#Bobling King the Bobling

[aromantisk-fagforening]

I would love to make polls about card games, but I don't know how universal any card game nor any English names for most of the ones I play

card games of course being the games that use the standard deck of cards, with spades, clover, hearts and diamond and Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 to 2.

I'm talking about multiplayer games, not solitaire games.

an attempt of a list of card games:

idioten (the idiot). (you have 3 + 3 + 3 cards and want to get rid of your cards as fast as possible, rules vary a lot different places & families)

spardame (queen of spades). (kinda like hearts?).

vri åtte (twist eight). (kinda like Uno, but you switch color with eight)

Cames (this one sounds English idk, it's a place right?). (team game, try to get four identical cards, signal to your teammate and if they identify it you get a point)

hopp i havet (literally: jump into the ocean, English equivalent: Go Fish). (big pile of cards, try to get four identical cards by asking for a card you have, the one who is asked has to give it to you, if they don't have it you get a card from the ocean (big pile), the one who does that the most wins, requires 3+ people)

presidenten (the president). (I'm pretty sure this is originally from elsewhere and pretty popular, especially concidering Norway never has had a president)

edit: grisen (the pig). (you try to get four identical cards, everyone has 4 cards and a fifth one gets passed around, you signal when you have four identical and the last player to signal gets a letter (g - r - i - s), when you have all the letters you're out, 3+ players. the signal is grabbing the table with only the thumb visible)

edit: boble (bubble). (the pig except the signal is different, you blow air into your cheeks to make them big.)

edit: krig (war). (each player has equal amounts of cards, no cards remain. you can't look at them, you just turn them mindlessly and the one with the higher number wins those cards. if you have the same card you put down three cards with the backsides up, and you put down a fourth one frontside up showing the value, highest wins like before and if you win you win all 9 or 15 cards (1x or 2x doubles).)

edit: lyveren/jugeren/løgneren (the liar). (you put down cards with the backsides up, and you say what they are, people can try to call you out when you're bluffing/lying, you try to get rid of your cards). I know this one exists elsewhere because I've seen it, I don't, however, know it's English name.

edit: a site with some rules (in Norwegian, but you have translation tools)

you can reply or reblog this or send asks if you wanna be anonymous or whatever and tell me (1) if you've heard of any of these (and if so which one(s)!), and (2) about any card games that fit my definition that you play

I might make a poll, but won't here since I want to be able to edit this lol.

[ramrodd]

The Melchizedek Connection: Bridging the Old Testament to Jesus

COMMENTARY:

Melchizedek is a Maji. He is part of an experiment in intelligent design conceived to sustain the social cohesion  to build pyramids and develop the metaphusics necessary to produce Apollo 11. Enoch was a engineering consultant to the Magi and interpreter of their design emerging from base 60 numerology and the19 year Solar cycle, the Metonic cycle in their communication with God, however it suits your fancy to define the great I am that I am. In 3780 BCE, God composed the Bood of Job and Enoch started the clock on a 7000 year Epoch designed to produce Apollo 11. We are currently at Enoch Year 5784. We are not quite 2000 years ahead of schdeul because of the Talking Cross in the Gospel of Peter. People like Melchiedek were in working out of Persia as stone masons going back to the Ziggaruts and they kept track of the Egyptian pre-metaphsical thinking and rewarding natural born stoics in the manner of Abram, According to the numerology, Abram fought along sinde Yaweh, Queen of  Battle. This completes the 6 element ontology of Moses: Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 4:2 , Elonim the One; Genesis 1:2, Elohim the demifurge of Plato and the Spirit of God relative to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the 318 warrors of Abraham is the numerology for Yaweh, Queen of Battle, and then The Satan, in The Book of Job. If you want to understand Hegel, understand Enoch's Epoch as a grid of ten 700 year weeks that started at EY 1 and goids out to EY 7000. Recent scholarship has revealed that the tithe went from Melchizedek to Abram instead of the other way around as written in current translations  I've always heard the version of the tithe in this exposition, but my experience with tithing doesn't feel the same sas described by the Prosperity Gospel of Project 2025,   I happen to agree with this new research because the Tithe to Abram is consistent with the Parable of the Talents as a discription of the open system cascade structures of the economics of Jesus and Adam Smith. It's why Eisenhower's neo-liberalism is perfectly congruent with the inerrant epistemology of the Bible. It is useful to remember that Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations is an interpolation of the literature of the Boble according to the economics embedded in the narrative. Genesis 41 is a model foJr capital budgeting they used to plan for WWII in the Pentagon. It's what Biden'/Harris/Walz's Build Back Better capital budget is all about. Melchizdek rewarded Abram for being a stoic along side Yaweh, Queen of Battle and the Wise Men in Matthew are Magi who tithe to Mary, Joseph and Jesus to nuture Messiah for His appointment with the Cross. Jesus was a Kami Kazi Messiah,  I don't know if Enoch saw that coming , but the Talking Cross may have accelerated the Metaphysics of Aristotle by 2000 years or so. I don't know, but the Talking Cross represents a divine endorsement between the Stoic and the Epicurian in Roman society, the separation of Chruch and State. That was the difference between Rome and the rest of the world at that time. And what Jesus was trying to do was to guide Isreal into the same republican sociology as rome. which, today, is the IDF. Like Josephus, he was going long on Pax Romana. Hebrews 13:17 is the stoic raison d'etre of the Italian Regiment of the Preatorian Guard. They were the Swiss Army soldiers of Roman society in the same way the US Army is the Swiss Army slidiers of We, the People, the Philospher Kings of the American Republic, Every bote counts.

[thebibliomancer]

Archaia’s Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance #10

The Journey into the Mondo Levidian Part 2

The true untold tale of All-Maudra Mayrin’s inaugural adventure!

Well, untold in the show. Comic is telling plenty.

In part one, Mayrin becomes All-Maudra and has plenty of unresolved mother issues and insecurity about it. Her first crisis is the growing Sifan separatist movement which threatens to shatter Gelfling solidarity and make her more of a Most-Maudra. She charters a ride with Captain Kam’Lu to go speak to the separatist leader Fenth but the ship goes and sinks.

So far we’ve had a journey so far but not into or Mondo Levidian. We probably should get around to that soon. There’s only three issues left.

So let’s get started!

When the ship sank, Mayrin jumped overboard to save Kam’Lu. Now they’re stranded in the middle of the ocean on a raft.

Mayrin is insistent that they try to find and save the crew of the Scalene Anchor and also Dot. Kam’Lu is equally insistent that No That’s A Terrible Idea. They have no food, no water, and no hope of survival unless they’re lucky enough to find land. They’re in no position to rescue anyone else. Plus...

There are political considerations.

Kam’Lu: “If the other clans believe the Sifans killed the All-Maudra, we’ll never be trusted again.”

He also mentions that Fenth predicted that THIS EXACT SITUATION might happen if the All-Maudra intervened in the Sifan separatist movement.

Huh.

Speaking of Fenth, the plot cuts over to him for a bit.

He learns of the sinking the Scalene Anchor and the presumed death of the New-All-Maudra and thinks hey, its free real estate.

High Councilor Fenth: “That means... There’s no one in line for the All-Maudra’s throne! The seat is vacant!”

skekSa: “How... fortunate! Haha! Ha! Haha! You wanted autonomy for the Sifans! Freedom from the greedy hands of the Vapra clan, yes? That is why honored me with this grand tithing -- to enlist my immortal aid? I am the only one who is sympathetic to your cause. That is why the Skeksis are here. To help Gelfling lead...!”

Call it a shot in the dark but I feel like skekSa was involved in the suspicious sea monster sinking of the Scalene Anchor.

Of course, she’ll probably get away with it. It’d spoil the surprise too early if a Skeksis was caught doing an evil scheme.

Also, look at the ambition on Fenth. Grows up in a matriarchy where clan leaders are always women, where the word for clan leader means ‘clan mother’ and thinks to himself ‘psssh i can do that.’ Good on him. Dream big, guy.

Back over with our mismatched comedy duo, as all Dark Crystal stories must have, Mayrin and Kam’Lu have some mismatched comedy duo banter.

Like her criticizing him for not being able to find land despite being a captain of a ship. And then immediately spotting land while he’s indignantly defending his credentials.

Or her maligning his swimming abilities since he fell off a boat and got knocked unconscious and had to be saved from drowning by her.

So he decides to turn this into a swimming contest, winner gets to be All-Maudra.

Good fun.

Just how I like my Gelfling buddy comedies.

Of course, its all fun and games until the island turns out to be a sea monster that eats them.

And it turns out that the island is a sea monster that eats them.

A mondo levidian, if I had to guess.

Giant turtles passing as landscape. Giant monsters being mistaken for islands. This comic series is too good to me.

So the two slide down the mondo levidian’s throat (gross) MANAGING TO BICKER ON THE WAY DOWN!

Kam’Lu: “Don’t you have wings?!”

Mayrin: “They don’t work well when they’re wet!”

Amazing.

They slide and slorp and flump all the way down to presumably the stomach.

But as they stop to rest, they realize they’re not alone.

Sulub: “Yer some kinda fishie-fish I ain’t ever seen! Betchur tasty! Anyway! No wrigglin’ while I kill ya good!”

OH MY GOD

This comic series is too good to me.

Look at this delightful podling crabtaur.

Once Kam’Lu proves immune to Sulub’s “advanced technology” (ie Sulub stabs Kam’Lu in the foot with a spear), the podcrab agrees to take the two Gelfling to see his village elder.

Sulub actually assumes that Mayrin and Kam’Lu are married and here on honeymoon at the thriving fish digestive system tourism industry I guess. Mayrin claims that Kam’Lu is just a fool and her servant (and Kam’Lu doesn’t speak Podling very well so has no idea about this) and introduces herself as the All-Maudra.

Sulub: “ALL-MAUDRA! The legendary All-Maudra! Well, why didn’t ya say so! Sulub is gilltickled and downright honored to lead ‘the all-powerful and all-knowing’ All-Maudra to our home. You’ll be enjoyin’ to know we’ve kept care of your most regal gifts! Still in pristine condition for havin’ come in a while ago!”

The gut city of Bajula has a statue of the previous All-Maudra, one apparently commissioned when Mayrin was baby.

Huh.

Well. Its helpful to Mayrin that they know about the All-Maudra and are excited to have her here. And that they’re assuming that she sent the statue ahead of herself, like luggage.

Sulub tours Mayrin and Kam’Lu around Bajula. Showing them the goo farms, the visitor center, the fermented... milk wine bar.

The king shows up and is disappointed that the Gelfling want to leave so soon into their visit and asks if Sulub even bothered to show them the goo farms!

But since Mayrin insists that they have important outside stuff to do outside, the king decides to rush through some exposition.

These podling crabs? They’re called Boblings.

Bobling King: “Thousands of trine ago, my tribe set out to explore the Silver Sea as proud, stalwart Podlings! Our regal forefathers were not known to swim, but their bravery was unmatched, and they set out to conquer everything they discovered! All those who would get in their way would be destroyed by the might of the Podlings! Yet there are creatures in this world that are mightier, and the Mondo Leviadin emerged from the Silver Sea and devoured their ships. Thousands of digestive cycles passed as we changed to better suit our new home. Our new world.”

An unstoppable army of Podlings sounds funny until you remember how awesome Hup is. The Mono Levidian may have spared the peoples of Thra a tragic fate.

Also, I’m a big impressed at the lack of linguistic drift. Thousands of trine and Bobling language is indistinguishable from Podling and Gelfling is still recognizable.

Kam’Lu gets fed up with the Bobling King and starts yelling that he’s cold, he’s hungry, he doesn’t want to be in a fish’s guts! Mayrin manages to convince the king by speaking of duty.

Bobling King: “You speak of duty. I know it well. As a leader of my kind, I would do anything for their survival. So yes, I will help you and your servant. Why you married him, I will never know.”

Kam’Lu: “Her what? We’re what?!”

Hah, that misunderstanding is paying dividends.

The king explains that the levidian only surfaces to feed once per trine and that it stays near the surface for a time after feeding.

So if Mayrin and Kam’Lu don’t get to the porticol (blowhole) within eight or so intestinal groans (.... hours??), they’ll be stuck until next trine.

WHICH IS GOING TO BE REAL BAD FOR MAYRIN’S CAREER.

Even though the Boblings are but a simple goo-farming people, the king sends his daughter Gunda, the most skilled hunter in Bajula, to escort them.

Gunda: “But father, the journey as never been done by a single Bobling. You send me into certain danger!”

King: “And do you not crave danger?! My daughter, you are the only one capable and brave enough to undertake such a quest! Please! A duty for your king!”

Gunda: “So be it. I will guide you to the porticol, but know that it is dangerous and uncharted. There are many creatures that call this place home. We must be vigilant. Stalwart. Like my podling ancestors!”

This is a fun little bit because it implies a life and experiences and that these Boblings haven’t just been sitting waiting for protagonists to show up. I mean, they also have been doing that. They have a visitor center set up. But they’ve been living their own dramas.

And off they go! Mayrin, Kam’Lu, and Gunda! On a grand journey to a giant sea monster’s blowhole!

Wait, is this thing a mammal?

So that’s issue 2.

We’re finally in the Mondo Levidian. And now all the protagonists want is to get out. So we’ve got the title, we’ve got an objective, we’ve got some fun side cast, we’ve got a ticking clock before Mayrin and Kam’Lu have to look at the sea monster gut apartment listings, and we’ve got some outside stakes!

Mayrin continues to impress. There’s even a moment right when Kam’Lu rouses after the shipwreck where he seems in awe of her confidence in a crisis.

Kam’Lu has his own personality now that’s not parroting Fenth. Its being a butt monkey, with a slight shade of being a little shit. Between Mayrin giving him shit for supposedly being bad at sailor stuff to getting stabbed in the foot by Boblings twice to being mistaken for Mayrin’s servant-husband, Kam’Lu is having a trying adventure. Plus his ship sank and all of his friends may be dead and if they fail to escape the Mondo Levidian, he’ll go down in history as the idiot that got an All-Maudra killed.

Poor guy.

Gunda has only had two pages to shine and she seems endearing! But it feels weird that Sulub isn’t coming along. He’s the introductory Bobling and all. But I guess speaking only Podling would be an impediment to interacting with Kam’Lu. Still, its weird that he just seems to fade out of the story once the king shows up.

Farewell, Sulub, you funky crab potato.

[sifanjewel]

... So are we just never going to talk about the fact that SkekSa’s Behemoth is the Mondo Leviadin from the comics... and the fact that there are no Boblings present in the Behemoth in the books...?

What happened to the Boblings??

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BOBLINGS AND THEIR GOO FARMS I NEED TO KNOW--

[nurloxx]

tale as old as time

summary: it’s bedtime, and kam’lu is in charge of telling the story

a/n: MAY’LU SHIPPERS COME GET Y’ALL JUICE

"What story do you think papa is going to tell this time?" Brea asked from where she sat on her mother's lap as the older Vapra diligently combed her long pale locks.

"It better not be the one where he got sun frenzy and thought a Hooyim was trying to speak to him." Seladon sighed, running a silver brush through her own hair. She was curled up on a mountain of plush velvet pillows beside her sister Tavra, who was fidgeting impatiently.

"I just hope it's not boring." she said simply.

Mayrin chuckled as she finished up, pecking Brea on the forehead and placing her back down so she could rejoin her sisters on the bed.

"I'm sure whatever your father has planned won't dissapoint." She then discreetly added under her breath. "I hope...."

"Do my ears deceive me or are there four fair gelfling maidens in dire need of a story?"

Four heads simultaneously turned in the direction of a playful voice that boomed from down the hall. The girls squealed in unison as the door swung open to reveal the form of their father, and they abandoned the bed in favor of crowding around his legs enthusiastically.

Kam'lu laughed heartily, scooping his two youngest daughters into his arms, then bending down so that his eldest could climb up on his back.

Mayrin rolled her eyes. "Love, you know they're not supposed to get too excited. It is their bedtime after all."

The Sifa captain gave her a lopsided grin. "Oh but bedtime is the most exciting time of the day, didn't you know? Especially tonights!" He dug his fingers into Tavra and Brea's sides, making them squeal and shriek with laughter.

"Papa, do you have a story for us?" Brea asked, her characteristic curious pools of gold twinkling.

"He better!" Tavra jabbed her tiny finger into her father's chest. "Otherwise I stayed awake for nothing!"

"Fear not my beauties. Tonight's story is a very special one." He gently placed them all down on the pile of cushions, claiming his spot on the biggest one. "One I think your mother will be quite familiar with."

Mayrin almost wanted to ask what Kam'lu was getting at, but the knowing look he threw over his shoulder gave her all the clarification she needed. Smiling, she stood from the vanity chair and got comfortable next to her mate. Their hands interlaced in clear view of their daughters, both not even needing to think about the action. It was practically second nature at that point.

"So, first things first. I have a question for you all." Mayrin gestured between her and Kam'lu. "Do you believe our initial meeting was love at first sight?"

Brea nodded enthusiastically, while Tavra and Seladon shared a look of doubt.

"I'd be surprised if it was..." Seladon muttered.

Mayrin tittered, putting her fingers to her lips. "You'd be correct, my dear. When I first encountered your father, we couldn't have been more different from each other. In the back of my mind I couldn't even begin to fathom how I'd be able to get along with someone so oafish, and thick skulled, and brash-"

"Really feeling the love here...." Kam'lu deflated, ears pinning to the sides of his head. He was actually pouting, and it caused his mate to let out a proper laugh.

"You didn't let me finish." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I truly did believe you to be all those things. However, I'd be proven wrong later on. You were so much more, my love."

The smile slowly returned to Kam'lus face. He kissed her cheek, nuzzling it tenderly. "And to think, all it took was being swallowed up by a sea monster and fighting for our lives trying to escape."

"Wait, you got swallowed by a what?!" Brea exclaimed in disbelief, bouncing around in her seat.

"Sea monster?!" Tavra balked.

"How did you get out?!" Seladon placed a hand to her chest, eyes wide in shock.

The questions continued to pour in at a steady rate.

"Was it a big monster?"

"Did you fight it?!"

"Did you have to light a fire inside it's belly and have it sneeze you out?!"

All eyes in the room fell on Brea with varying levels of puzzlement.

She merely shrugged. "It was in one of my books."

Kam'lu and Mayrin bursted out laughing at that, the older Sifa having to wipe away a tear or two. Such differing personalities their daughters had, but it made them all the more lovable in their eyes.

"That is where our story begins, my young ones. You see, it was a rather dreary and stormy night. The waves had become quite restless..." Kam'lu started his tale, motioning with his hands for the girls to come in closer. They did so without question.

Despite her mate's rather.... eccentric style of storytelling, Mayrin found herself being oddly soothed by it. She studied her daughter's faces with a serene expression. Brea and Tavra seemed the most enraptured, while Seladon appeared more concerned than anything else.

A larger pale hand subtly reached out to grasp hers, and she unconsciously squeezed back.

"..... when we were suddenly face to face with Bobling King himself! Oh he was as helpful as he was fearsome!" Kam'lu made large theatric gestures with his arms, and Mayrin wasn't sure if it was solely for the girls amusement or if he genuinely remembered the King Bobling in that way.

"Pfft, he doesn't sound so scary." Tavra scoffed, crossing her arms.

"That's because he wasn't, dear." Mayrin interjected. She turned to Kam'lu and raised a brow at him. "Love, he barely reached your knee."

"I'm sorry, who is the one telling the story here?"

She pinched the tip of his ear, eliciting a slight yelp from him. "I was there too, you fool." When before the word rolled off her tongue with scorn and exasperation, now there was only fondness present in the Vapra's tone.

This time it was Seladon's turn to laugh. She doubled over on the pillow, clutching her stomach. "Father, you were scared by something so small?" Her sisters soon followed suite, and even Mayrin couldn't resist letting out a chuckle at Kam'lus expense.

The older Sifa's cheeks flared red, and he huffed indignantly. "Well, if that's how you're all going to act, then I think we should cut this story short."

He was only joking of course, but they didn't know that. At least, his daughters didn't. Only Mayrin seemed to catch on to the slight mischievous glint in his eye that told her he didn't really take it to heart.

"No!!!!" Three pairs of arms shot out and latched onto Kam'lu before he could even think about getting up.

"We're sorry Papa!"

"Yeah, really really sorry!"

"You gotta finish the story!"

He looked down at the pleading faces of his little ones, and feigned a look of pensiveness.

"Well, I suppose I can't stay mad at my beauties for long, can I?"

"No, no you can't." Mayrin smirked, playing with a lock of russet colored hair. "We all have you wrapped around our fingers. Forever."

"There's no other fate on Thra I'd rather resign myself to. Now then," He pulled his mate, along with his daughters onto his lap, much to their amusement. It was a tight fit, but they managed. "As I was saying, we had begun our treacherous journey into the belly of the beast..."

Kam'lu smoothly picked up where he had left off, progressing through the rest of the story with little to no interruptions. Though he had to pause multiple times to chuckle at Tavra's starstruck expression when the subject of the flying Zoa and the final battle aboard skekSa's ship came up.

"From that day on, I swore I'd stay by your mother's side through thick and thin. No matter what unholy terrors Thra tossed our way, I'd be right there with her." Kam'lu smiled lovingly, kissing the head of his mate, who hummed in acknowledgement.

"And not long after, we had our first daughter. Our little Seladon." Mayrin cooed, cupping her eldest's cheek and stroking it with her thumb. "Do you remember where your name comes from, dearest?"

"It was the name of a famous Vapran general, right? The one who saved her village from an avalanche?"

Mayrin nodded, tapping her nose. "That's exactly right. I sensed a very stalwart spirit when I was pregnant with you, and I wanted your name to reflect that."

"Can we hear that story next?" Brea asked, yawning.

Kam'lu chuckled. "I'm afraid we'll have to save that particular tale for another night. For now, I think it's time for my beauties to get some sleep."

A low whine of protest sounded from each girl, and Mayrin gently shushed them. "Your father's right. It's already past your bedtime, and you have a big day tomorrow."

"We do?" They all tilted their heads curiously.

Kam'lu grinned. "Yes! It'll be a nice sunny day tomorrow, and I figured what better way to spend it than to take all of you out on the ship for the afternoon."

"So the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner morning will come, and we can ready ourselves accordingly." Mayrin collected her daughters into her arms as she spoke, tucking them each into their respective beds and kissing them goodnight. Kam'lu went around to do the same, saying quiet Sifan prayers under his breath as he did so.

When they were finally laid to rest, Mayrin quietly stepped out of the room, holding the door open for her mate to join her in the hallway.

"Well, let it never be said that I didn't marry a halfway decent storyteller." She jested, elbowing Kam'lu in the side. "Better than I could have told it anyway."

"Ah, so you finally admit I'm better than you at something. Never thought I'd live to see the day." He grinned smugly.

Mayrin popped him on the shoulder. "Don't let it go to your head now. You're a better storyteller than you are a captain, let's put it that way." She ribbed him teasingly. Then she began to saunter ahead of him towards their bed chambers.

"Come, the hour is late and I could use some shut-eye myself."

Kam'lu watched her go at first, making sure her back was completely turned to him before responding.

"Right away, my All Maudra."

In one fluid motion Kam'lu came up behind Mayrin and swept her up into a bridal carry, walking her the rest of the way with a big smile on his face.

She slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter lest she wake the children.

He couldn't see it, but she was wearing a grin big enough to rival his.

[art-critics98]

Deutsch:

Hier ist etwas das ich nicht verstehe.

Von all den Malereien die Van Gogh gemalt hat wieso ausgerechnet diese Sonnenblumen so berühmt geworden sind.

Sie werden im Unterricht in der Schule behandelt, nicht nur im Kunstunterricht… ich meine es sind Sonnenblumen! Klar Van Gogh hatte Talent.

Seine Pinselstriche, sein still seine Farbwahrnehmung und Wahl, einfach einzigartig.

Aber es sind doch „nur“ halbvertrocknete Blumen.

Ich meine denkt man an das „Nachtcafé“ oder an „Starry Night“…in diesen Gemälden ist es als würde man in ein anderes Univers/ in eine andere Galaxie gebracht/teleportiert werden in dem eine Ruhe und Stummheit herrscht doch keine leere.

In der „Starry Night“ in welchem nur knapp ein kleines Dorf zu sehen ist mit einem hohen, auffälligem Kirchenturm und weiten Feldern zieht der Nachthimmel den Blick auf sich/ steht der Nachthimmel im Mittelpunkt.

Es geht vielleicht um die Schönheit des Himmels den wir viel zu selten appreciaten. Jede Nacht ist er von der Erde aus zu sehen und nur viel zu selten sehen wir auf und sehen ihn uns an. Keine Nacht sieht er gleich aus und wir nehmen uns nie die Zeit ihn uns anzusehen und einfach in seinen Schein zu baden und kurz durchzuatmen.

Wir leben in dieser Welt in der alles einfach viel zu schnell läuft. Wir kommen selber nicht hinterher. Ständig will jemand oder etwas etwas von uns. Ob es das neuste IPhone ist oder eine neue Kampagne die unsere Meinung hören will. Jemand will immer etwas. Wir alle leben in Wirklichkeit schon im morgen. Wir leben nicht wirklich im jetzt und hier. Nein wir denken schon an den nächsten Tag, die nächste Woche, sogar ans nächste Jahr.

Und dabei vergessen wir uns um unselbstständig zu kümmern. Mal innezuhalten und in uns hineinzuhorchen und zu tun was wir wollen, was unser Organismus braucht. Er ist nicht dafür gemacht in der Zukunft zu leben. Er kann nur im jetzt leben. Er braucht Zeit um hinterher zukommen. Und das wird in „Starry Night“ gut dargestellt, finde ich.

Im Gegensatz zur „Starry Night“ von 1889 sind im „Nachtcafé“ von 1888 Menschen und ein kleines Viertel zu sehen die unter einen Sternenhimmel ihr Leben mit ihren liebsten genießen. Sie sehen aus als hätten sie no care in the world. Als wäre ihr Leben für diesen einen Moment, perfekt! Wie in einer kleinen Blase in der sie von der restlichen Welt abgeschottet sind.

Und ganz sie selbst sein können. Und geht es uns nicht allen so? Wünschten wir nicht all, dass wir uns in ein anderes univers zurückziehen könnten und dort ganz wir selbst sein könnten. Ich weiß nicht wie es bei euch ist aber wenn ich erst ein Stück Blatt und einen Stift in der Hand hab zusammen mit meiner Musik habe ich auf jeden Fall das Gefühl in einer anderen Welt zu sitzen wo mich nichts und niemand was tun kann und ich ganz ich selbst sein kann.

Aber genug von mir, zurück zu Van Goghs „Sonnenblumen“, natürlich kann es auch sein, dass die Sonnenblumen in Wirklichkeit für den Lebenslauf steht. Wie das Leben verläuft egal wer man ist oder was man in seinem Leben erreicht oder auch nicht hat. Das Leben fängt mit der Geburt an genau so wie das erblühen einer Sonnenblume und genau wie eine Sonnenblume verwelken auch wir irgendwann. Manche früher und manche später je nachdem wie man sich um seine geliebten gekümmert hat oder auch nicht. Aber genau werden wir das sowieso nie wissen, wir können uns alle nur unsere eigenen Gedanken machen und Meinungen bilden.

—————————————————————

English:

See here is something I do not understand.

Of all the paintings that Van Gogh painted, why is it that those sunflowers have become so famous.

They are topic in school, and not just in art classes ... I mean, they're sunflowers! It’s clear to see that Van Gogh had talent.

His brushstrokes, his color perception and choice, are simply unique.

But they are "only" half-dried flowers.

I mean think of the "night cafe" or "Starry Night", in these paintings it is like being transported / teleported to another universe or another galaxy, where there is a silence and muteness that does not feel empty.

In the "Starry Night" in which only a small village can be seen with a tall, striking church tower and wide fields, the night sky is the eye catcher. It may be the beauty of the sky that we appreciate too rarely. Every night the night sky can be seen from the earth and only too rarely do we look up and look at it. No night looks the same and we never take the time to look at it and just bathe in it’s beauty and remember to take a break. We live in this world where everything just goes way too fast. We do not look after ourselves. Constantly someone wants something from us. Whether it's the newest iPhone that we must buy or a new campaign that wants to hear our opinion. Somebody always wants something. In reality, we are all livning in the next day. We do not really live here and now. No, we are already thinking about the next day, the next week, even next year.

And we forget to take care of ourselves. Stop and listen! Do what you want, what our organism needs. Our organism is not made for living in the future. It’s made for living in the now. Our organism needs time to be able at keeping up with our new lifestyles. And that is well illustrated in the “Starry Night", I think.

In contrast to the "Starry Night" of 1889, the "Night Café" from 1888 shows people and a small neighborhood enjoying their lives with their loved ones under another starry sky. They look like they have no care in the world. Like their life for now, in that moment was perfect! Like in a small bubble in which they are isolated from the rest of the world and they can for once be themselves. And don’t we all feel that way sometimes? Do we not all wish that we could retreat to another univers and be ourselves there. I don’t know about you, but once I have a piece of paper and a pen in my hand along with my music, I definitely feel like I am in another world, where nothing and nobody can harm me and I can do and be myself.

But enough of me, back to Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", of course, it may also be that the sunflowers in reality stand for the circle of life ( anyone else thinking of lion king?). As life goes on, no matter who you are or what you have achieved in your life life begins with the birth. As well as sunflower who will always blossoming and just like a sunflower we eventually wither and die. Some earlier and some later. Never mind how you cared for your loved ones. Where you giving them enough love and water? Yes? No? It does not matter. Because eventually we will all leave this earth. But if that is in fact what Vincent Van Gogh wanted to express with his paintings we will never know anyway, (and i think that is good so) so all we can do is to just form our own opinions.

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Dansk:

Se her er noget, jeg ikke forstår.

Af alle de malerier, som Van Gogh malede, hvorfor er lige disse solsikker blevet så berømte.

De behandles i klasser i skoler, og jeg mener ikke kun i kunstklasserne ... Jeg mener, de er solsikker! Klar Van Gogh havde talent.

Hans penselstrøg, hans farveopfattelse og valg er simpelthen unikke.

Men de er "kun" udtørrede blomster.

Jeg mener, ​ tænk på "night cafe" eller "Starry Night". I disse malerier er det som at blive transporteret / teleporteret til et andet univers / en anden galakse, hvor der er tavshed og stilhed, men uden at det føles som tomrum.

I "Starry Night", hvor kun en lille landsby kan ses med et højt slående kirketårn og brede lange marker, tiltrækker nattehimlen fokussen. Det er skønhed i himlen, som vi alt for sjældent sætter pris på. Hver aften kan man se himlen fra gaderne, og kun sjældent ser vi op og ser på den. Ingen aften er som den næste og alligevel tag’ vi os ikke tiden til at se på den. Bare for at bade i dens skønhed og for at tage en dyb indånding.

Vi lever i denne verden, hvor alt går alt for hurtigt. Vi kan slet ikke holde med det tempo vores liv køer på. Konstant ønsker nogen noget af os. Uanset om det er den nyeste iPhone vi skal købe eller det bare er en ny kampagne, der ønsker at høre vores mening. Nogen vil altid have noget. Og i virkeligheden lever vi alle i næste dag. Vi lever ikke rigtig i her og nu. Nej, vi tænker allerede næste dag, næste uge, selv næste år. Og vi glemmer at tage vare på os selv. Stop og lyt! Gør hvad du vil, hvad din organisme har brug for. Vores organisme er ikke skabt til at leve i fremtiden. Den leve kun i nutiden. Den har brug for tid til at komme med. Og jeg synes det er godt illustreret i "Starry Night".

I modsætning til "Starry Night" fra 1889 viser "Night Café" fra 1888 et lille kvarter med mennesker der nyder deres liv med deres kære under en stjerneklar himmel. De ser ud som om de ikke har en bekymring i verden. Som om deres liv for det ene øjeblik var perfekt! Ligesom i en lille boble, hvor de er isoleret fra resten af ​​verden. Og de kan være dem selv. Og vil vi ikke alle sammen lige præsis det? Ønsker vi ikke alle, at vi kunne trække os tilbage til et andet univers hvor vi kan være os selv?

Jeg ved ikke om dig, men når jeg har et stykke papir, en blyant og noget godt musik, føler jeg mig bestemt som om jeg sidder i en anden verden, hvor intet og ingen kan røre mig, og jeg kan være mig selv. Men hvad angår Van Goghs "Solsikker", kan det naturligvis også være, at solsikkerne faktisk står for lives cirkle. (Ellers nogen der tænker på Løvernes konge?)

Livet, uanset hvem du er eller hvad du har opnået i dit liv begynder med fødslen ligesom blomstringen af ​​en solsikke og ligesom en solsikke vil også vi til sidst dø. Nogle tidligere og nogle senere. Uafhængigt af hvordan du plejet din elskede. Gav du dem nok kærlighed og “Van”? Ja? Nej? Men det er også ligegyldig. For vi allesammen kommer til at forlade denne jord på et eller andet tidspunkt. Men om det er hvad Vincent Van Gogh ville udtrykke med sine malerier vil vi alligevel aldrig finde ud af (og jeg tror det er også godt sådan). Så det eneste vi kan gøre er at vi kan alle tænke vires tanker og danne vores egen meninger.

[gamearamamegathons]

Dragon Quest V: Our Obligatory Trip To Hell

Circe here! This might be a bit of a long post, because I just went for the finish line this time. The first thing we need to do is go to a tower in the center of the world. Right away, I notice that the monsters here are quite a bit weaker than those in Emblem Cave. So, maybe the guide directed me there too early, I dunno. At this point I'm not going to complain that I'm having an easier time, though. Also, this appears to be the Zenithian Tower from DQIV, except it's kinda in ruins now. We find a magma staff here, and some guy tells us that we need to open the way to the sunken Zenithian Castle with it. Luckily, I know about where that is, so I use the staff to open a path through some mountains blocking the way.

Next up...minecart dungeon! This area has simple puzzles where you have to flip minecart track switches to ride minecarts to where you need to go. It's kinda fun in places, although there's no good way to reset the minecarts if you mess up and end up in the wrong place, so you end up having to just walk back to where you left the carts and bring them back. Which is less fun. Deeper into the dungeon, we find a guy riding a minecart in circles. When we flip a switch to let him out, he says that his name is Pusan and he's been stuck in that cart for 20 years. Which, uh, sounds a little unlikely. But okay. He comes with us, and we find our way to the Zenithian Castle, specifically by riding a minecart off a ramp into the lake. Seems safe to me.

At the castle, we discover why it originally sank from the sky. Pusan says that the revival of a dark lord or something damaged the castle, and one of the orbs powering it fell through a hole in the floor. In fact, it's the very same Gold Orb which fell from the sky aaaall the way back during our childhood. Remember that? Because, uh, I didn't. It's been a while since I played that part. Unfortunately, that orb was destroyed by Gema when he killed our dad, so there's no getting it back. But maybe we could ask the Queen of the Fairies, who originally created it. Hey, finally that side bit about visiting the fairies is going to pay off!

To find the fairies, we have to enter the Forest of Illusion, and guess what, we're back in dungeon hell. The forest is confusing and appears to loop in places, and it also introduces a fun new enemy called the Farewell Crag. This monster can cast Farewell, which destroys itself in order to revive and fully heal all of its allies. To make it even more ridiculous, two Farewell Crags can be in the same group, and can repeatedly revive each other.

I'm not sure who thought this was a good idea.

Luckily, it's not nearly as bad as I thought, because Farewell Crags don't appear that often, and can just be avoided when necessary. The other enemies here aren't so bad, so eventually I find my way to the land of the fairies again. Here, we are given the Faerie Horn, which can lead us to the Queen of the Fairies, who *isn't* here, apparently. We have to go to a lake near the Zenithian Tower and ride a boat out to a lotus and use the horn there. Yes, I'm using a guide again at this point. When we meet the queen, we learn that she can't make another Gold Orb. But she can make an innert glowy orb, and she tells us we might be able to do something with it. And that something is, of course, time travel. Yeah, okay, sure. We travel through a painting and go back to our childhood. We find our younger self, and switch the Gold Orb with our useless one, and return to the present. And now we're golden. I guess. If you think time travel is going to become an important element of the story, well, no, that's the last time it comes up.

The important thing is that once we put the Gold Orb back in place, the castle rises back into the sky, and we can fly it around! So that's pretty cool. This lets us reach a new location, Boble Tower. Except that we need to climb down through the top with a grappling hook. Inside, there's a big dragon head statue, and we need to travel down to the basement to fight two bosses guarding its eyes. The first boss was pretty trivial and I didn't even write down his name. The second boss is Gema, the guy who killed our dad and sold us into slavery. He was, uh...surprisingly easy to kill. Kind of anticlimactic too, for a character who had such a big impact on the plot, he doesn't get any kind of death scene or anything. But this does allow us to put in the dragon's eyes and get inside it, where we find the Dragon Orb. We return to Pusan with it, and find two Zenithians saying that he's suspicious and nobody knows who he is. He asks for us to give him the orb, and of course it looks like he's going to turn out to be evil and he just tricked us into getting the orb for him or something. But actually, no, he's the Master Dragon, who's basically...god? I dunno. Once he turns into a dragon, he gives us some bells that let us summon him and ride him around. What does this get us when we already had a flying mode of transport? Well, first of all, he's a fucking dragon. That's awesome. But second of all, this lets us reach this weird temple, which is the same one we were building back when we were a slave.

There's a run of boss fights here that are pretty easy, but along the way, Lamira learns Bedragon, that spell that lets her turn into a dragon and automatically breathe fire on everything. So that's pretty sweet. In fact, it turns out that an item I found in Boble Tower, the Dragon Staff, can cast Bedragon basically for free. Useful. Eventually we reach Ivol, the evil priest guy of the temple. He's actually fairly tough, but I'm able to pull out a victory. He leaves behind a Ring of Life, and our mom is able to talk to us through it from Hell. She tells us that we should give up on trying to go to Hell and save her, but like, that would be no fun. So we go to Hell. First thing, though, I need to get the other two rings, the Ring of Flame and Ring of Water, from way back in the game. This is unfortunate, because it got sent to the item depository, and I've never used one in the whole game. So, uh, it took me a bit to figure out how to get it.

Now, finally, that water cave from earlier is going to become important, because we can put a ring on each statue, and travel to Hell! As you'd expect, it's got exactly one town to rest at and a whole bunch of really strong monsters. There is one saving grace though: we're given the Sage Stone when we enter Hell, which we can just wave around to instantly heal the whole party for free. Naturally, my hero character spends the rest of the game using it every turn. This does ease things up a bit, but the final dungeon is still pretty rough, and very very long. Partway through, we end up meeting the hero's mom, finally...but then she dies trying to stop the demon lord. So, uh...that sucks. I don't have much to say about it, other than that the game is again weirdly anticlimactic about its plot points.

My first time through the final dungeon, I end up party wiping at a miniboss before the final boss. The second time around, I preserve my MP by mostly running away from everything, which works out pretty well. Finally, it's time to confront Mildrath, the demon lord. His first phase is pretty easy, especially since I have free healing and free dragon-being. His second phase is a lot rougher, but shockingly enough, I'm able to mostly survive just by continuing to wave the Sage Stone around a lot. In both phases he regularly dispels all buffs, which removes the Bedragon effect, but I can recast it instantly and for free, so the bigger issue is that I can't really afford to keep recasting defensive buffs. Eventually I just go it with the Sage Stone only and hope it'll carry me through. My hero ends up dying, and I'm pretty sure I'm fucked, but then Mildrath dies on the very same turn. So that was convenient.

After that, we go back to the surface to celebrate, and become king and stuff, and it's good. Sooo...I'll get right into my thoughts on the game. It might be obvious at this point, but I feel like this is kind of a step backwards from DQIV in terms of storytelling. DQIV spent a lot of time setting up characters and getting us invested in them, and in DQV, the story seems to bend and warp around our single mute protagonist, while other characters often feel rushed and incidental. The game is clearly trying to do something big by showing a story taking place across multiple generations, but they don't appear to know how to build that plot structure organically, so the characters feel like they're being moved around like little chess pieces. And despite all that, the game's plot ends up pretty cookie cutter. All the stuff that's referenced from your childhood is just a lot of callbacks, it doesn't feel like the threads are being tied together meaningfully. There isn't even that much weight given to fighting the monster who killed your father and ruined your life. It all just feels...rushed, and sloppy. And a lot of the novel additions to the game's formula are just, excessively sad for no especially good reason except shock value, I guess. From this entry I never would've guessed that the series had finally hit its stride in the previous entry, despite the limitations of the NES.

Mechanically, it doesn't really stand out either. The big new mechanic for this game was supposed to be monster recruiting, but just like with DQIII, I was too intimidated by the prospect of grinding up brand new characters to bother with this more than I absolutely had to. From seeing forum threads about this game, it looks like you're kinda expected to be recruiting powerful monsters by the endgame, but the final third of the game also gives you a full party with your two kids. I don't really get it. I was able to win with them just fine, albiet by the skin of my teeth. Maybe that's my fault for trying to rush through the game, but I just wasn't able to feel excited by the whole monster recruitment thing.

It must be said that Mildrath was a lot less impressive than Necrosaro as well. Necrosaro had a lot of plot buildup, and the spectacle of fighting him legitimately impressed me. Despite now having the muscle of the SNES, DQV's boss only has two phases, and I was able to get him into a somewhat stable loop that didn't really use much MP and let me just repeat a series of actions over and over again with minor tweaks. I was probably underleveled; if I'd leveled up just a bit more, it might've been possible for me to fight him indefinitely and with no use of resources. Again, all I can say for DQV is that it feels like a step down from the last game.

But hey, maybe things are going to look up. Next is DQVI, the very first game in this marathon that I've played before in some capacity. That was the remake, though. This will be my first time seeing the original. Here's hoping it's more compelling.

[go-redgirl]

Marianne Williamson Caught On A Hot Mic Saying 'Conservatives Are Nicer' To Her Than The left Fox News ^ | September 12, 2019 | Joseph A. Wulfsohn

Spiritual guru and 2020 Democratic candidate Marianne Williamson was caught on a hot mic saying conservatives are 'nicer' to her than the left.

In an audio recording released from an interview last week, Williamson sounded off on the hostility she has faced from the political left.

“What does it say that Fox News is nicer to me than the lefties are? What does it say that the conservatives are nicer to me?… It’s such a bizarre world," Williamson said. "You know, I'm such a lefty. I mean, I'm a serious lefty, but they're so... I didn’t think the left was as mean as the right, they are.”

After expressing frustration about the release of the clip, Williamson clarified that it was how she felt on "that day" and expected that she knew running for president wouldn't be a "walk in the park." She added how Republicans "don't have to be attacking" her during a Democratic primary while other Democrats "are working for other candidates."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com

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INDIVIDUALS/COMMENTS/POSTS:

To: 2ndDivisionVet

posted on9/12/2019, 4:27:23 AMbyScottinVA(Every liberal should be red-flagged.)

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Does she make a beeping noise when she backs up that quickly?

posted on9/12/2019, 4:29:09 AMbyBookmanTheJanitor

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’m not the least bit surprised. I have an admission to make: I find her very attractive. Politically she and I aren’t even close, but something about her I find very easy on the eyes.

posted on9/12/2019, 4:29:52 AMbysgt_lau(Being tolerant to the most intolerant people on the planet is a losing proposition. Reject islam.)

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Conservatives also clean up after themselves.

posted on9/12/2019, 4:33:24 AMbyMoonman62(Charity comes from wealth.)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: sgt_lau

You have to be older than dirt to think that.

posted on 9/12/2019, 4:35:17 AM byClean_Sweep

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To: Moonman62

Liberals, socialists, communists all the same.

Are very bitter hateful people.

posted on 9/12/2019, 4:36:07 AM by riverrunner( o the public,)

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Trump doesn’t need our primary votes, let’s give them to her.

posted on 9/12/2019, 4:46:33 AM by BobL(I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart - I just don't tell anyone.)

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Welcome to reality, Marianne.

posted on 9/12/2019, 5:39:50 AM by Robwin (very)

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

She sounds ripe for conversion. The right conversation with the right person could shift her onto a quite different path. Recognizing the differences in personal moral behavior is a start. The next step would be to recognize the chronic lying and denial of basic human nature that is pervasive on the left. The left cannot tolerate independent thinking because leftism is based on lies.

posted on9/12/2019, 5:51:59 AMbysphinx

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

We are only not nice to people we consider dangerous and a threat to the country and our way of life (see AOC, Omar etc.). People like Marianne we simply consider well meaning, if misguided and a little kooky, but not a real threat, so sure Marianne we're nice to you.

posted on 9/12/2019, 6:05:57 AM by apillar

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To: Robwin

You beat me to it.

posted on 9/12/2019, 6:06:20 AM by Widget Jr

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To: Ken H

Tulsi is the best of a bad lot and she also has expressed issues with unfettered abortion sot least a conscience is at work inside her.(or she is tacking to the center hoping to increase her appeal to blue dog Dems who may be aghast at the abominations that are the Dem presidential “front runners”).

posted on9/12/2019, 7:02:40 AMbymdmathis6

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To: BobL

I’d rather give a primary vote to Tulsi if she gets on the ballot in Virginia.

posted on 9/12/2019, 7:06:30 AM by mdmathis6

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To: 2ndDivisionVet

THe cynicism of Marx was to say that much as the HEbrew prophets warned against a King and for the people to deal with each other with God as a guide, that the materialists could have such a system without a King for redistributing tasks and goods.

Marx perfectly knew that such people would be at each other’s throat and that an organized thug would take over their affairs as absolute ruler over impossible brats.

posted on 9/12/2019, 7:08:28 AM bylavaroise

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[drudwen]

Phoebe Davies - E. Lois

Ganwyd Phoebe Davies ar y 7fed o Chwefror 1864 yn Aberteifi.

Roedd ei thad wedi treulio cyfnod yng Nghaliffornia yn ystod y Rhuthr am Aur yn 1849, ac dychwelodd â’i deulu yn yr 1870au cynnar er mwyn gweithio gyda’r Pacific Mail Steamship Company.

Pan roedd Phoebe yn yr ysgol, ennillodd ragbrawf gyda David Belasco, y cynhyrchydd theatr, ac o ganlyniad cafodd gynnig rhan yng nghynhyrchiad nesaf y Baldwin Theatre Stock Company yn San Ffransisco. Yn anffodus, roedd hi’n sâl yn ystod y cynhyrchiad, felly chafodd hi ddim y cyfle i berfformio yn y cynhyrchiad hwnnw.

Perfformiodd yn gyntaf mewn sioe o’r enw Adolph Chalet, ac yna, yn hwyrach yn y tymor, mewn cynhyrchiad theatr o ‘Michael Strogoff’, nofel gan Jules Verne.

Tua 1882, ymunodd Davies â’r Baldwin Theatre Stock Company, a pherfformiodd hi mewn cynhyrchiadau o King Lear a Hamlet, gyda Ernesto Rossi, yr actor enwog o’r Eidal.

Ymddangosodd mewn sawl sioe yn y flwyddyn honno, gan gynnwys Romeo and Juliet, Richard III a King John.

Ar y 7fed o Fehefin 1882, priododd Phoebe â Joseph R. Grimser, oedd yn actor hefyd. Dechreuodd y ddau actio gyda’u gilydd, trwy weithio ar sioeau oedd yn teithio o amgylch Califfornia.  

Yn hwyrach y flwyddyn honno, ffurfiodd y cwpl y Sefydliad Grimser-Davies, a dechreuodd y sefydliad deithio â sioeau o amgylch taleithau gorllewinol Gogledd America.

Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, perfformiodd Phoebe mewn sawl sioe a ysgrifennwyd gan ei gŵr.

Ar y 12fed o Fedi 1892, bedyddiwyd eu mab, Conrad Valentine Grimser, yn San Ffransisco.

Yn 1893, dechreuodd Phoebe a’i gŵr daith sioeau o daleithau Dwyreiniol gogledd America.

Tua’r flwyddyn 1895, roedd ei gŵr yn un o grŵp o bobl a brynodd yr hawliau i’r ddrama Way Down East. Phoebe oedd yn actio prif gymeriad y sioe, Annie Moore. Perfformiwyd y ddrama hon oddeutu 4,000 o weithiau, ac amcamfyfrifir fod y sioe wedi cynhyrchu tua miliwn o ddoleri, gyda gŵr Phoebe yn ennill tua £350,000.

Daliodd Phoebe ati i deithio gyda Way Down East tan 1909, a’i bwriad oedd i berfformio mewn sioe arall cyn diwedd y flwyddyn. Datblygodd Phoebe salwch ddifrifol, ac wedi cyfnod hir, bu farw yn Larchmont, Efrog Newydd, ar y 4ydd o Ragfyr 1912 yn 48 mlwydd oed.

Darllen Pellach:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebe_Davies

Famour Actresses of the day in America – Lewis Clinton Strang

The Professional Theatre in San Francisco, 1880-1889 – John Scott McElhaney

Frontier Theatre: A History of Nineteenth-Century Theatrical Entertainment in the Canadian Far West and Alaska – Chad Evans

The Best Plays of 1894-1899 – John Arthur Chapman & Garrison P. Sherwood

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre – Gerald Martin Borman & Thomas S. Hischak

Great Actors and Actresses of the American Stage in Historic Photographs – Stanley Appelbaum

Who’s who in Music and Drama: An Encyclopedia of Biography of Notable Men and Women in Music and the Drama – Harry Prescott Hanaford & Dixie Hines E. Lois yw arlunydd Rhithganfyddiad, Crysau T Golau Arall, ac arlunydd a churadur Prosiect Drudwen.

[licollyfrelot]

Rhifyn arbennig clwb llyfre: The Power

The Power Naomi Alderman (Penguin, 2017)

Cynhaliwyd ein cyfarfod clwb llyfrau diweddara ar fainc o flaen yr Anglesey yng Nghaernarfon ar noson braf o fis Mai. Y llyfr i’w drafod y tro hwn oedd The Power, nofel Naomi Alderman am fyd lle mae gan fenywod y gallu i roi sioc drydanol i bobl drwy eu dwylo. Roedd na drafodaeth ddifyr a phawb wedi mwynhau darllen, ac fe gododd bobl bethau nad oeddwn i’n bersonol wedi eu hystyried wrth ddarllen y tro cyntaf. Cefais i ddau gopi o’r nofel yma i Nadolig, felly mae’n amlwg ei fod e’n rhywbeth oedd pobl sy’n fy nabod yn meddwl fyswn i’n ei fwynhau!

Llyfr ffug-hanesyddol yw prif swmp y nofel, gydag ebyst rhwng awdur (dychmygol) a chyhoeddwr (dychmygol) ei agor a chloi’r gwaith. Mae’r nofel yn ddehongliad creadigol o hen ‘hanes’ y byd y mae wedi ei gosod ynddi, ac yn ddramateiddiad o’r modd y datblygodd menywod y pwer hyn gyntaf. Mae’r prif ddigwyddiadau wedi eu gosod, i bob pwrpas, yn ein cyfnod ni heddiw, ac felly mae’r nofel yn ei gwneud hi’n hawdd i ni fel darllenwyr i ddychmygu sut y bydden ni’n ymateb i’r digwyddiadau hyn.

I ddechrau, mae’r pwer hyn y mae menywod yn ei ddarganfod a’i ddatblygu yn llawn potensial ac yn llawn cyffro. Dyma gyfle i newid y status quo patriarchaidd, dyma ffordd i fynnu mwy o hawliau a chydraddoldeb. Dwi’n dychmygu sut fyddai i gael y fath beth, ac un peth y gwnaethon ni drafod oedd sut na fyddai unrhywun yn meiddio cyffwrdd unrhyw fenyw heb iddi roi caniatad... pa mor neis fydde hynny ar noson mas!! Ond neges y llyfr yw hyn: does na ddim gwahaniaeth mewn natur menywod a dynion, dydy ein rhyw ddim yn penderfynu sut berson ydym ni. Wedi canfod pwer newydd, mae unrhywun mewn perygl o gael eu troi ganddo. ‘Power corrupts’ oedd yn fy mhen drwy gydol y nofel, ac wrth i’r llyfr fynd yn ei flaen drwy’r adrannau - ‘Ten years to go’, ‘Five years to go’, ‘One year’, ‘Here it comes’ - mae pethau’n mynd yn anoddach ac yn anoddach i’w stumogi. 

Mae’r nofel yn un ffeministaidd mewn ffordd gwrth-ffeministaidd, bron, mae’n datgan yn blaen y byddai menywod, yn union fel dynion, yn cymryd mantais o bwer a strwythrur cymdeithas ac yn camddefnyddio’r pwer hwnnw. Ry’n ni fel darllenwyr yn cael ein herio i ystyried ein tueddion anymwybodol (unconscious biases): mae na rai golygfeydd sy’n graffig yn eu disgrifiadau o fenywod yn gwneud pethau erchyll gyda’u pwer, ac mae hyn yn ein synnu ni. Pam? Gan nad oes gan ‘the weaker sex’ neu’r ‘gentler gender’ y gallu i fihafio fel hyn? Ry’n ni’n gwybod fod hyn yn nonsens, ond eto mae’r naratifau sydd wedi eu bwydo i ni drwy ein hoes yn amlygu wrth i bethau roi sioc i ni, mwy o sioc, efallai, na fyddai yr un olygfa gyda dynion yn gweithredu. 

O ran y drafodaeth, roedd yna dipyn o drafod ar yr uchod, ac am y gwahanol gymeriadau. Mae’r nofel wedi’i rannu i adrannau safbwyntiau’r gwahanol gymeriadau sydd i gyd yn fenywod heblaw un, Tunde. Mae na ddadl mai fe yw un o’r cymeriadau mwya diddorol (eironi), wrth iddo ddechrau fel rhywun sy’n lledu’r newyddion am y pwer hwn, i droi i rywun sydd wedyn yn brwydro i gael dweud y gwir am rai o erchyllderau’r pwer. Rhywbeth arall a drafodwyd oedd y ffaith fod y nofel yn ffilmig iawn yn ei arddull, golygfeydd yn newid yn bendant, popeth yn weledol iawn - ac yn ol y son mae na gyfres yn mynd i fod yn cael ei gynhyrchu wedi’i selio ar y nofel. Doedd yr arddull ffilmig ddim wedi fy nharo, ond wrth feddwl, mae’r delweddau i gyd yn fy meddwl yr un mor glir a phetawn i wedi eu gwylio ar sgrin.

Pwynt arall a godwyd oedd mai mewn merched yn eu harddegau y datblygodd y pwer. Drwyddyn nhw y daeth menywod hyn i ddysgu defnyddio rhywbeth oedd ynddyn nhw ond wedi’i golli i amser. Yn hanesyddol, yr arddegau yw’r amser yr oedd merched yn cael eu hystyried yn fwya peryglus, wrth iddyn nhw ddarganfod eu hunain a phrofi teimladau a dyheadau newydd. Oes na hefyd rhyw neges yma mai yn y to iau mae’r chwyldro?

Mae na luniau drwy gydol y nofel, darluniau o arteffactau o gyfnod y newid, sy’n tynnu ar ganfyddion archeolegol go iawn. Mae nifer yn cynnwys darnau o ipads, gyda’r ‘bitten fruit motif’ yn cael ei ystyried yn symbol crefyddol Mother Eve: dyma gyfeiriad at ein dibyniaeth ni ar dechnoleg a’n haddoliad ni o gynnyrch cwmni Apple. Rhywbeth oedd yn fwy diddorol i mi, fodd bynnag, oedd nodyn yn y diolchiadau oedd yn manylu ar hanes dau gerflun sy’n cael eu darlunio fel ‘Priestess Queen’ a ‘Serving Boy’ yn y llyfr hwn. Yn hanesyddol, maen nhw’n deillio o ddinas hynafol Mohenjo-Daro, cymdeithas nad y’n ni’n gwybod llawer amdanynt ond mae na dystiolaeth i awgrymu fod eu cymdeithas yn un cymharol gydraddol. Er hyn, fe’u henwyd gan yr archaeolegwyr a’u canfyddodd yn ‘Priest King’ a ‘Dancing Girl’. Mae’r nodyn yma’n dweud gymaint am ddehongliadau pobl o bethau hanesyddol, ac am norm patriarchaidd ein cymdeithas ni, hefyd.

Mae’r nofel yma’n un sy’n glyfar, yn gythryblus, ac yn gorfodi i chi feddwl am yr hyn ry’ch chi’n ei dderbyn fel normal. Mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud y gwnes i ei mwynhau yn aruthrol - a dwi’n dechre meddwl nawr bob tro dwi’n cael sioc drydanol o’r peiriant rhedeg yn y gampfa (mae’n digwydd o hyd!) fod na rhyw bwer yn llechu yno i hefyd....

[pontiobangor]

Gŵyl Cymru-Tsieina i gael ei chynnal yn Pontio, Bangor

Bydd Gŵyl newydd wedi ei chynhyrchu a’i churadu gan Gwmni Theatr Invertigo a Pontio yn cael ei chynnal yn ystod penwythnos dathliadau blwyddyn newydd Tsieina (16-18 Chwefror 2018), a bydd yn archwilio’r cysylltiadau creadigol rhwng Cymru a Tsieina.

Bydd perfformiadau eclectig, digwyddiadau, ffilmiau, bwydlen arbennig Tsieinïaidd ym mwyty Gorad a gweithgareddau addas i’r teulu yn arddangos diwylliannau, ieithoedd a chelf y ddwy wlad. Y cyntaf o’i bath; bydd yr ŵyl amlieithog hon yn cynnig llwyfan i straeon newydd ac yn galluogi cydweithio rhwng cerddorion, dramodwyr ac artistiaid Cymraeg a Tsieineaidd.

Caiff Gwyl Cymru-Tsieina ei gefnogi gan nawdd loteri drwy Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru ac mae’r partneriaid yn cynnwys Pontio, Cwmni Theatr Invertigo, Sefydliad Confucius Bangor, Coleg Menai, Celfyddydau Rhyngwladol Cymru, Prifysgol Bangor a Chymdeithas Myfyrwyr ac Ysgolheigion Tsieiniaidd Prifysgol Bangor.

Ymysg uchafbwyntiau’r Wyl mae:

Cabaret Pontio: The Gentle Good yn perfformio eu halbwm arobryn (Albwm Cymraeg y Flwyddyn 2014), Y Bardd Anfarwol, gyda’r cerddor Tsieineaidd lleol, Zining Wang – gan blethu synau gwerin Celtaidd a Tsieineaidd i adrodd straeon hudolus am y bardd Tsieineaidd o’r 8fed ganrif.

Darlleniad prynhawn gan Francesca Rhydderch o’i nofel arobryn (a Llyfr y Flwyddyn 2014) The Rice Paper Diaries, wedi ei ysbrydoli gan daith ei theulu o Hong Kong yn 1940 i bentref arfordirol yng Nghymru. Yn ymuno â Francesca am sgwrs fydd Yan Ying, sydd newydd gyhoeddi ei chyfieithiad o’r llyfr i’r Mandarin.

House of Absolute yn perfformio eu dawns ddiweddaraf, Orlando Warrior, i gerddoriaeth fyw, gan archwilio hunaniaeth groesryw drwy chwedl fodern Mu-Lan a chrefft ymladd wu-shu.

House of Absolute - Orlando Warrior 

Llun: Zsuzsa Zicho

Steffan Donnelly yn cyflwyno ei addasiad o ddrama Hao Jingfang Lladron a Llanc, golwg byd-eang trawiadol ar anghydraddoldeb mewn cymdeithas fodern. Hao Jingfang yw’r fenyw Asiaidd gyntaf i ennill Gwobr Hugo yn 2016 am ei nofel fer Folding Beijing (mewn cystadleuaeth yn erbyn Stephen King!).

Llun: Douglas Hook

Gosodiad sain, Cysylltiadau - dyma gyfle i gynulleidfaoedd glywed straeon ac atgofion y gymuned Cymru-Tsieina leol, wedi ei greu yn arbennig ar gyfer yr Wyl gan y cynllunydd sain Jethro Cooke a’r ffotograffydd lleol Karolina Konior.

Bydd yr ŵyl hefyd yn cynnwys amrywiaeth o weithdai a digwyddiadau am ddim i’r cyhoedd mewn partneriaeth â Sefydliad Confucius Prifysgol Bangor, gan gynnwys arddangosfa o Tai Chi yn man perfformio tu allan Pontio ar lefel 2, Cerddoriaeth Tsieinïaidd ar y bont ger bwyty Gorad, gweithdai caligraffi Tsieinïaidd, Paentio Masgiau Opera Beijing, Seremoni De Tsieinïaidd a Dawns y Ddraig liwgar. Bydd cynllun cyfranogi Pontio i bobl ifanc, BLAS, hefyd yn perfformio darn ar y safle wedi ei ysbrydoli gan lên gwerin Cymru a Tsieina. Ar dydd gwener cyntaf yr Wyl, bydd Celfyddydau Rhyngwladol Cymru yn cynnal gweithdy i’r diwydiannau celfyddydol a chreadigol am Weithio yn Tsieina.

Bydd celf weledol hefyd yn cael lle blaenllaw, gydag artistiaid o Gwrs Sylfaen Celf Coleg Menai yn ymateb i’r thema, animeiddiadau Catrin Davies ar y sgriniau digidol a première comisiwn cyntaf ‘Wal Wen’ Pontio, tafluniad digidol ar wal wen enfawr cyntedd Pontio o’r enw ‘Cydbwyso Rhwng Dwy Ddraig’ gan yr artist Ronan Devlin.

Fel rhan o’r Wyl, bydd Sinema Pontio yn dangos nifer o ffilmiau wedi eu dewis yn arbennig ar gyfer yr achlysur, gan gynnwys clasur Disney Mulan, y stori serch Mountains May Depart, y ffantasi epig The Great Wall mewn 3D, rhaglen ddogfen flasus am fwyd Tsieina A Bite of China a ffilm ddiweddaraf Ai Weiwei am yr argyfwng ffoaduriaid rhyngwladol, wedi ei saethu dros 23 gwlad, Human Flow. Dim ond £5 yw cost bob ffilm.

Mae poblogaeth Prydain-Tsieina fawr ym Mangor a’r ardal leol, ac mae 700 o fyfyrwyr o Tsieina yn cofrestru i astudio yn y Brifysgol bob blwyddyn. Mae gan y Brifysgol ei champws ei hun yn ninas Changsha, Hunan ac mae Cymdeithas Tsieina Gogledd Cymru a Sefydliad Confucius hefyd wedi eu lleoli yn y ddinas.

Dywedodd Steffan Donnelly, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig Cwmni Theatr Invertigo, “Mae’n arbrawf uchelgeisiol i daflu’r holl ffurfiau celfyddyd at ei gilydd (o ddawns i gelf ddigidol), ieithoedd (Cymraeg, Mandarin, Saesneg, Cantoneg), gwahanol syniadau a materion cenedlaethol – gan wneud iddynt ryngweithio o dan un to. Bydd yn addysgiadol, yn lot o hwyl ac o bosib yn eithaf syfrdanol. Mae curadu a chynhyrchu’r ŵyl hon gyda Pontio, gan weithio gydag artistiaid gwirioneddol dalentog, y cymunedau lleol a myfyrwyr Tsieineaidd Prifysgol Bangor, wedi fy atgoffa o’r pleser sydd i’w gael o ddarganfod ein gilydd, a phwysigrwydd rhannu ein safbwyntiau aml-ddiwylliant. Mae hefyd wedi gwneud i mi sylwi bod sŵn gwleidyddiaeth yn boddi pobl a’u realaeth. Y gobaith yw y bydd yr ŵyl hon yn rhoi sylw a ffocws ar bobl.”

Ychwanegodd Elen ap Robert, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig Pontio, “Wrth galon ethos Pontio mae pontio bydoedd gwahanol, rhwng diwylliannau a rhwng cymunedau ac felly mae’n briodol ein bod yn cyd-guradu tridiau o gyfnewid diwylliannol Cymru-Tsieina. Mae’n arbennig o gyffrous i ni ein bod yn gwneud hynny gyda’r cwmni arloesol Invertigo, ein cwmni cysylltiol cyntaf a hynny yn ystod yn ein hail flwyddyn fel partneriaid. Mae’r ŵyl yn addo i fod yn un gyffrous fydd yn archwilio’r cyfnewid rhwng dau ddiwylliant cwbl wahanol, a bydd tîm Artistig Pontio yn dod a’u meysydd arbenigedd i’r parti – mewn ffilm, celf ddigidol, creadigrwydd technegol a chymryd rhan mewn perfformiadau. Bydd rhywbeth i bawb – teuluoedd, myfyrwyr a’r gymuned leol. Trwy archwilio’r posibiliadau o ran bwydydd gyda chydweithrediad ein myfyrwyr Tsieineaidd a bwyty Gorad, bydd bwyd Tsieineaidd hefyd ar gael, canolbwynt i unrhyw ddathliadau Tsieineaidd – efallai y bydd tro Cymreig arno hefyd!”

Dywedodd Is-ganghellor Prifysgol Bangor, Yr Athro John Hughes: “Rwy’n hynod o gyffrous am sefydliad yr Ŵyl Cymru-Tsieina uchelgeisiol hon gyda’i ymdriniaeth ffres a beiddgar o gyfnewid diwylliannol – mae’n ddigwyddiad sydd i’w groesawu fel rhan o arlwy Pontio.”

I weld yr amserlen gyfan, ewch i www.pontio.co.uka’r wefan meicro Cymru-Tsieina, ffoniwch 01248 38 28 28 neu gallwch bigo taflen i fyny o’r swyddfa docynnau.

[gwenllian11]

Ubu Frenin-Alfred Jarry-1896

Dim ond un gair allai feddwl am i ddisgrifio’r ddrama hon ond ‘boncyrs’. Dyw hi ddim fel drama arferol o gwbl i ddweud y gwir mae hollol i’r gwrthwyneb. Drama sydd yn sicr gydag elfennau o ddramâu Shakespeare sef Macbeth a King Lear. Mae ei leoliad hefyd yn hollol be allai ddweud ‘boncyrs’ unwaith yn ragor oherwydd y lleoliad a ddisgrifir yw ‘nowhere land’, er hyn gallem ni ddadlau fod yna nifer o leoliadau sef Rwsia, Gwlad Pwyl, Ogof, Palas Crand sef cartref y Brenin.

I ddweud y gwir gallai pawb cael barn hollol wahanol am y ddrama ond yn sicr ar y noswaith agoriadol roedd derbyniad y fath drama ddim yn llwyddiant o gwbl. Yr oedd yn sicr wedi herio cymdeithas ym Mharis gyda nifer o bobl yn dweud pethau ffiaidd amdano ac yn ei barnu fel ‘sbwriel’ o beth.  Mae cymeriad Ubu yn un eithaf hunanol a diflewyn ar dafod ac yn amharchus yn enwedig tuag at grefydd.

Er ei fod yn ddrama hollol wahanol i’r hyn y byddwn yn arfer darllen, roedd yn amlwg fod gan Jarry pwrpas tu ôl i beth yr oedd yn ceisio ei arddangos i’r gynulleidfa.

Dyma delwedd o Ubu Frenin:-

[thebibliomancer]

Visit the famous goo farms of scenic Bajula

[thebibliomancer]

Various butt monkey Kam’Lu moments from issue #10

[thebibliomancer]

Origin of the Boblings

[thebibliomancer]

Archaia’s Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance #12

The Journey into the Mondo Levidian Part 4

In this installment, they do not journey into the Mondo Levidian at all. Maybe this should have been titled Into the Guts and Back Again: A Gelfling’s Tale.

In part one, newly All-Maudra’d Mayrin deals with a Sifan separatist crisis but also plenty of unresolved mother-induced insecurity issues. She charters a ride with Captain Kam’Lu to speak to the separatist leader Fenth but a sea monster sinks the ship.

In part two, Mayrin and Kam’Lu are adrift at sea on a raft following the sinking but then they get eaten by a sea monster. The two meet the monster gut dwelling Boblings and learn that they have a limited time before the Mondo Levidian returns to the deeps and then there’ll be no escape for a trine. With the Bobling King’s daughter Gunda, the two set off on a journey out of the Mondo Levidian.

In part three, Mayrin, Kam’Lu, and Gunda set off on a journey to the Mondo Levidian’s porticol and fight a lot of Zoa. Mayrin and Kam’Lu become friends on the basis of name-shortening. And Mayrin flies Kam’Lu out of the closing porticol to save him from Zoa and prove her mom wrong.

So they’re out of the giant fish so what more is left of the story at this point? The answer is beneath the keep reading.

So let’s get started!

Dot arrives on SkekSa’s totally sweet monster/ship which she is very proud of.

SkekSa: “Greetings and welcome to the greatest behemoth in the Silver Sea, Ambassador Dot’leth! You’re aboard an unstoppable ship built with Skeksis ingenuity. Does our mastery of nature itself make you tremble in awe?”

Dot: “I assume you mean the second greatest behemoth in the Silver Sea, considering the attack on the Sifan ship that cost the lives of All-Maudra Mayrin and Captain Kam’Lu --”

SkekSa: “Well, yes, that was reported... but the captain of this ship has yet to find any proof of the alleged creature that destroyed the Sifan ship.”

Now, at first blush, this seems like SkekSa slipping up and accidentally admitting culpability like Prince Humperdinck in Princess Bride and his fastest ships.

But when the Mondo Levidian emerges from underwater, SkekSa goes from ‘what the heck’ to ‘i WANT that.’

SkekSa: “Second-greatest behemoth in the sea... bah! What does that ignorant old Vapran know about the sea! The only monsters here are --”

Mondo Levidian: -emerges-

SkekSa: “Oh. What other secrets are hiding in this infernal world...?”

And

SkekSa: “It’s been many trine since SkekSa discovered such a wonder -- and a majestic creature such as this deserves a naming ceremony! Vassa... You will be mine! The Mariner sails only the greatest creature -- er, ship -- in all of Thra!”

I had been assuming that the Mondo Levidian attack was a conspiracy by SkekSa to seize power for her preferred Gelfling clan. But it seems like it was just crazy random happenstance that she and Fenth got opportunistic over.

Also, holy crap, Dot has a full name?

And Fenth and Dot are implied to have History, being a little awkward around each other.

Over on top of the sea monster, Mayrin and Kam’Lu discover that the Zoa (led by the Zoa wearing clothes. The Necrozoa?) are following them up and out of the porticol. Mayrin and Kam’Lu have to take to the air again to try to escape to SkekSa’s ship.

Watching all of this happen, SkekSa settles on ‘bored of this.’

SkekSa: “New plan. SkekSa doesnt’ care anymore about your Gelfling squabbles.”

Fenth: “But...! But....! You said I could have power! We had a deal!”

SkekSa: “And SkekSa is bored of politics. I want that creature. I will be unstoppable, and all of Thra will be mine to explore! Entire lands waiting to be named -- named after me!”

I kind of like that SkekSa’s priorities are 1) Giant monsters, 2) Naming a lot of shit after herself, 3) The Sifan, I guessss. 2.5) is probably ‘ugh Skeksis politics uuugh.’

Mayrin manages to lead most of the Zoa swarm in front of the Mondo Levidian which jumps up and eats them.

She lands on the deck of SkekSa’s ship and has a moment with Kam’Lu.

This very good friendship has just become a kissing relationship.

It has been a hell of an enemies to lovers for them, huh?

The remaining Zoa and the Zoa-in-clothes, identified as being a queen Zoa? land on SkekSa’s dreadnought and Mayrin declares that the Zoa stand before a United Thra “Vapran courage and Sifan honor!” and for the Zoa to turn back or be destroyed.

Then there’s a massive Zoa vs Gelfling fight scene with SkekSa yelling for them to get off her ship.

I adore her.

Fenth gets upset that Mayrin is uniting the Sifa and Vapra and decides ‘hey, all kinds of things can happen in the heat of combat’ and throws an entire ass sword at Mayrin’s back.

But Kam’Lu blocks the attack with the goo shield (which he evidently kept). And its a bit of a broken pedestal moment considering Kam’Lu’s personality in issue one was ‘hey did you hear this cool stuff Fenth is saying??’

Kam’Lu: “Vile traitor! I trusted you! I believed in your lies and your wisdom! I thought you would lead us to something better... But you are the poison to all Gelfling-kind -- a poison I can no longer willingly imbibe!”

Good for you, Kam’Lu.

The war against the bugs ends when Mayrin stabs the queen Zoa in the eye and yells a defiant speech to her.

Mayrin: Queen, I am not one for violence -- But I will resort to it if I must! I will do whatever is necessary to save my kind -- just like you. We are the same! Please! Turn away! Turn away and end this needless bloodshed!”

And the queen Zoa does.

Whether actually moved or cowed by Mayrin’s speech or because she’s smart enough not to go in for sunk cost, the queen and the remaining Zoa take off.

Good job, Mayrin.

Although, it is funny that you tried to sue for peace when you earlier described the queen Zoa as “a monster filled with blind hate, resentment, and beastly rage. Something born in the pit of despair and darkness... Something that knows only hunger and power.”

But it won’t be the first time that Gelfling were way off in regards to the Arathim slash offshoots, nor the last.

Still, it feels right that the final boss of Mayrin’s plot was a giant monster queen wearing her mother’s clothes that she fends off by confidently telling to buzz off.

Fenth tries to blame the whole situation on Mayrin for leading the bugs to the ship, which is technically true. But Kam’Lu has become Mayrin’s biggest supporter because the boy believes with all his heart.

Kam’Lu: “You’re wrong! Mayrin is here because she had to save us at all costs! She is here because she is fighting to keep the seven clans together! She has been through a bizarre adventure, struggling through the stomach of monsters unknown!”

“I was just like Fenth -- I distrusted Mayrin because she was a Vapran. But Mayrin has saved my life too many times to count. She proved her strength in the toothrakes! She outwitted the horrifying King Bobling! She fought bravely and earned the respect of the greatest warrior of Bajula! She is what the Sifa clan needs. What all Gelfling need! In the darkness of the Mondo Leviadin, Mayrin led the way. I believe in her.”

“LONG LIVE ALL-MAUDRA MAYRIN!”

“And I swear, from this day to my last, when my body is taken by Thra, that I will fight for her -- by her side. As her friend... Her captain... Her...”

And then he trails off there because Mayrin holds his hand and the poor boy only has so much processing power.

Also, he kinda embellished Mayrin’s accomplishments by saying she outwitted the “horrifying” Bobling King. That guy was a kitten.

The Sifan Maudra is intrigued by all this love biz and asks Mayrin what she would do if the Sifans do decide to leave the clans.

Mayrin: “If we are to separate, then the seas will weep for the lonely Sifa clan. The mountains of Ha’rar will shake in the bitter Vapran gales. We must be the shining light of Thra -- together!”

“We are the living monuments of everything that touches us, be it the good and warm that gives us hope... or the malice and greed that drives us down darker paths. And... I wear my mother’s colors. I know it. I feel it -- I accept it. But I am not my mother.”

“I promise that I will bleed for you! I will fight for you! I will break my body in half to ensure that you have yours! To sail the sea as you see fit! So please, give me the chance to prove it to you! Give me the chance to fail and to succeed! if you do... Perhaps we may all grow old together -- knowing what unity is meant to be... knowing what love is --”

WOO!

Fenth is less than thrilled. Not just for his thwarted ambitions but because SkekSa has thoroughly gotten sick of him and is probably annoyed that she had to sit through all these speeches without even getting a giant sea monster.

She grabs him and drags him away through the crowd while everyone is distracted being jubilant.

SkekSa: “Take a long look at the Silver Sea, Fenth -- It will be many trine before you witness it again... Skeksis friend SkekTek the Scientist has plans for Gelfling who fail!”

Huh. Wonder what that means. This is way too soon for draining to be on the table.

Later, WEDDING TIME!

On the cliff above Raunip’s pass, the Sifan and Vapran come together for the wedding of Mayrin and Kam’Lu.

Dot assumes that Mayrin chose the venue so she can fly Raunip’s Pass with the power of love but Mayrin chose the venue so she can deliberately not do that because she’s done following her mom’s path.

Mayrin: “You have taught me the most important thing, Kam’Lu -- that I am the only one responsible for the path I fly. That we must all chart our own path -- and that we cannot do that when the dense cloud of grief fogs our vision. And that to be my best self -- no matter who it is that I am -- I must be myself. Faults and failures and scars and all. Understanding that acceptance is not the same as failure. We must think of the future of our kind.”

Its also implied that Mayrin is already pregnant as she declares that she’ll name her firstborn Seladon, after Mayrin’s mother.

... It is incredibly ironic. Mayrin declares that she’s going to set her own path and then chooses her mother’s name for her daughter. The daughter that she’s going to repeat a lot of Seladon I’s parenting mistakes with, giving Seladon II a whopping case of insecurity and unfortunately no character building adventure with a hunky sea captain.

Hm. I wonder what happens with Kam’Lu. That whole family situation probably would have been less of a timebomb with him around. Alas, the sea is a harsh mistress. Full of fish and salt.

So, the last arc of Archaia’s Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal Age of Resistance comics. I still have two of the YA novels to read but with the cancellation of the show, who can say when there will be more comics.

But the comic ends strong. We visit another parent when they’re young and get to see more wild Thra life. We get to see SkekSa! She’s a delight. We get to see another side of the Sifan than the brief appearances in the show.

Thanks for the good times, Archaia’s Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance comic.