#like other people get names like star dome or mighty or hope

[tcm]

Getting Older by The Day: LOGAN’S RUN (’76) by Greg Ferrara

In the 1950s and ’60s, a doomsday idea began to gain traction: over-population. The idea, stated simply, was that human population would outpace food production. In 1968, Paul R. Ehrlich released his book, The Population Bomb , to overwhelming commercial success. The doom and gloom tome predicted everything from hundreds of millions dying in the 1970s from starvation, to London ceasing to exist by the year 2000. Yes, that actually was one of its predictions. A year before its release, another book debuted to a more restrained reception, though it too took its cue from the overpopulation fears and mixed them with fears of a youth revolution. The result was Logan's Run.

The authors of Logan's Run, William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson, begin with an impossible premise and quickly segue into a far-fetched story. The premise is that 75% of the population of the planet is under 21 by the’ 70s, then 80% by the 1980s, 85% by 1990 and so on. This is, of course, impossible. If 75% of your population is under 21, say in their mid-teens, then in 10 years they're all going to be older than 21. To get to 80%, all of them have to have twice as many children before then and more than half of the over 21 population would have to die in the same 10 years. And this would have to repeat itself every few years without missing a beat, a heartbeat that is.

The solution to all of this out of control baby production, in both book and movie, is euthanasia, although how that's carried out in each is quite different. In the book, one’s death is known to them instantly. In the movie, the population participates in something called Carousel with the false hope of possibly being reborn. The other difference? In the book, your final day is your 21st birthday. In the movie, it's your 30th.

In the futuristic society of LOGAN'S RUN, people live out their lives in domed cities never worrying, never struggling, never aging. Babies are assigned by name and number to their lifelong career. No one questions what they do, and everyone accepts that at the age of 30, a small light embedded in your palm begins to blink red. When that happens, it's time to go put on your white and red flaming anatomy jumpsuit, float up to the ceiling like Charlie Bucket high on Fizzy Lifting drink then hope like hell you get renewed. What actually happens is you get blown up and the population is kept in check.

Except, of course, for those few who don't accept it. They're called Runners because, let's be blunt here, they're not idiots. They know Carousel is a one-way street and they're going to do everything in their power to take a detour. Once someone runs, Sandmen jump into action. Those are the security guards of the domed cities who make sure if you run, you die. And since Runners have already figured out they're going to die anyway, why not go for the brass ring one last time?

Enter Logan, a Sandman. Logan (Michael York) isn't just any Sandman, though. He genuinely wonders why people run. Maybe it's not so crazy to live beyond 30 after all. When the computer running everything assigns him the task of posing as a Runner to find out where Sanctuary is—that's where the Runners go—Logan and his companion, Jessica (Jenny Agutter), begin to realize they've all been duped. The air outside is fine and growing old isn't nearly as awful as it's been made out to be. But that still doesn't mean he can change anyone's mind and, even if he could, attempting to do so will most likely result in his death.

That's because the other Sandman all think Logan really is running, including his friend Francis (Richard Jordan). But once they find a mad robot living in the area just outside of Sanctuary and an old man living in it (Peter Ustinov), all of their preconceptions are challenged.

LOGAN'S RUN is particularly relevant today. Sure, as a film it has a definite pre-STAR WARS hokiness to it and special effects too reliant on high-tech shopping malls and well-made but poorly lit miniatures. But as a story, it works quite well and speaks to some of the most popular doomsday scenarios facing us today. When AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018) was released, in was following in the footsteps of LOGAN'S RUN. After all, Thanos is concerned with overpopulation as well, it's just that he goes with "kill half of everyone" over "only let people live until 30." Nonetheless, the two dubious solutions are brothers in arms and both strike a primordial chord, not just that concerned with survival, but with living itself.

The frightening thing about being told you can't live past 30 becomes immediately evident to you once you hit 31. Life continues and, surprisingly, you get wiser and more settled into the rhythms of life that keep you from the kind of existential panic a younger you might face. No one wants to be told they have to end all the learning, all the living and all the fun, just to make things better for everyone else because, deep inside, we know that's a bunch of hooey. If everyone can't live how they want to live, no one is better off.

LOGAN'S RUN gets that. The movie and book approach the story in vastly different ways, and I'd love to see a movie get made that follows the book's story, but until then the 1976 classic is a pretty good start. The costumes, settings, effects and music are all deeply entrenched in a ’70s sensibility which usually earns it the dreaded "dated" label from far too many people. The fact is, science fiction is of its time and in 1976 dealing with overpopulation issues was front and center. LOGAN'S RUN was about that, but it's also about depleting resources and how to handle that. And its villain is far more compelling than Thanos, the mighty Titan who wants to snap his fingers and kill off half the universe. That's because the villain isn't the computer running everything, it's the population itself. A population of people who have, for decades, willingly gone along, questioned nothing and lost their lives as a result. The enemy in LOGAN'S RUN isn't age, it's us. But like a lot of science fiction, it assures us that in the end, we can do better.

#Logan's Run #Michael Anderson #Jenny Agutter #Michael York #31 Days Of Oscar #Greg Ferarra

[volcanofandom]

Gendered volcanoes and legends.

Volcanoes, because their peculiar activity, were considered alive and treated as living being. This persist today even among non-pagan people. In particular, creation is associated with them as well as destruction, and creation has for long been considered a feminine factor, aswell as the destruction.

Many volcanoes have a feminine pronoun, most have a neutral pronoun. Masculine pronouns are rare among volcanoes, but they might happen. Mostly masculine pronouns are common in languages that only have a masculine and a feminine pronoun (like Italian and French).

An interesting fact, the more a volcano is ‘mean’, the more is loved, at the same time, being ‘docile’ is considered a quality aswell.

Below some of gendered volcanoes I can find easily.

Popocatépetl (male) and Iztaccíhuatl (Female)

The name Iztaccihuatl in the indigenous Nahuatl language means “White Woman” and the mountain actually includes four peaks, the tallest of which reaches 17,158 feet. Many see her silhouette as resembling that of a sleeping woman, complete with head, chest, knees and feet. Iztaccihuatl is an extinct volcano and is a popular destination for adventurous mountaineers and hikers.

Iztaccíhuatl is a stratovolcano, like most of Eartling volcanoes (most Martian volcanoes are shield), and is extinct. I can’t find 'her’ VEI anywhere. Most likely she didn’t went past VEI 4-5

Popocatepetl is the taller of the two mountains, reaching an incredible 17,802 feet in height. Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl are connected by a high mountain pass known as the Paso de Cortes. Popocatepetl is still active with the volcano having spewed smoke and ash as recently as 2001. In the Nauhuatl language Popocatepetl means “Smoking Mountain” and as we shall soon see, was aptly named.

Popocatepetl is also a stratovolcano, and is active. ‘His’ VEI is 6.

THE LEGEND

In Aztec mythology, the volcanoes were once humans who were deeply in love. This legend features two star-crossed lovers, the young brave warrior Popocatepetl and the beautiful princess Iztaccihuatl. The father of Iztaccihuatl, a mighty ruler, placed a demanding condition upon Popocatepetl before he could take Iztaccihuatl as his bride. His mandate required that Popocatepetl first engage in battle against the tribe’s enemy and return victorious. Variations of the legend include the added stipulation that Popocatepetl needed to return with the vanquished enemy’s head as proof of his success. The story continues with Popocatepetl setting off for battle with Iztaccihuatl waiting for her beloved’s return. Treacherously, a rival of Popocatepetl’s sends a false message back to the ruler that the warrior has been slain when in fact, Popocatepetl has won the battle and is ready to return to his Iztaccihuatl. However, the princess upon hearing the false news, falls ill and succumbs to her deep sorrow, dying of a broken heart. When Popocatepetl returns triumphant to his people only to encounter his beloved’s death, his heartbreak is inconsolable. He carries Iztaccihuatl’s body to the mountains whereupon he has a funeral pyre built for both himself and his princess. Grief-stricken beyond measure, Popocatepetl dies next to his beloved. The Gods, touched by the lover’s plight, turn the humans into mountains, so that they may finally be together. They remain so to this day with Popocatepetl residing over his princess Iztaccihuatl, while she lay asleep. On occasion, Popo will spew ash, reminding those watching that he is always in attendance, that he will never leave the side of his beloved Izta.

http://www.mexonline.com/history-popo.htm

Kick ‘em Jenny (Female).

Yes, she has this funny name. She is a underwater volcano, you can’t see her. Her morphology is lava dome and maar. Despite her name, her VEI is just 1 (’till now, I believe the lowest VEI for a volcano was 2), and is about 1300 meters tall.

Nearby there is what we might consider a male volcano:  Kick 'em Jack.

Lewotobi Lakilaki(Male) and Lewotobi Perempuan(Female) stratovolcanoes

They’re twin volcanoes, however in Indonesian, the names mean "Husband and Wife”. There should be a legend aroun them. Their VEI is 3. Their mprphology? Stratovolcanoes and lava domes.

Three Sisters and the little Brother

They are four volcanoes of the Cascade Ranger, just like the well know St.Helens (That is also a gendered volcano). They have human names: Faith, the north sister is a shield volcano (Honestly, to me it looks like an obvious stratovolcano) that has built over another shield, called ‘Little Brother’. The little brother has no human name and is quite forgotten. The other two, Hope, the ‘Middle Sister’, is a stratovolcano, is the most neglected of the three (or four) by scientists and volcanologists, and is also the smallest volcano. Charity, the ‘South Sister’ is both a shield and a stratovolcano, and is the tallest of the three.

They are dormant volcanoes for long time, and their VEI is 4

Pavlof Volcano (non-gendered) and Pavlof Sister (Female)

Twin stratovolcanoes. Of the two, Pavlof Sister is dormant. The two volcanoes share their magma chamber. Their VEI is 4

Chimborazo (male)

This huge volcano (more than 4.000 meterst tall) is located in Equador and is surnamed ‘Taita Chimborazo’ (Daddy Chimborazo) by the locals. Is a stratovolcano provided with a caldera, this does means that his VEI is most likely 5 or more

Tungurahua (Female)

Also located in Equador, her name does means ‘Burning Throat’ but also ‘Crater’. Is also called, by locals ‘Black Giant’ and ‘Mama Tungurahua‘. Is a pure stratovolcano and her VEI is 5

Santa Ana (Female)

A stratovolcano with a spyral shaped caldera and a crater lake, located in El Salvador. On her flank there is the youngest stratovolcano in the world, Izalco. Santa Ana is most likely a VEI 6 volcano

Santa Isabel (Female)

A shield volcano and lava dome in Colombia. Her VEI is most likely no more than 3. A curiosity. In Aftrica there is another volcano named Santa Isabel, also a shield volcano with a low VEI. The two volcanoes are also on the same latitude.

Santa María (Female)

A stratovolcano in Guatemala with a VEI of 6. Is one of the toughest volcanoes in the world. Her VEI 6 eruption left a minimal scar (just a landslide), compared to the VEI 5 1980 Eruption of St.Helens, that almost destroyed the volcano. That’s probably because the eruption was a flank eruption, and not from the crater. Is one of the few VEI-6 volcanoes without a caldera. Santa Maria isn’t a solitary volcano, but is in the middle of a mountain range with both regular mountains and volcanoes.

St. Helens (usually female)

Curiously, both Native Americans and English named this volcano after a woman (though the English name is indirect). The volcano is sometimes surnamed ‘Helen’ and ‘the lady’. Formerly was also surnamed ‘American Fuji’, because she used to have a perfect symmetrical shape, and the very same silhouette of the Japanese volcano. St.Helens is a stratovolcano of the Cascade range and is the most active of them, but her magma chamber is most likely decentralized. Because of this, the volcano was regarded ‘cold hearted’, though the related legend say otherwise. St.Helens is a VEI 6 volcano.

St. Helens has many legends, such as: From the Puyallup Tribes

According to the lore of these tribes, long ago a huge landslide of rocks roared into the Columbia River near Cascade Locks and eventually formed a natural stone bridge that spanned the river. The bridge came to be called Tamanawas Bridge, or Bridge of the Gods. In the center of the arch burned the only fire in the world, so of course the site was sacred to Native Americans. They came from north, south, west, and east to get embers for their own fires from the sacred fire.A wrinkled old woman, Loowitlatkla (“Lady of Fire,”) lived in the center of the arch, tending the fire. Loowit, as she was called, was so faithful in her task, and so kind to the Indians who came for fire, that she was noticed by the great chief Tyee Sahale. He had a gift he had given to very few others – among them his sons Klickitat and Wyeast – and he decided to offer this gift to Loowit as well. The gift he bestowed on Loowit was eternal life. But Loowit wept, because she did not want to live forever as an old woman.Sahale could not take back the gift, but he told Loowit he could grant her one wish. Her wish, to be young and beautiful, was granted, and the fame of her wondrous beauty spread far and wide.One day Wyeast came from the land of the Multnomahs in the south to see Loowit. Just as he arrived at Tamanawas Bridge, his brother Klickitat came thundering down from the north. Both brothers fell in love with Loowit, but she could not choose between them. Klickitat and Wyeast had a tremendous fight. They burned villages. Whole forests disappeared in flames.Sahale watched all of this fury and became very angry. He frowned. He smote Tamanawas Bridge, and it fell in the river where it still boils in angry protest. He smote the three lovers, too; but, even as he punished them, he loved them. So, where each lover fell, he raised up a mighty mountain. Because Loowit was beautiful her mountain (St. Helens) was a symmetrical cone, dazzling white. Wyeast’s mountain (Mount Hood) still lifts his head in pride. Klickitat , for all his rough ways, had a tender heart. As Mount Adams, he bends his head in sorrow, weeping to see the beautiful maiden Loowit wrapped in snow.

From the Yakima Tribes Si Yett, meaning woman, is the Yakima Indian name for Mount St. Helens. According to legend, Si Yett was a beautiful white maiden placed on earth by the Great Spirit to protect the Bridge of the Gods on the Columbia River from the battling brothers, Mount Adams and Mount Hood.

From the Klickitat Tribes Klickitat Indians tell of two braves, Pahto, (Mount Adams) and Wyeast (Mount Hood), who fought to win the affections of an ugly old hag, who had been turned into a beautiful maiden by the Great Spirit.

From the Cowlitz Tribes Cowlitz Indian legends tell of a time when Mount Rainier had an argument with his two wives, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. Mount St. Helens became jealous, blew her top, and knocked the head off Mount Rainier.(Cowlitz Indians called Mount St. Helens “Lavelatla,” which means “smoking mountain.”)

As we see from above, we need to include:

Mount Hood (usually male)

Stratovolcano with lava dome. Apparently, his VEI is 2. The eruption of St.Helens in 1980 was photographed also from this volcano, that was almost reached by pyroclastic flows.

Mount Rainier (usually male)

Also a stratovolcano, his VEI is 5. His craters are completely filled by a glacier. Is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, especially for the potential of lahars during the next eruption.

Mount Adams (usually male)

Another stratovolcano of the cascade range. A stratovolcano, with a VEI of 2.

Native Americans in the area have composed many legends concerning the three “smoking mountains” that guard the Columbia River. According to the Bridge of the Gods tale, Wy'east (Mount Hood) and Pahto (Mount Adams; also called Paddo or Klickitat by native peoples) were the sons of the Great Spirit. The brothers both competed for the love of the beautiful La-wa-la-clough (Mount St. Helens). When La-wa-la-clough chose Pahto, Wy'east struck his brother hard so that Pahto’s head was flattened and Wy'east took La-wa-la-clough from him (thus attempting to explain Adams’ squat appearance).[12] Other versions of the story state that losing La-wa-la-clough caused Pahto such grief that he dropped his head in shame.

My stupid note: Mount Adams did Seppuku :P

In a legend from the Klickitats, the chief of the gods, Tyhee Saghalie, came to The Dalles with his two sons. The sons quarreled about who would settle where. To settle the dispute, Saghalie shot an arrow to the west and to the north and told his sons to find them and to settle where the arrows had fallen. So one settled in the Willamette Valley and the other in the area between the Yakimaand Columbia Rivers and they became the ancestors of the Multnomah and Klickitat tribes respectively. To separate the tribes, Saghalie raised the Cascade Mountains. He also created the “Bridge of the Gods” as a way for the tribes to meet with one another easily. A “witch-woman,” whose name was Loowit, lived on the bridge and had control of the only fire in the world. She wanted to give the tribes fire to improve their condition and Saghalie consented. He was so pleased with Loowit’s faithfulness that he offered Loowit whatever she wanted. She asked for youth and beauty and Saghalie granted her wish. Suitors came from near and far until finally she could not decide between Klickitat and Wiyeast. Klickitat and Wiyeast went to war over the matter until finally Sahalie decided to punish them for creating such chaos. He broke the Bridge of the Gods and put the three lovers to death. However, in order to honor their beauty, he raised up three mountains: Wiyeast (Hood), Klickitat (Adams), and Loowit (St. Helens).

In a similar legend from the Klickitats, there was a large inland sea between the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. The Native Americans lived on the sea and each year they would hold two large powwows at Mount Multnomah, one in the spring and one in the fall. The demigod Koyoda Spielei lived among them and settled disputes among the living things of the earth, including the mountains Pa-toe (Adams) and Yi-east (Hood), sons of the Great Spirit Soclai Tyee. For many years, peace prevailed over the land. Then a beautiful squaw mountain moved to the valley between Pa-toe and Yi-east. She fell in love with Yi-east, but liked to flirt with Pa-toe. This caused the two mountains to quarrel with each other and it quickly escalated into an all out brawl. Ignoring Koyoda’s calls for peace, they belched forth smoke and ash and threw hot rocks at each other. Some time later, they paused for a rest and discovered the catastrophe they had caused. The forests and meadows had been burnt to the ground and many animals and other living things had been killed. The earth had been shaken so severely that a hole had been created in the mountains and the sea had drained away and the Bridge of the Gods was formed. The squaw mountain had hid herself in a cave during the battle and because they could no longer find her, they were about to resume fighting. However, while they had been fighting, Koyoda went to Soclai and told him what was happening. Soclai arrived in time to stop them from resuming their quarrel. He decreed that the squaw mountain should remain in the cave forever and the Bridge of the Gods was to be a covenant of peace between the mountains that he would cause to fall if they ever resumed their quarrel. He also placed an ugly old woman, known as Loo-wit, as a mountain to guard the bridge and remind the brothers that beauty is never permanent. After many years, the signs of the great battle and the evidence of the inland sea had disappeared and there was happiness and contentment over the earth. The squaw mountain wished to come out of her cave and grew very lonely. In an effort to ease her loneliness, Soclai sent the Bats, a tribe of beautiful birds, to be her companions. Yi-east eventually learned that the Bats were her guardians and carried out secret communication with the squaw mountain through them. He befriended Loo-wit and crossed the bridge at night to meet with the squaw mountain. One night, he stayed too long and had to hurry to get back to his proper place. He caused the ground to shake so much in his haste that a large rock fell and blocked the entrance to the cave. When Soclai found this, he was furious with the Bats and punished them by turning them into bats that are seen today. He allowed the squaw mountain to remain out of the cave on her promise to be good, but would not allow her and Yi-east to be married, fearing the inevitable quarrel that might start again. He did promise to look for a mate for Pa-toe, hoping this would initiate a lasting peace. However, because of his many duties, he forgot this promise and the two mountains were only held in check by his threats. Eventually, when Soclai was in another part of the world, they resumed their quarrel and created chaos again. Their violence broke the Bridge of the Gods and destroyed the landscape again. Loo-wit, in her attempts to stop the two brothers, was badly burned and scarred; and when the bridge collapsed, she fell with it. Finally, Pa-toe won the battle and Yi-east admitted defeat. Soclai returned from where he had been, but he was too late to avert the disaster. He found Loo-wit and because she had been faithful in her guardianship, he rewarded her by giving her her greatest desire, youth and beauty. Having received this gift, she moved to the west side of the Cascades and remains there to this day as Mount St. Helens. Since Pa-toe won the battle, the squaw mountain belonged to him. She was heart broken, but took her place at his side. She soon fell at his feet and into a deep sleep from which she never awoke. She is now known as Sleeping Beauty. Pa-toe became so sad that he caused her deep sleep, he lowered his own head in remorse.

The Yakamas also have a legend attempting to explain Adams’ squat appearance. Long ago, the Sun was a man and he had five wives who were mountains: Plash-Plash (the Goat Rocks), Wahkshum (the Simcoe Mountains), Pahto (Adams), Rainier, and St. Helens. Because she was the third wife to be greeted by the Sun in the morning, Pahto became jealous. She broke down both Plash-Plash and Wahkshum, but left Rainier and St. Helens alone. She was happy that she was now the first to be greeted, but wanted more, so she crossed the Columbia and took plants and animals from the mountains there. The other mountains were afraid of her, but Klah Klahnee (the Three Sisters) convinced Wyeast (Hood) to confront Pahto. Wyeast initially tried being nice, but Pahto would have none of it. So Wyeast hit her head and knocked it off, creating Devils Garden. Wyeast then shared what Pahto had taken with the rest of the mountains. After this, Pahto became mean and she would send thunderstorms, heavy rain, and snow to the valleys below. The Great Spirit had been watching all this time and came to Pahto. He gave her a new head in the form of White Eagle and his son Red Eagle and he reminded her that she was his daughter. Pahto repented and promised to stop being mean and greedy.

In many of the legends of the Cascade Mountains, there are thunderbirds that live on them and Adams is no exception. This particular thunderbird was named Enumtla and he terrorized the inhabitants of the land. Speelyi, the Klickitat coyote god, came along one day and they implored him to do something. Speelyi transformed himself into a feather and waited. It did not take long for Enumtla to see the feather and investigate. Being suspicious, he thundered at the feather with no effect. He paused and suddenly the magic feather let loose a terrific volley of thunder and lightning and stunned Enumtla. Speelyi then managed to overpower Enumtla and decreed that the thunderbird could no longer terrify the people, could only thunder on hot days, and could not destroy with lightning.[67]

Several other tribes have legends involving battles and disagreements between the great peaks. The Cowlitz and Chehalis have a legend where Rainier and St. Helens were female mountains and quarreled over Adams, the male mountain. In a different legend from the Cowlitz, St. Helens was the man and Pahto (Adams) and Takhoma (Rainier) were his wives and the two wives quarreled with each other. A thunderbird legend from the Yakamas has a terrific battle between the thunderbird, Enumklah, and his five wives, Tahoma (Rainier), Pahto (Adams), Ah-kee-kun (Hood), Low-we-lat-Klah (St. Helens), and Simcoe. Pahto and Tahoma were badly beaten, Ah-kee-kun and Low-we-lat-Klah escaped without injury, and Simcoe suffered the greatest injury for starting the battle.

Etna (Female)

Mt Etna is a massive complex shield-stratovolcano that contains several (virtually all) volcanic morphologies and is among the oldest active volcanoes in the world, with an age of 600k years, nor to mention the fourth biggest volcanoes in Europe. Her VEI is 6. In most legends, Etna tends to have a dark nature (prison or door for underworld). Is in modern times that is regarded as a kind woman, in fact her modern surnames are ‘Her Majesty the Volcano(she)’, ‘Mama Etna’, ‘Lady Mountain’ and even ‘Vulcanessa’ (feminine word for the italian ‘Vulcano’, special for Etna only. Even her second name ‘Mongibello’ (the name of the stratovolcano on the top) was turned into ‘Mongibella’. Etna is also a feminine ancient name (Ætna) and a modern African feminine name. In Japan, a musician changed her birthname into Etna. There is also a female anime character that was named after the Sicilian volcano.

There are four major myths associated with Mount Etna. In the first, Zeus subdued the monster Typhon, after a long fight, by hurling Mount Etna on top of him. In a variant of this myth, Gaia produced another monster called Enceladus to avenge Typhon, and either Zeus bound him under Etna, or Athena threw the whole island of Sicily on top of him.

The second myth is that Etna is the smithy of the gods, where Hephaistos or Vulcan forged weapons for the gods, assisted by the Cyclopes. This is where Odysseus is said to have met Polyphemus, and Aeneas passed by.

The third myth is that the Cattle of the Sun grazed on the slopes of Mount Etna. Killing and eating some of these brought destruction upon Odisseus’s men. It is said that the town of Taormina is associated with this myth, since the name may come from “tauros” – bull and nearby is a valley suitable for grazing, called the Valley of the Ox.

The fourth myth is that Persephone liked to gather flowers on the lower slopes of Etna and to dance with the nymphs on the plain of Enna. When Hades abducted her, he opened a crevice in Mount Etna as an entrance to the Underworld.

Vesuvius (Male)

Vesuvius is the most famous volcanoes in the world, among the most violent and also the most dangerous. Is a young stratovolcano with caldera, and his VEI is 6. According to the latest researches, Vesuvius shares it’s magma chamber with Campi Flegrei and Ischia, of those Campi Flegrei is a supervolcano (there are only 10/12 supervolcanoes in the world, those volcanoes have a VEI of 8 or are major VEI 7). This makes Vesuvius a satellite volcano of a supervolcano, and that does means his potential VEI might be even more than 6. Neapolitans sometimes referer to Vesuvius as ‘Him’ and call him ‘Daddy’. The name Vesuvius itself contain a masculine component, because Vesuvius does means ‘Son of Zeus’. Plus, is one of the few volcanoes that, according to European legends, used to be a human. In Naples Vesuvius is regarded as ‘the violent father’, but also as a protector.

Magica de Spell, a Disney character, is inspired by one of the many legends about Vesuvius.

The poignant love story of Vesuvius and Capri, love and far? It ‘a story steeped in this fire and passion and tells of a young man belonging to a noble family who fell madly in love of this beautiful and sweet girl, a nymph who blew up the heart and burn blood to the young Vesuvius. Thus began ‘a long courtship of Vesuvius or Vesevo (Egloghe fishermen’s Bernardino Rota) for the young and beautiful nymph named Capri that you feel at the center of the universe, the most beautiful of the beautiful, the more that it too He begins to drop all forms of emotional barrier and then let go, like a wave that gently caresses the sand and then withdraw and return again and again. The two young men, however in their ardor not notice the shadows who plot behind them, the shadows who know what it means to break a tie for their mere interests of maintaining its name, the House to which they belong fiercely for decades, and the danger of losing the purity, the kingship of his being a race high triggers the repair plan, the project unique and unanimous to put an end to this total waste of time, in this stupid love story.

And then the girl’s family Capri decides to move it away from her man, from Vesuvius did not expect this setback, this coward, and feels the sadness and despair montargli him act as his lady companion, and all that was beautiful and wonderful you abruptly turns into a nightmare that will reach its climax in the escape of the beautiful Capri from what he believed was a noble family not only in name but also in spirit.

But unfortunately, his attempt to escape to return from his Vesuvius, does not open the right, he does not look the danger that it will experience, in fact, the waves swallow, because it Capri had fled at night without looking back, only tenacious and had climbed on a small boat, just to reach Vesuvius his beloved, sweet and only love, without calculating anything. instinct was driving, but it was an instinctive full of fear and love, looking for a hug strong and confident un’stinto of fire and passion. And so ‘it disappeared, the waves on the night before they got up to snatch the beautiful nymph, now are calm, they are resting, and the wind blowing delicate and light brings the sad message of death that comes to the sources of the young Vesuvius He informed that the huge tragedy falls into despair, and the fire and the passion that burned in the heart are being pushed out of his body, and surging in a dance of madness and death he explodes, to become land and rise to the sky, puffing and spitting tongues of fire from his mouth, but subsiding only at the moment when you realize that in front of him and the beautiful young nymph smiles because it too is out of the blue waters, and smiling at her Vesuvius these subsides, because finally the tormented love story that was experiencing has reached the point of stillness and then now is just to live forever escaping the time and distances.

Bad English from here http://www.tournapoli.it/lamore-eterno-vesuvio-capri/

Herðubreið (Female)

Herðubreið is a rare subglacial volcano (also named ‘Tuya). Those kind of volcanoes form during ice ages and in cold regions such as Antartica. They’re similar to submarine volcanoes in their shape. On their top the volcanoes take the form they should have had if they formed on normal lands, usually shield or stratovolcanoes.  Herðubreið on the top appears to be both a shield and a stratovolcano, and her VEI might have been 3. Today is most likely extinct. Her name does means ‘Broad Shouldered’ and is regarded, by locals ‘the Queen of Icelandic Mountain’.

Mayon (Female)

Mayon is a perfect shaped volcano in Philippines and is regarded among the most beautiful volcanoes in the world. Unfortunartely is also among the most violent volcanoes in the world, and the most active. Mayon is a pure stratovolcano, with a VEI of 4

According to the myth, Daragang Magayon was a beautiful princess who attracted men from various different tribes - including one Iriga chieftain called Pagtuga.

Pagtuga courted Magayon and her father with excessive gifts but Magayon’s heart belonged to someone else - Panganoron, son of a tribe leader in the Tagalog region.

The two met when Panganoron saved Magayon from drowning in a river one rainy night and as time passed, the two fell in love.

Hearing of their romanced, Pagtuga captured Magayon’s father Makusog, threatening to kill him if she refused to be his bride.

When Panganoron learned of what was happening, he and his armies started a war with Pagtuga.

The Iriga chieftain was slain in the bloody battle and Magayon rushed to her lover’s side to celebrate when a stray arrow hit him in the back and killed him.

Beside herself with grief, Magayon took the knife from Panganoron’s side and shouted Panganoron’s name before killing herself.

Her father Makusog buried the lovers together and whole years passed before the Ibalon people noticed the grave rise, spewing red-hot boulders from its crater preceded by quakes as it formed into the Mayon mountain we see today.

My note: Most volcanoes are tragic…

Tyatya (Male)

Also known as Chachadake, or Chacha, is one of the most beautiful and peculiar volcanoes in the world, but also among the most poisonous, so people avoid to ive there, especially after the latest eruption. Tyatya Is a perfect symmetrical stratovolcano, with an horyzontal flat caldera. In the exact center of the caldera, a perfect symmetrical cinder cone has grown. His VEI is 5

In the language of the Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of the island, the volcano was called Chacha-Napuri, or Father Mountain. The Japanese named it Tyatya-Yama, from which the Russian name Tyatya.

Tyatya is one of the symbols of Kunashir. Local people consider it the most beautiful volcano, and its image, which can be seen everywhere in these parts, is the unofficial symbol of the Kuril Islands.

Tyatya’s most recent eruption was recorded in 1981

Death Volcano from Legend of Zelda is clearly inspired to Mount Tyatya.

Santorini (Female)

Named also St. Irini, or Kalliste, or Thera, or Nea Kameni, Santorini is an unusually explosive shield volcano with a VEI of 7. Normally explosive volcanoes evolve into stratovolcanoes, and according to some studies, Santorini used to be both a shield and a stratovolcano before the eruption. But I doubt this, as Nea Kamenei, the new volcanic formation, is also a shield, and the remains of Santorini are too round shaped to be the ones of a half stratovolcano (such as Tambora or Etna). Santorini is about of the same age as Etna.

According to legend, Atlantis was based on Santorini before the latest VEI 7 eruption.

Amiata (Female)

Amiata is an ancient stratovolcano in Tuscany. Despite being dormant for 200k years, it is not exinct yet and it can come back to erupt someday, even if there are no signals. It’s squished form is caused by erosion and long dormancy, it is not a shield. Like Etna, Amiata is called ‘Mother’. Amiata is a VEI-4 volcano.

There are lots of gendered Volcano around, but those are the most easy to find about.

#volcanoes #volcano #legends #santorini #tyatya #vesuvius #etna #st. helens #Herðubreið #mayon #adams #rainier #hood #mount #mt #popocatepetl #amiata

[arrogance-is-my-middlename]

Walking the Old Paths (And Charting the New)

Ideas on the new subclasses, how each class reacts to it, what they mean, all that jazz.

 “The Light, you shape it, you tool it, that’s what a Hunter does y’know? Everything is about efficiency and necessity when you’re out in the wilds, and nobody knows that better than a Hunter.”

There was a time before the Dancers. Before Arc was remade to become a blade so sharp it hurt to touch, it was crutch to lean on. They say the Arc Light is Life, you know? Every living thing has a spark or two of Arc in it, even the Planets. And yes, the Planet lives you idiot, don’t question it. You’re still wet around the ears, stop asking questions and just listen, ok? Look, back in the old days, when we were all Risen and the Iron Lords were the only thing keeping people from slitting each other’s throats, we weren’t assassins. Traveler knows we had enough killers roaming wide, and subtlety wasn’t an art anyone but the Nightstalkers had any idea of. Naw see, back in the day we used to pull up these great big staffs, cross the field in a second and show the Fallen and their gimpy little spears what close quarters really meant. We would get refugees to towns with just the Arc light alone, just our staffs and that tingly pretty blue Light keeping the darkness at bay. And when the City was starting to come together? Take a hot guess who it was who brought in all them people. Cus it sure as shit wasn’t the Titans, they couldn’t move fast enough to get to the poor sops who were so far out into the Dead Zones they hadn’t seen anything but hostiles in generations. Warlocks were too busy trying to build every Golden Age defensive precaution back into action so we weren’t all killed before the Walls were built. So it came down to the Hunters. The Nightstalkers, especially Takanome and her Rangers, they would scout miles ahead and mark the safe paths with these flowers and tether anything that looked at ‘em funny. Gunslingers would walk in, talk the talk, get as many willing people on board as possible. When it was time to dust off and leave, the Arcstriders would pick up their staffs and lead the way. I remember one guy, he took one swing with his Arcstaff and sent 10 Fallen flying. Kid he saved held onto his cloak the entire way home. Imagine that huh? A kid clinging to an Arc Hunter. Yeah, those were some days, Greenhorn. After that though, wasn’t much need for the wandering protectors. There weren’t any crazy mass exoduses like that for centuries until… well, you know. Bladedancers came about right around then. Gunslingers and Nightstalkers have always walked the same path, probably always will. But Arcstriders were protectors of the travelers too weak and too tired to protect themselves. No more travelers, no more Arcstriders. The Dancers came in, and Arc Hunters get the big ol’ scary assassin title slapped on ‘em. Slip into the shadows, reappear halfway across the room with a knife full of arc and boom everyone’s dead and Zavala is calling it a wrap. Those were the Dancers. They knew all the dirty tricks that came with wet work. They could Blink better than half the Warlocks in the Tower, hide as well as any Nightstalker, and their knives made Strikers think twice in the Crucible. Different style for a different time, you know? But now the Red Legion is here making a fuss and you know…. I haven’t seen a Dancer since Ghaul reared his ugly mug. All them Arcstriders came right back, like they never left. Changing times, kid. Just remember, whatever you pull out of the light when you finally do figure it out, you’re a Hunter. Whether you fill a crowd with Solar bullets or tie em down with Void, or hell, if you’re full of Arc and pull our staff, just remember: it isn’t the stupid glowing ball in the sky you’re fighting for. You’re protecting all those people behind the Wall, and that is why we’re here. Don’t let the wilds make you forget that, Greenhorn.

 “Complacency is every strategist’s worst nightmare. You get lazy, you get stupid, and soon your impeccable strategy is crumbling to bits and the rug has been pulled out right underneath you.”

You understand why we have the Shield now, right? A lot of it has to do with the Firebreak Order. They had a single rule, the Firebreak Calculus. It asked, how much good would I do if I find the right place to fight and die? I’m sure you can see where this is going. It optimizes the efficiency of a Guardian, of a Titan, up until their dying breath. They were fearsome for it, moreso than any of the rest of us could ever hope to be. Even the Pilgrim Guard, with all their fire and fury for those outside the walls could not hold a candle to the Firebreak Order. It was why we failed so spectacularly when the Red Legion swept through our City, and it is why we carry a Shield now and forever. We thought ourselves safe in the City, on top of our walls with all our guns and a host of battle-tested Guardians who had held off so many invasions for centuries. If six of us could slay the Taken King in his own throne room, what could an army bring? Hubris. There is no other name for it. We fell to our own arrogance. Zavala himself sought to stand his ground and he faltered. Ask yourself this: why? Very few times have the Defenders ever let their dome of Light, the ever-present Ward of Dawn, fall. So how could it now? The very symbol and definition of a Guardian’s protection simply fell to pieces on that bloody day, and now we carry shields. The Defender Titans failed, we failed because we stood our ground instead of taking a step forward. We thought ourselves brave for standing upright against the Darkness, but we never once dared for a foothold beyond where we stood. Every single Titan Order failed and died that day because none of them did what the Firebreak Order truly dared to do: step forward and fight for what was ours. We had grown comfortable in our small corner of Earth. The Ward of Dawn, the Defender, never thought to step forward. The Sentinel does. We raise our shields and we step forward and we fight Guardian, we will fight till our dying ragged breath and then we will come back and fight some more. Sol is our home, and never again shall we make the mistake of simply watching our invaders step all over it. The only path to victory is to continue onward and refuse complacency at every turn. Learn this lesson well, Guardian. We all took the hard fall for failing to do so, and I pray you never see it repeat.

 “We told ourselves the Light wasn’t a tool, it wasn’t a weapon, it was a force unlike any other. Pure, unadulterated energy in its rawest and most primal form. We sought to be a conduit.”

There is no Guardian prouder than we Warlocks, and not without reason. Within our number hold some of the strongest Guardians to ever brave the Second Death, and of all the orders, only Warlocks thought to use Light as light and not as a tool. Hunters make bows and pistols and blades, they craft Light. Fitting, for a Hunter scavenges what he can get from the Wilds and never wastes what he finds. Titans create a point, a focus for their Light. They form a fist, a Shield, a Hammer, all with their indomitable will. A Titan makes her light a weapon and stands stronger for it, for she is never unarmed and never unprepared. Hunters are the blades that carve Light into a shape of their choosing, and Titans are the spear-tip that makes Light a weapon to defend any and all. Fearsome and cunning warriors both make, but they fundamentally fail to know the Light like we Warlocks do. We do not force or shape the Light, we become one with the Light. We are the conduits through which the Light flows, and from our fingertips we wield power like no other. Stormcallers were forces of nature, the epicenter of a storm without end. Voidwalkers saw beyond the veil, they walked with death and shadows and called both friend. And once, Sunsingers, did what no other could: they defied the Second Death. Even without a Ghost, a true Sunsinger could use the Solar light to form themselves from nothing and burn like the phoenix of old. We thought ourselves mages and scholars without equal, we fancied ourselves as dragons, especially after we faced true dragons that whispered deals and whose bones gave us strength. Knowledge and understanding was our gain, our true purpose, and Osiris and Toland both would agree wholeheartedly. We drank of strength and Light till we forgot who we were, and when Ghaul came we crashed back to earth and broke ourselves on the ground we thought ourselves too mighty to touch. And would you like to know how we recovered, young Guardian? We ­changed. Our songs of the sun turned to screams of vengeance, and we lit our blood on fire just to rise again. No Sunsinger will ever rise again, not in this life or the next. The Dawnblade has replaced that particular fantasy, and with good reason. A conduit cannot tear burning vengeance into he who stripped us of our home and friends. We thank him, for reminding us of our humanity. Our gift back to Ghaul was a blade of sun-fire buried deep in his chest, and a vow to never lose ourselves in the stars again. Our folly was pride, our lesson was loss, and our strength is bound in a blade of Light we would have once scorned. We learned the lesson that Titans and Hunters had already so long ago figured out: that Light is ours to use and wield to protect that which we love. The how matters very little when all the chips are down, only that you succeed. Of course, it helps that Hunters are jealous we can fly and don’t have to pull our sword from the hands of a dead Captain, but you didn’t hear that from me.

#Destiny2 #Destiny the game #subclasses #destiny hunter #destiny titan #destiny warlock #my writing #fanfic

[rickhorrow]

10 To Watch : Mayor’s Edition 7119

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 1 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

Ahead of Wimbledon, major brands feature Williams, Kerber. Tech giant SAP has unveiled “Call the Shots,” an interactive, online game that places fans in the shoes of Wimbledon Champ Angelique Kerber the day before a big match and allows fans to use SAP Tennis Analytics to get Kerber match-ready, by using data to make decisions that will help – or potentially hurt – her success on the court the next day - from helping Angie pick the most nutritious breakfast, to selecting her training intensity levels. And Serena Williams is finally gracing the cover of Wheaties, with General Mills announcing the addition of the multi-time Grand Slam champion to its historic lineup of athletes. Said Williams, “I have dreamt of this since I was a young woman and it’s an honor to join the ranks of some of America’s most decorated athletes. I hope my image on this iconic orange box will inspire the next generation of girls and athletes to dream big.” The Wheaties announcement clearly comes in the “It’s about damn time” category of brand initiatives.

So far, NBA free agency headlines have been dominated by the three Ks. NBA free agency began at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, and among the earliest news that broke was the announcement that the Celtics inked Kemba Walker to a reported four-year, maximum salary contract worth $141 million. Almost immediately, the New York Daily News and others reported that Kyrie Irving agreed to a four-year, $141 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets, a move that will "give the Nets a marquee name and elite talent." The Nets certainly weren't done – Kevin Durant then announced on Instagram his decision to leave the Golden State Warriors for the Nets; Durant signed for a reported four-year, $164 million maximum contract. Per the Associated Press, the NBA set the salary cap for 2019-2020 at $109.14 million, an "increase of just more" than $7 million from last season. The tax level will be $132,627,000, and the minimum salary, which is "90% of the cap," will be $98,226,000. That didn't stop teams from making some big league moves.

College athletes in California are a "step closer to being able to make money from the use of their names, images and likenesses," after a state committee passed a bill that would "fundamentally change" how the NCAA conducts business. The California Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media Committee passed the Fair Pay to Play Act, which would take effect January 1, 2023. According to the Los Angeles Times, while the bill would "not allow schools to directly pay athletes, athletes would be able to receive compensation from outside sources." The Los Angeles Daily News noted the bill advanced "despite a letter from NCAA President Mark Emmert last week urging the committee to postpone considering it and warning of dire consequences if the athletes were compensated." The Washington Posts’ Sally Jenkins notes Emmert has "suggested all of California’s postseason competition could be jeopardized if the state allows an athlete to make a profit from his or her own name, picture or signature." Emmert is "bluffing, and California should call him on it." North Carolina has proposed a similar bill, so we now have two major states mounting a serious challenge to NCAA rules.

Ronald McDonald House Charities will be the title sponsor of this year’s Triple-A All-Star Game. The annual game, in which stars of the Triple-A Pacific Coast and International League compete, is scheduled for July 10, at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas, and will be telecast on MLB Network. The deal includes advertising inventory on MLB Network, logos on player uniforms, and static signage within the ballpark. Social and digital media will also support the event. Agency 4Front worked with the host El Paso Chihuahuas to secure the sponsorship. Huntington Bank and Gildan were presenting sponsors of last year’s Triple-A All-Star Game, in Columbus, Ohio. The return on investment for MiLB sponsors, both at their mega events and regular season games, continues to grow.

The 2020 Tokyo Games have "generated record domestic sponsorship revenues" of more than $3 billion, "three times more than any previous summer Games," according to Reuters. IOC Coordination Commission Chair John Coates said that local sponsorship agreements "were up to 62 companies for all three tiers of sponsorship arrangements." He noted that doesn’t “include the partnerships with Toyota, Bridgestone, and Panasonic and their contribution to the TOP program,” which have "separate deals with the IOC." Revenues currently stand at $3.1 billion, and the Tokyo Games now have "15 gold partners, 32 official partners,” and 15 “official supporters." Comparatively, the 2012 London Games raised roughly $1.1 billion from domestic sponsors. Regarding the Coca-Cola-Mengniu Dairy tie up, the Wall Street Journal notes Coca-Cola "didn't give a reason" as to why it is partnering with China Mengniu Dairy Company to share the title of exclusive global beverage sponsor, but the "sharply rising cost of sponsorship may have something to do with it." Olympic sponsorship has become more global, more competitive, and more expensive, pushing even the likes of mighty Coca-Cola to look for a partner.

AEG Facilities, a subsidiary of venue and live entertainment company AEG, has signed an agreement with the Raiders to manage the team’s $2 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium scheduled to open in Las Vegas in August, 2020. AEG Facilities operates the team’s current home, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, now known as RingCentral Coliseum. AEG Facilities President Bob Newman would not disclose the length of the deal and its value but said the agreement is for “several years.” AEG Facilities will manage the day-to-day stadium operations, including booking, ticketing, security, event operations, concessions and human resources, Newman said, adding that the opportunity to manage the Raiders’ new home was a unique moment in time for a professional sports franchise. “You have an iconic brand, in an iconic stadium converging in an iconic destination,” he emphasized. AEG Facilities manages 150 venues and stadiums on three continents, including T-Mobile Arena close to the Raiders new Las Vegas home.

Bleacher Report is harnessing the Women’s World Cup to curate brands around soccer. As the FIFA Women's World Cup intensifies, Bleacher Report is using its data to win over brands who want to grab onto soccer's rising popularity in the U.S. According to The Drum, a white paper from Bleacher Report seems to back up the rising popularity of the sport in America. Bleacher Report's brand partners for the WWC include Adidas, Nike, Hulu, Umbro, Powerade and AT&T. AT&T owns Bleacher Report through its acquisition of Warner Media. To win future advertisers, Bleacher Report – which is reportedly on track to grow 50% this year and reach $200 million in revenue – pooled together its first-party data from its app with a U.S. survey of 2,000 people 13-and-older to track soccer fandom stateside. The report found that 52 million soccer fans are in the U.S., to varying degrees. As the USWNT charges on in the World Cup, defeating France 2-1 on Friday, their extended run will continue to show the high value of soccer in the U.S.

The NBA and its players association launch virtual sports betting product NBA Last 90. According to onlinegambling.com, the new service will give gamblers in the U.S. and Europe the chance to bet on simulated games that feature actual game highlights from the league. The product is set to launch sometime during the 2019-2020 season with fixed odds that control the chances that any given bet will win, which means these games can appear even in jurisdictions where sports betting isn’t legal, but other forms of gambling are permitted. The virtual sports betting features real teams and players, and NBA Last 90 allows players to view the final 90 seconds of a simulated NBA game between two real teams. They can then place bets on who will score first, who will win the game, or the total points to be scored. Additionally, real highlights from recent NBA seasons will be used to stitch together a unique finish to each game. As esports and digital screens grab more attention from the casual bettor, the NBA looks to capitalize on a growing virtual betting audience, which netted nearly $1 billion between April 2017 and May 2018.

OTT is King: DAZN app nets 950% year-on-year revenue growth. According to SportsPro, the mobile OTT platform was the world’s top-grossing app in May, 2019 and has experienced exponential growth throughout the past year. Gross user spending across the month shows that the DAZN’s digital app brought in close to $11.5 million in revenue – more than nine times its income for May 2018. U.S. subscribers represented 35% of DAZN’s consumer-based revenue through its mobile app, while Japan made up 6.5% of its market income. The Japanese based service recently set a new viewership record as the men’s national soccer team took on Chile at Copa America and new services have been launched in the U.S., Italy, Spain, and Brazil since May 2018. DAZN seems to keep growing and is now nearly double the total amount that ESPN grosses in a month. With DAZN’s latest acquisition of the secured rights to the Chinese Super League 2019-2020 seasons for its Italian service, it seems that their expanding OTT global empire won't be slowing down.

F1 will host a charity golf tournament in Austin ahead of U.S. Grand Prix. In support of the world’s leading breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen, F1 will host “Grid to Green” in conjunction with GOLF Magazine to unite the two sports. The tournament, which will take place the afternoon of October 31 at the Tom Fazio designed Omni Barton Creek Canyons Course, will feature a current or previous legend from the world of motorsport in each group. According to formula1.com, Carlos Sainz Jr, Christian Horner , Zak Brown, Otmar Szafnauer, Damon Hill, Ross Brawn, and Danny Sullivan will all partake in the event. F1 is making a push on all ends to find its way into the U.S. market, and by combining golf and philanthropy will find their way into headlines.

#10 #10towatch

[swipestream]

New Release Roundup, 25 August 2018: Science Fiction

Space marines, mecha knights, and keyboard VR warriors battle it out in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in science fiction.

Across the Galactic Pond (Far Beyond #0) – Christian Kallias

When young Kevin has a chance encounter with a dying alien, he discovers not only that humans aren’t alone in the universe, but that this encounter propels him into the middle of an intergalactic war.

Now at the frontlines of a massive, far far away war, he’s sent to the last remaining ship of the losing side. The crew of the ship? All dead.

His mission is simple: he must save the good guys from certain doom.

From College reject to War Master, Kevin learns he must adapt quickly or billions will die.

The Ancients (The Survivors #4) – Nathan Hystad

The threat of invaders is gone, and Earth has been bartered away as a price for peace.  Yet, the human world of New Spero is thriving and full of hope.

Joining the rank of the Gatekeepers, Dean and Mary set off to explore worlds connected by the mysterious portals. When they stumble upon a strange symbol, they are led to an ancient object, one that sets them on an unstoppable path.

The journey takes them through multiple worlds, before they can find what they’re searching for. Long ago, the ancient race called the Theos vanished without a trace, and have been next to forgotten for centuries. Do they still exist?

Dean intends to find out, but when he’s faced with the truth, he fears everything he loves will be lost.

Battle ARC (ARC Angels #2)- Toby Neighbors

Facing a horde of hostile aliens known as the Swarm is frightening. Being the only person who can stop them is even worse.

From the great domed cities of Mars, to the verdant fields of Neo Terra in the Tau Ceti system, humanity’s future is spread across the galaxy. The Colonial Space Fleet has struck a blow against the Swarm, but the aliens are far from defeated. Unless the CSF finds a way to win a decisive battle with the ever growing horde of insatiable aliens, all could be lost.

Junior officer Angela “Angel” Murphy can perform superhuman feats in the revolutionary Assisted Rapid Combat suit, but can she repeat her victory as the focal point of a Marine battalion? Can the Fleet produce more ARC suits and find suitable pilots to utilize the advanced technology? The Swarm is always evolving, adapting to its environment, and learning the tactics of its enemies. There’s a battle on the horizon, and the outcome is anyone’s guess.

The Colchis Job (The Four Horsemen Tales #3) – Kal Spriggs

Colonel Jason Azoros is having a bad year. Having taken over the Argonauts’ mercenary company when its previous owner was killed, he has arrived back at Karma to find that no one will deal with him. Blacklisted by his father, Jason is forced to do a job for him to clear his name.

The early days of humanity’s expansion into space was an exciting time, as the best of the race went to the stars. Unfortunately, some of the worst went, as well, and the Argonauts must hunt down and destroy the worst of the worst, Colchis Industries.

Colchis has powerful friends, though, and its coffers are overflowing with credits, allowing it to hire mercenaries and buy equipment beyond what the Argonauts can afford. They also meddle in genetics, and their creations range from…interesting…to unstoppable.

Outmanned and outgunned, Jason and his crew embark on their voyage short on equipment but long on attitude. One thing is for sure—win, lose, or draw, they’re going to go out in style!

Earth’s Fury (Obsidiar Fleet #4) – Anthony James

The human Confederation has provided unexpected resistance to the Vraxar invading forces, but now the price must be paid. The mighty enemy warship Ix-Gorghal has discovered the location of humanity’s populated worlds and its arrival in New Earth orbit promises death for the billions living there.

At first, it seems the invaders will have everything their own way. They send in troops and deploy a ring of satellites to isolate the planet from the main comms network. After that, it should all be plain sailing….

On the New Earth Tucson military base, there are personnel who will never accept defeat – men and women who will keep fighting even when the cause seems lost.

It won’t be easy. The Vraxar are a cruel and unpredictable foe, and at the first sign of a threat, they will surely destroy New Earth without hesitation.

Hidden Enemies (Empire of Bones #9) – Terry Mixon

Trapped between murderous xenophobes and calculating artificial intelligences, an interstellar war threatens to wash Princess Kelsey Bandar away in a tide of blood.

With her most powerful ship crippled, only a desperate mission to steal what she needs right out from under the noses of her enemies offers a way to get her people safely home.

As if that wasn’t hard enough, success requires her foes never learn of her existence and therein lies the problem. Few have ever accused Kelsey Bandar of subtlety.

If you love military science fiction and grand adventure on a galaxy-spanning scale, grab “Hidden Enemies” and the rest of The Empire of Bones Saga today!

The Last Aeon (Terran Armor Corps #5) – Richard Fox

War rages across the galaxy. And humanity is losing battle after battle.

The renegade Armor, Roland, seeks the key to victory against the enemy encroaching from all sides. An Aeon guards a secret which will tip the balance of power in the galaxy. But first, Roland, and the Ibarra Nation must defeat her guardians, the Cyrgal.

On another front and amid the tumultuous aftermath of Roland’s defection, Gideon leads a desperate attempt to assassinate a Kesaht general. He is the last hope to turn the tide of the battle, and save the world of Ouranos.

As the war against the Kesaht and their merciless allies grinds on, Gideon and Roland must summon faith and fury to survive.

Proxima Centauri (Aeon 14: Enfield Genesis #2) – Lisa Richman and M. D. Cooper

Though Jason and his team have taken down Victoria North and freed many of the kidnapped AIs, several are still missing, and it’s the team’s job to find them.

Even as they set things right, a small piece of technology procured from Norden’s crumbling criminal empire is enough to become the catalyst for an even worse catastrophe.

Jason, Terrance, and the Phantom Blade team grapple with this new threat, unaware that it is far closer to home than they ever imagined.

The struggle to bring about equality for AIs and make Alpha Centauri a home for all sentients balances on a knife’s edge. It will take everything Jason has to ensure the burgeoning civilization isn’t cut to ribbons.

Quantum Mortis #3: A Secret Love – Vox Day, Steve Rzasa, and Matvei Daniilovich

Chief Warrant Officer Graven Tower is a ruggedly handsome military policeman who hates aliens. Fortunately, as a member of His Grace’s Military Crimes Investigation Division – Xenocriminology and Alien Relations, he gets to arrest a lot of them. Sometimes he even gets to shoot them.

Chief Tower and Detector Derin Hildreth of the Trans Paradis Police Department are investigating the murder of the Crown Prince of Morchard, but they have not been able to determine a motive for the crime or identify any suspects. So when a royal assistant comes forward with information about the prince’s secret life, they don’t hesitate to pursue the lead into the heart of the wealthy interplanetary establishment.

Renegade Dawn (Renegade Star #7) – J. N. Chaney 

Welcome to the Old World.

Captain Jace Hughes and his crew have finally reached their destination: Earth, the mythical lost homeworld of Humanity. It was said to harbor great wonders, fertile land, and beauty beyond comparison, but the reality is far, far stranger than any story.

The Earth isn’t what they thought, and it must be rebuilt.

Using the newly acquired Galactic Dawn as a refitted transport vessel, Jace hopes to bring help from displaced worlds whose inhabitants can no longer sustain themselves. He’s going to need all the help he can get to jumpstart this new colony. That means farmers, workers, soldiers, and, perhaps most importantly, families, all of them working together to build a home they can call their own.

But the Earth harbors many dangerous secrets, each one more deadly than the last.

The Replicant War (Worlds at War #1) – Chris Kennedy

Billed as “the most realistic game ever,” Worlds at War was a video game unlike any other—one that promised a virtual reality experience that rivaled operating a giant mecha in combat. People flocked to the game in anticipation.

For some, the game lived up to and far exceeded their expectations—the level of graphics was indeed, “just like being there.” The game didn’t provide the experience many others had hoped for, though; for a large number of players, the game was “too real to be fun.”

For video game design majors Ryan Johnson and Noah Bowden, the game play was incredible. It made them feel like they actually were saving a foreign world from horrific enemies, and they rapidly moved up on the leaderboard of the game’s best players.

But then fatal accidents began happening to the gamers at the top of the leaderboard, including many at which men in black were seen. When Ryan sees those same men at his dorm, he realizes there is more going on in the shadows of Worlds at War than he has been led to believe…but can he determine what’s going on before a fatal accident happens to him, too?

REV: Rebirth (The REV Warriors #3) – T. R. Harris

For the past twenty years, Humanity–along with their ultimate weapons, the superhuman warriors known as REVs–have been at war with the more-powerful and technologically-advanced Antaere race. As latecomers to the galactic community, the Humans have beenplaying catch-up, proving that their innate skill at waging war can help skip a lot of steps on the way to galactic domination. That was until two years ago. Now nearly all the civilizations within the local Grid of colonized planets have turned against the Humans, resulting in the loss of nearly all the territory they once fought and died for.

But things are changing. Through recent revelations regarding the Antaere and their ultimate  plan for their alien followers, old allies are slowly returning and asking for Earth’s help in liberating their planets from the Antaere stranglehold. And the REVs are leading the way.

However, things are not always as they seem. The Antaere are diabolical in their strategy. And when a recent mission goes bust, Earth is left in an even worse position than before.

Lt. Zac Murphy and his super-REVs have their work cut out for them…if people will just let them do their job. After all, Zac is not only a new breed of REV…he’s a new breed of man….

Stand or Fall (The Four Horsemen: The Omega War #4) – Keven Ikenberry

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry.

While the occupation of Earth continues, MinSha mercenaries under the command of Major General Drehnayl have assaulted Human-held colonies in the outer rim, wiping them out completely. With the famed Four Horsemen nowhere to be found, the Mercenary Guild’s attempt to instill fear and subvert humanity is perilously close to reality. Tasked with finding the MinSha is Jessica Francis, Earth’s first Peacemaker, but the odds aren’t in her favor. Racing against time, Jessica realizes that finding Drehnayl’s forces isn’t enough—she must do something to stop their atrocities and end their reign of terror.

Upon locating the MinSha fleet, Jessica faces down Drehnayl’s armada with a band of heroes both hopelessly outmanned and under-equipped on the binary planet Victoria Bravo. Her decision made, and with MinSha Lieutenant Colonel Tirr and the near-AI Lucille at her side, Jessica charges into battle intent on stopping Drehnayl once and for all…or to die trying. A Peacemaker must set the terms, honor the threat, and know when to stand or fall. For Jessica and her friends, that time is now.

Soda Pop Soldier – Nick Cole

Gamer PerfectQuestion fights for ColaCorp in WarWorld, an online combat sport arena where mega-corporations field entire armies in the battle for real world global advertising-space dominance. Within the immense virtual battlefield, players and bots are high-tech grunts, using drop-ships and state-of-the-art weaponry to wipe each other out.

But times are tough and the rent is due, and when players need extra dough, there’s always the Black, an illegal open source tournament where the sick and twisted desires of the future are given free rein in the Wastehavens, a gothic dungeon fantasy world.

And all too soon, the real and virtual worlds collide when PerfectQuestion refuses to become the tool of a mad man intent on hacking the global economy for himself.

Tomorrow’s Spacemage (The Spacemage Chronicles #3) – Timothy Ellis

Thorn is back. He’s lost 1 civilization, and is still trying to fix 2 others.

But fixing when you don’t know how it broke, is never as simple as you thought it was.

The future is threatened by his own past, and to fix everything, he thinks he has to undo what he’s already done.

But what if what you did cannot be undone, and the future has more riding on it than anyone knows?

Yesterday’s Spacemage was the cause. Today’s Spacemage was the effect.

But can Tomorrow’s Spacemage save everyone?

Unification (Ghost Marines #2) – Jonathan P. Brazee

Human slavers attack. Despite trying to fight back, there is nothing the young Leefe can do to save his family and friends. But he doesn’t have to. The Imperial Marines arrive in the nick of time, and they hate slavers. Three tri-years later, when the new emperor issues a proclamation to integrate the imperial military with non-human citizens, Leefe is among the first to volunteer.

The Corps has been integrated by imperial decree—but that doesn’t mean everyone accepts the wyntonan Marines. Despite an impressive combat record as a grunt, Corporal Leif Hollow struggles to become an effective NCO and leader of Marines.

When then the trumpets of war sound, however, Marines forget about differences and come together to accomplish the mission. But when the odds are stacked against them, and the empire’s very existence is at stake, will that be enough?

War Mage (The Magitech Chronicles #4) – Chris Fox

The Krox have finally reached their end game, and the sector will never be the same. Their relentless fleet darkens the skies of New Texas, home of the fabled Ternus shipyards. Their only hope lies with their sworn allies, the Shayans. But the Shayans refuse to help.

Only Aran and his company can keep their leadership alive long enough for Voria to bring reinforcements and the fabled Spellship. If they fail, the entire world burns, and Ternus morale will collapse with it.

But the war is merely a smokescreen for something much more sinister. Teodros, Guardian of Krox, plans to use the distraction to resurrect his dark father. If he is not stopped, Krox will live again.

Behind it all Talifax schemes, and Nara will pay the price.

New Release Roundup, 25 August 2018: Science Fiction published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

[saberdoesthestars]

The Thunderdome

‘Observatory Dedicated to Boy Scouts of America’ (BSA)

For the past three years, amateur astronomers Stephen Saber and Gene Evans have been showing the wonders of the night sky to visitors at the Loud Thunder Illowa Scout Camp and Forest Preserve in Illinois City, IL. June and July alone see more than 2,000 Scouts from across the nation (and overseas) pass through the camp, and each are given the opportunity to view the Moon, planets, and distant galaxies through telescopes and binoculars. The response was so well received that the HON corporation in Muscatine, Iowa funded the construction of a permanent astronomical observatory at the camp, the first specifically dedicated for use by the Boy Scouts of America. In keeping with the forest preserve’s Native American roots, the observatory was named Akotah Kanikamocik Acahkosak (The Place of Singing Stars). Operated and maintained by Saber and Evans, the automated dome houses a 14-inch Schmitt-Cassegrain telescope, and is available for all visiting Scout troops and their families.

[Despite my efforts and research to poetically name the observatory, it wasn’t too suprising that the visiting Scouts almost immediately dubbed it the ‘Thunderdome’ (and I, accordingly, became ‘Mad Max’). -Saber]

*****

Stellar Reactions: Tales From The Eyepiece Stephen Saber

Starparties are more than just our chance to combine forces collecting photons, converse with friends, and show-off our new astro toys. Veterans also have the chance to flex their expertise as celestial tour guides for the visiting public. And after offering thousands of visitors their first up-close glimpses of the heavens, I’d like to share some of my personal favorite laymans’ reactions at the eyepiece.

HELIOPHOBIA

It was a beautiful day for Solar observing among the Red Rocks of Arizona. I had a long line forming behind my mounted and filtered 80mm giant binos. But a middle-aged woman ‘on deck’ was becoming increasingly reluctant despite the safety reassurances from me and those of her family that had already taken a peek. Without warning, her panic attack erupted with accompanying hysterical ranting about a possible intimate view of our star ‘invading her spirit’ and ‘stealing her soul’. She ran from the line and spent the next 10 minutes waiting for the rest of her family crouched in fear and peering from behind a nearby building.

HAVE YOU HUGGED AN ASTROLOGER TODAY?

Mighty Jove never fails to make an impression with newbies. After taking a long look with praise and awe at Jupiter, an excited woman began gushing me with thanks and multiple bearhugs. Turns out she was an avid astrologer who had never had the chance to see her favorite planet ‘live’ among her birthsign’s stars. She was so appreciative that I didn’t have the heart to explain that Jupiter was nowhere near the constellation she had hoped.

LUNAR VERTIGO

A young lady in line for her first telescopic view of our moon got a bit more than she expected. That night, for kicks, I was employing the porthole effects of a 16mm Nagler. After about ten mesmerized seconds she managed a quiet and appreciative “Whoa”. At almost the same time her knees slowly buckled. She fell onto my accessories table while still clutching the now teetering scope’s diagonal. Fortunately my reflexes and moral priorities were on keel that night as I grabbed both the woman’s arm and my tripod almost simultaneously, narrowly avoiding certain disaster. (Those Naglers should really come with a physiological warning!)

A SATURNIAN COMA

Saturn looked great that night. I was even envious that this massive group of Cub Scouts was going to enjoy such an incredibly crisp view of our ringed planet at only their first opportunity. In fact, an eager Scout about fifth in line was so literally floored by his view that he fell backwards into the grass and laid quietly mumbling “Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…” while blankly staring at the heavens for at least the next ten minutes. Not only was it amusing, but he made a great shill for those now anxiously waiting in my line.

IT TAKES A STEADY HAND

Back in the day, I used to whip out my red laser pointer at Outreach events to secretly coincide with Mir passes and Iridium flares. Inevitably, one of the first questions asked was how far the beam would reach, to which I’d respond, “Pretty far. In fact, there are plenty of satellites above us in orbit (casually scanning the skies with the pointer), and sometimes you can catch them (aiming more intently now) at just the right angle and…” (-7 mag Iridium flare erupts amidst gasps and cheers of amazement).

[Note: Due to recent public GLP misuse and to promote responsible laser use, I no longer perform this ‘magic’ light show. But it was quite a crowd pleaser!]

GEE! NO, G.E.!

I overheard the story of a Boy Scout camp offering the Astronomy merit badge to any hardy souls who could stay up late enough for the entire viewing session. The instructor had trained his scope on a bright planet (presumably Venus) just cresting the ridge across a valley. After the group had a look, he moved on to other objects for a few hours. Toward the end of the session, he returned to the planet they’d viewed earlier. Oddly enough, the luminous object appeared no higher in the sky than it had hours earlier. And on closer inspection, he noticed that it was in fact slightly below the ridge line on the far side of the valley. At that point the instructor realized he’d been training the scope on a street light. At the end of that week of camp, the staff presented him with a plaque bearing a light bulb to commemorate the discovery of his new planet dubbed ‘G.E.’ (for General Electric).

WE DON’T NEED NO STEENKING EYEPIECES

Some folks just can’t wait to get their first intimate views of the night sky. In a recent story of enthusiasm meeting confusion, I hadn’t even mounted my giant binos before an excited elderly gentleman first in line eagerly attempted a peek at the Pleiades thru my tripod boom arm’s stock. He was so thoroughly chastized for this faux pas by his overbearing wife that I sympathetically passed on chiding him with “So, how was the view?”

MOON, SCHMOON

As part of a local elementary school’s science fair, I was invited to bring my 8″ SCT to share views of our moon and available planets. Unfortunately, it decided to rain that evening. Switching to Plan B, I set-up in the gymnasium and taped a blown-up 18″ photo of our gibbous moon (laminated and cut round for just such an occasion) high above the bleachers at the opposite end of the gym. Although the angle of my diagonal merely misled most folks as to location of the substitute-moon, one suspicious 3rd grader wasn’t buying any part of this astronomical charade stating, “How can that be the Moon? I was just outside and couldn’t see it at all through the clouds!” He did not, however, seem to have a problem believing my scope was capable of first penetrating the building’s ceiling.

FROM THE PUBLIC SOLAR COMPLAINTS DEPT.

“If it’s so dangerous to look at the eclipse, then why are they having one at all?”

“Why do we have Daylight Savings Time? That extra hour of sunlight is killing my grass.”

“Me and my class cannot make it to the Solar Eclipse on Wednesday. Can you reschedule it?”

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

A line of elementary school students, along with some of the faculty, were taking turns at my scope viewing the available sunspots. After taking a peek, one exceptional 2nd grader began calmly explaining this Solar phenomenon to his nearby classmates. He recited perfectly facts concerning umbras and penumbras, surface temperature differences, approximate sizes of sunspots, as well as Sol’s diameter and rotational period. This was in some contrast to the next sunspot observer, the school’s principal, who excitedly spun toward me from the eyepiece and simply exclaimed, “Wow! They look like ants!”

VICTORY SPIKE FOR VENUS

I was asked to host a daytime observing session at a nearby youth summer camp. Luckily, conditions were wonderful and the cloudless sky was about as blue as it gets in the Midwest. Hundreds of people had the opportunity to view Sol and Luna. After lunch, Venus had also climbed high enough in the sky to make it an unscheduled but viable target. Among the first batch of afternoon campers, it was this group’s adult counselor that was most excited that another planet might actually be observable during daylight hours. Upon seeing the admittedly pretty but featureless crescent of our sister planet for the first time, she began a touchdown-worthy dance around my scope. The 90 lb. woman’s tirade included ecstatic screams and culminated with her falling to her knees and repeatedly pounding tiny fists into the ground. (And to think I was just gonna stick to sunspots and craters!)

Of course, extreme reactions from views of our celestial treasures are always entertaining. But vicariously seeing the wonders above through a first-timers eyes should also always remind us- lest we take them for granted- of how beautiful, intriguing, and awe-inspiring the Cosmos and its aesthetics truly are.

*****

Stephen Saber has received the Master Observer’s award from the Astronomical League and is author of the ‘Starhoppers Guide to the Herschel 400’. He curses the clouds from his home in Rock Island, Illinois.

C14 Is Awesome! (Saber Does The Stars Vol. 2: The Index Catalog) at http://c14isawesome.blogspot.com

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