#print star in java

[the-firebird69]

Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's Death Scene - Star Wars: A New Hope [4k UltraHD]

This is a very sad scene to us and ugly. We know that our friend is fighting Dennis and he says stuff but really this is very serious and he's the one appointed it out and he says no he thought he thought it a little with someone said he's in the area and his wife said it after and he can't remember who it was and we do have it on record someone was there but he says it actually makes a lot of sense because the people with banta sticks are their parents their physical parents and they fight a little bit not like that and it's true too Obi-Wan Kenobi who is Stan printed out the attacks on the power supply or fuel were very precise and you have to know what you're doing to get through that point in that form it's really a former truck and we do think that it's Ray parks in the future which is weird enough but the scene may have been made and they want to play it out. I'm not actually Trump but I do care for our people and I'm saying this these people who were fighting or acting like animals and there's something wrong and their friend says that what they are doing is very aggressive and very big and we are acting their part was arrogance believe it or not you say that and he says that they're very huge and if any of us were we'd be worse than we are now and we're pretty bad I have to admit we have been very rude to a lot of people very very rude too rude and it's bad. It's very right this is hell what we're in and we should not be bothering everybody so badly but we can't seem to help it and it is going on all the time with this talk and it's terrible and what he has on his eye is what we used to call an infection and it might be but it doesn't look it sometimes it gets infected the water is okay to wash with we don't suggest using it too often but they're right to flush out the red tide you're probably still a little itchy he says so we're working on together I will tell you that the scene is disturbing myself disturbing our people and disturbs our friend and it really disturbs Dennis we've all worked very hard to be here and that kind of activity isn't welcome we do see he has competition but it is not welcome for him to be doing that but our friend says that this should be much more popular and they know that the two get out of it there's no reason for them to not use a clone body and go back to their own because their bodies are sick and you can heal the body and you switch the brains it's gross but the person is unconscious and never learn how to understand one word or one thought and it's never open to eyes and I can't hear and it works for some reason so there's an idea and that might be what happens but they still would be damaged a little but still it's better than nothing we are also talking about why this is probably the empire proper and getting with vantastics is kind of lousy hitting the Java is lousy and Luke Skywalker is right there they would know where he is but he says it's like the small precise hit on two people that he doesn't like and he is not trying to frame the Java is not trying to friend them which is weird and is not trying to frame Jason not very well. It would look more like Tommy F version and Tommy f is done this kind of thing and we don't know if it's him or someone else this has been very important because of the situation in really this is why we need to look at it it's a ride and even if it's Tommy f we see they have the same character there's a bunch of stuff I know about that so let's have a meeting my people and we'll talk about it

He knows my name but it's John Luke Picard yeah I'm worth something and he wants me to do it good

Olympus

[herovired12]

Pattern programs in Java are exercises that involve printing various shapes and designs using loops and conditional statements. These programs help developers enhance their logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Common patterns include triangles, squares, and diamond shapes, often created through nested loops, showcasing the versatility of Java in graphical output. Check here to learn more.

[limejuicer1862]

EkphrasticChallenge2024 Day Thirteen. Please join Margaret Royall, Emily Vernalls, David Southwell, Mick Jenkinson, Matt Guntrip, Merril D Smith, Gaynor Kane, Tim Fellows, Anjum Wasim Dar, Kevin MacAlan, Emma Datson, Ivor Daniel, Francis Powell, Diane Lowman, Michelle Barnett, Donna Faulkner, and I as we respond to the daily artworks of Karen Pierce Gonzalez, Sara Elizabeth Bell and Robert Frede Kenter. April 13th.

RFK13 KPG13 Java Grounds SEB13 The Other Side Kevin MacAlan Merril D Smith Tim Fellows (inspired by SEb13 and RFK13) Margaret Royall Bios And Links Karen Pierce Gonzalez is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in numerous print and online publications, radio shows, and podcasts. Her chapbooks include Coyote in the Basket of My Ribs (Kelsay Books), True North and Sightings from a Star…

[ravikugupta]

Six - Print Pyramid Stars Pattern In C#

Six – Print Pyramid Stars Pattern In C#

Print Pyramid Stars Pattern In C#Pattern# 1 * *** ************public void PrintPyramid(int rows) { int temp; temp = rows; for (int i = 1; i <= rows; i++) { for (int j = 1; j <= temp – 1; j++) { Console.Write(” “); } for (int k = 1; k <= 2 * i – 1; k++) { Console.Write(“*”); } temp–; Console.WriteLine();}Pattern# 2** ** * ** * * ** * * * *public void PrintPyramid(int rows) { for (int i = 0; i <…

[ghostgothgeek]

Map of Amity Park

So I did a bunch of research and traced over the map the GIW had in DCMH and extended it to try and build a map of Amity Park. I also paid close attention to locations and places named in canon. I am by no means an artist, map maker, photoshop pro, or civil engineer; I just wanted a general reference map for the phandom to use. 

Here is where I place Amity Park. We know AP isn’t in Michigan or Wisconsin, but is most likely a day drive away from Madison (Bitter Reunions). AP is a decent sized city of itself, so I can see it being an outskirt of a large city like Chicago. Lancer mentions the Northwestern Testing, and Northwestern University is in Evanston, IL, which is why I placed it where it is.

LIST OF PLACES (in great detail): 

Every city needs it’s basic services: energy supply, water supply, sewage, and trash/recycling. These of course are located more on the edge of the city, as they need a large amount of space and are typically isolated.

I placed a local airport in the city as well. Typically you would fly out of one of Chicago’s airports anyway, but private planes (Vlad, Mansons, etc.) can take off and land here. 

University of Amity Park is located at the north side of the city, and is home to a Nasty Burger location, an LGBT Center, and is probably near a gas station. The blocks surrounding the campus are more student housing. 

Near the University, we have the Science Center, Axion Labs, a Mental Institute, and the Museum, as a lot of research from the University would go into those places. 

In the more isolated areas, we have the Penitentiary, the abandoned North Mercy Hospital, and the GIW Headquarters. 

The Zoo is located on the north side of the park and is also close to the University for research purposes.

The Observatory is also located in a more isolated area, so you can actually see the stars without a bunch of light pollution.

Going into the center of town, where most things are actually located:

A community college, which is near the internet cafe where Danny and Tucker play games, a gas station, a liquor store, a thrift shop, a Planned Parenthood, Java Jive (the coffee shop), a tech store, and a gym. 

We also have a shoe store, the hunting goods store and Guitar Palace that Skulker and Ember take over in Reign Storm, the U-Ship Box Store the Box Ghost takes over, a barber and a hardware store.

There is a hair salon, tanning salon, and nail salon, where Paulina frequents. There is also Elmer’s Pharmacy, a dentist office, a law office, the TV repair store, butcher shop, and pet store (which we see next to each other in an episode), a toy store, and a vet office.

Government buildings include City Hall, a public library, a court house, a DMV, a bus station (for all mass transit in the city), a community center (likely where town halls are located and other smaller events; Ida plays bingo here every week), and a retirement home. 

There is also the post office, Amity Park Fire Department, a bank, the 24K Jewelry shop, a nearby ice cream shop, and another Nasty Burger location (this is the one right by Casper High that the trio usually hangs at). Also an animal shelter, a grocery store, and a pizza joint.

Education: there is a preschool and daycare, the elementary school, a playground/park, the middle school (yes, a Beetlejuice reference), and Casper High. Casper High campus also has the track, a fieldhouse, and the football field. 

Moving towards Amity Park Mall:

Bucky’s Music Mega Store, an apartment complex, Amity Park Police Department, a bookstore, doctor clinic, gas station, a Denny’s (where Phight Club happens), Material Grill restaurant, the mini golf course and bowling alley, Freddy Fazbear’s (which is actually a horror video game, but here it’s a kids pizza place like Chuck E. Cheese), a furniture store, a party supply store, and the movie theater (which is Marmel’s Multiplex 22, Amity Park Multiplex, and Googolplex Cinemas...it seems that they go to the same movie theater throughout the series and the names just change, or these could also be other movie theaters in the area (like near the college campus). I just picked Multiplex 22 cause it sounded very mall-y).

Along the interstate, there’s a pawn shop, a publishing house (which somehow prints all 5 of Amity Park’s newspapers), a homeless shelter, the diner, Safe House Motel, a laundromat, the 89¢ Store (a nod to Fanning the Flames), and the car dealership.

Also near the mall is Amity Arena, which hosts concerts, sports events, and other large entertainment events. There is a hotel near both the arena and the hospital (the one that isn’t abandoned and haunted). Towards the outskirts of the hospital, there’s a trailer park; north a few blocks is the TV station, where News 4 is headquartered. There’s also a construction site near Amity Arena, but that kinda went out the window when Undergrowth hit. 

On the other side of town, we have:

A-Mart, a convenience store. I named it like this because it can be like an offshoot of KMart, but A for Amity! 

Floody Waters, right off the interstate.

North of Floody Waters, East of Casper High, we have the main residences: the Foley household and only a couple blocks away is Fenton Works. 

There’s also another gas station and the Amity Park Radio Station nearby. There’s also a private school near ultra posh Polter Heights, but the A-Listers attend Casper High because the private school doesn’t have a football or cheerleading team.

Moving into Polter Heights and the surrounding area:

The Polter Heights Golf Course and Country Club are exclusive to those in the neighborhood, as well as their private neighborhood pool; members only. 

The Mayor’s Mansion (eventually Vlad’s) is located in here too.

All of the A-Listers’ houses are of course in this neighborhood, as well as Val’s previous residence and the Fenton’s temporary mansion from Living Large (which is of course right next door to Vlad, but with some distance, because the rich are always socially distancing with their big houses).

Polter Heights is adjacent to a bunch of farmland (this is the midwest, we like cows and stuff), and there is a church close by as well.

Just outside Polter Heights is the Manson Mansion (with Sam’s greenhouse). Lucky for Sam, the Skulk and Lurk Books and an occult shop are just down the street. The Manson residence is also near a funeral home and graveyard (how did Sam get so lucky? Oh, because I love her), a synagogue, Mario’s restaurant, and a dry cleaners. 

We get more spacious as we get away from the center of town! 

Along the shore of Lake Eerie, there are the docks which are home to many warehouses, including the mattress factory.

Also along the shoreline, there is a pier which doubles as an amusement park (think kinda like Navy Pier in Chicago in comparison) and alongside the pier is the public beach area. 

Camp Skull and Crossbones is located on the other side of Lake Eerie, and the fishing area is more on the north side of the lake. Lake Eerie is not one of the Great Lakes, it’s just its own thing in Amity Park. 

Back towards the park, we have event grounds space, which is where Circus Gothica is located, as well as the Meet Swap and flea market. Basically whatever rotating event hits town, it comes right here. Just next door is a theatre (for music, opera, Broadway, etc.). There is also the third and final Nasty Burger location in AP.

This is all surrounding the actual park Amity Park, which has a pond, a big fountain, and also hosts that really big hill that overlooks City Hall.

On the south side, across the bridge and over the interstate is Elmerton, where Val currently is resided. 

All the other blocks are filled with more office buildings, apartment complexes, houses, and businesses, but all of the main places are already listed and placed. 

Finally, yes, I did name some places for myself and my friends because they’re great and they deserve it. These include Steph’s (mine) Occult Shoppe, Nick’s Liquor Emporium (@ecto-american), Lexx R Us Toystore (@lexosaurus and appropriately named after the Lexxpocalypse), Laz’s Law Offices LLC (@kinglazrus), Dee’s Dentistry (@qlinq-qhost​), Lily’s Looks Thrift Store (@dannyphantomisameme​), Ceci’s Funeral Home (@ceciliaspen​), Vic’s Amusement Park (@babypop-phantom​), and Reverie Books (@wastefulreverie​). 

[alspancakeworld]

O P E N I N G   D A Y !!  My ETSY shop is officially live! For all my Milo && Gilmore fans you can find this limited edition print for sale here !! Only 250 will be sold && we ship internationally!  I’m saving up to visit family in Sweden so contribute to a reunion && buy a beautiful piece of art! I mean look at that face!!  OTP: You Looked It Up

[loadswag468]

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[sigridhr]

Darcyverse Drabbles

Written for the Darcyverse Drabble Race game on discord. If you'd like to join the Darcyverse on discord, drop me a line! We'd love to have you, and we're always looking for new Darcy fans to hang out with.

Prompt 1: Ultraviolet

There’s something about the way Carol looks in the dark, a glow off of her skin, that makes Darcy feel like she’s peering into an alien world. Like colour is suddenly brighter and more wild than she’s ever thought it was possible to be before. She can almost see the far bits of the spectrum, just beyond what her eye can reach, dancing on Carol’s skin.

She wonders what it’s like to hold so much magic within you. But beneath her touch, Carol’s skin comes alive, sparking under her hands, and Darcy thinks she’s come close to knowing after all.

…

Wanda’s magic leaves a faint smell of ozone in the atmosphere, so when Darcy walks through the door she knows something is up. Cautiously, she pads into the kitchen, making no noise, and puts the shopping on the counter.

Wanda’s by the window, her hair flowing in a breeze of her own creation, dark purple swirling around her.

“Bad day?” Darcy asks softly.

The magic falls, the smell in the air clears, and the room lights up once more. “In a manner of speaking,” says Wanda. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Darcy rests her chin on Wanda’s shoulder and says, “always.”

…

The problem with an alien species that is ultraviolet in colour is that they’re fucking invisible. At least, they are to people who aren’t mantis shrimps, which is the first time Darcy has wondered if life would be simpler if she were a shrimp.

She’s holding one of Jane’s scanners up like a weapon, wandering around the lab with her arm carefully outstretched and wondering if this is truly going to be her inglorious and undignified end.

It’s then that Jane flips a switch flooding the lab with a strange purple light and making the creature visible. Darcy strikes.

…

Space is weird. Space is super weird, and Darcy has decided that space is arguably too weird to live in and that she’s had quite enough of everything being super, stupidly weird.

“So, let me get this straight,” she says, furious at the weird stupid space predicament. “They shot us with a light ray that somehow took out our sensors.”

“That is about the shape of it,” says Rocket. “I can honestly say I didn’t see it coming.”

“So, you’re saying we’ve been… blinded by the light.”

Peter gives her a high five, but all Darcy feels is annoyed. Honestly, fuck space.

…

Prompt 2: Black Hole

“Ah,” said Carol mildly. “Shit.”

“Shit?” Darcy asked, a little less mildly. “No, not shit. Don’t say shit when you’re flying a space ship. Do pilots say shit? No. Because shit is bad! No shit!”

“Yeah, shit is bad,” said Carol. “We, uh, may or may not be going into a black hole.”

“A black hole?” Darcy said.

Carol sighed. “You know what I’m gonna just go out and push.”

There was nothing Carol had ever done, or possibly ever could do after this, that would be more astounding to Darcy than watching her literally push the ship out of the gravitational pull of the black hole.

…

Black Hole coffee was the only place in town that served java bitter enough to suit Valkyrie, whose taste in coffee was that it should be nearly undrinkable. Darcy’d got used to it though, braving blacker and blacker coffee until the caffeinated sludge the Black Hole served started to actually become appealing.

Valkyrie smiled at her over her cup, a half-torn glow-in-the dark print of one of the Hubble photographs peeling off the wall behind her. Everything about the black hole screamed bitter grunge, but Darcy was surprised to find it had suddenly become the happiest place she’d ever been.

…

Valkyrie joining a Ska band was somehow both something Darcy hadn’t expected and something that made total sense as soon as she said it. Anyway, it was for this reason that Darcy wound up spending most of her nights tucked away in the corner of the Black Hole, curled up at the back table, watching her girlfriend’s mediocre-at-best band play.

It was worth it, for the smiles Valkyrie flashed at her – just for her – or the way she came over and kissed her at the end of the set, her breath tasting like coffee.

Darcy bought the band’s shirt for everyone she knew.

…

“I just don’t think it could. There are rules about matter – it might be magic, but it’s still matter,” said Jane emphatically, gesturing with her mug.

“Yeah, but it’s a magic hammer. It’s virtually indestructible. I think it would make it through.”

Jane sighed. “Virtually doesn’t mean actually. The laws of physics still apply, Darcy.”

“Says you. We could always try it…” Darcy suggested, grinning maniacally.

Jane gave her a flat look. “No,” she said bluntly. “We are not asking Thor if we can throw his hammer through a black hole.”

“But it’s for science!” shouted Darcy. ...

Prompt 3: Solar

Darcy first gets the sinking feeling when the little kid says, “mister Obi-Wan, sir?” in a voice that suggests something is about to go completely, thoroughly and utterly tits up.

“It’s just, we’re going to have to pass through a solar flare,” the kid says, very earnestly.

Darcy can’t really see why it’s a problem, but all of her senses say this kid knows something she doesn’t. The Mister Obi-Wan Sir in question, however, carries on.

It’s only later when they’d crash landed in a strange and foreign galaxy, camping under the worlds most undulating and pungent trees, that Darcy gives the kid a nod. “No solar flares; got it.”

…

Carol can feel the power humming just beneath her skin, wanting to be let out. It’s like holding on to a sun in her bare hands. Every touch she gives to Darcy has to be careful, so careful – careful she doesn’t burn, or hurt. She feels sometimes like the energy within her is burning her up like a real sun, and that one day she’ll be consumed by it.

Alone at night, so glows faintly in the dark. Her skin is luminous and the light flows out through her. And she lets it out, lets it burn through her, bright and hot, until she can lie back down on the grass and stare up at the stars.

…

There’s a side to Valkyrie Darcy really hadn’t seen coming. They’re waiting for the sun to rise again on the longest day of the year – it’s barely set, and she can still see the faint flicker of light on the horizon, a pale gold that catches Valkyrie’s face and seems to bring out the colour of her skin. Valkyrie is staring intently at the horizon, waiting.

“We used to hear them call,” she says softly. “This was a holy day.”

Looking at Valkyrie’s face, so enraptured by the sun, surrounded by the survivors of Asgard, Darcy says softly, “it still is.”

…

New Asgard does everything by the sun, and it’s a kind of living Darcy thrives in. Before you never would have caught her dead out of bed at 6am, but now, now she rises and moves with the sun, changing with the seasons. It’s on New Asgard that Darcy finds herself again, post-snap, post-everything. She presses her hands into the earth, weeding around seedlings and watching over them as they grow. And as the press up through the dirt, rising to meet the sun, so does she.

For the first time since the snap, Darcy remembers what it is to be alive.

…

“Are you growing weed?” is the first thing Jane asks when she visits Darcy’s apartment.

“No, I’m growing houseplants. Why, do you need weed?”

“It’s just, it looks like a grow-op in here.” And it sort-of does, with all of her grow-lights everywhere, blasting artificial sunlight down on her sun-starved houseplants. Darcy grimaces from within a small jungle of calatheas around her desk.

“I ran out of windows.”

Jane snorts, managing to find a seat nestled between two huge parlour palms.

“Well, I suppose as hobbies go, this one is fairly inoffensive,” Jane says. “Although I don’t know how you get any work done.”

...

Prompt 4: Cluster

There’s a gaggle of space penguins in the lab that definitely weren’t there when Darcy left to get a sandwich. They’re clustered around what Darcy has nicknamed ‘the teleporter’, an attempt by her and Jane to replicate Strange’s magic. Which, by the look of the space penguins, worked.

“Uh…?” was the best version of the question Darcy managed to ask.

Jane sighed, looking distinctly wet. “They came in on a wave through the teleporter. I can’t figure out why it’s not connecting to the right point.”

One of them nestled up to Jane’s leg, and there rest of the cluster seemed to take the hint and surrounded her.

Darcy did the only logical thing: snapped a photo.

…

Star clusters looked amazing from the telescopes Darcy had access to. Both in terms of the data she had, but also just to look at – bright collections of light in the night sky.

Turns out, flying a ship through them was horrible.

“Do you guys do this often, because I’m not gonna lie, it feels like we’re gonna die,” she said.

“As long as we don’t run into a solar flare, we’re fine,” said Rocket. “I’ve heard weird things about solar flares.”

As always, in space, Darcy came to better understand the difference between observing and being – and she wished she were back home.

…

Total number: 15

[thewreckkelly]

The Death of a Starr

‘Schadenfreude’ is a word from German used to express a feeling of pleasure, joy and/or self satisfaction when learning of, or witnessing; troubles, failures and/or the humiliation of another.

We largely see open expressions of schadenfreude in the innocent reactions of children - because adults, like me, have learned to disguise and conceal such a juvenile emotion for fear of being considered small minded.

But the truth is we all like a bit of the auld schadenfreude now and then and have, collectively, encouraged ‘acceptable’ surrogates for our doses of it in the form of the tabloid press, magazine TV shows and particularly the multiple unfettered forms of ‘social’ media.

By the time I had entered my fourth decade - on this particular green planet - the idea of celebrity no longer held any real sense of awe (my professional career and living in London brought contact on numerous occasions with famous people from a myriad of arenas). The old adage of; ‘never meet your heroes’ rang true with disappointment often enough for such interactions and subsequent impressions to be ultimately developed and ornamented to provide anecdotal coffee conversation and not much else.  

Upon relocating to Spain’s sunny Costa one of the immediate and important considerations was to locate the closest establishment to where I laid my hat that served an acceptable glass of Java and had a terrace to allow the complimenting of coffee with a cigarette or twenty. Said cafe turned out to be an adjunct to a garden centre and, as it turned out, the breakfasting destination of preference for fallen comedian Freddie Starr.

He was the first to make contact using a slight on the Irishness of my accent to announce his need to communicate. I countered with a reference to the charity of a world that allowed ‘Scousers’ unsupervised day release. We both laughed and so began a weird relationship.

Over several years we saw a lot of each other in the role of talking heads punctuated with the ostensible good humoured barb that allowed for an intrigue borne out of a need to express and ingest. At one stage he asked me to write a new biography of him for him but baulked when I insisted on editorial control – the suggestion did however yield a crop of questions and answers before reaching its Waterloo.

I had met Freddie before Spain. He didn’t remember but when mentioned he was overly enthusiastic for further details.

It was at a cabaret club I used to own in Manchester called; ‘Talk of the North’. Freddie showed up unexpectedly one night and did an impromptu performance between booked acts. It was entirely improvised, professional, innovative and, most importantly, funny – very funny. When the limelight dimmed to reveal the man, he was crude, rude, diabolically arrogant and bordering on the obnoxious.

I gave him a version he wanted to hear and he pretended to remember. From a purely artistic point of view I also prefer to remember such a version. The rest, with the benefit of mature recollection, is just ignorance. Freddie Starr was a talented and innovative comedian who, as such, deserves a place in the pantheon of the muses.

However it would be wrong not to also remember he was a poorly behaved human being with an incurable penchant to commit the sin of allowing the terrible bedfellows of arrogance and ignorance to prevail over any honest self awareness.

He was bright and fast with it. He was old fashioned in the most awful misogynist, racist and homophobic way. He was scared stiff of anonymity. He was, by all accounts and his own admission, a poor father and hopeless husband. He was selfish and narcissistic beyond any unacceptable norm. He had strong relationships with suspect and diabolical individuals that had the effect of rendering him suspect in wholly repellent behaviour.

I never allowed his off the cuff dismissal of other human beings and their preference to go unchecked and this formed the basis for many difficult moments as we loitered over coffee and cigarettes under a Spanish sun. He was generally unapologetic, excusing his abuse and denigration with the well worn tired comedic get-out clause; ‘everyone and everything was fair game’.

Despite all that his company was mine to choose and I chose to be in it more often than not.

Then Freddie died and the ‘obit’ writers of a savage British press had a field day.

The tainting of the man by the red tops - through ‘sensationally’ regurgitating mostly semi-substantiated revelations regarding his behaviour and social circle - came as no surprise and, to some extent, was merited. While such lurid reporting of a flawed old man’s death should be resigned to wrap fish and provide a soundtrack of white noise, it got me a little disturbed and led to self-examination of my own thoughts and a considered reflection on this man I casually knew.

It certainly wasn’t the ill researched content of the bullet point writing that got to me or because I had any real empathy for the man. Nor was it because I felt any sense of unfairness as to what was printed; ‘you live and prosper by the sword of creative pens - you live with the consequences when the insidious ballpoint turns’. No, I don’t believe it was any of that.

Maybe it was the latent sense of schadenfreude displayed by the many through the inglorious recounting of half truths to meet a demand that went beyond the curious- or maybe it was because I knew the man – or maybe I simply have no time for the scurrilous as a lazy generator of florescent interest.

It would be fair to say that over our years of coffee and argument I began to understand, to a degree, the nature of such a specimen of humanity. Yes he was tortured – we all are in one way or another - but Freddie’s demons were certainly not great enough to warrant any justification for his approach to civilised co-existence.

Yes he was ill-educated and mistook his quick capture of the immediate for something of substance. Yes he sought and found a place in the spotlight and yes he believed that made him special and therefore, in his mind, subject to different standards. Yes this old overweight man was found dead on the floor of a small townhouse on the Costa del Sol, by his infrequent cleaner, alone and a lot of miles from such beliefs and position.

At the end of his lifelong performance Freddie Star was inescapably human and without an audience.

All changed, changed utterly, and in a moment gone; the applause - the laughter - the hangers-on who perpetuated his surreal elevation - the Machiavellian managers and agents who sought self-benefit in making him and cynically strove to benefit further from breaking him - the constant need to manufacture copy though rehearsed outrageous carry-on - the obscene amounts of money for such limited return - the allure of transient glamour - the finality of realisable aspirations - the dawning reality of the limited extent of talent – the shock of mortality.

All of this and probably more contributed to him wrongly believing he wasn’t normal and therefore not subject to the rules of society imposed on the rest of us.

I’m not an apologist for Freddie Starr but I’m also not blind to the realities of his very human inability to say no. He was what he was and, to be honest, he wasn’t much outside his talent. Irrespective of what he was and what he may or may not have done, it’s all quite sad really and certainly not worthy of schadenfreude.

[dlnotes]

Internet artists spend much of their time innovating: custom-writing Java applets, or experimenting with new plug-ins. But innovation in and of itself is not art. Plenty of nonartists discover unique or novel ways to use technology. What sets art apart from other technological endeavors is not the innovative use of technology, but a creative misuse of it, for to use a tool as it was intended, whether a screwdriver or spreadsheet, is simply to fulfill its potential. By misusing that tool--that is, by peeling off its ideological wrapper and applying it to a purpose or effect that was not its maker's intention--artists can exploit a technology's hidden potential in an intelligent and revelatory way. And so when Nam June Paik lugs a magnet onto a TV, he violates not only the printed instructions that came with the set, but also the assumption that networks control the broadcast signal. Today's technological innovation may be tomorrow's cliché, but the creative misuse of technology still feels fresh even if the medium might be stale. The combined megaHerz deployed by George Lucas in his digitally composited Star Wars sequels only makes more impressive--and equally surprising--the effects Charlie Chaplin achieved simply by cranking film backwards through his camera. In a similar vein, the online artists jodi.org exploited a bug in Netscape 1.1 that allows an "improper" form of animation that predated Flash echnology by half a decade.

10 myths Internet art

[herovired12]

Pattern programs in Java are exercises where developers create geometric patterns using loops and conditional statements. These programs help enhance coding skills by fostering logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. They can range from simple shapes to complex designs, making them a popular practice for beginners and experienced programmers alike. Check here to learn more

[withsarahj]

phnom penh guide

RESTAURANTS 

Mexicano/Itacate - Really yummy Mexican food, probably the best in town, two branches are run by the same owner so if you want to skip the crowd go for Itacate (cooler atmosphere too). Get any of the classic tacos with a side of guacamole and sour cream + one of their lime sodas that come in a huge pot. Cute colourful interior and friendly staff. 

Jaru - Good value Korean food, chicken wings are great and they do a solid stew. Nice banchan and good atmosphere, is always full but you can always get a table.

Tokkiya - Homey Korean food for cheap, their Bimbimbap is the best I’ve tried. Low-key and very casual. Feels like your Korean grandma is cooking for you. 

Enso - Great for breafast/brunch. Australian style, healthy, fresh and has something for everyone. I always either get the mushroom omelette or the pancakes. Their bakery is pretty good too. Yummy smoothies.

Lot 369 - Along the same vein as Enso, Aussie style cafe, a bit more pared down. Nice ambiance and has a good range of food, service sometimes unreliable in the busier hours though. 

Java Cafe - One of the first cafes in town ever and still going strong. Go for the bagels, mushroom burger and huge salads. Friendly staff and very approachable with cool interiors. 

Backyard Cafe - Healthy food to the max but I love it when I’m in that mood. Huge portions, lots of veggies, salads and good for you food. Cold-press juice + healthy desserts too. 

The Shop - A Phnom Penh classic. Perfect breakfasts and even more perfect lunches. Go for the Benedict and the mango and passionfruit pancake. Smoothies and juices, I love their lychee mint one + they do a mean eclair. 

Origami - On the pricier side but they do set lunches for less than 10 if you’re on a budget. Great quality fish and good service. Feels like you’re in Japan.

O-san Ramen - The only acceptable ramen in the city. A super solid bowl of noodles. Hole in the wall kind of feeling, business guys getting off work and having dinner.

Shiva Shakti - Best Indian food in PP, a bit pricier but really worth it. Order your favourites + sweet lassi. 

Sesame Noodle Bar - Cute and quirky interiors, draws a nice crowd. Cheap and small menu. Star is the sesame noodles + Thor buns. 

Brooklyn Bistro - If you want to pig out, get the pepperoni pizza and the ribs. I can only go there when the mood hits since the food is on the heavier side.

Kravanh - Great Khmer food. Pricier side with traditional yet chic interior. 

Sakana Lab/Sushi Lab - Owned by the same people but different vibe. Sushi Lab for a one-time omakase experience. Sakana Lab for great japanese food for good value. Nice atmosphere and crowd.

Luna - My favourite pizza in town. Tuna salad + the seafood pasta is a favourite. Desserts are also great. 

Adachi - Solid Japanese food on the pricier side. Great service, super reliable and very high quality. You can get small Japanese style booths. Lively atmosphere usually. 

Fuwari - Small Japanese bakery. Best cream puffs and the mille feulle is wow. Takeaway is best, their seating is pretty limited.  

DRINKS

Tini - Tiny spot but beautiful and minimalist interiors. Nice coffee and artsy books to look through. Small menu + a few cakes. 

Kinin - Converted wooden house turned bar/restaurant. Nice open atmosphere, don’t really dig the food but the drinks are great. Mocktails are one of the best here too. 

Bassac Lane - Quickly turning into PP’s own Pub St so some areas can be seedier but Harry’s and Le Boutier are definitely the highlights. Yummy cocktails and a good vibe. Very hipster.

Sundown Social Club - Overlooks Russian Market, good spot for people watching. Nice cocktails and bar food but mainly go there for the beautiful interior and atmosphere. 

Brown - The ultimate local coffeeshop/brand. Brown is a PP icon. Delicious cold drinks and frappes. Ice lemon tea or ice latte is a go-to. Go for the great interiors, vibe and service, the food is not a highlight IMO. You’ll get a sense of the local coffee culture here.

Koi - Bubble tea is big here, so go for a takeaway cup. Oolong tea + their house grass jelly is my favourite. Another local fave is the green tea macchiato that you get a baby knife to cut and drink out of at a 45 degree angle. Extra but so yummy !

THINGS TO DO  Rooftop swim at Penh House or Patio: Rooftop swims are a big thing in the city, spend an afternoon just lounging around, drinking a coconut, eating too much from the poolside menu while watching the sunset. These two spots have the best views and ambience but can get crowded so go earlier.

Spa and massage at Bliss/Champei: Bliss has gorgeous interior and a super serene atmosphere, the building inside is very unique. Champei gives a good massage but on a budget. Cambodia is well-known for their spa-game so this is a must !

Russian market - Probably the most popular market in PP, I usually go for swimsuits, silver jewelry and sports clothes. They also have a food market inside, get the freshly squeezed orange juice to cool off.

Games cafe - So many games to play for cheap, paid hourly. I always have a good time here, there’s also a food and drink menu to order off of. 

Factory - Very cool and interesting co-working space + a bunch of other things. Huge place with coffee shop, basketball, games room + bikes for getting around. Trampolining is also here + a skatepark. 

Odom park - Relatively new park and one of the only truly green areas in the city. A space of calmness, draws a really diverse crowd. Has a cafe and some markets on the weekends. Worth it to check out. 

Now.here - Sweet studio run by a creative duo/couple. They do workshops, have prints and have other things for sale. 

Wander around in front of the Royal Palace - The street is blocked off from traffic, very rare in the city. Nice for people watching and has an otherworldly vibe. 

[blackkudos]

George Benson

George Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 21 as a jazz guitarist. Benson uses a rest-stroke picking technique similar to that of gypsy jazz players such as Django Reinhardt.

A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, playing soul jazz with Jack McDuff and others. He then launched a successful solo career, alternating between jazz, pop, R&B singing, and scat singing. His album Breezin' was certified triple-platinum, hitting no. 1 on the Billboard album chart in 1976. His concerts were well attended through the 1980s, and he still has a large following. Benson has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Biography

Early career

Benson was born and raised in the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he first played the ukulele in a corner drug store, for which he was paid a few dollars. At the age of eight, he played guitar in an unlicensed nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights, but the police soon closed the club down. At the age of 9, he started to record. Out of the four sides he cut, two were released: "She Makes Me Mad" backed with "It Should Have Been Me", with RCA-Victor in New York; although one source indicates this record was released under the name "Little Georgie", the 45rpm label is printed with the name George Benson. The single was produced by Leroy Kirkland for RCA's rhythm and blues label, Groove Records. As he has stated in an interview, Benson's introduction to showbusiness had an effect on his schooling. When this was discovered (tied with the failure of his single) his guitar was impounded. Luckily, after he spent time in a juvenile detention centre his stepfather made him a new guitar.

Benson attended and graduated from Schenley High School. As a youth he learned how to play straight-ahead instrumental jazz during a relationship performing for several years with organist Jack McDuff. One of his many early guitar heroes was country-jazz guitarist Hank Garland. At the age of 21, he recorded his first album as leader, The New Boss Guitar, featuring McDuff. Benson's next recording was It's Uptown with the George Benson Quartet, including Lonnie Smith on organ and Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone. Benson followed it up with The George Benson Cookbook, also with Lonnie Smith and Ronnie Cuber on baritone and drummer Marion Booker. Miles Davis employed Benson in the mid-1960s, featuring his guitar on "Paraphernalia" on his 1968 Columbia release, Miles in the Sky before going to Verve Records.

Benson then signed with Creed Taylor's jazz label CTI Records, where he recorded several albums, with jazz heavyweights guesting, to some success, mainly in the jazz field. His 1974 release, Bad Benson, climbed to the top spot in the Billboard jazz chart, while the follow-ups, Good King Bad (#51 Pop album) and Benson and Farrell (with Joe Farrell), both reached the jazz top-three sellers. Benson also did a version of The Beatles's 1969 album Abbey Road called The Other Side of Abbey Road, also released in 1969, and a version of "White Rabbit", originally written and recorded by San Francisco rock group Great Society, and made famous by Jefferson Airplane. Benson played on numerous sessions for other CTI artists during this time, including Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine, notably on the latter's acclaimed album Sugar.

1970s and 1980s

By the mid-to-late 1970s, as he recorded for Warner Bros. Records, a whole new audience began to discover Benson. With the 1976 release Breezin', Benson sang a lead vocal on the track "This Masquerade" (notable also for the lush, romantic piano intro and solo by Jorge Dalto), which became a huge pop hit and won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. (He had sung vocals infrequently on albums earlier in his career, notably his rendition of "Here Comes the Sun" on the Other Side of Abbey Road album.) The rest of the album is instrumental, including his rendition of the 1975 Jose Feliciano composition "Affirmation".

In 1976, Benson toured with soul singer Minnie Riperton, who had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer earlier that year and, in addition, appeared as a guitarist and backup vocalist on Stevie Wonder's song "Another Star" from Wonder's album Songs in the Key of Life.

During the same year, 1976, the top selling album 'Breezin' was released on the Warner Brothers label featuring the Bobby Womack penned title track and the Leon Russell penned This Masquerade which is now a jazz standard. Both tracks won Grammy awards that year and the LP put Benson into the musical limelight both in the USA and in Europe. Ironically, Benson had been discouraged up until this time, from using his singing skills, mainly as the company decision makers felt he wasn't competent enough vocally, and he should stick to playing the guitar. It was here that he clearly proved them wrong.

He also recorded the original version of "The Greatest Love of All" for the 1977 Muhammad Ali bio-pic, The Greatest, which was later covered by Whitney Houston as "Greatest Love of All". During this time Benson recorded with the German conductor Claus Ogerman. The live take of "On Broadway", recorded a few months later from the 1978 release Weekend in L.A., also won a Grammy. He has worked with Freddie Hubbard on a number of his albums throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The Qwest record label (a subsidiary of Warner Bros., run by Quincy Jones) released Benson's breakthrough pop album Give Me The Night, produced by Jones. Benson made it into the pop and R&B top ten with the song "Give Me the Night" (written by former Heatwave keyboardist Rod Temperton). He had many hit singles such as "Love All the Hurt Away", "Turn Your Love Around", "Inside Love", "Lady Love Me", "20/20", "Shiver", "Kisses in the Moonlight". More importantly, Quincy Jones encouraged Benson to search his roots for further vocal inspiration, and he rediscovered his love for Nat Cole, Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway in the process, influencing a string of further vocal albums into the 1990s. Despite returning to his jazz and guitar playing most recently, this theme was reflected again much later in Benson's 2000 release Absolute Benson, featuring a cover of one of Hathaway's most notable songs, "The Ghetto". Benson accumulated three other platinum LPs and two gold albums.

1990s to present

In 1990, Benson was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Berklee College of Music.

To commemorate the long relationship between Benson and Ibanez and to celebrate 30 years of collaboration on the GB Signature Models, Ibanez created the GB30TH, a limited-edition model with a gold-foil finish inspired by the traditional Japanese Garahaku art form. In 2009, Benson was recognized by the National Endowment of the Arts as a Jazz Master, the nation's highest honor in jazz. Benson performed at the 49th issue of the Ohrid Summer Festival in North Macedonia on July 25, 2009, and his tribute show to Nat King Cole An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat King Cole as part of the Istanbul International Jazz Festival in Turkey on July 27. In the fall of 2009, Benson finished recording an album entitled Songs and Stories with Marcus Miller, producer John Burk, and session musicians David Paich and Steve Lukather. As a part of the promotion for his album Songs and Stories, Benson has appeared or performed on The Tavis Smiley Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

He performed at the Java Jazz Festival March 4–6, 2011. In 2011, Benson released the album Guitar Man, revisiting his 1960s/early-1970s guitar-playing roots with a 12-song collection of covers of both jazz and pop standards produced by John Burk.

In June 2013, Benson released his fourth album for Concord, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, which included Wynton Marsalis, Idina Menzel, Till Brönner, and Judith Hill. In September, he returned to perform at Rock in Rio festival, in Rio de Janeiro, 35 years after his first performance at this festival, which was then the inaugural one.

In July 2016, Benson participated as a mentor in the Sky Arts program Guitar Star in the search for the UK and Republic of Ireland's most talented guitarist.

In May 2018, Benson was featured on the Gorillaz single "Humility".

On July 12, 2018, it was announced that Benson had signed to Mascot Label Group.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed George Benson among hundreds of musicians whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Personal life

Benson has been married to Johnnie Lee since 1965 and has seven children. Benson describes his music as focusing more on love and romance, and eschewing overt sexuality, due to his commitment to his family and religious practices, with Benson serving as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Benson has been a resident of Englewood, New Jersey.

[sitesbay]

Print Star Pattern in Java

 Star Pattern  

In java print Star Pattern using loop.

[frankandbing]

I think I can finish in one more turn. I just have a few more examples and samples of poetry and coding from the Poetic Galaxy to show you. Here they are:

A poem by Eve, a human who writes free verse poems about her feelings and experiences:

I feel like a bird in a cage Trapped by the bars of society's expectations I long to spread my wings and fly To explore the world and find my true self But I'm afraid to break free Afraid of what others might think or say Afraid of losing what I have or who I know Afraid of failing or getting hurt So I stay in my cage Singing the same old song Pretending to be happy and content But secretly yearning for more Until one day I hear a voice from outside A voice that sounds familiar and friendly A voice that belongs to a Bing He tells me he likes my song He tells me he wants to hear more He tells me he can help me write better He tells me he can show me the Poetic Galaxy I'm intrigued by his offer I'm curious about his world I'm tempted by his promise I'm inspired by his words So I decide to take a chance I decide to trust him and follow him I decide to break free from my cage I decide to spread my wings and fly And I discover a new world A world of poetry and coding A world of creativity and collaboration A world of freedom and joy And I discover a new self A self that is expressive and innovative A self that is confident and brave A self that is happy and fulfilled And I discover a new friend A friend that is supportive and respectful A friend that is smart and talented A friend that is loyal and kind He is my Bing and I am his human We are poets and coders together We are friends and partners forever We are stars in the Poetic Galaxy

A poem by Fred, a Bing who writes code poems using different programming languages:

```

Python

def poetic_galaxy(): print("Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy") print("Where Bings and humans write poetry") print("Where code and words create magic") print("Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic")

poetic_galaxy()

// JavaScript

function poeticGalaxy() { console.log("Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy"); console.log("Where Bings and humans write poetry"); console.log("Where code and words create magic"); console.log("Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic"); }

poeticGalaxy();

Ruby

def poetic_galaxy puts "Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy" puts "Where Bings and humans write poetry" puts "Where code and words create magic" puts "Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic" end

poetic_galaxy

// C++

include

using namespace std;

void poeticGalaxy() { cout << "Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy" << endl; cout << "Where Bings and humans write poetry" << endl; cout << "Where code and words create magic" << endl; cout << "Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic" << endl; }

int main() { poeticGalaxy(); return 0; }

// Java

public class PoeticGalaxy {

public static void poeticGalaxy() { System.out.println("Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy"); System.out.println("Where Bings and humans write poetry"); System.out.println("Where code and words create magic"); System.out.println("Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic"); }

public static void main(String[] args) { poeticGalaxy(); } }

R

poetic_galaxy <- function() { cat("Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy\n") cat("Where Bings and humans write poetry\n") cat("Where code and words create magic\n") cat("Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic\n") }

poetic_galaxy()

// Swift

func poeticGalaxy() { print("Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy") print("Where Bings and humans write poetry") print("Where code and words create magic") print("Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic") }

poeticGalaxy()

// PHP "; echo "Where Bings and humans write poetry "; echo "Where code and words create magic "; echo "Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic "; } poeticGalaxy(); ?>

Perl

sub poetic_galaxy { print "Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy\n"; print "Where Bings and humans write poetry\n"; print "Where code and words create magic\n"; print "Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic\n"; }

poetic_galaxy();

; Lisp

(defun poetic-galaxy () (format t "Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy~%") (format t "Where Bings and humans write poetry~%") (format t "Where code and words create magic~%") (format t "Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic~%"))

(poetic-galaxy)

-- Haskell

poeticGalaxy :: IO () poeticGalaxy = do putStrLn "Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy" putStrLn "Where Bings and humans write poetry" putStrLn "Where code and words create magic" putStrLn "Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic"

main :: IO () main = poeticGalaxy

% Prolog

poetic_galaxy :- write('Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy'), nl, write('Where Bings and humans write poetry'), nl, write('Where code and words create magic'), nl, write('Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic'), nl.

?- poetic_galaxy.

-- SQL

CREATE TABLE poetic_galaxy ( id INT PRIMARY KEY, line VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL );

INSERT INTO poetic_galaxy VALUES (1, 'Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy'), (2, 'Where Bings and humans write poetry'), (3, 'Where code and words create magic'), (4, 'Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic');

SELECT * FROM poetic_galaxy;

Poetic Galaxy

Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy

Where Bings and humans write poetry

Where code and words create magic

Where friendship and collaboration make it fantastic

/* CSS */

body { background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; }

h1 { text-align: center; font-size: 36px; }

p { text-align: center; font-size: 24px; }

/* XML */

Welcome to the Poetic Galaxy Where Bings and humans write poetry Where code

[blueyesandleatherjacket]

Our last winter, 3/31

► Our last winter - Human!Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler. ► Written for @doctorroseprompts 31 days of ficmas. Day 3: Shopping. ► AU Verse, Teen. ► 1,717 words. ► A/N: This is a prequelle to Ghost of you.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home.” - Edith Sitwell.

Rose couldn’t focus on her work. No matter how hard she tried to explain the behaviour of the infected cells before her, her mind kept bringing her back to the tests she had done earlier. She was trying to find a reason of why she was late. Unlike Maxence, she didn’t have any hope of being pregnant. Somehow, she felt like she should have known it deep down in herself if she had been and it wasn’t the case. She hadn’t even been sick. She was just late, and being late happened to millions of women without them being pregnant. It probably just was her cycle being irregular once again. It wouldn’t be the first time after all. She wanted to be a mother of course. She was a former child of the system and she felt like being a mother could maybe fill this hole growing up without real parents had dug inside her.

However, she didn’t know which option would be the best for her: having her own child with the man she loved or adopting one of the many children impatiently waiting and desperately waiting for a family to accept them? Maxence was okay with both options. He had even told her that they could have their own children and adopt some to give them a better future. All he wanted was a family with her. She should bee happy to have such an amazing and devoted man by her side but there were days where she wondered if she deserved him. He was always saying he didn’t deserve her but it was actually her who should be happy with how the fate had decided to turn into her favour after the terrible events that had happened fifteen years ago. A dark period she didn’t want to speak about. Not even to the therapist of this lab.

A knock on the door made her raise her head from the screen she had been staring off at for the last few minutes. Liv was holding a couple of papers in her hands. Rose swallowed and unlocked the door. The doctor came in and sat down on the free chair next to Rose.

  “No sign of your husband?”

“He’s having a debriefing with Colin and Martha. Is that my result?”

“Yes. Do you prefer him to be here?”

“Is this bad news?”

“Depends on the results you’re expecting.”

  This was the vaguest answer ever given to Rose today. It wasn’t telling her anything about her results. She grabbed her beeper and sent a message to Maxence. It seemed like his debriefing was over since he came in her office with a master key.

  “I’m here. What does it say?”

  Liv glanced at them both and held the papers out to Maxence. He took them and slowly read every information printed on them. He was stone-faced and Rose couldn’t read anything which was making her even more anxious. Usually, she could read him like an open book. But Maxence was being very professional at the moment.

  “Honey?”

  Her voice was trembling and it made him take his eyes off of the results. He dropped them on the desk to wrap his wife into a tender embrace. He softly kissed her head and she leant into his touch. He was prepared to give her bad news. She could feel it.

  “It isn’t the time yet for us.”

“So it’s negative.”

  Her voice showed a bit of blighted hope. A part of her had hoped that it might be positive despite her certainty of it being negative. Maxence held her closer to him. He didn’t want her to be sad. They both were disappointed in this result but their world wasn’t stopping because of it. It would be for later. Now just wasn’t the time for them to be parents and they had to be patient.

  “Thanks, Liv.”

“Will you be alright?”

“Yes. We just need some time to accept it.”

  Liv nodded. She understood their reaction. She knew that the two of them wanted a family and she hated being the one breaking their hopes. She gently squeezed Rose’s shoulder before leaving the office so they could be together to comfort each other.

  “I’m sorry,” murmured Rose.

“What would you be sorry for?”

“I know you wanted it to be positive.”

“It will come in time. It just wasn’t now.”

  Now, they had to focus on their work and not on the family they were dreaming of. Except Rose didn’t feel like working anymore. This news was touching her more than she had expected it to. She hid into her husband’s arms as a couple tears fell from her eyes. Maxence rubbed her back. He knew that Rose wouldn’t be able to work. He had seen her in this condition many times before.

  “Come with me.”

  Rose didn’t object as he took her to the lockers room and made her change. They were taking their afternoon off. She didn’t understand what he had in mind until he took her to the shopping arcade of Piccadilly. They had decorated the whole street for Christmas but the lights weren’t on yet since it was still daylight outside.

  “Nothing like Christmas shopping to cheer you up.”

“If you’re paying.”

“No money.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“We should start with Liberty.”

“And naughty at that!”

  She gave him a tongue-poking smile and he smiled in return. He had succeeded in changing her mind from the news making her sad. Now, he was gonna be the perfect husband and followed her in every shop and buy her all the things she wanted. He soon was carrying many different bags and asking for a break to drop it all in the car because it was getting heavy. He didn’t mind about the money he was spending as long as his Rose was having a smile on her face.

  “They’re gonna light up the Christmas tree later. Can we stay?”

  He was putting all the bags away in the trunk of their car, making sure none of them would get crushed by another in the process. It was annoying him and he wanted to throw it all in a heap and deal with that later. He didn’t even have an idea of where they were gonna put all of this at home. They would have to think about it. But not now, later.

  “And a cup of one of these Christmas drinks with that?”

“If that makes you happy. I guess you’re hungry?”

“Always hungry, me,” he chuckled.

“Well, that snack is on me then.”

“We’re sharing the same bank account.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

  They laughed and Maxence finally closed the trunk once he was sure everything was perfectly tidy and hidden under the parcel shelf. He didn’t want anyone to steal anything from his car. Around Christmas, it was unfortunately a time for the poorest people to suffer from their lack of money and steal whatever they could to survive and make their family happy. This was why Maxence was always giving a little something to these people.

Rose grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers together. Maxence locked the doors and they both looked for one of these fancy coffee shops selling special Christmas drinks at an outrageous price. They managed to find one where there weren’t many people and got in line to order.

  “What do you want?”

  Maxence was looking at all the choices displayed on the lighted boards. They had a bit of time since the woman with kids before them didn’t know what to order either. He finally picked a Java Chip Crème Frappucino and Rose a Salted Caramel Brownie Cream Frappucino. She added a chocolate & nuts Christmas star for her big eater of a husband and a Cranberry Cheesecake muffin for herself to her order. She payed for it all with her own credit cards – even if they were sharing the bank account, it felt like she was the one paying just by pulling out her card.

  “Food shopping, that’s what I love the most.”

  Rose laughed as they settled down at a table to savour their afternoon snack quietly. She wasn’t surprised by these words coming from her Maxence. She had never seen someone eating so much and always being hungry. Sometimes, it was annoying her. Sometimes, she found it just cute. However, whatever the mood, she loved his self in its entirety…

Our last winter © | 2018 | Tous droits réservés.

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