#Armistice 100

[my-darling-boy]

This Remembrance Day among their many faces and stories, we also remember those who held their lovers for the last time, unable to share a kiss goodbye. Those who could only nod solemnly over news of their comrade’s passing lest others know the true nature of their feelings. Those who burnt their diaries and letters lest the world know who they loved. Those who died in the dirt with eyes fixed towards the sky with letters signed “thine” in breast pockets sent between those history will only ever regard as “just friends”. Those branded cowards and enemies, those imprisoned and beaten, those who put themselves in the line of fire to avoid the shame of the court martial and the lifetime of scorn from their family and community.

So often are their stories omitted from history books and conversation because acknowledging who they loved is seen as disgracing the puritan fantasy of remembrance which is now so divorced from the realties of what went on. No one can so much as suggest a difference in sexuality without accusations of tarnishing a person’s legacy, as if a difference in sexuality is something to be ashamed of. The powerful and complex blend of camaraderie, affection, friendship, love, romance, and devotion is a truly forgotten part of the world wars. We may never truly know who they were or the nature of their love and bonds, but if we exist today, so too did they.

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet with a wonderful researcher who published a phenomenal report on the discrimination faced by 2SLGBTQ+ soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WW1 which I highly recommend a read through as this person was able to track down actual names and photos of forgotten faces. I know for the last 8 years I’ve been trying to educate in various small ways on this blog, but every 11th of November that comes I find myself remembering those real and almost invisible people who obnoxious commenters and biased historians are so quick to discredit and rewrite to fit their bigotry, as if that does not disrespect their memory more so than any mention of sexuality ever could. Who someone loved or how they expressed themselves may have only served as just one piece of the puzzle to their grand identity, but nevertheless, no one should be made to feel it disgraceful or shameful to simply acknowledge in good faith, whether it’s in truth or possibility.

This photoset was created with stories like this in mind. We have always been here. And though we didn’t know you, we see you.

And it hurts to miss you, but it’s worse to know

That I’m the reason you won’t come home

Photos by keltikfilm, editing by me

[glitchyrobo]

Ceres-class Missile Battleship

spaceship =>

(description & fiction under the break!)

Video Description

Several views of a large, long, and slightly bulky Terran warship in space. The ship has repeating triangle motifs in with various paneled textures throughout. Near the pointed front the nameplate of the ship is visible, reading 'CNS Temeraire'. The long front hull has a flat section on the top, covered in massive missile launch bays. Amidships, several armor plates, painted bright red with the Jovian Eagle in gold, protect the armored hab rings and a series of tubes. Aft, the radiators glow brightly as the engine burns hot. Embedded heat pipes run from the tip of the engine to the radiators

The first view is of the ship from above and in front, showing a dramatic angle. Several 'running lights' blink down the length as navigation lights flash

The second view is located to the side, looking forward, again showing the various lights

The third view is focused on the engine, showing it powering on to 100% thrust, then beyond. As it powers on the heat pipes glow in sequence

The fourth and final view repeats the engine power on sequence but from further, allowing the viewer to also see the coolant vents venting coolant

Excerpt from History of Pre-Domestication Terran Warships (3rd Revision), §685.8: Late Terran Accord & Pacification Program Era Battleships (Guided Projectile), Eltrin Yne, Forty-Seventh Bloom, xe/xem, Elly Yne, Twenty-Sixth Floret, et al.

Designed in 2521 CE (33 BT) by a consortium of Jovian shipbuilding corporations and first commissioned in 2526, the Ceres-class missile battleship was envisioned as a platform to launch massed missile strikes against enemy fleets while providing enhanced point defense and electronic warfare. At 750 meters in length and nearly 100 meters at its widest extent, this class represented one of the largest mass-produced spaceframes fielded by the Cosmic Navy.

Over the course of its service history, the class had numerous revisions. Most notably, the type-3 revision in 2539 (2521-CERES-III) which added coolant vents ahead of the hab rings, reducing their size in the process. The vents were positioned forward of the hab rings to expel hot coolant from over-driven point defense domes and electronic warfare equipment rather than the main engines, though they had a limited ability to expel engine coolant in extreme emergencies. These coolant vents essentially functioned as expendable liquid droplet radiators, which may have led to the development of more practical liquid radiators, had domestication been delayed. (See also §359, Speculation on Terran Shipcraft Development)

While there were no major engagements which featured a Ceres functioning in this intended role, classified TCN documents obtained after the fall of Terra stated that one of the primary goals of the class was to counter contemporary corporate navies, which largely consisted of small anti-piracy vessels, should a coalition of corporations ever come into direct conflict with the Accord.

However, the most significant hostile force that the Accord encountered prior to pacification were various pirate flotillas, which would generally consist of smaller, older, and less militarized vessels. While in a direct engagement a Ceres-class or other contemporary Accord capital ships would easily destroy such vessels, smaller ships were quite capable of outmaneuvering and escaping their would-be-predators.

At the start of the Terran Pacification program, there were 157 Ceres-class vessels active. After the signing of the treaty, only a handful of these ships refused armistice, as the amount of logistical support that the Ceres required to function effectively and the implausibility of that support without the Terran core sectors dissuaded overt feralism. Several dozen of the surviving vessels now serve as museum ships across Terran Protectorate space.

[reality-detective]

President Trump will be abroad on 12/7 ...

The last time he was in Paris was to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the 11.11.1919 World War I armistice ....

He missed ceremony due to stormy weather...

(Zoom in) 👆

His trip to Paris on 12/7 has a 6 year delta with Q2565 ..

Note that ”Scott Free = WWG1WGA” is a reference to the movie White Squall ....

White Squall = Sudden Storm...

There's a Storm Brewing 🤔

[warderfromtheborder]

Destiny: the year of Very Well Structured Things In Sets of 2

Defiance+Wish: The Sovs Mara and Crow, the Eliksni Misraaks and Eramis, and the Regular Ass Humans Devrim and Petra(PV counts as a regular-ass human she isn't a figure of prophecy or royalty in the reef she's a cop who's been promoted too much out of necessity)

Deep+Witch: The Truncated Heros Sloane and Eris, the Osmium OGs Xivu and Savathun, the Concerned Boss-Parents Zavala and Ikora, and the Wriggly Enablers Ahsa and Drifter (okay you got me) I mean the Nonhuman Guides Ahsa and Immaru

Lightfall: Osiris with no Sagira and Nimbus with no Rohan and Caiatl with no Recognizable Dad and the Witness with no Disciples and Chioma with no Maya and the Vex with no Chill the Living People of Neomuna with no Meatspace to live in. (The dreaming city curse will never end and the people on Neptune will never get to leave the matrix Im sorry but that's the way it is)

The story and themes for this year of Destiny are SO GOOD the writers have done SUCH A GOOD JOB. If making a tighter relationship between the expansion narrative and the seasonal narratives was one of the goals this year they fucking knocked it out of the park, I can't put any of these arcs into its own box because they have been knit together so sturdily. It's all one great narrative, one Very Big narrative, they haven't done it like this before!

(And Im so mad people couldnt stop shitting on Lightfall they are stoping themselves from seeing how good the WHOLE NARRATIVE IS they are probably gonna say come march/near TFS launch "uhh yeah the seasons were good i guees but maybe they shoulda worked harder on Lightfall I mean who even likes Nimbus" and for their Ignorance and Haterism I am sentencing them to reading part two of The Two Towers while they get attacked by Paper-Tube Ninjas and a broadcast system shouts at them 'YOU CANNOT HAVE THE VICTORIES IN RETURN OF THE KING IF FRODO AND SAM DIDNT KEEP WALKING ALL THE WAY TO MORDOR' for 100 hundred years.) (The link there is I didn't get the Point of that part of Two Towers when I first read it and assumed the whole would have been better without it. Obviously...I was wrong, and so are these clowns who think Lightfall has a bad story)

The name of the game this year is Resolution, Catharsis, Armistice, Acceptance. The structuring is so simple and so elegant and so well executed, the 2s, the 3s, the mirroring and the inverting and the unfathomable gloriousness of the victories personal and community and galaxy wide. There is no way to overstate the bitterness of Amanda's death, the relief of exhalation when Sloane retreats, the VINDICATION of Eris's vengeance.

You remember when Zavala 'discovered' Crow's former identity? How that was the crowning on-screen narrative jewel in destiny up to that point? What I am saying is EVERY ARC THIS YEAR IS AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN THAT BEAT AND DESERVES AS MUCH RECOGNITION FOR THE ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SO MANY COMPLEMENTARY COMBOS PACKED INTO ONE EXPANSION STORY.

If Shadowkeep was the first sign of symptoms, if Beyond Light was trying to irradiate the disease, if Witch Queen was a tug of war with scar tissue, then Lightfall is the world after recovery and making peace with what will Never Be The Same, and the home and family that has been changed forever but is still Your Home and Your Family. We don't stop fighting but we also don't stop loving and growing and caring.

One last thing for my fellow Sjur copium addicts out there: Sloane's retreat was mirrored and inverted by Eris's victory, so for the complementary-ness of the story to continue, Amanda's death and Crow's subsequent emotional anguish over losing the person he fought with but who also saw him for who he really is will need to be mirrored and inverted by SOMEONE who Mara fought with but who also saw her for who she really is and I expect you will agree this is SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE reasoning that Sjur's comin back home.

[oonaluna-art]

In summary: I am in graduate school and don’t have as much time for drawing/writing as I did previously.

Following some recent comments, I realized that some followers are interested in a more detailed update on the status of my creative projects. I wanted to offer an explanation to those curious, as I often like knowing what my favorite creators are working on. 

---

What follows is a summary of my active projects and their status; they are ordered alphabetically rather than in order of importance:

City of Medusa: A semi-modern retelling of the story of Perseus and Medusa becoming friends, emphasizing that both were victims of circumstance. -- This project is canceled. The first draft was completed, but the story felt too personal and emotional to tell, focusing heavily on themes of depression and mental illness. I would have made myself depressed while fleshing it out as a comic.

Daughters of the Sea: Focusing primarily on the protagonist, Photine, this story is of several teenage protagonists (and one villain) who find magical rings that imbue them with the power of the Greek god Poseidon. The two groups fight over personal drama, and who will unite the rings to become Poseidon’s heir. -- This project is inactive. I would like the prose series to be a trilogy, but I am stuck on the second book's ending.

Juno’s Legacy: The story of a young woman who discovers that she’s the reincarnation of an ancient, immortal warlord. She travels the universe while trying to establish her role in a series of interplanetary nations that have gone on 1,000 years after her death. This world is filled with allies and enemies who have a variety of opinions of who she was and who she should be. -- This project is semi-active. I am several drafts into the first book, but I keep putting this project on the back burner.

Maite: The story is set in the Late Greek Bronze Age, during a period of armistice in the mythological Titanomachy War. A young woman partially raised by Athena discovers that her father was an Ancient Greek Titan. After running away from her home, she sets out on a quest to discover who her father is. -- This project is semi-active. Currently, the comic is in its first draft of the script. I am not 100% sure I will pursue this project, but I will make my decision after I wrap up Our New Hope.

Our New Hope: A comic-format fanfiction of the Skywalker twins discovering their identities in their teen years (12-14) thanks to Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader entering their lives. -- This comic is on hiatus. I had planned to finish this before leaving for graduate school, but my laptop broke, so I wasn’t able to work on it anymore. I hope to finish this project after completing my one-year program.

Resurrection OCT: An Original-Character Tournament around the theme of winning a flower that can return one individual from the dead. This is my only active project on the list. I help judge and moderate this community. If you’d like to follow the story, check out the canon reading guide I made on TVTropes.

---

As a final announcement: I am aware my art is slowing down. I’ve decided to queue up some of my old works.  If you don’t want to see these “re-runs” just blacklist the tag “OonaLuna reblog.” Once I’m done my graduate school program, I will resume my old hobby. You will still see a handful of new posts, as I haven’t totally given up drawing.

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in November 2023

01/11 Princess Anne, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke & Duchess of Gloucester attended the Senior Serving and Retired Officers’ Briefing at the Army and Navy Club on Pall Mall in London. 🪖💼

As Chancellor of Harper Adams University, attended the launch of the University’s Strategic Plan at London Bridge Arches. 🎓

With Sir Tim As Royal Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, attended the Grand Day Choral Evensong Service at Temple Church in London. 🎶

With Sir Tim As Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers, attended a Dinner to mark their 40th Anniversary at Mansion House in London. ⚙️

02/11 Held two investiture ceremonies at Buckingham Palace. 🎖️

03/11 As Patron of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, visited Citizens Advice Malvern Hills in Malvern, Worcestershire. 👩‍⚖️

Opened the Specialist Operations Centre at the Gloucestershire Constabulary and Office of Police and Crime Commissioner in Cheltenham. 👮‍♀️

07/11 Alongside King Charles & Queen Camilla, Princess Anne in her role as Gold Stick in Waiting, was present at the State Opening of Parliament. 👩‍⚖️🪶

Opened the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage and the McDonald Road Community Fire and Ambulance Station in Edinburgh. 👨‍🚒

The Princess Royal, As Patron of the Eric Liddell 100, attended the inaugural Lecture and Reception on board Fingal, Alexandra Dock, in Edinburgh. 🏃🏽🥂

Unofficial Sir Tim attended the memorial service for former university friend and newsreader George Alagiah at St-Martin-in-the-Fields church in London 🎓🕊️

08/11 As Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, presented Royal Medals and attended a Reception at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 🏅

As Patron of Catch22, attended the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum in Birmingham ✍️

As Patron of the Wooden Spoon Society, attended a Reception at the House of Lords in London. 🥄🏉🥂

As Court Member of the Fishmongers’ Company, attended a Livery Dinner at Fishmongers’ Hall in London. 🐟🍽️

09/11 As President of World Horse Welfare, attended the Annual Conference at the Royal Geographical Society. 🐴

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited HM Prison Wandsworth in London. 🚓👮‍♂️

As Patron of the Whitley Fund for Nature, held a 30th Anniversary Dinner at St James's Palace. 🦋🍃

10/11 The Princess Royal, As President of Royal Yachting Association, chaired the Annual General Meeting and presented Awards before attending a Luncheon in London SW1. 🛥️

Unofficial Announcement that Princess Anne will take over Presidency of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, taking over from the Duke of Kent who Presided over the Commission since 1970 🌹🪦

~ Remembrance weekend ~

11/11 With Sir Tim Attended the Armistice Day Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum. 🌳 🫡

With Sir Tim Attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall with members of the royal family. 🌹

12/11 With Sir Tim Attended the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London. Princess Anne laid a wreath whilst Sir Tim stood on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office balcony. 🌹

With Sir Tim Took the salute at the March Past of Ex-Servicemen and Civilian Organisations on Horse Guards Parade, London SWI. 🫡

~ End ~

14/11 As Patron of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK), attended the 10th Anniversary Transport and Logistics Safety Forum Conference at the National Memorial Arboretum. 🚚

Visited the new Institute of Shipbuilding course at City of Glasgow College Riverside Campus in Glasgow. ⚓️

As Patron of the Royal Celtic Society, attended a Reception at Glasgow City Chambers. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Attended Interfaith Glasgow’s Scottish Interfaith Week Forum at Glasgow City Chambers. ☪️✡️✝️🕉️🪯

Unofficial Sir Tim attended a Kent Cricket celebration dinner at Lords Cricket Ground 🏏

15/11 Visited BAE Systems Submarines' Submarine Academy and the University of Cumbria. 🤿 👨‍🎓

Visited the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in Barrow-in-Furness. ☢️

As Patron of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, visited the Barrow-in-Furness branch to mark its reopening. 🤝

As Patron of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, attended a Dinner at St George's Hall, to mark its 125th anniversary. 🦜💊

16/11 As Vice Patron of the British Horse Society, attended a Coaching Career Insight Day.

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited HM Prison Drake Hall.

As Patron of Transaid, attended a Reception at London Transport Museum.

17/11 Not Counted Departed Heathrow Airport for Gibraltar but was diverted to Madrid, Spain and arrived in Gibraltar later than intended. ✈️🇪🇸🇬🇮

With Sir Tim As Royal Patron of the Gibraltar International Literary Festival, attended the Literary Festival Opening Dinner at the Sunborn Hotel. 📚🍽️

18/11 In Gibraltar Princess Anne;

As Patron of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, visited Gibraltar Citizens Advice Bureau to mark its 20th anniversary. 👩‍⚖️

Opened the renovated premises of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Association. 🫡

Met representatives of the Emergency Services and members of the Armed Forces at the Convent. 🚑🪖

With Sir Tim visited specialist vehicles provider Bassadone Automotive Group. 🚗

Unofficial Sir Tim visited the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron, 🇬🇮⚓️

21/11 As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, presented Merchant Navy medals for Meritorious Service at Trinity House, London. 🏅

With Sir Tim Attended the State Banquet in honour of the President and First Lady of South Korea. 🇬🇧🇰🇷🍽️

22/11 Visited Retrotec Limited near Northiam, East Sussex. ✈️

Visited Focus SB Limited in St Leonards-on-Sea. ⚙️

As Commandant-in-Chief of St John Ambulance (Youth), attended a Reception for Young Achievers at the Priory Church of the Order of St John in London. 🚑

As Chancellor of the University of London, attended Foundation Day at Senate House in London 🎓

23/11 As Commodore-in-Chief of Portsmouth Naval Base, opened Alford Schools of Military Music. 🎶

Attended a Luncheon at Spithead House, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, for The Princess Royal's Patronages based in Hampshire. ⚓️

As President of the City and Guilds of London Institute, presented The Princess Royal Training Awards at St James's Palace. 🏆

With Sir Tim As President of the British Olympic Association, attended the Team GB Ball at the Savoy Hotel. 🏋️‍♀️

24/11 As Royal Patron of the London Scottish Football Club, attended the 10th Anniversary of the St Andrew's Day Luncheon at the Sheraton Grand London on Park Lane. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

28/11 Presented The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Awards at Fishmongers’ Hall in London. 🏆

As Chancellor of the University College of Osteopathy, attended a Graduation Ceremony. ���

As Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, attended a New Fellows’ Dinner. ⚙️🍽️

29/11 The Princess Royal, As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Canvey Island Station and attended a Reception at the Island Yacht Club. 🔎🏝️

Opened Huntingdon Fire Station and Service Training Centre. 🚒

Opened North Cambridgeshire Training Centre. 💼

As Honorary Member of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, attended the Annual General Meeting and Discussion Dinner. 👷🍴

30/11 As Patron of the Not Forgotten Association, held the Christmas Reception at St James’s Palace. 🎄🎅🏻🎁

Total official engagements for Anne in October: 58

2023 total so far: 458

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in October: 11

2023 total so far: 92

[annerbhp]

Hi Anne, hope you’re having a nice day. I am a huge fan of the Changeling and the Armistice series and I was wondering if you would reveal what you had planned for future installments, such as if Rowle acted alone or if there was a conspiracy, or if instead you hope to one day return to writing in that world.

The thing is. I can do this. I can just list all the plot points. I don't have a problem with that. But once I do, that is saying 100% that I will never write it. So I am hesitant to do that. Yet.

[howtofightwrite]

Why do some armies, militias, or rebel groups commit war crimes at much higher rates than others? If you're trying to go beyond designating good guys and bad guys by authorial fiat, what are some of the fail-safes you'd want a fictional armed faction to have to minimize their My Lais as much as possible?

So, an important warning on this, I'm mostly writing this off-the-cuff, and I'm not doing a lit review at all. So, if you're looking at this as a scholarly work, please consider this a rough draft at best. Also, somewhat obviously, the subject matter here will get pretty dark.

Unsurprisingly, TW for war crimes, and terrorism. Though, I'll try to keep this clinical.

The short answer is multiple factors with no individual one ever being universally true. I'm going to break down war crimes and atrocities into two general categories: Planned and Unplanned. This is because these spring from distinct factors.

There is another possible dichotomy, distinguishing between war crimes of action, and technically illegal behavior, such as the use of munitions or weapons that are legally prohibited, but are not directly associated with any atrocities. Examples of the latter could include deployment of chemical weapons against valid military targets, or even military buildups in violation of previous armistice treaties. For example: the Bismarckand Tirpitz were floating war crimes, simply by existing, and violating existing treaties (I'm not 100% sure which treaties off hand, and the legal status of these battleships is a little more complicated than I'm suggesting.) In general, I don't think this is what you're looking at, but it's worth remembering that war crimes cover a much wider range of topics that just atrocities committed against civilians.

Planned atrocities are intentionally executed by the faction, these are often deliberate strategies employed by those organizations. This can include things like terrorist attacks, or deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure to demoralize enemy forces or the civilian population itself, these can also be employed to erode public support for ongoing military actions. Of course, in some cases, the deaths are the primary goal, and any effect on morale is incidental.

Unplanned war crimes and atrocities occur incidentally, often as a result of failures in the chain of command.

This isn't a strict dichotomy, a group may have policies or strategies that can lead to war crimes through insufficient discrimination (in this context, discrimination refers to the concept as it exists in Just War theory/doctrine, which is to say, discriminating between civilian and military targets.) For example, a faction who intentionally bombards military targets in a civilian population center (read, a town or city) would probably fall more on the unplanned side of the spectrum, in contrast to a faction who simply firebombs the entire city.

When it comes to planned atrocities, ideology is probably the biggest factor to consider. Particularly how their ideology regards the people they're killing. This can take a few really horrific turns, but if you have a group with no regard for human life, and no concern for international law, then you're likely to start seeing war crimes coming fast and heavy.

It's easy to simply designate these groups as, “the bad guys,” but that really undersells how subversive some of these thought processes can be. Unfortunately, the line between terrorist and freedom fighter is a question of perspective, and even groups you'd normally be sympathetic to may be responsible for some horrifying acts, which they justify to themselves by othering their victims. (Usually this othering is based on religious, ethnic, or political affiliation. Though, it can be any combination of the three.) A group of rebels may not have any qualms about “collaborators” getting caught in their attack, even if those people are considered guilty by simple proximity.

A classic examination of this is Battle of Algiers (1966), it's an excellent film, and absolutely worth the watch if you've never seen it.

Unplanned atrocities and war crimes can often lead back to two compounding factors: discipline and morale.

Discipline comes with a massive, “citation needed,” sticker, because it's not completely predictive. Nominally, well disciplined armies can engage in unplanned war crimes. Some of this ties into the second factor, morale, but some of it is independent of that.

Some of the difficulty with discipline is opportunistic crimes (such as looting), which can then spiral out into worse atrocities. In these cases, you're looking at the individual discipline and morale of each soldier combined with a lot of contextual factors, but that doesn't translate smoothly into a generalized model.

The simple model would be that low discipline forces are more likely to engage in opportunistic crimes. They're more likely to evaluate their current situation in relation to how it can potentially benefit them, and when you combine that with the chaos of war, it is a recipe for unplanned atrocities.

Morale is a little more complicated than discipline. In theory, troops who are suffering from low morale  are more likely to engage in unplanned atrocities. (While it's a gross oversimplification of the background factors, this is an apt description for the Mỹ Lai Massacre. Nominally disciplined soldiers, suffering from flagging morale, who incorrectly identified the villages' civilian population as collaborators, and started murdering people.)

However, in practice, morale can be a double edged sword, low morale creates a real risk of soldiers ignoring orders for personal gain, or engaging in illegal behavior out of desperation, however, a sharp increase in morale can also result in lapses leading to criminal activities. The primary example of this would be victory looting (which is a war crime, in case that was unclear.)

In theory, morale and discipline should slot together fairly cleanly to create a single spectrum, but the reality is a lot messier.

In the case of many irregular groups (such as militias, resistance groups, and rebels), the actual forces will be a coalition of different groups that may not see eye to eye on things. In this environment, it's basically impossible to effectively police the different factions within the group. And, unfortunately, history shown that these kinds of coalitions tend to purge their less radical members as they consolidate their power. (The only case I can think of where the radical and terrorist elements were shed by the more mainstream factions would be the IRA. In almost every other case, victory filters for the most ruthless.)

Importantly, coalitions like this tend to be regarded as a single entity by non-members, with the actions of each individual group reflecting on the coalition as a whole. The major exception here is with advanced analysis, where someone who is very well versed in the political or strategic details may be able to explain the different groups and how they fit together. But, for general public opinion, the coalition may as well be a single faction.

Coalitions like this are almost certain to have members who have no qualms about civilian casualties, either due to indifference to collateral deaths, or by identifying civilians as acceptable targets. This can cause problems for these groups as they alienate less radical members of the population. In extreme cases this can even result in recruiting difficulties, and the terroristic elements can cause problems for any peaceful negotiations with outside powers.

These terroristic elements, and atrocities in general, can bolster support against a faction. In some cases, these radical elements can become more of a detriment to the coalition as a whole than its real foe.

If you're hoping for a way to prevent this, there really isn't one. These kinds of coalitions are, “opt-in.” Worse, some radical elements are likely to spin up from existing members. In theory, these internal radicals can be a discipline issue, but in some kind of rebel group, they really won't have the resources to fight a war on multiple fights, especially not against themselves while their, “real,” foe is hunting them.

Radicalized organizations (whether they're part of a coalition or not) are also dangerous to their, “allies.” This is because they can provoke an escalated response from their foes. In many cases, if a group has proven that they're willing to deliberately target civilians, it will provoke a more severe response from their foes. That can come in the form of simple retaliation strikes, or could result in enhanced security and greater scrutiny. Finally, these organizations can provoke the emergence of radicalized organizations among their foes. For example, an renegade rebel cell with no qualms about civilian casualties could become the justification for an authoritarian regime's military to create death squads and deploy them in territory that the rebels operate in, taking a scorched earth approach.

While it's not frequently discussed in fiction, cultural differences can also result in, unintentional hostilities, which can also provoke escalation. At the very least, this can provoke resentment against foreign forces, which ensures that any rebel group would have a continual supply or recruits.

So, the original question you asked was, “how do I avoid this?” And, unfortunately, the answer is, “you don't.” Wars are horrific and messy, and unfortunately, the only way to avoid these kinds of horrors is if everyone agrees to, “play by the same rules.” In an asymmetrical war (such as with a rebellion or resistance), that's not possible. The, “legitimate,” government wouldn't view the rebels as a legitimate military force, and if the rebels operated openly they'd be arrested and executed. From there, the fuse is set.

-Starke

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[dreamsofalife]

((Fun mun fact; one of my main special interests/hyperfixations is the first world war. It's also a topic that makes me cry like an absolute little bitch. It's Veterans day today, originally Armistice Day, created to honor those who fought in the war and survived. The reason poppies are the official flower used to mark the armistice is because of a poem written in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Ypres, by John McRae, In Flanders Fields. It was, to quote his commanding officer, an almost perfect capture of the scene surrounding them.

Gandalf's famous line, "you shall not pass", was the French's battle cry during the battle of Verdun, the war's longest continuous battle that went on nearly a full year's time. 9 villages were lost in that battle, AND TO THIS DAY, 7 are still uninhabitable mud pits. Most of the LoTR series is born from Tolkien's trauma serving in that war. Ww1 saw the invention of the tank, the first use of planes in combat, first modern use of chemical warfare...and it was all used on a bunch of terrified children who thought that they would help to bring world peace. In the end, it did nothing but change borders, shift power balances in some areas, and set the stage for a more brutal war later. The men who returned from it, called the Lost Generation, would never be the same. They faced mental and physical illness all the rest of their lives.

So...why do we talk about it? Why talk about something that to this day, we don't understand the cause of and reason for? Why talk about bleakness and despair and death?

Because at the end of the day, history isn't made by heroes or monsters. It's made by people just like us. People whose lives are worth remembering, not as a mass tragedy, but because they were a person whose life mattered. In Flanders Fields wasn't written to commemorate a battle; it was the true recollection of a man who just lost his best friend.

Tragedy and misery are everywhere right now, and we're currently facing a similar climate to what the people over 100 years ago had to deal with. So we have to deal with it a similar way; by making the misery mundane and buckling down until we can create a better world. Cling to the people who matter, mourn those who don't make it, and never stop fighting to survive. We will live to see a kinder world.))

[cagedchoices]

It's been a while since I've done bullet points for verse info, but I've been thinking about my Westworld season 1 AU so naturally the brain rot is setting in and I wanna hyperfixate on it.

The What If Caleb Was In Westworld S1? AU

Caleb winds up in possession of an obscene amount of wealth by saving Mr. Whitman's life and in an effort to find something to do with even just a fraction of the money he'll never use, he learns about Westworld.

Aa per canon lore, black hats and white hats are by far the most popular choice among the human guests, typically categorizing them into one of two roles.

Color theory and symbolism in the western hemisphere often dictates that the color white represents purity, innocence, light, and/or heroism as traditionally "good" traits whereas black is often chosen to represent power, darkness, death, mourning, and/or villainy as traditionally "bad" traits.

These are of course not the ONLY color hat a guest is permitted to wear. There are hosts and some background guests seen wearing brown hats or gray hats.

Brown hats and gray hats are naturally more "neutral" options than black hat or white hat. They represent a tendency to make impulsive decisions that happen in the moment. In color theory, brown often symbolizes a neutral but more earthy connection to the world around you. Gray is often chosen to represent an option directly in-between black and white, sometimes thought to be "boring"

Caleb would likely wear a brown or gray hat. I almost wanna say he'd go hatless because that is what he does in the 20s-themed knockoff park but. Cmon, playing cowboy without a hat is like. blasphemous?? So he really should have a hat. So I’m giving him one.

Caleb's outfits resemble Marty McFly's from Back to the Future Part III. Marty's clothes in turn vaguely resembled Clint Eastwood from the Man With No Name Trilogy.

I'm not 100% committed to this idea but. Young William takes on a bounty hunt for Slim Grant during the Past Timeline. Caleb could *maybe* take on the bounty for Hector Escaton in the Present Timeline. Ultimately, he'd probably forego collecting the bounty and let Hector and Armistice go. Tenderloin and the one other bandit whose name I don't remember are still gonna die tho.

[ahaura]

(Nov. 12)

@AydinDikerdem: Peace activists from XR laid out the names of the 4100 Palestinian children killed in Gaza & the 26 Israeli children killed. They placed 100s of children’s shoes on the steps & held a silence for armistice & children. Then the thugs arrived. My Mum is one of those attacked.

[thefirstknife]

In all honesty I want some sorta armistice with some amount of Lucent Hive for really 3 major reasons:

Absolute banger aesthetic and designs. Super cool I honestly wish I could play as one (My Necro.Grip+Osteo build & GotD armor set is the closest I'll get)

They're such an interesting concept and I need to actually see how theyre dealing with being Lightblessed. Culturally, personality I want a Hive that isn't a god to talk to us

Haha what if we were both immortal beings from opposite factions, given powers that are our ontological opposites going through a philosophical metamorphosis bc if it... ,and we kissed 👉👈🥺

Yeah, same! I would love some section of the Hive to ally with us OR to at least have a temporary truce. It would be super cool to see how that develops and if those Hive maybe look at our way of doing things and consider joining us permanently instead of following those that they were essentially born to follow.

Some Lucent Hive making a choice to stand with us would offer some super interesting implications for the Hive as a whole and also for how we would deal with that. I'm soooo interested in how Lucent Hive are developing and we've not really had any substantial exploration of that yet. It's actually one of my biggest problems with WQ and that whole year. It was such a fundamental change to the setting but didn't actually meaningfully change anything. They're still all our enemies, Lucent Hive follow the same type of philosophy, none of them have shown any sort of doubt or change of heart outside of that one from Lucent Tales who didn't want to perma-kill a Guardian.

I really hope that at some point (soon) we'll see how they're developing and how they'd act if they were given a friendly hand from us. I can see this happening either if we extend that hand on our own or if we're forced to work together and some Lucent Hive end up liking our way of things.

100% agreed on the last point. Lucent Hive are sooo kissable.

[beardedmrbean]

SEOUL (Reuters) - More than 100 North Koreans have gone missing after being caught by secret police while trying to defect from the isolated country or even for trying to call relatives in South Korea, a Seoul-based human rights group said on Thursday.

The Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) released a report detailing patterns of enforced disappearances through its study based on interviews with 62 North Korean escapees in South Korea.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have defected in the decades since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, with many of those caught or repatriated sent to prison camps or other detention facilities before being released.

The group identified 113 people in 66 disappearance cases, including the cases in an archive run with other international organisations, as well as maps depicting transfer routes.

Of the 113, 80%, or 90, were arrested inside North Korea and the rest in China or Russia, with about 30% disappearing since leader Kim Jong Un took power in late 2011.

Almost 40% of them went missing after being caught trying to flee the country, while 26% took responsibility for another family member's crime. Nearly 9% were accused of being in touch with those in South Korea or other countries.

More than 81% vanished after being transferred to and detained by the Ministry of State Security (MSS), the North's secret police known as "bowibu", according to the report.

An interviewee who defected to the South in 2018 from the Chinese border city of Hyesan said his friend was arrested by the MSS while trying to recover a Chinese mobile phone hidden in the mountains, and was now rumoured to have died.

"Once (the MSS) finds call records with South Korea, they are considered serious offences," the interviewee was quoted in the report as saying.

Kang Jeong-hyun, director of the project, said the report was intended to underscore enforced disappearances committed by the Kim regime as transnational crimes also involving China and Russia.

The report was published just days before the U.N. Human Rights Council is due to issue its five-yearly Universal Periodic Review on North Korea.

The United Nations estimates up to 200,000 people are held in a vast network of gulags run by the MSS, many of them for political reasons. A 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry report said the prisoners faced torture, rape, forced labour, starvation and other inhumane treatment.

Pyongyang has long denounced defectors as "human scum", and Kim has further tightened border controls over the past few years.

The North's Korea Association for Human Rights Studies this month rejected a U.N. report on its human rights violations including forced disappearances, calling them "fabrications" and a conspiracy by the West to escalate confrontation and tarnish the country’s image.

Beijing has denied there are any North Korean defectors in China, instead describing them as illegal economic migrants.

[rabbitcruiser]

English Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar near the port city of Cádiz on October 21, 1805.

Trafalgar Day

Commemorating a historic maritime clash and the valorous individuals who shaped the course of a nation's destiny.

A British commemoration of the victory of the Royal Navy over the French and Spanish fleets, Trafalgar Day seeks to pay honor to this important occasion that was a pivotal point in history. History buffs, navy fans, and just average people can all find ways to learn more and enjoy marking this momentous event! 

History of Trafalgar Day

The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805, when the Royal Navy, under the command of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, was able to triumph during the Napoleonic Wars, even though the British side had six fewer ships. This is considered the most important event on the calendar of the famous HMS Victory, which is the oldest commissioned warship in the world.

The cost of the Battle of Trafalgar was high, with approximately 1600 British seamen either wounded or killed in the battle, including Admiral Nelson who was mortally wounded. Even so, these tallies are small compared to the losses on the other side, where around 20,000 men from the Spanish and French navies were taken as prisoners of war, and almost 7,000 more were killed or wounded. Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, the leader for the opposing side, was one of those who was captured.

Historians put the British win down to having a more well-trained group of seamen in the Royal Navy. After having been at sea together for at least two years, they knew exactly how to function as a team. In addition, the British sailors were well-trained in how to use their weapons, practicing firing their guns several days a week for many years in preparation.

While the Battle of Trafalgar was certainly an important victory, establishing the supremacy of the British Royal Navy for over a century, it wasn’t until 1896 that the legacy left behind by Admiral Nelson was duly recognized. The motivation behind the first celebration of Trafalgar Day more than 90 years later was brought on by the formation of the Navy League in 1894.

That first celebration in 1896 was commemorated all throughout the British Empire, with various festivities such as special dinners, parades and more. For more than 100 years, Trafalgar Day was a huge celebration for Britain, however it waned after the end of World War I in 1918, with the recognition of the devastating effects of war.

Although Trafalgar Day is still marked as a public day each year in Britain, it has been somewhat overshadowed by Armistice Day that is scheduled just ten days earlier on October 11, also known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth or Veteran’s Day in the United States. 

In 2005, on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, a special celebration took place, named Trafalgar 200. The celebration of the navy that year, including the International Fleet Review, was larger and more vibrant than usual.

In smaller circles, particularly those related to the navy, the evening of Trafalgar Day is still a time when the celebration of this important battle continues annually. The Royal Navy has the tradition of holding a Trafalgar Night dinner in the Officer’s Mess, with speeches, toasts and other activities to pay honor to the event.

While it is important to remember that every battle and war is always tragic, the protection the Royal Navy had for the British Empire in 1805 is also worth remembering on Trafalgar Day. After all, had the battle turned out differently, the history of Europe might have been very different as well!

How to Celebrate Trafalgar Day

Show some appreciation and honor for the Battle of Trafalgar by joining in on some observances with a few of these ideas:

Visit Trafalgar Square

Make a big deal out of Trafalgar Day by going to the place where the battle is memorialized – Trafalgar Square in London. This square was established in the early 19th century in the central part of the city, around the area called Charing Cross. The name was given in 1835 and, of course, it was named after the battle where Admiral Nelson led the navy to victory.

Since the 12th century, this area of land in London has been used for various public gatherings as well as political demonstrations. Today, Trafalgar Square still acts in those ways, and it also houses some important features of London, including The National Gallery, Nelson’s Column and the curious Trafalgar Square fourth plinth.

Learn More About the Battle of Trafalgar 

Get to know about the battle that Trafalgar Day celebrates by learning a bit more about. Check out some of these interesting facts about the battle to get started with:

Though the Battle of Trafalgar was an important one in establishing the British navy’s control of the seas, it was another ten years until Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo, in 1815.

While the British fleet had only 27 ships and the French and Spanish fleet combined to a total of 33, they still won the victory. And the British also lost no ships in the battle.

This famous signal from Admiral Nelson was sent just before the Battle of Trafalgar: “England expects every man to do his duty.”

Visit a Royal Navy Museum

One excellent way to get involved with celebrating Trafalgar Day might be to learn more about British naval history up close and personal, by visiting one of the six locations of the National Museums of the Royal Navy. In addition to seeing galleries, looking at displays and learning from exhibitions, this museum is also all about the experience that allows visitors to get up close and personal.

The main museum is located in Portsmouth at the historic dockyard, while there is also a museum at Hartlepool. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum and the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower can be found in Gosport, near Portsmouth. The retired HMS Caroline warship from World War I can also be visited in Belfast, Northern Ireland, while the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum is located on an airfield near Yeovilton. 

Trafalgar Day FAQs

Where is Trafalgar?

Cape Trafalgar is a coastal headland that is located in the southwestern portion of Spain, on the Atlantic Ocean.

Where is Trafalgar Square?

Trafalgar Square is a public square located in Central London, in the city of Westminster, United Kingdom.

Who won the Battle of Trafalgar?

Britain won the Battle of Trafalgar against the French and Spanish naval fleets.

How did Admiral Nelson win the Battle of Trafalgar?

The battle against Napoleon was won for a number of reasons, but much of it due to superior training as well as better weapons.

Who are on the plinths in Trafalgar Square?

Three plinths have statues of King George IV, General Sir Charles James Napier, and Sir Henry Havelock. The fourth plinth was meant for William IV, but it was left empty due to lack of funding. Since 1998, it has had changing artwork.

Source

[omniblades-and-stars]

For the ship + fic title: Shakarian + Oblivion Calling?

This is 100% a post first contact war AU and also a horror story where the monster is isolation and PTSD and also probably a monster.

Shepard is a grizzled special forces agent who got stuck behind enemy lines before the armistice. He lost contact with the fleet and doesn't know the war is over.

Garrus is sent with a team to find missing scouts only for his team to meet the same unfortunate fate by mythological monster, he gets away only to run into Shepard.

Will they be able to get over their distrust/hatred to survive? Is the monster real? Will the nightmares both real and dreamt ever end?

Tune in sometime in the next 3 years when I decide that actually maybe I should make this real.

[bgallen]

"For months we have slept under the guns … We cannot comprehend the stillness.”

On the personal train carriage of General Ferdinand Foch, deep in the Forest of Compiègne, four representatives from the German Empire and four leaders of the Allied Powers met to discuss the terms of an armistice. After three days, on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 the Armistice went into effect. Thus ending four years of unprecedented death and destruction, the Great War was finally over. Today, 105 years after this moment in history, that so drastically effected the lives of millions upon millions, we observe it as Veteran’s Day in America. Veteran’s Day is a day that we remember all of the veterans, in all of their capacities, who have served our nation. Veterans Day is a day to remember those veterans who have passed, yet even more importantly, to remember those who are living.

 I listened to a great podcast this week from History That Doesn’t Suck. Professor Greg Jackson does an incredible job telling the story of the Armistice in such an interesting way, yet still including all of the names and facts that are important. Episode 146 is titled, The Armistice of November 11, 1918. It’s a little over an hour long but so worth your time.

Armistice Day 1918: 100 Years of Heroes - YouTube, video of various American troops celebrating the armistice around the world in 1918.

They Shall Not Grow Old – New Trailer – Now Playing In Theaters - YouTube, this documentary is incredible.

1918 Peerless Quartet - Goodbye France - YouTube, this song came out in 1918.

1919 Nicholas Orlando - Till We Meet Again (Charles Hart & Harry MacDonough, vocal) - YouTube, this is a favorite of mine – I didn’t realize that it was written during The Great War!

Armistice Day 1918 (1918) - YouTube, oh my the confetti being thrown at 0:18!

“This Veterans Day, may we honor the incredible faith that our veterans hold, not just in our country but in all of us.  They are the solid-steel backbone of our Nation, and we must endeavor to continue being worthy of their sacrifices by working toward a more perfect Union and protecting the freedoms that they have fought to defend. In respect and recognition of the contributions our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation’s veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2023, as Veterans Day.  I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor, courage, and sacrifice of these patriots through appropriate ceremonies and private prayers and by observing two minutes of silence for our Nation’s veterans.  I also call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States of America and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities.”

 I hope that your weekend is enjoyable, fun, restful, active – whatever you need it to be. And remember our veterans.