[28167] in linux-announce channel archive
Never lose power on your device no matter where you are
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jessie Ellis)
Sat Aug 14 13:00:06 2021
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2021 12:47:29 -0400
From: "Jessie Ellis" <jessie-ellis@musicyansfriend.com>
To: <linuxch-announce.discuss@charon.mit.edu>
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** The Swiss Army Knife of Cables **
---------------------------------------
Six connections in one, charging any device from any power source. The keychain is compatible with most devices out there. The keychain is only 1. 5 inches long, making it the world's smallest keyring charging cable. Get yours today! This device features a unique magnet system, the strong N52 magnets will snap safely onto your keyring.
Shop Now For Discounted Rates -> http://www.musicyansfriend.com/e034Y2395QO86B11a48nf6O856I40dhbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47nQaonSK7O1JP0RV6fkJ1sv/crescent-polar
Cohen & Verrel Data Solutions
386 Colby Siding Rd
Caribou, ME 4736-5540
Update Communication Preferences http://www.musicyansfriend.com/revenger-impetus/8826oGX2395EW8h612zA48fW2C856r40Yhbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47zQaonSK7EtzM10T5l@svL
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<!-- I never wanted to be a thief, but I had no other choice. At the age of=
ten, I lost both my parents and ended up on my own. My parents barely had =
any money, but at least they had something. Without them, I had nothing. Th=
erefore, I did what I needed to for money. It?s not a unique story, but thi=
s story isn?t about me anyway.=20
In desperate need of something to eat, I snatched the purse of a=
wealthy woman who carelessly flung it around while flirting with some man.=
I didn?t pay much attention to them because my eyes focused on that swingi=
ng purple leather purse with the diamond buckle. I chose the wrong woman. A=
s I fled with the purse held tightly at my chest, I felt a sharp claw clutc=
h the back of my soot-covered dress and drag me into the air. The claw pull=
ed me to the face of the woman who owned the purse. Glacier blue flames dan=
ced in her glowing eyes. My eyes widened and I couldn?t breathe.=20
?Filthy little mutt,? the woman snarled and yanked her purse out=
of my hands. ?I can scarcely tell the difference between you and these man=
gy pests.?
Her head nodded towards a group of stray dogs. Tears blurred my =
eyes.=20
?She?s just a kid, Miranda,? the man pleaded for my sake.=20
?Oh, you think because she?s a kid she deserves some sympathy. W=
ell, if being a kid is her only problem, let me fix that.? Miranda pointed =
a finger at me, and what looked like a bolt of purple lightning left the ti=
p of her finger and buzzed through my veins. Then she dropped me. I felt so=
small and needed to look up to see her knees. I stared down and saw that i=
nstead of hands I had brown furry paws.=20
?You turned her to a dog!? The man gasped. Clearly, he didn?t kn=
ow she had magic powers, because this realization caused him to turn and ru=
n as far and fast as his pudgy legs could go.=20
The woman knelt and used her fingertip lightning to create a mir=
ror so I could see my filthy dog face. My spotted fur looked as tangled as =
my long blonde hair had been.=20
?Now, maybe you?ll learn to hunt for rats like you should?ve bee=
n doing all along.?
I scampered away, still starving. I whimpered and howled openly.=
Behavior that would be frowned upon for a child, but who cared now? Findin=
g a safe spot to sleep and maybe a morsel from the dumpster were my priorit=
ies at that moment.=20
On my quest for these things, I spotted a boy sitting on a bench=
He was eating something and shaking his head, while watching a brawl betw=
een several drunk men. I hurried over to him, unable to notice anything but=
that food in his hand. Once by his feet, I looked up with my best puppy ey=
es, and whimpered. He looked at me and a smile spread across his face.=20
?Are you hungry?? He asked.=20
I wagged my tail.=20
He reached down with a piece of turkey between his fingers, whic=
h I eagerly gobbled up. Then he gave me more and more until the pains of hu=
nger slowly subsided. When his hands were empty, he gently stroked my head.=
I licked his hand because that?s all I could do. It felt weird, but I knew=
dogs did it and that?s what I was now. Even weirder, I liked the salty tas=
te of his hands and kept licking. A bit of the sandwich sauces remained on =
them too.=20
With a loving look in his eyes, he scooped me into his arms, and=
said, ?How about I take you home with me??
I didn?t know where his home would be, but anything was safer th=
an the streets, so I wagged my tail and licked his face. This made him laug=
h. As he carried me along, I decided he was a cute boy who seemed about the=
same age as I was. Maybe a little older. His skin wasn?t dirty like mine, =
and his black hair seemed untangled and washed. What I liked most was the k=
indness that sparkled in his hazel eyes.=20
My assumption was he?d bring me to a small house where a mom wou=
ld scream in horror at the sight of me and insist that he keep me in the ba=
rn. This wouldn?t bother me, for I?d curl up in some hay and sleep soundly.=
=20
Instead, he carried me up the long, windy cobblestone path to a =
large stone wall with an iron gate. Two guards in armor waited and opened t=
he door when they saw him. We walked through and continued the path, then w=
aited patiently for a drawbridge to lower. Then we crossed the bridge and s=
tood before the palace door. I had never been this close to the palace and =
my heart raced. The guards let the boy in without hesitation. He carried me=
up spiral staircases. Everything grabbed my attention. Beautiful carpets l=
ined the halls, artwork hung from the walls, statues were plentiful, and th=
e whole place felt warm. He carried me into a large bathroom that was bigge=
r than my old house and ran a warm bath for me.=20
The warm water felt incredible. On occasion I bathed, but mostly=
in cool rivers. He rubbed soap into my fur and delicately worked out some =
of the tangles. Others he cut off with scissors. Then I was embraced with s=
oft towels. After all my pampering, he left me on a soft rug beside a cozy =
fireplace. When he returned, he had a plate full of beef roast and gravy. I=
think Miranda believed being a dog would make my life harder, but as it tu=
rns out, being a dog may be easier.=20
The boy introduced me to his father, and they bickered over whet=
her I could stay. Luckily, the boy won in the end. I did notice something. =
The boy?s father wore a golden crown and a long fur robe. In other words, h=
is father was King Richard. Meaning, my sweet savior was a prince. The King=
reminded the boy of something he needed to do the following day, and I sen=
sed this request made the prince unhappy. Then they said goodnight. The pri=
nce picked me up and placed me on a bed that felt like a cloud. My eyelids =
grew heavy the moment I touched it. He curled up next to me, wrapped his ar=
ms around me, and trembled slightly. I could tell he was worried in the way=
he held me like a child holds a doll for protection against the monster un=
der the bed. What on earth did a prince have to worry about? All his doors =
and windows were guarded by strong men, the sturdy stone walls kept out sto=
rms, the fire kept him warm, and food seemed in abundance. As far as I knew=
, there were no worries to be had here.=20
?I think I?ll name you Keva,? he whispered.=20
I wagged my tail and licked his face. This seemed to calm him a =
little. Having a new name was fine with me because I didn?t really remember=
the one my parents gave me. It had been so long since anyone referred to m=
e as anything that wasn?t an insult. I snuggled closely to the prince and f=
ell into a peaceful sleep.=20
In the morning, my nose woke up first to the smell of fresh baco=
n, honey ham, and scrambled eggs. They were given to me in the prince?s roo=
m, and I ate them greedily by the warm fire. While I had slept in, somethin=
g I never had the luxury of doing before, the prince had made me a beautifu=
l leather color with a silver heart dangling from it. How does one handle b=
eing so loved? It was a concept I couldn?t understand, but I wanted to unde=
rstand the prince.=20
I learned his name was Edmund. Everyone called him that, and whi=
le I couldn?t talk, I wanted to call him that too. Prince Edmund wanted me =
to follow him everywhere, and so I did.=20
We walked into a field where a man waited. The man had the same glowing eye=
s as the woman who turned me into a dog. For a moment, I grew shaky in his =
presence and bared my teeth, but I quickly regained confidence. Attentive P=
rince Edmund noticed my discomfort and handled the situation.=20
?I don?t think Keva likes you,? he said confidently.=20
This left the man at a loss for words, so he chuckled nervously =
instead.=20
?Perhaps you could win her favor with some gesture of kindness,?=
Edmund said while lifting a sword from a bench beside the man.=20
?Of course, Your Royal Highness.? Blue lightning left his finger=
tips and formed a large bone before me. A bone that I was apprehensive abou=
t touching. Eventually, my desire for it overcame my nervousness. I chewed =
while they began the lesson and it felt so good against my teeth. The man u=
sed his lightning to create a simulation dragon. Edmund fought this dragon =
skillfully. When he finished, the man congratulated him, and I wagged my ta=
il with admiration. Edmund didn?t look happy though. In fact, something abo=
ut this fight left him moody almost all day. I wanted to understand him and=
played the fight over and over in my mind trying to. Nothing went awry as =
far as I could tell. Still, Edmund sulked around the palace yard. I found a=
stick by the stone wall and carried it to him. He took it from me and thre=
w it. I chased after it, picked it up in my mouth and hurried it back. Fina=
lly, a smile broke through the gloom.=20
Later that night, Edmund read me a bedtime story. In the story, =
a prince journeyed through the wilderness to the cave of a dragon. His trav=
els were strenuous and involved many unexpected dangers. When the prince fi=
nally reached the cave, he fought a red dragon as tall as the palace. He do=
dged flames and fought despite deep slashes and wounds. When all hope seeme=
d lost, he managed to jump on the back of the beast, run up the spine, and =
drive the sword into the dragon?s throat. As the dragon struggled to breath=
, the prince found a weak spot and pierced the heart. To celebrate his vict=
ory, the prince collected the gold and jewels the dragon protected. He also=
took a golden talon as proof of his accomplishment. When he returned, the =
princess fell madly in love with him, and the treasure went to their lavish=
wedding. This seemed like a happy ending to me. I?m not sure why a woman f=
ell so in love with a golden talon, but this is what people wanted, right? =
The prince seemed sullen. I licked his face sympathetically, but I had no i=
dea why this story irritated him.=20
?It?s so stupid,? he said. ?How do we even know dragons are bad?=
In all these stories, the dragons never attack. They simply hoard their tr=
easure. Yet we call them bad. People kill them all for a stupid wedding. It=
makes no sense.?
This thought wedged in my head. Edmund patted my belly, kissed m=
y nose, and wrapped his arms around me. As the warmth of his body soothed m=
e, my mind grew restless. Wealthy people went through all the struggle of k=
illing dragons for a measly wedding. Perhaps the prince was right, and drag=
ons didn?t deserve their slaughter, but if people must slay dragons, couldn=
?t they at least put the gold to better use? They could give it to the vill=
age, and little girls like me wouldn?t need to suffer from famine and disea=
se. Anger burned within me. These royal weddings could feed us all for days=
Perhaps even months.=20
A few days later, I watched this story play out in real life. Ed=
mund?s older brother had slayed a dragon and returned triumphant with a gol=
den eye larger than himself. The princess he liked agreed to marry him, but=
the following nights I watched other princesses sneak into his room to swa=
y him to their side, I presumed. Though I sometimes caught him kissing thes=
e other princesses when I snuck down for more food in the night, he continu=
ed his plan to marry the first. The thought that one day, Edmund might marr=
y a princess created a strange pang of agony in my heart. I didn?t want to =
share his love.=20
The night of the wedding, Edmund had a mischievous grin on his f=
ace. ?They have more than enough food. Do you want to feed some of the dogs=
with me??
I wagged excitedly. We snuck into the kitchen and he filled a sa=
ck with lamb, chicken, duck, and beef roast. He put it in a cart and told m=
e to guard it. Then he came back with trays of pasta and a large cake. A ho=
rse pulled the cart into town. He found a group of dogs and fed them the ta=
sty meat. Then he went to the village center and called over the people for=
a feast. Poor, starving children like me were treated to pasta, vegetables=
, and cake. They all looked delighted. As I watched them quickly shoving fo=
od down their throats like they feared the prince might change his mind and=
snatch it all away, my heart swelled. I knew then for certain that I loved=
Edmund. I also felt like I was beginning to understand him. He truly cared=
for the world around him. No one ever noticed the missing food.=20
He continued practicing dragon fights, and the man continued bri=
nging treats to appease me.=20
One day while chumping on a meaty bone, I overheard Edmund ask t=
he man for a magic spell. He wanted to understand beings that couldn?t talk=
The man agreed to help, but while Edmund fought, I heard him mutter, ?Pro=
bably to talk to that stupid dog.?
I bit down hard on my bone while imagining it was the man?s leg.=
=20
A few weeks later, Edmund told me he needed to begin his quest a=
nd he wanted to take me with him. While leaving the comforts of the palace =
saddened me, I knew I didn?t want to be without him. He meant more to me th=
an all the food and softness. Was I changing?
He packed extra food for me, and we began our journey through th=
e woods. At night we slept curled together in small stone caves, and during=
the day we hiked. My little legs ached, but Edmund carried me whenever he =
could. Days later, we reached the large dragon?s cave. My heart quickened a=
nd my paws trembled. I didn?t want him to fight a real dragon with real fir=
e breath.=20
Edmund strutted into the cave. The dragon?s eyes peeled open slo=
wly at the sound of our entrance. I hid behind Edmund?s legs. The dragon wa=
s a stunning light blue with a vibrant white chest. Edmund recited some sor=
t of chant and a golden lightning bolt shot from his fingers into the neck =
of the dragon.=20
?I mean you no harm,? Edmund said.=20
The dragon tilted its head and appeared perplexed. ?That?s not w=
hat I?ve heard.?
?I know your kind has been hurt by mine, and you have no reason =
to trust me, but I hope you will.? Edmund placed his sword on the ground an=
d removed his backpack. ?People know of your weaknesses, so I thought maybe=
I could make an armor to protect you as a gesture of good will.?
?You?re a peculiar one,? the dragon said.=20
?My name?s Edmund.?
?Call me Finley,? the dragon hissed.=20
?It?s nice to meet you.?
?Likewise, I think.?
I laid in a sandy spot gnawing on a lamb bone while they convers=
ed. Gold and jewels shimmered in the spots where light shone through holes =
in the cave wall. Finley explained the love of shiny things that dragons ha=
ve and how it attracted mates. They didn?t mean harm to humans, but they lo=
ved to collect. Since the treasure held no actual meaning to the dragons be=
yond appearance, Edmund suggested they could replace it for something less =
valuable to humans.=20
Over the next month, Finley and Edmund plotted. They created arm=
or for dragons, they found new sources of beautiful, shiny objects, and Edm=
und crafted a story to fool people into believing all the dragons were gone=
If people didn?t believe there were dragons, they?d live in peace. Accord=
ing to Edmund, people were particularly gullible to prophets, so he was goi=
ng to spin a story of coming near death and encountering a message from God=
about the dragon?s leaving earth. Since the prince had always been honest,=
people would have no reason to doubt him.=20
In the end, the dragon offered Edmund some of the gold and jewel=
s for his help. Edmund agreed, which surprised me and packed a heaping port=
ion. I thought I had understood him, but I didn?t understand this.=20
When we got back to the village, Edmund followed through on his =
plans. He regaled crowds in the palace with awe inspiring tales of his conv=
ersations with God and all he had been instructed. People were skeptical, b=
ut he prepared for this and brought things he crafted with Finley as eviden=
ce. King Richard disapproved and made clear his disappointment his son coul=
d never be king now. He failed to conquer a dragon or gain the wealth neede=
d for marriage. None of these things worried Edmund.=20
He didn?t tell anyone of his treasures, but he used them, in secret, to hel=
p fund farms, schools and better housing for the village. He paid the seams=
tress to make clothes for villagers and paid the cooks to feed the people e=
ach day. Edmund was the king we needed but would never get. I understood th=
ough. Being king was a certain type of trap, and he had bigger plans than t=
hat.--->
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<!--You had a bad day at the caf=E9, and right now, all you wanted to do =
is read at your favorite library a few walks away from your house. As soon =
as you walk past the library?s towering doors, the smell of bibliosmia gree=
ts you and the books on the shelves seemed to give a warm welcome. You take=
random books one by one from their shelves, and in your impatience to rid =
yourself of the day?s stress you fail to notice the miniature tower that be=
gan to form. Soon, the weight of the books became too much for you to carry=
, and you drop them all on the nearest reading desk with a loud thud. You s=
igh in frustration as the books scatter from the fall. As you clean the boo=
k pile, your eyes rest on a rather peculiar looking book, and printed on it=
s glossy aquamarine cover is the title ?The Sea Serpent and the Village.? Y=
ou run your fingers across the title?s curling words and then, you find you=
rself leafing through the pages. From what you read, the book tells the unk=
nown legend of a mighty sea serpent from an ancient ocean kingdom that is c=
urious about the surface world. For years the sea serpent watched with pity=
at the travails of the mortal humans, wishing to aid them in her godly pow=
ers. She begged her case to her father, the King of the Seas, to let her vi=
sit the surface world that she may alleviate the sufferings that plagued th=
e mortal beings. Despite his initial objection at his daughter?s interest i=
n the humans, the Sea King eventually allows her to travel to the surface i=
n a human body, and the first great place she visits is a seaside town. Eag=
er to learn more about the inquisitive sea serpent, you turn to the next pa=
ge only to discover that the legend is unfinished. Disappointed, you stare =
out the window beside you. Thin whiffs of clouds brush over the pale baby b=
lue sky, as if a giant paint brush stroked them there on purpose. The brigh=
t afternoon sun shone brightly through the clouds, giving you an impression=
of a colorful painting through the window. It reminds you of the sea and t=
he legend of the sea dragon. ?I wonder what the story must have been like i=
n her shoes?? you wonder as you gaze at the endless blue before you. The so=
othing serenity of the sky, coupled with the hushed silence of the library =
seemed to tempt you to sleep, and slowly you began to fall under the hypnot=
ic influence of slumber. Before you completely close your heavy eyes, you m=
anage to catch an aquamarine glow emitting from the book.=20
Startled by the sudden flash of light, you wake up and find yourself sittin=
g on a small hill. You look around in confusion. ?Where am I?? you ask your=
self. As soon as you cup your hands in the water, your eyes gaze upon your=
reflection. Suddenly, you gasp. Instead of being greeted by your usual lan=
ky self in barista attire, you are faced with the beautiful reflection of a=
girl. She wears a long flowing robe of the deepest ocean blue, and her cer=
ulean loosely braided hair is decked with small, fragrant flowers. You imme=
diately recognize her as the legendary sea serpent in the book illustration=
=20
?Have I become her?? you ask as you gently rub your hand on your face. Your=
reveries are suddenly interrupted by the sound of festive music below the =
hill. You look down and you discover the quaint seaside village of the book=
To satisfy your growing curiosity and elation, you decide to check out th=
e commotion. Today the village is crowded with a gathering of people. As yo=
u wander the dusty streets, you look around curiously with your long locks =
swaying up and down to your dashing jumps. You could hear the melodious air=
of a street orchestra, followed by the exuberant giggles and chatter of lo=
ud children. You watch the townspeople casually dance in the town square in=
flamboyant multicolored fabrics, and watch the gauze ribbons and streamers=
sway in the gentle morning breeze. The aromatic smells and tastes of palat=
able dishes, tickle your nose, while the animated stomps and claps of dance=
rs pound in your ears.=20
"They must be celebrating a festival." you think to yourself. Then, you amb=
le towards the beach where you observe a large number of people gathered fo=
r a boating event. Sturdy oaken ships line up along the shoreline, and just=
beyond them are crashing waves under a dark grey sky. You could hear the d=
istant rumble of thunder ahead.=20
?Woe has befallen us today! With a storm coming about, we cannot continue t=
he games.? you hear a villager weep. You were about to leave the beach when=
, you remember that you possess the powers of the sea serpent. Summoning up=
your strength, you calm the turbulent waves and a minute later the sea ret=
urns to its former tranquility. The crowds, after witnessing the miraculous=
feat you perform, cheer in delight and praise you with joyous words. In th=
eir gratitude they invite you stay in the village, and in your joy you coul=
dn?t refuse. Your first experience with a nonexistent city seems to be plea=
sant; however, you did not know the harmful consequences your actions would=
soon entail.=20
Over time, you notice that the townspeople gradually feel comfortable using=
your powers. They would ask you to use water for the most mundane uses, fr=
om filling wells to watering crops. Then they start asking you to summon wa=
ter for more daring undertakings by ordering you to capsize the merchant sh=
ips passing through the sea in order to steal the glittering treasures and =
precious possessions. As the village grows richer, their thirst for power g=
rows. Unfortunately, the incessant abuse of your power ends up diminishing =
your strength, and as you get weaker, the weather around you becomes more u=
nstable. Rainstorms and hurricanes plague the village frequently, reflectin=
g your waning strength and inner turmoil. Day by day the people begin to fe=
ar you, and in spite of your constant requests to stop they would not yield=
Eventually they perceive you as the cause of all their troubles and they=
decide to sacrifice you as a method to quell the storms. Your eyes scan th=
e callous and greedy expressions of the townspeople who once greeted you as=
one of their own. "Please don't do this." you implore, hoping to ignite a =
small glimmer of compassion in their hearts. However, your pleas are in vai=
n. The townspeople throw you brutally off the cliff without looking back or=
even feeling remorse. As your body hits the crashing waves, you call out t=
o the heavens, wishing that you would come back to the real world. ?I don't=
want to stay in this realm anymore!? you wail, and at the sound of your co=
mplaints, the king of the seas appears before you. His deep voice echoes in=
the tumultuous waters.=20
?These people don't deserve you my child. Let me restore you to your true f=
orm so that they may tremble under your feet.? You nod your head, and with =
a touch of the Sea King, you transform into a divine form. You don't care i=
f the townspeople are suffering from your anger. In your heart, you knew th=
at they should pay for the immeasurable pain they caused you. Your cries ec=
ho in the stormy skies. Your tears turn into crashing waves that sweep over=
the city, drowning out the frightened cries and moans of the panicked loca=
ls. When you calmed down, there was nothing left of the village. In your ho=
rror at the destruction you have unleashed, you let out an ear piercing scr=
eam.=20
Suddenly, everything turns white and you wake up back in the library with a=
jolt. Rubbing your drowsy eyes, you groggily check the time on the nearby =
clock, and to your surprise, the time is already nearing six. The sky outsi=
de is beginning to dim, and the orange glow of a sunset is streaking throug=
h the horizon. A thousand thoughts flooded through your head as you ponder =
whether all that had happened was a dream or not. ?It must surely be a drea=
m,? you whisper to yourself, ?yet it all seemed so real, as if I was experi=
encing that ordeal all over again.? After a moment?s thought, you shake you=
r head. You eventually decide that the whole experience is a dream caused b=
y too much reading. As you leave the library, you steal one last look at th=
e mysterious book you have been reading. The glossy cover of the book shimm=
ered under the warm glow of the sunset, its reflection resembling the gentl=
y cresting waves of the ocean. The book seemed to beckon you back into its =
pages again, but instead of heeding its alluring call you turn away and wal=
k towards the exit. Surely, next time you would be more careful with the bo=
oks you read in the library.--->
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