Lottery Laws Animal

Sonic the Hedgehog followers gather round to collect the latest feedback on “Sonic Advance 2″, developed by Sega Corporation. On it’s 6th birthday this month, the game was released on March 10, 2003 at an average retail price of $30 dollars.

Released under the action genre, the game has been labeled a favorite for well known Sonic type, full of action scenes, fighting, and featured appearances of enemies like Dr. Robotnik. The game seems to present high difficulty levels for gamers, despite the initial setting, in their goal to complete the game by collecting treasure. Some of the advice given by players include letting go of the Chaos Emeralds in your quest in order to bring down game difficulty to enjoyable levels, and even so you are warned about falling off into many pits and watching the ‘game over’ screen time and time again before reaching any reasonable milestones towards the end of the game.

As far as graphics, the screen view is more like a 2D version of the design used in Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, as higher levels are mined with pits. The player keeps falling into these pits, and will have to continue doing so in the course of the game in order to test the path for weaknesses, trace a route and complete the level. At the end of each level the player faces a battle against one of the bosses, which Sonic will have to face while on the move. Do not expect the battle with the bosses, especially the last one, to be a walk in the park. If you are a hard core gamer, you might consider collecting the emeralds, adding a notch of difficulty to an already challenging game. The process involves collecting each of the 7 special rings within each of the large acts. In order to collect them all, the player will need to get to the end of the act without dying, and moreover, you will have to complete a special stage at the end of the act in order to get your hands on the Chaos Emerald. Considering you cannot claim to have completed this game unless the player accomplishes the task of collecting all the emeralds, better have some time to spare and be prepared to die more than a couple of times.

The levels keep increasing the amount of difficulty as you go along, making it more of a challenge for you to stay alive and actually complete the level you’re on. I must add that the quest for the Chaos Emerald is reserved for the very few, and those who try and get discouraged are many. In the end, however, it’s all about fun and games, isn’t it?

Friulian society was one of superstition, a rural society in which the old traditions, many of them pre-Christian traditions died hard and were completely foreign to the non-Friulian inquisitors. Many of the people in the society were uneducated and sought to explain hard times they encountered through supernatural means, such as witches and the benandanti. The evidence put forth in Carlo Ginzburg’s book The Night Battles shows a society that is completely saturated with superstition and one that evolves its myths of the good benandanti vs. the evil witch into the idea that the benandanti are evil witches. He shows the roles of the peasants, the inquisitors, and the church in this change.

The Friulian peasants in the 16th and 17th century revolved their lives around agricultural cycles. Considering this was a rural society, agriculture was probably the most important aspect in their day to day lives. The calendar revolved around these cycles as exhibited by the Ember Seasons (22), and their very livelihood depended on a good harvest. The Friulian people attributed a good harvest to God, because they were after all a Catholic state, when the harvest was bad they attributed it to the devil. Early in their society witches were in essence the devils pawns; who did the devil’s bidding. And the benandanti literally meaning well-farers (back page) were doing the work of God by fighting these witches. Witches were responsible for most of the unexplainable negative things that happened in Friulian society. When a child experienced an unexplained illness and dies, it was attributed to witches and when the harvest was bad it was attributed to witches. Early on the benandanti were the great equalizers who fought the witches on their own turf, countering there evil deeds with good.

A key aspect to the mind set of Friulian society is that of fate. In order to alleviate the feeling of helplessness when it came to such things as a bad harvest, or the unexplained death of a child the peasants created reasons to explain them. The reasons for explaining the good were God, and early on in their culture the benandanti; the bad is attributed to witches and the devil. Witches and the benandanti were created in order to explain the unexplainable. In the minds of those who believed in them, this was the only logical explanation for the bad and hardship that was continually facing them in there society.

The major difference between the Friulian peasants and the inquisitors was the level of education they each had. The inquisitors were educated by the church usually through monasteries as is exhibited by the majority of their titles being Fra (meaning monk or brother). The peasants were educated by each other many times in the local superstitions and myths of the geographical area in which they lived. The monks were educated exclusively in Catholic doctrine and to them the myths of the peasants were completely foreign and were not sensible. Early on the inquisitors didn’t seem to really pay the benandanti much attention, they seemed to believe that there beliefs were more of a hassle and did not threaten church doctrine as much as some of the other beliefs of the period. This is exhibited by the fact that from the years 1575-1619 no trial brought against the benandanti was brought to a conclusion except the trial against Paolo Gasparutto and Battista Moduco. (71) The repression of Lutheranism was much more on the inquisitors mind at this point in history. (71)

The first description of the benandanti is given in the two trials of Paolo Gasparutto, and Battista Moduco (1575, 1580). The benandanti were chosen from birth by being born with the caul (the amniotic sac covering the child), which held a special meaning to the Friulian. Local legend said that being born with the caul was a sign that the child was to be called into the benandanti once they became older, and would have to fight the witches to ensure a good harvest. Masses were said over the caul implying that the caul was not considered a curse early on in Friulian society. The benandanti were not at odds with local church priests as can be exhibited by their willingness to say multiple masses over the caul and thereby blessing it. The caul was than worn around the individuals neck, for they could not be called into the benandanti unless they themselves possessed this sacred sign of there calling. When the benandanti are called they are called in spirit (usually on Thursdays) (151); their body stays in bed, and their soul is released to go out and fight the witches at the games (150). The benandanti fight with fennel and the witches fight with sorghum stalks. They fight over “all the fruits of the earth and for those things won by the benandanti that year there is abundance.” (155)

The witches on the other hand are the polar opposites of the benandanti; there is a constant battle continually ensuing between them early on in Friulian society. The witches participate in the sabbat, which is described as witches “dancing and sporting about, gorging themselves with food and drink, and who threw themselves on beds and publicly committed many dishonorable acts”.(108) They are said to eat children, sucking all the life out of them; destroying the harvest, and cast spells on certain people they do not like.

The evidence for the existence of agrarian cults in the Friuli is compelling as Ginzburg meticulously documents the trials of benandanti in The Night Battles. Ginzburg states that “we are not dealing with fossilized superstition, but with an actual living cult”. (84) Ginzburg believes that the extensive records kept by the Holy Office which document these trials point to an existence of a cult which was based off the ancient fertility goddess Diana. The evidence he puts forth are the similar testimonies given by multiple people at different times which virtually always contained similarities.

It is clear that this cult did in fact exist; and it was originally a pagan offshoot of Christianity. The benandanti themselves early on thought they were doing God’s work as is exhibited by their early testimony in front of the inquisitors. On the 26th of September, 1580, Paolo Gasparutto testifies that an “angel of God called him into the benandanti.”(157) The early benandanti although they knew that there activities were not accepted by the official catholic doctrine as shown by many initially denying there involvement in front of the inquisitors, still seemed to believe that they were doing the work of God, by fighting Satan’s servants the witches.

Ginzburg asserts that the elite theological opinion of the inquisitors are what transformed the original good qualities of the benandanti into what they became in the later half of the 17th century, no different than witches. This is shown as he describes the fate of the werewolves in Germany “just as with the benandanti in the Friuli, under pressure from the judges, the original positive qualities of the werewolves began gradually to fade away and become corrupted into the execrable image of the man-wolf, ravager of livestock.” (31, 32) The benandanti over a period of roughly one hundred years became transformed from “well-farers” to witches, who participated in the sabbat, kissed the devils ass and participated in infanticide.

Ginzburg’s assertion that the inquisitors wanted to root out this superstitious belief by suggestive questioning is supported in many cases; as those who appear in front of the inquisition originally state they are “doing God’s work” by being benandanti and later after questioning are convinced that the benandanti are not of God. The first and clearest example of this takes place in the trial of Paolo Gasparutto. Paolo originally testifies that he believes that the angel of God originally led him into the company of the benandanti. (157) After further questioning he recants stating “that the apparition of that angel was really the devil tempting me, since you have told me that he can transform himself into an angel.” (162) Another exam
ple takes place when the inquisitor Fra Gerolanmo tries turning Gasparo’s testimony into an admission of witchcraft. (85, 86)

The evolution of the benandanti into witches is a slow one. The benandanti go out and fight for the crops, against witches who are trying to destroy the harvest in order to bring hardship upon the town. The benandanti are the good, the witches are the bad. Than as more trials come to pass and more people are brought in front of the Holy Office different stories develop and the nature of the benandanti changes. The first such major change came in 1582 as a result of testimony from Anna la Rossa, a widow. Anna la Rossa adds a new element to the benandanti equation. She states that she is a benandanti and that she can see dead people. This brings two different types of benandanti into the picture, one which goes out at night to fight for the harvest and the other which goes out at night in spirit to see the dead. (39) There are striking similarities between these two testimonies. Anna states that if she is to talk about her experiences she will be beaten by sorghum stalks, and that when she goes out in spirit, it is as if her physical body is dead to the world. (35) There are many more similar testimonies in front of the Holy Office such as the testimony of Caterina la Guercia, in which she describes a similar out of body experience as the others (38) and the wife of a tailor, Aquilina. (37) Out of the once purely agrarian cult of the benandanti comes an element that is connected to death and the dead.

In the trial of donna Florida in 1599 it is the first in which a proclaimed member of the benandanti is accused of witchcraft and of giving the “evil eye”. (65). She states that she participates in the processions of the dead, and that she fights witches. All the same a servant who lived in her neighborhood asserted that Florida dries up the milk of nursing women, and that she eats little children. (65)

There are two characteristics of the benandanti which are prevalent in peasants mind in the early part of the 17th century; these are: 1.) The ability to heal victims of witchcraft and 2.) The ability to recognize witches. (78) This is a dangerous new development for the benandanti because the ability to heal victims of witchcraft implies that they are able to cast counter spells, which in turn implies that they are witches themselves. In 1618 during the trial of Maria Panzona for the first time a direct connection between the benandanti and the devil is established. Panzona states that she herself attends the sabbat, and that the devil presides over the witch’s games. She states the devil has given her a present which she in turn uses to free bewitched people, and she admits to having paid homage to the devil himself. (100, 101) The culmination of the transition from benandanti to witch is achieved during the trial of Giovanni Sion. He originally claims to be a benadante, describes his participation in the witch’s sabbat, and admits to worshipping the devil; after first denying these things. Soppe admits to killing three children at the devil’s command. (123, 124). Surprisingly, Soppe is saved by Rome which instructs the inquisitor to reopen his case and verify all of his claims most importantly his claims of infanticide. (125) The cardinal’s directions came directly out of a tract entitled Instructio pro formandis processibus in causis strigum sortilegiorum et maleficiorum which directed all inquisitors to use extreme caution in witch trials. This tract effectively eliminated witchcraft persecutions in Italy in the second half of the 17th century. (126, 127)

The Friulian peasants in the 16th and 17th centuries held to a set of beliefs that originated in antiquity and were later infused with Christianity. The idea of the good benadante as a counter to the evil witch was a widely held belief among the uneducated peasants of Friuli. The inquisitors who were educated by the Church found the ideas of the Friulian peasants to be strange and heretical. The inquisitors through suggestive questioning eventually changed the essence of the benandanti into that of a witch. Popular conceptions of the benandanti changed as well, and before long the benandanti themselves considered themselves to be virtually the same as witches.

Works Cited:

Ginzburg, Carlos. The Night Battles. Trans. John and Anne Tedeschi.

Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 1992.

There are literally hundreds of plastic tube feeders available on the market. Their designs are very similar, but there are subtle distinguishing differences that can be found in the materials, diameter, and length of the tubes themselves, in the feeding portals, the perches, feeder caps, hanging brackets, and accessories like seed trays and pole-mounting options. There are also noticeable differences in the amount of thought put into making some of these feeders less accessible to your local squirrel population.

The tubes themselves are made from a number of different materials including polycarbonate at the top end, and several types of lower-quality plastic including styrene, acrylic, and Plexiglas. The most durable of these plastics is polycarbonate. It will survive years of bird pecking, where the other plastics are more likely to become brittle and break after a much shorter period of normal use. The less durable plastics are found on cheaper bird feeders and are also more likely to cloud up and be more easily chewed through by squirrels.

Higher quality, more durable feeders are also more likely to have metal feeding portals. Metal holds up better to the daily bird pecking and keeps the squirrels from chewing open the feeder ports to get at the prize they seek. What metal portals will not do is deter squirrels from attempting to chew through other plastic parts of the tubes. But without an easy way to get to the plastic itself, they may be persuaded to seek easier pickings at a feeder in your neighbor’s yard.

When you are selecting a tube feeder, look for one with feeding portals small enough to keep the smallest birds from getting their heads stuck if they go after the leftover seeds that may collect below the lowest feeding portals. Another consideration are feeders that have metal seed baffles at the portals to help minimize seed spillage.

Feeder perches can be made of metal, wood, or plastic. Of the three, metal is the most durable alternative. In all honesty, the birds don’t care. Their feet aren’t sensitive to the heat or cold of the metal, and are fine on any of these options, so metal is your best choice. And the longer the perch, the larger the bird it will accommodate. So if you are only interested in feeding small birds, pick a feeder with shorter perches.

Another nice feature to look for are inverted v-shaped cones in the bottom of tube feeders. These are designed to keep seeds from piling up beneath the bottom feeding portals, where it might get wet and spoil in the bottom of the feeder.

Some feeders have a series of internal baffles that keep the seed flowing evenly throughout the feeder to all portals. The challenge with these designs is in trying to clean them without breaking them. This extra design complication isn’t necessary.

Some manufacturers will attempt to entice you with their multi-compartment / combo feeders that are supposed to attract a number of different bird types. One bird feeder providing several different types of seeds may be a great marketing concept, but, in practice, they rarely work as well as you would think. In reality, birds prefer certain seeds over others. If you buy one of these feeders and put thistle in one tube, mixed seed in another, and sunflower in another, the sunflower tube will be emptied first, followed by the mixed seed tube, leaving the thistle to sit in its tube for weeks where it may rot. That’s why you need a much larger capacity sunflower feeder than you do a thistle feeder.

If you decide to buy one of these multi-tube or compartmentalized feeders, you’ll be better off if you fill the whole thing with sunflower seed, because it will attract the greatest variety of birds.

Finally, consider the squirrel-proof nature of any feeder you’re looking at. After all, if your feeder is emptied an hour after you fill it, and your birds are kept away because of ravaging squirrels, you will have wasted you money on the feeder and missed the enjoyment.

The best squirrel-proof designs incorporate high quality materials and designs that don’t allow squirrels to hang on to the feeders and eat their fill. Some have collapsible perches, and others have motorized perches that literally spin off squirrels. Others use an outer surrounding grid that slides down to cover the seed portals under the weight of a clinging squirrel. Any of these designs will work. Just make sure there has been thought put into thwarting these tenacious rascals.

In the end, a tube feeder is an outstanding all-around feeder to attract a wonderful variety of birds for your viewing pleasure. You can fill them with a number of different types of seeds to control what you attract, and spend whatever the right amount of money is to get the quality of feeder you desire.