#etan winters

[xnodivinity]

erg

[equinoxts2]

mi-Avira Legacy: Founder Poll

My mum suggested that "Do it!" should be my simming mantra for this iteration of Kulo Sena... so I'm taking it right back to its roots with a legacy! Now, legacies need founders, and there are four young women in the mi-Avira line who could help me finish what I started in 2007. That's where my simblr friends come in! Introductions:

In the top left pic is Tamivadila mi-Avira, thirteen-band-old voidling alpha. She is the daughter of current headwoman Etan's cousin Kira - a spoiled princess in every sense of the word - and some of that attitude has passed down to Tami. However, the young voidling is highly intelligent and perceptive, and has begun to manifest the powers of her voidbeast ancestors.

Top right is Tabiltamyuli mi-Avira, who at twenty bands old is Etan's eldest daughter. Myuli lacks the supernatural lineage of her three cousins, though she does possess second sight - a mi-Avira trait that appears to skip six or seven generations. Her seer's bane is poor health. Myuli also has a strong interest in lore and history, leading to a brief apprenticeship with the village lorekeepers.

Bottom left pic is Risimolni mi-Avira, one of twin demigods in the running. She and her sister are daughters of the Transmuter, god of the cycles of life and the seasons, and both girls have powers relating to winter. Of the two of them, Risi has the shorter temper, but also has a deep respect for the traditions of her people and her lineage, and often experiments with pushing the limits of her powers.

Finally, in the bottom right pic, Areksutama mi-Avira is Risi's twin and the quieter of the pair, preferring to stay in her lovely neat tent and practise healing like her mother. More or less the opposite of her twin, Sutama's less outgoing nature means she tends to stay close to her small circle of friends and family, though she does enjoy using her frost magic more than she cares to admit.

And now:

[kenyizsuartblog]

Smaugust 2021 Lite - Mythology (Gift)

- Commission Info

The Four Dragons of the Compass: - Anzeer of the East – radiant, majestic and powerful. Anzeer brings the new day and new hope for humans, he is the Illuminator and the Pathfinder to travelers and those seeking their place in the world. He is bold, fearless and expects mortals to greet each new day with renewed vigor. He seeks challenges and meets them head-on, he favors those who never give up, their goals be however ambitious or humble. - Etan of the North – silent, wise and watching. Etan, much like his familiar, the Northern Star Polaris, moves little but observes all. He is quiet but ever vigilant, his words are few but carry heavy weight. Much like the cold plains and the winter he resides over, it is hard to tell how much life or feeling is within this enigmatic dragon. He is the patron of scholars, those who look and listen and record. Etan is the One Beacon, the Pillar and the Northern Eye. - Ardamin of the West – mysterious, colorful and judging. Ardamin brings an end to each day, and allows mortals to reckon with their daily achievements. He is the keeper of secrets, he brings about the darkness that obscures. He protects those on the run, and hides the monsters ready to hunt. His ethereal wings reflects the sunsets around the world. Ardamin is the Nightbringer, the Painter and the Final Judge. - Urochan of the South – alien, unknowable and cruel. Urochan only respects and helps those fit to survive, those who are willing to fight and those who brave the unknown. There is no place for mercy or parley within his cold dark lair in the deep ocean, one either adapts and rises to the challenges, or dies and disappears into oblivion. Urochan is the Bringer of Storms, the Gravekeeper of Seas and the Mentor of the Strong. ---- A (super belated) birthday gift for my amazing friend TheMaiaNightmareMoon ! She is working on a new world presided over by four dragon gods of the compass. Her descriptions of them were so amazing, I couldn't help myself but come up with my own designs. These are not at all the "official" or final designs, I merely hoped to inspire her like she had done with this picture! Hope you guys all like it. Smaugust Lite is still going, even if it's not that remarkable. characters (c) TheMaiaNightmareMoon

2021.08.19.

[aion-rsa]

From Lupin III to Inspector Gadget: Examining the Heirs of Arsène Lupin

https://ift.tt/3p5oPe7

This piece contains spoilers for Netflix’s Lupin.

As Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief created by Maurice Leblanc in 1905, is a renowned master of disguise, it is fitting that he has inspired a number of literary characters to take up his mantle. Arguably the most recognizable riff is Lupin III, a copyright-infringing, quasi-canonical descendant by way of Japanese manga and anime. Yet it wasn’t until Netflix’s new French mystery comedy-drama series Lupin—which reinvented the source material through Omar Sy’s Lupin and the lenses of immigration, racism, and fandom—that readers and viewers have truly been challenged to consider what it means to inherit, whether through blood or through books, an iconic character’s legacy. Consider this a field guide to the many different Arsène Lupins.

What is immediately intriguing about both Lupins is that neither is as white as the top-hatted, monocled thief that Leblanc created over a century ago. Assane Diop (Sy), the charismatic lead of George Kay’s Lupin, is a Senegalese immigrant whose father Babakar (Fargass Assandé) brought him to Paris for a better life. The lethal mix of elitism and systemic racism that they encounter via Babakar’s employers, the Pellegrini family, are what shape young Assane’s life into a revenge narrative, but also become tools in his career as a gentleman thief. Yet even Lupin III, created in 1967 by manga artist Monkey Punch (a.k.a. Kazuhito Katō), is introduced as the French-Japanese grandson of Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin. In the Lupin the Third Part II episode “The Southern Cross Looked Like Diamonds,” which concerns Japanese casualties of the Pacific War, Lupin discusses his dual heritage. Both adaptations add texture to their Lupins’ stories by not allowing them to move through society quite as smoothly as the original French thief.

That said, Monkey Punch’s Lupin III certainly benefits from a fair amount of family legacy by carrying on his grandfather’s and father’s reputation as a world-renowned thief, marksman, master of disguise, womanizer—you name it. He’s almost more of a reincarnation of the original than a descendant, with the only real change being the shift in period from the early 20th century to the swingin’ sixties. Monkey Punch also drew from Lupin III’s contemporary James Bond to enhance some of those darker and more adult aspects in the manga, while basing Lupin’s on-again, off-again romance with bombshell spy Fujiko Mine on D’Artagnan and Milady de Winter’s relationship from Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers.

According to a 1995 issue of Manga Mania, Monkey Punch had initially considered keeping the blood connection a bit more under wraps, having not obtained the legal rights from Leblanc’s estate, but was convinced to embrace the Arsène Lupin connections. While Monkey Punch’s adoption of the Lupin persona wasn’t kosher by copyright standards, it was also very much in the spirit of the character—asking for forgiveness rather than permission—as well as the creator himself: Leblanc borrowed Sherlock Holmes for a few Lupin adventures before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle realized, and only then changed the detective’s name to “Herlock Sholmes” for subsequent showdowns. Still, it did eventually backfire for him, though it also led to, fascinatingly, beloved animated character Inspector Gadget (more on that later).

Read more

TV

Lupin Part 2: 2021 Release Confirmed by Netflix

By Kirsten Howard

Perhaps the most beloved iteration of Lupin III is in Hayao Miyazaki’s 1979 film The Castle of Cagliostro. Monkey Punch’s manga cast Lupin III as a rather unsympathetic master thief: callous about his victims, a caddish ladies’ man who often harassed women he saw as little more than sex objects. While the anime quickly established a moral code—stealing from rich people who either deserved it or would not overly suffer for it—it was Miyazaki’s film that gave Lupin III real heart. In rescuing princess bride Clarisse from a Gothic marriage, he displays a surprising sense of chivalry, especially when the plucky girl wants to be his sidekick. Lupin’s silent agony over turning her down lends the otherwise carefree heist film a shocking touch of melancholy, and lays the groundwork for a more well-rounded Lupin III in future outings.

The Lupin III bloodline has extended several generations into the future, though none of these descendants made much of an impact beyond their respective adventures. First there was Lupin III Jr. (yes, that’s his name), the son of Lupin III and Fujiko, who only ever existed in the manga. Elusiveness of the Fog, the nineteenth Lupin III TV special, uses a time machine to jump ahead to 2883 and glimpse Lupin XXXIII, a.k.a. Lupin the 33rd, identical to his green-jacketed ancestor. He gets three whole lines and mostly seems like an excuse to show that thirty generations later, little about the iconic thief has changed.

In between those two there was Lupin the Eighth, would-be star of a 1982 spinoff created in collaboration between Lupin III studio TMS Entertainment and French-American studio DiC Entertainment. The Lupin VIII series would have jumped a conservative five generations ahead, with the familiar crew’s great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren carrying on the same names, traits, and rivalries and romantic entanglements. But when the Leblanc estate got wind of this Japanese/French collaboration showing up on their continent, they put the kibosh on the project; only the pilot was animated, and was shut down before vocals had been recorded.

Because TMS and DiC had already lost their investment, they scrambled to come up with a replacement for the timeslot. And so Inspector Gadget was created, with the trenchcoat-clad cyborg bumbling his way into viewers’ hearts. Despite his complete lack of suaveness compared to any version of Lupin, you could say that, in terms of staying power, Gadget was Lupin III’s true successor.

Yet while Lupin III had every familial and financial resource at his disposal to continue his grandfather’s and father’s work, everything Assane Diop needs to know he learns from a book. The Arsène Lupin books, which Babakar gifts him right before he is framed for stealing the priceless Queen’s Necklace from the Pellegrinis. Babakar’s arrest, guilty plea, and prison suicide leave Assane burdened with a strange inheritance of misfortune, words, and blood money—as Madame Pellegrini (Nicole Garcia) pays for fancy schooling he otherwise would not have been able to afford. Attending a prestigious academy is where he forges friendships with fellow morally gray criminal Benjamin Ferel (Antoine Gouy) and his eventual partner Claire (Ludivine Sagnier) and learns how to code-switch among his peers. 

Presumably, that upbringing creates the scaffolding of connections that allows him to move through high society, but his wealth and prestige in adulthood is all due to Arsène Lupin. Assane studies those books like religious texts, like instruction manuals, like the last connection to his late father. His obsessive fandom provides him the blueprints for foolproof heists that he enhances with his own experiences at playing with disguise. Though he does later employ prosthetics for his appearance as Twitter user Salvator, for the most part Assane doesn’t obscure his face. Instead, he trusts in his marks’ implicit racial biases that they will buy him as a deadbeat dad and immigrant janitor Luis Perenna, then not blink twice when staring him in the face as millionaire Paul Sernine in the course of the same evening. In prison, he literally counts on a white guard’s inability to differentiate between two black men to switch places with a prisoner.

Assane also continues his father’s tradition of gifting the Arsène Lupin books to his own son for his 14th birthday: Raoul (Etan Simon), French-born, mixed-race and equally enamored of the gentleman thief’s adventures. While it’s unlikely that Assane wants his son to make the same dangerous enemies, he clearly wants Raoul to see himself in the character—and to see his father, who understandably has difficulty showing his true self to anyone.

This by-the-book adaptation (Arsène Lupin entered the public domain in 2012) engages with the notion that anyone can embody an iconic character—that their skin color or class upbringing doesn’t have to match the original, that they don’t have to be a blood relation to inherit a persona. For all that Lupin III exists in his own right and will endure as a classic franchise, Assane Diop’s Lupin may be the truer heir to the gentleman thief’s legacy.

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Lupin is available to stream now on Netflix.

The post From Lupin III to Inspector Gadget: Examining the Heirs of Arsène Lupin appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2XVYtzq

[onimiman]

My Top 10 Best and Worst Films of the 2010s

These are the best and worst movies that I had seen in a theater throughout the previous decade. I’m not including in this list any films I saw once they were released on home media; if you think it’s unfair... oh, well. Also, I have no intention of posting my reasoning for why I think each film is ranked where they are ranked; if anyone is really interested, feel free to DM me. So, without further ado, here is the:

Best of: 

2010: Inception (dir. Christopher Nolan)

2011: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (dir. Rupert Wyatt)

2012: The Dark Knight Rises (dir. Christopher Nolan)

2013: Evil Dead (dir. Fede Alvarez)

2014: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (dir. Anthony and Joe Russo)

2015: Mad Max: Fury Road (dir. George Miller)

2016: Captain America: Civil War (dir. Anthony and Joe Russo)

2017: Mother! (dir. Darren Aronofsky)

2018: Avengers: Infinity War (dir. Anthony and Joe Russo)

2019: Joker (dir. Todd Phillips)

Out of all of these movies, which one is my fave of the decade? Mother!

Now for the worst.

2010: Alice in Wonderland (dir. Tim Burton)

2011: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (dir. Rob Marshall)

2012: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (dir. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor)

2013: Iron Man 3 (dir. Shane Black)

2014: Transformers: Age of Extinction (dir. Michael Bay)

2015: Fantastic Four (dir. Josh Trank)

2016: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (dir. Zack Snyder)

2017: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (dir. Paul W.S. Anderson)

2018: Holmes and Watson (dir. Etan Coen)

2019: The Lion King (dir. Jon Favreau)

Out of all of these movies, which one did I hate the most? Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

[cfijerusalem]

AS THEY WENT TO PRAYER

“Once when we were going to the place where the minyan gathered...” (Acts 16:16).

During times of the day when prayer was being offered to God, in the Jewish world, the minimum number of males (10) were required to constitute a “Community of Israel” (or public prayer) for liturgical purposes in the synagogues or wherever they were praying. When there was not enough men for a minyan those who were gathering recited their prayers as individuals, and still do today.

Minyan Ma’ariv prayer in a Jaffa Tel Aviv flea-market shop (by Etan J. Tal, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia)

Most Christians do not realize the intensity in which many Jewish people pray to God. It is often thought “they just pray from a prayer book” while we “pray from our hearts”. If anyone has ever picked up a Jewish prayer book and taken a look inside, you might be extremely surprised to experience the depth and profoundly spirit formed words given to the Jewish hearts who love the God of Heaven, the Highest Heavens and the entire Planet. The heartfelt and extremely sincere fear of the Lord God, the majestic description of His Holiness and their desire to know Him through His Word is anything but shallow. Shame on us if we think this because I’ve heard some pretty shallow Christian prayers at times, and often there is no looking down on a Jewish soul crying out to God! Let us not in any way form a negative opinion nor judge how the Jewish people pray because I know they pray from the heart! It is common to go to prayer three times a day. Does the average Christian do this? We must think about this and internalize this fact and never belittle the Jewish people. And now, it is “our” turn: our time to go to prayer! Do we have a least a “minyan”?

Let’s Pray With All Of Our Hearts

Fervently intercede for those who need healing here in Israel and are sick, mainly the elderly. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases. Who redeems your life from destruction...” (Psalm 103:2-3).

Thank God for the evaluation that Israel is the safest place in the world to be. Studies show Israel is also handling the COVID19 be and that Israelis are better protected than any other people in the world. “And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God...” (Deuteronomy 28:13).

Praise His Name that Bibi Netanyahu is still leading the nation, although his days may be numbered as talks turn to possibly going to another vote (which would be the fourth) for Israel. Although not perfect, he has given his whole life for leading Israel, he does study God’s Word and even says he lives by it (publically declared). May every public leader allow their egos to be put down for the good of the nation. “you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren, you shall set as king over you, you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother” (Deuteronomy 17:15).

Proclaim His Word that the current lockdown might help control and rid the country completely of the coronavirus outbreak. “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were for a little moment, until the indignation is past” (Isaiah 26:20).

Seek His Face that repentance and change will come in order to lift the plague. One doctor in Israel proclaimed that the vaccine for the current crisis is repentance. Many rabbis say we are witnessing the signs of the coming of the Messiah. Repentance must be made for disobeying and following after the nations. Israel is appointed to serve God in holiness. “When you come into the Land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations” (Deuteronomy 18:9).

Ask God to bring the souls of leaders of Hamas out of the deception they are trapped in to see Jesus. These leaders have done virtually nothing to provide even basic healthcare in the Gaza Strip, and are now trying to hold Israel responsible for the shortage of ventilators in Palestinian hospitals. Claim John 3:16 over them that their eyes may be opened.

Ask God to put it in the hearts of His People still abroad to “come home”, as it is still the safest place to be. A great shaking may put fear in many a heart to come from the west. “They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west” (Hosea 11:10).

Praise the Lord that the Sea of Galilee is almost full. Even while the virus is in the Land, the Kinneret continues to rise in an unprecedented way. The heavy winter rainfull has been a double blessing. It replenished the country’s natural water sources and kept people in during the virus crisis. “The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none” (Deuteronomy 28:12).

An old song was written years ago entitled “Keep on Praying”, a beautiful and yet stirring melody with words. It is our calling to continue in prayer and the word on behalf of the Jewish people and the chosen nation: Israel. God Almighty has chosen to put His Name on the City of Jerusalem.. God has chosen to build and resettle His People in His Land. It is God who will rule and reign from Jerusalem as Jesus, the Messiah, carries out His Duties as King of the Jewish people and all the nations “coming up to Zion” in the latter days. Keep praying; in other words, “pray through” until the Spirit of the Lord says to stop. Let’s be more than a “minyan” in our prayer groups, let’s once again form Prayer for Israel/Watchmen on the Walls who pray for a majestic God to continue to fulfill His Word and carry out His Promises for Israel and the Nations.

In His Service Together, Sharon Sanders Christian Friends of Israel - Jerusalem

[alienwarehouse]

Charity Livestream Quotes: April Edition

• Mark “Buy a sweater get a kidney.” “Amy get over here I need you to be sad.” “My soul is gone.” “Who am I?” “Shares have been a little low guys.” “Come to the livestream. You’ll go bald!” “What do I have going for me? A dying YouTube channel?” *loudly sings All Star from the other room* “ ‘What would you do for a Klondike Bar’ Anyone in the Markiplier Crew.” “We will sue you.” “As a newly minted young person…” “Well just kill my girlfriend all over again Tyler!” “Gonna beat the ssssssshit out of Ethan. Gonna beat the ever loving garbo out of Etan.” “Hello everybody. My name is Mark the Hedgehog.” “Can you not. Be like that. To me.” “Fuck you. Fuck all of you and your prom privilage.” “Teamiplier for life.” “Next time it’ll be set up a bit better.” (yea sure, whatever you say)

• Ethan “That thicc neck.” “Chunkiplier.” “They’re the capris of shirts.” “I have no facial hair and a dying YouTube channel.” “Mug people for money.” *quietly sings All Star to himself* “I’m a fucking idiot.”

• Tyler (fucking talk Tyler, come on. I want to hear your voice) *off screen* “I’m on the couch.”

• Amy “You’re just not the man you used to be.” “Suh Cranksters.” “[Chica] likes to horde the vegetables for winter.” “What the. Fuck.”

• Kathryn “I regret consciousness.” “Strong-iplier.” “I feel safe in the darkness.” “I told my mom it wasn’t a phase.”

• Chica *bork* *sneeze* *clips the mics

@markiplier

@crankgameplays

 (I usually try to watch the whole stream but today I missed a few parts meaning I probably missed a few good quotes. I’m very sorry for that. If you want me to add them in message me or comment and I’ll add them. Please include who said them)

~~~~

Watch the stream here

Buy charity merch here (merch event ends April 30th, 2017, 12:00 pm EST)

[velouriawrote]

as of august 30th,

becks & cosima 001, apocalypse: drafted becks & cosima 002, mold town: drafted becks & cosima 003, crescent lake: replied etan & isla 001, normal verse: posted etan & isla 002, idk yet: thinking ‘bout it etan & nancy 001, a nightmare on elm street: replied finnegan & cameron 001, event horizon: replied finnegan & cameron 002, a quiet place: replied finnegan & cameron 003, friday night lights: 5% vasiliy & hunter 001, the man without a face: replied vasiliy & rhiannon 001, true romance: replied vasiliy & rhiannon 002, a room with a view: drafted vasiliy & rhiannon 003, and then there were none: replied vasiliy & rhiannon 004, there is a light that never goes out: replied vasiliy & rhiannon 005, chaos killed the dinosaurs darling: replied vasiliy & rhiannon 006, first goddamn week of winter: posted

[samanthasroberts]

Hockey, weed and taxes? 11 Canadian stereotypes debunked

Canada is often pictured as a uniformly cold, multicultural, socialist paradise full of beer-swilling ice hockey fans. But a close look at the evidence reveals some very different truths good and bad about the Great White North

Its pretty easy to conjure an idea of a Canadian. As one young paramour looking to marry an American told a dating website: She must be willing to become a hockey fan and eat maple syrup and Beaver Tails in my igloo.

Theres more to the stereotype, of course. Canadas universal health care and gun-control legislation are frequently namechecked by American politicians (often disapprovingly), while the countrys adventurers have a long-standing tradition of stitching tiny Canadian flags into their backpacks.

But while some of these cliches are true Tim Hortons really does sell more of its hot brown drink (they call it coffee) than any other restaurant chain a deep dive into the actual statistics suggest that much of the countrys image is just that.

Some of the most common misconceptions about Canada include:

Canadas most popular sport by far is ice hockey

What football is to Brazil, hockey is Canada, right? Between them, the mens and womens national Canadian ice hockey teams won seven of a possible eight gold medals at the last four Winter Olympics.

But while Canadas superiority on the ice remains unchecked, the sport itself is becoming a little more niche at home. A 2014 study pegged ice hockey fourth among 3-to-17-year-old Canadians in participation numbers, behind swimming, soccer and dance. Its probably no coincidence that hockey was also ranked the second most expensive sport to play, and that multiculturalism means a generation of kids less uniformly passionate about pucks.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is catching up to Canada when it comes to playing the sport professionally: 2015 marked the first time in 98 years when Canadians did not make up the majority of National Hockey League players.

Canadians live in the wilderness

Pierre Berton once declared: A Canadian is somebody who knows how to make love in a canoe.

But there are a few problems with this all-Canadian adage, beyond the obvious issue of tipping. For one, Berton never actually said it. For another, the image of Canadians as a wilderness-dwelling people is not borne out by research: as of 2011, a full 81% of Canadians resided in a population centre, census speak for urban area.

In fact, about 35.2%, or one in three Canadians, lives in either Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver alone.

And if you think the vast majority Canadas city-dwellers love nothing more than to race to the countryside, youd also be wrong: a 2010 poll found that only 23% of Canadians see their ideal vacation as a visit to a cottage or a lake.

Canadians are taxed to death

The status of Canada as something of a socialist darling leads many to assume that Canadians pay income tax rates at similar levels to those in, for example, France or Germany.

Not so, according to the OECDs annual Taxing Wages report. The report ranks Canada 25th out of 34 countries in terms of its tax wedge for single-income earners (a measure of the difference between labour costs to the employer and the corresponding net take-home pay of the employee). By this metric,, Canada is actually slightly below the US.

In the same report, Canada ranked 14th out of 34 in terms of income tax, based on the average national wage. When it comes to corporate taxes, too, Canada is relatively generous the headline corporate tax rate has dropped from 34% in 2007 to 26.5% in 2015, ranking Canada 61st in the world. By comparison, the US ranks fourth.

Canadians are obsessed with beer

There are few images more Canadian than beloved SCTV hosers Bob and Doug McKenzie sitting on a couch and cracking open a few bottles of Molson Canadian while complaining about US-style twist-off caps. The Beer Hunter, an all-Canadian take on Russian Roulette, has long been the nations greatest drinking game.

But while it is true that Canadians love beer they spent C$15.7bn on the stuff in 2011 an increasing number are embracing wine as their drink of choice. As a 2015 report notes, Beer sales as a share of the total sale of alcoholic beverages have been declining for several years.

In 2004/2005, the report continued, beer had a market share of 49% in terms of dollar value, while wine had a market share of 25%. By 2013/2014, the market share for beer had declined to 42%, while wine was up to 31%.

Canada is a haven for pot smokers

Since snowboarder Ross Rebagliati went on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1998 to celebrate the return of his Olympic gold medal after it had been stripped from him because of THC in his blood, Canada has garnered a reputation as weed-smoking haven. The 2001 ruling of an Ontario court that prohibiting the medical use of marijuana was unconstitutional did little to shake that impression.

But although Justin Trudeaus Liberal government promised to table legislation to legalise marijuana in 2017, Canadas medical community and popular opinion are divided on the question, and there are diplomatic hurdles still to clear. Even if weed is eventually made legal, it will likely be sold in set quantities, possibly from government stores, and subject to significant taxes. In fact, the North American nation that has made the biggest strides in legalising pot has been the supposedly drug-averse US.

Canadian hospital wait times are so bad they flee to the US for care

During the 9 October presidential debate, Donald Trump raised some ire north of the border when he referred to Canadian healthcare as catastrophic. Said the now-president-elect: Youve noticed the Canadians. When they need a big operation, they come into the US in many cases, because their system is so slow.

As ever, Trump is manipulating the truth. Canadians do endure long wait times for specialised treatment, and as of 2014 Canada ranked last among 11 OECD countries in terms of how quickly patients can get an appointment with their family doctor.

However, Canadians arent flocking en masse to the US in response. A Fraser Institute report revealed that in 2015 just 1% of Canadians who needed specialised medical treatment sought that treatment in the US.

Canada is a major exporter of comedy stars

Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Catherine OHara, Lorne Michaels, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Dave Foley. All are Canadians who made it big in America and all are over 50. Whereas comedians were once regularly discovered on shows such as Saturday Night Live, SCTV and Kids in the Hall, the well has been drying up: the success of Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and Ryan Reynolds is heartening, but Canada is no longer the comedy source it once was.

Though tightened screening at the US border may be partly to blame, the changing way in which we consume comedy bite-sized clips shared online, from acts such as Picnicface and Baronness Von Sketch Show also plays a role. The old model of a breakout US/Canadian TV sketch comedy may no longer exist, says Toronto Second Citys Etan Muskat: The CBC is trying to have breakout mainstream comedic success, following a model that doesnt compute.

Canada is a frigid wasteland

Canada is cold, eh? It has an average daily temperature of -5.6C, making it one of the chilliest countries on earth. But the idea of an average Canadian daily temperature is meaningless. Not only does it combine cities like Regina and St Johns thousands of miles apart, in entirely different climates but it doesnt capture range.

Canadas summer highs are in fact often equal to, or higher than, other major cities in Europe and the US. Winnipeg, for example, which suffers average annual winter highs of -12.7, has a summer average high of 25.8, higher than Paris and Los Angeles.

Canada also has a rich summer culture of cabin or cottage-going to rival the Scandinavians and the dacha-loving Russians. If anything, the brutal winters make Canadians appreciate the summer months more.

Canadas economy is driven by natural resources

Though Canada is the biggest exporter of crude oil to the US and the highest exporter of forestry products relative to imports, the forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas industries collectively employ only 355,000 Canadians, or 2% of the workforce.

In fact, Canadas services sector dwarfs the goods-producing sector by almost four to one. And the third-biggest service employer after retail and healthcare/social services is professional, scientific and technical services, including tech startups like Shopify, Hootsuite and Freshbooks. In 2015, Canadas tech companies produced $117bn or 7.1% of Canadas economic output, greater than that of the finance and insurance industry. As Mike McDerment, CEO of Freshbooks, notes: Its our observation that the economy is being restructured away from resource economy to services and tech.

Canada is a Scandinavian-style social democracy

Though Canada enjoys a strong healthcare system and is consistently ranked among the most livable countries on earth, many assume it is a thriving social democracy in the style of Sweden or Denmark. Not exactly.

Canadian bachelors students pay the joint 2nd highest tuition fees of OECD countries, alongside Japanese and Korean students. Canada also has the 7th highest child poverty rate in the OECD, and, as of 2013, was last in spending on early childhood education and is among the most expensive countries on earth when it comes to childcare costs.

Meanwhile Canadas rich-poor gap is slightly bigger than the OECD average, and the World Economic Forum put Canada in 30th place globally two spots below the US in gender equality measures.

Canada is diverse from coast to coast

The Economist recently pointed out that Canada is a world leader in immigration, both in acceptance and integration, a result of 1971 legislation enshrining multiculturalism. However, most of the resulting diversity is limited to Canadas big cities. Of Canadas 6.8 millions immigrants in 2011, 91% lived in one of Canadas 33 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver compared with 63.3% of people who were born in Canada.

Across the country, skilled immigrants struggle with significant barriers to finding work, such as language and requirements for Canadian experience. In Vancouver and Toronto, many immigrants are increasingly living in inner suburban enclaves, with less access to public transport. At least one geographer, Zach Taylor, argues the isolation and resentment these enclaves can cause helped fuel the populist rise of Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

</me

Source: http://allofbeer.com/hockey-weed-and-taxes-11-canadian-stereotypes-debunked/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2017/12/31/hockey-weed-and-taxes-11-canadian-stereotypes-debunked/

[njawaidofficial]

Vancouver Film Fest: Dianna Agron Thriller, Thomas Middleditch Comedy Join Lineup

http://styleveryday.com/2017/08/10/vancouver-film-fest-dianna-agron-thriller-thomas-middleditch-comedy-join-lineup/

Vancouver Film Fest: Dianna Agron Thriller, Thomas Middleditch Comedy Join Lineup

1:05 PM PDT 8/10/2017 by Etan Vlessing

The ‘Glee’ star toplines local director Scooter Corkle’s indie thriller, while Middleditch stars in Jason James’ ‘Entanglement.’

The Vancouver Film Festival on Thursday unveiled its Canadian film lineup, including Scooter Corkle’s Hollow in the Land, starring Glee’s Dianna Agron, and the Thomas Middleditch-starring comedy Entanglement.

Corkle’s indie thriller, which also stars Jared Abrahamson, Rachelle Lefevre and Shawn Ashmore, will be released in the U.S. by Vertical Entertainment. Also headed to Vancouver is Jason James’ Entanglement, a comedy starring Silicon Valley’s Middleditch and Jess Weixler (The Son) as his adoptive sister.

Other world bows in Vancouver include Ana Valine’s Once There Was a Winter, Melanie Wood’s Shut Up and Say Something, Boris Ivanov’s On Putin’s Blacklist and LaTiesha Ti’si’tla Fazakas and Natalie Bolla’s Meet Beau Dick: Maker of Monsters.

Also screening in Vancouver is Kyle Rideout’s Public Schooled, toplined by Archer star Judy Greer, which debuts in Toronto. The Vancouver Film Festival runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 17.

More lineup announcements, including the opening- and closing-night films, will be made in the coming weeks.

#Agron #Comedy #Dianna #Fest #Film #Join #Lineup #Middleditch #Thomas #Thriller #Vancouver

[equinoxts2]

And then it gets really dramatic

Two starbands had passed since the Beguiler escaped the Void, disrupting the Nuidya festival of cats in the process. After the initial panic, though, nothing had been heard of the vengeful deity, and life in Kulo Seeri was slowly returning to the usual task of preparing the winter stores. Most of the tribe didn’t even speak of the cosmic jailbreak. Would they still ignore the fact that the Beguiler was out there, no doubt growing stronger by the day, if they knew what Melchol zan-Ku knew?

The older man had mostly kept to himself since leaving Etan. On the rare occasions that he’d left his clan’s tents, he'd just fetch whatever supplies the family needed and not speak to anyone - Etan’s recent interest in rekindling their relationship was her idea, she’d made all the moves. Granted, Melchol didn’t mind the attention. But even Etan might be... well...

Not long before the Cat Festival, according to his brother, Melchol had simply vanished while preparing a morning meal. He’d reappeared a while later with no memory of having vanished, and carried on cooking like nothing had happened. That night, he’d been watching the sky for omens and been taken into the Spirit World; he didn’t remember much of that either, but he knew - knew without knowing how he did - that he’d received a warning from whatever spirit had abducted him.

Someone in the tribe was a spy for the Beguiler. Someone had aided vir escape.

Every day, the knowledge gnawed at him, making him suspicious of everyone else. He couldn’t work out who was the mole. It could be anyone. His only comfort was that soon, any time now, he would have the voidling baby that was his other souvenir from the Spirit World. He’d be able to trust the child, he was sure of it. The Beguiler feared voidbeasts; they’d kept vir prisoner in the Void for aeons, kept vir too weak to escape. Until recently...

“Well, don’t just stand there, Zyulo - fetch the herbalist!” Melchol yelled through gritted teeth, as his voidling prepared to enter the world.

[winter-gale]

Table of Correspondence for Deities

This is by no means the entire list but it gives you something to fall back on when you're looking for a deity: Table of Correspondence for Deities from "Celtic Magic" by D.J. Conway. ABUNDANCE: Bel, Sucellus AGRICULTURE: Brigit, White Lady, Epona, Lugh, Bel, the Horned God, Amaethon AIR: See Sky ANIMALS: Epona, Rhiannon, Brigantia, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, Bel, Herne, Bran the Blessed, the Horned God, Cocidius, Flidais, Nuada, Anu, Manannan mac Lir, Nantosuelta ARCHITECTURE: Lugh, Goibniu. See Arts & Crafts ARTS & CRAFTS: Brigit, Cerridwen, the Dagda, Lugh, Ogma, Taliesin, Merlin, Bran the Blessed, Manannan mac Lir, Diancecht, Goibniu, Nantosuelta, Nuada BEAUTY: Arianrhod, Branwen, Creiddylad, Nuada, Angus mac Og BLACKSMITHS: See Metalworking BLESSINGS: Danu, Badb. See Spiritual Illumination BOATS: Manannan mac Lir, Nuada. See Sea BREWING: Goibniu, the Horned God CALM: Rhiannon, Branwen, Creiddylad, Arianrhod, Anu CARPENTERS: Lugh, Luchtaine. See Arts & Crafts CHANGE: Gwydion, Taliesin, Merlin. See Shapeshifter CHILDBIRTH: Nantosuelta, Nuada CIVILISATION: Ogma, Lugh, the Dagda. See Organisation COMMERCE: Lugh, Cernunnos, Herne, Manannan mac Lir COMPASSION: See Mercy COURAGE: Morrigu. See Strength CREATIVITY: Druantia. See Arts & Crafts, Music, Writing CREATOR GOD/DESS: Arianrhod, Danu, the Dagda CRONE ASPECT: Morgan Le Fay, Cerridwen, Macha CROSSROADS: See Journeys CRYSTAL READING: Merlin, Taliesin. See Psychic Abilities CUNNING: Pwyll, Macha CURSING: See Revenge DANCE: See Music DARKNESS: See Night DEATH: Morrigu, Creiddylad, Cerridwen, White Lady, Arawn, Gwynn ap Nudd, the Dagda, Ogma, Pwyll, Anu, Caillech, Cocidius, Don, Macha. See Underworld DESTINY: See Fate DESTRUCTION: White Lady, Macha, Caillech, Morrigu DISASTER: Morrigu, Macha, White Lady DISEASE: Caillech DIVINATION: Brigit, Merlin, Taliesin. See Tarot, Crystal Reading, Psychic Abilities DOMESTIC ARTS: Brigit, Cerridwen, Nantosuelta. See Arts & Crafts DREAMS: See Psychic Abilities EARTH: See Earth God/dess EARTH GOD/DESS: Cerridwen, Blodeuwedd, Creiddylad, the Dagda, Cernunnos, Anu, Tailtiu. See Great Mother, Great Father ECSTASY: See Passion ELOQUENCE: Don, Ogma ENCHANTMENTS: Brigit, Cerridwen, Morrigu, Rhiannon, Banba, Gwydion, Math Mathonwy, Merlin, Taliesin, Nuada. See Magic ENLIGHTENMENT: See Blessings EXORCISM: See Protection FAMILY: See Marriage, Motherhood FATE: The Dagda, Manannan mac Lir, Morrigu, Arianrhod FATHER GOD: the Dagda. See Great Father. FERTILITY: Arianrhod, Brigit, Cerridwen, Brigantia, Macha, Herne, Cernunnos, Bel, Epona, Manannan mac Lir, Mab, Nantosuelta, Druantia, the Horned God, Anu, Arianrhod, Rhiannon FIRE: Brigit, Goibniu, Merlin, the Dagda, Bel, Kai FISHING: See Boats, Sea FLOWERS: Blodeuwedd, Creiddylad FORESTS: See Woodlands FORETELLING: Cerridwen, Danu, Macha, Morrigu, Brigit, Rhiannon, Merlin, Taliesin. See Tarot, Crystal Reading, Psychic Abilities GREAT FATHER: The male principle of creation; god of Winter, the Sun, woodlands, forest, animals, the sky, sexual love. Bel, the Dagda, Don GREAT GOD/DESS: Cerridwen, Danu, Macha, Morrigu, Brigit, Anu, Bel, Rhiannon, the Dagda, Badb. See Great Father, Great Mother GREAT MOTHER: The female principle of creation; goddess of fertility, the Moon, Summer, flowers, love, healing, the seas, water. Cerridwen, Danu, Morrigu, Anu, Margawse. HARVEST: Cerridwen. See Agriculture, Vegetation HEALING: Brigit, Boann, Brigantia, Cernunnos, Bel, Lugh, Merlin, Taliesin, Diancecht, Gwydion, the Dagda, Nuada, Owein ap Urien, Epona, Scathach, Airmid, Etan, Fand, Miach HEALTH: Brigantia, Brigit, Anu, Diancecht, Airmid, Lugh, Etan HEARTH: See Home, Motherhood HERBS: Cerridwen, Brigit, Merlin, Taliesin, Cernunnos HOME: Brigit THE HORNED GOD: Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter HORSES: Epona, Rhiannon, Manannan mac Lir THE HUNTER/HUNTRESS: Morrigu, Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter, Epona, Nicneven ILLNESS: See Disease ILLUSION: Merlin, Gwydion, Taliesin. See Shape-shifter INITIATION: Cerridwen, the Dagda, Lugh, Merlin, Taliesin, Blodeuwedd INSPIRATION: Cerridwen, Brigit, Merlin, Taliesin, Ogma, Badb INTELLIGENCE: See Wisdom, Knowledge INVENTIONS: Merlin, Taliesin, Cernunnos JEWELLERY: Goibniu, Diancecht, Lugh. See Metalworking JOURNEYS: Lugh, Cernunnos JUDGEMENT: See Retribution, Fate JUSTICE: See Retribution, Fate KARMA: See Fate, Retribution KNOWLEDGE: Brigit, the Dagda, Taliesin, Merlin, Cerridwen, Taranis, Druantia. See Wisdom LAW: Don LEARNING: See Knowledge, Arts & Crafts LIFE: Badb. See Great Mother, Great Father LIGHT: See Sun LIGHTNING: See Weather LOVE: Branwen, Brigit, Mab, Creiddylad, Angus mac Og LUCK: Danu. See Success MAGIC: Morrigu, Rhiannon, Cerridwen, Brigit, Danu, Banba, Lugh, the Dagda, Gwydion, Ogma, Diancecht, Manannan mac Lir, Math Mathonwy, Taliesin, Merlin, Nuada, Scathach, Taranis MAGIC, DARK: Morrigu, Cerridwen, Scathach MAIDEN ASPECT: Elaine, Blodeuwedd, Anu MARRIAGE: Nantosuelta. See Home, motherhood MARTIAL ARTS: Brigit, Cernunnos, the Dagda, Lugh, Nuada, Scathach MEDICINE: Brigit, Cernunnos, Lugh, Bel, the Dagda, Diancecht. See Healing MEN: Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter MERCY: Anu. See Blessings METALWORKING: Brigit, Scathach, Diancecht, Goibniu, Lugh, Kai, Nuada, Weyland. Se Jewellery MOON: Morrigu, Danu, Brigit, Mab, Blodeuwedd, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, Herne, Arianrhod, Nimue MOTHER ASPECT: Badb, Arianrhod, Margawse MOTHER GODDESS: Danu, Epona, Macha, Anu. See Great Goddess, Great Mother MOTHERHOOD: Brigit, Epona, Nantosuelta MOUNTAINS: Cernunnos MUSIC: Rhiannon, Cernunnos, Lugh, Ogma, Taliesin, the Dagda, Bran the Blessed, Nuada NATURE: See Woodlands NIGHT: Morrigu OPPORTUNITIES: the Dagda ORACLES: Brigit, Morrigu, Merlin, Taliesin. See Prophecy, Crystal Reading, Tarot, Psychic Abilities ORDER: Bran the Blessed, Owein ap Urien, Taranis ORGANISATION: See Order PASSION: Cernunnos, Herne, Morrigu, Druantia. See Sexual Activities PATRON OF PRIESTS: the Dagda, Merlin, Taliesin, Lugh PATRON OF PREISTESSES: Morrigu, Brigit, Epona PEACE: Tailtiu. See Calm PLEASURE: See Passion, Sexual Activities POETRY: See Writing POWER: Owein ap Urien, Taranis, Sucellus PROPHECY: Brigit, Morrigu, Scathach, Bran the Blessed, Tailtiu, Cernunnos, the Dagda, Lugh, Merlin, Taliesin, Gwydion PROSPERITY: Danu, Anu, the Dagda, Bel, Epona, Sucellus, Cernunnos, Tailtiu. See Abundance PROTECTION: Merlin, Taliesin, the Dagda, Sucellus, Banba, Macha, Scathach, Druantia PSYCHIC ABILITIES: Brigit, Morrigu, Merlin, Taliesin, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, the Dagda. See Blessings, Foretelling, Magic, Oracles, Spiritual Illumination PURIFICATION: Bel RAIN: See Weather REBIRTH: See Regeneration, Reincarnation REGENERATION: The Dagda, Diancecht, Manannan mac Lir, Cerridwen, Ogma, Owein ap Urien, Sucellus REINCARNATION: The Dagda, Manannan mac Lir, Cernunnos, Ogma, Owein ap Urien, Arianrhod, Cerridwen REST: See Peace, Calm RETRIBUTION: Morrigu, Lugh, Arawn, Mab, Arianrhod REVENGE: Morrigu, Lugh, Aer, Andraste, Mab, Pwyll, Arawn RITUALS: Merlin, Taliesin, Druantia, Brigit, Morrigu ROADS: Cernunnos, Lugh. See Journeys SCIENCE: Bel, Cerridwen SEA: Dylan, Llyr, Bel, Manannan mac Lir, Nuada, Don SEXUAL ACTIVITIES: Mab, Macha, Morrigu, Cernunnos, Druantia, the Horned God SHAPE-SHIFTER: Morrigu, Taliesin, Merlin, Manannan mac Lir, Gwydion, Flidais SKY: the Dagda, Don, Gwydion, Gwythyr, Anu, Arianrhod, Nuada, Sucellus SMITHCRAFT: See Metalworking SORCERER/SORCERESS: Danu, Gwydion, Manannan mac Lir, Math Mathonwy, Nuada, Merlin, Taliesin, Lugh, Cerridwen SPELLS: Brigit, Merlin, Nuada, Ogma, Gwydion, Taliesin, Banba, Cerridwen. See Magic, Psychic Abilities, Divination SPIRITUAL ILLUMINATION: Badb, Morrigu, Scathach SPRINGTIME: Blodeuwedd STORMS: Manannan mac Lir STRENGTH: Macha, Cernunnos, Herne, Ogma, Cocidius, Sucellus. See Power STUDENTS: See Knowledge SUCCESS: Danu, the Dagda, Sucellus, Bel SUMMER: Creiddylad, Gwythyr SUN: Bel, the Dagda, Lugh, Bran the Blessed, Nuada SUPREME MAGUS: Gwydion, Taliesin, Merlin, Lugh, the Dagda TAROT: Brigit, Morrigu, Merlin, Taliesin, the Dagda TERROR: Arawn, the Horned God, Cernunnos, Herne, the White Lady TRADE: See Commerce TRANSPORT: See Journeys TRAVEL: Lugh. See Journeys THE UNDERWORLD: Arawn, Pwyll, Gwynn ap Nudd, Don, the White Lady, Cerridwen, Llyr, Scathach, Rhiannon VEGETATION: Cerridwen, the Horned God, Cernunnos, Bel, Brigit, Sucellus, Druantia VICTORY: Brigantia. See Success WAR: Morrigu, Macha, Mab, Gwydion, Lugh, Ogma, Arawn, Bran the Blessed, Cocidius, the Dagda, Nuada, Owein ap Urien, Tomtits, Aer, Andraste, Camulos WATER, FRESH: Morrigu, Boann, Brigantia, Coventina, Danu, Nuada, Bel, Epona, Llyr, Nantosuelta, Cyhiraeth WEAPONS: Scathach, Nuada, Gwydion, Lugh, Diancecht, the Dagda, Goibniu, Credne, Luchtaine WINE: Cernunnos, the Horned God WINTER: Gwynn ap Nudd WISDOM: Danu, Badb, Blodeuwedd, Merlin, Taliesin, Owein ap Urien, the Dagda WITCHCRAFT: Morrigu, Brigit, Nicneven, Cerridwen WOMEN: Macha WOODLANDS: Blodeuwedd, Cerridwen, Creiddylad, the Horned God, Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter, Merlin, Cocidius, Flidais, the Green Man, Andraste WRITING: Brigit, Ogma, Lugh, Taliesin, Merlin, Bran the Blessed, Nuada, Cerridwen YOUTH: Nuada, Angus mac Og source: http://witchywomen.yuku.com/topic/626/Celtic-Deity-Correspondences

[onlineafric-blog]

New York Today: New York Today: Winter Health Watch

New York Today: New York Today: Winter Health Watch

Wednesday: Keeping up with the cold, a verdict in the Etan Patz case, and the 5-cent plastic bag fee. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/

[teenageloveenemy-blog]

New York Today: Winter Health Watch By @ALEXANDRA S. LEVINE Author #N.Y. / Region # #BREAKING #TRENDING #UK #USA #news Wednesday: Keeping up with the cold, a verdict in the Etan Patz case, and the 5-cent plastic bag fee. from NYT The New York Times

[michaelgabrill]

Wednesday: Keeping up with the cold, a verdict in the Etan Patz case, and the 5-cent plastic bag fee.