#2017 week 48

[isawken]

this is Total Time in Car. train trips don't count. do not count time spent in hotels. if you slept in your car you can put those hours towards your total tho. doesn't matter if you were the one driving or were just a passenger. and put in the tags where you went :)

[zef-zef]

Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, Oren Ambarchi - Be careful of this word "New" With it's glittering trap from: Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, Oren Ambarchi - I Wonder If You Noticed "I'm Sorry" Is Such a Lovely Sound It Keeps Things From Getting Worse (Black Truffle, 2016)

[macrolit]

By Elisabeth Egan May 18, 2024

“You’d be shocked by how many books have women chained in basements,” Reese Witherspoon said. “I know it happens in the world. I don’t want to read a book about it.”

Nor does she want to read an academic treatise, or a 700-page novel about a tree.

Sitting in her office in Nashville, occasionally dipping into a box of takeout nachos, Witherspoon talked about what she does like to read — and what she looks for in a selection for Reese’s Book Club, which she referred to in a crisp third person.

“It needs to be optimistic,” Witherspoon said. “It needs to be shareable. Do you close this book and say, ‘I know exactly who I want to give it to?’”

But, first and foremost, she wants books by women, with women at the center of the action who save themselves. “Because that’s what women do,” she said. “No one’s coming to save us.”

Witherspoon, 48, has now been a presence in the book world for a decade. Her productions of novels like “Big Little Lies,” “Little Fires Everywhere” and “The Last Thing He Told Me” are foundations of the binge-watching canon. Her book club picks reliably land on the best-seller list for weeks, months or, in the case of “Where the Crawdads Sing,” years. In 2023, print sales for the club’s selections outpaced those of Oprah’s Book Club and Read With Jenna, according to Circana Bookscan, adding up to 2.3 million copies sold.

So how did an actor who dropped out of college (fine, Stanford) become one of the most influential people in an industry known for being intractable and slightly tweedy?

It started with Witherspoon’s frustration over the film industry’s skimpy representation of women onscreen — especially seasoned, strong, smart, brave, mysterious, complicated and, yes, dangerous women.

“When I was about 34, I stopped reading interesting scripts,” she said.

Witherspoon had already made a name for herself with “Election,” “Legally Blonde” and “Walk the Line.” But, by 2010, Hollywood was in flux: Streaming services were gaining traction. DVDs were following VHS tapes to the land of forgotten technology.

“When there’s a big economic shift in the media business, it’s not the superhero movies or independent films we lose out on,” Witherspoon said. “It’s the middle, which is usually where women live. The family drama. The romantic comedy. So I decided to fund a company to make those kinds of movies.”

In 2012, she started the production company Pacific Standard with Bruna Papandrea. Its first projects were film adaptations of books: “Gone Girl” and “Wild,” which both opened in theaters in 2014.

Growing up in Nashville, Witherspoon knew the value of a library card. She caught the bug early, she said, from her grandmother, Dorothea Draper Witherspoon, who taught first grade and devoured Danielle Steel novels in a “big cozy lounger” while sipping iced tea from a glass “with a little paper towel wrapped around it.”

This attention to detail is a smoke signal of sorts: Witherspoon is a person of words.

When she was in high school, Witherspoon stayed after class to badger her English teacher — Margaret Renkl, now a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times — about books that weren’t part of the curriculum. When Witherspoon first moved to Los Angeles, books helped prepare her for the “chaos” of filmmaking; “The Making of the African Queen” by Katharine Hepburn was a particular favorite.

So it made sense that, as soon as Witherspoon joined Instagram, she started sharing book recommendations. Authors were tickled and readers shopped accordingly. In 2017, Witherspoon made it official: Reese’s Book Club became a part of her new company, Hello Sunshine.

The timing was fortuitous, according to Pamela Dorman, senior vice president and publisher of Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, who edited the club’s inaugural pick, “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.” “The book world needed something to help boost sales in a new way,” she said.

Reese’s Book Club was that something: “Eleanor Oliphant” spent 85 weeks on the paperback best-seller list. The club’s second pick, “The Alice Network,” spent nearly four months on the weekly best-seller lists and two months on the audio list. Its third, “The Lying Game,” spent 18 weeks on the weekly lists.

“There’s nothing better than getting that phone call,” added Dorman, who has now edited two more Reese’s Book Club selections.

Kiley Reid’s debut novel, “Such a Fun Age,” got the nod in January 2020. She said, “When I was on book tour, a lot of women would tell me, ‘I haven’t read a book in four years, but I trust Reese.’” Four years later, on tour for her second novel, “Come and Get It,” Reid met women who were reading 100 books a year.

Witherspoon tapped into a sweet spot between literary and commercial fiction, with a few essay collections and memoirs sprinkled in. She turned out to be the literary equivalent of a fit model — a reliable bellwether for readers in search of intelligent, discussion-worthy fare, hold the Proust. She wanted to help narrow down the choices for busy readers, she said, “to bring the book club out of your grandma’s living room and online.”

She added: “The unexpected piece of it all was the economic impact on these authors’ lives.”

One writer became the first person in her family to own a home. “She texted me a picture of the key,” Witherspoon said. “I burst into tears.”

Witherspoon considers a handful of books each month. Submissions from publishers are culled by a small group that includes Sarah Harden, chief executive of Hello Sunshine; Gretchen Schreiber, manager of books (her original title was “bookworm”); and Jon Baker, whose team at Baker Literary Scouting scours the market for promising manuscripts.

Not only is Witherspoon focused on stories by women — “the Bechdel test writ large,” Baker said — but also, “Nothing makes her happier than getting something out in the world that you might not see otherwise.”

When transgender rights were in the headlines in 2018, the club chose “This Is How It Always Is,” Laurie Frankel’s novel about a family grappling with related issues in the petri dish of their own home. “We track the long tail of our book club picks and this one, without fail, continues to sell,” Baker said.

Witherspoon’s early readers look for a balance of voices, backgrounds and experiences. They also pay attention to the calendar. “Everyone knows December and May are the busiest months for women,” Harden said, referring to the mad rush of the holidays and the end of the school year. “You don’t want to read a literary doorstop then. What do you want to read on summer break? What do you want to read in January?”

Occasionally the group chooses a book that isn’t brand-new, as with the club’s April pick, “The Most Fun We Ever Had,” from 2019. When Claire Lombardo learned that her almost-five-year-old novel had been anointed, she thought there had been a mistake; after all, her new book, “Same As it Ever Was,” is coming out next month. “It’s wild,” Lombardo said. “It’s not something that I was expecting.”

Sales of “The Most Fun We Ever Had” increased by 10,000 percent after the announcement, according to Doubleday. Within the first two weeks, 27,000 copies were sold. The book has been optioned by Hello Sunshine.

Witherspoon preferred not to elaborate on a few subjects: competition with other top-shelf book clubs (“We try not to pick the same books”); the lone author who declined to be part of hers (“I have a lot of respect for her clarity”); and the 2025 book she’s already called dibs on (“You can’t imagine that Edith Wharton or Graham Greene didn’t write it”).

But she was eager to set the record straight on two fronts. Her team doesn’t get the rights to every book — “It’s just how the cookie crumbles,” she said — and, Reese’s Book Club doesn’t make money off sales of its picks. Earnings come from brand collaborations and affiliate revenue.

This is true of all celebrity book clubs. An endorsement from one of them is a free shot of publicity, but one might argue that Reese’s Book Club does a bit more for its books and authors than most. Not only does it promote each book from hardcover to paperback, it supports authors in subsequent phases of their careers.

Take Reid, for instance. More than three years after Reese’s Book Club picked her first novel, it hosted a cover reveal for “Come and Get It,” which came out in January. This isn’t the same as a yellow seal on the cover, but it’s still a spotlight with the potential to be seen by the club’s 2.9 million Instagram followers.

“I definitely felt like I was joining a very large community,” Reid said.

“Alum” writers tend to stay connected with one another via social media, swapping woot woots and advice. They’re also invited to participate in Hello Sunshine events and Lit Up, a mentorship program for underrepresented writers. Participants get editing and coaching from Reese’s Book Club authors, plus a marketing commitment from the club when their manuscripts are submitted to agents and editors.

“I describe publishing and where we sit in terms of being on a river,” Schreiber said. “We’re downstream; we’re looking at what they’re picking. Lit Up gave us the ability to look upstream and say, ‘We’d like to make a change here.’”

The first Lit Up-incubated novel, “Time and Time Again” by Chatham Greenfield, is coming out from Bloomsbury YA in July. Five more fellows have announced the sales of their books.

As Reese’s Book Club approaches a milestone — the 100th pick, to be announced in September — it continues to adapt to changes in the market. Print sales for club selections peaked at five million in 2020, and they’ve softened since then, according to Circana Bookscan. In 2021, Candle Media, a Blackstone-backed media company, bought Hello Sunshine for $900 million. Witherspoon is a member of Candle Media’s board. She is currently co-producing a “Legally Blonde” prequel series for Amazon Prime Video.

This month, Reese’s Book Club will unveil an exclusive audio partnership with Apple, allowing readers to find all the picks in one place on the Apple Books app. “I want people to stop saying, ‘I didn’t really read it, I just listened,’” Witherspoon said. “Stop that. If you listened, you read it. There’s no right way to absorb a book.”

She feels that Hollywood has changed over the years: “Consumers are more discerning about wanting to hear stories that are generated by a woman.”

Even as she’s looking forward, Witherspoon remembers her grandmother, the one who set her on this path.

“Somebody came up to me at the gym the other day and he said” — here she put on a gentle Southern drawl — “‘I’m going to tell you something I bet you didn’t hear today.’ And he goes, ‘Your grandma taught me how to read.’”

Another smoke signal, and a reminder of what lives on.

[joeys-babe]

Joey B Imagines: Rocky Mountain Way*

————————————————————————-

Summary: Flashback. You take Joe on a trip with your family to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It was an annual trip your family took every year when you were a kid, and this year, you took your boyfriend Joe for the first time.

Warnings: Smut, fluff

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

Imagine universe: Just the Two of Us

————————————————————————-

December 4, 2023

(y/n’s pov)

Today, Joe and I were leaving for Colorado with my family.

My parents have been taking me and my two brothers on this yearly trip our whole lives, and this year was my first time taking Joe.

I was the oldest of my two brothers, being 27.

The middle sibling, Tanner, was 21.

The youngest, Harrison, was 18.

Harrison was a senior in high school and had a girlfriend, but he wasn't allowed to take her with us on our Colorado trip.

Tanner was bringing his fiance, Lucy, though. They had been dating since the 8th grade, and Tanner knew from the beginning she was the one. He just wanted to wait to propose till they could celebrate their engagement with drinking.

As soon as they were both 21, he proposed.

Crazy that my little brother got engaged before me, but I know Joe is taking his time. It’ll happen eventually, I hope.

Lucy had been coming on the Colorado trip with us since they graduated high school. My parents found her and Tanner mature enough to share a room.

When Joe found this out, he was slightly offended as to why he hadn't been invited to come.

I had to break it to him that he had been invited every year since we started dating at twenty years old.

And that I had declined the offer from my parents before even asking him.

Joe was annoyed, confused, and a little hurt. He thought it was because I didn't want him there.

That couldn't be further from the truth.

The real reason I didn't want to bring Joe? Sex.

When I told him, Joe laughed at my reasoning, but it was a genuine worry.

Since we started dating in 2017, Joe and I have pretty much, at least, had one round of sex a day.

Of course, there were some days missed since then because life got in the way or we were too tired at the end of the day, but it slowly became a part of our daily routine as a couple.

Why would this be a problem, though? Why would this make me decline an invitation for my boyfriend to go on vacation with me and my family?

I’m not comfortable having intercourse under the same roof as my family.

There were no problems for me if it was under the same roof as strangers or friends, like quickies in an event bathroom or a friend’s bedroom at a get-together. It was purely just my family.

The thought of my parents hearing me make a sound or the headboard of the bed hitting the wall… made me want to puke.

Eventually, though, I gave in to Joe and told him he could go with us this year.

My only stipulation? No sex the entire trip.

Joe happily agreed, saying he could go a week without it, but here we were…

Day two, and Joe was lying in bed next to me, complaining of unresolved horniness.

“Baby, please. We can be super quiet, and you can ride me so the bed doesn't move that much…” - Joe

“Convincing, but no. You knew what you were getting yourself into when I agreed to let you come.” - you

“I know, but I was way in over my head. It's been 48 hours, and I already can’t stop thinking about sex.” - Joe

“Typical man.” - you mumbled

“You don’t feel it?” - Joe

“Feel what?” - you

I asked in a slightly apprehensive manner, hoping he wouldn't just say “My dick”.

“Slightly deprived?” - Joe

“Baby, you're not being deprived… but, no I don't. It feels a little weird going two days without it since it’s become a part of our routine, but no I don't feel deprived.” - you

“Yeah. Maybe I am just a typical man.” - Joe

He rolled over to where his back was facing me, and I started to get worried that he might think I was mad at him.

Reaching out to rub his muscular back with my hand, I scooted closer to him and laid my chin on his shoulder.

“I shouldn't have said that earlier. I'm sorry, Joey.” - you

“It's okay, I guess. Goodnight.” - Joe

“Goodnight, Joe. I love you.” - you

I leaned my head over to place a kiss in the crook of his neck, and Joe laced his fingers with mine of the hand that was lying on his stomach.

“I love you too.” - Joe yawned

——

December 9, 2023

It was the day before Joe’s birthday and the last day of the trip.

When we woke up this morning, everyone was gone already, probably already at the slopes.

Surprisingly, Joe had gone snowboarding with us every day and he was pretty good at it too.

It wasn't too surprising, though, because Joe Burrow doesn't half-ass anything.

That includes the snowball fight that broke out between us while we were snowboarding yesterday.

I had jokingly thrown a snowball at Joe while we were discussing which path to take, and it unleashed a whole war.

Joe didn't hold back or go uneasy on me. He was throwing them pretty much as hard as he could, football-style, and I ended up on the ground.

In the end, Joe lay in the snow next to me, and we made a no-snowball-fight truce for the rest of the trip.

My family would be in the mountains for a few more hours, skiing, sledding, and snowboarding.

So Joe and I had the cabin to ourselves for the majority of the day.

After eating breakfast while cuddling up on the huge couch, Joe asked me what we should do with our alone time.

“Wanna get in the hot tub? We can drink some champagne and just relax.” - you

“Sounds amazing.” - Joe

Joe leaned into me and pressed a kiss to my lips before we hopped off of the couch and went to our room to change into our swimming clothes.

I went out onto the deck first because Joe had to stay back for a second to use the bathroom.

It was absolutely freezing outside so I immediately hopped into the hot tub and cranked the heat on.

A few minutes later, Joe came running out onto the porch with champagne and two glass flutes for us.

“Holy fuck, it's cold!” - Joe ran

Laughing at his little run, Joe launched himself into the hot tub, his big body making the water splash over the sides.

“Joe!” - you laughed

“Sorry…” - Joe gave you a sheepish smile

Joe got settled next to me and gently grabbed my legs to drape them over his lap.

“May I interest you in some champagne?” - Joe

“You may.” - you giggled

He handed me both of the flutes and uncorked the champagne. My eyes lingered on his sexy, veiny hands.

After pouring the bubbly liquid into the glasses, Joe stood up and moved to the other side of the hot tub to put the bottle on the table.

I couldn't help but stare at my boyfriend’s trained, muscular body. His toned torso and built chest looked even more appealing as the beads of water ran over them.

When Joe turned around, I felt a flutter in my stomach… and in other places as the defined muscles in his back flexed.

“Lookin’ good, Joey.” - you purred

Joe settled back down in his spot and sent a flirty wink my way, those big hands finding my thighs to place them in his lap yet again.

We clinked our glasses together and took a sip, Joe resting his hand on the inside of my thigh.

“I love you.” - you

“I love you too.” - Joe grinned

I ran one of my hands up Joe’s torso before keeping it against his chest.

“Since no one’s around… wanna make out?” - you

Joe laughed at my forward question but nodded his head before leaning forward to kiss me.

The kisses were feverish and rough. Joe’s tongue slid into my mouth and tangled with mine.

Eventually, Joe pulled me onto his lap and gently grasped my hips to start moving me on him.

It didn't take long for me to feel Joe get hard in his swim shorts, and I broke away from his lips.

Joe’s usual pink lips were red and wet with my saliva, and he looked so hot like this.

“I need you.” - you

“Take me then.” - Joe

I reached down to palm Joe through his shorts, relishing in his groan before moving the waistband away from his stomach.

Joe’s erection immediately sprang out of his shorts, and he winced at the feeling of the hot water around his cock.

Feeling the need to hurry, I maneuvered myself to hover over top of Joe and sank onto him.

He slapped a hand over his mouth to stop any loud sounds from leaving his mouth. Joe wasn't usually loud during sex, but after a week without it, I wasn't surprised when he muffled a loud moan.

“Take your hand off.” - you

“I- don't wanna be loud.” - Joe

“It's hot, I promise.” - you

I gently took his hand off of his mouth and started moving on him.

The expression on his face told me that he wasn't going to last very long, and I decided to do something that I'd never done.

“You’re not allowed to come till I say you can, okay Joe?” - you

“Fuck… okay.” - Joe groaned

Joe’s dick twitched inside me when I said that. He must like it when I take charge.

“You feel so good.” - you moaned

“Missed you, baby.” - Joe

He buried his head into my neck and moaned lowly, I could tell he was feeling self-conscious about being louder.

“I love it when you moan… so hot.” - you

After moaning myself, Joe removed his head from my neck and looked at me with an appreciative smile.

“Really?” - Joe

Just after he asked that, his cock bottomed out, and the tip brushed against my cervix, causing us both to moan.

“See? So damn hot.” - you

My walls squeezed his length and Joe finally felt confident enough to moan louder… and fuck.

“Joey, oh god!” - you

“Shit, I'm close.” - Joe groaned

“Don’t come yet.” - you

Joe nodded his head but a couple of minutes later, he couldn't wait any longer.

“Please? Can I come?” - Joe

“Not yet, wait, Joe- fuck.” - you

With every movement of my hips, Joe whimpered. I could tell he was starting to get overstimulated but I wanted to finish at the same time.

“Baby, please.” - Joe whimpered

“Just a little longer.” - you moaned

“Shit!” - Joe grunted

I started moving faster, and Joe was writhing beneath me. He was biting his bottom lip so hard that I was surprised that he hadn't drawn blood yet.

Shakily, Joe moved his hand towards where we were connected and circled over my clit with his thumb.

“Mmm. Shit, baby.” - you moaned

Joe was panting in my ear and his cock continuously throbbed deep inside me.

Feeling myself getting closer to my release, I slammed my lips against Joe’s and started hotly making out.

After a few seconds of kissing, I slowly broke away from him, pulling his lower lips between my teeth before letting go.

“Come for me.” - you

Almost immediately Joe grabbed my hips and slammed his entire length as deep as it could get.

“Fuck, y/n!” - Joe moaned loudly

Just as he was shooting his load deep inside, I came around his length, and we moaned into each other’s mouths.

Joe hunched over into my chest, his head falling onto my shoulder. I rubbed over his back to comfort him.

“You okay, Joey?” - you

I kissed his temple sweetly, and when he didn't answer I pulled his head away from my shoulder.

“Mhm. Think I passed out for a sec.” - Joe mumbled

“I kinda got carried away.” - you giggled

“S’all good. It was kinda hot.” - Joe

“Yeah?” - you

“Yeah.” - Joe cuddled back into your neck

——

An hour later, we had taken a shower that Joe almost fell asleep twice during and were now cuddled up on the couch.

Joe lay on top of me, his head buried in my chest as I simultaneously played with his hair and rubbed his back.

He had fallen asleep right after I started the movie.

I giggled when I thought back to what he told me right before falling asleep.

“Shit, I'm so tired after that, but I think it's safe to say that Rocky Mountain Way is the best sex we've had. We seriously need to buy a hot tub for the house.” - Joe

Of course, this man is already thinking about sex again.

“Is the jacuzzi bathtub not enough?” - you laughed

“Uh-huh.” - Joe

“I'll start looking for one.” - you

“Good. Love you, bab-” - Joe

I waited for him to finish his sentence, and when he didn't I went to look down at him.

Before I could, though, little snores filled the air.

Laughing to myself as I pressed a kiss to his forehead, I shook my head looking down at his sleeping face.

I'm so glad I finally decided to take him with me.

————————————————————————-

Authors note: idk what to say really.

Request included in this fic;

[seoul-bros]

Jikook Week 48 Complete (05/11 -12/11/2024)

Their 48th week in the military is now complete. Wow only four weeks left before they will have completed a whole year as soldiers. Today we are looking back at this week in 2018.

Award season was underway in South Korea and BTS attended the MGA Award show on the 06/11. It was an action packed evening and BTS went home with six awards: 🏆Best Male Dance, 🏆Best Male Group, 🏆Genie Music Popularity, 🏆Best Digital Album, 🏆Best Artist of the Year, 🏆Best Producer and 🏆Best Choreographer

It was a special night for JK, a long time fan of Charlie Puth, (remember he and Jimin covered We don't talk anymore beautifully for Festa 2017) that evening he got to appear on stage with him.

All his hyungs, including a very proud and excited Jimin, were watching from the wings.

Jimin was breathtaking that night and.......

....Jikook were relaxed and affectionate.

BTS were flying high and Jimin took the time to thank ARMY for their support in making it such a successful night.

"It was an amazing day, as it was my first time winning so many awards in one day. I sincerely thank all the ARMYs who cheered me on, and above all, this is my first popularity award since my debut. I sincerely congratulate our ARMYs. This award is yours thank you."

Post Date: 12/11/2024

[ganxiously]

I may be able to provide some help for the flying stuff.

Yes, the FAA has regulations limiting the flight time and duty period for commercial passenger operations, flight instruction and fractional ownership operations (basically private jet clubs like NetJets).

Services provided by Air Ops like search and rescue, aerial firefighting count as part of general aviation, hence not subjected to FAA rest requirements.

Crew fatigue is a danger to flight safety whether you're a commercial pilot or not, so it's up to individual agencies to set their own duty time limit. According to this interview with a real LAFD pilot, they work a traditional 24/48 firefighter shift schedule, and there's no hard limit set up for maximum hours per flight, but they try keeping it under 6 hours for the initial phase. If the mission is expected to last much longer, they'll start calling more people in (probably why Tommy had to leave the bachelor party) and enter crew rotation. After their first 6 hours, they'll have a rest period, from 4-8 hours, before they can go into the air for another 4 hours, rinse and repeat, until the fire is out. For those large scale campaigns, crew members can be on duty for consecutive days.

For typical operations though, while your department might advise against working back-to-back shifts for 48 hours straight, it's absolutely not against any regulation. You're likely spending most of your shift on the ground on a regular day anyway.

It's not the US, and it's a special case, but air crews of the Air Greenland search and rescue unit work a whopping 2-week shift schedule. Yes, one shift lasts for 2 weeks, 24/7. It's up to individual member to decide if they're fit for flight or if they need rest.

They once worked 12 hours a day for nearly a week to evacuate the residents of a settlement afflicted by a tsunami in 2017.

Source: Vertical Mag

More information on how Tommy's shift schedule could work. The interview mentioned is 4 years old so I'm not sure if they have changed to follow the Kelley schedule now like the rest of LAFD but it should give you a better idea about how things would work at Harbour station

[russianperioddrama]

Welcome to the Russian Period Dramas Bracket everyone! The order of things will look something like this:

Polls will start posting tomorrow. One group (A, B, C, D) will be posted per day, starting with Group A. Polls will run for a week. Once all polls for a round close, polls for the following round will begin posting within 24-48 hours (depending on mod availability). You may send in asks with “propaganda” if you wish.

Round 1 matches are listed out below for a full text version. Note that titles are listed in the format: English tittle (official/”official”* or translated) | transliterated title. (*There are occasionally some variations in what is the “official” English title. I tried my best here, usually prioritizing what is used by a major streaming service or wiki).

GROUP A

Ekaterina: The Rise of Catherin the Great | Ekaterina (2014) vs. Pushkin: the Last Duel | Pushkin: Poslednyaya duel (2006)

The Barber of Siberia | Sibirskiy tsiryulnik (1998) vs. Tchaikovsky's wife | Zhena Chaikovskogo (2022)

The Duelist | Duelyant (2016) vs. Life of a Mistress | Volnaya gramota (2018)

Catherine the Great | Velikaya (2015) vs. Poor Nastya | Bednaya Nastya (2023)

Detective Anna | Anna – detectiv (2016) vs. Gardes-marines Ahead! | Gardemariny, vperyod! (1988)

Bloody Lady | Krovavaya Barinya (2018) vs. Institute For Noble Maidens | Institut blagorodnykh devits (2010)

Union of Salvation | Soyuz spaseniya (2019) vs. Star of Captivating Happiness | Zvezda plenitelnogo schastya (1975)

Russian Ark | Russkiy kovcheg (2002) vs. Poor Poor Paul | Bednyy bednyy Pavel (2003)

GROUP B

The Silver Skates | Serebryanyy konki (2020) vs. Sins of Our Fathers | Grekhi ottsov (2004)

Bezsonov (2019) vs. Voskresensky (2021)

Sunstroke  | Solnechnyy Udar (2014) vs. The Fall of the Empire | Gibel imperii (2005)

Matilda (2017) vs. Gloomy River | Ugryum-reka(2021)

The Road To Calvary  | Hozhdenie po mukam (2017) vs. How the Steel Was Tempered | Kak zakalyalas stal (1973)

Admiral (2008) vs. Quiet Flows the Don | Tikhiy Don (2015)

Morphine | Morphiy (2008) vs. Battalion | Batalyon (2015)

Rasputin | Grigoriy R (2014) vs. Christmas Trees 1914 | Yolki 1914 (2014)

GROUP  C

War and Peace | Voyna I mir (1966) vs. The Queen of Spades | Pikovaya dama (1982)

Pechorin (2011) vs. A Hero of Our Time | Geroy nashego vremeni  (2006)

Eugene Onegin | Yevgeny Onegin (1959) vs. A Cruel Romance | Zhestokiy romans (1984)

Gogol (2017) vs. The Idiot | Idiot (2003)

Anna Karenina: Vronsky’s Story | Anna Karenina. Istoriya Vronskogo (2017) vs. Anna Karenina (2009)

Crime and Punishment | Prestuplenie i nakazanie (2007) vs. Brothers Karamazov | Bratya Karamazovy (2009)

Fathers and Sons | Ottsy i deti (2008) vs. Lady Into Lassie | Baryshnya krestyanka (1995)

Two Women | Dve zhenshchiny (2014) vs. The Emperor’s Love | Lyubov imperatora (2003)

GROUP D

Sophia (2016) vs. The Youth of Peter the Great | Yunost Petra (1980)

Furious | Legenda o Kolovrate (2017) vs. Alexander: The Neva Battle | Aleksandr. Nevskaya bitva (2008)

Viking (2016) vs. Iron Lord | Yaroslav: Tysyachu let nazad (2010)

The Terrible | Groznyy (2020) vs. Tsar (2009)

Godunov (2018) vs. Schism | Raskol (2011)

Land of Legends | Serdtse Parmy (2022) vs. Golden Horde | Zolotaya Orda (2018)

Conquest | Tobol (2019) vs. Secrets of the Palace Revolutions | Tayny dvortsovykh perevorotov (2000)

Elizabeth | Elizaveta (2022) vs. Cathedral | Sobor (2021)

[genopaint]

A little late but we got week 48 coming to you RIGHT NOW!!

As always you can follow me on twitter where they’re posted daily

And read more info on each of them below the cut

Daily Dragon #336 - Text Dragon

As we approach the end of the challenge I probably SHOULD use each day a little more wisely and make cool dragons... But I'm lying in bed, cut me some slack okay??? I promise I'll get to good dragons tomorrow

Can you make out the dragon here????

Daily Dragon #337 - Ramesses Ragnarok

Thank you to everyone for voting!! That's it for November, we're now in the final month of the Daily Dragon Challenge!!

Here's the results:

Ramesses Ragnarok - 5 Votes Yggdrasil - 4 Votes Bagel - 3 Votes Jet Dragoon - 3 Votes Goalbold - 2 Votes Shoreline Dragon - 1 Vote Mephistopheles the Malicious One - 1 Vote

Much to no ones surprise, the most popular ones were the ones that got the most votes lol. I'll confess, Ramesses, Yggdrasil, and Bagel were also my favorites this month! With Yggdrasil being my #1 probably. It's a really old OC so I'm happy people still like him!

It's time! The last month of the challenge! As I said before, I do plan on finishing this up and I already know how I'm gonna end it. There will be one last vote at the end of December so I hope you all enjoy the last 30 or so dragons in store for you!!

Daily Dragon #338 - Komodo Dragon

One more real world dragon before the challenge is done! The other real world dragons were both bugs, but I gotta include at least one real world reptile! Komodos are so cool!

Daily Dragon #339 - Yeouiju

I've done both dragons that appear in Smash and a Guilty Gear dragon. It would just feel wrong to not do one from my other all time favorite fighting game series: Killer Instinct! So here's the Dragon Spirit within Kim Wu, Yeouiju!!

I guess he's a bit more of an obscure pick, originally I was gonna do Kim Wu herself but... she's not EXACTLY a dragon, even in a technical way like Sheeva. She just USES a dragon. So it didn't feel right. But I will, one day, draw Kim Wu once again. Mark my words.

Daily Dragon #340 - Plasdra

Like Firegon, Watyrm, Windvyrn, and Earthsaur, the Plasdra is a dragon often given to young tamers at the start of their journeys. However, it's a much rarer species, controlling plasma and lightning. Very few are given this creature first pick.

Daily Dragon #341 - Nocturnal Wyvern

These bat dragons are actually a bit larger than you may think. Most coming up to the waist of an averagely sized human. Despite that, they don't eat human meat, so no worries! But they can eat massive bug monsters impressively quickly!

My sibling has been suggesting themes for dragons that whole year and I've only tackled one or two so far. So here's one more for you, shout outs to my sibling

Daily Dragon #342 - Polaris Dragon

The Lord of Infinite Starshine. It's believed to leave the stars behind as it flies through the empty night sky. It sleeps in an egg at the center of the galaxy, every few centuries it awakens and builds new constellations!

This is a redraw of a dragon I did in 2017 apparently!! I can't believe it's been that long! I tried to unify the color scheme a little bit more, and I hope the redesign still looks cool :)

[foxes-that-run]

End game

Like all Ed features, End Game is Haylor. (Ed, the O.G. Haylor MVP) it was written a few weeks after HS1 was released. Unlike other Rep songs that were revisited and have Joe references, even when they started before they met. In fact the film clip is overtly Haylor. (below) in the BTS (at 1:55) Taylor’s gets text with a scrabble move, she considers, says it is a 'tight game' and decides to leave the other player suspended. Ed blushes.

When OOTW was released Harry’s IG went B&W for 2 years until he started solo promo, apart from a few scrabble boards (in screaming colour) I have a theory he & Taylor played remotely which is why they are colour and she included this.

Here’s some footage of Joe playing scrabble. ….oh sorry, wait, that’s Harry Styles: fan of Scrabble and texting T Swift. Look at her here in the reputation book with the players names covered.. I wonder why lol

Timeline

Ed Sheeran said he wrote his part in a hotel room in New York. He told Audacy that he went to her RI home and heard Rep then the next day wrote it in a hotel in NY. 14 July 2017. (2 months after HS1’s release) (He was also at Taylors NY Apartment 7 March)

I was playing Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, she has a place in Rhode Island, which isn't too far so she hits me up I go around. She plays me what turned out to be Reputation and End Game and I was like man this is I really like, can I do a verse can I like do a rap verse and she was like yeah for sure. So the next day i kind of I remember I was in bed and sort of woke up and i got my laptop out but the song just looped it and I wrote wrote this verse and I went in with max martin who she did the song with and recorded it and then future the verse and then Taylor wrote a verse and then yeah we shot we shot a video".

Film Clip

The film clip is less subtle in being Haylor, it takes place in:

Miami, where HS and TS hung out at Courtney Cox's house

Tokyo, where HS went on a 1D break as his first trip overseas without the band

London, where Ed, HS and Joe all live.

Haylor Easter eggs:

0:04 the ferris wheel looks like the winding wheel.

0:21 she is a passenger in a car at night

0:44 she wears a very Harry Gucci Jumpsuit

0:48 there is a polaroid

1:10 she is a single kitten mother, except Olivia is in her Rep Era lol

1:20 the 1989 Rolling Stone shoot, now in the dark with fireworks.

2:09 Taylor 'A' Swift wears an "A" shirt see: Harry's A tattoo. (When asked Harry said "uh... for my mum" which Louis said "No it's not not it's for a mystery blonde" (2:40)

2:39 she wears the Red/WANGBT hat and cane. She also wears the jacket from her red rolling stone cover.

3:13 there are 2 white bird statues that look like his chest tattoos.

3.30 she references the 1D One Thing MV bus scene

3:43 she visits this kebab shop, a similar one with a made up but similar name is in the 1D midnight memories MV. This tik tok is also about this being an ex’s kebab shop

Lyrics

I wanna be your endgame, endgame Big reputation, big reputation Ooh, you and me, we got big reputations, ah And you heard about me, ooh I got some big enemies (yeah) Big reputation, big reputation Ooh, you and me, we'd be a big conversation, ah

HS and TS have both had big reputations as long as they’ve know each other. Now both A-listers dating is a much bigger conversation than one dating anyone else. Her enemies of Scooter and the Kanye are relevant to the music industry.

I don't wanna touch you (I don't wanna be) Just another ex-love (you don't wanna see) I don't wanna miss you (I don't wanna miss you) Like the other girls do

New Years Day Taylor sings “Please don't ever become a stranger, Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere”.

I don't wanna hurt you (I just wanna be) Drinkin' on a beach with (you all over me)

Harry Styles Debut was released May 2017, 6 months before Rep. Harry told Radio 1 he had played it for Ed earlier. The album lays out a lot of hurt between them Taylor may not have known about in that detail. Drinking, beaches and being all over each other are solid Haylor themes, see Video.

I hit you like, "Bang" We tried to forget it, but we just couldn't

Haylor hit like a bang, they met in march, were together almost immediately, he had multiple tattoos that reference her by May and they both had new albums with songs they still perform about each other by October and November. Toe were friends for a long time first and were not yet public.

Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy I swear I don't love the drama, it loves me And I can't let you go, your handprint's on my soul It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold You've been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks So here's the truth from my red lips

There’s a lot of Haylor references here:

They told you I was crazy, I swear I don’t love the drama is a reference to 1989’s Blank Space

I can’t let you go, Handprints on my soul fits is a theme in 1989, MMIH, Stockholm syndrome, ready for it?, Harry’s House.

The truth from my red lips refers to Style, Two Ghosts and other lip related lyrics.

Finally Taylor uses gold to describe HS in Gold Rush: “Everybody wants you, But I don't like a gold rush, What must it be like, to grow up that beautiful?”

[carlyyyyxbishhop]

Love me like I haven't changed // Shayne Topp // 1

Okay so hi, long time smosh fan lmao. I used to write stuff for bands back in like 2014-2017 but I stopped for some reason. Recently I kinda wanted to get back into it... so I started writing this. Idk if you'd count this as a fanfic because idk how long its gonna be.

Tbh I got an idea and just started writing so I'm gonna post parts 1 and 2 tonight. Lemme know if I should continue writing because I'm slightly hesitant.

part one // Kate

I bounced my right leg anxiously, out of habit I guess. The waiting room was a sterile white, littered with magazines and children’s toys. But I’ll never forget the smell, funny that. It smelt like pure vomit, there’s no other way to describe it.

I stared at the poster on the wall in front of me, it said something stupid like keep hanging on. I rolled my eyes and looked toward the reception desk. A woman was sitting filing her nails with her airpods in, obviously making great use of company time. I looked to my right as a door opened. 

“Kate?” He called out into the room as if I wasn’t the only person sitting in the waiting area. I stood, flashing him a small smile, before following him into the small room. To say the office was small was an understatement. I took it in quickly before finding a chair in the corner near the window.

“Hi Kate, I’m Charlie. It’s nice to meet you.” He started as he sat across from me. I cleared my throat before I spoke, not realising I hadn’t spoken a full sentence in over 48 hours.

“Hi, nice to meet you too.” I watched as he grabbed a small notepad from the table beside him.

“Kate, I know your mother was adamant that you come to therapy but if you’re not ready you don’t have to be here. I just want to let you know that before we start.” He looks over at me, he can probably already sense I’m hesitant.

“No it’s fine, if I don’t come to the appointments she’ll keep harassing me until I do.” He nodded slightly and wrote something on his notepad.

“Okay well, just know you can back out at any time,” He offered a smile that I returned, “So, uhh, if you don’t mind could you tell me a bit about yourself?”

“What, like my job and stuff?”

“Well if that’s what you want to talk about, then yes we can start with that.” I think for a second.

“Do your clients usually go straight into their traumas?” He furrowed his eyebrows at the question.

“Not particularly,” He starts, “Usually they start with simple things to get us started.”

“Oh right,” I say slightly embarrassed, “I’ve never been to therapy before if you can’t tell.” He smiled.

“Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, some hobbies, work… maybe friends?” He offers some starting topics.

“Well, I’m 29 and I’m currently on mental health leave from my job. Mostly because I stopped going to work about 3 weeks ago and stopped answering their calls. Eventually they called my mother because she’s my emergency contact and she made up some bullshit about my Dad dying.” I slightly rambled.

“Did you stop going to work because of your father?” He asked hesitantly, almost trying to predict the reason.

“No, he died years ago. I just kind of lost interest in life when my ex left.” I gulp down the ball in my throat and reach for my water bottle as a distraction.

“Oh right, your ex… was he a big part of your life?” He looks down at his notepad as he makes some notes.

I laugh slightly, “I guess you could say that, we were together for five years.”

“Wow, that’s quite a long time. It’s normal to be upset when going through a breakup.” He tries to reason.

“Is it normal to lay in bed for weeks after a breakup?” I try to find the novelty in it.

“In extreme cases… yes. It can be perfectly normal to have a negative reaction when someone breaks up with you.” I tense slightly at his words.

“See,” I gulp down another lump in my throat, “He didn’t break up with me… he left me.”

“Right… and do you know why he did.” I laugh slightly and look toward the window.

“Yes.” I say shortly, holding back the tears threatening to spill.

“Did you want to talk about it?” He asked, almost unsure if he should. I shook my head no.

“Okay, well why don’t you tell me about him?” He asked.

“What do you want to know?” I looked back toward him and tucked my legs under myself, getting more comfortable on the lounge chair.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

[diableriedoll]

Hi! I would love to learn more about your Salubri Sister Evangeline. Questions 42 and 46 sound interesting. For the cutie Ava, question 27 and 48. For Mila, I saw you had Cult of Mithras on there... would you share any information on that? Oh and Dalia is in the Camarilla, so I would love to know 20 and 30!

Hello ☺️

Evangeline. 42: Suppose they weren't embraced by their clan, what other clan would they thrive in? Oooh, hrmm.. Perhaps Toreador for their Agonizing Empathy variant bane. She'd still have auspex too.

46: What are their ambitions and why? Sister Evangeline wants to understand her curse and her beast. She feels to understand them fully will help her make the best choices in the future.

Ava. 27: Do they have clans they don't particularly like? To be honest, at the moment it's her own! They're the ones she's getting more drama from, but then again, it's to be expected from the Toreador.

48: Details about your OC! Oh gosh there's so many. She was embraced on Friday 13th, October 2017. He waist size is permanently 16 inches due to being embraced while tightly corseted. She actually has a light dusting of freckles across her nose but she hides them under foundation for a flawless porcelain appearance. She has oblivion from her time being bonded to a Lasombra. She has an Irish wolfhound called Róisín which is translated to "little rose". Ava once suffered a compulsion that made her obsess over the way her ass looks in yoga pants because the ST couldn't figure anything suitable at the time. Walking past windows was a nightmare.

Mila and the Cult of Mithras. Mila was created for the Fall of London (won't spoil it, but the characters are important members in the Cult of Mithras). Mila was given to Mithras, to work for him, as punishment to her sire. Mila spent a fair few years being a black widow for Mithras as well as being used as entertainment.

Dalia. 20: What are your OCs thoughts on the Anarchs? Honestly, she's got none, she's just been embraced about two weeks ago in game, she's been forced into the Camarilla, she's still getting to terms with what she is. She doesn't understand all the politics yet but she's very aware of how the Camarilla are treating Thinbloods.

30. Do they have a clan that they do particularly like? She's become fond of the Hecata. She found death and the occult interesting as a human as a stereotypical goth, but since finding out what the Hecata are capable of, she spends a lot of time asking them questions about the dead and reading about them!

Thank you 💕

[acespeon]

I'm glad I'm Australian because our health care is (mostly) free due to our tax payments.

well...I say mostly for a reason.

I paid $30 for the Implanon implant yesterday when it would've cost me $170 had I not a health care card.

I got $202 back from my gyno appointment, still losing $48.

It cost me $120 to go to my doctor to get that referral to the gynaecologist and the rebate was $41. My secondary follow up was free.

Had I not piped up that I had a health care card, my three meds (for my skin, my mental health and controlling my period release) would have been $61 today. It was instead $31 because I reminded them that I bought my health care card in to update my account.

They had not ticked my meds off against it.

I fought tooth and nail to get this health care card back. I left Centrelink for the last three years due to thinking I was safe and had a stable job, only to be made redundant six months later due to staff cuts (2022). I've since been working to make ends meet and have been overworking so I wasn't able to return to Centrelink.

Earlier this year (April) I paid $250 for a CT scan to be told I was right and my knee was off centre. Even earlier than that (Feb), I paid $240 to have a specialist tell me I had chronic plaque psoriasis.

My Medicare pays $51.15 for each UVB screen. That's $153 a week.

I've spent over $2k this year due to my health.

And let’s not forget if I hadn’t changed health providers I’d still be paying back the near $17k my surgeries in 2017 cost.

But hey at least I'm not American /sarcasm

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

A good read for those interested in antimicrobial stewardship, a growing issue especially since the beginning of the pandemic.

A population-based study in Ontario found a higher prevalence and risk of concomitant bacterial infection in patients infected with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) compared with SARS-CoV-2, researchers reported this week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

But the risk of bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients was substantially elevated after 48 hours compared with the other viruses.

Using datasets from Ontario Laboratories Information System, a team led by researchers from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto investigated the prevalence of concomitant bacterial infections in patients with lab-confirmed influenza A and B (FLUA and FLUB) and RSV from 2017 through 2019 and SARS-CoV-2 from 2020 through 2021. They also examined whether risk factors, such as patient characteristics, are associated with differential risks of concomitant bacterial infection. Concomitant infections were classified into coinfection (–2 to +2 days from viral infection) and secondary infection (more than 2 days after viral infection).

Among the 885,004 respiratory viral infections observed during the study period, 4,230 (0.5%) were associated with concomitant bacterial infections, which were found in 422 of 8,891 (4.7%) FLUB patients, 861 of 22,313 (3.9%) FLUA patients, 428 of 12,744 (3.4%) RSV patients, and 2,519 of 841,026 (0.3%) COVID-19 patients. The most prevalent species causing concomitant bacterial infection were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Higher risk of secondary infection with SARS-CoV-2 After adjusting for covariates, the odds ratio for bacterial infection was 1.69 (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.48 to 1.93) for FLUA, 2.30 (95%CI, 1.97 to 2.69) for FLUB, and 1.56 (95%CI, 1.33 to 1.82) for RSV compared with SARS-CoV-2. Stratified analysis revealed that while the adjusted odds of bacterial co-infection were lower for SARS-CoV-2, odds of secondary bacterial infection with SARS-CoV-2 were higher than FLUA, FLUB, and RSV.

The study authors say the findings have important implications for antimicrobial stewardship.

"Antimicrobial prescribing is common in patients with COVID-19 which can adversely impact antimicrobial resistance," they wrote. "However, early empiric prescribing in non-critically ill patients is not justified given the relatively low risk of co-infection. Such findings should be considered to support judicious prescribing decisions in patients with suspected or proven COVID-19."

[the-physicality]

you know there's a lot of yaps about oh stewie beats dt records by 1 game per. well arike set 3972 [dallas franchise record] in 193 games, stewie in 194, dt in 195. [a'ja in 197, edd in 198]

but as far as ages go, it's lj, dt, arike. [asterisk obviously being lj came in at age 20 and americans came in at 21 or older. in this instance lj started just after her 20th, and dt just before her 22nd. lj is a month and a year older than dt. fun fact maya moore is exactly 7 years younger than dt]

and interestingly enough in the span of a week in 2009, 3 people hit that milestone: becky [8/29], dt [9/1], tamika [9/4]

sheryl swoopes, tina thompson, and katie smith all did it in june of 2006 [2-19]

lisa leslie was the first person in the w to hit this milestone, in 2004, nearly 2 years before anyone else would do it

sue and becky took the same number of games to get there [315]

of the 20 youngest people to hit 3972 [everyone who's hit it under 31 years], the list consists of 14 number 1 draft picks [db and arike went 5, cappie went 2- after Seimone augustus who is also on this list, tamika went 3-but drafted with an sei, and candice dupree and crystal langhorne went 6]

48 players have hit this milestone. of the ones that entered the regular wnba draft [ie were not allocated]

5 did it from 1999, 2004, and 2006 draft classes

4 did it from 2001 class [LJ, penny taylor, tamika catchings, katie douglas]

3 did it from 2002, 2008, 2009, and 2013 classes

2006 draftees 1-4 have all hit it

2013 is the only class to have only 1-3 make it

no one has hit this milestone from the draft classes of 2000, 2005, 2007, or 2017

tangela smith [1998], plenette pierson [2003], tina charles [2010], kayla mcbride [2014], jewell loyd [2015], stewie [2016], a'ja [2018], and arike [2019] are the only players in their draft class to hit the milestone

of the 2019 draft class, only 8 players have hit 1000 points, and the next closest to arike [3972] is napheesa collier with 2724, and she was out for a year on maternity leave

arike has also played nearly 800 minutes more than the next 2019 player, jackie young

[usafphantom2]

Rafale or Eurofighter? Saudi Arabia can follow Qatar and buy both

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 01/20/2024 - 12:08 in Military

Will Riyadh decide to end negotiations for 54 Rafales now that Germany has suspended the ban on the 2018 agreement for 48 Eurofighters from Great Britain? Or can you follow in the footsteps of your much smaller neighbor, Qatar, and acquire both?

The German government's recent decision to suspend the export ban on Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia may impact Riyadh's recent decision to negotiate a potential acquisition of Dassault Rafale fighters from France.

The last move would result in the Royal Saudi Air Force operating three different types of 4.5 generation fighters from three countries. The acquisition of different types of advanced fighters would present the kingdom with certain challenges, but also some advantages.

Qatar only had a modest air force when Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates blocked it in 2017. Since then, Doha has acquired a formidable fleet of the most advanced 4.5 generation jets in the world.

The current fleet of Qatari fighters is composed of F-15QAs, Rafales and Eurofighters.

In less than a decade, the richest country in the world ordered 36 F-15QA (Qatar Advanced), 36 Rafales and 24 Eurofighters, a truly manic accumulation for a country with only 313,000 citizens.

Qatar is considering ordering 24 more Rafales, which would raise the total number of Qatari Rafales to an impressive 60.

Another order from Rafale would also indicate that Qatar prefers Rafale much more than Eurofighter, since it would have bought twice as much.

The Middle East has been profitable for Dassault in recent years. Since selling its first 24 Rafales to Egypt in 2015, the first foreign order of the fighter, France signed agreements with Qatar and the record-record $19 billion agreement in December 2021 with the United Arab Emirates for 80 Rafale F4 fighters. A Saudi sale would only continue this trend of Rafale to guarantee bigger business than the Eurofighter in this arms market.

Saudi Arabia ordered 72 Eurofighters from Great Britain in 2007. Over the decades, the kingdom consistently maintained a fleet of American and British warplanes and never bought French fighters.

Eurofighters from Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Laurent ERRERA via Wikimedia Commons)

Riyadh's decision to negotiate with Paris on a potential agreement with Rafale at the end of 2023 could have been motivated mainly by Berlin's reluctance to suspend the Eurofighter ban.

Demonstrating leverage and alternative options in arms business is certainly nothing new. When the Carter administration decided to sell F-15 to Saudi Arabia for the first time in the late 1970s, there was significant opposition in Washington. In response, Saudi Arabia did not hesitate to enter into negotiations for the main French fighter of the time, the Mirage F1, to show the US that it had viable alternatives.

What will be interesting to see in the coming weeks and months is whether Riyadh will continue to negotiate this agreement with Rafale. This could happen for several reasons.

The acquisition of 54 Rafales and the new batch of 48 Eurofighters would give Saudi Arabia 102 new jets capable of the 4.5 generation. It would also strengthen its fleet of fighters at a time when the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are making considerable acquisitions. And it would be more than equivalent to the comparatively modest two dozen Su-35 Flanker fighters that Iran hopes to receive from Russia soon.

According to an Iranian journalist, Tehran ordered and paid a total of 50 Su-35 before Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Even if it receives this number of Flankers, and this is a big if, the Royal Saudi Air Force would still have a larger and more advanced fleet.

Having three types of fighters could represent significant technical challenges and the extensive training needed for Saudi pilots to master a new fighter. At the same time, all three types are built in the West and are compatible in many respects. Incorporating French Rafales into an air force composed of American and British aircraft will undoubtedly be much simpler than introducing Russian or Chinese fighters.

Saudi air power: F-15SA, Eurofighter and Tornado.

There are also political advantages in this diversification for Saudi Arabia. There were brief proposals in Washington in October 2022 to temporarily prohibit the supply of American weapons to the kingdom. At the time, analysts observed that the Saudi Air Force could at least depend on its considerable fleet of Eurofighters if any potential embargo impacted the operability of its sophisticated American F-15SA aircraft.

Greater diversification with Rafales would substantially limit the effect of an embargo of any of these three fighters. For these reasons, Riyadh may not leave the Rafale negotiations and, ultimately, may even acquire its first French fighters.

Source: Forbes

Tags: Military AviationDassault RafaleEurofighter TyphoonRSAF - Royal Saudi Air Force/Royal Saudi Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[bearterritory]

Bears Beat WSU In Thrilling Home Finale

Cal Forces 4 Turnovers, Scores 2 Defensive TDs

BERKELEY – Hosting Washington State on Saturday in the final home game of California Memorial Stadium's 100th anniversary season, the Golden Bears came away with a 42-39 victory behind a handful of key defensive plays and 181 scrimmage yards from running back Jaydn Ott.

It was probably the last time these two teams, who have faced off every season for decades, will play each other in the forseeable future. It was their last Pac-12 game vs each other, and the last conference home game for the Bears. Next year they will be playing in the ACC.

The Golden Bears' defense forced four turnovers for the second time this year and set a season high with six sacks. Outside linebacker David Reese led all players with three sacks and two forced fumbles.

"I'm really proud of how the guys fought and competed. We made enough plays to win the game, and we certainly can learn a lot from plays that weren't quite as good," Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox said. "We made it much harder than it needed to be, to be honest. But I commend the guys for continuing to compete and finding a way to win. You have to stay in the moment and do what you need to do to win." Inside linebacker Cade Uluave recovered two fumbles, the first of which he also forced and took 51 yards to the house on the Cougars' first possession of the game. Uluave finished with a team-high nine tackles to go with a game-ending interception.

The Bears staved off a second-half WSU rally with back-to-back touchdowns early in the fourth quarter. Holding on to a 28-24 lead, Ott carried the ball for all five plays on a 75-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a 52-yard burst through the left side. He capped the possession with a 5-yard scamper into the end zone which saw him become the first Bear since Patrick Laird in 2017 to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season. "Jaydn Ott is spectacular. I've said it many times - he's going to play on Sundays," Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza said. "At the end of the day, whether it's messy or beautiful, a win is a win. I'm grateful to be able to learn from our mistakes today. These are experiences that you learn from. I can't appreciate our defense enough."

Less than two minutes later, Reese blindsided Cougar quarterback Cameron Ward just as he was about to throw. The ball was picked up in the secondary by defensive back Nohl Williams and returned 52 yards to paydirt, giving Cal a commanding 42-24 advantage with 9:26 remaining.

WSU was quick to respond, scoring a pair of touchdowns and converting a two-point conversion to make it a three-point game. After forcing a Cal punt, the Cougars moved the ball into Bear territory with under a minute left but weren't able to connect on a 48-yard potential game-tying field goal. It was their second missed field goal of the fourth quarter.

Washington State had one last chance to steal the game on a Hail Mary pass from 53 yards out, but Uluave came away with his first interception of the season as time ran out.

The Bears finished with three fumble recovery touchdowns in total, as offensive lineman Brian Driscoll fell on one in the end zone in the second quarter.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza did most of his damage in the first half, when he was 11-of-15 through the air for 129 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears' first offensive possession of the day went 65 yards on 12 plays. Mendoza capped it off on 3rd-and-goal by rolling left in a fake quarterback keeper and finding Endries sneaking out to the corner for a 6-yard score to put Cal up 14-0.

Mendoza later found a wide-open Ott coming across the middle for a 13-yard touchdown to make it 28-14. It was the second time in three weeks the Bears put up 28 points in the first half.

With the win, Cal remains eligible for bowl game competition. The Bears will be on the road for the final two weeks of the regular season. They travel to face Stanford at 3:30 p.m. PT next Saturday in the 2023 edition of the Big Game. "Winning a bowl game is the goal, and in order to win a bowl game, you have to get to a bowl game," Wilcox said. "It's OK to acknowledge that. The bowl game is a big deal."