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ourotakuparadise · 5 years

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Meeting with the Snow Spirit

OC quoted: Akuyama Yukino

Synopsis: The Straw Hat crew arrives on a winter island and has an unexpected encounter in the middle of a battle.

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O bando do Chapéu de Palha estava em uma ilha com clima de inverno que era uma base secreta de sequestradores para comércio de escravos e acabaram se envolvendo em apuros ao serem reconhecidos, o grupo inimigo pensou que conseguiria capturar o bando pirata e lucrar vendendo-os ou entregando-os para o governo.

A batalha estava intensa e mesmo que o bando pirata estava com vantagem, os inimigos não paravam de aparecer.

“Eles são insistentes!” – Nami disse ficando cansada.

“Isso está ficando irritante! Eles não param de aparecer!” – Sanji retrucou chutando mais inimigos.

“Não desistam! Vão!” – O líder gritava ordens.

Mas de repente um estrondo é ouvido e logo veem o grande portão de ferro voando para longe levando alguns inimigos com ele antes de colidir contra uma das paredes rochosas. Todos olham na direção de onde o portão fora arrancado e viram em meio a fumaça um vulto...

À medida que a fumaça dissipa revela algo surpreendente: Uma mulher de cabelos brancos, olhos violetas com uma maquiagem azul celeste, a pele pálida com os lábios tingidos de um batom azul da cor de geleiras. Suas vestes eram um quimono azul claro e um tom de azul arroxeado e nos pés um par de sandálias geta.

Sua expressão era impassível, inexpressível e fria ao mesmo tempo. Era como olhassem para ela e apenas vissem uma paisagem coberta de gelo e neve.

“Quem é ela?” – Chopper perguntou temendo ser um inimigo.

“UM ANJO!” – Sanji gritou enquanto a fumaça de seu cigarro tomava forma de corações assim como seus olhos – “MELLORINE!”

A recém-chegada olha para o líder dos mercadores que imediatamente reconheceu a mulher, ela era a recente captura para uma nova leva de escravos e percebeu que ela estava sem a coleira e os grilhões.

“COMO VOCÊ SE LIBERTOU?!” – O líder inimigo estava furioso.

“A pessoa que faz perguntas aqui, sou eu... Agora onde está?” – sua voz era gélida de dar calafrios.

“MATEM-NA!” – o líder ordenou.

O grupo avançou contra ela, apenas para serem arremessados para longe por causa de uma nevasca que surgiu ao redor dela.

“Eu vou perguntar de novo...” – ao dizer isso ela desapareceu.

Logo antes que notassem a mulher de cabelos albinos ressurgiu emergindo do chão coberto de neve agarrando o pescoço do líder o erguendo do chão.

“Onde está a minha espada?” – Ela perguntou enquanto uma fina camada de gelo começa a se formar ao redor de onde a mão dela segurava o pescoço do homem.

“Vadia, você é usuária?” – ele perguntou.

“Cuidado com o que diz e pela última vez... Onde está?” – ela perguntou enquanto a camada de gelo se espalha cobrindo o torso dele.

“No, cofre!” – ele respondeu – “Agora me poupe! Por favor! Clemência, piedade!” – ele implora pela vida.

“...” – ela permaneceu em silêncio.

Ela o soltou, mas assim que ele tocou o solo gelo envolveu não só ele como quase todos os caçadores até que estivessem completamente aprisionados em grossas camadas de gelo e sem se importar ela continuou seu caminho até o único inimigo em que ela poupou.

“Me mostre o caminho e não tente nada... Ou eu vou atravessar seu crânio com uma estaca de gelo.” – ela disse calmamente fazendo ele tremer de medo.

“Sim senhora... é por aqui senhora...” - o homem murmurou apavorado enquanto indica o caminho. “Vocês façam o que quiserem, eu só quero minha espada de volta. Porém, se ficarem no meu caminho para recuperar o que é meu... Não vou hesitar.” – ela ameaçou calmamente o bando do chapéu de palha.

A mulher seguiu seu caminho com o homem a guiando, a maioria do bando estava ou apavorada ou incrédula pela frieza dela. Mas Luffy deu uma risada.

“Está decidido, eu quero ela na tripulação! Shishishi!” – Luffy disse surpreendendo quase todos.

“O QUE?!” – a maioria gritou em espanto.

Como sempre Luffy fazendo decisões sem pensar, o que poderia trazer muitos problemas.

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The Straw Hat crew was on a winter-climate island that was a secret base of slave trade hijackers and got into trouble when they were recognized, the enemy group thought they could capture the pirate band and profit by selling them. or handing them over to the government. The battle was intense and even though the pirate band had the upper hand, the enemies would not stop appearing. "They are insistent!" - Nami said getting tired. “This is getting annoying! They keep appearing! ”- Sanji replied kicking more enemies. "Don’t give up! Go! ”The leader shouted orders. But suddenly a crash is heard and soon they see the great iron gate flying away taking some enemies with it before crashing into one of the rocky walls. Everyone looks in the direction from which the gate had been torn open and saw in the smoke a figure ... As the smoke dissipates it reveals something surprising: A woman with white hair, violet eyes with a sky blue make-up, pale skin with lips dyed a blue lipstick the color of glaciers. His robes were a pale blue kimono and purplish blue and a pair of geta sandals on her feet. Her expression was impassive, expressionless and cold at the same time. It was like looking at her and just seeing a landscape covered with ice and snow. "Who is she?" - Chopper asked fearing to be an enemy. "AN ANGEL!" - Sanji shouted as the smoke from his cigarette took shape of hearts just like his eyes - "MELLORINE!" The newcomer looks at the merchant leader who immediately recognized the woman, she was the recent capture for a new wave of slaves and realized she was missing the collar and shackles. “HOW DID YOU RELEASE ?!” - The enemy leader was furious. "The person who asks questions here, it's me ... Now where is it?" - her voice was cold with chills. "KILL HER!" - the leader ordered. The group lunged at her, only to be hurled away by a blizzard that sprang up around her. "I'll ask you again ..." - on saying that she disappeared. Just before they noticed the albino-haired woman reappeared emerging from the snow-covered ground, grabbing the leader's neck and lifting him off the ground. "Where is my sword?" - She asked as a thin layer of ice begins to form around where her hand held the man's neck. "Bicht, are you a user?" He asked. "Be careful what you say and for the last time ... Where is it?" - she asked as the layer of ice spreads covering his torso. “I-in the, safe!” - he replied - “Now spare me! Please! Mercy, mercy! ”He begs for him life. "..." - she remained silent. She released him, but as soon as he touched the ice ground, it enveloped not only him but almost all hunters until they were completely trapped in thick layers of ice and carelessly she continued on her way to the only enemy she spared. "Show me the way and do not try anything ... Or I will cross your skull with an ice stake." - she said calmly making him shiver with fear. "Yes, ma'am ... this is it ma'am ..." - the man murmured, terrified as he indicated the way. “You guys do what you want, I just want my sword back. However, if you get in my way to recover what is mine ... I will not hesitate. ” - she calmly threatened the straw hat crew. The woman went her way with the man guiding her, most of the pack either frightened or incredulous by her coldness. But Luffy laughed. “It's decided, I want her in the crew! Shishishi! ”- Luffy said surprising almost everyone. "WHAT ?!" - Most shouted in amazement. As always Luffy making decisions without thinking, which could bring many problems.

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La pandilla del Sombrero de Paja estaba en una isla de clima invernal que era una base secreta de secuestradores del comercio de esclavos y se metió en problemas cuando fueron reconocidos, el grupo enemigo pensó que podrían capturar a la banda pirata y obtener ganancias al venderlos. o entregándolos al gobierno. La batalla fue intensa y aunque la banda pirata tenía la ventaja, los enemigos no dejaban de aparecer. "Son insistentes" dijo Nami cansada “¡Esto se está volviendo molesto! ¡Siguen apareciendo! ”- respondió Sanji pateando a más enemigos. “¡No te rindas! ¡Vete! ”El líder gritó órdenes. Pero de repente se escucha un choque y pronto ven que la gran puerta de hierro se va volando y se lleva a algunos enemigos antes de estrellarse contra una de las paredes rocosas. Todos miran en la dirección desde la cual se abrió la puerta y vieron en el humo una figura ... A medida que el humo se disipa revela algo sorprendente: una mujer con cabello blanco, ojos violetas con un maquillaje azul cielo, piel pálida con labios teñidos con un lápiz labial azul del color de los glaciares. Su túnica era un kimono azul pálido y azul violáceo y un par de sandalias geta en sus pies. Su expresión era impasible, inexpresiva y fría al mismo tiempo. Era como mirarla y solo ver un paisaje cubierto de hielo y nieve. "¿Quién es ella?", Preguntó Chopper temiendo ser un enemigo. "¡UN ÁNGEL!" - gritó Sanji cuando el humo de su cigarrillo tomó forma de corazones al igual que sus ojos - "¡MELORINA!" El recién llegado mira al líder mercante que inmediatamente reconoció a la mujer, ella fue la captura reciente de una nueva ola de esclavos y se dio cuenta de que le faltaban el collar y los grilletes. "¡¿CÓMO LO LIBERASTE ?!" - El líder enemigo estaba furioso. "La persona que hace preguntas aquí, soy yo ... ¿Dónde está?", Su voz era fría con escalofríos. "¡Mátenlo!" - ordenó el líder. El grupo se abalanzó sobre ella, solo para ser arrojado por una tormenta de nieve que surgió a su alrededor. "Te preguntaré de nuevo ..." - al decir que ella desapareció. Justo antes de que notaron que la mujer de cabello albino reaparecía emergiendo del suelo cubierto de nieve, agarrando el cuello del líder y levantándolo del suelo. "¿Dónde está mi espada?" - Preguntó mientras una delgada capa de hielo comienza a formarse alrededor de donde su mano sostenía el cuello del hombre. "Puta, ¿eres usuario?", Preguntó. "Ten cuidado con lo que dices y por última vez ... ¿Dónde está?", Preguntó mientras la capa de hielo se extendía cubriendo su torso. "¡No, seguro!" - respondió - "¡Ahora perdóname! ¡Por favor! ¡Misericordia, misericordia! ”Él ruega por la vida. "..." - ella permaneció en silencio. Ella lo liberó, pero tan pronto como él tocó el suelo de hielo, lo envolvió no solo a él sino a casi todos los cazadores hasta que quedaron completamente atrapados en gruesas capas de hielo y descuidadamente continuó su camino hacia el único enemigo que escapó. "Muéstrame el camino y no intentes nada ... O cruzaré tu cráneo con una estaca de hielo" dijo tranquilamente haciéndole temblar de miedo. "Sí, señora ... es por aquí señora ..." - murmuró aterrorizado el hombre mientras indicaba el camino. “Ustedes hagan lo que quieran, solo quiero mi espada de vuelta. Sin embargo, si te interpones en mi camino para recuperar lo que es mío ... no lo dudaré ”. - amenazó con calma al paquete de sombreros de paja. La mujer siguió su camino con el hombre que la guiaba, la mayoría de la manada estaba asustada o incrédula por su frialdad. Pero Luffy se rio. “¡Está decidido, la quiero en la tripulación! ¡Shishishi! ”Dijo Luffy sorprendiendo a casi todos. "¡¿QUÉ ?!" - La mayoría gritó con asombro. Como siempre, Luffy toma decisiones sin pensar, lo que podría traer muchos problemas.

#one piece #one piece imagine #one piece scenario #one piece x oc #op imagine #op x oc #op #op scenario #Fuyuzora Yukino

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ayittey1 · 5 years

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COCONUT CLASSICS

Fed up with the buffoonery and tomfoolery coming out of Africa. So I compiled a litany of the eccentricities and flat-out acts of buffoonery that I have come across in my research and work on Africa. Let me know which one you like the best. Enjoy.

In March 2017, Emmanuel Elibariki, a hip-hop artist, released a song in which he asked “is there still freedom of expression in Tanzania?” He was promptly arrested and his song banned from the airwaves. (The Economist, Oct 19, 2017; p.43).

The late president, Gen. Samuel Doe of Liberia summoned his finance minister – “only to be reminded by aides that he had already executed him” (The New York Times, Sept 13, 2003; p.A4).

In 2016, Uganda’s Parliament voted Shs68 million ($18,320) to cover the funeral expenses of each MP (Daily Monitor, Sept 15, 2016). Hand them over. I will bury them for FREE – with the Cutlass!

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda wants to ban oral sex “the mouth is for eating” https://bit.ly/2ILs3RV

"Corruption is everywhere -- in the villages, wherever", Zambia's Lands Minister Gladys Nyirango acknowledged at a major conference on graft in Africa. Hours later she was SACKED. (Sapa-AFP, March 4, 2007).

A former minister of finance was found hiding – where else? -- in a coconut tree: “Zambia’s former finance minister, Katele Kalumba, was arrested and charged with theft after the police found him hiding in a tree near his rural home. Mr. Kalumba, who had been on the run for four months, is being charged in connection with some $33 million that vanished while he was in office (The New York Times, Jan 16, 2003; p.A8).

In Zimbabwe, the anti-corruption czar, Ngonidzashe Gumbo, was himself a bandit, jailed for 10 years for defrauding the commission of $435,000 (The Herald, March 12, 2015). https://bit.ly/2UCre4b

Zambia President Edgar Lungu is buying a new Presidential Jet fitted with a cutting edge military grade anti-missile defense system which fires lasers at incoming heat-seeking missiles (Zambia Observer, Oct 12, 2018). https://bit.ly/2UyS9ho

In Feb 2019, “The First Lady of Zambia, Esther Lungu, travelled to the US with a 25-man delegation to receive four fire trucks, which the Los Angeles Fire Department, had RETIRED from service” (Punch, Feb 7, 2019). Hopefully they did not fly back with the trucks!

When two coconuts fight . . . https://on.wsj.com/2PlEVzd

RWANDA: “I have caught you supporting rebels to destabilize my government. Take that! The border is closed!” (Delivers a sharp left hook). UGANDA: “Wui! . . . No, it is you who is destabilizing my government. Take that!” (Delivers a stiff upper cut). AU (the referee) is snoring zzzzzzzzzz and awakes: “I APPEAL to both of you to end hostilities!” And goes back to sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzz https://bit.ly/2SO3Agh https://bit.ly/2UzW39K

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Two journalists were arrested and charged with publishing false information for reporting that President Bingu wa Mutharika, had moved out of a new 300-room palace because he believed it was haunted. The two, Raphael Tenthani, who works for the BBC, and Mabvuto Banda of the newspaper The Nation, were reportedly taken in raids at their homes. Malawi newspapers and radio stations carried the ghost report over the weekend, quoting a senior official. Mr. Mutharika has angrily denied the reports, saying, "I have never feared ghosts in my life." (Agence France-Presse, March 16, 2005)

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Insecurity challenges heightened in Bayelsa State following separate incidents of kidnapping of four policemen and six other persons along Nembe waterways by gunmen suspected to be sea pirates. Sunday Independent gathered that the gunmen also seized a gunboat belonging to the Nigeria Police in an incident that occurred on Friday. Sources said the gunboat was escorting a barge owned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) when the bandits struck (Daily Independent, October 26, 2014).

Coconut Eccentricities

Sudan

“Colonel Ibrahim Chamsadine was Sudan’s defense minister but was arrested and imprisoned in 1995 by Omar al-Bashir for opposing him. Later, the state claimed that he died in a plane crash on June 11, 2008. But he was found in a secret prison under a mosque in the Sudanese city of Omdurmanprison https://bit.ly/2YbKT9c

Mali

In March 1991, angry Malians took to the streets to demand democratic freedom from the despotic rule of Gen. Moussa Traore. He unleashed his security forces on them, killing scores, including women and children. But pro-democracy forces were not deterred and kept up the pressure. Asked to resign on March 25, he retorted: "I will not resign, my government will not resign, because I was elected not by the opposition but by all the people of Mali." Two days later, when he tried to flee the country, he was grabbed by his own security agents and sent to jail. From there, he lamented: "My fate is now in God’s hands."

Kenya

“President Daniel arap Moi has urged Kenyans to abstain from sex for at least two years to try to curb the spread of AIDS. . .Moi was speaking after the government announced plans to import 300 million condoms to fight AIDS” (The Telegraph, July 13, 2001)

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Uganda

Uganda’s Agriculture Minister, Kibirige Ssebunya, declared that: “All the poor should be arrested because they hinder us from performing our development duties. It is hard to lead the poor, and the poor cannot lead the rich. They should be eliminated" (New Vision, Kampala, Dec 15, 2004). He advised local leaders to arrest poor people in their areas of jurisdiction.

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Soldiers teach wealth creation

BUSHENYI- Soldiers implementing the newly established operational Wealth Creation program have urged farmers to stop being afraid of working with them, saying they are not a colonial army that used to force people to do community tasks. The appeal was made at a meeting for the program’s southwestern army coordinators in Bushenyi District last week. The project replaced Naads last year. The meeting was organized by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) aimed at harmonizing collaboration between UCDA and coordinators to improve the quality and production of coffee (Daily Monitor, Feb 24, 2015)

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No fewer than 300 Nigerian soldiers FLED to Cameroon when Boko Haram insurgents overran Mubi, the second largest city in Borno State from security forces on Oct 30, 2014 (SUNDAY PUNCH, Nov 2, 2014).

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Kibaki

In May 2005, Lucy Kibaki, one of the two wives of President Mwai Kibaki, was hopping mad. She stormed into the Nairobi office of The Daily Nation, confiscated notebooks, tape recorders and pens. Brandishing a copy of the newspaper, Mrs. Kibaki, flanked by several security officers and the Nairobi police chief, Kingori Mwangi, demanded to know the whereabouts of a reporter who had written a story headlined “Shame of First Lady” that offended her. “I am here to protest, and I’m not leaving until I find the reporter who has been writing all these lies,” a witness said. Mrs. Kibaki then camped herself for much of the night at the desk of the newspaper's editor, unleashing a fury of broadsides at the staff. When a local television crew arrived, she slapped a cameraman. The problem was that she chose the wrong newspaper to unleash her full fury. It was the rival Standard newspaper that had printed the offending article, not the Daily Nation. (The Daily Nation, May 9, 2005). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nigeria

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has proposed to spend N5 billion on the procurement of anti-terrorism, chemical, bio-radiation and NUCLEAR weapon equipment and other new projects. Breakdown of the budget by Daily Trust reveals that N254.2m was proposed for the procurement of NUCLEAR weapon equipment, as well as N196.6m for the purchase of two BMW 900 RT, 374 Sinoki motorcycles, 200 bikes and 30 rider kits. Daily Trust, Feb 21, 2018 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zimbabwe

Three people have appeared in court in Zimbabwe, accused of stealing a suitcase containing $150,000 (£117,600) of cash from the country's ousted president, Robert Mugabe. The suspected thieves allegedly spent the money on cars, homes and animals. A relative of the ex-president, Constantia Mugabe, is among the accused, government-owned media report. She allegedly had keys to Mr Mugabe's rural home in Zvimba, near the capital Harare, and gave the others access. The other suspects were employed as cleaners at the time of the theft, which allegedly happened some time between 1 December and early January (BBC Jan 10, 2019) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46830960 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenya

In January 2000,Kenya’s ruling party’s (KANU’s) gang of thugs known as Jeshi la Mzee (“the old man’s army”), attacked a group of opposition leaders outside parliament who were protesting against the resumption of IMF assistance. When the police were called to restore order, “It was the protesters, not the thugs, who were arrested” (The Economist, Feb 5, 2000; p.42). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zimbabwe

"In Zimbabwe, the thieves are in charge and their victims face prosecution" (The Economist, March 16, 2002; p.18). In 2000, Zimbabwe's Supreme Court ruled that invasions of white commercial farmlands by "war veterans" did not constitute a workable form of land redistribution -- a position, which was affirmed by a Commonwealth agreement struck in Abuja, Nigeria in Sept 2001. But President Robert Mugabe tossed the agreement aside, reconstituted the Supreme Court by packing it with pliant judges who then ruled on Dec 6 2001 that the violent land invasions were legal (The Economist, Dec 8, 2001; p.45).

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President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, was miffed in December 2017 when two Ugandan musicians suggested in a song that he should retire. The two were promptly arrested and charged with disturbing the peace of the president. “Singer David Mugema and music producer John Muwanguzi were accused of having composed and disseminated via the internet a tune titled “Wumula”, meaning “retire”, their lawyer Abdallah Kiwanuka told AFP” (Mail &Guardian, Dec 6, 2017).

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DR Congo frees goats from prison

A minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo has ordered a Kinshasa jail to release a dozen goats, which he said were being held there illegally. Deputy Justice Minister Claude Nyamugabo said he found the goats just in time during a routine jail visit. The beasts were due to appear in court, charged with being sold illegally by the roadside. The minister said many police had serious gaps in their knowledge and they would be sent for retraining. Mr Nyamugabo was conducting a routine visit to the prison when, he said, he was astonished to discover not only humans, but a herd of goats crammed into a prison cell in the capital. He has blamed the police for the incident.(Thank God, he didn’t blame the colonialists). It is not clear what will happen to the owners of the goats, who have also been imprisoned. BBC Africa analyst Mary Harper says that given the grim state of prisons in Congo, the goats will doubtless be relieved about being spared a trial. There was no word on what their punishment would have been, had they been found guilty.

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Traffic Drives Nigerians Nuts, but a Trip to a Shrink May Go Too Far Enforcement of One-Way Rules in Lagos Tests Motorists' Sanity; 'A Lot of Cannabis'

LAGOS, Nigeria—You'd have to be crazy to drive the wrong way down a one-way street here. At least, that's what cops in the local Anti-One-Way Squad say.

Seeking to stem an epidemic of wrong-way driving, Lagos authorities have ratcheted up the standard $160 fine. Scofflaws now also face psychiatric evaluations. Contesting the charge can jack up the fine to $1,600—and you still get sent to a shrink. The legal logic is simple, says Sina Thorpe, spokesman for the Lagos state ministry of transportation: If you violate one-way rules, "you should have your head examined." Threatening errant drivers with psychiatric exams, which locals deem more bureaucratic than medical, is a twist in the rough road of Nigerian traffic. Lagos bigwigs have long paid on-duty local cops to speed them through jams by riding shotgun with machine guns and menacing other drivers with bullwhips. Cut-price motorcycle taxis use thunderous horns that sound like 18-wheelers to frighten others out of the way. (The Wall Street Journal, July 27, 2011; p.A1

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Zambia: Zambia's Transport Minister, Nkandu Luo, acting to "improve sanity in the transportation industry" ordered all buses and taxis to be painted in same uniform color: Blue and white. The United Transport and Taxi Association (UTTA) who were not consulted on the move, claimed that the imposition of the colors "amounted to the worst form of dictatorship." "If they think it is such a good idea to have a uniform color, why don't they paint all government vehicles in the same blue and white so that they lead by example," UTTA member Mr. Bwalya Chupa complained. Passengers were not impressed either. "The buses should have been repaired before being smeared with a coat of paint," commuter Juliet Sefu opined. Rather than bring sanity to the transportation industry, most Zambians believe the Transport Minister has brought even further insanity to their already beleaguered transportation infrastructure (African Business, May 2001; p.13).

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Sierra Leone: The Sierra Leone Government is urging people to stop jeering and throwing stones at former military leader, Captain Valentine Strasser. A government statement said Captain Strasser had been embarrassed by people throwing stones at him and booing him when he ventured out on the streets of the capital, Freetown. "It is a great concern to the nation," the statement said (Daily Graphic, Accra, August 18, 2001; p.5).

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Uganda

Minister seeks to attract tourists: Uganda has sexy and curvy women . . . And coconuts too https://goo.gl/FXWsgi

Chad

The president built a moat around the capital to ward off rebel insurgency led by his relatives: “The government is digging a 10-foot-deep trench around the capital, Ndjamena, to prevent a repeat of an attack last month, when rebels in pickup trucks rolled in and fought two days of heavy battles. The ditch will all but encircle the city, slicing through neighborhoods and forcing vehicles to pass through fortified gateways, a security official said. The remaining trees that line the avenues of central Ndjamena are being felled. Residents say the rebels used trees knocked down by rocket-propelled grenades and cannon fire to block roads during the fighting” (Reuters reprinted in The New York Times, March 8, 2008). And who are the rebels? His own nephews and relatives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched a space agency, hailing it a "milestone" as he campaigns ahead of elections at the end of the month. The Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency will deploy earth observation satellites, global navigation satellite systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, geospatial and space technologies for better farming, mineral exploration, wildlife conservation, infrastructure management and disease surveillance, he said in Harare https://bit.ly/2GZCq3w

Coconut Combat on Corruption

In Feb 2014 when Lamidu Sanusi, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, reported that some $20 billion in oil revenue was missing, it was he, the governor, who was immediately sacked by ex-Pres. Goodluck Jonathan for financial recklessness and misconduct! (BBC News, Feb 20, 2014) https://bbc.in/2Kb8rsE

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Paul Biya Fights Corruption? Don’t snicker; my head it splitting already! The man is holed up in Switzerland watching over his Swiss bank accounts! Holds a cabinet meeting every 4 years. In Oct 2018 he won a 7th 7-year term without even campaigning. He has already been in power for 41 years https://bit.ly/2XWI4cG

Life in a coconut Republic

Liberia under Pres. Charles Taylor

“Wheel barrows serve as ambulances for the people. The public schools do not function; more than 70 percent of the population is illiterate. Yet, all government ministers have Ph.D.s – some even three or four – all purchased. At the University of Liberia, Charles Taylor offered 11,000 scholarships to his friends in 1997 but did not pay their tuition bills. Nor did his government pay the salaries of university professors and public school teacher . . . Liberia had a judicial system but Taylor named his friends who could not read or write to be judges and attorneys, and sentences were handed down on his orders . . . The capital has a fire building, painted bright red but its only fire truck has no tires, headlamps, or even a hose. Wires dangle from the engine. With no running water in the city, firefighters must jog or hitchhike to a creek three miles away to fetch water in buckets to put out a fire” (The Washington Post, Sep 9, 2003; p.A18). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nigeria

The late General Sani Abacha’s family thought they were smart. They hired Usman Mohammed Bello – a Sudanese from Karsala -- to look after their three children attending school in Amman, Jordan. Usman became a close confidante of Abacha with access to several coded foreign bank accounts opened by the late General. The family so trusted him that Abacha gave him diplomatic status in the Nigerian foreign office in Amman. He was also issued with both diplomatic passport number F317567 and a standard passport number A104786. Subsequently, Abacha was poisoned or died in 1998 from exhaustion from a Viagra-fueled sex orgy – depending on upon which version one believes. A short transitional government led to the election of President Olusegun Obasanjo in March 1999, who vowed to recover Abacha’s loot of about $5 billion from abroad. On October 1, 1999, Usman Bello vanished. A hysterical Abacha family appealed to Nigeria’s police and government for help in catching him! “Nigeria’s State Security Service from from (SSS) established that the Sudanese might have salted away millions of dollars entrusted to him by the Abacha family and may also be privy to other financial transactions of the family overseas, especially in the Arab world” (Weekly Insight, July 19-25, 2000; p.1). Only in a coconut republic would thieves appeal to the police to apprehend a thief! Even then, part of the Abacha loot that was recovered, was quickly re-looted! About $709 million and another ₤144 million were recovered from the loot the Abachas and his henchmen stashed abroad. But the Senate Public Accounts Committee found only $6.8 million and ₤2.8 million of the recovered booty in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (The Post Express (July 10, 2000).

Coconut Elections

Tanzania

The losing candidate lambasted voters, not his own incompetence, for losing an election: “The candidate of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Augustine Mrema, did well in 1995 with another party, NCCR-Mageuzi, and less well with TLP in 2000. This time, he blamed the voters for betraying him. Mrema, a former home affairs minister who contested the 1995 elections as leader of his own party, chastised the voters for not choosing him previously. "I wonder why you have not given me votes to become president despite my impressive record as home affairs minister," he told a rally in Dar es Salaam broadcast live on radio and television. "I worked as deputy prime minister, which means I was boss to Mkapa and Sumaye, still you chose not to elect me president. Why? Some voters are hypocrites. They proclaim to support you but vote for other people. If you do not vote for me this time, you will have to explain." (Southen African News, Dec 16, 2005) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nigeria

To return Nigeria to civilian rule, the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, allowed only 5 political parties to be registered in 1996 and participate in the forthcoming elections. They all promptly chose HIM as their presidential candidate!

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Rwanda: On August 25, 2003, Paul Kagame, leader of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), won 95.05 percent of the vote. His challenger, Faustin Twagiramungu, found his campaign stymied at every turn by government security forces. His rallies were canceled, his workers arrested and his brochures seized. On the eve of the voting, “police arrested 12 of Twagiramungu’s provincial organizers, saying they were preparing election day violence” (The Washington Times, Aug 28, 2003; p.A19). “In Twagiramungu’s home town, soldiers reportedly looked at ballot papers and ordered those who voted the wrong way to try again” (The Economist, Aug 30, 2003; p.32). Faustin Twagiramungu, won 3.62 percent and a third candidate, Jean Nepomuscene Nayinzira, had 1.33 percent (The New York Times, Aug 26, 2003; p.A6). In the 2010 elections Kagame won 93% of the vote and in the 2017 elections he won 99.98% of the vote! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ethiopia: May 2015 election the opposition did not win a single parliamentary seat. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Ghana’s 1996 presidential election, opposition candidate, Col. Erskine did not win a single vote in his own constituency. In other words, he did not would vote for himself and neither did his wife and four children. He was livid. When he complained bitterly on a radio program, the electoral commissioner tossed six votes his way. Marriage breaker election. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Egypt

In Egypt’s March 2018 elections all of those who expressed an interest to contest either disappeared or were thrown into jail. The main challenger was arrested and his campaign manager beaten up. The only candidate allowed to run was Mousa Mostafa Mousa. He was a strong supporter of the president. In fact, his own party previously endorsed the incumbent, Abdel Fattahh al-Sisi, who won 97% of the vote. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe’s July 2018 election bore all the hallmarks of the long-ruling ZANU-PF party’s usual machinations. Voters included more than 1,000 people about 100 years old and older; four were even born in the 1880s. Emmerson Mnangagwa (the incumbent) won 50.8% of votes to 44.3% for opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. He scraped through by the skin of his teeth to avoid a runoff! Yeah right! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Congo DR The Mother of all Coconut elections took place in Congo DR on Dec 30, 2018 after being twice postponed. Vote in 3 opposition areas were postponed to March 2019. Rest of the country voted on Dec 30. The Electoral Commissioner declared Felix Tshisekedi, an opposition candidate, as the winner on Jan 15. There was widespread speculation that the incumbent, Joseph Kabila, had made a secret pact with Tshisekedi. The Catholic Church disagreed with the results, giving the nod to another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu, who declared himself president. A nasty political crisis erupted which wend its way to the Constitutional Court. Awoken out of its slumber, the African Union with indecent haste ordered the Court to hold off and wait for its high level and high profile delegation to come to Kinshasa to resolve the crisis. And the Chairman of the AU seeking to resolve an election dispute? Prez PAUL KAGAME of Rwanda who in Aug 2017 tossed his political rival, Diane Rwigara, into jail and won 99.98% of vote in presidential election https://goo.gl/URjASb The Court told the AU to butt out and mind his own business. It went ahead and confirmed Tshisekedi as the winner. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coconut Security Forces Mauritania

State news: Mauritania's president mistakenly shot by his nation's troops

(CNN) -- Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who came under fire from his own troops just hours before, took to his country's airwaves Sunday, saying the shooting incident was an accident. "I want to reassure all citizens of my well-being after the accident committed by an army unit on an unpaved road around Touela. ... Everything is fine," he said in an interview broadcast on official Mauritanian television. Troops shot the president late Saturday in what the government is calling a case of "friendly fire" -- though others believe it may have been an assassination attempt. Aziz's convoy mistakenly came under fire as it was heading back toward the capital of Nouakchott, the official AMI news agency reported. The gunshots came from a military unit stationed alongside the road in the west African country. http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/13/world/africa/mauritania-president-shot/index.html By Amir Ahmed, CNN, October 14, 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenya

In Africa, most of the police are highway robbers and judges, crooks. Tell a police officer that you saw a minister stealing the people’s money and it is you he will arrest! Asked to investigate the brutal murders of Robert Ouko and British tourist, Julie Ward, Kenya police issued this report: “Foreign Minister Robert Ouko was presumed to have broken his own leg, shot himself in the head and set himself afire. Two years earlier, Kenyan officials suggested that a British tourist, Julie Ward, lopped off her own head and one of her legs before setting herself aflame” (The Washington Post, April 20, 2001; p. A19). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghana

The security forces can unleash the full force of their fury on unarmed civilians with batons, tear gas, water canons and rubber bullets. But how really brave are the security forces? On 16 December 1998, Corporal C. Darko and Constable K. A. Boateng at a Police Station in Accra, Ghana, were instructed to go and arrest Samuel Quartey, who was reported to police for being involved in a theft case. "When the suspect came out brandishing a cutlass (a machete), the police officers took to their heels with the speed of lightning that could have made an enviable record had they been timed" (The Mirror, 2 Jan 1999, 1). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soldiers on guard duties at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation no longer guard an observation post behind the TV studios because of a ghost who slaps officers who go on duty there at night. In September, 1994, an officer on guard at that sentry came running to the head of security complaining of an invincible hand which had on two occasions pulled his helmet from his head and slapped him. The senior officer, unmoved by the soldier's story, decided to prove him wrong by manning the post himself. Within an hour, the senior officer fled to the office telling a similar tale, this time the ghost allegedly smacked him four times on the face (Ghana Drum, Feb 1995; p.33). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nigeria

On July 23, 1998, Colonel Anthony Obi, Osun State's military administrator, strutted pompously to deliver a speech at a state function at Osogbo in the southwestern part of Lagos, Nigeria. As the Daily Champion (24 July 1998) reported: "Panic stricken Nigerian officials ran for safety when first a rat and then a python, apparently drawn by the smell of the rat, made a sudden appearance. The officials leapt up from their seats when the rat, described as having a "long snout and offensive smell," appeared from beneath the carpet by the high table. Colonel Anthony Obi, Osun State's military administrator, and his entourage nervously returned after security agents intervened and killed the beast. (p.1) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenya

Ambushed by bunch of rag-tag cattle rustlers, Kenya’s elite presidential guards quickly surrendered. Johann Wandetto, a reporter for the People Daily, a newspaper in Kitale, Rift Valley province, submitted a story in the March 6, 1999 edition with the title: “Militia men rout 8 crack unit officers: Shock as Moi’s men surrender meekly.” Wandetto was immediately arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison on what the court described as an “alarmist report” (Index on Censorship, 3/2000; p.99). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congo DR

Nor can the security forces shoot straight. When civil war broke out in the DR Congo in 1997, Chad sent in troops to help the regime of Laurent Kabila stave off rebel attacks. What happened? “Congo rebels said 93 Chadian soldiers were killed in an ambush by Kabila government troops who mistook their identities. Chad, one of the nations allied with the Kabila regime, insisted the toll was lower” (The Wall Street Journal, Nov 12, 1998, A1). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sudan

And the mother of all security forces? When the African Union (AU) peacekeepers' base on the edge of Haskanita, a small town in southern Darfur, came under sustained rebel assault on Sept 29, 2007, they fled into the bush. “Ten were killed; at least 40 fled into the bush. The attackers looted the compound before Sudanese troops arrived to rescue the surviving peacekeepers” (The Economist, Oct 11, 2007; p.48) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hoisted by own petard

Ousted Mauritania leader in shock

The former president of the West African state of Mauritania has said he was stunned by the coup that ousted him from power. Army officers overthrew President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya in a bloodless revolt on Wednesday. Speaking for the first time since the coup, Mr Taya said he had been shocked to find out who was behind it. He was toppled by the former security chief and close colleague, Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Vall. "My situation reminds me of the old adage: 'God, save me from my friends, I'll take care of my enemies'," President Taya told Radio France Internationale from Niger. "I was stunned by the coup d'etat [...] and even more so when I heard who were the authors," Mr Taya said. President Taya, who survived a number of coup attempts in his 21-year rule, was returning from the funeral of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia when the coup took place. Col Vall, 55, has been director of national security since 1987 and, after played a key role in the 1984 coup which brought Mr Taya to power. Critics accuse the government of using the US-led war on terror to crack down on his opponents. Mr Taya had also prompted widespread opposition by establishing links with Israel, making Mauritania one of only three Arab states to have done so. The following presidents were removed by members of their own security forces: Ben Ali of Tunisia in 2011, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in 2011, Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria in April 2019 and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan in April 2019. They never learn and keep spending more and more on security forces. In the end they are booted out by members of their own security forces. Guinea

GUINEA: PRESIDENT ESCAPES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Guinea's leader, Lansana Conté, survived an assassination attempt, his security minister said, after unidentified men in military uniforms fired on his convoy. Mr. Conté, 70, a diabetic chain-smoker who has no obvious successor and is rarely seen in public, later appeared on state television. Military officials said his bodyguards returned fire and foiled the attack. Security Minister Moussa Sampil said that an unspecified number of people had been detained. In his television address, Mr. Conté spoke of "external manipulations" against him but added, "Personally, I only fear my close aides, who pretend they are with me while they are not sincere." (Reuters, Jan 20, 2005). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hundreds of marauding soldiers fired guns in the air in the streets of Conakry and other towns around the country on Friday, further threatening the ability of Guinea's beleaguered president Lansana Conte to govern. Banks, schools, markets and shops all closed at around 11.30am as news spread that heavily armed soldiers were marching into town, after talks between senior military officials and soldiers at a military base near the airport collapsed. "We want the leaders who stole our wages and betrayed us to step down," one of the soldiers marching in central Conakry close to the presidential palace, told IRIN on Friday afternoon. In the morning IRIN also saw presidential guards, distinguished by their red berets, in the center of the city. They were shooting in the air in what appeared to be an attempt to scare off the mutinous soldiers, but the presidential guards were outnumbered and eventually FLED! UN Integrated Regional Information Networks NEWS 11 May 2007

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http://www.punchng.com/news/mubi-battle-300-nigerian-soldiers-flee-to-cameroon-again/

Boko Haram has seized control of a Nigerian town after hundreds of soldiers stationed there reportedly FLED across the border to Cameroon, a police source said. "Boko Haram fighters moved into Ashigashya" overnight on Monday, where they slaughtered three people in front of a church, a Cameroon police source told the AFP news agency on Tuesday on condition of anonymity. “Almost 500 Nigerian soldiers FLED the Nigerian border towns of Ashigashyia and Kerawa to take refuge from Boko Haram fighters on Cameroonian territory” (Al-Jazeera, Aug 26, 2014) www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/08/boko-haram-seizes-town-after-soldiers-flee-2014826181311739107.html

Islamist extremist group Boko Haram seized control of a Nigerian town of Malam Fatori, near the Niger border, after soldiers FLED, an official told the AFP. . . The fighting killed dozens and wounded about 30 people in the a commercial hub known for fishing and farming, the Anfani radio station in Diffa reported. “The town of Malam Fatori was taken by Boko Haram after violent fighting with the Nigerian army overnight,” said the official in Diffa. According to the official, 315 Nigerian soldiers FLED over the border to Diffa. Thirteen who were wounded were treated in a Diffa hospital, while the others have been repatriated (Today, Nov 10, 2014) HTTP://WWW.TODAY.NG/NEWS/315-NIGERIAN-SOLDIERS-FLEE-TO-NIGER-AS-BOKO-HARAM-RAIDS-TAKES-CONTROL-OF-ANOTHER-TOWN-IN-BORNO/

“NO fewer than 480 Nigerian soldiers have FLED into Cameroon following fierce fighting with Boko Haram insurgents. The Cameroonian Army Spokesman, Lt Col Didier Badjek, who confirmed this, said the troops had already been disarmed. (Cameroon Daily, Jan 20, 2015).

HTTP://WWW.CAMEROONDAILY.NET/2014/08/480-NIGERIAN-SOLDIERS-FLEE-TO-CAMEROON.HTML

Mercifully there is the Coconut Cure

In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, there is a place called "the magic corner," where all and sundry, including politicians, come to be relieved or cured of their problems. "Even those top leaders of the government come to that tree," said Shabuni Haruni, a private security guard. "Yes, during the election." Upon the payment of a small fee, a traditional healer ("witch doctor") would take a patient to a huge baobab tree, reputed to be the abode of ancestral spirits. Patients remove their shoes, kneel in front of the tree with their eyes closed. At one session described by The Washington Post correspondent, Karl Vick, "Rykia Selengia, a traditional healer, passed a coconut around and around the head of her kneeling client. The coconut went around the man's left arm, then the right, then each leg. When she handed the coconut to the client, Mussa Norris, he hurled it onto a stone. It shattered, releasing his problems to the winds." (The Washington Post, Nov 12, 2001; p. A21).

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marveliciousfanfics · 6 years

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Walk With Me Part 2

This is my entry for @dinnafashsoldat POC Writing Challenge.

Prompts: “You’re not taking me to bed. Ever.” “Who said it had to be the bed?” and “I wasn’t lying when I said I loved you.” Mexican!OC

A/N: I am a Mexican girl so when I saw this writing challenge I had to get on board. It is going to be about a 5-6 mini series. I love Thor. He’s my favorite! Even over Bucky and Steve because he’s just so…perfect and needs to be protected.

“Since my dad is—was a musician music is a big part of our family’s party. He will most definitely sing a song to my mom it’s always Paloma Querida meaning Dear Dove. It’s their song,” I explained to Thor as we stood at the living area with the furniture pushed away to give us space. “But I wanted to teach you how to dance it since it’s tradition for all couples to dance to it. FRIDAY play Paloma Querida by Jose Alfredo Jimenez.”

“All right,” he clapped his hands and stood in front of me. He was a whole foot taller than me—maybe more, so this was going to be a bit hard. I positioned his left hand on my waist and his other hand with mine. I placed my free hand on his shoulder.

“It’s really simple. We just step side to side until we make a circle or something,” I led for the first few steps. “Okay now you have to take lead because that’s the way.” He did as I told him and he picked it up pretty quick. “You’re light on your feet.”

“Of course, I’ve danced many dances throughout the realms,” he grinned. Of course he had. “But this is nice.” He looked down to me and it was the first time I got a good look at his eyes and I knew why so many women swooned. But I couldn’t be just another one. So I turned away and pulled back.

“So that’s just a nice one, we’re gonna move on to Salsa, Cuban, Bachata and Banda,” I knew the last one was going to be a bit more challenging to explain. So I pulled up videos on my phone and showed him. Even that he got it pretty fast. I was so impressed with his willingness to learn. He paid close attention and wasn’t afraid to ask questions.

“Why did you lie to your parents about having someone? Is there someone you’re avoiding?” he asked when I needed a break and had accepted the bottle of water he handed over. I took a long sip before answering. It was best to be honest or as honest as I could without revealing too much about myself.

“My family is nosy. I know they mean the best, but they all have this notion that because I’m a woman I’m supposed to just get married and have kids. They figured this—“ I gestured around me, “would be a phase, but my mom started hinting that my ‘clock’ was ticking. I’m only twenty-seven and the youngest! So to…calm her nerves I told her I was seeing someone, but we couldn’t go public to keep me safe…so the first person I thought of was you.”

“I’m honored, Dulce, but do you plan to tell your family the truth? Unless we are planning a fake wedding as well,” he laughed.

I laughed too. “No, of course not. I figure after this I’ll just tell them we broke up and they can leave me alone for another six years.”

“I’ve known you for nearly four years and this is the most I’ve learned about you,” he placed his hands on his hips.

I shrugged. “No one bothered to ask, plus I’m easily overlooked. I just do research.”

“I believe me…I noticed,” Thor got closer until he has half a foot away from me. “You are very observant. You care deeply and you definitely keep in touch with your family because you want to not because it’s a burden.”

He was right. My family and I were really close, but it took tragedy for that to happen. I wasn’t ready to share that. I knew he was going to find out eventually, but that would be for later. It was odd to get compliments from a God. Especially one who had gone through so much.

“Well, that’s enough, I think. You know the basics. So we should have rules so we don’t end up doing something dumb.”

“Like what?”

“Um…sleep together.”

“Why not? You like me and I like you. Why can’t it happen?”

I laughed nervously. “You’re not taking me to bed. Ever,” I did my best to use a stern voice, but under his gaze it quivered. He leaned down until we were only two inches part. I took in his scent and memorized.

“Who said it had to be the bed?” And before our lips met I took a step back.

“Whoa, whoa, no need to do that, Thor. I don’t expect you to kiss me at all!” I held my hands up as protection because I didn’t trust myself not to fall for his spell.

“Your family won’t find it suspicious I’m not affectionate?”

“My family doesn’t approve of PDA—so we won’t have to worry. The most you’ll have to do is hug me or kiss me on the cheek.”

“What a shame,” he winked. “I’ll see you tomorrow at nine to go to the airport. Will they care that I don’t have a passport?”

I groaned. “I didn’t think about that. Fuck.”

“I’m sure Stark will let us borrow one of his many planes, right?”

“Uh…sure.” I didn’t even convince myself.

“Let me take care of that then. You should get your money back for those tickets.”

“Uh sure,” I wasn’t going to get a full refund, but oh well. I really should have thought about that. Thor kept his word and I got a text from Tony saying it was okay to use his plane. Also he wanted pictures of Thor dancing banda so he could use it as blackmail. I doubted Thor would find it embarrassing.

I packed at night and felt the nerves start to kick in. Not only was I bringing a ‘boy’ well God home, but he was also not Mexican, which my parents always wanted me to marry in my culture. My sister did, my brother is going to do it and all of my cousins did as well. I wasn’t sure how my dad was going to react. Thor and I had gone over our story about how we got together until it was engraved in our brains. To them they think I’m going to get back with Bruno. He had been older than me, but he had been nice when he asked me out. And I thought it had been love, but if I had loved him, it wouldn’t have been easy to end it and move across the country.

I hardly got any sleep, but I got up and did my morning routine. I got a text from Tony that the plane was ready to go in an hour. I got my suitcase and headed for my door. I opened it and Thor’s entire frame took the whole space.

“Good morning, Dulce!” he boomed. “I am ready!”

“Tony said it’ll be ready in an hour, so we have some time to lose. I’m getting coffee,” I told him. “Let’s go over my family’s names.”

“Your mother is Alejandra, your father is Alfredo, your brother is Junior, then it’s Camila and Betty. You have a nephew Charlie and a niece Elizabeth named after Jane Austen characters.”

I nodded impressed. We got to the kitchen. Steve was sitting down with a cup of coffee. I went to the cupboard and groaned when someone placed my mug too high for me. I was about to climb on the counter, but I felt Thor behind me easily reach for it. The whole front of his body covered my back and it woke me up faster than any cup of coffee ever had. He held the mug in front of me and I took it meekly.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered close to my ear.

“Th-thanks,” I mumbled back. He stepped back and I swore I heard him chuckle.

“Morning, Steve!” Thor boomed.

“Morning,” I could practically hear Steve’s smirk. I got my coffee from the pot and got my creamer from the fridge. “So you’re really going through with this?”

“It should be fun! A new culture and new faces. Plus I don’t think I’ve been to…where are you exactly from?”

I turned around to face them. “I guess I should have led with that. So, my family lives in…Watts. It’s a bit of a rough neighborhood, but they don’t want to move out of there.”

“Rough?” Thor’s body tensed.

“I mean, it’s not like it used to be, but my parents still hear a drive by every now and then. Not like when I was younger and it was every week we knew someone got shot or died,” I shrugged and sat down across from them and sipped my coffee carefully.

“I still think you should tell your parents the truth. The truth is always better,” said Steve and I knew he knew from experience.

“It’s a harmless lie, Steve, I’m not keeping deep, dark secrets from my parents,” I shot back and immediately regret it. I knew he felt bad for what happened with Tony, but he had no right to judge me when he hardly knew me.

“Things are going to be all right. It’s only a couple of days,” Thor tried to keep the mood up, but it was clearly not the same. “What can happen in just a couple of days?”

I gave Thor a blank expression and then he frowned. A lot could happen in a couple of days.

“Sorry, Steve, that was a low blow,” I sighed. “I’m just all wound up.” I rolled my shoulders.

“You’re all wound up because you feel bad for what you’re doing,” Steve pointed out and got up and walked out of the kitchen.

“It will be okay, Dulce,” Thor’s tone was softer now. I met his eyes and some how I felt that he was right.

“Again, thanks for doing this, Thor. I mean, what I’m about to put you through…” I shook my head. “Just be patient with my family.”

“They really can’t be worse than mine,” he grinned.

“No, my dad hasn’t told me of a sibling he incarcerated for thousands of years,” I joked lightly and he chuckled at that.

Soon we were on the plane. He sat across from me. I had taken the seat away from the window because if I looked outside of it, I would probably have a panic attack. Flying wasn’t my strongest suit. I didn’t really have to do it much working for the Avengers since I mostly gathered information and gave it to them in briefings. I worked on the ground and flying was one of the scariest things in the world. I literally had friends who could fly and I did not envy them.

Thor quickly picked up on it. He explained we were perfectly safe—well he said we would have been safer if he would have used the Stormbreaker. I just laughed which did help me distract me. When we hit turbulence, I closed my eyes and started humming. I felt a big presence beside me so I opened my eyes. Thor had sat next to me blocking the window so I wouldn’t be able to look out there if I was tempted.

In minutes I was more relaxed and then I must have fallen asleep because after what felt like half an hour—but it had actually been three hours—I was lightly shook. I fluttered my eyes opened and I had been leaning against Thor’s mighty bicep and there might have been drool because the corner of my mouth was a little wet.

Horrified didn’t even begin to describe what I felt. I needed to be swallowed by the Earth. Did I just drool on an actual God?

“Sorry,” I wiped my mouth.

“Don’t be. You looked so tired, plus you were adorable to watch with your little, soft snores,” he chuckled.

I held back an internal groan. “Did…I really snore?”

“Indeed you did, but it’s nothing compared to my great friend Volstagg after he ate a whole pig,” he laughed whole heartedly but then it died and he looked sad. I knew his friend had died defending Asgard from his sister. So I reached for his hand and squeezed it. He turned down to me and gave me a sad smile. “Put your seatbelt on.”

Sometimes it was easy to forget that Thor had lost a lot of people in his life. I held his hand after my seatbelt was on because it was time to land. I was able to squeeze his hand so hard that it wouldn’t even phase him, so I released a breath when we stopped. I hated that I was going to have to go through this in two days again, but if Thor was by my side again, I had a feeling it was going to be okay.

#luce’s first writing challenge #luce’s poc! writing challenge #thor x oc #thor #thor odison #marvel #marveliciousfanfics #tony stark #steve rogers

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newstfionline · 6 years

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Kidnapped as children, they escaped from Kony’s LRA to be reunited with their families in Uganda

By Sally Hayden, Washington Post, August 13, 2018

GULU, Uganda--Kidnapped when he was just 16 to fight for the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army, Stephen Okot found his way to freedom and back to his family years later through a rare friendship made in the bush.

Trained to kill and always fearing informers and punishment by his own comrades, Okot had long kept to himself, until by chance he started talking with Oryem Bosco, a short, shy man a few years younger, about their childhoods in northern Uganda. “I told him my ancestral place only to realize we came from the same district.”

From that day, Okot and Bosco began sharing food. As they ate, they huddled together, contemplating the decade they’d been away from their families, whispering about what they saw around them: the killing without mercy; the lack of education among the fighters; the bleakness of their future.

The LRA, a rebel group led by Joseph Kony, terrorized northern Uganda for almost two decades, killing 100,000 and displacing 1.7 million with the stated intention of imposing a rule based on the Ten Commandments.

Its fighters kidnapped tens of thousands of children, turning them into killers who carried out rapes, torture and massacres, before the group was driven out of the country in 2006.

Last year, the United States ended its seven-year support for the hunt to find Kony, pulling funding that encouraged LRA defections through leaflets, loudspeakers and local radio broadcasts. However, Paul Ronan, from the nonprofit Invisible Children, warns that the group remains a threat.

With several hundred scattered around Congo and the Central African Republic, LRA fighters have already this year kidnapped more than 160 civilians, according to Invisible Children’s LRA Crisis Tracker.

Kony, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, is now believed to have settled in Sudan.

The LRA appears to be holding together. With the U.S. and Ugandan militaries pulling out of the fight, encouraging defections is seen as the best way to whittle down its remaining forces. There have been 343 defections in the last four years.

Isolated from the rest of the world, the remaining fighters worry they will be punished for crimes they’ve committed if they were to leave. They’re also trapped in an environment where captives inform on each other for promotion and commanders are punished for being kind.

You would be killed by firing squad for even thinking of escaping, Okot said, which is what made his bonding with Bosco so important. As they grew closer, they found a third confidant in Owong Sam, a charismatic man with a hearty laugh who was abducted at the age of 9.

It was Sam, now 26, who first suggested leaving. Due to his favored status, he had been allocated a wife--another captive--and now had a daughter. “I thought (about how) I was abducted when I was a child. My daughter isn’t studying. I wanted to bring her back home to get an education,” he explained.

So, Sam approached his friends. “Our future is going nowhere but still we can manage our way out,” he remembers saying. “If you want a better life you should pack, but don’t tell anyone, or I will be killed.”

Their chance came when they were ordered to escort their commander to a meeting Kony called in Darfur, in western Sudan. During the journey back, they stole away at night while others slept: The three men helped Sam’s family, which had now grown to two children.

Together they made the long journey from Sudan, through the Central African Republic to the border with Congo on foot. Until last year, there would have been U.S. Special Forces helping them return to Uganda, but now it’s down to the work of local Ugandans, particularly David Ocitti, who runs an organization called Pathways to Peace.

In June, Ocitti traveled to Banda, in northeastern Congo, to greet the escapees and begin the slow process of finding their families and flying them back home.

Four weeks later, 16 years of separation ended when the three were finally reunited with their families in Gulu. Women ululated, fathers and uncles rushed to lift the returnees into the air amid shouts of joy. “My dad’s gotten fatter,” Sam quipped, grinning from ear to ear.

A sister, who Sam believed had been killed in a shootout with government forces, delightedly introduced him to her children. Sam’s mother then pulled him onto her lap and held him there, with her eyes closed, for more than five minutes.

Okot and Bosco, meanwhile, discovered that their families were related and they were actually distant cousins.

All three escapees have been granted amnesty by the Ugandan government and won’t face prosecution for anything they did in the bush.

Defections and reunions are generally celebrated by northern Ugandans, who see them as a necessary step toward peace-building. Many more families are waiting for news of their missing loved ones, though defectors say less than 60 Ugandans are left in the LRA.

Still, rejoining civilian life will not be easy. Local counselors say at least two LRA escapees have killed themselves over the past few years. Children born in the bush can be rejected by their parents’ families, and other escapees have developed addiction problems or experience hostility from neighbors.

Without an education and experience, many also struggle to find work. “They [LRA] want you to be a total fool,” Okot said, explaining their lack of literacy. He’s lucky: His father runs a business repairing bicycles and said he’d love to have his eldest son join him.

When they return to their communities, after several weeks of counseling, there’ll be a welcoming ceremony. This sometimes involves prayers and defectors stepping on an egg as a cleansing ritual to signify a new beginning.

Bosco said he never thought their escape would work, and now that he is finally home, he is convinced that the scourge that robbed him of his childhood may one day truly end.

“Everything has a beginning and an end. Nothing is impossible before God,” he said.

#child soldiers #LRA #Gulu #Uganda

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retroldschooltv · 7 years

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Ghostbusters: The Video Game es un videojuego de acción basado en la franquicia de las películas de Ghostbusters. Terminal Reality desarrolló el juego para las versiones de Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 y el sistema operativo Windows, mientras que Red Fly Studio lo desarrolló para las versiones de PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable y Wii y Zen Studios para la versión de Nintendo DS. En Norteamérica, algunas de las versiones del juego fueron publicadas por Atari, mientras que en Europa las versiones para las consolas de la PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable y PlayStation 3 fueron publicadas por Sony Computer Entertainment. El juego sigue al jugador, quién es un nuevo recluta en los Cazafantasmas, un equipo de parapsicologistas quiénes capturan a fantasmas. El juego contiene elementos de un típico videojuego de disparos en tercera persona, pero en vez de un arma convencional, los personajes están equipados con un pack de protones, un arma que atrapa y captura a los fantasmas. El argumento se transcurre dos años después de Ghostbusters 2, alrededor del día de Acción de gracias de 1991, con los Cazafantasmas entrenando al jugador, mientras investigan las actividades paranormales en la ciudad de Nueva York. Varios de los personajes principales de las películas se involucraron en la producción del juego. Todos los actores que interpretaron a los Cazafantasmas (Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray y Ernie Hudson) pusieron su voz y sirvieron de base para los personajes del juego. Aykroyd y Ramis, quiénes escribieron las películas, también ayudaron como consultores del guion del juego. Otros miembros del elenco, como William Atherton, Brian Doyle-Murray y Annie Potts pusieron su voz y su apariencia fue empleada para crear modelos basados en sus personajes. Ghostbusters: The Video Game también contiene la banda sonora de la película original, así como personajes, locaciones y elementos usados en las películas. El creador de Ghostbusters, Dan Aykroyd dijo que "ésta es esencialmente la tercera película". #ghostbusterthevideogame #ghostbusters #videojuegos #juegos #gamer #gaming #pc #retroact #retroactRed

#videojuegos #retroactred #ghostbusterthevideogame #pc #gaming #gamer #retroact #juegos #ghostbusters

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safari2uganda · 6 years

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Gorilla Safaris in Uganda

The mountain gorilla is highly social, and lives in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak.The Gorilla Safaris in Uganda will take you to the silverback which generally defends his group rather than his territory. In the Virunga mountain gorillas, the average length of tenure for a dominant silverback is 4.7 years.

Enjoy guided Gorilla tours and Gorilla safaris in Uganda

Uganda and Congo with Gorilla with our experienced experienced guides in gorilla tours in Uganda.

We are passionate about Gorillas in addition to other primates such as Chimps and we ensure that you get the most memorable Gorilla Trekking experience in Uganda.

Enjoy all primate tours, Gorilla Safaris and wildlife safaris in Uganda on budget

Our offer includes gorilla tracking, exploring Uganda. We plan, your safaris to Uganda, through Rwanda and Congo. . We offer custom gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda carefully planned to offer the most value for the Gorilla tours. We operate a range of state of art safari vehicles manned by well-trained and experienced local tour guides. We are the best at organizing Uganda wildlife tours and primate safaris especially chimpanzee, golden monkeys, tree climbing lions and gorilla trekking tours; and cultural safaris.

Are you interested in Gorilla trekking safari?

Alpha Adventure safaris is one of the reliable tour companies in Uganda with accurate 2018 | 2019 gorilla permit booking information for tourists interested in trekking the mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda. A gorilla permit is the official card that permits you to see gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda. In Uganda, it is Uganda wildlife Authority which is in charge of issuing gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Gorilla permit price for 2018 | 2019

Uganda and Rwanda 2018 | 2019 gorilla permit booking information we get from Uganda-Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda-Rwanda Development board aims at updating you on the price of gorilla permits. Gorilla permits for trekking mountain gorillas’ in Rwanda cost USD1500.00 while in Uganda, the permits are at USD600.00. Because of the big gap between the two countries, most of the tourists are roaming Uganda due to the low price compared to Rwanda and also a lot of activities to do in Uganda.

When to book your 2018 2019 gorilla permit

Because half of world population of the Mountain Gorillas which are known to be critically endangered primate, Mountain Gorilla Safaris which is also Uganda Gorilla trekking is one of the most thought tourism activities in the whole world. Many tourists have come to know Uganda because of Mountain Gorilla safari and are looking to visiting Uganda and Rwanda for gorilla trekking holidays in 2018 and 2019. It is advised that one should book his/her gorilla permit at least three months in advance. This is because gorilla permits are booked for specific dates.

The Best of Gorilla Safaris in Uganda – 10 days Gorilla, Chimps, Wildlife long Safari/tour in Uganda.

Uganda safaris gorilla

The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This Safari includes the Gorilla Safaris in Uganda.

This Uganda Safari/tour runs for 10 days taking you to Uganda’s finest safari destinations like the Impenetrable-Bwindi National Park for Gorilla safari/tour. This is a haven to half the populace of the existing mountain Gorillas in the whole world, Murchison Falls National Park; the largest and most beautiful in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park; the best biotic area in Africa, Kibale Chimp forest; the largest concentration of chimpanzees and Lake Mburo National Park. Among the highlight in this Uganda safari activities are:- Mountain gorilla tracking, Wildlife game drives, primate tours, chimpanzee tracking and nature walks.

12 Days best of Gorilla Safaris in Uganda – Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking tour.

Gorilla Safaris in Uganda

Gorilla Safaris in Uganda give you a chance to go trekking gorillas in the Bwindi national park viewing different Gorilla families. Along your journey from Kampala you will not miss to see the spectacular wildlife in Uganda including the gorillas, big cats, chimps, elephants and zebras.

African safari tour , this is a 12 day Uganda and Rwanda Long African safari tour which takes you to the Murchison Falls National Park for wildlife game viewing through game drives and boat launches and to Kibale Forest National Park, the primate capital of the world, for a chimpanzee tracking and to see various species of monkeys and birds. You will have a walk in the Bigodi swamp renowned for rare bird species, you will visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for more wildlife viewing through game drives and boat launches, Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest. It will also take you to Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey tracking and ends with a city tour in Kigali.

9 Days Uganda Rwanda Gorilla Safaris & Wildlife Tours/Safaris

This gorilla Tour/Safari starts in Uganda and Ends in Kigali Rwanda.

Uganda safaris gorillaDay 1 of African long tour/safari: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport – Pick and tranfer by our guide from Alpha Adventure Safaris from the airport in Entebbe. Depending on arrival time, you may have a brief Kampala city tour. After drive to hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 2 of African long tour/safari: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park- After breakfast, you will drive to western Uganda along the western great Rift Valley. En route to the Park stopover at the Equator for water experiment and photographs; also stop over at Mpigi (Mpambire drum village) where you can be able to watch the ceremonial drums made out of local materials. Proceed and have lunch in Mbarara town and then transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving in the evening.

Day 3 of African long tour/safari: Game drive and boat launch-After Early morning breakfast, you will set out for the game drive along the Kasenyi track for game viewing including the Buffalo, Elephant, Warthog and Lion. After have lunch and later go for the 2 hours boat launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Here you will encounter a close look at the Hippos, crocodiles and other bird species. Dinner and overnight stay at Simba Safari camp or Bush Lodge or Hippo hill camp or Mweya Safari Lodge or Jacana Safari lodge on a full board basis.

Day 4 of African long tour/safari: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park- After breakfast, you will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Ishasha sector an area commonly known for the rare tree climbing lions. After the game drive in Ishasha, have lunch on the way to Bwindi reaching in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay at Gorilla Resort Camp or Gorilla Forest Camp or Lake Kitandara tented camp or Silverback Lodge or Buhoma community Bandas or Wagtail Safari Camp on full board basis (Depending your gorilla permit)

Day 5 of African long tour/safari: Gorilla Trekking- After an early morning breakfast, you will be taken to the Park headquarters for a briefing from the Ranger Guide of Uganda Wildlife Authority. You will be briefed about the Gorilla tracking protocol and guidelines, you will set out with your packed lunch and penetrate the Jungle forest to search for the rare Mountain Gorillas. The time taken to track gorillas is unpredictable and it can take 2- 8 hours. Dinner and overnight stay at at Gorilla Resort Camp or Gorilla Forest Camp or Lake Kitandara tented camp or Silverback Lodge or Buhoma community Bandas or Wagtail Safari Camp on full board basis (Depending your gorilla permit)

Day 6 of African long tour/safari: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-After breakfast, you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi via Kabale the place commonly known as the Switzerland of Africa. Enjoy the boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi to the most Islands on the Lake. Each Island has a different bird species. Dinner and overnight at Bunyonyi eco lodge or Bushara Island Camp or Arcadia cottages.

Day 7 of African long tour/safari: Transfer to Rwanda-After breakfast, drive across the Uganda -Rwanda Border to Ruhengeri. You will have your lunch en route and arrive at your Lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay. Dinner and overnight stay Virunga Volcanoes Lodge or Sabinyo Silver Back Lodge or Mountain Gorilla View Lodge or Kinigi guest house or Hotel Muhabura

Day 8 of African long tour/safari: Golden Monkey Trekking and transfer to Kigali After a morning breakfast, you will again assemble at the ORTPN Offices for another briefing from the rangers as you prepare you for Golden monkey trekking. Golden monkeys are very rare only found here. Stay with the golden monkeys for 1 hour and then back to your lodge or lunch and in the afternoon, visit the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera. Dinner and overnight stay Virunga Volcanoes Lodge / Sabinyo Silver Back Lodge/Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Kinigi guest house/Hotel Muhabura

Day 9 of African long tour/safari: Transfer to Kigali- After breakfast be transferred to Kigali where you will have a brief Kigali City excursion to visit the Genocide memorial site and the colorful markets for souvenirs after which you will be taken to the Airport to catch up with your flight.

Fly the pearls (9 days, high end)- Uganda Safaris & Tours

5 Days Gorilla Trekking and Chimpanzee trekking Uganda safari/tour

6-Days Gorilla & Chimp Tracking plus Wildlife Game View Uganda Safari/Tour

Birding Safaris In Uganda- Uganda Safaris, the best Uganda Tours – 12 days birding Uganda Safari

Bwindi National Park Uganda Safari-Photographic Safari/Tour in Uganda and Rwanda

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gauntsghostsfieldguide · 3 years

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Blood Pact- Part 1

@the-fluffy-underbelly

ONE

The Solace

“and a pornographic chapbook featuring the celebrated musical theatre performer Adele Coro.” It’s... well, it’s something that the books I remember seeing mentioned in these books are religious books, military manuals, philosophical books, and porn (and that one travel guide in Straight Silver).

“E. F. Montvelt had once read, in one of the cyclopedias packed into the bottom of his uncle’s carton of effects, of predatory fish with nostrils so acute that they could detect a drop of blood in an ocean of water, and seek it out.” And now some reference books.

“The caskets of the officer classes were carried back to Balhaut to be shut in the mausoleums and crypts of the new regimental chapels. The tagged bones of common soldiers were shipped back to fill the ever-increasing plots in the endlessly expanding cemetery fields. The ashes of the nameless dead, the faceless and unidentified, were freighted in kegs like gunpowder to be scattered into the wind at the mass public services held five times a day, every day.” That’s very Warhammer. One planet has a glorious victory and every dead body from the Crusade gets ferried back here.

“Above all, he enjoyed the view: from the office, straight down through the glass floor, through the thicket of girderwork and fuelling lines, through the scudding dots that were tugs and handlers, through the open structures and hard shadows of the giant slipways, and the radiation-scorched hulls of the vast ships that sat in them, down through it all into the brilliance of sunlight on slowlytracking clouds, and the pinsharp clarity of the bright air, and the one hundred and forty-kilometre drop to the blue and grey and brown of Balhaut turning slowly below.” Way more of a view than I would want.

Devil Jonas’s Locker! Interesting how some things stick around on ships.

“E. F. Montvelt dropped away from the open hold jaws of the Solace. Arms spread wide, he descended into air and bright cloud. It was a long way down.” Oh, right, the view thing was kind of foreshadowing, as well.

TWO

Back to Balhaut

“I’ve never wittered in my life,” said Gaunt.” LOL, true

“When I came back from Gereon the first time, my duty breeches hung off me like a tent. The other morning — and they’re the same pair, mind — I realised I had begun to fasten them on the third button. I used to have a washboard stomach.” Gaunt’s gotten a little chubby!

“It must be odd to accept that your active service is done, and this is the end of it, mentoring new-founds and growing a paunch while you fly a desk towards semi-retirement.” Ouch! The Ghosts have been in reserves for a year, but that’s a little mean to just dump on someone.

THREE

Captain Daur and the Jack of Cups

“He wondered if it was going to be as heavy as the trouble he was getting into.” Ah, but he’s getting into it anyway.

“Zolunder’s had an illegal hardwire link to the Munitorum database, which they used to check identities. To get past the red door and the hostess in green, you had to be who you said you were. Deception did not go down at all well.” Which is why Daur is involved, I expect. He’s sincere looking.

“Try not to screw it up, Banda,” She will and she won’t, of course, because she’s in on it. (I do find it interesting that no one seems to question that she is from Tanith. Perhaps some people from there were off planet when it got destroyed? If so, they aren’t really mentioned much.)

“Really? Do you know, there’s a Tanith girl in the First called Jessi Banda. She looks just like you.” Really, Daur? Just say it like that?

“Nice place. I mean, tasteful. You’ve got a pattern on your carpet that’s not the consequence of vomit. That’s rare, by gambling parlour standards.” I do like that Rawne’s kept his sense of humor.

“You look a complete gimp in that commissar suit, by the way.” Ha!

“It’s only the fething Commissariat!” they heard Cant yell. “The real one, I mean!” Well, they’re screwed.

#gaunt's ghosts #blood pact #wh40k #warhammer40k

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hellojydstuff · 5 years

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REGLAS BÁSICAS, EL CAMPO Y LAS POSICIONES del Rugby.

No se permite pasar el balón hacia adelante. Tampoco se permite que el balón caiga hacia adelante, lo cual se denomina knock-on o Avant.

El balón sólo puede avanzar llevándolo o pateándolo hacia adelante.

Cualquier jugador en el campo de juego puede avanzar con el balón.

Un jugador placado o tacleado (derribado) debe pasar o soltar inmediatamente el Balón. El jugador que taclea debe también soltar inmediatamente al jugador tacleado.

El rugby es un deporte continuo. No se preveé interrupciones (a menos que haya una lesión.).

Una mele/scrum reinicia el juego después de un pase hacia adelante o un knock-on. También se forma una mele/ scrum en otras ocasiones menos frecuentes.

Un line-out reinicia el juego cuando el balón sale del terreno de juego.

Un Ensayo/Try es otorgado cuando el balón es llevado mas allá la línea de goal (zona de anotación)y apoyado en el suelo.

5 puntos se otorgan al realizar un ensayo/try.

2 puntos se otorgan al convertir la patada adicional después de un ensayo/try.

3 puntos se otorgan al convertir un gol de campo (golpe) después de cometida una infracción.

3 puntos se otorgan al convertir un drop (patada de bote-pronto) en juego abierto.

Después de que se convierte un ensayo/try o un penal, el balón es pateado hacia el equipo anotador (excepto en sevens, rugby con siete jugadores por lado).

El árbitro es el responsable de hacer respetar el reglamento.

Se juega en dos tiempos continuos de 40 minutos cada uno con un intermedio de 5 minutos.

El tiempo lo lleva el árbitro principal y debe detenerlo solamente cuando haya lesiones.

Hay dos jueces de línea que ayudan a indicar cuándo el balón o la persona que lo lleva salen del campo de juego.

EL CAMPO DE JUEGO

Las medidas reglamentarias son 100 metros de largo por 69 de ancho.

Las lineas laterales se llaman lineas de “touch” y hay dos zonas llamadas zonas de gol/ensayo (“in-goal”) detrás de la linea de ensayo/try. Esta zona de ensayo/ingoal debe tener entre 10 y 22m de profundidad.

Otra línea importante en el campo de juego es la linea de mitad de campo en los 50m existe una línea intermitente a los 10m paralela a esta la cual se utiliza por los jueces de linea. Ademas hay otra línea continua a los 22m de la linea de ensayo/try en ambos lados. Finalmente, hay lineas intermitentes a los 5 y 15m paralelas a las lineas de banda (touch). estas lineas se utilizan para identificar donde se deben efectuar las touch/ line-outs (saques de banda).

Los postes de gol se encuentran sobre la linea de ensayo/try con una barra transversal a 3m de altura. Los postes tienen una separación de 5.6m y su altura puede ser variable, aunque es preferible que sobrepase los 8 metros.

LAS POSICIONES DE LOS JUGADORES.

Los equipos de rugby están formados por 15 jugadores. El dorsal que lleva cada jugador determina su posición el campo. Los jugadores del 1 al 8 se denominan forwards (delanteros) y forman el pack (jugadores que se meten en la melé). Los jugadores del 9 al 15 se denominan backs (línea de tres cuartos).

FORWARDS (DELANTEROS): jugadores del 1 al 8.

PRIMERA LÍNEA: Son los jugadores más pesados del equipo. Es la línea que va al choque en la melé contra el rival.

1 Pilier izquierdo (Prop): Los pilieres destacan por dar estabilidad a la melé y por apoyar a los compañeros en los rucks y mauls.

2 Talonador (Hooker): Lider espiritual del equipo. Destaca por su inteligencia y capacidad de sincronización con el medio melé (el que introduce el balón). Igual que los pilieres tienen la misión de llegar a los agrupamientos (mauls y rucks)

3 Pilier derecho (Prop)

SEGUNDA LÍNEA: Suelen ser los jugadores más altos en los equipos. Además, son los que ganan el balón saltando en los saques de touche (line-out). También dan cobertura tanto al ataque en agrupaciones como placando en defensa.

4 Segunda línea izquierdo (Second row)

5 Segunda línea derecho (Second row)

TERCERA LÍNEA: Son los jugadores que dan estabilidad a las formaciones. Tienen que estar en continuo movimiento para apoyar tanto a la defensa como el ataque. Jugadores con buen fondo físico que tienen que estar atento a cada jugada. Participan tanto en las melés como en las touches.

6 Tercera izquierdo (Flanker)

7 Tercera derecho (Flanker)

8 Tercera centro (Número 8): jugador inteligente que tiene que controlar el movimiento de la melé y de las agrupaciones (ruck y maul).

BACKS (LÍNEA DE TRES CUARTOS): jugadores del 9 al 15

9 Medio melé (Scrum half): jugador que dirige a los delanteros (forwards) y se encargar de surtir balones a los backs. Es un jugador que tiene que tener muy buena técnica para poder ejecutar los pases con precisión. Explosividad y rapidez. Es el jugador que introduce el balón en la melé. Buena técnica con el pie.

10 Apertura (Fly half): Es el líder del ataque. El primer jugador que comienza la jugada y que destaca por tener la táctica en su cabeza. Además también se convierten en muchas jugadas en el primer defensor en llegar a la jugada. Hábiles y explosivos. Suele tener la mejor técnica con el pie.

11 Ala izquierdo (Left wing): jugadores muy veloces que pueden ejecutar el contrataque a la perfección. Son oportunos y tienen que buscar nuevas posiciones en las diferentes fases del ataque y la defensa. Buena técnica para el pase y buena ejecución con los pies para poder crear jugadas de peligro.

12 Primer centro (Inside center): jugadores podererosos en ataque que tienen que tienen la capacidad de penetrar en las defensas rivales. Buena técnica con las manos y los pies para precisar los pases y los puntapiés. Además tienen que ser fuertes y duros para placar a los rivales.

13 Segundo centro (Outside center): jugadores podererosos en ataque que tienen que tienen la capacidad de penetrar en las defensas rivales. Buena técnica con las manos y los pies para precisar los pases y los puntapiés. Además tienen que ser fuertes y duros para placar a los rivales.

14 Ala derecho (Right wing): jugadores muy veloces que pueden ejecutar el contrataque a la perfección. Son oportunos y tienen que buscar nuevas posiciones en las diferentes fases del ataque y la defensa. Buena técnica para el pase y buena ejecución con los pies para poder crear jugadas de peligro.

15 Zaguero (Full back): jugador que tiene que destacar por su colocación. Tiene que ser un gran placador y poder apoyar con velocidad en las jugadas de ataque. Además suelen tener una buena potencia y precisión para poder despejar el peligro con el pie.

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tripstations · 5 years

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5 places to visit in central Malawi

Although it is home to the country’s capital and main airport, Central Malawi is not as popular with visitors as the better-known attractions to the south of the country. But it does have plenty of places to visit and great experiences on offer, all within relatively easy access of the point where most people enter the country, Lilongwe. In this blog we’re rounding up just 5 of the places to visit in Central Malawi.

Lilongwe

Although many visitors to Malawi may be limited to a single night (if that) in Lilongwe as they head further afield to sample the country’s varied delights, it is a city with plenty of character and sufficient attractions to easily fill a few days.

It is made up of two very distinct settlements: the modern Capital City and the traditional Old Town – and a charming Nature Sanctuary lies between the two! Even the Old Town has only a relatively short history- its population at the turn of the 20th century was just a couple of dozen – and the Capital City was a largely artificial creation of the late 20th Century.

Lilongwe Old Town is a typical bustling African town. The central hub of the Old Town is where banks, the post office and a few more modern shopping areas are found. It is also home to an excellent craft market that occupies the parking area outside the post office. Goods for sale are neatly laid out on the ground but so closely packed that it is impossible to tell where one trader’s wares end and another’s begin. Friendly negotiation is the order of the day if wishing to buy!. Most of the items for sale are wood and stone carvings of good quality but there are also paintings and basket-ware. Traditional chiefs’ chairs and small three-legged folding tables are popular buys.

Just over the river is a concentration of local shops and the traditional walled market. During the latter days of the Banda regime, customers needed a Malawi Congress Party membership card in order to enter the market. Today all are welcome. The market is a mixture of order and chaos. Each stall is neatly laid out with its wares carefully arranged but the general impression is one of total confusion. As in markets the world over, competing traders occupy adjacent stalls. Thus, there are areas for vegetables, concentrations of fish sellers and so on. Vegetables are laid in neat rows, piled into pyramids and arranged like some wonderfully dressed army on parade. Live chickens, fly-blown meat and malodorous fish, gleaming steel buckets and watering cans, all vie for space. Apart from all the shoppers and the traders, tinkers work inside the market adding the sounds of hammer on metal to the general hubbub of animated conversation and the cries of the stall-holders. This is definitely a place not to miss on even the shortest stay in Lilongwe.

Something of a curiosity for a modern African capital, though a very welcome one, the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary is a 150-hectare area of protected woodland separating the Old Town from the modern Capital City. Trails enable the visitor to walk down towards the Lingadzi River through mixed woodland. The birdlife is good and there is a chance of seeing a few larger mammals, including monkeys, bushbucks and duiker, as well as crocodiles in the river. There aren’t many capital cities that allow for such nature walks and animal encounters at their very heart. One part of the sanctuary is the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, an award-winning operation that provides shelter and rehabilitation for wild animals rescued from outside the country’s protected areas. The main intention with all animals admitted is to return them to the wild but some have become permanent residents by necessity. There are guided tours and also great opportunities to volunteer and be part of this excellent work. The Lilongwe Wildlife Trust responsible for the Centre is also a very strong campaigning voice in Malawi for the protection of wildlife and has achieved notable successes.

In stark contrast to the very African character of the Old Town is the modern Capital City. The Capital City is the name given to the modern area north of Old Town which arose largely due to the acquisition of Lilongwe’s status as the country’s capital. It has an (ever growing) scattering of modern, sometimes grand, buildings apparently set down at random in an almost park-like landscape. Broad avenues with large flower-bedded roundabouts add to the impression of spaciousness. The main roads are lined with flowering trees and bushes, jacaranda, acacia and poinsettia providing splashes of colour in different seasons. Smart, clean and tidy it is. A typical African city it isn’t. There are shopping centres, high rise hotels, the new Chinese-built Parliament building and a couple of relatively new memorial sites – the war memorial and the Banda Mausoleum. To the north of Capital City, Capital Hill is the site of most of the government offices, and beyond that are some smart, well-laid-out residential districts.

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marianajacqueline45 · 7 years

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Muere Tom Petty a los 66 años, uno de los grandes del rock norteamericano. Petty fallece por un ataque al corazón en Santa Mónica, California. Si el rock and roll, a través de melodías arrasadoras y guitarras imparables, siempre ha sido una magnífica ilusión de presente infinito, Tom Petty, muerto a los 66 años por un ataque al corazón en Santa Mónica, California, fue el dueño de una pócima indescifrable. Sus canciones contenían esa promesa eterna de vida instantánea y llegaron a ilustrar como pocas en la música popular el sueño perfecto del aquí y ahora, ese momento imbatible donde todo lo importante sucede bajo el embrujo de unos acordes. El artista murió a las 20.40 de este lunes, hora local (5.40 del martes en España), en el hospital UCLA, donde se encontraba ingresado tras ser hallado horas antes inconsciente en su casa. "Estamos desolados de anunciar la muerte prematura de nuestro padre, esposo, hermano, líder y amigo Tom Petty", anunció su representante, Tony Dimitriades, en un comunicado publicadoen la cuenta de Twitter del artista. "Murió en paz rodeado de su familia, sus compañeros de banda y amigos". Pettyestaba en la recta final de una gran girapara celebrar los 40 años de su carrera junto a la banda de acompañamiento de toda su vida, The Heartbreakers. Tras actuar hace tan solo una semana en el legendario Hollywood Bowl de Los Ángeles, le quedaban pendientes dos citas, en Nueva York el 8 y el 9 de noviembre. Hay cosas que nunca trascendieron mucho en la vida de este icono de la música estadounidense del último medio siglo que tal vez ayudan a explicar por qué Petty, que se ha ido demasiado pronto y por sorpresa, es el magnífico músico que fue. Una especie de mago que estiraba el presente hasta límites imposibles gracias a un don melódico irrepetible. Una de ellas ha sido que vivió una infancia bajo el yugo asfixiante de su padre. Nacido en Gainsneville, Florida, Petty creció bajo los maltratos de un padre severo y mediocre que pagó con su hijo todas sus frustraciones. Nunca entendió que aquel chico tímido hallase refugio en las canciones de Bob Dylan o Elvis Presley, que dijese que escucharlos era como sentir que los marcianos hubiesen llegado a la tierra con un mensaje nuevo. El trauma lo suplió con canciones. Encerrado en su habitación, el joven Petty decidió encontrar la salvación en la música. Y algo más importante, como más de una vez dijo: devolverle a la música todo lo que le dio. Amparado por su madre, un pilar fundamental en la existencia dolorosa del chaval, Petty pronto formó parte de bandas de instituto hasta que consiguió profesionalizarse más o menos con Mudcrutch. El grupo lo formó con Bruce Felder, hermano del profesor de guitarra de Petty, Don Felder, quien más tarde ingresaría en los Eagles, la banda de country más grande del planeta. Con Bruce y dos amigos más, Mike Campbell y Benmont Tench, Mudcrutch se convirtió rápidamente en una sensación en el Estado de Florida. Con ese rock de toque sureño, impulsado por la voz de soul blanca de Petty, el grupo se hizo muy popular en varias ciudades, pero fue un fracaso a nivel discográfico. No llegaron a registrar más que una serie de canciones y nunca pudieron publicar un disco. Biografía Thomas Earl Petty (Gainesville, Florida; 20 de octubre de 1950-Santa Mónica, California; 2 de octubre de 2017) fue un músico, cantante, compositor, productor y multiinstrumentistaestadounidense, conocido por su trabajo al frente del grupo Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers y como cofundador del supergrupo The Traveling Wilburys a finales de la década de 1980, donde tocó bajo los seudónimos de Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. y Muddy Wilbury, además de por su carrera en solitario. Con The Heartbreakers, Petty grabó y publicó varios sencillos de éxito, muchos de los cuales son interpretados con frecuencia en cadenas de radio de rock clásico y adult contemporary. A lo largo de su carrera, Petty vendió más de ochenta millones de discos a nivel mundial, convirtiéndolo en uno de los artistas musicales con mayores ventas. En 2002, fue introducido en el Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll. La noche del domingo 1 de octubre de 2017, Petty sufre un infarto cardíaco en su casa de Malibú, Los Ángeles. Se mantuvo internado en el hospital de Santa Mónica y conectado a máquinas de soporte vital. Los medios reportaron erróneamente su muerte, pero esto fue desmentido en su momento por las autoridades locales. Finalmente, durante las últimas horas del lunes 2 de octubre, su familia confirmó mediante un comunicado el fallecimiento de Petty. Trayectoria musical Tom Petty no tenía aspiraciones musicales hasta que Elvis Presley visitó su ciudad natal. En una entrevista de 2006 en el programa «Fresh Air» de la National Public Radio, Petty dijo que él sabía que quería estar en una banda en cuanto vio a The Beatles en el Ed Sullivan Show. Tras trabajar con sus primeros grupos The Sundowners, The Epics y Mudcrutch (que incluían a Mike Campbell y Benmont Tench, futuros miembros de los Heartbreakers), comenzó su carrera discográfica como Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers con un álbum titulado como la banda y publicado en 1976. El álbum tardó un año en tener éxito en su país natal. En 1977, la canción «Breakdown» fue relanzada en las radios y se convirtió en un éxito del Top 40 después de que se supiese que la banda estaba siendo muy bien recibida en Inglaterra. Su segundo álbum, You're Gonna Get It! (1978) demostró que la intensidad del primer disco no era casual. Se convirtió en el primer disco de oro de la banda en Estados Unidos y contenía sencillos como «Listen To Her Heart» y «I Need To Know». No mucho después de su lanzamiento, la banda tuvo un litigio cuando ABC Records, la compañía matriz de Shelter, fue vendida a MCA Records. Petty se negó a ser simplemente transferido a otra compañía sin su consentimiento. Se atuvo a sus principios durante nueve meses que al final le llevaron a la bancarrota. Tras resolverse la disputa, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers lanzaron su tercer álbum, Damn the Torpedoes (1979), que con el sencillo «Refugee» se convirtió rápidamente en triple platino en Estados Unidos. A este disco le siguió Hard Promises (1981), que no tuvo gran éxito comercial pero recibió buenas críticas; en 1981 también colaboró como co-autor y co-intérprete en el primer álbum solista de Stevie Nicks. En su quinto álbum, Long After Dark (1982), el bajista Ron Blair fue reemplazado por Howie Epstein, con lo que se completó la formación final de The Heartbreakers. Sin embargo, Tom Petty tenía problemas para manejar el estrés y el éxito, así que decidió reducir el ritmo de trabajo. En su disco de regreso, Southern Accents(1985), Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers volvieron donde lo habían dejado. El disco tuvo sus problemas: Petty, en un momento de frustración del proceso de mezclas, pegó un puñetazo a la pared y rompió su mano izquierda. El álbum incluía el exitoso sencillo «Don't Come Around Here No More», producido por Dave Stewart. De la exitosa gira de conciertos que siguió al disco nació el álbum en directo Pack Up The Plantation-Live! (1985). Las capacidades de la banda en directo fueron puestas a prueba cuando Bob Dylan invitó a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers a unirse a él en su gira «True Confessions» por los Estados Unidos, Australia, Japón (1986) y Europa (1987). También en 1987, el grupo lanzó Let Me Up (I've Had Enough), un disco de estudio hecho para sonar como un disco en directo con una técnica tomada de Bob Dylan. Incluye «Jammin' Me», escrita por Petty y Dylan. Petty también apareció en varios episodios de It's Garry Shandling's Show (1987 - 1990), haciendo de sí mismo como uno de los vecinos de Garry Shandling. En 1989, Petty lanzó Full Moon Fever. Aunque nominalmente era un proyecto en solitario, otros miembros de Heartbreakers y algunos músicos muy conocidos participaron en la grabación. Mike Campbell coprodujo el disco con Petty y Jeff Lynne (de la Electric Light Orchestra). Estuvo entre los diez primeros de la lista de Billboard durante más de 34 semanas y consiguió llegar al triple platino, con éxitos como «I Won't Back Down», «Free Fallin'» y «Runnin' Down A Dream». Antes de Full Moon Fever, Lynne y Petty habían trabajado juntos en la banda de estrellas Traveling Wilburys, que también contaba con Bob Dylan, George Harrison y Roy Orbison. Traveling Wilburys comenzaron como una broma para grabar una cara B de un sencillo de George Harrison, pero la canción «Handle With Care» tuvo tanto éxito que el grupo decidió grabar un disco completo, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988). La repentina muerte de Roy Orbison ensombreció el éxito y poco tiempo después Del Shannon, en quien el resto de los Wilburys pensaban como reemplazo, se suicidó. Se lanzó un segundo disco de los Wilburys, llamado misteriosamente Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 (1990), pero no estuvo a la altura de las expectativas. Petty se volvió a juntar con los Heartbreakers para su siguiente álbum, Into the Great Wide Open (1991). Producido de nuevo por Jeff Lynne, incluye los éxitos sencillos «Learning To Fly» y «Into The Great Wide Open», cuyo video es protagonizado por Johnny Depp. En 1994, Petty lanzó su segundo disco en solitario, Wildflowers, que también tuvo canciones de éxito como «You Don't Know How It Feels», «You Wreck Me», «It's Good to Be King», «A Higher Place» y «Honey Bee». Petty ha recibido 10 nominaciones a los Premios Grammy desde 1981. Ese año recibió su primera nominación por su colaboración con Stevie Nicks, «Stop Draggin' My Heart Around», en la categoría de Mejor actuación de rock realizada por un dúo o grupo con voz. Petty consiguió un premio Grammy en 1989 en la misma categoría por su trabajo con los Traveling Wilburys. En 1994 recibió otros dos premios Grammy: Mejor interpretación vocal masculina (por «You Don't Know How It Feels») y Álbum mejor producido (no clásica). Wildflowers también obtuvo una nominación a los Grammy como Mejor álbum de rock. Otros premios conseguidos por Wildflowersincluyen el Premio al mejor vídeo masculino por «You Don't Know How It Feels», otorgado en 1995 por la MTV. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers ganaron el mismo premio en 1994 con el vídeo «Mary Jane's Last Dance». En la ceremonia de 1994, también se le otorgó a Petty el Premio a vídeo de vanguardia, citando sus contribuciones al campo a lo largo de mucho tiempo. Como compositor de canciones, Tom Petty recibió en mayo de 1996 el prestigioso Golden Note Award de ASCAP. En abril de 1996, Petty recibió el premio George And Ira Gershwin Award For Lifetime Musical Achievement de la UCLA. En 2002 el grupo entró en el Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. En 1999, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers recibieron una estrella en el Paseo de la Fama de Hollywood, en 7018 Hollywood Blvd., un honor que reconoce tanto sus logros musicales como su entrega humanitaria con organizaciones como Greenpeace, la National Veteran's Foundation, USA Harvest, Rock And Wrap It Up y AmFAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research). En 2002, Petty apareció en Los Simpson, en el episodio «How I Spent My Strummer Vacation». También ha puesto la voz al personaje Lucky in King of the Hill, Canta en el Concert for George en el Royal Albert Hall. En 2005, Tom Petty comenzó su propio programa Buried Treasure en XM Radio. En el programa, Petty comparte selecciones de su colección de discos personal. En 2006, Tom Petty lanza su tercer disco en solitario, Highway Companion, que entra directamente al número 4 en las listas USA. Durante el verano de 2006 realiza una gira por los Estados Unidos y Canadá para presentar el disco. A finales de 2007 publica un documental titulado Runnin' Down a Dream en DVD + otro DVD en concierto conmemorando su 30 aniversario en su ciudad natal Gainesville grabado en 2006 + un CD recopilatorio con algunos de sus mejores temas. 4 discos componen esta caja de coleccionista Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Runnin' Down a Dream . En 2008 toca en el Super Bowl cuatro temas en el descanso. En 2009, sus temas «American Girl» y «Runnin' Down A Dream», aparecen como canciones jugables en el videojuego Guitar Hero 5. Fallecimiento La noche del domingo 1 de octubre de 2017, Petty sufre un infarto cardíaco en su casa de Malibú, Los Ángeles. Se mantiene internado en el hospital de Santa Mónica y conectado a máquinas de soporte vital. Los medios reportaron erróneamente su muerte, pero ésto fue desmentido por las autoridades locales. El lunes 2 de octubre de 2017 en las redes sociales del artista se pudo leer el siguiente anuncio: "En nombre de la familia de Tom Petty nos sentimos devastados al anunciar la muerte prematura de nuestro padre, esposo, hermano, líder y amigo Tom Petty". Sufrió un paro cardíaco en su casa en Malibú en las primeras horas de esta mañana y fue llevado al Centro Médico de la UCLA, pero no pudo ser reanimado.. Murió pacíficamente a las 8:40 pm PST rodeado de familia, compañeros de banda y amigos" https://youtu.be/h0JvF9vpqx8

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