#2020 International LT

[truckowner]

2020 INTERNATIONAL – LT625 6X4Get financing Contact me about this

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Background: During adolescence, bullying often has a sexual content. Involvement in bullying as a bully, victim or both has been associated with a range of negative health outcomes. Transgender youth appear to face elevated rates of bullying in comparison to their mainstream peers. However, the involvement of transgender youth as perpetrators of bullying remains unclear in the recent literature. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare involvement in bullying between transgender and mainstream youth and among middle and late adolescents in a general population sample. Methods: Our study included 139,829 students in total, divided between a comprehensive school and an upper secondary education sample. Associations between gender identity and involvement in bullying were first studied using cross-tabulations with chi-square statistics. Logistic regression was used to study multivariate associations. Gender identity was used as the independent variable, with cisgender as the reference category. Subjection to and perpetration of bullying were entered each in turn as the dependent variable. Demographic factors, family characteristics, internalizing symptoms, externalizing behaviors, and involvement in bullying in the other role were added as confounding factors. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) are given. The limit for statistical significance was set at p < 0.001. Results: Both experiences of being bullied and perpetrating bullying were more commonly reported by transgender youth than by cisgender youth. Among transgender youth, all involvement in bullying was more commonly reported by non-binary youth than those identifying with the opposite sex. Logistic regression revealed that non-binary identity was most strongly associated with involvement in bullying, followed by opposite sex identity and cisgender identity. Transgender identities were also more strongly associated with perpetration of bullying than subjection to bullying.

--

Secondly, we found that transgender identity was generally associated with perpetrating bullying and that the association was stronger than that of transgender identity and being bullied. To the best of our knowledge, past research has not examined perpetration of bullying among gender minority youth, thus rendering comparisons to prior research impossible. In a study by Dank et al. (2014), however, it was reported that the few transgender young people in their study were the ones most likely to perpetrate dating violence among their sample.

--

Thirdly, non-binary identity was more strongly associated with involvement in bullying than opposite sex identity. Past research has found elevated rates of being subjected to bullying among youth (Lowry et al., 2020; van Beusekom et al., 2020) and transgender youth (Gower et al., 2018) who perceive themselves as more gender non-conforming (i.e., masculine females or feminine males) than youth with no such perception. Non-binary identifying youth particularly may display gender expression that does not conform to either masculine or feminine roles, and this may make them vulnerable to being bullied either due to simply being different from the mainstream, or as a result of heterosexist control. We found, however, that not only being bullied but also engaging in bullying was even more common among non-binary (perception of gender conforms to both or neither sex or it varies) than among opposite sex identifying youth.

==

"Non-binary" is just a new way to bully other people.

Trying to make people refer to you in stupid, language defying ways, like "schglie/schglem," at the threat of being called a bigot, when you're a completely average man or woman, is the modern day equivalent of making the kids in the playground bow and call you "the god of the jungle gym" at the threat of being beaten up, when you can't actually do that flip from hanging by your knees into a standing position.

When, unlike the playground, society has given you the power to actually carry out that threat, you're not "marginalized," you're the ruling class. (What's that "power plus" arithmetic again?)

Whenever you enter the room, people tense up. And you love it. It's the whole point. Gay and transsexual people just want to blend in, but "nonbinary" is about the opposite. Everybody pays attention to you and you steal the oxygen out of the room. You say it's about "being kind," but you and everyone else knows what you are, which means it's really about being in control, but from a false position of vulnerability.

So it's no wonder it attracts narcissists and bullies. Especially when it's an effort-free way of being celebrated for a month - and on and off the rest of the year for an endless parade of "awareness" days - for being completely unremarkable and average.

Not being a tired stereotype is not an achievement, least of all one that needs to be celebrated.

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Flying High…On The Bars🤸🏽‍♂️ | Top Gun Maverick Imagine (Bob Floyd) Part 1

Takes place after the events of TGM

TGM Masterlist

PART 2 HERE

Characters & Pairings: Lt. Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd x Olympic gymnast!reader (romantic), Dagger squad x reader (platonic)

Content Warnings: fluff, mentions of sporting injuries, slight profanity, recounts details of 2012, 2016, & 2020 Olympic Games. | Female!reader (she/her) | wc: 9.4k—I decided to split this into 2 parts because it was almost at 20k words.

Premise: When one sets their eyes on the Olympic dream, it becomes their life. When one falls in love with a person committed to achieving that dream, it becomes theirs as well. One year after a global pandemic shut down the world and two years after the high-risk uranium mission of the Top Gun special detachment, the dagger squad gather in Bob’s home base of Lemoore, California to witness the love of his life compete for a final shot at All-Around gold in the worlds greatest gymnastics competition. Prepping for her final Olympic Games, gold medalist Y/n L/n thinks back on her decade long career, and the moment she met the man of her dreams.

Note: Y’all I am loving these sport imagines for TGM I’ve been doing. I think imma do a soccer or tennis next 👀 now disclaimer this imagine does recount details that took place in the Olympics mentioned, but there were changes to the narrative to fit the story. Basically you’re imagining it was you on the teams instead, so don’t come at me saying, ‘that didn’t happen.’ I kept the outcomes for certain scenarios the same, but then changed others to fit Y/n’s place. Hope you enjoy and let me know your thoughts. Also like my ‘For The Gold’ imagine, I’m going off the basis that the events of TGM took place in 2019, not 2022.

I also wanna disclaim that I am very aware of scandal that took place with USA gymnastics. I have decided to not mention it in this miniseries for the sake of not triggering anyone and because I do not want to spread misinformation in case I were to miss things. Of course we know it happened, and it just makes me angry and disgusted to even think about that doctor and I do not want to trigger anyone at all. I do mention Nadia Comaneci in this (she was my idol when I did gymnastics) but do know I do not mention her coaches who were involved in the scandal. I loved Nadia, not her coaches and I’m just as disgusted with them as I am with that doctor. My heart is with all the gymnasts who were affected.

—————————-

“It’s 6:30 am Eastern time back home in the US, however it is 8:30 pm here in Tokyo on Thursday, July 29th, as we get set up to watch the final of the Women’s All-Around in artistic gymnastics. The men competed last night, and it was an unfortunate loss for both Americans after failing to medal in the Team. It was silver for the women’s two nights ago in the team final, losing to the ROC by about four points in the overall score—the first time the American’s have lost the gold in the Team since reclaiming the title after The Magnificent Seven in 1996.”

“It was a shocker to many people, John. Team USA have dominated the international level of gymnastics for over a decade now. They have been the Olympic champions in the Women’s All-Around since Carly Patterson won the title in Athens, they were the two-time gold medalists in the Team and have had someone on the podium in almost every event for the past few Games—Simone Biles dominated Rio four years ago. They were the favorite to win on the team final, but fell short and I know it must’ve been a sad loss for Y/n L/n on Tuesday after being part of both the London and Rio winning teams.” The tv screen was split with the coverage showing the commentators and footage from the 2012 London Olympics. It focused on the gymnast standing on the podium with her teammates, gold medals around their necks and waving to the crowd.

“I agree, Andrea. You know she is the first American gymnast since Dominique Dawes to make it on the team for three consecutive Olympics. After last night she became the second American, after Dawes, to medal in three consecutive Olympics—silver medal in the team final. She’s the veteran, having been in the elite stage since 2011 where she won her first World title on the bars. In London she walked away with three gold medals, the team, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. It was history for the USA gymnastics that Olympics with Gabby Douglas becoming the first African-American to win the All-Around and Y/n L/n as the first American to win gold on the bars in its individual final. L/n then repeated her victories in Rio—making Olympic history for Team USA again with back-to-back gold in the team, bars, and beam.”

“You know it was a big surprise when she appeared at the trials in June. After winning her seventh World’s title on bars in 2019 Y/n was hoping to get the gold on beam after reclaiming it in 2018, but a bad fall on the apparatus tore her ACL. It would have put her out of the trials had it taken place in 2020, but Covid canceled the entire 2020 season and the Olympics were postponed a whole year. Y/n didn’t say anything about coming back to the sport after recovering until after the VISA championships when it was revealed she petitioned for a spot in the trials. Both Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, who were her teammates the last two Games have since retired. I really thought it would be the same for Y/n L/n, but she surprised everyone.”

“She already, Allen, has made history in her own way by becoming the first American to win the gold back-to-back on two individual events—her signature event the uneven bars that she’s got multiple world titles to as you mentioned, and the balance beam. Many predicted Simone, the favorite to win on beam, would come out on top since it’s one of her strong factors, but an unfortunate mistake cost her the gold. Then in bars Y/n unveiled a massive dismount, becoming her fifth eponymous skill rated a J-Value. The gold medal was already hers at that point. ”

Now the split screen had a reply of the stunning routine on the uneven bars. The second her feet hit the floor and her arms raised over her head, the then two-time Olympian already knew she had secured the gold.

“That was an amazing moment to witness. The entire stadium was holding their breath. Y/n had already established herself as one of the best gymnasts on the uneven bars since her debut on the national team in 2010. Her routine in London was flawless, both in the team and event finals. After the Trials her teammates selected her as the captain of this squad and has really shown true leadership in these Games—we’ve seen it during qualifications and the team finals, comforting the team when the results came in. Her and Simone shared a moment together after the vault when Simone decided to pull out for the remainder of the competition. The veteran gymnast making a statement on Twitter in defense of Simone when she was receiving criticisms for her decision. Y/n’s definitely taken the role of big sister—the oldest at aged 25– and I know the girls are likely having some difficulty without family and friends to support with the regulations set for these Games. There’s no spectators in this arena save for the media and volunteers. Each nation was only allowed to bring one coach if I’m not mistaken so all the gymnasts are having to adjust. Definitely a different feel these Games no doubt—especially for Y/n who has got to experience the energy one sees in an Olympics with a full house. She’s the fan favorite for this All-Around in Tokyo and it’s going to be interesting to see if Y/n can deliver on Sunday as well and pull a three-peat on the uneven bars—the first for Team USA.”

“It’s definitely going to be an interesting Games no doubt now that it’s been confirmed Simone Biles will not be competing in the All-Around final citing concerns with her mental health. After pulling out of the Team finals it was unknown if she would continue in the All-Around and event finals. She and Y/n were the top two Americans to qualify—the first time for Y/n in her now third Olympics after having not been selected to compete for it in the preliminaries in London and lost to teammate Aly Raisman in Rio. Sunisa Lee has replaced Simone in this final and now the two Americans will go head to head for the title of Olympic Champion.” More replays showed of not only past Olympics but also the preliminaries from Saturday showcasing the contenders for the All-Around; Suni Lee in her Olympic debut and the now three-time Olympic gymnast Y/n L/n.

Thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean where the sun is not even out as it reaches 3:30 in the morning, members of the 2019 Top Gun special detachment, Navy servicemen & women, and residents of Lemoore, California gathered in the gym of Taylor’s Elite Gymnastics Y/n spent 20 years training in.

“You excited, Bobby Boy?” Jake clapped his friends back, shaking his shoulders lightly in a playful manner. “Ready to cheer on the missus?”

Bob scoffs, but blushes nonetheless, “of course I am, Bagman. This is everything she’s trained for. If I could be there I would be the loudest in the stands” Jake makes a sound, muttering, ‘simp,’ causing Bob to brush him off. Phoenix comes over two cups of coffee, handing one over to her backseater.

“Leave him alone, Seresin,” she scolds, “if that was your wife you’d be doing the same thing.” Jake falls silent making Payback chuckle from his spot on the beanbag in front of the four, “he’s not saying anything ‘cause he knows it’s true.”

Fanboy pitches in, munching on some mini donuts, “he’s probably just still salty Y/n wouldn’t hook him up with one of her old teammates. Or that one swimmer he used to gush about.” From the side Rooster explodes in a loud laugh, causing Jake to glare at him. Coyote has to bite back a grin, not wanting to show amusement at his best friend's bad luck.

The pilot wipes a fake tear, still giggling, “Sorry, that was just really funny.” While the others began to tease Jake, Bob focused on the screen. Softness in his eyes as he watched the NBC live coverage, showing footage of Y/n warming up while in the corner of the screen had replays of her 2016 Games in Rio. His heart was hurting he couldn’t be in the stands due to Covid, but regardless Bob was over the moon with love and happiness for his wife.

Since the age of 5 the gym was her second home after her mother put her in a mommy & me gymnastics class. Bouncing on the trampoline was really what made the child fall in love. She could be there all day if they’d let her. Then after a few more classes that were meant for just some bonding time between mother and daughter, Y/n begged to be placed in the regular lessons after seeing the older girls swinging on the bars and balancing on the beam.

It was the start of a career that would span over a decade when Y/n began competing, claiming multiple national titles, world championships, and three Olympic Games.

In 2004 Y/n sat glued to the TV watching Team USA compete in the Athens Olympic Games. Carly Patterson was crowned Olympic Champion of the All-Around and Y/n knew at that moment she wanted to become an Olympian.

Her parents were hesitant, especially after talking to other parents during Y/n’s lessons, to pull her from school and dedicate all her time to training. There was also the topic of moving to find a coach. Many gymnasts they read up on had traveled to different gyms and had lifelong coaches. For Y/n, her family wanted to stay in Lemoore. Her father had done time in the Navy and was stationed there when he met Y/n’s mother. They fell in love and her father decided to end his contract with the Navy to be with her mother. Not long after he ended up getting a good civilian job on base with Y/n being born in 1996.

What made her parents decide to go through with full-time training were the owners of the gym. Mike and Mary Taylor. Husband and wife who together ran and coached the gymnasts. It was a fairly new gym—having only opened in 2000 so they never had one of their students go to the international level. “There is a fire in her, we both see it. She’s got the dedication, the spirit, and we would love to be the ones to help her achieve the dream of the Olympics. And we would do everything in our souls to make it happen. When we look at her, we see a future Olympic champion.”

So the deal was set. Y/n would become homeschooled and spend nearly 10 hours in the gym everyday. After waking up she would have breakfast with a smoothie before starting one of two 5-hour practices. Mornings were dedicated to bars and beam with Mike and afternoons with Mary on floor and vault. Lunch would be in between and then after dinner Y/n would condition with a personal trainer. Within a couple years she had worked up to level 5 and began competing in meets.

It was learned very quickly that Y/n had a talent for the uneven bars. She was strong on the beam and good on floor and vault, but bars is where she shined. An All-Around gymnast, Y/n put more focus in perfecting her bar routine than anything else. It was where she felt like she had a better chance at becoming an Olympic champion. Flying high in the air on releases brought joy and hitting a perfect handstand made Y/n feel like she was on top of the world.

Nadia Comaneci of Romania, the first gymnast in Olympic history to receive a perfect 10 in competition, was her idol and who Y/n strived to be like. She was the definition of perfection. Every moment of free time Y/n was watching reruns of the 1976 Games in Montreal where Nadia claimed the All-Around, Uneven Bars, and Balance Beam gold. Sometimes Y/n wished she could attempt to do the flawless routine, but the uneven bars were placed differently than they were in the 70s.

There was also the American Mary Lou Retton, the first American woman to win the All-Around at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Y/n admired many gymnasts from the former USSR in the 60s & 70s & 90s including Olga Korbut, Ludmilla Tourischeva, Nellie Kim, Larisa Latynina. Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina, Belarus’s Svetlana Boginskaya, and Vera Caslavska of the former Czechoslovakia were amongst Y/n’s idols in the sport.

And of course, the 1996 Magnificent Seven: Shannon Miller, Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden, Dominique Dawes, Dominique Moceanu, Amy Chow, and Kerri Strug. The team of women Y/n cited as her biggest inspirations. Y/n was born the year they won the US their first gold in the Women’s Team All-Around on home turf in Atlanta. Chills always appeared when watching replays of Kerri Strug landing the vault on practically one foot to secure the gold against Russia.

In 2010 at age 14 Y/n made her debut on the junior national team. She appeared in several championships, claiming titles to the uneven bars and balance beam. She never listened to commentators when watching replays of meets to see what she needed to improve, but there was always a heaviness to her heart when they would say she was unlikely to be an All-Around contender. “We’ve seen her these last competitions and there’s no doubt she will be a threat to other gymnasts when it comes to the uneven bars—her routine even here on the junior level is insane—and possibly balance beam, but there is a lot to be done for Y/n on the floor. She’s powerful on vault—as we saw in her Yurchenko 1 ½ twist, but fails to stick the landing and is always taking a large step with big deductions. She needs to control that power so she’s not catapulting forward on the landing.”

Her family and coaches reminded her to not listen to commentators or opinions of the media. It was hard first coming into the national stage, but by the 2012 U.S Olympic Team Trials Y/n was a pro at handling the them. She was 16, the reigning World Champion on the uneven bars, and looking to earn her place on the London team. The trials lasted two days with Y/n qualifying after finishing in the top 8 of the VISA Championships. 15 total girls including the Beijing All-Around Olympic Champion Nastia Liukin and member of the 2008 silver winning team Alicia Sacramone, all competed for one of the five spots on the team.

Like all the gymnasts in attendance, Y/n competed on every apparatus but it was her bars and beam routines that secured her spot for London. After a small mistake on the floor Y/n feared it would be the make or break in deciding if she would make the team since she did not rank in the top two places by the end of the trials. Her vaults were good form wise, though she needed to really work on sticking the landing better. When her name was called out in the back room Y/n burst into tears. Her coaches pulled into an embrace, crying with her, before she and the other four girls were hauled to the floor. The crowd of spectators were on their feet. Cheers from every corner.

Vision blurry, Y/n turned her gaze to the section her parents were seated in. When she found them the tears fell more rapidly at the sight of her father practically jumping up and down whistling while her mother was in her own emotional state. They blew kisses to her, Y/n returning them before waving to the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, your women’s 2012 London Olympic team!!!”

London was a dream come true.

The moment Y/n stepped into the arena she had to hold back her tears, pitching herself as though to say, ‘is this really happening?’ The smell of the chalk brought comfort. Y/n was itching to get on the bars and show the world what she was made of. Her teammates were some of the best gymnasts to exist with several World titles to their name. The pressure was on for these young women. The media and fans back home were hoping they would be the first team since the Magnificent Seven to win the gold in the team final. It was their goal, but they had tough competition against Russia and China.

The qualifications were intense, but the team as a whole managed to get the top rank to guarantee a spot in the final. After discussions with the appointed team coach, Y/n only competed on the bars and beam. Uneven bars was her strongest apparatus where she would no doubt deliver. The beam was her second strongest, with a difficult routine that when executed would bring a high score. It saddened the gymnast she would not get the chance at All-Around gold, but Y/n pushed her emotions aside to focus on the big picture. Rio was four years away, she could easily try for a spot on that team. For now, she needed to focus on getting the gold in her events.

Qualifying in the top spot on bars and beam, the next step was the Team final.

And it was one to remember.

The team kicked off on the vault where Gabby, Jordyn, and Aly gave a beautiful start to the competition. Russia was next before the second rotation: bars. Y/n was the last of the three Americans to perform after Russia went first. She kept her back to the bars when the Russian athletes were up, the golden rule of gymnastics that was learned very early on: never watch your competitors or pay attention to the standings. Very often will it jinx the performance of the gymnast who does. And Y/n was not about to let that happen.

When Kyla and Gabby were on, Y/n clapped and cheered them on alongside Aly and Jordyn. “C’mon Gabby, you got this!” Yes! Beautiful—one more big one!” “Stick it, Kyla—stick it! YEAH!!”

Then she was up.

A quick pep talk from Mike and Y/n stepped onto the platform and waited for the green light. When it appeared, she saluted the judge and faced the bars, taking a deep breath before running to punch her feet on the springboard, hitting her hands onto the low bar in a straddle position before catching the high bar. The entire routine Y/n didn’t think, she just let muscle memory take her away. Cheers from her teammates and the crowd fueled her. Release after release, handstand after handstand, kip up to the high bar from the low bar. The routine felt like forever but in reality it was only less than two minutes.

“Beautiful start off the springboard and onto the high bar—from here are a series of handstands which have become a staple in Y/n’s routines since the junior U.S Championships in 2010. Here we go on the first….hit it right on the mark, now the second…oh gorgeous form—legs are squeezed together. She will hit two more before going straight into a big release. Here it comes-over the high bar—-wow look at the height! Then straight to the low bar and back to the high into another big release. Unstoppable, this routine is jam packed with difficulty. Y/n has shown little mistakes since unveiling this routine at the beginning of the season—despite one error during the American Cup where she missed a handstand that resulted in shaky release. One more big transition from high bar to low bar and back again before falling straight into a release. Wow, that was amazing! Now she’s gearing up for the dismount—very difficult here—she’ll be doing a double twisting double layout, the same Shawn Johnson did in 2008 rated a G-Value skill. Here we go, the moment we’ve all been waiting for—and she sticks it!! Unbelievable! The crowd loved that and so did her teammates, they’re jumping for joy down below.”

Y/n finally breathes as the crowd goes wild around her. Briefly closing her eyes, she exhales before facing the judges to salute. A wide grin on her lips, Y/n claps her chalky hands covered by the grips and runs to the stairs to be embraced by her coach. Her teammates surround her, hugs and high-fives all around. “That was amazing!” “You were perfect! Absolutely perfect!”

“This is why Y/n was picked for these Games—it is that routine that secured her spot on team USA. It’s untouchable. She is the World Champion in this event, completely dominating the junior level—no one else could touch Y/n on the bars. She’s looking to become the first American to win the uneven bars on Sunday night for event finals and she is exceptional. Those handstands are perfection, the form is impeccable and the landing was perfectly executed—she would get a ten if it were the old system. Now we’re just waiting for the score, which is going to be big. Her start value is 7.1, huge for an uneven bars routine but it’s those transitions combined with the releases and of course that G dismount that really make this routine such high valued—not to mention the series of handstands at the beginning. I believe she has the highest start value in this event these Olympics—no doubt the fan favorite for Sunday night.”

Y/n downs a bottle of water, ignoring the snaps of the cameras from the press directly in front of her. She waves to a few people in the audience, a little girl shrieks when they see the gymnast noticed them. Quickly Y/n packed her bag because they were about to make the rotation to beam. They were just waiting on her score.

“For those of you at home watching for the first time who are confused on how the scoring works, the gymnasts routines used to be scored out of a 10–that’s how it was for the Magnificent Seven and Carly Patterson. But after the 2004 Olympics the Code of Points changed and now they are given a difficulty and execution score. The difficulty is set in stone by the routine, so in Y/n’s case her start value is 7.1–that is the difficulty of her routine based on all the elements put together. The execution score is out of 10–similar to the old system where the judges deduct when they catch errors, imperfect form, or the gymnast falls. After the execution score is decided it is added to the start value, and that is the score the gymnast receives. The highest score Y/n can receive is a 17.100 if she were to receive a perfect execution score of 10. On the screen now is the deduction zone and green is what these athletes want—they want little deductions as possible. Yellow is basically the caution area and red is the danger zone where the gymnast made a really bad mistake—possibly a fall off the apparatus or had too many visible errors.”

“You know, Y/n does her best to not leave room for deductions but there’s always something the judges will catch. Scoreboard is coming around and it looks….it’s a 16.541 for Y/n L/n! Holy moly that is a massive score for the Americans—it’s put them well ahead over Russia going into rotation three. She scored higher than in the qualifications which was a 16.3! I know she’s happy now—we can see her smiling from this angle as the Americans get ready to move to the balance beam. Y/n will compete on the beam along with Kyla Ross and Aly Raisman before sitting out of the floor.”

Warming up on the beam, Y/n did her spins, a couple jumps, her Arabian, and dismount. She was set to go second, giving a slight break after coming off of the high from bars since the US was set to go first in the rotation. Then in the final rotation on floor they would compete after Russia. Y/n was confident in her beam routing, having perfected it for over a year. It had lower difficulty than her bar routine but was still highly valued at 6.4. The highest Y/n had received on it was a 15.628 at the trials, usually ranging between 15.100 and 15.533 in other competitions. In the qualification round Y/n got a 15.478 and secured her place in the individual event final.

“Welcome back to our coverage of the women’s artistic all-around team final in London. We’re onto rotation three of four and it’s the balance beam for Team USA. All three Russians have competed with great performances and very little deductions. The margin between Russian and the US looks like it may be neck and neck going into the floor. Up first for the Americans is Kyla Ross—she and Y/n L/n will finish their team finals on this event. They both were chosen to compete on just the bars and beams—Jordyn Wieber will join Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman on floor after sitting out for two rotations following the vault. Up first for team USA, Kyla Ross.”

“Let’s go, Kyla!!” Y/n clapped her hands around her mouth. “You got this girl!” When the gymnast finished Y/n was immediately hauled up the stairs, high-fiving her teammate before waiting for the green light on the far right end of the beam. Once Kyla’s score was finalized and on the board, the green appeared and Y/n saluted the judge. The springboard was placed beside the middle of the apparatus, and Y/n once again took a deep breath.

“Y/n’s got the green light from the judge, and is now setting up for her mount. This is quite the skill she is about to do—Dominique Moceanu of the 1996 team performed this mount on the beam in Atlanta. Here she goes….beautiful. It’s a tricky mount but when executed right it can be stunning. Now onto this interesting spin that many gymnasts have started to use in their routines, it’s called a ‘wolf spin.’ She’ll do three full turns right here before setting up for her first big combo—Arabian into a pike jump then right to a back handspring—a little shaky right there on the landing. There will be a slight deduction for not having her chest up in time. Gorgeous spins as she walks to the opposite beam. Here is her tumbling pass, back handspring to a layout—repeating it—and she’s got it! A spin to jump combination and straight into a back tuck. Y/n has made it a habit in her beam routines to display her strength. From this handstand she will turn and split her legs down the middle before holding it at an angle so she’s not level with the apparatus. Very hard to do that could easily end in disaster, but she makes it look effortless. The crowd loves it too. Now all there’s left is the dismount—the time buzzer has sounded. An F-valued skill she’s gonna do a stretched back salto with a triple twist. And she sticks the landing once again!! Beautiful end on the beam for Y/n L/n! That is gonna be a good score I feel.”

“Great job, that was awesome!” “Well done, Yn.��� “You did amazing!” Her teammates swarmed her again, followed by her coach who pressed a fatherly kiss to her forehead, “well done, well done, my little powerhouse.” Catching her breath, Y/n wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Together they looked out to the audience to try and find his wife, her other coach, and Y/n’s parents. When they found them they were on their feet clapping, waving frantically at the two. Then the score came in and Y/n visibly saw them get more excited. Rotation 3: BB—Y/n L/N (USA) 15.840

“Wow, a huge score for Y/n L/n of Team USA—15.840! That is the highest score she’s ever received now—her 15.6 at the Olympic Trials was the highest she had gotten on this routine and now it’s been replaced.”

“Well deserved too. This routine was the best she’s ever performed, John. There were those two slight errors where her chest was low on the landings, but her form is just outstanding.”

After cheering on Aly it was time for the last rotation. Y/n packed up her backpack before pulling on her Team USA sweats to cover her bear legs. Over by the floor Y/n was filled with nerves, but confidence for her teammates. After the beam there was a tight lead over Russia, but not by a large margin where anything could happen. It was gonna come down to what happens on the floor.

When the results came in and USA appeared on the #1 spot Y/n jumped for joy, interlaced hands with her teammates in the air. The entire arena was on their feet—especially those who came all the way from America to support. Y/n’s parents and coach were whistling and screaming, it was a truly golden moment for the 16-year-old from Lemmore, California. And for the girls sharing it with her.

They pulled off what they set out to do since being named at the trials. The Olympic Gold in the Women’s Team Final, making them the first team since the 1996 Magnificent Seven to win the title. It was an honor Y/n would carry for the rest of her life and got to share with her spectacular teammates. Standing on top of the podium, with a gold medal around her neck as the national anthem played, Y/n let the tears fall freely. Overwhelmed with emotion, her lips trembled as she mouthed the lyrics. The arena was quiet save for the melody, but when it ended it erupted in cheers. Together with her team Y/n raised the bouquet of flowers to the sea of spectators. Cameras flashed as they posed with the silver and bronze winning teams Russia and Romania.

Post interviews took place and Y/n was still unable to let go of the grin on their face when answering questions. “Y/n, congratulations on this amazing win. You and the team have won the gold—America’s first Team gold since 1996. Can you put into words how you’re feeling right now?”

“Honestly I can’t—I-I’m just so overcome with emotion, it still feels unreal. I want to take this moment to thank my parents who are in the crowd, they have been my strongest support system during this journey and of course my amazing coaches that are with me in London. And of course Aly, Jordyn, Gabby, and Kyla. They were spectacular tonight—I’m so proud of this team, everyone gave it their all and pulled off the best routines we could to get here. After the first rotation the energy just kept bouncing off each of us—it was a great start that flowed into every rotation.”

“I have to bring up that bars routine, Y/n, everyone is talking about it. Absolutely phenomenal. That was the best we’ve seen you do in the event—scoring higher than you did in qualifications. You’re the reigning World champion and the favorite for Sunday night’s event finals. Do you think you’ll do better than you did tonight ?”

Y/n bit her lip, offering a shrug to the reporter, “The thing about this sport is you never know if you’re gonna hit the routine each meet. The goal is to every time but you just have to go in there and give it your best. And that’s what I plan to do Sunday. My coach and I are going to work on where improvements are needed, and I hope to deliver the same way I did tonight.”

The volunteer signaled for the reporter to hurry it up. “Well we’ll be cheering you on both Sunday and Tuesday night as well for the beam finals. Congratulations again on behalf of everyone watching at home. You and the team did amazing and we hope you all have fun celebrating tonight. We’ll see you back here Sunday for the uneven bars.”

Y/n shook the reporter's hand with a grin, “Thank you so much! Have a great night,” blowing a kiss to the camera, Y/n waved to the fans shouting out to her and moved to follow the team out of the arena. The next time she was in the dome was to cheer on Aly and Gabby from the stands during the All-Around final. Kyla and Jordyn were with her, as were the coaches and parents. A wave of red, white, and blue was around them, supporters of Team USA which competed for the loudest section against others when it came to cheering on the Americans. Y/n was on her feet each time Aly or Gabby finished a routine, “Way to go, Gabby!!” “I see you, Aly, let’s go!!”

By the end of the competition Y/n was frantic with joy. Gabby’s name was at the top spot making her the All-Around Olympic champion. The entire arena was on their feet in an explosion of cheers. Unfortunately Aly missed out on the bronze, landing fourth place. Y/n shed tears for both Gabby and Aly, filled with joy for the former at winning the gold, but heartbroken for the latter.

The rest of the week flew by in a blur until it was Sunday night and Y/n was back on the mat for the women’s uneven bars final. She along with seven others would compete for the honor of Olympic champion. The last to compete, the athlete kept her back to the bars and mentally prepared—doing some handstands to pass time. When her coach came up saying it was time, Y/n shook the nerves off and blocked out the crowd.

This was the moment of her life.

“Representing the United States of America,” the crowd cheered, “Y/n L/n!” Taking her place on the mat, Y/n saluted the judges at the green light before licking the tips of her thumbs and clapping once—a ritual since she started competing. With a nod to her coach, who was set up to move the springboard upon her punch onto the bar, Y/n sprinted up and started the routine.

All throughout the routine Y/n thought of her idol Nadia, striving to have the perfect form she did when she took the gold 34 years prior in Montreal. She let her body do the work, letting it carry Y/n through the air upon releases and putting it in the right position with each move. Before long it was time to dismount. The arena was on edge, waiting for the show-stopping move that Y/n had stuck in the team final. With a deep inhale, the gymnast released her hands and twisted before opening her arms at the nick of time.

When her feet hit the mat, arms out and upright, Y/n had to hold back the tears for she knew she just pulled off the best bars routine of her life.

The audience knew it too, they were in an uproar. It continued even after Y/n saluted the judge and walked off the stairs. Her coach practically hauled her off the last step, embracing her while she cried. Of course it was bad luck to celebrate when the score hasn't come in yet, but Y/n had the highest start value of all the finalists and there was no doubt she just overtook the #1 spot. “I’m truly speechless folks, that was without question the best routine of the night. Y/n L/n promised to deliver and she did—from start to finish the routine was non-stop. Hit after hit—that landing will go down in history books. Y/n knows it too, she’s already celebrating it looks like with her coach, Mike Taylor, who’s been with her since she began her gymnastics career. The crowd is celebrating too—I can see her teammates on their feet. We’re just waiting on the score and it should be coming in at any second—-16.825! THAT’S THE GOLD MEDAL FOR Y/N L/N OF THE UNITED STATES!!! She’s the new Olympic champion on the uneven bars—the first for Team USA!!!”

Being on top of the podium felt like cloud 9. Y/n couldn't believe that after years of hard work and dedication she was the Olympic gold medalist in their favorite event. It meant more to her than when she won the World title the year before. All she pictured when the national anthem played was her at nine years old, sitting in front of the tv to watch the Athens Games. That little girl was now an Olympic champion. The best in the world on the uneven bars.

A dream that came true.

Speaking of another dream, Y/n felt all the wind leave her body when after the podium ceremony she was called over by the team’s head coach….and next to her was Nadia Comaneci. Beaming at the gymnast when they locked eyes. If the cameras were not on them her knees would’ve buckled right there. There was no stopping the tears at that point. Her idol was congratulating her, hugging her, completing her routine….it was the best moment of Y/n’s life. More so than actually winning the damn gold medal.

When Y/n repeated the glory on the beam two nights later with a 15.866, there weren't as many tears but the emotion was all the same. It had been the final night of completion for gymnastics with Aly Raisman securing the gold on the floor exercise. Team USA on top of the podium in 5 of 6 events. Y/n was over the moon.

But one question remained.

“Hello again, Y/n, wow has it been a run for you in your Olympic debut. Along with Aly Raisman you’re the most decorated American to come out of this competition. Three gold medals. The Olympic champion on the uneven bars and balance beam as well as the #1 team in the world. Unbelievable, you’ve been amazing to watch this week and everyone at home must be over the moon for you.”

“I really am—It’s so unreal to think that this time last year I was making my debut with the senior national team. I’m so filled with gratitude, my parents and coaches—this wouldn’t have been possible without them. To be called a three-time gold medalist is the biggest honor in the world and to share one of them with my team is….I’ll never be more proud than I am of them. They’ve done amazing at these Olympics—Gabby winning the All-Around, Aly with the floor and the bronze on beam. I’m just so overcome with happiness for not just myself but for them as well.”

“I gotta ask because it’s been buzzing after your win on the bars, but are you looking for a shot at the Rio team in 2016? You’re now the Olympic champion in two events—are you hoping to defend it in four years? Not to mention hopefully get the chance at competing in the All-Around since you weren't selected in the qualifications?”

This was the question that had Y/n up nearly all night thinking about. It was unspoken between her and her coaches, having wanted to focus on the current competition than set sights on the future. Now that the Olympics were technically over for her, Y/n was ready to get back in the gym for another chance at glory.

This time, her goal was the All-Around title.

“I pretty much knew regardless of the outcome of this competition that I would train for Rio. Now the motivation is tenfold really and I do hope I get the chance at the All-Around if I do make the team. For now I’m gonna celebrate with my family, coaches, and my team before getting back in the gym for next year’s Worlds.”

The 2013 to 2015 World Championships were some of the best years in Y/n’s career. Not only did she take the silver in the 2014 & 2015 All-Around next to gold medalist Simone Biles, but claimed the 2013 gold on the balance beam followed by silver in 2014 & 2015, shocked the globe by becoming the 2015 World Champion on vault, and went three for three gold on the uneven bars. By the time the 2016 Olympic trials came around, Y/n was the second ranked gymnast in the world.

The Olympic Rings were tattooed on her forearm, a reminder that she accomplished her childhood dream. Making the team for the second time that summer was beyond what Y/n could put into words. And she would not be the only returning olympian to the US team, Gabby and Aly were coming with her.

There was a lot of talk of what Y/n would bring to the Rio Games. Not only was she the defending champion on bars and beam—hoping to bring a first for the US by repeating her success in London, but she was aiming for a spot in the All-Around competition. Commentators couldn’t get enough of the impending qualifications. Simone was the top contender—the #1 gymnast in the world—and would no doubt qualify, which only left one spot. One spot that three gymnasts wanted.

Gabby, looking to defend her All-Around title.

Aly, to claim the medal she missed when placing fourth in London.

And Y/n, the reigning two-time World silver medalist.

All three members of the gold winning team in London. All three individual Olympic champions.

It would be a heated competition between athletes and friends.

When the trials concluded Y/n had a lot to think about. A lot to mentally prepare for. In the Olympics anything can happen. She witnessed that in London when Jordyn, the reigning World champion, did not qualify for the All-Around. Romania claiming the bronze in the team final over China. Then Y/n beat the leading contender for the gold on beam. Nothing was guaranteed.

As Y/n packed up her bag following interviews after the 2016 team was announced, she headed to leave for the parking lot to meet with her parents and coaches. Phone in hand, Y/n sent a message to her parents when they asked if she wanted to go out to eat to celebrate. As she came around the corner, having waited until most of the spectators had already left, the gymnast gasped when something crashed into her legs causing the phone to drop from her hands, “Oh!”

“Daisy!” A male voice shouted against the sound of feet approaching. “I told you to watch before turning—I’m so sorry ma’am. I—.” His voice stopped suddenly when Y/n lifted her head to connect with a stunning pair of blue eyes. They belonged to a young man with a baby face, roughly around her age but possibly older by a few years, who had blonde hair—stood at about 6 ft and wore a pair of glasses. “O-oh God, you’re Y/n L/n. I-I’m so sorry about my sister—she wasn’t looking.”

The little girl in question—who looked to be about 11 years old— was now in front of Y/n, mouth agape as she stood starstruck. In one hand was a handheld American flag with the event program in the other and she had team USA painted on her cheek. She looked very similar to the man behind her as she had matching hair and eyes. Daisy, as her name was shouted by her brother, looked like she could cry. “I’m so sorry, Miss. Y/n.”

“Oh it’s alright,” the woman softly smiled. Daisy had the same look of awe and emotion Y/n had when she met Nadia Comaneci in 2012 after winning the uneven bars. “Really, it’s okay. I should’ve watched where I was going.” She bent down to grab her phone, silently thankful it didn’t crack any more than it already was. The guy, however, saw the cracks and went pale.

“I’m so so sorry. O-oh gosh, I’ll pay the full amount to replace it—.” Y/n immediately cut him off.

“No, no, no, it was already like that,” Y/n lightly laughed, a little embarrassed to reveal the truth, “I promise you, I just haven’t had the time to get a new one. But it wasn’t her fault I can assure you. It was actually the locker room floor that’s responsible.” Daisy looked embarrassed and guilty at the thought she broke the Olympian’s phone, but upon Y/n’s words she visibly relaxed.

Her brother on the other hand still wasn’t sure. Internally he was freaking out. The now two-time olympian and gold medalist was right in front of him. And she was so beautiful in person it was making his brain scatter…..And his sister knocked her phone from her hands. “Are you sure? I can really write you a check right now Ms. L/n.” The woman waved a hand with a shake of the head, “You have my word. You don’t me anything, Mr……” she waited for him to say his name. A light tint of red appeared on his cheeks, “U-uh Robert, but you can call me Bob, everyone does.”

Y/n extended her hand, making Bob blush more when he went to shake it and a spark ignited causing them both to flinch. “Sorry!”

Y/n only laughed, finding him adorable, “It’s okay. It’s nice to meet you, Bob, and please call my Y/n. And it’s nice to meet you too, Miss. Daisy.” The little girl smiled wide, in a state of visible joy that she was in the presence of her idol.

“You were amazing today, Y/n,” Daisy complimented, making the woman smile.

“Thank you. Did you have fun watching the competition?”

Daisy nodded, “I had a lot of fun. My favorite was you on bars—I had my brother get seats near them so we could watch you.” Y/n couldn’t help but feel warmth in her body. Anytime she had fan interactions it reminded her how she fell in love with gymnastics. Watching the Games and competitions on tv, attending them in person to watch athletes she admired growing up. One could never get used to it. Y/n could see herself in Daisy, for she had begged her parents to always get seats by the bars when they went to watch the 2008 Team trials.

“You’re her favorite gymnast,” Bob casually said with a smile. Y/n thought at that moment, ‘wow he’s got a beautiful smile.’ Her heart picked up at the realization she was attracted to the man. There was just something about him that had her wanting to stay and talk with him.

Y/n smiled at the compliment, turning to Daisy, “I’m extremely honored to have that title, Miss. Daisy. Thank you so much for your support and coming out today. I’m happy I did not let you down,” Y/n then asked, “Are you a gymnast too?”

“Yup!” She said proudly, “I’m level five. I watched you win in London and wanted to be like you,” Y/n placed a hand on her chest, an ‘awe’ escaping her mouth as she tried to hold back the emotion. This little girl was about to capture her heart.

Her brother surly was about to.

Bob nodded his head to his sister, “Her birthday was recent and this is what she asked for. To come watch the trials—to hopefully see you make the team. C-congratulations by the way! You were incredible out there.”

“Thank you,” Y/n said to him, “It’s a privilege to get to compete for a second time. Thank you both for coming out and supporting,” she turns back to Daisy, “And happy belated birthday!”

“Thank you!” She beamed, before hesitating to hold out her hand with the program. “Could—could you please sign this?” Y/n quickly pocketed her phone, removing a sharpie from her bag, “of course. Anything for the birthday girl.” Taking the program, Y/n flipped to the page with her picture and information, scribbling a message saying, ‘Daisy, Shoot for the stars and go for the gold. Thank you for all your support. All the love, Y/n,’ with a little heart at the end. Closing it, Y/n handed it over to her just as Bob was pulling out his own phone.

“Do you mind? I know you must be on your way.”

“Oh not at all,” she said, motioning for Daisy to come closer, who politely asked, “Can I give you a hug?”

“Oh course!” Y/n opened her arms and Daisy fell into her embrace. They faced Bob, smiling at the camera and he took several photos before nodding, “perfect.” Daisy then requested a selfie, and Y/n was all too happy to say yes. Bob handed Daisy the phone who then handed it to Y/n who went, “oh you want me to take it? I’m not the best selfie taker but for you I shall.” Y/n flipped to the front camera and took several photos with Daisy. One nice one of them smiling and a few goofy faces, ending with a kissy face.

Y/n handed the phone over to Bob, but Daisy stopped them, “now you two!” Bob flushed, looking at Y/n to see she was just as suprised. He was silently embarrassed to say he too would have liked a photo, but it was getting late, the gymnast was obviously tired, and they had an early drive back home the next morning. He was due back to report on base on Monday after taking the last Thursday and Friday to take his sister to the trials. “Oh Daiz, it’s getting late. We don’t wanna hold Y/n up—.”

“C’mon, Bob,” she whined, “this way you can brag to your Navy buddies you met an Olympian. And not just any Olympian, you met Y/n L/n!” The insinuation had Bob slightly glare at his sister, finding it to be rude to say such a thing in front of the person they were referring to. He didn’t want Y/n to think it was for clout.

“Daisy—.”

“I don’t mind,” Y/n offered with a kind smile, butterflies erupting in when they made eye contact. Despite the aviator’s fears, Y/n wasn’t offended. In fact she found it amusing, wanting to do it for him. She could tell Bob was still unsure so she said, “If we do a selfie then it’s best for you to take it.” Bob gave a nervous laugh, but nodded and moved closer to Y/n. He was taller than her so Bob held the phone up higher than usual and at an angle.

After the photo Daisy insisted on taking one of them despite her brothers protest. Y/n chuckled at the banter, before pulling Bob to her and placing a hand on his back. Blushing, he put his arm around her shoulder. Daisy didn’t say how many photos she had taken, but judging by her thumb rapidly hitting the screen it was safe to say it was a lot. Feeling bold, Y/n looked up to Bob, “You know if you let me, I’d be happy to help you with the ultimate bragging rights?”

The man’s eyebrows raised, “what did you have in mind.” He wasn’t sure if he should be excited or scared by the look on Y/n’s face.

“It requires you to crouch down,” upon his wide eyes she quickly added, “I’m not gonna kiss you, but I will kiss your cheek if you let me.”

“Oh,” Bob couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but Y/n didn’t appear to be lying. “Oh—um.”

“If you’re not comfortable I totally understand.”

“No, no, no, i’m fine with that. It just threw me off for a second. But y-yeah, sure that’d be cool.” Y/n giggled, and motioned for him to bend to her level.

“Get that camera ready, Daisy.” The girl gave a thumbs up, and Y/n stood on her tippy toes while Bob hunched over so her lips were level with his cheek. She gently pressed a kiss to the skin, holding it there for a few seconds to make sure Daisy got the picture. Bob’s face was hot, obviously flustered by the contact but he managed to keep it together. Y/n was in the same boat, heart pumping at tad faster than usual. She pulled away, falling back onto her heels as Bob stood back straight.

“U-uh well thank you,” he laughed, adjusting the collar of his shirt with loopy grin. “That’s definitely the highlight of my year.”

Y/n giggled, stepping away and picking her backpack up. “Be sure to tag me if you post it,” her wink had Bob’s heart skip. His attraction to the Olympian was growing by the second, but Bob knew deep down nothing would come out of it. They were on two opposite spectrums. Y/n was a world class athlete about to compete on the worlds greatest sporting stage for the second time in just two months, while Bob was about to attend the prestigious Navy Fighter Weapon’s school. The thought of them possibly ever getting together, let alone a date, was a fantasy.

Bob snapped out of his thoughts, giving Y/n a nod, “I’ll make sure to.” He then looks to his sister briefly before back at Y/n. “Sorry for holding you up, but thank you so much for the photos and signing her program.”

“It’s a pleasure, really,” Y/n told him and Daisy when the girl thanked her after Bob, “Thank you both for coming out today again. I hope you have safe travels back home wherever you’re going. I’m so happy, Daisy, you had a wonderful time—good luck with your gymnastics. Maybe the roles will one day reverse, and I’ll be the one cheering you on from the stands,” It was evident Y/n’s words meant a lot to Daisy. The girl’s expression read a fire was beginning to ignite in her eyes. “ Oh and on that note…” Y/n removed one of the two armbands wrapped around each wrist. She’d had them since joining the Junior national team and wore them before and every meet. Almost like a good luck charm.

“This is for you, consider it my birthday gift to you. These armbands have served as a good luck charm for me, I’d like you to have one.” Daisy gasped, eyes wide as she took the band in her hand.

“But…if this is your good luck charm, shouldn’t you have it for the Olympics?”

Y/n raised her wrist with the matching band, “I still have this one to do the job.”

“What do you say, Daiz?” Bob said to his sister, who still appeared awestruck. He mouthed to the Olympian, ‘Thank you.’ Y/n gave a smile with a sly wink.

“Thank you,” Daisy finally breathed. “Thank you so so much. I’ll cherish it forever.” Y/n gave one last hug to Daisy before shaking Bob’s hand and waving goodbye to them as they went separate ways. “Good luck in Rio!” Daisy shouted after her, “Win the gold again for us!” Y/n gave the girl her word, feeling a slight sadness when she got to the parking lot where her parents were waiting for her.

“What took you so long, honey?”

“Oh I was talking with some supporters. They were really sweet and we just got carried away,” she explained before switching the conversation.

Though Y/n pushed aside her thoughts of the cute blue-eyed Bob as the days to Rio got closer, she sometimes thought of him and his sister. Y/n never wanted to let her supporters down. Some had been with her since her debut on the national team. Others were residents of her hometown, who’d known Y/n as a baby. Lots came after the London Games. Making the team for Rio was not just her dream, but the dream of the people who admired her. Wanting her to accomplish the impossible when it almost seems too good to be true. Letting them down would be something Y/n couldn’t forgive herself for. Y/n vowed to never let that happen.

And after the night of the trials, she felt that more than ever.

Read Part 2!

………………

TGM tag list: @avaleineandafryingpan

[usafphantom2]

Marines hit operational status with second carrier-capable F35-C unit

Todd SouthJul 31, 2024 at 04:56 PM

A West Coast Marine F-35C Lightning II squadron has achieved initial operational capability.

The Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 311, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, hit that key milestone Wednesday, 1st Lt. Madison Walls, wing spokeswoman told Marine Corps Times. The status means a unit can employ, maintain and train on the jet.

The Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, unit conducted its first independent live ordnance operations July 25.

“Initial operational capability is a milestone and achievement in readiness,” said Lt. Col. Michael Fisher, commanding officer of VMFA-311 in a statement. “It’s all on the backs of the Marines out there. What they do in their day-to-day actions is what made this possible.”

The squadron, also known as the Tomcats, flew more than 900 sorties, which equals nearly 1,700 flight hours and another 800 simulator hours and 2,400 maintenance actions to reach initial operational capability, according to a service release.

“The Tomcats have a storied history that includes legends such as Ted Williams and John Glenn, and participation in every major conflict since World War II,” Maj. Gen. James Wellons, commanding general of 3rd MAW, said in the release. “Today’s Marines add another chapter to that legacy with the introduction of the F-35C and fifth-generation capabilities to VMFA-311.”

Marine Corps Cpl. Larry Casas, a fixed-wing aircraft mechanic with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 311, directs Capt. Joshua G. Falgoust, an F-35C Lightning II pilot. (Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez/Marine Corps)

In 2020, the squadron deactivated its AV-8 Harrier jets and then reactivated in April 2023 with 84 Marines and one F-35, reflecting the Marine Corps’ move to fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The transition has resulted in a gradual reduction in Harriers and F/A-18 Hornets.

The Corps’ two F-35C squadrons, VMFA-311 and VMFA-314, are both stationed at Miramar.

The VMFA-314, or Black Knights, reached initial operational capability in 2020, Marine Corps Times previously reported.

The F-35C is specifically engineered for carrier-based operations, featuring heavier landing gear and enlarged, foldable wings designed to facilitate catapult launches and arrestments on aircraft carriers. The foldable wingtips also facilitate easier storage on the carrier deck.

The “C” variant holds more fuel than other versions of the single-seat jet, with nearly 20,000 pounds of internal fuel capacity for long-range flights.

“The next step for VMFA-311 is full operational capability, attained when VMFA-311 receives its complete inventory of ten F-35C aircraft, projected for fiscal year 2025,” according to the release.

The Marine Corps has used the F-35B for years. The “B” variant, built to use short runways and flat-decked amphibious assault ships, is capable of short take-offs and vertical landings.

Currently, the Corps has eight operational F-35B squadrons and two training squadrons, totaling over 100 F-35B aircraft globally.

Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.

@DefenseNews.com

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The Right accuses their critics of the conspiracy they themselves engage in

People on the right have some really weird ideas about their ideological enemies: that we’re “groomers,” that we’re secretly on some billionaire’s payroll, that we hijacked the education system to promulgate revisionist histories, that we steal elections, and, of course, that we are secretly plotting to take over America and subjugate them.

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/10/teneo/#i-grasp

The weirdest thing about this is that it’s the right that engages in revisionist race-history:

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-myth-of-the-happy-slave-explained

And it’s the right who stole a presidency:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Brothers_riot

Election-rigging is a right-wing specialty:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/23/state-of-play/#patchwork

It’s the right who pay for fake grassroots activism:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/raising-them-right-far-right-fight-college-campus-1234636392/

Any time some right-wing politician comes out against queers and calls them groomers, chances are good that he’s spending his free time on Instagram, sending fire emojis to naked boys:

https://www.ibtimes.sg/randy-mcnally-tennessees-anti-lgbtq-lt-gov-caught-liking-commenting-young-gay-mans-racy-69364

That’s especially true when we’re talking about evangelical youth pastors:

https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-texas-pastors-charged-abusing-children-1765910

It’s almost like that old playground rebuttal, “I know you are but what am I?” contains a deep political truth:

https://doctorow.medium.com/takes-one-to-know-one-104d7d749408

Of all the absurd libels of the right, the weirdest one is that leftists are secretly funded by woke billionaires spending dark money to foment the overthrow of the USA. The idea of “leftist billionaire” is laughable on its face: how did this imaginary billionaire make their billions while paying a living wage and providing decent working conditions?

But it’s easy to understand how a group of people who are so positively *aslosh* in dark money — people whose every political maneuver is a carefully planned scheme to separate terrified xenophobes and rubes from their money — for “alternative” covid therapies, apocalypse-ready MREs, “sound money” gold coins, and so. much. culture. war. nonsense.

What I’m trying to say is: when the right accuses the left of being driven by cabals of shadowy, crepulent billionaires and their pathetic lickspittle Renfields, it is because the right is indeed in the thrall of those crepulent billionaires.

Meet Leonard Leo, a crepulent, shadowy billionaire. Leo was last seen around these parts when he was revealed to have been the bagman behind the ultradark money group Judicial Crisis Network. After spending $27m to block confirmation for Obama’s SCOTUS pick, Merrick Garland, they spent tens of millions more on campaigns to seat Kavanaugh and Gorsuch. Coney Barrett was seated thanks to a $15.9m campaign to make an unqualified, unhinged ideologue seem like a viable lifetime member of the highest court in the land:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/29/betcha-cant-eat-just-one/#pwnage

Leo controls the Judicial Crisis Network, which worked with the Federalist Society to allow Trump to appoint a whopping 28% of all US federal judges — lifetime appointments for slavering Renfields who’ll follow his political lead. Witness the firepower of a fully operational billionaire.

Leo’s post-Trump side-hustle is a “Federalist Society for everything” — a secretive, lavishly funded cabal aimed at taking over campuses, corporations, news outlets with an army of “under 40s” conservative operatives. It’s called Teneo, and it was a secret — until its internal memos, videos and other materials leaked to Propublica.

Propublica’s Andy Kroll and Andrea Bernstein collaborated with Documented’s Nick Surgey to report out the leaks, describing how Teneo when from “a dinner club with partisan overtones” to a dark-money juggernaut whose annual donations grew by leaps and bounds (2017, $750k; 2020, $2.3m; 2021, $5m):

https://www.propublica.org/article/leonard-leo-teneo-videos-documents

These financial good fortunes are not the result of excited small-money donors hoping to help Teneo with its good works — it’s a handful of ultra-wealthy sociopaths hoping to use a minority of willing lackeys to project their will over all of us.

Teneo’s network members are a Monster’s Manual of the wildest wingnuts in public life, from Josh Hawley (who wrote its founding manifesto) to JD Vance to Elise Stefanik to BenShapiro to three of Ron DeSantis’s top aides. Also: federal judge who struck down Biden’s mask mandate and the heads of the Republican Attorneys General Association, Republican State Leadership Committee and Turning Point USA.

The stated goal of Teneo founder Evan Baehr (a tech bro turned conservative organizer) was for Teneo members to infiltrate “the House and the Senate, as governors — one might be elected president.”

In a leaked video, Baehr identifies the “woke” enemy he seeks to vanquish, describing a hypothetical meeting between “a billionaire hedge funder, a film producer, a Harvard professor and a New York Times writer.” These four cook up a plan to give middle-school kids “free access to sex-change therapy paid for by the federal government.” The filmmaker promises to make a documentary to support the project. The Harvard professor promises to falsify studies to reassure people that the therapies are safe. The Times reporter vows to “profile people who feel trapped in the wrong gender.”

This irony is that this unhinged conspiratorialism was hatched by someone who was and is actively conspiring to take over the country with members of his secret society. After years in the wilderness, Baehr connected with Leo, who turned on the money spigots. Together, they recruited an “inner core” of FedSoc members “and recruit[ed] them for either specific roles to serve as judges or to spin up and launch critical projects.”

Other shadowy billionaires piled in: Home Depot’s trumpy founder Bernie Marcus, Charles Koch, and Betsy DeVos and her family. The new “Teneo 2.0” sought to “to help members find jobs, write books, meet spouses, secure start-up financing or nonprofit donors and learn about public service.”

Their vision is to create “Silicon Valley of Conservatism — a powerful network of communities where the most influential young leaders, the biggest ideas, and the most leveraged resources come together to launch key projects that advance our shared belief that the conservative worldview drives human flourishing.”

They funnel money to speakers from the absolute depths of the swamp: Erik “Blackwater” Prince, David Brooks, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. New members are assured that their involvement with Teneo is “private and confidential” and the group has kept a low profile — Propublica asked Sheldon Whitehouse — a bitter critic of Leo’s — about the group and got a blank stare.

Teneo’s latest project is to recruit “state attorneys general, state financial officers, state legislators, journalists, media executives and best-in-class public affairs professionals” to fight ESG policies — all the froth you’ve encountered about the evils of ESG are the result of this secret, coordinated project.

(To be clear, ESG is bullshit, but not because it’s bad for capitalism — ESG is a dumpster fire of greenwashing:)

https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/15/sanctions-financing/#profiteers

Teneo organizes donors for members who run for local, state and federal office. Will Scharf, who’s hoping to become Missouri’s next attorney general, has received donations from dozens of Teneo members, giving the maximum allowable donation of $2650.

The paranoid style in American politics never went away. From the Witchfinders General of New England to Joe McCarthy and the John Birch Society, there has always been a rump of Americans who are very rich and very frightened and who want to put us all in their place.

For these fevered schemers, the Jack Chick tracts that depicted secret Satanic societies seducing innocent kids through Dungeons and Dragons games were hard-hitting documentaries, and as far as they’re concerned, they’re fighting fire with fire.

Image: Jack Chick https://www.chick.com/products/tract?stk=0046

Tendeo https://www.teneonetwork.com/

Fair use https://www.eff.org/issues/intellectual-property

[Image ID: A page from the Jack Chick tract 'Dark Dungeons,' depicting a sinister society of robed figures gathered in a circle, welcoming in a new initiate. The pentacle on the floor has been replaced with Teneo's stylized 'T' logo. The dialog has been replaced with text from Teneo's 2019 Community Vision report: 'The Silicon Valley of Conservatism — a powerful network of communities where the most influential young leaders, the biggest ideas, and the most leveraged resources come together to launch key projects that advance our shared belief that the conservative worldview drives human flourishing.]

[dorothydalmati1]

Obscure Animation Subject #44: Looney Tunes Cartoons

Originally posted on Twitter on April 4, 2023.

No not the classics, the 2020 show.

Happy 100th birthday to Warner Bros, one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, well known for their Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, and this is an attempt to bring them back.

The original cartoons were released in theaters between 1930 and 1969, and were a huge success for WB until the decline of theatrical animated shorts in the 1960s. It didn’t stop WB to expand Looney Tunes as a franchise through, as multiple TV shows, movies and merch were made.

Looney Tunes Cartoons was different from most LT shows though, as its an attempt to bring back the golden years of the cartoons from the 40s and 50s. The show is developed by Uncle Grandpa creator Peter Browngardt, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and releases on HBO Max.

The show made a sneak peek at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10, 2019, and officially premiered on May 27, 2020. Currently, there’s five seasons with a sixth season yet announced. However, given the current status of WB season 5 might be the final season. (PERSONAL NOTE: The series was renewed for a sixth season which served as the final for the show.)

A huge shame really, because the show returned a lot of aspects what made the classics so good in the first place, but given that CEO David Zaslav hates quality, he’s probably making the show a tax write-off. Sounds scary isn’t? If you want the show to continue, GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW! It’s a passion project and a love-letter by fans of the original cartoons, and there was a lot of heart, care, craft and effort put into it. Awesome animation, great voice-acting and fantastic humor. Please don’t let Zaslav tax it off completely extinct!

(REMINDER: Okay yeah this isn’t considered obscure to the animation community, but for casual people it is. Blame WBD for how the show was treated, it deserved a much better fate.)

[tap-tap-tap-im-in]

A friend of mine asked me recently to detail my Linux setup, and after thinking about it for a bit, I realized that this is essentially a personality quiz for the Linux users I thought I would detail it here as well.

I no longer have a desktop computer at all. I have two older generation "gaming" laptops and three Raspberry Pis. I'm going to go through in the order I got them:

Laptop #1:

[Purchased New in 2016] Acer ROG 7th Gen i7, 16GB Ram, nVidia 1050Ti Mobile, Internal 1TB HDD, external 2TB HDD

This was originally a windows laptop when I got it back in 2016, but in 2021 I was tired of the long windows boot times on the the HDD and was much more familiar with Linux due to several years experience doing webserver admin work.

I use Ubuntu LTS as my base. It's easy, it's well supported, it's well documented, and the official repos have just about everything I could need. The only thing I've really had to add myself is the repo for i3, but we'll get to that in a bit. I also chose Ubuntu because I already had my first two Raspberry pis, and both were running Raspbian, so using a debian based kernal meant that it wouldn't be much of a change when ssh'ing into them.

That said, I've never really liked the default Ubuntu desktop. Gnome3 is slow and full of too many effects that don't look especially nice but are still heavy to execute. Instead I loaded up KDE plasma. You can download Kubuntu and have them to the setup for you, but I did it the hard way because I found out about Plasma after installing Ubuntu and didn't want to start from scratch.

My plasma desktop looks like this:

Of my two laptops, this one is in the best shape. It's the one that I usually take with me on trips. With the dedicated GPU it can do some light gaming (it did heavier gaming on windows, but due to emulation layers the performance is just a little worse these days, Linux gaming isn't perfect), the screen hinge has never been an issue, and it's on the lighter side of gaming laptops (which is not to say that it's light). For that reason, I often find myself actually using it on my lap, in airports, at people's houses, on my own couch typing this up.

For this reason, I started looking into ways to better keep my hands on the keyboard, rather than having to drift down to the track pad, which is my least favorite part of this laptop. During that research I discovered i3. If you're not familiar i3 is a Linux Desktop Environment that is entirely keyboard driven. https://i3wm.org/

To be fair, it's less of a desktop environment and more of a keyboard driven window manager, as it doesn't have a "desktop" per se. Instead when you log into it, you simply get a black status bar at the bottom of the screen. It doesn't even black out the login screen, so if you don't know what to look for, you might think the whole thing has hung. But, the big benefit of this is that the whole thing is lighting fast for a DE. It doesn't waste any resources on effects or really anything that you don't need. But it's really nice for window tiling and task switching without having to get the mouse involved. This is great for productivity (if you're into that), but it's also just convenient for working on a gaming laptop, which might be balanced such that if you take your hands off of it, it might topple off your lap.

This laptop is my primary project computer. It has all my git repos and scripts for doing things like renewing my website's ssl certs. I also run game servers on it for Minecraft. I'm probably going to spin up a Valheim server on it in the near future too. Especially now that the process has improved somewhat.

Raspberry Pi #1:

[Gifted New in 2016] Raspberry Pi 3b, 4GB RAM, 32GB SD card

This one is my oldest RPi. It's had a lot of roles through the years, including an early version of the vogon media server during initial development in 2020. It's run headless Raspbian for a good three or four years now. Currently it's configured as a web server/php scripted web crawler and a pi-hole DNS server. My router currently refuses to use it as a DNS server without bringing the whole network down, but I will on occasion manually switch devices to it when I'm running especially ad-ridden applications.

There's not too much to say about this one. It's stable, I almost never have problems with it. I frequently use it for things that I want running in the background because they'll take too long and I don't want them blocking up one of my other computers.

Laptop #2

[Gifted Used in 2020] Asus Predator 7th Gen i7, 16GB Ram, nVidia 1080 Mobile, 2 internal 256GB SSDs, External 2TB HDD

This one runs windows 10 still. I use this primarily for gaming. The screen hinge is an absolute joke, and replacing it involves replacing the entire screen bezel assembly, which I can absolutely do, but is such a pain that I haven't gotten around to it in the 3 years I've owned this laptop.

There's nothing really special about this one, other than that when both laptops are at my desk, I use a KVM switch to swap my external monitor, keyboard, and trackball between the two computers.

Raspberry Pi #2:

[Gifted New in 2020/21] Raspberry Pi 4b, 4GB Ram, 16GB SD card, 2 120GB USB Sticks, External 2TB HDD

This is my media server. I got it for Christmas 2020 (or 2021, I don't actually remember which because 2020 was a hard hard year). It runs Rasbian, the full OS, with the desktop environment disabled from booting via the command line. It runs PHP 8.2, MariaDB, Apache2, and MiniDLNA to serve the content via my Vogon Media Server.

If you can't tell from the above storage, I'm running the USB ports well past the power delivery they are rated for. The webserver and OS are on the internal storage, so functionally this just means that sometimes the media disappears. I need to build a migration script to put the contents of the two USB sticks on the external storage, as there is more than enough room, and if I can put the HDD in an enclosure with dedicated power, that will solve the issue. But that's at least a hundred dollars of expense, and since the server only has 1, maybe two users at a time, we've been limping along like this for a few years now.

Raspberry Pi #3:

[Purchased New in 2023] Raspberry Pi 4b, 8GB Ram, 16GB SD card

This is the newest Pi. Work gave me a gift card as a bonus for a project recently, so after weighing the pros and cons of getting a VR headset, I settled on setting up a retro gaming tv box. Currently it's running Batocero Linux and loaded up with classic game roms up through the PSX. Though, I would really like to use it as a tv client for the media server. I've upgraded the devices in the living room recently, and there's no longer a dedicated web browser we can use without hooking up one of our laptops. I've got a spare 128GB SD card in the office, so I'm strongly considering getting a wireless mouse and keyboard and setting it up to dual boot between Batocero (which is convenient because it can be navigated with just a controller), and Raspbian. I think I'd set Batocero as the default in Grub, and then if I want to use Raspbian I'd need to have the keyboard handy anyway.

Maybe I'll get one of those half-sized keyboards with the trackpad built in.

Speaking of controllers. I use an 8BitDo Pro 2 controller, and I've been super happy with it since purchase: https://www.8bitdo.com/pro2/

So that's the setup. I have entirely too many computers for any one person, but I included the dates when I got them to show that a number of these have been around for a long time, and that part of the reason I have so many now is that I've put a lot of time into ongoing maintenance and repurposing.

If you've read this far, I'd love to hear about your setups. You don't have to reblog this, but please tag me if you detail yours.

[brookston]

Holidays 10.29

Holidays

Black Salsify Day (French Republic)

Bob Ross Day (Abeldane Empire)

Candies Day

Coronation Day (Cambodia)

C6HO Day (Kentucky)

Cumhuriyet Bayrami (North Cyprus, Turkey)

Cyrus the Great Day (Iran)

Feed the Birds Day (UK)

Festival of Global Climate Change

Fiestas Patrias begins (Honduras)

Halloween Eve Eve

Hermit Day

Hide From Everyone Day (a.k.a. Hermit Day)

International Internet Day

Laugh Suddenly For No Reason A Lot Today Day

Naming Day (Tanzania)

National Boner Day

National Book Day (Brazil)

National Cat Daddy Day

National Cat Day

National Hermit Day

National Martina Day

Oatmeal Day

PSC Awareness Day

Sea Slug Day

Separation of Church and State Day

Turkish Republic Day (Turkey)

World Online Networking Day

World Psoriasis Day

World Stroke Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Gnocchi Day (Argentina)

National Disgusting Little Pumpkin-Shaped Candies Day

National Oatmeal Day

Poperinge Beer & Hop Festival begins (Belgium) [Every 3 years, 3rd Friday, but postponed from 2021]

5th & Last Sunday in October

European Summer Times Ends (EU) [Last Sunday]

International Creole Day (Dominica, Saint Lucia) [Last Sunday]

Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day; Dominica, Saint Lucia) [Last Sunday]

National Grandparents Day (Australia) [Last Sunday]

National Student Baptism Day [Last Sunday]

Reformation Sunday [Last Sunday]

Visit a Cemetery Day [Last Sunday]

World Swim Hat Day [Last Sunday]

Independence Days

Turkey (from Ottoman Empire, 1923)

Westarctica (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abraham of Rostov (Christian; Saint)

Andrei Ryabushkin (Artology)

Chef (a.k.a. Theuderius; Christian; Saint)

Chiara Badano (Christian; Blessed)

Colman mac Duagh (Christian; Saint)

Douai Martyrs (Christian; Saint)

Gaetano Errico (Christian; Saint)

Ghatasthapana begins (Nepal)

Isis/Osiris Mysteries II (Pagan)

James Hannington (Anglicanism)

Kojagrat Purnima [15th Day of Dashain]

Lazarus Long Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mary of Edessa (Christian; Saint)

Maximillian (Christian; Saint)

Narcissus of Jerusalem (Roman Catholic Church)

Nut Day (Pastafarian)

Robertson (Positivist; Saint)

Warren the Warthog (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Historically Unlucky Day [10 of 11]

Historically Bad Day (Stock Market Crash, Hurricane Sandy & 8 other tragedies) [10 of 11]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [58 of 71]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

All I Want for Christmas Is You, by Mariah Carey (Song; 1994)

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, with Alex Haley (Biography; 1965)

Being John Malkovich (Film; 1999)

Blue Moon, 24th Jack Reacher book, by Lee Child (Novel; 2019)

Bullwinkle Busts a Brush or The Cleft Palette (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 226; 1963)

BUtterfield 8, by John O'Hara (Roman à clef Novel; 1935)

Create Dangerously, by Albert Camus (manifesto; 1957)

Don Giovanni, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Opera; 1787)

The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour (Radio Series; 1929)

Get Nervous, by Pat Benatar (Album; 1982)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Film; 2010)

Hemispheres, by Rush (Album; 1978)

Hulu (Streaming Network; 2007)

The Huntley-Brinkley Report (TV News Show; 1956)

Jingle Bell Rock, recorded by Bobby Helm (Song; 1957)

Keeping Up Appearances (UK TV Series; 1990)

Last Night in Soho (Film; 2021)

Man of the Century (Film; 1999)

Mind Games, by John Lennon (Album; 1973)

My Generation, by The Who (Song; 1965)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Animated Film; 1993)

The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James (Novel; 1880)

Portrait of a Moose or Bullwinkle Gets the Brush (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 225; 1963)

Princess Mononoke (Anime Film; 1999)

Ray (Film; 2004)

Red Riding Hoodwinked (WB LT Cartoon; 1955)

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now! (WB Animated Film; 2021)

The Sentinel, 25th Jack Reacher book, by Lee Child (Novel; 2020)

Trip for Tat (WB MM Cartoon; 1960)

Welcome to the Pleasure Dome, by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Album; 1984)

What’ll I Do?, recorded by Frank Sinatra (Song; 1947)

Wild Target (Film; 2010)

Today’s Name Days

Ermelina, Hermelindis, Melinda (Austria)

Časlav, Honorat, Ida, Narcis (Croatia)

Silvie (Czech Republic)

Narcissus (Denmark)

Alf, Alfred, Fred, Fredi (Estonia)

Alfred, Urmasimo (Finland)

Narcisse (France)

Ermelinda, Franco, Grete, Melinda (Germany)

Abramios, Melina (Greece)

Nárcisz (Hungary)

Ermelinda, Michela, Massimiliano (Italy)

Elva, Elvijs, Fortuna, Laimonis (Latvia)

Gelgaudas, Narcizas, Tolvydė, Violeta (Lithuania)

Noralf, Norunn (Norway)

Euzebia, Franciszek, Longin, Longina, Lubogost, Narcyz, Teodor, Wioletta (Poland)

Anastasia (Romania)

Zinaida (Russia)

Klára (Slovakia)

Narciso (Spain)

Viola (Sweden)

Garrison, Cyrano, Cyrena, Narcissa, Narcissus (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 302 of 2024; 63 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 43 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Ten-Xu), Day 15 (Geng-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 14 Heshvan 5784

Islamic: 14 Rabi II 1445

J Cal: 2 Mir; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 16 October 2023

Moon: 99%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 22 Descartes (11th Month) [Robertson]

Runic Half Month: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 36 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 6 of 29)

[golbrocklovely]

since i was asked so nicely by a lovely anon...

here’s the first half of colby’s tweets from 2020.

i don’t have proof that these are his tweets, but believe me, they are his.

if it’s bold and italicized, it’s someone’s tweet to him.

if it’s in (), that’s just me commenting lol

added bonus: if they have a * next to them, that means it’s been deleted

~~~~~~~~~~~

Jan. 1 - being stuck in an elevator with 15 of your friends is the best way to start 2020

i kissed my hand this new years

ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space

Jan. 2 - thank you all i love you all

Jan. 7 - weird to think that about a year ago i was sitting in a cell in FL.. time flies

Jan. 11 - lmao i love you guys you get me

Jan. 13 - only fools rush in

Jan. 15 - you took the sun with you when you left -RK

the back of my mind has a constant itch for you

Jan. 16 - happy jail anniversary @/SamGolbach thanks for bailing me out

Jan. 19 - i promise you i’ll never act my age

Jan. 20 - real talk. should sam and i go on tour 2020?

(this makes really sad…)

Jan. 23 - there was an old man who kept coming to the 13th floor around 3am where our room was last night. i don’t like miami anymore i’m headed to orlando

Jan. 31 - looking for that deep connection with someone i'm tired of the superficial shit

Feb. 2 - IM DRUNK AT 3PM LETS GOOO CHIEFSSS

Feb. 4 - my couch is like a bed i could stay here forever

@/BigNik: Nobody cares about my well being but that’s ok

Feb. 5 - you should rap about this real shit bro that would change a lot. turn this emotion into art. i hope you know even if i’m busy i’m always still down to talk as well brother

(i don't like big nik, but this was such a sweet interaction <3)

out of curiosity , would YOU ever spend the night in Queen Marys room B340 if you could ..?

Feb. 6 - imagine if we could all go explore some crazy haunted place one day … together. 🤔 i wonder if that’s even possible

if anyone is taking high school Chemistry right now , i’m so sorry

Feb. 7 - sometimes i can’t take a joke and it’s so annoying

Feb. 8 - i really don’t like myself when i party too hard but i got the best friends in the whole world

@/badboywolfy: This is Saturday afternoon regret hours

you feel me

Feb. 10 - valentine’s day is coming up soon i think i’m gunna throw up

Feb. 12 - sometimes my mind can turn into my worst enemy

Feb. 13 - cant stop thinking about living in another big house with all my boys.. life is about to be insane

keep on fighting and i will too

Feb. 14 - to whoever left a basket of chocolates and teddy bears at my door .. i <3 u

Feb. 15 - I MISS DUBAI

Feb. 16 - shadow man is watching

Feb. 17 - my pupils make me look like i’m rolling balls CONSTANTLY

Feb. 18 - still trying to process the psychic saying i was an old soul estimated to have lived a past 21 lives .. shit messes with your head

Feb. 20 - meeting you guys never gets old

Feb. 24 - missing the nights alone on my balcony

Feb. 25 - express your creativity

(i always wonder why he tweets shit like this out of no where lol)

Feb. 27 - blue haired Colbys makin a comeback

Feb. 29 - i'm always feeling like i'm in a dream

March 3 - need to watch the sunset more

March 5 - i don’t wanna tell my story i’d rather hear yours

March 8 - if this is all we know then we might as well run with it

March 9 - who’s down to have some deep conversations i’m tired of small talk

March 11 - just had my first sleep paralysis dream .. never experienced something so terrifying

praying for the world right now

(and here we go into the pandemic stuff……… great)

March 12 - you can have the prettiest face but i still won’t f w you if the personality isn’t there

March 13 - knowing that we all know nothing

March 15 - i haven’t stocked up on food or hygiene essentials does that mean i’m going to die ? am i making the wrong move here ?

March 16 - if postmates stops delivering i’m actually fucked

random fan: Just sit on your balcony, the stars will feed you

the balcony is the answer to all my internal worries/suffering

March 17 - day 3 of no food in the quarantine, not sure how much longer i can go with just a few almonds to spare. everything is spinning slowly.. i’ve been seeing silhouettes in my room dancing gracefully on the walls, i think my mind is leaving me. would you guys be mad if i ate Sam?

March 18 - time moves on, memories never fade

March 20 - the worst thing is never the last thing

March 22 - i think the only person i can really make crack up is myself

March 24 - it’s times like this i wish i had a little dog by my side who i could call my bestest friend..

@/amberscholl: here u go (pic of george)

can i borrow him? just for a week..? .. or maybe two?

@/amberscholl: (gif saying 'you want it? come and get it')

see you tonight

March 26 - guys i’m trying to learn how to dance but it’s gunna take some time i’m too awkward

March 29 - my last night on the balcony

March 30 - where the emo girls at

(i remember this tweet causing so much chaos in the fandom. everyone claiming they were emo… absolute madness lol)

March 31 - what can i say? me and the boys got gluteus to the MAXimus

(i take it back. THAT PHOTO OF THE BOYS NAKED AND THEIR BARE ASSES?!?!?! died right then and there.)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.8

Holidays

Ace Day of Visibility Day

Adam Lambert Day (San Diego)

Brian May Day (UK)

Children’s Day (Maldives)

A Day Without Child Care

A Day Without Socks

Emancipation Day (Columbus, Mississippi)

Fête de I'iris (Brussels, Belgium)

Free Trade Day

Furry Dance (a.k.a. The Flora; Helston, Cornwall, UK)

Infant Mortality Awareness Day

International Blue Iguana Day

International Thalassemia Day

International Viking Day

Iris Day

Jamestown Day

Let It Be Day

Liberation Day (Czech Republic, Norway, Slovakia)

Miguel Hidalgo Day (Mexico)

National Amyloidosis Day (Australia)

National Archery Day

National Catahoula Day

National Coral Reef Day (Indonesia)

National Dakota Day

National Maria Day

National Meeting Planners Appreciation Day

National Nova Day

National Outdoor Intercourse Day

National Report Government Contractor Fraud Day

National Student Nurses Day

National Women’s Checkup Day

No Socks Day

Parents’ Day (Korea)

Provider Appreciation Day

Reward Yourself Day

Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War Day (UN)

Truman Day (Missouri)

Veterans Day (Norway)

Victory in Europe Day (a.k.a. V-E Day)

Westminster Dog Show Anniversary Day

World Donkey Day

World Ovarian Cancer Day

World Red Cross & Red Crescent Day

World Smallpox Eradication Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Coca-Cola Day (a.k.a. Have a Coke Day)

Empanada Day

Give Someone a Cupcake Day

National Coconut Cream Pie Day

National Have a Coke Day

2nd Monday in May

American Craft Beer Week begins [2nd Monday; thru 16th]

Child Welfare Professionals Recognition Day (Florida) [2nd Monday]

World Melanoma Day [2nd Monday]

Feast Days

Amato Ronconi (Christian; Saint)

Apparition of Saint Michael (Christian; Saint)

Arsenius the Great (Christian; Saint)

Back Scratching Day (Pastafarian)

Buddha Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Camillus (Positivist; Saint)

Catherine of St. Augustine (Christian; Saint)

Chivington Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

The Crumb (Muppetism)

Delousing Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Desideratus (Christian; Saint)

The Festival of Mens (Ancient Roman Goddess of Mind and Consciousness)

Fulla’s Blot (Pagan)

The Furry Dance (a.k.a. The Flora; Cornwall, UK)

Gybrian of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Ida of Nivelles (Christian; Saint)

Julian of Norwich (Anglican, Lutheran)

Magdalene of Canossa (Christian; Saint)

Mates Day (Pastafarian)

Odrian of Waterford (Christian; Saint)

Our Lady of Luján (Christian; Saint)

Peter of Tarentaise (Christian; Saint)

Teresa Demjanovich (Ruthenian Catholic Church)

Wiro of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

White Lotus Day (Theosophy)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [17 of 30]

Premieres

About a Boy (Film; 2002)

Buccaneer Bunny (WB LT Cartoon; 1948)

Captains and the Kings, by Taylor Caldwell (Novel; 1972)

Deep Impact (Film; 1998)

Dr. Jerkyl’s Hide (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Dr. No (US Film; 1963) [James Bond #1]

Down to Earth or The Bullwinkle Bounce (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 47; 1960)

Dracula (Film; 1958)

Endless Love, recorded by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross (Song; 1981)

Fall Story or Adrift in the Lift (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 48; 1960)

A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney (Essay Collection; 1982)

Frolicking Fish (Disney Cartoon; 1930)

Grace and Frankie (TV Series; 2015)

Hans Christian Anderson’s Fairy Tales (Book; 1835)

Hot Pursuit (Film; 2015)

The Lady of the Lake, by Sir Walter Scott (Poem; 1810)

Let It Be, by The Beatles (Album; 1970)

The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe (Novel; 1794)

The School for Scandal, by Richard Brinkley Sheridan (Play; 1777)

Solar Opposites (Animated TV Series; 2020)

The Stand (TV Mini-Series; 1994)

Star Trek (Film; 2009)

Three Imaginary Boys (a.k.a. Boys Don’t Cry), by The Cure (Album; 1979)

Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, by Michael Jackson (Song; 1983)

Today’s Name Days

Ida, Klara, Ulla, Ulrike (Austria)

Arsen, Ida, Marija (Croatia)

Státní svátek (Czech Republic)

Stanislaus (Denmark)

Timmo, Timmu, Timo (Estonia)

Heino (Finland)

Désiré (France)

Ida, Klara, Ulla, Ulrike (Germany)

Arsenios, Melios, Theologos (Greece)

Mihály (Hungary)

Desiderato, Egli, Geronzio, Maria, Michele, Rosario, Vittore (Italy)

Aiga, Ceronis, Inita, Staņislavs, Stefanija (Latvia)

Audrius, Džiugas, Mykolas (Lithuania)

Åge, Åke (Norway)

Dezyderia, Ilza, Marek, Michał, Piotr, Stanisław (Poland)

Ioan (România)

Ingrida (Slovakia)

Eladio, Heladio, Luján, Pedro, Víctor (Spain)

Åke (Sweden)

Acacia, Acacio, Acacius, Ace, Hal, Harold, Harriet, Harris, Harrison, Harry, Hattie (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 128 of 2024; 237 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 19 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Bing-Chen), Day 19 (Bing-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 17 Iyar 5783

Islamic: 17 Shawwal 1444

J Cal: 7 Bīja; Sevenday [7 of 30]

Julian: 25 April 2023

Moon: 86%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 15 Caesar (5th Month) [Junius Brutus]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 50 of 90)

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 19 of 30)

[ejesgistnews]

Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede has been appointed as the Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by President Bola Tinubu on October 30, 2024. Major General Olufemi Oluyede biography and Profile. Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede was born in Ekiti, South Western Nigeria in 1968. He attended military training at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, where he embarked on a rigorous course to build a solid foundation in military leadership and strategy. He was part of the 39th Regular Course at the Nigerian Defence Academy, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1992, with the commission effective from 1987.   Major General Olufemi Oluyede Biography Early Life and Education Birth Year: 1968, making him 56 years old as of 2024 Military Family: Born into a military-oriented family, which influenced his early interest in a military career. Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA): Member of the 39th Regular Course, alongside Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.   Key Command Roles Commander, Infantry Corps: Served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps in Jaji, Kaduna. Platoon Commander, 65 Battalion: Early career role where he led tactical operations. Company Commander, 177 Guards Battalion: Led internal security operations. Commandant, Amphibious Training School: Oversaw specialized training programs in amphibious warfare. Operations and Achievements International Missions: Participated in the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) mission in Liberia. Domestic Operations: Commanded the 27 Task Force Brigade in Operation HADIN KAI in the North East. Awards: Received numerous accolades, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, the Field Command Medal, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award. Major General Olufemi Oluyede Biography: Personal Life Family: Married with three children. Education: Completed the prestigious Staff Course and is a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). Major General Oluyede’s extensive experience and leadership roles have prepared him well for his new position as the Acting Chief of Army Staff. If you have any specific questions or need more details, feel free to ask Major General Olufemi Oluyede Biography: Military Career Commissioning: Officially commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992, with service retroactively recognized from 1987. Promotion: Promoted to Major General in September 2020. Over the years, Major General Oluyede has climbed the ranks within the Nigerian Army, displaying strong leadership and tactical skills in various roles. His military journey is marked by key appointments, honors, and active participation in some of the nation's major military operations. Key Positions Held Prior to his appointment as the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Oluyede held several notable positions: Commander, Infantry Corps: Major General Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the Nigerian Army's elite Infantry Corps, based in Jaji, Kaduna State. This position, one of the highest in the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, equipped him with a wealth of experience in training, strategy, and leadership. Commanding Officer, 65 Battalion: Oluyede began his leadership journey as a Platoon Commander and adjutant within the 65 Battalion, later advancing to Company Commander of the 177 Guards Battalion. Staff Officer, Guards Brigade: In this role, he contributed to the strategic security of Nigeria’s seat of power, given the Guards Brigade’s responsibility to secure the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Commandant, Amphibious Training School: Oluyede oversaw the training of troops in amphibious and special operations, a position that expanded his expertise in unconventional warfare and rapid deployment. Commander, 27 Task Force Brigade: Major General Oluyede led the 27 Task Force Brigade in the North East as part of Operation HADIN KAI, a mission critical in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency.

He directed counter-insurgency operations, focused on combatting Boko Haram in the region. International and National Operations Oluyede has represented Nigeria in various peacekeeping and conflict resolution missions. Among these: ECOMOG Mission in Liberia: He served in the West African peacekeeping mission to stabilize Liberia during its civil war, gaining experience in international military collaboration. Operation HARMONY IV: Involved in Bakassi Peninsula, this assignment focused on securing Nigeria’s interests in the region during border conflicts with Cameroon. Operation HADIN KAI: In this operation, based in northeastern Nigeria, Oluyede played a prominent role in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against Boko Haram, a key operation in national security. Recent Appointment as Acting Chief of Army Staff President Bola Tinubu appointed Major General Olufemi Oluyede as the Acting Chief of Army Staff on October 30, 2024. This appointment came following the medical leave of Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. Oluyede’s new role places him at the top of the Nigerian Army hierarchy, where he is responsible for overseeing army operations, training, and administration, as well as implementing policies that impact national security. Major General Olufemi Oluyede Biography: Awards and Recognitions Over his military career, Oluyede has received multiple awards and honors, recognizing his dedication and service to the nation: Corps Medal of Honour: Awarded for exemplary service within the Infantry Corps. Grand Service Star: This is a distinguished honor granted to high-ranking officers who have shown exceptional commitment. Passing the Staff Course: A notable achievement within the Nigerian Army, indicating completion of the army’s advanced leadership training. Membership of the National Institute: Recognizing his strategic insight and contribution to national defense, Oluyede’s membership at this institute highlights his capabilities in defense and security policy. Major General Olufemi Oluyede Biography: Personal Life Details about Oluyede’s family and personal life remain largely private, as he has maintained a focus on his military responsibilities and service to the nation. His extensive background in command roles has made him well-regarded among his colleagues and subordinates, known for his commitment, professionalism, and leadership skills. Appointment as Acting Chief of Army Staff. Major General Olufemi Oluyede’s appointment reflects the depth of his experience and commitment to Nigeria’s national security. His role as Acting Chief of Army Staff places him in a position to address current security challenges, especially with ongoing anti-insurgency operations and stability efforts in various regions. His leadership is expected to guide the Nigerian Army during a period of transition, particularly as he awaits the possible return of Lt. General Lagbaja. General olufemi olatubosun oluyede state of origin. Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede is from Ekiti State, South Western Nigeria. Major General Olufemi Oluyede Biography: Awards and Honors Oluyede has received many awards for his service to the nation, including the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award.   Conclusion on Major General Olufemi Oluyede biography With a career spanning over three decades, Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede’s expertise and leadership have earned him a reputation as a dedicated and strategic military officer. His appointment as Acting Chief of Army Staff underscores his commitment to maintaining Nigeria’s defense capabilities and supporting President Bola Tinubu’s administration in navigating the country’s complex security landscape. Frequently Asked Questions on Major General Olufemi Oluyede Biography, Family, Career, State of Origin. 1. Who is Major General Olufemi Oluyede? Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede is a senior officer in the Nigerian Army, currently serving as the Acting Chief of Army Staff. He was appointed on October 30, 2024.

2. General olufemi olatubosun oluyede state of origin He hails from Ekiti State, Nigeria. 3. When was he born? He was born in 1968, making him 56 years old as of 2024. 4. What is his educational background? Oluyede attended the Nigerian Defence Academy. He was part of the 39th Regular Course. He completed the prestigious Staff Course and is a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). 5. When did he join the Nigerian Army? Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede joined the Nigerian Army in 1987, where he was enrolled as part of the 39th Regular Course at the Nigerian Defence Academy. He was later commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992. 6. What are some of his notable military roles? He has held various significant positions, including Platoon Commander, Company Commander, and Staff Officer at the Guards Brigade. He also commanded the Amphibious Training School and the 27 Task Force Brigade in the North East. 7. What operations has he participated in? Major General Oluyede has participated in several notable military operations, including the ECOMOG Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in Nigeria's Northeast. 8. What awards has he received? He has been honored with multiple awards, such as the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, the Field Command Medal, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award. 9. Is he married? Yes, Major General Oluyede is married and the marriage has produced three children. 10. What is his current role? As of October 30, 2024, he holds the position of Acting Chief of Army Staff, awaiting the return of Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.

[mikkiwetnol]

A U.S. ally in Iraq vowed to tackle corruption. Torture and extortion followed.

BAGHDAD — A flagship anti-corruption drive under the tenure of U.S.-backed Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi used incommunicado detention, torture and sexual violence to extract confessions from senior Iraqi officials and businessmen, according to a nine-month investigation by The Washington Post.

Kadhimi, who left office in October, came to power in 2020 after mass anti-corruption demonstrations felled his predecessor. His government’s high-profile campaign to tackle graft in one of the world’s most corrupt countries drew widespread international encouragement.

Central to the effort was a series of highly publicized night raids in late 2020 on the homes of public figures accused of corruption, conducted under the authority of the Permanent Committee to Investigate Corruption and Significant Crimes, better known as Committee 29. The architect of the raids was Lt. Gen. Ahmed Taha Hashim, or Abu Ragheef, who became known in Iraq as the “night visitor.”

But what happened to the men behind closed doors was far darker: a return to the ugly old tactics of a security establishment whose abuses Kadhimi had vowed to address. In more than two dozen interviews — including five men detained by the committee, nine family members who had relatives imprisoned, and 11 Iraqi and Western officials who tracked the committee’s work — a picture emerges of a process marked by abuse and humiliation, more focused on obtaining signatures for pre-written confessions than on accountability for corrupt acts.

Those interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters or, in the case of detainees and their families, to protect their safety.

“It was every kind of torture,” one former detainee recalled. “Electricity, choking me with plastic bags, hanging me from the ceiling by my hands. They stripped us naked and grabbed at the parts of our body underneath.”

In at least one case, a former senior official, Qassim Hamoud Mansour, died in the hospital after being arrested by the committee. Photographs provided to The Post by his family appear to show that a number of teeth had been knocked out, and there were signs of blunt trauma on his forehead.

Allegations that the process was riddled with abuse became an open secret among diplomats in Baghdad last year. But the international community did little to follow up on the claims, and the prime minister’s office downplayed the allegations, according to officials with knowledge of the issue. Although a parliamentary committee first revealed the torture allegations in 2021 and Iraqi media have raised the issue sporadically, this is the fullest attempt yet to investigate the claims and document the scale of the abuse.

Iraq has lost more than $320 billion to corruption since 2003, according to estimates by the country’s Parliamentary Transparency Commission, after the U.S.-led invasion created a political system that sustains itself through consensus among parties that divide up state resources to fund patronage networks and enrich their members. Most incoming prime ministers have announced initiatives to tackle corruption, but these have more often been used to discredit political rivals than to meaningfully address the problem.

The U.S. built a hospital for Iraqi children with cancer. Corruption ravaged it.

The officials arrested under Committee 29 were often seen as easy targets, without powerful allies to defend them when the knock on the door came. Some of those detained had been dogged for years by allegations of corruption, but the secrecy of the committee and the opacity of the legal process make it impossible to know how many of the arrests were legitimate. Some appeared to be politically motivated, researchers say, targeting individuals with links to factions that threatened the political fortunes of one of Kadhimi’s key backers, Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr.

“There’s an element of political extortion and blackmail which plays a part in this,” said a senior Iraqi official who served in Kadhimi’s government. “There are cases where there are shakedowns. You attack someone’s power base, their business power base, in a particular government agency, not only to indict these people and expose corruption, but also to create space for your people to come.”

Kadhimi came to power in May 2020 as tensions between the United States and Iran were increasing on Iraqi soil. The former journalist and intelligence chief won swift support from Washington and the broader international community as a figure who promised to take on militias aligned with Tehran.

“I think we forgave him a lot because we said, ‘Well, what can you do? He’s at least well-intentioned and has the right pedigree and says the right things when you meet him,’” said one senior Western official.

Most in Kadhimi’s inner circle have left Baghdad since he departed office, trailed by a new corruption scandal that has implicated his chief of staff and shaken Iraq. The former prime minister’s current whereabouts are unknown.

Speaking on behalf of Kadhimi, a former senior adviser to the prime minister said he “categorically denied” the allegations of abuse. He also spoke on the condition of anonymity, claiming the issue was too sensitive to discuss on the record.

“The former government adhered to the highest standards of human rights. Distorting the factual record will grant impunity to some of Iraq’s most violent and corrupt criminals,” the former adviser said, noting that the committee had also targeted individuals with links to militias.

Abu Ragheef declined to comment for this story.

Torture and sexual violence

Human rights groups say enforced disappearance and torture have long been commonplace inside facilities run by Iraqi security forces. In office, Kadhimi vowed to investigate abuses when they arose.

But families of those detained by the anti-corruption committee say that they were sometimes unable to trace their relatives for several weeks while the bulk of the alleged abuses took place. Former detainees say they were often held in small cells inside a facility at the Baghdad airport run by the U.S.-trained Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, usually used for the interrogation and detention of terrorism suspects.

Leaders of the force were unhappy about the use of their facility, according to two counterterrorism officials, but had no authority to intervene because they are under the control of the prime minister’s office.

A Post reporter saw U.S. forces at the Baghdad airport complex in January 2021, during the period in question, suggesting they would have been aware of what was happening there. Iraqi counterterrorism officials said their American counterparts raised concerns about the use of the detention facility for interrogations not related to terrorism.

Asked whether coalition forces were aware of the abuse, or voiced concerns to Iraqi colleagues, Army Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said he had no information to provide.

Former detainees and Iraqi officials say additional abuses took place in an underground prison in the Green Zone in Baghdad, the U.S.-built, heavily fortified seat of power for Iraq’s leaders.

“They began to torture me for 13 days, asking me who I gave bribes to and how much money I had,” recounted one man detained by the committee during the opening round of arrests. “They asked for $1.5 million from me. I told them I couldn’t pay because the money was tied up in projects, so they started with electric shocks in the penis area, beating with metal poles, hanging me on the wall.”

In some cases, the accounts are corroborated by medical reports and photographs taken in custody that were reviewed by The Post and appear to show injuries consistent with the abuse described. In other cases, detainees said they were blocked from obtaining medical records to substantiate their claims.

Their stories are consistent and harrowing. Most said that they were blindfolded and subjected to frequent electrocution, beaten with sticks, waterboarded and stripped naked. At least two men told their families and legal representatives that they had been sexually abused. One former senior Iraqi official told his relative and cellmates that he had been forced to sit on a part from a car engine, an act that could constitute anal rape under Iraqi criminal law.

A fellow detainee described the sight of the man returning to his cell. “He was crawling like a baby, he couldn’t even walk,” he recalled. “His leg was swollen and his fingers were broken.”

The allegations of torture were deemed credible by a cross-party parliamentary committee that gained access to the airport detention facility in December 2020. In a report published in March of the next year, the committee said its requests to interview detainees alone had been rejected.

A number of detainees said they had been subjected to electric shocks and other torture methods, the report said. When the investigators asked to meet with detainee Jawad Abdul-Kadhim Alwan al-Karaawi, the deputy director of the Najaf airport, “he was hidden from our committee,” the report stated.

Karaawi’s relatives, lawyer and three former detainees said the 54-year-old had been subjected to severe torture.

“When the parliamentary committee came, Karaawi had so many marks on his body that they couldn’t show him to them,” said one former detainee. The marks are detailed in reports from two forensic medical examinations, conducted by the Iraq Health Ministry in February and July of 2021, copies of which were shared with The Post by Karaawi’s family, along with photographs taken during the course of his imprisonment.

In the case of Mansour, the official who died in August 2021 after being arrested three weeks earlier, his family never learned what happened to him in custody. “We have no information about him at all until they came to the house to tell us that my dad was in the hospital,” said his son, Ali Zeirjawi. “By the time we got there, he was gone.”

‘The cost of doing business’

The man who led the anti-corruption drive, Abu Ragheef, was a well-known figure in Iraq’s Interior Ministry, and a key interlocutor for Western governments and the United Nations throughout Kadhimi’s time in office. He had a reputation as a hardened crime fighter, burnished by rumors that he had survived 13 assassination attempts.

In September 2020, the arrests of Ahmad al-Saedi, the head of Iraq’s Retirement Fund, and Bahaa Abdulhussein, the head of electronic payment company Qi Card, were met with enthusiasm in Iraqi media, as well as by Western think tanks. By months later, when the men were convicted of stealing billions of Iraqi dinars, their cases had largely faded from view.

Official figures suggest that Committee 29 opened 156 cases before it was declared unconstitutional by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court and disbanded in March of this year. Nineteen people were convicted, seven of them former senior officials, but it is unclear how many were on corruption charges. Of the 12 active cases tracked by Washington Post reporters, nine men were still in prison and three had been released.

“Even the committee’s achievements on the whole are not great,” said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the Century International think tank in New York. “I think that’s what Kadhimi’s government was most proud of. Being able to extract money was much more important to them than showing the public that they were really going after corruption.”

The total amount of money seized by the committee has never been publicly declared. Every former detainee or family member said suspects were told early in the investigation that paying money or signing over assets, often totaling millions of dollars, would result in their release.

It is unclear how many of the men were able to pay for their release, or where their money went.

Although the United States has been a major player in Iraqi politics since the 2003 invasion, Iraqi leaders have at times exploited the ignorance or indifference of allies in Washington by using promises of reform to persecute their rivals.

“Corruption is a formidable impediment to economic opportunity,” spokesman Ned Price said in response to a Washington Post request for comment from the State Department on the allegations of abuse by Committee 29. “We encourage Iraqi leaders to pursue impartial and apolitical anti-corruption efforts in a legal framework that respects the rule of law and human rights.”

Families of the detainees raised the abuse allegations consistently throughout 2021, sharing accounts with the U.N. mission and Western embassies in Baghdad. During private conversations with Western diplomats and U.N. officials, Kadhimi denied the allegations or said that he would act if there was evidence of wrongdoing, according to officials who were in the meetings or briefed afterward.

When Ulric Shannon, the Canadian ambassador in Baghdad, registered his government’s protest over the treatment of Abdulhussein, a Canadian citizen, Kadhimi asked another Western diplomat to suggest that the Canadians maintain a lower profile on the issue, according to officials with knowledge of the matter.

One of Iraq’s leading human rights officials, Ali al-Bayati, raised the abuse allegations on an Iraqi television show in 2020. A year later, he was sued for defamation by Iraq’s Council of Ministers Secretariat, which is under the authority of the prime minister, forcing him later to leave the country to avoid legal retribution. In written communications to Western missions in Baghdad, reviewed by The Post, Bayati appealed for help with his case.

Some promised to privately intervene, he said, but shared little in the way of follow-up. Only United Nations special rapporteurs publicly criticized his treatment.

“‘We think that this anti-corruption work is important,” said a senior Western official, describing the attitude of the diplomatic community at the time. “How these prosecutions actually come about and how the confessions are obtained is unpleasant business, but it’s sort of the cost of doing business, so to speak.”

In the final months of Kadhimi’s premiership, judicial officials announced that the largest corruption scandal in Iraqi history had taken place under his watch, enriching politicians and businessmen across the political spectrum. The theft of almost $2.5 billion from state coffers has become known here as the “heist of the century.”

Iraq’s new prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, came to office in late October with the backing of the same Iran-linked groups that Kadhimi and his U.S. supporters had sought to sideline. He has described the fight against corruption as his government’s No. 1 priority.

[lboogie1906]

Lt Governor Michael Stephen Steele (October 19, 1958) is a politician, attorney, and political commentator who served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland (2003-07) and as chair of the RNC (2009-11) he was the first African American to hold either office.

He worked as a partner at the international law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae and co-founded the Republican Leadership Council. He made appearances as a political pundit on Fox News and other media outlets before running for public office. He chaired the Minority Business Enterprise task force. He made an unsuccessful run in the 2006 Senate election in Maryland. He was chairman of GOPAC. He has contributed as a regular columnist for online magazine The Root and as a political analyst for MSNBC. He became a Senior Fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.

In 2020, he endorsed Joe Biden for the presidency.

He was born at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and was adopted as an infant by William and Maebell Steele. He and his sister were raised in DC. His sister married and divorced former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.

He attended Archbishop Carroll High School in DC, participating in the glee club, the National Honor Society, and many of the school’s drama productions. During his senior year, he was elected student council president.

He received a BA in international studies from the Johns Hopkins University. He worked for one year as a high school teacher at Malvern Preparatory School in Pennsylvania. He spent three years preparing for the Catholic priesthood at the Augustinian Friars Seminary at Villanova University.

He graduated from Georgetown Law School with a JD. He failed the Maryland bar exam but passed the Pennsylvania exam.

He worked as a corporate securities associate for the Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton international law firm. He left the firm to found the Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm.

He married Andrea Derritt (1985) and they have two children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[nanas-45]

Discovering Graham County: Arizona's Quiet Gem

Graham County: Arizona’s Hidden Gem with Big Skies and Rich History

Nestled in southeastern Arizona, Graham County may not boast a huge population (just over 38,000 as of the 2020 census), but it’s packed with charm, history, and some really cool landmarks. The county seat is Safford, a town that plays a central role in the area’s story. Fun fact: this county forms the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area—so yes, it's small but mighty!

What’s Happening in Graham County?

Graham County is home to a few standout spots and events. For instance, Eastern Arizona College calls this place home, offering a great local education hub. But if you’re more into science and stargazing, the Mount Graham International Observatory is where it’s at. It houses one of the world's largest telescopes! There’s also a lot of local flavor here, thanks to the Arizona Salsa Trail and the annual Salsa Fest, making this a must-stop for any foodie who loves a good kick.

A Look Back: The County’s Origins

The county owes its creation to Joseph Knight Rogers, an early settler who took the lead in forming Graham County back in 1881. Initially, the county seat was set in Safford, then it bounced over to Solomonville, only to be brought back to Safford in 1915. The county name comes from Mount Graham, itself named after Lt. Col James Duncan Graham, making it the first Arizona county named after something other than Native American tribes.

A Place of Natural Beauty

Covering over 4,600 square miles, Graham County is a place of diverse landscapes. Mount Graham, part of the Pinaleno Mountains, is the highest peak and a major draw for hikers, nature lovers, and observatory enthusiasts alike.

Demographics: A Blend of Cultures

According to the 2020 census, Graham County has a population of 38,533 people, with a racial makeup of 67.1% White, 15% Native American, and a healthy mix of other races. About 27% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, creating a vibrant cultural tapestry.

Households here average around 3 people, and families tend to be larger, with an average size of 3.47. Income levels vary, but the median household income was about $41,683 in 2010, with around 20% of the population living below the poverty line. However, the community is strong, and the county is rich in tradition and close-knit values.

Political Landscape

Graham County's politics have shifted dramatically over the years. Originally a stronghold for the Democratic Party, it shifted to a solidly Republican county starting in the mid-20th century. It hasn’t supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 when Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Arizona’s own Barry Goldwater. Since then, Graham has become one of the state’s most reliably conservative counties.

[eld-mandate]

Exploring Truck Driver Salaries, Top Semi Truck Brands, Used Commercial Trucks, and Major Trucking Companies in Canada

Introduction:

In our previous article, we delved into the process of becoming a truck driver. Now, let's shift our focus to understanding the remuneration aspects of truck driving in Canada. Being a trucker in this vast nation offers a unique opportunity to explore its diverse landscapes. This article will shed light on the salary ranges, key considerations, and the thriving demand for truck drivers in Canada.

Truck Driver Salaries in Canada:

For individuals with experience and qualifications, truck driving in Canada can yield an annual income ranging from $48,750 to $82,875 CAD. Various factors influence these earnings, such as skill level, training, work experience, language proficiency in English and French, and the intended province of operation. On average, a truck driver in Canada earns $49,718 CAD annually or $25.50 per hour. Entry-level positions typically start at $34,125 CAD per year. Notably, the demand for truck drivers is on the rise, with a predicted shortage of 25,000 positions by 2023. The current truck driver unemployment rate in Canada is 3.3%, significantly lower than the national average of 5.8%.

Provincial Variances in Salaries:

The average salaries for truck drivers in various provinces in Canada are as follows:

- Alberta: $54,151 CAD

- Ontario: $47,482 CAD

- British Columbia: $48,905 CAD

- Saskatchewan: $49,101 CAD

- Northwest Territories: $52,650 CAD

Top Semi Truck Brands in Canada:

Navigating Canada's diverse terrains requires reliable and adaptable semi trucks. Here are some noteworthy brands for owner-operators and fleet managers:

1. Volvo:

Owning 13.9% of the Canadian commercial truck market, Volvo is renowned for innovations like autonomous trucks and electric vehicles. Their connectivity features and in-cab comfort make them ideal for long-haul truckers.

2. International:

Claiming 36% of Class 7 truck sales in 2018, International focuses on fuel efficiency. The 2020 International LT Series aims to improve aerodynamics, enhancing fuel economy by 8.2%.

3. Freightliner:

With 75 years of experience, Freightliner employs a Detroit powertrain and is researching a transition from diesel engines to hydrogen fuel cells for reduced emissions.

4. Peterbilt:

Known for comfort, Peterbilt trucks use SmartAir for fuel savings. In 2020, the company plans to introduce electric vehicles, starting with 16 units and expanding to 36.

5. Mack:

Mack trucks, designed for diverse climates, prioritize fuel efficiency and often use natural gas instead of diesel. Their Absorbent Glass Mat batteries handle temperature changes effectively.

6. Kenworth:

Partnering with Toyota, Kenworth is working on Class 8 trucks with hydrogen fuel cells for zero emissions. These trucks offer top-notch sleeper cabs and advanced infotainment systems.

Tips for Finding a Used Commercial Truck:

Considering the significant investment, exploring used commercial trucks is a practical approach. Key factors to consider include history, maintenance records, accident checks, quality assessments, mileage, and horsepower/towing capacity.

Major Trucking Companies in Canada:

The Canadian trucking industry, generating $39.55 billion CAD in 2018, boasts various companies. Some notable ones include TFI International Inc., Mullen Group, Day & Ross, and Bison Transport. Each has its unique strengths and operational focus, contributing to the vibrant trucking landscape in Canada.

Conclusion:This comprehensive guide covers essential aspects of trucking in Canada, from salaries and truck brands to considerations for purchasing used commercial trucks and insights into major trucking companies. For further details, visit our website www.eldmandate.biz/blogs and explore our products at www.eldmandate.biz/pricing.

[prasannareddy]

Innovative Transactions: Exploring the Dynamics of QR Codes in the Payment Market

Rapid increase in need of secured & hassle-free transaction services and adoption of QR code payments among merchants drive the growth of the global QR codes payment market. With increased usage in the automotive industry for production, tracking, and shipping, QR codes expanded beyond the automotive industry and are gaining momentum in the payment sectors. As it allows transactions to be touchless, the demand for QR codes payment has emerged as a permanent tech fixture from the beginning of coronavirus pandemic. Restaurants, retailers, and merchants are the largest end user segments that adopted QR code payments method in their existing businesses.

According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global QR codes payment market generated $8.07 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to reach $35.07 billion by 2030, manifesting a CAGR of 16.1% from 2021 to 2030. The report focuses on an in-depth analysis of the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the market with thorough impact.

A massive acceptance and use of QR code payment among merchants and buyers and increase in the use of smartphones along with faster internet connectivity have propelled the growth of the global QR codes payment market. However, rise in data breaches and security issues in QR codes payments affect the growth of the market. Contrarily, developing economies offer opportunities for QR code payment companies to extend their offerings on the ground of rise in middle-class population, rapid urbanization, increase in literacy level, and growth in presence of tech-savvy youth generation. These factors would open up new doors of opportunities.

Request Sample Report@ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/13440

Covid-19 Scenario:

With the rapid spread of the Covid-19 across the world, the usage and adoption of a QR code payment system has been increased among consumers worldwide. Sectors across the economy, including government and healthcare organizations, are relying on QR payment as it caters to the contactless-service norms. The use of digital payment systems such as QR can be seen significantly growing among the population below 30 years old. Banks and fintech industries are offering options of QR code payments to speed up their transaction processes and boost digitalized payments. Restaurants and diners are one of the biggest adopters of the QR code payment. The report offers detailed segmentation of the global QR codes payment market based on offering, payment type, transaction channel, end-user, and region.

Based on offering, the solution segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020, contributing to more than two-thirds of the total share, and is expected to maintain its leading position during the forecast period. On the other hand, the service segment is anticipated to witness the highest CAGR of 18.0% from 2021 to 2030.

Interested to Procure the Data? Inquire here @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/13440

Based on payment type, the push payment segment contributed to the largest share in 2020, accounting for more than three-fourths of the global QR codes payment market, and is expected to maintain the dominant position during the forecast period. However, the pull payment segment is estimated to manifest the highest CAGR of 18.4% throughout the forecast period.

Based on region, Asia Pacific contributed to the highest share in 2020, holding more than one-third of the total share, and is expected to portray the highest CAGR of 18.7% during the forecast period. The research also analyzes regions including North America, Europe, and LAMEA.

Get Detailed COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the QR Codes Payment Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/13440?reqfor=covid

Leading players of the global QR codes payment market that are analysed in the research include UnionPay International Co. Ltd., Barclays, LINE Pay Corporation, PayPal, Google, Revolut Ltd, Square, Inc., Alibaba.com, One97 Communications Limited (Paytm), and Tencent.

Key Market Segments

By Offering

Solution Static QR Code Merchant-Presented Mode (MPM) Customer-Presented Mode (CPM) Dynamic QR Code Services Professional Services Managed Services

By Payment Type

Push Payment Pull Payment

By Transaction Channel

Face-to-Face Remote

By End User

Restaurant Retail & E-Commerce E-Ticket Booking Others

Top Trending Reports: Commercial Insurance Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/commercial-insurance-market-A11665 Trade Finance Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/trade-finance-market Wealth Management Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/wealth-management-market-A13068 Cryptocurrency Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/crypto-currency-market Buy Now Pay Later Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/buy-now-pay-later-market-A12528 Auto Extended Warranty Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/auto-extended-warranty-market-A12526

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of “Market Research Reports Insights” and “Business Intelligence Solutions.” AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

David Correa

1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA.

Int’l: +1–503–894–6022 Toll Free: +1–800–792–5285

UK: +44–845–528–1300

India (Pune): +91–20–66346060 Fax: +1–800–792–5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com