I feel you on the games. I haven't been able to play BOTW since AOC came out. The loneliness and the ruin and desolation just hit so much harder once I saw what Hyrule looked like when it was thriving. And now every time I see the last cutscene with the ghosts looking down on Link and Zelda and just vanishing before the two turned around to see them... I just get this awful ache in my chest.

genuinely, it's kind of incredible that basically just a spin-off/au game can add so much to the original game.

i just finished freeing ruta, and mipha's ghost was enough to make me feel the same way, so i can only imagine how i'm going to feel during that cutscene as well ;~;

i never played the original hyrule warriors but i really do believe age of calamity was a brilliant

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Tagged by my good friend @zeldaelmo. TY! You know I love to play these silly games 🤣 and yet, one more thing to help me procrastinate from working on my current WIP 😅

__

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

a measley 10

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

219,706 - hey that's not too shabby for only 10 works!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Legend of Zelda - BotW/TotK mostly, some SS, one OOT, and an upcoming mishmash of SS/WW

I previously wrote some HP stuff (before all the awfulness with JKR aka She Who Shall Now Not Be Named) One I posted on AO3 because it was the best one of those

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Love in the Age of Calamity

I Belong to You

Enjoy the Silence

Can't Do This Again

Looking Through the Eyes of a Killer - the HP one!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Most, yes. I want the readers to know how much I appreciate them and the time they took to leave me a message. There's actually one in my inbox I need to reply to!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I tend to wrap up my stories with a positive ending, but I suppose the angstiest ending goes to

Love in the Age of Calamity

There's no way it couldn't, although I personally love the ending (even thought it did make me cry when I wrote it) and hope to write a spin-off (maybe next year) about Aryll and the court poet, who I named Carik (but Link thought his name was Carrot)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

My Hylink story Adore I wrote for Zelink Week 2023. It's 5 chapters of angst and 2 of marital bliss (I do wish it had gotten a bit more traction on AO3. I was pretty proud of it when I wrote it) many thanks to my beta @fioreofthemarch!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet! I only have 14 dedicated readers and they're all so lovely, and leave positive comments. TYSM!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Um, not until recently 😂🤣 I wanted to try my hand at smut with I Belong to You (which was supposed to be a one-shot)

So it does have some smut in it, but honestly, it's story driven and the steamy scenes add to the story, characterizations, and motivation. I actually am very proud of this story and think it's the best thing I've written to date. And many thanks to my fantastic betas @hyylia and @zeldaelmo

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

No. Although I do think you could easily write a cross-over with Legend of Zelda and Adventure Time.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No. My stuff isn't that good 😂

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I would like to with someone who is good at transitions, etc. Sometimes it will take me days to wrap up chapters because my mind goes completely blank when it comes time to write sequels to a scene 😭

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Zelink. It's the ship that brought me back to writing.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Well...my current WIP Captain Link Araki and the Harbinger of Destiny is giving me a WORLD of trouble, but I do love the character of Link I've created for it, so I'm going to try my hardest to complete it by the new year!

I have a HP WIP I started, and will probably never complete. It was an expansion of a short story I wrote called Aphrodite's Destiny (which I still absolutely love, even though the writing is probably not polished)

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and characterization (at least, that is what I think my strengths are! My readers may disagree!)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Descriptive writing (like the setting, lighting, what the characters are wearing, etc) that isn't boring or like reading a list! I worked on it in I Belong to You and hope I can continue to incorporate what I learned in my future stories.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Hmmm, I haven't thought much about that. I did include some song lyrics in I Belong to You that were in French and were supposed to represent the Rito language, but I included Zelda's thoughts about what those words meant.

I suppose if I were to write dialogue in another language, I would write the dialogue in italicized English but reference that they're actually speaking in another language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

HP

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

My favorite story is my current one - I Belong to You I'm not going to lie, I love my Link and Zelda in this story so much!

My second is my short story for HP - Aphrodite's Destiny

I think I'm supposed to tag some ppl?!! I tag @fioreofthemarch @cooking-with-hailstones @aurathian and @hyylia I know you all are busy and probably don't have the time! 😅

Layers: Escher Strange

Tumblr failed to notify me that @yvesoix-sellemontiere tagged me. How dare.

WARNING: Mildly NSFW.

LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE

—–

Name: “Escher.”

Strange isn’t his real surname so he avoids using it when he can.

Eye Color:  “Yes, it’s pink. Your point?”

A DIY fantasia potion gone wrong gave him one purple eye, though there may be other aetherial reasons behind it.

Hair Style/Color: : “Of course it’s naturally pink, I got it from my grandfather! I used to keep it short, but one day it grew out and I looked into the mirror and-”

He absolutely did inherit the pink hair from his grandfather, though Tia is convinced it’s actually lime green. He never keeps his hair long at the back, only in front.

Height: “The fates are fair - what I lack in height, I compensate elsewhere. >)”

He’s like 175 cm max. Not min height, but what I’d ideally like to be. As for compensating, he’s just slightly larger than the average midlander (7 ilms approx). 

Clothing Style: “My family never had a reason to dress finely but now I do, and you bet I’ll milk it for all it’s worth.”

His regular MSQ glam is the screenshot above: Scion Adventurer’s Jacket + Pants, Expeditioner’s Thighboots, Leonhart Gloves, all in Jet Black Dye. Depending on his mood he’ll go full ham or something subtler but still stylish. He doesn’t look too good in baggy stuff so it’s mostly fitted.

Best Physical Feature: *Flips hair* 

I initially picked his pink hair for shits and giggles, but it’s started to grow on me, and his face looked surprisingly good once I removed his facial hair. I know this because the FFIV subreddit confirmed it.

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

—

Your Fears: “Have you seen Tia when he’s angry? Trust me when I say you don’t want to make Tia angry.”

He’s still scared of sharp things to the face, though it’s slowly being replaced by Tia.

Your Guilty Pleasure: “How does one feel guilty from pleasure? That makes no sense.”

He’s always been the sort to do what he likes when he likes. Getting copious amounts of sex in Eorzea was just the cherry on top of the cake.

Your Biggest Pet Peeve:  “When people just aren’t open to new things. It’s just for science, you’re not going to die! ...Okay maybe you might die a little, but think of what you’ll contribute to the future!”

Your Ambition for the Future: “I said I’ll prove that one man can cause a calamity, and I intend to see it through. But after I taste test Tia’s cookies. It’s not a metaphor for anything, gods damn it!”

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS —

Your First Thoughts Waking Up:  “Did I burn anything last night, and am I in the correct bed?”

What You Think About the Most: “How well would this burn?”

What You Think About Before Bed: “Have I done all that needs to be burnt today?”

You Think Your Best Quality Is: “My ability to focus.”

He gets quite easily distracted, but once he finds something to hold his attention (usually fire), he concentrates at the expense of all incoming danger.

LAYER FOUR: WHAT’S BETTER?

—

Single or Group Dates: “It’s hard to excuse ourselves to commit extremely silly and reckless crimes if we’re in a group. Manners and everything.”

To be Loved or Respected: “Respect. Anybody can be loved. Respect must be earned.”

Beauty or Brains:  *Looks at Tia* *Looks at Kieo*  “...Beauty. I have enough brains for the both of us.”

While not book-smart, his partners make up for it with a LOT of common sense/street smarts to get him out of trouble.

Dogs or Cats: “...Cats.”

Tia is a Moon Keeper Miqo’te while Kieo was a half-Keeper Elezen. Escher confirmed to have Chiao Churu treats in his blood.

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU?

—

Lie: “If I lie, I’d have to lie to you now, and then what would be the truth?”

Believe in Yourself: “Of course. You can’t do explosions otherwise.”

Believe in Love:  "I’m going to die horribly if I say no, aren’t I?”

Want Someone: “I already have Tia. What’s left to want?”

LAYER SIX: EVER?

—

Been on Stage: “Tia won’t let me. Something something set the stage on fire. Pussy.”

Done Drugs: “Haven’t found the right one for me.”

Changed Who You Were to Fit In: “I didn’t do it in the Studium, I’m not doing it anytime soon.”

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES

—

Favorite Color: “Black. Pink. Blackpink. Heehee.”

Favorite Animal: “Tia- hey ow! It’s true, you have cat ears and- OW! Not the face!”

Favorite Food: “I’m Sharlayan, my taste buds are too dead to like anything.”

Favorite Game: “The game where I burn everything and see if nothing lives- what?”

LAYER EIGHT: AGE

—

Day Your Next Birthday Will Be: 6th Sun, 4th Astral Moon (July 6)

How Old Will You Be: “Add 5, carry 4, square root of 7.43 factored by 12...TIAAA, how old am I again?!”

32 at ARR, 34 by Shadowbringers. Escher is just phenomenally bad at math (except things that require gil transactions).

Age You Lost Your Virginity: “I’m not counting the one that happened at 18 because I don’t remember anything, so....add 7 to the power of 3.4....KIEOOO how old were we when we did it on your dad’s bed?!”

When he was 18 he drank spiked punch at a graduation party and woke up naked between a male Elezen and a fem Roe. Since he can’t remember a thing, his reasoning is “if I don’t know it happened, it probably didn’t happen.” The other virginity loss was at 32 at the First Steps, a hostel/guild for new adventurers. Nobody talks about it. Ever. (Like IC don’t go and talk about it, this incident actually caused mild OOC drama. 💧)

Does Age Matter: “As long as the FBI isn’t on our lawn. Tia, what IS an FBI?”

LAYER NINE: IN A BOY OR GIRL

—

Best Personality: “Someone said this about my taste in partners: Gay, feral, powerful, and slightly dumb.”

Best Eye Color: “Rolanberry red.”

Tia’s eyes are red.

Best Hair Color: “Pink, duh!”

Best thing to do with a Partner: “Sitting at a high point watching the world burn, like cuddling in front of a roaring fireplace. And then we eat cake.”

LAYER TEN: FINISH THE SENTENCE

I love: “The heat in my face from a massive explosion.”

I feel: “Warm. And fuzzy. Is there alcohol in this drink?”

I miss: “The friends I lost, the hearts I burned. I’ll never be able to heal that.”

I wish: “To burn the world. What, you thought it was ever going to change?”

----

And done! *flop*  Tagging @finallyfancy14​, @fenrishion​, @aelyriawindrunner​ and @forthyn​ because I don’t have enough FFXIV friends on Tumblr (should everyone be glad though...?).

Serena Plays: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Completed “The Road Home, Besieged” and “Akkala Tower” Chapters today. My thoughts below the cut so people can avoid spoilers!

(Today is not 90% Revali focused for once...but only because he didn’t have much of a part in these two Chapters XD)

The Road Home, Besieged

Opening cutscene: TINY EGG GUARDIAN (TEG) IS SINGING ZELDA’S LULLABY? I actually had to look the song up on Youtube because I was like ‘Is that-?’ And yes it is!’

Zelda is the one having flashbacks now, instead of Link, which is a nice change of pace. She knew TEG when she was a kid? Oh that’s kind of interesting!

I know Revali didn’t even have speaking lines in the opening cut scene, but it was so nice that they animated him separately flying up into the air and reading his bow- he looked so cool!!!! (They could have so easily just put him down with everyone else)

Gameplay: It honestly felt kind of strange to be locked down to one character after being able to switch around freely for so long? That said I find Link very easy to use so I had to issue with being stuck with him.

End cutscene: I’m kinda sad we didn’t get to see the Champions going through the ceremony to become Champions again, or the group photo, but I can see why they would choose to skip those scenes as we already saw them in the main BotW game. (I will have all the Champions content thank you- I don’t mind the same scene but from a different perspective!)

Impa chasing around after TEG was adorable and made me laugh. Her voice actor nailed that performance- she sounded so irritated!

I loved seeing Revali trapped in the middle as Impa tried to get to TEG while TEG used him as a Rito-shield. That was just great!

Revali deciding to fly away from their nonsense was such a him thing to do- and him calling back over his shoulder and saying ‘That’s so Asanine?’ BRO. They *had* to have put that in because they know we all loved the way Revali used that word in BotW. They must have- right?

Akkala Tower

That was a long opening cut scene. Actually it was like 3 cut scenes back to back. You know how I know it was long? I put my controller down when I started watching and the screen dulled into ‘power saving’ mode before it finished! XD

Game play was fine- got a little ‘fetch questy’ with the ‘protect the 5 Ancient Furnaces’ and then ‘Now you’re on the opposite side of the map, please go *back* and activate them’.

Getting to actually see Akkala Citadel was rad.

Not much really to say about this Chapter, it was fine (could have used more Rito XD)

I spent quite a bit of time doing the ‘in-between’ mini games to power up my characters. I don’t know about everyone else, but I find that whatever the ‘recommended level’ is for a Chapter/Mini Game, I have to add like at least 5 levels on top of that or I’ll find myself just *barely* scraping through.

Side note: I’m sure that in one of the live-play demo’s for the game they said each character has a favourite food and they’ll react to it? (Maybe I just dreamed it up?) If so I need to find out what Revali’s is because so far everything I feed him he scoffs at and then basically says it was ‘passable’ when he actually eats it. What if your fav food Revali- I will find out. (I checked and it’s not the boiled egg- I did wonder if they would make that his fav for the lols)

My Top 5 Games of 2020

As we are about to move on to 2021, thank gawd, there are many things to reflect on, but my content is escapism, so I’m not about to get all deep in that right now. Instead let’s talk about the thing that probably helped millions of people survive 2020, video games! Here are my Top 5, and oh boy, I wouldn’t be surprised if I got some hate for this. Minor rules for this, no remasters, definitive editions, ports to other systems or anything of that sort will be on this list, because they deserve their own lists. whether or not I write them. No PS5 games will be here, and I mean anything that’s on PS5, because I didn’t get one, and I didn’t play anything that’s on PS5 either, even if it had a PS4 version, so I can’t count those on this list, because that would be cheating. Oh and, if you’re wondering why it’s only a top 5, it’s because I spent more time playing older games and growing my games collection this year, than actually playing new games. So, yeah let’s get into it. 

5. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

I am honestly shocked this is here, but whatever reason, I love this game. Everything from the visual style, to the combat, to even exploring the semi-open world is great. One thing that really shocked me about this game, was the sidequests. Not all of them were great, and of course there were fetch quests all over the place in this game, but the ones I really enjoyed, were the quests where they went into the characters depths of the characters from the anime, by having quests themed around things they would do. Even if they were sometimes joke storylines like Yamcha getting into trouble with girls because that’s something he would do. I even liked the car driving quests, even if I think the stats were maxed out a little too easily. The main story is of course, pretty typical because it’s one we’ve seen a thousand times before, but even then, if it’s a story you like, it can be enjoyed because it’s more in depth there than any games in the series has been in the past. DBZ Kakarot does everything with the story that the Legacy of Goku games did back on the Gameboy Advance, but for the modern era, and I loved every second of it. 

4. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. 

Another shocker for me personally, because I’m not the biggest fan of...Breath of the Wild (not what you were expecting to hear was it?) but I really liked Age of Calamity. One thing that can often feel daunting in Warriors games, is the branching paths system that some of them use, and also, surprisingly, how much levels can matter in them. In Age of Calamity, the branching paths were not there, at least not in the typical sense, avoiding that problem for me, and if levels do matter, they managed to avoid that one by having several smaller missions for characters to do that were great for leveling them up without you having to spend all your rupees to catch them up, which also meant not having to spend as much time grinding for money as some warriors games have you do. The story of Age of Calamity is also fantastic, doing a much better job of making players care about the champions, and their closet friends and allies than Breath of the Wild did. Zelda isn’t always that focused on story in it’s games, despite having some good ones in the past, but Age of Calamity, really did a good job of it, and is probably the first game in the series to make me actually get emotional. It’s an impressive feat through and through, and it makes the warriors format work for it, by having everything take place during a war. It’s a complete package of a game, that is a thrilling and unique experience, never really seen in a warriors type game. 

3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. 

If you know me, you might be shocked to hear that this game is only number three for me, but it is. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not fantastic! The culmination of over a decade of games, met an amazing conclusion in this final instalment of the Cold Steel arc. I know this game has it’s detractors, but I don’t see why. The story is fantastic, the character moments are numerous yet not overwhelming or pushy, as they just make sense within the story itself. The combat is as good as always, and despite the change in VA’s for the English release, the acting is as good as it’s always been. To finally see a story come to a conclusion that is built up so well, that has spent so much time making sure it gets everything as right as it possibly can, is a reward all it’s own, and there’s something to be said about finally seeing some characters get what’s coming to them, after years of feeling like it was so close, but never happened. Characters like Juna, Kurt, Rean, Lloyd, Estelle, and so many others, working together was a fantastic sight, and if you’re wondering why I’m focusing in on characters so much, it’s because they are what make The Legend of Heroes what it is, and they are the reason this series is so engaging. I loved every minute of this experience, and the only reason it’s not number one, is because somehow, two games came out this year, that shocked me to my core. Make no mistake though, any of these top three games could have ended up as number one. 

2. The Last of Us Part II

And here is where the controversy really starts. The Last of Us Part II needs no defense, because those that have an issue with it, seemingly either didn’t finish the game, or were spoiled on it, and couldn’t look past what they heard, instead of what they could have felt playing it. The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece. It tells a special kind of story that really only works in the world it exists in, it has some of the best written characters ever, new or old, it has some of the most wonderful levels ever created in gaming, and unlike the first game, is truly a horror experience. I wouldn’t by any means say it’s better than the original, I think that would be foolish to say, but it stands as one of the greats not only in this generation, but in gaming in general. The deaths in the game are done in a way that makes sense, that adds to the plot in a way that helps you feel the sense of loss that the characters feel. Yes, there is one death in it that will forever leave many people upset, but how it’s explained, how it makes sense that it happens, is nothing short of amazing. The Last of Us Part II, is nothing short of amazing, and I loved every second of it. I do wish that Naughty Dog had managed the game better, and it’s going to be hard to enjoy anything from them in the future if they don’t, but I can’t deny, that the game that actually had me sobbing through the credits, isn’t one of the best games ever made, because it is, and I feel sorry for anyone who didn’t understand that. 

1. Ghost of Tsushima. 

I. Loved. This. Game. It may not have the best story of any game on this list, in fact, I think the ending actually takes away from the real life event that it’s based on, but everything else about it is as close to perfect as you can get. The beautiful world, the fact that you can really tell that culture was priority number one when building the world this game has, just sets it apart from everything else. The fact that the combat is the most engaging combat of this year, is almost just a plus, because everything else was just so perfect. Ghost of Tsushima is a reminder that sometimes, gaming can really surpass just being a form of entertainment, but also a fun way to learn about culture. The beautiful world of Tsushima, is something that cannot be properly explained, but that has to be experienced. The fact that I played the game, and at times only felt like I was playing a game, instead of living in a world different from my own, when certain missions would come up that reminded me of that fact, the engagement was just that intense. I was absorbed into the world that Sucker Punch created, and I enjoyed every last second of it. The characters that were there, the deaths that happened, everything that was experienced in Ghost of Tsushima was to me, absolutely perfect, and for that, it wins my top spot, as my personal game of the year. I said earlier that any of the top three could change places, but honestly, that isn’t really true. Nothing comes close to GoT, and who knows when something ever will again. 

And that’s my list, did I leave out any of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below, try not to hate me too much for leaving out Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and leave me a note with your opinions. Have a fantastic day.    

Top Ten Games of 2020

This year being the shitshow that it was, I ended up playing quite a few games I missed out on last year! First though, my lists from the previous years:

2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019

I like having my actual top ten being games that came out the year of but here's a few games that would have been on my list last year if I had played them:

Control

Really fun gameplay and a great weird world to play around in that scratched that weird cryptid/scp itch in a really satisfying way. I still have the final DLC left but I'm excited to do a full replay of the game at some point down the line

Outer Wilds

This game was worthy of all the praise it got last year and more. Amazingly crafted clockwork world with great lore and characters and an absolute blast to explore and get lost in- and then explore and get lost in- and then explore and get lost in- and then explore and get lost in- and then explore and oh damn is that a singularity cool I wonder what happens if I- and then explore and get lost WOAH there's two of me now!

I wish I could forget this game and play it for the first time all over again.

Honorable Mention:

Ghost of Tsushima

This game is an absolute blast to play and has some of the best seamless open world navigation I’ve experienced in the genre. How much I love playing the game is however at odds with how much I LOATHE its absolute horseshit main story. Might check out the multiplayer mode some time since it’s all the stuff I liked and none of the bad stuff.

Now for the actual list:

10. Man Eater

This game scratched a deep PS2/PS3 B game itch that I've had since probably the last Saint's Row game came out. It's nothing special but I had a really fun time with this weird, bite-sized(heh) comedy game.

9. Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori 2 is in every way a massive improvement from the first game. The mechanics feel tighter, the level design is a lot more open and freeform, the writing feels sharper and the addition of tons of new characters with lots of dialogue helps flesh out this very beautiful world the designers at Moon Studio have crafted. I played this game on Switch and it played pretty smoothly though it was extremely jarring seeing XBOX GAME STUDIOS upon loading the game up on a Nintendo console.

8. The House in Fata Morgana: Reincarnation

This epilogue to the previous two visual novels did a fantastic job of closing out all the characters personal arcs and rounded out the story in a really good way that didn't choke me up at all, shut up.

7. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Now here's one I didn't expect to get sucked into as much as I did. There are a lot of plot expectations coming into this game from Breath of the Wild and it takes no time at all for HW2 to subvert the shit out of them. It toes the line really well between being both a prequel and a pseudo sequel really well and the combat is that good chunky big musou stuff I love. It also doesn't have any Imprisoned fights so it's immediately better than HW1.

6. Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Speaking of pseudo sequels... This game was just an absolute blast. The combat is hectic and strategic in a really satisfying way. The way it fleshes out all the characters from the early parts of FF7 while also having kicking rad world building and a few(not enough) new areas entirely ruled and much like HW2 it absolutely loves to set up expectations from the original game and flip them on their heads. I can't wait to see this shit go off the rails in the eventual sequel.

5. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

I have like 300 hours logged into this game at this point. I've never been much of an AC guy but boy did this game luck out by coming out just in time for me quarantining at home for 7 weeks. I don't really have a lot to say about the game itself, I'm just glad I had it to occupy my time during the start of this hellshow.

4. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4

This game has some of the highest highs in the Trails series along with some of the absolute lowest lows. It's an absolute mess especially on the romance side of things but CS4 also wraps up longstanding plot threads from like 7 games prior with surprising amounts of finesse so the pros ended up outweighing the cons for me overall. This series was a core example of scope getting out of hand over and over. In a world where these games are tighter paced and end up being the 2 games they planned instead of 4 I could see this being a top contender. Sadly that wasn't the case. 

Now that the arc of these games is over I'm excited to see if they can return to form with the next one.

3. Hades

Amazing combat, amazing writing, well integrated roguelite elements and plot, dope ass music, this game's got it all baby. The amount of variety and build potential on hand makes me constantly excited to hit up a new run.

2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

Take all my complaints out of the CS4 blurb and this (finally) fan-translated version of the first game in the second Trails arc is what you get. This game had some of the best worldbuilding in the series due to it taking place entirely in one huge Hong Kong style city. It closed out a major and extremely emotionally satisfying plot thread from the first 3 games and ends on such a fantastic high note of a finale. Trails fans who haven't touched Crossbell yet, don't miss out!

1. Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Why is Yakuza 7 my favorite game of the year? It’s not the brand new, huge city to explore filled with stuff to do. It’s not the shift to JRPG combat that works extremely well in context and gets really fun by the end of the game. It’s not the fact that this is easily the funniest game I’ve played all year, and hell, maybe ever. It’s also not the way the game perfectly closes out the Era of the last seven games while ushering in a new, extremely exciting one.

It’s because the new protagonist, Kasuga Ichiban, is not Kazuma Kiryu.

Let me back-up for a sec. This game’s biggest change above all else is the shift to a new protagonist. Now, for a Yakuza game, having a different protagonist isn’t normally a huge deal; we had new guys in 4, 5 and Judgement. But they all functioned within the narrative framework established by Kiryu.

Kiryu is a character whose core philosophy I feel can be broken down into one sentence: Don’t let anyone stand in the way of you living your life the way you want to live it. Every main story in Yakuza 0-6 revolves around this philosophy, as do most of the substories. Kiryu only gets involved in a game’s main story when he has no choice, because something is threatening the life he wishes he could be living. Hell, if anything, you could argue his ending in 6 is him finally accepting he can’t have the life he wants if he wants the people in it to be safe.

So when RGG studios created a new protagonist, built around a whole new combat style, they also had to change the philosophy behind their storytelling.

Kasuga Ichiban is a character who, after this first game at least, to me has a core philosophy of: Everybody deserves to be alive, to be seen, to be helped and to be understood. The changes this brings to the story are incredible and lead to one of the most emotionally satisfying games I’ve ever played. 

Sure, this is a Yakuza game, with it’s typical conspiracies and crime melodrama, but it’s also a game about the dehumanization of homeless people and sex workers. A game about the rampat mistreatment of immigrants and elderly people. A game about the dangers of rampant puritanical nationalism.

That it manages to be all those things so loudly and proudly is something that could only happen with a loud, rambunctious, heart on his sleeve type of guy like Kasuga Ichiban driving it.

Also the reason it’s a JRPG now is because he’s a huge Dragon Quest nerd, and you get to summon a crawfish named Nancy to kill people. Game of the Year.

exotics make the noise, boys, but legendaries do the work.

After so many posts celebrating Destiny’s exotics I feel compelled to pay tribute to the other, far larger portion of the weapon pool: the legendary gear that pulls its weight all day every day. These are my top five all-arounders, the weapons I infuse up first, the ones I go to when I don’t know what I’m going up against. These are:

Blast Furnace / Hammerhead

Type: Pulse Rifle / Machine Gun

Slot: Kinetic / Heavy (Void)

Perks: Outlaw+Rampage / Dynamic Sway Reduction+Rampage

Kills: 16827 / 8697

Two of the Black Armory’s pieces, the Blast Furnace pulse rifle (shown here with the Verdigris shader) and Hammerhead machine gun (Amethyst Veil shader) still pull their weight a year after their introduction. Falling squarely on the scifi end of Destiny's scifi-fantasy spectrum, Black Armory weapons are easily recognized by their sleek-but-practical look, not flashy but new and designed and manufactured with great care. They have open straight-edged cowlings with visible internals and usually show traces of the Black Armory’s signature moiré-pattern animation.

Blast Furnace superseded Forsaken’s Go Figure pulse rifle (another of my go-to kinetics) with better stats in pretty much every column. The pulse rifle archetype is already one of Destiny’s best and Blast Furnace’s great stats, great perk pool, good chatter, and friendly sights - not to mention the ease of farming for the roll you want by completing Black Armory weapon frames instead of hoping for a random drop - plant it squarely in most Guardians’ top 10 if not 5. My chosen roll is Outlaw (reload much faster immediately after a precision kill) and Rampage (damage increases with each kill, stacks up to 3x), a classic top-tier perk set.

Hammerhead was one of the first non-exotic machine guns introduced and its decent range (here extended by Ricochet Rounds), 59-round clip, and fast-but-not-too-fast 450 RPM fire rate put it right at the sweet spot where it performs well against both large numbers of weaker enemies or a handful of powerful ones. It also fares well in PvP where heavy ammo is very rare and Hammerhead’s ability to put paid to a Guardian in 5 or 6 solid hits means you get more effective bang for your heavy ammo crate buck. My Hammerhead features Rampage and Dynamic Sway Reduction (holding down the trigger boosts accuracy over time) which doesn't come up much when firing short bursts but helps a lot when pouring an entire clip into a boss’ crit spot. Whenever I’m running an Energy-slot exotic or if I just don’t want to think too hard about my loadout, it’s a good bet I’ll throw on one or both of these weapons.

Subtle Calamity

Type: Bow

Slot: Energy (Void element)

Perk: Dragonfly/Archer’s Tempo

Kills: 11806

Subtle Calamity (Clouds At Sea shader) has no great lore or storied manufacturer behind it; it’s a general world loot drop added in Forsaken. And it’s great. I was already pumped for the addition of bows and Subtle Calamity ended up hitting the sweet spot for daily use. With bows the key stat is draw time; longer draw times equal more power but also, well, longer draw times. Hence why I went for the perk Archer's Tempo, which decreases draw time as you land precision hits. It also has the Dragonfly perk, a flashy ability I like probably more than it deserves, which causes enemies killed with precision hits to explode into AoE elemental damage. Bows are a lot of fun, occupying the middle ground between Auto Rifles and Sniper Rifles that Scout Rifles were supposed to fill, and given how lousy I am with snipers if I need to land precision hits I'll usually go for a bow instead.

In-universe, what's the explanation for Guardians suddenly getting into bows? It's because of the events of Forsaken and the Guardian push into the Tangled Shore and Dreaming City i.e. into more regular contact with the Awoken, for whom it's a culturally-significant weapon - something like a claymore to a Scot or a katana to the Japanese. More pragmatically when the Awoken first returned to our solar system and settled in the lashed-together space derelict habitats of the Reef they faced the problem of using weapons inside said space habitats as well as launching cables and small satellites. Their solution was bows: strong enough to fly far, carry payloads, and deal damage, but unlikely to pierce a hull and far easier to manufacture than firearms. Awoken Corsairs still use bows as near-silent precision weapons in actual combat, relying on technologically-advanced payloads to deal the real damage. Or not so advanced - Sjur Eido puts a broadhead arrow through an inch of Guardian plate armor with little more than determination, skill, and the properties of whatever magical material Wish-Ender is made from.

Tigerspite / Age-Old Bond

Type: Auto Rifle / Auto Rifle

Slot: Kinetic / Energy (Void)

Perks: Outlaw+Kill Clip / Rampage+Fourth Time's The Charm

Kills: 14623 / 11863

Though they come from different sources in-game, I’ve grouped these two together because they’re both Awoken weapons. Age-Old Bond (Circadian Chill shader) drops from the first encounter of the Last Wish raid while Tigerspite (Night’s Chill shader) comes from activities in the Dreaming City. I love both of these weapons and use them all the time even when they’re not ideal for the situation at hand. Tigerspite, like the rest of the Dreaming City weapon set, has an elven high-fantasy style featuring cloth wrappings (?) and long, sinuous curves. The Last Wish raid set has a similar aesthetic but goes for a combination of carved-bone paneling and animated celestial diagrams that recall Awoken tech displays.

Fun lore note: Tigerspite is one of the few non-exotics to be mentioned by name in the lore. Sjur Eido selects a Tigerspite for one round of her duel with Uldren Sov back in the Distributary. It gets referenced again as a standard Awoken weapon after their return to our solar system, so it’s had quite the service life. Tigerspite’s stats were superseded a while ago by newer auto rifles but I love its sights and feel and keep using it anyway. Outlaw (faster reload on precision kill) and Kill Clip (increased damage immediately after reloading after a kill) are a classic weapon perk combo that’s always in season. Also I’m pretty sure a cat gave me this gun. Not a cat-cat, a Dreaming Kitty, one of the nine adorable stone cat statues hidden in the Dreaming City. While doing Dreaming City activities you’ll sometimes pick up an item called “A Small Gift,” a dish of something that “smells faintly of mint.” Since catnip is a member of the mint family, that’s your hint to bring that gift to your nearest Dreaming Kitty. Doing so rewards a weapon and causes the chosen statue to disappear. I’m pretty sure the first or second kitty I ever found gave me this specific gun, which just seems appropriate given its name.

Age-Old Bond is a special weapon to me. It comes from the first fight of the Last Wish raid, an encounter with the Taken Techeun Kalli, the Corrupted, and was the first fight I ever completed with my informal raid crew named “World’s Worst Fireteam.” Last Wish released at 550-590 light at a time when most Guardians were still trying to crack 530 and thus could barely handle redbars on raid day one. We were like most Guardians. But we were unlike most Guardians in being stupid and stubborn, and so we went into the raid anyway, because if we couldn’t get World First, we could still get World’s Worst. We never had a chance at the full raid, but after great struggle and great teamwork we finally managed to bring down Kalli and net ourselves our first Last Wish raid drops. For me that drop was this specific auto rifle - which is not just sentimental, but actually special. Some legendary weapons in Destiny have “curated” rolls, perk and stat combinations chosen by Bungie to be top-tier if not the best possible. Anytime you get a weapon drop you have the chance to get a curated drop instead, which comes fully-masterworked with those chosen perks. Age-Old Bond’s curated roll was the only one at the time with the new Fourth Time’s The Charm perk; when you land four rapid precision hits (they don't have to be sequential) it refunds two rounds directly back to the magazine. This does more than you might think for the weapon’s versatility, since if you’re pouring fire into a single target’s crit spot (i.e. a boss) it effectively gives the weapon 50% more clip i.e. a solid 48 rounds before you have to reload. It won’t replace a Heavy or high-DPS weapon anytime soon, but it’s pretty handy in a tight spot. The other perks on the curated roll max out Age-Old Bond’s range stat compared to other auto rifles, one of the dump stats of that archetype, and with a Counterbalance Stock mod to reduce recoil it’s practically a trace rifle.

I do favor these five weapons, but I also try to mix it up - I picked these five based on my top kill counts, but that biases it towards Y2 guns that have been in service longer. Plenty of newer weapons routinely turn up in my loadout these days: the pleasant chatter and Demolitionist perks of Outlast, Full Court/Field Prep Love and Death, the delightful new kinetic bow Accrued Redemption, Shaxx's broke-ass Crucible pinnacle weapon The Recluse, last season's snappy Patron of Lost Causes, the 600 RPM bullet-hose Arc Logic, and of course the reliable, venerable Y1 IKELOS shotgun. But in the end the only wrong loadout is one you don't enjoy, and the best choice is whatever you find the most fun.

Noble or Nefarious, some of gaming’s greatest Ninja warriors!

Ninja’s. the warriors of shadow. They lurk in the darkness before striking. Often armed with powers considered magical, or weapons that require great skill. These Ninja are no longer in the shadows, as they are taking the spotlight. As a rule for this list, no Ninja that originate from anime will be on this list, so namely, no Naruto characters. (Also, for anyone who does not know… Kunoichi means female ninja, keep that in mind.)

Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden) One of gaming’s most legendary Ninja. Ryu Hayabusa has gone on several death defining journeys. He has saved the world from men and demons alike. Armed with a wide assortment of weapons and ninjutsu, Ryu dispatches his foes with no mercy. Ryu does not fear death, nor does he hesitate in striking down his foes. In the ninja gaiden series, Ryu fight hundreds of brutal opponents, he utilizes acrobatics and masterful swordplay. In the Dead or Alive series, he relies on skillful hand to hand combat. When not in combat, Ryu is a Curio shop owner and is the love interest of a female American agent. Ryu has appeared in various other games either as a guest character or a cameo as well.

Joe Musashi (SHINOBI) Sega’s response to Ryu Hayabusa. Joe Musashi is one of the main characters of the SHINOBI series. A ninja from the Oboro clan. Joe is half American half Japanese and is quite the skilled warrior. Proficient at ninjutsu and shuriken throwing, Joe has fought evil since his early twenties. Joe is a righteous man who strives for world peace and has clashed with the evil terrorist syndicate Zeed on several occasions. He would eventually become the head of his clan and would continue defending the world from evil.

Scorpion & Sub Zero (Mortal Kombat) Scorpion and Sub-Zero, one of the most iconic rivalries in video games. The Sub-Zero we all know and love is the brother of the original Sub-Zero. Scorpion is a wrath obsessed with revenge and can rarely see past his own anger. Sub zero can control ice and can use it to freeze opponents solid while in battle. Sub-Zero is calm and calculated and is the leader of his own people. He tries his best to be a good leader but is not afraid to bust some heads while doing so. Scorpion is a fallen soul that was given a second chance to enact revenge. While the target of his revenge is Noob Sabot, he tends to target the current Sub-Zero. Scorpion is adept in his knife throwing and has decent manipulation over fire. Scorpion is undead and very angry, rarely listens to reason and tends to be the one who stats fights. In some cases, the two put aside their differences and work together, when that happens they become near unstoppable.

Grey Fox (Metal Gear Solid) Frank Jaeger, also known as Grey Fox is a mercenary turned vengeance fueled cybernetic ninja. Frank made an appearance in the first Metal Gear title as the infiltrator of outer haven, he was captured and rescued by Snake. He would disappear after the supposed Death of Big Boss. In Metal Gear 2 he reappears, this time as Snake’s enemy. Having sided with the real Big Boss, Fox tries to drive Snake away several times but ultimately fails. The two engage in a fist fight and Fox loses and supposedly dies. Later, in Metal Gear Solid, Fox returns in his famous cyborg ninja garb. A man obsessed with fighting Snake once more, he is a rogue card in the Shadow Moses incident. He eventually turns to Snake’s side and dies in the games finale. His death would carry a legacy that plays a large role in MGS4. As a cyborg ninja, Fox can render himself invisible and deflect bullets with his sword. He strongly prefers fighting hand to hand.

Kat and Ana (WarioWare) Not every Ninja is a shadowy warrior that leaves behind a trail of bodies. Kat and Ana are two young ninja in training. Their name is a pun on the word Katana. When they are not in school they are training to become professional ninja, but usually something silly happens in the process. Their microgames in the wario ware series vary from game to game, covering themes such as nature, ninjas and everyday life. They also appear as an assist trophy in the smash series.

Ibuki (Street Fighter) A young Kunoichi in training from the street fighter series. Despite her training, Ibuki acts like a normal teenage girl. She is not to fond of her training and finds it bothersome but takes it seriously nonetheless. She tends to sneak off and skip her duties to do her own thing. She desires to meet cool and handsome guys and will often judge her foes based on the way the look, act and dress. At some point she fights an immortal hermit named Oro, and even though she lost, it was considered her final test and she was granted a pass. She then went to university for ninjas.

Kaede (Onimusha) A ninja assassin who would dive headfirst into combat regardless of the risk. At some point in the past she was sent by an unknown benefactor to assassinate a mane named Samanosuke Akechi. She instead became his ally and eventual lover. The two would travel together over the next couple years. She plays a role in several Onimusha games, usually aiding her lover or searching for him when he went missing. Eventually she would fall in combat at the hands of Gargant. After her death, she is still remembered fondly by her widowed lover.

Rikimaru (Tenchu) A young master class Ninja assassin. Raised and trained by the man who killed his parents, Rikimaru was turned into a deadly warrior since an early age. Stoic and ever so serious, Rikimaru is loyal to Lord Gohda. He has helped quell rebellions and has fought off rival ninja clans to ensure Lord Gohda’s protection. A detached man, Rikimaru is very rarely influenced by emotions. He is skilled in many forms of combat and swordsmanship and is the current head of his clan.

Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy VII) A teenage kunoichi thief who desires to restore her homeland of Wutai. She is one of the secret characters of FFVII and makes her debut by trying to steal Cloud’s materia. A spunky, emotional girl, Yuffie can act quite childish at times. She tends to get on her allie’s nerves but can be a skilled comrade in battle. Yuffie fights with a giant shuriken. As the series goes on, Yuffie grows up and matures a bit but still has an immature demeanor at times. She also appears in Kingdom Hearts as one of Sora’s first allies.

Strider Hiryu (Strider) A master spy and an active Strider agent. Hiryu’s name, nationality and age are all top secret. The most info on him other than his appearance is that he was born in 2030. Hiryu is extremely skilled and collected in combat, often considered to be the top Strider agent to date. Being able to dodge bullets and defeat tons of enemies without showing fatigued, Hiryu is often the one who is left standing. Eventually the other Striders are whipped out, and he is the sole survivor. While he could easily flee, he chooses to fight. It is this bravery and tenacity to survive that make him an excellent Ninja.

Izuna (Legend of the Unemployed Ninja) A 16-year-old kunoichi who is down on her luck. Izuna and her clan were kicked out of their castle because their leader thought Ninja were obsolete. Stubborn and somewhat clumsy, she winds up accidently offending the gods and must go on a quest to set things right. Surprisingly enough, she is a gifted individual that can allow gods to leave their shrines and support her. While not the most skilled ninja on this list, she is a kunoichi nonetheless.

Shadow Man (Mega Man) A ninja robot master who originated from Mega Man 3. A skilled martial artist hwo loves to sneak up on people, Shadow man is surprisingly impulsive. He has a variety of attacks, such as creating a clone or using a smokescreen in battle. His weapon is the shadow blade and he is weak to the incredibly useful top kick. He reappears in several other games as well which further his ninja skills. Shadow man is possibly alien in origin as well.

Wonder White (Wonderful 101) A superhero and a ninja in training. Wonder White, known by his real name Momoe Byakkoin and his other super name, the claws of calamity, is one of the heroes of Wonderful 101. Armed with special weapons passed down from generation to generation, White is a speed oriented fighter. A man who enjoys long entrances and spouting philosophy, he can be somewhat of a nuisance. While calm and cooperative, Wonder White is very talkative… Not very fitting for a ninja.

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Sorry this one took a while. I was sick for the past day or so and typing just wasn’t going to happen. This list took me a while to write as well but hey! Its done! Thanks for reading, next time we will either look at some factory levels, or… If we reach 30 followers (we are at 29!!!) I will start my 5 part follower appreciation special! See you next time!

My Top Ten Films of 2017

1. Moonlight

Moonlight is really something to treasure: possibly the best Best Picture in the Academy’s questionable history. The Oscar hoopla aside, the film has a vibrant and lyrical understanding of race, coming-of-age, parenthood and masculinity. Rarely does a film encompass all themes with such affection, but Moonlight is worth its stamp in film history.

2. My Life As A Courgette/The Red Turtle

If you were in the UK earlier this year, you would’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to catch a double bill of two sublime animated films. And you could see both in under two and a half hours. Every bit of that time is a bold display into what animation has to offer. My Life As A Courgette is a careful story on the rehabilitation of child trauma, and The Red Turtle features breathtaking visuals that almost belong on a canvas.

3. Toni Erdmann

Not escaping the earlier part of this year, Toni Erdmann sounds way too tacky to work: a two hour forty minute comedic drama about a father who goes under the guise of a buffoon, in order to save his daughter from corporate soullessness. What director Maren Ade manages to do is miraculously avoid the mawkishness, which could’ve easily made this film destined to fail. It’s remarkable that it doesn’t. Toni Erdmann is genuinely funny and crushing when it needs to be.

4. Call Me By Your Name

As much as Call Me By Your Name might be guilty of being too handsome in its exposition, it is also a film which soaks in. Whether it is the lush scenery, the piano-spittled soundtrack, or the moving performances (in particular, a star-making performance by Timothée Chalamet), it is a poignant film for which its intelligence is never testy.

5. The Florida Project

Director Sean Baker effectively carries his observations of individuals on the fringe of society into The Florida Project. What makes it accomplished is the ravishing cinematography, which captures Kissimmee as a playground full of beautifully garish motels, and the seamless mix between established actors (like Willem Dafoe) and discovered talent.

6. City Of Ghosts

Morbidly, there are many horribly enlightening documentaries coming out of the woodwork about Syria this past year. From Sebastian Junger’s Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS to the searing Last Men in Aleppo, all of them have their place. City of Ghosts is a draining watch. It unflinchingly captures the trauma of a country and the resident journalists having to sift and endure through one calamity after another. Essential.

7. The Happiest Day In The Life of Olli Mäki

You wouldn’t really be at haste to ask for another film about boxing (especially when it’s in black-and-white), but The Happiest Day In The Life of Olli Mäki is a charming and wonderfully offbeat addition to the genre. Without cliche, it’s the best kind of underdog movie: one with a genuine dose of humanity.

8. Blade Runner 2049

It may take a while to sink, and somewhere further down the line it might be considered one of the best sequels of all time. However, for the moment, Blade Runner 2049 is never short of what it means to be a science fiction film with spectacle and ideas . Even if some of those ideas fall a bit short. To follow on from the prestige of Blade Runner, with even a trace of honour, must be worth something.

9. The Work

One of the most riveting documentaries this year is set in Folsom State Penitentiary, and focuses on a program set up to offer therapy sessions to inmates. It’s as intense as you can imagine; here men are unravelling their intimidating appearances to talk about depression, parental issues and addiction. Whatever way you look at it, expose like this is fascinating.

10. Raw

Not so much a film about cannibalism as it is about sisterhood, identity and (again) coming-of-age. Raw is a delve into the horror of initiations and trying to find a sense of belonging. Ultimately, despite its fiery provocation, it’s a film which cares about its central characters and it’s hard to ignore.

Hi! Just to say, I LOVE your fics! Could you possibly write Things you said on New Year's Eve for Caroline and Gillian? If that's not a good one, then literally any of them will do I'm sure you'll write it perfectly! Thank you

Anon, hope you’re still reading…thank you for kind words and the prompt! Sorry this took longer than anticipated! 

This is a companion piece to “Completely Undressed and Mostly Sober in the South of France.”  @farminglesbian had suggested a continuation of that in some way and since she controls the Lesbian Empire on the European Continent in an Unspecified Rural Location Where They Are Inclined to Wear Lederhosen I must obey or I may never be allowed in Europe ever again.  

This story is a bit of an exercise in style. For dialogue I did not use traditional quote marks. So, you know, it might work, it might not, it’s OK and you can say so, I’m a big girl and I have a lot of wine at the ready, but please don’t be a twat about it. 

This one is post-series 4. 

faithful misrepresentations

i. it’s time to get the brioches

At 5 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, she apologizes for not shaving her legs.

The morning, blue and black with jagged frost etched across a darkened windowpane, rests at the edge of Caroline’s mind. It’s so terrifyingly early that she doesn’t really want to know the time but cracks open a reluctant eye anyway; the bedroom’s digital clock coolly burns a 5:05 on the inside of her eyelids, the blunt serifs morph into an SOS and she thinks, good God, I am awake at 5 in the morning, this is what I get for sleeping with a farmer. Because Gillian stirs warm and restless against her, driven by the undeniable rhythm of blood that always has her racing against the sunrise and who, because she is apparently the master of not only the unwanted spontaneous confession but also the truly baffling nonsequitur, opts not to say good morning but rather randomly and needlessly apologizes for not shaving her legs before this, their trip to France.

Blind as a kitten, Caroline reaches for her and, half-asleep through a tangle of warm limbs, hones in on her calf; the soft hair tickles, the solid muscle undulates, the raspy glory of skin warms Caroline’s palm. There is a scar on this calf, invisible in the dark but vivid in her mind as a distinct but delicate comet tracing a pale horizon. It was, Gillian told her, caused by a jutting, broken spoke on a wheelbarrow.

That’s when I learned not to do farm work while wearing shorts, she had said.  

Caroline replies to the apology by mumbling don’t mind into a pillow; sleepiness translates it into dun mime. She’s cresting the wave back into sleep when she realizes that Gillian is not moving, not rising out of bed with a stretch and a groan and a curse word. Which is odd, because Gillian likes routine. Every morning they’ve been here she’s up before the sun, making herself tea, reading for a bit, and then walking a mile to the village to fetch brioches from a baker amusedly tolerant of an Englishwoman who flirts with her grown son and insists on conversing in rusty French. By the time she returns the brioches are stone cold but she revives them in the oven, makes coffee, and wakes up Caroline by cannonballing onto the bed like a kid on holiday. Winter clings to her skin and clothes but her morning kiss is persistent and sweet and like waking into a warm, summery daydream and not a chilly old French farmhouse lacking proper heat.

She forces herself into a higher level of coherence, clears her throat, firms up a question: You’re not getting up?

Not yet, comes the reply.  

In the dark she aims badly for Gillian’s forehead and gently smashes her palm against a nose.

Are you sick?

No. It’s just—we don’t have much time left. Here, I mean. Want to enjoy it.

They return home the day after tomorrow.

By staying in bed as long as possible, Gillian adds as needless clarification.

Under two blankets and a comforter movement is heavy and surreal, a sluggishly sensual underwater ballet. The blankets move as Gillian slides on top of her, exposing Caroline’s shoulder to a rousing chill, which is briefly warmed by Gillian’s mouth before moving along the inlet of the collarbone toward her breast. She spreads her legs, Gillian settles in between them and presses into her, and even though it’s all so new between them—so wonderfully new, she thinks, as Gillian traces the inside of her thigh—she identifies the variance in tempos and moods better now and knows this time will be slow and sweet and hopefully she won’t bang her skull against the quasi-antique headboard again.

You’re giving up brioches for me?

Nah. I’ll get ’em later. Just delaying gratification, as it were.

So—how delayed is gratification when all you’re doing is merely sublimating it with another pleasure?

Even though they can barely see one another in the porous dark, a bluish outline of morning light traces the contours of Gillian’s face and hair and Caroline can see a hitch of expression, a shift of lines as she smiles.

Shut up, you, she says.

ii. continental beauty

For one horrible aching moment—while wiping down a quartz countertop aged to such an extent that it looks as if it’s survived a hundred years of everyday bacchanals, and this is why housework is dangerous and housewives go mad, she thinks, it sets the mind loose to dwell on so much of life’s chaotic cruelty—Caroline realizes that she never had this opportunity with Kate, that is, a long romantic getaway and not just a mucky weekend at a nearby hotel. Even on that modest level she fucked it up nearly beyond repair. Even on vacation with her husband of eighteen years always she felt—she knew—she was a fraud, nothing but a character in one of his novels. Maybe it’s a sign; maybe it means something. Here in this farmhouse in the Rhone Valley hundreds of miles away from home, she waits for the shoe to fall into a dreaded Grand Canyon of unspecified anxiety.

They spent months not talking about what they needed to talk about. It was easy enough to blame a host of things for this: demanding work schedules involving obstreperous students and sheep, parenting thickheaded boys, coparenting a toddler with a knobhead whose taste in women was obviously on the decline, a bountiful supply of excellent wine from a beautiful young woman who simply would not go away, and complete, sheer cowardice. Acceptance of the status quo has always come easily to Caroline, particularly in this instance because she was getting good wine and properly laid on a regular basis—thus her mother’s interrogations and condemnations, her secretary’s prurient questions (“You have it off with Brokeback Shepherd yet?”), and generally everyone’s bewilderment and clumsy emotional tap-dancing around the subject were all easily ignored.

Then last month, during one of those boisterous family dinners where, as was not uncommon, Gillian looked at her in an indescribably aching way—followed by a self-chastising frown, slight shake of the head, and a protective hunch of her shoulders that seemingly closed off any possibility of rapprochement—Gary announced to all present that renovations to his vacation home in France were finally complete. During this interminable period he had gone from referring to the house as a chateau to deeming it a money pit. It was actually an eighteenth-century stone farmhouse, its interior now as rustically authentic as one envisioned by a nouveau riche entrepreneur from Yorkshire, and Caroline twitchingly recalled Gillian’s proposal earlier in the spring—that they would go there for a few days during the summer and work shit out. But summer ripened and withered away and the promise, representing everything that was seemingly lost between them, lingered bitterly.

After dinner Caroline stood in the doorway of Gillian’s kitchen observing their motley, contented family—Raff playing Legos with Calamity and Flora, Lawrence attempting to show his grandfather and Gary how to play Halo Wars 2 on an Xbox, and Celia, post-two glasses of wine, going on about the life of the theater to the clearly bored yet admirably patient Ellie. She felt Gillian’s presence at her side—churning and restless as a spoon stirring a pot, staring at her feet, then a lamp, then her son, and finally fixing that burning gaze of hers on the woman next to her while the back of her hand glided over Caroline’s knuckles, thus causing the latter to force out a surprising hybrid of a squeak and a gasp.

Let’s—let’s do it, she said. Come with me to France.

Five minutes later they were purchasing plane tickets on the mobile.

Five days into this trip she has learned many things about Gillian: she slavishly embraces routine whenever possible, she likes brioches, she’s reading Middlemarch for the third time now but Caroline cannot imagine why because she herself has never made it past page 50, she’s capable of lingering over a cup of tea and not gulping it down because she’s not running late or has a hundred things to do in a day, she thinks MI6 was involved in Princess Diana’s death, she’s takes no firm side in the great over vs. under toilet roll debate—don’t people have anything better to do than argue about toilet paper? she had said—

—and she is an admirer of great beauty because now she barrels through the door after tromping around the countryside for an hour and breathlessly announces, I’m in love.

Caroline imagines herself unseeded by either the baker’s handsome son or the buxom young woman who works the vineyard nearby, the latter spotted the other day during a wine-tasting tour and whose sumptuous cleavage was the focus of surreptitious glances from Gillian. After half a lifetime of stealthily admiring the physical beauty of women, Caroline knows these covert maneuvers when she sees them. Alas, all she has to counter these continental beauties are certain oral skills and her talent for making a certain orange-ginger biscuit that Gillian loves and who knows, perhaps that will save the day, perhaps even as sun perpetually sets on the English empire all that truly matters is cunnilingus, tea, and biscuits.

I’m confident of your ability to attract, she wants to tell Gillian. But not my ability to hold you.

But while hanging up her coat Gillian starts rambling about a ram, a sheep with a fancy French name. She saw him posing on a hillside, broodingly apart from the herd, a Heathcliff among sheep. His markings and coloring exquisite, his horns symmetrical, his poise exceptional—

Before Gillian can declare herself high priestess of this mythic creature’s cult, Caroline—dimly aware of the unseemliness of jealousy over a sheep—interrupts rudely: What’s it called again? A rum-ball merino?

Gillian rolls her eyes. Rambouillet, she says. She grabs a cup for tea. A Rambouillet merino.

Ripe for plucking, the word hangs in the air and Caroline ravenously seeks its source in a kiss. She holds Gillian’s lower lip gently between her teeth, tongue running the plush length of it, tasting salt and mystery because, frankly, women have always been unfathomable to her.  Sweetly, wonderfully unfathomable. She starts to unbutton Gillian’s thick, lined plaid shirt—only to discover, underneath, a second plaid shirt thin and soft with age. At which she breaks off the kiss and bursts into laughter.

Jesus Christ, you’re like a flannel onion. Layers and layers.

It’s cold, in case you haven’t noticed, Gillian says—also laughing—as she sits the empty cup on the counter.

I’m trying to warm you up, Caroline replies as she sets in on the second flannel layer. In case you haven’t noticed.

Tossing her arms around Caroline’s neck and pulling her into another kiss, another embrace, Gillian says, I’ve noticed.

She doesn’t feel too distressed about fucking Gary’s sister on Gary’s distressed leather couch—burnished leather, she thinks he called it and the color was Churchill cigar—because there is an old blanket on it and as they fall onto it she doesn’t care about much at the moment except the wonderments and sensations of skin and taste, wondering if Gillian has ever called anyone else baby, Caroline can’t quite imagine that she has and would like to reserve that titular honor as her very own, wondering when the last time someone went down on her properly because her reaction and sheer enjoyment of it make Caroline feel like Aphrodite incarnate coming down from on high and she has to cling to Gillian as if she’s riding a rollercoaster by the skin of her teeth.

Afterward she’s sprawled on the couch wrapped in the comforter Gillian dragged out the bedroom, staring at the crisscross of the ceiling’s dark wood roof beams and with her head pillowed on Gillian’s bare thigh. With one flannel shirt back on, Gillian sits cross-legged while drinking one of Gary’s very pricey local Syrahs and pretending to read Middlemarch, pretending because she’s humming, which she usually does while absorbed in the comforting repetition of a task like washing dishes or mending a shirt or soothing a baby and in this instance the task at hand seems to be slowly, rhythmically running her fingers through Caroline’s hair. I like your—your hair, she had said the other day, shy and stammering and nervous after they made love, as if the gentle offering of a compliment would somehow be virulently rejected, and while Caroline loved the sweet awkwardness of it she hated the man who made Gillian terrified of revealing the slightest vulnerability.

She stares at the shadowed, foreboding ceiling beams, thinks that Gary should have picked a wood of a lighter color because the dark beams make her think of crucifixions.

Say it again, she says to Gillian.

What?

The name of the sheep.

Rambouillet.

Oh, she sighs, that’s lovely.

Unexpectedly Gillian drags her finger, damp and dribbling Syrah, across Caroline’s lips, as if soothing an infant with a taste of milk. You’re really weird, she says.

I’m not the one in love with a sheep, Caroline replies.

iii. the search for intelligent ovine life in the Rhone Valley

The afternoon winter sun, useless and pale, emanates as much heat as the moon. They are out in search of the great Rambouillet merino. Gillian insists she needs to get a better photo of the sheep so she can submit it to something called “Google sheep view” and Caroline, who is perfectly fine with not knowing what the hell that is, is nonetheless curious to know what the fuss is about and accompanies her. Leading the mission, Gillian stalks the dirt backroad that runs behind Gary’s farmhouse with her usual dogged, determined pace. She’s been in a bit of a mood since lunchtime and Caroline knows enough to let her be until she’s ready to talk; it’s likely, though, that she dreads the thought of returning home to the questions, the judgments, the expectations that will be laid at their feet.

She trails behind. Outside of the Yorkshire countryside she has navigated most of her life, her sense of direction is rubbish and she hasn’t a clue where they really are. She sighs and burrows deeper into her scarf. It’s the coldest day of the trip thus far. The stiff, expensive boots she purchased for the trip are pinching her toes and the too-high arches dig into her soles. In the distance she sees the vineyard that they visited days ago, the spherical red caps of the buildings distinct against the pale sky, and has a wince-inducing guilty thought about Olga.

Shortly after committing to this journey, she officially ended it with Olga. It was not so much a breakup as an act of disengagement; some days she actually convinces herself of this. Regardless it required some semblance of fortitude to finally override the guilt-ridden, passive-aggressive lust that propelled the relationship on her part. Olga took it well. She also took a case of an amazing Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley that she had initially gifted to Caroline and now presumably would bestow upon another boozy, middle-aged lesbian—or, more likely, her ex—both nonetheless worthy of her considerable charm and refined palate, while leaving Caroline to the tender mercies of a sheep farmer overfond of cheap Lambrusco.

She stops for a moment to look at red roofs jutting into milk-white clouds and dwell in the newness of everything—place and memory, time and love—while accepting the sense of loss that perpetually nips at her heels. Snow flurries waltz to the ground.

Then she notices that up ahead on the road Gillian has stopped and turned around. Head tilted, she critically eyes Caroline as she would a lagging, miscreant ewe—as if to say, come along now.

Grimacing, Caroline takes long strides to catch up. She apologizes on arrival, insincerity muffled through the cashmere scarf.

Gillian carries a long, sturdy branch found earlier on the road. Alternately she’s been using it as a walking stick and brandishing it as a weapon, whacking at husked, brittle weeds lining the road, sadistically poking at stones. Idly she whips it around her body while frowning at Caroline.

What were ya doing back there? she asks.

Contemplating life’s mysteries. Appreciating the sublimity of nature. Oh, and staring at your ass. Not necessarily in that order.

Bashful at the compliment, Gillian lowers her head and grins. Then, wryly: So you weren’t stopping ’cause those boots are hurting you?

Not a bit, Caroline lies.

You’re limping, she says, and then nods in the direction of the winery. D’ya think they send out Saint Bernards with little wine flasks to rescue snotty English bitches who don’t wear proper footwear whilst they wander about the countryside?

That would be marvelous.

Gillian points up ahead at a copse of trees. The gesture is so startling and beautiful and confident that Caroline wants to seize her hand—ungloved, snowflake caught and melting on her thumbnail—and kiss it.

Right up there, she says, past those trees, is a shortcut through the wood to the vineyard. If you can make it, we could walk there. Couple glasses might revive you for the walk home.

And if it doesn’t?

Reckon I’ll have to drag you back somehow.

Cavewoman.

Nah. I’m not that strong, Gillian says with a roll of her shoulders, but I’ll give it a go.

Au contraire.

That’s the first bit of French out of your mouth since we got here.

You’ve been doing well enough for both of us, Caroline says, so why bother? She leans into Gillian, quietly pleased at the arm that automatically wraps around her waist. Then she presses her face into the crown of Gillian’s hair, kisses it, and says, I’ve always believed—she begins shakily, pauses clumsily—always known—you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.

Gillian pulls back and stares at her, unsure if what she’s saying is an obvious revelation or a faithful misrepresentation of the brutal facts that comprise her life. She thinks that Gillian usually skews toward the latter as a default viewpoint, and realizes it may take a lifetime for her to sort it, to undo it. If ever. What surprises Caroline is not this but the belief, settling into her bones and countering her own misguided self-assessments, that she is finally brave enough to be fully present in Gillian’s life.  

On the walk home, both of them tipsy and tired, they see the Rambouillet merino ambling across an open field into the setting sun. And he is beautiful.

Masked - Chapter 1

Read this on FF.net  ☛

If you’ve been following this blog you’ll have read this before. It was originally posted as a one-shot requested by @mewringo13 and I decided to run with it. Here’s chapter 1 - this fic will likely only be 5 or 6 chapters long. And because it’s pre-calamity, it’s rated T. First chapter is a bit short, there’ll be longer after this. :v

Robin Hood.

Not exactly like the one from the fairy tale. At least, there had been no reports of this mysterious Hylian - rumors had it, a Castle Town native - breaking into Hyrule Castle to steal gold and give to the poor. No, his feats tended to be more along the lines of rescuing cats from trees, recovering stolen valuables, delivering medicine or food in the middle of the night. But as of yet, no one had seen his face, or heard his name.

It had been a couple years since the stories began. Whoever it was, the teenage Zelda was grateful for him. The King was stressed, she was stressed, the Sheikah were stressed; the signs of Calamity Ganon returning were clear. No one could deny it any longer. But, as 'Robin Hood' had shown everyone, it was no reason to not continue living; instead, all the more reason to continue helping where you could.

Zelda, on a particularly nice day in the summer, was on her way to Hateno for some errands. The weather was perfect for traveling, and escaping from her Princess duties was so refreshing that she'd spent probably too long wandering through the trees, enjoying the way the sun filtered through the leaves. Her guards, who she had reassured she would meet there, were no doubt worried for her, and searching. After all, evening had settled in comfortably, and Zelda soon found herself in the woods with no sense of direction.

Typically, she wasn't scared. Hyrule had always been a safe place. But monsters could still jump out and surprise her, and her only option would be to run. For whatever reason, maybe to feign confidence or just to break the silence of the encroaching nighttime, she began whistling as she wandered through the trees. This was her land, after all, and she looked after it like no others; avoiding stepping on insects or flowers, touching the trees gently as she passed, and offering her thanks for allowing her to venture within the woods safely.

But even Hyrule had never really been prepared for what Ganon would bring. The Yiga were plentiful in these woods lately, and it was they who revealed themselves to her, stepping out calmly from behind the trees as Zelda found herself in a meadow. Her whistling halted abruptly as she came to a slow stop, trying to count how many lean shadows stood around her.

When she got to five, a hand covered her mouth, and her shriek of surprise was muffled out by the Yiga's strength. The cold metal of his sickle rested at her neck, and she attempted to calm herself - she was the princess, after all, surely they knew that and wouldn't kill her outright - but then again, the yiga weren't in it for money or fame. It was a simple bloodthirsty allegiance to Ganon. Her hands grasped the Yiga's, a tight grip that loosened when he spoke.

"We won't kill you," he hissed, "not here. Master Kohga will deal with you directly, as a ritual to Ganon."

So she had some time. But not much. At least the chances of the guards finding her were higher.

"I think you'll find you won't be killing her at all," a male voice broke out through the trees - definitively not Yiga, Zelda observed, but also not one of her guards. A Hateno native? Maybe another off-duty soldier? Her eyes scanned the woods, but saw no one besides the other clan members, who had begun to creep around in attempt to find the outlier.

The next thing they heard was the unmistakeable whistle of an arrow flying through the air. Zelda barely had a moment to react as the man holding her was struck directly in the forehead; his mask cracked, revealing an aged face, and he fell backwards, knocked out. The sickle fell to the grass next to Zelda, and she stepped away from it and the Yiga hurriedly.

Dismay spread through the other members.

"Quick! Get her!"

"Who's there?"

"Show yourself!"

Whoever it was did not show themselves. More arrows were fired, each finding their mark, even as the Yiga ran at top-speed towards Zelda, hands outstretched. She dodged nimbly as their bodies fell around her, but their numbers seemed endless.

"These guys don't know when to quit," the voice sighed, suddenly much closer - in fact, right behind her. Zelda went to turn to see who it was, but was distracted by another Yiga running directly at the two of them; a hand reached around her waist, pulling her sideways and deftly sliding a rope around and under her arm. Effectively, she had been secured to her savior, but still he didn't allow her a look at his face.

They flew off to the side as he fired a grappling arrow. It propelled them into the woods - a hand reached up to withdraw the arrow from the tree branch it had struck - and a moment later they had hit the ground running.

"Keep up!" he urged, loosening the rope around them to give her more room, and she realised after a moment that the voice was not that of an adult man. He sounded young, like, her age, young.

They ran for what felt like far too long before reaching the outskirts of Hateno. Panting, hands resting on her knees, Zelda was exhausted - but also exhilarated. When she regained her composure and looked to see who had saved her, the young man - just barely her height - had covered his eyes with his hand. Tufts of blonde hair had escaped from his hood, part of a larger poncho that seemed too big on him, caught beneath the leather straps holding his bow and quiver. She cocked her head at him.

"Thank you, stranger," she said, figuring that was the most important thing to start off with. "Please - you know who I am - if you require any assistance, tell me who you are, and I can help you."

"I'm usually the one helping people," the figure replied with a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"Even better," Zelda urged, a hopeful smile on her face, but again he shook his head. The girl frowned.

"At least, tell me your name?"

"It doesn't have the same effect if everyone knows who I am," he replied, and it was then that Zelda noticed he was purposefully keeping his voice quiet. The realisation hit her all at once - good archery, mysterious persona, out at the middle of the night helping people -

"You're the Robin Hood everyone's talking about!" she exclaimed, and the man's head dipped somewhat. "Oh, please - as Princess of Hyrule, let me offer my thank-you for what you do for the people!"

"Your gratitude tonight is more than enough," he replied, and dipped down into a kneel. "I work inspired by you, Princess, and your love for Hyrule. I don't need thanks, or fame, or any other public service."

Zelda was impressed, but disappointed all the same. His hand was no longer covering his eyes, but instead rested on his knee as he stared at the ground near her feet, his face shadowed by his hood.

"If I wasn't Princess, I would join you," she admitted with a sad laugh, not noticing the man's head jerk upwards somewhat in surprise. "I have so many duties to Hyrule, but… to be able to affect people's quality of life directly in such a way, without having to awkwardly accept thank-yous and all the royal proceedings… I'm glad you're taking advantage of it."

"Princess!"

The yells came from her guards, who had been patrolling the outskirts of Hateno. Zelda turned to see them running towards her from the woods, and when she looked back, the young man was gone.

"Are you okay? Who was that? He jumped off into the woods, shall I pursue him?"

"I'm fine, thank-you," Zelda replied, unable to hide her disappointment. "No… that won't be necessary. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Sleep did not come easily for her that night, and Zelda found herself tossing and turning in Hateno's inn, dreaming of arrows and flying through the forest canopy, arm-in-arm with a complete stranger. Curiosity didn't sit well with the Princess, but in time she drifted off to sleep, unaware that Hyrule's Robin Hood would be paying extra attention to her from that moment on.

FEATURE: Ghana’s failure in youth football: The growth we need

Poor pitches with no touch of green in sight, No flood lights or lamp poles, so they play till the night. And no touchlines, just their imagination of where to call it quits. Yes, the bumpy pitches make control difficult when the balls take flight, But the tenacity and strength they build makes them commit. Essien, Muntari, Appiah; yes we admit, Grassroots football was helpful but it’s now pointless.   Now, it’s difficult to be scouted and it makes me hopeless, I wanted to play in the top tier and make mummy speechless but now I’m helpless. Some academies gave me an opportunity but I had to support my family, Picking an injury would have been a calamity so Mummy said “focus on reality”. She made me believe I was chasing a “fantasy”. Yes, I should have tried, but who was I kidding! I had to choose a path that was more certain, Education and football couldn’t find a middle ground. With this trade-off, I had to choose one that was sound Maybe if a better talent development strategy was launched, I could have been the shining light the Black Star needs. Some context:

There are numerous problems in Ghana’s football industry today. From lack of professionalism to administrative issues, to dire financial problems. These problems are affecting the performance of the football leagues and the national teams in international competitions. Ghana’s best performance from her youth national teams dates as far back as 2009 (i.e. Winning the U-20 World Cup in Egypt). Hence we have a lot of foundational work to do.

The neglect of grassroots football (commonly called colts football in Ghana) over the years has crippled the image of the Black Stars and the best clubs in Ghana’s premier league.

As it is impossible to ignore a flat tire, so it is impossible to ignore youth national teams. The words of the poetic piece above highlights the depth of this argument.

For my undergraduate thesis, I interacted with some football stakeholders. I collated data from retired coaches and players to grassroots coaches and players, to help investigate how youth football can be improved in Ghana.

This post will explore the problems from the perspective of the youth football players I interacted with.

Some of the main problems the colt team players battle with include; the worries and drawbacks of “football age”, the trade-off between schooling and a pro-career, and poor training infrastructure.

I gathered these problems from interacting with 10 players across 5 colts teams; Great Corinthians, F.C Glory, Hope Soccer Academy and Biribi (all colts teams in Accra).

Football Age

I witnessed a conversation between a colts team player and a scouting manager from an academy, during an exhibition match earlier this year.

“How old are you?” the Scout asked. “I am 12” said the young boy. “Are you sure?” “I know your Headmaster, if I go to your school and they tell me something different I will sack you!”, the Scout said. The young boy afraid to lose his only shot said, “please I am 14.”

Lying about your age to benefit from opportunities is prevalent in many underdeveloped countries because of poor documentation and accountability. Too prevalent in Africa that, FIFA introduced MRI scans in 2009 to help identify which players were qualified to participate in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations which took place in Tanzania.

In football, age is very important. Players who indulge in this fraudulent act do so to outperform younger opponents in age-restricted competitions, and help them attract club contracts.

According to one of the colts team coaches I interacted with, academy scouts and foreign club scouts are mostly looking for players between the ages of 8–15. Therefore, when the players are above 18, they become a “burden” to their coaches. A burden because such players are usually not attractive to scouts, hence they cannot be traded. The coaches then try to fix the players in local league teams in the lower divisions.

From the data I gathered, most players easily pass off as younger than their actual age because of imbalanced nutrition in their diets. Notwithstanding our poor culture of documentation.

This has cost some “right-aged” children the opportunity to be scouted even when they tick all the right boxes. Luckily, some players are registered with colts teams at the regional level, hence it is easy to refer to their records. That is a good step by the FA. Yet more work needs to be done.

With regards to the size of the pitch, ball size, number of field players, the distance between the goal posts, match duration and many other rules concerning the game, may differ from different age categories (i.e. U8’s, U10’s, U12’s, U13s, U16s U18s and Seniors (18+)).

For example, U7s in England do not have strict referees officiating their games, they do not have to face the disappointment of an offside or a poor goal kick from the goalie, they get 2 attempts to correct a foul-throw and more interestingly they play 5 a-side for 10 minutes a half with unlimited substitution of players. This sounds fun and structured right?! That is what organisation looks like.

In England, there are development matches and competitive matches. An U7s game falls under development matches. The focus is on learning basic skills in football such as passing in close spaces, decision-making, increased attentiveness and increased ball-time. The objective usually does not include “the number of goals scored”.

This ties in with the idea of some colts teams using one brick as a goal post with no goalie, or slippers/stones as a goal post with no goalies.

From what I observed during my research, this is mostly not the case in Ghana. A 12-year-old could be playing against an 8-year-old. In terms of physicality and skill they are most likely not on the same level and it makes evaluations biased and inefficient.

The “inescapable” trade-off

If you are a Ghanaian and you want to make the most of your education and football talent, especially when you are not well connected or “lucky”, you will have to choose between the possibility of dedicating money and time to successfully secure a football career, or focus on schooling for a more certain future.

Considering the special attention young footballers require in developing the fundamental skills a footballer needs, Ghana’s current educational system is not supportive of youth football development.

Most students in Ghana spend 8–9 hours in school from Monday to Friday. Several students in the rural areas support their parents’ trades before and after school. Also, some students in the rural areas must travel long distances to attend school. Others face both problems and discouragement from their parents about their football dreams. Though parents are aware of the success stories of some football stars, they believe the chances are very rare.

Though most colts team coaches encourage their players to go to school, they hesitate to insist when the children’s parents cannot afford. Thanks to Free-SHS, the players can now afford to attend school. Nevertheless, in cases where the location of their schools is far from their training grounds, the players are unable to consistently attend training sessions.

Additionally, most parents in the informal sector would want their children to support them with house chores and their family trades after school. This makes it difficult for young talents to get the attention they deserve from their coaches. How then can we get the next Abedi Pele, Tony Yeboah or Asamoah Gyan?

But are the parents to be blamed?

Some of the players are made to believe that when they make it, education will not matter. Hence, most players quit school after Junior High School and train intensively with their coaches hoping to be scouted to Europe.

From the qualitative research I conducted, some grassroots coaches scout for players across Ghana and camp them away from the children’s parents. One of these teams is Great Corinthians at Abokobi. Some responsible coaches create partnerships with private schools to provide education to their players. Hence, they call themselves “mini academies”. When the players in these mini academies fail to be scouted in football trials or “exhibition matches”, the coaches feel indebted to the children’s parents. The coaches then try to fix the players in local league teams in the lower divisions. As we know, the local league clubs are not well-funded. This pushes most players to take up multiple jobs with the aim of earning a little above their cost of living.

One of the scandalous issues I discovered was that young players had to pay “a small fee” to be enrolled in some football academies in Ghana, after they displayed exceptional skills during their trials or exhibition matches.

From a personal experience in High School, during inter-school competitions, I had to miss classes while my colleagues studied ahead. This trade-off will continue to exist if the relevant stakeholders do not find a well-fortified bridge between education and football talent development.

Poor Training Infrastructure:

In an interview with a retired goalkeeper of the Black Stars, he stated that, “investing heavily in the national teams has affected youth football in the country and the narrative has to be changed to improve football at the grassroots level”. I cannot argue with that.

With the increasing rate of developmental and real estate projects in our communities, the availability of pitches or unoccupied lands are very limited.

The needed infrastructure; quality football turf/fields, top-notch training facilities and stadiums that attract tourists.

It is difficult for colts teams to have access to these infrastructure especially when the local clubs cannot afford such “luxury”. Though some colts teams are funded by foreign scout teams, they still lack some basic but modern football training equipment and accessories like agility equipment, soccer tennis sets, rebounders, crowd barriers, pop up goals and the speed chute.

The amount of sprinting in the English Premier League has increased by 50% in the last 10 years. The matches are infused with high intensity sprinting and increased physicality. The new direction of elite football requires players to have stronger muscles and a higher recovery rate which makes them accelerate and decelerate quickly. This requires special training sessions to suit the individual differences of players. Hence the need for these “modernised” accessories to remain competitive on global grounds.

This is the core problem out of the 3 problems stated above, which limits the progress of Ghana’s youth football. In the interim, I think more investments should be made in the youth teams as compared to the senior national teams.

Some young talents are lucky to be scouted to European clubs through academies. The greater number who do not make the cut, should be most likely to get an opportunity to play in the youth national teams and consequently make up the senior national team. Unfortunately, these local players do not get access to premium training facilities for talent development. Making them unattractive to national team coaches.

Some of these players become a burden to society as most of them do not complete school, hence cannot get descent well-paid jobs. It contributes to a big vicious cycle.

It might sound cliché, but if the foundation is weak, the building can only go as high. Therefore, the Football Association and relevant parties need to seriously consider a talent development strategy, which incorporates honing football skills and providing quality education. This will benefit everyone. People may guess that we should adopt an academy system. Frankly, that is not far from the right path.

In subsequent posts, I will explore more problems grassroots teams face from the different perspective of football stakeholders in Ghana, and how I believe Ghana’s youth football can be elevated to everyone’s benefit.

By Nana Ama B. Ayenor 

source: https://ghanasoccernet.com/

Merry Christmas

                         and Happy Chanuka

******************

The Secrets of Forest Park

When I was a kid in OHS (Class of 63) there was a large bronze plaque on the wall near the entrance of the high school building.  What I remember is that all the names on the plaque were also names of streets in what was one called “Forest Park”. For years I have wondered about those names – but this is a secret because the plaque no longer exists. I am still searching for the “Secrets of Forest Park”.

Israel has been my home since 1963. Here I am retired, but still the author of two blogs about touring Israel. One in Hebrew hoshvilim.com and one in English IsraelandYou.com. This post is on the English language blog so that my friends in Ossining will be able to understand me.

I Grew up on Forest Avenue

My childhood home in Ossining was at 23 Forest Avenue. My siblings and I sold the house after our parents passed away and now there are new immigrantes speaking a different language. What a lovely, quiet, clean street. It was a little United Nations. My Father came from Czarist Russia and my Mother immigrated from Canada. Other families on the block came from so many countries and they all got along together very well. Sometimes the mailman (perhaps I should write “mailperson”?) would leave us the Norwegian language paper instead of the Yiddish newspaper. We had a coal bin for the winter. Bread and milk were delivered by van. We had our own brook to play in. Moms would block off the street after a snow fall so that we could ride our sled from the top of Robert Place all the way down to Park Avenue. My home was in walking distance of Roosevelt School. Officer Whellan helped us every day to cross Croton Avenue safely on the way to school and back. The principal, Mr. Carpenter, a copy of President Lincoln before his beard, would hold fire drills and air raid drills just in case the Commies would decide to send us an atomic bomb. The high school was in walking distance too, although the students’ parking lot began to overflow into the teachers’ lot.

Google Map Street View 23 Forest Ave, Ossining, NY

The Secret Names of the Streets in Forest Park

Calam Avenue was named after the Calam Farm. Calam Avenue was named after the farmer who originally owned the land -Theodore Mackiness Calam and his wife Maria Auser. In Dale Cemetery there is a mausoleum with the name Calam. The Calams later lived at the corner of Croton Ave and Clinton Ave.

Charles Place: Charles E. Hindle, once president of the Cambridge Instrument Company, and one of the men responsible for the development of Forest Park, c. 1920.

Flavelle Place: Flavelle Place was named after Capt. John Flavelle Jenkins, former town supervisor and village postmaster.

Forest Avenue: When Forest Park was developed the road was laid out on the edge of the forest. [“Forest is the 47th most popular street name in the USA.] 

Forest Park: Development from Calam Avenue to Sherwood Avenue ca. 1920

Ferris Place: Ferris Place was named for the William H. Ferris farm that was in the area where the street is located.

Marshall Place: Steven Marshall Sherwood, landowner.

Park Avenue: Street laid out on the boundary line of the Calam and Sherwood properties taken for Forest Park. “Park” is one of the twenty most common street name in the USA. Park is the most popular street name in New York State: there are 451 Park streets in New York State. Park is the fourth most popular street name in NYC.

Robert Place: Robert E. Lent a leading figure in the development of Forest Park.

Sherman Place: Sherman Place named after Gen. W. T. Sherman

Sherwood Avenue: Sherwood Avenue were named after Steven M. Sherwood, longtime grocer and one time president of the Bank of Savings. Owner of the farm where this street is located. One of the barns from the original Sherwood Farm was on the property on Sherwood Ave.

Spaulding Place: Possibly named for developer. [Can any one help me find who Spaulding was?]

Stephen Place: Stephen Place named after Steven Marshall Sherwood, landowner.

Stone Avenue: Stone Avenue named after Sumner A. Stone, New York banker and summer resident.

Ward Place is named after Major General Aaron Ward (July 5, 1790 – March 2, 1867), born in Sing Sing, was District Attorney of Westchester County from 1819 to 1822 and representative in the United States Congress.

It is very interesting to learn the names of the streets in Forest Park, in comparison with Briar Knoll which was also built in the 1920’s: Ramapo, Iroquios, Mohawk, Seneca, Mohegan, and Pocantico. Groups of streets in one area are sometimes named using a particular theme.

The Real Estate Description of my old home

23 Forest Ave, Ossining, NY is a multiple occupancy home  (Duplex (2 units, any combination) that contains 2,280 sq ft and was built in 1920 and last sold for $XXXXXXX. It contains 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.  Nearby schools include Park School, Roosevelt School, Claremont School, Anne M Dorner Middle School and Ossining High School. This area is very walkable — most errands can be accomplished on foot. Transit is available, with a few nearby public transportation options. There is a minimal amount of infrastructure for biking.

Forest Park

The 1920 housing project, between Calam Ave. and Sherwood Ave., was originally called Forest Park. Forest Park (GNIS FID: 2556769) is located at latitude 41.169 and longitude -73.849 in the Village of Ossining, Town of Ossining, Westchester County. The elevation of Forest Park is 299 feet (91 meters) above mean sea level.

Forest Park becomes Sherwood Park

Forest Park became known as Sherwood Park after Sherwood Avenue.

Sherwood Park, Ossining

The signature 1920s homes and broad sweep of Sherwood Ave set the tone for Sherwood Park, an area of quiet streets and sidewalks. Although homes here have various exterior styles including, Tudor, Garrison Colonial, Mediterranean, Craftsman and the occasional bungalow style, they all have the classic 1920s interior features. These include simple but elegant trim, hardwood floors that are often inlaid, fireplaces, sun rooms, as well as stairways and landings with custom oak woodwork.

Arthure J. Jones Park the Centerpiece of Sherwood Park

Ossining’s Arthur J. Jones Park is a centerpiece of the Sherwood Park neighbourhood. It was conceived of as a tribute to an Ossining resident killed in the September 2011 terrorist attacks. Jones’ wife, Carol, came up with the idea to build the park. She held a fundraiser at the former Parise’s Steakhouse collecting $90,000 toward the endeavour. 400 local volunteers built the park over 2 days in 2005. The site, which was officially dedicated parkland in 2006, at first received resistance from neighbours who were concerned that a park would attract “undesirables”. But as it turned out, it’s a really great neighborhood park – a real tribute.”

In 2005, a vacant lot off Park Avenue in Ossining was transformed into an oasis encircled by a wall of rose bushes and dotted with maple trees and teak benches. At the corner of Sherman Place and Park Ave, Arthur Jones Park has a peaceful grassy area with benches and rose bushes, a small basketball court and a playground that’s great for all ages, with fun and challenging climbing features, a tractor for imaginary play, 2 play structures, slides, swings and baby swings.

How Ossining Village Streets Were Named

Many thanks to Frank D Palmietto who was kind enough to scan and email me this wonderful list of “How Ossining Village Streets Were Named”.

The Beginning of Ossining

Many thanks to Ruth Ann Pottinger-Amato who sent us this lovely page about street names in “The Beginning of Ossining”.

Ossining in the Beginning

The Ossining History Booklet

Many thanks to Miguel Hernandez who made the effort to send me “The Primer of Ossining History” booklet. The letter was sent on November 19, 2019 and arrived just in time for Christmas on December 24, 2019 – thanks to Black Friday!

Street Names in Downtown Ossining

In the United States, most streets are named after numbers, landscapes, trees (a combination of trees and landscapes such as “Oakhill” is used often in residential areas), or the surname of an important individual (in some instances, it is just a commonly held surname such as Smith). The first streets in the village of Ossining were named for several reasons:

The geography of the land:

Westerly Road: The most westerly road along the Hudson River.

Water Street, North Water St. – A street name can also include a direction (the cardinal points east, west, north, south, or the quadrants NW, NE, SW, SE) especially in cities with a grid-numbering system.

Highland Avenue: Was Highland Turnpike – also Albany Post Road

Spring Street (one spring was under my Dad’s butcher market)

Directional names: Many roads in  the northeastern US are given the name of the place to which they lead.

Main Street – [“Main” is one of the twenty most common street name in the USA.] “Main Street”  is a common name for the major street in the middle of a shopping area in the United States.

Central Avenue

Depot Plaza

Aqueduct Street

Church Street [“Church” is one of the twenty two most common street name in the USA.]

Eastern Avenue

Croton Avenue

Van Cortland Avenue was originally named Birney Lane. It was changed in ’59.

Market Street

Broadway – This is the most popular street name in NYC.

The Upper Village of Ossining

The Upper Village was originally farms, and soon became Ossining’s first expansion area as it grew outward from the Old Village downtown near the Hudson River. In the mid 1800s, as some of the wealthy families of Ossining expanded, and since no hilltops with river views remained unbuilt, they built grand homes in the Upper Village. From here, one could easily walk to Main Street, their waterfront commercial holdings, and the trains.

The street names of the Upper Village of Ossining include: Belleview Avenue, Birch Court, Butler Place, Cedar Place [“Cedar” is one of the twenty most common street name in the USA.], Clinton Avenue, Eastern Avenue, Eldridge Avenue, Ellis Place, Fuller Road, Gilbert Park, Linden Avenue, Martin Road, Palmer Place, Prospect Avenue, Sutton Place, Tompkins Avenue, Watson Avenue, Wolden Road

Ellis Place is under consideration for the National Register of Historic Places. Much of the Upper Village was built between 1850 and 1910, with most of the rest being built in the 1920s. Most of these homes remain basically intact.

Street Names sent by my Facebook Ossining Friends

Don’t underestimate the value of your “Facebook Friends”. All of the following found the interest and time to write me what they know about the names of streets in the Village of Ossining. Some were my classmates at OHS, some were my neighbors, but most were just great folks who wanted to help me. Thanks to all of you:  Karen Apostolico Ryan, Peggy Berretta, Nancy Boldt, Robert Brady,  Charles LaMonte Brieant, Laura Butler,  Bonnie Coe,  Brian Chrapowitzky, Jb Cavanaugh, Bev Dykstra Centofanti, Lynda Cleveland Miles, Ronald Consaga, Bernadette Caputo Ryan, Nancy Darby, Jim Drohan,  Kathy Drohan, Wayne Dykstra, Robert Dymes, Maureen Eurell, David H. Feldman, Georgiana Francisco, Edie Garvey, David Goewey, Linda Griffin, Kim L. Jeffrey, Annie Justice, Gary Keller, Joseph E Koegler Jr, Donohue,Sheelagh Smyth,  Maryann Stevenson Kyer, Rosemary Jowitt Lloyd, Nancy McGingle, Anastasia Migliozzi, Tina Martin, Amy Bruen Montague, Ruth Ann Pottinger-Amato, Tommy T. Red, Jeanne Rockett, Barbara Reddy, Will Secor, Patrice Scully-Murray, Howie Taxiera, Jennifer Fields Tawil, Kristin Votava, Steve Worthy, Joan Walker, Maureen Westrick, Jessica Redway Wirth, Susan Yasinsky

In the USA many streets are named after famous or distinguished individuals, sometimes people directly associated with the street, usually after their deaths. Naming a street is a sort of  for immortality. Naming a street for a person is very common in many countries, often in the honorand’s birthplace, to commemorate a person who lived or worked in that area or to associate a prominent street in a city after an admired major historical figure even with no specific connection to the locale.

Local Farmers and their sons

William Street, Edward Street, James Street and Everett Street were named for the 4 sons of the farmer (Acker?) that owned that land.

Ferris Place and Sherwood Avenue were named for the farms that were in the area where those streets are located. One of the barns from the original Sherwood Farm was on the property on Sherwood Ave.

Calam Avenue was named after the farmer who originally owned the land – Theodore Mackiness Calam and his wife Maria Auser. In Dale Cemetery there is a mausoleum with the name Calam. The Calams lived at the corner of Croton Ave and Clinton Ave. (Charles, Marshall, Robert, & Ward Places are believed to be named for Calam’s sons.)

Soldiers who lost their lives in military action

Minkel Road, Bracken Road, and other Stonegate Development roads off of 134

Ganung Drive was named after Leroy Ganung who was killed in World War I.

Mancuso Drive is named for fallen Viet Nam hero Sal Mancuso.

Local elected officials

Fuller Road named after Vincent Fuller, mayor of Ossining at one time.

Famous residents

Audubon Drive for John James Audubon, author of “Birds of America”

Havell Street for Robert Havell Jr., Audubon’s colorist for “Birds of America.”

Prospect Avenue was renamed (?) after the famous actor, Peter Falk, who grew up on the west side of lower Prospect

American Heros

 Pershing Avenue is named after General John J. Pershing.

Americal History

Independence Place, also known as 4th of July Hill, from when we gained Independence from the Revolutionary War. Overlooking the majestic Hudson river. Also the home of Henry Gourdene. In the United States, many streets are named after a combination of trees and landscapes such as “Oakhill” in residential areas).

Local Businessmen

Secor Road is down by the Hudson. The Secors lived where the OHS is now. Secor Road named after Isaac Secor who owned a lumber yard, brick yard and ship building business at the Ossining waterfront and pushed the building if this road for easier access to the waterfront. The Secors were where the OHS is now(?).

Barlow Lane

My Family Effort to Name a Street for Capt. Sol Bobrov

Sol (Isaiah Isaac son of Jacob Zvi) Bobrov was born on Oct. 5, 1914. After completing his medical degree Sol moved to Ossining, NY, was married and open a dentist office. In WWII he served in the 169 Infantry. Sol was awarded the ★ Purple Heart. Capt. Bobrov was killed in action (KIA) in the Pacific on June 11, 1943 (age 28). He was buried in the Agudath Achim Cemetery Los Angeles, California.On the grave stone the date of death is March 22, 1945. This may refer to the re-burial when the body was brought back to the USA.

Sol’s parents, who lived in the Bronx, decided to move to California to be near his grave. Sol’s wife move to New York City. His uncle (my father) Abe Cohen, of 23 Forest Ave., endeavoured to have a new street named after him in Ossining. However since the grave was not in Ossining and his parents had moved to the west coast and his wife had moved to NYC, the Village of Ossining did not agree to name a new street after him. Now only the Ossining Historical Museum remembers him. 

Capt. Sol Bobrov should not be confused with another cousin also Sol A. Bobrov.

The Ossining Historical Museum shows a photo of Sol Bobrov, a local Ossining resident and dentist, who was killed in action in the Pacific in WWII. Sol was a cousin of mine.

Grave of Capt Sol A. Bobrov Photo: Brooke Schreier Ganz

Village of Ossining

Early 17th century Dutch maps of the Hudson River Valley show an Indian village, whose inhabitants were part of the Mohegan Tribe, named “Sint Sinck.” That phrase, when translated, means “stone upon stone” and refers to the extensive beds of limestone found in the southern part of the village.

In 1813, the village of Sing Sing was incorporated – the first incorporated village in Westchester County to be state chartered. In the early 1800s, the Old Village of Ossining was the shipping, commercial, and industrial hub for Northern Westchester. Captains of ships, commerce, and industry built homes with the finest river views on the higher elevations of Ossining and built many of the surrounding homes for associates and employees.

In 1838 Benjamin Brandreth built a manufacturing facility for his Vegetable Universal Pills which became one of the most successful patent medicines in the United States. Brandreth’s business became very successful and his firm was at one point the nation’s leading proprietary advertiser. Brandreth became President of the village for many years.

In 1845, the New York State Legislature created a new town out of the northern part of what had been the Town of Mount Pleasant. A local Indian authority suggested the town be named Ossinsing, a different form of the name Sing Sing. One year later the last “s” was removed for ease in pronunciation. In 1881, the town considered changing its name to “Garfield Plains” to honor the recently assassinated President of the United States, James Garfield, but dropped the idea after the much larger city of White Plains in southern Westchester County objected.

Until 1901, the village was known as Sing Sing. It changed its name to avoid the stigma of association with Sing Sing Correctional Facility, which is still Ossining’s largest employer.

In seasons 1–3 of AMC’s TV series Mad Men, Ossining is home to lead character Don Draper and his family. It remains the home of his ex-wife, Betty, and their children through much of season 4, until they move to Rye

The Village of Ossining had a population of 26,162 as of July 1, 2019. Ossining ranks in the upper quartile for Population Density and Diversity Index. The formal boundaries for the Village of Ossining encompass a land area of 3.17 sq. miles and a water area of 3.28 sq. miles.

Alternate unofficial names for Ossining: Hunters Landing, Mount Pleasant, Sing Sing.

Town of Ossining

Frederick Philipse bought the area which presently constitutes the Town of Ossining from the Sint Sinck Indians in 1685. The Sint Sinck are members of the Wappinger Confederacy who inhabited the land east of Hudson River between what is now Tarrytown and Croton. His Manor extended from Spuyten Duyvil Creek on the border between present day Manhattan and the Bronx to the Croton River.

The land was leased to tenant farmers of Dutch, French, and English origin.

The last Lord of the Manor, Frederick III, was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War who fled to England, so the State of New York confiscated the manor in 1779. Many of the farms were sold to the tenant farmers who had work them, especially those who had supported the American cause.

The Town of Ossining is a town located along the Hudson River in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 37,674 in the 2010 census. It contains two villages, the Village of Ossining and part of Briarcliff Manor, the rest of which is located in the Town of Mount Pleasant.

Location of Ossining (town), New York Credit:Rcsprinter123

Street Names in my New Home Town in Israel

The street we live on is called “Gan Or Street“. This name also has a story. When we move to Hoshaya there were no street names or numbers – just post office boxes.  The citizens of the Village of Hoshaya decided to vote for street names and called for suggestions to name the name-less streets in the community. Among the losing suggestions were names of trees, flowers and my ballot (names of heroic Jewish women such as: Anne Frank, Bruriah, Chana, Deborah, Esther, Golda Meir, etc.). Finally the wining decision was  to name each street for one of the communities in Gush Katif bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Their communities were demolished as part of Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in August 2005. All the streets in Hoshaya are named after the former Israeli settlements in Gush Katif: Gan Or, Morag, Shirat Hayam, Pe’at Sadeh, Dugit, Katif, Bedolah, Gadid, Ganei Tal, Elei Sinai.

Media Search Streets of Ossining, Westchester County, New York

Ossining, Westchester County, New York, United States – Explore the streets on the map of Ossining

List of Street Names in Ossining, New york, Maps and Street Views

Streets and Place-Names of Scarsdale

Larchmont Street Names 

Street names — New York (State)

The Secrets of Forest Park, Ossining, NY Merry Christmas                          and Happy Chanuka ****************** The Secrets of Forest Park When I was a kid in OHS (Class of 63) there was a large bronze plaque on the wall near the entrance of the high school building. 

God says Hurricanes are Bigger in Texas

God says Hurricanes are Bigger in Texas Dear Editor: I don’t like to boast or brag, unlike other men, that I have power or any special gifts. But I will say that I possess the gift of discernment and objective judgment. I am an evangelist and environmentalist, a counselor and a manager, a meek, humble Christian and a strong and bold advocate of what I see are the problems confronting our nation and world. Centuries ago, people believed that natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes were signs from God, but our new “rationalistic” science-trusting world now believes that God is just a warm and fuzzy concept and has no role or power over the “real world” events which affect our lives. I am writing today to dispel that notion that either the world is just a meaningless, chaotic, randomly selected pile of minerals and carbon-based life-forms, or that there is a “higher power” which I’ll call God and “He” (for the sake of traditional Scriptural writings) just stands back from far away and lets it all happen as it does. I believe He did that for many centuries, particularly in the post-Old Testament times and in the early and middle ages. But I believe now we are in the “end times” and that Jesus Christ is coming. And we’ve seen our share of signs and miracles that the time of the Second Coming is quickly coming upon us. We’ve seen terrible hurricanes, like Harvey and Katrina, tsunamis, typhoons, earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts, famines, disease epidemics, etc. We’ve seen our (the Christian and western world’s) enemies wreak terrible havoc through terrorist attacks, just as in Old Testament times, the Jews were enslaved first by the Egyptians and then by the Assyrians and Babylonians and Persians. We’ve also seen the world warmer than it’s been in many millennia, caused by man’s industrial excesses, especially its archaic reliance on fossil fuels, and we’re watching the sea-levels rise (SLR) in reaction to our melting ice-caps. Our technology has seen nuclear radiation disasters, chemical poisoning of large populations, the devastation of our rainforests by misguided attempts to profit or subsist by destroying the oxygen producing forests on which our planet’s atmosphere relies and causing many thousands of extinctions of species which could be the source of medicinal cures for cancer and other terrible diseases. We’ve destroyed over half of our world’s wetlands, both inland and coastal, including the decimation of our critical tropical mangrove forests and our coral barrier reefs both of which are necessary to sustain a healthy and living ocean environment. Due to pollution and overfishing and overdevelopment our fish and other sea creatures’ populations have plunged in many areas of the globe. Back to the hurricane. Harvey is wreaking havoc on the Texas coast and the huge Houston metro area, home to over 6 million people. The 30 to 50 inches of rain which has fallen has turned streets and alleys into rivers and homes and backyards into swamps, causing tremendous amounts of property damage and some loss of life. Katrina was terrible in its huge loss of life and the partial destruction of a major U.S. city, which has taken many years only to partially recover. Harvey could be worse. (Like the song, Jesus is going to rock the world like a HURRICANE!!!) But is it global warming causing these 1,000-year storms and floods? What about all the deadly tornadoes and fracking-caused earthquakes (and tsunamis and mudslides and so on?) We have paved over our cities and countryside, recall that Houston is half the size of New England! Impervious surfaces cause runoff to flood into neighborhoods and homes, destroy businesses and wreak huge financial losses for our federal government and its flood insurance program. We haven’t learned to protect our land and its original ecology (nor our polluted air and water resources), so we are reaping the whirlwind of God’s wrath. With the anti-Christ in power in Washington, and people, especially young people, falling away from faith in Jesus and God (and many delusional pseudo-Christians in the heartland following the Beast/Anti-Christ) , what we are now seeing with Harvey and his predecessors is the sign that Jesus is coming to defeat the “Beast and False Prophet” of the book of Revelation, and to send the anti-Christ and all that follow his selfish, lying, violent ways down to the Lake of Fire and Brimstone: hell, Hades, Gehenna. Most men will be judged by their own actions and predilections for money, status, power and material luxuries which they use lies, deceptions and violence to obtain. Only a handful of generous, sacrificially-giving males will be spared; apostles, martyrs, prophets and those who gave alms and volunteered out of love, rather than ego. Also, there will be 144,000 virgin males who will serve as eunuchs in the Court of Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church. (Rev. 14:3-4) As I’ve written before, the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13 ”Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”), half-way decent, hard-working men have pridefully boasted of their accomplishments, and selfishly amassed material and financial wealth (“kings of their castles”) without much of an attempt to share their wealth with those who don’t even have enough to eat. These men may have the temperature in hell turned down a notch in the name of mercy, but they will definitely not be invited to the loving Kingdom of Heaven. Men have utterly failed to obey the commands of Christ and have hated their wives and girlfriends and treated them with utter contempt and failed to love and give to their neighbor and enemies. Church leaders and church-going men profess faith but, with extremely rare exceptions, are “1%“ Christians. They are judged for the way they treated women, each other, and the earth, each of which suffered over the millennia since the first Adam and Eve, or caveman, walked the earth. These devastating “natural disasters” are not now merely nature’s random effects, but a sign that God’s wrath is coming in the form of Jesus Christ, the warrior riding on a white horse, coming to destroy the anti-Christ (Trump?) and the False Prophet (Billy Graham and his ilk) and with the sword which proceeds from His mouth, Jesus will slay all you men until your carcasses lay rotting on the earth, fodder for vultures. Haven’t you “good old boys” from the Lone Star State seen the writing on the wall? Wasn’t Katrina and plane crashes enough (recall TWA 800 and Air Alaska)? Wasn’t 9/11 enough to change your minds towards repentance? What about AIDS, isn’t it strange and “coincidental” that it targeted gay men and promiscuity and was much less severe in the female and lesbian population? During these end times, we should look at all natural calamities as works of God while we remember that God loves all of us and chastises those He loves. But He wants us to turn away from filthy lucre, the lesson of 9/11 for you stockbrokers and money-obsessed guys. (God could have stopped the Muslims from their terror but chose to give America and the world a lesson in wrath as He has stopped nuclear holocaust from occurring) He also wants us to love one another more than we love money. He wants us honest and humble. Not boastful and proud and boldly attempting to deceive the masses into buying products they don’t need and sometimes don’t even want. Our relationships have devolved to such a point that we all look for solace not in God and spirituality but in electronic gadgets, luxuries, money bringing an evil spirit of decadence and crass materialism and conspicuous consumption. God spelled out that we cannot serve Him and money at the same time. And the love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) You can look these up in the Bible. The Bible also says that “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22) The “good ole boys” certainly look foolish now, for how can they come to our Lord without confessing their guilt and repenting? And if I’ve learned anything it is that men don’t honestly or easily say they’re sorry nor do they change and repent and turn away from evil. What Jesus wants is mass repentance. That goes for the fat, rich, arrogant and lazy women called in Revelation (Rev. 19:2, et al), the “Great Whores” as they give their bodies and “love” only to those guys who can pull in top dollar salaries or who have massive bank accounts. The fashion economy will be thrown down once the beasts who supply the whores are no longer there to be sugar-daddies and who have let the whores ride them to ruin. But all this comes from a lack of faithfulness to Jesus, God the Father, and Scripture and a general “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” which many men are guilty of and which is the unforgivable sin. If you’ve attacked Jesus by claiming that His Spirit-inspired works are evil and of the devil, you are guilty of the unforgivable sin. So now we must realize that God’s wrath is coming but most importantly that Jesus will be here before you know it. You “winners” in Houston should get ready and take care of any personal business, and that goes for men throughout this planet. Imagine how God feels about the arrogance and evil of the corrupt governments throughout the world, the environmental devastation, the heating and disruption of the atmosphere and the melting polar ice caps, How about all the murders at the hands of mostly men. What percentage of murders and criminals are women? 1%? Probably less as men often judge wrongly and put innocent women who try to repent in jail. For those who don’t believe me or who do not believe in a transcendent and judging God, be warned, for God’s wrath is coming. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36 God knows your heart and everything you’ve said or done. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” The “flesh” represents men’s ego. May the True Church learn to forgive and love one another and to pray for and have mercy on the beastly men who will be cast down to the Lake of Fire. If the reader doesn’t believe me, just wait a while. I will keep telling the truth until people begin to listen to me.

God says Hurricanes are Bigger in Texas

God says Hurricanes are Bigger in Texas Dear Editor: I don’t like to boast or brag, unlike other men, that I have power or any special gifts. But I will say that I possess the gift of discernment and objective judgment. I am an evangelist and environmentalist, a counselor and a manager, a meek, humble Christian and a strong and bold advocate of what I see are the problems confronting our nation and world. Centuries ago, people believed that natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes were signs from God, but our new “rationalistic” science-trusting world now believes that God is just a warm and fuzzy concept and has no role or power over the “real world” events which affect our lives. I am writing today to dispel that notion that either the world is just a meaningless, chaotic, randomly selected pile of minerals and carbon-based life-forms, or that there is a “higher power” which I’ll call God and “He” (for the sake of traditional Scriptural writings) just stands back from far away and lets it all happen as it does. I believe He did that for many centuries, particularly in the post-Old Testament times and in the early and middle ages. But I believe now we are in the “end times” and that Jesus Christ is coming. And we’ve seen our share of signs and miracles that the time of the Second Coming is quickly coming upon us. We’ve seen terrible hurricanes, like Harvey and Katrina, tsunamis, typhoons, earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts, famines, disease epidemics, etc. We’ve seen our (the Christian and western world’s) enemies wreak terrible havoc through terrorist attacks, just as in Old Testament times, the Jews were enslaved first by the Egyptians and then by the Assyrians and Babylonians and Persians. We’ve also seen the world warmer than it’s been in many millennia, caused by man’s industrial excesses, especially its archaic reliance on fossil fuels, and we’re watching the sea-levels rise (SLR) in reaction to our melting ice-caps. Our technology has seen nuclear radiation disasters, chemical poisoning of large populations, the devastation of our rainforests by misguided attempts to profit or subsist by destroying the oxygen producing forests on which our planet’s atmosphere relies and causing many thousands of extinctions of species which could be the source of medicinal cures for cancer and other terrible diseases. We’ve destroyed over half of our world’s wetlands, both inland and coastal, including the decimation of our critical tropical mangrove forests and our coral barrier reefs both of which are necessary to sustain a healthy and living ocean environment. Due to pollution and overfishing and overdevelopment our fish and other sea creatures’ populations have plunged in many areas of the globe. Back to the hurricane. Harvey is wreaking havoc on the Texas coast and the huge Houston metro area, home to over 6 million people. The 30 to 50 inches of rain which has fallen has turned streets and alleys into rivers and homes and backyards into swamps, causing tremendous amounts of property damage and some loss of life. Katrina was terrible in its huge loss of life and the partial destruction of a major U.S. city, which has taken many years only to partially recover. Harvey could be worse. (Like the song, Jesus is going to rock the world like a HURRICANE!!!) But is it global warming causing these 1,000-year storms and floods? What about all the deadly tornadoes and fracking-caused earthquakes (and tsunamis and mudslides and so on?) We have paved over our cities and countryside, recall that Houston is half the size of New England! Impervious surfaces cause runoff to flood into neighborhoods and homes, destroy businesses and wreak huge financial losses for our federal government and its flood insurance program. We haven’t learned to protect our land and its original ecology (nor our polluted air and water resources), so we are reaping the whirlwind of God’s wrath. With the anti-Christ in power in Washington, and people, especially young people, falling away from faith in Jesus and God (and many delusional pseudo-Christians in the heartland following the Beast/Anti-Christ) , what we are now seeing with Harvey and his predecessors is the sign that Jesus is coming to defeat the “Beast and False Prophet” of the book of Revelation, and to send the anti-Christ and all that follow his selfish, lying, violent ways down to the Lake of Fire and Brimstone: hell, Hades, Gehenna. Most men will be judged by their own actions and predilections for money, status, power and material luxuries which they use lies, deceptions and violence to obtain. Only a handful of generous, sacrificially-giving males will be spared; apostles, martyrs, prophets and those who gave alms and volunteered out of love, rather than ego. Also, there will be 144,000 virgin males who will serve as eunuchs in the Court of Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church. (Rev. 14:3-4) As I’ve written before, the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13 ”Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”), half-way decent, hard-working men have pridefully boasted of their accomplishments, and selfishly amassed material and financial wealth (“kings of their castles”) without much of an attempt to share their wealth with those who don’t even have enough to eat. These men may have the temperature in hell turned down a notch in the name of mercy, but they will definitely not be invited to the loving Kingdom of Heaven. Men have utterly failed to obey the commands of Christ and have hated their wives and girlfriends and treated them with utter contempt and failed to love and give to their neighbor and enemies. Church leaders and church-going men profess faith but, with extremely rare exceptions, are “1%“ Christians. They are judged for the way they treated women, each other, and the earth, each of which suffered over the millennia since the first Adam and Eve, or caveman, walked the earth. These devastating “natural disasters” are not now merely nature’s random effects, but a sign that God’s wrath is coming in the form of Jesus Christ, the warrior riding on a white horse, coming to destroy the anti-Christ (Trump?) and the False Prophet (Billy Graham and his ilk) and with the sword which proceeds from His mouth, Jesus will slay all you men until your carcasses lay rotting on the earth, fodder for vultures. Haven’t you “good old boys” from the Lone Star State seen the writing on the wall? Wasn’t Katrina and plane crashes enough (recall TWA 800 and Air Alaska)? Wasn’t 9/11 enough to change your minds towards repentance? What about AIDS, isn’t it strange and “coincidental” that it targeted gay men and promiscuity and was much less severe in the female and lesbian population? During these end times, we should look at all natural calamities as works of God while we remember that God loves all of us and chastises those He loves. But He wants us to turn away from filthy lucre, the lesson of 9/11 for you stockbrokers and money-obsessed guys. (God could have stopped the Muslims from their terror but chose to give America and the world a lesson in wrath as He has stopped nuclear holocaust from occurring) He also wants us to love one another more than we love money. He wants us honest and humble. Not boastful and proud and boldly attempting to deceive the masses into buying products they don’t need and sometimes don’t even want. Our relationships have devolved to such a point that we all look for solace not in God and spirituality but in electronic gadgets, luxuries, money bringing an evil spirit of decadence and crass materialism and conspicuous consumption. God spelled out that we cannot serve Him and money at the same time. And the love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) You can look these up in the Bible. The Bible also says that “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22) The “good ole boys” certainly look foolish now, for how can they come to our Lord without confessing their guilt and repenting? And if I’ve learned anything it is that men don’t honestly or easily say they’re sorry nor do they change and repent and turn away from evil. What Jesus wants is mass repentance. That goes for the fat, rich, arrogant and lazy women called in Revelation (Rev. 19:2, et al), the “Great Whores” as they give their bodies and “love” only to those guys who can pull in top dollar salaries or who have massive bank accounts. The fashion economy will be thrown down once the beasts who supply the whores are no longer there to be sugar-daddies and who have let the whores ride them to ruin. But all this comes from a lack of faithfulness to Jesus, God the Father, and Scripture and a general “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” which many men are guilty of and which is the unforgivable sin. If you’ve attacked Jesus by claiming that His Spirit-inspired works are evil and of the devil, you are guilty of the unforgivable sin. So now we must realize that God’s wrath is coming but most importantly that Jesus will be here before you know it. You “winners” in Houston should get ready and take care of any personal business, and that goes for men throughout this planet. Imagine how God feels about the arrogance and evil of the corrupt governments throughout the world, the environmental devastation, the heating and disruption of the atmosphere and the melting polar ice caps, How about all the murders at the hands of mostly men. What percentage of murders and criminals are women? 1%? Probably less as men often judge wrongly and put innocent women who try to repent in jail. For those who don’t believe me or who do not believe in a transcendent and judging God, be warned, for God’s wrath is coming. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36 God knows your heart and everything you’ve said or done. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” The “flesh” represents men’s ego. May the True Church learn to forgive and love one another and to pray for and have mercy on the beastly men who will be cast down to the Lake of Fire. If the reader doesn’t believe me, just wait a while. I will keep telling the truth until people begin to listen to me. Signed, Stephen M. Theriault

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Success With Acn Internet marketingAfter signing up with ACN Leanne's success really did not come easily. "I struggled tremendously in my trip as well as had to go with a lot of individual development. Nonetheless, I really felt such a link to the Co-Founders as well as society of http://edwinglem824.qowap.com/5671078/how-reviews-on-acn-digital-phone-service-can-save-you-time-stress-and-money ACN, that there was never an uncertainty in my mind that I intended to end up being a leader for the company." Brian's job principles as well as decision has made him the top placement of Senior Vice Head of state in the company, nonetheless he does not take his success for approved. "Where I am today never ever would have occurred if I had gotten prevented when I initially started."

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He began searching for a brand-new opportunity as well as a possibility to start over. "I was looking for a residence, a strong business that had actually stood the examination of time and also where I could build a true long-lasting residual income." When presented to ACN, Michael was surprised at the business's organisation version and how you can change your life by offering everyday vital services. They recognized early that ACN might aid them satisfy their long-lasting objectives of philanthropy all over the world. They have actually contributed to different calamity alleviation funds, the Damaged Warrior Task, Ronald McDonald Houses and also other charities. "ACN has actually permitted us to help with points that have touched our hearts without needing to question if we could pay for to assist," Debbie states. "It's a priceless sensation to understand that somebody's life has actually been made a bit much easier due to your capability to offer." Cav. Franco Lofranco remembers the day all of it made good sense. "I had a rough start in ACN in the beginning," Franco states. "But I kept understanding, stayed coachable, kept working and also complied with the system by acquiring customers". Considering that joining the ACN family, Simon currently educates others how to maximize their very own capacities by acquiring consumers. He attributes his success to being coachable, distancing himself from Home page adverse people, keeping completion result in mind, and having specific objectives that are both temporary as well as long-term. Today, like their parents before them, Patrick and also Michael have actually achieved success with the direct selling sector. The best component concerning ACN according to Patrick? "Taking someone and also helping them discover the victor in themselves. This firm is significant to human possibility as well as what is possible. When your life modifications, you transform the globe."

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The joy Jeff receives from his own personal freedom is the reason he shares the ACN possibility with others. "I could honor the people I appreciate most", he says, "ACN has actually educated me how reviews of acn canada you can be a servant leader, how you can pour right into others and not focus on myself." Desperate to see some revenue in order to make it through, Mark stumbled upon ACN. "The initial Organisation Chance Satisfying I attended, I saw many people of different nationalities, ages and also educational histories. What fired up me was to see that everyone had an equal right for success in ACN." When Marc initially saw ACN, he was a 19-year-old waiter, with a desire to earn a distinction and strive. "Entering into ACN, I didn't have any kind of service or sales experience," he says. "I had to discover it. It was hard. Yet what made me effective was that I wanted to begin somewhere and ready to discover."

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Looking back on his life prior to ACN, Sunny Kim sees a directionless boy without the self-confidence to identify the abilities and gifts inside of himself. "I was about to drop a harsh course," he jokes. Even worse yet, his parents had just recently shed everything. Al intends to help expand future leaders within his organization as well as in order to help transform an increasing number of lives via this strong opportunity. His five basic steps he motivates people to comply with are: Enter, Obtain qualified, Get to training, Obtain customers, and also obtain client getters on your group to do the very same. Do it all over again! Nekoda discovered multi level marketing while he was functioning 3 tasks as well as mosting likely to school part-time. Monica was a recently separated mom of 2, balancing law school, a teaching fellowship, as well as a part time work. What matters most to Cody and also Marlo is giving back to their faith and also investing in their family members. With the hard work they have actually placed in over the years, they are currently able to stay at home and homeschool their three kids Being a leader now in ACN, Franco's journey is about helping many others accomplish success through the ACN System by obtaining clients. "Life is not regarding me," Franco says. "Now a better objective is calling me to assist other people attain the same point. It's my mission to encourage people to have their life." As the proprietors of four effective businesses, Michael as well as Jennifer Crowder fit. Possibly too comfy. Michael's failure was available in 2009 when the economic climate took a terrible turn, and also all of a sudden, this successful entrepreneur enjoyed everything he had worked so hard for vaporize virtually prior to his eyes.

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With English as his 2nd language and also no multi level marketing experience, MD Rahman showed that anybody could be effective in ACN. He pertained to the U.S. in 2003 from Bangladesh and attempted several methods to make income. He worked in restaurants, drove a taxi for 5 years, took any type of job that he might-- even began his very own service with some success, yet still, he found himself bitter and tired.

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While in college, Michael An was presented to guide marketing, yet really felt that something was not right. "I was tired of convincing people around me to get items that they really did not require," Michael discussed. Yet the most significant benefit of ACN has been the chance to be there for his baby little girl. "Being able to be a full time father is significant," he claims. "When I was ACN Reviews maturing, my moms and dads were always active. I'm able to be there for my little girl and that's fantastic. My entire emphasis is to live a complete and also pleased life."

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Shane and Dana ensure their employee have the required tools to plug into ACN's tested system of success by getting consumers. That system consists of not only establishing objectives and also fantasizing huge however also constant personal growth. "Succeeding in ACN comes down to wish, decision and a willingness to grow as an individual," Shane claims.

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Effort is in Marc Isaac's blood. "My dad moved our family out of the Philippines in 1995 to ensure that we can have a much better life as well as work hard to attain the American Desire," Marc discusses. "Our moms and dads have actually constantly done whatever it requires to aid my sister as well as I; so repaying to my parents is a huge top priority."

"The outright highlight regarding ACN is seeing brand-new individuals realize that their dreams are feasible via effort, dedication and also loyalty to this firm," Aaron claimed. "My objective is to assist other people accomplish success by following the system and getting customers. We are refrained till we are all done." Michael examined service at Penn State then started offering autos, a work that made him say, "I was working hard. There is only so much time in a day." Patrick graduated from the University of Pittsburgh then dealt with his very own retailing service. Both brothers had actually accomplished some level of success, they really felt there was something missing out on. "Often individuals ask me, 'is it actually difficult as well as difficult to do this business?' My response is this: The system is straightforward. If a man from Bangladesh that has no network or education here could do it, you could as well. Adhere to the system by getting clients-- and you can discover success." Today, Michael focuses his time and also talents on assisting other individuals revise their own individual success tales. "The services are excellent; the structure is solid. We as individuals are the only variable," Michael said. "The only difference in where you are and where I am is 3 points: dedication, effort as well as time." Art's kids grew up as component of the ACN family and he mores than happy they're beginning. "This is a family company with my partner, youngsters, sibling and sister involved," he includes. "The future is brighter than the past thanks to the vision for change the company embraces." Today, James has exactly what he's constantly wanted: just the time to appreciate his life, yet he hasn't already quit introducing others to the ACN Chance. "I really feel everybody needs to know about this business. The atmosphere alone that ACN develops could make you a much better individual."