#Benjamin Pierce tragic death

[honorhearted]

"So you admit it. His death was not a necessity, but a petty need to satisfy your greedy vengeance."

"We're not the first to execute prisoners of war, nor will we be the last," Benjamin fired back. "If you can't handle the ways of battle, that is not my concern, madam."

"You rebels aren't capable of independence," Louisa volleyed. "You're violent and savage -- believing yourselves above the law -- only proving that your chaotic people need order, to be governed by a king."

Benjamin bobbed his head in sardonic agreement. "Ah, yes -- let me guess: you also believe in slavery then? Because surely people can't learn to govern themselves of their own free will! Surely, we need some arrogant, pompous lobcock who's never once set foot on this soil to tell us how to tend to our land and our regulations!"

Louisa's gaze grew chilled, much like the frozen pond Abraham nearly fell through as a boy. "When people act like dogs, they get put down like dogs," she venomously replied.

Benjamin's spine went rigid. "Hale was no such thing," he seethed. "All he wanted in the end was a Bible -- a Bible! -- and yet your side couldn't even grant him the comfort of God! If anyone is a bunch of savage dogs, madam, it's the very monsters you persist in protecting!"

His eyes stung, and for just one moment, his knees wobbled. Every time Benjamin thought he was finally immune to Hale's tragic end, something or someone came along to remind him that no, that would never be the case. And despite his fury and yearning to wrap his hands around someone's throat and squeeze, the next slap to his face was accepted with an almost eager greed.

Yes, yes, hurt me, maim me. It was what he deserved for failing those he loved most.

"How dare you!" she snarled. "You wretched, wicked man!"

Again and again, she struck at his chest and face and whatever stray inch she could reach, yet Benjamin didn't fight back. No, he almost leaned towards her feverish blows, welcoming each jab and swipe from her fists. Despite not holding any affection for Louisa, it seemed they were aiding the other. She wished to inflict pain and he wished to feel it -- or at least, feel something beyond the dull, throbbing anguish that stretched over his heart akin to a faded bruise.

At long last, another soldier came up from behind and ripped the couple apart, holding fast to Louisa's flailing limbs while commanding, "Oi! That's enough out of you, lass!"

Recognizing the man to be the very executioner, Benjamin sensed a hint of irony as he nodded his thanks. "Please escort Miss Andre to her carriage," he said. "Once she's back at camp, I'll see to it that she's comfortable." Their eyes met, and briefly he tongued at the corner of his mouth. He tasted a hint of blood from where his teeth had pierced into the inside of his cheek.

Evidently, she'd wounded his pride, for fire began to brew in the man's eyes as she cut him down to size. when she'd said her piece, she braced herself for the verbal lashing that would surely follow.

"Your brother is dead because of his pride and ineptitude," he hissed, "He was a smart and kind man, but also a spy, and now he's paid the ultimate price in the same way your side enacted upon my best friend. Andre had to die -- he had to suffer the same fate."

"So you admit it. His death was not a necessity, but a petty need to satisfy your greedy vengeance," she volleyed, "You rebels aren't capable of independence. You're violent and savage -- believing yourselves above the law -- only proving that your chaotic people need order, to be governed by a king.

"We're only upholding the conduct of the British," he argued, "This is the only language they listen to and understand -- but unlike your precious forces, we allowed Andre to die with dignity and respect. My friend was abused and treated like a dog before his execution. I have no sympathy for those who treat patriots -- human beings desirous of their own freedom -- as second class citizens."

"When people act like dogs, they get put down like dogs," she venomously replied.

Tallmadge's form stiffened, his eyes cold and piercing like daggers.

"You're right that we should only reap what we sow. According to your own logic, your brother sowed precisely what he deserved."

Louisa didn't hesitate to slap him again, shoving him as hard as she could, "How dare you! You wretched, wicked man!"

She hated him. With every fiber of her being, she hated him. While she should have stopped, she couldn't She continued to shove him and beat her fists against his chest, wishing she could inflict pain upon him. He deserved to be hurt. He deserved to suffer.

[dianaleaghmatthews]

First Ladies: Jane Means Appleton Pierce

First Ladies: Jane Means Appleton Pierce

Jane Pierce, with her son, Benjamin

Jane is described as a “delicate” child and adult.

Her brother-in-law was an instructor at Bowdoin College to a young man named Franklin Pierce. How Jane and Franklin met is not known for sure, all though this connection seems the most obvious. They were married on November 19, 1834. The couple is described as having a “genuine deep affection for one another”.

[plaguedpumpkin]

Soundtrack of Your Life

Rules: Set you music playlist on shuffle and write down the songs you’ll get for each of the 13 scenes (and then tag how many people you want to)

Tagged by: @gdrawsthings

Title song: Stressed out - Twenty one pilots

Waking Up Scene: Dollhouse - Melanie Martinez

Falling in Love Scene: F**K U Betta - Neon Hitch (Omg this worked out perfectly I’m DEADDDD)

First Date Scene: Warm Blood - flor

Fight Scene: Polarize - Twenty one pilots (I can see it. Maybe a fight where there are slow-mo parts?)

Tragic Death Scene: Despacito (Remix) - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber. (hhhhhh OMG ARE YOU KIDDING ME SPOOFY YOU MEMED. I just had to explain to my mom why I was freaking out)

Mental Breakdown: Borderline (Vanic Remix) - Tove Styrke, Vanic (This just fits so well omg)

Serious Monologue: Tag, You’re it - Melanie Martinez 

Flashback: Double Vision - 3OH!3 (Yesssssssssssssss)

Driving Scene: Good Girls Bad Guys - Falling in Reverse (This would be an epic fast car scene, probably with stunts omgggggg)

Kiss Scene: Heavydirtysoul - Twenty One Pilots (does this mean this is an intense/passionate scene? Ooo)

Party Scene: Let me down slowly - Alec Benjamin (This fits because I would probably be the “odd one out” and be sad for some reason at the party, slowly making my way through the people jumping and dancing (It would be in slow motion))

Ending Song: King for a day - Pierce the Veil, Kellin Quinn (This is setting up an epic ending OwO? or OwO! Should I be scared?)

Tagging: @biakela

[eurusholmmes]

Ghosts On My Shoulders | Ezekiel

Guys, Ezekiel is in my top 3 favorite characters for this show, and his reaction to Shivas death totally did me in last night. Just as I wrote one for Aaron, here’s my piece for my ray of sunshine who deserves the world. 

If you like this, please let me know! It’s fluffy and sad and everything he needs. I’d be more then willing to write for him again.

Prompt: You take care of Ezekiel when he returns from the Saviors Compound; The only thing that catches you off guard is the deathly silence that follows his entrance, followed by the bullet wound in his leg, and in the company of Carol and Jerry. 

Spoilers for 8x04- Some Guy

Numb fingers absentmindedly picked at the nylon strings of your guitar as you basked in the afternoon sunlight, reveling in the peace that had settled among the left over people of the Kingdom. The courtyard was bathed in warmth as young children ambled about freely, laughter ringing in the air as you gazed upon them. 

It had been months since you’d come to the Kingdom under the protection of Jerry, who after saving you from a hoard of walkers had immediately taken you back to his home and introduced you to Ezekiel. You weren’t stupid. You knew a facade when you saw one, and the second you laid eyes on their King, you knew there was a different man hiding behind the mask he wore for his people. 

The garden had become one of your favorite places to hide away in. The smell of the flowers were divine, encompassing you in a sickly sweet smell that obstructed the lingering scent of the dead outside the walls. It was also the first place that Ezekiel had bared his soul to you, and in return, you fell head over heels in love with him. 

Unfortunately, you had yet to tell him. A King deserved more then a mere soldier. 

You had been one of the few to stay behind from the raid on the Saviors Compound, under clear instructions to lead the Kingdoms in its defenses. Things had been far too quiet since they’d left, and your stomach twisted in anticipation over what could have happened. 

When the world falls down, my dear..

  “Madam!” Henry, the younger brother to the recently deceased Benjamin, came rushing forward from the main street to meet you at the entrance of the Royal Garden. “Your Majesty has returned from the Compound!” 

Almost immediately, you furrowed your brow in confusion. Ezekiel had left the Kingdom with a large portion of its population alongside his faithful tiger, Shiva. So if he had returned.. why was it so deathly silent? 

You followed Henry to the main gates and froze mid-step at the sight in front of you. Ezekiel was hobbling through the entrance with his whole weight leaning against his staff, Carol and Jerry flanking closely behind him. Your blood ran cold when his eyes met your own from across the way, and it finally hit you. 

Shiva had not returned with him. 

I will return home to you. 

“Carol,” You murmured, gripping her wrist as she stopped beside you. “What happened?” The older womans icy blue eyes snapped upward to meet your own y/e/c, and she inhaled deeply before finally being able to recant the story. 

  “We were cornered in the creek bed on the way back here. It was bad. I went off into the Compound to check it out because I for some reason thought that it would be empty. Just as I got inside.. I heard the gunfire. Christ y/n... It was so loud. Everyone was screaming, and by the time I got to a window to see the result, they were all dead.” Your breathing hitched as your eyes fluttered shut, grip tightening on her wrist as her fingers wound around your own. “When we were in the creek, Ezekiel wanted Jerry and I to leave him behind because he was wounded. He nearly got cornered by walkers.. and then Shiva jumped out of nowhere, and she saved him.” 

And that’s when everything fell into place. 

  “He saved her, and in return.. She saved him.” You breathed in awe. While it was tragically heartbreaking that Ezekiel had lost a piece of himself, you couldn’t help but praise the magnificent animal for the devotion she had shown to Ezekiel. ���I have to make sure he’s alright.” 

  “I figured you’d say that. I think it’s best that you be the one to approach him. He’s the lowest he’s probably ever been.” 

Turning on your heel, you lightly jogged in the direction of Ezekiels quarters, cutting through the hallways until you abruptly stopped in front of his door. It was cracked open, and through the gap you could barely see Ezekiel making work of attempting to remove his shirt. 

  “Blasted thing-” 

  “Ezekiel?” You called out. Ezekiel halted almost immediately and turned towards the door with red-rimmed eyes, fingers curled around the hem of his tanktop. “You’re hurt. C-Can I help you?” 

The Kings head fell to his chest as his shoulders slumped in unison, managing a weak nod as you stepped into the room. “I did not wish for you to see me like this, y/n.” He murmured, wincing as you reached for the scissors on his desk and cut through the blood stained fabric that clung to his skin. “Pathetic, wounded, weak-” 

Warm fingers came to rest upon his skin as you lifted your chin to meet his eyes. “You are far from weak, my King.” You whispered softly. “What happened to your-our people was not your fault. They died with just cause.. protecting you. It’s what they would’ve wanted to die for.” 

Ezekiel sat on the edge of his bed as he ripped open the fabric of his pants to further expose his bullet wound. Carol had managed to stop the bleeding after realizing there was in fact an exit wound, but hadn’t had the proper supplies to stitch him up. “I wanted to be left to fend for myself. I wanted to be left to die at the hands of the dead, and she-” His voice broke off as you rifled through the spare supplies in the corner for his first aid kit. “Shiva sacrificed herself to save me, when in the beginning I saved her. She.. She was all I had left.”

Your heart sank as you slowly turned around to examine a man; A man who had sworn to protect you, to cherish you as his right hand woman, to always fight for your honor despite the fact that you weren’t his. Now that same fearless, driven, compassionate man was hunched over on his bedside mourning the loss of his beloved friend and his family, shoulders trembling with harsh, silent sobs as he grieved. 

  “You are not alone, Ezekiel.” You whispered, fingers gently grazing his blood stained skin with the damp cloth to have better visibility to stitch his wound. Ezekiel lifted his chin and inhaled shakily, bringing his hand to rest on your shoulder as his eyes focused solely on your face; the focus in your y/e/c eyes as you maneuvered the needle through his skin. “You aren’t ever going to be alone. You have me.” 

Your heart nearly stopped when you felt his head sink into your shoulder, fingers desperately prying at your hip to draw you into his lap. It was an welcome intimate gesture that you had been praying for since you’d fallen for him, but you hadn’t expected him to return it. “You are more dear to me then you know, y/n.” He said softly, warm breath ghosting across your skin. A relieved sigh broke past your lips as his fingers wrapped around your hips, pads of his fingers kneading the exposed flesh beneath your shirt. “I mean that with the most sincerity. I.. I have come to do more then admire you. I-” 

Pulling yourself away from his warmth, you played with the hairs on the end of his neck as you recognized the reluctance on his face. “Tell me, Ezekiel. Tell me what’s going through your head.” 

  “I adore you. I have for quite some time.. and I have not allowed myself to feel it for fear that what happened today would also happen to you.” Worried amber eyes pierced your own as his fingers crept up your arms to cup your jaw lightly, thumb lightly tracing the outline of your bottom lip. 

In the dimmed light of his bedroom, mask broken and completely vulnerable to you for the short amount of time that you had known him, he had never been more beautiful to you then in that moment. 

  “We all carry ghosts on our shoulders. They shouldn’t determine who we allow ourselves to fall in love with.” Your lips curled upward in a small smile as you slowly leaned inward, teasingly kissing the corner of his mouth. “Now, if you would do me a favor.. I’d really like it if you could kiss me now.” 

[womenofcolor15]

EMT Breonna Taylor’s Family SUES Louisville Metro Police Department After Cops Kill Her During ‘Botched Raid’ + Mom DEMANDS Answers!

Breonna Taylor – a 26-year-old black EMT – was shot and killed in her home by police who raided the wrong residence. Her boyfriend – Kenneth Walker – has been charged with attempted murder because he fired at police who entered their residence WITHOUT announcing themselves.

Now, Breonna’s family is suing the police department. Details inside…

A family is suing the Louisville Metro Police Department after officers took the life of an innocent woman.

Breonna Taylor – a 26-year-old EMT – was shot and killed in her own bed by three undercover police officers who raided her home to catch a suspect who was ALREADY in custody. Police shot up the WRONG address, killing Breonna after she was hit with 8 bullets. The Kentucky cops “blindly fired” off more than 25 shots in their apartment after Breonna’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired at them first. But here’s why…

On March 13th around 1AM police ran up in Breonna and Kenneth’s apartment “without knocking and without announcing themselves as police officers.” Initially, police – who were dressed in plain clothes - said they announced themselves when they entered the home. Then, they backtracked and said they had a “knock and announce" search warrant for Breonna’s apartment.

Page Six reports:

The officers “then proceeded to spray gunfire into the residence with a total disregard for the value of human life,” according to the lawsuit. “Shots were blindly fired by the officers,” the suit says, with bullets piercing a neighboring home where a pregnant woman and her 5-year-old child were sleeping.

Kenneth Walker is a licensed gun owner and only fired his weapon because he thought he and his girlfriend were in imminent danger. The police never announced themselves, so he thought someone came in to harm them. In fact, Breonna and Kenneth called the police soon as they were awakened by who they thought were intruders. Neither Breonna nor Kenneth had a criminal history of drugs or violence and they were law abiding citizens. Kenneth worked at the Post Office and Breonna was an EMT who was working to become a nurse.

Kenneth was arrested and charged with first degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer. One of the officers was shot in the leg.

The police weren’t even supposed to be at Breonna and Kenneth’s apartment. Police had a search warrant for two men: Adrian Orlandes Walker and Jamarcus Cordell Glover. Police said they said they observed one of the men transporting packages suspected to be drugs from the address. Kenneth Walker was NOT named in the search warrant. The suspect police were looking for “had already been apprehended” earlier that morning in his own home, the suit said.

Now, Breonna’s family has filed a lawsuit accusing the officers of wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence. LMPD officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankinson and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly have been named as defendants. They are currently on administrative leave. Of course.

The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal fees through a jury trial.

Breonna’s mother, Tamika Palmer, and her attorney Benjamin Crump (who worked on high-profile shootings like Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown) sat down for an interview with “The View” to share details about how Breonna was murdered in her own home by police. Check it below:

“The case deserves national attention because the police executed an innocent woman,” Ben Crump told the Courier Journal.

“Had the police followed their own policies and procedures, Breonna Taylor would be alive today. She wouldn’t be a trending hashtag.”

  Dallas attorney Amber Webb Booker breaks things down perfectly:

Another example where you can do EVERYTHING right and STILL get killed and jailed in America, far more likely to happen if you are black. So tragic and unecessary. We're praying Breonna's family and Kenneth get justice because, for lack of better terms, this is bullsh*t!

Photos: Breonna's Family

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2020/05/15/emt-breonna-taylor%E2%80%99s-family-sues-louisville-metro-police-department-after-cops-gun-her-do

[sonofhistory]

Also (I'm aware I was here minutes ago) what are your opinions on president Franklin pierce?

Despite all the tragic things that befell Franklin Pierce, he is seen as one of the worst American Presidents in history and it seems to be for good reason. 

Franklin Pierce’s presidency began in tragedy. Weeks after his election, on January 6th, 1853, the President and his family had been traveling from Boston by train when their car derailed and rolled down an embankment near Andover, Massachusetts. Pierce and his wife Jane survived, but in the wreck found their only remaining son, eleven year old Benjamin was crushed to death and his body was nearly decapitated. Unable to hide the gruesome sight from either him or his wife, they both suffered severe depression afterward, which likely affected contributed to Pierce’s poor performance as president “You have summoned me in my weakness, you must sustain me by your strength.” he said in his Inaugural Address. Jane avoided social functions for much of her first two years as First Lady. 

When he took office, the country was experiencing a great era of economic prosperity and relative tranquility. For the time being, the Compromise of 1850 seemed to have resolved the various sectional conflicts–primarily over slavery–that had been dividing the country. At this point, the fourteen president of the United States was the youngest president to ever be inaugurated. Unlike all presidents before him he was the first to memorize his Oath of Office and the second not to affirm it on a Bible (John Quincy Adams was the first) he did it on a Law Book. He avoided the word “slavery” but alluded to his wish to bring that “important subject” to rest and maintain a peaceful union as threat of Civil War had been looming in the horizon back even in seventh president Andrew Jackson’s two term presidency. 

In his cabinet he attempted to bring figures from all stretches of American humanity. Much like fifth president James Monroe he tried to gather people who represented all parts of America. He decided to allow each of the parties factions some appointments, even those whom had not supported the Compromise of 1850 which was lowering fears. Pierce sought to represent all factions in government and federal positions yet could fully satisfy none of them. Party members found themselves unable to secure positions for their friends, which put the Democratic Party on edge and fueled bitterness between separate factions. Northern newspapers began accusing Pierce of filling his government with pro-slavery secessionists, while southern newspapers accused him of abolitionism. No matter what he did, he seemed to be struck. 

Pierce made mistakes by not communicating with his Vice-President, William R. King, which was not entirely his doing. By the start of their term, King was severely ill with tuberculosis and went out of the country to Cuba to attempt to recuperate. He died at his home a few days after returning one month into the presidency–the office of vice president would stay vacant for the rest of the term and Pierce was left without a second in command. With the death of the president’s only child and the death of his vice president hovering above the splintering partisan, it was not looking very positive. 

It was not that Pierce didn’t care or was unfit for the job. Pierce was up and at-em hoping to create a more efficient government than his recent predecessors. One of Pierce’s reforms was to expand the role of the United State Attorney General in appointing federal judges and attorneys, which was an important step in the eventual development of the Justice Department. On economic policy, Pierce charged his Treasury of Secretary with reforming the treasury department which was being managed unwell and Guthrie increased sight of Treasury employees and tariff collectors, many were withholding money from the government. Despite laws requiring funds to be held in the Treasury, large deposits remained in private banks with the Whig administrations. Guthrie reclaimed these funds and wished to prosecute corrupt officials, but with only mixed success. It was attempting to rid of brooding corruption. 

Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, at Pierce’s request led surveying missions for possibly transcontinental railroad routes, increasing train tracks. Davis employed the Army Corps of Engineers to supervise construction projects in the nation’s capital which included expanded the United States Capitol and the construction of the Washington Monument. 

The Pierce administration fell in line with the expansionist movement, and William L. Marcy lead the charge as Secretary of State. They re-negotiating provisions from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which required the US to prevent Native American raids into Mexico from New Mexico Territory. It was negotiated and a treaty with Mexican President was re-created in December of 1853. It included now southern Arizona and pieces of southern New Mexico. The treaty brought more land. 

Pierce’s presidency brought a new trade agreement with Britain after American fisherman began to feel assaulted by the increasing supervision by the U.K’s navy. The treaty was ratified in August 1854, which was seen as a first step towards the American annexation of Canada. Gaining control of Central America was another goal and the treaty of Clayton–Bulwer from 1850 was failing to keep Great Britain from expanding change. Minister to England Buchanan was not successful in getting the British to renounce their Central American possessions. Three U.S. diplomats in Europe drafted a proposal to the president to purchase Cuba from Spain but the publication of the Ostend Manifesto, drawn up by the Secretary of State, awoke scorn of northerners who saw it as an attempt to annex a slave-holding possession and bolster Southern interests.

Pierce favored reorganization of the military as well. The Secretary of War and the Navy Secretary found the Army and Navy in poor condition, with low forces, and a reluctance to gather new technology, and terrible management. Commodore Matthew C. Perry visited Japan  in an effort to expand trade. Perry signed a trade treaty with the Japanese which was successfully ratified. The 1856 launch of the USS Merrimac, one of six newly commissioned steam ships, was one of Pierce’s “most personally satisfying” days in office.

What Pierce is best known for ans associated with is Kansas–Nebraska Act and it was ultimately his downfall. The bill formally organized Kansas and Nebraska into territories, opening them to settlement and railroad building; it also repealed the ban on slavery in Kansas mandated by the Missouri Compromise in 1820, declaring that the citizens of each territory–not Congress–had the right to choose whether the territory would allow slavery. Pierce was hesitant of the bill, knowing it would result in bitter opposition from the North. He was convinced to support the bill regardless. It was greatly opposed and rallied public disagreement. Northerners remained mainly suspicious of the Pierce administration and what he was accomplishing. The Whigs split and the conflict destroyed them as a national party. The Kansas–Nebraska Act was passed in May 1854. The political turmoil that followed saw the short-term rise of two political parties and the founding of the Republican Party.

The passage of the act startled so much violence between groups that the territory became known as Bleeding Kansas. Free-Staters set up a government, and drafted the Topeka Constitution, which Pierce called an act of rebellion and sent federal troops to break up a meeting of the Topeka government. After the passage of the act coincided with the seizure of escaped slave Anthony Burns in Boston, Northeners were in his support which Pierce was determined to follow the Fugitive Slave Act to the letter, and dispatched federal troops to enforce Burns return.

At the end of his term, Pierce expected to be renominated by the Democrat party. In reality his chances of winning the nomination were slim, let alone re-election. The administration was widely disliked in the North for its position on the Kansas–Nebraska Act, and Democratic leaders were aware of Pierce’s electoral vulnerability. This loss marked the only time in U.S. history that an elected president who was an active candidate for reelection was not nominated for a second term. Pierce endorsed Buchanan, though the two remained distant; he hoped to resolve the Kansas situation by November to improve the Democrats’ chances in the general election. He installed John W. Geary as territorial governor, who got the pro-slavery legislators. Geary was able to restore order in Kansas, though the electoral damage had already been done—Republicans used “Bleeding Kansas”.

In his final message to Congress, delivered in December 1856, he attacked Republicans and abolitionists. He took the opportunity to defend himself on policy, and on achieving peaceful relations with other nations. The final days, Congress passed bills to increase pay of army officers and to build new naval vessels, also expanding the number of those enlisted. It also passed a tariff reduction bill he had long wanted. Pierce and his cabinet left office on March 4th, 1857, the only time in U.S. history that the original cabinet members all remained for a full four-year term

Franklin Pierce’s administration only furthered the process of the oncoming Civil War and led to far more bad than good. 

[filosofablogger]

Good Saturday morn, and welcome to the …

I have two fun things planned for today.  First, this may come as a big surprise to you, but Filosofa is a big lover of critters!  Shocked, aren’t you?

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the largest wildlife photography competition in the world. It is an annual international wildlife photography competition owned by the Natural History Museum.  The first competition was held in 1964, with three categories and around 600 entries. By 2008, the competition had grown to over 32,000 entries from 3100 photographers in 82 countries!

There are far too many for me to post here, so I have picked only a few of my favourites this year, but your can see more of the winners at Bored Panda, if you’re interested.

This first one is the #1 winner, titled “The Moment”, and taken by Yongqing Bao of China. 

This Himalayan marmot was not long out of hibernation when it was surprised by a mother Tibetan fox with three hungry cubs to feed. With lightning-fast reactions, Yongqing captured the attack – the power of the predator baring her teeth, the terror of her prey, the intensity of life and death written on their faces.

“Bee Line” by Frank Deschandol of France

Bees buzzed in the long grass around the lake as evening fell. To Frank’s delight, they were settling down in little rows along the stems. These were solitary bees, probably males, gathering for the night in suitable resting places, while the females occupied nests they had built nearby.

“Land Of The Eagle” By Audun Rikardsen of Norway

Audun carefully positioned this tree branch, hoping it would make a perfect lookout for a golden eagle. He set up a camera trap and occasionally left road-kill carrion nearby. Very gradually, over the next three years, this eagle started to use the branch to survey its coastal realm. Audun captured its power as it came in to land, talons outstretched.

“Lucky Break” By Jason Bantle of Canada

A raccoon poked her head out of an abandoned car and paused to assess her surroundings, allowing Jason just enough time to use a long exposure in the twilight. The back seat was an ideal den for the raccoon and her five cubs as the only entrance – through a blunt-edged hole in the glass – was large enough for her but too small for predators such as coyotes.

“Portrait Of A Mother” By Ingo Arndt, of Germany

When you are eye to eye with a wild puma,’ says Ingo, ‘excitement is guaranteed.’ Tracking these elusive cats on foot meant lugging heavy gear long distances, often in freezing temperatures and unrelenting winds. Mutual respect gradually earned him the trust of a female and her cubs, allowing him to capture this intimate family portrait.

“Cool Drink” By Diana Rebman of the U.S.

Despite the bitterly cold temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius, Diana spent hours mesmerised by what she described as the ‘well-choreographed dance’ of a group of long-tailed tits taking turns to peck at an icicle. With the fast movement of the birds and her fingers feeling like blocks of ice, capturing their behaviour was no easy task.

“If Penguins Could Fly” By Eduardo Del Álamo of Spain

A gentoo penguin flees for its life as a leopard seal bursts out of the water. Eduardo was expecting it. He had noticed the penguin resting on a fragment of broken ice and watched the seal swim back and forth. ‘Moments later, the seal flew out of the water, mouth open,’ he says.

“The Huddle” By Stefan Christmann of Germany

More than 5,000 male emperor penguins huddle on the sea ice, backs to the wind, heads down, sharing body heat. ‘It was a calm day,’ says Stefan, ‘but when I took off my gloves to focus the lens, the cold felt like needles piercing my fingertips.’ Antarctic winters are fierce, with temperatures below minus 40 degrees Celsius.

“Big Cat And Dog Spat” By Peter Haygarth of the United Kingdom

In a rare encounter, a lone male cheetah is set upon by a pack of African wild dogs. At first the dogs were wary, but as the rest of their 12-strong pack arrived their confidence grew. They began to encircle and probe the big cat, chirping with excitement. It was all over a few minutes later, when the cheetah fled.

“Night Glow” By Cruz Erdmann of New Zealand (in the age 11-14 category)

Cruz was on a night dive with his dad when he saw a pair of bigfin reef squid in the shallow water. One swam off but Cruz quickly adjusted his camera and strobe settings, knowing that the opportunity was too good to miss. He shot four frames of the remaining squid before it too disappeared into the inky blackness.

“Face Of Deception” By Ripan Biswas of India

Ripan was photographing a red weaver ant colony when he spotted this slightly strange individual. It may have the face of an ant but its eight legs give it away – on closer inspection Ripan discovered that it was an ant-mimicking crab spider. By reverse mounting his lens, Ripan converted it to a macro capable of taking extreme close-ups.

Some pretty awesome shots there, don’t you think?

And my second surprise … you all remember Steve Irwin, aka the Crocodile Hunter?  He hosted a television series that aired on Animal Planet, becoming the network’s highest-rated series at the time (1997-2004). 

Steve tragically died in Batt Reef, Australia, in 2006 when a stingray’s barb pierced his heart.  But, his children, Bindi and Robert, are both lovers of wildlife and conservationists. Bindi is an Australian television personality and conservationist. When she was 9, she hosted Bindi the Jungle Girl, a children’s wildlife documentary TV series.  Son Robert is an Australian television personality and wildlife photographer. He hosts Robert’s Real Life Adventures, a program on his family’s zoo’s internal TV network. He co-hosted the Discovery Kids Channel TV series Wild But True and co-created the book series Robert Irwin: Dinosaur Hunter, and currently stars on the Animal Planet series Crikey! It’s the Irwins with his mother, Terri, and sister, Bindi.

In February 2017, young Robert, then age 13, made his late-night television debut when he appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  This clip will warm your heart, make you say “Awwwwww”, and make you laugh, all at once.  Who could ask for anything more?  And my youngest reader, Benjamin, will enjoy this, for one of his Hallowe’en costumes was the Crocodile Hunter!

And that’s all I’ve got for this morning, my friends!  Go forth and have a wonderful weekend!  Enjoy every minute … remember, Monday is lurking right ‘round the corner!

Saturday Surprise — Wildlife and … Crocodile Hunter Junior! Good Saturday morn, and welcome to the ...I have two fun things planned for today.  First, this may come as a big surprise to you, but Filosofa is a big lover of critters! 

[ao3feed-mash]

Faded Love

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/tZmxIj1

by iloveromance

Completely distraught over the unexpected news of Frank Burns' passing, Margaret turns to Hawkeye for help, not realizing that the tragic event will bring them closer than ever before.

Words: 8459, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: MASH (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Major Character Death

Categories: F/M

Characters: Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, "Trapper" John McIntyre, B. J. Hunnicutt

Relationships: Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan/Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Frank Burns/Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/tZmxIj1

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, October 26

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Jeffrey Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell’s love letters to Prince Andrew 

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Melanie Griffith looks alarmingly skinny in L.A., Machine Gun Kelly hangs out the passenger side of his ride in West Hollywood, Cynthia Nixon 

Page 3: Pierce Brosnan takes it easy in Hawaii, pot-puffing rapper Snoop Dogg looks mighty mellow while playing DJ at a California concert, Jennifer Garner hits the beach in Malibu 

Page 4: Rod Stewart’s wife Penny Lancaster didn’t think she was sexy after pigging out during the pandemic and having a hormone- and booze-fueled breakdown -- Penny says she and Rod treated lockdown like a grand vacation until she resolved to change her ways after seeing an unflattering selfie, Kim Kardashian is desperate to dump husband Kanye West but she is thinking with her head not her heart as she negotiates a pre-divorce deal to carve up their $3 billion fortune and she aims to avoid a dirty public divorce war over their fortune and their daughters North and Chicago and sons Saint and Psalm and Kim has all the paperwork ready to go but Kanye is burying his head in the sand and refusing to sit down and mediate -- Kim knows the moment she pulls the trigger all hell will break loose so she’s content to sit it out in the hope Kanye comes to his senses and makes this as amicable as possible after six years of marriage

Page 5: Warning signs are blinking for Katie Holmes’ red-hot romance with Emilio Vitolo Jr. because his mom doesn’t like their romance -- Emilio upset his mother by dumping his fiancee just hours before pictures of him canoodling with Katie surfaced and his mom thinks she brought him up better than that and she didn’t like how Emilio handled this at all, Mariah Carey never did the horizontal mambo with former fiance James Packer and when asked why Packer wasn’t mentioned in her memoir she said if it was a relationship that mattered it’s in the book but if not it didn’t occur and said they didn’t have a physical relationship 

Page 6: Whoopi Goldberg is riding roughshod on The View and her co-hosts are whining she’s a self-obsessed and money-grubbing pain tyrant -- Whoopi’s disenchanted with her role on the show and that’s become a problem for everybody -- she’s nailing the political commentaries but she’s been badgering the other ladies to step up and quit expecting her to be The View’s political know-it-all 

Page 7: Despairing Lisa Marie Presley wants to spend her final days at Graceland and then be buried next to her father and son -- since her only son Benjamin Keough committed suicide Lisa Marie is still beside herself with grief and she’s losing the will to go on -- her liver problems have roared back and she faces almost certain death if the vital organ fails

Page 8: Dolly Parton is ready to splurge $2 million for a total head-to-toe cosmetic surgery makeover in a grand last hurrah before her 75th birthday in January and she intends to wow the world with her new younger look while she parades her just released holiday album and new Netflix movie -- Dolly can’t wait for people to get a load of her and they’ll never believe her age

Page 9: Tommy Lee swears he’s been sober for a year but says before his last rehab stint he was swilling two gallons of vodka a day, blabbermouth talk show star Sharon Osbourne boasts that even after 38 years of marriage she and husband Ozzy Osbourne still do it at least twice a week, Led Zeppelin’s rockers are feeling like they’re in paradise after winning a long lawsuit claiming they stole the beginning of their monster 1971 hit Stairway to Heaven -- the band was accused of stealing the guitar opening for the tune from the song Taurus by the late Randy Wolfe of the band Spirit and the lawyer for Wolfe’s estate grumbles the band won on a legal technicality and Zeppelin rockers are the biggest art thieves of all times 

Page 10: A bitter feud that’s ripped apart the family of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin could end after his niece Rebecca Lobie extended an olive branch to his pregnant daughter Bindi Irwin -- the two had been at odds since Rebecca left her gig as managing director of the family’s Australia Zoo in 2015 and now Rebecca hopes to mend ways with her cousins Robert Irwin and Bindi, Sadie Robertson reveals she developed an eating disorder when she was body-shamed after competing on Dancing with the Stars in 2014, Ghostbusters star Rick Moranis was socked and knocked to the ground in a cowardly sneak attack by a thug while taking a 7:30 a.m. walk in the Big Apple and he suffered head and back and hip pain and was checked at a hospital before heading to a police station to report the vicious attack that was caught on video 

Page 11: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are about to get clobbered with a whopping megabucks tax bill if they stay in the U.S. for too much longer because any foreigner who spends at least 183 days in the country is liable for federal and California state taxes and that means if they’re still here after the first week of November the taxman will be sending the pair who are worth an estimated $26 million a massive tab, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have snubbed his grandma Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas get-together for the second year in a row even though at age 94 this will likely be her last holiday season -- Harry and Meghan are not ready to leave their cushy life in Montecito and at this stage they are really enjoying their new life in California and their new home 

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Colin Hanks stocks up on supplies in West Hollywood (picture), Rumer Willis is in kinky online snaps leaving little to the imagination in an image from her aptly named Bondage photo series the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore wears nothing but thigh high boots and black rope binding her nude body, Kylie Jenner has taken obnoxious to a whole new level when she proudly shared online snaps of her two-year-old daughter Stormi wearing a $12,000 Hermes backpack to start at-home preschool, Kathie Lee Gifford’s daughter Cassidy Gifford brought her husband Ben Wierda for a Celebrity Family Feud taping but his game show debut ended up showcasing that his snug-crotched khakis outlined too much below-the-belt junk

Page 13: Kate Moss in London (picture), Chiwetel Ejiofor shoots the heist flick Lockdown in London (picture), Gwen Stefani gets into the Halloween spirit in L.A. (picture), Drew Barrymore says she is terrible at keeping things but she does have the red cowboy hat she wore in E.T.

Page 14: Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s daughter Olivia Jade’s boyfriend Jackson Guthy who is the son of cosmetics magnate Victoria Jackson and direct-marketing mogul Bill Guthy was arrested for DUI in Santa Monica, Justin Bieber and bride Hailey Bieber made it through a whole year of marriage and made a splashy display of the milestone on social media, Fashion Verdict -- Arica Himmel 8/10, Katherine Waterston 4/10, Alessandra Ambrosio 3/10, Josie Canseco 9/10, Maisie Williams 2/10 

Page 16: Following the heart-breaking crash of a two-year romance Reba McEntire is sporting a loving glow bouncing back into the arms of CSI: Miami hunk Rex Linn -- the two had their first date in January and have been virtual dating during the COVID-19 lockdown -- she said it’s just great getting to talk to somebody who she finds very interesting and funny and smart and who is interested in her too plus he’s very into her music and she’s into his career 

Page 17: Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas have agreed to a trial separation after their sizzling affair was chilled by work-forced separation -- the pair were red hot until Ben split to film in Ireland and his long-distance calls with an eight-hour time difference to Ana turned into bicker-fests because they’ve both been getting defensive and bickering over even trivial things and frustrated with the small window they’ve got to talk and the connection isn’t great and they end up hanging up on each other -- Ana’s tired of being stuck in that big house of his alone in Los Angeles and she feels like the hired help doing chores and walking dogs so they agreed to take a few weeks of chilling out and see where they are after that, beloved TV icon Regis Philbin spent his final desperate months wallowing in gloom over the pandemic; according to Kathie Lee Gifford Regis couldn’t perform anywhere and he couldn’t be Regis for people and it broke his heart 

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Sara Gilbert, Pretty Woman boosted Jason Alexander’s career but the 1990 blockbuster had its downside because he was known around the world as the a-hole who tried to rape Julia Roberts and women would say mean things to him and punch him and he even got spit on by one woman, devastated Chrissy Teigen had a tragic miscarriage of a baby boy she’d named Jack -- the mom of two and wife of John Legend has been hospitalized in L.A. after experiencing complications and weeks before the miscarriage she was treated with Botox to relieve really bad pregnancy headaches 

Page 20: True Crime 

Page 24: Cover Story -- Ghislaine Maxwell’s love letters put Prince Andrew on the spot -- murdered sex predator Jeffrey Epstein’s accused madam Ghislaine is burying Prince Andrew under an avalanche of love letters proclaiming she’ll defend the disgraced British royal and begging for him to return her loyalty and affection -- now being held in a New York federal jail as she awaits trial on sex trafficking charges related to the late billionaire pervert Ghislaine writes Andrew most days saying how badly she fells about what he’s gone through and urging them to get through this nightmare together -- Andrew’s made some terrible decisions but even he knows it would be suicide to make any contact with Ghislaine and he needs to keep his distance and hope she stops writing these letters 

Page 26: Health Report 

Page 38: Real Life 

Page 40: John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono is telling friends she’s knocking on heaven’s door -- the ailing 87-year-old is confined to a wheelchair and needs round-the-clock care and she’s been privately confiding she’s on her way out sparking worry and confusion -- the question swirls does she really think her days are numbered or is she just fishing for sympathy and attention and premature eulogies from VIPs all over the world 

Page 44: Straight Talk -- After living through a nightmare of false prosecution and imprisonment and persecution for a murder of her roommate Amanda Knox has been sucked into the criminal cult world of NXIVM whose kinky leader Keith Raniere has been convicted of sex trafficking children 

Page 45: Kirstie Alley is set to chuck hectic Hollywood for the quiet life on a farm with a down-to-earth country guy -- Kansas-born Kirstie has been quarantining in Wichita for the past seven months and now realizes how little she misses Hollywood and how much she loves living a more simple laid-back life so she’s decided to buy a farm and has sold her 21-bedroom in Maine which has been her second home for the past 30 years so she can move to the country

Page 47: Hollywood Flashback -- Al Pacino in 1983′s Scarface, Bizarre But True