#he’s brazilian now. I can see the brazilian essence in him (I am brazilian and would know this) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aka-irish · 4 years

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Apex Legends: The Top Predator Part 1

A cough can be heard as a pair of large metal doors slide open, a bespectacled older man in a lab coat with combed back white walks through with a few military-esque soldiers clad in a black armor, holding assault rifles trails behind him. Another man dressed in a dark grey military garb with various silver and gold medals pinned to his suit can be seen staring at a bunch of monitors, displaying the legendary Apex Games. "Doctor Traxler, thank you for meeting me here today." The doctor removes his glasses, giving them a quick breath and wipe with his shirt before putting them back on. "Colonel Braxton, thank you for inviting me into this...most interesting opportunity." Colonel Braxton points to the monitors, "I love these games, Doctor. But I feel we need to really shake things up. New competitors keep climbing aboard and accepting the challenge, but I feel the competition has become stagnant. The new girl Rampart is quite exciting but soon shall she grow old with the world as well. With the Syndicate scouring for new players, I feel now would be a great opportunity for our organization to come up with a perfect solution, test the might of the competitors and bring forth a combatant of our own. But alas, I feel we need to...start from scratch. Basically, what I am implying here, Doctor, is that we create our own competitor, someone that the Syndicate and Apex games cannot find an answer for." Doctor Traxler strokes his chin, pondering the offer. "And you want me to create a being...a whole person...or something akin...to place in the games to rival the Syndicate?" asks the doctor. "Yes" says Colonel Braxton dryly. "Then what would you suggest, Colonel?" asks the doctor. "I say we collect information of the combatants, learn weaknesses...strengths...how their bodies function on an internal level. That way we can provide adequate measures to create the unstoppable force...an Apex Predator. "Hmmm, very well" says Traxler. "Which one do you think we should pick first?" The Colonel looks sternly at the monitors as he thinks. " "I say we start simple and work from there. Crypto runs with a scanner on him and is quite a technological genius...I don't want his drone discovering anything, same with that Lifeline girl. Caustic is quite smart himself and I feel would be able to notice anything different with his body. Wattson would provide useful but regarding her electrical prowess, she could potentially short any ship. Revenant is a robot, he is out, same as Pathfinder. Bloodhound doesn't have any readily available info to start with. Octane runs too much on stimulants and would require a special ship to enter his bloodstream to start, something more durable for the extra turbulence. Wraith would be great to discover any diagnostical differences with her teleportation technology, but she possesses a danger sense. I feel Gibraltar, Mirage, Bangalore, or Loba would be a good start" The doctor looks at screens. "Let's start with thief. I feel she is a safe bet and no one would look twice at any complaints from her." "Very well" says the Colonel. "Prepare a small group and enter the shrinking bay, we will provide a ship for you to go." The doctor smiles, almost menacingly "Of course". The doctor and the two guards behind him leave as they begin preparations for their experiment. *On the drop ship hours later, just before the new game. The Legends prepare themselves for battle, awaiting for the groups to be displayed. Loba sits alone, legs crossed as she stares in thought at the wolf staff she carries with her. Unbeknownst to anyone, a small spherical ship flies into the dropship. Doctor Traxler and a couple henchman are aboard as they travel through the air towards the unsuspecting aristocrat. "There she is, men. I want all things ready to go before they drop, cameras on, diagnostics going, shields up. We need to enter her heart and station there, that way we can monitor electrical currents and other stressors that may occur or are induced" the doctor exclaims the orders. The ship itself flies towards Loba as she retracts the staff and expands it, the ship enters her nose and follows the passage of air as she breathes. Loba twitches a bit as her nose tickles slightly from the near microscopic ship. The screens display the teams, Loba is partnered with Wattson and Bloodhound. "Oui" Wattson squeals in excitement as she claps, entering her loading station. Bloodhound stows their knife as they step. Loba flicks one of her red braids as she enters next to her team. Mirage yells out "We are so gonna win. Bamboozle ya foozles...ok that was bad..I'm sorry" he stutters. "Ya plonker, keep yer head on straight, mate" says Rampart next to him. Gibraltar lets out a big bellow as the platforms begin to drop. "Time to crush some hearts, team" Loba says as she slyly smirks and smiles to her team. The hatches open and the teams deploy, the jetpacks enabling them to drop. Inside of Loba, the ship travels through her lungs as the wind from her breathing can be heard, a small thumping echos in the distance. "Alright men, we are near her heart" announces Traxler as the booming grows. We will monitor and record all cardiac activity...as well as induce a few misfires to see how well she recovers. Start recording in 3,2....1" The ship enters atop her pulsing organ "Thoom-thoomp...thoom-thoomp...thoom-thoomp" her heart beats strongly within her chest. Outside, Loba and her group are engaging in a battle with some of the others. Loba throws her bangle and teleports behind a rock, drops a click out of her Volt SMG and reloads it. *Boom-thoom. Boo-thoom. boom-thoom, her heart picking up, racing slightly more from the excitement of the combat. She peers out from the rock and starts laying fire, a shot hits a Mirage clone and it fades. "Tch, stupid dupes" scoffs the Brazilian thief. She leans out further and a bullet hits the rock "DAMMIT", she ducks back behind. *BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM* pounds her heart as the ship maintains stability on top of it. Inside of the ship the doctor marvels at the success of the plan so far as her heart squirms and throbs inside of her breast. "The project is going so well so far, I am impressed. Alright men prepare to induce irregularities in 3...2..1" The doctor pushes down a button that yields a small current throughout Loba's body. *BOOMTHUMPBOOMBOOM* her heart flails inside of her for a brief moment*. "Tck" she gives a brief wince at the slight pain her chest. "What the hell was that?" she questions. She fights the pain and jump drives behind another rock, tossing an arc star at Mirage, Caustic and Wraith. The grenade explodes, releasing a gas trap Caustic laid out...Mirage and Wraith begin coughing as they run from their cover. A scanner deploys from Bloodhound from the distance near them, they fire off a few sniper rounds, hitting Wraith as she appears out from the miasma cloud. She falls and Mirage preparing another dupe but runs into one of Wattson's electrical fences. "DAMMIT" he yells as he falls, defeated. "My vision doesn't change..I don't need my teammates" yells the angry Caustic, as the large sociopathic doctor throws a gas bomb towards Wattson. It hits and she begins coughing before going down to a flurry of bullets fired from Caustic's carbine. "NO" yells out Loba as she tosses a second grenade at him before pulling out her pistol from behind the rock and starts firing a few volleys. Caustic ducks into his gas cloud and unloads a few bullets. One hits Loba square in the shoulder "I'm hit she yells as she falls back. "BUMPBUMPBUMPBUMP goes her heart, pounding away from the bullet hitting her. She heaves as her chest rises and falls, "hit her again" commands the doctor as they unleash a second current through her pumping organ *BOOMTHUMPTHUMP...THMPHBOOM..THUMP* it stumbles in her chest. "GAHK" she yells out as she reaches a hand to her chest, as it heaves...all she feels is her organ fumbling. *BOOM THUMPthHMP...THUMP..THUMPTHUMP..* the pulsing muscle inside of booms and lets out a few, sharp beats before regulating itself. Loba herself loosening the grip as she pops back up from her, focusing on the task at hand. She fires off a few shots from her SMG and it strikes surfacing Caustic, downing him. She picks herself up, hand re-clutching at her breast, heartbeat still pumping hard due to adrenaline, but steady nonetheless. She reaches Wattson and injects her with a revive shot, enabling the French woman to resume fighting. Bloodhound approaches them, "Thank the gods, you are alright" They look at Wattson. Bloodhound turns to stare at Loba clutching her chest, panting and sweating. "Are you alright, friend?" they ask. Loba gulps before straightening up and steadying herself "I'll be fine. Let's go finish this up..I want to wash the blood off my heels" says the woman. Inside of her, Doctor Traxler looks at the recordings and listens to the sounds of her life giving muscle pounding away "Beautiful...isn't it, men? We are inside a very person...detailing and dictating how their very essence beats. It's...exhilarating" Back to the fight at hand, the group treks further across the sand of King's Canyon, Wattson looking around and Bloodhound scanning for the remaining group or groups. Loba rubs her chest as her feat drag slightly. "Are you sure you are okay?" asks Wattson. "She swallows and nods, the effects on her heart taking a small toll already. "EAT LEAD, YA BLOODY SISSIES" the quick rattle before booms of a machine gun fire up as Rampart sits a top a small building, raining bullets down on the squad. They manage to duck behind another shack and few open supply bins. "Can you guys distract her while I take aim?" asks Bloodhound. "I can give a few moments" proclaims Loba, as she stamps her wolf staff in the sand, opening up the black market boutique. Loba summons a devotion LMG and prepares her bangle to jump drive. Wattson grabs a couple grenades and starts to toss them. Bloodhound activates their Beast of the Hunt to switch their vision to see the target and increase their speed. The grenades Wattson toss manage to spark up some dust as Loba throws her jump drive to get closer to Rampart. "YES YES YES YES...THIS IS THE BEST BLOODY DAY EVERRRRR!!" Yells out Rampart in excitement as she continues to storm down the artillery fire. Wattson rushes out as Loba preps for one more jump drive..she throws the ring and lands behind her while Rampart's attention is on Wattson. "Blood hell?" says the girl as Loba lights up a devotion her, taking her down. "That's the last one" says the man-eater and lady killer. "Think again, little girl." a shriveling and cold voice pierces from the shadows, as Revenant grabs her from behind the building and takes her down. 'NO" as Loba gets dragged down. The woman hits the ground and rolls back. As she recovers, she starts firing bullets at the simulacrum. He weaves through the bullets and throws a spinning back kick, hitting the gun. "Gah" Loba squeals out as she loses her weapon. She pulls her pistol from her hip and throws a kick of her own, the master assassin dodging as she thrusts a clawed hand at her. She throws an arm out, dodging to side as he takes a few strands of hair off. Knocking his arm, she lines for a pistol shot, he dodges as the bullet grazes across the metal face plate, sparking. With her heart pounding, she continues to engage as best as she can with the superhuman android. They exchange and deflect blows, Rev slices her pistol into pieces with a bladed hand. Loba manages to flip back, throw her ring and slide it under his legs. Not registering yet, he charges forward with his bladed fingers. They pierce the wall behind her as she ports behind him. Staff expanded, she hits him, rattling the android. He recovers and grabs the staff before pulling her in and throws a massive knee to her gut and an elbow to the back of her neck, flooring her. "Awww..what's the matter? A little disappointed" he mocks her. "Go to hell, demonio" she spits at him. The cold, bright yellow eyes glow with murderous intent as he straddles the downed opponent, hand shifting to it's bladed form. He slides the blade down her neck to her chest, right in the center between her breasts. "I told you...I'll slice your heart out." He presses the blade slightly against her breast, it bounds heavily from her heart throbbing furiously beneath it. *BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM* Inside of Loba, Traxler is smiling even wider. This fight is everything we needed...but this Revenant will be a hard one. Strike a current, I want her in full cardiac arrest. She's done her share and we can blame it on the robot. His henchman strikes a final current. Outside Rev prepares to sink the blade as a shot is fired off and strikes the side of his head, downing the simulacrum. "For Artur" says Bloodhound as they managed to find a proper angle to get the shot, and more importantly the win. Wattson leaps for joy as she celebrates and the rest of the legends are up and about from the games. All but one. *BMPHTHUMP* Loba gasps as her heart gives a crunching beat. She lays their gasping as she clasps her chest, her body convulsing. "Wait hold on, LOBA!!" scream the legends as they run to the champion. *THMPH...THMPBOOMTHUMPTHMPH.....THMPBOOMTHUNLUBDUBDUBDUB...THMPHBOOMP* her heart squirms and uncoordinatedly convulses in her chest. Lifeline rushes next to her as she lays an ear on her thrashing chest. "THMTHMBOOMBOMM...THMBUMPBUMPTHOMM..THOOM....THOOM...thoomp...thmp..boomp...thmp* Loba's heart starts slowing. "Her boom-boom's goin crazy" as she starts to compress against it. "thmph...thooomph....thmBOOM...thmbooom...THMP.. the organ squirms and fades before picking up. Inside of her "she is a fighter" proclaims the doctor. "Begin to charge another shot". Lifeline hooks her medic drone to Loba, and shoots her with a syringe. "I can help" Wattsons chimes in as she charges a small electric current herself and places her hands atop the chest of the now almost motionless Loba. She can feel the struggling heart beneath her and with a quick jolt lets loose a small defib like charge. Loba's chest jerks up. Wattson can see her hands shaking from the organ pumping. *BBOOMP..BOOMTHMPHBOOM...Ba-boomp..thmp..boom. Lifeline lays her head back down on her breast "Give anotha zap" Wattson charges and zaps her chest again *BOOM THUMP...LUBDUB...DUBDUMTHOMMPBUM*. Inside her chest, the ship starts to spark as her organ can't decide if it wants to steady itself or flatline. "Dammit! We need to get out of here. We can deliver the currents but the external ones from that Wattson are going to fry us and leave us for dead. We have what we need..let's go" commands Traxler as they detach and start leave her body, passing out through the lungs and the nose, making a narrow escape. "Clear" yells Wattson as she discharges and jerks the chest of Loba up once again. She feels for her heartbeat..the strong organ pulses beneath her, pushing her hands up. Lifeline listens again, ear sinking against her chest *boom thoom...bump-thoom...bum-thoomp...bump-thoomp...bum-thoomp. "We got her beating steady" she proclaims. The Maori mammoth Gibraltar bends down and picks up the limp woman's body. "Let's get er back home, bruddas and sistas" Somethin ain't right about today. He glares at Rev, and the simulacrum just stares back. The legends start to head to the drop ship to return home. At the secret base of the new unknown organization, Traxler returns and walks into the screen room to meet the Colonel. "How was the mission" he asks. The doctor pulls out a small USB like drive. "Splendid" He smiles. "Good job, Doctor Traxler. We just a couple more..dives...and we can begin building our creation. "I can't wait" says the gray haired man. "It will be...beautiful." "That it will indeed my good doctor...that it will indeed" says the colonel before turning back to the monitors. At Mirage's Bar..the home of the legends, Loba lies in the bed of her room before stirring. "MMhmm" she groans as she wakes up. She sits up and clutches her chest with a wince, "what the hell happened today?" she questions to herself. "I'll tell you" says that same, hollow voice from the shadows as the smoldering yellow eyes pierce through the veil of darkness. The 7 foot simulacrom lurches forward with an unnatural silence. "DEMONIO!" Loba growls out.."tch" she grasps at her chest as the other hand tries to find her pistol at her bedside. "Someone tried to take you, little girl. That heart of yours almost failed and trust me...it wasn't me." says the assassin. "I don't know how...but I know you're stronger than to fall to a heart attack in battle...you're much stronger than your parents were..hahahah". He chokes and laughs". Loba growls and groans again..finding the pistol, she weakly aims at him. He mockingly puts a finger to and holds it down. "I told you..I want you to be the one to truly end me. I wouldn't kill you and my means are more direct that to cause a heart attack. I'm the best bet you guys have here. And I will be keeping an eye out for this to happen again. You can thank me later..Loba...hehehehahahah" The simulacrum chuckles once more before fading back into the shadows and disappears. Loba lies there, dropping her gun onto her sheets before collapsing back down. "He isn't wrong" she says before taking a few deep breaths, eyes shut and she drifts asleep.

#cardiophile #cardiophilia #heartbeat #heart #resus #cpr #defib

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lembrancasnopapel · 5 years

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OPEN LETTER TO ALL LEADERS OF PLANET EARTH

Dear Leaders of the planet Earth, as most of you might agree, we are all small parts of the same thing. We are the result of a phisycal, chemical, biological, cultural, philosophical and historic event. It does not matter if you believe in our creation by a single or many gods or if you have learned on school about the evolution theory by Darwin and give credit to it, or even, if you believe that both of options are true. The fact is that we are all living beens on this planet, we are not the owners of it, as you might know, we have not lived here for most of its existence and we are not going to live here forever since even Earth has its own expire date, just like our mother star, the sun. At least that’s what our science tell us. It also tell us what we are doing now and how it might effect the life of every living being on this rock planet until its very last day.

I want you to make a simple exercise, imagine your past generations, all of your ancestors, going back as many years as you can imagine, think “What most of my ancestors had in common?” if you say “Religion”, well, I bet there was a time when religion did not existed here, then there was a time when most of them had different religions. For example, I had at least few hundreds different brazilian native ancestors that I know for sure was Indians from different ethnic groups and had each their own visions of “holy” and “profane”. Those were completely different views from others ancestors of mine, like the ones who gave me my middle and last names “Gonçalves” and “Coutinho” these names most likely are originally from the europian Iberian region where cristianism has been the main base of religion for over two thousand years, but as you might know, even there, it was not always like this. You can learn about it visiting caves in Spain, Portugal, France... you name it. They are everywhere. The point where I wanted to get is simple, there was not a single way of seeing the world and I guess most likely there will never be, but if you think you have to respect the way your parents believe on the “holy” and on the “profane” so you should be able to jump to de conclusion that their parents and every parent of them, going back as long as you can imagine, deserve the same kind of respect as well, you are only alive now because of their efforts on surviving.

Philosophy comes from the greek “filo” wich means “friend” and “Sophy” wich means “wisdom”, as so, Philosophy althougt was not a Greek invention, has a epistemological meaning that anyone who is friendly to wisdom, any kind of wisdom, is a philosopher. Katiúscia Ribeiro, a Brazilian Philosopher, once said “Anyone who is capible of thought is a philosopher”. That been said, I have to consider the people from the caves the first philosophers that left any kind of wisdom to their descendents.

Long before Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha or any other holy figure been borned and transmited their thoghts to the world, wisdom was alredy transmited all around the world. There are paintings showing the ways of life of many different groups of human beings everywhere and we accure knowledge from they. If you look to the format of their hands painted on the walls of caves and you put your own hand above it, you’ll see, YOU ARE THE SAME. It does not matter if you are taller than him/her or if you now wear clothes and he/she did not. Those people whom painted their hands 40 thousand years ago in a wall of an Indonesian cave did not had a shoe or believed in Jesus or Mohammed or even knew hot to count untill 10, but they were humans just like you and me are in essence.

Conflits based on power, fear and differences of culture have been the main reasons of most of the wars that we have knowledge of. Right now we are in the middle of a global crises of refugies. There are millions of children, elders, women and men desparete to find a safety place to start over. Most of them did not left their home places only by willing of getting richer and enjoy the befefits of being an Amercian or an european citizen, as many people might think. Most of them left because of the conflits of power that treatened their lives and the lives of their loved ones. While there are many countries around the globe that keep pushing legislations to deny help for those people and even Jailed people who are trying to help someone who is in necessity. Yes, this shame is on you, Hungary.

Fear is the main factor of this equation. There is fear of lack of jobs and home for all althoug there is plenty of space for everybody and the capital that do exist is able to provide food and shelter for everyone, if at least you, the ones on power would think that it would be possible. There is fear of “miscigenation” as there would exist such thing like some kind of “pure race” wich is being overpowered by other inferior kind. Yes, I’m talking about you USA. Well some might say I am a communist, some might want to kill me for what I’m saying. I get it, If Jesus would be alive today most likely his words would be treated like communism or so and he would probably get killed again. That is the cost I am willing to pay if my voice could be heard. I only hope that if it does happen people do not creat new religions in my name and commit various horrors saying I would approve it. Yes, I am talking about you, Catholic Church and other churches that got rich by making poor people believe they would get to a better place after death by accepting their inferior position on society. But hey, It did not suppose to be a criticism to any kind of religion, but I said what I said. Agree or desagree with me as you pleased.

I believe that our species is very special and I also believe that the real power that come from us might be able to be access only on the very day we put all our differences apart and start building a world where not only every human been lives as an equal as we are by nature, but we also stop looking to ourselves as more important than all around us and recognize once for all that we are indeed parts of the same.

Human race, get a grip and fix yourselves!

By: just one more human been, you can call me Jonas, if you want to as long as you treat me with the respect I do believe I deserve.

J.C. GONÇALVES

#humanity #humanidade #onu #save the world #refugies #refugiados #war #stop wars #respect #peace #conflicts / war / peace #refugies crises #united nations #un

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holisticsoulhealer · 3 years

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ArchAngel Michael - A Spiritual Story

In all the years of providing sessions for people to grow by, ArchAngel Michael has shown up fairly consistently. I don’t channel his powerful essence, it’s more that I call him in and he’s so happy to show up and help whoever I am working with. His presence is clear and very obvious.

I really love having him be at many of the sessions I share. I feel safe and able to speak a loving truth to the people who are seeking guidance for the lives in this World with all it’s twists and curves.

Fortunately I personally don’t have many of the answers, and turn to my Guides and ArchAngels for the help I’m being asked for, which saves time, prevents ego or any personal response to the concerns shared.

I have called ArchAngel Michael in when energy has felt a little dark and sticky too.

There’s a time and place for healing and when needed this ArchAngel will show up to be of the greatest service to change the energy and lift it to heightened levels of communication, with protection. I have been asked over the many years of service to send healing to various individuals for many reasons, and I most often call in ArchAngel Michael to accomplish the seal of protection around them, while sending ArchAngel Raphael to conduct his great healing power around them.

I have felt the power of healing on many occasions for myself, including the few days that I spent with my dear friend, at the John of God retreat in New York.

We drove together from New England and both experienced the massive tents filled with people who wished to heal themselves. We all wore white and time was taken with meditation and prayer. The time spent in front of the channel who is a solid Brazilian man, was limited and fascinating. He was physically missing as the entities of healing were instead present in his place.

It was one of many memorable healing ceremonies I have attended, as well as Shaman retreats, some more contrived, and filled with the ego of the leaders, while others were sweet and very safe. I have been guided every step of the way, even leaving retreats when they showed ego and the red flags of taking energy from the room instead of holding space to gift it.

On the path of enlightenment we must stay light.

On this path we deserve true guidance, loving help and gentle reminders of what is true and what is false.

It’s important to keep checking in and making sure we are on track.

ArchAngel Michael is one I will place in front of me in new situations and call in when I’m not sure or have had reason to mistrust my own intuitive senses. He hasn’t let me down and I expect him to continue to guide me.

I wish the protection and communication of ArchAngel Michael to be outstanding and beautiful for each of you as it has already proved to be for me.

As always, please share this post with anyone that you feel can benefit from it! Please like us on your social media channels and subscribe to our mailing list if you haven't already done so! We are mailing out a monthly newsletter and a recap each week of our blog posts and interesting tidbits! This is how you can stay informed with what is new in the world of The Holistic Soul Healer!!

Love & Blessings,

Ruth

Get personal with your Angels!! Connect with me and see what they have to say!!

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theonyxpath · 7 years

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This week Control requests all units file in for Processing, as transcribed in the opening pages of Convention Book: N.W.O.:

Day 1 – Installation #417

As the soldiers lead him to his fate, Frank Burlingame’s first thought is that the Technocracy needs to stop embracing tired science fiction clichés.

They have him bound and immobile, yet somehow floating with them through corridors of chrome, soft blue light emanating from the spaces between panels. No windows, no smells in the perfectly sterilized air.

He can’t identify the cause of his paralysis — even his head won’t turn — but his mystical sense has no such restrictions. He feels a void in the ebbs and weaves of the Primal Essence, as though the magic suffusing all Creation were simply, impossibly not present, and he allows himself a smile.

They need a prison made of Primium to contain me. At least they’re affording me the proper respect.

His journey ends in a small, windowless room, with a single chair adorned with tubes and needles. The soldiers place him in it without ceremony and leave. He hears the surge of machinery in motion, feels something pierce him, though there is no accompanying pain.

Am I drugged? Are they in my mind already? How could they, through the Primium?

His breathing picks up with the floating plunge of an adrenaline dump. He closes his eyes, wills the feeling back.

No. They will not witness my fear.

He starts a meditation exercise, the one Eiko taught him—

—and then he remembers how she died, the cauterized bits of her sizzling in the heat of the Brazilian sun.

As if timed to the recollection, a blinding spotlight floods the room. Frank hears footsteps approach, and the outline of a man interrupts the light. He can’t make out the features. Of course, they would arrange things that way.

“Hello,” the figure says. “The quicker you cooperate, the easier this will be.” Something familiar in the voice, but the reverberation in here makes it hard to place. An old enemy? He must have a score of them among the Technocrats’ most elite divisions by now. He imagines a dartboard with his face on it, hanging on a break room wall somewhere. “Seriously?” Frank asks, trying for disaffection, derision. “Christ, you people need a better shtick.”

The figure’s head tilts, and Frank suppresses a grin. Point for me.

“I’m not sure I understand,” the figure says in a flat, bored tone of voice.

“Of course you don’t. That’s the problem with you people. For all your knowledge, you don’t understand a thing.”

The figure folds his arms across his chest, a slight shift of his silhouette in the light. “Perhaps you might educate me.”

“Sure. The ultra-smooth, metallic everything has been done to death. I could name you 10 movies and video games doing the same thing. Doesn’t look imposing or menacing anymore, just that your interior decorator died when Futurism was in vogue.”

Frank pauses now, waits for a response. Nothing. At least this guy learned something in Bad Cop school, whoever he is.

Frank continues. “And this room? The spotlight? This chair? Your threat that’s trying not to sound like a threat? You’re telling me you’re going to torture me. Now I’m prepared. I’m ready to hurt, willing to hurt, and give you nothing. You’ve already failed.”

The figure remains silent for a moment before responding. “Are you willing to die?”

Frank feels his heart rate climb, and controls it with a long, slow breath. “If I must, yes.” Got to find a distraction, throw him off. “But that would piss your handlers off quite a bit, I imagine.”

The jibe doesn’t land. The figure sweeps his hand, as if to wipe away the thought. “Maybe. This can only end one of two ways, so either we’ll know soon, or we’ll never know.” He paces out of view, and Frank can hear his footsteps echoing behind the chair.

Heh. Another tactic straight out of Interrogation 101 — remind the subject of your control whenever you’re stumbling. Frank doesn’t know whether he should be grateful to the Fates or pity the poor fool for his transparency.

“I suppose we should start with the basics,” the figure says, and Frank knows he’s extremely close. A hand latches to the back of the chair. “Tell me who you are.”

What is this?

Frank weighs his answer. “They didn’t tell you when they brought me in?”

“You no longer have the freedom to ask questions here, I’m afraid. Who are you?”

A core of doubt works into Frank’s gut, worms its way through his central nervous system. This isn’t right. The way they assaulted the chantry, they must have had extensive files on its layout, personnel, and defenses. He’d been in their custody before; they don’t send interrogators to do a clerk’s job.

“I’m not buying it,” Frank announces.

“Buying what? I asked you a question, and you are to answer.”

“This is a farce. You already know who I am.”

“I asked you a question, and you are—”

“No. Fuck you. You tell me what you want to know, and we’ll—”

Pain, sudden and consuming, floods every last inch of him that can feel. His limbs. His genitals. Every follicle of hair. The rest of the sentence comes out as an inarticulate cry, the only outward sign of his experience. His unique shackles, whatever they are, make thrashing impossible.

The pain abates as quickly as it started. Frank guesses they must have installed a neural interface, to tell his brain to make him hurt as you might command a well-trained dog. The figure returns to the blinding spotlight, closer now, bearing down on him.

“Frank, I asked you a question. Tell me who you are.”

“You just said my name, you sick fuck, so what—”

More pain. Frank screams, channeling anger into the sound, the only thing he can think of to keep sane.

It stops, leaving a dull ache behind in his muscles. The figure watches him, still as death.

“Tell me who you are, Frank, and we don’t have to do this anymore.”

“I don’t understand,” Frank says, hating himself for how much it comes out sounding like a plea.

“Funny,” the figure says. “Just a bit ago you were accusing me of that. Maybe I can educate you.” He walks into the spotlight’s beam, looking for a moment like an angel on heavenly ascent.

The light shuts off, replaced by lambent panel glow. Frank’s eyes adjust, and he sees that he’s the victim of another cliché. His interrogator is everything he expected — nondescript, medium-height, plain gray business suit, and mirrorshades.

He did not expect to recognize the agent’s face, but he does. “You… I get it now. You planted the bomb.”

The agent nods.

“Damn you, Mason. We made you one of our own.”

The agent smirks. “I’m returning the favor. That’s the least I can do, after all the carnage.” He puts his hands in his pockets. “Now. Tell me who you are.”

Who is Frank Burlingame and what does Agent Mason want? Find out in Convention Book: N.W.O. for Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition, now available in PDF and print from DriveThruRPG.

#Onyx Path Publishing #White Wolf Publishing #Mage: The Ascension #Mage The Ascension #Classic World of Darkness

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papagabless1 · 6 years

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Actress Christabel Ekeh shows it all again in new photos

Christabel Ekeh is not backing down anytime soon in releasing nude photos just for some cheap attention.

In news photos on her Instagram page, the actress bares it all once again for free viewing.

Just some flowerlike pinkish and purple cloth covered those parts.

See photos below:

Leaked video: Christabel Ekeh and Jonny Bravo romancing

CelebritiesBuzz.co has chanced on a video of actress…

View On WordPress

#Christabel Ekeh

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capoeira-hub-australasia · 6 years

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Interview of the Year | Mestre Brabo ~ Capoeira Mandinga Aotearoa

“I am from Aotearoa/New Zealand. I grew up on the shores of the Manukau Harbour in Auckland. My name is Grant Cole. I’m known in the capoeira world as Mestre Brabo.”

This month we are delighted to bring you a feature-length interview with Mestre Brabo (Grant Cole), from Aotearoa, New Zealand. A trip to the United States in 1983, where Brabo met Marcelo Caveirinha (who eventually became his Mestre) was how his journey in Capoeira began. Five years later on a trip to Brasil, he trained for a short period with Mestre João Pequeno, and it was then that he found the Capoeira he could really relate to.

Through an introduction to Mestre Jogo de Dentro (student of Mestre João Pequeno) Brabo continued to develop and learn from Capoeira Angola Mestres, travelling backwards and forwards between New Zealand and Bahia, and using what he learned to teach his own Capoeira students. His group, “Capoeira Mandinga Aotearoa” steadily grew and the Capoeira developed with the help of visiting Capoeira Angola mestres, especially Mestre Jogo de Dentro (Semente do Capoeira de Angola). Mestre Roxinho (ECAMAR) has also been immensely supportive.

“Although I may not be an Angoleiro, my Capoeira is” (M.Brabo)

To learn more about Mestre Brabo’s group ‘Capoeira Mandinga Aotearoa’ visit http://www.capoeira.org.nz/

Read on to be inspired by Mestre Brabo’s fascinating journey and perspective on Capoeira

CH: How did your Capoeira journey begin?

MB: In November 1983 I went to California from Aotearoa/New Zealand. I was living in Oakland. The first time I experienced the atmosphere of capoeira was through the closed window of a car looking in through the window of a building. I don’t remember identifying anything of what is all so familiar to me now. I don’t remember hearing the sounds of music or song that now I can pick at a keen distance.

I was with friends picking up someone I had never met from a place in Berkeley called ‘Baker’s Martial Arts’. All I knew was that she had some event on and I knew it wasn’t the Tai Kwon Do that normally took place there. We stopped outside and I sat in the car while ‘Sabelo’ went in. I could see that something active was going on and it seemed people were having a real good time. The thing that stood out to me though was the diversity of the people there. I had gotten used to the segregation.

The U.S. was and largely remains a society segregated in so many ways, not just racial segregation. But here there were African-American and others of African descent, there were Chicanos and Mexicans, there were Whites, there were women and men, younger and older adults, younger and older children. For me that was a breath of fresh air.

I had no idea what capoeira was. I had only just heard of it 20 minutes before this encounter and had already forgotten what it was called.

An hour later and 120 km down the road from Berkeley, I had heard about it enough already! But after that I kept seeing it around town at various events. It was the group of Mestre Acordeon, such a nice guy. His was the only capoeira in the East Bay at the time and it was good. At one of these events they were advertising their first graduation event and I decided to go. There were going to be guests from Brazil, Mestre Suassuna and professores. I had no idea who Mestre Suassuna was but his biography looked good. The event was great. I loved it. Near the end of the night it was announced that one of the professores was going to stick around and set up some classes. I decided to give it a go. Three or four weeks later I joined the classes.

As it turned out the guy set up classes at the same place I first ‘saw’ capoeira, Baker’s Martial Arts. Now I was on the inside looking out and I didn’t and still haven’t looked back. It also turned out that this guy, Professor Marcelo Caveirinha who introduced me to the practice and passion of capoeira, later became my mestre and we have kept our relationship for over 33 years.

Mestre Brabo (far right) at the pé-do-berimbau, about to play Mestre Jogo de Dentro (far left), with Brabo’s Master, Mestre Caveirinha on the berimbau in the early stages of Capoeira Mandinga Aotearoa’s relationship with M.Jogo de Dentro and Capoeira Angola

CH: What made you choose to teach capoeira in New Zealand?

MB: I am from Aotearoa / New Zealand and was never planning to stay in the U.S. After returning to Aotearoa in November 1991 I soon started training in the corner of a recreation centre in Auckland. It was just for myself but offered to teach others if they were interested. There wasn’t much interest but I decided to start capoeira classes with the simple aim of having some people to play capoeira with.

There was no capoeira in Auckland. There was in fact, no capoeira in Aotearoa. It seems there must have been the odd class or workshop before this time. There were hints from stories I heard but nothing has ever been confirmed. Capoeira had become part of my life and I wanted to continue learning and training. The only way to do that was by setting up classes, which I did with the support of my Mestre, Marcelo Caveirinha. These were the first established capoeira classes in the country.

A roda at the Academy of Capoeira Mandinga Aotearoa

CH: What challenges have you faced teaching capoeira in New Zealand?

MB: There have been a number of challenges… so many challenges and still after 25 years there continue to be challenges. This I think is a sign of success really. I think it shows that things are alive and dynamic, as they should be.

What I would like to talk about here though are the challenges of practising and teaching capoeira as a distant outsider to the cultural and historical context of capoeira.

I started capoeira and kept to it mainly because I enjoyed it. It was one of those cultural learning experiences and I really loved that aspect. Also it was physically dynamic and I needed something like that. And of course it is musical. All these things kept my interest and I wanted to just keep learning more.

Outside of capoeira I was an activist. This was my main interest and my main focus. I wanted, and still look forward to, radical social change. Early in my time with capoeira the issue of Black Consciousness and to whom capoeira belonged came up. I was riveted by it.

It seemed that this was driven by an African-American capoeirista and activist Themba Mashama, who I had a lot of respect for. He has been a Mestre now for a long time and I believe still practising in Oakland where he has done a lot of good work. When I first knew of him he was a student of M. Acordeon. He shot the nest and went under the wing of Mestres Moraes and Cobra Mansa. It created a bit of a stir but got a lot of good discussion going.

For the most part though I think people’s understanding of it was a bit confused, at least in the circle I knew (and to be clear they were mainly Euro-Americans). I would say most were affronted by the language of black consciousness and couldn’t really get their heads around what was being said to get to the essence of what was being said. Many were definitely provoked by statements like ‘Capoeira is the realm of people of African descent only’. Given that, I wasn’t about to give it up because someone held the view that only people of African descent should be practising the art I engaged with it, so I looked for the essence of this statement rather than simply writing it off.

It seemed to me that what needed to be accepted is that capoeira, in it’s totality, can only be fully grasped with the deep intrinsic understanding of the experience of dislocation, enslavement, repression, oppression and the whole slew of colonial violations and atrocities suffered by the different peoples of Africa and their descendants in Brazil and, by extension, the Americas.

It could be only understood with the inherited feeling of gritted teeth and clenched-fisted resistance to everything colonial and racist, a racism that saw people of African descent as slaves and were otherwise disregarded. The only people who can possibly have that intrinsic feeling and understanding are those whose grandparents and close ancestors were enslaved and resisted that slavery and subsequent oppression: African-Brazilians and other African descendants in the Americas. This to me is the starting point.

For sure indigenous people, Hispanic peasants and indentured labourers and impoverished and exploited Whites have felt the iron fist of colonialism in different contexts and circumstances. Black consciousness doesn’t denigrate those experiences, indeed the opposite. Further, it doesn’t mean that Whites or others outside the African diaspora can’t practise capoeira or learn from it. On the contrary, it’s an invitation to really learn.

Other people’s relationship to that history is different but can be integrated into their capoeira practice all the same. This is what has driven my attempt to really understand capoeira.

Of course things are more complex than this. I am just reflecting back on my thinking at the time and how that has continued to characterise what I do in capoeira.

CH: What was your main focus when bringing Capoeira to the culture of New Zealand?

MB: On starting up capoeira I was concerned about two aspects of capoeira’s expression in Aotearoa. Firstly capoeira is a ‘cultural expression’ from Brazil. It has a recognisable aesthetic (whatever game you play), recognisable social norms, codes of conduct and so on.

As free as capoeira is, it has constraints.

As mentioned above these ways of being and acting are intricately woven with the Brazilian cultural / historical fabric. To practise or learn from capoeira to any depth these aspects need to be both understood and reflected on.

How would people in Aotearoa get this? Our society is cut from a different cloth. While we had our own colonial experience and legacies of dislocation, exploitation and oppression, it was different and our contemporary society is different.

In Brazil everything that informed the development of capoeira is all around, not so in Aotearoa. There was very little cultural exchange or understanding of anything Brazilian in the Aotearoa of 1992.

Part of what I wanted to achieve in developing our capoeira in Aotearoa was for people to practise it without simply mimicking the look and without losing the essence of capoeira.

The challenge for me was to explore some of the essential aspects of capoeira and the roda and relate those to the oppression experienced in Brazil, on the one hand, and to our own social and personal experiences and struggles in the contemporary world, on the other. These became an explicit part of classes and what we do as people and a group of people, a group of capoeiristas.

Of course we are there to play capoeira; we’re there to train, train and train. We’re there for the game, that hardcore, energetic, fluid, dynamic game of the trickster. I love it just for what it is. I, too, like to feel like I’ve played well. For some, whether in Aotearoa or Brazil, this might be the sum of their capoeira experience and simply all they want, and that’s fine.

We don’t all care about social justice. But my desire and obligation is to provide for a deeper learning of the cultural and historical context of capoeira and to raise consciousness about social justice, conscientização. This would be my homage to the survival of capoeira and the full story it has to tell.

O Mestre Chamou - Tauranga

CH: How do you imagine capoeira will evolve in New Zealand in the future?

MB: I couldn’t say how capoeira will evolve and I don’t want to waste your time with my imagination as it would be too grand (or it might fall into despair!).

I would rather think of it as development rather than evolution. Capoeira in Aotearoa has ebbed and flowed over the last 25 years when the seeds first began to grow here. There have been huge classes and ones where nobody has shown up. There have, at times, been a number of groups, and at times there has been just ours.

Capoeira Angola has without a doubt played a key role in the exposure to capoeira in Aotearoa over these years although there have been, and still are, Regional, Contemporanea and Bangela classes and rodas. There are a number of capoeiristas in our group who have so much to offer in the development of capoeira in Aotearoa, or wherever they may find themselves. They range from people I thought would be around for no more than a few weeks, to people who I knew would stick to it, to my own daughter who grew up with capoeira in her life. These characters are good, not just in the roda but in their leadership. It’s them really who can imagine the future better than me.

When I think about the evolution of capoeira I think about the need to think through the problems of globalisation, the refabricated hatchet jobs, the dissolution of the oral tradition and so on. As ‘outsiders’ I think we need to take a conscious approach to developing ‘our’ capoeira, as opposed to evolving capoeira. I think it takes a determined effort, but the most important thing is to retain the essence of the whole practice of capoeira. I think we have done a good job of this in our work in Aotearoa. This is why I think things will develop rather than evolve

Mestre Brabo playing with one of his students ‘Cole, whose father originally trained with Brabo and years later introduced his son to the art.

CH: How would you sum up your philosophy or approach to capoeira?

MB:

To the ‘outsider’ Capoeira is like a window into the culture and history of Brazil. You look through the window into a room filled with what is capoeira. You can’t see everything as you’re looking in from the outside. You can see a lot though and you can learn a lot from what you see.

If the door to that room is open, you have glimpses of what might be in other rooms or hints at what might be hidden around the corner. You can choose to look through other windows to get a better look (don’t worry curiosity did not kill the cat) and learn more about what’s in that house and there is a lot to explore, there is a lot to learn.

There is a frustration though of not being able to be right in there and really feeling at home but that is something you just have to live with.

You have your own home.

Bateria at the academy of Capoeira Mandinga Aotearoa

Mestre Brabo playing with his student Cole

Bateria with (left to right) Mestre Roxinho, Mestre Jogo de Dentro and Mestre Brabo

Capoeira Hub Australasia would like to humbly thank Mestre Brabo for his time and insights in completing this interview. AXÉ

#capoeira #capoeirahubaustralasia #capoeirista #interviewofthemonth #capoeira angola #mestre #capoeiranewzealand

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melindarowens · 7 years

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A Failure To Communicate!

Good day… And a Tub Thumpin’ Thursday to you! I have a different outlook on things today… I don’t want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day! Yes, I’m in one of those moods this morning. Kathy is already at the PBI airport, and will be here when I get home from my infusion today… That is if she doesn’t decide to go shopping when she gets home! HA! Who knows what tomorrow brings, and as the great Johnny Rivers sang: just let tomorrow be… The Gin Blossoms greet me this morning with their song: Hey Jealousy… Back in the 90’s, when I was much younger, I saw the Gin Blossoms, along with Cracker, and Thin Lizzy… You couldn’t get me at that concert venue now, if you gave me tickets!

Well, the triple-witching day is here, but, it appears that a lot of the problems that could arise from the brew that included some bat wings and eye of newt, the witches were preparing, has been watered down… 1. Former FBI Director, Comey’s testimony will have already had his prepared words released to the public yesterday, and it appears that he will NOT say that the President put pressure on him to drop the investigation regarding Russia and Flynn…. 2. As I said yesterday, all the drama of the U.K. election that’s going on right now, had been removed, and it appeared that PM May’s party will retain a majority of the seats… and 3. The European Central Bank (ECB) meeting is going on right now, and nothing is expected that would shake up the markets, so… everyone was fretting, sweating, and leaving lots of sawdust on the floor, about today, and it most likely will turn out to be a dud!

So, the buying of Gold, yen, and U.S. Treasuries has subsided, for now… The bias to sell dollars has also subsided, but a new bias to buy dollars isn’t in place just yet… For instance, the euro was 1.1250 yesterday morning, and it’s sitting bang on that figure again this morning… And there was good trade data from China last night, so the Global Growth currencies of Australia and New Zealand (A$ and kiwi respectively), added to their values. Not huge moves, mind you, but they added to their values, which is a good thing!

So, speaking of the Chinese trade data that printed last night… The Chinese Trade Surplus for May was $ 40.81 Billion, which was better than the forecasts, and April’s print of $ 38.05 Billion… In addition, I talked yesterday about the Chinese currency reserves, and that report also printed showing that the reserves had increased to $ 3.054 Trillion, VS the previous print of $ 3.030 Trillion.. But looking under the hood here, tells me that most of the gains in the reserves have come about from currency appreciation… I’m told that the outflows of capital from China have started again, and that’s not a good thing, for it will require China to tap these reserves again to defend their currency.

So, the Trade data was good, and the Reserves data not so good… The Global Growth currencies decided to focus on the good, and like I said above, the A$ and kiwi added to their values..

In Brazil yesterday, the interim President, Temer’s trial was adjourned without a vote… Which means there’s more back room deals being done! HA! Seriously, this moves a possible vote to Saturday. I think Temer will be exonerated from these charges that have been brought on him, but… he could still face obstruction of justice and corruption charges… When will the political problems for Brazil go away? It seems like I’ve been talking about Brazilian politics for 5 years now, and quite frankly it’s getting old… The real keeps getting sold, on these political problems and the drop in the price of Oil yesterday didn’t help!

Yes, yesterday morning, I was talking about how the price of Oil had jumped to above the $ 48 handle… But that only lasted as long as it took for the weekly EIA report to print, that showed that oil and gas supplies had jumped much higher last week, and the trap floor sprung open and the price of Oil fell through it, falling all the way down to a $ 46 handle, and it’s barely holding that!

The ECB will end their meeting about the time I hit send on the Pfennig this morning, and then ECB President Mario Draghi, will hold a press conference… I truly don’t expect much this morning except the same-o, same-o, from him about how inflation hasn’t met the ECB’s target, and therefore the accommodation will continue, which means the negative deposit rates and bond buying… UGH!

Gold lost $ 6.80 yesterday to close at $ 1,286.80, and the early morning trading has been going back and forth between a tiny loss and a tiny gain, so I’ll just call it flat this morning! The rumors going around center on a report that will show just how strong China’s demand for physical Gold from Hong Kong was so far this year… I’m reading that there are some analysts and observers that think China’s demand could increase by 50%!

The U.S. Data Cupboard had the Consumer Credit (read debt) for April yesterday, and boy was I shocked to see the number! Consumers only racked up debt of $ 8.2 Billion! Wait! What? How can that be? March’s previous figure of $ 16.4 Billion was revised upward to $ 19.5 Billion!!!!! So, U.S. consumers went from adding debt of $ 19.5 Billion to $ 8.2 Billion in one month? OK, either this data will see a HUGE upward revision next month, OR… We return to the theme of last month, and that is that the U.S. Consumer has “tapped out”…

Which one do you think will end up being true? I think both of them! The number is ripe for an upward revision next month, but it won’t get it anywhere near the average so far this year, which was $ 15 Billion per month.. But if this isn’t proof that the U.S. consumer has “tapped out” then I’m a monkey’s uncle! HA! Remember that saying? I hadn’t heard that one in years, until it popped into my head while I was typing!

Well, did you happen to see or hear or read what former Fed Minneapolis President, Narayana Kocherlakota, had to say yesterday? Well, if you didn’t, then get a load of this! Kocherlakota said in an interview with MarketWatch that the Fed should NOT hike rates in June, and should grow, NOT cut the balance sheet, until inflation hits their 2% target. I bet those words won’t play well in the Eccles Building (The Fed’s HQ)… There goes his invitation to the Christmas Party too! HA! But in essence, isn’t what he’s saying correct? It’s like this as far as I’m concerned: The Fed set the guidelines for cutting rates and unwinding their balance sheet… It was a strong employment rate, and 2% inflation… The Fed has now hiked rates 3 times and inflation, as calculated by the PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) had never reached 2%, much less stayed there! And as far as the employment thing is concerned, I don’t know how the Fed members can sleep at night, when more than 90 Million Americans still don’t have jobs and have given up looking for one!

So, what we have here is a failure to communicate… They didn’t say, “well, if we only reach one of the two targets, we’re going to start hiking rates and unwinding the balance sheet” NO! They said, that when the two targets are reached they will begin to hike rates and unwind the balance sheet! And their forecasts for stronger inflation doesn’t count! Just because they see inflation higher in the future, doesn’t count for now! And besides since when does the Fed nail their forecasts bang on? Remember green shoots? Remember, Bernanke telling us that there was no widespread problem with Subprime Loans? Or how long now have they been saying that “by the end of the year, we will see stronger growth”? Only to not see it, at least for any sustaining period to time… So… in the end, I’m with Kocherlakota on this one!

Oh, and if you want to read the whole article / interview with Kocherlakota on MarketWatch, click here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kocherlakota-says-fed-shouldnt-hike-rates-in-june-and-it-should-grow-not-cut-the-balance-sheet-2017-06-07?siteid=nwtam

To recap… The triple-witching day is here, and it appears it has already been watered down, for the U.K. election, according to the bookies, is all but over but for the shouting, and PM May’s party will retain a majority of the seats. All the election drama is over here… In addition, former FBI Director, Comey, released his prepared statements yesterday ahead of time, and there’s no smoking gun here, and finally, the ECB is meeting and there’s nothing that’s going to come of that except the same-o, same-o… “Oh woe is us, we have no inflation”… Of course the folks over at the Bundesbank in Germany are singing a different song! So, the safe haven assets of Gold, yen and Treasuries all have backed off their lofty figures of yesterday. China’s Trade Surplus grew in May, and the Global Growth campers were dancing in the streets!

For What It’s Worth… I have a Pfennig Reader, who also writes his own markets letter each day, and has it out by 7 am… He calls it the Sevens Report… He’s a former stock guy, but has a great handle on everything that goes on in the markets, and yesterday, he did a little “Bonds 101” and I liked it so much, I asked him if I could use it… And well, he said yes, since that’s what this is all about today!… Anyway, the Sevens Report can be found here: www.sevensreport.com here you can sign up for a free two week trial, but after that, it’ll cost to continue…

And here’s the Bonds 101 piece… enjoy! “In the bond market, everything trades off a spread to Treasuries, and Treasuries price off expectations for 1. Growth, 2 inflation and 3. Future interest rate levels. Point being, there are less variables in the bond markets and the markets is more liquid. That equals more efficiency.

Right now, that more efficient market is screaming that future economic growth and inflation will be disappointing, and that the Fed is going to hike rates, regardless.

The disappointing economic growth and inflation can be extrapolated from the decline in the 10 and 30-year Treasury yields. The fall because markets expect lower longer-term economic growth and inflation, which equates to a lower rise in interest rates over the longer term. After a brief bump in late ’16, 10 and 30-year yields are telling us that the slow-growth economy is here to say. (so around 2% GDP growth)

However, the short end of the curve (2-year yields) are saying that right now, the Fed will continue to hike rates.

Think of it this way: From 2015 to 2016, earnings growth was flat and stocks went nowhere and volatility was high. Then, last year, earnings growth started to be re-vised higher, and stocks have rallied. If the bond market is right about economic growth prospects and interest rate hikes, then that will hit expected earnings growth, and stocks will fall.” – Tom Essaye from the Sevens Report

Chuck again… Tom and I are on the same page with regards to why we watch the bond market… It’s a better predictor of future 1. Economic growth 2.inflation and 3. Interest rates…

Currencies today 6/8/17… American Style: A$ .7550, kiwi .7207, C$ .7405, euro 1.1250, sterling 1.2983, Swiss $ .9663, … European Style: rand 12.8720, krone 8.4787, SEK 8.7036, forint 274.14, zloty 3.7420, koruna 23.2712, RUB 56.67, yen 109.89, sing 1.3821, HKD 7.7964, INR 64.34, China 6.7939, peso 18.24, BRL 3.2755, Dollar Index 96.78, Oil $ 46.04, 10yr 2.19%, Silver $ 17.63, Platinum $ 946.92, Palladium $ 847.00, Gold $ 1,287.50, and SGE Gold… $ 1,297.64

That’s it for today… Another 7th inning debacle by the Cardinals last night.. I pin ½ of this one the manager who took his starter, who was cruising along, out of the game in the 6th, knowing all too well, how badly this middle relief has been this year… And well, the $ 30 Million dollar man we signed in the offseason, blew the game once again… I’m getting this out the door early today, hopefully that is, because I have to show up at the infusion center right out of the starting blocks this morning. I prefer to get this over with early in the day, before things get backed up and crazy there, and… the sooner I get it taken care of the sooner I’ll feel better tomorrow! Sometimes the lights all shining on me, other times I can barely see. Lately it occurs to me, what a long strange trip it’s been… yes, that’s the words of Jerry Garcia, and while I was never really a BIG Grateful Dead fan, I love those words… That how I feel right now… More on that tomorrow, but for now, we’re going to let tomorrow be… Seals and Crofts take us to the finish line today with their very apropos song: We May Never Pass This Way Again… OK, I won’t be joining you today, but please go out and do some Tub Thumpin’ for me! And Be Good To Yourself.. Bye~

Chuck Butler Managing Director EverBank Global Markets Creator / Editor of: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts 1-800-926-4922

http://www.everbank.com

The post A Failure To Communicate! appeared first on Daily Pfennig.

Daily Pfennig

source http://capitalisthq.com/a-failure-to-communicate/ from CapitalistHQ http://capitalisthq.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-failure-to-communicate.html

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everettwilkinson · 7 years

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A Failure To Communicate!

So, the Trade data was good, and the Reserves data not so good… The Global Growth currencies decided to focus on the good, and like I said above, the A$ and kiwi added to their values..

Right now, that more efficient market is screaming that future economic growth and inflation will be disappointing, and that the Fed is going to hike rates, regardless.

However, the short end of the curve (2-year yields) are saying that right now, the Fed will continue to hike rates.

Chuck again… Tom and I are on the same page with regards to why we watch the bond market… It’s a better predictor of future 1. Economic growth 2.inflation and 3. Interest rates…

Chuck Butler Managing Director EverBank Global Markets Creator / Editor of: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts 1-800-926-4922

http://www.everbank.com

The post A Failure To Communicate! appeared first on Daily Pfennig.

Daily Pfennig

from CapitalistHQ.com http://capitalisthq.com/a-failure-to-communicate/

#TrumpNews #CapitalistHQ.com

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johnbattlesca · 7 years

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Robert Drysdale: ‘IBJJF Point-System Is Carrying Our Art Further Away From Its Fighting Roots’

Previously, in part one and two of the three part series, I approached current topics of the jiu-jitsu scene that have, to some extent, swerved the sport in a different direction from that of the IBJJF scene. Namely, the safety of leg-reaping and how it contrasts with its effectiveness. Following this, in part two, how submission-only events, in an attempt to tackle some of the existing problems with the current IBJJF based point-systems currently available, are actually carrying our art further away from its fighting roots by creating an excessively unrealistic version of jiu-jitsu that bears little to no resemblance to a real combat situation. I would like to finish where the discussion first originated: IBJJF’s overly tactical and complicated ruleset.

In the past, I have had the opportunity to sit down with IBJJF officials and discuss possible rule changes with other team representatives. As you can imagine, these meetings don’t lack suggestions and disagreement among its participants. I am always surprised to find the IBJJF’s staff not only open to such a discussion, but eager to hear our input and suggestions. A few topics were discussed in one particular meeting: the possibility of banning all advantages from the fifty-fifty guard (later implemented), among other non-progressive and overly tactical winning strategies; double guard-pull; and, a few of my own suggestions, the banning of the suplex take-down (for safety purposes, when head and neck hit the ground first) as well as the penalizing of guard-pulling, a suggestion that was met as blasphemous by at least one meeting member.

Other than how open to criticism and to changing their format IBJJF is, what these meeting have taught me is that critique comes easy; efficient implementation of change, not so much. I was surprised when at one point, one of their head-officials pushed a pen and paper in front of me and asked me to write down my suggestions in a coherent manner that could be implemented into the rule book.

Easier said than done.

Immediately I came to the realization that the job of changing rules that have been in place for so long is not as simple as one may think. Indeed, IBJJF carries a huge task at hand.

As I mentioned in the previous article, the debate over rules is far from new. People have stylistic preferences, and with these preferences, come a natural tendency to construct their arguments for their preferred ruleset around their own individual styles. Since I have never heard anyone argue for a ruleset that opposes their own individual style, I take that this discussion bears at heart not what is best for jiu-jitsu – its efficiency and progress – but what is best for individuals, who tend to lean towards rulesets that make them more likely to be successful. Much of the debate regarding rules has this sort of mindset as a hidden-background.

Take Helio Gracie’s classic battles with the Japanese in Brazil. There was much debate surrounding these matches. Helio, who had a clear preference for a submission-only style match, refused to fight the Japanese under a point system that would clearly put him at a disadvantage. The Japanese, being superior on the stand-up aspect of the game, wanted their takedowns to be rewarded. Helio, in his turn, knowing that his closed guard was perhaps his best tool, took the opposite view.

Perhaps the best example of this are his two battles against Yassuiti Ono, a Japanese immigrant and student of a Kodokan graduate Kanemitsu Yaitibe, the man who is said to be, alongside Tsunetane Oda, behind the “sankaku-jime” or triangle-choke (Serrano, O liver proibido do Jiu-Jitsu vol.6 pag. 397). In their first encounter, Ono threw Helio a total of thirty-two times (O Imparcial, December-8th-1935). In their second encounter, he threw him twenty-seven times (Correio de S. Paulo Oct-5th-1936). These matches however, were officially ruled as draws. It is obvious why Helio preferred a no-point system against the complete Ono. He would also go on to challenge Helio for a third match, this time with a point system in place (Diario Carioca Oct-8th-1936). There are no records of him ever receiving a response.

What is best for myself, or any other practitioner, may not be what is best for the future of jiu-jitsu. This should go without saying and should serve as a lighthouse throughout any discussion that attempts to define our art. Those observing the discussion should be quick to spot if splitting the sport into conflicting rulesets is indeed what is best for the community or if it is what is best for individuals and organizations who may benefit from the split.

Perhaps this is unavoidable, Brazilian jiu-jitsu itself is an offshoot from Kodokan judo’s world-expansion. To prevent any rift would require a concise consensus from most practitioners of the art. The problem might have been avoided had IBJJF made structural changes to its rules that would have avoided this problem in the first place. Conversely, there are the types that will always simply be discontent with their own results in tournaments and, regardless of any changes in their rules, would always attempt to carve out a niche where their own stylistic preferences gave them a tactical advantage. Always easier to point the finger and blame the rules than to evolve.

Regardless, of what could have been, it is of immediate importance to deal with the rift now, and, perhaps optimistically, reverse the damage already done. With this in mind, I have assembled a short list of simple changes that would dramatically change the dynamics of IBJJF events for the better.

Shorter Matches

The argument goes that longer matches allow for the more technical and less athletic individual to win. I find this argument to be lacking of any substance. It is too broad a claim to be the determining factor of such an essential aspect of the sport. People vary not only psychologically but, more importantly in this case, physiologically. I simply cannot see how the less athletic person is more fit for a longer match. In fact, I am inclined to believe it might be the other way around.

Additionally, longer matches make them more tactical and slower. Keeping in mind a competitor might have to go against up to ten opponents in the same day, if you count open-weight class, asking them to be aggressive for the whole ten minutes of every match is completely unrealistic, even for the most fit and gifted of individuals.

Shorter matches would increase the pace and make jiu-jitsu not only more realistic (shorter time would resemble more closely real situations) but more entertaining as well. The excessive tactfulness of longer bouts would be replaced with more dynamic and aggressive battles. The emirate tournament, Abu-Dhabi World Pro already follows this format by reducing the time limit from ten to six minutes. The result is not surprising: more action. Spectators will often walk away from an event with the average of what the event put forth. Having faster paced jiu-jitsu matches would go a long way making it more entertaining while keeping a foothold in the martial arts end of the spectrum

Penalize Guard Pulling

When I mentioned this in the IBJJF meeting, my suggestion was met with shock. They quickly rebutted that the guard was the essence and differential of jiu-jitsu; it was what set our art apart from other grappling arts.

I would like to emphasize here that I am not making a case against the guard or its efficiency. A downed opponent, should indeed continue to attack from his back, and this differential has certainly set jiu-jitsu apart from other forms of grappling.

My suggestion was that we applied the same criteria we already apply to an opponent who disengages from the ground fight: a penalty. The double standard as to why we don’t apply the same criteria to an opponent who disengages from the stand-up fight, by sitting to the mats, begs an explanation. The goal, would be to increase the take-down skills of practitioners that are often completely blind to this crucial aspect of grappling.

What is the usefulness of being a master at the ground art if you are unable to take your opponent down in the first place? The result would be more efficient grapplers from a combative perspective. We would also avoid the crucial and fatal mistake made by judo so many years ago by steering itself away from ground fighting and with a bias towards projections. As an art, jiu-jitsu should be constantly striving to assimilate efficient techniques to its repertoire. To pursue the opposite route is crippling.

Reward all reversals

Perhaps IBJJF’s greatest challenge today is how to cope with their rapid worldwide expansion without compromising the quality of their referees. One thing we can all agree on, is that IBJJF’s rules are excessively complex, even for experienced referees and competitors. To make matters worse, they are constantly updated. I have participated in countless referee courses, have competed and coached extensively my entire adult life, as well as refereed, and I have no issues admitting that I haven’t fully mastered the rules.

One of the most difficult situations for an exhausted and over-worked referee is remembering, during scrambles and exchanges, who initiated the sequence and, hence, is deserving of the points. My suggestion would be to count all reversals, (bottom to top) as points, much like the ADCC ruleset already does. The argument goes that a reversal, in order for it to not be strength based, must be made with the use of legs. I find this argument to be unsubstantiated and deceiving. A mount, turtle, or side control reversal all require an acute union between technique and physical ability, much like a guard player makes use of strong grips to execute an open guard sweep, for example.

This commonly held notion that technique and physical ability don’t overlap is not only fallacious, but harmful to a comprehensive ruleset. Additionally, for all practical purposes, what does it matter where the reversal came from if the end result is the same? This would dramatically simplify the referee’s task and would bring jiu-jitsu closer to its roots by rewarding the reversal from bottom to top regardless of the guard being involved.

Currently, some IBJJF competitors purposely give away mount to be on bottom where they feel more comfortable, something that would not go well in an MMA or street situation. Our goal should be to attempt to approximate jiu-jitsu to its combative roots.

Reward Submission Attempts With Points

When you really think about IBJJF’s criteria for scoring advantages from submission attempts, the criteria itself is not a bad one: the perceived danger, susceptible to referees interpretation, represented by that submission.The problem lies with the reward system accorded to these near submissions. I have often wondered at the rationale behind rewarding two points for a knee-on-belly while rewarding a tight triangle with a mere advantage. The former is a flimsy form of control with little use at the high-level (in fact, possibly the least scored of all points in competitive jiu-jitsu) in both sport jiu-jitsu and MMA. The latter is a submission with the potential to kill.

Events like NAGA have a more efficient system than IBJJF in this regard: a one point reward for a submission attempt followed by a second point in case that attack nearly ends the match. Currently, IBJJF only rewards the second scenario with one advantage. To equate a near submission with its joint-breaking capacity to establishing a knee-on-belly would be bad enough, but to reward the former less than the latter is simply backwards. My suggestion would be to reward submission over position, including established positions. Currently the opposite is practice.

Apply The Same Penalizing Standard For Top And Bottom Players

Typically, the top player is viewed as the one avoiding combat or positional progression. It is easy to spot referees penalizing after twenty seconds of inaction by the top player. The same can’t always be said from the guard player. To be fair, there is nothing in the rule book to make this distinction. Stalling is stalling no matter where it takes place.

The problem here, lies not with the rules themselves but with the perception many referees have that the bottomed practitioner does not avoid the match by buying time. In the past, this was almost always true. However, with recent technical developments, particularly in deep-half-guard, fifty-fifty-guard, and lapel-guard, things hav changed. It is true that these positions can all be used aggressively.

My point here is not to make a case against them. Their efficiency is out of question. What I would like to see is the end of an ongoing double standard. This is an easier problem to fix, since it doesn’t require changing the rules, only a change in the perception people have of stalling.

A More Leg Lock Friendly Ruleset

I have covered this topic in part one of these articles. I won’t repeat myself except to remind the writer of a key few points:

a) the purpose of jiu-jitsu is efficiency;

b) much of the anti-leg-lock feelings are based on pure prejudice and not on facts;

c) from my experience, and I suspect most would agree, transitions and takedowns are more harmful than leg locks. We shouldn’t get rid of takedowns, and for the same reason we shouldn’t ban reaping leg locks. What IBJJF should do is to rethink some long held (mis)conceptions regarding safety and have a discussion about allowing all leg locks, at least for the top tier of the sport.

There are some other minor changes that could be easily implemented for the better, such as: reward a body triangle from the back instead of only rewarding the two hooks; allow gripping on the inside of opponents pants; allow knee-bars, calf-slicers, bicep-slicers, and toe-holds for lower belts. These are simply some small changes that would go a long way into improving IBJJF’s current ruleset.

I would like to add that much of the criticism directed at the IBJJF is simply incoherent, and some of it borders on xenophobic. I would be willing to wager that most of these critics have never taken the time to discuss with the IBJJF, in a serious and respectful manner, some of their disagreements. Those people should keep in mind that their task is not a simple one: to find a balance between safety and efficiency within a model that encompasses all age groups, genders, and levels, as well as in a pleasing format that draws large numbers. And perhaps here lies the bottom line of why they are so hesitant to alter their format: they are doing well.

The days of how CBJJ (the Brazilian branch of IBJJF) tournaments were run in the now legendary “Tijuca Tenis Clube” in Rio de Janeiro are still fresh in my memory. From then to now, the improvements have been immense and for the betterment of the art. No one can deny that when it comes to professionalism and organization the IBJJF is a huge improvement from much of the other organizations out there, keeping in mind their events have thousands of competitors. As a competitor myself, one of my biggest peeves was not knowing when I would be stepping on the mats or to have the tournament and my division never begin on time. Today, the IBJJF has largely corrected this, as well as laid a couple stereotypes to rest.

With this degree of success comes also an apprehension about modifying a winning format with tens of thousands of competitors worldwide. To make structural changes in the rules, like the ones I describe above, could potentially upset a sector of their clientele. How big that sector would be and if this would potentially crack the sport further, is hard to say. To be clear, and make no mistake, the IBJJF and every other jiu-jitsu federation and organization out there is a business. As a business, they have their customers wants and needs at heart. The problem with this is that what is best for the art is often placed on the back burner. Furthermore, to potentially jeopardize such success is a huge risk few businesses are willing to take.

The “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” strategy will continue to be in place so long as there is no pressure for significant change. And by pressure, I don’t mean angry rants on your Facebook about how the referee raised your opponent’s arm at the end of the match after it ended zero to zero. This sort of criticism doesn’t even belong in this conversation. Any serious competitor will begin by correcting his or her mistakes before blaming the referee or the rules for his or her loss. The correct, and most efficient, way of effectively changing anything is by making coherent and thoughtful points as to why jiu-jitsu would improve with these changes directly to the people responsible for shaping the rules. The position taken by team leaders and instructors in general bear significant weight in these matters.

I hope none of this sounds presumptuous. My goal was to do my part in attempting to find a reasonable solution in order to keep the art of jiu-jitsu united and to continue to grow in a desirable direction. Opinions may differ but we practitioners can all agree that at the bottom of any discussion about jiu-jitsu and its future lies a common passion we have for the art that changed our lives for the better.

As a retired competitor and fighter, I look forward to watching others live, enjoy, and appreciate the jiu-jitsu lifestyle I have dedicated myself to. To keep it an effective martial art as well as a captivating and endearing lifestyle should be the bedrock from where we continue to build.

Read Part 1 | Part 2

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Tagged: The Jiu-Jitsu Times from John Battles' Blog https://johnbattlesca.wordpress.com/2017/03/04/robert-drysdale-ibjjf-point-system-is-carrying-our-art-further-away-from-its-fighting-roots/

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