#Counterblast

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Nightmare Worlds I have to break this set up so you well see this box 2 or 3 times it has Alien Contamination 1980, Alien Species 1996, Alien Zone aka The House of the Dead 1978, All the Kind Strangers 1974, The Alpha Incident 1978, Atomic Rulers of the World 1965, Attack from Space 1965, Beast of the Yellow Night 1971, Counterblast 1948, The Day the Sky Exploded 1958, Death Warmed Up 1984, The Disappearance of Flight 412 1974, The Doomsday Machine 1976, Embryo 1976, and End of World 1977

[scifipinups]

Nova Pilbeam Counterblast (1948)

[kalyssto]

petting u 1000000000 times

fuck! my only weakness!

aaaaaaaaaa!!

[james-vi-stan-blog]

I'm not done with the King's Assassin but so far I find it entertaining but really, really credulous. Apparently other reviewers found it so too, but—

in my searching I found the reviews by scholars and other people to know what they're talking about to be largely paywalled, while reviews by laypeople on their personal blogs ("I don't know anything about this period but the book was fun!") are free. And that's given me Depression about the internet again

[seemabhatnagar]

"False Dowry Allegations and Misleading Court: Legal Analysis and Observations"

The Jabalpur High Court dismissed the petition filed by the applicant for quashing the FIR lodged against the petitioners by the Complainant Wife under Sections 498A and 323 IPC, and Section 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

The Jabalpur High Court relied on the principles established by the Supreme Court that civil and criminal proceedings are independent and, affirmed that the close timing of the FIR and the divorce petition does not necessarily indicate malice or falsehood.

Neeraj Kumar Saraf & Pankaj Saraf v. The State of Madhya Pradesh & Smt. Shilpa Saraf

Crl. Misc. Case 48243/2023

Before the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur

Heard by Hon'ble Mr. Justice Gurpal Singh Ahluwalia

Facts

Complainant's Marriage: The marriage of the complainant (Shilpa Saraf) with Satyendra Saraf was solemnized in May 2017, in Shahdol.

Dowry Allegations: Four months after the marriage, the complainant alleged that her husband and his family (applicants) began demanding more dowry, specifically a Fortuner vehicle and 20 tolas of gold. It was alleged that they beat her and threatened to kill her if the demands were not met.

Incident Date: On 30.10.2021, the complainant claimed she was beaten and ousted from her matrimonial home, after which she returned to her parental home.

Counter Allegation: The complainant allegedly gave a knife blow to her husband, Satyendra Saraf, leading to an FIR against her.

Divorce Petition: The complainant’s husband filed petition for divorce in November 2021 and, the complainant received notice on 23.11.2021. Subsequently, the complainant-Shilpa Saraf lodged her FIR on 30.11.2021.

Issue

Whether the counsel for the applicants misled the court by submitting false information regarding the knife injury allegedly inflicted by the complainant.

Whether the FIR filed by the complainant was a counterblast to the divorce petition filed by her husband.

Points of Argument

A. Petitioner's Counsel

The dowry harassment allegations by the complainant are baseless and is made in retaliation to the divorce petition filed by the husband.

The FIR was filed four months after the divorce petition, as a counterblast.

The dowry harassment issues should be addressed within the civil proceedings of the divorce case rather than through criminal proceedings.

Relied on Supreme Court rulings specifically Pratibha v. Rameshwari Devi and other cases stressing that criminal proceedings are not justified when civil matters are already underway.

The filing of the FIR was an abuse of the legal process and intended to harass the petitioners.

B. Respondent's Counsel

Allegations of dowry harassment were genuine and serious, requiring criminal investigation.

The delay in filing the FIR was due to the hope of reconciliation and the emotional distress caused by the harassment.

Criminal acts of dowry harassment should be dealt through criminal law, irrespective of ongoing civil divorce proceedings.

Criminal proceedings can and should proceed independently of civil cases to ensure justice.

Court's Observation

The timing of filing an FIR filed by the complainant when compared with the timeline of the divorce petition filed by the husband was though very close. Yet, the timing alone does not invalidate the FIR. Reliance was placed on the Supreme Court's ruling in Pratibha v. Rameshwari Devi.

Criminal and civil proceedings are independent and should be evaluated based on their own merits and evidence presented.

The court condemned the manipulation of evidence by the applicants' counsel, who had underlined and then attempted to erase crucial parts of the complaint to mislead the court.

[yallambie]

Smoking as an Olympic size sport

If I owned a bucket filled with all things that I had wanted to do in one life, I think I’d turn it upside down right now and have a good long look for the hole I’m sure must be down there somewhere. It’s true the bucket list of all we mean to get done never quite measures up to our expectations, something the Spanish call, “mañana, mañana” but I’m wondering if what I have is really less of a…

[doolallymagpie]

ooh, bombshell is working on rules for their tentacle monsters in grimdark future!

might buy a few next time I need bubble helmets, I think they’re cool

[stephensmithuk]

The Sign of Four: The Story of the Bald-Headed Man

The Victorians were rather into what is known as chinoiserie, the European imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, although the popularity had somewhat peaked by this point.

The stethoscope had been invented in France in 1816 by René Laennec and the two-ear version was commercially available from 1852. The practice before and without one - see A Study in Scarlet - was to listen to the chest by applying your ear directly too. This was a bit awkward when dealing with a woman, the reason Laennec invented it in the first place.

We've seen Tokay before, in "The Last Bow".

Since tobacco came to Europe, there have been people who couldn't stand the smell. James I of England/James VI of Scotland wrote A Counterblaste to Tobacco in 1604, one of the earliest anti-smoking works. He would impose an import tax on tobacco, then later made it a royal monopoly.

It was also considered taboo to spoke in front of women for much of this period; hence the use of smoking rooms. It was also seen as unladylike for a woman to smoke at all; if she did, it evoked an image of prostitution. Unless you were working class, in which case women widely smoked.

Hookah comes from the Hindustani word "huqqa". Hindustani is also known as Hindi-Urdu; Hindi being the Devanagari-written version used in India and Urdu the Pakistani version written in the Persian alphabet. Both countries have tried to make their two versions somewhat distinct; Hindustani is not used in official terminilogy in either. In speech, the two are pretty much mutually intelligible, if you keep things simple.

The hookah remains popular in South Asia and the Middle East; smoking is not specifically prohibited in the Quran, but in recent decades, a number of very prominent clerics have declared it haram (forbidden). In much of Europe and North America, indoor smoking bans cover hookahs, places that offer them have had to switch to tobacco-free version.

In any event, hookah smoking is really bad for your health - you're basically inhaling the equivalent of 100-200 cigarettes in a single session.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was a French realist painter. Works of his can be found in the Louvre and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, among various other galleries.

Pondicherry, which we've seen mentioned before, is a city on the south-east coast of what is now India; it was a French territory at the time - the British had taken it more than once, but returned to them each time, the last time in 1814.

The lightweight division of boxing today covers weights of 130 to 135 pounds. The current British lightweight champion is James Tennyson, but he has not fought a professional bout since a technical knockout to Jovanni Straffon in 2021.

Agra, located in Uttar Pradesh, is best known as the location of the Taj Mahal, built on the orders of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1631 and 1653 as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal after her death in childbirth in 1631. He is also buried there himself.

£500,000 in 1888 would be the equivalent of over £54m at 2024 values. Not a bad chunk of change.

[ingek73]

UK politicians have got it wrong on the Israel-Hamas war. We must hold them to account

Tory and Labour reluctance to criticise the Israeli government could make our leaders complicit in war crimes – the public needs to speak outWed 18 Oct 2023 10.58 CEST

What value a Palestinian civilian life? For Britain’s political establishment, the answer is precious little. Revulsion at the slaughter of Israeli civilians – partygoers, kibbutzniks, children, elderly people – at the hands of Hamas is a moral imperative. Tragic, then, that the righteous consensus over the sanctity of life ends at Israel’s borders. Both the Conservative government and Labour opposition have become supporters of wanton violations of the Geneva conventions, war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

As Rishi Sunak offers Israel “unequivocal” support, it is worth unpacking what that means. In the last nine days, at least 2,750 Palestinians have perished under Israeli bombs, about a quarter of them children, according to the Gaza health ministry. Not a word of grief or regret from our prime minister: their slaughter, presumably, is subsumed into what he describes as Israel’s “every right to defend itself”. No condemnation of the bombing of ambulances and electricity-deprived hospitals, or of the killing of medics, journalists and UN officials.

Sunak’s only words of caution were to call on Israeli forces to “avoid harming civilians”. A useless gesture: the Israeli state he has declared full support for is hardly being subtle about its intentions. “The emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy,” say the Israel Defence Forces. Sunak will be aware that the Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, proclaimed: “We are fighting human animals” as he ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza with “no electricity, no food, no fuel”, adding that Israel intends to “eliminate everything”.

Now is the time for Sunak to familiarise himself with article 33 of the Geneva conventions, on collective punishment, which decrees that “no protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed”. The consequence of a siege de facto endorsed by our government? Gaza is “running dry”, declares the UN agency for Palestine refugees, and in the schools where many have sought shelter “clean water has actually run out”.

When civilian populations were driven from their homes with the threat of violence in the Balkans in the 1990s, it was termed “ethnic cleansing”, and the west went to war over it. This time, the UK stands “unequivocally” with Israel as it orders people in Gaza to flee their homes en masse, described by the Norwegian Refugee Council as “the war crime of forcible transfer”, while Francesca Albanese, the UN special raporteur on the Palestinian territories, warns of mass ethnic cleansing.

After thousands marched in London against these undisputed war crimes, we heard a counterblast familiar in moments such as this: where are your demonstrations against Hamas’s atrocities? Hamas’s killings have been roundly denounced. And Hamas is not armed or backed by the British state and its allies. Alongside invaluable diplomatic cover, the UK has licensed at least £442m worth of arms to Israel since 2015, while our chief ally, the US, provides about $3bn in military assistance each year. As the Conservative MP Crispin Blunt rightly says of Britain’s support for Israel’s invasions of Gaza: “The fact of being complicit makes you equally guilty to the party carrying out the crime.”

And what of our Labour opposition, led by former human rights lawyer Keir Starmer? After all, in his leadership campaign, pledge number four was “no more illegal wars” and to “put human rights at the heart of foreign policy”. Of all the pledges he has now broken, this is the most unforgivable. On national radio, he declared that Israel “has the right” to cut water and energy from a civilian population, while emphasising his respect for international law. Given his vocation, Starmer is either incompetent or dishonest: such a siege is by definition illegal. Starmer condemned the strike on al-Ahli hospital (for which both sides are blaming the other), saying that the resultant deaths “cannot be justified”. He once again cited international laws that he was happy to bend when it came to the siege.

His attorney general, Emily Thornberry, is similarly a lawyer with no ignorance to plead: yet on national television she refused to condemn the illegality of cutting off food and electricity. The foreign secretary, David Lammy, refuses to answer whether he supports Israel’s orders for people in Gaza to leave. A Labour briefing sent to MPs answers the question “What is Labour’s position on reports that Israel has been using white phosphorus?” – an illegal act if used against a civilian population – with “We support Israel’s right to defend itself and rescue hostages”, along with a seemingly contradictory confirmation that international law must be respected. They broadcast their complicity, while silencing any dissenters: this weekend, Labour MPs and councillors were cautioned against attending the march protesting at this massacre.

No wonder Labour councillors are resigning across the country, citing their party “effectively endorsing a war crime”. Last week, Young Labour BAME officer Lubaba Khalid resigned. Three days later, she reported that her cousin – a young girl – died in an Israeli strike.

As the horror mounts, Labour leaders issue feeble statements about how “Israel’s defence must be in line with international law”, when they know full well that it isn’t, and that they helped offer a green light for this criminality. For years, these preening so-called moderates issued liberal platitudes about a “rules-based order”. Their right to assert a moral high ground has perished for ever. If they will not speak out against a blockade of Gaza, they will be endorsing what the international criminal court’s founding prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, says “could be considered a crime against humanity and a genocide”.

These war crimes may have the blessing of our political establishment, but expect an ever-growing backlash from a public that hasn’t forgotten previous calamities endorsed by our leaders. It was a Labour government, backed unstintingly by the Tories, that brought us the calamitous military adventures after September 11, justified – like Israel’s attacks – as self-defence.

The consequences? Up to 4.7 million deaths, and for what? Our failure to hold politicians to account is what allows these horrors to endlessly repeat. Don’t let it happen again. There isn’t even the pretence that a Palestinian life has equal worth to an Israeli or British civilian. But their lives do matter, and those who condemn children to perish under rubble should be damned for ever.

Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

[cardfight-casual]

There’s no word on an official English release of Touken Ranbu -ONLINE- 2023 yet, but I’m hyped anyway, so I wanted to kick things off with a deck list for all the ride lines from Touken Ranbu -ONLINE- 2021. Here we have Kashuu Kiyomitsu, the ride line from the trial deck.

Deck Log Code: C1D6 Ride Deck: -x1 Kashuu Kiyomitsu Kiwame -x1 Kashuu Kiyomitsu Toku -x1 Kashuu Kiyomitsu Sentou -x1 Kashuu Kiyomitsu Main Deck:     Grade 3 -x3 Kashuu Kiyomitsu Kiwame -x3 Ishikirimaru     Grade 2 -x3 Shokudaikiri Mitsutada -x2 Ookurikara -x3 Kuwanagou -x4 Yamatonokami Yasusada -x3 Heshikiri Hasebe     Grade 1 -x3 Hyuuga Masamune -x4 Hakusanyoshimitsu -x2 Fudou Yukimitsu     Grade 0 -x3 Gotou Toushirou (Critical Trigger) -x4 Atsushi Toushirou (Critical Trigger) -x4 Hakata Toushirou (Draw Trigger) -x4 Gokotai (Heal Trigger) -x1 Kashuu Kiyomitsu Shinken Hissatsu (Over Trigger) Of the five ride lines, Kashuu Kiyomitsu is probably the easiest deck for players new to Touken Ranbu to build, if only because most of his pieces are available in the trial deck. Kashuu himself mainly checks the top of the deck to try to guarantee triggers or specific draws, and the ride line skill also allows you to search out his main support unit, Yamatonokami. A few units benefit from having all damage face-down, which Yamatonokami can help achieve by counterblasting as many times as you like to gain 10k power each time as long as Kashuu Kiyomitsu Kiwame is your vanguard. Most of the other support units also either let you manipulate the top of the deck or just help get your damage face-down. A few possible alternative choices for the deck would include: -Mikazuki Munechika     Potentially one of the most powerful rearguards currently available in Touken Ranbu. He has three possible abilities depending on how much damage who’ve taken, with five damage giving him the ability to restand for multi-attacks. The main reason I didn’t include him was because of how expensive the card can be, but if you happen to have him, he could take Shokudaikiri’s slot. -Front Triggers     Touken Ranbu can have trouble with shield value at times. While I chose draws to increase the chances of getting needed pieces, if you find that getting the units you need isn’t an issue, then swapping them out with Midare Toushirou or Akita Toushirou for the extra shield value is the better choice. -Sanchoumou     This particular card isn’t a great fit for this deck, but it could have its utility. If you find yourself consistently able to persona ride, but also with no damage to use for skills, then Sanchoumou’s your man. He’s more consistent than Kuwanagou since the only requirement is that you persona ride, but the reason I chose Kuwanagou was instead for his potential to soul charge. It’s up to you which you prefer, it largely depends on how you use your resources. -Ookurikara     The main unit I would consider entirely optional for this deck is Ookurikara. He can hit big numbers as long as he’s not boosted, but he was mainly only added to have another counterblasting unit. If you wanted to remove him, you could increase Heshikiri Hasebe, Hyuuga Masamune, or Fudou Yukimitsu to make up the difference.     Alternatively, if you really like this unit, while I wouldn’t recommend it, you could reduce Yamatonokami by one copy to increase the chances of getting him. Remember, these deck lists are for fun and not necessarily optimized. If you have another card that you think would make a better fit, then go for it and test it out. And with that, we’ve pretty much reached the end of what I have to say on this particular deck. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to send me a message! Next time I’ll start covering the ride lines from the set proper with Kasen Kanesada.

[infinity-squared-comics]

A Cardfight Vanguard story:

“Go! Nirvana Jheva attacks your vanguard!”

“Perfect guard!”

“Drive check! First check- Critical trigger! All effects to Garou Vairina! Second  check- Front trigger! All front row units gain 10,000 power! Now, Jheva’s effect! Counterblast 1 to stand Garou Vairina! Now, Garou Vairina attacks!”

“Hmph… No guard. Damage check- no trigger. Second check- no trigger. Good game Yu-yu! Think you’re ready to fight the U.S. champions?”

“I’m not sure… Hey, Megumi? Can I tell you something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“It… it’s a bit of a secret.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t go blabbing if you don’t want me to.”

“…”

“Yu-yu?”

“I’m transgender.”

“Oh. Ok. Name and pronouns?”

“Huh? Oh, right. I’m not sure about a name right now. But for pronouns… She/her! Please.”

“Of course. Thank you for telling me, I’m sure that took a lot of courage. Do you want me to use your pronouns in front of other people?”

“Umm… I don’t think so… not yet.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Are you ok with me still referring to you as Yu-yu?”

“Hmm… Yeah, I think that works. Unless I find something that works better for me.”

“Got it. Does anyone else know?”

“Not yet. I tried to tell my sisters, a few years ago, but they didn’t quite… get it.”

“Oh. OH! Is that why they…”

“Yeah, that’s where the dresses thing came from.”

“Hmm… that’s… hmph. Well, anyways. Thank you so much for telling me. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

“Th- thank you so much. I- I-“

“Yu-yu! Oh, it’s ok. It’s ok to cry. Cry as much as you need. Just let it all out. Everything’s going to be ok.”

“Thank you so much… thank you so much for not hating me…”

“I’d never hate you, Yu-yu. You’re one of my best friends. I’m always here for you.”

…

“Hey… up for another game?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, that would be nice.”

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

“Stand up! Vanguard!”

[lamajaoscura]

World can still avoid worst of climate collapse with genuine change, IPCC says | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) | The Guardian

[firstsentence]

"Therefore, in unlocking the miniature treasure chest of practical wisdom contained within this book, I present to you my own ditty, a bit of a battlecry, as a counterblast against Allingham's craven verse." 🍵

[james-vi-stan-blog]

Later, in another one of Hatfield’s 223 rooms, we witness a pivotal moment for one of those relationships. Sealed with a kiss on a forehead, King James, played by prolific Scottish actor Tony Curran, bestows a knighthood on George. We watch as Danish actor Trine Dyrholm, playing James’ wife Anne, delivers a delicious bit of euphemistic dialogue: “I think it’s time for a new member in your bedchamber.”

As D.C. Moore later explains, this was not just a spot of 16th-century innuendo: ‘Gentleman Of The Royal Bedchamber’ was a real title in royal households at the time. “George basically controlled the country and did what he wanted,” he explains. “Meanwhile, James is like, ‘I just want to smoke and swear and get pissed and have sex with men and chill out and go hunting.’” God save the king!

Ok now this sounds promising, ngl.

Interesting characterization of Anna (and I don't mean that as a diss, I much prefer her shown as nonchalant about James's interests, and I really don't want her shown as jealous, like oscarjamesleigh articulated in that post). It's important to show her as involved in George's rise! But I also hope they show her being prophetic about the foolishness of the courtiers using one favorite to drive out another. I'm so mad about her showing up as a SILENT PASSIVE CHARACTER in Gunpowder (2017).

However,

DEPICTING JAMES AS JUST WANTING TO SMOKE???????

EXCUSE ME???????

HOW COULD YOU GET THIS WRONG?????

[chaitanyavijnanam]

DAILY WISDOM - 189 : 7. Truth Triumphs not Always / నిత్య ప్రజ్ఞా సందేశములు - 189 : 7. ఎల్లప్పుడూ సత్యమే విజయం సాధించదు

🌹. నిత్య ప్రజ్ఞా సందేశములు - 189 / DAILY WISDOM - 189 🌹 🍀 📖 మహాభారతం మరియు భగవద్గీత యొక్క ఆధ్యాత్మిక అంశాలు 🍀 ✍️. ప్రసాద్ భరద్వాజ 🌻 7. ఎల్లప్పుడూ సత్యమే విజయం సాధించదు 🌻

అన్వేషకులు స్వర్గ ద్వారం వద్ద కూడా సురక్షితంగా లేరు, జాన్ బనియన్ తన పిలోగ్రిమ్స్ ప్రోగ్రెస్ లో పేర్కొన్నాడు. స్వర్గ ప్రవేశం వద్ద కూడా నరకానికి దారితీసే రంధ్రం ఉండే అవకాశం ఉంది. ఒక పెద్ద ద్వారం నేరుగా స్వర్గానికి దారి తీస్తుంది. మనం అక్కడే నిలబడి ఉంటాము. కానీ అక్కడే నరకానికి దారి తీసే ఒక గొయ్యి ఉంది, అందులో పడిపోతాం. తరవాత మరి మనం ఎక్కడికి వెళ్తాం? యమ నివాసంలోకి. సరే, స్వర్గ ప్రవేశ ద్వారం వద్ద అక్కడ ఒక రంధ్రం ఉండటమే విచిత్రం. ఇది సాధ్యమే, అని జాన్ బన్యన్ చెప్పారు. అలాగే చాలా మంది చెప్పారు. విషయం ఏమిటంటే, పడవ అవతలి ఒడ్డు దగ్గర కూడా మునిగిపోవచ్చు-మధ్యలోనే అవసరం లేదు.

ప్రపంచంలోని శక్తుల విషయంలో మనం చాలా జాగ్రత్తగా ఉండాలి. ప్రపంచం మన ముందు చిన్న పిల్లి లేదా ఎలుక కాదు, ప్రపంచం మొత్తాన్ని మన వేళ్ళతో కట్టిపడేసే గొప్ప యోగులం అనే భావనలో మనం ఉండకూడదు. అది అలా కాదు. మనం కృష్ణులం కాదు, అర్జునుని ఒంటి చేత్తో దీవించడానికి. మనం ఆధ్యాత్మికంగా శిశువులం. మరియు పాండవుల హృదయాలలో వికసించబోతున్న ఆత్మ యొక్క చిన్న ఆకాంక్షలను ప్రతిఘటించగల ఆనాటి వ్యూహాలను కలిగి ఉన్న కౌరవుల ముందు శిశువు పాండవులు సమానమైనవారేమీ కాదు. మంచితనం ఎల్లప్పుడూ ముందు దశలలో విజయం సాధించదు. సత్యం విజయం సాధిస్తుంది. కానీ ఎప్పుడూ కాదు.

కొనసాగుతుంది...

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

🌹 DAILY WISDOM - 189 🌹 🍀 📖 The Spiritual Import of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavadgita 🍀 📝 Swami Krishnananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 🌻 7. Truth Triumphs not Always 🌻

The seekers are not safe even at the gate of heaven, as John Bunyan put it in his Pilgrim's Progress. There is a possibility of there being a hole leading to hell even at the entrance to heaven. A big gate leads straight to heaven and we are just there, standing. But there is a pit, like a manhole, and we fall in. And where do we go? Into Yama's abode. Well, it is strange that there is a hole there, just at the entrance to heaven. This is possible, says John Bunyan, and says everyone. The idea is that the boat can sink even near the other shore—not necessarily in the middle.

The point is that we have to be very cautious about the powers of the world. The world is not a petty cat or a mouse in front of us, and we should not be under the impression that we are great yogis who can simply tie the whole world with our fingers. It is not so. We are not Krishnas, blessing Arjuna with one hand. We are babies, spiritually. And the baby Pandavas were not an equal match to the terror of the Kauravas, who had the tactics of the time, who could counterblast the little aspirations of the spirit which were about to blossom in the hearts of the Pandavas. Goodness does not always succeed in the earlier stages. Truth triumphs not always.

Continues...

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[levlies889]

"I counterblast!" okay and what are you blasting on, another man? Gayass