Highlights|Reaction

I’m not sure who is going to provide my ears with more propaganda this week. The Politicians, celebs and elites attending the Copenhagen summit (Meat free Monday), or Arsene Wenger, with his, ‘everybody’s fault bar ours‘ speech.

‘We have nothing to be ashamed of. It all went Chelsea’s way and I was not especially impressed with what happened on the pitch’

Really?

Almunia

Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Traore

Song Fabregas Denilson

Nasri Eduardo Arshavin.

I guess the first thing Geoff and I were wondering was why Denilson and Song both got a start. One can be stomached, two in the same team leaves me wondering how much Wenger truly rates wonderboy Song. A perplexing midfield trio. Don’t give me defensive stability either… Denilson does not offer stability against the power of Chelsea. The only way we were going to beat the scum from out west was to outplay them. For me, you play your best players…

Arsenal dominated the early possession, without ever really having a cutting edge. If playing football in the final third won you trophies, we’d be putting them in storage to accomodate an over crowded trophy room.

Chelsea gave us the first scare when Anelka capitalised on some sloppy play from Nasri. He broke into the box, Sagna got in between him and the ball and pulled him over. The ref decided it wasn’t a penalty, Arsenal fans could breathe again… it was stone wall for most.

It struck me early on that our game plan was slightly flawed. We were hitting the wings and whipping crosses into a forward line with an average height of about 5ft 7. Kind of like me trying out punch Mike Tyson in a bar brawl.

The first warning signs that Chelsea were warming up came when Drogba managed to get a free header in our box. It did make me wonder what the manager talks about before the game? Do they highlight the oppositions strengths, or just gloss over them and hope certain players don’t turn up?

Nasri had the first shot for Arsenal. He jinked inside Ivanovic and fired into the arms of Petr Cech.

Traore managed to get himself booked after a minor tussle on Frank Lampard… surprising after the ref allowed Mikel to get away with a cynical challenge on Eduardo.

Arsenal broke forward with Eduardo controlling the ball, he fed Arsh who cut tha ball back and played it into an empty box.

Then came the moment we were dreading. Terry passed to Cole… Cole crossed to Drogba… Drogba deftly flicked it in off the upright… the trio of filth combined to put Chelsea ahead. Gutting.

Soon after, the most hated player in football, Ashley Cole, whipped a ball into the box, the keeper and Vermaelen failed to communicate which lead to the Belgian slipping it into his own net. Poor defending from a team who continue to ship goals at an alarming rate. This was something I warned about earlier in the year… when the goals dry up, what happens?

The second half started, Song came off for Theo Walcott. Fair play, Song wasn’t exactly having the blinder people were hoping for.

Arsenal started well. Eduardo forced a save from Cech, the ball deflected out, Arshavin took an age to shoot, the ball ended up in Cech’s hands, Eduardo raised his foot above Cech’s shoulder, he dropped the ball, Arsh scored. Goal disallowed. Arsene, when a footballer who is 5ft8 has his ankle higher than a 6ft5 keepers shoulder, the ref is going to blow up.

Vela and Walcott didn’t really impress me. I think Theo is one of the most over hyped players at Arsenal and I really don’t believe he deserved a massive great new contract based on what he’s done for Arsenal. Vela hasn’t had a lot of time to shine, so it would be unfair for me to critique his performance today. Needless to say, we’re struggling to replace Robin effectively.

Chelsea absorbed the pressure and continued to dominate us with their power. Drogba demonstrated his superior strength when Traore literally bounced 6 feet off him after an attempted shoulder barge. Shortly after, Arshavin suffered the same indignity when challenging Ivanovic.

Shortly after, Drogba capped off Arsenal’s shameful afternoon by slotting a shot into the top corner from a dead ball situation. More world class keeping from Almunia, more humiliation for the home fans.

Lets not beat around the bush here, today really was a pitiful result. We were out played, out powered and out scored by 3 goals and we’re supposed to be competing for the league? The shame of it was we all knew it was coming. We all knew deep down we didn’t really have a chance. It’s ground-hog day, it’s December and we’re out of the Premiership again

So what did we learn from today?

• Well, playing the ball out wide and looking for crosses when you’re playing against the best aerial defence in the Premiership is dumb. Playing crosses into the box when you’ve got no one above 6ft is dumber
• Denilson and Song in the same team is unambitious in the extreme. People thought Geoff was joking when he said this would happen, sadly it wasn’t a joke… it was a prophetic statement.
• As for Song dominating the midfield. Well, we didn’t see that did we? I thought his performance was shoddy at best.
• Our goalkeeper needs to be changed. I don’t know how long Wenger is going to let him play badly before he ships him out. We’ve allowed 41 shots to land on target this year, we’ve conceded 18. Un-fucking-believable.
• Money buys you experience, power and winners. When has an Arsenal team ever achieved success without those ingredients?

Very disappointing. If this team is ready and it’s no longer young, well, we’ve got some serious shopping to do in January. There is only so long you can keep on talking about tomorrow.

“In England people think that the Solution is always to buy”

Arsene, that’s what people think all over Europe and guess what? They’re fucking right. We’ve got ourselves a young team of players who don’t know how to win. We need super human players like Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Bobby Pires. We need to start giving the real talent games and stop trying to stop gap with poor players.

Talk about finishing all you like, we didn’t create chances. Blame the referee, we’re not entitled to get every decision. Moan about missing Van Persie, he wasn’t going to keep Chelsea out three times. We’ve got the same fundamental problems we’ve had for the last three years. No power, not enough world-class players and a lack of a winning mentality. We’ve lost to Sunderland, Man City, Man United and Chelsea. That’s not title-winning form. If we continue to ignore the issues we have with the squad and continue to praise how young they are and how amazing the business model is, we’ll always be here, every year, moaning about the same things.

Arsene’s got it dreadfully wrong again, just a little later than he did last year.

The kids are no longer kids, they’re failing adults. Time for a rethink.

Ratings:

Almunia: Give me a keeper who knows how to communicate with his defence, has the guts to come from crosses and can stop shots. If anyone knows of one, please forward his name onto keeper.solutions@arsenal.com. 5

Sagna: Some typically woeful crossing from the Frenchman and a terribly clumsy challenge in the first half. Harsh on the crossing. I guess asking a full back to hit one of our ‘target men’ is a pretty impossible task even for the most gifted of wide men. 5

Gallas: Terrible mix up for the two goals. He’s there to stop dangerous balls and he failed. I wasn’t overly impressed with his Drogba hug at the end of the game either. 5.5

Vermaelen: Not his best game. He should have been more composed when clearing the Cashley cross and he could have given a penalty away in the second half after rugby tackling John Terry. 5

Traore: Not a bad game considering how many people consider him to be the weakest left back to ever wear an Arsenal shirt. 6

Song: I thought he had a very poor first half. He gave the ball away cheaply, struggled to keep up with players who are 7 -8 years older than him and hardly dominated in the way so many people promised he would. Not just that, he suffered the shame of being hooked off for the equally average Denilson. 6

Denilson: Why oh why would you put him in the same team as Song? Surely one defensive midfielder is enough? Passed better than Song, but offered nothing of note to the game. Irritating how often he smiles when he plays badly. A very odd decision from the coach. 5

Cesc: Never really got into the game. Against more powerful opposition, he needs to be protected. He wasn’t, so he couldn’t perform. 5.5

Nasri: Looked lively in the first half, but failed to really impose himself past the first 20 minutes. Very disappointing. Am I the only person who feels like all our players are indentikit versions of each other? I feel like I’m playing top trumps and I’ve got 5 Alfa Romeo’s (There’s a metaphor in there somewhere)… Rosicky, Nasri, Cesc, Arshavin, Vela… they’ve all got the same qualities, all got the same weaknesses. 6.5

Arshavin: Sorry? He played? I can hardly remember seeing him! Struggling to motivate himself playing in our team? Well, if that’s the case… he’ll miss out on that move to Barca this summer. They’ll only want players who perform. Time to think about the team who pay you £80k a week, time to stop being such a girl and get over your World Cup failure, time to start delivering on that reputation you have. 3

Eduardo: What happened to our confident, cool, calm striker? Where did he go? He was off the pace today and very quiet. Like he normally is, bar the goals. 3.5

Subs:

Walcott: I’m sorry, as an outed xenophobe, I feel ashamed to admit it, but I just can’t get excited by the pride of English football. He gets the ball, either touches it behind him, 15 feet in front of him, or palms it off as a pass. Very average and totally undeserving of a 60k a week contract. 5

Vela: Eduardo off, Eduardo 4 years younger on. He even has the problem of not getting penalties because he looks like the Crozillian. 5

Rosicky: Kind of got things going, should have started really. Must have been pretty shocked that he is finally fit and the coach preferred to stick Denilson in there. A bit like finding out your boss has asked his 13 year old son to head up a multi-million pound project at work instead of putting you forward. 5

So a day on and I’m still getting ‘Happy Days’ text messages from Chelsea fans. Geoff and I were planning a podcast for this morning… kicking off that chapter of Le Grove off with a miserable episode didn’t seem right.

Still, we must dust ourselves down and hope that Manchester City’s dismal run of draws comes to an end when we beat them this week. I have a spare for that game, 2 for Stoke and a few others if you’re interested.

Have a great day Grovers! See you in the comments.

Nobody sees him, but they hear him. Early every morning. They wonder if it’s happiness or habit. The front door slam is his cue. His heavy flat feet keep the beat. The tune is nothing recognisable. It suits him perfectly.

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

Truly one of my favorite new characters living in the library (do I say that too much?!), Scaredy Squirrel is wonderful on many levels. First off, it’s HILARIOUS in that Scaredy Squirrel is petrified of the ‘unknown,’ which means anything outside of his nut tree. He prepares himself for the worst always, and has a plan A and plan B and even a plan C in case of emergency. His fears are mostly ridiculous but help kids feel ok about their fears, I think. Melanie Watt’s illustrations are key and perfect for teaching procedural writing as well. It’s also on Tumblebooks, so that is a good introduction to the character. When I read one of the sequels today, Scaredy Squirrel Finds a Friend, with the 2nd graders, we all were howling with laughter.

A sneak peek at the wonderful illustrations and some of Scaredy Squirrel’s fears…see what I mean?

So yesterday morning, I was reading a devotional by one of my all time favorite authors, Charles Spurgeon.

Oh I just love him.

But this year (and last year and I will do it next year too) I have been reading his daily devotional “Morning & Evening”. As I was reading yesterday morning, Saturday, November 28th, I got excited when I read this:

“In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being… a Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth… it is said that the food of certain worms colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon which a man’s inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed proceeding from him.”

My dear friend Amaris was over at the time, and when she walked in my room I said, “Amaris, Spurgeon was very fibery this morning.” It is amazing how a few simple words spark my interest even more than it was sparked before: woof, weft, color, silk, spin.

Then I went on to think (and said this to Amaris as well) about one of my very favorite passages in the scripture that I often read, think about, and use as an example for how to work and be.

(I actually did a whole series on this in a girls Bible study I have back in Savannah, because even though we aren’t married now, we can’t magically become this amazing woman overnight.)

Proverbs 31: 10-31

A wife of noble character:

¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
¹⁴ She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.

¹⁹ Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
²⁰ She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
²¹ She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.

²² She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
²³ Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
²⁴ She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

²⁸ Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
²⁹ “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
³¹ Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

I absolutely love this passage. Many women do. But I think the reason I love it so much is not just because this woman is incredible and has amazing character and is a trustworthy wife, speaks with wisdom, and is praised by her husband and children, but because she is a hard worker, working on the same things I work on!

She is a spinner, a good cook, a business woman, spends and invests her money wisely, works hard on profitable things, serves her community, provides clothes for her family, is a quilter!, is fashionable!, makes linen clothes!, laughs!, is kind, is never lazy, is wise, and is married to a man with a god reputation.

She is great. I love reading that passage because it inspires me to do better than what I am doing, and to not be satisfied with the things I’ve already done. I also love relating fibers and the Bible. I love that she can not only be a spiritual example to me, but a physical example to me.

I love it.

I recently went to the local cinema to see New Moon – no I will not be critiquing the movie because there are no words – and while I was there I fell into the practise of people watching.  Mind you, I should have been absorbed by the movie and unable to people watch but trust me, that wasn’t a problem.

First there were the people immediately behind my seat.  I think they were mother and daughter.  The younger one was obviously a fan of the books as she kept saying, “that wasn’t supposed to happen” and “No, that isn’t what came next”.  Normally this would bother me while watching a movie but in this instance, it was a welcome distraction.  The older one (mother?) occasionally hushed her but usually would sigh or laugh quietly.

Across the aisle from my seat were a group of teens, a mixture of boys and girls.  The boys had their feet up on the backs of the chairs in front of them and spent the majority of the first third of the movie throwing pop-corn at the screen, particularly when you-know-who started appearing in ghost form.  I think they only stopped the pop-corn throwing because they ran out but listening to them was quite entertaining.  Clearly none of the boys in the group had read the books and were mystified by certain things (obviously they had also avoided seeing the first movie).  The girls very patiently explained why the vampire was glittering and a few other key factors, and then re-explained them a few minutes later, and then told the boys to be quiet while they threw themselves into the backs of their chairs in a huff.  Which is where they stayed for most the rest of the movie, though the last thirty or so minutes of the film saw a riot of activity as one after the other they took turns to go out to buy drinks or answer their mobiles or the like.  They were really enjoying the film.

In the front section of the cinema was my favourite couple.  Late teens, maybe early twenties.  The guy had a cap on but his hair was gelled and sticking out from underneath in sticky tufts.  During the first Edward/Bella kiss he whoo-hooed loudly and was hastily hushed by his girl, though she made more noise than he had.  He continued to snicker and make various comments under his breath that I couldn’t quite make out but his tone was amusing and the girl was doing a good job of trying to slump down in her seat and disappear.  As Bella slumped into depression (skillfully and subtlety portrayed – I don’t think) the guy apparently had reached his limit.  His loud exclamation of “I can’t believe you made me watch this!” brought more laughter to the cinema than the entire rest of the film.

All and all, the attitude in the cinema was quite different from usual.  There was no fierce intensity of people leaning forward to catch every moment.  There was no one sitting passively, just taking in the movie.  People were chatting, constantly.  They were moving up and down the aisles and in and out of the cinema.  Nobody seemed to mind that there were constant distractions.  Usually someone would have gone to complain about this behaviour and how it was ruining the film, but no one did.  It was a unique cinema experience.

But it made me think.  Why were all these people in the cinema if they didn’t seem to care whether they saw the movie or not?  Why was I there?

I was there because I promised a friend and because I waded through the books and well, there is nothing else to see at the cinema unless I want to sit through 2012, though having actually been through New Moon, I think I should have chosen 2012.  I went in expecting to dislike the movie.  I went to the first Twilight film expecting to dislike it.  The difference, the first Twilight caught me off-guard.  It was half-decent.  Not good, but certainly a compelling enough one-time-watch film.  The second one didn’t.  Right from the start I was rolling my eyes at the clumsy flash backs, the tacked in exposition to fill in the plot holes left by omissions in the first film, the terrible acting, and the nail in the coffin had to be the rolling depression sequence that insisted on not only showing the climate change through the window but also writing each month name across the screen as if I was slow and needed to be hit in the head with the idea that time was changing.  Okay, I did a minor critique but now I’m moving on.

The boys were clearly there for their girls.  The parents were there because they brought their daughters for a reasonably wholesome family outing.  The teens were there either because they were fans of the books or they have become fans of the actors.  The different motives for being there meant people responded in different ways to what was happening, both on screen and off.

The lesson for my writing.  Know why my character is doing something and I can construct a more believable response to stimulus and therefore create a more believable character.

The lesson for life.  Stop going to the movies just to enjoy air-con for a few hours.

One day a set of twins decided to move to a new town because they felt like they’d seen everything there was to see in their hometown. They started out together, but somehow along the way one twin had gotten ahead of the other one.

This first twin came to an old man sitting by the road just outside a nearby town. The twin stopped and asked the old man what the people were like in this town. The old man replied by asking the same question of him. “What were the people like in the town where you came from?” The first twin said they were very unkind and harsh, not very friendly at all. The old man said, “I think you’ll find that the people who live here are very much the same.”

Not long after the first twin left, the second twin came across the same old man sitting by the same road. This twin stopped and asked the same question. The old man again replied by asking what the people were like in the town the twin had come from. The second twin said the people were all great. “I had a lot of friends and the people always tried to help others.” The old man replied, “I think you’ll find that the people who live here are very much the same.”

The point here isn’t about the people who lived in those towns, it is about how a person treats the people around him. If you treat others with kindness and understanding, they will treat you the same way.

(from p.15 in BSA Troop Program Resources)

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Uh Yeaahhhh. Ale echter Moustache-Fan bin ich natürlich Feuer und Flamme für folgende Illustrationen. Woe würden berühmte Character mit Bart aussehen? Mein Favoriten sind Batman und Robocop. Hell Yeahhh. Wer Arnold Schwarzenegger mit Vollbart sehen will und mehr zum Gesichtshaar gibt es auf Beard Revue.

Batman mit Bart

Robocop mit Bart

Für alle Fans solcher hübschen Haar-Kunstwerke. Hier gehts lang

Old coffee with new coffee
I walked to the sink and mostly out of habit dumped about a fourth of a cup in the sink then I filled my cup with new coffee. Then I thought why did I do that? It was a habit I developed from previous experience. When I have added new coffee to old coffee it gets diluted and cooled and is not as warm or tasty. If you want to have fresh coffee at its best you have to dump out the old coffee. So many times we dilute our own creativity by holding on to the way things have been done before. Einstein said, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity.” Well there is a corollary.
Doing part of the same thing over and over before trying to do something different does not allow you to see what the new thing is really capable of becoming. If something new that seems to have great promise is not working as expected, ask your self if you are really giving it a chance or are you diluting it with old ideas or behaviors. Sometimes you have to create a little space and time between the old way and the new way to let go of the old habits and ideas.
Today the sky is clear without the clouds of yesterday under the great Blue Sky. Dr. Baker Fore, Author, Entrepreneur, Speaker

How do we distinguish one who professes to be a good Christian? Not everyone who states that they are a Christian. Not everyone who professes to be a pastor is really a pastor. The test is how such a person lives their life according to God’s Word. A person’s life, in its entirety, has to truly reflect the life of Christ. How does this measure up to all of the existing heresies and false teachings that exist today? In the book of Timothy, the people of the church were subject to many within and outside of the church that practiced ungodly lifestyles and false teaching. Paul warned Timothy of these issues, but also told him that those who claimed to be a Christian should be measured by their behavior and not just their words. They also must submit themselves to the power of the living God and God’s Word. It is a change that will be evident to the individual and to others when you submit yourself to God.

What does a good minister or Christian look like? The Word reveals who you really are (Matthew 7:15, 12:30). The message of Christ is what empowers us. Those who dismiss it as foolishness make it evident in their lifestyle that is outside of God’s will. Their actions will clearly not match their words when they declare that they follow Christ (1 Corinthians 1:18, 4:19-20). A true follower of Christ will reflect and demonstrate His power and wisdom in his or her actions. “For the kingdom of God is not in talk but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20).”

A good minister or Christian points out truths of the faith. They are not ashamed of the gospel and freely speak of the things of God without fear of repercussions. “If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed (1 Timothy 4:6). “Brothers, if someone is caught in wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted also (Galatians 6:1).” We are to remind others what is to be Christian according to Scripture. Some people need to be nurtured through this process with reminders and the proper consistent training, for they may not know of the teaching nor do they understand the importance of how Scripture is to be applied to their lives (Hebrews 5:11-13). The mature person, on the other hand, relies upon God’s Word for consistent training and direction to live a godly life throughout the week. “But solid food is for the mature–for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).” God’s Word helps to train us and build us up, and is valuable in helping both the novice Christian and the mature believer to grow and live in the faith. In our pointing out the truths of the faith (1 Timothy 4:6), we show that we believe these things by following God’s advice. “…you then, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach, ‘You must not steal’–do you steal? You who say, ‘You must not commit adultery’–do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? (Romans 2:21-22)”

We are to train ourselves to be godly (1 Timothy 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 9:27). “But have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).” There is a benefit to this godly training (1 Timothy 4:8). It is profitable for you in this life (Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3) and in the next life (1 Corinthians 3:14, 5:10). How we live our life reveals our true hope in God and that we have a Savior and a Deliverer that we rely upon to help us because we believe in Him. We can trust in Christ and in His Word (1 Timothy 4:9-10, 18). His Word is an encouragement to us when we train ourselves to live a godly life. These are the testimonies that proclaim the love of Christ to others. It is not to be kept as a secret. Your life in ministry and as a Christian should be evident to others. Paul, in 1 Timothy 4, ties all of this together for Timothy in his summation: “Command and teach these things. No one should despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Practice these things; be committed to them, so that progress may be evident to all. Be conscientious about yourself and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:11-16).”

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”         1 Corinthians 10:12-13 

“I will never do that again”

Ever said that to God? Probably. Has it ever really been true? Probably not.

Usually we can’t make those promises to God because we’re not the one’s who are able to fulfill them. Even when we talk about sin, it’s not us who has the power to overcome sin, but God in us.

Dreams – when will i achieve it?

Procrastination is my vice. As a businesswoman, i cannot procrastinate! Every single sec of my life wasted is an opportunity lost. I must never ever forget this.

I am fortunate to be able to materialize my dreams – sad for those who have dreams but could not fulfil it. Very often, it was the case of jumbled thoughts and not knowing how to get there. I seriously do not want to be like them.

Society norms are what I am staying away from. I am sorry for my harsh thoughts but this is reality. Many people could remain stagnant and visionless for the longest time ever. I, for one, creates my destiny. I create and fulfil my dreams. I just need to know this.

I just need to know that the path I am walking on is what i feel strongly for. I will look back in 50 years time, smiling to myself that I have live fruitfully. Watch my future. I’d create it my way.

REAL NAMES:
Classified

POWERS:
Throttle: Dashing Defender
Splash Down: Aqua Avenger
Vector: Tactician Task Master
HighSign: Patriotic Pugilist
Booster: Robotic Rebel
WindShear: Wind Witch

HISTORY:
For some unknown reason these six teens feel the need to band together to defend their neighborhood stating that The Consortium, The Paladin Brigade, The Alpha Program, and all others fighting for the rights of others never seem to be able to understand kids…

See more of Apollo Cities characters by clicking here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

REAL NAME:
Unkown

POWERS:
Unknown

HISTORY:
In development…

See more of Apollo Cities characters by clicking here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

REAL NAME:
Unkown

POWERS:
Unknown

HISTORY:
In development…

See more of Apollo Cities characters by clicking here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

REAL NAME:
Unkown

POWERS:
Unknown.

HISTORY:
In development…

See more of Apollo Cities characters by clicking here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

REAL NAME:
Unkown

POWERS:
She can use any piece of shiny metal to reflect the light around her to effectively make her invisible. She’s a skilled knife fighter and close quarters combat expert.

HISTORY:
In development…

See more of Apollo Cities characters by clicking here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

REAL NAME:
Unkown

POWERS:
Armstrong is a master Archer.

HISTORY:
In development.

See more of Apollo Cities characters by clicking here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Once you read this issue, it makes a bit more sense as to why those heroes are on the cover.  Sure, this comic basically confirms the rumors of a White Lantern, but it makes sure that you’ll have fun getting to there.

This is the issue right after mid way through the crossover event which typically eases everything into the climax and then resolution nice and softly.  Well, this issue is anything but soft… and that’s a good thing (for once).

All of the heralds of the different lanterns have finally joined forces to fight Nekron which would seemingly destroy him like assumed last issue… well, it really only gives him more power.

Nekron explains that he’s the one that controls who lives, dies, and who gets to come back and when.  He then threatens to expose the Guardian’s lie (assumingly that they’re not the ones that hold balance over the universe) and within the space of a few pages, Nekron proves that he’s one badass mothafucka by re-killing all of the heroes who have ever died (Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, etc.) and turning them into Black Lanterns.  The last page ends with Nekron about to kill off Hal Jordan and Barry Allen since they’ve died before, too.

Now, that may sound surprising enough with the giant power shift… but it’s the way Nekron does it: through Bruce Wayne.  Now, the first couple issues we all thought that Bruce was going to get resurrected right away or by not getting resurrected it proves he’s not dead.  Well, Nekron pulls him over as a Black Lantern for just long enough to create emotional tethers between him and all of the heroes so he can spew Black Lantern rings at him.  The Batman reveal is completely surprising partly because of how shortly he’s used, and also because he looks completely badass in a sort of Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns posing way.

One question, how did Bruce get so many emotional tethers when he was such a hardass in life?

Now here’s some time for speculation: Bruce is technically dead in the present but lives in the past so that’s how Nekron can resurrect him… or… Nekron also controls death through time.

Also, with all of the heroes turning into Black Lanterns, it shows that being a Black Lantern can be reversible.  So, my guess is that all of the heroes/people who had their hearts ripped out and turned into Black Lanterns will probably remain dead, but all of the ones who were just resurrected may come back to life and have to deal with what their bodies and memories did while they were dead… possibly… I’m not sure.  Just speculation.

Anyway, the writing’s tight on this issue, and the artwork’s fantastic even if I’m pretty sure Ganthet and Sayd’s robes were colored differently in Green Lantern than in Blackest Night.

It’s a great comic that’s keeping up a fast pace with wonderful artwork and well worth all of your dollar.

I do wish that The Atom and Mera’s appearances weren’t so brief in this issue, though.  My guess is that they’ll play a very large roll next one, though.

Warning: Read this comic before Blackest Night #5… not #6 like it warns.

Neverthless, with the overall success so far of Geoff Johns Blackest Night event, I’m really starting to wonder why more people don’t read comics (despite needing a decent understanding of comic lore to understand a bit of the event).

 I’m going to warn you, I’ve culminatively read over 700 pages in three different books today.  So, my eyes are a bit hazy and I may not seem as coherent.  Plus, Sabretooth’s on my lap purring for attention.

So, this issue covers the rainbow of lanterns getting together for a delicate truce to battle threat that is Nekron and his Black Lanterns. 

One thing that is incredibly difficult in any writing format is having a multitude of characters of equal weight and power and somehow making sure they all get the same amount of screen time.  Johns somehow pulls it off incredibly well in this comic with the 7 lantern figureheads plus the Hope Guardians of Ganthet and Sayd.  They all have their distinct voice while each one (most specifically in this issue being Atrocitus and Larfleeze) becomes more deeply characterized.  One misleading thing, however, is that the cover displays all of the Blue Lanterns (3-4) and Ganthet facing off against Larfleeze and his corps… this would have been more appropriate as a cover earlier, but doesn’t really work now since most of those characters don’t appear in the book.

Also, there’s so much shoved into this comic that not even a page is devoted to what John Stewart’s up to.  Overall, it works for the time given.  Sure, it seems a bit rushed, but there’s a lot of juiciness in character development and dazzling visuals in this comic to make it well worth your time and money.  Plus, it’s interweaving itself back into Blackest Night making it essential.

CLIMATE :

 As discussed above, generation of heat is a function  of  gravity, which in turn depends on mass. As long as the mass of the earth is constant, the quantity of geothermal energy produced is also constant. Initially, heat is transferred to the  seas and, thence, to the atmospheric H2O, and  ultimately to the outer  space, when the latent heat is   released on formation of water droplets which form clouds. Simultaneously, heat is being radiated continuosly from the surface of the earth ,both land and sea, as the outer space is considerably cooler  than the earth.

The heat generated by the earth is converted into kinetic energy in a big way, when ocean currents are working round the clock. The volume of water involved in this process  is thousands of times  more than that of  all the rivers of the world.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes  etc. also eat up considerable quantity of geothermal energy. Diffusion of water in the seas takes place continuously because of hot bottom and cool Polar regions. Part of the energy is also used up by cyclones, tornados etc. (the circumstances in which these are caused by hot steam emanating from the seas will be discussed in BUT-Volume III).

If the total quantity of geothermal energy is T, the energy converted into kinetic form is K and heat lost by radiation R,

T – K – R = the net increase or decrease in the warmth of the globe

From the table given below, it is clear that during the last 200 years there has not been any appreciable change in the warmth of the globe.

For a proper study of this subject, a distinction has to be made between the temperature of the earth and the temperature of the atmosphere. The latitude-mean temperature graph fairly represents the temperature of the earth, as the sea surface is not much affected by weather conditions. On the other hand, land stations will be subjected to violent fluctuations in the weather like extreme summers and winters, especially if the stations are much above the sea level.

The land mass contains lakes, surface soil water, water chambers, sub-terrainian water channels etc. which retain considerable quantity of water. Because of the peculiar structure of the H20 molecule, heat is retained in water for a longer period than other materials. This is the reason why summer extends much beyond the date 21^st June in the northern hemisphere. In the absence of water on the earth the peak temperature will end on that day and we may experience pleasant weather by August. Similarly, but for snow and the water layers lying just below the surface of the earth, the winter will start waning right from 21^st December.

In spite of these differences, data in respect of land stations, too, prove my contention that the globe is not warming!

When we look back

“It is an inquiry of some interest, whether the general temperature of the globe is stable, or is gradually undergoing change through diminution or addition. We have no means of deciding this point, because our thermometrical determinations are confined to a comparatively modern date. The instrument was not brought to perfection until the year 1724, by Fahrenheit, and therefore beyond that period we are dependent upon the recorded experience and sensations of observers, and upon the details of agricultural failure or success, for our knowledge of temperature in former times. We are not warranted to infer from these casual notices any changes of physical climate generally within the era of authentic history, though in particular localities, there is strong reason to suppose that an alteration has taken place; but this has been the very reverse of an impressions that once prevailed respecting it. The existence of a colony on the east coast of Greenland cut off from communication with the external world, and destroyed by the gradual accumulation of the ice upon its shores –the fact of immense forests anciently clothing the highest parts of Britain, and other northern countries, where a tree now can scarcely be made to grow –of the period of the vintage formerly commencing several weeks earlier in France than at present-of vineyards having been planted in the south of England during the time that the Romans held possession of the island, where hops can only be raised with difficulty- and of the sides of the Scottish hills bearing evident traces of the plough, which have long been surrendered to the heaths as incapable of cultivation;-these circumstances have been appealed to, as evidence of a milder and more genial climate having once characterized the northern regions of Europe. Sir John Leslie has remarked upon these details, “that a patch of wood will not thrive in cold situations, merely for want of the shelter which is afforded by extensive plantations. In Sweden and Norway, which are mostly covered with natural forests, it has become an object of police to prevent their indiscriminate destruction. The timber in those sylvan countries is cut at stated periods of its growth, and in detached portions; the vacant spaces being left as nurseries, embosomed amidst an expanse of tall trees.  Some places in Sweden, where the forests have been accidentally destroyed by fire, present the image of sterility, and of wide desolation. It is probable, the vines grown in ancient times were coarser and hardier plants than those which are now cultivated. A similar observation extends to all the productions of gardening. A succession of diligent culture softens the character of the vegetable tribes, and renders them more delicate, while it heightens the flavor of their fruits. The Roman soldiers stationed in Britain would naturally prefer wine, their accustomed beverage, however harsh and poor, to the cervisia, or unpalatable ale brewed by the rude arts of the natives. The marks of tillage left on our northern hills evince only the wretched state of agriculture at a remote period. For want of a proper system of rotation, and the due application of manure, the starving tenantry were then tempted to tear up with the plough every virgin spot they could find, and after extracting from it  a pitiful crop or two of oats, to abandon it to a lasting sterility”. With reference to the colony supposed to have been planted on the east coast of Greenland, now an uninhabitable region of glaciers, there is reason to believe that its name, Oestre Bydg, the eastern settlement, simply refers to its position in relation to another settlement, both of which were on the western coast, now occupied by the Danish factories. From the name of Snowland, afterwards supplanted by that of Iceland, given by the roving pirates of the Baltic to that island upon its discovery in the ninth century, it may certainly be concluded that the climate of the north was then analogous to what it is at present.

A different opinion, that the climate of the midland part of the temperate zone, especially in Europe, is less rigorous now than it was sixteen or seventeen centuries ago, appears to be supported by sufficient evidence. After making allowances for inaccuracy and exaggeration in the statements of the classical writers, they will still be found descriptive of a cold in various districts, as a feature of the ordinary temperature, which is not realized at present. The epistles written by Ovid from Pontus, whither he was banished by order of Augustus, describe the rigour of the climate there, in terms which suit the winder of Hudson’s Bay. He mentions, among other instances of the extreme cold, The Euxine Sea being frozen over, so as to bear men and cattle upon it. Tertullian, one of the Christian fathers in the second century, writing in the style of the fierce zealot and florid rhetorician, against the herectic Marcion, thus refers to the same region:- “That tract, which is called the Pontus Euxinus, the hospitable sea, has been refused all favours, and is mocked by its very name. The day is never open, the sun never shines willingly, there is but one atmosphere- fog; the whole year is wintry; every wind that blows comes from the north; liquors are only such before the fire; the rivers are blocked up with ice, the mountains are heaped higher with snow; all things are benumbed, all things are stiff with cold, nothing but cruelty has there the warmth of life; that kind of cruelty, I mean, which has supplied the stage with fables concerning the sacrifices of the Tauri, and the loves of Colchis, and the tortures of Caucasus. But there is nothing so barbarous and miserable in Pontus, as that it has given birth to Maricion; he is more savage than a Scythian, more unstable than the wild inhabitants of a wagon, more inhuman than the Massageta, more audacious than the Amazon, darker than the mist, colder than the winter, more brittle than the ice, more treacherous than the Danube, more precipitous than Caucasus”. Virgil refers to the winter on the banks of the Ister of the Greeks, the modern Danube, in the third Georgic, in a manner which at present is inapplicable to any part of its course:-

“ The sun from far peeps with a sickly face,Too weak, the clouds and mighty fogs to chase,

When up the skies he shoots his rosy head,

Or in the ruddy ocean seeks his bed.

Swift rivers are with sudden ice constrain’d

And studded wheels are on its back sustain’d;

A hostry now for wagons, which before

Tall ships of burden on its bosom bore,

The brazen cauldrons with the frost are flaw’d.

The garment, stiff with ice, at hearths is thaw’d.

With axes first they cleave the wine; and thence

By weight, the solid portions they dispense.

From locks uncomb’d, and from the frozen beard,

Long icicles depend, and crackling sounds are heard.

Meantime perpetual sleet, and driving snow,

Obscure the skies, and hang on heards below.

The starving cattle perish in their stalls;

Huge oxen stand enclos’d in wintry walls

Of snow congeal’d; Whole heards are buried there

Of mighty stags, and scarce their horns appear.

The dexterous huntsman wounds not these afar

With shafts or darts, or makes a distant war

With dogs, or pitches toils to stop their flight,

But close engages in unequal fight;

And, while they strive in vain to make their way

Through hills of snow, and pitifully bray,

Assaults with dint of sword, or pointed spears,

And homeward on his back the joyful burden bears.

The men to subterranean caves retire,

Secure from cold, and crowd the cheerful fire:

With trunks of elms and oaks the hearth they load,

Nor tempt th’ inclemency of heaven abroad.”

The allusions to the climate of Itay in the Georgics, referring to the Augustan age, are in several respects irreconcilable with its present character. The writer speaks of the freezing of the rivers in the southern part of the peninsula as an ordinary occurrence, and gives frequent directions for the protection of sheep and goats from snow and frost, as if addressing a shepherd of the plains of Holstein or the highlands of Scotland. It is a well-attested fact, that the savage inhabitants of Gaul and Germany usually selected the winter-season for their warlike incursions into the Roman provinces, on account of the facility afforded by the ice for the transport of their armies, horses and baggage, across the grate rivers, which have never been frozen in modern times as to admit of such an occurrence. In the time of Ceasar, also, the rein-deer, now confined to the colder regions north of the Baltic, was found, along with the elk and the wild bull, in the Hercynian forest, which then over-shadowed a grate part of Germany and Poland. A volume published at Vienna in 1788, contains some remarkable passages concerning the state of the weather for more than a thousand years back, gathered from the old chronicles, which detail the state of the harvest, the quality of the vintage, or the endurance of frost and snow in the winter. From this work, Sir John Leslie, in an article furnished to one of the public journals, quoted the following record of excessive winters and summers, to which some additions have been made.”

NOTES:

1. All quotations are from the phenomenon known as Rev. Thomas Milner, M.A’s Physical Geography, re-published in Delhi in 1975. I could not find any other details about his life.

      In the next instalment – TEMPERATURE  DATA

Check them out at Barneys:

Blair’s theory jacket – $359 here.

Jenny’s Alexander Wang jacket – $769 here.

I spotted it today in sizes 2, 4, 6 and 14 I believe at Nordstrom Rack in White Plains New York. They tend to get a lot of the same things at chain discount stores so if you live far from NY check your local Nordstrom Rack store – the coat was only $199 and originally around $600!