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Review: Oniisama e…, “The Petition” and “The Bad Apple”

By Noel Kirkpatrick

Oniisama e…
Episodes 30 and 31: “The Petition” and “The Bad Apple”
Original airdates: Mar. 15 and Mar. 22, 1992

In an act of narrative boldness, Oniisama e… kicks off its last arc by focusing not on the struggle to get signatures for the petition to get rid of the Sorority, but on the effects that the petition is having on other people. It’s a bit of a risk, this shift in perspective, but it ultimately pays dividends by demonstrating exactly the problems the Sorority has caused on campus.

Sonobe and Furuta attempt to burn the petitionBoth episodes, but particularly “The Bad Apple,” focus on how the senior members of the Sorority are attempting to cope with the petition and with Miya-sama’s inaction. The panic of the senior members, especially Ladies Borgia and Mona Lisa, mirrors the challenge that occur when any upper class or elite is challenged by the lower classes. There’s scrambling, in-fighting, and maneuvering for a better spot after the “revolution.” It’s tough going, and not all the plans work out as well those on the top might help. Or, in this case, don’t work at all.

“The Petition” wraps up Misaki’s place in the narrative as Borgia and Mona Lisa convince Misaki’s two friends, Sonobe and Furuta, to pilfer and burn the petition books that Kaoru, Nanako, Tomoko, and Nakaya (the girl who was expelled from the Sorority for her low test scores) have been using. The two seniors dangle the opportunity of Misaki being admitted into the Sorority should they comply, and being faithful friends to Misaki, they carry out the plan. But it gets botched thanks to Rei’s daggers, and while a group of anti-Sorority girls are ready to demolish Sonobe and Furuta, Misaki says the plot as all her idea, so the blame, as it were, will fall on her.

It’s actually a well-executed narrative for the show, and for Misaki. She’s been lurking around ever since Mariko’s attack, and given the fact that she takes the credit for the  plot, it’s a clear sign that she’s attempting to punish herself for all the cruel things she’s done toward Nanako and Mariko over the course of the show. Even her jab about Nanako’s mom feels forced and half-assed, a line to be read to make sure the role she’s playing now is believable. But it’s not enough to ease her pain and suffering, and so she attempts to drown herself in the ocean.

Misaki’s saved, of course, by Tomoko and Nanako, and she and Mariko have a small reconciliation, referencing a race they had in middle school, a race that had solidified their rivalry. They may have once wanted to beat one another fair and square, but the competition for the Sorority was too much, and it forced both into acts of cruelty, bullying, and ultimately intense violence. By the end, Misaki, Sonobe, and Furuta sign the petition, an official end to the havoc in their lives.

With that plot foiled, Borgia and Mona Lisa take matters into their own hands, along with Lady Vampanella and Yamamoto (I’m sure she has an odd nickname, but I don’t remember it). This episode, even more so than “The Petition,” places the narrative emphasis on characters we don’t know all that well (or at all, really), but it demonstrates just how entrenched and important the Sorority is for its members.

While Vampanella and Yamamoto aren’t exactly thrilled with Miya-sama’s leadership, neither are they willing to give up the status and luxuries afforded them as Sorority members, but they’re not exactly sure how to make a move against the petition organization. Borgia and Mona Lisa are convinced that Miya-sama’s inaction is somehow connected to the secret she shares with Nanako, and the four decide to find out what it is by any means necessary. But Borgia’s clearly in the mix only to elevate her own status should the Sorority survive, and more than anything else she’s interested in tearing down Miya-sama so that she can become the chairwoman.

It’s like watching government and military officials attempt to a fill a power vacuum before the vacuum’s fully formed, complete with leading a rebel leader (in this case Nananko) to an abandoned warehouse for an interrogation. The whole warehouse fiasco, complete with the spotlight and crumbling balcony railing, is perhaps the episode’s biggest misstep, and may be one of the larger missteps for the series as a whole. It’s all a bit much, and that’s saying something for this show. But the near murder of Nanako is enough to rattle even the otherwise cool Mona Lisa to realize that they’re behaving horribly over a club.

But it’s understandable. The Sorority represents not only luxury in the present but the opportunity for luxury and success in the future. It grants its  members connections, training to be a rich housewife, and so on. It’s a lifestyle that needs to be protected, especially as, given the time the series was written (thinking 1975 here, not 1991–92), it was a major step in a positive direction for a post-school life for women. It’s not something to give up easily.

We’re closing in on the home stretch of Oniisama e…, so I wanted to get the gears churning about what’s next. There’s four weeks of coverage left, which will close out my things in mid-December (if I’m doing the math right). After that, I plan to take two weeks off, and then starting on Jan. 1, 2013, I’ll devote a month’s worth of coverage to the original Astro Boy, in honor of the show’s 50th anniversary.

In addition to the episode reviews, I’m going to read Fred Ladd’s Astro Boy and Anime Comes to the Americas and Frederik L. Schodt’s The Astro Boy Essays. Feel free to read along with me, but I want your input about which seven episodes to cover over the course of January (the first episode is a no-brainer). I’ve seen a small chunk of the series a number of years ago, but not all of it, so I want some assistance. You can offer terrible episodes, interesting episodes, favorite episodes, whatever. I just want some suggestions.

And speaking of suggestions, also let me know what you’d be interested in reading about starting in February. It needs to be animated, but it doesn’t have to be anime. It does have to be legally and readily available in the United States, and I would prefer streaming, but that’s not a deal breaker.  Leave suggestions for the future show, and the Astro Boy episodes, in the comments, or tweet them to me on Twitter.

3 Responses to “Review: Oniisama e…, “The Petition” and “The Bad Apple””

  1. Wella

    I love this series so much. Thanks for reviewing it every week! I always look forward to it. I always thought “The Bad Apple” is really not a very good episode. It’s forced, and honestly, it was the first episode in an entire series I thought was not very good..

    • Noel Kirkpatrick

      I think it’s probably the first big misfire in the series even if I think some episodes were duller than “The Bad Apple.”

      And I’m glad you’re enjoying the write-ups. 🙂

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All new look

socks-n-shoesSo this month is going pretty nicely for me, today I’ve taken delivery of my birthday present from last year. My in-laws left it up to my lord to make the purchase and I’d just posted about a particular pair of shoes, so he put in a pre-order. They were scheduled for delivery in March, as they were a completely new type of shoe, American Duchess’ Signature Collection shoe: The Stratford, Designed by Francis Classe. The shoes are manufactured in China, but they only started production when they had enough pre-orders to warrant it, and I’m so glad I got in early because they are beautiful!

The next event I’m going to will be Drachenwald Spring Crown Tourney in Polderslot, and I will have an all new outfit! I put in an ‘order’ with my mother (who knits) for a pair of woolen stockings knitted after the silk stockings that Eleonora di Toledo was buried in. She had some yarn left over when they were finished, so she made me a pair of fingerless gloves as well, which I showed off here earlier. This order was put in like two years ago, and finally they are done!

The shoes, the socks and the gloves will be completed with the new gown, which is close to finished. I have to attach the last bit of the skirt, level the hem, and then cut, sew and attach sleeves, and add miles of satin tape trim. I’ll be black and red and all decked out in shiny new things! I am totally spoiled.

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Juggernauting, Part 3

Juggernaut screenshot 1Juggernauting
Part 3

Before they began producing their own films, Vitagraph exhibited Edison pictures. The very first they presented publicly was The Black Diamond Express (1896). It’s a simple actuality — nothing more than a train approaching the camera — but it was wildly popular. Difficult to imagine today, but then, trains were the modern marvel. Also difficult to imagine are smashups — a kind of carnival sideshow common at the turn of the 20th century, where antiquated railroad engines were purposefully wrecked for the audience’s entertainment.

Filming a smashup wasn’t a novel idea — witness Edison’s The Railroad Smashup (1904) — but incorporating one into a feature-length narrative film was.

Vitagraph had purchased four decommissioned engines from the Long Island Railroad and several old passenger cars. Each train was destined to be destroyed in some manner. The first two met in a head-on collision, in standard smashup fashion, in The Wreck (1914). The fourth speeds into a forest fire in The Ninety and Nine (1916). The third, retired Long Island Railroad Engine #56, would find itself plunged into the icy depths at the climax of The Juggernaut (1915).

Juggernaut screenshot 2The train wreck was filmed on September 27th, 1914. On the northern edge of the Hercules chemical plant in Sayreville, New Jersey is a large man-made lagoon locally called Duck Nest Pond. Running hard beside it are Raritan River Railroad tracks. Vitagraph constructed a short spur line off these, which made a wide turn onto a trestle that spanned half-way across the pond.

In the story, the railroad has been dangerously neglected. The bridge, we find out only too late, is unsafe to cross. At first, the wobbly piers support the train’s weight, but then — crash!

The passenger cars were filled with dummies. The only live human aboard was the engineer, who jumped off some distance away after wiring the throttle down. The train was meant to cross the trestle at around 15 miles per hour, but between the engineer’s departure and the train reaching the spur, the wire had worked itself loose. Unlike the ersatz dereliction of the bridge, the engine was legitimately in disrepair and the throttle dropped into full open. I’ve heard it said the train topped-out at anywhere from 30 to 60 miles an hour before it reached the trestle. From the footage, I might believe 30. It’s a bit over-cranked, which makes it seem to move slower than it is, but there’s simply no way that train is moving anywhere near 60mph.

The piers were rigged with explosives to ensure that the bridge failed on cue, but the train was moving so fast that, even as the center of the bridge was collapsing, it still managed to cross it and go sailing off the end — narrowly missing one of the camera towers. It was expected that the boiler would explode when it hit the cold water, but it didn’t. Pyrotechnician Herman Rogers assisted it with a couple sticks of dynamite.

Juggernaut screenshot 3Once the dust settled, the dummies were replaced by living extras, to be filmed struggling out of the wreckage and swimming ashore. Easier said than done. There were lifeguards stationed, but it wasn’t always easy to differentiate those who were pretending to drown from those who actually were drowning. There were no major injuries, but several people had to be rescued.

Most attributed their cramps to the chill of the water, but the temperature is the least of Duck Nest Pond’s problems. The Hercules plant was a major producer of nitrocellulose, among other chemicals. Indeed, the film The Juggernaut was shot on may have come from Hercules. But they kept their waste on-site in unlined landfills, which leached into the groundwater. The area surrounding the plant is highly contaminated with tertiary-butyl alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform. The place was and is toxic. Today, it’s an EPA Superfund site.

A century later and much of the scene is still there down in Sayreville. Vitagraph just abandoned everything when filming wrapped. The spur is gone, but the main tracks are still there. The pond is still there. Rows of stumps soldier off into the water — the remnants of the piers that made up the trestle — they’re still there. Even the wreck itself was left to rust away for decades — it wasn’t until 1938 that it was pulled out for scrap iron.

Unrelated to this post or The Juggernaut, a new video will be going up soon. Not going to say what it is, but it’s a personal favorite that I’ve written about before. Maybe you can guess.

Posted on September 9, 2015, in Juggernauting and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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There are many tools available to jailbreak Apple (iPods, iPads, iPhones) and root Android (Samsung phones, Amazon Kindles) products. As evidence of how easily a geek can perform these hacks, just look at the used electronics offered on CraigsList in a given week.

In this era of ‘bring your own device’(BYOD), these liberated ones may make ‘guest’ appearances on your corporate network. The more you know about them, the better you will be able to control their access.

Most fundamentally, in the case of computers, the opportunity for control begins when the device’s bootloader—held in firmware—begins its routine. As first stage security, depending on the device, the bootloader usually cannot initiate the boot process without an appropriate key. For example, my old video editing system will not begin booting-up without first retrieving the encryption key held in a USB dongle. In contrast, though similarly, newer computers use a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to manage BIOS-stage security checks before allowing the bootloader to start.

Seeking to circumvent boot-level cryptography, jailbreaking and rooting tools target the computer’s Trusted Platform Module with methods that evolve along with the safeguards to stop them.

Security Risks

A jailbroken or rooted device gives the owner root-level control over the software running on it and opens up access to a plethora of applications that are blocked by the manufacturer’s TPM. Many jailbreaking kits automatically install the Cydia application loader to bypass iTunes in installing unapproved software on Apple devices.

However, the same hack that provides access to alternative software also exposes the device to the security risks that the device’s factory TPM is efficient at managing. A jailbroken or rooted device infected with malicious software becomes a Trojan threat; any data on or passing through the device, including data generated through sensors, keypad, network protocols, or peripherals, could be secretly sent to a remote server.

Device Monitoring Safeguards

Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems control devices through installed clients. While you can install clients on all company-issued devices, and even devices to which the user provides such access, you cannot control a mobile device on which no MDM client software is installed. Since, by definition, a rogue device is one that operates on your network without your control or permission, MDM offers little help in tracking such devices.

Besides an MDM, you need a monitoring tool to discover and track unknown devices on your network. SolarWinds User Device Tracker, for example, lets you see devices connected through the SSIDs on your wireless controller. You can track suspicious devices by adding them to a watch list, allowing yourself the most timely information on which to undertake a deeper analysis if and when device access patterns warrant it.


text:
We are pleased to announce the general availability of SolarWinds Web Help Desk v12. This release contains the following product improvements and new features:

  • Improved LDAP Directory and Active Directory auto-discovery
  • Native Asset Discovery (using WMI)
  • Native integration of Asset Database with SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM), Network Configuration Manager (NCM) and Server and Application Monitor asset databases (SAM)
  • Native integration with Alerts from SolarWinds NPM, NCM and SAM
  • New Getting Started wizard
  • Automatic setup of WHD database in the wizard
  • Support for Windows 2012, Windows 8 (only for evaluation version of WHD)
  • Support for MS SQL 2012, support for embedded PostgreSQL database
  • Migration utility from Frontbase to PostgreSQL

For details on these features please visit previous announcement about Release Candidate on Product Blog.

You can view the full set of release notes, including problems fixed here.

Download Web Help Desk now and have fun!


text:
authors · Books · Memoir · Uncategorized

Grandiose Quips at Seventeen

Have you ever made a grand proclamation to an individual or group? Maybe it came out as, “Someday I’m going to…” I have, and it hit me like a brick to the head last week.

When I was a high school journalism student, immersed in the rush of deadlines, editing, and reporting, I made an emphatic statement to my newspaper advisor: “Someday, I’m going to win a Pulitzer. I don’t know for what, but I am.” Quite a grandiose statement for a seventeen year old girl. Last week, as I was filling out my entry form for the Pulitzer Prize contest (yes, you read it right!), I had a flashback of that very day.

There I was, entering Girl on the Right: Memoir of a Life Upside Down into the Pulitzer ring. To be clear, I have no expectations going into this, but my thought is, why not? I feel my book is purposeful and has a relevant message for CSA thrivers. I’ve read a host of past winners in Letters, Drama & Music throughout the years. I’m in no way saying that my first book is of the same caliber, but the heart of it is. I could do a lot with $50 and 4 copies of my book, but this feels good in my soul. Even without snagging the $15,000 cash prize, I am exposing my voice to a new audience. That’s always a win.

My lesson in all of this, I suppose, is when you voice your intention to the world/universe/God, you’ve essentially set that intention in motion. My life coach, Tamara Zoner, would be extremely proud of that statement, as she’s always encouraging her subjects to live with intention. I get it, Tam!

While I had no clue where I would be twenty-five years from the day I voiced my intention, I certainly arrived at a destination to make that dream a possible reality. And you know what? Even if this book is cast aside by the Pulitzer jury, I won’t bat an eyelash. I have more books coming, as well as the time and treasure to keep trying.

Never give up on YOU, dear readers!

Bella Vida

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Five steps for a successful job fair

Not long ago I was at a job fair and there was an employer I wanted to meet. I fell in line behind a young job seeker who looked like he had just crawled out of bed – stubble, spiky hair, denim button down shirt, untucked. Eventually it was his turn to speak with the employer. Eyes cast towards his sneakers, he asked, “Um, what kind of jobs do you have?”

The employer was primarily hiring for customer service reps. “Is that the kind of job you want?”

“I don’t know, maybe.”

The employer had several positions to fill, and she tried to help him out. “Do you have a resume?”

“Okay, here is our website, you can go here and apply online.”

The job seeker took her card, grabbed the keychain and coaster giveaways, and left. He probably later told his friends that the job fair was a waste of time.

It didn’t have to be this way. He could have made the job fair work for him if he had followed just a few basic steps:

1. Be professional. Treat the job fair as if it is a first interview, because it is. Shower and shave. Dress to impress. It’s cliche, but true: you have one chance to make a first impression.

2. Be prepared. Know what you want, and practice your sales pitch. Research the companies participating in the job fair, and apply online beforehand. Bring multiple copies of your resume. Then, when you go, you can tell the employer that you applied and hand them a copy of your resume. If they take your resume, they will make notes on it and take it back to their office to match against their application system.

3. Be patient. The employer may not take your resume, but that’s okay. You still get a chance to ask questions and learn how you can follow up. Also, you may have to stand in line to meet the employer, which is an excellent opportunity to network with other job seekers.

4. Be persistent. If this employer does not have an opening for what you want, then ask them if they know who does. Then, give your sales pitch to another employer. After the job fair, send “thank you” notes to every employer you met, even if they didn’t have what you wanted; they may have an opening in the future. If they are hiring for what you want, then a “thank you” note is another opportunity to sell your qualifications. In any case, follow up.

5. Be polite. Saying “Thank you” goes a long ways. All other things being equal, employers hire people they like. They will notice, and remember.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

Agree? Disagree? I want to hear from you. Connect with me on FacebookLinkedIn and Twitter, or leave a comment below, and let me know what you think!

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Taylor Series

Came to the Taylor series while I was studying the fundamental element of chaos theory.

So what is Taylor series?

Taylor series is a representation of a function as an infinite sum of terms, calculated from the values of its derivative at a single point ［Wikipedia］.

Let’s look at the definition.

Given a function f(x) and f(x) is differentiable infinitely at a point a of a real or complex domain. Then, we say that, for a value x near a, f(x) can be approximated with Taylor series. That is,

\displaystyle \sum^{\infty}_{n=0} \frac{f^{(n)}(a) }{n !} (x-a)^n  .

where n! denotes the factorial of n and f^{(n)}(a) denotes the nth derivatives of f at point a.

OK. Let’s see for an example.

We all know that the derivative of e^x is also e^x. In other words, e^x can be differentiated infinitely.

Every algebra has a value of 1 when power with 0, except 0^0 which is undefined. So, how about e^{0.001} ?

Of cause we can use calculator to find out the value. But, let’s try with Taylor series method, i.e.

f(0.001) = \frac{f^{(0)}(0)}{0!}(0.001)^0 +  \frac{f^{(1)}(0)}{1!}(0.001)^1 + \cdots + \frac{f^{(n)}(0)}{n!}(0.001)^n

Let’s calculate this with Python.

#python code

import scipy

def taylor_euler(a, x, n):

result = 0

for i in range(0, n):

t1 = scipy.e ** (a)

t2 = (x - a) ** i

t3 = scipy.factorial(i)

result += t1 * t2 / t3

return result

print 'Answer of e^0.001 is %0.20f' % scipy.e **0.001

print 'OK. Let''s approximate e^0.001 from e^0 by slowly increase the iterations...'

for i in range(10):

ans = taylor_euler(0,0.001, i)

print '[%02d] ans = %0.20f' % (i+1, ans)

The output is:

Answer of e^0.001 is 1.00100050016670838460

OK. Lets approximate e^0.001 from e^0 by slowly increase the iterations...

[01] ans = 0.00000000000000000000

[02] ans = 1.00000000000000000000

[03] ans = 1.00099999999999988987

[04] ans = 1.00100049999999995975

[05] ans = 1.00100050016666664021

[06] ans = 1.00100050016670838460

[07] ans = 1.00100050016670838460

[08] ans = 1.00100050016670838460

[09] ans = 1.00100050016670838460

[10] ans = 1.00100050016670838460

As you may see, we have obtained a reasonable close value of e^{0.001} at iteration 6.

Author: zkchong

I have been teaching in university for 7 years and currently a data science engineer at Axiata Digital Advertising, Malaysia. Like to do research.

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European Union Trademark No. 000926113 (Figurative) Trademark register: EUIPO Status: registered

pork Logo

Logo design: One triangle ; Triangular figures with one or more truncated or rounded angles ; Triangles containing other inscriptions

The European Union Trademark for pork (Figurative) was filed on 10.09.1998 for goods and services in class(es) 42 at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The current status of the trademark No. 000926113 pork is 'registered'.

Trademark information
RegisterEuropean Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
Filing date10.09.1998
Registration date16.03.2000
Expiry date10.09.2018
Nice classes42
  CLIVE - IOWA 50325, US
RepresentativeDURÁN - CORRETJER, S.L.P.
 08037 Barcelona, ES
Goods and Services (the trademark is registered for the following goods and services)
Class 42 : Association services, namely, promoting the interests of members of the pork industry.
tmdb is a free trademark search website of publicly available records. tmdb does not guarantee nor warrant the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data.


text:
Mocking Bird Lane – A Darker Reboot of the Munsters

Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me producer Brian Fuller sat down and talked with Entertainment weekly about his new project Mocking Bird Lane and we also have who’s been cast so far. In addition to all that goodness we have the concept art from Entertainment Weekly as well. So if any of this sounds spoilerific to you, stop now.

Remember the Munsters? Please say yes. If not, please go remedy that. I love the Munters for what it was. Old, black and white, and funny. What I love about The Munsters in the hands of Brian Fuller is, as he puts it, “It’s an American Horror Story that the whole family can watch.” Sold. Here’s an excerpt from an interview he did with EW.

I always loved the original and was much more a Munsters child than an Addams Family child. The Munsters were the more relatable family. The Addams family looked normal but they acted weird and were sort of mal-socialized in a way. The Munsters were a more functional, sane family unit, they just looked different. [The shows] were almost inverses of the same idea. Obviously, Addams came first, then The Munsters took advantage of the Universal monsters and what they brought to the table. What excited me was to tell this story — and it’s going to sound strange in regards to this property — in a grounded, more realistic way.

Here is the concept art for the home and for those of you who don’t remember I’ve included a shot of the home from the original series.

First to be cast was our beloved Grandpa and I think Eddie Izzard will fill those shoes nicely.

The English actor will play is a powerful and irresistible womanizing Grandpa, capable of shape-shifting into rats, wolves, and various other animals at will. NYdailynews.

Next cast has been the normal of the family. Charity Wakefield will play the poor Marilyn who is sort of the outcast in a family of Monsters.

In Fuller’s version of the story, Marilyn is a college student who clashes with Grandpa (Eddie Izzard) but has a good relationship with Uncle Herman, Aunt Lily and cousin Eddie. The latter three roles are still to be cast. TVweek.

And finally, here’s the concept art for some of the costumes for Lily and Grandpa. Following that is another excerpt from Fuller’s interview with EW about the way the costumes are envisioned.

We’re not doing bolts in the neck and Bela Lugosi. It’s almost the Real Housewives of Transylvania. These are a blinged-out representation of what monsters would be doing if they lived in our society today. How they would look, how they would interact. Our wardrobe is heavily influenced by Alexander McQueen and his use of animal textures. For instance, with [the vampire] Lily, all of her wardrobe comes from nature. The first time we see her this nest of spiders weaves her dress on her body as she’s standing there. We’ll see ravens come in and assemble her blouse out of their feathers. We won’t see animal skins because the animals are donating as opposed to dying for it. She has domain over nature and nature has a fantastic esthetic.

I can’t wait!

Posted on April 13, 2012, in TV and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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The Other Woman “Genesis”

9 Oct

‘You whore’ one of the women screamed as she lunged at me in rage. I tried to get out of my chair but I was paralyzed. I took the impact of her body full in the face as we both tumbled backwards. She climbed me, knees blocking my lungs, eyes filled with anger and hatred. I was disoriented, gasping for air. I couldn’t feel the pain as she brought put a razor blade and slit my throat, but I felt her own pain. She was Andrew’s wife.

‘Beep Beep’
Kumbi woke up, her hands instinctively going to her throat. She let out her breath and swallowed. That dream was so graphic and real, she shuddered at the thought of it coming to pass. She switched off her alarm and reached for her phone, there were no new messages. ‘Why did Akin not reply her messages or return her calls?’ He had made her promise not to call him when he would be at home with his family but she had broken that promise the previous night, she really needed to hear his voice. Akin was the only stable thing in her life right now and she wasn’t ready to lose him for any reason. They had been together for over a year now and things were getting serious.
Lately he had been complaining about his wife’s inability to satisfy his needs and how she cared more about her work and making her boss happy than making him, her husband happy. If not for the two kids they had together, he would have asked her for a divorce. He always extolled Kumbi’s ability to make him feel relaxed whenever they were together and he had made up his mind to take a break from his family to be with her the coming weekend. Kumbi hoped that she would be able to convince him to leave his wife for her. She knew she would make him happy, the same way He could make her feel whole again after what that idiot Sadiq had made her go through. Akin was her rock, her backbone.
She was surprised that he hadn’t called her, they had planned to meet the previous night and he failed to show up or pick up his phone or reply any of her messages. Although she was angry with him, she hoped he was alright. She made a mental note to call him again before she left for work.

‘Wake up sleeping beauty’ Akin crooned into the ears of his wife and planted a kiss on her lips. ‘Last night was amazing darling’ he added as he set down the tray filled with freshly made toast, warm milk, eggs and sausages with a jug of coffee and some honey.
‘Break-fast in bed? Good morning to you too handsome’ she replied and kissed him back as she sat up.
He carefully balanced the tray on her lap and held her hand.
‘You should go and shower hun, you smell like sex’ she teased and nudged him playfully with her foot. ‘I laid it on you pretty good right?’
‘Yeah, I admit it was something.’ ‘We should send the kids to their God-parents more often’ He added, ‘it’s been too long…’
‘I know baby, and talking of the kids, Kemi should be dropping them off any moment from now.’
‘Let me just take a quick…’
The sound of the car-horn signaling their arrival cut him short, he quickly donned his bathrobe and made his way downstairs. No sooner had he opened the door than screams of Dad and Mum filled the house.
Dami and Doja, his boys, tried to outrun each other in a bid to get to him first. He bent down to carry them both in his arms.
‘I missed you Dad’ Doja spoke first.
‘No Dad, I missed you more’ Dami added almost immediately.
‘Guess nobody missed me’ Hauwa spoke from behind them putting up a sulky look.
‘Mum!!!’ they screamed and wiggled till their Dad dropped them to run to their Mum, attaching themselves to her limbs until she carried them both in her arms.
‘I’m sorry Kemi’ Akin apologized to their God-mother as he took their overnight bags from her, ‘Thank you’
‘No problem, I have to go now though, I have a lot of running around to do and giving this Lagos traffic, the earlier I set out the better.’ She replied and blew the boys a kiss. ‘I’ll call you later Hauwa’ she added.
Akin walked her to her car, a sleek Toyota Camry 2012 model. ‘Tell Kunle to meet me at the club later this evening’ he said as he helped her with the door. ‘Drive safe.’

Kumbi looked at her phone for the umpteenth time, she couldn’t believe her ears, why would Akin do this to her? He had finally picked up her phone a few minutes back after two days and just when she was about to ask why he didn’t show up as they planned, he told her never to call him again that he couldn’t continue the friendship with her. A small tear rolled out of her eyes, then another and another smearing her make-up. She didn’t care, she just wanted to die. She had endured the whole day with the thought that hearing Akin’s voice later in the evening would soothe her pain but the pain increased exponentially after hearing those words from him. She went to her medicine cabinet and brought out a pack of Refnol, ‘it’s been a while old friend’ she said amidst tears. She opened a fresh bottle of Henny and poured herself a glass which she downed immediately. It was time to end it all, she was tired of getting used and dumped over and over again.

‘I’m at the airport darling’ Hauwa said as she threaded her way through the hundreds of people in the airport. ‘It’s strange that you chose a restaurant in the airport darling’ she added.
‘Just find your way over to the international airport sweets, I love you’ Akin replied and disconnected the call before she could say any other thing.
She soon spotted him at one of the waiting rooms and as she approached, he stood up and signaled to one of the bag-handlers to follow him. He hugged her and held her by the hand, directing her to one of the counters. ‘You’re right on time.’
‘Right on time for what?’ she replied, ‘Baby where are we going, the children, my office?
‘Ssshhh all taken care of baby, don’t you worry your head about anything. We are taking a well-deserved vacation.’ he interrupted her with a kiss.
‘But I didn’t pack any clothes…’ she continued
‘All taken care of dear, I had some help from Kemi and your Mum.’ He cut in, she’ll be picking up the boys and taking them to your Mum’s later too.
They were soon checked in and as they boarded the plane she asked ‘What about my office?’
‘I called your boss and asked for a leave on your behalf, told him I wanted to take you on a vacation to celebrate our tenth year anniversary.’ He answered, ‘You didn’t think I would forget did you?’
Hauwa was dumb-founded, Akin had worked really hard to keep the surprise from her and he had succeeded beyond her imaginations. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at his six foot plus frame, ‘I love you my darling.’ She whispered and kissed him deeply.

Tosin had been calling Kumbi’s number for the past two days but he got no response. The last update he saw on his sister’s phone’s IM got her very worried. Why does she always have to be the victim of a relationship gone sour? He tried her number yet again but got the ‘not reachable’ reply from the network service provider. He picked up his car keys and decided to go check on her.
He knew something was wrong the minute he drove into her compound and saw the door partially open, it was quite unlike her to leave the door open. She hated it when flies and insects get into the house. ‘Kumbi, it’s Tosin..’ he called out as he made his way to her room.
The sight that beheld his eye was one that would stick with him for the rest of his life…

Don’t forget to drop your comments and subscribe, more episodes of ‘The Other Woman’ would be posted soon. Thanks

10 Responses to “The Other Woman “Genesis””

  1. herreeate October 9, 2013 at 3:58 pm #

    FABULOUS!!!! I was so into it till the end

  2. osuntade chinyere October 9, 2013 at 8:48 pm #

    Really captivating.. felt like a movie. Nice one!

  3. viola October 10, 2013 at 6:33 am #

    woooooow, woooooooooow, i cnt seem 2 find any oda word.

  4. Stmichael October 10, 2013 at 6:37 am #

    You have a genuine gift. There are a few details that need a wee bit of editing though. Conclusively, you got me gripped by the intense intrigue.

    • teekellz October 13, 2013 at 8:16 pm #

      Thanks a lot, would work harder on the editing………. Appreciate it

  5. bolade toluwalope Anne October 10, 2013 at 1:54 pm #

    Captivating,I hope she won’t die

    • teekellz October 13, 2013 at 8:17 pm #

      Keep your fingers crossed *_*

  6. mimsie October 10, 2013 at 7:41 pm #

    Really great write-up. Very captivating.
    I hope some girls will learn from this.

    • teekellz October 13, 2013 at 8:18 pm #

      Thanks dear. Hope so too….

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text:
Me? A Copywriter?

I understand the job. I understand the term, the definition.

I just don’t like the sound of the word.

On the playground, “COPYcat” was an insult. There’s nothing original in such a creature.

As for the copywriter?

Sure, there’s creative intentions in them. Nonetheless, I fear some who wear the copywriter hat think first of quantity, not quality.

Does this fill the screen, the page or the time allowed? Does the copy match the assigned expectations?

Take the COPY out of copywriting. Produce, don’t reproduce.

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text:
Mother and son plead guilty to incest and are told to stay apart but vow to stay together

A mother and son who say they are ‘madly in love’ with each other have vowed to stay together despite a court order preventing their incestuous relationship.  Monica Mares, 37, and Caleb Peterson, 20, were found to be committing incest after a neighbour in Clovis, New Mexico, reported them to police.  They were also told to stay apart for 18 months and Mares was also told to stay away from her nine other children.

The mother and son couple decided to go public with their affair last year in order to raise awareness of Genetic Sexual Attraction (GSA) and make it legal for them to have a sexual relationship.  Mares gave birth to Caleb, who was born Carlos, when she was 16 years old and gave him up for adoption soon afterwards.  She met him for the first time since at Christmas 2015, after the pair got in touch over Facebook.

Caleb moved in with her and says he fell in love with her in part because she looked after him.  The mother-of-nine reciprocated, and now says she would readily give up the right to see her other children if she was asked to choose between them and Caleb.  But Mares says she’s afraid to go out because people in her town know about the relationship, and threaten her and call her names.   (*Source: METRO Tuesday 21 Mar 2017)

Caleb’s personal life has suffered too.  Since the affair became public, his dad walked out on him.  The two were interviewed separately so as not to breach their court ordered separation.  The teenager said: ‘If I could speak to her now, I would say to her: “I love you and I miss you and I can’t wait to see you again”.’

2 thoughts on “Mother and son plead guilty to incest and are told to stay apart but vow to stay together

    • Yes, that’s exactly the opinion and feelings of sane, normal kind of people, but there are folks who take shelter under the provisions of the Satanic Act of Genetic Sexual Attraction – signs of the changing times going from bad to worse! 😦

      Liked by 1 person

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