#74 trinity place

[headstrongblake]

letter 32.

nick's determined to find you, bring you home. i wish there was something i could say to him that would help him with this, in coping with losing you...because while i hope against hope that you'll come back with us when we find you...i know already. i know you won't return with us. i know that. but nick doesn't. he does his best to hold onto the hope that bringing you back will fix everything that went wrong since that man. i think his hope is getting into my soul, working it's way into my dreams because when we finally stopped at this crap motel tonight after hundreds of miles...i had the most vivid dream. so real that when i woke up....my heart ached for it.

you were there. happy and a little older, but you looked less worn. like you no longer carried such a devastating weight that i know you've been saddled with long before you ever should've been. we were happy. i was so confused as i walked down the hallway, filled with gorgeous pictures we must have framed...there was a child laughing...i think that's why i was confused the most, i haven't had dreams like this, or even thought of a family since our scare...but when i got downstairs...oh grant, there she was. our little girl, laughing on the kitchen counter, making a mess with you. it appeared so real...felt so real.

god, nick's hope is infectious and dangerous. this won't be our life and i'm devastated by it...i know i was terrified about being a mom, terrified about possibly having a child but...i wish you knew that if i could go back, i'd make sure you know that one day.... a family with you would have been my dream.

letter 19.

i hate you so much for leaving. for doing this to me. to nick!! to the family we created here. i hate you, grant. god i hate you so much and worst of all, i hate myself even more because i still love you. i still love you so much that if you showed up here right now, right this second...you know i'd fold into your arms, and tell you how that everything's going to be okay now. i write that and know how fucked up that is. how could you do that to somebody you love?! how the hell could you promise to love me, to never leave me and after everything we've been through together...you did. i believed you, every time you swore you loved me i believed it. i think part of me still does, but when i do, when i remember all the promises you made, and how you made me feel in every moment we spent together...i'm just angrier. you don't get to promise someone a love like i thought we had and then just abandon them!? it's not fucking fair grant. it's not. you broke my fucking heart...

letter 74.

i still miss you at times, grant. please, don't ever think that because my life has continued that i forget you, or everything we did together. you're my family. part of my family here and that will always be true. kassy and i are better. i understand why she was hurt when nick and i left to look for you, i can understand the anger and pain she felt in how we left her, especially for you. i love you still, i don't know if that will ever change, but you're not at the forefront of my thoughts anymore, haunting me. & most importantly...you are not here. kassy is. bellamy is. alec. nate. trinity. atom. liv. they're all here and i'm finding more of myself. i'm pouring into those i love who are here and i'm pouring more into myself again. bell doesn't love it, but i started a new business here. exacting justice, giving a little payback. it's brilliant and growing fast. word on the street lately is that i am who you go to when you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. i was tired of being too late, of not being helpful, of the people i love the most...being hurt in ways i can't keep stomaching. this is how i fix that. how i do my part in it.

but I have to admit, there are parts that worry me. i'm sure that'll worry bell if he notices it. but the violence, the cruelty, the darkness of this world—it's getting easier to manage, easier to duel out. I'm changing grant, but i also think i'm becoming who i need to be.

i don't know why i'm still writing these....but, it helps. when i can't sleep, when i'm spinning out...writing to you helps.

|| @thewholecrew

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA The Patron of Those Against Fire and Miscarriages Feast Day: April 29

"Eternal God, eternal Trinity, you have made the blood of Christ so precious through his sharing in your divine nature. You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more. When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light. I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are." -excerpt from 'The Dialogue of Divine Providence'

One of the few women to be declared Doctor of the Church, Catherine, was born Caterina di Jacopo di Benincasa, on the Feast of the Annunciation of Mary - March 25, 1347, in Siena, shortly before the Black Death ravaged Europe. Her parents were Lapa Piagenti, the daughter of a local poet, and Jacopo di Benincasa, a cloth dyer who ran his enterprise with the help of his sons.

At the age of six, after experiencing a vision of our Lord, Catherine consecrated her life to God. When she reached the age of 12, to convince her parents that she would never marry, she cut off her beautiful hair.

Catherine entered the Third Order of St. Dominic in 1365, and led a life of penance and prayer in her house. She was often subjected to trials and desolation.

One day, Catherine exclaimed: 'Oh Lord, where were you when my heart was so sorely troubled with temptations?'

The Lord replied: 'Daughter, I was in your heart, fortifying you by my grace.'

While Siena was celebrating a carnival, Catherine was praying in her room when our Lord appeared to her, accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary and a crowd of the heavenly host. Taking the girl's hand, the Blessed Virgin held it up to her Son, who placed a ring on it and espoused Catherine to himself. Although she cared for the sick and the prisoners, she was unjustly accused of being a fanatic and a hypocrite.

In 1375, as she was praying in the church of St. Cristina in Pisa, she received the stigmata from our Lord according to Raymond of Capua's biography. Because of her holiness, she was constantly called upon to arbitrate feuds and misunderstandings.

In June 1376, Catherine went to Avignon in France, to urge Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome, whence the pope has been absent for 74 years.

She spent the rest of her days composing 'The Dialogue of Divine Providence', a book which she wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Besides, Catherine wrote about 400 letters of great interest, all of them remarkable for beauty and spirituality.

Showing a remarkable combination of respect, frankness and familiarity, she called the Pope, 'my sweet daddy,' while reminding him of his obligations as the leader of the Universal Church.

After offering herself as the victim for the Church, Catherine died peacefully in the Lord at the age of 33 on April 29, 1380, having eight days earlier suffered a massive stroke which paralyzed her from the waist down. Her last words were: 'Father, into Your Hands I commend my soul and my spirit.'

Catherine beatified on Christmas Eve 1460 and canonized by Pope Pius II in 1461, Pope Paul VI named Catherine a Doctor of the Church on October 4, 1970; this title was almost simultaneously given to Teresa of Avila, making them the first women to receive this honor.

[dedkake]

I posted 8,808 times in 2022

That's 1,422 more posts than 2021!

74 posts created (1%)

8,734 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@spockvarietyhour

@carsonsweebabyturtles

@gerec

@logicheartsoul

@sparrowsarus

I tagged 8,805 of my posts in 2022

#stargate atlantis - 3,546 posts

#fanart - 1,002 posts

#star trek - 819 posts

#mcshep - 819 posts

#stargate - 735 posts

#!!! - 687 posts

#yes - 634 posts

#cherik - 438 posts

#fic - 382 posts

#xmen - 370 posts

Longest Tag: 99 characters

#post trinity more like rodney mckay's mission to show up for john sheppard 24/7 without being asked

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

do you ever just remember that it's john's biggest fear that rodney dies and it’s his fault and everyone knows and blames him (and he’s going to lose his friends over this too) and also his boss comes at him and says the situation has compromised him and he's fired. he's afraid that losing rodney will mean losing atlantis and i caNNOT

102 notes - Posted February 11, 2022

#4

always getting in trouble | a somewhat silly mcshep reclist

Exotic Species by 30toseoul | <1k, t

It wasn't that Rodney enjoyed how things regularly jumped up and tried to kill him in the Pegasus Galaxy.

Queer readings of Tolstoy in the Pegasus Galaxy by SquaresAreNotCircles | 1k, t

Rodney’s mouth is wide and wet and hot. His hands are broad and agile and surprisingly strong, and it’s a scorching shivery shock when one of them moves from John’s shoulders south, walking down his ribcage and reminding him he’s ticklish and-

He snatches up Rodney’s wrist and puts his other hand flat on Rodney’s sternum and wrenches his mouth free.

Or: Why else would you take a book like that with you to another galaxy?

Euler's Jewel. by Basingstoke | 1k, m

In which John is a geek.

Snappy Comeback by mific | 1k, e

Rodney went still. "Wait, hang on. This isn't just you wanting a partner in crime to play hookey and sneak a midnight swim, is it?" He blinked up at John, his eyes wide and dark. "This is a date!"

Nash Equilibria Are For Losers by Persiflager | 1k, m

This was Rodney’s life now - reduced to the cable repair guy, surrounded by people who unironically fist-bumped, and doomed to die alone and get eaten by cats.

Through a glass, weirdly by valdomarx | 1k, t

Ronon ends up in the home universe of Rod McKay, the alternate version of Rodney that visited them a while back.

It's a pretty strange place.

Low-Slung, Surfer Boy by sheafrotherdon & thegrrrl2002 | 1k, e

The boys take a vacation, and all it takes for everything to come unraveled is one pair of swim trunks.

Collider by busaikko | 1k, e

Large Hadron Collider, large hard-on collider, practically the same thing... if you're John Sheppard and are trying to irritate Rodney into bed.

How to Date an Asshole by Punk | 2k, e

They're at an impasse.

Attack Of The Giant Robot From Outer Space by skoosiepants | 2k, t

John wants to hug it, and possibly use his tongue in inappropriate ways.

Cred by Resonant | 2k, e

What it takes to get Rodney's full attention.

John Sheppard vs. The Magic Ball of Love by SquaresAreNotCircles | 2k, t

John grimaces. “Magic ball of love?”

“It’s that artifact thing from yesterday.” Rodney finds the time to tut in between bites and actual words. “This is what happens when Zelenka approves the underlings’ paperwork before I’ve officially decided on a name.”

Or: There’s John, there’s Rodney, there’s an Ancient glowy ball, and a lot of very successful non-communication. Just an average week on Atlantis.

See the full post

158 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

#3

favorite little humanizing sga character bits

john is bad at directions and has a guitar he never plays

teyla is bad at cooking and is Very Obvious when she has a crush

rodney has disgusting eating habits and keeps framed pics of his cats

ford is bad at simple math and also bad at telling jokes

ronon is always trying to set people up and is a film connoisseur

carson loves his mum and loves to gossip

jennifer loves her dad and is afraid of scary movies

elizabeth plays solitaire to procrastinate and doesn’t Get Sports

sam has framed pics of all her friends and likes getting her hands dirty

woolsey relaxes by getting fancy and is bad at technology

181 notes - Posted February 20, 2022

#2

season 1 john: remembering what it’s like to have a family 

season 2 john: remembering that boundaries are important in relationships

season 3 john: living his best life 

season 4 john: desperately clinging to his team as they develop their own lives outside of team

season 5 john: isolating himself so it hurts less

196 notes - Posted March 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

too loud for words | a grab bag of mcshep emotions reclist

Exit Wounds by Powderpuff | <1k, m

When John thought about sleeping with Rodney, it was usually frantic, furious, and biting; aggressive and demanding, like Rodney himself often was. John expected bruises; expected it to hurt the next day, in that pleasant, “I just got laid” sort of way. In short, he expected it to be like all of the other times, after Nancy. He wasn’t so foolish as to imagine it wouldn’t matter, because everything with Rodney mattered—all John could hope for was that it didn’t scar.

September 20th, 2011 by velocitygrass | 1k, t

It's the end of DADT and nothing will really change for John.

start me up and watch me go by sabinelagrande | 1k, e 

Rodney discovers a new equation.

Sleeping Arrangements by Brumeier | 1k, t 

Of all the risks John faced in the Pegasus galaxy, having to share a small bed with Rodney while offworld was definitely the most dangerous.

Get You Back by lamardeuse | 1k, t

John nearly loses everything.

Lessons in Waking Up by Siria & dogeared | 1k, e

Keller crashes first, hiding a yawn behind one hand while she makes her excuses about early morning clinics and paperwork and half-jokes about not even being able to read her own handwriting. Sam's not far behind her; then Teyla, trailing Ronon in her wake, looking for peace through meditation, though John knows the only thing she's likely to find is irritation with Ronon's snoring.

Touch by astolat | 1k, e

Rodney McKay was a cuddler. Which was more than John had wanted to know.

The Whole Story by unadrift | 2k, t

John shows up at his door that night, carrying a sixpack of beer. Rodney follows him into the transporter and out to the pier. They settle down, feet dangling over the edge, and John hands him a can.

"So," Rodney says, after they each have finished off a beer. "I figure this is your subtle way of telling me that you want to talk?"

Talking Dirty by Toft | 2k, e

“It’s a major obstacle to successful porn dialogue that there are so few attractive words to describe anything to do with sex.”

Better Than Ice Cream by DesireeArmfeldt | 2k, t

Episode tag to Remnants: McKay wants to know what Sheppard saw in his hallucination. (Gen/friendship or pre-slash, depending on the color of your goggles.)

Just Hold Me, Please by christinchen | 2k, t

It just so happens that John desperately needs some human contact and Rodney's back is kinda sore. It's just a simple massage between two friends. No, really!

It Doesn’t Change a Thing by luredin | 2k, e

If Rodney had expectations about what life on Atlantis was going to be like before he got here, Major John Sheppard giving him head on the down low would not have been one of them. Nothing makes sense anymore, and if this is going to be a regular occurrence, Rodney thinks he should probably start returning the favor.

Or, five times John gets Rodney’s cock in his mouth, and one time Rodney has the pleasure.

That's MY cold by Saxifactumterritum | 3k, g

I wrote a fic. Mcshep, post The Eye/The Storm (Stargate Atlantis series one. John's got a cold, Rodney's annoyed, then there's snuggling

Hand Wash Only by LogicGunn | 3k, m

See the full post

288 notes - Posted March 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[moontyger]

Back in August, I wrote about Jacob’s Well, my old stomping grounds of Hays County—where the population has doubled in the last twenty years—and the dilemma of balancing relentless growth with preservation. At the time, conservationists and scientists told me they believed the spring would at least be trickling if a single water provider, Aqua Texas, were to stop extracting more water from the aquifer than allowed by its permit. Aqua Texas, a subsidiary of the utility giant Essential Utilities, had pumped almost twice its legal limit in 2022. As a result, the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District proposed $448,710 in penalties. The company countered with an offer of $0, sending the two parties into negotiations. Aqua Texas simultaneously pledged to pressure its three thousand customers in Hays County to conserve more and “to reduce reliance on water used within the Jacob’s Well Groundwater Management Zone,” where severe pumping restrictions of up to 40 percent are imposed during drought.

Instead, the company has continued overpumping. New data analyzed by Texas Monthly shows that Aqua Texas continues to pump far more water from the Jacob’s Well management zone than allowed by the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. In 2023, it overpumped by almost as much as it had in 2022, extracting 156 million gallons from two of its wellsites near Jacob’s Well, even though it was only authorized to pump 90 million. In all, the company pumped about 66.4 million gallons beyond its limit, or 74 percent more than its cap. (In 2022, it overpumped by 72.1 million gallons.) 

Aqua Texas’s effort to pressure its customers to conserve does seem to have had some effect. The company’s pumping in the management zone was down in the last half of 2023, compared to July through December of 2022. But that’s only a relative improvement. By August, the utility had already blown past its allotment for two of its wellsites. It went on to pump nearly 60 million additional gallons.

The district and Aqua still haven’t reached a settlement over the 2022 penalties, and Aqua Texas is currently operating without a permit, opening itself up to additional fines of as much as $10,000 a day. Late last month the company filed a federal lawsuit alleging that local groundwater regulators had shown “animosity and bias against Aqua Texas” and asking a judge to keep its permit in place and set aside the penalties.

[terrahilldevloper]

Kannur - The Land of Theyyam

Kannur was before known by its anglicized name "Cranganore" or Portuguese name "Cannannore". It is known as "Place where there is Weaving machines Legends". It is the biggest city of North Malabar. Kannur is independently well known for the "Theyyam" execution the magico-strict dance. It is accepted that during its presentation, its entertainer is moved by the spirits of the divine beings and the entertainer in this way is considered as God during that concise period (Theyyam is portrayed beneath).

ALOS VISIT:-Allinclusive Blue Mountain Paradise

Apparently the name 'Kannur' owes its name to the antiquated town of Kannathur. A town with the name exists even today in one of the wards of Kannur District. The actual town could have gotten the name from one of the Aryan Divine beings Krishna. Krishna is broadly appealed to by individuals of Kerala particularly ladies people. Krishna is viewed as a sign of the significant individual from the Hindu trinity-Vishnu. As per the Hindu Folklore, to save the earth and humankind, Vishnu needed to take ten distinct symbols.

Every one of these symbols was brought into the world on the solid land as people. With the conceivable special case of Rama symbol, each and every other appearance appears to have held unprecedented heavenly abilities notwithstanding them being "people". It could be expressed that among every one of the symbols, Krishna appears to have been one of the well known and petitioned by the majority of individuals of India. The "Guruvayoor" sanctuary in Kerala is one of the most conspicuous among many. He was portrayed as a lighthearted and wicked god with a delicate corner for the womenfolk. His dalliances with gopis (milk-young ladies) from his town of Mathura have been commended in music and works of art as "divine-play". In spite of this playboy notoriety, he is likewise regarded as a strong god who uncovered the persuasive Hindu philosophical composition "the Gita". H e was additionally the main hero of the Hindu legendary "The Mahabharata". In this manner, direct relationship with Krishna involved extraordinary pride. Krishna is additionally revered in his kid structure dominatingly called "Kannan". Kannur could be the mix of two words-"Kannan" and "Ur" (signifies spot or land). These two words joined would mean the land or spot of Kannan loaning Kannur with some relationship with godlikeness. Close Relationship between Kannur with Divine beings has led to its trademark legends.

Kannur was a significant port on the Bedouin Ocean and was shippers taken part in exchange with Persia and Arabia in the twelfth and thirteenth hundreds of years. Because of its essential area, it was additionally made the English military central command on India's west coast up to 1887. Related to her sister city Thalassery (anglicized name Tellicherry), it was the third biggest city on the western shoreline of English India in the eighteenth 100 years after Mumbai and Karachi. Contemporary Kannur is the most urbanized locale in Kerala, with over half of its occupants living in metropolitan regions. Its metropolitan populace is the second biggest in Kerala after Ernakulam region.

During the English Rule, Kannur was essential for the then Madras area in the Region of North Malabar. In spite of its nearby and serious relationship with the Hindu religion, Kannur likewise has the qualification of being the capital city of just Muslim Sultanate of Kerala known as Arakkal administration.

Kannur keeps on being of key military significance for India. It houses one of the 62 military cantonments in the country, the Kannur Cantonment, and is the ebb and flow seat of the Protection Security Corps.

Geology:

Kannur area lies between scopes 11° 40' to 12° 48' North and longitudes 74° 52' to 76° 07' East. It is limited by the Western Ghats in the East (Coorg area of Karnataka State), Kozhikode (anglicized name Calicut) and Wayanad regions, in the South, Lakshadweep Ocean in the West and Kasaragode, locale in the North.

The area can be separated into three topographical locales - high countries, midlands and swamps. The good country district contains basically of mountains where espresso, elastic, tea, cardamom and different flavors are filled in estates. It is additionally well known for wood trees like teak and has confined regions overwhelmed by bamboo. The midland locale, lying between its mountains and the marshes, is comprised of undulating slopes and valleys. Six waterways channel Kannur, the longest being the Valapattanam stream with a length of 110 km. Different streams moving through Kannur locale are Kuppam, Mahe Waterway, Anjarakandi, Thalassery, Ramapuram and Perumba. This is an area of extraordinary agrarian movement where rice and paddy are developed. Significant piece of the area goes under midland locale with various slopes and dales and it presents an undulating surface slowly climbing and converging into the slants of Western Ghats. The swamp is somewhat restricted and contains waterways, deltas and coastline. This is a locale of coconut and paddy development. Kannur locale is exceptionally wealthy in vegetation. Normal vegetation is contained in thick timberlands. Plant people group, going from psammophytes and mangroves to evergreen timberlands are found in this region.

Brief History: The earliest proof of human residence in the region is rock-cut caves and massive entombment locales of the Neolithic age. There is no proof of the Paleolithic man having lived around here. In any case, rock-cut caves and Massive entombment locales of the Neolithic age have become visible in specific pieces of the region The Thaliparamba-Kannur-Thalassery region has large amounts of rock-cut caves, tombs, entombment stone circles and menhirs, all of gigantic entombment request. It very well may be expected that the initial bunch of Aryan foreigners into the State entered the area through the Tuluva (a piece of the contemporary Karnataka state) locale.

The region today known as Kannur was beforehand important for the Chera (a solid southern line) realm, which controlled a large portion of Kerala during the initial a few centuries CE. The Chera lord was Kulashekhara Varman. Cheras governed Kerala somewhere in the range of ninth and twelfth 100 years with their capital at Mahodayapuram and Kannur was important for this realm. During this time, a line of rulers known as the Mooshaka Lords held influence over Chirakkal and Kasaragode regions (Kolattunadu) with their capital close to Mount Eli (or ezhi). It is hard to say assuming that the Mooshaka rulers were feudatories of the Cheras or an autonomous line. By the fourteenth century A.D., the old Mooshaka realm had come to be known as Kolattunadu and the rulers known as Kolathiris and had become a force to be reckoned with in north Kerala. The Kolathiris had obtained political and military power and had turned into a power to deal with when of the appearance of the Portuguese towards the finish of the fifteenth 100 years. They were political and business adversaries of the Zamorins of Kozhikode. Later Kannur was made the capital of the Kolathiri Rajas, whose realm had exchanging relations with Arabia and Persia the twelfth 100 years and thirteenth hundreds of years. In his book on movements, Marco Polo describes his visit to the area in mid 1290's. Different guests included Fa-hien, the Buddhist traveler and Ibn Batuta, Moroccan essayist and history specialist. As per neighborhood legends, the boats of Solomon had secured along the shores of Kannur to gather lumber for building the Sanctuary of the Ruler. Kannur likewise tracks down notice as Naura in the Periplus of the Erythraean Ocean, a Greek work of extraordinary relic.

There was extreme contention between the then contemporary leaders of Kerala to rule the rewarding flavor exchange. To control the exchange implied control of the shorelines where the ports were found. These contentions set off consistent conflicts. Regardless of the undeniable risks of allowing in provincial powers an in their area, the rulers didn't stop their negligible encounters. It was these holes that each pioneer power took advantage of. The Portuguese pilgrim Vasco da Gama when he passed by Kannur in 1498 likewise utilized the potential open doors and got into a coalition with the Kolathiri rulers. However Vasco Da Gama, the well known Portuguese pilot, didn't visit Kannur en route to Kozhikode in May 1498, he laid out contacts with the Kolathiri ruler. His boats which had left Kozhikode on August 29, 1498 were reached by the boats sent by the Kolathiri and Gama was welcome to visit the royal residence. The point of the Kolathiri was to acquire abundance and power with the assistance of the Portuguese, the same way his opponent the Zamorin had obtained with the assistance of the Middle Easterners. In winning the union of the Kolathiri, Vasco Da Gama, thusly, had effectively taken advantage of the jealousies of the local rulers and won for the Portuguese a virtual imposing business model of the pepper exchange. He had the option to get his consent to fabricate a Portuguese settlement in the premises of Kannur. Francisco De Almeida was sent from Portugal with explicit guidelines to raise fortresses at key places. He began developing the Kannur Post in 1505 and it was named St. Angelo.The settlement was only the start and it is here that the famous St. Angelo's post was assembled. On Walk 16, 1506, the Portuguese really blocked a naval force of Turks and Bedouins, whom the Zamorin had sent off against Kannur. The Portuguese naval force under Lorenzo Almeida connected with the Zamorin's armada in fight and the Portuguese boats won a definitive triumph. This maritime triumph brought about the foundation of Portuguese maritime matchless quality in the Indian oceans.

[deathlessathanasia]

“There is no complete agreement over the broad features and details of Pherecydes' theo-cosmogony, but from the sifting of its few fragments and testimonia an outline of his narrative might look something like this. From eternity there are three gods, Zas, Chronos, and Chthonie, whom Pherecydes introduces in the opening sentence of his book: . . . Pherecydes' construction of this sentence suggests that the male gods Zas and Chronos form a pair distinct from the goddess Chthonie, as if she were set apart from them as not fully their equal, and her inferior position in the opening sentence could prefigure her inferior status in the cosmogony, in which her role is merely one of female passivity. The summary in Damascius' testimonium suggests that soon after Pherecydes introduces his eternal trinity he recounts how Chronos "made from his own seed fire and pneuma and water";' and that these substances were deposited "in five nooks,"' from which "arose another plentiful generation of gods" (Pr. 124b [A8]). A fragment from Pherecydes' book records how unknown agents prepare for Zas' wedding with Chthonie: for him they make dwellings many and great. When they have finished all these things and furniture and man servants and maid-servants and the others as many as all the things needed, when everything is prepared, they have the wedding. On the third day of the wedding, Zas weaves a "robe", "large and beautiful," upon which he "embroiders Earth and Ogenos and the halls of Ogenos," and he gives this robe as his wedding gift to Chthonie (B2 col. 1). As we learn from the other half of the opening sentence of Pherecydes' book, Chthonie's name, upon receiving the gift of the robe, becomes Ge, the traditional name of Earth,  . . . Presumably when Chthonie dons the robe, the earth of our familiar cosmos comes into existence. Pherecydes pauses in his narrative and explains that this third day of the marriage of Zas and Chthonie provides the first anakalyptiria, the unveiling of the bride, and thereby establishes "the custom among gods and men."17 On the report of Proclus, when Zas is about to take up his creative activity, he becomes the god Eros (in Ti. 32c [B3], cf. All), and Chthonie takes on a similarity with Hera when Zas entrusts her at their marriage with the responsibility for all marriages (B2 col. 2).18 If Zas in his demiurgy becomes Eros, Pherecydes may intend an allegory, in which Zas is the power of attraction that brings about the "mixture" of diverse materials. Chronos, however, may provide prima facie a better candidate for such a force, since from his seed he provides the material from which the next generation of gods emerge. Chthonie as Ge may also be thought to take on a somewhat erotic function in Pherecydes' theo-cosmogony in her capacity as the mistress of marriages. In the testimonium of Clement the "embroidered robe" hangs upon a "winged oak", which arguably is Chthonic as the substructure of the visible earth. . . .

Other testimonia relate how Chronos, under the traditional name of Kronos, is challenged for the dominion of heaven by "Ophioneus" (B4- 5, All), a creature of unknown lineage, whose name suggests a "snake;' of some monstrous sort (Origenes Cels. 6.43). According to the terms of their contest the one who falls into Ogenos, which is Ocean, is the vanquished; Ophioneus and his army of Ophionidai suffer this defeat, and Kronos is crowned upon his victory (Tertullian De corona militis 7.4 [B4]). Afterwards, there may be a division of portions among the gods, of the sort we find in Homer and Hesiod (Hom. II. 15.189-193, Hes. Th. 73-74, 881-885), since fragment B5 refers to "the Tartarian portion," which is located beneath an unnamed "portion." The "daughters of Boreas, the Harpies and Thuella, guard" this "Tartarian portion," and it is the place where "Zeus," who presumably is Zas under this traditional name, banishes those gods who behave "with insolence:" Chronos-Kronos appears to be eclipsed in importance by Zas-Zeus, since it is the latter who takes on the power to banish. Consequently, the secure ascendancy Zeus assumes in the Theogony of Hesiod may devolve upon Zas-Zeus in Pherecydes' story.”

 - The Theologian Pherecydes of Syros and the Early Days of Natural Philosophy, Herbert Granger

[manhattan-forever]

Trinity Church Cemetery consists of three separate burial grounds associated with Trinity Church in New York City. The first was established in the Churchyard located at 74 Trinity Place at Wall Street and Broadway. In 1842, the church, running out of space in its churchyard, established Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum in Upper Manhattan between Broadway and Riverside Drive, at the Chapel of the Intercession (now The Church of the Intercession, New York), formerly the location of John James Audubon's estate. A third burial place is the Churchyard of St. Paul's Chapel.

The United States ten-dollar bill ($10) is a denomination of U.S. currency. The obverse of the bill features the portrait of Alexander Hamilton, who served as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

└─► Trinity Church Cemetery

└─► Alexander Hamilton | Biography, Duel, & Musical

└─► John Watts (New York politician) - Wikipedia

[aliveaudiencegang]

Alli’s Glee Songs Ranking

(Day 74)

Season 4 Episode 8 “Thanksgiving”

7th Place: Over the River and Through the Wood / She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain (The Rosedale Mennonites)

6th Place: Gangnam Style (Tina Cohen Chang and ND)

5th Place: Live While We're Young (Sebastian Smythe and Warblers)

4th Place: Let's Have a Kiki / Turkey Lurkey Time (Isabelle Wright, Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry)

3rd Place: Whistle (Hunter Clarington with Warblers)

2nd Place: Come See About Me (The Unholy Trinity)

1st Place: Homeward Bound / Home (Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman, Mike Chang, Santana Lopez, Mercedes Jones and Finn Hudson)

[nebraskas]

How to help people from the Midwest Flooding (posted 3/16/19, updated 3/20)

Information post

Please let me know any information so I can update, especially if you’re in one of the affected states that isn’t Nebraska. 

*** = new things added when I updated

IOWA: 

***The Food Bank of Siouxland has been making food deliveries to flood victims in places like Hornick, Iowa. You can donate to their cause on their website *with a note* saying you would like your donation to target flood relief.

NEBRASKA:

***The Santee Sioux Nation has a GoFundMe.

***The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska is accepting donations via PayPal. For more information, please email info@poncatribe-ne.org. More info on their site.

Many Omaha Public Schools staff members live in flood-impacted areas, so the OPS Foundation has set up a fund to accept monetary donations to the American Red Cross for flood relief.  You can donate online or send checks to Omaha Schools Foundation, 3861 Farnam St., Omaha 68131.

Nebraska Cattlemen is accepting donations to help cattle producers affected by the floods.

Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska is taking donations to help flood victims (make sure to select flood relief when giving a donation).

Nebraska Farm Bureau is taking donations to help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. 

A Facebook fundraiser has been set up. The money will go towards the Grand Island Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund, buying bottled water for towns without water, and some of the towns most affected by flooding.

Facebook has set up a Crisis Response page with places to donate.

How to Help Nebraska Flood Victims (article)

Individual Cities/Areas: 

Kearney, NE has a fund here

The Grand Island Community Foundation has established a Disaster Relief Fund for Central Nebraska. Donate here.

Merrick County (Central City and surrounding area) has a fund here.

Custer County (Broken Bow and surrounding area) has a fund here. 

MULTIPLE/ALL AFFECTED STATES:

Aspen Warriner is raising money through a GoFundMe page to buy books for kids affected by flooding in Nebraska and Iowa.

Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit that brings food, water, emergency and other relief supplies to natural disasters has set up a dedicated webpage for donations to its flood response in the Midwest.

United Way has set up a relief fund for flood victims in Nebraska and Iowa. You can donate by texting FLOODRELIEF to 41444. United Way is also taking donations for Wisconsin. Those donating should make checks out to the United Way of Fond du Lac, write “FDL Flooding” in the memo line and mail them to 74 S. Main St., Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 54935. Online donations can be made at fdlunitedway.org; the box checked should be "flood relief."

United Way of the Midlands is accepting donations that will be directed to nonprofit programs meeting people’s needs for emergency shelter, food and more. Donors will have the opportunity to direct their gift to a specific community within Nebraska or Iowa if they so wish (@nebraska-doesnt-exist is making a list of affected communities so check their blog). You can text FLOODRELIEF (all caps, no space) to 41444 or visit here to donate now.

Red Cross shelters are being set up across all affected states. Donate by visiting their site or by calling 1-800-733-2767. You can also text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Salvation Army (I know the SA is bad but they are housing hundreds of families and the excess money will help repairs) is accepting donations to help those in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.

Local Nebraska/Iowa charities to donate to. None have established a flooding fund as far as I know, but most are homeless shelters who will need the money for repairs, food, clothes, etc.

Information/Shelters/Physical Donations for Locals

Iowa

List of Nebraska/Iowa Red Cross shelters. 

***In Sioux City, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has compiled a list of supplies that are needed at Santee and are gathering supplies at their office. They are also accepting donations in their Winnebago, NE office.

A disaster assistance program has been set up to offers grants to families whose household’s annual income is at 200% or less of the federal poverty level. Check the link for affected counties.

U-Haul is offering free storage for up to 30 days at 8 locations across Iowa and Nebraska to help flood victims who may need to store household goods as they repair their homes.

Nebraska

For those with needs, such as food, shelter, clothing and personal goods, call 2-1-1.

In Auburn,  Auburn High School is accepting toiletries, food water and monetary donations to bring to North Bend and Peru.

In Blair, Family Fare supermarket is taking donations of nonperishable food for flood victims.

In Dannebrog, if you have talents, tools, supplies, or monetary support you would like to offer - please contact Lori at (308) 380-1153 or dannebrogne@gmail.com.

In Falls City, the Falls City Chamber and Main Street is collecting water, sports drinks, disinfectants, shovels, mops, squeegees, buckets and trash bags. Donations can be dropped off at 1705 Stone St.

In Fremont, Trinity Lutheran Church-Mo Synod is accepting donations. "We cannot accept home made food of any kind! Suggested food items are granola bars, chips, cookies, (in single serving size) as well as bottled water, shampoo, bar soap, blankets, towels, and shovels. All items need to be brought to United Way at 445 E 1st Street."

***In Niobrara, if you are interested in assisting the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska with their recovery efforts, physical donations are being accepted at the Niobrara offices. Currently, the greatest need is water. More info on their site.

***In the Omaha Metro, Metropolitan Community Colleges are accepting donations until 3/29 at the following campuses: South Omaha Campus in the Connector Commons; Elkhorn Valley Campus in the Entrance Area; Sarpy Center in the Commons Area; Fort Omaha Campus in Building 23 and 10 entrance area.

In Omaha, the Salvation Army (again, I know) is setting up a donation center at the now-closed Canfield's store near 84th and Center Streets. The center will be open Saturday 3/16 until 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m through the rest of the week (3/22). Donations of flood-cleanup items and supplies including shovels, masks, disinfectant, tarps, bottled water and sports drinks are being accepted.

In Omaha, the Omaha Bar Association and Bärchen Beer Garden are sponsoring “Pints for a Purpose.” All money raised from the $15 wristbands will go to flood victims. More info in the link.

In Omaha, Premier Claims is collecting donations for Boyd County. The company has two pickup trucks parked at Regency Shopping Center near 102nd Street and West Dodge Road. People can drop items in the trucks or at the office, 120 Regency Parkway, Suite 115. More information here.

In Omaha, a special collection for flood relief will be taken during Masses this weekend at all churches in the Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha. More information here.

In Omaha, Wolf & Whiskers at 3506 N 147th St is taking donations for animals affected by the floods and will be taking donations out to places such as Elkhorn and Bellevue. Check their Facebook for updates on supplies they need. Contact @plate-vibes here on tumblr for more details/questions.

In Omaha, there is a donation center near 86th and West Center Road in the old Canfield's store. It will be open Monday and Tuesday, 3/18 and 3/19 from noon to 6:00 p.m.

In Omaha, two churches and a radio station are collecting new blankets, towels, bottled water, prepackaged snacks, and adult-size socks for first responders who have been working to rescue flood victims. The locations are Community of Christ Church, 2102 Liberty Avenue in Missouri Valley; Joseph’s Coat Ministries, 1737 Washington St. in Blair; and the studios of Boomer Radio, 1016 S. Highway 50 in Blair and 11717 Burt St., Suite 201.

***In Winnebago, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has compiled a list of supplies that are needed at Santee and are gathering supplies at their office. They are also accepting donations in their Sioux City, IA office.

Hy-Vee said communities that need clean drinking water should contact their local emergency management agency for more information on how to receive water.

Facebook has set up a Crisis Response page with places to donate and check in on friends and family.

Shelters/Livestock--

List of Nebraska/Iowa Red Cross shelters.

Airbnb Open Homes has been set up for displaced people and volunteers coming in from out of state to help for free. You can open your home up to them.

In Ashland, anyone who has been displaced by the floods, Camp Carol Joy Holling has opened their conference center to evacuees. They’re on a first come first serve basis and might be full, but there’s a chance.  

In Lincoln, Staybridge Suites at N. 27th St and I-80 is offering discounted rates to anyone displaced by the flooding in northeast/eastern Nebraska. Their number is 402-438-7829.

In Omaha, a day shelter for people affected by the flood will be open Monday through Friday at Lifegate Church., 15555 West Dodge Road. People can come to the church to charge mobile devices, use free WiFi, get free coffee, water and snacks, use restrooms and take a nap. The shelter will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln is offering to shelter livestock. Call 402-441-6545 and ask for Chas Skillett or Amy Dickerson, or send an email to adickerson@LancasterEventCenter.org  or cskillett@LancasterEventCenter.org.

If you have hay, feed, fencing materials or equipment to donate, or if you want to volunteer for cleanup or other tasks, call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 800-831-0500. You also can call that number if you need help. You'll need to give your name, contact information, type and number of livestock, city and county, what assistance you're requesting and how urgently you need it.

U-Haul is offering free storage for up to 30 days at 8 locations across Iowa and Nebraska to help flood victims who may need to store household goods as they repair their homes.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau also have opened the Agriculture Disaster Exchange portal. The online portal housed on the Nebraska Farm Bureau website allows members to share information, providing a place for those in need to make requests for assistance.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has put together a list of disaster relief resources for Nebraska farmers and ranchers seeking assistance due to severe weather.

UNL and UNO are offering help to students affected by flooding and can’t get home for spring break, such as emergency housing. Check the links for more info.

South Dakota

List of South Dakota Red Cross shelters.

Wisconsin

For help and resources, those affected by the floods can call 2-1-1.

Wisconsin Red Cross shelters.

U-Haul is offering free storage for up to 30 days for those in the Oshkosh and Green Bay areas to help flood victims who may need to store household goods as they repair their homes.

In Fond du Lac, free clean up kits will be distributed until 3 p.m. Saturday at the Fond du Lac city garage, 530 N. Doty St.

In Fond du Lac, Taco John's at 84 N. Main St., is offering free food to all law enforcement, fire crews and city workers all weekend.

In Fond du Lac, the Salvation Army is collecting goods (find a list here). Monetary donations are also being accepted. Items can be donated to the organization’s office open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at at 237 N. Macy St.

In Fond du Lac, the Fond du Lac County Emergency Management, Health Department and United Way are asking for volunteers to assist in the cleanup efforts and to assist with other needs in the wake of flooding.A United Way volunteer reception center is being set up at the Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 535 Stow St., to register and assign volunteers to assist throughout the county. The center will be open from noon-5 p.m. Volunteers should park in the main parking lot and enter the front door. Bring a form of identification as well as wear appropriate cold and wet weather clothing. 

[orthodoxydaily]

Tikvin Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1383)

According to ancient tradition, the wonderworking icon of Tikhvin is one of several painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist. The icon was taken from Jerusalem to Constantinople in the fifth century, where it was enshrined in the Church of Blachernae, which was built especially for this purpose.

In 1383, seventy years before the fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Turks, fishermen on Lake Ladoga in the principality of Novgorod the Great witnessed the icon miraculously hovering over the lake’s waters amidst a radiant light. According to an early sixteenth century Russian manuscript, “The Tale of Miracles of the Icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God,” the Theotokos herself decided that her image should leave Constantinople, perhaps in anticipation of the impending fall of the Byzantine Empire.

Shortly after its miraculous appearance, the icon was discovered in several neighboring towns, including the village of Motchenitsy on the bank of the Tikhvinka River, before it finally appeared near the town of Tikhvin. A wooden church dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos was built on the site of the icon’s final resting place. Miraculously, the icon survived a number of fires.

In the early sixteenth century, through the zeal of Great Prince Basil Ivanovich, a stone church was built to replace the original wooden structure. In 1560, by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, a men’s monastery was established near the church and enclosed with a stone wall.

In 1613-1614, the Swedish army, having seized Novgorod, made several attempts to destroy the monastery. The countless prayers offered to the Theotokos before the icon were heard, and the monastery was spared. On one occasion, after monks had been alerted to the approaching Swedish army, they decided to flee and to take the icon with them. But the monks soon discovered that they could not remove the icon from its shrine. Seeing this as a sign of the Theotokos’ protection, the monks decided not to abandon the monastery, begging the Theotokos to spare them and their beloved spiritual home. To their amazement, a large Muscovite army appeared to defend the monastery.

When the Swedes encountered the army, they retreated immediately. Word of this miracle spread rapidly, and imperial emissaries soon visited the monastery. Accompanied by a copy of the wonderworking icon, they set off for the village of Stolbovo, 33 miles from Tikhvin, where they concluded a peace treaty with the Swedes on February 10, 1617. Afterwards, the copy of the icon was taken to Moscow and enshrined in the Kremlin’s Dormition Cathedral. Later, the same icon was placed in the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) cathedral in Novgorod at the request of the city’s faithful, who also found themselves under attack by the Swedes. Once again, through the intercession of the Theotokos, the city was spared.

Over the centuries, the icon’s fame spread far and wide. Copies of the wonderworking icon began to adorn churches throughout the land. Some of these copies also proved to be sources of miracles, and it was not uncommon to find the faithful praying before the icon to seek healing for children who were ill.

No fewer than 24 processions with the icon were celebrated each year at the Tikhvin Monastery, where the icon was enshrined. A decorative cover, or “riza,” adorned the icon, exposing only the faces and hands of the Holy Virgin and Christ child. Numerous precious stones studded the riza, and many of the faithful, desiring to express thanksgiving for prayers answered through the Theotokos’ intercession, affixed precious jewelry to the riza.

Most miraculous is the fact that the icon was preserved from destruction or sale after the Russian Revolution, which ushered in a 74-year persecution of the Church. During the 1920s, the communist government demanded that the Russian Orthodox Church turn over countless icons and other precious liturgical items, which through the nationalization of private property were considered the property of “the people.” Many of these sacred items were sold, allegedly to raise money to feed the Russian and Ukrainian population which was afflicted by famine.

During the World War II German occupation, the Nazis removed the icon from the Tikhvin Monastery, from where it was taken to Pskov and subsequently to Riga, Latvia. When the city was evacuated, Bishop John [Garklavs] of Riga, in whose care the icon was placed, took the icon to Bavaria, where it was venerated by Orthodox faithful who had been displaced because of the war. While Soviet agents had spotted the icon, Bishop John was permitted to take the icon to the United States in 1949, under the pretext that the icon in his care was a reproduction, the work of a simple monk, and that it was of little historic or monetary value. Shortly after his arrival in the United States, Bishop John, who was later elevated to the rank of Archbishop, was elected to oversee the Diocese of Chicago, and the icon was regularly displayed and venerated in Chicago’s Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Bishop John frequently took the icon on pilgrimage to various places throughout the United States and Canada. After his retirement in the late 1970s and death on Palm Sunday in 1982, Archpriest Sergei Garklavs, Bishop John’s adopted son, became the caretaker of the icon. In 2003, over a decade after the fall of communism and the resurrection of the Russian Orthodox Church, the decision was made to return the precious icon to its original home.

The icon began its year-long journey to Russia at the 99th annual Pilgrimage to Saint Tikhon Monastery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania, May 23-26, 2003. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, together with members of the Holy Synod of Bishops and guest hierarchs, greeted the icon, which was available for veneration by the faithful.

The icon follows the “Hodēgḗtria” model and is similar in style to the ancient Iveron icon of Our Lady. It differs in that the Christ child’s legs are crossed, while the sole of His foot is turned to the viewer. Several historic sources note that several other Hodēgḗtria icons of the Theotokos had been brought to Russia in the 1380s, during the rule of the saintly prince Demetrius Donskoy.

-- Archpriest John Matusiak Published by the Orthodox Church of America

[danielmouradjensen]

LEBANON AND PRIMORDIALISM

First of all, what is primordialism? The term is a highly debatable term that can be classified into three meanings[1]. The first meaning tries to explain the strong loyalties or belonging towards ethnic identities in a specific society.

The second meaning can be explained by a reaction against labeling ethnic attachments as an irrational explanation. The last meaning can be summed up as an idea that groups are clearly recognized, able to renew themselves and have their own agendas and objectives.

Primordialism can be traced back to the classical sociology of Max Weber, but the concept developed from the ideas and writings of Edward Shils and Clifford Geertz[2]. They saw that individuals, from different cultures and countries, came together and stayed in specific groups because of strong emotional ethnic bonds. A primordial attachment according to Clifford Geertz is when an individual is born into a specific community (based on religion, language or blood) and that loyalty to another member derives not only because of personal affection or practical obligation but the strong unaccountable emotional “tie” itself[3]. And it is here that the core of criticism lies with primordialism when discussed among scholars, the emotional vs. the rational and the mere usage of the term. Critical voices state that as modernization progresses these mentioned primordialism attachments will fade away. This has actually not happened in the case of Lebanon.

According to Richard Jenkins, the use of primordialism has to be used very carefully because as an analytical model it is a weak instrument[4]. He also states that Eller & Coughlan have an important point when they postulate that primordialism should not be used in social sciences[5]. But it is still a debate that should not be dismissed since primordialism can be used to get a further understanding in answering why individuals are drawn together based on race, religion, language and kinship. On the same page, he states that crude or simple primordialism is a commonsense view that cannot easily be ignored.

Primordialism, as it was attended in the beginning, should not be used to define ethnic ties but to explore them instead[6]. Another model that can be taken into account when looking at ethnic ties is “instrumental”. This model differs from “primordialism” because it is calculation and not affection that is the main explanation to ethnic ties. In short, this model states that the existence of an ethnic group is found in a political or material motive[7] based on rationality.

Professor Samir Khalaf speaks of three prominent modes of primordialism[8] in Lebanon which increases in strength when an individual is in peril like during the Civil War or the political crisis that is taking place while I am writing this sentence (25-01-2011). They are familism, communalism, and confessionalism. Even before the war the family still had a crucial role in the social and economic lives of the Lebanese despite a growing number of civil society organizations. During the war, many became closer and more committed to their families[9]. The family became an institution that provided help in different forms for its members. Especially on the political scene in Lebanon, a person can get far with the right family name. The role of the Lebanese family today compared to its strength during the Civil War has been weakened by the reemerging civil society organizations and the ever-growing consumerism[10].

With communalism, an individual becomes more comfortable and secure when residing at a specific geographical place where others have the same religion or ethnicity. In Lebanon, many suburbs and districts are dominated by one of the religious or ethnic groups (especially the Armenians and the Kurds) in Lebanon. As an example, you will find, that in Beirut it is more or less the Shia Muslims who reside in Dahiya and that most of the inhabitants in Ashrafia are Christians. In Basta, the majority is Sunni Muslims.

During the war, the confessional ties grew stronger[11] and may sill be seen as a problem on many levels in the Lebanese society. Samir Khalaf makes a crucial point when he observes that when it comes to religion/confessionalism, it is not a question about spirituality and finding inner peace, but a way to distance “them” from “us”[12]. Religion is in the eyes of many known sociologists, like Max Weber and Émile Durkheim, a phenomenon that characterizes all present, current and future human societies[13]. Theologians would state that rationalists cannot explain religion as mere impulses and ignorance. Sigmund Freud tried to explain that religion should not be seen as a concept that can be narrowed down to delirium and compulsive rituals.  He sees religion as an illusion that nevertheless is an important element in the process of growing up[14].

Lebanon has 18 different recognized religious groups or sects of which the biggest are the Sunni and Shia Muslims, the Druze, the Maronites and the Greek orthodox. To understand the Lebanese Civil War and current events you have to, among other things, grasp the value of confessional awareness among a majority of the Lebanese. Religion (supposedly) still plays a vital role for the young Lebanese and has also created problems when they have to identify themselves. On the internet, one can find an ad[15] about nationality where different people proclaim their nationality, but when a young man, with the Lebanese flag behind him, introduces himself it is not with the words “I am Lebanese” but “I am a Sunni”. And shortly after three other young Lebanese also introduces themselves from the religious communities they represent, and not as a Lebanese citizen.

[1] Ethnonationalism in the contemporary world: Walker Connor and the study of nationalism, edited by Daniele Conversi, Routledge, 2002, page 269

[2] Fabrics of discourse: essays in honor of Vernon K. Robbins, edited by David B. Gowler and others, Trinity Press International, 2003, page 224

[3] Ethnicity, Steve Fenton, Polity, 2003, page 81

[4] Rethinking ethnicity: arguments and explorations, Richard Jenkins, SAGE, 1997, page 48

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ethnicity, Steve Fenton, Polity, 2003, page 90

[7] Race and ethnicity: culture, identity and representation, Steve Spencer, Routledge, 2006, page 79

[8] Lebanon in Limbo, Postwar Society and State in an Uncertain Regional Environment, edited by Theodor Hanf and Nawaf Salam, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2003, page 116

[9] Ibid., page 117

[10] Ibid., page 119

[11] Lebanon in Limbo, Postwar Society and State in an Uncertain Regional Environment, edited by Theodor Hanf and Nawaf Salam, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2003, page 131

[12] Ibid., page 136

[13] A Critical Dictionary of Sociology, Raymond Boudon & François Bourricaud, Routledge, 1989, page 293

[14] An introduction to psychology of religion, Robert W. Crapps, Mercer University Press, 1986, page 74

[15] http://www.berro.com/lebanese_nationalism_vs_sectarian_belonging.htm

[thunderstruck-amanita]

5, 24, 74, 129 💙

5. What three things/people do you think of most each day?

Jesus, my book, my mom

24.  Favorite constellation?

Orion! He was the first one (other than the dippers) that I recognized in the sky, so he’ll always have a special place in my heart 😊

74. What is one random but interesting fact about yourself?

... I’m a boring person, this one is tough to think about..... I have more childhood memories about History Channel shows like American Pickers and Storage Wars than the cartoons that most other people in my generation remember 😂 Idk if it’s interesting, but it’s definitely random!

129. What would you want written on your tombstone?

“That which you are, I once was.

And what I am, you also shall be.”

Preferably on a gothic/angsty-looking tombstone. :3

My cousin had an Art History final and learned about Masaccio’s Holy Trinity, then told me about it and I absolutely love the phrase.  She said it was made in Renaissance Europe, and the whole art piece was meant to explain how “human existence is finite, and everlasting salvation can only be found through God.” Which kind of falls in line with Christianity, of which I’d want on my tombstone anyways.  It was originally in Latin, but I think the English version sounds equally cool and much more foreboding (and also kind of like I’m a vampire??? which is an added bonus)

[freehawaii]

OVER 100 RELIGIOUS LEADERS STAND FOR MAUNA KEA

WE who live in the Hawaiian Islands and call them home are challenged today and in the future to care for them so that those of Hawaiian ancestry as well as those of us who have affection for this special place continue to serve and care for the land and her people with authenticity and integrity.

The current test that we face for both the preservation and future use of Mauna Kea is but the latest of many that force us to take sides. To many, the choices seem insurmountable which is why we who lead and stand with our communities of faith must stand tall (Ku Kanaka) and provide the light of insight that will bring about peace and resolution to the stalemate of interests that present themselves on today on the Sacred Mountain.

Mauna Kea is a sacred space. It is wao akua—place of the gods, it is the mountain of God. It is understood asthe genesis point of the Hawaiian people, where sky father Wakea met with earth mother Papahanaumoku.

The controversy surrounding the TMT telescope continues to highlight the struggle of native peoples to protect and preserve their sacred sites from desecration.

We the undersigned have a responsibility not to stay silent in the face of injustice. We are not against science or scientific research. But it should be done in an appropriate location.

Building one more gigantic telescope on our sacred mountain might harm the natural environment, and the spiritual integrity. In light of recent arrest of kupuna, in the act of peaceful civil disobedience, the questionable telescope project is certainly harming the deep peace of our Hawaiian community!

Some may disagree, but we believe the mountain belongs to the Kanaka maoli. It is part of their homeland.

And they must have a say about what to do and what not to do on their sacred land! We offer our prayers in solidarity with all our kanaka maoli sisters and brothers who feel oppressed, bullied, and not listened to.

We pray for a deeper understanding of this very important issue. We pray for the people who insist to build in the midst of the loud outcry & the deep pain of our Kanaka maoli community. We pray for ourselves and all religious people and organizations to take action and join with others to right the wrongs.

We the undersigned religious leaders express ourselves in these words, speaking truth to power during these difficult days!

Religious Leaders in Solidarity -

(Religious organizations listed after names only for affiliation)

UMC – United Methodist Church

UCC – United Churches of Christ

TECH – The Episcopal Church Hawaii

AHEC – Association of Hawaiian Evangelical Churches

PAAM – Pacific Islands and Asian American Ministries

1. Dr. Kahu Kaleo Patterson, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

2. Dr. Kahu Haaheo Guanson, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

3. Richard Salvador, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

4. Annette Mehana Keaoloha Unten, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

5. Kent Kaahanui, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

6. David Hagino, Native Hawaiian Church

7. Rev Dr. John Floberg, Standing Rock North Dakota TEC

8. Bishop Grant J. Hagiya, Resident Bishop of the Los Angeles area, United Methodist Church

9. Rev. Dr. Se Hee Han, Hawaii District, United Methodist Church

10.JoAnn Yoon Fukumoto, Justice and Compassion Chair, Hawaii District, and Trinity UMC

11.Francis Fukumoto, Trinity UMC

12.Kahu David K. Kaupu, Kahu Emeritus Bishop Memorial Chapel & Kaumakapili Church UCC

13.Rev. Arch Deacon Steve Costa, TECH

14.Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff, Missioner, Indigenous Ministries, TEC

15.Ronald R. Braman, Chair, Province VIII Indigenous Ministries TEC

16.Reverend Canon Randolf V.N. Albano, TECH

17.Roth Puahala and Ohana and Kamaliʻi, Spiritual and Cultural Leader

18.Dr. Manuwai Peters, UCC

19.Leon Siu, Director, Christian Voice of Hawaii

20.Dr. Dawn Morais, Catholic and St. Elizabeth TECH

21.Kahu Debbie Wong Yuen, AHEC/UCC

22.Walter Wong Yuen, AHEC/UCC

23.Rev. David K. Popham

24.Kahu David Turner, Church of the Crossroads UCC

25.Dr. Kahu Doug Wooten, Kaumakapili Church AHEC/UCC

26.Kumu Coline Aiu, Halau Hula O Maiki and Ahahui Kaiulani

27.Reverend Canon Brian J. Grieves, TEC

28.Kahu Rennie Mau, Hawaii Pacific Islands and Asian American Ministries UCC

29.Maile Baird, Koolau Hui Ia Church, AHEC/UCC

30.Barbara Vlachos, President, Iolani Guild, TECH

31.Edward Akana, Alii Noeauloa, Lady of Peace Cathedral

32.Kahu Violet Makuakane, AHEC/UCC

33.Norman Kaleomokuokanalu Chock UCC

34.Manu Naeole AHEC/UCC

35.Kahu Alpha Goto UMC

Sacred Mauna Kea 2

36.Kumu Hula Leihiʻilani Kirkpatrick

37.Wyren Keoki Kiwaha, Chair, Justice and Witness, Hawaii Conference UCC

38.Julia Estrella, Hawaii Pacific Islands Asian American Ministries

39. Rev. Piula Alailima, Wesley United Methodist Church

40.Fr. David Gierlach, Rector, St. Elizabeth TECH, Wallyhouse Francisan Catholic Worker

41.Wally Inglis, Wallyhouse Francisan Catholic Worker Community

42.Mary Inglis, Wallyhouse Francisan Catholic Worker Community

43.Barbara D. Bennett, TSSF, Wallyhouse Francisan Catholic Worker Community

44.David Catron, Wallyhouse Francisan Catholic Worker Community

45.Niambi Mercado, Wallyhouse Francisan Catholic Worker Community

46.Dawn Webster, Wallyhouse Francisan Catholic Worker Community

47.Kahu John A. Hauʻoli Tomoso, Episcopal Priest and Social Worker MSW, TECH

48.Fr. Raymond Woo, Vicar, St. Lukeʻs TECH

49.Meleana Meyers, St. Clementʻs TECH

50.Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff, Missoner, Indigenous Ministries, TECH

51.Rev Prof. Greg Johnson, TECH

52.Kerisa Carmelo, AHEC & UCC

53.Lorna Bufil, AHEC & UCC

54.Kahu Charles Kaupiko, Hauʻoli Kamanao Church AHEC & UCC

55.Kahu Melveen Kaupiko, Hauʻoli Kamanao Church AHEC & UCC

56.Kekai Perry, St. Stephenʻs TECH

57.Kauanoe Hoomanawanui, Koolau Huiia Protestant Church, AHEC & UCC

58.Anela Rosa, Waiola AHEC/UCC

59.Pete Doktor

60.Sensei Molly, True Mountain Sanga

61.Ron Fujiyoshi, Hawaii Pacific Islands Asian American Ministries UCC

62.Connie Gordan, Indigenous Ministries, TEC

63.David Thomson, Indigenous Ministries, TEC

64.Patty Takahashi, Nativer Hawaiian Church

65.Cheryl Hiipoi Ho, Church of the Crossroads

66.Matt Tautafete, The First Lapp UMC

67.Bude Van Dyke, Church of the Good Shepherd and Indigenous Ministries, TEC

68.Angie Warren, Kalapana Maunakea Church AHEC/UCC

69.Kahu Michael Maluhia Warren, Senior Pastor, Kalapana Mauna Kea Church AHEC/UCC

70.Kahu Wayne Higa, Kaahumanu Church AHEC/UCC

71.Gloria Pualani Muraki, Lanakila Church AHEC/UCC

72.Laurel Mieko Song Mayeda

73.Rev. Amy Wake, Trinity United Methodist Church

74.Rev. Won-Seok Yuh, Kahaluʻu United Methodist Church

75.Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Kehaunani Hill, UCC

76.Kristen Young

77.Rev. Eric Anderson

Sacred Mauna Kea 3

78.Rev. John Finau, Keolumanu UMC

79.Trenton Baum

80.Gene Ahlo

81.Nicole Yamashita, Native Hawaiian Church

82.Myron Yamashita, Native Hawaiian Church

83.Christopher Mansho, Native Hawaiian Church

84.Cileen Yamashita, Native Hawaiian Church

85.Rev. Sam Domingo UMC

86.Rev. Ongo Viliami Koli, Trinity UMC

87.Rev. Richard Matsushita, UMC

88.Pomai Akiona, St. John the Baptist TECH

89.Loea Akiona, St. John the Baptist TECH

90.Jasmine Akiona, St. John the Baptist TECH

91.Galen Ho, St. John the Baptist TECH

92.Pumehana Ho, St. John the Baptist TECH

93.Jerome L. Uyematsu, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

94.J Kawena Cotterell Uyematsu, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

95.Jordan Makaalanalani Patterson, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

96.Josiah Kekoanui Patterson, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center

97.Sha Merirei Onelungel, Progressive Pasifika

98.Kensen Alik, Oahu Berea Evangelical Church

99.Pastor Charles Petras, Oahu Berea Evangelical Church

100. Senni Petras, Oahu Berea Evangelical Church

101. Nathan Kalama, Koolau Hui Ia Church UCC

102. Brother Tom Spring, Marinist

103. Rodney Apana

104. Matthew DeKneff, Trinity UMC

105. Wendy DeKneef, Trinity UMC

[likemesomesalads]

2, 13, 41, 57, 74, and 85 for Éowain and Tris!

A new kid and the best boi :3 awww yiss~ Nimue belongs to you and Lace to @ascalonianpicnic​ but you know that :3 

2: What is your character’s happiest memory?

Éowain: He doesn’t remember from earlier but since he is in Elona, the happiest memory he made was probably the time he raised Lumina. It was a lot of fun and he is really proud of her.

Tris: Probably when Lace and Nim started dating him. He was totally sure he’d de alone and then there is not one but two handsome sylvari wanting to date him? At the same time? And he loves both of them? And they don’t mind? Who turned the world upside down?

13: Does your character have anyone that they really care about, to the point that they would give their life for them? If so, who are they and what is your character’s relation to them? If not, do they wish they did? Is there anyone they wish they could build such a relationship with?

Éowain: Currently no, except Lumina. He would def try his darn bestest to protect her, even shielding her with his own body if must.

Tris’s been answered

41:  Where do they live? What is that place like, do they enjoy living there?

Éowain: He doesn’t have a concrete place. He lives a nomadic life, wandering the desert with Lumina.

Tris: He can be found in either Pact Command in Dragonfall, Fort Trinity or Amnoon OR wherever one of his boyfriends are. He doesn’t have his own place yet as he isn’t sure where he would like to live.

57:  Would they rather be hot or cold?

Éowain: Hot. He can’t do cold climate. He instantly gets sick if the temperature drops under a certain point.

Tris: Doesn’t really matter. But if he has to pick he’ll pick hot over cold.

74:  What would be the worst way to die, in your character’s opinion?

Éowain: Any and all way is the worst way. He’d like to live, thank you very much. But the worst probably would be a slow and painful death.

Tris: Probably one where he knows he couldn’t save someone or failed at his job. Though he, for the most part, doesn’t mind dying at all... Well, he wouldn’t want to leave Lace and Nim though. 

85:  If the opportunity to join an adventure appears, but for your character to participate they’d need to leave their current life behind without knowing if they’ll ever come back, would they go no matter what? Or would they prefer to stay with their current life?

Éowain: He wouldn’t leave. He doesn’t remember his past so he won’t throw away his present. He likes how things are now.

Tris: If it includes his boyfriends he would most likely take on the adventure with them without much hesitation. Otherwise, he’d stay with the Pact.

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 19 May – St Maria Bernarda Bütler (1848-1924) aged 74 – Religious Sister, Founder, Missionary, Apostle of the Holy Eucharist, of prayer and charity, Marian devotee – born Verena Bütler on 28 May 1848 in Auw, Aargau, Switzerland and died on 19 May 1924 in Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia of natural causes.   St Maria Bernarda was a Swiss Roman Catholic professed religious and the foundress of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Sinners and a part of the missions in Ecuador and Colombia.   She worked for the care of the poor in these places until her exile from Ecuador and entrance into Colombia where she worked for the remainder of her life.   Her order moved there with her and continued to expand during her time there until her death.

Maria Bernarda/Verena Bütler was born in Auw, in the Canton of Argovia, in Switzerland, on 28 May 1848 and was baptised on the same day.   She was the fourth child of Henry and Catherine Bütler, modest but exemplary country people, who educated the eight children born of their marriage in the love of God and of neighbour.

Gifted with excellent health, Verena grew up happy, intelligent, generous and a lover of nature.   She began to attend school at seven years of age.   The fervour and commitment with which she made her First Communion, on 16 April 1860, remained constant in her for the rest of her life.

Childhood Home

St Maria Bernarda’s Childhood Bedroom

Devotion to the Eucharist would, in fact, form the foundation of her spirituality.

Having completed her elementary studies at the age of 14, Verena dedicated herself to farm work and experienced affection for a worthy young man with whom she fell in love.   On feeling the call of God, she broke off the engagement in order to turn completely to the Lord.   During this period in her life she was granted the grace of enjoying the presence of God, feeling Him very close.   She herself said: “To explain this state of soul to someone who has never experienced anything similar is extremely difficult, if not impossible”.   And again:   “The Holy Spirit taught me to adore, praise, bless and give thanks to Jesus in the tabernacle at all times, even at work and in real life.

Drawn by the love of God, she entered a convent in her region as a postulant at 18 years of age.   However, becoming aware that it was not the place to which the Lord was calling her, Verena very quickly returned home.

Work, prayer and apostolic activity in the parish kept her desire for the consecrated life alive.   At the suggestion of her Pastor, Verena entered the Franciscan Monastery of Mary Help of Sinners in Altstätten on 12 November 1867.   She took the Franciscan habit on 4 May 1868, taking the name of Sister Maria Bernarda of the Heart of Mary and made her Religious Profession on 4 October 1869 with the firm proposal of serving the Lord until death in the contemplative life.

She was very soon elected Mistress of Novices and Superior of the Community on three occasions, carrying out this fraternal service for nine consecutive years.   Her zeal and love for the Kingdom of God had prepared her to begin a new missionary experience. Having willingly accepted the invitation of Msgr. Peter Schumacher, Bishop of Portoviejo in Ecuador, who, outlining the precarious situation of his people, asked her to come to his Diocese.   Maria Bernarda clearly saw the will of God, who was calling her to be an announcer of the Gospel in that far away country, in this invitation.

Having overcome the initial resistance of the Bishop of St Gall and obtained a regular pontifical indult, Sr Maria Bernarda and six companions left the Monastery in Altstätten and set out for Ecuador on the 19th of June 1888.   Only their light of faith and zeal to announce the Gospel sustained the Blessed and her companions in the difficult separation from their beloved Monastery and Sisters.  In her intentions, Maria Bernarda thought of giving birth to a missionary foundation dependent on the Swiss Monastery.

The Lord, however, made her instead the foundress of a new Religious Congregation, that of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Sinners.

They were received paternally by the Bishop, who entrusted to Maria Bernarda the community of Chone, which presented a distressing spectacle because of the total lack of priests, scant religious practice and rampant immorality.   Maria Bernarda became “everything to everyone”, placing prayer, poverty, fidelity to the Church and the constant exercise of the works of mercy at the base of her missionary work.   She, together with her daughters, began an intense apostolate among families, deepening their knowledge of the language and of the culture of the people.   The first fruits did not delay in maturing.   The Christian life of the people blossomed again as if by magic.

The new Franciscan Congregation also grew in number and two filial houses were founded in Sant Ana and Canoa.   Very soon after however, the missionary work of Mother Maria Bernarda was marked by the mystery of the Cross.   Many indeed were the sufferings to which she and her daughters were submitted – absolute poverty, torrid heat, uncertainty and difficulties of every kind, risks to their health and security of their lives, misunderstanding on the part of ecclesiastical authorities and, besides, the separation of some Sisters from the community, establishing themselves later as an autonomous congregation (the Franciscans of the Immaculate: Blessed Charity Brader).   Maria Bernarda underwent all this with heroic fortitude and in silence without defending herself or nourishing resentment towards anyone but forgiving them from her heart and praying for those who made her suffer.

As if all these trials were not enough, a violent persecution in 1895, begun by forces hostile to the Church, obliged Sr Maria Bernarda and her Sisters to flee from Ecuador. Without knowing where to go, she went, with 14 Sisters, towards Bahia, from where she continued towards Colombia.

The group was still wandering when it received an invitation from Msgr. Eugene Biffi to work in his Diocese of Cartagena.   So, on 2 August 1895, the feast of the Porziuncola of Assisi, the Foundress and her Sisters, exiled from Ecuador, reached Cartagena and were received paternally by the Bishop  . They found hospitality in a female hospital, commonly called a “Pious Work”.   The Lord had led her by the hand towards that asylum, where Mother Mary Bernard would remain to the end of her life.   After the house in Cartagena, the Foundation was extended not only in Columbia but also in Austria and Brasil.

With a compassionate heart, authentically Franciscan, she engaged above all in relieving the spiritual and material needs of the poor, whom she always considered to be her favourites.   She used to say to the Sisters:  “Open your houses to help the poor and marginalised.   Give preference to the care of the indigent over all other activity”. The Mother guided her Congregation over thirty years.   Even after resigning from the Office of Superior General, she continued to animate her dear Sisters with feelings of true humility, especially through the example of her life and her words and writings.

Struck by piercing hypo-gastric pains, while at the “Pious Work” in Cartagena, an establishment of her Daughters and loved and venerated by all as an authentic saint, Mary Bernard quietly went to sleep in the Lord on 19 May 1924.   She was 74 years of age, 56 in the consecrated life and 38 in missionary life.   News of her death spread quickly. The Pastor of the Cathedral of Cartagena announced her passing away, saying to the faithful:  “A saint has died in this city, this morning – the reverend Mother Bernard!”    Her tomb immediately became a centre of pilgrimage and a place of prayer.

The apostolic zeal and ardour of charity of Mother Mary Bernard are being re-lived today in the Church, particularly through the Congregation founded by her, present at the moment in various countries on three continents.   The Blessed can be pointed out as an authentic model of “inculturation”, the urgency of which the Church has underlined for an efficient announcement of the Gospel (cf. Redemptoris Missio, n. 52).   She incarnated perfectly her orienting motto:  “My guide, my star, is the Gospel”.

St Maria Bernarda’s Bible and Crucifix below

During her life, she found support and comfort in God alone.

From the time she abandoned her homeland, to which she never went back, when she left her dear Monastery in Altstätten and during her untiring apostolic activity, she was always sustained by a solid spirituality of unceasing prayer, heroic charity towards God and her neighbour, by a faith that was solid as rock, by an unlimited trust in the Providence of God, by evangelical strength and humility and by a radical fidelity to the commitments of her consecrated life.   From her contemplation of the mysteries of the Most Holy Trinity, the Eucharist and the Passion of the Lord, she also drew the gift of mercy towards all, which she practised and left, as the particular charism of her Congregation.   Very devoted to the Virgin Mother of the Lord, she wished her Congregation to have Our Lady Help of Sinners as mother, protector and life model in her discipleship of Christ and in her missionary activity.   As a Franciscan, she cultivated the same veneration which St Francis of Assisi nourished for “Holy Mother Church”, Pastors and priests, whom she called “the anointed of the Lord”.

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The Blessed left an admirable example of the biblical woman – strong, prudent, mystical, spiritual teacher and notable missionary.   She left the Church a wonderful testimony of dedication to the cause of the Gospel, teaching all, especially today, that it is possible to unite contemplation and action, life with God and service to humanity, bringing God to men and women, and men and women to God.

The Servant of God St Pope John Paul II conferred the title and honour of Blessed her on  29 October 1995.   The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, inscribed her in the register of Saints on 12 October 2008…Vatican.va

Saint of the Day – 19 May – St Maria Bernarda Bütler (1848-1924) Saint of the Day - 19 May - St Maria Bernarda Bütler (1848-1924) aged 74 - Religious Sister, Founder, Missionary, Apostle of the Holy Eucharist, of prayer and charity, Marian devotee - born…

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Onni Speaks

▲ The marriage of Dr Mose Durst and Onni Yeon-soo Lim (or Im)

HOSTAGE TO HEAVEN by Barbara Underwood and Betty Underwood

Four years in the Unification Church by an Ex Moonie and the mother who fought to free her.  Published 1979

from pages 66-69

Divine Principle was continually reinforced by community life, especially in Family Meetings. These were a time for brothers and sisters in the centers to share their realizations of God, their conquests of their own selfishness, or their dreams. Sometimes Onni would speak words of fire. Because of this, the call for Family Meeting struck like lightning.

“Quick, pali-pali!” (Pali meaning hurry in Korean.) “Onni’s coming tonight for a Family Meeting. Clean up now!” Teresa ordered. Teresa, who was responsible for preparing the worshipful atmosphere, assigned an older sister to prepare fruit and Ginseng tea for Onni and Dr. Durst, tasks accepted with honor and fear. Tensions ran high to meet Onni’s standard of perfection. Windows were opened because we all knew Onni’s “spiritual smell” was very sensitive to “low spirits” from recently departed guests still dwelling in the Satanic world. Hair combed, faces washed, shirts tucked in, the Family gathered in full circle around a pillow or sofa prepared for Onni. Teresa would lead us in singing before the magisterial arrival.

Onni and Dr. Durst would sweep in. Onni’s presence commanded full obedience. Meetings would usually start with a ritual passing of fortune cookies, which we read out loud. Seen as a barometer of our spiritual states of mind, the ones I saved were memorable: “Great thoughts come from the heart,” “Life to you is a dashing and bold adventure,” or “He that falls in love with himself [which I publicly read, “God”] will have no rivals.”

...

I also lived at the Hearst Street mansion, a stately old Georgian ex-fraternity house near the University of California campus; at The Gardens, elegant and palatial home of Onni and Dr. Durst, for a few months; up in the Boonville trailers; and at the dignified Victorian Washington Street center in San Francisco.

The most complete responsibility in center life I ever assumed was during two months in summer of 1975 when I moved back to Oakland’s modest but historic Dana Street center. Jonah directed that house with bursting momentum, consistent as a reliably wound clock. My duties as his “object,” or assistant, included cooking for thirty each day and night, buying food and provisions, and in “spare” hours leading a recruiting team in downtown Oakland in which our goal was a “date” for dinner each night. (I still recall those unsuspecting sidewalk innocents on whom we lunged in desperation a few minutes before dinner.) I also hostessed evening lecture programs, gave lectures and slide presentations, kept the finances and the family history, answered telephones, drove flower-selling missions at night, conducted prayer meetings and trinity meetings, group-assisted at Boonville on weekends, and, above all, served Jonah with total obedience.

Jonah treated me with stern instruction, ever ready to correct. He’d catapult out of the house for meetings at The Gardens with Onni, sticking his head back in the door to yell about all the errors in judgment I’d committed that day. With no chance to plead for justice, I’d trot to Onni’s prayer room to faithfully pray for inner strength to humble myself to his holy tyranny, to feel “married for eternity” to his will. I tried to sense our bond as unending, the only way I could force myself to submit temporarily. After unlocking it with a hidden key, I’d slip into the Dana prayer room. One for each center, this one was immaculate with quiet light, translucent curtains gently blowing, photos of True Parents and Jesus, mementos from Korea, holy books, and the fragrance of fresh-cut roses. These moments were the few times when Reverend Moon’s wife, my True Mother, emerged as more important to me than “Father” himself. I had been told that her course in restoring the world set the example for all sisters. She lived an absolute shadow existence to Reverend Moon, an obedient birth-giver to “perfect” children, one after another. Kneeling under her unreadable face posed beside Father’s, I identified with her intense struggle to endure her life.

At Dana Street, while I was assistant, our main mission consisted of recruiting eight hours a day in places like the San Francisco wharf, Golden Gate Park, on Berkeley’s campus, or on the new subway system, BART. Working with a small team of partners, we would approach and invite to dinner as many bright, capable passers-by as we could manage to engage in conversation. Onni instructed us to avoid talking too long to any one person, especially to avoid talking philosophy about the Church. She herself had set the standard when, in the early movement, she had reached out to one hundred people in one day. “Make friends, offer them whatever they are seeking, pray for Heavenly Father to guide them to dinner,”' Onni would teach. “Sisters get handsome men, brothers attract pretty girls. It’s good if they come because they like you. Once in God’s house, they learn to love God instead.” By spoken and unspoken understandings, we knew what we were looking for: capable, healthy, restless, young, white people like ourselves, preferably lonely and traveling, uprooted. They might respond to our approach: “Beautiful day, isn’t it? Been traveling long? Where are you from? Have you ever met our Family? We live on a huge farm together. You should come visit us; you’re always welcome. By the way, are you hungry?”

Two Family buses, called the “Coffee-Break-Bus” and the “Elephant Bus,” were strategically located in tourist areas as recruiting centers for “hitchhikers with knapsacks.” Our teams would look for young prospects, bring them back to the bus for coffee and doughnuts, and introduce them to the Family. Our psychological approach was irresistible. Members of the Church “radiated” love and kindness to strangers. Many conscientious, open people felt obliged to respond to us on a personal and social level because we made it seem too cruel to resist.

After a full day of recruitment, reaching out to people we believed we could save, our dinners at the center consisted of more intense relating to individuals. We fed them, entertained them, and suggested to them an “amazing set of ideas that would change their lives and make them happy.” We insisted they stay with us. The success of the day was measured by how many guests “signed up” and paid for a weekend training session up on our isolated 680 acres of land, the Boonville farm.

After guests left the centers at nine-thirty at night, the house was cleaned. Moneymaking teams prepared to “blitz the bars.” Everyone else visited prospective “spiritual children,” or held trinity meetings to read “Master Speaks,” a series of tracts based on Moon’s speeches. Prayer and chanting was at eleven sharp. Anyone who had fasted, to bring more people or money in, would break that fast at midnight with soup and ice cream. By 12:30 younger Family members were in their sleeping bags, men side by side on one floor, women on the next level in strict segregation. Carpet cleaning or auto repair crews might come in at four or five o’clock after working all night.

After midnight, as center assistant, I planned menus, incorporating Boonville farm produce into rice, soup, or potato combinations for next night’s dinner. (Breakfast had been juice, coffee, oatmeal; lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, raisins, carrots, cookies.) One-thirty a.m. found me still making lists of workshop signups and fund-raising accounts, and trying to locate used clothes in the “extra clothes room” for new sisters.

By two o’clock, Jonah would either stagger in or bluster in, depending on Onni’s mood, from a staff meeting at The Gardens. Over his milkshake or a stack of gooey jelly and peanut butter sandwiches I’d prepared, I would try to guess from him the content of the meetings. I later read through a staff brother’s notebook and learned what a tight ship Onni ran. The following are quotes from Onni, as recorded in his notebook:

“If one person doubts then no good. If on staff and drop out, this creates disunity because can’t trust you. Such people are betrayers. You know heavenly secrets. If you go away, you dangerous because you know too much. You can’t zig-zag. If you fight it out, you can overcome.” (2/13/74).

“You staff have Satanic evil mouths. Have to knock off—don’t say too much. And when you talk to people, talk only about their needs, their benefits, find out what will get them in. In witnessing, if people get negative toward you, just say that we support all churches.” (2/3/74).

(And a few days later): “We never tell any lie, never give any untruth. Who accuse us of that?” (2/21/74).

“If you don’t listen to me [Onni], no way for you to be restored. Bind with Onni. Do or die for purpose. Get rid of own ego. Our own will or desires must be last.” (2/14/74).

In January Onni had given instructions to Teresa about a sister who had complained of seeing evil spirits: “Teresa, must ask Abbey honestly heart to heart, pray together. Then talk. If no good, then chase evil spirit out of her. If not we’ll send her to hospital. She should do laundry each day.”

Onni had said of a brother, a young insurance salesman noted for his spunk and independence of mind: “Never let Don drive again. I don’t like him. Smash his ego. Or put him in Heavenly jail to change his attitude!” (2/21/74).

Other provisos: “Everyone must raise hand and share experience at Family meeting. If you can’t raise hand you are living selfishly. No good.” Or: “When you go out and witness, witness to the people for Dr. Durst; they respect Ph.D. bag. But when people come into Family to stay, then you witness for Onni.” And, “No one want elderly people around for dinner because they are not needed.” (2/20/74).

Onni also made clear in staff meetings: “No German travelers for workshop; they too scientific and heady. And black people don’t fit in so well. Hard for them. Not right time in God’s providence for them. Father says if whites don’t accomplish then use blacks to shame whites in America, but not yet.”

Barbara Underwood:

One Family meeting with Onni Durst scarred my soul

A story from Bay Area Unification Church of the 1970s – part 1 Disciples Fill Moon’s Pockets

A story from Bay Area Unification Church of the 1970s – part 2 Moonie 1977 Court Battle: Fighting For ‘Rights’

A story from Bay Area Unification Church of the 1970s – part 3 For Moonies ‘Deprogram’ Meant Torture

Onni Durst – The Dragon Lady

Moon’s ultimate truth is … absolute obedience – Allen Tate Wood

Moonwebs: Journey into the Mind of a Cult by Josh Freed

Crazy for God: The nightmare of cult life by Christopher Edwards