#Alexander's pitched battles

[jeannereames]

I’m not sure if it’s just me as someone who more-so passively enjoys learning about this topic rather than delves into intensive research, but I always feel like Alexander’s siege of Tyre tends to get less attention than his other battles even though it’s literally one of the ballsiest and most insanely impressive feats he’s ever pulled off. If that’s true, do you think there’s a reason for the lack of general exploration of that point in his career?

See, I'd say that the siege of Tyre is his BEST-known non-pitched battle! It seems as if everyone has heard of Tyre--one reason I was surprised when the Netflix show ignored it in favor of Halikarnassos. (Although that seems to owe to a boo-boo in the original scripts that I won't go into.)

But in most of the documentaries and such that I've seen, Tyre is the siege most focused on, followed by Thebes. Some of his other sieges are completely ignored, like the Aornos Rock in India, despite the absolutely mind-blowing difficulty of that one, too.

Keep in mind that most scholars will divide his pitched or set-piece battles from the rest of the conflicts that he fought, including sieges. There were many, MANY more of these other battles, but only 4 pitched battles: Granikos, Issos, Gaugamela, and Hydaspes. (This doesn't count Chaironeia, as that was his father's strategy.)

Pitched battles tend to get the focus because they're "winner-take-all" events that occur for only a day, or really, part of a day. Sieges, etc., can take days, weeks, even months, as with Tyre.

Some of Alexander's most notable NON-pitched conflicts include Tyre, Thebes, Gaza, Halikarnassos, the Persian Gates, the Sogdian Rock, insurgency in Baktria, the Aornos Rock, Mali, and some of the fights against Brahmin along the south Indus.

[naturalbornluvr]

naturalbornluvr hot people list

kinda not really ranked

1. cal gabriel

1. cal robertson in the year 2001

1. my husband

1. my baby daddy

1. daddy

1. the love of my life

1. light of my life fire of my loins

1. the blonde kid from that school shooter movie

2. lana del rey

3. hayden anhedonia

4. andre kreigman

5. christian bale

6. matt dillon

7. lorenzo zurolo

8. jake gyllenhaal

9. liz gillies

10. robbie shapiro

11. robbie hawkins

12. beck from victorious

13. alexander hamilton (the real 1776 one not lin)

14. andre harris

15. eric harris

16. jodi arias

17. ricky kasso

18. peter steele

19. ghostface

20. timothee chalamet (bones and all specifically)

21. weasley twins

22. hermione granger

23. harry potter

24. tom riddle

25. rachel lurie

26. sera promgoer

27. regina george

28. ron weasley

29. robert pattinson

30. mason freeland

31. sodapop curtis

32. everyone from the breakfast club

33. alice cullen

34. rosalie cullen

35. daddylisle cullen

36. dilfy swan

37. the one guy in the hallway in mean girls when cady says i think he’s going to the projection room above the auditorium

38. carl azuz

39. mickey and mallory

40. maya from pll

41. jfk

42. jfk jr

43. jfk jr jr

44. damon albarn

45. ANAKIN SKYWALKER (he should NOT be this low but i don’t wanna change the numbers. takes too long. everyone that should be higher up is going in all caps now)

46. the guy from i believe his unicorns. spencer? i think

47. JESS MARIANO

48. born to die music video boyfriend

49. shades of cool music video boyfriend

50. health ledger

51. chad michael murray

52. a$ap rocky

53. holly would from cool world

54. brad pitt

55. zion from ginny and georgia (young & old)

56. georgia miller

57. tyler the creator

58. KURT COBAIN

59. adam brody

60. megan fox

61. 2000s christina aguilera

62. RODRICK HEFFLEY

63. jeffrey dean morgan

64. charles shaughnessy

65. grown up zack from school of rock (like when he stole the guitars and amp in like 2019)

66. the one guy from school of rock who’s like yo u guys rocked man how old are u guys after the battle of the bands show

67. ned from school of rock

68. jack black

69 mweheheh. both george coopers

70. meemaw

71. meemaws friend played by reba i think

72. alex arnold

73. sid jenkins

74. kurtis conner

75. danny gonzalez

76. drewisgooden

77. kim possible

78. bill scarscard or whatever his last name is

79. GWEN from tdi

80. julia from tdi

81. heather from tdi

82. like all of the girls from tdi. at least half

83. naked guy from gilmore girls

84. taylor momsen

85. the other mother

86. mrs spink

87. coraline’s dad & other dad but not the pumpkin one

88. artyom

89. the babysitter and bones from monster house

90. lightning mcqueen

91. mater

92. angelina jolie

93. evan peters

94. ryan gosling obviously

95. THE DAD FROM INSIDE OUT. more like riley’s dad turn ME inside out. awooooga

96. the 911 operator from zero day when she’s not yapping

97. karina and ronald now from sis vs bro

98. cameron boyce

99. joseph gordon levitt

100. the mom from inside out. same thing i said for her husband

i will be adding on most definitely but 100 is a nice number to stop at 😇🫶

NEVERMIND

101. DADDY oops i mean flynn ryder oops i mean eugene fitzherbert

102. keanu reaves

103. chris mclean

104. playboi carti

105. JOEY SMACK

106. eric from elephant

107. drew starkey

108. that one biker bf from the ride mv

109. my husband’s dad …………..

110. andre’s dad

111. KRISTOFF !!!

112. shang from mulan

113. naveen from princess and the frog

114. MILO JAMES THATCH

115. steve terreberry

116. verryyy cal gabriel coded theatre kid at my school

117. hallway crush 1

118. hallway crush 2

119. hallway crush 3

120. hallway crush 4

121. maxo_xoxo on twitter and his wife lolaloopzy

122. MILA KUNIS

123. melania trump

124. jane fonda

125. fran FOIIINEEEE

126. that one guy who ranks things and uses the high pitched voice filter on tiktok

[scotianostra]

On July 13th 1174 William, the Lion, King of Scots was captured at The Battle of Alnwick.

Much of what is now Northumbria in England was once part of the Kingdom of the Scots, Henry II’s seizure of northern England was a sense of intense irritation to the new King and he broached the subject in 1166 but was rebuffed.

King William then approached Louis VII of France in hope of acquiring support for his claim. However, the efforts came to nothing and did little to endear William to Henry who allegedly rolled on the floor with rage when the facts became known to him. William then shifted his hopes onto Henry’s son and heir, known as, Henry the Young King. When he latter rebelled against his father in 1173 saw his chance and his army moved south to support the young prince.

Scottish forces, with Flemish mercenaries attacked several castles through out the area with little success, as an English army chased him , William withdrew back into Scotland. Ranulf de Glanville, Chief Justiciar (minister) of England sacked Berwick upon Tweed in retaliation and a truce was called. This lasted over the winter but in Spring when it expired William resumed his attacks, allegedly with an army 80,000 strong, although many historians dispute this. Prudhoe Castle was attacked for a second time and again withstood attempts to capture it.

William divided his army sending Duncan, Earl of Fife toward Warkworth whilst the main Royal army moved on to Alnwick. That castle was too strong for a direct assault so William besieged it inevitably meaning his army became dispersed over a wide area. Alerted to the Scottish movements, Ranulf de Glanville deployed with a small force from Newcastle.

The size of the force Glanville left Newcastle with is uncertain but it is said to have been relatively small as he was planning to disrupt the Scottish siege of Alnwick rather than fight a pitched battle. William had deployed his men to secure all access routes to and from Alnwick Castle and accordingly his own camp had been left with inadequate defenders. Ranulf’s spies alerted him to the whereabouts of the King and, using the morning fog as cover, launched a surprise attack. Unprepared, the Scottish forces broke into rout whilst William’s own horse was killed beneath him. With no means of escape, the King was captured by Ranulf’s men.

The defeat at Alnwick was a humiliation for William the Lion. He was taken from Alnwick to Newcastle with his feet tied beneath his horse as if he were a criminal. From Newcastle he was sent to the Tower of London and then onto Falaise in Normandy where he spent five months as Henry’s prisoner. His release was eventually secured by the Treaty of Falaise, signed in December 1174, the terms of which required the Scots to pay a ransom of £100,000 and mandated that William would become an English vassal. These crushing terms had a marked effect on William’s successors.

Future Scottish Kings like todays other subject, Alexander III, abandoned claims on northern England and instead looked north and west to extend their domains. Accordingly the battle was key to the establishment of the Anglo-Scottish border along the modern line. Whilst a small stretch of land along the Solway Firth (the Debatable Lands) and Berwick-upon-Tweed would be disputed over the subsequent centuries, the border we know today became entrenched as a result of the Battle of Alnwick. It was formally recognised in the Treaty of York in 1237

[quartzhearted]

(Alcryst is 3-4 years old)

There's one old family portrait in Brodia Castle that always confuses Alcryst whenever he sees it. He recognizes his father's face, of course, but the man next to him remains a complete and utter stranger. Alcryst secretly calls him Rockbert, because it's sad to think of him being nameless all his life, but the truth remained out of reach.

Until today, that is! Father holds his hand as they walk to the kitchen, all according to Alcryst's plan. Once they pass by that painting, the young boy digs in his heels and announces his theory. "Dad! Is Rockbert my grandpa?" He points to the stranger in the picture for emphasis.

"ALEXAND!" morion drops his sword and runs so quickly he trips over himself. his heart beats in his ears and blood drains from his face; there's no color that suits his brother worse than the deep crimson that pools around him now. as usual, when the scouts came running into brodia castle to warn of incoming elusian reinforcements, morion and alexand grabbed their weapons and made for the field. this war against elusia has gone on for longer than any previous, and it's concerning; what of the brodian people? what of the loved ones that go off to battle, never to return? and what of those who come to replace their ranks? alexand himself was troubled by the sheer force elusia pushed with and had refused to sit back and watch utter slaughter when something could be done. he led the front and sent morion to the rear. morion wasn't a fan of staying behind, but he knew that his brother gave him the assignment for a reason. fending off pegasus knights was no easy feat, but morion had just obtained a hand axe for the express purpose. his throwing arm wasn't all that accurate, but when he could land a hit it was an almost instant kill. perhaps, morion thought, his brother ought to get something like this for himself. but after picking off a fleet of the airborne soldiers, morion heard no fanfare. all he heard was the sound of distress, screaming brodian soldiers tumbling over themselves to get to a certain place. he couldn't understand at first; what on earth were they so afraid of? as a soldier ran past him, morion grabbed him by the collar to stop him. "what the hell's all this about?" morion had growled. "you're not runnin' off scared, are you?" but the soldier had news that shook even morion's constitution. "it's-- it's prince alexand! he's been shot!" and now morion kneels over the corpse of his older brother lying face down on brodian soil, watching as he still bleeds pitifully from the thousand arrows rising from his back. how had this happened? how could he have not seen archers among the ranks, ready and waiting to take out the pillars of brodia's army command? how could he have let the future king of brodia down? his brother, the respected king-to-be, lies here, not even knowing he rests in morion's arms. he doesn't know how morion weeps with his head tucked into alexand's broken armor, cries never rising above an audible pitch. why did this have to happen to them, when their father neared the end of his reign and alexand had readied for his beginning? morion wasn't ready to lose his brother like this. he never was.

...

of course alcryst would ask a question like that. he's only a child. a child who never knew his uncle nor the rule that he'd promised, and a child who only ever sees happiness and plenty of love from his mother and father. death is not a concept here, and morion does not want to be the person who introduces it.

instead, he takes the question humorously and pats alcryst's head. "rockbert? now there's a name," he chuckles, though his gaze draws mournful along the portrait. every day he wishes he could see his brother again. there are so many things he wants to tell him.

"his name is alexand," for 'was' would bring too many questions. "he's your uncle. you guys haven't met because he's gone on a long, long trip." he hates lying to his kids like this, but alcryst is much too innocent to know about the fact that his father is not without his own stormclouds.

he doesn't want to get too far into the fib because it'd be too much to untangle later. for now, he begins walking again, taking alcryst with him. "but we can talk about that later, kid," he sighs, suddenly feeling very, very tired. "your papa wants a snack and a nap."

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Do you think Hamilton ever told his children about John Laurens? Or any war stories in general?

Nothing of what Hamilton's children wrote directly states this, but there are some implications of the possibility.

The only one of the kid's to ever bring up Laurens, was John Church Hamilton. If you've been around my blog long enough, you would know that John had deep admiration (That boarded on hero worship) for his father's old lover. Continuously, he wrote of nothing but praise for Laurens throughout his work and letters to other. And although he doesn't outrightly state that he heard of Laurens through his father, the descriptions of Laurens are so sentimental and strongly worded; they sound reminiscent, as if John had actually known Laurens personally;

“Of all the youthful soldiers of the revolution, there is not one upon whose story the recollections of his contemporaries have more fondly dwelt. His distinguished place in the affections of Washington, and the repeated public honours proffered to him by congress, his numerous and varied services, his address in negotiation, his gallantry in battle, his exalted zeal, and his lofty spirit, elevated him so far above his fellow-soldiers, that at his name every youthful aspiration of ambition was kindled. But Laurens was not alone a gallant soldier, a distinguished patriot, a skilful diplomatist. To these he added all the endearing and social affections, all the attractions of a noble nature, all the graces of a refined and cultivated intellect, and an address which possessed an irresistable, an endless charm. Qualities which in other men might have offended by their contrast, in him only served to give richness of character, and create variety of interest. His intrepid spirit was coupled with a self-distrust, a confiding weakness of temper, which awakened in his friends surprise and love. While to others his heart was all kindness and benevolence, he was unjust only to himself; and while the world saw him graced with every virtue, he was still aspiring to some higher excellence, — an ideal perfection, which is denied to our nature, and exists only in the warm conceptions of a mind deeply tinged with romance.”

(source — The life of Alexander Hamilton, by John Church Hamilton [1840])

But as we all know, that would have been impossible, as JCH was born years after JL's death. So, it is plausible John might be taking his father's word as his reference material. And even though he never says so himself; he likely would never have, because John was very adamant his work be professional and that he would leave out any personal details. (Hence why he strictly kept himself out of the book until bringing up that one story of the night before the duel)

There are a few hesitations I have towards believing this theory, which is that; Hamilton was very reserved on the topic of Laurens after his death, so I'm not entirely sure how freely he would bring up such a difficult subject to his kids. Unless by the time of John's childhood, Hamilton had come to terms with Laurens's death. But also, none of the other kids ever mentioned Laurens at all. I suppose because only John deeply wrote about his father, but it might have just been John doing extensive research and admiring Laurens in the end. Either way, it's all up to whatever you feel like believing.

As for war stories; the only thing I can find that mentions this is also from John Church where he remembers during the construction of the Grange the family had to live on the sidelines of the property until the house would officially be completed. And they had to stay in tents for a short period of time, which reminded Hamilton of his war days and seems to have told his kids about those times;

“[D]uring the erection of [Hamilton's] rural dwelling, he caused a tent to be pitched, and camp-stools to be placed under the shading trees. He measured distances, as though measuring the frontage of a camp; and then, as he walked along, his step seemed to fall naturally into the cadenced pace of a practiced drill. It was his delight in his hours of relaxation to return to scenes and incidents of his early life, when fighting for this country, and praying for its protection.”

(source — Life of Alexander Hamilton: A History of the Republic of the United States of America, as Traced in His Writings and in Those of His Contemporaries, by John Church Hamilton. Volume 7)

[46ten]

Hogeland's "The Hamilton Scheme," new book for May 2024

[Here's a search for all my posts with Hogeland in them.]

Ohh, The Hamilton Scheme: An Epic Tale of Money and Power in the American Founding is finally coming out at the end of this month (May 2024) - I've been following Hogeland discussing it for several years!

Hogeland is not at all interested in Alexander Hamilton as a persona (most AmRev and early American historians aren't), but as a policy maker and creator of the federal govt and financial system. And he's sharply critical.

Hogeland and Robert Sullivan (author of the 2016 Harper's magazine cover article "The Hamilton Cult: Has the celebrated musical eclipsed the main himself?", which also quotes Hogeland, will be discussing the book at the National Archives on May 16th, 1-2 pm EDT.

I think this quote from Hogeland in the above linked article is key to his approach:

" 'But it’s just the icing on the cake of this industry that’s existed for decades now, trying to promote Hamilton as something other than what he actually was.” The duel with Burr, his relationship with his wife and his mistress — these are rich material for a narrative biography, Hogeland concedes, but in terms of Hamilton’s impact on the formation and the very nature of the United States, they are little more than footnotes. “Accidents,” he calls them. They lead us to overlook what Hamilton thought was his own purpose in life. "

Blurb: "William Hogeland is the best guide I have found to understanding how we today are, for good and evil, children of Alexander.” ―J. Bradford DeLong, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley.

Kirkus review:

A lively if overlong history of the origins of federal power.

A reader of a QAnon-ish bent might come away from this book convinced that Alexander Hamilton founded the so-called deep state. That person would have a point. As Revolutionary War–era historian Hogeland writes, Hamilton was committed to founding a strong, even imperial national government; to achieve it, he crafted instruments of a national economy. One of them was public debt, the “driving wheel” for a great nation. Without debt, the fledgling nation could not have funded any number of endeavors, not least the first foreign war against the pirates of the Barbary Coast. Much as Thomas Jefferson disliked the specter of a federal power stronger than that of the states, without that debt, the Louisiana Purchase could never have been completed. As Hogeland shows, the struggle between Hamilton and his states’ rights–minded opponents was an existential one “over the fundamental meaning of American government,” and in many respects, it continues today. Hamilton had a talent for making enemies, though friends such as Declaration of Independence signer Robert Morris, wealthy and powerful, helped him survive politically. Morris’ great lesson was one of “commercial domination,” to which Hamilton aspired more as a national than a personal accomplishment. Hogeland’s story is lengthy and circumstantial, but marked by plenty of drama: Hamilton’s stepping out from under George Washington’s shadow to become the foremost “Continentalist” politician of his day; his pitched battles with Albert Gallatin, “treasury secretary to two presidents,” over the structure of the national economy; and Thomas Jefferson’s eventual dismantling of “the Hamilton scheme” and subsequent returns to it until the hybrid called “Jeffersonian ends by Hamiltonian means” took root. A well-wrought tale of how the American empire came to be born on the balance sheet as much as by the gun.

[theintexp]

The Battle of Tarutino on 18 October 1812 by Peter von Hess

The Battle of Tarutino (Russian: Тарутинское сражение) was a part of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. In the battle, Russian troops under the general command of Bennigsen (as part of Kutuzov's army), on instructions from Kutuzov, launched an attack and defeated French troops under the command of Joachim Murat. The battle is sometimes called the Battle of Vinkovo (French: Bataille de Winkowo) or the Battle of the Chernishnya (Russian: Сражение у реки Чернишни) after the local river. Many historians claim that the latter name is more fitting because the village of Tarutino was 8 km from the described events.

After the battle of Borodino, Kutuzov realized that the Russian army would not survive one more large engagement and ordered his soldiers to retreat to the south of Moscow to reinforce his army. At first it retreated in the south-east direction along the Ryazan road. When the army reached the Moskva River it crossed it and turned to the west to the Old Kaluga road. The army pitched camp in a village of Tarutino near Kaluga. At the same time small units of Cossacks continued moving along the Ryazan road misleading French troops under the command of Murat. When he discovered his error he did not retreat but made camp not far from Tarutino in order to keep his eye on the Russian camp, while Napoleon occupied Moscow.

On 18 October 1812 Kutuzov ordered Bennigsen and Miloradovich to attack Murat's corps (20,000 men) with two columns stealthily crossing the forest in the dead of night. Bennigsen's main force included three columns led by Vasily Orlov-Denisov, Karl Gustav von Baggehufwudt and Alexander Osterman-Tolstoy respectively. The other column was supposed to play an auxiliary role. In the darkness most of the troops got lost. By the morning only Cossack troops under the command of General Vasily Orlov-Denisov reached the original destination, suddenly attacked the French troops and captured the French camp with transports and cannons. Since other Russian units came late the French were able to recover. When the Russians emerged from the forest they came under French fire and suffered casualties. Murat was forced to retreat to escape being surrounded, but the Russian general Baggehufwudt was killed, while Bennigsen was concussed in the leg. The French forces suffered more than 3,000 dead and wounded, 12 cannons, 20 caissons, 30 train-waggons had been taken, two generals killed, the Russians lost about 500 dead.

Kutuzov had attacked Napoleon's army and won a victory. One day later Napoleon started his own retreat from Moscow on the 19 October 1812 southwards in direction of Kaluga. The next major battle was the Battle of Maloyaroslavets.

The battle is depicted in Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. In the novel, Tolstoy claims that while the battle did not achieve any of its goals, it was exactly what the Russian army needed at the time, in that it exposed the weakness of the French army and gave Napoleon the push needed to begin his retreat. Sources. The Battle of Tarutino, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[rainswhenyourehere]

⋆ i will gladly join the fight ⋆

characters ☆ alexander hamilton, george washington, john laurens, marquis de lafayette pairings ☆ alexander hamilton & john laurens, alexander hamilton & marquis de lafayette, alexander hamilton & george washington

tws ☆ minor mentions of gun violence, blood, stabbing

whumpcember day 4. hidden injury (+ alt 1. stabbed ) medical inaccuracies beware (idk how injuries work help/hj)

fic under cut

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

“Raise a glass!” someone in the crowd shouted, and John shoved Alexander, who looked back with a grin on his face.

The energy in the room was positive, something it rarely was nowadays. However, the soldiers gathered there had just won a battle, ‘absolutely slaughtered’ the British, according to someone. On top of that, no one had been injured badly, so it wasn’t a surprise that spirits were high. Even Washington was laughing, congratulating his soldiers.

“Colonel Hamilton!” someone called, and John watched Alexander smile, the warm sunlight streaming in glowing on his face. Alexander had led the troops, had planned the attack. The whole battle had been won mostly due to his efforts. Washington had finally given him a chance and he had made sure to take it.

“Give us a speech!” another voice urged, several others joining in. Something flashed across Alexander’s face as the others pushed him to the center of the room, giving him a cup of wine from the bottle specially opened for the occasion. Pride, perhaps, John assumed, cheering with his fellow soldiers.

Eventually the room fell silent, everyone awaiting Alexander’s words. However, Alexander seemed unresponsive, his eyes staring into the distance. John furrowed his eyebrows, confusion and worry mixing.

“Is it just me or does he look kind of… how you say, pale?” Lafayette pitched in, whispering into John’s ear. He had barely had the time to finish before the cup in Alexander’s hands tipped and clattered to the floor, the sound echoing, the wine spilling out. Quiet murmurs circled the room as Alexander swayed on his feet.

“Shit,” John cursed, rushing to his feet, starting to push through the crowd. He could see Washington doing the same, but neither of them were fast enough to get to the younger before he fell forward, his knees buckling as he crashed to the floor.

✮

Alexander did his best not to wince, to turn his grimace into a grin as John shoved him. Now that the adrenaline was fading, the stab wound in his side throbbed with pain, making him dizzy and nauseous. The suffocating heat in the room, accompanied by loud noises and bright lights certainly weren’t helping.

They had won the battle, though — that was all Alexander had wanted. Maybe now Washington could see that he was more than just a secretary, that he was also a soldier. And a good one. After all, his plan had succeeded. They had caught the British by surprise, just like in his calculations, completely overpowering them. Due to his carefully orchestrated attack, no one had had serious injuries. Except him.

Alexander remembered that sugar high he had been riding on, adrenaline pumping in his veins. He had shot one redcoat, turned around for a while. And then the sharp pain had invaded his senses, causing him to pause. Seemed like the redcoat had gotten his revenge, inserting a dagger and pulling it out of Alexander's body just before dying. Alexander remembered taking deep breaths while gawking at his wound, a trickle of blood flowing out.

Having done some medical research, he had known that the spot wasn’t fatal. He had known that he could carry on until the battle was won, and he had planned to get the wound checked out after that.

But then he had heard that no one else had been injured, and though somewhere deep down he knew it wasn’t true, a voice in his head kept telling him that he was weak, that he was worse than the others. That if he told the others about his injury now, he would never lead another battalion again.

So he had hidden it, covered it with his coat. The adrenaline had helped with masking his pain, but now it made his head swim. Never mind that, he was fine. He had to be fine.

Someone called his name, and he managed a smile, hoping that it came forward as determined. He made out the word ‘speech’ before the crowd moved, pushing him forward. He couldn’t stop his face from distorting for a split second, people shoving at his wound, increasing the pain. A glass was pushed into his hands and then he heard silence fall.

Shit. He was probably supposed to say something. Alexander struggled to form a coherent thought, his fingers slipping. A loud, sharp clash was heard along with liquid sloshing around. Alexander was too out of it to recognize what was going on, but a small voice inside him told him that he had fucked up.

And then his world faded to black.

✮

“Alex!” John shoved the last people out of the way, rushing towards Alexander. Only when he kneeled down next to him did he realize how pale Alexander was, how drops of sweat gleamed on his forehead. “Oh god, Alex, wake up.”

Washington came to his side, lifting Alexander so he was leaning against him while John checked his pulse. However, he paused upon seeing his hands come back red. Frozen with shock, his eyes flickered around Alexander’s body until they landed at his side. The jacket had been pushed away, and now revealed a dark red spot. John brought one hand up to his mouth.

“What is it?” Washington asked, and John could only point at the injury, his hands shaking. His vision grew blurry as Washington gasped, lifting Alexander’s shirt to take a closer look at what seemed to be a stab wound.

John inhaled sharply, bile rising in his throat. How could’ve he not noticed? God, he had probably made it worse, shoving and shouting and— oh, he was such a shitty friend. He shook his head, thoughts ringing in his ears. He needed to get it together, he wasn’t the one that was hurt.

“Is he— is he going to be alright?” he asked, his voice shaky as Washington examined the wound, worry coating his face. The commander let out a sigh.

“I don’t know, Laurens,” he said as a doctor rushed to their side. “I hope so.”

John looked away as the doctor got to work, doing his best to keep down the alcohol he had just consumed. He had never had his way with wounds, the blood and flesh always nauseating.

That’s when he noticed how quiet it was. Scanning around, he noticed Lafayette and a few other soldiers hanging back, radiating unsure and tense energy. The rest of the soldiers had left – thank god.

“Jack?” a weak voice catched his attention, and he spun around. Alexander’s eyes were barely open, the look in them glazed.

“Alex,” he replied, placing one hand on Alexander’s shoulders, who shivered and hissed in pain.

“‘m sorry,” Alexander slurred, filling John with despair. “Was… I was… weak. Couldn’t— no one— no one else got hurt.”

Every word he took drained him a little of his energy, leaving him panting. John wanted to say something, anything, but to his horror, Alexander closed his eyes again, his head dropping down.

“Alex?” John called out, but his friend had turned unresponsive again. John turned to the doctor, who sighed.

“The wound isn’t infected,” he started. John let out a breath of relief and Washington’s muscles relaxed a little. “But I suppose the pain he’s feeling is quite intense, hence the passing out.”

“How– what can we do?” John cut in, leaning forward. The doctor took out a bottle of alcohol, some tissues and bandages.

“I’m going to disinfect the wound, but I suggest turning away if you’re sensitive,” he simply said, and John flushed with embarrassment, biting down on his lip as he obeyed.

Then he heard liquid slosh, and the next moment Alexander was screaming. With a quick motion, John turned around, his breath catching in his throat as he saw Alexander’s body shake with pain, his eyes half-open, tears streaming down his cheeks. The doctor was pressing something to his wound, and Washington had his arms wrapped around Alexander, whispering into his ear as he kept the younger in place.

John clenched his eyes shut, Alexander’s screams filling his head. Seeing Alexander in that state was hell, and he felt tears brimming in the corners of his eyes. God.

“John,” a voice tinged with a french accent called, and he felt a steady hand placed on his shoulders. Opening his eyes, he looked at Lafayette, who was surprisingly calm. Unlike him. “Shh, calm down. He’s going to be fine, you know he is.”

John nodded stiffly, his breathing shaky. He knew Alexander wouldn't succumb to some stupid injury, but him surviving seemed so unrealistic, with those screams tearing their way out of his throat— and then they stopped.

John lifted his head with a start. The doctor had moved on to wrapping Alexander’s side with some bandages. Washington’s grip had loosened, but his whispers hadn’t ceased as he continued to hold Alexander, who was unconscious again. John forced himself to take deep breaths, resisting the urge to wrap Alexander in a hug.

“That should do it,” the doctor said, standing up. “His pain should start fading soon. Just make sure he gets a lot of bed rest and doesn’t move around.”

Washington nodded, picking Alexander up. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, sir,” the doctor bowed before leaving, the tenseness in the room fading too. Washington sighed, motioning for John and Lafayette to follow as he made his way to the three’s sleeping quarters, placing Alexander down on his bed.

“Watch him for me, yeah?” he asked, receiving two nods. “Come inform me when he’s awake, I’d like to talk to him about… hiding injuries.”

“Yes, sir,” Lafayette said, and Washington walked out the door, closing it softly after him.

That’s when John allowed himself to cry, a shaky exhale followed by soundless sobs. Lafayette wrapped his arms around him, his body shaking too.

“We failed him, Laf,” John choked out. “He was in pain and discomfort and I– I fucking shoved him, Laf. Fuck.”

“Je sais,” Lafayette answered, his voice small. “Je sais.”

“No,” John opened his eyes upon feeling a weak grasp on his hand. Alexander hadn’t opened his eyes, but his lips were moving. “Isn’t your fault. M’sorry.”

John could only sigh as Alexander drifted to sleep.

[theantonian]

Mark Antony defeats the forces of Aristobulus

Some time in 57 B.C. he took up his commission as the commanding officer of a troop of rough Gallic cavalry, and went with Gabinius to Judea, where affairs were in an uproar. On the death of Alexander Jannseus in 78 B.C., the Jewish royal authority had passed to his widow, Alexandra, who gave the office of High-Priest of Jehovah to their son, Hyrcanus; and this personage received also the Jewish sovereignty at his mother's death in 70 or 69 B.C. But in 68 B.C. his younger brother, Aristobulus, drove him from the throne, and forced him into exile. In 63 B.C., however, Pompey captured Jerusalem, as has already been mentioned, reinstated Hyrcanus, and carried Aristobulus and his son to Rome as his captives.

But shortly before Gabinius entered upon his governorship of Syria, the two prisoners escaped, and, returning to Judaea, headed a revolt against Hyrcanus, this civil war being at its height when the new governor arrived. Gabinius sent Antony ahead with his picturesque Gallic cavalry to attack Aristobulus, who shut himself up in the fortress of Alexandrium in Samaria, not far from the north efid of the Dead Sea.

The Romans assaulted this place, and Antony covered himself with glory by being the first man to scale the walls. The Jewish leaders, however, escaped, and made for Machaerus, a day's march to the south; but Antony followed them, fought a pitched battle with the reserves they had there mustered, annihilated them, and captured Aristobulus and his son, who, at the beginning of 56 B.C., found themselves back in their prison in Rome, while Hyrcanus ruled once more in Judaea.

[autisticsupervillain]

I.M.P.: Murder Your Maker

A [PROTOTYPE]/Helluva Boss Crossover

Dr. Alexander J. Mercer was one of the head researchers a Gentek, a biological and genetic research conglomerate that specializes in the study of viruses. Secretly, it's connected to an arm of the government called Blackwatch, an organization dedicated to the creation of bioweapons to wipe out America's enemies amd other "undesirables". Dr. Mercer was responsible for making the Blacklight Virus, already the most dangerous virus in the world, ten times more dangerous than it already was, but when he begain asking too many questions, Gentek decided he'd outlived his usefulness.

In a final act of spite, Dr. Mercer unleashes the Virus on Manhattan, guaranteeing the deaths of thousands as he's shot dead. His final thought is how his sister, Dana, an investigative reporter assisting him in investigating Gentek, is responsible for his death for failing to warn him of Gentek's betrayal in time.

Now in hell, Dr. Mercer finishes explaining this to an unimpressed Blitzo, who doesn't really follow the train of logic he used to get to blaming Dana and, moreover, doesn't really care. Dr. Mercer explains that while he had other enemies, he was certain that the virus would wipe them out regardless. He wants Dana dead specifically for "failing" and "betraying" him. Blitzo just takes the job to get the egotistical prick out of his office.

Unfortunately, there's something that neither Blitzo nor Dr. Mercer were counting on. The Blacklight Virus evolved. It had assimilated Dr. Mercer's body and memories, waking up in a recreation of his body believing that he was the real Alex. Originally driven by the same petty, vindictive urges the original Dr. Mercer was, "Alex" would assimilate countless thousands in his quest for answers and revenge, gaining their memories and eventually even their emotions with each kill. He'd eventually learn to genuinely love his sister, something the old Mercer never did. In some ways, Alex was more human than the man who created him, renouncing the old Dr. Mercer and everything he did in disgust.

He's also much more deadly. Utterly vindictive in protecting his sister, Alex is able to send I.M.P. packing in their first run in with him, even chasing them back through the portal into Hell. Alex is only stopped from slaughtering them all when a visiting Stolas blasts him out the window as a bloody smear, seemingly killing him. Alex regenerates and assimilates some nearby imps to figure out where he is.

After getting over the existential crisis of learning that Hell exists and he's in it, Mercer decides to figure out who in Hell hired I.M.P. to kill Dana and make sure they can't do it again. Disguising himself as a potential client to get in close, Alex throttles Blitzo in his office and demands to know who hired him, only not consuming him on the spot so as to avoid risking another run in with Stolas, as he doesn't know what kind of connection the two have. Blitzo doesn't remember but Moxxie is able to tell him, telling Alex Mercer that the person who wants his sister dead is... Alex Mercer.

Realizing that this is his one opportunity to get revenge on his human creator, Alex decides to counterhire I.M.P. to protect Dana while he tracks Dr. Mercer down, knowing that their methods of getting to and from Earth are the only reliable ones he has for getting home and he can't risk them dying. That just leaves Alex with the task of figuring out how to kill his already dead human counterpart.

Alex knows from his stolen memories that Sinner Demons in the Pride Ring cannot be killed by conventional means, but he's also fairly certain that no one like him has ever tried. So, before he goes tracking down any holy weapons, Alex decides to experimentally consume a Sinner and see what happens.

Unfortunately, said Sinner happens to be Alastor.

What follows is a pitched and brutal battle that levels most of a city. Alastor is notably stronger than Mercer, but Alex's regeneration and flexible shapeshifting lets him tank and evade the worst of it. However, he still struggles to close the distance against the sheer scale of Alastor's powers. Alex carefully tries to adapt and outsmart Alastor's magic while a thoroughly entertained Alastor wonders what exactly he's fighting. Eventually, Alex fakes his death by letting Alastor rip him into bloody chunks. When Alastor examines the pieces, pondering the source of tonight's entertainment, Alex regenerates around him to assimilate him.

It... doesn't work. Alex's method of consumption mixes badly with Alastor's immortality. Alastor effectively keeps regenerating inside of him, getting continuously absorbed over and over. Alex experiences these memories as they form due to constantly absorbing Alastor's mind, creating a super conducting loop of shared pain, fear, and agony split between the both of them until Alex explodes. A now genuinely terrified Alastor watches as Mercer limps away with his little remaining biomass, both recovering from the most horrifying experience of their lives.

Alex realizes that he would stand zero chance against the more powerful demons in Hell while becoming one of the few things in Hell that Alastor genuinely fears. It's a humbling and traumatizing experience for them both.

I've got more ideas for this plot, but I'm running out of steam here. I'll wait and see how people react to this.

[atlantisblasebl]

THE GEORGIAS BRACKET: ROUND 2

Ahoy, and welcome to Round 2 of the Georgias Bracket! In Round 1, we saw many dramatic sweeps, but with all the nobodies and NPCs being taken out of contention, matchups are only going to get closer from here! If you want to see your favorites win, don't forget to #Vote!

But first, here's some statistics from Round 1!

Congratulations to Niq Nyong'o and Jan Canberra for being the only players to get a clean sweep on their respective polls, with 100% of the votes! Neither of them should get too comfortable, however, as they'll be going up against each other today in a battle of Expansion Era captains! And to Goodwin Morin II and Basil Ball... condolences! Here's your participation award, I guess.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the closest matchup was Penelope Video vs. Wyatt Mason IV, with Penelope barely eking out a win with only two votes more than Ivy.

The matchup with the most votes was Mint Shupe vs. Lachlan Shelton, with 62 votes!

As always, anyone is allowed to participate in voting, whether or not you're familiar with the Georgias (or even Blaseball in general). Just vote for whichever player you like more in each pair, and winners will progress to Round 3! And don't be afraid to do a bit of campaigning for your favorites, if you feel like it.

You can find all matchups under the #georgias bracket round 2 tag on our blog, or in the list below:

Rigby Friedrich vs. Siobhan Chark

Niq Nyong'o vs. Jan Canberra

Geraldine Frost vs. Flattery McKinley

Yurts Buttercup vs. Neerie McCloud

Nanci Grackle vs. Mint Shupe

Ortiz Lopez vs. Steals Chark

Chorby Soul V vs. Ankle Halifax

Hercules Alighieri vs. Ji-Eun Clove

Waverly Mori vs. Slosh Truk

Manu Candle vs. Frankie Hambone

Fish Summer vs. Juan Murphy

Hiroto Wilcox vs. Beck Whitney

Emmet Atomic vs. Randy Dennis

Norman Muggins vs. Daisuke Witless

Penelope Video vs. Mordecai Kingbird

Son Jensen vs. Lady Matsuyama

Current placements for eliminated players are under the cut!

64. Goodwin Morin II - 0%, 0/37 votes 63. Basil Ball - 0%, 0/35 votes 62-61. Nagomi Mcdaniel III/Vernon Glump - 5.6%, 2/36 votes 60. New Megan Ito III - 8.1%, 3/37 votes 59. Poseidon - 10%, 4/40 votes 58. Jenkins Ingram - 11.8%, 4/34 votes 57. Cote Loveless II - 17.6%, 6/34 votes 56. Khulan Kebede - 18.8%, 6/32 votes 55. Alexander Horne - 19.4%, 7/36 votes 54-53. Dickerson Morse/Justin Alstott - 21.2%, 7/33 votes 52. Wyatt Mason III - 23.1%, 9/39 votes 51. Montgomery Bullock - 25.7%, 9/35 votes 50. Lance Serotonin - 26.1%, 12/46 votes 49. Jon Tumblehome - 29.0%, 9/31 votes 48. Goobie Ballson - 30.3%, 10/33 votes 47. Jessica Twolephone - 31.3%, 10/32 votes 46. Pitching Machine - 32.6%, 14/43 votes 45. Kit Ratoon - 34.4%, 11/32 votes 44. Jelly Burgertoes - 35.1%, 13/37 votes 43. Erin Jesaulenko - 35.3%, 12/34 votes 42. Agnes Caster - 35.5%, 11/31 votes 41. Lachlan Shelton - 37.1%, 23/62 votes 40. Gita Biscuits - 39.4%, 13/33 votes 39. Knight Triumphant - 41.2%, 14/34 votes 38. Angelika Aufdiscord - 41.9%, 13/31 votes 37. Mckinney Vaughan - 43.3%, 13/30 votes 36. Zephyr McCloud - 43.8%, 14/32 votes 35. Sosa Hayes - 46.4%, 13/28 votes 34. Doc Cash - 46.7%, 14/30 votes 33. Wyatt Mason IV - 47.5%, 29/61 votes

[jeannereames]

Shows or movies based on historic figures and events are hard to pull off if the goals are to be both entertaining and somewhat true to history. If we accept that some inaccuracies can't be avoided in order to appeal to audiences what would you consider cornerstones and pillars about Alexander and his history that can't/shouldn't be touched in order to paint a somewhat realistic picture in media based on him and his life?

How to Make a Responsible Movie or Documentary about Alexander

I saved this to answer around the time of the Netflix release. For me, there are four crucial areas, so I’ll break it down that way. Also. I recognize that the LENGTH of a production has somewhat to do with what can be covered.

But, first of all…what story is one telling? The story arc determines where the focus lies. Even documentaries have a story. It’s what provides coherence. Is it a political tale? A military one? Or personal? Also, what interpretation to take, not only for Alexander but those around him. Alexander is hugely controversial. It’s impossible to make everyone happy. So don't try. Pick an audience; aim for that audience.

MILITARY:

Alexander had preternatural tactical skills. His strategy wasn’t as good, however, especially when younger. Tactics can be a genius gift (seeing patterns), but strategy requires experience and knowledge of the opposition. The further into his campaign, the more experience he gained, but the cultures became increasingly unfamiliar. He had ups and downs. He was able to get out of Baktria finally by marrying Roxana. That was strategy, not tactics. He beat Poros, then made a friend of him; that’s strategy. Yet he failed to understand the depth of the commitment to freedom among the autonomous tribes south along the Indus, which resulted in a bloody trek south. And his earlier decision to burn Persepolis meant he’d never fully reconcile the Persian elite.

So, it’s super important to emphasize his crazy-mad tactical gifts in all forms of combat, from pitched battles to skirmishes to sieges. Nobody in history ever equaled him except maybe Subatai, Genghis Khan’s leading general. In the end, I think that’s a lot of Alexander’s eternal fascination. He fought somewhere north of 250 battles, and lost none (where he was physically present).

But HOW to show that? What battles to put on screen? Oliver Stone combined three into one + Hydaspes because he had only 2-3.5 hours (depending on which cut you watch). The Netflix series is going to show all four of the major pitched battles…or at least all 3 for the 6-episode first part. They had circa 4.5 hours to play with, but they cut out other things, like Tyre.

Another issue, from the filming/storytelling point-of-view is how to distinguish Issos from Gaugamela for the casual viewer. They’re virtually identical in tactics (and players on the field). So it made a fair bit of sense to me for Stone to conflate them. In a documentary, it’s more important to separate them, largely to discuss the fall-out.

Some v. important clashes weren’t the Big Four. Among these, the sieges of Halikarnassos and Tyre are probably the most impressive. But the Aornos Rock in India was another amazing piece. I’d also include the bridging of the Indus River to illustrate the astonishing engineering employed. Again, if I had to pick between Halikarnassos and Tyre, I’d pick Tyre. I was a bit baffled by Netflix’s decision to show Halikarnassos instead, but I think it owed to an early error in the scripts, where they had Memnon die there. I corrected that, but they’d already mapped out the beats of the episodes, so they just kept Halikarnassos. That’s fine; it was a major operation, just not his most famous siege.

Last, I really wish somebody, someday, will do something with his Balkan campaigns. What he did in Thrace and Illyria, at just 21, showed his iron backbone and quick thinking. It’d make a great “and the military genius is born” set-up, drama wise. But you could use the Sogdian Rock to show the clever streak, at least (“Find men who can fly” … “I did; look up.” Ha) Plus it has the advantage of being where he (maybe) found Roxana.

Last, he fought extremely well--wasn't just good at tactics. Being a good general doesn’t necessarily mean one’s a good fighter. He was. Almost frighteningly brave, so show that too.

RELIGIOUS:

Ya gotta deal with the “Did he really think he was a god?” thing, and the whole trip to Siwah. I obviously don’t think he believed he was a god; it’s one of the things I disliked about the Netflix show’s approach, but they were dead-set on it. I DO think he came to believe he was somehow of divine descent, but of course, that’s not the same as most moderns understand it, as I’ve explained elsewhere. It made him a hero, not a god on a level with Zeus, and to ME, that’s an important distinction that Netflix (and to some degree Stone) rode roughshod over.

But I’d like to see more inclusion of sacrifice and/or omen-reading—religion in general. Cutting the Gordion Knot (omens!). His visit to Troy (Netflix tackled that one). A really cool thing would be to make more of the lunar eclipse before Gaugamela. Again, Netflix touched on that, but it’s one of those chance events that might actually have affected a battle’s outcome, given how seriously the ancient near east took sky omens. (A solar eclipse once halted a battle.) The Persians were freaked out. Even his massacre of the Branchidai in Sogdiana was driven by religion, not military goals. Pick a couple and underscore them.

I give Stone big props for the sacrifice before the Granikos/Issos/Gaugamela battle. It was so well-done, I’ve actually shown it in my classes to demonstrate what a battlefield sphagia sacrifice would look like.

Alexander was deeply religious. Show it.

POLITICAL:

Ah, for ME the most interesting stuff surrounding Alexander occurs at the political level. Here’s where the triumph story of his military victories all went south. He knew how to win battles. He was less good at managing what he’d conquered.

In terms of a story arc, the whole period up to Gaugamela is really the “rise” of the story. Post-Gaugamela, things began to collapse. And I would pin the turn on PERSEPOLIS. Yes, burning it sent home a message of “Mission accomplished.” But he was selective about it. Areas built by Darius I were spared, Xerxes’ were destroyed: a damnio memoriae.

Problem: Persepolis embodied Persia, and ATG essentially shat on it. Not a good look for the man who wanted to replace Darius III. That he also failed to capture and/or kill Darius created an additional problem for him. Finally, his lack of understanding of how politics worked in Baktria-Sogdiana resulted in an insurgency. Bessos was going to rebel, regardless. But Spitamanes might not have. Alexander created his own mess up there.

Another matter to look at is why he created a new title—King of Asia—instead of adopting the Persian title (King-of-Kings). I don’t think that was a “mistake.” He knew perfectly well the proper Persian title (Kshāyathiya)…and rejected it. He adopted some Persian protocol, but not all of it. After the summer of 330, he was essentially running two parallel courts, which seemed to satisfy neither the Persians nor his own men. (Kinda like docudramas are a hybrid that seems to annoy perhaps more than satisfy.)

So I’d like to see this handled with some nuance, but it’s intrinsically difficult to do—even while, if done well, it would be the most interesting part of an Alexander story, imo.

So, what events, what events…3-4 leap out after Alexander’s adoption of some Persian dress. The Philotas Affair, the Pages Conspiracy, the Death of Kleitos, the marriage to Roxana. I’d show it all, although I could also understand reducing the two conspiracies to one, for time, in which case, the Philotas Affair because it resulted in the fall of Parmenion. But the fact there were two, not just one, tells a story itself.

What about the proskynesis thing with Kallisthenes? I’ve come to disbelieve it ever happened, even though it’s symbolic of the whole problem. So, weirdly, I’m of two minds about showing it. OTOH, it won’t be in my own novels. But OTOH, I could easily see why a showrunner or director might want to include it. And it certainly appears in several of the histories, including Arrian.

Then we have the two indisciplines (mutinies)…one in India that made ATG turn around, and another at Opis. They’re really two different things as one was an officer’s rebellion, the other the soldiers themselves. But will viewers be able to distinguish between them? It’s like the Issos/Gaugamela problem, or for that matter, the two conspiracies. They’re similar enough to confuse the casual viewer. “Didn’t we already see that?”

But if they were narrowed to one, how to choose? The mutiny on the Hyphasis provides an explanation for why he turned back. But the Opis event was more dramatic. The man jumped down into the middle of a rioting crowd and started (essentially) knocking heads together! So if I had to pick…Opis. The other might could be mentioned in retrospect.

PERSONAL:

Here are five things I think really OUGHT to be shown, or that I have yet to be pleased by.

1) Philip isn’t an idiot and should get more than 10 minutes of screentime. Oh, and show Alexander did learn things from him. Stone had to make his movie a Daddy-Issues flick, and the Netflix thing did very little with Philip as they wanted to get to the Alexander-Darius face off (which was the meat of their story). But there’s a very interesting love/competition story there.

2) Olympias is not a bitch and was not involved in Phil’s murder, although I can see why that is catnip to most writers. She did kill Eurydike’s baby and (by extension) Eurydike. One of the historians in the Netflix story (Carolyn, unless I misremember) talked about the rivalry between the two wives, at least. But I think ATG planned to marry the widow and Olympias got rid of her to prevent it. Now THAT’S a story, no? But they were in too much of a hurry to get to Persia.

3) Alexander was not an only child! He had sisters (and a brother) with whom he was apparently close…and a cousin who was his real rival. To me, missing that cousin rivalry overlooks a juicy personal/political story! Too often all the focus winds up on Alexander-Olympias-Philip-Eurydike-Attalos, but man, a more subtle showrunner could do a lot with the Alexander-Amyntas rivalry. But he’s constantly cut out. I can’t think of a documentary that actually addresses Amyntas except in passing (if at all)l

4) Hephaistion’s importance is a must, but I’d like to see him treated as someone with a personality and authority of his own, besides just as ATG’s lover. At least Netflix Went There onscreen with the love-story part, but otherwise, the writers couldn’t figure out what to do with him. Neither Stone nor Netflix really portrayed him as his own person. I do understand why they can’t show the whole cast of characters. I had to do weeding myself in the novels, but I’m annoyed Netflix showed only Hephaistion and Ptolemy. Where’s Perdikkas (so important all along really, but certainly later)? Or Philotas, Kleitos, Krateros, Leonnatos, Lysimachos (later king of Thrace)? I think viewers could probably have handled at least another 5 people, especially if introduced gradually, not all at the beginning.

This brings me to….

5) Alexander’s apparently very real affection for the people in his orbit, from personal physician (Philip) to childhood pedagogue (Lysimachos [not same as above]) to Aristotle to various other philosophers. He was so loyal to his friends, in fact, he initially jailed the people who brought word of Harpalos’ first flight.

He needed to be loved/appreciated and wanted to give back to people. Yes, generosity was expected of kings, and as a king (THE king), his generosity had to excel that of anybody else. But he seemed to genuinely enjoy giving presents. I think of him like that one friend who heard you say you liked that cute pair of “Hello, Kitty” socks…then 6 months later they’re your Christmas present from them. Some of his gifts were grandiose, but not always. I love the dish of little fish (probably smelts) that he sent to Hephaistion, presumably just because his friend liked smelts!

To me, point #5 would be easy to get in with a skilled scriptwriter, tucked into the corners of other scenes. It’d be fun to highlight the personal side. If we can believe Plutarch, he was a PRODIGIOUS letter-writer. Also, he loved to hunt, so that’s another thing. And he loved the theatre, and to watch sport. These would all be very humanizing details.

I think the biggest issue is that most of these documentaries/docudramas are done by people who don’t know squat about Alexander aside from a few things, before deciding to make a documentary/movie about him, or write a book. Their research is shallow, and even if they bring on the experts, they don’t always listen. Stone DID at least have a long fascination with ATG, but it caused him to try to throw in everything but the kitchen sink. It wasn't as bad of a film as some have made it out to be, just horribly bloated and for all his reading, he never understood the WORLDVIEW. I wrote about that some while back in my review.

The best documentary/movie would be told by an actual specialist who knew enough at the outset to craft a better, more complex story arc.

Or maybe I’m just biased because I tried to do that myself in my novels. 😂😂😂😂

[stoportotouch]

today, i present to you... a little... and...? le vesconte playlist.

sorry for the slightly silly title but i cannot stress enough how much the relationship between these two has the potential to fuck me up. it really is... little feels too much as a result of his trauma. le vesconte feels too little because of it. and the one time that they could have stood to sympathise with each other or meet in the middle, when ned was at his very lowest, dundy tries but not hard enough.

i. we will commit wolf murder | of montreal

when i die i want you to die too, not try to stay in this all in a dimension without you, spit on this planet without you i envy you because you could believe in things like i never could and, like, dose yourself into a coma over the bestiality of our race.

ii. big black bull comes like a caesar | munly and the lee lewis harlots

when my brother was a child, he was given an animal he raised it up to be a big black bull; it never did low, or pitch, or sway it never ride on the back of a flatbed

iii. we are gods! we are wolves! | le loup

we spent our darkest days howling at the moon, close enough to see our low condition. and did you ever wish that we were one? have you ever known your maker? could you lead your song aloft the mountain tops? you could never swing that dagger.

iv. alexander's feast, part ii: 'revenge, revenge! timotheus cries' | george frederick handel

behold a ghastly band, a ghastly band each a torch in his hand these are grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain and unburied remain: inglorious on the plain.

v. the killing type | amanda palmer

but i would kill to make you feel; i'd kill to move your face an inch i see you staring into space, i want to stick my fist into your mouth and twist your arctic heart

vi. a soreness so familiar it soon becomes unquestioned | crywank

when i sass you with a smile i see you didn't notice the quiver in my voice, the fact my bow is broken i had a nosebleed when i woke up then i didn't go to work i find my problems are all first-world but still i'm feeling hurt am i just a spoiled brat who taught themselves how to cry? who's so preconditioned now all their emotions are a lie? i close my eyes and look inside; no surprise i find nothing. it's people who shape each other and people are disgusting.

vii. alligator teeth | mother falcon

i will turn my friends to gold, for the treasury to hold them safely while they dream and how they dream, if they dream

viii. land of broken promises | iamx

turn the bad blood into good, bring the laughter, bring the love drink again 'cause everyone forgets in the land of broken promises

ix. puppet loosely strung | the correspondents

in the past you would have been seen as a family's disgrace now they think you're putting on a brave face they might fear that one day they'll wear your shoes but you're the one who's laughing; you had nothing to lose

x. great vacation | dirt poor robins

romans and countrymen, please lend me your ears: there's some late-breaking news i know you'd like to hear but the papers won't print it, and the tvs just won't air. nobody gets the word, 'cause there's nobody there.

xi. incident in a medical clinic | rasputina

quite unbelievably, i want someone to be sweet to me when i'm in absolutely horrible pain.

xii. incitatus | mishkin fitzgerald

my left hand is a whip and a bandage, free to choose where the mark or brand is each one knows how to hide in the carnage: hey're hiding, they're hiding. time's running out for the rats in the playground, cut straight down like a thief in a small town shots rack em up, pin a tail on the donkey: you've got a lot to answer for.

xiii. inside of you, in spite of you | thoushaltnot

i am inside of you, in spite of you with strength and sacred grace but for all you do, i'll carry you from this bitter place

xiv. god help you dumb boy | reverend glasseye

'dumb boy, what are you made of?' my eyes are lazy, my skin doth flake. 'then what good can you do?' not so much as men like you. 'dumb boy, what do you see?' a lesser man, coming down on me. 'tell us, what will you do?' i'll let my axe come down on you.

xv. the hand that feeds | the crane wives

i've seen good men spoiled, chained to their jobs like hounds they work, and sleep, and work again; in the darkest nights they howl their cries are a warning to everyone following: no man should stand to work all of his days and have nothing at the end of them.

xvi. what have they done to you now? | daniel knox

what have they done to you now? old familiar friends to fill your heart with grief and agony a little friendly conversation, character assassination i just don't care any more. i don't wanna know.

xvii. we'll all soon be dead | this way to the egress

the pitchfork's in the hay and we'll live another day as long as we can get through one more night this land's getting rotten, and i have to shake my head 'cause the cattle's sick and we'll all soon be dead.

xviii. lullaby | american murder song

troubles, and marks, and sakes to keep blow out the candle and go to sleep. high hang the moon that looks to the west, tied to your pillow, and twice 'round your chest

xix. danse macabre | the oh hellos

xx. my nightmare | phemiec

in my mightmare tonight, i'll see me, all consumed and attempting to sing disharmonious tunes with you asynchronicity, i am in misery i am in misery! what has been done to me?

xxi. hellfire | the mechanisms

your soul is connected to the world you're in you're dragging it down with the weight of your sin surrounded by temptation, and you just give in. we're falling into the flames.

xxii. edward | american murder song

after the spring, you shall find him after the snow leaves the hill after the spring, you shall find him. 'till then, there's no grave to fill.

xxiii. july | american murder song

outside, the tree coughed up blood 'stead of leaves coughs from the floorboards, coughs from the eaves i climbed the coughing tree, noose on my sleeve: i ain't going nowhere; i ain't going going nowhere.

xxiv. no children | the mountain goats

and i hope when you think of me years down the line, you can't find one good thing to say and i'd hope that if i found the strength to walk out, you'd stay the hell out of my way.

xxv. leather for hell | bitter ruin

euthanasia is gonna save ya; it's the kindest thing to do and you don't know it yet but every time you take that breath ten thousand other people suffer 'cause they feel the way i do.

xxvi. a deer mistaking candles for headlights | crywank

does the blank stare scare you more than the frown? am i the reason that you feel down? distant yet rational; bringer of rage to get to a level where i will engage i am a tentacle; incapacitated obstacle. i am obsolete and apathetic, thoughtlessly apologetic watch my actions (or lack thereof) negate the person that i said i was.

xxvii. eat you | caravan of thieves

i'm gonna eat you, you're my desire i'm gonna sharpen all my teeth and build a fire. i'm gonna eat you; cook and defeat you i'm gonna breathe you in my lungs and make you mine.

xxviii. destroy everything you touch | unwoman

destroy everything you touch today. destroy me this way anything that may desert you, so it cannot hurt you you only have to look behind you, at who's undermined you destroy everything you touch today. please. destroy me this way.

xxix. heretic pride | the mountain goats

i want to cry out, but i don't scream and i don't shout and i feel so proud to be alive and i feel so proud when the reckoning arrives.

xxx. pump shanty | the mechanisms

a transport mission, gone awry attacked by cole and left to fry is no excuse, boys, let us cry: "today is not the day we die!"

xxxi. bremen | pigpen theatre co.

but how long did we think we could walk, we could sing before our voices gave out and our limbs gave in on the road, on the road, on the road, on the road, on the way, on the way, on the way to bremen, to bremen, to bremen

xxxii. automatonic electronic harmonics | steam powered giraffe

i am not an unimaginable thing; my thoughts are tangible though they're full of springs i don't have the heart to send you untruthful words my skin is cold to the touch and made from the earth

xxxiii. never love an anchor | the crane wives

there are times when i still wonder about you: you are someone i have loved, but never known and you'll never see the reasons i had for keeping my claws away when they were close enough to hurt you. i am selfish, i am broken, i am cruel: i am all the things they might have said to you do you ever think of me and my two hands and wonder why they never soothed your fevers

xxxiv. my mom | kimya dawson

and he goes limp in your arms all the peoples' mouths are moving all you hear are car alarms and you wake up and start to cry i will lose my shit if even one more person i know dies so please don't die.

xxxv. allies or enemies | the crane wives

remember when i could tell you not to smile when you were mad and you would always crack, and we'd both be laughing in the end now you're not so quick to forget -- are we allies or enemies what happens now, do we have another go do we bow out and take our separate roads i'll admit, i've had my doubts, but i want to be let in, not out

xxxvi. beneath the brine | the family crest

now my heart is bound, like a plague upon this sound and oh, it slips away, such soft decay -- then it grows oh, young love, young dear, why have you taken me from the fall all of my love, all of my life, given to you, sacrificed stay clear of the wreckage: she goes down, down, down

xxxvii. mars | sleeping at last

though time is ruthless, it showed us kindness in the end by slowing down enough: a second chance to make amends so we found our way back home, let our cuts and bruises heal while a brand-new war began, a war that no-one else could feel

xxxviii. dance while the sky crashes down | jason webley

like that, the earth begins to quiver, and all the oceans turn to black a ship of maniacs with knives are playing blackjack with their lives to kill the time until the giant rats attack it's raining leprosy and acid; the saints were taken out and shot when someone proffers you a pear you sink your teeth in unaware that just beneath the skin lies pestilence and rot

xxxix. animal skin | bryan dunn

i can see it in their eyes: they're coming for you, honey painted faces, sharpened knives. do you think it's funny if you dress it up, you'll have to break it in but you never look better than when you wear your animal skin

xl. love, love, love | the mountain goats

love, love is gonna lead you by the hand into a white and soundless place now we see things as in a mirror, dimly then, we shall see each other face to face and way out in seattle young kurt cobain snuck out to the greenhouse, put a bullet through his brain snakes in the grass beneath our feet, rain in the clouds above some moments last forever, but some flair out with love, love, love

[chrysocomae]

‘Putin’s Chef’ Humiliated by His Own Side After Bragging of Wagner Victory

Allison Quinn

Wed, January 11, 2023 at 4:44 AM PST·3 min read

The Kremlin finally seems to be trying to take Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin down a notch after the businessman has spent months using his band of mercenaries and ex-convicts to steal the spotlight in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

A simmering feud between Prigozhin’s outfit and the regular Russian army spilled out into the open Wednesday, as Russia’s Defense Ministry publicly rebuffed claims made by “Putin’s chef” about a Wagner win in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

In an announcement late Tuesday, Prigozhin gleefully claimed his men had taken control of a salt mine town that Russian forces are hoping to use as a stepping stone to gain control of the highly coveted city of Bakhmut, a Ukrainian stronghold for months.

“Wagner units have taken control of all the territory of Soledar,” Prigozhin said through his press service. “I want to emphasize that no units other than the Wagner fighters took part in the assault on Soledar,” he said.

While Ukrainian authorities denied Prigozhin’s claim and said battles were still underway in the town—and that the selfie the Wagner boss posted supposedly from Soledar was not even in Soledar—Russia’s two dueling armies devolved into their own war within a war.

Russia’s Defense Ministry shot down Prigozhin’s boast that his own men had single-handedly brought Putin a win, instead confirming Ukraine’s announcement that fighting was still underway in the town.

Moreover, defense officials suggested Russian airborne units and assault teams are leading the charge. The Defense Ministry made no mention of Wagner whatsoever.

The rebuff comes as praise for Prigozhin’s outfit hit a fever pitch among pro-Kremlin figures, and the notorious mercenary group threatened to outshine Putin’s regular soldiers on the battlefield.

Wagner Boss Thinks Military Brass Are Out to Get Him

“Why is Wagner so successful, more successful than even the Russian army?” pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov wrote on Telegram early Wednesday.

He went on to praise Prigozhin personally, calling him “very creative,” a “workaholic,” and someone who “comes up with bright, novel solutions.”

“Prigozhin’s criminal past is a plus now, because world politics is criminalized,” he said, calling Prigozhin and Wagner “a national treasure.”

Speculation about Prigozhin possibly vying for an official post in Russia’s government has mounted in recent months as his PR campaign for Wagner has gone into overdrive, with many wondering if he’s made it his personal mission to “win the damn war” for Putin so he could demand something in return.

Despite Prigozhin butting heads with top defense officials and government officials, the Kremlin has largely allowed him to do as he pleases—but they seem to have fired their first warning shot this week in a sign of things to come.

Putin’s appointment on Tuesday of a controversial colonel-general as the new ground forces chief was done “as a snub to Prigozhin,” a source close to Russia’s General Staff told the outlet iStories.

Both Prigozhin and his fellow hardliner Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov had publicly blamed Colonel-General Alexander Lapin for setbacks on the battlefield.

Lapin’s return, the source said, “is an answer [to Prigozhin] along the lines of ‘We don’t leave our own behind either.’”

- Source

[laresearchette]

Thursday, October 09, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: THE HUNT FOR THE CHAMELON KILLER (AMC+) THE IMAGE OF YOU (Paramount+ Canada) REUNION (Paramount+ Canada) SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: KREEPAWAY KAMP (Paramount+ Canada)

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: CADDO LAKE (Premiering on October 11 on Crave at 9:00pm) ROLLER JAM (Premiering on October 12 on Magnolia at 8:00pm) EXPEDITION AMAZON (Premiering on October 13 on Nat Geo Canada at 10:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA NHL COAST TO COAST CITADEL: DIANA

CRAVE TV BEING A HILTON CADDO LAKE IT FOLLOWS

DISNEY + STAR ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (Season Premiere)

NETFLIX CANADA THE LIFE AND MOVIES OF ERSAN KUNERI (Season 2) (TR) LOVE IS BLIND, HABIBI (AE) OUTER BANKS (Season 4: Part 1) TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT

MLB BASEBALL (SN1) 6:00pm: Guardians vs. Tigers - Game 4 (SN) 8:00pm: Yankees vs. Royals - Game 4

NHL HOCKEY (TSN2) 7:00pm: Habs vs. Bruins (TSN4) 7:00pm: Leafs vs. Devils (TSN5) 7:00pm: Panthers vs. Sens (SN360) 8:00pm: Penguins vs. Red Wings (SN360) 10:30pm: Blues vs. Sharks

WNBA BASKETBALL (TSN3) 8:00pm: Lynx vs. Liberty - Game 1

NBA BASKETBALL (SN Now) 8:00pm: Hornets vs. Grizzlies

DRAGONS' DEN (CBC) 8:00pm: A female entrepreneur swings her idea to the Dragons; two Manitoba entrepreneurs look for a safety net in the Dragons; Quebec business owners pop their idea into the Den; an Ontarian couple pitch their weightless idea.

BARGAIN BLOCK: NEW ORLEANS (HGTV Canada) 8:00pm

EXPEDITION UNKNOWN (Discovery Channel Canada) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Josh is on the hunt for the lost tomb of Alexander the Great; he dives Egypt's coast, revealing ruins of Alexander's Royal Quarter; he tunnels under modern Alexandria, but a water pump malfunction puts everything at risk.

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN) 8:20pm: 49ers vs. Seahawks

MY MUM, YOUR DAD (CBC) 9:00pm: The parents take part in a workshop where they are encouraged to acknowledge resentments of the past, which some are struggling to let go of.

HOUSE OF VILLAINS (E! Canada) 9:00pm/10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Ten new reality TV villains compete for the title of America's Ultimate Supervillain and a $200,000 cash prize; they forge alliances; the first battle royale gives a villain immunity, and the first three villains are nominated for elimination.

LOST MONSTER FILES (Discovery Channel Canada) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The team investigates a series of livestock mutilations in the Great Smoky Mountains that some link to the infamous chupacabra; using evidence journals from Sanderson's archive plus new clues, the team attempts to confront the killer canine.

NOBODY (Movie Time) 9:00pm: In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, an enraged man must save his wife and son from a dangerous adversary -- and ensure that he will never be underestimated again.

KILL VICTORIA (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm: One night, a quartet of best friends jokingly speculate on how they would kill Victoria, in order to save their best friend from making 'the worst mistake of his life' by marrying her. Things go south when the jokes become reality.

HOUSE OF ALI (HGTV Canada) 10:00pm: Ali and her team step out of their comfort zone when they are hired to take on a century-old farmhouse renovation; the homeowners chose Ali to strike a balance between old and new, and requested that she infuse her signature contemporary edge.

CANADIAN REFLECTIONS (CBC) 11:30pm: Death and the Mysteries of Raising Powerful Children; Play It Again

[boombambaby]

Character Sample - Castiel (Supernatural)

TW: Mentions of death, mentions of blood, thoughts of wanting to strangle a flannel wrapped squirrel.

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”

― Alexander Pope

- Lebanon, Kansas. Bunker hallway outside of the 'Dean Cave'. 2:34PM CST - 

“Dean? I know you’re in there. All of the food from the bottom of the refrigerator has mysteriously vanished.”

With an aggravated puff of air, Castiel shifts enough from his position leaning against the door to Dean’s self imposed ‘man cave’ to pull out his cell phone and check the time. It’s been 20 minutes since he’s come to (hopefully) collect the stubborn hunter, and so far he’s been wildly unsuccessful.

“Dean!”

The sounds of gunfire and horse hooves beating against barren ground permeate the otherwise silent room beyond the door, and Castiel knows without a doubt that the hunter is purposefully ignoring him in favor of watching one of his favorite old western movies.

Were it not for his promise to respect privacy, Castiel would have already broken the door down by now and demanded to see him— but alas, here they were.

“I’ve found a case nearby that shouldn’t take too much of your time.” 

He calls through the door, fighting to keep his voice at a reasonable pitch. One of the (many) benefits of befriending the Winchesters over the years has been consistent practice in remaining patient. 

“Two found dead in a locked hotel room. One in the bathtub, and the other reaching for something facing the door. Otherwise unremarkable, save for the fact that the door was locked and the jewelry and money in the room were both left alone.”

It’s still silent, and quickly becoming apparent that this is as losing battle.

Bending at the waist to slide the newspaper articles he’d printed out beneath the door is a quiet movement, aside from the accompanying world weary sigh  as the seraph rights himself. A casual hand brushes over his coat in an effort to straighten it, and he attempts to play his last ace before finally turning to leave. 

“Also— both victims have been completely drained of blood or other bodily fluids.”

Everything has been different, after Dean’s ordeal with Michael— which if he’s been entirely honest, was wrapped up with far too pretty of a bow for his liking. Dean came back to them whole, which was their biggest concern. Though it’s obvious he’s been heavily affected by everything that has happened.

He’s been spending most of his time in his room, or in the Dean cave. Generally avoiding any and all human interaction, which even Castiel knows is very unhealthy. Both Sam and himself have tried a myriad of excuses, cases or opportunities to goad Dean out of his room. Not a single one of them have worked.

Having remade Dean with his own hands, and bore witness to both of the Winchesters pension for self destructive tendencies, the seraph has been understandably concerned. Hence the effectual ‘Hail Mary’ he’s performing now outside of the Dean Cave.

“I’ll be in the library, if you change your mind.”

Little on this Earth can change a Winchester’s will when their mind is made up, Castiel knows that better than most. He can only hope for the best at this point.