if this change is for the better. i was shallow, carefree, wild, i started drama (which was so.. bad) but my life was so much more interesting.

8. i'm kind of old fashion. i love old movies and songs

9. haha i really wished i was excellent at something. have something i'm known for.

10. i'm an aquarius. really stubborn, direct, people think i don't care because i can't connect enough emotionally. i personally think that i care too much :D

 

sorry that was kind of deep. i feel like i just wanna talk to someone about things that's been going through my mind lately. but hey! you guys know me better now, though i don't know why anyone would read all that cuz i probably wouldn't lol

 

tag you're it! you don't have to talk about idk.. deep things.

tag me once you're done! i'd love to read everyones :)

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/city-will-be-overthrown-m...

Introduction

It is recorded in the Bible that the Lord Jesus condemned the Pharisees with the seven woes. Nowadays, the path walked by the pastors and elders of the religious world is that of the Pharisees and they similarly suffer God's detestation and rejection. So why did the Lord Jesus condemn and curse the Pharisees? It was primarily because they had a hypocritical essence that defied God, because they only paid attention to performing religious rituals and keeping rules, they only explained the rules and doctrines in the Bible and did not put God's words into practice or follow God's commandments whatsoever, and they even discarded God's commandments. Everything they did completely ran counter to God's will and requirements. This was the hypocritical essence of the Pharisees and it was the primary reason for the Lord Jesus hating and cursing them.

Terms of Use： en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html

Mark 5:13 “He gave them leave; and the foul spirits came out and entered into the swine, and the herd—about 2,000 in number—rushed headlong down the cliff into the water and were drowned.”

 

FBI director: “The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023 but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole ‘nother level.”

 

Iran has had terrorist sleeper cells in the Unites States for a long time. Yet, the American government has never done anything about it…shocker! Open borders: letting in an army of enemies…what could go wrong? How many of you have a fence around your house? How many of you would leave your front door open and let anyone and everyone live in your house? Hypocrites!

 

The New World Order Hegelian Dialectic: Problem, Reaction, Solution.

 

They create the problem. Then the sheeple beg them to fix it (with the help of the mainstream media propaganda machine). So what will be the solution: more big government laws (more power and control)? Bigger spending? War? An excuse to push forward towards CBDCs and Digital IDs...we need a biometric digital ID system for the border…it sounds good until one day they clamp down on you leaving the country, and you find that you are a prisoner in your own soviet style country.

 

The FBI calls parents who speak out at school board meetings domestic terrorists (an authoritarian state must be the parent from cradle to grave)…in the end what will be their solution to this fake terrorist problem…soviet style gulags or nazi stlye concentration camps? It’s hard to tell what side of the fence these New World Order neo-commufacists will lean...they can always set up FEMA camps…hahaha.

 

“German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has issued a stark warning to residents of Germany, urging them to come to terms with the possibility of war in Europe.”

 

When our way of living is ready to collapse…war is a great distraction.

 

“The time of a man's life is as a point; the substance of it ever flowing, the sense obscure; and the whole composition of the body tending to corruption. His soul is restless, fortune uncertain, and fame doubtful; to be brief, as a stream so are all things belonging to the body; as a dream, or as a smoke, so are all that belong unto the soul. Our life is a warfare, and a mere pilgrimage. Fame after life is no better than oblivion. What is it then that will adhere and follow? Only one thing, philosophy. And philosophy doth consist in this, for a man to preserve that spirit which is within him, from all manner of contumelies and injuries, and above all pains or pleasures; never to do anything either rashly, or feignedly, or hypocritically: only to depend from himself, and his own proper actions: all things that happen unto him to embrace contentendly, as coming from Him from whom he himself also came; and above all things, with all meekness and a calm cheerfulness, to expect death, as being nothing else but the resolution of those elements, of which every creature is composed. And if the elements themselves suffer nothing by their perpetual conversion of one into another, that dissolution, and alteration, which is so common unto all, why should it be feared by any? Is not this according to nature? But nothing that is according to nature can be evil.” Marcus Aurelius

October 31 305 / 366

My father died on this day, 15 years ago. He loved Halloween, he would drive us around (only "good" neighborhoods), and let us off at the beginning of a block and slowly follow us in the car until the end of every block. He would sit in the car, munching half our loot and keeping a careful eye out for us. He did this, even though his day started at 5 am. I would half wake up, and hear him get up every morning, use the bathroom and quietly make his way down the stairs. He owned a successful bread bakery. He was a master baker and made about 12 varieties of hand-shaped French, Sicilian, Ring, Braided and Sandwich breads and rolls, many of which, even in my travels, I have never found again. He would come back at about 10 am in his bakery whites, with a warm loaf of bread and have breakfast with my Mom and whoever was lucky enough to either be young enough not to be in school yet or home "sick". My mom would make fried eggs for him and he would let you break his yolks with your toast and never insist that you eat the whites.

 

I remember being at school and mid-morning would come and I would be thinking of them at home, having breakfast and laughing and talking, the sun streaming into the kitchen through my mother's perfectly starched, swiss dot curtains. I still like to eat breakfast at that more civilized time.

 

My father was a good man who provided well for his family with hard work and honesty. He loved my Mom, his kids, opera music and books and movies on World War I and II. He had a great sense of humor, could not stand hypocrites and could come up with a perfect nickname for anyone within 15 minutes of meeting them. He taught me to be strong, honest and get up every morning and do whatever has to be done.

 

To this day, I wake up at 5 am every morning. Sometimes, half asleep, I think I hear him tiptoeing down the stairs. I say a prayer of thanksgiving for him and often go right back to sleep, having a better sleep than I had all night.

 

I miss you Dad and look forward to seeing you in heaven one day. xx

 

++++++

 

All Hallows' Eve is not a liturgical feast on the Catholic calendar, but the celebration has deep ties to the Liturgical Year. These three consecutive days: All Hallow's Eve All Saints Day and All Souls Day, illustrate the Communion of Saints. The Church Militant (those of us on earth, striving to get to heaven) pray for the Church Suffering (those souls in Purgatory) especially on All Souls Day and the month of November. We also rejoice and honor the Church Triumphant (the saints, canonized and uncanonized) in heaven. We also ask the Saints to intercede for us, and for the souls in Purgatory.

 

*Surprise! Halloween is not a pagan holiday. In England, saints or holy people were called "hallowed," hence the name "All Hallow's Day." The evening, or "e'en" before the feast, which required fasting and penitence became popularly known as "All Hallows' Eve" or even shorter, "Hallowe'en."

 

Not spooky at all to... View On Black

  

You surround yourself with statues of Saints

Spending Sunday in pews, an image to paint

 

Hypocrite, afraid of the man you did spawn

A son in turmoil, kicked out on your lawn

 

The boy you have raised while fermenting in wine

Did you really think he would turn out fine?

 

Say your prayers cold old woman, say your prayers tonight

Pray the Lord, whom you answer to, lets you see that bright light

 

As when ashes meet ashes, and dust blends to dust

Say your prayers cold old woman, that the Lord you can trust

 

...Does not send you to hell.

 

Poem by: Claudia Cocco

 

visit www.PhotoSolutions.nl to follow my blog.

Do not use my images without my explicit permission

Wordt ook lid van ons forum: www.undiscovered-pictures.nl!

from Jubilate Agno

 

BY CHRISTOPHER SMART

 

For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.

For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.

For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way.

For this is done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.

For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.

For he rolls upon prank to work it in.

For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself.

For this he performs in ten degrees.

For first he looks upon his forepaws to see if they are clean.

For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there.

For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the forepaws extended.

For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.

For fifthly he washes himself.

For sixthly he rolls upon wash.

For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be interrupted upon the beat.

For eighthly he rubs himself against a post.

For ninthly he looks up for his instructions.

For tenthly he goes in quest of food.

For having consider'd God and himself he will consider his neighbour.

For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness.

For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it a chance.

For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying.

For when his day's work is done his business more properly begins.

For he keeps the Lord's watch in the night against the adversary.

For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes.

For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life.

For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him.

For he is of the tribe of Tiger.

For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel Tiger.

For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which in goodness he suppresses.

For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed, neither will he spit without provocation.

For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells him he's a good Cat.

For he is an instrument for the children to learn benevolence upon.

For every house is incomplete without him and a blessing is lacking in the spirit.

For the Lord commanded Moses concerning the cats at the departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt.

For every family had one cat at least in the bag.

For the English Cats are the best in Europe.

For he is the cleanest in the use of his forepaws of any quadruped.

For the dexterity of his defence is an instance of the love of God to him exceedingly.

For he is the quickest to his mark of any creature.

For he is tenacious of his point.

For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery.

For he knows that God is his Saviour.

For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.

For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion.

For he is of the Lord's poor and so indeed is he called by benevolence perpetually—Poor Jeoffry! poor Jeoffry! the rat has bit thy throat.

For I bless the name of the Lord Jesus that Jeoffry is better.

For the divine spirit comes about his body to sustain it in complete cat.

For his tongue is exceeding pure so that it has in purity what it wants in music.

For he is docile and can learn certain things.

For he can set up with gravity which is patience upon approbation.

For he can fetch and carry, which is patience in employment.

For he can jump over a stick which is patience upon proof positive.

For he can spraggle upon waggle at the word of command.

For he can jump from an eminence into his master's bosom.

For he can catch the cork and toss it again.

For he is hated by the hypocrite and miser.

For the former is afraid of detection.

For the latter refuses the charge.

For he camels his back to bear the first notion of business.

For he is good to think on, if a man would express himself neatly.

For he made a great figure in Egypt for his signal services.

For he killed the Ichneumon-rat very pernicious by land.

For his ears are so acute that they sting again.

For from this proceeds the passing quickness of his attention.

For by stroking of him I have found out electricity.

For I perceived God's light about him both wax and fire.

For the Electrical fire is the spiritual substance, which God sends from heaven to sustain the bodies both of man and beast.

For God has blessed him in the variety of his movements.

For, tho he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer.

For his motions upon the face of the earth are more than any other quadruped.

For he can tread to all the measures upon the music.

For he can swim for life.

For he can creep.

   

DALE ABBEY - November 18th 2016.

____________________________

 

Today, the only easily recognisable relict feature of the Dale Abbey ruins is its empty 40-foot-high chancel window, an impressive feature, being forty feet ground to keystone in height and sixteen feet in width.

 

Victorian excavations revealed the Abbey to have possessed transepts of one hundred feet in length, a crossing tower, a cloister eighty-five feet square and a nave of unknown length.

 

It was the camera mounted upon a drone that took the above image of the ancient window arch of the former Dale Abbey, close to dusk and before darkening fields.

Throughout the centuries before the Abbey's destuction by men of King Henry V111, the monks' strict routines had marked the tempo of local life . Each and every day the Abbey bells would have rung out across the surrounding fields and woodland.

 

Further -

Another Lenton Sands flickr picture is a sketch showing the Abbey ruins in 1727, it suggests its structure before King Henry V111 destruction. As a remarkable historic record, the picture deserves some scrutiny. The sketch was first made public in 1880 as a folded page insert in a book concerning the History of Ilkeston by Edwin Truman and others.

 

Dale Abbey was originally known as the " Abbey de Parco Stanli," meaning Stanley Park Abbey ]

 

Cannons were priests and deacons who lived like monks - whilst following the ways of St. Augustine, who was born in November of the year 354, and died in August of 430 . Augustine had sought to establish a church wherein its members would live their days in close Christ-like service, being reliant upon the mercy of God, and by the charity and offerings of the faithfuI . They being without regular salaries, that which they got was distributed proportionately among themselves according to their needs. A strict rule determined the men would dine and sup together. No woman was allowed to enter their house.

 

A monastery, or abbey, was a complex of buildings and facilities necessary for the needs of its inhabitants monastic life of prayer and devout submission to God and the Word of Christ. The wealthiest establishments possessed facilities that the poorer ones could not have afforded or have had a need of .Many were built on the fertile low lying land near water . As fish was an important food, fishponds were dug and established wherever possible. .

 

Abbeys were, and remain, the abode of communities of monks or nuns. They originated among the early Christian hermits of the Egyptian desert as a cluster of separate huts built around that of an anchorite of distinguished piety. The name signifies the institution as well as the building.

 

As the monastic system became organized, there arose a form of architecture suited to its needs. The principle adopted by the Benedictines, that an abbey should be entirely self-contained, led to great complexity in the many thousands of buildings erected by that order throughout Europe. Building features included the church, the centre of the whole monastic life; the chapter-house ; the pisalis, or calefactory, the common room of the monks; the refectory, or dining-room ; dormitories ; cloisters ; buildings devoted to the reception of guests; the almonry, where the needs of the poor were relieved; infirmary and physician’s residence ; library and writing-room ; schools for novices and children; besides bake-house, brewery, workshops, stables, and farm buildings.

The gardens were filled with vegetables, fruits, and medicinal herbs; and the whole abbey was surrounded by a wall. Such British abbeys are, for example, "Westminster, Canterbury, York, Tewkesbury (Benedictine), Durham, Fountains, Kirkstall (Cistercian), Bolton, Bristol, and Holyrood (Augustinian). The first English abbey was founded at Bangor in the year 560.

King Henry VIII began his suppression of the kingdom's monastic foundations in 1525, by ordering the closure of the smaller ones. By 1538 he had abolished, or had ordered the surrendering (the closure) of all the institutions, including the most wealthy and powerful ones.

  

In 1162, in the seventh year of the reign of King Henry the Second a body of nine Augustinian Canons were brought to Dale in Derbyshire by the then Lord of the manor there, Geoffrey de Salicosa Mare .

The men were to live in what was then a wet and wild, deep valley hollow known as Depedale.. It lay in the vicinities of the villages West Hallam, Heanor and Ilkeston. They had come from New-house, in Lincolnshire for the the purpose of establishing a community dedicated to monastic life. Theirs was an extreme task, and one that eventually became impossible as sustained life and work in Depedale proved too harsh. Nevertheless, decades later, after other attempt's had also failed there, a community did become established.

Those first monks of Dale had been formerly of the Augustinian order . They were replaced by a number from Calke Abbey, men who later still were themselves replaced (or perhaps supplemented) by Premonstratensian canons came from Tupholme and finally, more from Welbeck. Depedale (Dale) was an isolated hollow. Its abbey was to be built amidst wild thick woodlands, therefor the monks initially lived very hard , and hungry, lives . It was only as their body gained property, rents and tithe monies, was its future made sure.

The Abbey eventually owned some twentyfour thousand acres of land.

  

As the men in Depedale began their task, England was Violent and Lawless and its population falling .

The reign of King Stephen was from December 26th., 1135, until October 25th.,1154.

The years of the reign of Stephen were terrible for many of his subjects in England : a time in which 1115 castles were built . "The period was violent and lawless as the owners and occupiers of the castles which then abounded in England rampaged. One historian summarised the terrible time : " Castles abounded in every part of England; each defending, or rather depopulating, its neighbourhood. The knights of the castle seized the sheep and cattle in the fields, sparing neither churches nor cemeteries. They stripped the cottages even of their straw, and imprisoned their miserable inhabitants. They exhausted the property of their captives by their ransoms; and many perished in the torments that were applied to compel them to redeem themselves. Tortures were inflicted, both to gratify, revenge, and amass wealth."

 

Dale Abbey was costly to build. Though quarry stone could be had, money could not.

The hermit of the cave had been long dead before the benevolence of Lady Matilda of Stanli made the "manor of Stanleye with its parish" to the canons of Dale.

 

It also acquired advowsons of the churches of Heanor, Ilkeston, and Kirk Hallam.

 

The Abbey was built of stately dimensions, having several large windows on each side, and one large chancel window at its east end . Today that window still stands though long ruined and empty.

  

Then," Richard de Sandiacre," (at a later date) gave, for the love of God and salvation of my soul, to the canons of Dale, a piece of land in " my wood of Kirk Hallam," " being six perches in width, together with the quarry in it, extending from the abbot’s ditch to the east of the said quarry, as far as the wood of the Canons of Dale, for quarrying, ditching, and enclosing," as they shall choose. From this time Dale Abbey increased in possessions and riches, under the rule of eighteen successive Abbots, so that at the time of the Dissolution in I539, when it was surrendered by the Abbot and sixteen Canons, its yearly value was estimated at £144 4s, a sum equal to nearly *£3000 in these day.

 

The original Depedale church, a stone construction that was later developed and expanded to be Dale Abbey, was built by Austin Cannons . Considerable further building (from about the year 1200) created a fine structure of stately dimensions that possessed "Early English," "Early English Transition," and '"Decorated" styles of architecture, plus some later additions made at the latter end of the fifteenth century.

 

First in a series of events which turned the poverty of Depedale to prosperity was the wedding of Margery, the daughter of the man that had been touched by the hermit’s rags and skins, and Serlo de Grendon, - a soldier ardent in warfare, owner of many a manor, and a member of an important wealthy family. With his wife he received half the manor of Okebroke. . Then was Serlo’s gift of part of his wife’s dowry to " a friend who was also his spiritual mother in that she had promised for him at the sacred font long years before." To her Serlo gave "the place of Depedale, and all the land between the path which leads from Boyhawe toward the west to the Colkeysike and Brunesbroc ;" and there she lived in a mansion " where there is now a pond, at the bottom of which our fathers found many cut stones which formerly belonged to the said mansion." This "venerable matron" persuaded her godson to give Depedale to the monastery of Kalke, because " God, who orders everything, willed to exalt Depedale yet more gloriously."

The canons of Kalke sent five of their number to live in their new possession. Their names were Humfrey, who was their leader; Nicholas and Simon, who had both been fellow—students at Paris with Serlo’s son William; "and two others whose names have escaped my memory." These were joined by the godmother’s son, Richard, who had been instructed in sacred letters and ordained priest in order that he might say mass in his mother’s chapel of Depedale, " Having taken root in the said place, the aforesaid canons, strengthened by God, built for themselves a church at great expense, and also other buildings." Moreover, Humphrie, their prior, went to Rome and obtained very valuable privileges " .

 

_____________________________

 

In Queen Victoria's Kinder Times - as the Railways began to be built across the land - Long after the years of Dale Abbey, a traveller of Queen Victoria's time recalled Depedale and the countryside about as he then saw it : -

 

"Depedale, better known as Dale Abbey, has no connection with the limestone region more commonly associated with Derbyshire, but may be taken as a type of the (Robin Hood) scenery frequent in the outer margin of the country; and, indeed, in several parts of the Midland district. It lies in the neighbourhood of the Nottingham border, some eight miles to the east of Derby, among the low hills that drain into the valley of the Erewash. Beyond Derby, the road mounts rapidly from the level meadows by the river Derwent till an upland plateau is gained, over which it runs through richly-wooded scenery, at times seeming almost a continuous park. It commands lovely views over the valley of the Derwent and across a shelving, gently—undulating region toward the south, where mile after mile of rolling fields and woodlands stretches away till at last the lines of the Charnwood Forest hills rise blue in the distance.

 

At length, as the view begins to widen toward the east, we reach the edge of a declivity, and Depedale lies spread out before us. It is a silent, world—forgotten spot—a little village, with crooked lanes, and houses scattered about hap-hazard and almost smothered in orchards. Its history may be briefly told, as it is gathered from the chronicle of one of the Canons of the Abbey, Thomas de Musca, who lived in the fifteenth century; it also forms the subject of a ballad by the Howitts. About the beginning of the thirteenth century, there lived in Derby one Cornelius, a baker,. who, like his namesake of Caesarea, served the Lord zealously in prayer and almsgiving. Falling asleep on a certain day, the Virgin Mary appeared to him in a vision, and bade him, if he would be perfect, leave all his worldly goods and betake himself to Depedale, there to serve her and her Son in solitude and prayer. Thither he wandered, guided by an accidental direction, which he received as a sign from heaven, and, in a little cave scooped out from the rock, worshiped God in fasting and prayers night and day. The Lord of Ockebrook, on his return from Normandy, came upon the recluse while he was out hunting; and, being moved by compassion at his miserable state, granted the spot to him, and gave him tithe of the mill of Burgh for his support. After discovering a spring in the lower part of the valley, and so securing a supply of water, from the want of which he at first had suffered much, he built there an oratory; and, after many sufferings, d

 

Every day the Canons of Dale walked in procession around their churchyard. Their lives were guided by formal written rules contained within a book that had been given a striking frontispiece , a representation of two winged boys carrying a skull of startling appearance, having six conspicuous front teeth, three in each jaw. . . .

  

Thankfully, it eventually happened that, " the Lady Matilda de Salicosa—Mara," in spite of her womanhood, was allowed to enter the sacred precints of Dale, because the noble matron, being old and full of days, and knowing that the time of her summons from this world ( ie her death ) was swiftly drawing near, desired to persuade God to give her a happy exit from this vale of tears by means of " the prayers of such holy men" as the canons. Lady Matilda, and her husband, they being nine years married, had no children and wanting some, made the "manor of Stanleye with its parish" to the canons of Dale, in order that " God, the most High, the rewarder of good deeds, considering the pious devotion of our humility, may grant to us the delight of being blessed with the children we long for," and also that He, " in return for this our gift, may grant to us the happiness of eternal life."

 

The Hymn, Salve Regina . . .

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;

to thee do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate,

thine eyes of mercy toward us;

and after this our exile,

show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

  

By that,the 1899 "History of Ilkeston" plainly observes, reasonably, that the Canons of Dale, " a community of celibates, owed its foundation to a childless couple who were desiring a son to inherit their name ." It further comments that the first object of their gifting having failed, it was natural that the lady should 'appeal to the canons to do their best to procure the fulfilment of the second '.

 

The Baker of Derby became the First Hermit of Dale - then described as Depedale .

As a folk tale and song : the story of the baker of Derby passed down the years .

Truman's History invites a reader to Imagine a scene within a small cottage at evening, where a mother and her family are gathered together . Quote: " And now, as she tarries with them a while, they gather round their aged " mother" " on a certain holy day," and she tells them a tale, the story of how, like St. Norbert of old to his valley of Premontré, a certain baker of Derby first came to the valley of Dale, in the endeavour to make himself perfect, and so to earn "the kingdom of love and joy and eternal bliss which God has prepared for those who love him." The baker had for many years distributed to the poor in alms every Saturday, " for the love of God and the Holy Virgin," all the profits of his baking for the week, except what he needed for food and clothing for himself and his family. Such charity was rewarded. "It happened that on a certain day in autumn, when he had given himself up to the midday sleep, the blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Thy alms are accepted before my son and me, but now if thou wilt be perfect, leave all that thou hast and go to Depedale, and there thou shalt serve my son and me’ " by living all by yourself; and " when thou shalt have finished thy llife on earth, thou shalt inherit" the above mentioned kingdom. So, leaving the poor of Derby to wait in vain for the doles by which he had kept them from starvation, the baker straightway went forth without saying goodbye to his friends and relations, and walked to Stanley, without the ghost of an idea of whereabouts Depedale might be.

In the middle of the village he overheard a woman telling a girl to drive her calves to Depedale, and, "believing that this word had been spoken to him in grace," he followed her and them to " a marshy , place of fearful aspect" far distant from even any hut. There he scooped out a cave in the rocky side of the mountain, " a very small dwelling," which every Ilkestonian has visited, as every inhabitant of Knaresborough has visited the similar hermit’s cave near that town. For there were hermits enough and to spare; but the baker of Derby was one of a superior class. The generality, at least at a later date, were "lewed eremytes that look full humble to gain men’s alms in hope to sit at even by the hot coles, and after drinking deep, to draw themselves to bed, lyving in ydelnesse and in ese." But the fact that the taverns were crowded with dirty hypocrites was a proof that the standard hermit was by no means a despicable creature, however untidy in his habits, else the country folk would not have paid people for pretending to be like him when they were not. Genuine hermits used to spend most of their time in fighting evil spirits, who, thinking not unnaturally that they must have a great deal of spare time on their hands, used to worry them nearly out of their senses. They frequently came to them armed with four claws on each hand, one-third the length of their arms, and five on each foot—eighteen in all, and wearing nothing but a pair of bathing drawers and two long ears. But, formidable though they were, they were not invincible. St. Norbert, when pending a night in prayer about this time, was thus visited when he was in the act of holding his jaw up with his hand because he was so dreadfully tired.* He heard his visitor crying scornfully, " Yah l yah l what

eat work do you think you are ever likely to do when you can’t hold out for a single night ?" " You are liar from the beginning," replied the saint; " who do you think is going to believe you now ?" " At this the evil spirit fled away in confusion." So it was with our Derby ex-baker. As "he served God, day and night, in hunger and thirst, in cold and in meditation," trying to become perfect by eating less than was good for him, " the cunning old enemy of the painted windows in the cloister of Dale Abbey told the story of how St. Robert, the hermit of Knaresborough, and son of the or of York, slew the deer which would not let him repeat his psalms in peace—most hermits made a point of repeating the entire Psalter

day—and how the keepers complained to the king, and how the king told St. Robert he might have as much land for himself as he could plough with a yoke of deer, and how nicely the deer did the ploughing, just as if they had been doing nothing else all their lives."

  

Cannons were priests and deacons who lived like monks. It was St. Augustine who first thought of them. " He made of his episcopal palace a community of clerks who served his church. Those who had anything were obliged to distribute it to the poor, or to get rid of

somehow or other. They waited for the mercy of God by the charity of the Church and by the offerings of the faithfuI," instead of stipulating for regular salaries, and what they received was distributed among them according to their needs. According to strict rule the men would dine and sup together. No woman was allowed to enter the house.

 

Today the only clearly visible Abbey ruin feature is its 40-foot-high chancel window - it being sixteen feet wide, and forty feet from the ground to its keystone .

Victorian excavations revealed the church to have possessed transepts of one hundred feet in length, a crossing tower, a cloister eightyfive feet square and a nave of unknown length. Some of the remains of the building can be found in houses around the village.

The last Abbot of Dale Abbey, John Bede, died in 1540.

 

When, after its dissolution, Sir Francis Pole of Radbourne took possession of Dale Abbey its furnishings and fittings were sold or stripped out. Some were installed in nearby churches. Morley Church became home to some of the stained and painted glass, floor tiles and an entire porchway. The ornately carved font cover was installed in Radbourne Church while Chaddesden received a window frame. In 1884 the Abbey font eventually was returned to Dale , being placed in All Saints Church . The slabs upon which the canons walked for so many centuries can be found in the grounds of the church at the Moravian Settlement at Ockbrook

.

At the time of its forced yet none-violent surrender, Dale Abbey was thought to be of stately dimensions, it having several large windows on each side, and one large chancel window at the east end . It had been founded in the year 1204.

Its surrender to the crown's agent was forced in 1538 by which time its revenues were estimated at £144 4s. per annum.

 

A historian named Willis writes Dale Abbey was surrendered by its last abbot, John Staunton, together with sixteen monks. However according to the commissioners’ accounts of that date it was a person named John Bede was the last abbot. The commissioners awarded the abbot John Bede a pension of £26 13s. 4d., and the monks various smaller pensions. The commissioners counted the total number of monks to be eighteen .

On its last day the Abbey's period of government (authority) had been exactly three hundred and twelve years , six weeks and one day .

Thereafter as the years passed the former Abbey land was subject to many changes of ownership . Upon its surrender to the Crown a certain Francis Pole, Esq., took possession of the site and demesnes, as lessee [ almost certainly for the Crown ] and purchased the altar, crucifix, organ, gravestones and and all the live and dead stock. In the year 1538, the abbey clock was sold for six shillings ; the iron, glass, paving and grave stones, for a total of eighteen pounds. The former Abbey's six great bells , which weighed 47 cwt. , were also disposed of - but for what price or by what arrangement is not known,

In 1554, he ( Francis Pole ) was granted (ie given) the abbey as his fee, that is as a payment to him for his services as lessee .It then being his property , In that same year he conveyed it ( sold it ) to Sir John Port , one of the Justices of the King’s Bench.

Thereafter , Dorothy, one of Sir John's co-heiresses, was left it by his will and by the law of that time brought it to her husband, Sir George Hastings.

Sir Henry Willoughby, of Risley, then purchased the estate of the representative of Sir George Hastings, who was afterwards Earl of Huntingdon, and died in 1605.

Sir Henry Willoughby having left three daughters, co-heiresses, one of whom left no issue, the manor of Dale and the abbey demesnes were held in moieties by the noble family of Grey, and that of A Dewes , into which the other co-heiresses married. One moiety.of the estate was purchased in 1716, by the trustees of Philip the then Earl of Chesterfield, of Sir Simon Dewes, for his BOD Alexander, father of the first Earl of Stanhope.

[ Thereby it came to be that Lord Stanhope was the land's owner at the time of the Abbey site excavation which was commenced, under the auspices of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society in 1878.]

_______________________________

  

THE HERMITAGE OF DALE was a cave, cut in sandstone rock just a short distance from the old Abbey. It was made a basic, yet comfortable enough dwelling, it having a large in the rock, possessing,.originally, a rude doorway a Dale was endowed by the lord or lady of a manor. in return for prayers for their family.

 

Traditionally, hermitages have been located in caves and huts, often in the desert or woods, sometimes abutting monastery buildings of a cenobitic community when there was an exchange of labour and provisions

._______________________________

 

The September 1878 [ partial ] Excavations at Dale Abbey .

 

In September, 1878, an excavation of the foundations of Dale Abbey was begun and continued into August, 1879 when it was ended "having met with unexpected success". The Abbey ground plan was thought largely complete though not concerning its south and west sides .The work had commenced, under the auspices of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. Though some trial holes were permitted to be dug at the south side none were permitted at the west owing to the unwillingness of the tenant there.

 

It appeared that there were six altars to the church, viz., the High Altar, and those dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, our Lady of Pity, the Holy Rood, S. Margaret, and S.Werburgh. Of these the High Altar and two others remained; the position of two others was indicated. The whole church appeared to be of early English date. One of the most valuable discoveries was a large portion of the nave pavement with the tiles disposed for the arrangement of processions. A remarkable effigy was also found, but opinions dilfer as to whom it represents, whether a canon, a cantor, a lector, abbot, or prior.

Some distance beneath this efligy was found an oaken coffin, and beneath the body which was in this coffin were a large number of leaves still green and pliant, although a lapse of 500 years must have ensued since they were plucked from the tree.

 

Beneath two incised slabs, interments were also found. A west doorway ol great richness was unearthed, and also a rnemorial stone of an abbot. It bore a richly sculptured cross, by the side of which was cut a pastoral staff, as significatory of the rank of the old Premonstratensian prelate.

 

The lower courses of a fine staircase at the junction of the choir and north transept that lead up to the central tower were exposed with numerous especially good encaustic tiles of heraldic and set patterns. Also discovered were fragments of painted glass and beautifully carved crochets of Early English work.

Of the original Church, built by the Austin Cannons, there are hardly any remains, beyond some fragments of incised slabs, and perhaps, two or three bases of piers. The existing buildings appear to have been commenced about the year 1200, and there are examples of the "Early English," "Early English Transition," and '"Decorated" styles, with some later additions of the latter end of the fifteenth century.

 

[ Doctor Stukeley's plan shows an aisleless cruciform church, with two contiguous chapels on the south side of the choir- the cloister to the south, bounded by the transept and a large

oblong chamber on the east ; the parlour, refectory, and kitchen on the south, and sundry offices, with the Prior`s lodging, on the west.

The excavations, however, have proved that the doctor's survey is inaccurate.]

  

______________________________

 

After the 1878 - 1879 archaeological excavations upon the Abbey's site , Earl Stanhope, its owner, stated that he intended to preserve it and to erect a building to serve as a museum.

 

_______________________________

 

Manuscript : read the following ancient text which is in old style English with care . . .

 

One of the most interesting records extant, relating to the "Abbey de Parco Stanli" or Dale Abbey," is the one contained in the valuable MS. volume, numbered 172, in the Augmentation Office Records. This account contains the inventories of eleven religious houses, taken in 1538, under the direction of Dr. (afterwards Sir) Thomas Legh and William

Cavendish, the King’s Commissioners for the dissolution, and among these are three or four Derbyshire and Staffordshire houses.

From a copy of one of these—the Inventory of Dale Abbey-—we make the following extracts " : Dale Priory ( Abbey ) , Derbyshire . Hereafter folowyth all such parcells of implements or householde stuife, corne, catell, ornaments of the churche and such

other lyke founde within the late monastery ther at the time of the dissolucon of the same house, soulde by the Kinges Commissioners to Fraunces Pole, esquire, the xxiiij day of October in the xxxth yere of our soveraigne lorde Kyng Henry the viijth..

The Churche : At the hygh aulter a table of woode paynted, ij candlestykes of brasse, a lampe, the seates in the quier, acrucyfyx, Mary and John, a payre of organs, xxs, on the

ryght hand of the quier ij aulters wyth ij tables of allebastervjs. : a grate of yron abowte the Founder [a railing or screenof wood or metal round the tomb of the founder] and tym-

ber worke ther viijs. ; the rode alter in the church and a rodether ijs. ; in our Lady Chapell a table of alebaster and certen setes and woode ther vs.: in the lytell Chapell of our

Lady a table of alebaster wyth an imaj of our Lady ther iijs. ;the particion of tymber in the body of the Churche xxd. ;the clock ther vjs. ; the roffes, ieron, glasse, pavying stones,

and grave stones, and pavying stones in the church xviijli.The Dorter : there ys soulde for vijs vjd.The Vestry : ij tynacles of blacke satten a cope of the same with albes thereto belonging ; a sewte of whyte sylke with a cope to the same spotted with blue sterres; a sewte of blake sylke viij oulde copes viij oulde altar clothes as soulde for xls.

The Cloyster; The roffes, ieron, glass, pavyng stones and the seats there soulde for vi li.

The Kechyn: A brasse pott in a furnes; iij brasse potts; iij lytell pannes; iij spyttes ; a payr of coberds ; j pott chayen ; ij cressetts; j grydyren; a payr of tongs; a morter with a pestell ; xl platers, dysshes and saucers, sould for xls.The Brewhonse ; ij leads ; a masshyng fatte ; a malte arke . The Bysshops Chamber: An oulde fether bede; an oulde coveryng; a boulster; an oulde tester; an oulde henging -— xijs.Catell at the Monastery : viij oxen soulde for iiijli. ; xv. yonge bullokes, at iiijs. the peoe, lxs. ; xx pygges soulde fore xiijs iiijd. ; ealvys soulde for xxs; horses there soulde for xxs — ixli. xiijs iiijd.

[Then follow the remainder of the ‘ oatell and also the grayne ~soulde’ at Bayhaye Graunge and Ockbroke Graungaj Wayenes at the Monastery : ij waynes soulde for vjs viijd, ij

oulde waynes soulde for vjs viijd.

Hereafter folowyth all such parcells of implements or house holde stuffe, corne, catell, ornaments of the churche and such other lyke founde within the late monastery ther at the time of the dissolucon of the same house, soulde by the Kinges Commissioners to Fraunces Pole, esquire, the xxiiij day of October in the xxxth yere of our soveraigne lorde Kyng Henry the viijth.The Churche : At the hygh aulter a table of woode paynted, ij

candlestykes of brasse, a lampe, the seates in the quier, a crucyfyx, Mary and John, a payre of organs, xxs, on the ryght hand of the quier ij aulters wyth ij tables of allebaster

vjs. : a grate of yron abowte the Founder [a railing or screenof wood or metal round the tomb of the founder] and tymber worke ther viijs. ; the rode alter in the church and a rode

ther ijs. ; in our Lady Chapell a table of alebaster and certen setes and woode ther vs.: in the lytell Chapell of our Lady a table of alebaster wyth an imaj of our Lady ther iijs. ;

the particion of tymber in the body of the Churche xxd. ; the clock ther vjs. ; the roffes, ieron, glasse, pavying stones,and grave stones, and pavying stones in the church xviijli.

The Dorter : there ys soulde for vijs vjd. The Vestry: ij tynacles of blacke satten a cope of the same with albes thereto belonging ; a sewte of whyte sylke with a

cope to the same spotted with blue sterres; a sewte of blake sylke viij oulde copes viij oulde altar clothes as soulde for xls.ety was purchased, 1778, of the Earl of Stamford.

 

[A list of ‘ rewards gyven to the abbott and covent ther at ther departure’ is next given, and is followed by a number of payments in sums varying from 5s. to 20s.—— in all, £15 9s. Sd., V including Sir William Cooke, the parish pryst of Stanley, in `' reward 20s. ; John Tebaulde and his wyffe xijs., and John of the Henhouse, viijs.]

 

Pencizms and Stypends appoynted and allotted to the late Abbott and Convent of the seid late Monastery by the foreseid Commissioners to

John Bede, late Abbott . . . .xxvj1i. xiijs. iiijd.

Richard Wheteley, prior . . . . . . cvjs. viijd.

John Cadman . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cvjs. viijd.

Richard Hawslon . . . . . . . . . . . cvjs. viijd.

Thomas Bagshaw . . . . . . . . . . .cvjs. viijjd.

 

William Smyth . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cvjs. viijjd. John Banks . . . . .. . . . . ... . . . . .cs.

John Shemold . . . . . . . . . . . . . lxvjs. viijjd.

George Coke . . . . . . . . . . . . .. es. ff

Robert Hervey . . . . . .. . . . . . . cxvis. viijd. Y

Rauffe Heryson . . . . . . . . . .. . cs. QQ

Robert Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . ..lxvjs. viijjd.

Jamis Cheryholme . . . . . .

The partial archeological excavations of the site of Dale Abbey - 1878 - 1879 .

 

After the 1878 - 1879 archaeological excavations upon the Abbey's site , Earl Stanhope, its owner, stated that he intended to preserve it and to erect a building to serve as a museum.

_____________________________________

 

An 1875 photo at the Hermit's Cave. The man's name was Wood.

 

www.flickr.com/photos/lenton_sands/30971982551/in/datepos...

  

Red Hot Lexi Gold Preps Golden Girl Debbie - IMRAN™

Lexi had to help pull off Debbie's boots especially because the zipper handle on one of them broke. It made for an interesting series of candid photos even though nothing naughty was going on! But just in case for those whose tiny minds or hypocritical sensitivities are easily offended by the human form, "All Models Legal Age And Older". There was NO editing done to either model's face or body. They are shown as they are, naturally beautiful. Only the window in the background was blurred and two electrical conduits on the wall were erased for the pure white wall.

 

© 2020 IMRAN™

Well, I reckon more than a few Scots said "Cheers!" and raised a pint of Tennents when the SNP Sweetheart Stout, Nicola Sturgeon, resigned earlier this week. Do you remember her slagging off the dreaded Tories when they refused to call a General election when first Theresa May resigned, then Boris and finally Liz Truss. Then when Alex Salmond resigned (because she/Sturgeon stitched him up in court) , and then she herself resigned...no general election in Scotland. Always a hypocrite. In a recent poll 96% of the Scottish public thought she should go. She failed at pretty well everything. Worse NHS, worse Policing, worse education, worse drug deaths (3 times worse than next worst country), worse life expectancy amidst skullduggery, lies and corruption. She blamed the English parliament and Tories for everything whilst she let everything in Scotland go to ruin. In fact her list of failures was so long that she needed 18 minutes in her resignation speech to mention most of them, whereas Boris, May, Truss only took 5-6 minutes on each of theirs. Now the SNP is looking (trying to fix her replacement) whilst in particular slagging off a publicly favoured candidate Kate Forbes because she stood up for her religious beliefs. Being of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland they have strong Christian values which are largely mirrored in all other major religions: Muslim, Judaism, Buddhism, etc. She's a good girl, from my part of the world, from the highlands and islands of Scotland, where kids are still taught respect and decency. But actually, if I could vote and I can't as I'm not an SNP member, I favour Ash Regan/Denham, another principled and decent lady who I hope can steer Scotland in a better direction, away from the hatred, division and failure caused by Sturgeon's grievance politics. Unfortunately the hot favourite to win the race to be First Minister is a proven loser. Humza: and not that Humza, the Strictly Come Dancing winner from Ardnamurchan

S130 Road South of Lower Sabie, Kruger NP, Mpumalanga, SOUTH AFRICA

...

Las canciones sirven para muchas cosas.

Los lenguajes sirven para muchas cosas.

Las redes sociales sirven para muchas cosas.

Flickr sirve para muchas cosas.

La hipocresía sirve para muchas cosas.

Las mesas sirven para muchas cosas.

 

¿Quién sirve la mesa?

   

Dentro y fuera de cualquier red social, dentro y fuera de Flickr, dentro y fuera.

 

# # #

 

...

Songs serve for many things.

Languages serve for many things.

Social networks serve for many things.

Flickr serves for many things.

Hypocrisy serves for many things.

Tables serve for many things.

 

Who serves the table?

   

Inside and outside any social network, inside and outside Flickr, inside and outside.

 

# # #

 

Hypocrisy & Communication series

 

Gentle movement, elegant gesture, and nice color. Don't be misled by its look, the bird was actually pooing! I got this shot at Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

"Unzeitgemäße Zeitgenossen” ("Untimely Contemporaries"), by Bernd Göbel. Five caricatures on a bar on a pillar representing hypocritical Communist East Germany figures.

I am going to talk about a topic most would consider to be very sensitive and that is pornography. So if you don’t feel comfortable reading about it please stop whenever you like to. Of course I will talk about it from my personal experience. I will try not to focus on porn or talk about it in details, as my goal is not to assist others to indulge in sin but to glorify God for the freedom He has given me. I will start by talking about the photo first.

 

First of all I want to say that talking about being addicted to porn is not easy. I had considered talking about for some time but didn’t really want to do so. So I decided, like I do often, is to lie down and talk to God and think about why I didn’t want to write about it. The reason was simple: I didn’t want people to have a bad idea about me. The final point was: I wanted to keep my image “clean” like so many of us Christians like to do. However, after some thought I came to this conclusion:

 

1) I was born a sinner and I am as sinful in my nature as anybody else ever lived on earth, so there is no point in acting like I am better than anybody else.

 

2) I am who I am because of who I am in Christ, and that’s because of His perfect and finished work on the Cross: His death for my sins. Not because of anything good in me or about me.

 

3) When I accepted Jesus I basically gave Him ownership over me. In other words, there is no more “my reputation”, “my name”, “my this” and “my that”. Everything belongs to Him now. Of course I thought that I could simply avoid talking about this topic and “act” as if there is something special about me. But the truth is that He is special and I am special only because the Holy Spirit, who is special, lives in me.

 

4) For Christ to be lifted through me I must be lowered. For Him to be glorified I must tell the world about who I was before Christ.

 

5) I didn’t want to be a hypocrite! Of course, as we all know, being a hypocrite is much easier than a lot of things in life. (And believe me it is much easier to be a hypocrite than to live the Christian life, but only through living the Christian life we can find true fulfillment in Jesus.) But if I claim that I belong to Christ and that my identity is wrapped up in who I am in Him, a prince and a child of the living and holy One, then I have to act upon this claim. Otherwise I am simply being a hypocrite. I cannot say that my value and worth are in Him, when I value myself in how others see me.

 

So I will start my story now…

 

When I was in my teens back home, and I would be taking the bus in the evening sometimes I would look at my hand and be completely amazed by the orange sun light reflecting off of it, especially the amount of details God has put in the skin! And because I like to draw, shadows have always amazed me. Until now I try to emphasize shadows and contrast in my photos. So a couple of days ago I was studying when it was sunset and I looked at my hand and again I loved the amount of details in the skin. So I took few photos and after some editing, I realized this photo can be very fitting to talk about Jesus Christ’s favour in setting us free from sin. So here is my final product. I hope you like it. (Special thanks to Gimp!)

 

I didn’t soak the hand with orange colour and dark shadows because I want to talk about a light that’s brighter than the sun’s: the light of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That’s why I kept the light white.

 

I was not familiar with pornography until I came to Canada, and especially after I bought my first computer. Like so many others I started watching porn because of curiosity. I accepted Jesus in my life before I came to Canada though. Being still an immature Christian, spiritually like a few days old infant, I was an easy prey to Satan’s lies.

 

Then porn turned to more than just curiosity—it became a habit. Then from a habit it became an addiction. It pretty much consumed hours of my daily life, and all my energy. It cost me a lot in school as my marks dropped dramatically. My relationship with God was reduced to “hi” and “bye”!

 

I tried to quit many times but I couldn’t. I knew it was wrong but by then it was too strong of an addiction to break free from. I hated it and loved it at the same time. I hated it because it ruined every aspect of my life. I loved it because I was emotionally dependent on it: it was my idol. (For more on Idols you might be interested in reading: www.flickr.com/photos/001fj/2334638980/

 

Pornography was a very strange affair. I mean, when I went out I tried not to lust after women but when I came home I entertained the worst thoughts for hours! One of the worst things about porn is that it gets worse overtime. You never start at a low level and stay there; you stoop to lower levels because after a while those materials are not satisfying anymore. Can you imagine the helplessness people who are addicted to porn feel? Can you imagine the feeling of entrapment? Can you imagine not only seeing yourself in a very bad situation but also seeing yourself heading toward a worse situation and you are going by your own will simply because you couldn’t resist doing the thing that is hurting you and eventually will destroy you!

 

It is like standing in a hole and digging it to make it deeper and deeper and deeper.

 

One summer break I spent it pretty much editing photos using Photoshop and listening to Dr. Charles Stanley. In one sermon he was talking about how God sets us free and the bottom line was that we have to:

1) Realize and admit our situation and helplessness

2) Trust that God can free us

3) Surrender ourselves, lives and hearts to Him

 

So I tried it. I went to pray and told God all those three points and I meant them—I truly believed and knew that I couldn’t free myself from this sin, and I knew that God was a good God who loved me and cared about me….but, I didn’t know how to surrender! I mean if I was in a war then I could take a piece of white cloth and put it on a stick, raise it up and walk toward the enemy. They would see the white piece of cloth and would know that I am surrendering, but how do you do that spiritually? I mean, it is more than words just as in the scenario of the battlefield above: I have to raise (action word) the stick, and walk (another action word) toward the enemy. But how do you surrender spiritually?

 

Needless to say after that prayer I went back to pornography as if I had not even prayed it! I knew Dr. Stanley is a godly man so I knew he wouldn’t teach something false, but I simply didn’t know how to apply it. So I kept trying to break free from pornography using all methods I knew from self-control (emphasis on the word “self”; I am not talking about the self-control we have by focusing on Christ and putting Him first in our lives), to using filters to always keeping the windows and door open, etc…nothing worked.

 

God wasn’t completely silent in those couple of years when I was addicted to porn. I can recall some other time when God completely cut all communication with me until I obeyed Him in a certain matter (thank God He did that!), but that was not the case in those two years. I think God knew that I was helpless against breaking free from porn. He knew I was too young spiritually to abandon me completely to my weakness and leave me completely at Satan’s mercy (as if he has any!)

 

A particular scary moment was when one night after indulging in sin for hours I stood and planned to go carry out a sinful act. After a couple steps it was as if God slapped me so hard that He woke me up from a nightmare; the only thing is that I was not dreaming--it was real life! I had so foolishly bought Satan’s lies to the degree that I was going to carry them out! I froze and couldn’t move for few seconds because it was as if God had blocked my way. Then I realized that I was basically a slave of Satan if I kept believing what he told me. I was like a zombie having all sense sucked out of me and so dead in my sins.

 

Nothing can explain God's intervention in that moment better than this song:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_SjhKJgqGg

 

I also realized that I was not so different from Ted Bundy or any other serial killer and rapist. I was a step away from going that road if it wasn’t for God mercy, grace, love and compassion. I can never be thankful enough for Him for intervening in that moment. We were all born sinners, and according to God holiness that demands divine justice we all deserve the death penalty. That’s why our Lord had to die for our sins to be forgiven. So please, next time you hear about a criminal so “evil” ask yourself those two questions: 1) Can Jesus’ blood forgive all his sin? Yes, or no? 2) Can God change him? Yes, or no? The answer is yes to both questions. (Check this man’s testimony if you like to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIfQ-aBham4

 

One time I managed to stay away from pornography for 18 days! I was so happy but when I fell to sin again I was more miserable than ever before! I knew that I couldn’t do better than that. That was about half a year after listening to Dr. Stanley’s message.

 

So sometime in March of 2003 I went to pray at night. And I basically told God that I had enough and that I wasn’t going to pray anymore. I was ending my relationship with Him! I didn’t know better at the time that He paid a high price to adopt me into His family and He wasn’t just going to let me go! I was so tired of pretending that my religion works when it didn’t! I became a Christian not looking for a religion, but because the God of the Bible was so real I wanted to know Him…I wanted to experience what He did and said He would do. But it was not working! It was also so repulsive to me to come pray to God when I had so disgustingly disobeyed Him! It was like lusting after women all day long then going home and kissing my wife and pretending that everything is “fine”, (by the way, it is NOT “fine” with God and His opinion is the only opinion that matters if not now then later!). I simply couldn’t carry a relationship with a Holy God when I was so steeped into sin. I was crying when I told Him “good-by” because I had really wanted Christianity to work since it was the only faith that held its own claims and its God was so real that it would require more faith for me not to believe in Him than to believe in Him! (How much faith does it take to believe in gravity? None, because we know it exists! That’s the same case with our God.) So I told Him that I don’t care anymore. I give up. I can’t break free from pornography’s hold on me, and He isn’t helping me. So I give up and won’t try to resist porn anymore. I was too tired to try to please a God who wasn’t willing to help me with my burdens.

 

I don’t remember exactly what day it was that I prayed that prayer but I know it was in the last 10 days of March, 2003. So I stood up and thought that was the end…that all those prayers I had prayed and He answered, the peace He has given me, the joy, and the awesome awareness of His presence I had experienced before…were all things I had imagined.

 

Next day I didn’t watch porn, and I thought because I was busy with school work. The day after I didn’t watch porn either and I thought because the whole week was a busy week with school work! After a week I realized that I didn’t watch porn for the last week nor did I think about it or desired to watch it! That’s when it hit me: I was free! Hallelujah, Jesus set me free! Christianity works! My wonderful God is real! Everything He did before was real! So I went to pray again, and asked Him what I should do now! He put on my heart to go to www.settingcaptivesfree.com/home/our_courses.php and register! So I did, and went through the online program for 2 months. And I have been free from pornography since that March night until today. I had a friend in high school was struggling with pornography too. He was from Pakistan and when I told him that I was free he didn’t understand how. I couldn’t explain it more to my friend than the blind man, whom our Lord Jesus healed, answered in John 9:25:

 

He replied, "…One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

 

It took me a while to realize that the Biblical principle in Dr. Stanley’s sermon works! What I did in that prayer is simply I gave up: surrendered. I stopped trying to do it in my own strength. I stopped trying to fight God’s war for Him. I stopped trying to earn His favour. I stopped trying to win my way according to my timing. I ceased striving.

 

If you read Gideon’s story, the story Dr. Stanley based his sermon outlines on, you will realize God did the same thing with Gideon and His army. I truly encourage you to read it. You can find it in the book of Judges.

 

Why did God free me this way? Well there are many reasons, here are some:

 

1) He wants to bring Himself the glory. If we do it on our own and succeed what does that tell the world about Him? Nothing. Then I could’ve written this whole story without a mention of Him. But the fact is I couldn’t break free from pornography on my own in a million years. It was all His work.

 

2) He desires to grow our faith. My faith wouldn’t have grown in a God that stands idle while I did everything myself. But now I know He is more than able to do everything He said will do.

 

3) God wants us to trust Him and know that He can handle His own affairs and wars. It is good to defend God and fight for Him, but we must let Him fight His own battles so the world to know that He is a mighty and powerful God, and that He is real.

 

Let me ask you some questions: if you are always fighting for your god, protecting it, speaking on its behave, defending it, what makes you think it is a real god? If your god can’t speak, what makes you so convinced it could create your mouth? If your god can’t fight its own battles against evil, what makes you think it can give you victory? If your god can’t defend itself, what makes you think it can protect you?

 

4) For others to see, hear, believe and come to know Him. If I was able to free myself from porn by myself, how would that draw people to Him?

 

You can say whatever you want about God. You can say that you don’t like Him. That you don’t believe in Him. You can say that you would rather live your life without Him, and spend eternity in Hell than in Heaven with Him. But you can’t tell me that I was not addicted beyond human hope to pornography and He freed me from it. You can’t tell me that my God isn’t real or that He is dead. You can’t tell me that my God is not powerful, or that He doesn’t love me and cares about me.

 

I remember a couple of years ago I was waiting for the bus (isn’t it strange how I realize a lot of things while waiting for the bus!), and thought to myself, “What is so horrible about pornography anyway?” (That was a couple of years after God freed me from it!) Then suddenly I had this very empty feeling in my chest when I remembered how spiritually thirsty I was when I was addicted to porn. I remember how horrible it felt to chase after something that does not satisfy and that it leads to more chasing…but it still does not satisfy! Ever since then until now, I would like to think that I have a healthy fear of pornography, and sin in general. (Remember, God created fear to protect us, just like pain. But how we view fear and respond to is what makes the difference between a protective fear and an enslaving fear.) Of course, porn’s destruction is much more than the chasing after something that does not satisfy. But I won’t go into how much it has actually ruined countless lives, because many websites and statistics are available for those who are truly seeking to know the truth about porn’s destructive power.

 

1 John 4:4 says:

 

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

 

It is sad how many Christians have opinions about sin that are not based on God Word. I read things such as, “It is my motives that count…so even though I do this and that, I do them without lusting…” Really? Where does the Bible teaches that? When our Lord talked about motives he was talking about fasting, praying, and giving to the poor not about sin! You can’t sin with pure motives! It doesn’t make sense! You can fool me, and you can fool your church congregation! But how can you live with yourself knowing that you are lying to yourself! And how are you going to fool God? Rather, how are you going to face Him?

 

And some Christians even say “it is natural to do so and so”. Yes, you are correct, but since when does the Bible talk about our nature as if it is holy! Our nature is corrupt and sinful, so why do we say “natural” as if it is a good thing! It is natural to get angry and want to get revenge; it is natural to lie when accused of something; it is natural to cheat when we want to get our way…but what does the Bible teach about all those examples of “natural behaviour”? They are all sin and do not fit us as sons and daughters of the living God!

 

No, I am not talking about people who are addicted to drugs, porn, alcohol, and so on. I am not even talking to the unbelieving world here. I am talking to us, Christians. I truly believe that there is a huge difference between someone who is sinning—because he or she are addicted to a certain sin, regardless of how they got themselves into this mess—but they absolutely hate that sin and want to be free from it, and between someone who knows he is sinning but has no problem with it--welcomes sin in his life.

 

I am going to say something here that I think will make a lot of people dislike me, but I am going to say it anyway and hope that you take it with an attitude knowing that I am not judging anybody here:

 

If you are a woman who has Christ in her life, please re-consider the way you dress. Not according to my standards, or the church you attend. Certainly not according to the standards of the latest fashion or to “that is the only thing available in stores nowadays”. Don’t go to someone else asking their opinion or read an article about it. Go directly to God’s Word and ask God directly, and if you are honestly seeking to follow Him He will show you His way. But I must warn you: once He makes His will clear you won’t have peace until you obey Him.

 

You might be wondering why I am talking about women’s dressing in a topic about porn! Well, men are very visual so they sin by lusting (even women do that, but I am not sure they do so as much as men do) and so porn is a naturally attractive sin to them. Women desire to feel beautiful, desired, wanted and so she tries to meet those need by dressing in a way that attracts men’s attention. And that’s how she gets her momentarily (short-lived: like all the promises Satan makes in regard to sin) emotional high by noticing a man looking at her. But what I want to ask you is this: if you go home and you are all by yourself and have nothing to do, how do you feel: empty, far from your heavenly Father; or peaceful and your heart is flowing with love and adoration for Him?

 

Causing to Sin, Mark 9:42-50:

 

"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where

" 'their worm does not die,

and the fire is not quenched.' Everyone will be salted with fire.

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

 

If you are a man who has Christ in his life, please take some time, be quiet with God, and think about where you were yesterday spiritually, where you are today, and where you are heading tomorrow! Evaluate your life. Evaluate your ways. Seek to know God better. Make decisions, daily decisions, to live for Him. Live a pure life starting with your heart and mind. Think about your future wife (or present wife), think about your kids. You are going to be the leader of the house who represents Christ to the whole household! Will they see Him through you? Or will your daughters grow up thinking that they have to look beautiful, sexy, and act in certain ways to get a man’s attention and love? Think about God’s awesome and wonderful purpose that He desires to accomplish through you. Think about God’s reputation among the people who know you. Please don’t settle for less. We are not going to be given another chance after this life!

 

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)

 

If you realize you are sinning against God while you are on your way home then repent right away and seek to follow Him! It is never too late to make a decision to live for Him, even if you just realized that at the end of the day. Daily surrender yourself to Him if that’s what it takes for you to live a pure and blameless life.

 

I will stop here. All I ask is that if you claim to believe something about God put it into practice. Whether in regard to your identity in Him, your personal agendas vs. His plans and purposes, or if you claim to believe that Christ died for someone else’s sin then why not forgive them? Remember, John 13:17:

 

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

 

What things? The things that are written in God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit reveals to you.

 

And don't ever lose focus of this fact: all things are done through His goodness, grace and mercy—it, life here on earth and eternal life, is all about Him. However, for Him: it is all about you. It is the "Lord's favour" and not our own works whether in being saved or the power to live for Him: it is all about His grace.

 

Nothing But the Blood

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wej1jHtiH-M

 

(Toronot, ON; winter 2008.)

 

“The time of a man's life is as a point; the substance of it ever flowing, the sense obscure; and the whole composition of the body tending to corruption. His soul is restless, fortune uncertain, and fame doubtful; to be brief, as a stream so are all things belonging to the body; as a dream, or as a smoke, so are all that belong unto the soul. Our life is a warfare, and a mere pilgrimage. Fame after life is no better than oblivion. What is it then that will adhere and follow? Only one thing, philosophy. And philosophy doth consist in this, for a man to preserve that spirit which is within him, from all manner of contumelies and injuries, and above all pains or pleasures; never to do anything either rashly, or feignedly, or hypocritically: only to depend from himself, and his own proper actions: all things that happen unto him to embrace contentendly, as coming from Him from whom he himself also came; and above all things, with all meekness and a calm cheerfulness, to expect death, as being nothing else but the resolution of those elements, of which every creature is composed. And if the elements themselves suffer nothing by their perpetual conversion of one into another, that dissolution, and alteration, which is so common unto all, why should it be feared by any? Is not this according to nature? But nothing that is according to nature can be evil.”

My inflatable doll for the Vinyl Volitions collective exhibition at GBTH is based in a true story*...well, in a true pumpkin too. Those true pumpkins in the picture are now temporary art objects that will end like soup or like pie. Pre-pie art?

Maybe, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that they won't end like food waste.

 

* "Halloween is an ecological disaster" should be the name of the story. Every year, about 1 million tonnes of pumpkins are grown in the US and UK (mainly). Of those, 95% are used at Halloween and then thrown away. It's not only the waste but also the water that is needed to make them grow. So let's cut the crap: It is not compatible to care about the environment and to celebrate Halloween at same time. Of course many "eco-friendly" people will probably throw a hand of flimsy argumentation to legitimate their behaviour during the next days.

Also: Most of the Halloween related products are designed to be disposable, just like many people's environmental awareness.

 

If your pumpkins are in a good home, anthropomorphize them creatively and eat them later.

 

Trick-or-treating?

The "trick" is to stop being hypocritical and start "treating" good the environment.

 

If you managed to read this far, thanks.

 

Go visit Vinyl Volitions here!

Orlando Massacre interview. She’s disgraceful.

I am a relative "newcomer" to the Blythe doll collecting world, though I have been a fan of the doll and her collectors/artists for over a decade, and enjoy socializing with the local NY Blythe Meet Ups as well as befriending many Blythe collectors online from my earliest days on FLICKR and now Facebook/Instagram.

 

My little Japanese Wataru doll had his own collection of micro Blythe dolls but I was reluctant to buy a 12" Neo Blythe because I already have a Barbie/Ken/Skipper and Integrity Toys/Poppy Parker collection, and I can't afford to buy every cute doll out there.

 

However, this spring I stumbled on the "factory" Blythe doll - and while I'm still uncertain what her origins are, she is produced and sold from CHINA on ebay and costs about $75 shipped - vs the $250 plus price tag of an official "stock" Blythe doll from Takara. Before buying one, I polled other Blythe collectors at the most recent NY meet up a month ago, and most said they had one and that the factory (clone? Fake? Counterfeit?) dolls had better hair and a wider choice of hair colors, styles, and skin tones than the stock Blythe dolls, but that the legs tend to be "swingy."

 

With that advice, I decided to take the plunge and ordered a blonde and redhead, which I've had a couple of weeks and really love. I even taught myself to open the head to install a second pull-cord, so I can leave them with "sleepy eyes," and I sprayed a matte finish on their faces so they wouldn't be so shiny in photographs. They're pillaging vintage Skipper's Mattel wardrobe, and I've already ordered some great OOAK artist fashions from Etsy.

 

I also jumped on the Blythe Facebook Group bandwagon and blindly joined several new groups devoted to Blythe collectors. If you belong to any FB group, you've probably found that most are marked PRIVATE and you have to be approved to join.

 

I understand why such restrictions exist. First and foremost, the moderators can control who is allowed in the group and can likewise suspend you from the group for rude behavior. I'm all in favor of that kind of policing of members that requires you to be civilized to your fellow collectors.

And while I have been both openly gay and openly a doll collector for all of my adulthood, and all of my posts on FB are PUBLIC, I understand why some folks wish to segregate their doll friends from their friends/family/co-workers and keep those posts private. To each her own.

 

So one of the groups I joined touted itself as being "uncensored" (though perhaps "uncivilized" would be more apropos) - which I assumed simply meant that if they wished to use mature language, or dish gossip about Takara and the steep price and limited availability of stock dolls, that they could do so without being judged. However, what I encountered was a whole group of folks who deplore the collecting of "factory" Blythe dolls - and spare no harsh words for these "shit" dolls that some of us have chosen to collect.

 

The ironic (and hypocritical thing) about these complainers is that they characterized factory Blythe collectors as being "antagonistic" - then proceed to shred them a new one by calling all their factory dolls unmitigated pieces of "shit."

 

Which just goes to remind me that among every group of doll collectors (just as in every facet of the "real world"), one will inevitably find those who are drawn to DRAMA and snark and insults and criticism that go beyond the fair and reasoned criticism of discerning collectors and degenerate into a mob mentality of internet trolls who enjoy tearing people and things apart.

 

Once this realization dawned on me, I left the group, because "ain't nobody got time for that." After all, it's only a doll - and I don't see the point of grown-ups who indulge in collecting a child's toy only to resurrect the very WORST aspects of playground bullying from childhood, instead of focusing on reliving the joy and wonder of play and fun that dolls embody for the rest of us.

 

I collect dolls as a creative outlet - for my diorama creation and photography, and I'm drawn to other collectors who are talented at repaints, reroots, fashion design and miniature furniture. I'm not remotely drawn to folks who use the hobby to elevate themselves above other people based on the expense and exclusivity of their dolls.

 

I made the mistake of cross-posting this on Blythe World to see if other collectors were on the same page, but that just escalated the situation with some folks from the aforementioned group jumping to self-righteously defend themselves and the moderators rightly deleted the post, to my relief, once I realize it was just feeding the drama those types savor.

 

One person said that my video set to CeeLo Green's F*** YOU song was supposedly way more offensive than someone calling my dolls SH*T. Which is so hypocritical - if you can't take the blow back when someone calls you out for your sh*tty behavior and your own foul language, then don't set the precedent with that sort of insulting language in the first place.

 

And one gay guy was deeply offended I compared a gang of fellow collectors' harsh words about factory Blythe dolls to bullying - he basically said that until I had been physically assaulted and sent to the ER by someone, you've not experienced bullying. If that's your standard for acceptable behavior online - any kind of verbal bashing short of actual violent physical assault - then you really ARE f*cked up by your past life traumas. How sad that so often the abused become the abusers, in one form or another.

 

I never compared that kind of petty bullying in the Blythe group to gay bashing, but it's also pretty damned presumptuous to assume that I've never been physically assaulted or attacked - once for being gay in junior high, and twice as an adult (though both those times were simple muggings). I don't need a reprimand from a self-proclaimed victim who wants to get into a pissing contest about who has suffered more. For him to try to steer the discussion in that direction totally undermines the more serious damage that does come from violent physical gay bashing.

 

But bullies - because that's what they are, even if the damage is a minor one of insults (words not stones) - never admit guilt nor apologize. Their whole modus operandi is to attack those who will not or can not defend themselves. And they picked on the wrong Blythe factory bitches this time.

 

Now back to our regularly scheduled Blything. Cheers!

 

The concept of selflessness is a very interesting one when viewed from a Buddhist perspective. It's not as much about greed, or altruisim, or what we normally come to think about when we think of the word. This "selfless" is not the opposite of selfish it is the opposite of boundaries. It is letting go of a need to have a concrete self and realizing that you are always changing. You may define your "self" with concrete words like "liberal" or "masculine" or "nice," but is that who you really are? What happens when those qualities change? Are you a hypocrite? Of course not, you've just grown, right? You've changed. at least that's what we tell ourselves. But what if, instead of feeling the need to make an excuse for acting a way we don't seem is "ourselves," why don't we embrace that maybe there is no self, but rather a flux of perceptions.

 

We all have tendencies towards a great spectrum of characteristics, and trying to pinpoint your self is limiting all that you could be.

one of the estimated 200,000+ talibe children of senegal, west africa. talibe is an arabic word loosely interpreted as “student” or “one who seeks and asks”. their lives in senegal are far from such benign translations.

 

they are young boys who are either orphaned, runaways, stolen, or given to “marabous” (teachers) by their parents who cannot afford to take care of them. the action considered a great honor, they are entrusted to so-called holy men who promise to educate the children in the koran, and care for all of their physical needs. the child literally ceases to be a part of his birth family, and becomes in essence the property of the marabou.

 

the grim reality for the majority is that they become hapless beggars. they wake in the early hours to memorize and chant passages from the koran in arabic, but are never taught what the words mean. they are then turned out to the streets to beg, unattended, for the hottest hours of the afternoon. as young as 4, they wander through streets barefoot, carrying plastic containers dug from trash heaps for their loot. they are given earnings quotas, beaten if failing to return with enough. they live crammed into overcrowded buildings, no beds, half-dressed, suffering an endless stream of infections and consequences of neglect.

 

i had the opportunity to spend two days caring for these boys, our team invited by the marabous of one of the households. these kids were in the most appalling physical and emotional condition of any i saw during my two months in west africa, or anywhere else i have ever been.

 

my faith is one that calls me to love my enemies, something tough to swallow on the best of days. but watching well-fed, well-dressed, well-educated marabous lead these sickly boys to our medical stations, i was nearly overcome with rage. what stopped me was not what i claim to believe, but simply knowing such a response would negate any good we could do there. it had taken years of community involvement on the part of the people responsible for arranging our invitation, and flipping out would have undone all of it. so i bit my tongue, tied my hands, unfroze my glares, and did my job.

 

it was an experience i struggle to process all these months later…what is the right thing to do and when? do your motivations make your actions right or wrong, even if your action is just the same? a hypocrite in my heart that day and many others, how different am i really from the men i wanted to pummel? i’ve no idea some days, am firmly convinced in opposite directions others.

 

still thinking, still wandering…

En solidaridad con todos mis contactos censurados.

 

+ A todos los valientes censores vocacionales, que denuncian injustamente, tiran la piedra y esconden la mano, quedando en el anonimato. Protegidos por Flickr.

+ A todos los que por celos, envidia o resentimientos tratan de hundir al prójimo.

+ A todos los que odian el cuerpo humano.

+ A todos los nuevos guardianes de la "moral".

+ A todos los que no admiten otras ideas.

+ A todos los que no admiten críticas.

+ A todos los que sólo admiten el pensamiento único.

+ A todos los escribas y fariseos.

+ A todos los hipócritas, viajeros de páginas porno.

+ A todos los salvadores de la Humanidad.

+ A quien está más alto que el resto de los mortales.

+ A quien siente herida su exquisita sensibilidad con comentarios no halagadores.

+ A quien no sabe nada pero sabe todo.

+ A los que gozan haciendo daño a otros y no dan la cara.

+ A la mala gente, en general.

 

En los últimos días, después de mi censura, no paro de recibir correos de mis contactos, diciendo que le han hecho lo mismo, sin justificación ni explicación.

Flickr no te dice quién te denunció. Te manda a leer las reglas de la comunidad, pero el daño no lo reparan. ¡Viva la Democracia!

 

LA NUEVA CAZA DE BRUJAS HA COMENZADO.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

In solidarity with all my censoured contacts.

 

+ To all those brave vocational censors, who unjustly denounce, throwing the stone and hiding their hand, maintaining anonymity. Protected by Flickr.

+ To all those who, through jealousy, envy or resentment, try to squash their neighbour.

+ To all those who hate the human body.

+ To all those new guardians of "morality".

+ To all those who do not admit other ideas.

+ To all those who do not admit criticism.

+ To all those who only admit one line of thought.

+ To all scribes and pharisees.

+ To all hypocrites, journeyers through pornographic pages.

+ To all saviours of Humanity.

+ To those who consider themselves on a higher plane to other mortals.

+ To those whose exquisite sensitivity is hurt by non-flattering comments.

+ To those who, knowing nothing, know everything.

+ To those who enjoy doing harm to others without showing their face.

+ To "bad seed" in general.

 

In these recent days since my censureship, I have had no end of comments from my contacts, saying that the same thing has happened to them, with no explanation or justification . Flickr does not let you know who denounced you. They tell you to read the rules of the community, but they do not redress the damage done. Long live Democracy!

 

THE NEW WITCH HUNT HAS COMMENCED.

     

The revenge upon her would be sweet, even though it was purely theoretical.

She was the very epitome of every stuck up girl who ever passed judgment on those she refused to view as an equal. And I? I possessed the subtle skill to knock her smirking ego down a few pegs.

  

**********************************************************************

  

In late spring of the year 1952, a, bank rented safety deposit lockbox, dusty from many years gone by, was opened. The box had laid unclaimed, the banks records having been destroyed during the Nazi blitzes of World War Two. When its existence became known, an attempt was made to contact the owner, whose family surname was well known in the county. The name turned out to be an alias, no such person ever existed.

 

Please read the account below to learn more about the person who was believed to have rented the strongbox, as well as what he had placed inside……….

 

**********

  

Case Study 84 :

 

Warning, these are the raw, bare unusual facts as originally recorded. Some names, times, places and some facts have been altered for obvious reasons.

Exerted from the private letters of Mr. Harley Q. circa early 1900’s.

 

Name: Harly Q. circa 19 …

 

Subject: Seemingly a rather dexterous scoundrel

 

Place: A large coastal metropolis

 

Time: A period of time in late autumn

  

**************

 

Harly’s story as related:

  

The following affair occurred during my younger days when my youth and its’ raw passions were still a strong pull on my reactions! Now, how do I start?

  

The Blonde dancing in front of me was was dressed up like a movie star on a red carpet. Only about nineteen, her slinky gown created the impression of having been poured along her curvy, voluptuous figure, like shimmering liquid satin, fluidly swishing as she swirled about the massive chamber! It all made her appear far older and mature than she obviously thought she was. For some, her looks and personality may have been seen as charming and fun. “But for me personally, the only thing charming about her was the way her abundant sparkling jewellery played with the lights from the large chandeliers which held my upmost command!

  

But wait, I may be placing the carriage before the steed…….

 

Allow me to restart:

  

I had taken a long train into town with the intention of spending a few days relaxing from my previous month of hectic “professional” affairs. Rewarding myself, I located my lodging in a fancy upscale hotel situated across the street from a cavernous Ballroom, checking in for a fortnight. Since my social calendar was unusually light, with only the one high society event, a wedding that I was planning to attend the following Sabbath, at a “chapel” located in one of the cities sprawling suburbs. I spent the first day perusing the cultural calendar of the local papers, and ended up circling one or two events of interest that would be taking place later that month. I than took care of my remaining personal business, locating a reputable bank and renting out one of their lockboxes, before allowing myself some time off from my endeavors.

  

I than spent the first portion of my week taking in moving picture shows, visiting stores and hanging out at the local museums and antique shoppes. It felt great not worrying about work, although I will did admit that my mind scoped out a few prospects as I was out and about, walking amongst the great masses..

  

It was mid-week during my stay, while making my way back to the hotel suite, that I decided on a whim to pop into the Ballroom to see what it was all about. I walked into the massive lobby full of activity and wandered about, looking into the massive main ballroom, meeting rooms and various party rooms. As I was leaving I discovered a wall containing posters for all the upcoming events. One poster caught my eye. It advertised the occurrence of a Halloween Ball to take place that very weekend, Tickets still available. The Ball seemed to be the very type of party I was partial to, combining all of my favorite types of affairs, a large gathering frequented by the rich, and everyone attending would be in costume.

  

Purchasing a pair of tickets (less questions asked) I went out the very next morning scouting various shops in search of my own costume. I finally settled on a highwayman’s attire. It seemed appropriate, and the ribbon style “ masque” over my eyes set off the vacation beard that had been growing quite nicely since my last outing. On my way out to pay for the costume I spied a half off bin. On top of the pile was a phantom of the opera mask. On impulse I added it to my bundle and went to the checkout.

  

Although I really didn’t have the feeling that this concern would lead to anything, I mean, who wears good jewellery with a costume ? But a little bored by the inactivity, I was none the less growing excited about the venture. I still decided to play it cautious by setting up my usual safe guards, just in case.

  

A few blocks away from the Ballroom and my hotel suite I found a small chain style motel. Going to the desk I purchased rent for a room for the night, paying in advance. Going into the small room I laid down my purchases and headed back out to the street via a back stairwell, bypassing the registrars chambers. I headed back to my hotel suite to prepare for the evening.

  

After showering, I changed into a suit, shirt and tie. I then headed out onto the street a couple of hours before the ball was set to begin. Regaining my small quarters in the chain motel I changed into my new persona for the evening’s festivities and left via the same back door I had used earlier. I walked back to the Ballroom, getting my share of looks until I reached my destination, where I blended right in with the other arriving costumed guests.

  

I followed the stream to the ballroom proper. The main doors leading inside were large, made of a fancy scrolled oak, held open, and guarded by a pair of burly security types.

Apparently which, I soon gathered, was appearing to be the only security present for the evening’s festivities. Capital, I thought, smirking to myself as I joined my fellow guests.

  

I walk onto a landing, immediately in front of a long bannister guarding a set of wide stairs ascended downwards. I went off to one side, and paused at the railing, starting to survey with eager anticipation, the crowded room below.

  

All was quite glittering, as large chandeliers set off a spectrum of colors with any crystal or glass it touched. It especially created shimmers as it played off the colorful jewelry the lavishly costumed ladies present were wearing. Several dozen couples were dancing in front of a 17 piece orchestra, a slow dance, and many were dancing almost too close. Many more people were mingling around tables of appetizers. A large, chattering crowd was also gathered at the long oak bar that took up one whole side of the huge room. It was to the bar that I headed, to observe the merry proceedings.

  

But the Ball, as it turned out, was a bust, so to speak. Although several attempts were made to ask a number of charming (to me) ladies to add me to their dance cards, they all were, unfortunately, full. I should have suspected it would turn out this way, but I still harbored an all too familiar nagging feeling in the back of my head that something was still going to happen, call it intuition if you need to label it. So I nursed my drink, reminiscing about how I had reached this point in my then still young life…..

  

Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of my favorite poets, once said” Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Long before the the time I discovered this quote I found that my life’s path had already been heading that way.

  

Without boring anyone with far too many details of my rather complicated youth, I discovered while quite young that I had a certain knack for adeptness at being able to nimbly pick pockets. When I was eighteen ( having graduated high school at seventeen) and out on my own in the world, I found this skill quite useful. But it was at a wedding reception in my early twenties where I became of age, so to speak.

  

She was older than me, resplendent in a sleek black satin gown with bright white frills, long white satin gloves upon which graced a pair of diamond bracelets. She was very tipsy and would not take no for an answer when asking for a dance partner. She cornered me and before I could catch my wits, we were in a close embrace on the dance floor. I was totally mesmerized by the feel of her warm figure emitting through the sensuous satin gown. My eyes feasted upon the dazzling show put on by her flashy twin bracelets. When the exquisitely long dance ended and she moved on: I was left with a lot of pleasantly mixed feelings, I was also left with my first trophy, the Lady’s appealing necklace of pearl that I had ever so delicately sipped off her throat, using the sleekness of her satin gown to its fullest advantage.

  

I found myself enthralled with my new “hobby”, and over the course of the next couple of years sought out fancy dress affairs to better learn how to master the art of attracting and dancing with any lady I chose. Along the way I managed to accumulate quite a few trophies for my efforts. I stayed under everyone’s radar by picking out only those females who had been enthusiastically imbibing and by allowing myself to acquire only one trophy per gathering, two if the function was large enough.

  

During this period I made two discoveries: One was that most women would rather assume their jewel had been merely lost long before ever considering that they had been robbed of it. The second was that most of my collection of pretty trophies carried an equally pretty price, and could quite acceptably be turned into ready cash.

  

So, by the tender age of twenty two, my life started to lead where there had ever been but few tracks. And thus we finally come to this particular branch of my rather unique, lengthily crooked trail….

  

So, there I was, on a bar stool, alone and growing more bored by the minute, wishing something interesting would happen. I can remember thinking, as I looked over my fellow partiers about a saying that I had always found to be amusingly true. “If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.” I don’t know who first said it, but brother, the person was right on the money. As I had witnessed for myself time and time again. So I just settled in and watched the amusing antics of the wealthy among the crowd, especially those of …“the girl!’

The girl was a stunning young blonde who was probably just fresh out of high school, with the maturity level of a grade schooler!

  

I kept catching my eye on her all evening, and once or twice, was sure she caught mine looking. But I was not watching her for the reasons she would think were mine. To her I was just some male face in the crowd, exhibiting his lust. But, the reason my eyes kept traveling upon her was for an entirely different one. I just found nothing to be more annoying than a sulky, immature young whelp who believes she is the apple of everyone’s eye, making an absolute nuisance of herself. She was running around, making silly remarks about people, sometimes to their face. Hanging out with her group of friends whom seemed to be of the same mold as my blonde, one girlfriend was even dressed appropriately enough, as a willowy witch.

  

The Blonde was dressed up like a movie star on a red carpet. Only about nineteen, her slinky gown created the impression of having been poured along her curvy voluptuous figure, like shimmering liquid satin, fluidly swishing as she bounced about the massive chamber, slipping in and out amongst the guests! It all made her appear far older and mature than she obviously thought she was. For some, her looks and personality may have been seen as charming and fun. “But for me personally, the only thing charming about her was the way her abundant sparkling jewellery played with the lights from the large chandeliers which held my command! But I had decided, as far as I could tell, that she was wearing nothing but cheap rhinestones, which like her, appeared totally fake. But, as they say, appearances can sometimes be deceiving!

   

This girl was the epitome of every condescending stuck up high society girl that probably everyone has had the misfortune to be the victim of. The girl, who mainly because of her looks, was popular with everyone like her, and had no use for those who, forever what reason they deemed, was ostracized by those of her type. In high school I knew girls like this one, and was a witness, sometime victim, to many a scene of arrogance displayed by girls like her. This one was young, too young to be acting the way she was. Her mannerisms were just a beacon, reaching out out to be taught a lesson.

  

Wallowing in my boredom, a spark began to kindle into flame deep within my brain. Determined not to let the evening be a total loss, I decided act upon it. My plan being to theoretically get revenge on all those smirking girls who tormented me during high school, by knocking this cocky little scamp down a few pegs, using the best of my abilities..

  

Now, I’m not one normally to act as judge, jury, and executioner in most situations, in my selected line of work it would be hypocritical. But obviously old wounds’ had been opened, this long haired girl scampering about reminded me of ones whom had ridiculed me, another lifetime, one that I had left behind A long time ago. The opportunity for bittersweet revenge had presented itself for the taking, and the pull to obtain a little solace by using my unique talents was far too great to resist. Talk about mixing pleasure with business I though wickedly to myself, smiling with the inviting thought.

  

Believe me, this girl would be no innocent victim, and nothing I was about to attempt would leave her with any type of lasting impression, or harm. But if I could cause her at least some considerable discomfort to ruin the rest of her evening out, it would be reward in and of itself! I again eyed her sparkling jewels with all the seriousness I would have given any I was really interested in acquiring. Although she didn’t fit my favorite pre-requisite, she certainly was not drunk on alcohol, she was merely just intoxicated in her own questionable self-esteem, which can work just as well.

  

I waited until her friends had all apparently deserted her for the evening and leaving her, quite vulnerably, alone. I walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder. She whirled facing me, her eyes going from happy expectations to a glare! “What do you want!? she snipped disdainfully”. Calmly I held her gaze, “I was hoping you would help me win a bet” I asked in what I hoped was my most wily voice. She was curious, but wary of me, “as you should be my pretty miss”, I remember thinking to myself. Her eyes sized me up and down, and I seized the moment to take in her jewels, not at all disappointed in them, but my curiosity was aroused about her necklace, I definitely needed to get a closer look to appraise them! “Why should I help you,” she practically spitted out he words like daggers.

  

“It’s this way miss, a couple of boys over at the bar bet me 50 quid that I could not get a dance with the prettiest girl here.” “Me?” she asked primping, no I confessed, I picked you, they had wanted me to dance with someone far less pretty, in my opinion.

I don’t think so; she said with a slight hint of hesitation, my card is full. Just for fifteen minutes I implored. That’s all I need (which was the truth), and Ill split my winnings with you on top of it. She finally bought it, hook line, sinker and pound signs in her adorable violet coloured eyes. Fifteen minutes she specified, before, be-grudgingly, allowing me to lead her to the dance floor.

  

Now, as I took her stiff body in my arms, I was able to satisfy my curiosity about the girl’s necklace, and it caused a dilemma to rear its thought provoking head. While she was busy looking around to make sure none of her friends saw her dancing with me, I allowed myself a couple of precious minutes to think. Her long rhinestone earrings were clip held, and an easy pick. I wanted to try for them both,( I knew how I would do it), and losing a pair of earrings would send a message that they had not just fallen away. Also, I would be suspected by her, which suited me just fine. However, my dilemma was caused by the vixen’s pretty necklace. While the rest of her plentiful jewels were cheap rhinestones as I had suspected the row of diamonds that rippled blazingly around her throat were in fact, the real McCoy. So, which should I go for? The necklace would be profitable and easy but she may just suspect its clasp had broken. The earrings would be just for a sporty trophy, not worth anything but for the knowledge that she would know she had been a victim. Ah, life’s precious little quandaries!

  

So, I continued with the dance, my partner still rigid, so very true to her character. Then, with five minutes left, I made up my mind on what she would not be leaving the ball still wearing. She was a charmer, this disdainful one. Her stiff figure was warm to the touch, underneath the scintillating slippery gown. The show her sparkling jewels produced was most pleasing to the eye. All in all quite a pretty portrait, a shame it was that I was not allowed to appreciate it. Which was fine by me! I was able to concentrate freely on the task at hand. I looked around, the coast was still clear. Then eyeing for one last time her mesmerizingly swaying long earrings and the flickering diamonds that graced her pretty little throat, I executed my move..

  

By the time the final five minutes were up I had the selected jewelry in my pocket without even the slightest notice from my unwilling dance partner. Then, fifteen minutes to the second (good thing I had been keeping track of the time) she broke it off. “Thank you”, I said, to which she mumbled, “my money, sir!” I told her I had to collect it, and would meet her by the ladies powder room. I left her waiting, smiling inwardly to myself at the empty space from which the missing jewelry was glaringly gone from her.

  

She had no doubt that I would be back with her money, was I not merely like one of her household servants, who routinely, without question or error, existed to do her bidding. It would be a major jolt to her system when she realized I was not coming obediently back to her. I had no doubt she would spend some time searching me out for her money once she realized I was not coming back forthwith, with the intention of lecturing me on how I should act around my betters. So I knew that her immediate attention would be elsewhere upon realizing I was tardy, and that it would take quite a bit of time before she recieved a second shock of an altogether different sort.

  

I left with my prize, walking past the two guards with such a carefree air that even they would never have suspected that I could possibly have been up to any mischief. I made good time getting back to the dingy motel room. Changed out of my costume and back into the shirt and tie I had worn. The highwayman costume, which had served me well, I rolled in a bundle under my arm, I again left by the back stairwell and retraced my earlier steps, whistling, back to the suite in the hotel. Along the way the costume was stuffed unceremoniously into a handy trash bin. My little operation had been a complete success. The evening was after all, not going to be a total loss.

  

Back in my suite I stowed the newly acquired jewels the girl had worn into one of my many secret hiding spots. There they would be safe until I could convey it to my banks lockbox on Monday. As I finished I, spied the phantom of the opera mask lying discarded on top of a table. A shame it would not be used….

 

A thought washed over me that would not be denied! Risky, but it would make my evening complete. I quickly shaved off the thin beard, and restyled my hair. I changed from my suit into my tux and tails. Scooping up the phantom mask I headed back to the costume ball. Placing the mask on before entering, I presented my second ticket( not very often did the opportunity arise to use both of the pair of tickets I customarily purchased!) I walked past the two security types without a second glance from them, they absolutely did not recognize me, which meant I had passed that test. My objective now was to try and catch the second half of the show; namely the shimmering liquid satin gowned brats squawking reaction when she first discovered her jewels were gone.

  

I regained a bar seat just in time.

  

She did not disappoint!

  

************************************************************************

 

Epilogue

 

When, in the presence of both bank and county officials, the strong box was opened, it was found to contain a fairly large collection of the Kings currency, equaling roughly £500 , and a selection unmatched jewelry, rings, single earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, worth a almost £3.000. Also inside was small a bundle of papers. The papers, old and yellowed, appeared to contain the partial handwritten journals of a certain Mr. Harly Q___ , esq. The papers were examined, but gave no clues to who Harley was, or to his current whereabouts. But the journals presented clues as to Harly’s nature, and as a consequence the money and jewels were considered stolen goods and handed over to the authorities. No one knows what became of them, as for the papers, they were handed over to a relative of one of the government officials, and also, for a period of time, lost.

 

The journal was rediscovered amongst the personal files of the late Professor Sedwig Dermitt phd, llc.a dex,

Recovered, restored, and now kept in the human behavioral archives of the criminology dept, Chatwick U.

  

Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives

 

************************************************************************

 

All rights and copyrights observed by Chatwick University, Its contributors, associates and Agents

 

The purpose of these chronological photos and accompanying stories, articles is to educate, teach, instruct, and generally increase the awareness level of the general public as to the nature and intent of the underlying criminal elements that have historically plagued humankind.

 

No Part of this can reprinted, duplicated, or copied be without the express written permission and approval of Chatwick University.

These photos and stories are works of fiction. Any resemblance to people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

As with any work of fiction or fantasy the purpose is for entertainment and/or educational purposes only, and should never be attempted in real life.

We accept no responsibility for any events occurring outside this website.

 

************************************************************************

  

film scan /

© tt

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note that any Invitations from groups which are running Sweepers and have hypocritic admins that are hiding behind them, are ΝΟΤ welcome and will not be accepted.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweepers are insulting for photographers.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> Also note that any Invitations from groups with admins who are MORE

Photographers and LESS counters are happily accepted <<<

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are yet again at a crossroads in our society and this week our Supreme Court is contemplating the Constitutional definition of marriage. DOMA and other laws at the state level either restrict or allow same sex marriage and since both sides don’t agree, its being taken up to the Supreme Court level. Just like when we abolished slavery, and allowed women to vote, there was strong opposition because that was standard quo for generations. And while I personally don’t agree with gay marriage, it would be biblically hypocritical for me to tell them what they’re doing is sin. I’m a huge sinner by biblical terms and I’m the one that has to deal with that.

 

As a follower of Jesus, I feel that He would support any combination of people who love each other. His ministry was to set us free from the "rules" and preached love. If two people genuinely love each other, our government should recognize that. We all fall short of the example Jesus gave us, so regardless of how we sin, we should always support love and not judge how others love.

 

Hate might be a strong word to describe someone who disagrees with the constitutional definition of marriage. While I don't enjoy brussel sprouts, I certainly don't hate them, but I do disagree with having them for dinner. And I totally agree that same sex love/marriage is sin by all biblical definitions. But so is the love of money, self, careers, passions, other material possessions, etc. It's all sin, and I'm a huge sinner. Anything that separates us from our love of Jesus is sin. But Jesus taught us to love. And by me telling same sex couples what they're doing is wrong and sin, then I have an even larger stick in my eye and am not doing what Jesus preached. Me personally I don't see it as hate, I see it as a separation of love and acceptance.

 

I do however hate raccoons, litterbugs and people who hang out in the fast lane. Those people are all going to hell.

 

If you do not press L their is no point watching at all

EXPLORED

My award from you is a word or few, not a flashing/dancing/jumping or singing copy/paste item.

Please do not feel offended if I erase those comments.

 

The use of this photo is allowed only with written authorization of Svante Oldenburg

Human society's progressed leaps and bounds beyond their projected evolutionary patterns..men have set their proud feet on the moon, send omnipotent (almost) machines to Mars, we've transgressed perhaps even God's craziest of imaginations. A human child of vulnerable birth can grown up to be a world leader, pushing buttons and razing entire colonies into dust....in our wild, sensational romp we've also given birth to borderline sexism. Despite all claims against it, the term "Female emancipation" is still highly overrated. Behind closed doors, women are still being treated like cattle, to be kept in bounds, sometimes for their undeniable physical weakness, sometimes for the social stigma that follows their upheaval if any. Womenfolks are ostracized, by their very owns, let alone the hypocritical society of men. The same effeminate emotion that has kept the race of hominids growing and going often becomes the bane of their existence, the cause of their incarceration. It's a paradox they know is embedded in their genetics, almost selfishly, but despite all the twists and turbulence, they can't seem to inch out a way.

 

Perhaps it's time for an evolutionary leap?

 

Taken in Farashganj, Old Dhaka...makes you feel how we are still sort of "Hunter Gatherers", only wearing clothes.

 

Definitely in black.

Hypocrite's Crayon Gallery

sometimes we be confused .. mostly about why were being used.

and i know im probably hypocritical ..

but i guess the glass isnt always half full.

we cant always pretend to be happy..

because sometimes you need to tell people how you feel,

even if it sounds sappy.

you need to know , that even if your afraid too, you need to let your true colours show.

because i look out to the sea, and i realise that the person staring back is me.

youve been there standing tall this whole time and yet you stare uneasily at your soul like you commited a crime.

dont be afraid to face the truth , because even if it hurts sometimes the best thing in life is the truth.

we all learn from our mistakes .. and sometimes in order to be happy you have to get through the earthquake.

when i look up at the sun i realise that maybe im not falling in last place where i run. im a kid from the moon , but the sun might welcome me soon.

and i might feel like i used to ..

and thats a plan ive been waiting to do.

i still walk my path alone. but atleast i know im the one on my thrown.

******************************************

sometimes i wonder if god made me special here on purpose

ive been pretty down lately.. i still am .

im not truly ever going to be satisfied.

but i know that im the one whos been here for myself this whole time.

i dont need him to be happy..

although right now i want him really really bad. he needs to realize that im his loss. hes not mine.

someday when he realizes hes not gonna get me back .. hes gonna come running right back to me .

but itll be to late.

 

#visualartdiary_michmutters_2015

 

You can also find me at:

facebook.com/michmutters

 

Procamera 8

Snapseed

Superimpose

Decim8

Photofx Ultra

Camera Awesome

Handy Photo

Image Blender

Death of a Friendship

The other day I took pity on someone who needed logo help. Which launched me into my favourite rant about the devaluing of professional designers (who have spent immense money and time on their education [edit: be this formal education, or very thorough self-education]) due to the mass-accessibility of our tools of the trade (computers and programs, etc) to the general public. I also ranted about the problem with educating society as far as understanding the value of designers who have been trained to think critically and creatively… robustly, if you will, in contrast with people who are just somewhat handy with programs, but don't have the depth or breadth of understanding that can support it, and generally create poor results.

 

This may not sit very well with many Flickrites who dabble in design and have set out as professionals, I realize. I can't help feeling frustrated, though, when I see the ridiculously low quality of a lot of the work out in the world, and yet I can't find a job. But after ranting, I realized that I am a little hypocritical, in that I am spending a vast amount of time here on Flickr, fancying myself a photographer. Professional photographers must feel the equivalent of my rant against so many flickrites and the like, who have acquired a DSLR and decided to try making a go of a professional photography business. I admit, the notion is not entirely foreign to me.

 

I am curious about your thoughts on this matter. I've elaborated more thoroughly about my thoughts on my blog, if you'd care to read it, and I ask additional questions about the nature of value and validity in this respect. I'm curious as to your reactions. I have a feeling it may be a bit of a touchy subject. I mean no offense.

What is wrong with people? Can't you just enjoy the solitary experience without soiling and spoiling it with social media? Do you need to prove you had fun? That you are "one with self"?

There are lots of hypocritical bunch of folks out there.

 

Looking Unto the Hills

J. R. Miller, 1909

  

"I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever." Psalm 121

 

We ought to learn to look up. Many people dwarf their lives and hinder the best possibilities of growth in their souls—by looking downward. They keep their eyes ever entangled in mere earthly sights and scenes, and miss seeing the glory of the hills that pierce the clouds, and of the heavens that bend over them. We grow in the direction in which our eyes habitually turn. We become like that toward which we look much and intently.

 

Yet there are those who never look upward at all. They never see anything but the things that are on the earth. They never see the stars. They never think of God. They do not pray. They have no place in their scheme of life for divine things.

 

This is our Father's world. He made it, he sustains it, he lives in it, all its affairs are in his hands. One of the Psalms gives us this devout thought of life: "I lift my eyes unto the hills." It was to God, that the poet looked. The hills are a symbol of God.

 

The writer says also, "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." The minuteness of the divine keeping is beautifully brought out in the Psalm. "He will not allow your foot to slip." On mountain paths a great disaster may result from the slipping of a foot. Many a life has been lost by a misstep among the crags. But God's keeping extends even to the feet of his children.

 

There is another assurance of exquisite beauty in the Psalm. No human love can watch over a friend unintermittingly. The most devoted mother sometimes sleeps by her suffering child. But there is an Eye that never closes—that always watches.

 

The whole Psalm shows the safety of those who lift up their eyes unto the hills. They are kept from all evil. They are guarded when they go out—and when they come in. We never can get away from the divine keeping, unless we give up God and go out into sin. The greatest mistake anyone can make—is to leave God out of his life. To those who live thoughtfully, life is full of God. Even if there were no assurances in the Bible, telling us of his love, no promises of his care, common daily providence is so full of God, that a thoughtful person could not doubt his existence or his care for his children.

 

God is the most real Friend in all the world, though we have never seen him. We can see his footprints everywhere. We find evidences of his love, his interest, his kindness, in people's lives all about us. If one says he has never seen God, he has at least seen God's faithfulness, evidences of his love, his interest. We may not hear his answer in words when we talk to him in prayer—but we see the answer in what he does to bless us.

 

Some time ago, two men met on a vessel crossing the Atlantic. They soon discovered that they had both been in the American Civil War, one fighting with the North, the other with the South. They discovered, too, that they had taken part, on one occasion, in the same battle. Then this incident came out, as they talked together reminiscently. One night the Northern soldier was on sentry duty on one side of a little river, and the Southern soldier was a sharpshooter just across the river, picking off soldiers on the other side at every opportunity. The sentry was singing softly, "Jesus, Lover of my Soul," as he kept his watch, and the words of the old hymn were heard in the still night over the stream. The sharpshooter was taking aim and was about to fire on the sentry. Just then he heard the words, "Cover my defenseless head, with the shadow of your wing." His rifle dropped—he dare not shoot a man praying that prayer. "I could as soon have shot my own mother!" he said. Was not God in this whole incident? Was he not a reality that night? We need not ask why no one has ever seen God. Lift up your eyes unto the hills in every time of need, and God will always help.

 

Every Christian should train himself, to always look up. Some people look down continually, watching for thorns and briars. They never see anything in life, but the unpleasant things. They are always looking for troubles. They find them, too, on the brightest days, in the loveliest places. They never see anything beautiful. But that is not the way to go through life. Lift up your eyes—and look for roses, not for thorns.

 

Once when a voice was speaking to Jesus, some people said it thundered, while others said an angel spoke to him. So it is always with people—some never hear anything but thunder. They think people are all like snarling wild beasts. They do not love anybody, nor trust anybody, nor care for anybody. They hear only discords, wolf-notes. They do not trust people, even the best of them. To them all men are liars, thieves, robbers. They claim that all Christians are hypocrites, all merchants dishonest, all homes bedlams, that nobody is pure, and nobody is unselfish. Can you think of any other way of making one's life miserable, that equals this? Rather, lift up your eyes unto the hills, where the air is sweet, the light clear, the music like angels' songs. This will change all the world for you.

 

Of course there are discordant notes in the music of a great city where throngs are surging all about. But why should we hear the discords—when there is so much sweet music in life to be heard everywhere? We are exhorted to overcome evil with good, bitter with sweet, sorrow with joy, hate with love. Lift up your eyes unto the hills, when you think of your own circumstances. They may not seem bright or hopeful. You hear people talk about the sore troubles they have. There always are difficulties, discouragements, disappointments, and we can easily find them when we look for them. But can you not train yourself instead—to find something good, something beautiful, something cheering, and inspiring? There always is at least a gleam of light in even the darkest night.

 

When the little dog, lying in the parlor upon a chilly day, saw a spot of sunshine on the floor, he was wise to leave his cold corner and go and lie down in it. His was good philosophy for a dog, and good also for a man. If there is only one spot of happiness in all your little world—find it and set your chair in it.

 

Some one tells of a poor crippled shoemaker who never could go out anywhere. His little shop was in the heart of the great city, with houses on all sides of the poor place where he lived, shutting out every beautiful sight, with no sky visible from his little window, with not a hint of life to be seen. But one day he discovered that from a certain place in the shop—he could catch a mere glimpse of blue sky. He set his shoemaker's bench right there, so that while he cobbled away, he could lift up his eyes at every resting moment and see the bit of beauty. How it brightened his dreary life! There is some point in the hardest experience in your life where something of heaven may be seen. Find it and set your stool there!

 

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in poverty." Philippians 4:11-12

 

In one very important sense, it is true that we make our own world. The sunshine we see about us daily—is in ourselves. It shines out from within us. We are not to go about demanding that others shine on us, on our field, and on our home. We are not to blame other people—when we are peevish, fretful, discontented, or touchy.

 

It is usually our own fault—that we are not happy. Even if people do not treat us as they should do, if they are unjust to us, unkind, rude, selfish, exacting—that will not make it either right or beautiful for us to grow unhappy, or to go about sour and sad. We should never allow anybody, any circumstances, or anything that happens—to spoil our life. We ought to resolve to keep sweet, whatever the circumstances may be.

 

That is what being a Christian means. That is what it is to lift up our eyes unto the hills. If we are looking to God, we cannot do vulgar things, we cannot lie, we cannot be selfish, grasping, or greedy, whatever the provocation may be. If we truly lift up our eyes unto God, we will get something of God's beauty into our soul, will become imbued with God's holiness, God's truth, God's love, and get grace enough to enable us to live the Christlike life.

 

The mountains are places of strength. They cannot be moved. They are stable and sure. They are places of safety. They are away above the floods and dangers of earth. The higher our life rises, the safer it is. The power of temptation grows less and less—as we go up nearer to Christ. Our faults, infirmities, and vices—lose their power over us as we rise up into the mountain air—they will choke and die there!

 

It is said that telescopes have detected birds flying six miles above the earth. How safe they are up there! No arrow can reach them. No enemy can find them. The same is true of the soul that flies far above—no trapper can catch it, no tempter can reach it. The mountains are places of safety.

 

The mountains are places of peace. There is a point in the heavens, above the clouds, where no storm ever blows, where no tempest ever breaks. If we rise into these calm, holy heights—we shall find peace.

 

This dew from the sacred mountain represents the love of Christ which comes down perpetually from heaven, which not only nourishes the lives of men—but also heals all diseases.

Name: Wren Hayward

 

Age: 21

 

Hometown: Costa Mesa, California

 

Likes: Cheesy horror movies, Mario Kart, Longboarding, Indie rock, Surf Rock, Twin Peaks, Sex, Aussiebum underwear, working out, Bastille, Veggie burgers

 

Dislikes: Bigots, hypocrites, the film Frozen, EDM, people who comment "follow me" on Instagram, misogynists

 

Why should I be in Maxine's My New Bff S3: I never really thought about that. But I'd probably say it's because on shows like these, there's a plethora of girls and little to no guys. It's probably because guys aren't as committed as ladies but I don't know. I guess I just wanna break gender barrier or something. I think guys have a great chance of being Maxine's best friend. To add to that, Maxine would be a great person to be friends with. She's beautiful both inside and out, and a very genuine woman.

 

____

Of course I'd enter with Dex. Surprising. Thank you Nik, Tyrique, and Ivan for giving me the idea to use him. I'm pretty excited about this comp, the other contestants are... interesting to say the least. Though, my favorites by far are Beverley, Lucy, Kylie, and Monique.