#Flights to USA from UK

[astonmartinii]

big time rush | lando norris social media au

pairing: lando norris x albon!reader so how is alex albon and sorority rush connected? how is lando involved? and will the grid ever understand the greek system? [so, it's rush season, also known as my favourite time to be judgemental on social media (after the met gala of course), but like i have been bombarded with so much rush content and made a couple friends in the summer who go to alabama that my english ass needed to write something about it]

masterlist tips x

yourusername

liked by landonorris, alexalbon and 301,774 others

yourusername: it's the most wonderful time of the year !!! first year as president of theta 🩷

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user1: i get whiplash every time she posts back in america

user2: like??? how is that alex albon's sister

yourusername: we have the same mum and dad, hope this helps 👍

user3: okay yeah her and alex are the same people

alexalbon: posting this like you didn't BALL UR EYES OUT AT THE AIRPORT AGAIN

yourusername: i didn't cry because i was gonna miss ur ugly ass, i miss horsey and otto :(

albon_pets: we miss you too 🐈

user4: i personally love watching y/n's two personalities usa v uk she's like my batman

lilymunhe: don't have too much fun babe, remember to study too

yourusername: have some faith in me PLEASE

lilymunhe: i sat with you for a whole week individually rhinestoning shirts for work week i think i understand your priorities

yourusername: work week is very important lily and at least i know we'll all slay the diamonds are a girls best friend theme !!!!!

alexalbon: i'm still finding gems in all of my shoes and bags so they better

user5: i don't really understand sororities but you can bet i CHECK IN when it's y/n

user6: the way her brother is a whole ass f1 driver but she's more famous to me being the fucking PRESIDENT of theta at ALABAMA the girlies just don't get how big a deal that is

georgerussel63: any way we can get this rhinestone treatment for some merc merch

yourusername: if you wanted rhinestone merch you shouldn't have jumped ship from williams but thanks for the seat xoxo

georgerussell63: crikey can't a guy ask for sequins without being attacked these days

yourusername: all jokes georgie, but if you want rhinestones you'll have to rep theta

alexalbon

liked by landonorris, yourusername and 603,450 others

tagged: yourusername

alexalbon: enjoy your semester president, you're lucky i didn't get any photos of you ugly crying with horsey before you left. always love summer with you, even if you kept ditching us for your super secret boyfriend you thought we didn't know about ;)

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user7: the albons are so insane i love them

lilymunhe: you said we weren't gonna tell her to see how far she goes to cover it up !!!

alexalbon: this is so much more fun though i heard her scream from the other side of departures

yourusername: so i could've just used the front door rather than doing parkour out my window?

alexalbon: you going to fess up to who it is yet?

yourusername: no i don't think i will

lilymunhe: not even to me :(

yourusername: clearly you can't be trusted

lilymunhe: no babe it's not like that i swear

yourusername: i can't hear you i have a 12 hour flight

user8: the state of this comment section

user9: wait so y/n has a bf? i think i just heard the entirety of greek row fall to their knees

user10: like they had a chance babe

liked by yourusername and landonorris

landonorris: i've seen you cry your eyes out on face time to your cat

alexalbon: his name is horsey and it was a very emotional day

yourusername: you also face timed me crying with the pets that you missed me

alexalbon: stop ganging up on me this is my post and LANDO THIS IS FAMILY BUSINESS

landonorris: hmmmmm 🤨

f1wagsupdates

liked by user13, user14 and 3,205 others

f1wagsupdates: lando norris has flown into america a week early for the austin grand prix. lando flew into alabama and was reportedly picked up by a girl. is he off the market?

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user15: i’m sorry my little heart can’t take y/n and lando getting into relationships this year

user16: call me crazy but maybe lando and y/n are together?

user17: how did you come to this conclusion?

user16: so like when alex revealed he knew about y/n’s bf lando was weirdly all up in that comment section and now he's early to austin but flew into alabama where y/n goes to college and a brunette girl picked him up (also a healthy dose of delusion)

user18: no but why does this make sense though

user19: i once again implore you guys to understand that men and women can be friends, not all women in a 5 miles radius of a man is in love with him

user20: i would love for this to be y/n simply for the alex meltdown that'll follow

user21: he already said he's not overprotective just annoyed that he couldn't figure out who it is, so if it's one of his best friends i think he'll lose his mind

user22: imagine being a pledge and walking into the house to see LANDO NORRIS?

user23: trying to imagine lando of all people in sweet home alabama is killing me someone save my guy

yourusername

liked by landonorris, alexalbon and 359,0344 others

yourusername: first week of classes and i'm missing my cats

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user24: A MAN? i knew she had a man but that's. A MAN

albon_pets: we miss you too big sis, can't wait for thanksgiving

yourusername: have a nandos on me tonight babes xx

albon_pets: this is why you're our favourite sibling

alexalbon: i'm right here guys

user25: we've lost her to the soft launch

user26: literally like show me his face so i can stalk him

alexalbon: agreed

lilymunhe: pretty girl, we miss youuuuuu !! can't wait to see you in austin

yourusername: literally counting down the days

lilymunhe: will the mystery man be there?

yourusername: he may ...

alexalbon: i hope he's ready for the interrogation

landonorris: alex mate you're about as intimidating as a tumbleweed

alexalbon: you're in albon business an awful lot lately norris 🤨

user27: the alex meltdown is starting

landonorris

liked by alexalbon, yourusername and 1,302,778 others

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landonorris: two dummies, one car, and an attempt to get into the cota paddock

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user28: OMFG

yourusername: i can only drive stick, this is known. and so many fans, i didn't want to run anyone over

user29: it was a close call but you did nearly hit me, i appreciate the swerve

yourusername: MY BAD OMG as you can all tell, alex got all of the good driving genes in the family

landonorris: don't worry babe, i won't make you drive again

yourusername: thank you baby, i was born to be a passenger princess

alexalbon: BABE? BABY? PASSENGER PRINCESS? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?

yourusername: surprise?

alexalbon: you were doing parkour to see LANDO?

landonorris: i don't appreciate your tone alex i am a catch

yourusername: you are a catch

alexalbon: can a man not have a breakdown in peace anymore without you people flirting underneath it

lilymunhe: you guys are kinda cute, i'm seeing the vision

alexalbon: am i joke to you?

yourusername: alex please be happy for me, i'm so so happy with lando, he's the best for me

landonorris: i promise i love y/n, i won't hurt her

alexalbon: i know, but give me three business days to process and NO MCLAREN MERCH

yourusername

liked by alexalbon, landonorris and 502,300 others

tagged: landonorris, alexalbon

yourusername: lando on the podium and alex in the points, you know what that means? took my best boys to their first frat party (they didn't fare well)

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user32: the grid at a frat party is something i thought i'd never see

user33: waiting for old men to say that americans are ruining the sport

landonorris: why were people on the roof? why was i on the roof?

yourusername: lets not announce that baby, i don't want zak brown to sue me

landonorris: i'm never drinking again... you do this every weekend?

yourusername: you are literally an f1 driver, you have much harder weekends

landonorris: well at least after this i got cuddles

lilymunhe: based on how late you were to brunch, i guess it was a lot of cuddles

landonorris: i am clingy, let me live

yourusername: i like clingy lando don't worry baby

alexalbon: you need to drop out immediatelt that was terrifying

yourusername: LOL

alexalbon: why were they all so loud and why did they all insist on drinking upside down? this place is so unserious

yourusername: just say you miss me alex

alexalbon: fine, i miss you (also now we know about you and lando, he did nothing but complain about missing you the whole flight home)

user34: alex already sick of lando's shit they crack me up

landonorris

liked by georgerussell63, yourusername and 1,023,400 others

tagged: yourusername

landonorris: cosplayed as a theta sister for the week with the love of my life

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user35: this is the cross over i could never see coming but am not angry about

user36: so does someone on the grid finally get the greek system?

landonorris: no ❤️

yourusername: the prettiest sister ever (anyone from the house ready this, he doesn't count don't worry)

landonorris: i am the prettiest sister regardless sorry not sorry

yourusername: they just warmed up to you :(

landonorris: they warmed up to me the minute i doordashed chipotle for the whole house

yourusername: true

landonorris: also miss president, why is that a full time job? i really don't get greek life

user37: the image of a whole house of sorority sisters and then just lando is so funny to me

user38: he's the president's bf so i doubt anyone had a real problem

yourusername: he's also unbelievable levels of girlypop

landonorris: it's my greatest asset

yourusername: i can think of another one ;)

alexalbon: HAVE SOME SHAME PEOPLE

yourusername: HIS PERSONALITY

landonorris: and something else ;)

alexalbon: STOP PLEASE OR I'LL REVOKE MY APPROVAL

user38: i need a relationship like this stat

user39: omg when y/n graduates i can't wait for her to be back with alex and lando full time ... the chaos will be crazy

note: please enjoy this little one!! gonna start going through any requests now xx

[buzzyb33]

Quiet night in.

Prompt: After Josh has been away on a cheap v expensive video for 4 days, then having to stay for another 4 due to the flight delaying Y/n is feeling rather touched starved as not many of her close friends live in London, so when josh got back he found her to be rather clingy.

Warnings: swearing, mentions of smut,

“Ah shit- behz, I have stuff booked-“ Josh scoffs as he looks at Ethan.

“Mate- I can’t do anything about it, and it’s a bit hard finding a flight or flights from Poland to anywhere in the uk at all- so-“ he rambles on as josh rolls his eyes and looks at JJ and Tobi who both look pissed.

An hour later they have some news on their flights.

“Listen- I’m sorry lads but the best it seems like I can do is Tuesday night.” Ethan says, irritation present in his tone.

“Ah fuck off! Tuesday?” JJ shouts.

Josh runs his hands through his hair and sighs, picking up his phone to call Y/n. On the second ring she answers.

“Hey josh! I’m just finishing this recording, are you on your way back?” His girlfriends cheery tone fills his ears.

“Uh- no sorry n/n- I’m- my flights been delayed and I hate to say it but- it’s until Tuesday night.” He says.

“What? Uh- alright.. I hate when these things happen.. I- I’ll see you then, love you.” She says softly.

“Yeah- love you too..”

That night josh went to bed sour while Y/n went to bed disappointed.

The next couple of days she deep cleaned the house and took her mind off her fiancés absence.

When he finally got back to England he was in a better mood as he booked an Uber.

He arrived back at 3 in the morning and he expected Y/n to be fast asleep so when he silently got back into the house and left his bags by the door, he was surprised to see Shameless USA playing on the TV as she sat wrapped in a blanket, eating ice cream.

She still hadn’t noticed him when he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her waist to which she yelled.

“Ah! Josh! You’re back!” She says as she puts her ice cream down and turns to face him.

He smiles tiredly and she wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him tightly, her breasts pressing against his chest as she buries her nose into the nape of his neck.

“I’ve missed you.” She said in a squeaky, surprised tone as he placed his hands underneath her thighs and lifted her off the ground.

“I’ve missed you too.. why are you awake so late?” He says as he starts to carry her into the bedroom, turning the TV off and leaving the almost empty ice cream tub.

“I- couldn’t sleep.” She says gently as he settle her into bed.

She smiles up at him as he pulls his shirt off and leaves his shorts on.

She was wearing a extra large sidemen SpongeBob top as she smiled.

He smiled back as he climbed next to her, letting his cold hands go under her shirt and resting on her abdomen as she shivered and brought her back further into his chest.

“I’ve missed you josh..” she says as she turns to face him, tracing shapes on his chest.

“I’ve missed you too, n/n” he replies as he rests his chin on her head.

The next morning, he wakes up to his fiancés fingers tracing his bare chest in non rhythmic patterns with a small smile, her hollow dimples showing slightly.

He smiles and tightens his grip on her waist.

“Morning..” his rough morning voice almost whispered.

She looked up at him and kissed his lips gently, her other hand now in his cheek.

He tightened his arms around her waist and rests his chin on her head.

She nuzzles herself into his chest further as she inhales his scent.

They just held each other for around two hours before she sat up and kissed his lips, to which he reincorporated— which lead to a make out session which lead to love-filled sex.

Her eyes were now closed again as she lay her head on his bare chest, her face bright red.

“Do- you wanna order some food, n/n?” He asks as his hand runs through her hair.

“Yeah- I don’t mind what you get- I’m going to have a shower.” She smiles as she sits up and kissed his lips again.

After her shower, she changes into some Christmas pyjamas (November is Christmas time) and sits next to Josh on their bed, it was currently 1pm so she assumed her ordered sandwiches or something.

When the food got here- she was proven right when he handed me a New York deli.

That afternoon, we just leaned on each other and watched shows, Allen and laughed, her arm never leaving his, kisses on his cheeks and hands on his hair, she held onto him with such sincerity he was glad he had her.

That night, they spoke till early hours, holding each other tightly.

“Love you josh..” she said gently as they nuzzled each other.

“I love you too, n/n.” He says as he kisses her forehead.

They slept and held each other, the next morning also starting the same way as the previous one, it was clear how much she missed him.

A/n: I don’t know about this one, it doesn’t have as much as regularity!! (I need to work on POV changes bro 😭) hope you enjoyed!!

@ace-call-me-what-youd-like I’ll try get the James fic out soon! Sorry for the wait!

[lonelyroommp3]

would you share the video essay? i also would like to be doing nothing rn

honestly it was not very good so i won't share that particular one lol but my favourite casual watch channels in general include -

if you want to get a recap of drama you would otherwise not know or care about:

emma in the moment - craft/fibre arts related drama (think dodgy yarn dyers, crochet plagiarism accusations, etc)

treacle tatts - tattoo related drama; mix of longer drama recaps & tiktok reaction vids. you could definitely waste an entire afternoon just watching the tattoogate series

izzzyzzz - very much in the sarah z/strange aeons school of "old fandom drama i almost forgot about" but i find izzzyzzz's videos tend to focus more on fandoms i'm not as familiar/don't have history with (my little pony, creepypasta, deviantart in general, etc) so it kind of fills a different niche for me in terms of learning something new as opposed to getting a cursed nostalgia hit. their mary sue video is a particular fave

if you like messy pop culture drama throwbacks:

casey aonso. honestly one of my fave youtubers in the game atm as someone with a big interest in 2000s/2010s pop culture, i've mentioned it before but her fifth harmony video is quite possibly my number one comfort watch of all time. cracks me up every time without fail

if you are a public transport enjoyer:

both geoff marshall and jago hazzard do very interesting & informative videos mainly focusing on the transport for london network but also going further afield. mostly shorter form content but there are a couple of interesting longer ones like geoff's video about riding every tfl bus

i find noel phillips' videos interesting from a pov of exploring various niche airlines but i can't lie him talking to camera on an otherwise silent plane & also surreptitiously recording his interactions with airline staff DOES give me potent second hand embarrassment and genuine moral qualms respectively so tread carefully on those ones i suppose

if you REALLY want to turn your brain off and just have some background noise i am a big fan of 1) level crossing videos. just search "uk level crossings channel" and go wild. 2) livestreams of planes landing in various airports. pairs well with flightradar24 in another tab especially if you happen to live somewhere underneath an airport's flight path so you can get what i like to call the "dual monitor experience" of seeing the plane irl and on the stream

if you want oddly satisfying content

HOOF TRIMMING VIDEOS!! if you just want something clean and satisfying watch horse hoof trimming vids. if like me you don't mind or arguably even prefer complex & occasionally graphic medical cases then cows are where it's at. the big two cow hoof youtubers - mootubers, if you will - are the hoof gp (scotland based, mix of straightforward short form trims and longer vlog style videos, more comedy & banter sprinkled throughout) and nate the hoof guy (usa based, more straightforward and calm delivery, come for the hooves stay for his commenters' absolute vendetta against the hoof gp under nearly every single video)

i love girl with the dogs for dog/cat grooming videos. she has two channels, one with very short (2-5 min) grooms and another with longer (15-20 min) more in depth videos

back in my last year of undergrad i got really into soap making videos. mainly watch royalty soaps who can be... a bit gratingly cheerful in her delivery but if you don't mind that the actual content is very relaxing to watch

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Running from the Flames {17}

Pairing: Pierre Gasly x OFC Warnings: 18+ only, fluff, panic attack - this is a work of fiction and the events are not based on reality. Chapter: One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten || Eleven* || Twelve || Thirteen || Fourteen || Fifteen || Sixteen || Seventeen || Eighteen || under construction

Ilies was kind enough to take Pierre, Addie and I to the airport early on Monday morning. Pierre had put his Audi on one of the car transporters heading to Alpine’s mechanical headquarters in Paris and he would pick it up from there later in the week when he returned for some training. With the next race being in Canada there was a two week break so he was going to spend a few days in London with us as long as he kept up his fitness routine. 

I was apparently the one in charge of making sure that happened but his personal trainer might have been shocked to hear that my idea of exercise involved us tangled in bedsheets. I kept that to myself of course and just agreed. As long as I got to watch while Pierre worked out in my home gym then it was a win-win to me.

“Thanks for the lift, Granny,” I said as I kissed her cheeks after boarding the private jet. 

“It’s on the way to New York so it’s no hassle, honey. Are you sure you don’t want to come to Fashion Week with me?”

I grimaced at the idea. “And have you try to use me as a model again, no thanks.”

“What?” she asked innocently as she buckled up into her seat. “You’ve got the legs for it.”

“She’s not wrong,” Pierre whispered in my ear. “They are very sexy.”

I elbowed him lightly but he just laughed it off and I continued on my way down the aisle. Two rows down I found dad, who was half asleep, and heading home to see mum. I sat Addie into the seat beside him and buckled her in before setting up her latest animated fixation, Mulan, on the screen in front of her. 

“Let mummy know if you need to go to the loo,” I reminded her before pulling the earphones over her head.

There was no reason to be all sat together so I passed the last two rows before sitting down. There was only the galley behind us but since the flight was a little over two hours I doubted anyone would ask for refreshments and we would be left alone.

“Are you okay?” I asked as we hit some turbulence coming into Heathrow and Pierre clutched the armrest between us. His eyes were closed and his lips pressed in a firm line as he nodded his head. He had been uneasy since takeoff but repeatedly lied and said he was fine. “You couldn’t have picked a sport with more travel if you tried.”

“I’m fine with flying…until it gets bumpy.” He let me pull his hand from the leather material and replaced it with my own as we watched the GPS of the plane inching closer to the airport. 

“Miss Vowles, Mr Gasly, if you could please fill these out before we land that would be wonderful,” the stewardess said as she handed me three Passenger Locator Forms before moving on to dad.

I filled out mine and Addie’s while Pierre did his but he took a little longer since he wasn’t a UK Citizen like us and had more pages to complete. I actually had dual citizenship through the ‘grandfather scheme’ which meant I was entitled to apply for citizenship where my parents and grandparents were citizens. Legally, I could hold a passport of Mexico, the USA and the United Kingdom but I preferred to use my UK one since it had the least restrictions.

If Erik ever tried to petition for access to Addie and won, then she could have all three passports and a Norwegian one too.

The thought turned my mood sour and as we touched down on British soil I began to rue my decision to come back. I knew I needed to be here to pack up the house for the move and visit Dr Pascoe in person but there was always a little storm cloud in the back of my mind when I was in London. 

The city was tainted of memories with Erik, the restaurants we had eaten at, the cinemas we have gone to. I couldn’t even drive near Islington because that was where our house had been. Just thinking about it had the walls of the plane closing in around me and I reached for the paper bag in the storage pocket.

The paper crinkled in and out with each breath, the speed too fast for any rational thought and shadows moved around me until two faces came into focus.

“Sweetheart, look at me,” dad said but it was hard to catch the slippery words as my head swam. “Deep breath, in through your nose. Do it with me.” I tried to copy him but my intake was as shaky as my hands. “Good girl, now out through your mouth, nice and slow.”

My clothes felt too tight and my hair clung to my clammy forehead and I tried to brush it away but my hands were shaking too much. The strands of hair remained and I grew frustrated.

“I’ve got it, Bri, just focus on breathing,” Pierre said as he brushed it back for me. A cool damp cloth came to rest on my forehead and I closed my eyes as I leant back in the seat. “Mama’s alright, princesse.”

My eyes flashed open to see Addie looking afraid and I opened my arms for her. “Mummy was just a little overwhelmed, sweetie, I’m sorry it scared you.”

“Was it a bad dream again?” she asked as she clung tight to me.

“Kind of. You know, I could do with your help.” She perked up at the idea of helping and listened intently. “We have no food at home, so I need you to choose where we will have brunch. You don’t have to tell me now, but why don’t you hop back in your seat and have a think about it while we land.”

“Come on, little bug,” dad guided her away, his own worried stare looking back at me as he went. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Pierre asked when we were alone but I shook my head.

“No, I just want to erase the memories of this place.” I tipped my head onto his shoulder and looked up at him. “Tell me that it’s possible.”

He kissed my forehead and I cringed as I realised I was a sweaty mess but he didn’t seem to care as he wrapped an arm around me. “I don’t know about erasing them, but we can make new ones instead.”

–

We landed without a fuss and while we were taxiing to the terminal we started to say our goodbyes before we would part ways. Dad was already out of his seat, ignoring the seatbelt sign, and kneeling next to Granny having quiet words with each other before they both looked at me with concern. 

Dad rose to his feet and let Addie climb up for a hug, a bright smile deepening the wrinkles at the corners of Granny’s eyes. “I’m going to miss you, honey. You let me know if you want to come visit alright? We’ll get rid of that posh accent in no time.”

“Don’t want you to go, Granny,” she replied with a trembling lip.

Betty sniffled and blinked away the tears that quickly built along her waterline. “You’re going to make me ruin my makeup.”

“You’d still look beautiful,” I said as I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for the visit and the ride.”

“Of course, you’re welcome to use it whenever you need, especially trying to juggle work, motherhood and a long distance relationship,” she said looking between Pierre and I. “Take all the help you can get to make it work.”

Pierre’s hand took mine and gave it a squeeze while I answered through my widening smile. “I might take you up on that.”

The Gulfstream had come to a stop and I saw two cars parked outside the little window as the stewardess opened the door. Dad would take one to the domestic terminal for his next flight to Manchester while we would be in the other heading home to Twickenham. 

“Oh, and Damien, give my love to Otmar when you see him,” Granny said with a fond smile for the man she thought of as the second child she never had. “I’ll see you in Italy, unless I decide to pop by before that. Never know when I might need a holiday at my age.”

“Mom, you’re retired.”

She scoffed and waved him off. “I retired from designing but I still own the company, dear. I can’t trust anyone else to run it right, unless it’s family.” Her eyes darted to me and I held my hands up.

“Don’t finish that thought, Granny, I’m an engineer - I like tinkering with mechanics and engines.”

“I’ve heard Pierre’s a man of fashion and business or so the internet tells me. You could always marry him. Just an idea, honey.” She sent me a wink and I stumbled over my feet, nearly sending myself out down the steps. “Take care of my precious babies, Mr Gasly.”

“Nothing would make me happier,” he replied with such sincerity that I missed the step in front of me and his hand shot out, catching my arm and pulling me back. “Was that a test?”

“No,” I sighed and blew a strand of hair out of my face with a huff. “That's just how clumsy I am. Let’s go before I break my neck and never get to walk down the aisle Granny’s busy daydreaming about now.”

“I’ve had the design of your wedding dress waiting since you were 18. You tell me when to start sewing it.”

“Bye Granny, bye Matthew!” I concentrated on walking down the stairs with an amused Pierre behind me carrying Addie and dad coming down last. 

“Your mother said she’s blocked out her calendar for Wednesday if you can come to dinner.”

I looked at Pierre since he was meant to be flying to Paris on Thursday morning and Addie and I would be flying into Rouen to meet him on Saturday. “It’s a four hour drive.”

“It shouldn’t be difficult to change my flight to leave from Manchester instead, if you want to stay the night?”

I nodded to dad, “it’s a tentative yes but I’ll let you know once he’s checked the flights. Addie say bye-byes to grandad.”

Our farewells were far quicker and our luggage had already been put into the cars by the time we were finished and going our own separate ways. I would have preferred to have my own car but it was at home after getting a cab to the airport when we left two weeks ago but thankfully it wasn’t peak rush hour and it wasn’t too far to get home.

“Addie, have you decided where you want to eat?”

“The dog park!”

Pierre looked aghast as he spun in his passenger seat at the front and I laughed at the face he pulled. “It’s just a cafe that happens to be on the same block as a dog park. It’s called Ivy and she knows it too,” I said as I tickled Addie’s toes for being a little trickster. “It’s just around the corner from our house so we can drop the bags off first and walk.”

He relaxed back into his seat knowing he wasn’t going to be eating in a dog park and I scoured the inside pockets of my handbag until I found my keys. I gripped the remote to the front gate as the driver pulled onto our street and suddenly had a new fear - had I tidied the house before we left? No. The answer was, no. I had been running around like a madwoman trying to get Addie ready so I decided the toys on the floor and unfolded washing on the couch could wait for my return.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath and Pierre’s eyes shot to me through the little mirror on his sun visor, his eyebrow cocked in a silent question. “My house is a fucking mess.”

Click here for chapter eighteen.

Tagging: @my-only-way-tocooperatewithlife @anotheroneiforgot

[mjmagics]

Chapter 2

Warnings: MC almost gets kidnapped, anxiety of large places, MC swearing a lot, teenage hormonal responses

Rating: 14+ THE ONLY STORY ON MY ACCOUNT NOT 18+

Word Count: 1,500+

I’m not an idiot 

Gotham City,  New Jersey. USA 

Robin watched as a plane landed at the Gotham International  Airport or the GIA. According to his father’s research, a gang leader who went by the name of King of Spades would be coming home to America from the United Kingdom, where he robbed a series of banks. He caused quite a stir for Batman’s allies in the UK, and the whole team was eager to end his criminal career, along with his gang members. 

“Batman, I see the target,” Robin stated, pressing down on the earpiece he wore so those on the comlink could hear him. 

“Great job, Robin,” Batman replied. “Now get to the next zone, Red Robin and Nightwing are in the building to monitor the target. Do not engage. We are to follow him to the hideout of the Royal Flush Gang.” 

The boy in red and green sighed. “I know, Batman, I’m not an idiot.” 

“I was simply reminding you,” Batman pointed out. “There is a break-in at a local retail store, Spoiler and I will handle it,” The man announced before cutting off the conversation.  

“You know what would be useful right now?” A voice came through on the intercom. 

“What, Nightwing?”  Robin asked. 

“Oo! Let me guess,” yet another voice exclaimed. “Miss Martian’s mental link?” 

“Ding ding ding,” Nightwing replied. “Red Robin is our winner.” Then the man sighed, “I’m missing my old team. Missions like this always remind me of them.” 

“Sorry we’re not good enough for you, Grayson,” Robin spat. 

“Boys, focus,” Batman’s voice came through on the earpiece. “And no real names, you all know this.” 

Robin tutted in frustration. “Yes sir.” 

“I can feel your anger from here, Robin,” Nightwing stated, there was a shutter in his voice before he let out a dry laugh. “Shit, I see our target. He is making his way to the far east exit.” 

“On it,” Red Robin replied. “I have eyes on him, is Batgirl and Red Hood ready?” 

“They are,” Batman answered. “Robin, can you tag his car?” 

“That’s easy,” Robin stated. “I was trained since a child for missions much more strenuous than this.” 

“Strenuous?” Nightwing asked. 

“It’s a synonym for hard,” the younger chuckled. “It’s a bit disappointing you don’t know the word.” 

“Ouch, how does that burn feel, Nightwing,” Red Robin chimed with a chuckle.

“I know what strenuous means, I’ m just surprised you know,” Nightwing sighed with defeat. 

“I’m not an idiot.” 

“I never said you were!”

“I’m heading to the car now,” Robin growled before switching off his Bluetooth device and storming out of the area. 

On the other side of the airport, Jade Knutsvig was just stepping off the warm plane and into the humid building full of bodies pushing and pulling to board their flights on time. Her eyes widened as she assessed the large building. In all her years she had never been in an airport as large as GIA. Other than the Mall of America, she had never been in a place this large. She had barely traveled outside of her home state. It was completely foreign to the girl.

After the first wave of shock passed, she found herself sitting on a bench, taking in the glass walls that allowed the pale orange light of the setting sun into the structure. It reminded her of tree sap, and she pulled a piece of crystallized amber from her carry-on. Amber could absorb negative energy, and ever since she was a young girl she was able to rely on the smooth stone to ease her anxieties. 

Jade whispered a small prayer to herself. It wasn’t to any god, but it was a cry for the universe to help guide her through the maze of the airport. After a few deep breaths, Jade pulled out her phone to message her sister. As the device turned on she could see the shadow of a man looming over her. Without looking at him she could already feel an untrustworthy energy radiating from his aura. 

“Are you lost?” The man questioned. “Where is your mom?” 

“I’m by myself,” She swiftly answered. The girl was unfamiliar with the hostilities of larger communities. Jade grew up in the comfort of small towns where everyone knew their neighbors and had their noses in one another's business. Her eyes glanced up at the man, and once she made eye contact with him her stomach dropped. 

“My name is Bruce Wayne. You might not know of me, but I’m a bit of a celebrity around here. I saw you got off a fight from Minneapolis. Are you from there?” 

“No,” Jade whispered. Where is Eliza she found herself thinking. She flies me all the way out to Gotham only to abandon me in an airport! 

Being stuck in her thoughts, Jade missed the moment that the man before her reached for her right forearm. His large hand grasped her body, and a rough pull brought her to her feet. 

“Woah, dude,” She exclaimed, trying to tug away from him. Her attempt to escape his friends was useless and it only made him hold tighter. “You don’t know what you’re doing! My sister is waiting for me, she will know I’m missing.” 

Pleading wasn’t helping Jade’s case, and the man began to lead Jade into the crowd of the airport. Her bag was left behind on the bench, along with her phone. Panic began to set in. This was nothing like home. 

“Help!” Jade screamed, “Help me! Someone!”

The man began to dig his nails into her skin, “shut up,” he growled. He then turned to the crowd the circled them. “Sorry, my daughter is just throwing a fit.” 

“Help! Please. I don’t know this man!” The young woman began to recall what her older sister taught her many years ago. “Please! This isn’t my dad!” 

“Barbra?” A voice sounded from the crowd, and a man with bright blue eyes and dark hair stepped out. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” 

Another stranger? Why couldn’t her sister be here to grab her? Yet, this guy seemed a lot better than the man who has dragged her across the airport. “Uh- Hi,” Jade said awkwardly. “I don’t know this man. I think he’s trying to kidnap me.” 

The assailant let go of the teen and began to push his way through the crowd. The man who referee to her as Barbara stepped closer. “Hey, let me help you.” 

“I’m okay,” Jade snapped. She was anxious, homesick, and had her life flash before her eyes. Overthinking took over her, and her brain visualized each situation that could have come to her if the man hadn’t saved her. 

“It's no bother,” The man stated. 

“I thank you for your help,” Jade huffed, checking her pockets for anything she might have. The girl found nothing but wanted to gift the man something. She closed her eyes while her right hand was shoved in her hoodie pocket and created a shard of jade stone. She presented it to him, flat in her palm. “Here, a token of my appreciation.” 

The man accepted it and opened his mouth as if he was going to comment on it. Before he could another man, closer to Jade’s sister’s age, stood next to him. “Hey, I know you’re trying to play hero but she’s safe. We have things to do.” 

The man who saved Jade nodded. “Thank you,” He stated, shaking the piece of jade that was in his hands to signify his gratitude. Jade simply nodded before she ran back to her stuff, surprised to see it had not been stolen by a thief. 

The moment she found her phone she called her sister. Her heart was still racing, and then a mix of fear and adrenaline made her legs weak. “Where are you?” Her voice was a whisper, and the moment Eliza replied with: “I’m at the gate c-19. Is that not yours?” 

“No,” The girl said, but as the syllables left her mouth so did a sob of fear. 

“Hey, what’s wrong? Where are you? I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

“I’m at “ Jade choked down another sob. “I’m at gate C-13. I wanna go home,” The girl cried, trying to hide in her hoodie. “Eliza, a man grabbed me.” 

“Oh my god,” Eliza gasped. In the background of the call, Jade could hear Eliza’s pace go from a brisk walk to a run. “I see you,” She replied quickly. 

Jade looked around before her eyes met Eliza’s. She felt a wave of warmth wash over her. It wasn’t natural, it was Eliza’s power soothing her. The two finally met, and Jade didn’t have time to hang up the call before Eliza’s arms were around her, her body heat matching the temperature of warmth that was soothed Jade meer seconds before. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” Eliza repeated. 

After the two calmed down, filed a police report with airport security and Gotham PD, and retrieved Jade’s bags, the two began their car ride to their home. Jade fell asleep in traffic, and Eliza pondered if the man trying to kidnap her sister was an omen to get her sister out of Gotham already.

[darkmaga-returns]

QUESTION: Marty, I have been using Socrates to bet on the elections. So far, so good.  What do you expect between a Harris vs Trump victory?

JF

ANSWER: It shows that a Harris victory would result in virtually World War III very fast. Putin knows his adversaries, and to placate his own Neocons, he would probably launch an all-out war to eliminate Ukraine, which he has not done. His Neocons have criticized him that he should have invaded Ukraine as the USA did to Iraq, and the war would have been over in 6 weeks. They have been screaming this is a war with NATO from the start – not Ukraine. That means the destruction of Kiev. Our computer goes flat-line on Ukraine, which seems to suggest that they will be wiped off the face of the earth. Zelensky is just lining his pockets and expects a particular flight to Miami when Ukraine loses. The Ukrainian people are fools to allow this traitor to take orders as Hezbollah does from Iran.

A Trump victory looks like a pause. There will still be a war, but NATO will instigate it. NATO is the mother-ship of Neocons. They are trying to expand into Asia because the plan is for the United Nations to become the sovereign government of the world, using war as the justification that only they can be peacemakers. The IMF and World Bank will be the monetary arm, and NATO will be the international Department of Defense. Why was NATO formed to protect Europe from the Communists of Khrushchev’s days now seeking to take over Asia? Once every government agency grasps power, it always seeks to expand it.

Harris = World War III instantly. Girls under 40 had better get pregnant if you don’t have kids, for the Democrats already are planning on drafting you to defend Zelensky. Tump = victory will try to keep us out of war and hopefully save at least half of Western civilization.

QUESTION #2: Can they rig this election for Harris?

SK

ANSWER #2: As Stalin said, those who count the vote decide everything. The Pentagon forgot to send mail-in ballots to those stationed overseas when they know most in the military support Trump. Convenient! We do see a very big turnout. The real question is how much of that will be Biden’s illegal aliens. Can the illegal aliens alter the vote? It is certainly not out of the question since there are numerous millions. Some have already been caught voting.

COMMENT: Marty,

The erosion of western culture since the first wave of migrants swept through Italy and Germany in 2011 is now firmly rooted in Europe and the UK and there is no going back.

Private citizens to public servants, nobody holds the same levels of safety today with the Middle East nations rejection of assimilation.

The USA is not lagging far behind with the no boarders policy.

The question for the USA, will they be sent back?

Respectfully,

JH

[msclaritea]

"What if Bill Gates tabled the idea to the CIA of Population Control? Not just the future management of Population Growth, but also the Control of the remaining Populations who would eventually realise what was going on. It involved the idea of Ethnically cleansing the Populations that hold most of the Land Assets the greedy 1% desire. The Populations of the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada & New Zealand predominantly. What if Bill Gates devised an Ethnicity Specific Weapon of Mass Destruction, mRNA Covid-19 injections, which he planned to use alongside the Poisoning of Water Supplies & the removal of Nutrient Rich Food by Genetically Modifying it? The Food looks great, but holds no Nutritional Value. What if Gates also Pollutes the Air we breathe with Chemtrails all leading to a shortening of Life? What if Gates was then given the role of Global Population Control on a limited contract, 2020-2030 along with a Licence to Kill? That he then publicly divorced in an attempt to shield his equally complicit wife & their Children from the dangers his new role would bring? His Licence to Kill allows him to target aircraft carrying individuals that could adversely effect his plans, like the Cancer specialists whose flight went down recently? What if he was gifted the contract to operate the new global digital currencies through Microsoft, meaning he earns with every single global transaction? What if the reason there are no "Property Of" signs on 5G towers are because they are Gates owned? And what if this ultimate salesmen managed to convince or blackmail the Leaders of our Nations that this was in fact a good & profitable idea?

Sell Eco-Terrorism as Geo-engineering?

Sell Death Jabs as Healthcare?

Sell Bio-Terrorism as a Pandemic?

Sell Financial Terrorism as Inflation?

Sell Digital Control Management Slave Systems as Convenient?

If the answer is Yes to any of the above.

Bill Gates is a Terrorist."

White Rabbit Podcast, Twitter

Who Is Bill Gates? (Full Documentary, 2020)

[ellieellieoxenfree]

52 weeks, 52 movies: april

yeah whatever i finally got around to it rewatches denoted with *; bold denotes favorites watched.

straight-jacket (usa) — after a gay scandal potentially threatens to end movie star guy stone’s (matt letscher) career, he’s forced to marry an unaware secretary (carrie preston) to keep up appearances, which becomes considerably more difficult after he falls in love for real.

it PAINS me to give this movie a bad review. it really, really does. it has all the ingredients i should like — matt letscher, carrie preston, homosexuality, mid-century american satire — and yet it has all the life and wit of a damp paper towel. letscher appears pained to be in the thing, not so much sleepwalking through the role but actively grimacing through it. carrie preston is usually reliable, but you can see too much of the glue holding her performance together and what should be frothy and campy just comes off as almost embarrassingly try-hard. the chemistry between letscher and adam greer, who plays his communist boyfriend, rick stone, is…well, nonexistent. greer is trying, again, but one person cannot carry a two-person relationship, and stone really isn’t so much of a character as he is a stereotypical hodgepodge of liberal talking points.

straight-jacket was a play first, which shows up in glaringly obvious and detrimental ways — it’s blocked like a play, with stagey sets and shoddy CGI standing in for actual era-appropriate sets. the whole thing feels claustrophobic and limited, and there’s no immersion into the 1950s because the set design only takes us about a quarter of the way there. combining the clumsy, amateurish visuals with characters who spout viewpoints decades ahead of what they should be makes for a jarring experience. (rick, again, is the poster child for this, and i doubt anyone could have salvaged the character.)

it also just doesn’t know what it wants to be tonally. it starts out as fluffy camp, then takes a hard left (ha!) turn into serious social commentary and a shoehorned plea for tolerance and acceptance. rest assured, it does none of these things well, and its preachiness manages to drown out whatever scraps of fun could have potentially been gleaned from the comedy. the dialogue aims for pointed zingers and is instead defanged and limp; the pathos just is creaky and gloopily sentimental. i struggled mightily to figure out who this movie could have been for, and what kind of story it was trying to tell, because i don’t think at any point anyone involved in the production knew, either. it kept trying to take flight, but it’s hard to do that when every level of your story is dead on arrival.

pygmalion (1981) (uk) — linguistics professor henry higgins (robert powell) makes a bet that in six weeks, he can pass eliza doolittle (twiggy), a cockney flower girl, off as a duchess in high society.

the 1938 pygmalion is one of my favorite movies of all time — hiller and howard are lightning in a bottle, and the movie sparkles and crackles and shimmers. this was poised to do the same, because robert powell and twiggy are near and dear to my heart and i would watch both of them read the phone book. (yes, i stand by this. have you seen twiggy in the boy friend? delightful. i adore her.) and i did enjoy it, truly! but not quite as much as i thought i would, which was no fault of either lead. instead, it’s damned slightly by being a faithful adaptation of the stage play, and thus it robs us of some of the more emotionally satisfying scenes contained in other versions. twiggy suffers the short end of the stick here most; she’s a fantastic eliza, but we just don’t see enough of her. when she does get to shine, she utterly nails the role. she starts as a live wire of a girl, chaos and noise, but she transforms into composed steel and ice as she undergoes higgins’ tutelage and begins to realize the magnitude of how he’s used her and how disposable he sees her. i was particularly disappointed that her trumph at the society ball is entirely erased from this version, because it robs us of the power of seeing how effective her transformation has been, but she still takes the limited material she’s given — her confrontation with higgins, which is one of the finest moments in any adaptation — and renders it with quiet, chilling devastation. this eliza is not the hysterical woman-child higgins drags off the streets; this is a woman fully in control of her power and destiny and wise enough to know to keep her anger on a controlled simmer. i loved her restraint here. she doesn’t raise her voice or lash out in anger, but delivers her lines with precise, pointed viciousness.

likewise, when she’s fled the higgins household to stay with his much more agreeable, pleasant mother (helen shingler), she knocks it out of the park. this, unlike straight-jacket, understood the importance of adhering to social norms. eliza here feels like a proper edwardian lady, who understands the roles and limitations placed on her, and she carries herself with a quiet grace and dignity that fully centered the production in its historical context in a way i hadn’t seen to such effect before (even in 1938!).

powell, of course, is magnificent, and he relishes the chance to play higgins. higgins is one of the great roles to me, conniving, brilliant, thoughtless, condescending, full of swagger and bravado. he is an awful man but a great character, and powell inhabits him fully. when he and twiggy spark off one another, they’re delightful together. unfortunately, we just don’t get the chance to see them do it often enough. many of the major bones of the story are intact — the ‘gin was like mother’s milk to her’ line is as screechingly funny as always; the aforementioned post-society ball confrontation twists the knife. but we don’t see much of the actual training and eliza’s struggles to learn; we see higgins and his colleague, pickering (ronald fraser) celebrate their success at the ball, but eliza’s actual achievements remain frustratingly off-screen. it feels very appropriate to shaw to give us an adaptation about a woman coming into her full power and still sideline her in favor of giving us more from the men.

still, frustrating flaws aside, this is a real treat to watch for me — two of my favorite stars in one of my favorite plays. it won’t dethrone the 1938 masterpiece, but still glad i was able to get my hands on it. thanks, random amazon seller in the UK. you’re a real one. cadejo blanco (guatemala) — after her sister goes missing, working-class sarita (karen martínez) infiltrates a gang to figure out what happened to her.

there is a scene late in this movie where a young gangster — much like other members of the gang, most likely in his mid-20s at best — tells the protagonist about a criminal he knew growing up. the man stole vehicles, caused chaos, and terrorized the neighborhood, until the day he was found shot in the middle of the street. his death was unmourned; the cops did nothing to apprehend the shooter. the neighborhood, instead, greeted the news with a profound sense of relief.

that, the gangster tells her, is the fate that he knows waits for him. there is no one who will grieve his own early demise. he has no purpose in life other than to fight for an uncaring boss who will just find another warm body to replace him if and when he’s killed. it is an utterly crushing, tremendously powerful scene. he’s a gangster but he’s also just a boy. he’s too young and gangly to be considered a man yet. he’s still figuring himself and his life out, and he’s horribly aware of his own fragile mortality and the limited amount of time he has left.

and the rest of the movie is a miserable, dragging, tonally inconsistent slog around it. it is over two hours long, for some godforsaken reason, anchored by — i’m sorry, but it’s true — a flat, emotionless lead performance from karen martínez. martínez is admittedly a non-professional actor, so asking her to shoulder basically the entire movie is a tall ask, but she’s not up to the challenge. she has some great moments, such as when she corners the rich boy who keeps her around as a side piece and tells him that he’s going to cover for her while she heads off on her quest to find her sister, or she’ll spill all of his dirty sex secrets to his upper-class friends, but she doesn’t convey the emotional range needed for someone who’s heading into almost-certain death. and sarita faces some truly horrific stuff as her gang infiltration progresses, none of which ever quite lands. not all of this is martínez’ fault, because much of it does lie with the writing/direction/editing/cinematography. there’s not really a sense of urgency or dread that ever comes through. things happen, but that’s…it. i say this with the same tone i would use to say that breakfast happened for me this morning. it was a thing that occurred, without emotion or energy. the plot unfolds, but i never quite felt anything about it. sarita’s sister going missing should fill me with something. the violence (of many stripes) she faces should rouse horror or pity or anger in me. it doesn’t. it’s there. it exists. it just sort of…is.

it’s just boring, is the cardinal sin, which is insane considering the subject matter of the movie. but i kept hovering my mouse over the progress bar and asking how in god’s name i still had another 45 minutes to go. remember when you were in elementary school and each minute felt like it lasted twelve days? that was me with this movie. utter drudgery.

but hey, guatemalan spanish is beautiful, so that’s balm in gilead.

the lady assassin (vietnam) — a kidnapped upper-class girl joins forces with a trio of female assassins masquerading as tavern owners to take revenge on visitors.

this movie might be the dictionary definition of ‘i didn’t say it was good, i said i liked it.’ i cannot in any way defend it as a good production — the plot is nonsensical, with more than a few heavy dollops of fanservice; the fight choreography should credit the wires used as an extra cast member; the characters aren’t exactly rife with personality or understandable motivations beyond ‘kill everyone.’ and yet i fucking loved this movie. fucking adored it. it’s ridiculous, it’s idiotic, and it is a fucking blast. it has no pretensions about what it is, which is 75 minutes of beautiful girls in color-coded fancy dresses killing people, having vaguely homoerotic encounters, and playing hands-free beach volleyball (because why not). it has a melodramatic subplot that is best left discovered by the viewer, but it, like everything else in the movie, is dialed up past 11. it’s deliciously campy, but also, if you let yourself get swept away by the nonsense, it’s also oddly sweet and affecting.

information on the movie is limited. it plays like a wuxia satire, really leaning into the overeating and the extremely dramatic moments, but i don’t know if that was the intention behind it. i know it was a box office smash in vietnam, but is almost unheard of in the west (i ordered my copy from a specialty distributor in the UK for a song), and the few people who have seen it seem more critical than anything else.

these people are stupid and wrong and have no joy in their hearts. i’m an expert and i can thus tell you that this movie, if you open your heart to it and let it take up idiotic residence, will change your life for the better. i’m not really sure what to tell people to sell them on it. either you like hot girls with swords or you don’t. either you like fun or you don’t. either you understand that a movie does not have have legitimate artistic quality to be good, or you’re a buffoon. watch the lady assassin. it’s a good time.

other viewing

stomp! shout! scream! (usa)

mean mums s2 (new zealand)

song of summer (uk)

working girls (usa)

the thirty-nine steps (uk)

the prince and the pauper (1937) (usa)

yes, madam! (hong kong)

tattoo (iran)

who framed roger rabbit (usa)

beverly of graustark (usa)

pride (2014) (uk)

quiet on set: breaking the silence (usa)

super mario bros: the search for princess peach! (japan)

rikky and pete (australia)

naz & maalik (usa)

in person (1935) (usa)

spirit of wonder: miss china’s ring (japan)

weird: the al yankovic story (usa)

lights in the dusk (finland)

sordid lives (usa)

adorables (belgium)

the wind phone (japan)

cartoon all-stars to the rescue (usa)

evil bong (usa)

super troopers* (usa)

utama (bolivia)

dredd (usa)

wings (1966) (russia)

while the city sleeps (usa)

h is for happiness (australia)

dillinger (usa)

dune (1984) (usa)

trópico (guatemala)

breath (2018) (australia)

the divine order (switzerland)

[bopinion]

2024 / 26

Aperçu of the week

"A little less conversation, a little more action!"

(Elvis Presley)

Bad News of the Week

It was a foreseeable accident: the first presidential debate on US television. With a candidate who is known to lie and cheat shamelessly. And a candidate who was doubted to be fit enough for one of the most demanding jobs in the world. Both have been impressively demonstrated. The problem with this is that Donald Trump's potential voters are not deterred by this. But Joe Biden's potential voters will be put off by it.

In an interview on the street after the debate, a young man said: "We are more than 300 million. And that's the best choice we have?" That sums it up well. On the one hand, a guy with "the morals of an alley cat" - Biden is right about that. On the other hand, a deserving statesman who has both feet on the ground of the constitution and is committed to democratic values. But who clearly lacks the physical fitness for a second term in office - Trump is right about that.

According to media reports, "panic is spreading" among many Democrats. And yet Joe Biden is the only one who could take himself out of the race. Because a sitting president is sacred - if he wants to run, he will. Period. Should he actually do so and the warning voices prove to be right, the Democrats will be as much to blame for Trump's re-election as the Republicans. We can only hope that the election itself does not turn into an accident that could have been actually foreseen.

Good News of the Week

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. After years of chaos under various Conservative leaders, the mood in the country is clear: fundamental change, please. Brexit was botched, the healthcare system is still not working, the labor market is down, inflation is high. The Tories had their chance and blew it. Rishi Sunak's flight forward with early elections will backfire just like French President Emmanuel Macron's.

Labour's party leader Starmer is seen by many as wooden and colorless, a political robot without dynamism. Charisma or ego are alien to him, his nickname is "Mr. Boring". More and more Britons seem to welcome the fact that this is a pleasant contrast to, for example, loudspeaker Boris Johnson, the last actually elected prime minister. Here is someone who simply wants to do his job. He has made his party electable again for the middle of society - because ultimately elections are won everywhere there - and prescribed a new program for it. With small, pragmatic steps, without a grand vision. Functional and straightforward like himself.

It is worth taking a look at his CV. The working-class son from a humble background, whose parents perhaps not coincidentally named him after the first Labor Party leader Keir Hardie, has worked his way up. As a human rights lawyer, Starmer defended environmental activists against McDonald's, fought for compensation payments for miners and represented defendants sentenced to death in Commonwealth countries. As uncompromising prosecutor, he spared no controversial cases and earned a knighthood. As party leader, he also proved that attitude mattered to him, for example by summarily kicking out members with anti-Semitic tendencies.

Starmer says he went into politics "to make the world a better place". With his background, that is credible. And the rather uncreative election campaign slogan "Change" takes on more meaning because of him. A down-to-earth guy from the middle of society with a solid moral compass, who doesn't want to shine but wants to do things, is probably exactly what the UK needs right now. And certainly not the right-wing populists of Reform UK. I wish him every success.

I couldn't care less...

...that 16 US Nobel laureates in economics have warned that Trump is a threat to "the position of the USA in the world". It is almost a tradition that science is rarely listened to in the land of unlimited opportunity. Unfortunately.

It's fine with me...

...that Steve Bannon now has to go to prison for four months. The appeal by Trump's sleazy ex-advisor against his conviction for "Disregard of Congress" was rejected. In my opinion, Bannon has disregarded much more - for example democracy, truth, decency, responsibility, style, etcetera...

As I write this...

...the hottest day of the year so far, 34 degrees Celsius, is followed by a quite cooler 11 degrees Celsius. And it's raining cats and dogs again. In places so heavy that there were flood victims in Switzerland and France and in Italy (!) hailstones with a diameter of 10 cm (!) fell. The next time a climate change denier crosses my path, he'll be lucky if I don't hit him with my umbrella.

Post Scriptum

The new top staff of the European Union is in place. Germany's Ursula von der Leyen will remain Commission President, former Portuguese head of government António Costader will become President of the body of heads of state and government and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will be Foreign Affairs Commissioner. These are all comprehensible, balanced and sound decisions made by the European heads of state. Formally, however, they are only proposals, as the European Parliament still has to approve the personnel tableau in a secret ballot. It will be interesting to see which concessions will be made to which political groups. But that's how the political business works: you have to organize majorities.

On the other hand, there is a stronger, albeit still fragmented, right-wing in Parliament and Viktor Orbán as President of the Council for the next six months. In this respect, a strong Commission - whereby the individual Commissioners, i.e. heads of department, have not yet been determined as they are nominated by the individual states - is an important foundation for the start of the new legislative period. Viva Europa!

[bamzeechargers]

In a world where travel was as common as breathing, there existed a remarkable device: the All-in-One Universal Travel Charger and Adapter. It was no larger than a wallet, yet it held the power of connection. With four charging ports and compatibility with USA, UK, Australia, and Europe plugs, it was a beacon of hope for drained batteries everywhere.

One day, a seasoned traveler named Leo discovered this charger in a quirky tech bazaar. He marveled at its compact design and the promise of never being tethered to one place. With a flight to catch and his phone on its last bar, Leo put the charger to the test. It was a success, and his phone sprang back to life, ready to navigate the streets of Paris.

As Leo journeyed from the Eiffel Tower to the Colosseum, the charger became his constant companion, powering not just his devices but also his connections. In a cozy café in Vienna, the charger caught the eye of Mia, a writer with a penchant for quaint coffee shops and captivating stories. She was charmed by the gadget's efficiency and Leo's tales of wanderlust. They shared a port and stories, their laughter blending with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.The All-in-One Universal Travel Charger and Adapter wasn't just a tool; it was a catalyst for adventure, a silent witness to the stories unfolding in its presence, and the quiet hero of every traveler's tale.

[usafphantom2]

NORAD intercepts Russian aircraft during military exercise in Alaska

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 05/15/23 - 21:02 in Interceptions, Military

File image of an F-22 Raptor intercepting a Tu-95 near Alaska in June 2020.

The Alaska Region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted six Russian aircraft operating in and near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 11, 2023 during the execution of a military exercise with several countries.

Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. These flights took place while several planned large-scale U.S. military training exercises are underway in Alaska.

Exercise Northern Edge 23 is underway in Alaska, a huge multinational exercise with the U.S., UK and Australian military led by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Thousands of U.S. military personnel, five ships and more than 150 aircraft are participating, according to authorities. The approximately two-week exercise began on May 4.

The Russian aircraft that flew near Alaska were Tu-95 bombers, Il-78 tankers and Su-35 fighters.

Among the NORAD aircraft were F-16 and F-22 fighters, KC-135 Stratotankers refuelers and early air alert and E-3 AWACS control aircraft.

NORAD did not detail how many of each type of aircraft - Russian or American - were involved in the episode, or whether the American aircraft that performed the interception are regularly assigned to NORAD.

This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat. NORAD tracks and positively identifies all military aircraft entering ADIZ, routinely monitors aircraft movements and, as necessary, escorts them out of ADIZ.

ADIZ serves as an early warning buffer zone beyond the U.S. airspace.

Since Russia resumed long-range aviation activity outside the area in 2007, NORAD has recorded an annual average of approximately six to seven interceptions of Russian military aircraft in ADIZ. These numbers have varied every year, from 15 to zero.

NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground radars, aerial radars and fighters to track and identify aircraft and report appropriate actions.

Tags: Military AviationInterceptionsNORADRFSAF - Russian Federation Aerospace Force/Russian Aerospace ForceUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.

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[philipbloom]

Should you declassify your DJI Mini 4 Pro Drone? HUGE changes in 2024 EU regulations! from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Are you wondering if you should take up DJI's offer to remove the C0 label from your Mini 4 Pro drone in the EU? In this video, I delve into the latest updates and share crucial insights about the impending significant changes in EU regulations set to take effect in 2024!

From new certification requirements to revised flight restrictions, I break down the upcoming regulations, helping you navigate the evolving landscape of drone usage in Europe.

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[hoboonthetracks]

Jazz on a Summer’s Day

JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY

They say that 1959 was the year that changed jazz. It was the period when the music broke away from its traditional modes to create new forms, specifically allowing soloists to break free and express themselves. It was year that America: the found its groove with jazz leading the charge. The list of albums that were released that year is just incredible - check them out.  

However when scholars and aficionados talk about music in that year four jazz albums are cited, each a high point for the artists concerned and a real soundtrack of the times and all four stand up to this day and somewhat. They are:

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue 

Dave Brubeck, Time Out 

Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um

Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come

All four may be different but they are equally sublime. They are timeless and to have heard them contemporaneously must have been something else. The albums, jazz and that period of time has established itself as an integral part of American history and it quickly found itself an audience and voice in the jazz clubs, nightclubs and parties on this side of the Atlantic as well. Jazz - especially Trad Jazz - was huge in the UK at the end of the 1950s and the aficionados, beatniks and modernists quickly lapped up this modern jazz creating friction - that led to numerous verbals and fist fights between the Trads and Moderns. For this was modern and new. Frightening, exciting, exhilarating and refreshing. 

Like the music the shift was rapid and the records soon found their way into the stores the length and breadth of the country. The kids snapped them up, played them, danced to them and nodded their heads to them. And whilst ding this they studied the album covers of all these new imported sounds on the Verve, Blue Note and Capitol labels. See, it was more than the music. It was also about the style, the clothes, the colours, the modernist art, architecture and furniture, and the graphic design. It was Hollywood PLUS! Britain was looking west. Cigarettes, glamour, bourbon, Ivy League clothing and jazz. As the legendary retailer and original modernist John Simons says on his company's website: "I came to art really through record covers, I was extremely interested in the Bebop revolution in America in the post-war years. I would always find myself in record stores looking at the covers. They were very often done by interesting modern artists, which reflected the music. As a fourteen and fifteen-year-old that drew me to it. To me the Bebop revolution made the Punk revolution look like right wing conservatives! So far out man… I can’t even tell you."

Then in August 1959 a small independent film was released that gave the UK modernists a visual interpretation of their new-found music. Entitled Jazz On A Summer's Day the film is a dazzling documentary of the Newport Jazz Festival held a year earlier on Rhode Island, USA. The festival was founded in 1954 and soon became the hippest event in the country. It wasn't long before Bert Stern, a young New Yorker specialising in "still" advertising photography, had the bright idea of filming the Newport Jazz Festival, in which 50 top-flight American jazz musicians and vocalists took part and to which jazzanistas in their legions flocked from all over. Stern has a wonderful gift for capturing the colour, style and panache of the venue, artistes and audience. He then intersperses this with film of the city of Newport from the harbour with its racing yachts skimming gracefully over the sparkling and shimmering water to shots of kids paying on the beach and onto the cool cats arriving at the event.And “cool” is the word. 

The music featuring the Jimmy Giuffre 3, Thelonious Monk Trio, Dinah Washington, Louis Armstrong and Mahalia Jackson to name just a few is scintillating. The multi-racial crowd has never been hipper and as day turns to night Stern and co-director Aram Avakian capture a vibe that is like nothing anybody had seen, heard or felt before in America or at one of the few cinemas that showed it in the UK. The reviews were superb, those that saw it had now bought into this whole new scene and Britain edged that little bit closer to the 1960s...

 FOOTNOTES

In 2020 the film was given a new 4K restoration by IndieCollect, and premiered at the 57th New York Film Festival - the trailer looks fantastic . It was meant to have a cinema and Netflix release but due to Covid this doesn't seem to have happened. You can however watch the pre-restored version on Vimeo and Youtube.   

Meanwhile the photos that accompany this piece are from the incredible book Jazz Festival by Jim Marshall and released by Reel Art Press. The book includes photos from the 1958 festival - amongst other years - and Marshall can actually be seen on the film. If you haven't done so already then check out the book! 

[radley-writes]

Are you wanting to publish a second book? If so, do you know which one?

Ain't that the big question?

Ngl, the reception to Dressage Dragons has been a bit tragic.

That book is my baby - it's considerably more coherent in terms of structure than Strictly, which is politely described as an 'adhd fest (positive)', and I am far more confident in the character-work. All of my betas loved it (it's the only book I've ever written where no betas dropped out!). My agent and others at the agency loved it, and I had very few editorial notes to work through!

But it's set very firmly in the UK, and I suspect that hasn't helped when selling to a USA market which isn't nearly so interested in UK-based stories as it used to be.

I went to auction with Strictly, relatively quick. But DD hasn't had any bites yet.

All the feedback I've received has been 'love it but sadly have no space for it on my list', or 'I just don't like the voice, sorry' (fair enough - it's very voicey, and if editors don't gel, there's nothing I can do about that). So at least I'm confident that there aren't major problems with the story itself!

Currently, we're out on subs with British publishers, just to see if they're any more receptive. Response times are very long at the moment, so I won't know further details until the approximate heat-death of the universe. But I have accepted (with the help of lots of chocolate and snivelling into the fur of my cat) that DD might not find a tradpub home.

The good news: it'll still definitely be published! I'll rework the ending to make it a standalone rather than first in a duology, then self-pub.

The bad news: I suck at marketing. And I need to figure out how to effectively self-pub.

So, depending on timings, the next book to publish will EITHER be Dressage Dragons, traditionally or otherwise, OR Liesmyth!

Some of you will remember my flight of fancy with His Majesty's Starship. Fear not - I haven't forgotten that story. However, my agent and I agreed that it would work better as a duology rather than a single whopping book that has 0 breathing space. As a result, it needs A LOT of reworking, and frankly, I'm too lazy. I'll undoubtedly return to it someday, but for now, I have so many other projects sat half- (or, 95% finished) on my laptop that I need to polish off!

I'm never going to be the fastest writer, thanks to a) disability, b) mental illness, c) the fact that I'm currently training for a separate full-time career that is considered very fast-paced and energy-draining by able-bodied neurotypicals (have I made a massive mistake with my life? maybe so. But I need money lol).

I'm perfectly happy being a slow writer and slow publisher - though sadly, the industry is geared towards people who can churn out new work rapidly. There will be more from me, but it might not be for a wee while! And I'm very, very grateful to my amazing agent, Beth Marshea, for being so understanding and believing in me every step of the way. x

[sugarcoatedstarkey]

sad angst drew anon here. just some suggestions no need to do them all or any and you can choose which one, and we sad because im single and dream of drew loooool. 1. being in a ldr with drew (like usa to uk/au) somewhere where its a good 12 hours flight and just missing them and missing something big that one of them does and just feeling like this isn't working out. 2. seeing fans ship drew with his co star and just feeling like you aren't worth it and the fans always not liking you together alt' drew seeing you being shipped with a co-star and becoming jealous and it being the reason you break up. 3. (sorry drew) you and drew break up and then a few weeks later you're both walking the red carpet but he isn't alone, hes with a close friend/co worker and interviewer asks her how long they've been together and she replies back with longer than you and drew have been apart (so he cheated).

Hi sad bby 🖤 we all out here wishing we had Drew haha

Okay so I’m going to write 1 + 2 mixed together with something from 3.

how do you want me to end it? Sad, happy? Or want me to decide?

[ljussangen]

I want to travel to Europe sometime especially Sweden. But I am afraid. I live in USA and it's a long trip. I think I can never wear a mask for that long on a plane. And I don't trust covid tests. I have to get a negative test to get on a plane? I don't know I was never flying before. What is it like to travel? Is it so hard like I heard? It's my dream but I just can't take this condition

You don't need to take a covid test, or wear a mask, or even be vaccinated to fly to Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, or the UK. I am sure that this is the same for many European countries (if not all? Last summer you needed to wear a mask flying into Germany, but I am unsure if that is still the same), but I do not have personal experience with the others. Some passengers wear masks still, but it is not required. I have not worn a mask or taken any precautions at all, and I have not gotten sick in any way.

It is a long trip flying to Europe (it generally takes me 18 hours to fly to Sweden from the Pacific coast, with 1-2 hour layovers added to that time, and with good flights (going north and east, as opposed to having to travel south at any point)) but it is doable and not that bad. To be fair, I was a bit uncomfortable this time as I was 17 weeks pregnant, but it wasn't bad. Bring books or a handheld gaming system, or watch a movie or show on the flight (long flight planes have a screen that you can use to watch movies and shows, sometimes even music or games to play), or if you have a window seat look out at the beautiful view! If you can, you can even sleep. I have a hard time sleeping on a plane, but plenty of people do. Most planes also have wifi you can purchase if you want to Tumblr or something, though I just go without wifi on my trips so I do not have any thoughts about quality or anything. Planes also provide drinks, some give you a meal or two (usually only over 8 hours) but you can bring some snacks or purchase food (snacks or meals) if you want. Honestly it's like sitting in a chair at your computer, only it's a bit less comfortable and you sometimes (usually, but not always) have people sitting next to you.

The only part that ever stressed me out is going through American security (lol it's the worst!) but it is not bad at all. Sometimes they pat you down or ask to open your suitcase to check for something that looked suspicious on the scan, but most of the time it's easy and there is really nothing to worry about. Make sure you pack your bags accordingly, as you can only bring certain items into the cabin of the plane, and you cannot put certain items into the cargo of the plane, and some items have restrictions (liquids), but all of this information can be found on the airline website/TSA information page. Airports can feel intimidating at first, but they are very easy to navigate once you get the hang of it. There are maps and signs all over, and you usually can only go the way you need to go (passport control/immigration, for example).

Honestly, traveling to new or beloved countries is worth it! I travel and stay for ~80 days every time, so it might feel different if you only go for short stays, but all of the stress of travelling pales in comparison to the excitement and fun of exploration and new experiences. I travel for love and to live with my man and I would gladly do it over and over and over for that alone, but if you want to have tourist experiences and see popular places, I am sure it is worth it all the same. Do not let fear keep you from doing the things you really want to do, and if you have to - Do it while scared! You will get used to it eventually.