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benchgenderstudies · 4 years ago

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An address of the similarities to Beauty Pageants and use of women as cultural capital.

Opening/

Introduction to Regulating of the Fashion (Model) and Casino/Luxury Industry

By Michael Bench, MEP WGSGC

Exercise Physiology Masters, Gender Anthropologist

Author of Native Supremacy.

In calling for the regulation of the fashion industry and fashion model sizes; there is a freakish pushback by the victims themselves:the models The models still believe they are indebt to a talent agency network. The talent agency has signed them on, sent them to events with a positive initial experience to remember.. and subsequently start charging them outrageous fees. Fees that ultimately keep a model quiet about the unhealthy conditions of the industry. She's mistaken that her earnings are somehow supposed to be diverted to the talent agency instead. The fashion industry borrows a common strategy used by Russian and illegal immigrant sexshops; confiscating their girls' passports and identity until they 'pay off' visa costs and other miscellaneous compounding expenses.

The talent agencies are further bold in their exploitation of the models that they would start sending her to unpaid events while holding substantial debt against her. They would send her to accused rapists and molesters in the photography/marketing industry for it is the photographer that holds the industry bottlenecked no matter what abuse he might choose to visit on his lesser known clients.

Very little research is conducted on measuring fashion model, porn actress, or pageant model intelligence. Definitions of intelligence are hotly debated to rid Science of once accepted credentials of the First World, the Third World and Civilization spheres as they were known to the Early British Empire. I will here address this debate in brevity: the pageant models and runway fashion models are a multiracial collective. Those who have previously experienced lives devoid of privilege tend to reward and guard their modeling experiences with higher levels of positivity than her Anglo coworkers. This does not mean (she) also regards modeling more positively than her coworkers. I propose across the board those with suspicious objective perspectives as underprivileged/oppressed races and ethnicities before new academic challenges will be much better educational prospects in quality learning environments.

In a Google Scholar search, no declared IQ research had been conducted on fashion models. I then searched for pageant model education levels with the same level of results. They appeal to girls working on a bachelors degree or younger. What material I could find revealed that one could not ask a fashion model or pageant model how smart she was. Her answer would reveal a skewed proposition that her model experience was a type of specialized skill This is first a paradox since females only enter pageants as temporary affirmations hoping to build from it. Some want to go to veterinary colleges, others still dont know. They just know they love the attention (Tonn) A Narcissist does love their attention. They make facts bend all around what they want to do.

The model and the abuser share this in common; In order to not sound foolish for justifying global attention at the expense of their health, safety and sans protection from financial crime and perverts.... she avoids admit the industry is a craven fraud scouting out young people to steal their commercial identity profits. Less so in the pageant environment where parents have a watchful eye on their children. In fashion modeling the parents try their hardest to avert their eyes from the quo sexualization of girls as young as ten. Thylane Blondeau's mother was already in modeling and celebrity culture. Its norms skewed her sense a photographer like Tom Ford could instruct her child to assume poses of actual adult erotica in posture and manner. The pictorial was displayed in Vogue.

The first pageants were meant to extend tourist season. Tourist season tends to revolve around hotels and casinos; the only venues large enough to have a pageant. Pageants like Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria(MBGN) have a mission statement to be a competitive event on the global stage. Silverbird, the managing company of MBGN, admits it grooms female contestants in all aspects of the competition (Balogun). The grooming isnt only about the pageant competition but of contestants gender roles and sexual norms for conquest. “They are the virgins of newly found cultural capital”. Predators observe 'fresh (unrefined) meat” for their own; the casino's high rollers.

Mr. Oke, a staff member at Silverbird, commented, “I’m always scared of these girls. They are powerful. That’s why I’m always nice to them. They’re all going to dump their boyfriends after this is over. You’d be surprised, one of them might be the future wife to a minister [head of national ministries]; they might just be the one to make that phone call to make or destroy a deal.” Newly formed relationships with business leaders, celebrities, and politicians were touted as signs of emergence into new elite circles centered on transnational culture and capital to which most contestants would otherwise not have access. ( Balogun)

This quote simultaneously exposes the pageant staff starting the courting process of the upper class and defending the experience as an opportunity. The pageant presents celebrities as the appropriate bachelors to set them back in their traditional roles as housewives. Business executives, actors, and politicians are of the few occupations that can sustain a single earner household. If a pageant is the updraft for young females to bridge their social network with the social elite, then pageants are nothing more than a sterilized abonne meeting area along side the European ballet. Males of the aristocracy would solicit select ballerinas with sexual advances in return for funds to afford her ballet costumes, slippers , makeup ; her career. What makes anorexia such a common place norm in ballet is females of the aristocracy are not allowed in the backstage area of the ballet. Conclusively to shield ballerina mistresses from suspect infidelity with married men, her extreme thinness intends to stop her menstrual period and so too any chance of pregnancy. The waif is an invitation of sexual solicitation and harassment left over from European tradition.

Mr Oke is not the only pageant staff to approach contestants with sexual and relationship comments.Donald Trump is the target of many accusations. One, walking into his Miss America Pageant dressing rooms without concern to the contestants' privacy. Contestants were either naked or topless “ theres a man in here”. Again, intelligence lacks see the narcissistic pervert. Tasha Dixon reported that Trump's pageant staff were encouraging the girls to get Trumps attention.An all too common occurrence in fashion modeling photography sessions. Assistants normalize and enable the sexual/erotica/perversion repertoire of their boss while the models protest or question his professionalism. Male and female fashion models are expected to submit to photographers 'to get ahead in the industry”. This is covered in much better details with names named in the External Motivations of Anorexia Nervosa paper.

Dixon presumed Trump stayed in the pageant business because there was no one that could limit or prosecute his behaviours.(Revesz) On separate occasions Trump would approach 10-14year old girls telling them that he would one day be their boyfriend. (Zimmerman) He was so into himself that he wouldn't hesitate to tell the press he would be his then 16yo daughter's boyfriend too.(Winthall) Pageants/ couture designers feel they are the creator spectacle over models instead of aiding them. Mere contestants seem to require their favors and services to groom them and culture them. Toxic persons can't help temptations to elaborate the model's empty stock worth as a marionette puppets to their sexual lusts. What agencies are not coldly brothels exercise a minimizing collection of exercises.. including severe diets just to keep the models loyal and working for pennies. Alexia Palmer, a model from Jamaica sued Donald Trump's model agency for not finding her enough work and being underpaid. She “felt like a slave”. (Mosk et al) Allegedly dignified contests such as those run by Cory Quorino in the Philippines choose a role as what could be described surrogate philanthropy.”Beauty in Giving” The Models advertise charities and get credit for the sums of money they raise.(Alzaga) this is a clear difference between the two realms. Pageants value women as spokespeople while luxury fashion dismisses its models only by its choice not to advance the gender role of the model to be a brand spokesperson. This is partially out of a selfish spotlight hoarding by the head designer taking a lot too much credit in fear of sewing around curves of whatever plus size statures he feels are label relevant. Haute Couture is selfish of its credit toward the feminine by restricting it from the female.

Haute couture designers of the fashion industry don't register that their homosexual male preferences and recontexting 'phemininity' is not healthy for young women to sustain for themselves. Male and female couture models are said to equally oblige an androgynous look. The female is still required to be smaller than the male in order to be a suitable to simulate heterosexual relations in ads. In a true androgynous circumstance the females would be larger and butcher than the males. If Androgyny was truly nonbinary the females would be fortunately advantaged in muscling her earnings from the corrupt agency system overseen by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (Tom Ford ,president) and the New York Department of Labor. An agency system that wont protect the female employee force from norms of the waif and “Parisian Androgyny” is an agency that injures female consumers. Shaping the young female into a mold of frail vulnerability is the industry's asset of exploitation. Their return to tradition and nod to sexual coercion. A girl cant stand up for herself if her unfit legs snap in ankle breaker heels.

And lets not ignore even if Dolce & Gibbon’ah or Chanel could argue elite athletes are just as small as the runway waifs; same body mass index; their perspective is infantile at best. The elite athlete requires an offseason to recover. Athletics is not a form of health even if it provides some measure of ideal vanity. If a female distance runner chooses not to have an offseason, she does so at the expense of her bone density and emotional health. Both influence race day competition. If a ballet dancer chooses to maintain the same size from age 15 to age 27 , she is malnourished. Sport does not recontext the abuses to the body as 'fair'. Elite ballet is not a functional skillset for the real world. Flexibility can have a posterchild like yoga that doesnt require eating disorders for its practice.

Second, the paper mathematical Body Mass Index (BMI) chart comparing only height to weight is not a clinically relevant definition of body mass index or body composition; AT ALL. It should not be used by general physicians to deduce patient health statements. At the very minimum skin fold measurements and hydrostatic weighing are two representative standards of truly investigating what a persons real lean body mass is. New clinical means of deciding body composition also recruit specialized radiology. The only group that can be easily spotted are the underweight. A female underweight for her size has not adequately resistance trained her body for strength. Without strength her bones become weak without enough tension on the tendon insertions. Without enough muscle built (hypertrophy) her metabolism and immune system are damaged. The normalcy of the waif to females (models) is an abuse of their body whether they sign on for it or not. Ergo they are damaging the public to allow diet and sport supplements to broadly advertise the thin look as an all encompassing good thing. Its not. Disinformation hurts a nation. Eventually it leads to unnecessary antidepressant use; a spectacular racket also assaulting the female American public.

The homosexual male designer relies on his photographers to emphasize his clothes. His imprint on the Waif. .. the cult of personality around Dior and Balenciaga is body modifications (ie piercing,tattoos).. not merely shape. Christian Dior started his fashion fame trying to bring back the waspwaist. Body Modification , not merely body sculpting. Body abuse, not merely the pyramid of haves and havenots. Would an industry profiting on the most rare of female body types of its stars be so cruel numerous times to sexually abuse, verbally abuse, minimize, and ignore her safety? They dont care about the models image for she is a product of misery. Very young models of 14-17 are sent over oceans without any chaperones only knowing if they dont oblige the event or photo session they'll have to buy their own ticket home. They'll be stranded. Embassies should know of every contest involving Americans and make themselves available to the industry workers so they know all their rights.)(The contracts are not legit) .

Surprise limo rentals and clerical/courier fees are sprung on her. Services anyone would presume are complementary are actually extra charges and not optional. That alone is grounds to call on state and federal government to investigate the industry. Agency services operate as such: You order a single gift basket from Harry & David . Harry and David take your credit info and data mine your Facebook account and charge you for and send gift baskets to your whole friend list. This is not a Harry and David practice. All I'm saying is Harry and David's product push is unnecessary while ordering. Unlike the seasonal gift firm the fashion agency health negligence against its staff and its financial dealings are criminal and embezzling.

If the model is raped behind the scenes or dies from dieting the public asks the family and industry, why didnt you say anything? If a model is having all her earnings withheld by her agency the public asks “ Why didnt you report it to IRS or US LABOR?” The very short answer is... the fashion and pageant industry attract unsuitable examples of females who choose fame before substance. The temporary state of that transaction seems as cheap and unbecoming as the credit she must lack to stand against them. The short answer is, the pageant and fashion models are not intelligent, know very little about the business or her rights before she arrives to the business and see the pageant or modeling only as a temporary stepping stone. She should always have a lawyer and first read the contract for conflicts with state and federal law. If pageant contestants find themselves in as ruthless a pit as fashion.. they protect the pageant for short term humiliation for long term benefits of advancement. This also means models enable zero-integrity pageants, designers, and agents to prey on new entrants financially and sexually in their silence. But are they smart? Considering the sizable preparation and expense for a pageant contestant to be touring or out of school, the trueyoung intelligencia would be at home studying knowing she was preparing for an academic future rather than get-rich/famous-quick scams that only selectively privilege the obedient marionettes of a pageants/genre's grooming.

I should not be misunderstood that any contestant in a beauty pageant represents the lowest of intelligence in the community. They are not all one demographic. Pageants tend to feature the middle class specimens of a society on the presumption they have some cultural capital appreciation and enough education to be spokespeople of the campaign. The middle class are prone to believe they can become the wealthy class in good circumstances. Being middle class is one most important stigmas the pageant models want to overcome.

What would separate this new model from her old middle-class origin?

Feeling they are respected/ envied.

Are a contribution of upward movement for her family(Alzaga)

“The wife should be both parent and supporter”(Wu)

“Goal Oriented, Independent , Committed to Individualism, Assertive (Larsen)

“(According to Williams) In this way women's bodies stand in for and manage difference in a nonthreatening way”(Crawford)

'(About Texas pageants) Big Hair, flashy jewelry, wry wit, shoulder pads, artificial fingernails, confidence, (Mosel-Talavera)

What I found tying most contestants together is the belief public speaking with poise and confidence (as the pageant trained her) is the equivalent of having intelligence. Its not all bad a belief. People are not good at public speaking. Most could tolerate the tasks of directing their child's birthday party, telling a story at a campfire or summarize a prewritten essay. Public speaking before a live TV audience or academics asking to be impressed by 20-40 minutes of supported keynote address is very difficult. It's objectifying but it's objectifying uniformly. The audience hears the word choices, speaking tone, the speakers body undulations, quirks , the moles his neck or chest hair peaking out of his polo shirt. Do his clothes fit well? does his scalp have a full fill of hair? Did he shave? Did he use teeth whiteners? Are his shoes cool? Do he have bow legs? Is his ass firm while he turns around explains the powerpoint graphic? The objectification of the male body is as unspoken of as the females is abundantly. My explanation for objectification and especially censorship of the breasts sits with the immaturity of male based community standards to still sexualize his relationships through his relationship with his mother. Freud didn’t get it. The Male regards the breasts as a service instrument the same way traditional females are called Betty Homemakers. He hasnt grown up even if there’s too damn many missing dish towels balled up in the house corners .. surprisingly holding their pleats and reeking of salt deposits.

Opponents of pageants believe that females are being sexually objectified by the swimsuit contest or the ball gown event or softball questions like “ Are cats soft? Support your answer with three points. ” I feel objectification happens to everyone especially in cases of academic keynote speaking. Simultaneously, there is nothing perverse about sexual evaluation. All good things face defilement and misuse by bad people. The confidence that pageant contestants correctly identify is that they are not victimized by the circumstances and spheres of objectification because they chose the event. They endured the experience because they were prepared to see and evaluate their attention instead of being blindsided. As for the Miss New York pageant contestant exclamation “ Its all so fulfilling. For the first time people were asking me for my ideas. I liked the attention.” Indeed. The attention included in the pageant entry fee,huh? Perhaps pageant contestants don't connect being in front of crowds as a test and more of a 'gathering for their attention. “Its so Pageanty” N.A.R.C.I.S.S.I.S.T.

Observers of pageants rely on the pageants mission statement to validate a so-called finest mix of brains and beauty. The observers and TV audience are the precultured hinterlands pageants hope to save their contestants from. When very young girls are imprinted with pageant themes, they mistake their own dreams of being a beauty queen as a long term event. Pageants and modeling are not a lifelong career. Strike Two: The intelligencia would be working toward a career directly and not be misdirected by shallow endeavors; especially ones with negative reviews, accusations of sexual harassment, and limitations on her speech.

In my Equal Employment Opportunity correspondence to the US Department of Justice during the Obama administration I addressed the problem in the Fashion industry. No real female could be hired because all woman exercising responsibility for their wellbeing would not diet herself to a size she was last at age 14. What females are hired are vulnerable to victimization because they already cast their lots for fame at any cost. The thinness standards in the fashion industry for international models are not a legitimate middle ground for anyone. Androgyny is not a middle ground between male and female when male can parade it as a fetish while females must oblige an abusive tactic to become perpetually young. Perpetually young is what couture is selling retail patrons. Buy our clothes and you will be young too.. Buy our face cream and you too will be ready for our dress. The face cream doesnt stop the aging nor does models diet to flat concave chests for the 'predeveloped' look suppressing the aging process. She's actually aiding deterioration. Is the fashion model smart? No. She's constructively ignorant to become famous.

My EEOE correspondence also relates to the clamp pageants have on women's behaviors and promotion of their personal beliefs. A Miss Michigan candidate was stripped of her title for defending then Vice President Mike Pence on Twitter. A tweet consisting of “ STOP KILLING BLACK PEOPLE!!!” directed at the Vice President caused Kathy Zhu to respond in kind “Did you know the majority of black deaths are caused by other blacks? Fix problems within your own community first before blaming others”.(McClaughlin) If this is a cause to dethrone a current pageant winner then the Miss Michigan pageant should probably spend more time in the interview section vetting the political biases and outburst potential of their contestants. Even if Zhu had promoted disinformation, it would be her lack of composure/delivery that made the tweets sub-beautyqueen-standard. “Dear Sir.Madam, The seriousness and sorrow for Black people's losses also must face their own in-race exploitations among many types of daily criminal victimization. I'd like to talk with you more about it. Sincerely Kathy Zhu. ,Miss Michigan. Tra la la deedah.” There's a difference in delivery here.

Zhu is not the first pageant winner to be stripped of her title and probably not the last. Vanessa Williams was crowned Miss America in 1994. Her title was removed when it was found the African American singer had nude unauthorized photos of her sent to and purchased by Penthouse magazine. The title was given to Miss New Jersey. A scandal like this in the pageant business is unsurprising. Allegations of sexually exploitive photography surround Terry Richardson. The fashion industry claimed Richardson was just being a scapegoat. If he is, that means of rigging pageants are as simple as which photographer the pageant staff send each contestant. The also-rans get sent to the molester so he can create a pool of unfit evidence for the smut mags or tabloids.

Compensatory beliefs motivate some contestants to enter pageants. One respondent said her interest in pageants is she was mocked by her family. She was treated as though not beautiful enough and instead nurtured to be a geek. She was sent to quiz bees instead of pageants(Alzaga) For youth attention has a quicker reward than good grades or college acceptance by her 4th-9th grade peers. Out of frustration she sought out pageants because their marketing supported her affirmations she was as beautiful as she was smart.

A detriMENTAL circumstance when the overly smart become attracted to pageants is they can be excessively competitive to destructive ends. Said destructive ends come of any competition being about narcissism which is not always 'nerds' strong suit in displaying, controlling or suppressing. This could well explain archetypes like the “librarian nymphomaniac.”

“Miss American represents the highest ideals. She is a real combination of beauty, grace, and intelligence, artistic, and refined. She is a type which the American Girl might well emulate”. (Larsen)

In the fashion world, the overly competitive female will choose to race to be the thinnest girl available for ad shoots. “Even if it kills her'. It will. So far its the model forced to take blame for her voluntary choice to be thin. But is it actually voluntary? No. The fashion industry welcomes the girl in the door, starves her down to size to get working (she is the industry while conforming to the industry) and then she is stolen from while in a dizzy state of malnourishment and physical fatigue. Fatigue: 16-20 hour work days without food/breaks so the photographers can snort oodles of cocaine, have a scone and yell at them “ You're not giving me enough!!”. In a month or so , the model is working on 15% of her real earnings holed up in a crusty apartment with either 10 more models or the agent himself as his live-in burlesque show; at best. At worst she might die of starvation a day before or after Elite Models Gerard Marie rapes a live in model next to his own sleeping daughter. And she might not even have the strength to report it let alone fight it off.

Is the pageant model smart? There's no sure answer but she is an opportunist. She an opportunist invited to a cultural framework where she is near or distant to the pageant industry's Caucasian tradition and norms. “I think this is a problem within European society because to make themselves fit, thin, and lean they take lots of medicine and so on which really does no good to the body. “ Said a Nepali resident of Kathmandu. (Crawford) . So without being Secretary of Health and Human Services Azar or US Labor secretary, or a George Washington University Professor in Public Health like David Michaels or a New York State Commissioner of Labor.. a Nepali adult living in a part of the world regarded “backward” finding transparent clothing hard to digest for ad consumption still identified drug related crash dieting and Western themes of thinness unhealthy.

Former US LABOR OIG legal counsel Howard Shapiro could not. He would not adopt the Body Mass Index as a health standard from the CDC/HHS because the 1970s document founding OSHA and NIOSH made no mention of regulation of industry by Body Mass Index. In fact the goal of OSHA is to accept and enforce all and any health standards arising from NIOSH and HHS so that the industry is made safe for all Americans of any status of employment. In the market today Americans are concealed from safety behind walls of contracts (or as nonemployee contractors) instead of employees. Employees privatized and subjected to informal harassment, threat, assault, exploitation and intimidation. This situation is illegal. Americans in any form of employment must be protected from illegal and unhealthy work environments. Former OSHA director Edwin Foulk Jr believed I should be calling the Council of Fashion Designers of America... as if I hadn't considered their lack of regulation wasn't a fit enough reason to ask them to start now. I called the government and the US government protected the ongoing abuse of women under George W Bush.

Another respondent from Nepal is quoted “ To get a good figure [some teenagers] go for starvation, thats anorexia as far as I know. I dont think it should be really promoted actually, yeah. Um if they want a good figure, they should really work hard, they could exercise instead of starving themselves. (Crawford) This Nepali has noticed that the sense of beauty is absent in the results of starvation and when people exercise and develop muscle tone with a healthy relationship with food; they look better. Amazing. So far Nepali peasants have more credible public health policy than the past three US Presidential Administrations, including Obama.

Locals observed the effects of the Kathmandu beauty pageant event in girls from 10-12. Suddenly they were very obsessed with their appearance. In other research about Pageants events in Chinatown, San Francisco and among Latin Americans came to identify some polarizing differences. Larsen raised an observation in the first thirty-five years of Miss America pageants nonwhites were banned from participating. “Latina characters in television and movies are lusty and hot-tempered objects of desire.” In this frame the pageant wants to downplay sexuality as a component of beauty.

“dressmakers modified the design of the Cheong-sam to emphasize the cleavage area, creating the “poured-in look” so high desired. Furthermore, the slit up the side of the dress was increased “to endow the basically simple Cheong-sam with a touch of intrigue..., a tantalizing suggestion about the beauty of its wearer. (Wu) The Chinese American researcher felt that beauty and sexuality are entwined correctly in race -tradition contexts. It seems objectified as the west's definition of beauty invaded the Chinese culture's traditional dress. In my valuation the Latina represents the intimidating female forceful of her will. She's obedience to misogyny. The Chinese female is profiled in western terms no greater than Vietnamese village teens/ preteens some of the US military took indulgence in raping between 1955 and 1975.

Cynthia Gouw investigated the pageant field with the intent to deconstruct and criticize it from a Leftist Feminist Viewpoint. ( Wu) Having entered the pageant as a contestant she remarked “I didnt feel exploited at all. I want to show people I can be very articulate and assertive as opposed to a stereotypical beauty pageant winner.. What I want to represent to the Asian population is that I am very concerned about the community. “One benefit pageant contestants have in events distant from western norms is they are protected by their community's unique priorities and cultural norms. Pageants in Nigeria had abusive staff that heavily enforced classism. If a contestant wasn't walking with the elegance per his commands they would accuse contestants of being mere “market women”. The Queen Nigeria pageant didn’t want their female contestants at all comparable to market women, a slur for rural laborers having stereotypes as 'rough and brash”. (Balogun)

I took a moment to type in “brash” to the Google search engine to see what definition it would offer.

Brash

self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way.

“he could be brash, cocky and arrogant”,

Strange, the pageant believes it is helping young Nigerian girls to be empowered but suppressing and denouncing parts of the Nigerian culture that are already assertive. In the west we tend to understand this brash concept as 'a ratchet bitch” of low class. In the pageant's sense of empowerment , the female is empowered to simply be a better mate but kept from being so confident and wordsmithed that she could tell off a guy in terms on an even turf of vulgarity, insult, belittling, aggression and verbal abuse.

Chaperones affiliated to the Queen Nigeria pageant remarked of contestants”Each year she comes back cleaner and cleaner”. The comment was investigated for its inner meaning. “ Each time (contestant) returns to audition her skin looks fairer” and was to mean a physical change in the condition of the contestants skin from makeup treatments. (Balogun) Balogun found other research suggesting that this skin change was also a lightening to improve chances of upward mobility. I reference this quote especially because it is an absolute parallel to the arrogance haute couture designers and runway specialized model agencies have in objectifying their models as a property of creation rather than the individual within of blood, bone, estrogen and diet coke. Maybe the fashion model has never been an individual and why all the reason more she chases having a meaningful identity. She takes the pageants brand, is milked for her camera appeal, moos a few times for the question/answer bit and heads off to slaughter as an aged and spent heifer short of the aristocrats desires. The fashion industry has value because it attracted contestants in magazines and television to make it a goal in their lives; A superfluous goal too often.

The female icons in magazines like Vogue must then be empowering too. Said of a magazine with Emma Watson on the cover:”Like in Neon you have some inspiring series . But when I look through women's magazines I dont have a role model for my life (Informant A). (Put) Ellen Put's research on womens magazines revealed some other criticisms about the periodicals. Informants regarded them “flat and uninspiring”, “it was bullshit”, “it was boring when they say this is all about makeup and what to buy..”, “sometimes I read it just for fun just wondering what they are saying”, “Men are always dark, taller, though” . Ellen Put's article revealing these views was titled “ They Think We're Stupid”. We can dovetail the pageant social effects on Nepali teens, the magazine reactions, the whitening and sterilizing of the ethnicity from Ethnic specific beauty pageants and reveal a tame appealing factory of creating the ideal woman out of real women's dreams and then normalizing the ideal woman as a public health nightmare. By creating an international norm among pageants and modeling, the luxury market announces it is deaf to the anthropological heritage, biome, diet and geography that appreciates and carved out natural beauty of each continent's peoples and subgroups. There is no similar basis of lifestyle to normalize a common shape. Ever. The commonality is as the pageants product of “Female in a Can” nested on shelf among all other pageant's new talent.

What can be shown here is if the ideal female of poise and elegant, confident public address can also be trained to be shallow then she will be an ideal elite mate to be whisked away by a dominating male , possibly of a dark complexion. What could a dark complexion signal if the ideals of beauty are Caucasian-Western centric? Perhaps the fashion media have found a new way to wear Black face. I'd say they signal to ladies their obligation to the marketed Caucasian gender role rewards them with an ideal males lust and African Americans large..Luh-arge penis stereotypes. A proper pageant contestant, such as those in Nigeria, and frequenters of upperclass cultural norms are required to retire secondhand and counterfeit clothing/accessories that flood the market. Only authentic (Nigerian) couture is allowed while they are representing the pageant as winner or groomed contestant. (Balogun)

Winners of the Nepal Pageant were not allowed to marry for one year , the year representing the pageant in Miss World and at events ( Alzaga). For a pageant that allegedly“empowers women”, taking away her right to relationship seems a premium failure in respect of their freedom. (Crawford) A premium failure by contestants to oblige as well. Standards in Texas pageants also had stipulations against marriages, against having children, tolerance for annulments and further expectation that the contestants would be in high school.(Mosel-Talavera) Not all requirements related to the same pageant.

One author was also a Texas ex pageant model. She recounted her experience,.

“I am standing on stage in my highschool auditorium wearing the most expensive dress I have ever bought from Foleys, waiting for the announcer to call my name. Everyone told me I was a shoo-in to win the title. I was not even nervous as she called out the runners-up, still thinking my name would be next. “ And the winner is … What? Not Me?” Texas is also known for its biased education dept materials, being an origin of many christianity inspired sex cults and race supremacist camps. For a female to believe her high school preparation is the best source for speaking in any form to the intelligence of all women, especially here, is bald faced mockery.

A highschooler of a single mother saw pageants as a means to get money for college. Through her experience contacting attorneys and other professionals for sponsorships, building a website, and being visible to the public she was contacted by teachers to speak to their classes about her experience. “Emma” as the article infers her name.. said

“ Now I work for two different attorneys. I didn’t expect that you know. All kinds of things people messaged me about my platform and how they feel about my on-stage question, my website got a lot of people to notice it. So, I had teachers that went and saw my website and messaged me about coming and speaking to their classes and like I wish I knew all this stuff going into it. It was like I really set a foundation for myself for next year I think. It’s pretty cool. And I know that sounds cheesy or cliché but

it is honestly the truth and basically pushing myself because once I found

myself around other females who were just as ambitious as I was or as I am.” (Bowers)

The concept these females are experiencing is known as habitus. By meeting other contestants who have found meaning in pageants they too have a common vocabulary and ladder of goals neatly set before them. For women who feel baffled and smothered under the weight and anxiety of being objectified, pageants do have experiential benefits along with the potential among bad actors to be experientially sexually assaulted. That a female knows and can identify a ladder of goals may be a model of education that can be implemented elsewhere and more productively. If pageants have a credible impact on a females life, that impact is offset so severely with removing ethnic markings and norms. The pageants really just brand their contestants for events further up the hierarchy like Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss Infinity and beyond.

What I've concluded from these readings is that pageants reward the Grant Cardone proverb “ Best Known Beats Best”. A former pageant contestant working for an attorney makes the legal field seem beautiful. Wealth and fame is not just wealth , its vanity. If the lifestyles of the wealthy were papered over with ugly people, nobody would want it. Why is a good speaking 'broad' an appealing take for the Hollywood and Vegas bruno's? They need a good girl who'll manage a maid to clean the house good, sound intelligent in public, have some loyalty to criminal organizations, and announce her husbands name for all sorts of functions, awards and novelties her pride can glow alongside. Meanwhile the crowd can either respect her poise or be among the low classes remaining low class regarding the guest of honor's subtle associate. ' yeah , I'm banging her”. Perhaps its more the audience needing poise. Donald Trumps association with First Lady Melania spoke clearly of his personal codependence on her first as a White House nude centerfold. How pageants are accepted in a community is an age, state , local and national chaos of sexual maturity imbalances and education gaps.

On another angle I have captured the subtext of the pageants brand. Pageants are a measure of the females acquisition of themes from the community that are specifically dedicated to making her a good mother. “Critics from the political right, on the other hand, tend to focus on what they view as a loss of women’s purity, submissiveness, and modesty, virtues identified with nationalistic representations of ‘traditional’ cultures”(Crawford) The conservatives have made a complaint about their own side far behind the lines of rhetoric. The female is still submissive with shallow appreciations of her luxury stake. She is surely kept modest with abusive manners training and remaining under the thumb of pageant officials or talent agents for the remainder of her career. The rhetoric doesn't match the reality. Conservatives conceal that norms of oppression are not absent from the gender roles of rich couples either For each class a different type of submissive female for tradition.

Pageant and fashion event locations are hand in hand with the promotion of luxury and recreational items like sports cars, wine, cigars, yachts, boxing/mma fights, These items are considered to have high cultural capital relative to the western world. Wealth is often presumed to have high cultural capital.. Wealth is also presumed to have privileges.. like raping a girl and then threatening to humiliate her with a tabloid smear and a legal battle she couldn’t afford. Ask NFL lawyers what services their players require when police reports surface. Wealth has such cultural capital that the justice system allows criminals out of lockup based on their word to return to trial. The pageant is an advertisement of women inviting them to feel impressed by their changes when the most extensive modifications are still very above her awareness.

The only advantage a female has from the pageant developed microphone skill is to be free to say whatever wise viewpoint elevates her credibility and by whatever lengths she finds necessary to bring down anyone else.. Her voice of empowerment must be on her own terms and not under anyone elses by contract, marriage prenup or otherwise. Well, as long as she's making good decisions and prioritizing the public health ahead of her own vanity and fame. If she chooses to trade even the smallest of her rights of federally guaranteed self protection and safety then she has traded the entirety of her dignity and her own respect of being a female.

Citations

Alzaga R J B (2015. June) The Lucky One: A Constructivist Study on Pageant Women's Conceptualization of Empowerment. University of Philippines Manila.

Balogun O M Gender & SOCIETY, Vol. 26 No. 3, June 2012 357-381

Bowers E(2016) Social Stereotyping and Self-Esteem of Miss America Pageant Contestants. Walden University. Thesis

Crawford M, Khati D, Regmi A (2008.Feb)Globalizing Beauty:Attitudes Toward Beauty Pageants Among Nepali Women. Feminism & Psychology.xx

Fredrickson, B.L., Roberts, T. (1997). Objectification Theory. Psychology of Women Quarterly.,

U.S.A.

Larsen D (2011-2012.Winter Spring) Miss America Beauty Pageant. pg31-33

Concientización: A Journal of Chicano & Latino Experience and Thought Vol 7 (1 & 2)

Matthews, Brook. (2003). Miss America Contestants and the Self: Evidence for Empowerment. Ronai,

C.R., Zsembik, B., Feagin, J. (1997) Everyday Sexism in the Third Millenium.

Routledge, U.S.A

McLaughlin EC (2019.Jul 22) Ex-Miss Michigan says pageant dethroned her for conservative views.CNN

Mosel-Talavera KM(2006)Growing Up Female In Texas:The Importance of Beauty Pageants In Texas Communities.A Woman's Touch Folklore Kenneth L Untiedt. University of North Texas Press

Mosk M, Ross B, Kreider R(2016.Mar 10)Trump Model: Felt Like 'Slave' Working for Donald's Agency.

ABC News

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-model-felt-slave-working-donalds-agency/story?id=37313993

Put E(2017)”They Think We're Stupid”. Jonkoping University.Thesis

Revesz R(2016.Oct12)Donald Trump boasted about meeting semi-naked teenagers in beauty pageants.IndependentUK,https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-former-miss-arizona-tasha-dixon-naked-undressed-backstage-howard-stern-a7357866.html

Tonn M B(2003)Miss America Contesters and Contestants: Discourse About Social “Also-Rans”Rhetoric & Public Affairs6, no. 1 (2003): 150-60. doi:10.1353/rap.2003.0037.

Withnall A(2016.Oct 10)Donald Trump's unsettling record of comments about his daughter Ivanka.IndependentUK

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-ivanka-trump-creepiest-most-unsettling-comments-roundup-a7353876.html

Wu J T-C (1997.Autumn) "Loveliest Daughter of Our Ancient Cathay!": Representations of Ethnic and Gender Identity in the Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Beauty Pageant. Journal of Social History, Vol. 31, No. 1, , pp. 5-31

Zimmerman N (2016.Oct 13) Trump told 14-year-old girl he'd be dating her soon. The Hill. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/300928-trump-told-14-year-old-girl-hell-be-dating-her-soon

#genderstudies #slavery #sexism #wage gap #Feminism #news #us labor department #hhs #complicity to market sexism

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itzcharlesblog · 4 years ago

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THE PERFECT STORM (Movie Review)

I. Trivia about the perfect storm The Perfect Storm was generated by a cold front that moved along the United States' east coast. The front spawned an extra tropical low to the east of Nova Scotia on October 28. The 'perfect storm' created wave heights of up to 100 feet and winds of up to 70 mph at its highest, according to Boston. "The winds and waves in Sandy were much stronger." The Andrea Gail was capsized by waves as high as 39 feet. In a terrifying trilogy of events, a high-pressure system, a low-pressure system, and the remnants of Hurricane Grace collided. The ensuing waves and strong winds slammed into several areas of the Eastern United States, sinking the Andrea Gail and killing all six of her passengers. II. CAST OF CHARACTERS & DIRECTOR G.Michael Ironside as “Bob Brown” the Andrea Gail is owned by Bob Brown. Despite his success as a self-made businessman, Gloucester locals have called Bob "Suicide Bob" because of his proclivity for taking chances while fishing. George Clooney as “Billy Tyne” as captain of the Andrea Gail from Charlie Reed. Billy was born and raised in Gloucester. Billy, a divorced father of two, is one of the exceptional fishermen who genuinely enjoys his work. Mark Wahlberg as “Bobby Shatford” is a crew member on the Andrea Gail. Bobby was raised in Gloucester, Massachusetts, by his mother, Ethel. He was engaged to Chris Cotter at the time of the boat's last voyage. He is divorced from his ex-wife, with whom he has two daughters. He wanted to take a job on the Andrea Gail to help pay off his expenses after being brought to court for non-payment of child care. John C. Reilly as “Dale "Murph" Murphy”. Murph is one of the Andrea Gail's crew members. He is from Bradenton Beach, Florida, and is 30 years old. Debra is his ex-wife, and he adores his three-year-old son Dale. One of the last things he does before embarking on the Andrea Gail's last adventure is to buy his son toys. Allen Payne as “Alfred Pierre”. Alfred Pierre is a crew member on the Andrea Gail. The ship’s only black crew member, he was originally from Jamaica and lived in New York City.

John Hawkes as “Michael "Bugsy" Moran Bugsy”. Moran is a crew member on the Andrea Gail. He has long hair and a crazy reputation in Gloucester. He disappears along with the rest of the crew during the storm.

F.William Fichtner as “David Sullivan”. Andrea Gail's crew member when another fisherman accidentally pulled out, he signed up for the trip at the last minute.

Diane Lane as “Christina Cotter “. Bobby Shatford's fiancée is Chris Cotter. When The Perfect Storm takes place, she is in her early forties. She has three children from a former marriage and is divorced. Bobby's fishing trips give Chris a lot of distress, and she also drinks to deal with his long absences. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as “Linda Greenlaw”. Linda is the captain of the Hannah Boden, the Andrea Gail’s sister boat, which is also owned by Bob Brown. Christopher McDonal as “Todd Gross” a Boston meteorologist for WNEV-TV.

Wolfgang Petersen the director of the movie “The Perfect Storm��.

Sebastian Junger the Perfect Storm is written by Sebastian Junger. Since seeing the storm's devastation firsthand and reading a media article about the Andrea Gail's alleged destruction. III. Summary of The Perfect Storm The sword fishing cruise, The Andrea Gail, returns to port in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in September 1991 with a disappointing catch. Billy Tyne the Captain, desperate for funds, persuades the crew to accompany him on another late-season fishing adventure. They leave their normal fishing grounds behind them, leaving a brewing thunderstorm in their wake. After a string of failures, they travel to the Flemish Cap, where their fortunes turn around. The ice machine fails during their fishing trip, and the only way to save their catch is to return to shore quickly. The crew debates whether to sail into the approaching storm or ride it out, and ultimately decides to gamble it. However, there is a confluence of two strong weather fronts and a storm between the Andrea Gail and Gloucester, which the crew of the Andrea Gail overlooks. The Andrea Gail drops her antenna after repeated signals from other ships, causing a fellow sailor to call in a Mayday. The Andrea Gail had a number of issues, big waves smashing on the ground, a damaged stabilizer crashing into the ship's side, and two men being tossed overboard. To escape more storm disruption, the crew decides to turn around. After that, the ship runs into a massive rogue wave. The stricken fishing vessel capsizes and sinks after trying and struggling to sail over the tide. Just Bobby Shatford is able to escape the ferry, but he has little hope of survival. He was last seen alone in the ocean. A farewell service is held on the sand, as friends and relatives fret and wait for a ship that never appears.

IV. Review The Perfect Storm excels at a few things. It tells an engrossing story. A true story of people trying to succeed as their chances of success go from slim to zero. Just when fate conspires to tempt the captain and crew to try their luck with minor wins, we are encouraged to believe that maybe they will make it and that this ongoing struggle will result in some sort of happy ending. We, like the Andrea Gail's crew. These individuals feel genuine, each with their own goals, desires, challenges, and hardships. Joy, pride, optimism, anger, and anxiety were all instilled in the townies, crew, and captain, making you feel as though you knew them. The creators have provided enough inspiration for the characters' actions. Why would someone in their right mind gamble their life to return to the sea while so many people caution them about it? There are economic strains, the need to end a losing streak, the urge to retain a crew and prove yourself worthy, but there is also the love of the sea articulated so well by Billy Tyne as he embarks on his final voyage. V. Reaction The movie “The Perfect storm” the first time I feel just happy and chill that I see the people out there is being excited to see their love once comeback and at the middle of the story I began to fill strange and nervous that what will happen to the fisher man’s. Till the hurricane came I became nervous, amazed, that my reaction is mixt up. There is came up in my mind that what if I encounter just like that hurricane. Until the boat sank and the six fisher man’s lost and died I think my tears will going to too fell but I just suppressed it. Hands down to the cast and to the director this is one of the best movie for who wants to cross the sea and the one who wants to see what struggle for the fisher man’s is. VI. Lessons Learned The story of both of us is told in The Perfect Storm. We all have our expectations and aspirations for the future, as well as our rivalries, pride, loves, and fears. We embarked on our respective journeys, each with its own series of challenges and triumphs. Human existence is too brief to not make the best of each day. Taking the time per day to think on how lucky you are being living. Don't ever be afraid to pursue your passion; it could just lead a good future. Life is a series of twists and downfalls, but never forget that you don't know what future will hold. VII. REFERENCE Junger, S. (1997). The perfect storm: A true story of men against the sea. New York: Norton.

Junger, S. (1997). The perfect storm. United States: W. W. Norton & Company.

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fallout4holmes · 5 years ago

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Journal 57

Valentine woke me before dawn. “Bad news, Holmes.”

I sat up and saw the Minuteman standing behind him. She saluted briefly, “Sorry to wake you, sir, but it’s urgent.”

I thought I recognized her, “Proceed… Nash, wasn’t it?”

“Yessir,” she smiled at my recollection before somberly stating, “there’s been trouble in Sanctuary.”

She had my undivided attention, “Explain.”

“A squad of Brotherhood camped out in Concord without us knowing. They sent a soldier into Sanctuary for recon, but he was discovered by one of those robots Sturges has been working on. Fight broke out, Minutemen joined the fray, no Brotherhood survivors. Colonel Garvey thinks they didn’t have a chance to send a distress signal. According to the orders present on one of them, they were to wait for Maxson’s signal to attack.”

“He has his people in position,” I sighed, irritated. “We’re out of time."

"The hell we are," Valentine huffed. "There's still a maniac out there setting psychotic robots loose on the Commonwealth, and the Minutemen aren't gonna just stand by and let the Brotherhood walk all over them. We finish the job we started, and take what comes."

"You're right," I jumped up and started getting ready to leave, an urgent energy I hadn't felt in too long surging through me. "Find Ada and wake Cait, we'll breakfast on the road. We haven't a moment to lose."

We hurried north, reaching Goodneighbor a few hours after sundown. Cait requested we stop for a moment so that she could speak with Hancock. I agreed; I also wanted to speak with Goodneighbor's mayor, especially considering the war's imminent arrival.

We found him in his office, as expected. Unexpectedly, he was in the middle of a heated discussion with a visitor.

"Bad enough Diamond City isn’t doing anything, why don't—“

“What am I supposed to do, Piper, huh? Brotherhood come for us, let ’em, we’re ready to defend our walls, but if I lead a crew against a skyscraper full of soldiers, how do you think that’s gonna end?”

“We could use Zhao’s missiles or—“

“I ain’t convinced that submarine’s really going to be able to strike all the way out here, assuming it’s even still there. Ain’t willing to risk my people’s blood on it, that’s for sure.”

Piper groaned, frustrated, “Fine, sit here if you want, but I have to do something, there has to be some way I can help. Blue’s in Jamaica Plain last I heard, maybe I can find him.” She turned and saw us coming up the stairs. To my surprise, her gaze went straight to one of my companions rather than me. “Cait!”

Hancock rushed to the doorway to see for himself. "Well," he grinned, "Welcome back."

Cait was suddenly withdrawn, another stunning development, "Hey."

“You ok?” Piper asked.

“Fine,” Cait shrugged, “Never better, actually. Uh. Thanks, for worryin’.” She huffed and regained her usual confidence, “We can talk an' all later, but Holmes has business with ya, Hancock.”

“Why do I get the feeling this business ain’t the fun kind,” Hancock said with a swagger, “despite what the outfit suggests?”

“Maxson will give the order to attack soon," I said, "possibly in a few days, possibly in a few minutes.”

“C’mon, you ain’t gonna be in character this time? I’m disappointed, Shroud.”

I ignored him. “Did I overhear mention of a submarine?”

“There’s a Chinese sub in the bay,” Piper explained. “It’s been stuck there since the War. The Captain turned ghoul, been living there ever since.”

“We helped get him seaworthy, and for payment we get a single shot of his missiles,” Hancock said.

“You sure you two ain’t been sharin’ a bad batch of somethin’?” Cait asked.

“You know Piper won’t touch chems,” Hancock scoffed.

"I have an idea for how those missiles would be extremely useful," I said.

"Ask me like the Shroud," Hancock broadly smiled, "and we'll see what we can do."

We continued our trip north, this time in the company of Piper. Hancock didn't want to leave his town on the eve of war, and I didn't attempt to convince him otherwise. Cait and Piper continued on toward the airport while Valentine, Ada, and I went to the RobCo Sales & Service Center, where Ada reported the Mechanist’s lair was hidden.

"A robot-building villain hiding out in a run down robot shop?" Valentine commented as we stepped inside and saw a showroom for RobCo-brand terminals, most of which were long destroyed.

"I doubt this was ever simply a shop," I said.

"You mean because the Mechanist had to get the robobrains from somewhere, and they sure weren't selling those to the public?" Valentine asked as he went behind the service desk.

"We should look in the garage and see if there's any indication of a hidden entrance."

"Laser tripwire behind the 'employees only' door seems a good place to start."

I hurried over, Ada following. After disabling the tripwire, we passed through the corridor to a basement area with a blastproof door, a strange device to the side of it.

“Allow me, sirs,” Ada approached the door and activated the M-SAT device Sturges had installed from Jezebel’s plans.

The door opened, and we entered the underground facility.

What we found was the remains of a nightmare. Criminals housed in cells were later operated upon to remove their brains, which were then wiped of memories and run through a series of tests before being mounted to any number of devices. Many brains were still preserved, thus providing the Mechanist with necessary material without needing new subjects. According to the terminals, not all of the memory wipes were successful. Minds that woke, panicked in the dark, were destroyed. One transcript showed a psychopath unconcerned with his new lack of body and firm conviction that every scientist in the facility would be killed was seen as a prime candidate for a tactical team. Even before the War, there were indications of the robobrains misinterpreting orders, the flexibility of the human mind rewiring itself to fit what it thinks is the more efficient option. This place was the perfect example of the military and their scientists being so focused on whether or not they could accomplish their goal, they never stopped to wonder if they should. Then at some point this Mechanist found the facility, and picked up where they left off.

I don’t want to dwell on what we saw down there. I noticed a decontamination corridor as we entered, leading to an elevator with an access terminal requiring voice authorization. Imagining we had no choice, we fought our way past a variety of robots guarding the facility until I was fortunate enough to find holotapes recorded by the supervisor of each department. I hoped that these would be enough to trigger the vocal recognition and unlock the elevator. I was correct.

The elevator took us to a control room with computer banks all along the walls, each terminal manned by a small robobrain that rapidly typed orders to run the facility. The room was filled with the noise of terminal keys clacking, and there in the middle stood a figure in the costume of a comic book character - The Mechanist.

“Well, hell, Shroud, you were right,” Valentine muttered.

“Impossible!” The Mechanist declared as we were spotted, “I control all points of access to this room!”

“You underestimated me,” I said. “The Silver Shroud is no common criminal.”

The Mechanist was confused, “The Silver Shroud?” Confusion turned to disdain, and furthered my suspicion of the Mechanist’s mental instability, “I cannot believe someone so respected, so honorable, would come here and destroy my robots. Your reign of terror ends here, Shroud!”

I had to think quickly, “The Shroud, as always, walks the path of justice. It is you who has fallen, Mechanist.”

“Lies, Shroud! Lies! The Commonwealth has suffered more than its fair share of injustices because of you.”

“The Silver Shroud is no villain. The only guilty here are you and your relentless automatons.”

“My bots would never violate their protocol!”

Valentine had had enough. “Those bots are killing innocent people!”

“My friends were simple traders,” Ada said. “All dead at the hands of your robots.”

The Mechanist was shaken, “No. The robots are programmed to protect. Their subroutines are clean: observe, evaluate, and react accordingly.”

“They're misinterpreting orders,” I tried to explain. “Your own robobrain said as much. They're saving people by killing them.”

“Saving by... killing? I don't believe you. They can't alter their programming. They're programmed to save people, not kill them. And the data! They were always reporting hostiles killed and lives... saved.” The Mechanist paused in a moment of horrible realization. “No, it's... the logic... it's there... I can see it now. I was hoping it was the robobrains, an issue with their memory wipes... but you're right. Their primary directive was flawed.”

“Memory wipes?” Valentine asked.

The Mechanist nodded, “Yes. The human brain has a way of… rewiring itself. If not properly maintained, it can… corrupt.”

"Corrupt?! That's the understatement of the year.”

I tried to keep the Mechanist focused on the truth, “A serious flaw, and a dangerous one at that.”

“It is,” the Mechanist agreed, “but the process is thorough. They're wiped after each mission. They're... I found it's best to not let them recall what they've been through.”

Ada spoke, “The introduction of a human brain creates too many unknown variables. You can’t claim to know them all.”

“There's probably a reason these robots weren't in mass production,” Valentine muttered.

We had gotten through, but the Mechanist was still in denial. “I… I need to think. I took every precaution…”

“You know we are telling you the truth,” I said. “Your robots are dangerous. They had to be stopped.”

The Mechanist shook his head in disgrace, “... the hero unknowingly became the villain. I wanted to help the Commonwealth… and robots are all I know. I found this place and figured I could do my part. I accept full responsibility. I can’t take back what I’ve done or even atone for it… but this doesn’t have to end in violence.”

I was relieved to hear it. I gave the Shroud one final moment; “Though your action initially appeared felonious, your intent was not. Seek redemption, Mechanist. You have much to atone for.”

With a sigh of relief, the Mechanist declared, “Done. Consider it done. And you won't regret this, I promise. None of the Commonwealth will.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” I said, and removed the hat. “Permit me to introduce myself properly. I am Sherlock Holmes, of Valentine’s Detective Agency, and General of the Minutemen. This is my partner Nick Valentine, and our friend Ada.”

The Mechanist, with great trepidation, carefully removed the mask to reveal a young woman. “I’m Isabel. Isabel Cruz.”

“Can I ask why the Mechanist get-up?” Valentine gently asked.

She shifted uncomfortably. “I’m… not good with people. The Mechanist gave me a way to put myself out there without really being out there at all. I grew up on a settlement, I’ve seen how good people struggle against raiders and super mutants. I never wanted to be counted among them. But all my technical knowledge, all of these resources, and I still failed. I only ever wanted to make the Commonwealth a safer place.” She held out a holotape, “Here. Take this. It's the password to the mainframe. Use the password to shut down the security. After that, the base is yours.”

“On the contrary, Ms. Cruz, I think you should stay,” I said.

“What?”

“You want to help the Commonwealth? Work for me as a resource for the Minutemen, and you will have a chance to do just that.”

She was stunned. “The Minutemen? You… you want me to build robots for your army?”

“Units to support troops will be extremely helpful, but primarily I thought you could put your efforts to good use creating defenders for settlements.”

“There are still many rogue robots roaming the Commonwealth,” Ada pointed out. “The Minutemen will need all the help they can get, especially once this war is over.”

Ms. Cruz nervously nodded. “I’ll… I’ll try my best. Maybe I can fix some of the damage I’ve done.”

The facility's security was disabled, and Ms. Cruz gave us a proper tour of her assembly line and her capabilities. She is a nervous young woman, now guilt-ridden, but with determination and drive. I promised she would hear from my Chief Engineer soon.

Ada asked to speak with me. "While not wholly unexpected, that outcome was not the one I believed to have the highest probability."

No, it certainly wasn't. "Are you disappointed I let her live?"

She sounded concerned, "I do have conflicting outlooks, but I trust your judgment. The guilt of her actions is a punishment in itself."

"You don't quite believe that," I observed.

"I do trust your judgement, but yes, I also have doubts concerning Isabel's… potential. She could use a companion she didn't build herself."

"Are you volunteering?"

"Yes, sir. The mission was a success; the Commonwealth doesn't have to fear the Mechanist any longer. I would like to stay and make sure it never does again. She will also need help working for the Minutemen, and I will assist however I can."

"I think that's an excellent idea, Ada. For now, I wonder if we might be able to convince the newly reformed Mechanist to provide a few scrapbots for our use?"

#fallout 4 #fan fiction #nick valentine #the mechanist #the minutemen #sherlock holmes #crossover

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tallulahchanel · 6 years ago

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Baby Blues

Here it is @chaneajoyyy . I know the video had a girl in it, but the AU I decided to put it, they were gonna have a boy, but despite this, I really hope I did it justice. If I didn’t feel free to tell me, and I will fix it.

Fandom: Black Panther

Pairing(s): T’Challa & OC (Kya Shauku); T’Challa x OC (Naomi Udaku)

Words: 2k

Tags: @queen-of-the-jabari

"Are you sure you can handle this?”

T'Challa rolled his eyes. "Yes, iplato yetshukela. If I can manage an entire technologically advanced country, I can manage this."

Naomi held Javon close to her bosom and tenderly stroked his face. She knew T'Challa was capable of watching their son, but she still had her apprehensions.

It's been three months since Naomi gave birth to Javon, and Nikki—her best friend since high school and Erik's fiance—insisted that she needed a night out. T'Challa, who didn't like seeing his wife couped in the palace, agreed and promised to watch Javon for the night. Naomi would be fine with the idea if he weren't alone. Queen Ramonda took an impromptu trip to Jamaica a few days ago, Shuri and her boyfriend Efe were in Oakland working at the Science and Information building during the school break, and your big sister requested Erik's help to implement a program he wanted to include at the Social Outreach Center. Besides the Dora and other palace staff, it was only them and Nikki.

To make matters more complicated, Naomi was still trying to transition Javon onto the bottle, which was easier said than done. The first time she tried, he screamed so much that she broke down and breastfed him.

"Maybe I should stay here. I’ll ask Nikki if we could rain check.”

T'Challa shook his head and gently took Javon from Naomi. "You will do no such thing. Besides, you look lovely tonight, and it'll be a shame if you let it all go to waste."

Naomi rocked a diamond-studded bodycon dress that stopped just above her knees and accentuated her curvaceous backside. She wore white heels to match, and her silk-pressed hair was in a high ponytail while the tresses laid perfectly on her shoulders.

Her cheeks heated up at his compliment. It's incredible how he could still make her feel like a schoolgirl after six years of marriage.

"Okay," Naomi finally gave in. "You know how to contact me if you need me."

"We'll be fine, iplato yetshukela," he reassured before placing a kiss on her lips. "Now, go have fun."

"Alright.” She gave him one last kiss before turning on her heels and leaving the nursery.

Once she was gone, T'Challa looked down at his son, his pride and joy, and smiled. "Yes, unyana wam. Everything will be alright."

Except everything wasn't alright.

An hour after Naomi left, Javon began fussing. T'Challa tried everything: holding him, rocking him, and checking his diaper. He even made the mistake of trying to soothe him by singing. After the way Javon screamed in response, T'Challa made a mental note to never do that again.

Trying to feed him was a chore within itself. When T'Challa attempted to get the nipple of the bottle in his mouth, Javon would turn his head away and scream at the top of his lungs. At T'Challa's fifth attempt, Javon knocked the bottle out of his hand, and it hit the floor, creating a puddle of formula.

Fortunately for him, that was the exact moment you entered the nursery. You fashioned your smoothie stand uniform—a medium-length dashiki dress adorned in the colors hot pink, black, scarlet red, forest green, and other intricate colors. Your faux locs were styled in a pin-up bun while a matching pink headwrap protected your edges, and your feet adorned a pair of black sandals.

"Good evening wam kumkani," you greeted T'Challa with a bright smile as if you didn't just see the bottle hit the marble floor.

He returned your smile, despite his growing irritation with the screaming child in his arms. "Good evening, Kya. What brings you here?"

“I was available on this lovely Saturday night, so I thought I’d spend it with my king and his heir.”

"That's very generous of you. Now, what's the real reason you're here?" He tilted his head, a clear sign that he didn't believe your explanation. He knew you probably wouldn't want to spend your Saturday night—the one night of the week where you're free to lollygag as you please—with a child, a crying one at that.

"Queen Naomi said if I come over and help, she'll expedite my UCLA application."

"Ah! That makes more sense."

"So, what can I help with?"

"Do you mind holding him while I clean up the formula?"

You nodded and held your arms out for the little prince. "Sure. Besides, it's been a while since I held Prince Javon."

As soon as T'Challa placed him in your arms, Javon's cries increased, and you furrowed your brows. You were sure that Javon would be happy to be held by his Auntie Kya, seeing as how you haven't been around while you finished off your last two months of school before graduation.

"On second thought,” you began and promptly handed him back to T’Challa, “you can hold him while I clean up the formula.”

Before he could protest, you walked out of the nursery and headed towards the supply closet for a roll of paper towels. Upon your return, you saw T'Challa futilely trying to feed Javon--who was still fussing up a storm—with another bottle.

"Good thing I didn’t have to go through this with Nakia,” you mumbled under your breath as you cleaned the formula off the floor.

Unfortunately, you forgot that the heart-shaped herb gave T'Challa enhanced hearing, so your eyes widen when he said, "I'm sure Nakia was much easier to handle."

Once the embarrassment wore off, you sighed and threw the paper towel in the trash can. "Well, Nakia wasn't as fussy, but she was very frustrated. I guess I would be too if I had the mind of a thirty-three-year-old, trapped in the body of a three-year-old."

You decided to drop the subject, you weren't in the mood to relive that stressful time, and decided to focus on the crying Prince Javon. You gently took him and the bottle and attempted to feed him yourself. After the third try, Javon almost knocked the bottle out of your hand. With a defeated sigh, you gave the bottle back to T'Challa.

"Well, I tried.”

T'Challa released a sigh of his own. "There has to be an easier way to do this."

An idea came to you just then.

"Take off your robe,” you told T’Challa, who gave you a perplexed look.

"What?”

"Trust me,” you pleaded with an innocent smile. “Take off your robe.”

Reluctantly, he stripped himself of the robe, leaving him in a t-shirt and slacks, and took Javon from you before you walked over to the prince's dresser.

"What are you doing?" T'Challa eyed you suspiciously when he saw you grab a pair of scissors. He released a dramatic gasp as you snipped a hole in the robe. "Why did you do that?! That robe costs more than your college tuition!"

"Why are you walking around wearing my college tuition?” You quipped with a smirk while walking over to him. “Put this back on.”

"You still haven't told me the meaning of this," he said as he took the robe from you.

"It's something I saw on an American sitcom. It sounds ridiculous, but it works."

As T'Challa gave Javon back to you so he could put the robe back on, he began considering blocking American shows and movies from Wakanda's free and unlimited streaming services.

You held the bottle out for him to take. "Now, put this inside of your robe and set it to where the nipple is poking out of the hole."

He furrowed his brows at you, but when you flashed him an innocent look, he took the bottle and did as you instructed, mumbling, "This better work."

"It will." Once he secured the nipple in the hole, you gave Javon back to T'Challa.

"Now hold him the way Queen Naomi does when she's breastfeeding him."

T'Challa secured Javon in the position you instructed, and you both observed to see if your plan was going to succeed.

Javon's nose brushed against the nipple, and he instinctively turned his head to latch onto it. When he first tasted the formula, his face formed a frown similar to the one Naomi gives when she wants to smack someone, and you had to hold back your laughter. It took a while, but the young prince eventually smoothed into the motions.

"See?!" You boasted with a triumphant smile. "I told you it would work."

As much as he hated to admit it, your ridiculous idea did come in handy.

After a while, T'Challa transitioned to the rocking chair while you took a spot on the nearby loveseat and played a game on your kimoyo beads.

"Kya?" T'Challa broke the silence in the room. "Exactly which American show did you get this from?"

"It was called Yes, Dear. An early 2000s show full of colonizers. Nothing remotely rememberable, except for that one scene.”

"Ah!” He nodded and returned his focus on Javon.

After feeding Javon, you offered to burp and snuggle with him before it was time for a much-needed diaper change. It wasn't long before Javon was fast asleep in the arms of a tired T'Challa while you rested on the loveseat.

The clock striked midnight when Naomi tiptoed into the nursery with her heels in her hand. Her heart gushed at the sight of her sleeping husband holding her son.

She walked over to him and placed a kiss on his forehead and another one on his cheek. "Wake up, kumkani," she whispered in his ear, causing him to stir.

His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled at his beautiful wife. "Hello, iplato yetshukela. How was your evening?”

"Nothing special. All I could think about was my two babies." She reached her hand out and stroked Javon's small afro. "How was he?"

"Once the crying stopped, he was perfect."

Naomi smiled. When she went to pick up Javon, her hand brushed across something hard, and she curiously reached into T’Challa’s robe, pulling out the bottle. "T’Challa, what in the world?”

He groaned in embarrassment and tried to hide his face with his free hand. "It was Kya's idea."

Naomi lifted a curious brow before shaking her head. She didn't want to know what craziness you've managed to talk her husband into. "Where is she, by the way?"

As if on cue, you mumbled something in your sleep, catching Naomi's attention.

"Should I wake her?" T'Challa yawned before getting out of the rocking chair so he could put Javon in his crib.

Naomi shook her head and walked over to the linen closet. She grabbed a blanket out of the closet and covered you in it to make sure that you wouldn't get cold. "No, let her rest while she's still allowed to have it."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked after securing Javon for the night.

"Medical school is going to be rough on her. Especially at an institute like UCLA." She didn't bother to hide her grin.

"She's going to be accepted?" T'Challa asked with a grin of his own.

Naomi nodded and walked over to him. "I just got off the phone with the Dean, and informed him how fortunate UCLA's medical program would be to house a wonderful, brilliant, and hard-working student like Kya."

T'Challa wrapped an arm around her and escorted her out of the nursery. He didn't want to run the risk of waking you or Javon. "I guess a personal recommendation from the Queen of Wakanda came in handy."

"That, and I told him it would be good publicity if a Wakandan student attended their school. But don't tell her yet. I want to see her face when she opens the letter."

T'Challa chuckled before wrapping Naomi in his arms and leaning his forehead against hers. "You are the most amazing woman. I'm fortunate to have you as my wife and the mother of my child."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a passion-filled kiss on the lips. "It is me that is the fortunate one, wam kumkani."

They walked the rest of the way to their room in silence before enjoying a peaceful night slumber in each other's arms.

~~~

Translations

iplato yetshukela - sugar plum

#baby blues #black panther #black panther fanfiction #black panther imagine #t'challa #chadwick boseman #t'challa imagine #t'challa & oc #t'challa x oc #kya shauku #lovie simone #naomi udaka #queen naomi #naomi knight #trinity fatu #prince javon #javon udaku #kia and kya forever series

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vegaaman-wins · 5 years ago

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The Yonkers Adventures of Little Jacob and Niko Belic

"We one blunt away from getting this paper, mon."—Little Jacob

“Little Jacob from GTA IV leaves the Yonkers NY, and comes to Jamaica for etc etc reasons. Little Jacob then heads to Vice City to handle the funeral to his nephew's own death. The Colombian Cartel, ran by somebody named Tony Montana, is responsible for the killing of Little Jacob's people and nephew. In the end his son passes on his legacy, while the tale of how Montana killed Little Jacobs lives on throughout the 80s and the 90s.”

The first time the Rastafarian met Niko Belic in New York City it became a true moment to cherish. Niko had picked the metro booming Rasta, known as Little Jacob up from Yonkers, New York, in a white and green armored truck with blood under and smeared around it, which happened to be owned by the Green Tangerine Industries. The Green Tangerine Industries was bought by the new bachelor in town, named Norman Osborn. Mr. Osborn was developing a new serum to help increase the physical and mental capacity of athletes around the world. With stories in the newspapers about a young vigilante with the ability to climb walls started floating about, the idea of enhancing the human race began planting in the mind of Norman Osborn. Niko Belic was business partners of a particular cab service, known to house the likes of the Babayaga himself John Wick, or even the silent phantom Agent 47. John Wick had previously been ex communicated for disobeying the orders of his own syndicate. Agent 47 is still being hunted by numerous agencies, federal agents, bounty hunters, and police officers. For many years rumors of covert operatives trying to go off the grid in order to fight as the new resistance to the evil side of the politicians and governments, as well as the drug cartels globally. To some the American Dream was having perfect health, ultimate political power, or even fame beyond imagination. To Belic it was the same roach infested, drywall peeling shack stuck on the second floor of his cousins timeshare. The thing that mattered most to Little Jacob and Niko Belic at that moment was this paper.

When Niko had returned to Little Jacob’s crib in Yonkers the Siberian immigrant had high hopes that by his cousin Roman knowing of Little Jacobs capabilities, connecting the two gentleman together would end up allowing them to acquire the power and fortune needed to live a luxurious and discrete life in New York City. Only God of Abraham knew that Niko and Little Jacob would find a medium eventually. Driving off to their next location, the rasta began to bump some of Bad Boy’s Biggie classics over the car stereo. While the smell of burnt incense and ganja smoke filled the car with a tight aroma Little Jacob held on tight to his glock nine, but even tighter to the handle of his short pump shotgun. When the two goons pulled up to the street sidewalk the Rastafarian hoped out of the car with paranoia and optimism the deal would go smoothly. Niko drove his maroon corvette around the street when the Siberian's phone began to vibrate on and off in his jacket inside pocket. Little Jacobs is on the other line out of breath and a little enraged. When the conversation is over between the two aspiring criminals Niko is ready to pursue the three men running out of the back door building. As the three men run three blocks with ease, the Siberian, who had been tailing the three, unexpectedly comes from the side and fires off four shotgun rounds into the three drug dealers torsos. Where the two proceeded after, truly time will tell…

#gta #fanfiction #criminal case #johnwick #vegaamandesigns #rockstargames

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historybehindassassinscreed · 7 years ago

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In Game:

Bartholomew Roberts was a Welsh pirate and Sage, who raided ships in the Caribbean and on the West African coast between 1719 and 1722.

The Templar Order located Roberts sometime in 1715, in Spanish lands in South America, and subsequently took him to Havana. The Assassin Mentor Ah Tabai caught wind of the capture and sent his finest student, Duncan Walpole, to free Roberts and bring him to the Assassin city of Tulum. However, Walpole had secretly turned traitor to the Brotherhood and abandoned his mission.

Roberts eventually arrived in Havana, where he was imprisoned in the estate of Laureano de Torres y Ayala. Torres, his fellow Templars Woodes Rogers and Julien du Casse, along with Edward Kenway – who had killed Walpole and taken his identity – met Roberts at the Havana docks before taking him to the prison.

In transit, he managed to break free when the Templars were attacked by Assassins sent by Ah Tabai, but was chased down by Kenway and escorted to Torres' estate. He was moved later that same day, but escaped soon after and took to the sea.

In 1717, the Templars learned that Roberts had been recaptured by a Kingston-based slaver named Laurens Prins. Prins had indeed encountered Roberts, but had actually employed him, allowing him to stay in his Kingston estate while planning to sell him out to the Templars.

Kenway, acting on information given by his fellow pirates, confronted Torres and devised a plan to have the Templar Grand Master meet with Prins in Kingston and lead Kenway to Roberts. However, Prins detected Kenway and the Assassin Mary Read and managed to flee back to his mansion.

When Kenway infiltrated Prins' estate and killed him in his gardens, Roberts appeared, declaring that Prins had been his employer instead of his jailer. Shooting an alarm bell to alert guards to Kenway's presence, Roberts escaped once more. Afterwards, he took to working aboard a merchant ship of Barbadian origin.

Roberts eventually began working on board a slave ship called the Princess, captained by Abraham Plumb; this ship made regular trips between Kingston and the Portuguese colony of Príncipe roughly every eight weeks. When the ship was captured by the Welsh pirate Howell Davis, Roberts chose to become a pirate himself.

Approached by Kenway once again, the two struck a deal: Kenway would free Roberts' imprisoned crew and kill the Templars John Cockram and Josiah Burgess, in exchange for Roberts leading him to the First Civilization site known as the Observatory; Kenway did as he was asked, recapturing the Princess in the process. Roberts then gave a speech to his crew, declaring his intentions to sail as a pirate, and the two captains returned to the West Indies.

Roberts and Kenway met again off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, where they infiltrated a Portuguese camp to steal First Civilization crystal vials that had been imbued with the blood of both pirates and Templars alike. After completing the heist and commandeering the Portuguese flagship, Nosso Senhor da Compreensão, Roberts renamed her to the Royal Fortune. Afterwards, Kenway killed his former comrade Benjamin Hornigold, who had allied himself with the Templars, to ensure the pirates were not followed, before meeting Roberts again at Long Bay, on the northern shore of Jamaica. The two went ashore with four of Roberts's crew in search of the Observatory.

Edward cleared the jungle of its protective Guardians while Roberts and his crew followed until they reached the Observatory's door. Upon opening it with an incantation, Roberts suddenly shot his four crewmen dead, telling Kenway he did it to save them from the insanity that was sure to follow if they entered the building. However, he believed that Edward could handle the secrets stored within, and instructed him to take up the case of blood vials before they made their way inside.

Roberts informed Kenway of his past as a Sage and his new life as a pirate as they made their way deeper into the Observatory. He commented on the complex being in much worse condition than what it had been when he last saw it eighty millennia ago, although he still knew how to deactivate the building's security measures once inside.

In the Observatory's antechamber, Roberts showed Kenway exactly what its purpose was, using the blood vials they had taken from the Portuguese and inserting them into a Crystal Skull set into the centerpiece of a golden armillary sphere. Soon, the machine began to operate, projecting the vision and hearing of the individual whose blood was in the vial - a near perfect method of spying on anyone in the world; this was demonstrated as both Roberts and Kenway surveyed through the eyes and ears of Jack Rackham and Woodes Rogers.

Although Kenway agreed with Roberts that the Observatory would be too powerful for the Templars to have control of, Roberts had a different plan on how to stop them, by removing the skull and rendering the Observatory inoperable. Though Edward had hoped to work with Roberts and use the device to increase their wealth, the Sage had other ideas, knocking him into the water below. Revealing that he had only used Kenway to get to the Observatory and acquire the Crystal Skull, Roberts declared Edward's usefulness to be at an end and sealed him inside the temple.

Roberts returned to the shore and ordered his crew to subdue the injured Kenway, who made his way out of the Observatory. Though Edward fought back against the pirates, he eventually collapsed from his injuries, just as the Jackdaw sailed away. Fearing that he would be too dangerous to keep on his crew, Roberts decided to turn Edward over to the British authorities and collect the large bounty on his head.

Over the next two years Roberts captured hundreds of ships, earning the attention of both the British and Spanish navies as well as the Templars; he was forced to retreat to Príncipe, where he was found by Kenway. Roberts attempted to flee aboard the Royal Fortune, keeping the Jackdaw at bay with mortar fire and fire barrels, before moving into open waters where Spanish and British forces engaged him.

Eventually the Royal Fortune was disabled by the Jackdaw and boarded. There, Bartholomew Roberts and Edward Kenway fought one another, with Kenway emerging the eventual victor, having impaled Roberts with a rope dart.

Roberts first noted the aptness of his motto before remarking that he may have misjudged Kenway, and perhaps he was indeed the one 'she' had sought. Roberts expressed regret that like many other Sages of his time and before him, he was born too early, and that he did not have the time to open the door to the Temple, confusing Edward, who demanded he talk sense. Roberts did not elaborate, however, requesting only that Edward destroy his body in order to prevent the Templars from gaining anything from it, before succumbing to his injuries. Edward then complied with his final request.

In Real Life:

Bartholomew Roberts, also known as Black Barty although born as John Roberts, was born sometime around 1682, near Haverfordwest, Wales. His father was most likely George Roberts. It's not clear why Roberts changed his name from John to Bartholomew, but pirates often adopted aliases. He may have chosen his first name after the well-known buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp.

He is thought to have gone to sea when he was 13 in 1695, but there is no further record of him until 1718, when he was mate of a Barbados sloop. In 1719, Roberts was second mate on the slave ship Princess under Captain Abraham Plumb. In early June that year, the Princess was anchored at Anomabu (then spelled Annamaboa, which is situated along the Gold Coast of West Africa, present-day Ghana) when she was captured by pirates. The pirates were in two vessels, the Royal Rover and the Royal James, and were led by captain Howell Davis. Davis, like Roberts, was a Welshman, originally from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire. Roberts and several other of the crew of the Princess were forced to join the pirates.

Davis quickly discovered Roberts' abilities as a navigator and took to consulting him. He was also able to confide information to Roberts in Welsh, thereby keeping it hidden from the rest of the crew. Roberts is said to have been reluctant to become a pirate at first, but soon came to see the advantages of this new lifestyle. Considering the average sailor made only £3 per month in the Royal Navy or a merchant ship with no chance of being promoted to captain it wasn't hard to see the appeal. In fact Bartholomew Roberts is even quoted as saying

In an honest service there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labour. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst is only a sour look or two at choking? No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.

A few weeks after Roberts joined the pirates, one of the ships the Royal James had to be destroyed due to worm damage. The Royal Rover continued on towards the Portuguese controlled island of Príncipe. Davis hoisted the flags of a British man-o-war, he was allowed to enter the harbor and after a few days requested the governor board his ship for lunch, intending to hold him for ransom. However, the governor had already figured out who Davis was and set a trap.

(Image source)

The governor requested Davis meet the governor at the fort for a glass of wine first and on their way to the fort the pirates were ambushed and killed, Davis included. With Davis dead and the pirates retreating, a new captain had to be elected. Within six weeks of joining the pirates Bartholomew Roberts was made captain, probably due to his navigational abilities and his attitude which was opinionated and outspoken.

Bartholomew Roberts first action as captain was to lead his crew back to Principe to avenge the death of Captain Davis. In the dead of night Roberts and his crew charged onto the island killing a large proportion of the male population and stole virtually all items of value that they could carry away. Next they captured a few ships and when the ship next took on supplies, it was voted they would sail to Portuguese Brazil to rob them some more.

His acts of avenging Howell Davis along with his bravery and success made most of Davis crew extremely loyal to Roberts and they concluded he was "pistol proof".

Roberts and his crew crossed the Atlantic and watered and boot-topped their ship on the uninhabited island of Ferdinando. They spent about nine weeks off the Brazilian coast but saw no ships. They were about to leave for the West Indies when they encountered a fleet of 42 Portuguese ships in the Todos os Santos' Bay, waiting for two men-of-war of 70 guns each to escort them to Lisbon. Roberts took one of the vessels and ordered her master to point out the richest ship in the fleet. He pointed out the Sagrada Familia, a ship of 40 guns and a crew of 170, which Roberts and his men boarded and captured. The Sagrada Familia contained 40,000 gold moidores and jewelry designed for the King of Portugal, including a cross set with diamonds.

Later on, Roberts also sailed around Devil’s Island, Barbados, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Cape Verde. As such, he became the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy as measured by vessels captured, taking over 400 prizes in his career.

(Image source)

On February 5th, 1722, Captain Chaloner Ogle of the HMS Swallow came upon the pirate ships Royal Fortune, Ranger, and Little Ranger careening at Cape Lopez. Robert’s plan was to sail directly past the enemy ship, take one broadside but eventually escape to open ocean. However Roberts' helmsman failed to keep the ship on the right course and the Swallow was able to get off two successful broadsides. Roberts was killed by grapeshot which ripped open his neck and killed him instantly. The pirates threw his body overboard as he requested so they could not put his body on display. They wrapped him in one of the ships sails, weighted it down and tossed it off the side. His body has never been recovered.

Sources:

https://www.goldenageofpiracy.org/infamous-pirates/bartholomew-roberts.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Roberts

http://www.thewayofthepirates.com/famous-pirates/bartholomew-roberts/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bartholomew-Roberts

#would you guys be interested in one about jackdaws and rooks as birds? Genuinely asking #Assassin's Creed #People #AC 4

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enbouton · 6 years ago

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Better Call Saul Rewatch, Part 4/30: Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church

Hero (Season 1, Episode 4)

Written by Gennifer Hutchison / Directed by Colin Bucksey

This episode deals largely with identities. Jimmy is Saul Goodman, he’s Slippin’ Jimmy, he’s Howard Hamlin, he’s his own receptionist on the phone, he’s Tony Curtis in the bath scene in Spartacus, he’s a local lawyer and a local hero. It’s fitting that we open with a flashback showing young Jimmy using the name “Saul” for the very first time, and just as fitting that it’s done without fanfare: it’s tossed out as a half-joke. “S’all good, man!” Jimmy, in a garish, slithery-looking striped shirt, leads his mark down the alley where his partner in crime awaits. The unhurried pace of this sequence is very effective, suiting the stillness of nighttime Cicero and the low-key nature of Jimmy and Marco’s con.

The flashbacks on this show (with the exception of the corner-store one) all take place at night or in dimly lit rooms; here’s some good meta that touches on how Jimmy thrives in darkness. Is it significant that the first Slippin’ Jimmy con we see is one that wouldn’t work on an honest person? Jimmy needs a mark who’s willing to make off with the "Rolex”, thinking he’s got one over on the rube who settled for $1,580 in cash.

Afterwards, Marco is radiant with admiration for Jimmy— “I love watching you work”— but Jimmy says his talents are good for beer money, and that’s about all. Again: what would have happened to this guy if he hadn’t had to leave Cicero? This is not the face of a man who’s happy with where he is in life:

(It is the face of a man who’s being "haunted by the ghost of vladimir lenin” (@deadpanwalking), but I digress.)

Back in the present, Craig and Betsy stand over a pile of money and stress that what they did was “for the kids” (sound familiar?). In substance if not style, Jimmy’s pitch to the Kettlemans bears more than a little resemblance to Kim’s pitch to Mesa Verde: “What are you gonna get from me that you won’t get from those other guys? Passion. Commitment ... If you’re with me, you’re my number one client, morning, noon or night. You call me, I’m there. I would be singularly devoted to you.” But Betsy isn’t swayed: “You’re the kind of lawyer guilty people hire.” Ouch. Exhausted and beaten down, Jimmy takes their bribe.

Nacho, now released, surmises that Jimmy tipped off the Kettlemans. I like that Nacho is as smart as Jimmy. I like that the show generally surrounds Jimmy with people who are as smart as he is. Jimmy counters that Nacho didn’t need any help making himself look suspicious, and Nacho stalks off.

As Jimmy launders his money, assigning stacks of cash to “consulting fees”, “research” and “travel expenses”, he constructs yet another alternate self, this one belonging to a narrative in which he worked for the Kettlemans.

We see Jimmy getting measured for an expensive, conservative suit, yet when the tailor steps out of the room, something wonderful happens:

#it’s like watching a baby being born #a really tacky baby

But Jimmy isn’t just using his windfall to smarten up; he’s playing a long con involving a billboard exactly mimicking one of Howard Hamlin’s, ringlets and all.

Small brain: using your ill-gotten seed money to advertise your business

Galaxy brain: dressing up as your enemy, buying a provocative billboard that you know you'll be forced to take down, hiring a film crew, then bribing a worker to fall off the billboard so that you’ll get on the local news for rescuing him

“He’s… you know, a free spirit,” Kim says, having been dragged out of the office to look at it. She demurs when asked if she and Jimmy are still friends, which, tbh, is fair enough, given how Jimmy behaves around Hamlin (we’ll get into that later). There’s lots to think about with Jimmy literally dressing up as Hamlin, recreating his look down to the smallest detail. Once again he’s taking on another persona, albeit just to achieve a short-term goal. “What kind of lawyer are you going to be?” Kim will ask him in season 2. It’s a question Jimmy seems to keep asking himself.

In the midst of Jimmy and Hamlin’s clash, we get an early glimpse at the tightrope Kim is expected to walk at HHM. She shouldn’t feel the need to lie about who her friends are in order to stay in her boss’ good graces, yet she does, and later on she breaks off a friendly conversation with Jimmy to hand over a cease & desist letter. With Kim, BCS dodges the “successful woman has to choose between career and relationship” trope in favour of something much more interesting, a woman facing uncertainty and unfairness in both spheres. Kim’s relationship with Jimmy isn’t even the main reason she’s treated unfairly at work, and her allegiance to HHM isn’t what’s keeping her and Jimmy apart.

The billboard comes down, but not before Jimmy has himself filmed in front of it, first speaking to camera about the injustice he’s faced, then racing up a ladder to rescue the worker whom he bribed to take a fall. It’s fascinating to watch how Jimmy tells his story here. He hits all the right beats— patriotism, bootstraps, public service, the dream of owning one’s own business— and casts himself as the all-American underdog who “scrimped and saved” to buy a billboard only to have it snatched away from him. We’ll see Jimmy employ a lot of these tropes in his advertising later on; this is his skill at face-to-face communication writ large, but the foundation of the billboard con is his ability to create situations that he can manipulate to his advantage.

When Jimmy drags the worker back up onto the walkway and the two slap hands, we finally see his angle. Watching him on the news in the HHM boardroom, Howard mutters “whole thing’s a damn stunt” and walks off. Kim gives a little smile.

The one part of the situation that Jimmy can’t control is his brother. He has the foresight to keep the newspaper from him, but he can’t account for Chuck’s pedantic attention to detail. Of course Chuck will wonder why his newspaper wasn’t delivered; of course he’ll look outside and see that all his neighbours have theirs; of course he’ll deduce that there’s something in the paper that Jimmy doesn’t want him to see, and cross-reference this against what Jimmy told him about a sudden change in his fortune; and this, perhaps combined with the urgent care receipt that fell out of Jimmy’s pocket a few weeks prior, will concern him enough that he’s compelled to go outside.

The show has already tipped its hand re: the true cause of Chuck’s symptoms, but that’s almost beside the point here: what matters is that they are real and debilitating. As soon as he steps outside, he’s overwhelmed, his senses are deranged, and he nearly runs into the path of a car in his haste to get across the road. The chaotic, visceral sequence ends with a blackly comic cut to his neighbour’s perspective. From the outside, this proud, suffering man is just a crazy guy in a space blanket, scurrying back to his door.

Misc.

“You assume that criminals are gonna be smarter than they are,” Jimmy muses to Mike. “I don’t know. Kinda breaks my heart a little.”

IIRC, the billboard, which went up for filming in Albuquerque in 2014, was how we all found out Saul’s original first name.

A wall of glass blocks appears prominently behind Jimmy and his mark as they walk down the alley. Marco’s fake ID, in the name of Henry Gondorff, bears an issue date of July 1991.

What we see of Kim’s office is devoid of personal items, except for a pair of sensible sneakers on the floor.

Timeframe: this episode picks up right where “Nacho” left off and covers a period of about two weeks. The Albuquerque Journal is dated June 20, 2002; Chuck’s copies of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bear cover stories that were published on June 19th or 20th (they are “Israel Acts to Seize Arab Land After Blast; Bush Delays Talk” and ”Unhappy Returns: IRS Moves to Bring Back Random Audits”).

Music

“Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple (1972), sung by Marco

“Listen” by Chicago (1969), as Marco and Jimmy smoke

“Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Herbie Mann (1969), as Jimmy launders his money. Saul plays a different version of this song in his waiting room in Breaking Bad.

“Unsquare Dance” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet (1961), as Jimmy calls the media

References

Young Jimmy offers to take his mark to a place “a couple blocks off Cermak”. He’s referring to Cermak Road, a major east-west thoroughfare that runs through Cicero, neighbouring Berwyn, and parts of southern and western Chicago.

“Super 170 Tasmanian wool”: the “Super” number corresponds to the diameter of the wool fibres; the higher the number, the finer (and more expensive) the cloth. 170s wool suiting is very fine, soft and lightweight. More info here.

Sea Island cotton: a variety of extra long staple cotton historically grown in the Caribbean and named after the area of South Carolina:

“Sea Island cotton is the ultimate choice for any suiting connoisseur due to its unrivaled softness and second skin-like feel. This ancient fibre is now grown mainly in the paradise climates of Barbados, Antigua and Jamaica; its inherent long staple yarns create a silky yet strong surface, resisting wear while smoothing over time. Extremely scarce, it makes up just 0.0004% of longer staple yarn production.“ (Turnbull & Asser, where you can buy a Sea Island cotton shirt for £345/$456)

French cuffs: double cuffs that are folded back and fastened with cufflinks; a very formal style

Club collar: a white collar with rounded points, created by alumni of Eton College who wanted their dress to indicate that they belonged to that exclusive “club”. All in all, the elements of Hamlin’s signature look connote wealth and sophistication in a formal, conservative way.

Jimmy refers to Tony Curtis’ appearance in a particular scene in the 1960 epic Spartacus. It’s worth noting that the scene, which features two men bathing together and some heavy innuendo about “snails” and “oysters”, was considered so homoerotic that it was cut entirely by the censors and only restored to the film in 1991 (source). You can watch part of the scene here.

Kim invites Jimmy to a screening of The Thing (1982), a horror film about a group of researchers in Antarctica encountering a parasitic alien entity.

While talking to reporters, Jimmy mentions Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, investigative journalists who covered the Watergate scandal.

The Groucho Marx mirror routine Howard refers to is this scene from Duck Soup (1933).

< PREVIOUS EPISODE: NACHO > NEXT EPISODE: ALPINE SHEPHERD BOY

#bcs rewatch #better call saul

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kalabhairavaastro-blog · 5 years ago

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Spiritual Healing Services in Jamaica | Best Indian Astrologer in Jamaica

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brittlebranchesandbossbitches · 7 years ago

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As Retold by Ginger, Episode 24: The Nurses’ Strike

Brief summary

Lois and the nurses at the local hospital that has no name have gone on strike in pursuit of higher wages. Apparently, worker negotiations had been going on for six weeks prior to this episode, and they’re living off of Lois’s savings. Lois tells Ginger that they’re going to need to start making money soon, so she’s decided to restructure Carl’s cleaning business, sans vampires. Ginger promptly shits a brick because it means Lois is gonna be --*gasp*-- a cleaning lady! Her panic only increases when Lois gets excited about posting flyers everywhere to advertise her services.

A week later, things only get worse when Lois tells her that they don’t have the money for Ginger’s class trip to New York City, but she could if Ginger helps her clean faster so they can get more work done. Ginger reluctantly agrees, but her reluctance and embarrassment fade away when she finally talks to Lois about it. From there, it becomes mother-daughter bonding time. Unfortunately, Miranda finds out about it when she sees a flyer at the store, and she suggests to Courtney that she hire them to clean the Gripling mansion.

Ginger tries to talk Lois out of it, but she insists on going because it’ll be good money. Fortunately, Ginger shows up anyway, because if Lois isn’t embarrassed, why should she be? Even after multiple attempts by both Courtney and Miranda to take them down a peg, they still have a good time and do a great job.

Meanwhile, Carl decides to help out and start a training school for dogs, starting with Principal Milty’s dog, The Duchess. Things don’t seem to be working out very well with Carl as the trainer and Hoodsey criticizing him the whole time, so Carl lets him have a go. It doesn’t seem to work at first, but eventually, The Duchess starts obeying Hoodsey’s commands and things take off. When they bring her back to Milty, things are great until The Duchess mistakes a chair cushion for a muffin that Hoodsey was eating and destroys it.

Spot the Clique

Donna walks by in the back of a hallway shot.

Mindy and Dinah are in Ms. Zorski’s class with Ginger, Macie, Dodie, Courtney, and Miranda.

Courtneyisms

(In the most patronizing baby voice ever) “Isn’t it cute, Miranda? They think visiting New York City is about something other than shopping.”

“Now, Miranda, obviously the Foutleys have fallen on hard times, so don’t make Mrs. Foutley feel any more downtrodden than she already does.” (Seconds later) “Mrs. Foutley, you poor woman!”

“Mrs. Foutley is failing to notice my sympathy to her plight.”

Courtney’s definition of “going through hard times”: Claire losing her platinum card while in Jamaica, the longest three hours of Courtney’s life.

Courtney: Yoo hoo, you missed a spot.

Ginger: Courtney, that’s your reflection.

“I didn’t think it was possible. I look even better reflected in a floor than in a mirror!”

Gingerisms

“You have to actually lift furniture and clean under it, not around it like you do here.”

“But, Mom, you can’t just name the business. That’ll make it permanent.”

“Chill, Lois. You’re starting to sound like my mother.”

The Dodie Desperation Index

“You’ve achieved friendship status with your mother. That puts you, like, 20 years ahead of schedule.”

Miranda’s Malice

“Cute? Let’s just call it what they call it in New York, pathetic.”

When Miranda started cackling, the couple grabbed their kids that were playing in the toy car ride and took the fuck off. That was quality. It’s even better when you’re not sure if the kids started crying because they wanted to play some more or because Miranda was scaring the hell out of them.

Miranda disappearing in the hallway was freaky as hell, y’all.

(When Ginger shows up to help)

Courtney: It’s worse than I thought!

Miranda: It’s better than I thought.

Courtney: They’re destitute!

Miranda: Let’s go remind them.

(Watching Ginger and Lois clean the kitchen)

Miranda: Someone needs to remind them that they’re just housecleaners who can’t afford to go to New York.

There’s Something About Macie

“Lady Liberty: I’ve always wanted to meet her. I say it’ll be worth a nosebleed to climbing to the top.” We find out later that there was no nosebleed, and she only fainted once.

I appreciate that Macie is perceptive enough to realize that Miranda’s little scene in the hallway asking for recommendations was her way of saying that she knows about Lois’s side-hustle.

Boys and their Toys

Carl: Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! Which I hope to be someday...

Let’s Talk About Lois

Lois lived in New York City the summer after her sophomore year of nursing school. She and a friend sublet an apartment in Greenwich Village, which gets Ginger excited about beatniks and poets.

She worked during the day and partied all night.

She climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty in Lucite platforms.

Lois also had a boyfriend named Jimmy who had a monobrow.

Continuity

The trees in the opening scenes look rather bald, so I’m assuming it’s late fall or a snowless winter day.

Negotiations between the nurses and the hospital had been going on for six weeks before the episode. So...potentially all of Season 2 so far?

#ATBG #As Told by Ginger #The Nurses' Strike #rewatch

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route22ny · 7 years ago

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“Buffalo is fortunate to have four round-trip trains leaving the city each day - two of which start at the new station in Niagara Falls...it is too early to tell whether ridership has increased through the new station since its opening in March, but the trip is significantly faster for travelers now. ‘The handling of the passengers, particularly on the Maple Leaf which crosses the border, has been significantly improved...'”

The general buzz is that Buffalo did well to commit to a new downtown Amtrak station vs a restoration of train service at Buffalo Central Terminal. But I feel that had a light rail link already been in place, connecting BCT to the Main Street light rail line, it would have been a best-case scenario. (Not unlike the rail shuttle between JFK airport and LIRR/NYC subway service in Jamaica.)

With the demise of Harry Stinson’s involvement and the loss of the Amtrak possibility, I have to wonder if Buffalo Central Terminal is running out of chances. I think ultimately it’s in Buffalo’s best interest to invigorate the whole city, not just downtown and Canalside.

#Buffalo NY #WNY #mass transit #Buffalo Central Terminal #passenger rail

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2whatcom-blog · 6 years ago

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James Bond 25 Rami Malek joins solid and Phoebe Waller-Bridge to co-write

Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek is to play a villain within the 25th official James Bond movie - however the film nonetheless doesn't have a title. The solid and inventive crew have been unveiled at a launch occasion in Jamaica, with Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge confirmed as one of many writers. The unnamed movie, which shall be launched subsequent April, shall be Daniel Craig's fifth and ultimate outing as 007. Malek gained an Oscar for enjoying singer Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.

What position will Malek play?

The official plot abstract mentions "a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology". Particulars of Malek's character have not been revealed and he wasn't on the official launch on Thursday, however he despatched a video message confirming he'll play a villain. "I'm stuck here in New York in production but I'm very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew," mentioned the Egyptian-American actor, who's at present filming TV present Mr Robotic. "I will be making sure Mr Bond does not have an easy ride in this, his 25th outing. See you all soon." After watching that, Craig joked that he was "scared" about what lay in retailer for Ian Fleming's suave undercover agent.

What do we all know in regards to the plot?

Bond will once more be referred to as upon to save lots of the world from a shadowy adversary - all in a day's work for 007. The official plot abstract reads: "Bond has left lively service and is having fun with a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his outdated pal Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for assist. "The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist seems to be much more treacherous than anticipated, main Bond onto the path of a mysterious villain armed with harmful new expertise." On the launch, producer Barbara Broccoli mentioned Bond's attitudes to girls would transfer with the instances. "The Me Too motion has had a huge effect - rightfully, fortunately - on society, and these movies ought to mirror that, as the whole lot we do ought to," she mentioned. Craig advised BBC Information: "Bond has at all times tailored for the instances. However you are coping with a personality who's flawed, who has points, and I believe that is one thing that is price nonetheless exploring and grappling with. "Of course, we wouldn't be movie-makers or creative people if we didn't have an eye on what was going on in the outside world."

Who else is within the solid?

It was additionally confirmed that Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw will return as M and Q respectively, with Naomie Harris coming again as Moneypenny and Rory Kinnear once more enjoying MI6 chief of employees Invoice Tanner. Lea Seydoux is reprising her Madeleine Swann character from 2015's Spectre, whereas Jeffrey Wright is returning as ex-CIA agent Felix Leiter. In addition to Malek, new solid members embody:

Who's making the movie?

Author and actress Waller-Bridge, who was additionally behind the primary sequence of Killing Eve, is simply the second feminine author in Bond historical past - after Johanna Harwood, who labored on Dr No and From Russia With Love. Barbara Broccoli mentioned: "Daniel suggested Phoebe, who we all love, so we leapt at the opportunity and she's been amazing, doing great work." The opposite co-writers on Bond 25 are seasoned Bond scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade together with Scott Z Burns, whose credit embody 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum. The movie is being directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, whose credit embody the primary sequence of HBO's True Detective and Netflix's Maniac. Fukunaga mentioned: "Daniel is my favourite Bond and I want to make sure this run of films, which have been fantastic, have a really great next chapter and keep upping the ante so whoever is next has a harder job." Fukunaga got here on board final 12 months after Danny Boyle left the challenge over unspecified "creative differences". There are additionally adjustments elsewhere behind the digital camera. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren, who gained an Oscar for Hollywood musical La La Land, is available in as director of pictures, whereas editor Tom Cross gained an Oscar for Whiplash.

How did followers react?

The information of Malek's casting and the opposite bulletins typically went down effectively on social media. And as a villain as effectively loving it https://t.co/XoNE6y5twK Finish of Twitter put up by @yillinhoolahey I am prepared for this https://t.co/fKwdqf26Bn Finish of Twitter put up by @YvaDiva Me: I am probably not within the subsequent James Bond fil...@007: "Rami Malek joins the cast" *Queues exterior cinema* #BOND25 pic.twitter.com/TiPow3FRME Finish of Twitter put up by @SarahO_Connell Yeah the Bond 25 solid are nice however Phoebe Waller-Bridge is writing the screenplay. That is thrilling! Finish of Twitter put up by @JackHoward You are telling me Lashana Lynch is becoming a member of the solid, Lea Seydoux is returning AND Phoebe Waller-Bridge is co-writing? All of a sudden I've seen each Bond movie and have by no means mentioned a nasty phrase about this franchise in my life. https://t.co/UBkVrOKKYa Finish of Twitter put up by @JerPendleton Comply with us on Fb, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. When you've got a narrative suggestion e-mail [email protected]. Read the full article

#2what.com #bond #cast #film #malek #official #villain #waller-bridge

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wiremagazine · 6 years ago

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MIAMI BEACH PRIDE ALLY GRAND MARSHALS

By Rafa Carvajal

JUDY AND DENNIS SHEPARD: A MISSION OF LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, COMPASSION AND ACCEPTANCE

Miami Beach Pride Ally Grand Marshals Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of Matthew Shepard and founders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, will be helping kick off this year’s 11th annual Pride celebration. The Matthew Shepard Foundation empowers individuals to embrace human dignity and diversity through outreach, advocacy and resource programs. According to Bruce Horwich, Chairman of Miami Beach Pride, “We are incredibly honored to have Judy and Dennis Shepard be our Miami Beach Pride Ally Marshals this year, and to honor them for their unwavering support and tireless work in the LGBTQ community,” while adding that “Their dedication to increasing safety, visibility, and inclusiveness for the LGBTQ community has affected positive change and improved the lives of many LGBTQ youth.”

Wire Magazine sat down with Judy and Dennis Shepard to discuss their advocacy work on behalf of the LGBTQ community, and how they feel about being this year’s Miami Beach Pride Ally Grand Marshals.

Rafa Carvajal: How do you feel about being this year’s Miami Beach Pride Ally Grand Marshals? Judy & Dennis Shepard: We are always grateful and feel honored to be invited to participate in Pride festivals and events. The LGBTQ community has come a long way since these events were originally protests against unequal treatment, so we are always mindful that it took a long time for them to become celebrations. Even now, marching for equality is a dangerous and worrisome act of bravery in many parts of the world we’ve visited – frankly, in parts of our country, too. It’s never far from our minds how much Matt would have appreciated the progress to this point and how far there is still to go.

RC: What would you say to a young person being bullied for being gay? J&DS: First and foremost, do what you can to stay safe and not get hurt by others or by yourself. Find someone you can trust to share what you are going through, whether that’s a friend, a teacher, a counselor, a parent, or someone else caring in the community who can offer a safe space. Explore what services and support are available in your community, or nationally, such as hotlines, websites and LGBTQ and school safety nonprofits. Remember you are loved, you are valuable, and you are not alone.

RC: What is the mission of the Matthew Shepard Foundation? J&DS: The Foundation’s mission is to erase hate and ignorance and replace them with understanding, compassion, and acceptance. We do that through outreach to schools, workplaces and community groups, through hate crime prevention, training police and prosecutors, and members of minority communities, through resources for young people on matthewsplace.com, and by supporting productions of The Laramie Project and other performances and works of art that tell Matt’s story and provoke dialogue.

RC: What can parents do to protect LGBTQ children and young adults from discrimination and violence? J&DS: Most importantly of all, parents need to provide safe spaces for their kids (and their friends’ kids, sometimes) to be open and authentic as their true selves. Too many parents throw their LGBTQ kids away, literally, and that needs to stop, and loving support needs to be provided for those young people independently of their families. Second, be involved in your kids’ schools and activities, whether that’s through the PTA, through coaching sports, or by communicating with their teachers and administrators and school districts. Finally: vote. Vote as if your kids’ well-being depends on it because it very much does.

RC: Tell our readers about your advocacy work on behalf of the LGBTQ community. J&DS: We have spoken at just under 1,000 schools, community organizations, workplaces, legislative hearings, and media outlets since the work began in earnest 20 years ago. We’ve been on Ellen and Oprah, but also a lot of Channel 5s and Channel 12s around the country. We’ve visited close to 30 countries and met with community members, government officials and civil rights advocates, a lot of them in places like Russia, Jamaica or El Salvador, where being LGBTQ is extremely challenging and even frightening. We’ve kind of lost count, but the Foundation staff figures we must have had at least three to four million people hear our message at some point along the way, if not more. It’s a lot of time in airports, it’s a lot of nights in hotels, but we have met the most extraordinary, brave, dedicated people in that time, and we are so humbled and grateful that we have played some small part in making their journeys more positive and hopeful.

RC: Tell our readers about the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. J&DS: The Shepard-Byrd Act is literally the first piece of federal legislation that identified LGBTQ people for some kind of protection instead of some kind of inequality, so it sent a message 10 years ago when it passed that things might be about to change for the better. And they did. It has allowed charges to be brought and justice obtained in almost 50 cases where local authorities couldn’t, or wouldn’t, obtain an appropriate legal outcome in hate crimes against lesbian, gay, and trans people, as well as disabled people. It’s literally changing lives for victims, survivors and their loved ones. It needs to be strengthened, and there needs to be better law enforcement transparency and reporting, and more states need to follow the federal lead in their own state laws, but it has provided a platform from which we can try to make those improvements.

RC: How would you like people to remember your son Matthew? J&DS: It’s important to us that people remember Matt as a whole person, someone who in a fair and just world would be alive today and doing all the normal things -- being in love, doing great work, not experiencing discrimination or violence, who knows, maybe being married, maybe having a kid or two. Certainly, we think he would have been doing work in support of human rights and he would be as upset and driven as we are to change this climate of hate and division we seem to be living in. He can’t do those things because somewhere along the way, two young men who learned how to hate and hurt people fell through the cracks of our society. We want people to be inspired by what Matt could have been, to do some of the work we do and that Matt would be doing.

RC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with Wire Magazine readers? J&DS: Every day of your lives you have a chance sometime during that day to stand up for love, acceptance and understanding, and against hate, discrimination and ignorance. Use those moments. Don’t let them just pass you by. We each have a lot of power to inspire the people close to us to live better, more constructive lives, but a lot of the time we don’t use it. Please use it.

MIAMI BEACH PRIDE ADVOCATE GRAND MARSHAL JUAN SANCHEZ: A CAREER ADVOCATING FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY

One of the best things about being the owner and publisher of Wire Magazine is that I have the opportunity to meet many interesting people from all walks of life. One of those people is Juan Sanchez, this year’s Miami Beach Pride Advocate Grand Marshal. I thought I knew a lot about Juan, but it turns out that I learned much more about him and his career with the Miami Beach Police Department when we sat down for a chat. I strongly encourage everyone to read this interview, so you can learn all about what Juan has done for the LGBTQ community over his 31-year career with the Miami Beach Police Department, what being a gay police officer was like at the beginning of Juan’s career and how it evolved over time.

Rafa Carvajal: How does it feel to be this year’s Miami Beach Pride Advocate Grand Marshal? Juan Sanchez: To say that I am honored is not enough. I have been part of this parade in one way or another since the beginning. It never crossed my mind that one day I would be a Grand Marshal. I am truly blessed to be able to be part of this event. I can’t wait to have fun with my family and friends, and truly partake in my first Miami Beach Pride as a regular Joe.

RC: Tell our readers about your local advocacy work for the LGBTQ community in Miami Beach. JS: In 2010, I was appointed as the LGBTQ liaison between the police department and the LGBTQ community. This position serves as a key advisor to the chief of police and his staff on LGBTQ needs. I identified a potential conflict between the police department and the LGBTQ community, bringing it to the attention of the Chief and his staff. It was my job to conciliate, mediate, facilitate, train and/or refer services, depending on the needs of the department. I built partnerships to address tension and offer suggestions for resolution. I also served as an unofficial hate crimes coordinator, helping where I could with these types of crimes. This was aside from my day to day job, which was as a special victims detective.

RC: What were your most important duties and top 3 accomplishments as the Miami Beach Police Department’s LGBTQ liaison? JS: I believe my most important duty was fostering a positive relationship between the community and the police department. My top 3 accomplishments are:

a) I developed the department’s hate crimes reporting training module, which was taught to all members of the organization. This training was crucial because the proper reporting process assists the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in filing the proper charges related to hate crimes.

b) I was very fortunate to serve as the department’s ambassador in a series of meetings at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to help develop their law enforcement and the transgender community training. This training led me to develop the department's transgender interactions standard operating procedure. I was also asked to assist the DOJ in presenting their training throughout Florida and Atlanta, GA.

c) An email written by a 17-year-old male was referred to me. This young man, who was openly gay, was in a panic because his family was threatening to “kick him out of the house” upon graduating from school because of his sexuality. I was able to put him into contact with Pridelines and get him much necessary assistance. I remember thinking how incredibly sad and how courageous this young man really was.

RC: Tell us about your work with the Department of Justice to help develop a transgender training program that was rolled out to police departments across the U.S. JS: This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To be able to come together with police agencies and LGBTQ organizations from across the country with one common goal was surreal to me. So much was accomplished to help out my law enforcement brothers and sisters better understand the transgender community and vice versa. When I was asked to help roll out the training, I admit I was a little apprehensive. I didn’t know how the training would be accepted by my peers. I was very pleased to see how many officers were receptive to the information presented and how many really did not want to offend anyone in the transgender community. It was a clear sign that times were changing for the better, that the transgender community should no longer fear the police and, instead, see them as allies. It paved the way for the department to be one of the first in Florida to have a standard operating procedure detailing how to interact with the transgender community. This same policy was used by many departments across the U.S. as a model policy for their own agencies. I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to the Center for Transgender Equality in Washington, D.C. for their help and guidance with the creation of the Miami Beach policy.

RC: What has been your involvement with Miami Beach Pride since its inception? JS: At the beginning, I was simply an officer, who signed up to work a traffic post during the parade. In 2012, I transitioned into what we refer to as the job coordinator. I was responsible for the police response and the security of the event. This was my first event of this caliber. I had to learn a lot very quickly. However, I’d like to think I did a good job. I met many impressive people who taught me a lot and inspired me on a daily basis. I refer to them as my Pride family (they know who they are). They have become such a presence in my life and I’m grateful for the experience we have shared. Even though I retired in January of this year, I am helping the new job coordinator, Sergeant Bobby Hernandez transition into the role. Sergeant Hernandez has been involved since the beginning as well. Although he is not a member of the LGBTQ community, he is an exceptional ally. Isn’t that what Pride is really about, everyone, from all walks of life, coming together for a great event?

RC: How has Miami Beach Pride evolved over the years? JS: It has become bigger and better every year, and 2019 is no different. Everyone associated with Pride is working really hard to make it the fun, family-oriented event it should be. I have been privy to some really new ideas that are going to be unveiled this year. Everyone is going to have to come out and see it for themselves.

RC: How did being a gay man in the Miami Beach Police Department change over your 31-year career? JS: I was terrified of anyone finding out. I struggled with how to fit in. I wanted to be me, but I also loved being a police officer. I remember being at TWIST with friends and asking them to go outside ahead of me, when leaving, to make sure no one from the police department was outside. I finally became brave enough and came out to two colleagues, Officer Robert Silvagni and Howard Bennett. Their reactions gave me the courage to come out to everyone else. After the fact, I realized I had nothing to worry about. All my law enforcement family cared about was that I was there when they needed me and that I did my part. When I retired, I received a beautiful email from Lieutenant Steve Feldman, a great police officer and an equally great friend. He closed out his email with, “I thought about a good saying to briefly describe you and what came to mind was the military’s ‘Don't ask, don't tell’ policy and, in my opinion, you single-handedly made our department and our city embrace a policy of ‘Ask, tell, accept, and move on!’” It still brings tears to my eyes. It has sort of become my mantra. This is a prime example as to how far police departments have come. And yes, Steve, we need to put this on a shirt.

RC: What advice would you give to a young gay man considering becoming a police officer? JS: It’s a great profession unlike any other. Remember that you will have to run towards something when everyone is running away from it. You will be under a microscope at all times. Everyone wants to be a lion until it’s time to be a lion. Lastly, and most importantly, never do anything that will embarrass your chosen profession or tarnish the badge you will earn the right to wear.

RC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with Wire Magazine readers? JS: Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and thank you to the good people in Miami Beach for allowing me to serve with respect and dignity in the community I grew up in.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue Special Issue 2.2019

#wire magazine #wiremag.com #wire #miami #miami beach #south beach #sobe #fort lauderdale #wynwood #wilton manors #gay #lgbt #glbt #miami beach pride

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akokosblog-blog · 6 years ago

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Check this new published post on https://is.gd/5U3qXE

Falz Moral Instruction Album Review

Falz Moral Instruction album amidst much controversy is released. Falz highly anticipated album was released on the 15th of January 2019 with the hashtag #moralinstruction rolling on social media.

One of the notable figures that greatly influenced Nigerian music is Fela Anikulapo Kuti, professionally known as Fela Kuti, or Fela.

Fela was a talented musician, composer, pioneer of afrobeat and he played multiple instruments.

He was known to be a staunch activist as he stood up for the people and resisted oppression back in his time.

There were multiple cases of him being persecuted for his beliefs and what he stood for.

In a particular instance, he was jailed for 20months but still, he pushed on and stood his ground.

Over time, the music industry in Nigeria has evolved and experienced tremendous progress and changes.

Different artists have contributed to the gallery of music and the number keeps increasing by the hundreds every day.

Many artists have been called Fela because they have tried to emulate Fela as regards his style of music and activism.

Artists like Wizkid, Burnaboy and a host of others have been labeled the new Fela.

So, Folarin Falana, popularly known as “Falz theBahdGuy”, a rapper, released a 9-track album titled Moral Instruction.

Falz extensively and outrightly expressed his dissatisfaction at the state of things in Nigeria.

Falz has always been vocal about the state of things in the country maybe because of the activist blood running in his veins.

Prior to the release of the Moral Instruction album, he released songs like Child of the world, which is a story of a moral upright girl that got corrupted when she got raped by an uncle and eventually, she became a sex worker and ultimately, she changed and became a new person.

Social media went agog when the song was released with different individuals voicing out their opinion.

Falz has always expressed his dislike for girls that place a value on sex and internet fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo-Yahoo boys.

Last year, Falz also released a controversial video, This is Nigeria.

The video depicted the current state of the nation including, the Fulani killings, the snake swallowing 36-million-naira scandal, the sorry state of Nigerian politics, the harassment of citizens by FSARS and a host of other issues in the country.

All these conveniently paved ways for the new album Moral Instruction.

Falz Moral Instruction Album Review

Moral Instruction Album Review – Falz

Falz channeled the spirit of Fela’s activism and this was outrightly visible from the album art as designed by the talented designer, Lemi Ghariokwu who designed many of the cover images for the recordings of Fela.

He teamed up with producers like Sess, Chillz, Willis, and TMXO to create this beautiful body of work. It is important to also note that he sampled some of Fela’s songs in the album.

Each country in the world has an artist or group of artists considered to be the G.O.A.T (not the pepper soup type, G.O.A.T stands for Greatest Of All Time) for that country.

In America, most believe this is Tupac Shakur, while some think Michael Jackson or Elton John should have that title-depending on who you ask; Jamaica has Bob Marley, Ghana is fortunate enough to have a living G.O.A.T in the person of Sarkodie and so on.

In Nigeria however, the greatest artist of all time is without any doubt FELA KUTI.

In a country with divisions in tribe and religion and even subdivisions within the aforementioned groups, it is very surprising that FELA’S title of G.O.A.T goes unchallenged.

To many Nigerians, Fela is a physical embodiment of fearlessness.

He spoke the truth everybody knew but were too scared to speak, he fought for the weak, he challenged the oppressors of Nigeria at the risk of his own personal safety and the safety of his family.

This is why to say an artist is “like Fela” or “is the Fela of our generation” is the highest compliment that can be paid to a Nigerian musician.

Falz theBahdGuy is the latest artist in a long list of artists currently contending for that spot and many feels he has earned it with this new album #moralinstruction.

His album talks about every single thing wrong with Nigeria.

He literally “dragged” the whole country-pastors, church members, politicians, citizens, sex workers, child abusers, everybody in Nigeria was dragged and this is the major reason why the album is on everybody’s lips.

Since everybody was mentioned on that album it means every single Nigerian relates to at least one song on the album with majority of Nigerians relating to all the songs.

Track by Track breakdown of the Fela Moral Instruction Album

Johnny

The first track on the album contains samples of Fela’s song “Johnny just drop”.

TMXO infused a hip hop beat into the afrobeat song. I think Falz used this track to start a chain reaction and set the pace for the remaining tracks.

This song transports the listener back to 1980 with the Fela type of instrumental.

Falz tackles the issue of police brutality by telling a short story about a Nigerian youth – Johnny, who just completed his youth service and was shot when he went out to celebrate with friends.

On the track, Falz talked about the alarming rate of insecurity in Nigeria.

He stated the different levels of insecurity in the country ranging from the cultural and religious killings in different parts of the country.

He questions the lack of punishment for the officers involved in the act and is baffled that the government thinks an apology is enough to sate the bereaved parents of the deceased.

It depicts the savagery and recklessness of the Nigerian police force as different reports of “trigger-happy cops” fill the headlines every day.

He ended the song with the Yoruba words, “if Johnny continues to drop, eyanmelo lo maku, eyanmelo lo maku” which means, how many people will die and how many people will be left.

Follow Follow

This track is based on Fela’s Zombie, and Sess smoothly blended it into a hip-hop groove. This immediately reminds the listener of the popular Fela song “zombie” and the message is very clear.

Fela sang the original song which talks about how soldiers are bound to follow orders.

Falz built on this with how he likened the enslavement of people by social media to people being zombies.

The song addresses people that are ready to do anything for validation, people who don’t have any goals of their own and people who jump on wagons simply because other people are doing it.

Different individuals try to be what they are not and imitate what they see on social media.

He talks about how people have lost their self-identity and caved into peer pressure.

The song emphasizes the craziness and the extent people go, to please other people and also get likes and followers on social media.

Hypocrite

This particular track is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The song started with piano chords which transitioned into a groovy beat.

Falz teamed up with Demmie Vee who delivered a sonorous hook to the verses of the song.

The first verse started out with Falz singing a little bit before he went hardcore and the second verse, the same way.

The song addresses the hypocrisy in the society ranging from the government to the common man.

Falz theBahdGuy in his usual bar spitting nature dissected matters affecting Nigeria (fake pastors, overzealous Muslims, child marriage, pedophiles in the church and politicians that starve their fellow citizens to their purses).

He talked about how people have two faces; the face they put on the outside and the real one.

Talk

This track was released a few days before the album was released and it is also about all the ills in society.

The song slowly progressed in a call and response manner until Falz went on a spree of another marvelous spits of bars.

“Anything I talk make you talk am again”

Addressed the situation of MURIC suing him, stating that they didn’t show up at court.

Falz TheBahdGuy didn’t hold back in this particular track as he rapped about a wide range of things including transactional sex, late payment of salaries by the government and the bad situation of things in Nigeria.

The song ended by him taking responsibility of the words spoken and he said, “na me talk am o”.

Amen

This particular one was built on the track “Coffin for Head of state” by Fela.

Falz has made it clear over and over again that hypocrisy in religion upsets him.

Amen attacks religious leaders that have successfully commercialized religion, he laughs at the irony of religious leaders using the money of their followers to build a university that the followers cannot afford to go to.

This song is a plea to the listener to open his eyes, mind and to think for his/her self.

Brother’s keeper

The family is very precious to Nigerians; Fathers kill for their daughters, sons go to war for their Mothers.

If we thought of all our neighbors as brothers would there still be hate in the country?

Would we still be divided because of ethnic and religious differences? These are the question’s this song is trying to ask.

Falz talks about individuals at different levels not looking out for each other and emphasized what he has been saying on the previous tracks.

He believes love is the answer; if you love your neighbor like your brother you cannot cheat him, you cannot seek to do him harm.

Sess did justice to the track as both the producer and the singer of the hook.

I also love the fact that the backup vocals sound like a choir singing giving the track a very unique vibe.

The song has one message for its listener-be your brother’s keeper.

Paper

What’s money worth? The breaker of tables once again comes with his hammer to do an honest day’s work.

He condemns parents giving out underage children because of money, he expresses disappointment at ritualists, drug smugglers and politicians who are ready to do anything to get money.

This particular track is an extension of the previous tracks.

In his own words, they commit all these crimes all because of “just paper”.

E no finish

Here he questions the purpose of speaking out about the injustice in the society when the issues that Fela talked about are still not resolved till today.

Fela talked, people applauded him and continued wallowing in their filth.

He tries to let the listener know just how bad the situation is in the country if we are still trying and failing to work out the same problems since independence.

It ended with Lemi Ghariokwu saying few words about the state of things in Nigeria.

After all said and done

In this short poem, Falz theBahdGuy admits that he knows he has no right to throw blame around, admitting his own faults and weaknesses, since he is also a human with flaws of his own.

The track is in form of a poetry rendition.

He believes everybody is guilty – through action or inaction and only by accepting our guilt and striving to be better can we move forward as a country, together.

He finally encouraged people to be conscious and not keep quiet about the happenings in our society.

In conclusion

Falz may have dropped what promises to be the most controversial album of the year but regardless of your opinion about the Falz Moral Instruction album you have to admit that all he said is nothing but the gospel truth.

It’s great to see an artiste devote a whole album to talk about the state of affairs in Nigeria and taking the path of activism and walk in Fela’s footsteps.

Fela has become more than a person. Fela has become more of an ideology and a way of life.

I think anyone that decides to stand for what is right and stare into the face of adversity can be called “A Fela”.

It is safe to say Falz theBahdGuy is “A Fela”.

The greatest criticism of the album is that the lyrics became monotonous at some point but a good message cannot be overheard and we don’t even care about the critics and criticism.

Falz took a stand with this album and I hope he does not deviate from this path.

Written By Leon Chuks and Moyo Oluwatuyi

#Falz Moral Instruction #Featured #News &amp; Entertainment

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