#Balfour v. Balfour

[legalstudiesin1]

Balfour v. Balfour(1919)

Balfour v. Balfour is a landmark case that was decided by the English courts in 1919. It is significant in the field of contract law and deals with the concept of domestic agreements. The case involved a married couple, Mr. Balfour and Mrs. Balfour, who were living in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) at the time. Mrs. Balfour had traveled to England due to health reasons, and Mr. Balfour remained in…

[bloodstainedmuzzle]

HAVEN (2010 - 2015) ↳ 1x11 ― The Trial of Audrey Parker

Duke Crocker [ 1 / ??? ]

[ofbreathandflame-archive]

I have opinions on the Poppy, Kieran, and Casteel dynamic from the From Blood and Ash series. I've seen the discussions about it, granted I haven't finished the series as I DNF'd a quarter into the third book. The point is less about the subject of the Joining as a plot point (i.e. I don't quite care about the craft of the joining or how well executed it was), and more about the racial tensions at work. Let's call it the Kenji Kishimoto effect. Or the Tenet effect. The moment these types of characters step outside the designated template, problems begin to arise.

Tawny and Kieran being named "brown and black, respectively" wasn't enough for people to dislike the book. Both of them are servants to our main characters (and I think Kieran is magically bound to Casteel, I think? I haven't read these books in years tho). But Kieran's elevation from black best friend to love interest did. Again, I think the problem lies less in the craft of these stories, and more in the raciality of it all. The way people become unconsciously uncomfortable with unambiguous black/brown people operating in those types of spaces. Hence why I bring up Kenji Kishimoto, Tenet; it extends to other pieces of media too: Bonnie from TVD, Poe/Finn/Rose from SW. Either these characters are beloved because people unconsciously (or knowingly) that they will never operate outside of the comfortable, accessible person of color. Or they're hated because they might.

[heartsdefine]

anais starter call — accepting! ↳ @highaver

        "Seems I can't turn a single corner on the Sword Coast without getting caught up in someone else's fight." She's irritated, but only a little. It was not the most difficult thing Anais has had to do recently. Wrinkling her nose, she nudges one of the bodies, turning it over with the toe of her boot. Then seeing the insignia on the dead man's breast, she arches a brow at the only man still breathing. "Who'd you piss off to deserve a visit from one of Baldur's Gate's most notorious assassins' guilds?"

[ahsokaisawesome]

another wip of jade, I was debating posting some old art or this but we shall see what I do tomorrow or Thursday ashjfblahbfsa I'm having fun with a new lineart style bc consistency is a cousin I see maybe once every 6 y ears /shrugs

[seriouslyaliens]

       “There you are! Hold these.” Joan shoved a pile of exams into Balfour’s arms as they continued down the hall. She fumbled with her glasses and pushed them up her nose, trying to read something on her phone while navigating the crowd. “You weren’t in class today. Overslept?” 

@highaver​ — call.

[hertha2]

S/V Tallulah by James Balfour

[v0rd1g4n]

The Thundermans Return - Review

All right, as I already stated in Part 1, I really liked the movie. It was great how fast it got released, after they officially announced it back in 2023, less than a year later. I could even enjoy it with the mexican spanish dub (with the same voice actors and everything), as soon as it was available on Paramount+, which by the way was awesome.

However, I think they had a few problems to work with all these characters in the same story, and this is what I think...

The art of nerfing

From time to time, they seem to be forced to nerf their powers for the story to go on and putting about 15 characters with superpowers in a movie like this, quite frankly, is not an easy task. We would expect to see the twins stronger and experienced than ever and probably they are, but its more likely that they tried to balance things up.

I think this is like creating a Superman game, which by the way, is something people have been discussing for a while. You could try to make it perfectly accurate to how powerful he can get to be, which is practically a god, but this is just a lot to work with and that's why they need to nerf, either his superpowers or the city. Otherwise, the game would be boring.

All right, let's get to it. These are my thoughts...

Losing a lost battle

First of all, when the family go to stop Blue Flame, the Thundertwins didn't even use telekinesis against him. Only close range atacks like heat breath from a long distance, which has no sense. Especially for someone like Phoebe.

What about Max's gadgets? All we saw was the jetpack but none of his new inventions, maybe a repulsor gauntlet or something like that. I know the Thundermans were meant to fail on this save, but I just think it could've been better executed.

A lost opportunity

Also, when Max and Phoebe get caught by the V-Team, I would've liked to see an intense fight between them, maybe not as good as the one they have, later in the movie and then get defeated by a bad decision from one of the twins, for example.

Besides, they could've left a huge mess all around the headquarters, for President Kickbutt and her team to find and start to investigate the V-Team.

A missing fight

During the Thundermans house break in, again, it would have been cool to see a small fight before they show how Max and Phoebe were being tortured. Maybe even turning Dr. Colosso back into a human, to help them out or something.

The amount of destruction inside of the house with all those powers, would've been amazing. By the way, did you notice how Chloe walks out of the scene, right before the V-Team get in the house?

Prison break

Near the end of the movie, we learn that the V-Team had broken their parents out of prison, and again, a security camera shot of them taking a few guards down and breaking out of prison together, would've been enough for me.

We've only seen Metroburg Super Jail from the outside and the cells area, but that building looks massive. Also, did you see they forgot to add the Metrobug Superjail sign at the top of the building? This screenshot is from "Tunder In Paradise".

The band and the mothers hunter

Other things I would've liked to see, is Max and his band playing a song at Splatburger again and not only talking about rejoining the band. Maybe even having Gideon still dating Sarah, instead of trying to become the next Paul Finch, still obsessed with his friend's mother, I mean... come on dude, chill out! 🤣

Weird relationship

And of course, how could this be a Nickelodeon show/movie, without the mandatory awkward scene? Dr. Colosso, a grown ass man turned into a rabbit, had been using Max's old suit as a sooting blanket. It was funny though.

I think sometimes the writers jut forgot that Dr. Colosso was not a talking rabbit. Oh, and by the way... what happened to his son, Balfour? They didn't even mention him.

Interesting origin but bad executed

And last but not least important, I'd like to talk about the reason I said in Part 1, that the Power Plant was a terrible idea.

But don't get me wrong. The origin of superpowers was interesting, but if Hank and Barb had this source of powers at home all along, then why didn't they use the blue seeds to go stop Dark Mayhem after Max took their powers away with the power-sapping orb?

Obviously, this was years before the movie came out, but still, it kind of ruins the moment, now that I look back and know what was really there.

Budget and filming

Now, I don't know if the budget was pretty low for the movie to last only 1 hour and 10 minutes or if it was filmed in a short span, but maybe that's what happened, because I remember people saying the filming was over in less than a month, so that may be the reason we didn't get to see more cool stuff, but I don't know.

I'm just speculating.

Music

As for the music, I gotta say I really liked it, except for the V-Team's song. It was funny, but not my thing. The new version of the theme song played during the closing credits, was so cool and I don't know if you're gonna be with me on this, but the song we could hear during the final battle against Dark Mayhem, was great.

I even turned on the subtitles while writing this and look what it says in the background. Damn! I thought the movie was for kids 🤣

VFX

And finally the VFX. I did have in mind that the movie was family friendly, so the special effects we see during the entire movie, are practically an improved version of the ones we've previously seen on the TV Show, which is cool most of the time, but sometimes... it doesn't.

Thundercest

Did you really think I wasn't gonna talk about Thundercest here? Well, guess again. It would've been awesome to have another big hug between Max and Phoebe, just like the one we saw in "Thunder in Paradise", but we can't have everything, right?

It's weird, because Max and Phoebe share a lot of screen time together, but something feels different than the tv show vibes. Don't you think? Anyway, here's a couple pics of them together.

Errors

I wasn't sure if I should share these two errors I found while writing Part 1 and Part 2 because this is not a movie rant, but it's kind of funny now that I think about it. So here they are:

Did you notice how they changed She-Crab's claw from one arm to the other?

Or how Phoebe's footage was duplicated while blowing freeze breath at Dark Mayhem Jr.?

And as Forrest Gump would say: “That's all I have to say about that”.

Colosso, the skater

Oh, wait. I almost forgot... All of the promos and posters had a small picture of Dr. Colosso on a skateboard. Is a deleted scene or something? I guess we'll never know.

Look at that. I wanna see Dr. Colosso performing a few tricks on a skateboard.

#SpingarnCut

Ranking

All right, I rank this movie 8/10.

And this is it, guys. I hope I'm not forgetting something important. I've been writing Part 2 and this post for the last three days, so please tell me what you think about the movie, about my review and if you'd like to see more of The Thundermans soon.

How would you rank the movie?

Let me know all your comments.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers - 3.75/5 stars

I hate myself a little bit for using this word to describe this book, but it's a meditation on modern (western) culture, the drumbeat of living a purposeful life, and, imo, the millennial condition.

It also, separately from that, made me think of the song 'New Constellations' by Ryn Weaver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13EX7qGdUGI

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles - 5/5 stars

This book features Gareth Inglis, a member of the gentry whose father shipped him off to his uncle when his mother died. Gareth never saw or heard from his father (who remarried and had another child) again, and no one knew he existed because his father was a piece of human garbage. Which meant I couldn't stop thinking about my former father-in-law, who had two sons from his first marriage whom he, as far as I could tell, never had any contact with after remarrying and having another child. Life imitates art?

Anyway, it's KJ Charles, so you pretty much can't go wrong. I saw someone refer to this as enemies-to-lovers and realized my toxic trait is railing against people who want to apply enemies-to-lovers to everything. Spoiler alert, this is not enemies-to-lovers. But it is lovely, and includes Gareth and Joss Doomsday (a smuggler) bonding over beetles.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by SA Chakraborty - 4.5/5 stars

It was no Daevabad Trilogy, but then again, I remember finishing City of Brass and being like, yeah, it was fine, I'll probably pick up the sequel at some point. It wasn't until Kingdom of Copper that I grew to really love the series, so I'm hoping the same happens with this. This book was a lot of fun, and the fact that all the characters were middle-aged was pretty delightful. I'm definitely excited to see where this series goes.

The Long Run by James Acker - 5/5 stars

Excellent YA book about two lonely jocks in New Jersey.

Feel the Fire by Annabeth Albert - 3.75/5 stars

His Accidental Cowboy by AM Arthur - 4/5 stars

Brida by Paul Coelho - 1/5 stars

One of the reviews for this book on Storygraph says it 'aged like milk' and I can't put it better than that. This is a soul mate AU where souls undergo cell division, essentially, and your soul mate is from your same base soul from before the soul split in half. Okay, great. Oh but wait, the soul always divides into male and female. And your soul mate is always someone of the opposite sex, even though that doesn't make sense because as souls divide again and again, that means there are a lot of people out there who came from the same original soul as you. Also, witchcraft? Also also, even though the book is called Brida and is ostensibly about the title character, her whole journey was really just to serve the unnamed male character, the Magus. This isn't implicit either, it's completely explicit. At the end it's like, 'sometimes young women come along to show men the way' (I'm paraphrasing but...not much).

This went straight to my give away pile, and I hated it so much that the rest of my Coelho books joined it (except The Alchemist).

Enlightened by Joanna Chambers - 5/5 stars

Or, For The Love Of God Please Give David Lauriston And Murdo Balfour A Break, And Preferably A Happy Ending.

They got one, btw.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao - DNF

Honestly, the Mad Libs YA title should have warned me off of this one, but I always give my Illumicrate books a try. Cartoonish villains and protagonists I find myself liking less the more we get to know them. The prose is quite good but not enough to make up for the character deficiencies.

Solomon's Crown by Natasha Siegel - 5/5 stars

Blurbed by no less than Tamora Pierce (Song of the Lioness supremacy!), Rainbow Rowell, Freya Marske, and CS Pacat. Did I go into this book with insanely high expectations? Yes. Did it mostly meet them? Yes! If you're a Captive Prince fan, this one's for you.

Siegel tells us up front, before the book even starts, that it's a romance and not historically accurate. So don't go into this expecting a historically accurate love story between King Richard of England and King Philip of France. It is, however, a gorgeous romance. The world-building is top notch. Even if it's not totally accurate to the High Middle Ages, it feels accurate, if that makes sense? Siegel really captures the feeling of being in a different world. Lush writing, amazing sexual/romantic tension, lovely sad boys. Highly, highly recommend.

Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots by Cat Sebastian - 4.75/5 stars

I docked .25 stars because it bugged me that they didn't move in together at the end. Idk, just felt too 'look, I'm subverting romance conventions!' Still good, obviously.

Like Real People Do by EL Massey - 4/5 stars

A very wholesome and low stakes hockey romance. I found myself often thinking that the interactions of the men on the hockey teams seemed unrealistic, but it was charming and sweet enough that I didn't care.

The book reads like fanfiction, which is because it was fanfiction—but it's in a mostly good way, not a bad way (*cough* All The Way Happy *cough*). Apparently the original version was Check, Please! fanfiction, which I am vaguely familiar with as a thing that exists. Apparently it's a web comic? Anyway, I enjoyed the book enough to pick up the sequel.

[david-goldrock]

Hello! I'm pro palestine - in the sense that I do think that Israel is founded on colonialism (no, i don't blame the jews. just was how it was) and I hope for a two state solution where Israel genuinely leaves the West bank and Gaza alone entirely.

Israel was founded largely thanks to British aid. The Brits Lied to Al Hussein (McMahon-Hussein Correspondence) claiming that if they fought of the Ottomans, they'd help them set up Palestine. They had promised to the Jews in the Balfour declaration in 1917. But all that was a lie, they'd already arranged a split with France (Sykes-Picot agreement), and both these entities would ultimately be under foreign rule. Anyway, this got them Mesopotamia, Jordan, and the Palestine region, and they split Palestine up 20% 80% in the 1937 Peel Commission.

You know, at the time where jews made up 6% of the population in the region. This was deeply disrespectful to the Arab population at the time, and while most countries have black roots nowadays, that should be acknowledged. There's a reason Arabs kept initiating the wars - and it's not because Arabs have less moral fiber than Jews.

It's because they were there first, and Jews came because their great great great great great grandmother was there. Also, there's writings at the time to imply that the British support of Israel's creation was largely a result of not wanting to deal with living with Jewish people.

Arthur James Balfour literally wrote that he hoped that the creation of Israel would mean British people wouldn't have to deal with an "alien body" anymore.

The foundation of Israel is not only built on a lot of violence (that the jews did not directly start but was unavoidable by virtue of them seeking to take over the area, and the british lies that were deeply disrespectful), but also on British colonialism and anti-semitism. It has resulted in the displacement of Palestinians all over the middle east, because they were uprooted from their homes because of Zionism.

In other words - I don't think Zionism is a solution to anti-semitism nor do I think it has done good to the world. It wasn't peaceful, and it never could have been. Colonialism is never a peaceful endeavor.

I understand the 12 israeli tribes/Kingdom of Israel were forced into a diaspora, and I am truly sorry about how the jewish people have suffered. I understand the desire for a jewish state - even if I think it was wrong to take something where people were already living, even if that was once where your great great great great great great grandmothers and grandfathers lived.

That doesn't justify the violence the Palestinians face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xottY-7m3k

in this video, around 50:35, you can see some videos of IDF soldiers committing several heinous acts, including destroying humanitarian aid. around 52:45, you can see an IDF soldier using a civilian as a human shield.

https://twitter.com/poke_farmer/status/1790718768198361513 https://twitter.com/AnonOpsSE/status/1567233393565306880

some more videos, a residential area bombed, and a group of idf members harassing people holding up a coffin of a journalist.

I've heard claims that Hamas is forcing Israel to commit things that are like war crimes - like bombing hospitals and schools casualties - because of how it works. If Hamas really has underground tunnels in these areas and that's why Israel is bombing them, what's the proof of that being the case? If Hamas is telling Palestinians to stay home even if the IDF sends them texts before bombing them - where's the proof of that?

I will admit - I don't personally follow any IDF or Palestinian social media. You seem like you would be more connected - which is why I'm asking you.

I will admit - I only watched a bit of Memri.tv and that's all I know about palestinian tv. I've seen the Hamas leader who said you can kill a jew for 5 shekels (meaning, with a knife). I know that for sure several palestinians do hate jews.

The same is true of the israelis. A lot of them hate arabs. https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1725391062448087143 https://twitter.com/amalikabeer98/status/1782129171709210724

This is actually more of a reflection of Israelis. Hamas has been unfairly taking a 20 year term, so it's easy to say the Palestinians aren't reflected in the government. Israel is democratic. The country's government largely represents the people.

Everything I've mentioned so far and more can be found in the youtube video I linked by the way - I highly recommend you give it a watch.

People often view support of Palestine as being...entirely unresearched and misunderstood. I can't deny that several people seem to view this issue as another thing on the Leftist Checklist To Support And Also I Can Hate Jewish People Now which I won't lie - it disgusts me as much as it should disgust any sane person.

But I fundamentally cannot agree with how the country Israel operates, and I believe it has gone way too far, even given October 7th. Hamas' attack on October 7th only explains what's going on in Gaza - it explains nothing about the IDF's actions against the West Bank, which is not under Hamas. It's under Palestinian Authority.

I would not consider myself a Zionist for reasons I've stated - but it's not as though I believe the jewish people in Israel who are living there right now deserve eviction. As I said at the start - I support a two state solution where Israel and the West Bank + Gaza become separate entities.

I think that: a) since Israel had the power in this situation, it should be the one to bring about peace. If Hamas puts down its soldiers, it will not turn out well for Gaza at this point.

b) mainly British action and some Israeli action are a large part of why the Palestinians feel wronged, and that should be acknowledged

Imma be honest, I think you are deeply misunderstanding a fuck ton of history. I was prepared to correct you but I cannot find any question in this post

Why'd you send me this? Sorry for the harsh words, but did you feel a need to share your opinion? That it mattered? I don't know who you are, you're on anon, and you came into my askbox spitting half-correct history and opinions with no relevance to me, so I must ask, why?

[phasmophobie]

Once again I think I'm super funny. Those are tags from my favorite fanfiction site. They are all inspired by either texts I exchange with peeps or the mutuals itself that I've got to know through exchanges. 

.I* asher balfour @ashbalfourur .II* elizabeth cunningham @exsecrabarabar .III* elijah williams (dies irae) @thisis-elijah .IV* daria zamádis (circus au) @caughtbetweenworlds .V* jakow chernykh @trauma-report

[corallapis]

Henry ‘Chips’ Channon: The Diaries (Vol. 1), 1918-38, entry for 29th June 1923

— Friday 29th June Lunched at Lady Cunard’s. The usual potpourri and brilliant chat. She told Lord Balfour he was like God and ‘yet so Christ-like’! Dined with Michael Horby¹ at Shelley House² and we went to Stop Flirting, the popular revue in which two charming little people, Americans, called Fred and Adele Astaire, are the stars.³ Later a most lovely ball at Someries House⁴ ... Lady Zia Wernher’s.⁵ It was successful indeed and starts a new era in entertaining .... I was presented to a tallish gentleman, the Crown Prince of Sweden⁶ ... he is to marry the Lady Louise Mountbatten.⁷ It will be announced next week. What luck for her as she has only about £300 a year and is living in obscurity at Kensington Palace. The Mountbattens after being degraded during the war⁸ to the rank of mere marquises and earls are now much on the ascendant ... they are ever a lucky family, poverty-stricken, they specialise in brilliant marriages. I sat in the garden with Lady Desborough⁹ and found her witty and wily as ever ... does everyone realise, as I do, that she is the character of the age?

—

1. Michael Charles St John Hornby (1899-1987), son of St John Hornby, was the founding partner of WH Smith.

2. The Hornby family’s house in Chelsea.

3. Frederick Austerlitz (1899-1987), who took the name Fred Astaire, was an American actor, dancer and singer who achieved worldwide fame in the 1930s in a series of Hollywood musicals renowned for their dance routines; and his sister Adele Marie (1896-1981), with whom he began a vaudeville act as children as 1905, when they changed their name to Astaire. By 1923 they had a Broadway act, which they were touring in London.

4. A Crown State property rented by the Wernhers in Regent’s Park, designed by John Nash and damaged by bombing during the Second World War. It was demolished in 1958.

5. Countess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Torby (1892-1977), elder daughter of the Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia, and therefore a great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I. She married, in 1917, Harold Wernher (1893-1973), later 3rd Bt. She was granted the rank and precedence of an earl’s daughter after her marriage and stopped using her Russian title, being known as Lady Zia Wernher thereafter.

6. Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf (1882-1973), from 1950 King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. He was the widower of Princess Margaret of Connaught (1882-1920), whom he had married in 1905; she was the cousin of King George V, and had died suddenly while eight months pregnant with her sixth child. 7. Louise Alexandra Marie Irene Mountbatten (1889-1965), previously Princess Louise of Battenberg, married the Crown Prince of Sweden (vide supra) in 1923, and was Queen Consort of Sweden from 1950. She was daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg, who became 1st Marquess of Milford Haven when renouncing the German titles in 1917. She had earlier turned down proposals from King Manuel II of Portugal and had been secretly engaged to Prince Christopher of Greece, who was unable to marry her because he had no money; a second engagement was to Stuart Hill, an artist, whom she met while nursing in the Great War and who turned out to be homosexual. 8. There was a protracted debate between Lloyd George, King George V and Lord Stamfordham, the King’s private secretary, in 1917 about the titles to be bestowed on German members of the King’s family who had pledged allegiance to him and had been prepared to forfeit their German ranks. The King was cautioned against granting too many titles and to avoid bestowing any dukedoms. The Mountbatten marquessate was a compromise and their rise would indeed be unstoppable, with the surname of members of the House of Windsor becoming Mountbatten-Windsor in 1960, thirteen years after the marriage of the future Queen Elizabeth II to Philip Mountbatten. 9. Ethel ‘Ettie’ Fane (1867-1952), married in 1887 William Henry Grenfell (1855-1945), 1st Baron Desborough, a former Liberal MP who had joined the Conservatives in 1893 over his disagreement with the second Home Rule Bill for Ireland. Their three sons (qqv) predeceased them, two killed in the Great War and a third in a car crash.

[scotianostra]

Adam Archibald was born on 14th January 1879 at Leith.

Archibald was awarded the Victoria Croos for an act of bravery during Worlad War One near Ors, France.

Adam was the son of Rennie Archibald,  a Plasterer, and Christina Archibald, of 24 Shaws Street, Edinburgh. He lived at 53 Balfour Street with his wife and four children, and before he joined the Army in 1916 he had been Outside Foreman with Stewart’s Granolithic Co Ltd of Duff Street. In his younger days he had been a keen footballer and had had a trial with StBernard’s FC, an early Football club that rivalled Hibs and Hearts during the Victorian era. Adam aws also a bowler and at the time of his enlistment he had been President of the Eastfield Bowling Club. Another of his hobbies was gardening and he had won prizes at local flower shows. He was a freemason belonging to the Elgin and Bruce Lodge at Limekilns in Fife,

b. 14/01/1879 Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. d. 10/03/1957 Leith.

Adam Archibald (1879-1957) was born on 14th January 1879 at Leith, Midlothian, Scotland. He was the son of Rennie Archibald,  a Plasterer, and Christina Archibald, of 24 Shaws Street, Edinburgh. He lived at 53 Balfour Street with his wife and four children, and before he joined the Army in 1916 he had been Outside Foreman with Stewart’s Granolithic Co Ltd of Duff Street. In his younger days he had been a keen footballer and had had a trial with StBernard’s FC.  He was also a bowler and at the time of his enlistment he had been President of the Eastfield Bowling Club. Another of his hobbies was gardening and he had won prizes at local flower shows. He was a freemason belonging to the Elgin and Bruce Lodge at Limekilns in Fife.

He enlisted with the 7th Durham Light Infantry before transferring to the 218th Field Company, Royal Engineers during the second battle of the Sambre.  At the age of 39, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for action while his unit was attempting to bridge the Sambre–Oise Canal.  

On 4th November 1918 near Ors, France, Sapper Archibald was with a party building a floating bridge across the canal. He was foremost in the work under a very heavy artillery barrage and machine-gun fire. The latter was directed at him from a few yards distance while he was working on the cork floats. Nevertheless, he persevered in his task and his example and efforts were such that the bridge which was essential to the success of the operations was very quickly completed. Immediately afterwards Sapper Archibald collapsed from gas poisoning.

He received his Victoria Cross from King George V at Buckingham Palace in May 1919. After his discharge he returned to his job with Stuart’s Granolithic Works in Edinburgh, eventually rising to a position as manager of their Duff Street works. He passed away at his home in Leith on 10th Marrch 1957 at the age of 76. He was cremated at Warriston Crematorium, Edinburgh. His name is on the memorial there. His medals are on display with those of Major Waters at the Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham, Kent.

[heartsdefine]

“I’m sensing a bit of a negative vibe here.” ↳ @highaver — memes / accepting!

        "A negative vibe," T'Pring repeated, somehow managing to sound as if she'd never spoken a word of English despite being a prolific expert in the language—and in xenolinguistics as a whole. "Forgive me. I will need you to further explain vibe if you desire a conclusive response."

[accapitalmarket]

GBP drops despite inflation rebounds, UK100 closes higher

UK stocks rose and sterling fell on Wednesday as a below-forecast increase in UK inflation, albeit the first rise since December bolstered hopes for further Bank of England rate cuts.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said UK consumer price index (CPI) inflation increased to 2.2% year-on-year in July, up from 2.0% in June, however, that was below forecasts for a rise to 2.3%. On a monthly basis, CPI declined by 0.2% in July, compared to an increase of 0.1% in June from May.

Meanwhile, UK producer prices rose 0.4% annually in July, after being flat in June which had been upwardly revised from a previously reported decline of 0.4%. On a monthly basis, producer input prices edged down by 0.1%, a slowing from a fall of 0.4% in June.

On currency markets, the pound shed 0.12% versus the US dollar to 1.2841 and lost 0.38% against the euro at 1.1651. But sterling recovered from lows against the dollar after weaker than forecast US inflation data also nailed on expectations for a first Federal Reserve rate cut next month.

US CPI rose increased by 0.2% in July, after falling 0.1% in June, in line with economists' expectations, and the annual increase in inflation slowed to below 3.0% for the first time since early 2021. Wall Street stock indexes all pushed higher following the inflation news.

At the stock market close in London, the blue-chip FTSE 100 index was 0.6% higher at 8,281, while the broader FTSE 250 was up 1.0% at 20,952.

Housebuilders rose on interest rate cut hopes, with Persimmon adding 3.4% and Barratt Developments gaining 3.8%. The sector also cheered ONS data showing UK house prices rose by 2.7% in the 12 months to June to an average of £288,000. June's annual increase was the same as May's, which was the joint-highest since March 2023.

Gaming stocks also saw good support. Playtech surged 13.8% higher after revealing it is holding talks with Flutter Entertainment regarding the possible sale of its Snaitech Italian gambling business. Flutter itself jumped 10.4% as the Paddy Power and Betfair group lifted its full-year guidance after a better-than-expected second-quarter performance. And Ladbrokes owner Entain benefited in kind, gaining 4.5%.

Elsewhere, blue-chip insurer Aviva rose 0.7% after reporting a 14% rise in interim operating profits. But on the FTSE 250, Balfour Beatty fell 2.5% after the infrastructure construction contractor reported a fall in first-half underlying profit although it hiked its interim dividend by 9% and said it expected annual earnings to grow.

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[dan6085]

### The Roles of the Zionist Movement in World War I

The Zionist movement, which sought the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, played a complex and multifaceted role during World War I. The geopolitical upheavals and shifting alliances of the war created opportunities and challenges for Zionist leaders, influencing the movement's strategies and outcomes. This essay explores the key roles and contributions of the Zionist movement during this period.

#### 1. Diplomatic Maneuvering and the Balfour Declaration

One of the most significant achievements of the Zionist movement during World War I was securing the Balfour Declaration. Issued by the British government on November 2, 1917, the declaration stated that Britain supported the establishment of "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. This diplomatic breakthrough was largely the result of concerted efforts by Zionist leaders such as Chaim Weizmann, who tirelessly lobbied British officials and leveraged the wartime context to gain their support.

Weizmann, a chemist by profession, had also contributed to the British war effort by developing a method for producing acetone, a critical component in the manufacture of explosives. This scientific contribution bolstered his standing with British authorities and facilitated his access to key policymakers [oai_citation:1,A Libertarian Laughs At The State, With Dave Smith - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u-SsXTHhU#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DC,100). The Balfour Declaration marked a significant endorsement of Zionist aspirations and laid the groundwork for future Jewish immigration to Palestine.

#### 2. Espionage and Intelligence Activities

The Zionist movement was also involved in espionage and intelligence activities during the war. The Nili spy network, founded by Jewish residents of Palestine, provided valuable intelligence to the British about Ottoman military positions and movements. Led by Aaron Aaronsohn and his sister Sarah, Nili operated from 1915 to 1917, transmitting information via coded messages and clandestine contacts with British agents in Egypt.

Nili's intelligence contributions were instrumental in aiding the British campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. However, the network's activities eventually attracted the attention of Ottoman authorities, leading to its discovery and the execution of several key members. Despite this setback, Nili's efforts exemplified the Zionist movement's willingness to engage in risky operations to further their cause [oai_citation:2,A Libertarian Laughs At The State, With Dave Smith - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u-SsXTHhU#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DC,100).

#### 3. Military Contributions

Zionist leaders also sought to contribute directly to the military efforts of the Allied powers. The formation of the Jewish Legion, a military unit composed of Jewish volunteers, was a notable example of this endeavor. The legion, which included battalions such as the 38th, 39th, and 40th Royal Fusiliers, was established with the support of prominent Zionists like Vladimir Jabotinsky and Joseph Trumpeldor.

These units participated in the British campaign in Palestine, particularly in battles such as the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917. The involvement of Jewish soldiers in the liberation of Palestine from Ottoman rule not only demonstrated the Zionist commitment to the Allied cause but also symbolized the Jewish connection to the land [oai_citation:3,A Libertarian Laughs At The State, With Dave Smith - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u-SsXTHhU#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DC,100).

#### 4. Post-War Political Advocacy

In the aftermath of World War I, the Zionist movement intensified its political advocacy to secure international recognition and support for Jewish settlement in Palestine. The 1919 Paris Peace Conference provided an opportunity for Zionist leaders to present their case to the global community. Chaim Weizmann, representing the Zionist Organization, argued for the inclusion of the Balfour Declaration in the post-war settlements and sought international guarantees for the establishment of a Jewish homeland.

The efforts at the peace conference culminated in the inclusion of the Balfour Declaration in the text of the League of Nations mandate for Palestine, officially entrusting Britain with the responsibility of facilitating the establishment of a Jewish national home [oai_citation:4,A Libertarian Laughs At The State, With Dave Smith - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u-SsXTHhU#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DC,100). This was a significant diplomatic victory for the Zionist movement, reinforcing the legitimacy of their aspirations on the international stage.

#### Conclusion

The Zionist movement played a pivotal role during World War I through diplomatic maneuvering, intelligence activities, military contributions, and post-war political advocacy. The issuance of the Balfour Declaration, the activities of the Nili spy network, the formation of the Jewish Legion, and the successful advocacy at the Paris Peace Conference were key milestones that advanced the Zionist cause. These efforts not only helped to secure international support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland but also demonstrated the movement's strategic acumen and resilience in the face of adversity.