I remember an old Star Trek movie where severely debilitated people without functional vocal chords could readily speak to each other by merely thinking their sentences. Recent research is bringing us closer to having such a capability. The article A Wireless Brain-Machine Interface for Real-Time Speech Synthesis in the current issue of Plos One lays out the progress.
“Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) involving electrodes implanted into the human cerebral cortex have recently been developed in an attempt to restore function to profoundly paralyzed individuals. — In the current study we use a novel approach to speech restoration in which we decode continuous auditory parameters for a real-time speech synthesizer from neuronal activity in motor cortex during attempted speech. — Neural signals recorded by a Neurotrophic Electrode implanted in a speech-related region of the left precentral gyrus of a human volunteer suffering from locked-in syndrome, characterized by near-total paralysis with spared cognition, were transmitted wirelessly across the scalp and used to drive a speech synthesizer. A Kalman filter-based decoder translated the neural signals generated during attempted speech into continuous parameters for controlling a synthesizer that provided immediate (within 50 ms) auditory feedback of the decoded sound. Accuracy of the volunteer’s vowel productions with the synthesizer improved quickly with practice, with a 25% improvement in average hit rate (from 45% to 70%) and 46% decrease in average endpoint error from the first to the last block of a three-vowel task.”
I take this to mean that machine-training is necessary and that generating normal fluent speech is not yet possible. My impression is that a lot more needs to be done to understand and encode the relationships between neural events and continuous speech. This may take some time. Computer speech recognition research started in the 1950s and decent recognition of continuous speech was not achieved until around 2000. The authors conclude “Our results support the feasibility of neural prostheses that may have the potential to provide near-conversational synthetic speech output for individuals with severely impaired speech motor control. They also provide an initial glimpse into the functional properties of neurons in speech motor cortical areas.”
I speculate that if and as this technology is perfected it would have a number of additional applications for normal non-debilitated people including:
· Telephone calls without talking aloud for privacy or in noisy places or so as not to disturb others,
· Rapid writing or recording of thoughts for people who can think faster than they can talk,
· Private voice conversations not obvious to those you are with, even sneakier than text messaging can be, and
· Controlling machinery or even driving a car with just internally vocalized thoughts.
In the future the situation could get even more extreme when electronics also can short-circuit the human hearing apparatus and thoughts can fly electronically from one brain into another. I don’t want to go there for now. If I live as long as I want to, however, there will surely come a point when I will have to decide whether or not to have a brain implant for voiceless speech synthesis.


Yep, it’s official, we’re open.
And Carol, who made the Very First Purchase during the Very First Day of tubing, was the Very First Customer through the door! And she brought gifts!!! The framed commemorative receipt and everything! It’s absolutely Fabulous! You should see the picture!!!
And the picture of the Very First Necklace made in the Artful Bead SC, of a wonderful young woman’s very first jewelry making attempt! So dang CUTE!
Well, you could admire those adorable pictures, if I had managed to bring the camera home. Sorry. If the planets align, they’ll be here tomorrow.
And I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to get ready for the big day – Amy and Lynn who arranged everything on the walls and in the cases; Mary for her endless support and amazing direction; and most of all, my son Jack and my “rental” son Lucas, who worked endless hours on the remodeling, building tables, and doing every silly thing I asked, without crabbing or griping. And my husband, who had the sense to get out of the country while I was in “Don’t Bother Me, I’m Having Hysterics” phase.
Thanks to all of you, I promise I’ll become human again, around the middle of August. Really.
P.S. – I apologize for getting Carol’s name wrong, I called her Karen, mostly because I’m an airhead with few functioning brain cells at present. Thank you eversomuch Carol!


Asquared Studios provides information for working through your recovery after a disaster
It is nearly September 2020, and we once again find the North Bay Area in the Midst of a wildfire disaster. We are refreshing a post we created after the 2017 complex fires in Santa Rosa to offer advice and guidance to those who are suffering loss from the complex fires that exploded suddenly due to a rouge lightning storm. The lightning storm that hit nearly 2 weeks ago dropped approximately 11,000 strikes in the Bay Area, and the rumbling sky that accompanied this light show left many of us restless in the wee hours of the morning. This spectacular event produced a lot of amazing photographs on social media, but also sparked an unexpected and early wildfire event. In Santa Rosa we sit in the middle of every fire zone, surrounded by fires in all directions. This has given Tony and I plenty of time to think about how we can contribute to struggle that so many are facing once again. We recognize that there is simply A LOT of information to digest for those who are suffering total loss and for those who are faced with the monumental task of assessing damage to structures that survived the fires. This damage will likely stretch far beyond the visible aspects of flame and heat damage, most notably extending into architectural finishes, wall cavities, and ceiling cavities that are filled with all forms of insulation. As a result of our conversations we have assembled a simple outline or guideline that you may find useful in determining a process for recovery after a disaster. The link provided below will take you to the PDF of this outline. We have also included valuable links provided by our local Chamber of Commerce.
We urge you to be cautious when returning home!
With love + hope – Jessie, Tony, Kola, and Lucille
Click link below to learn more:


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Do You a Business/ Company Registration Service in Nigeria? Then call on us.As Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) ACCREDITED AGENTS and No. 1 Business in Support Services in Nigeria, we do Prompt and Genuine Business or Company Registration Services in Nigeria. We help persons and organizations to register legitimate company/ business in Nigeria. We will advice and guild you on other legitimate regulation documents that you may need to run your business efficiently without troubles from government (Federal State and Local) host communities. We all give you all the support you till you find your feet. Your location is not a problem to serve you. Irrespective of your location, we can work with you on your incorporation requests and deliver it on time. Whether you are a Foreigner or Nigerian, staying in Nigeria or outside Nigeria. In case you do not know, we advise and guild you on the best type entity that will fit your business activities. There are difference categories of Companies/ Businesses registration in Nigeria like:
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Key Requirements for Business or Company registration are as follows:
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The proliferation of unconventional natural gas production in the last few years has been an economic and energy boom to Pennsylvania and other key stakeholders, like local municipalities, exploration and production firms, gas industry vendors and natural gas gathering companies, among others.
As natural gas gatherers in particular have sought to position themselves for increased opportunities, they have been on a capital spending spree to locate, design, construct and operate gathering pipelines to take advantage of the current market opportunities.
But what happens when gathering-pipeline construction stalls because property owners refuse to accept reasonable (or even substantial, above-market) amounts of money for rights-of-way needed to place these pipeline facilities in the ground?
If private negotiations to procure rights-of-way are unsuccessful, gas gatherers have no real alternative but to abandon what might otherwise be an excellent site, positioned strategically near many production wells. However, if those gathering companies can avail themselves of eminent domain authority, allowing them to take private land for a “public” purpose by paying “just compensation,” they would have another valuable tool available when negotiating rights-of-way with landowners.
A few years ago, natural gas gatherers recognized the value of eminent domain authority in the development of new pipeline in Pennsylvania. At that time, three entities sought status as a public utility in order to be “regulated” by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
Although not expressly mentioned, it was believed that one of the primary drivers for seeking public utility status was to have the ability to exercise eminent domain authority. Achieving “public utility” status allows a company to condemn private land for gathering pipeline facilities if an impacted landowner refuses to negotiate a right of way.
While none of the three original gas gatherers that sought public utility status in Pennsylvania ever achieved that milestone, issues relating to how such entities can timely and cost-effectively obtain rights-of-way for gathering pipeline facilities remains a critical issue for gas gatherers operating in the Marcellus Shale.
A case currently pending before a Pennsylvania court of common pleas involving a pipeline attempting to transport petroleum products may have important implications for natural gas gatherers. Sunoco Pipeline LP is developing the Mariner East Pipeline, a proposed interstate pipeline originating in Pennsylvania and terminating in Delaware.
The objective of the pipeline is to provide ethane, propane and other liquid petroleum products to customers. Sunoco is currently attempting to procure the necessary rights-of-way for the pipeline. This includes, among other things, a 50-foot-wide permanent easement across certain private properties and in some cases, a temporary workspace easement for use during construction.
When negotiations to obtain the required permanent and temporary easements for the pipeline stalled last summer, Sunoco filed with the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County, Pa., in August 2013, the first of four Verified Petitions for Approval and Order Filing Bond, which is one of the two primary procedures available in Pennsylvania to effect a condemnation of private property for public purposes.
Shortly after the initial petition was filed, a pair of property owners (Ronald A. Cox and Sallie A. Cox) filed a complaint in equity challenging Sunoco’s right to condemn easements across their property. Later, three other groups of property owners filed similar actions. Eventually, on Nov. 18, 2013, four sets of petitions and complaints in equity challenging the same were consolidated at Docket Nos. 2013-6407, 2013-6443, 2013-6446, 2013-6865, 2013-6871, and 2013-6872, Washington County.
Sunoco has opposed the complaints in equity and filed a memorandum in opposition to them. The primary question in the consolidated proceeding is whether Sunoco has eminent domain authority under Pennsylvania’s Business Corporation Law without the need to obtain a certificate of public convenience (CPC) and separate condemnation approval/authority from either the PaPUC or the Federal Regulatory Commission.
Not surprisingly, Sunoco and the impacted property owners have decidedly different views of how and whether an entity qualifies as a “public utility” that can exercise the power of eminent domain.
Sunoco has argued that under Section 1511 of the BCL a “public utility corporation” has the right to exercise eminent domain. Under Section 1103 of the BCL, a “public utility corporation” can either be (1) a public utility that is regulated by the PaPUC (which Sunoco is not), or (2) regulated by “an officer or agency of the United States.”
Sunoco claims that it is an FERC-regulated entity under the Interstate Commerce Act, because FERC was assigned jurisdiction over oil pipelines in 1977. Sunoco argues that FERC has held that pipelines transporting ethane, propane and other natural gas liquids (like those proposed to be transported via the pipeline) are subject to FERC regulation under the ICA.
And, once Sunoco qualifies as a public utility corporation under the BCL (under option (2) above), Sunoco argues it has the grant of eminent domain authority separate and distinct from any other federal or state grant of authority.
The property owners, on the other hand, disagree. They claim that absent obtaining a CPC to exercise eminent domain authority — either under the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code or the ICA — Sunoco cannot condemn any easements. The property owners appear to be trying to push Sunoco into a situation where it must obtain a CPC but cannot do so because it is not a regulated public utility under the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code and there is no process under the ICA for a pipeline to obtain FERC authorization to condemn.
A common pleas case decided in 2005 may have a significant role in resolving this emerging dispute. In National Fuel Gas Supply Corp. v. Kovalchick Corp., 74 D&C 4th 22 (Pa. Com. Pl 2005), National Fuel Gas Corp. attempted to condemn a right of way for two natural gas gathering lines that were exempt from regulation under the Natural Gas Act.
National was regulated as a “public utility” due to its involvement in the gathering, storage and interstate transportation of natural gas. Because National’s two gathering lines provided transportation services associated with interstate commerce, all of National’s transportation obligations through them — rates, terms and conditions of service — were governed by FERC. However, the two gathering lines were not the subject of a CPC issued by FERC.
On these facts, the court in Kovalchick held, among other things, that (1) gas gathering, although not mentioned in Section 1511 of the BCL, is “ancillary” to “the production, generation, manufacture, transmission, storage, distribution or furnishing natural gas ... to or for the public,” and gathering is a function for which eminent domain authority can be exercised; (2) National was a “public utility corporation” under BCL Section 1103 even though not all aspects of its gathering lines were subject to FERC regulation (e.g., the location or siting of such facilities); and (3) the absence of a CPC from the PaPUC was of no consequence since National was considered a “public utility” by FERC.
The currently unresolved and hotly debated question is the precedential value of Kovalchick. Do the factual differences between Kovalchick and the Sunoco proceeding (including the fact that FERC’s authority over the pipeline arises not from the Natural Gas Act, but via the ICA, and Kovalchick involved natural gas and not petroleum products and other liquids) support a different outcome? Or, as claimed by the property owners, must Sunoco have a valid CPC before it can exercise eminent domain authority?
Natural gas gatherers presently operating or planning to operate in Pennsylvania will most certainly be awaiting the answers to these important questions.
See the article as it was published in Law360.


Sabrina Tours Ltd
10 Roushill Bank
07817 404 599
Monday-Saturday – 9am – 5pm
Sunday – 9am – 4pm
Monday-Saturday – 9.30am – 5pm
Sunday – Closed
We now offer experience vouchers which can be purchased today and redeemed up to one year after purchase.
Our gift vouchers make the perfect present for any occasion. Vouchers available for day trips or one-off themed nights.
FIND OUT MORE
Join us on a virtual journey to discover some of the sights and history you’ll see on your voyage along the Severn aboard Sabrina.
Don’t just take our word for it. Take a look at what our happy passengers have to say about their Sabrina experience.
Copyright 2020 Sabrina Boat | All Rights Reserved | Website Design and SEO by StoryThreads.


Monday, May 14, 2007
Saturday afternoon I did a wonderful digital hunt with a friend. We drove to Munich more or less spontaneously to shoot some photos.
On our walk through the sunny English Garden I showed him the Monopteros temple I visited last summer on my "Summer in the City Day".
This time some people sat around the pillars enjoying the late afternoon sun.
I saw a couple caressing each other. I didn't dare to take photos without asking and I didn't want to disturb them.
Therefore I shot their shadows on a marble column. It was amazing to watch only the shadows instead of the people itself. It seemed to me that a situation can be much more intense if you reduce it to the absolute minimum.
Do you think this would work with love itself, too?
It was a really great day with some fascinating talks to new people. Crazy to realize what a big door opener my Fat Lotte (my camera) can be.


Great hope can come from small sacrifices.Star Wars the Clone Wars
In order to move on, you must understand why you felt what you did and why you no longer need to feel it.Mitch Albom, The five people you meet in heaven
One thing you can’t hide, is when you’re crippled inside.John Lennon
Quick break from the Star Wars quotes
The winding path to peace is always a worthy one, regardless of how many turns it takes.Star Wars the Clone Wars
Who a person truly is cannot be seen with the eye.Star Wars the Clone Wars… again??
Another one that seems to just be the writers coming up with great quotes to live by??
Compromise is a virtue to be cultivated, not a weakness to be despised.Star Wars the Clone Wars?
Couldn’t find the original author of this quote. (it may be the show itself?) If it is from something else, and you being the brilliant human being you are know who it is, please comment or shoot me a message.
Fear not for the future, weep not for the past,Percy Bysshe Shelley
If you’re not a fan of English romantic poetry, you may have heard this one from Star Wars the Clone Wars. with the upcoming new season release, we’ll be using some of our favorites from the intros (crediting the original authors).
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silentVictor Hugo
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.Theodore Parker, Unitarian Minister 1853
I heard this quote while listening to an audiobook version of “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World”. If you haven’t read the book, I strongly recommend it. This quote resonated deeply with me, as all the darkness and violence erupting around the world, threatens to swallow up hope.
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.Dalai Lama XIV


By Tamara Barak Aparton
San Francisco Examiner Staff Writer
May 3, 2009
A summit on the crucial role played by public defenders comes at a time of tension between the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office and the mayor’s office.
The event will be at the crux of San Francisco’s Justice Summit on Wednesday and is cosponsored by The City’s Public Defender’s office. It’s expected to attract more than 300 attendees.


Many look forward to the changing of the seasons – a time to evolve, transition, and refocus. Fall has quickly arrived this year bringing many changes. A drop in temperature, new colors in nature, and an additional hour of sleep with Daylight Saving Time.
In business, the arrival of fall means that the last quarter is here and the year is quickly wrapping up. As we begin to look forward and plan for 2021, we anticipate our future business needs and goals.
At Simply NUC, we’re excited to not only welcome fall but also offer deals on some of our most popular business solutions to help you prepare for next year. Our AirServer, Sightcorp, LUMOplay, and Beechwoods solutions help solve many business challenges ranging from digital signage analytics to custom edge computing.
Over the course of the next month, we’ll highlight a different solution each Monday and offer a significant discount in the US and UK.
Follow the schedule below to know when significant savings will be offered on each solution.
- Week 1 – AirServer (US Only) Promotion Concluded
- A universal mirroring solution for conferencing and home office needs
- Week 2 – Sightcorp Optimum Kit– Promotion Concluded
- Supercharge any digital signage and AI-powered face analysis and real-time video analytics
- Week 3 – LUMOPlay Retail Kit – Promotion Concluded
- Bring a digital display to life and engage with customers in a totally new and interactive way
- Week 4 – Beechwoods Edge Servert– Promotion Concluded
- A comprehensive and configurable edge server solution
The Season of Solutions is designed with one simple concept in mind – to provide you with the opportunity to learn more about some of our most popular solutions and purchase them at a significant discount as you prepare your business for 2021.
If you have any questions please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org


My son was not even a year old and my husband and I started talking about him going back into the Army. I remember telling him that I couldn’t possibly parent my son while he was away from us for months and months. I couldn’t possibly do it alone. I needed him!
Just a few months later, my 13-month old son and I dropped him off as he headed off to Germany as an active duty soldier. At the time I had no idea what the next few months or years would bring. I had no idea how much solo parenting I would have to do.
By the time we got to our 4th deployment, I think my husband had been gone more than he had been home. I went through so many months of solo parenting during those early parenting years.
These days, he is home a lot more often and I am so thankful for that. But I will never forget the years he wasn’t. I will never forget all those days as a solo parent, that went on for months and months, causing me to have to completely rethink the way I parented and the way I lived my life.
I learned a lot during my periods of solo parenting. I am still learning even now. Taking one parent out of the house changes the dynamic and you have to figure out how to adjust.
Here are some of the lessons I have learned as a solo parent:
You can only do what you can do
You will learn this lesson rather quickly. There is only one of you. You might also be on a limited budget.
You can only do what you can do. You can only be in one place at one time. You will have to make some choices, ones you might not have had to make if you were not a solo parent.
You can do more than you think you can
This is huge! There have been so many times when I would cringe and think that I couldn’t get through a deployment or other situation. I felt so overwhelmed. But in the end, I was able to make it through.
Remember, I used to think I couldn’t possibly solo parent with one child, and yet in the end I did, and now do it with three. We, military spouses, are capable of more than we think we are.
Somethings are actually easier
My husband was gone for many of the newborn years with my 2nd and 3rd babies. And those early months were actually easier in some ways than when he was home with my oldest son. That isn’t to say I would wish him away or glad he missed those months, not at all.
But the little things, like nursing in the middle of the night became a lot easier. I didn’t have to worry about waking him up. I didn’t have to worry about being too loud. I could just attend to the baby and that was my sole focus at the moment.
I am a better parent when my husband is home
As much as I try to look for the good during my time as a solo parent, at the end of the day, I am a better parent when my husband is by my side. We are both different people and handle situations differently but I think we complement one another.
If I am getting too stressed out, he can take over. If he needs a break, I can step in. And sadly, when I am solo parenting, I don’t have that. And I miss it.
The small stuff doesn’t matter
You will find that as a solo parent, you stop worrying so much about all the little stuff. There is so much we have to think about as moms and letting some of that go is a must when your spouse is away. You simply don’t have the space to worry about it.
Of course, what is “small” might be different for each person. I am fine with a pizza night, but others might not be. I want everyone to sleep in their own beds, but others are all about a family sleepover.
I have also learned that I can’t compare myself to other moms. I just can’t. For one thing, I would be comparing knowing 100% about myself to the smaller % that others show the world. That just isn’t a good way to live your life.
You have to figure out what works for you and your family and what your kids really need. You need to do what is best for your own family and not worry about anyone else. And doing so will bring you a lot of peace.
Self-care is so important
Self-care is always important. But as a solo parent, self-care is a must. And do not feel guilty for taking time for yourself.
If you have small children, see if your base or post offers any free childcare options. They might have a Super Saturday or night out you can use. Take advantage of these times, even if all you are going to do is grab a book and sit at a coffee shop for three hours.
Find things you like to do and make plans to do them. Yes, you want your kids to be okay and live their best life, but you can also stop and make time for yourself too. Even if you have to be creative to find that time.
Whenever you go through something challenging, there will be lessons to learn along the way. If you are in a season of solo parenting, remember, you will be able to get through this, and learn from it all as you make your way to the finish line.
What is your best solo parenting tip???
Last Updated on June 24, 2021 by Julie Provost


Unilever Partners with Master's Programme in International Business
The partnership with the educational programme is the next step in developing cooperation between the company and HSE University — Saint Petersburg. The company has been supporting the career activities of the Saint Petersburg campus for several years, and it is also a regular participant of Career Week and Higher School of Career.
Unilever, one of the world leaders in the production of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), has become a partner of the 'International Business' Master’s programme.
The company’s team will be active contributors to the educational process, and management representatives will join the programme's academic committee to develop the Unilever corporate track. Industry experts will also give lectures and master classes. Graduate students will polish their skills by participating in problem-solving projects for the company, and the best students will be offered job placements.
Professor Sergey Kadochnikov, Director of HSE University — Saint Petersburg:
The university's partnership with business is a response to real-world demand. It brings relevant projects and the expertise of professionals to the educational process and provides an opportunity to undertake an internship under the guidance of competent mentors. As a result, students boost their knowledge and develop professional and communication skillsets. In this regard, the partnership with Unilever—an industry leader—makes it possible to train qualified managers with relevant competencies. This, in turn, gives them a competitive advantage in the domestic and international labour market.
The partnership under the 'International Business' Master's programme is by no means the first collaboration between HSE University — Saint Petersburg and Unilever. The company has been cooperating with the university's Career Centre and regularly takes part in Career Week and the Higher School of Career.
Unilever is one of the world leaders in the production of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Today, it is a global company with approximately 400 brands in over 190 countries. The company has 140,000 employees engaged in research and development, production, and the sale of consumer goods. In 2020, the company's turnover amounted to 51 billion euros, 58% of which came from emerging markets.


|Batman: Arkham City|
|Genre(s)||Action-adventure, Beat 'em up, Stealth|
|System(s)||PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Wii U|
|Preceded by||Arkham Asylum|
|Followed by||Arkham Origins|
|Neoseeker Related Pages|
|Twitch||Batman: Arkham City Channel|
Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios. It is the sequel to the 2009 game Batman: Arkham Asylum, based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The was released by Warner Bros. for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows and OnLive. The game was officially announced during the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards and was released worldwide for consoles, beginning in North America on October 18, 2011, with the PC version scheduled for November. A Wii U version was released in November 2012 under the title "Batman Arkham City Armored Edition".
The events of Arkham City take place one year after Arkham Asylum. Quincy Sharp, former warden of Arkham Asylum, has taken credit for stopping the Joker's Asylum takeover, and used the notoriety to become mayor of Gotham City. Deeming Arkham and Blackgate Penitentiary no longer suitable to contain the city's criminals and insane, Sharp has both facilities closed and buys out a large section of Gotham's slums, converting them into an immense open-air prison named Arkham City. The facility is placed in the care of genius psychiatrist Hugo Strange—who is secretly manipulating Sharp—and guarded by a squad of heavily-armed mercenaries hired from a rogue private military firm, Tyger Security. The inmates are given free rein as long as they do not attempt to escape. Batman maintains a vigil over the detention city, concerned that the chaotic situation there will get out of hand. Meanwhile, the Joker is stricken with a potentially fatal disease, mutated by his consumption of, and subsequent transformation by, the Titan formula—an unstable steroid serum which has the ability to turn men into maddened monsters.
The events of the game are set in motion when Two-Face, seeking to gain notoriety among the inmates and other villains outside the city, devises a plan to publicly execute Catwoman. Batman decides for both the safety of Gotham and of his past relationship with Catwoman that he must stop the execution by entering Arkham City.
Table of Contents


Leveraging commercial data to drive your ecommerce business has become the gold standard. Data needs to be at the heart of your ecommerce strategy. Without reliable data, how do you know how well your website – or indeed your whole business – is performing?
At Swanky, commercial data informs every decision we make for our clients’ stores. It allows us to understand the strengths and weaknesses of our clients’ websites, improve performance, and continually measure the outcome of all our work to ensure we produce the best possible results.
In this article, we’ll be looking at why data is important for your business, which metrics should be on your radar, and how our teams here at Swanky use data to drive their decision-making. Along the way, we’ll be sharing insights and advice from Tom Cox, Data and Analytics Manager at Swanky.
Why is data important?
“Data should be at the heart of every decision making process as it removes bias and emotion from key decisions,” describes Tom.
“This is particularly important when making changes to your website. A change may be suggested on an aesthetic or UX basis but if it isn’t tested then you cannot be sure what effect the change will have.
Large sites, such as Google, Amazon & Netflix conduct thousands of tests every year to constantly optimise their performance1. Because they know that small, marginal gains can accumulate into big wins. This is why targeted regular testing is imperative to the long term success of a store.”
The importance of data can be seen across all areas of your business, allowing you to:
- Make more informed decisions – Data ensures you only make changes to your business that will have a positive impact.
- Maximise your ROI – To get the most out of your marketing spend, you need reliable data on the return on investment (ROI) of every campaign.
- Identify and fix problems – Thorough data analysis of your business will allow you to pinpoint where issues may lie, in order to resolve them.
- Understand your audience – Website analytics can help you identify who your current audience actually is – their age range, gender and location. You may be surprised by the results.
- Engage with your customers – Learning from data on customer behaviour will help you spot new trends quickly, so you can respond to user preference and keep customers happy.
- Improve User Experience (UX) – Data-driven ecommerce constantly optimises the customer’s onsite experience. Once you understand why customers are leaving your store without placing an order, you can make changes to reduce or remove these obstacles and see your abandoned cart rate drop.
- Improve processes – By testing every new strategy and analysing performance data, you can constantly optimise your business processes and avoid wasting valuable time or resources on ineffective strategies.
- Manage stakeholders – Commercial data gives you evidence to demonstrate the success of your marketing strategies to stakeholders and secure funding for future campaigns.
- Forecast future sales – Another reason why data is important is for forecasting future sales throughout the year, particularly for key retail periods such as BFCM, to make sure you have the stock you need.
Which metrics to pay attention to
Data-driven ecommerce should look to unpack several key metrics, as Tom lays out below:
“Lots of merchants look at their revenue, conversion rate, or website traffic, but often this is where it stops. While these are a great place to start, merchants need to dig a bit deeper to really use data to its full potential.”
Conversion rate is like the pulse of the site. Various factors influence conversion rate, but if users land on the site and make a purchase then it is safe to assume that you have an effective flow.
However, to understand what is influencing your conversion rate, we have to delve deeper into other metrics.
Firstly, where is your traffic coming from? Break down your acquisition source – organic search, paid social, email, PPC, affiliate links etc. – and look at where they land on your site.
Next, you can start to consider page performance. Is the bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page and completing no actions) high? Where are users exiting? How many pages are they viewing and what’s the length of the session?
These are key questions we can ask to try to understand what is bringing our conversion rate down, in order to improve the flow.
Measuring your sales revenue is a great starting point for tracking your performance, but it needs to be taken within the context of other contributing factors. Where possible, it’s preferable to look instead at gross profit – as this paints a more accurate picture of the health of your bottom line.
Focusing solely on your top line can lead to some incorrect interpretation of results. For instance, over a sale period where there is heavy discounting, the conversion rate and overall site revenue often see an uplift. However the overall profit will not see the same improvements. This example is where gross profit can be a more valuable metric to analyse.
Shopify has functionality for merchants to input a “Cost per item” when they’re setting up their inventory. This simple step allows merchants to produce basic profitability reports straight from their Shopify dashboards.
If merchants want to go one step further and apply a decent estimated indirect cost (FTE, marketing etc.), they can understand the overall net margin of their business.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)
Perhaps the most important metrics to fully understand are the CLTV and the cost of acquisition for a customer. This is particularly important as more stores are moving towards a subscription-based model. Using the correct attribution model can be key when answering these questions.
By relying on a last-click attribution model, in which the credit for a conversion is given to the last channel the customer interacted with before converting, you could risk missing the bigger picture. This is because last-click attribution measures only which channel has secured each individual transaction.
So instead, you should consider a first-order attribution model, as it shows which sources are responsible for the highest CLTV. This model puts the focus on which channel brought the customer to your store for their first purchase. After all, the cost of acquiring a new customer is far higher than securing purchases from returning customers. For example, paid advertising has a high acquisition cost. But if it’s the channel that brings in the most new customers, analysis of its ROI should also factor in future purchases made by these customers.
For merchants with a subscription model, churn is another key metric essential for measuring performance. Churn describes the proportion of customers that are cancelling their subscriptions and it goes hand in hand with CLTV. If you can reduce churn, you are getting more value out of your marketing spend by retaining customers for longer.
Swanky partners with ReCharge, whose integration allows merchants to offer a flexible and adaptive subscription prospect. For instance, ReCharge captures cancellation reasons and offers a relevant incentive for the customer to keep their subscription. This type of integration is invaluable in reducing churn.
Average Order Value (AOV)
Certain merchants choose to specifically target AOV to reduce the burden of fulfilment costs and improve the bottom line. For these merchants, this means optimising their site to bundle products (like our client The Recycled Candle Company), or cross-sell through complementary product recommendations.
Other merchants have more of a focus on upselling. For example, one Swanky client sells handmade, luxury items. As a result of their unique product range, their primary focus is to increase AOV instead of increasing sales, which they are doing so by selling higher value items. With this in mind, their target is to optimise the store to direct customers towards their premium range.
How does Swanky use data?
At Swanky, we value the importance of data in every area of our work. Client data informs all of our decision making, from UX choices during the design process, to developing conversion rate optimisation (CRO) campaigns that increase revenue and improve conversion rates. Our data analysts process and interpret data from our merchants’ stores, to enable our clients to see where their site can be improved.
Below, Tom breaks down some of the key aspects of Swanky’s data-driven ecommerce approach:
Data-led website design and migration
At the start of any new website project, Swanky implements a discovery process to gain insight into the client’s current store. We assess which areas of their site are performing well, the make up of their traffic (channel, demographics), and product performance (product views, quantity purchased).
Using tools such as Hotjar, we can gain insight into customer behaviour by studying heatmaps and survey responses.
In addition, we look at page metrics to understand whether the current sitemap is suitable or whether it needs to be changed.
This information then informs how we structure the new site to improve performance. Some clients are surprised by the performance of certain aspects of their site.
“During our analysis of one client’s site, we found that their blog entries generated lots of organic traffic and that users spent considerable time on each page. However, we simultaneously found that the majority of users were bouncing from the blog, rather than accessing the rest of the site, and therefore not converting. So from this knowledge, we were able to implement changes such as introducing product recommendations on the blog posts, to ensure more users converted into customers.”
A full audit of data analytics
For new clients joining our Growth Accelerator program, we begin by doing a full audit of their Shopify and analytical tech stack. We want to check that everything is configured properly and is producing the information we need – so we know we’re starting with reliable data.
We set up Shopify analytics so that it’s measuring how many users view a product, add it to basket and actually make it to checkout, so that we can pinpoint which parts of the website customers may be exiting from.
“A typical problem we encounter is when a large number of sessions drop out at the checkout stage,” explains Tom.
“We can therefore track specifically at which stage users are dropping out of the checkout funnel (contact, shipping, payment etc.). If there is a high dropout at shipping, we can then hypothesise. Could this be because customers are surprised by shipping costs, or unable to select the shipping option they want?”
Using data to drive improvements
Swanky’s team of digital strategists and digital marketers have dashboards that we use to closely monitor the performance of each client. They use this information to drive improvements that will have the biggest uplift on KPIs.
We also provide an additional service where we create vibrant, interactive dashboards for clients to better understand their data, which comes with analytical commentary from our team. By presenting data that is easily digestible, we aim to help our customers understand why data is important and the impact it can have on their bottom line.
We use data to understand how users navigate through a website, which pages perform well and which don’t. We want to know where users are coming from and where they are landing. It’s also important to measure how different products perform – which products users are viewing, which they are adding to their baskets and so on.
When it comes to CRO, we first look at the data and make observations about user behaviour. This information is used to produce a proposal of which tests to implement on the site. The test proposal is prioritised by how complex each change is compared to how big an impact it may have on revenue.
We also analyse all marketing campaigns using data from Klaviyo, Facebook and Google Ads to compare open rate, impressions, conversion rate and so on. This helps the teams really focus on what is effective, and try and understand why, or learn what we could do better for future campaigns.
Swanky can help merchants to analyse how profitable their business is by pulling profitability reports from the data on their Shopify store. By inputting the costs of their tech stack, product costs and assumed salary costs, we help merchants to build a picture of their gross profit line, so that merchants can make more informed decisions. Without a solid understanding of your commercial data, you have no way of knowing your real return on investment, and whether you are making enough profit.
Do you need help understanding your commercial data?
At Swanky, our team of ecommerce experts can help leverage your commercial data to grow your business to its full potential. With our data-led approach, you’ll see measurable improvements that have a direct impact on your bottom line.
To find out more about our data-driven ecommerce solutions, get in touch with our team today – we’d love to hear from you!


What happens at the Sun Valley conference, the secret gathering of unelected billionaire kings?
Of the 143 hospitalized patients, 58% were vaccinated, 39% were not at all, and 3% were partially vaccinated.
A technician collects swab samples for COVID-19, at a testing center run by the Tel Aviv municipality in cooperation with Tel haShomer hospital, at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, on July 20, 2021.(photo credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)
Some 143 Israelis were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday at 12 p.m., according to the Health Ministry. Fifty-eight percent of them were vaccinated, 39% were not and 3% were partially vaccinated, meaning they had taken one dose or a full week had not passed since their second shot.
Only one patient was a child. Five were pregnant women or women who recently gave birth.
Of the country’s 64 serious patients, including 17 in critical condition, there were 12 who were being invasively ventilated. However, while the percentage of vaccinated cases was high, the percentage of those who require invasive treatment was low: Only three fully vaccinated people were being invasively ventilated.
Also, only two people were connected to an ECMO external oxygenation machine, and neither of them were vaccinated.
By Jim Hoft
Published July 21, 2021
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) joined Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria on Wednesday morning.
This is after Senator Rand Paul announced he was calling on the DOJ to criminally charge Dr. Tony Fauci for lying to Congress. Dr. Fauci funded dangerous gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, and the lied about it during testimony in front of the US Senate.
There is video from 2018 of Dr. Fauci announcing that he is reinstating gain-of-function research and defending its use.
The man is a compulsive liar and megalomaniac.
During their conversation this morning Senator Johnson also reported on the failings of the COVID vaccines.
Senator Ron Johnson: The American people deserve the truth. Really, the people of the world deserve the truth on this and unfortunately because of the cabal between social media, mainstream media, and our federal health agencies and big government, we’re not getting the truth. The truth has been covered up for months whether we’re talking about gain-of-function research, whether we’re talking about the effectiveness of early treatment. I can’t explain all of this Maria, all I know is something has gone off the rails here. I’m trying to look for answers. It just doesn’t make sense to me… I just received this morning data out of Israel. That shows the population is about 84% vaccinated. But the new cases of COVID in Israel are about 84% with vaccinated individuals. It certainly is lookinng like the Pfizer vaccine is not working with the Delta variant.
That is a stunning statistic.
Ever since the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck, a number of cures for COVID have been espoused. These cures included hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and vitamin D. Despite being suppressed by Big Pharma, many studies have shown that vitamin D plays a role in preventing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.
One such study done in November 2020 found that COVID-19 patients who had low levels of vitamin D had a higher chance of dying from the disease. The study published in Scientific Reports found that severe COVID-19 patients had “markedly low” vitamin D levels and high inflammatory responses. The Indian authors recommended “mass administration of vitamin D supplements” to populations at risk for COVID-19.”
A later study from May 2021, also published in Scientific Reports, noted the positive effects of vitamin D on the immune system. It argued that vitamin D promotes the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines. Many COVID-19 treatments focused on eliminating the virus in the body instead of regulating the hyper-inflammation caused by these cytokines.
Cytokines are proteins produced by the body to control inflammation. These cytokines are released in the case of infections, but there are times that excess cytokines than needed are produced. This resulting “cytokine storm” becomes dangerous – and has been linked to the deaths of COVID-19 patients.
The authors of the May 2021 study then looked at the effects of Pulse D therapy on COVID-19 patients’ cytokine levels. Pulse D therapy involved daily high-dose supplementation with vitamin D – as much as 60,000 international units (IU) – for a period of eight to 10 days. The therapy was done alongside standard therapy that COVID-19 patients received.
The patients who underwent Pulse D therapy saw their vitamin D levels increase significantly. Meanwhile, their inflammatory markers significantly decreased without any side effects. Thus, the study authors concluded that Pulse D therapy could be safely added to COVID-19 treatment protocols for improved outcomes.
A study using vitamin D3 also reported the same effect
Another study from June 2021 noted the positive effects of a type of vitamin D on COVID-19 patients in Spain. The study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism involved researchers giving vitamin D3, also called calcifediol, to patients in the COVID-19 ward of Hospital del Mar in Barcelona.
About half of the patients received 21,280 IU of vitamin D3 on the first day of the study, while the other half did not. The vitamin D3 group received an extra 10,640 IU of calcifediol on the third, seventh, 15th and 30th day of the study.
COVID-19 patients who received vitamin D3 fared significantly better, with only 4.5 percent requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. On the other hand, 21 percent of patients in the group that did not receive vitamin D3 required ICU admission. Treatment with vitamin D3 also reduced the COVID-19 fatality rate, with only 4.7 percent of the vitamin D3 group dying compared to the 15.9 percent death rate in the non-vitamin D3 group.
The authors of the June 2021 study concluded: “In patients hospitalized with COVID-19, calcifediol treatment significantly reduced ICU admission and mortality.” Initially submitted in January 2021, it was only published in June.
US remains unconvinced of the effectiveness of vitamin D
British Member of Parliament David Davis welcomed the study’s findings at the time of its submission. He tweeted back in February 2021: “This is a very important study on vitamin D and COVID-19. Its findings are incredibly clear.” He further remarked that the study’s conclusion “should result in this therapy being administered to every [COVID-19] patient in every hospital.”
A May 2020 statement by the French National Academy of Medicine (ANM) also espoused vitamin D as a “simple and inexpensive measure” against COVID-19. It elaborated: “Vitamin D cannot be considered as a preventive or a curative treatment for [SARS-CoV-2] infection. However, by mitigating the inflammatory [cytokine] storm and its consequences, it could be considered as an adjunct to any form of therapy.”
The ANM recommended that COVID-19 patients above 60 years old get tested for vitamin D levels. It advised that the same patients take 50,000 IU to 100,000 IU of vitamin D once the deficiency is confirmed to “help limit respiratory complications.” Furthermore, the ANM suggested that people below 60 years old who test positive for COVID-19 take a daily dose of 800 IU to 1,000 IU of vitamin D.
But in spite of the positive effects of vitamin D on COVID-19 patients, the U.S. has refused to acknowledge its potential as a treatment. The U.S. National Institutes of Health noted that low vitamin D levels “have been associated with an increased risk of community-acquired pneumonia in older adults and children” in observational studies. However, its guidance from April 21 said: “There is insufficient evidence to recommend either for or against the use of vitamin D for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.”
Ohio-based attorney Thomas Renz is suing the federal government for pushing “vaccines” for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) that have reportedly caused at least 45,000 deaths so far.
At a recent conference in Anaheim, Calif., Renz announced that a whistleblower insider submitted a sworn declaration under oath attesting to the fact that the American military-industrial complex is trying to cover up massive death numbers from the jabs that are not being publicly reported.
“I’m filing papers in federal court today,” Renz told a cheering audience – you can watch the clip below.
“Jane Doe gave me some information, she’s an insider, she’s a whistleblower. We are submitting to federal court today, based on a sworn declaration, under threat of perjury this woman attested to this, and she is an expert. We know, based on what she’s said, that there have been at least 45,000 deaths from this vaccine.”
Renz says the whistleblower has seen “inside the systems” where vaccine injuries and deaths are being reported that at least 45,000 people in the United States have died within three days after getting injected – and this is just one system that reports to the federal government.
Realistically, more than half a million Americans are now dead because of covid vaccines
According to Renz, there are as many as 12 different systems that report vaccine-caused deaths and injuries to the government. This means that the true number of Chinese Virus injection deaths could be closer to 540,000 people.
“How many have really died?” Renz asked. “And why are they covering it up? These people are murdering people. This is complicity at a minimum. People need to be in jail.”
Knowing that Big Tech would be quick to censor his speech from YouTube and social media platforms – don’t worry, you will always find this type of content at Brighteon.com which is never censored – Renz had a message for the tech cabal, too.
“You are complicit in causing death, and I cannot wait to sue you over and over again,” Renz said, referring to multinational corporations like Google, Facebook and Twitter, all of which are engaged in a massive truth coverup.
Renz thanked America’s Frontline Doctors for empowering him to file the suit in Alabama. He personally addressed Dr. Simone Gold and others at the organization who have been speaking out for the past year against the medical deep state’s efforts to silence the facts while promoting medical misinformation.
“Thank you, all of you who are doing this,” Renz stated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), meanwhile, is claiming, based on what it is publicly reported in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), that only about 11,000 people have died from Fauci Flu shots. Many of these were reported well past the three-day post-injection timeline assessed by the whistleblower.
Dr. Judy Mikovits and Dr. Andrew Wakefield were both in attendance at the same event, which warned that Tony Fauci is a “Luciferian weasel” who should not be taken seriously.
“I will be praying very hard for the whistleblower’s safety and for discernment to the legal team,” wrote one commenter at Brighteon.com.
“There is not a day that goes by without a jaw dropping admission of treason, flat out murder, theft of taxpayer dollars, election fraud and other crimes against the people of the United States from this not elected fake government,” wrote another.
“Looks like depopulation is occurring more rapidly than originally disclosed,” commenter another. “I can imagine Bill Gates and his cohorts shouting, ‘Full speed ahead!’”
As the bodies continue to pile up from Chinese Virus injections, we will report on them at ChemicalViolence.com.
Sources for this article include:
Nearly one-fourth (23%) of COVID vaccine recipients responding to a July Economist/YouGov survey (Table 13) reported experiencing “negative reactions to the vaccine,” adding to the cascade of evidence showing COVID injections are an unprecedented train wreck.
Immunologist and former NIH scientist J. Bart Classen analyzed data on COVID vaccine adverse events reported to the UK’s Yellow Card system and found thousands of reports of multiple symptoms that are “clear signals” of neurodegenerative disorders.
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July 22, 2021 (Children’s Health Defense) – As cases pile up (445 as of July 9) of the reportedly “rare” neurological disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome in people who received a COVID vaccine — forcing the sluggish U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to add a warning label to the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) shot — scientists are issuing urgent warnings about a possible tsunami of other types of neurological injuries.
Immunologist J. Bart Classen, one-time National Institutes of Health (NIH) contract scientist and proprietor of Classen Immunotherapies, a Maryland biotechnology firm, published a paper in February outlining the potential for messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID vaccines to trigger development of prion diseases as well as other chronic diseases.
Prion or “prion-like” diseases include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and others. A hallmark of these neurodegenerative diseases is the formation and clustering of misfolded proteins within the nervous system.
Classen’s February conclusions were based on analysis of RNA from the Pfizer injection.
These data show the risk of neurodegenerative adverse events is far from theoretical. In fact, the AstraZeneca vaccine is already producing a safety signal for Parkinson’s disease, and the Pfizer vaccine may not be far behind.
Classen’s analysis focuses on roughly six months’ worth of data (through mid-June 2021) for two of the experimental COVID injections currently authorized in the U.K. — the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that deploys genetically engineered adenoviruses and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reliant on lipid-encapsulated synthetic mRNA. (Due to insufficient data, Classen was not able to include the Moderna shot.)
The U.K. government’s Yellow Card adverse event reporting system organizes the data by organ system and symptom or disease.
Though both vaccines aim to spur production of coronavirus spike protein and related antibodies within the recipient, the two injections are “quite different in their composition,” according to Classen.
This might explain the first startling finding generated by Classen’s scrutiny of adverse reaction data: Thus far, the U.K. has seen 3.55 times more adverse reactions reported for the AstraZeneca injection compared to the Pfizer injection (745,965 vs. 210,168). Each AstraZeneca report describes an average of 3.63 adverse reactions versus 2.84 reactions, on average, for each Pfizer report.
This general pattern also holds true for “Nervous Disorders,” with 4.14 times as many such reactions reported for the AstraZeneca shot as for the Pfizer shot (statistically significant at the p=0.00001 level).
Within the “Nervous Disorders” category, Parkinson’s disease reactions display a “highly significant and specific increase … in the AstraZeneca reports compared to the Pfizer vaccine reports.”
The statistically significant findings include:
- 185 reported Parkinson’s reactions following AstraZeneca vaccination versus 20 for the Pfizer injections (primarily identified through a specific symptom called “Freezing Phenomenon”)
- 9,288 versus 937 reports of tremor (another potential Parkinson’s symptom) for AstraZeneca and Pfizer, respectively
- 58 versus 4 reports of sleep disturbances (a hallmark symptom of a prion disease called “fatal familial insomnia”)
- Describing these findings as a “clear signal of a specific prion disease, Parkinson’s disease,” Classen notes the findings are biologically plausible because they are consistent with what is known about the pathogenic coronavirus spike protein.
In addition, the stand-out symptoms of freezing, tremor and sleep disturbances match up to the “well accepted pathophysiology of prion disease.”
Accelerated disease process?
Ordinarily, scientists believe it takes years (or even decades) for the abnormal folding of certain proteins to produce prion disease. How, then, could Classen detect a “clear signal” for Parkinson’s disease just months after the vaccines’ rollout?
Classen offers several explanations which are not necessarily mutually exclusive. First, he suggests COVID vaccines could be accelerating disease progression in individuals who either already have subclinical prion disease or have mild prion disease that has not been properly diagnosed.
In addition, there is evidence indicating the vaccine spike protein can prompt misfolding of essential RNA/DNA binding proteins called TDP-43 and FUS and catalyze a toxic “chain reaction.”— Article continues below Petition —PETITION: Support Texas Dad risking everything to save his son from being “transitioned” into a girl
The vaccine spike protein may also cause proteins “including [normal] prions already in cells” to form abnormal clumps (called Lewy bodies) that can result in “relatively rapid cell death.” Research has shown development of Lewy bodies in monkeys exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Notably, Lewy bodies “cause some or all of the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.”
Precisely because the spike protein can so quickly set abnormal protein clumping into motion, Classen speculates this “could allow fairly rapid detection of prion disease after immunization.”
At the same time, Classen cautions that flawed adverse event reporting systems will likely fail to capture neurodegenerative diseases that take more time to develop. Most vaccine adverse event reports are for acute events, he says, whereas few of the adverse events that occur “years or decades after administration of a pharmaceutical are ever reported.”
Moreover, prion disease symptoms are often non-specific or overlap with other conditions, making diagnosis difficult and underreporting probable.
For these and other reasons, Classen suggests that the clinical relevance of his findings “could be logs in magnitude higher” than the Parkinson’s signal he was able to detect in the Yellow Card data.
Pfizer reactions waiting in the wings?
Classen makes a point of stating his analysis “is not intended to indicate that one COVID vaccine is safer than another in regards to prion disease.”
“Imbalances in rates of reactions detected … can be explained by the striking differences in composition of the two vaccines allowing one vaccine to induce some prion diseases quicker. The AstraZeneca … vaccine may concentrate in the gastrointestinal system to a greater extent leading to faster transport of the spike protein via the vagus nerve to the brain. By contrast over the long run, the Pfizer mRNA vaccine may induce more TDP-43 and FUS to form prions and lead to more prion disease.”
Another explanation for why there may have been more adverse reactions and reports for the AstraZeneca injection versus Pfizer’s, could have to do with the number of vaccine doses of each type administered in the U.K. Classen was unable to ascertain the proportion of total doses attributable to each company. As of mid-July, however, the U.K. had ordered equal numbers of doses (100 million) from both vaccine makers.
Prion disease, Guillain-Barré and what else?
COVID shots are far from the only vaccines adversely affecting the nervous system. Among the nearly 400 adverse reactions profiled in the package inserts for U.S. childhood vaccines, symptoms considered red flags for neurological problems abound. These symptoms include dizziness, headaches, numbness, balance disorders, muscle weakness, paralysis, seizures, visual changes, disturbed sleep and tremors.
And well before COVID-19, the inserts for at least 20 other vaccines listed Guillain-Barré syndrome (a disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves) as an adverse event reported either in clinical trials or post-marketing.
Some individuals recover from the weakness, tingling and paralysis characteristic of Guillain-Barré — but in 4% to 7% of cases, the syndrome leads to death. Thus, when the FDA added its Guillain-Barré warning for the J&J COVID-19 vaccine in mid-July, the agency was grudgingly letting the world know some COVID vaccine recipients can expect serious or fatal neurological outcomes.
Nearly one-fourth (23%) of COVID vaccine recipients responding to a July Economist/YouGov survey (Table 13) reported experiencing “negative reactions to the vaccine,” adding to the cascade of evidence showing COVID injections are an unprecedented train wreck.
Was this why White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who recently urged young people to get COVID shots, slipped up and stated “these vaccines … can still kill you even if you are under the age of 27?”
As Pfizer gears up to ask for authorization to roll out its experimental injection to 5-11 year-olds, while getting a priority review from FDA for full U.S. licensure, it would behoove us to pay attention to Classen’s urgent warning about short-term and longer-term adverse neurological impacts.
As Classen states, the politicians and public health officials who are heavy-handedly pushing COVID vaccines have “a dismal record of protecting the health of the public.”
© July 21, 2021 Children’s Health Defense, Inc. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of Children’s Health Defense, Inc. Want to learn more from Children’s Health Defense? Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Children’s Health Defense. Your donation will help to support us in our efforts.
The whole Covid-19 thing is coming apart…
Portugal’s “Public Health” Has been forced to reduce their Covid-19 death claims from 17,000 to 152…
From Europe By Karma Singh
Some will recall how, in November 2020, the Court of Appeal in Lisbon, Portugal ruled on a writ of Habeas Corpus that results of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) “tests” could not be used to diagnose anyone as ill and / or infectious because the Polymerase Chain Reaction test is not capable of doing so.
The reason why both the inventor, Dr. Kerry Mullis PhD and all manufacturers state that PCR should never be used for diagnostic purposes is because it is simply not capable of making any such distinction.
When we add to this the fact that PCR is never used to detect the presence of a “virus” which causes Covid-19 because such a “virus” has never been found and then ask what a PCR “test” does purport to show we enter some very murky waters.
In 2004, a micro-protein was discovered…
It is around one thousand times smaller than a putative “virus” with a mere 37 base pairs in its genome. A “Virus” is assumed to have 30 to 40 thousand base pairs (as the existence of viruses is but a postulate waiting for proof, the number of base pairs, as with all other attributes, can be nothing more than speculation.) This micro-protein has, further, been discovered in the genomes of mink, sheep, goats, lions, more than 100 types of bacteria and even in a papaya fruit. It is found in 74 places in the human genome. It is probable that all mammals use it to build their cells.
For the purpose of this plandemic, this micro-protein was renamed “Sars-Cov-2”.
Although a great deal of effort has gone into obfuscating these facts and wild declarations that it IS the virus and / or the alternate name for Covid-19 have been made it is nothing of the sort and remains a stable building block for human proteins.
We now see why Dr. Mullis has stated that PCR should never be used diagnostically:
In the majority of “tests” it fails to detect the micro.protein which is always present! A “positive” PCR “test” result is equally meaningless because this micro-protein has, obviously, no connection to any malady of any sort.
The November court ruling is the reason why Portugal suddenly had no Covid-19 cases!
Portuguese politicians have claimed that approximately 17,000 people have died of Covid-19. The above information is not the sole reason for doubting this. A human rights group made an application under Freedom of Information laws for the precise recorded figures. No answer was given.
In Portugal, this is much easier to discover than in most countries because there is just one single body which can issue death certificates so all records are in one place.
In many other countries, such as the UK, USA, Germany, etc. there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of people issuing valid death certificates.
The group then made application to the courts to enforce the obligation to give this information.
After much to-ing and fro-ing, the numbers were finally given to the court. The actual number of “real” Covid-19 deaths in Portugal from January 2020 to April 2021 is just one hundred and fifty two (152)! All others died of other causes but, because PCR detected the micro-protein, were then reclassified as Covid-19 even two weeks posthumously!
I.e. 99.1% of Covid-19 death declarations were seen to be deliberate falsehoods.
This “152” is, however, completely fictitious!
As we have seen above and as the Lisbon Court of Appeal ruled in November, PCR tells us absolutely nothing about health or sickness. It cannot, therefore, substantiate even the claim that just 152 people died of Covid 19 over a 16 month period.
As, to date, there is no hard evidence that the disease “Covid-19” even exists, the real “death” number can only be estimated at zero!
This finds complete support in the death rate statistics right around the world (other than where these are state secrets – such as in China – of course). Nowhere on Earth do the overall death rates for 2020 and the first months of 2021 exceed the typical annual levels.
The numbers of burials and cremations is also typical, i.e. there are NO additional corpses requiring disposal. An apparent exception in the UK is merely apparent and not real.
In April and May 2020, the death rate shot up;
…not because of “Covid-19” but because the government had used this fantasy sickness to deny tens of thousands of very sick people access to medical treatment resulting in the deaths of many.
There is no reason to suppose that this disclosure is exclusive to Portugal. Diseases, wild animals and weather do not respect national borders. Most of the world uses the same scientific facts and procedures.
It is fair to suppose, therefore, that there has never, ever been a single Covid-19 death anywhere upon Earth.
The Lisbon court ruling (from which the name of the applicant has been redacted) together with English and German translations can be read or downloaded here:-
Readers should note that the Lisbon court did not order the release of the death statistics but the Direçao General da Saúde (General Directorate of Health) voluntarily delivered these to the court and were, in turn, passed onto the claimant.
The process in court concerned the other information which the claimant requested. The General Directorate of Health defended their position with the declaration that this is information to which they have no access. The court found this to be correct and dismissed the case. As, however, the General Directorate of Health had initially refused to give the information which it did have, i.e. the requested death statistics, the court ruled that the General Directorate of Health should pay all costs.
Whether the claimant will now pursue the other information requested in other government departments is, at present, not known.
Many have argued that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its mRNA sequence, found in all COVID-19 vaccines, are
priongenic. The UK’s Yellow Card database of COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports was evaluated for signals
consistent with a pending epidemic of COVID vaccine induced prion disease. Adverse event reaction rates from
AstraZeneca’s vaccine were compared to adverse event rates for Pfizer’s COVID vaccines. The vaccines employ
different technologies allowing for potential differences in adverse event rates but allowing each to serve as a
control group for the other. The analysis showed a highly statistically significant and clinically relevant (2.6-fold)
increase in Parkinson’s disease, a prion disease, in the AstraZeneca adverse reaction reports compared to the
Pfizer vaccine adverse reaction reports (p= 0.000024). These results are consistent with monkey toxicity studies
showing infection with SARS-CoV-2 results in Lewy Body formation. The findings suggest that regulatory approval,
even under an emergency use authorization, for COVID vaccines was premature and that widespread use should be
halted until full long term safety studies evaluating prion toxicity has been complete. Alternative vaccines like the
Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine should be explored for those desiring immunization against COVID-19
By Great Game IndiaGlobal Research, July 20, 2021
GreatGameIndia 14 April 2021
This article was originally published on GreatGameIndia in April 2021.
Most of us have heard about ‘Vaccine Passports’ only after the pandemic, when different governments started emphasizing the requirement of ‘Vaccine Passports’ for travelling to other countries or even for going to public places.
However, the planning for executing the concept of ‘Vaccine Passports’ began 20 months prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. What these roadmap talk about is not just some document that would restrict your entry or movement to certain places. What they envision is an entire COVID eco-system, a future where each and every aspect of your life is monitored and regulated as per the whims and fancy of these Pharma Overlords.
Vaccine Passports Roadmap
The initial proposal for ‘Vaccine Passports’ was first published on 26 April, 2018 by the European Commission. The proposal, ignored by the mainstream media and was buried deep in a document (read below) dealing with ‘Strengthened Cooperation against Vaccine Preventable Diseases’.
As per the initial roadmap (issued in early 2019) to implement the European Commission’s proposal, the primary action was to “examine the feasibility of developing a common vaccination card/passport” for European citizens that is “compatible with electronic immunization information systems and recognized for use across borders.”
It was planned to get a legislative proposal issued by 2022, in Europe.
Terms – such as “countering vaccine hesitancy”, “unexpected outbreaks” – that were not so common before the outbreak were also mentioned in the proposal.
Other points in the roadmap document included supporting the authorization of “innovative vaccines, including for emerging health threats.”
Stating that the “vaccine manufacturing industry” has a “key role” in meeting the aims described in the roadmap document, it lists “improving EU manufacturing capacity” and stockpiling vaccines as further action points to be implemented.
The roadmap also focuses on strengthening “existing partnerships” and “collaboration with international actors and initiatives,” and refers to the Global Vaccination Summit that was held in 2019. The attendees and the agenda of this summit is also revealing.
Global Vaccination Summit 2019
The 3 Roundtables
The summit was held on 12 September 2019, in Brussels, Belgium, that was just 3 months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. The summit was not reported by most of the mainstream media outlets. It was organized by European Commission in cooperation with W.H.O.
The summit was structured around three round tables entitled:
- In Vaccines We Trust
- The Magic Of Science
- Vaccines Protecting Everyone, Everywhere
Noteable Panel Members
The attendees of this summit were political leaders, high-level representatives from health ministries, United Nations, leading academics, health professionals and scientists, non-government and private sectors.
Noteable panel members for these round tables included Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of GAVI, Nanette Cocero, Global President of Pfizer Vaccines, the Global Vaccine Alliance – an organization that has received vast amounts of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Joe Cerrell, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Managing Director for Global Policy and Advocacy.
In the 41st session of the Corona Investigative Committee she said the rules under which countries work with WHO virtually put WHO in charge of all rules and formal edicts and announcements — with Gates being right there as part of the executive board like an unofficial member state, making decisions that affect the entire world.
Pandemic planning was clearly in evidence at this summit meeting. Key documents distributed to the participants included reports on:
- Pandemic influenza preparedness planning
- A pandemic influenza exercise for the European Union
- Avian Influenza and Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Planning
- Pandemic influenza preparedness and response planning
- Towards sufficiency of Pandemic Influenza Vaccines in the EU
- A “Public Private Partnership” on European Pandemic influenza vaccines
Across all these documents, the goal of strengthening collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry is repeatedly stressed, as also is the message that a global pandemic was now inevitable.
It has been found according to extensive email exchanges obtained by a group of lawyers in a legal dispute, the German Interior Ministry hired scientists to develop fake coronavirus model in order to justify strict lockdown.
Who actually benefits from Vaccine Passports?
The major beneficiary of these Vaccine Passports projects will be the multinational pharmaceutical industry and not the common man.
In addition to it, the ordinary people will have to share their medical records in order to prove themselves fit to travel internationally or even to watch a movie.
The estimated business these pharmaceutical giants are aiming is worth $1.5 trillion in 2021 alone.
As soon as the new American President was installed, an executive order was signed imposing new travel restrictions and begin testing the feasibility of COVID-19 vaccine passports.
Projects in Development
What these roadmap talk about is not just some document that would restrict your entry or movement to certain places. What they envision is an entire COVID eco-system, a future where each and every aspect of your life is monitored and regulated as per the whims and fancy of these Pharma Overlords.
Below we mention few projects that would give you an idea of what that future would look like.
Pentagon’s COVID Microchip
Pentagon scientists have created a microchip which they want to inject in your body to detect coronavirus in your body even before you show any symptoms. They have also created a filter to extract the virus from your blood.
Health Seal for Businesses
After Vaccine Passports for people, now Hollywood comes up with COVID-19 Health Seal for businesses. Celebrities like Lady Gaga and Robert De Niro are using Covid-19 to promote an expensive ‘health seal’ scheme that will certify your business location as COVID-19 free.
These celebrities are preaching people to buy this health seal that could cost you over $12,000 and which “does not guarantee that a space is safe or free from pathogens.” The WELL Building Standard is aligned with the United Nations.
With the rising cases of multiple adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine, now out of blue vaccination propaganda videos with no scientific basis are popping up to nudge you to just love vaccines and ask no questions and keep injecting the vaccines year after year after year.
Flying Syringes is a phrase that is used to refer to a proposed project funded by Bill Gates to create genetically modified mosquitoes that inject vaccines into people when they bite them.
No Vaccine No Salary
A controversial No Vaccine No Salary order was issued by health authorities in the Indian state of Jharkhand which was forced to be withdrawn after backslash from employees.
This is not a random occurrence. It is a glimpse of what is to come.
QR Code based Freedom Passports
Britain may soon roll-out QR based Coronavirus Freedom Passport to determine if you’re COVID-19 innocent. If found to be COVID-19 positive you may be barred from entering pubs, schools and workplaces.
The Rockefeller Foundation and the Clinton Foundation have developed a series of COVID apps which will tightly control your post-covid life.
The initiative is launched by non-profit trust Commons Project Foundation which is part of the World Economic Forum.
Together, they will collect, store and monitor your health data based on which the apps will decide whether you are eligible to travel, study, go to office, etc.
Invisible Quantum Vaccine Tattoo
A project funded by Bill Gates aims to deliver an invisible quantum tattoo hidden in the coronavirus vaccine for storing your vaccination history.
The researchers showed that their new dye, which consists of nanocrystals called quantum dots, can remain for at least five years under the skin, where it emits near-infrared light that can be detected by a specially equipped smartphone.
Digital Health Card
The Indian government is planning to launch a mandatory digital health card modeled on Bill Gates’ concept.
Under the ‘One Nation One Health Card’ scheme, a person’s medical history records, including all the treatments and tests that the person has undergone, will be digitally saved in this card.
Hospitals, clinics, and doctors will all be linked to a central server. The move is aimed at mapping the health records of every citizen of the country in a digital format.
Electronic Tags for Tracking Behavioural Activity
If you attempt to leave home, it will alert the authorities, following which there maybe a fine of S$10,000 or six months of prison or both.
GM Tomatoes As Edible Coronavirus Vaccine
Scientists in Mexico are growing genetically modified tomatoes as edible coronavirus vaccine.
A research group at a Mexican university is using bioinformatics and computational genetic engineering to identify candidate antigens for a vaccine that can be expressed in tomato plants.
Eating the fruit from these plants would then confer immunity against COVID-19, the scientists claim.
Trust Stamp is a vaccination based digital identity program funded by Bill Gates and implemented by Mastercard and GAVI, that will soon link your biometric digital identity to your vaccination records.
The program said to “evolve as you evolve” is part of the Global War on Cash and has the potential dual use for the purposes of surveillance and “predictive policing” based on your vaccination history.
Those who may not wish to be vaccinated may be locked out of the system based on their trust score.
RFID based COVI PASS
The UK government is preparing to rollout COVI PASS – Biometric RFID enabled Coronavirus Digital Health Passports to monitor nearly every aspect of citizens’ lives in the name of strengthening public health management.
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Featured image is from The Freedom Articles
22 April 2021
The original source of this article is GreatGameIndia
The shots being referred to as ‘vaccines’ are absolutely poisonous, and the proof is now here!
Dr. Jane Ruby appears at Stew Peters Show with another bombshell report. UK doctors now have indisputable proof showing exactly what these shots are doing to your blood.
Watch the interview below.


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‘The Challenge’ is an addictive show for one reason — nothing can ever be predicted! Well, this is exactly what happens this week. Moreover, in episode 7, we finally get a break from the relationship drama. The episode is geared more toward the gameplay and it is a huge relief. Well, we will cover all the major bits of the seventh part in our recap section. But before that, let’s get ready for the next week. Read on to know everything about ‘The Challenge: Total Madness’ episode 8.
The Challenge: Total Madness Episode 8 Release Date: When Will It Premiere?
‘The Challenge’ Season 35 Episode 8 will release on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, on MTV, at 8 p.m. EST/ PST and 7 p.m CST. The upcoming episode is titled ‘Live and Let Die’.
MTV describes the upcoming episode as follows: “Players must cope with toxic chemicals in the mind-bending Decontamination challenge; Wes and Bananas plot their biggest game move yet, but it may mean outing their secret alliance; a double elimination sends shockwaves.”
Where to Watch The Challenge: Total Madness Episode 8 Online?
If you are a cable subscriber, you will know that ‘The Challenge: Total Madness’ is aired every week on Wednesday evenings on MTV at the above-mentioned time slot. Otherwise, with your cable provider login details, you can also catch the episodes on the MTV official website and app.
For cord-cutters, there are several cable-free streaming options, all of which having a free trial period of usually seven days. Some of these services are AT&T Now and Sling TV. Moreover, you can buy or rent episodes and seasons on Amazon Prime Video as well.
The Challenge: Total Madness Episode 7 Recap:
Leaving the relationship dynamics aside, let’s start our recap with the nominations for the week. Tori nominates herself and during Purgatory, Jenna follows suit and announces that she wants to go against Tori. Previously, Jenna had spoken to Zach, who had accused her of cheating and also threatened to break up if she did not return home. But Jenna decides to stick up for herself. In the elimination challenge, the players must pick up bricks, carry them along a ramp, and then smash them through a grate. The debris falls inside a wheelbarrow and the contestants must fill up a bin with the waste. The one who completes the task first is the winner.
While Jenna is known for her endurance levels, Tori has all the support. Tori decides to carry a batch of bricks and smash them all at once. But Jenna goes slow. Her strategy is to carry and break one brick at a time. In the beginning, Jenna seems to do pretty well. She breaks the bricks pretty fast and secures an early lead. Finally, Jenna is able to push the final batch of debris and she finishes the task before Tori. Tori gracefully accepts her loss but Jordan is devastated with her leaving the show. Tori and Jenna hug before saying goodbye and the latter wins her much-deserved red skull.


CBD oil is being used for countless years as a natural therapy for different kinds of discomfort, and countless studies have shown that the substance can aid in treating a selection of ailments. This is why there is a huge shifting perception about cannabis. Here are some health advantages of CBD oil backed by scientific research:
- Cancer cells: CBD can assist in alleviating signs and symptoms related to cancer as well as adverse effects of chemotherapy, such as discomfort, vomiting or nausea, throwing up, etc. Research likewise suggests that CBD might consist of cancer-fighting buildings. Nevertheless, more job is needed to evaluate the security, as well as the effectiveness of CBD oil in cancer cells therapy.
- Neurological conditions: Among the most examined usages for CBD remains in treating and taking care of neurological problems, such as epilepsy, as well as numerous sclerosis, with several studies indicating motivating results. For instance, Sativex, an oral spray containing CBD as well as THC, has shown to be reliable in reducing muscle spasticity in individuals with numerous sclerosis. One more research study reported that CBD oil lowered seizures in individuals with epilepsy. It can be noted here that the FDA had authorized a cleaned kind of CBD with the brand name Epidiolex for treating some kinds of epilepsy. CBD is likewise being examined for its possible efficiency in treating several other neurological conditions.
- Heart health: Studies recommend that CBD might advertise heart health in several ways, such as by decreasing high blood pressure, as well as avoiding damage to the heart. Numerous research studies performed in animals also showed that the powerful antioxidant, as well as stress-reducing properties of CBD, may decrease swelling and cell damage related to heart disease.
- Anxiety as well as clinical depression: Cbd oil south Dakota has revealed appealing results in decreasing anxiety, as well as anxiety in both human and animal types of research. CBD has also been used to treat sleeping disorders and anxiety in children with trauma.
What are the side-effects?
CBD is normally well-tolerated most of the time; however, it can create unfavorable responses in some individuals. Side effects observed in researches are:
- Modifications in appetite
- Looseness of the bowels
- Irritation as well as irritation
- Weight gain or weight management
CBD can additionally disrupt certain supplements or drugs, specifically those that alert against consuming grapes. Both CBD, as well as grapes, disrupt a team of enzymes, known as cytochromes P450 or CYPs, as well as this interruption, which can influence the capacity of the liver for breaking down contaminants leading to liver damages.
The point is, more research is required to identify the security and efficiency of CBD oil in humans, although a number of research studies suggest that it can be practical for managing a range of problems. Any individual who is thinking about making use of CBD oil must first talk to their medical professional.


When I came to the cove, I knew it immediately as the place I sought. The wind that had battled my advance across the open sea died as I brought my boat around the outcropping of rock that formed the entrance to the small harbor. I did not need to look at the aged photograph that was tucked in my breast pocket to know that this was what I had been searching for. The sand, so white it was like snow, stretched between black cliffs too sheer to climb. But for the ripples caused by my movement, the blue water was like glass.
I dropped anchor and stepped into the warm shallows. The rucksack containing all the materials I needed swung from one shoulder. I waded to the beach, dropped to my knees, and began emptying the bag’s contents onto the sand. There was no time to lose in that cove beyond the waters. My heart beat faster at the very sight of those unnamable substances, my anticipation quickening with each cloth pouch laid upon the sand. Months of searching, travelling, struggling were drawing to a close; the end of a journey lay mere moments away.
The aroma of ritual wafted in the air around me. Each pouch contained a vital ingredient—nothing could be left out. The last items I removed from the bag were a metal vessel, circular, with intricate markings engraved along the rim, and two candles of pure black wax wrapped in cloth. My circle of protection I drew in the damp sand between the low tide and the dry upper part of the beach. I glanced upward and saw the ghost of the moon, still visible though it was only a few hours past midday. I could almost feel its tidal force, its unrelenting grip on the ocean that pulled the waters inexorably toward me. The encroaching foam that lapped at the sand was a clock ticking away the minutes until I would lose my chance.
At the center of the circle I placed the marked vessel, then plunged the candles into the wet sand on either side of it. There was no wind to fight against me as I lit a match and gave its fire to the black wicks. Although I knew the words to be spoken by heart I could not afford to risk a misstep, so I removed the book I carried within my coat and laid it open before my makeshift altar. One by one I placed the ritual materials into the bowl, speaking the required words over each. When all was finished, I spoke the final incantation, then took hold of the two candles and turned their flaming wicks into the vessel. The flame spread like oil over water, then flared a deep, startling blue. My heart beat madly at the sight of that spectral hue—a sure sign of success.
I did not move.
The minutes passed in utter silence.
There were no other signs.
Despair began to claw at my heart. What had gone wrong? What crucial step had I forgotten? What single word had I misspoken? I read and re-read the incantation until I was certain there had been no mistake. Every step, every warning, every precaution I had followed, and still in the final moment I was left abandoned.
In anger, I kicked the bowl and its contents into the ocean and watched them disappear beneath the surface. My head in my hands, I fell to wallowing in my defeat. Thousands of miles from home, seven months along the trail, and all had ended in nothing. As the minutes passed, the hard edges of grief softened somewhat. The small seaside village from which I had set sail that morning lay far across the archipelago. I knew I would not be able to make it back there before darkness fell, nor did I have any desire to find myself at sea when night fell. I resigned to wait for morning beneath the cliffs and leave at first light.
Even through my disappointment, I was not immune to the beauty of that place. The warmth of the sun and gentle movements of the water beckoned me toward relaxation, so I stripped off my clothing and entered the sea. It soothed my muscles and gnawed away at the tenseness that held me in its grip. This would not—could not—be the end of my journey. My search would go on. I would find the answer to what had gone wrong, and I would fix it. Then I would return. I must try again, and again, though the quest might outlast my life.
As these thoughts continued, I swam deeper into the water, past my drifting boat, until I could no longer feel the sand below me. Then I lay atop the surface, arms outspread and eyes to the heavens. Time passed without my notice, and though I did not sleep I was not fully conscious of myself for a period.
The first sound from the deep I dismissed as imagination. It was so quiet, so distant, that I could not be sure I had not conjured it from my tired mind. The second was slightly louder, and I was slightly more certain that it did not come from within me. When a third sounded, it struck fear into my heart. Whatever was the cause of those concussions was growing louder, closer. It had the quality of an animal’s call—a deep, booming cry that rumbled out of the ocean’s depths.
Near panic, I moved upright in the water. I became aware that the ocean around me was much colder and realized with a shock that I had floated beyond the harbor wall back into the open sea. There had been no perceptible current as I moved, or was pulled, into the deep.
I tried to control my flailing limbs in a way that would propel me toward shore. Far beneath me stirred unfathomable terror. My arms grabbed wildly at the water, and finally I succeeded in pulling myself onto the sand. When I had completely escaped, I couldn’t help turning back to watch the nightmare unfolding beneath the surface. The ground beneath me trembled with the booming calls that continued to sound. The ocean surface shook and rippled with the power that was surging within it. Beyond the harbor wall, the sun was dipping quickly toward the horizon, and behind me night crept over the black sea cliffs. The thought of those horrible calls continuing into the darkness of night nearly drove me mad with fear.
Out upon the water, a few yards off the port side of my boat, I saw something break the surface. My eyes conjured up images of a great arm, the tentacle of some foul monster reaching up from the depths, but I quickly realized it to be something else—something smaller. I stood and peered at it, trying to make out its shape against the darkening water. Suddenly it erupted in blue fire, the flames contained within a hollow, and I understood: it was the ritual vessel, returned to me from the deep and held aloft by some unseen power. A small part of my fear melted away into triumph as the truth washed over me: I had not failed.
The vessel still floats on the surface, its flame still burning though any fuel should long ago have been spent. Night has fallen, and the stars own the sky. They are not alone, however. Even now I watch as miasmic shapes, beings, writhe beneath their light, sometimes dipping to skim the black surface of the ocean, or to dip behind the black cliffs before climbing back into the sky. The blue flame burns like a beacon, calling to those forms above, and still from the deep is sounding the master’s call. I feel I cannot stay on this beach any longer. There is a place for me beneath the waves. Even as I stand on the edge of the sea, its gentle waves caressing my feet, I feel no fear. I can even see a pathway of blue fire leading into the black depths, and it is clear that it has been built for me to follow. I leave this journal, along with all my belongings, for whoever is next to come to this magical cove. This is a testament to my journey. If you who reads this have come to this place for the same purpose as I did: do not hesitate; do not despair. The master awaits your coming.