#Gunboat God

[twohitgames]

gamescom 2024: Fireshine Games indica los juegos que llevará

Fireshine Games confirma que llevará diez juegos jugables a la gamescom 2024, incluida la primera presentación mundial de un roguelite minero no anunciado y la demo de un inquietante juego de terror nuevo que publicará Fireshine Games en 2025. En el stand de Fireshine Games podrás probar cada uno de los juegos de la feria, incluido un nuevo y emocionante vistazo al simulador de vida de fantasía…

[imustbenuts]

i finished metaphor refantazio which means i can talk about this game's themes with a working braincell now.

under the read more: pre-ww2 japanese history and religion fuckery. word vomit for anyone who might be interested in my perspective

Major spoilers head

i was RIGHT about louis being enamored with the royal family in some way and having a buttfuck ton of the royal family flowers in his room in his airship. i think this plot point is now heavily hinted at but currently discarded due to development/writing hell. i think louis probably followed hythlodaeus v out of the sanctum in extreme admiration. he has a lot of similarities with More in that they both had reality + lonliness crushed into their faces. his current self in the game is driven by despair and fear.

this is interesting bc theres actually also a lot of allusion to japanese pre-ww2 history going on from my admittedly very limited knowledge. so here goes:

There's a lot about Louis that reminds me of the whole shitshow going down during the Meiji era up until ww2. the gist of this past 200 odd years was that the western world came in knocking with christianity as a tool for colonization. which was understandably yikes, so they shut themselves off, only to then get another visitation later with pretty intimidating technology in the form of iron steamships with cannons. gunboat diplomacy. this meant that a previously imperialistic japanese society build on conquering had to react/adapt to this drastic force like fucking whiplash.

so they pretty much went from pro-military samurai shogunate to pro-emperor. the gist is there was a very pro-emperor-god-king rhetoric going on that sought to rid anything inconvenient towards that narrative. to keep people in line yes but to also get japan big and powerful enough to sit with the same western colonial powers.

so in place of the old caste system under the shogun, there eventually were now oligarchies, far right military factions etc under the emperor. only something like the top 5% of the population had a say in this new democracy system they set up too. (it got way more democratic in the 1930s? not sure. but what im saying here is 1860s-1900 ish at least)

so things were going. for a while. messy, full of 'expel the foreigners, revere the emperor' rhetoric but it was going.

then more depression happened and the overall economy went to shit in 1900. that era leading up to ww2 had a lot of young men in Japan being extremely nationalist and pro military, in part due to a whiplash of culture change and in other due to poverty. (ive come across the topic of white rice being offered for those who conscript. white rice was seen as the emperor's luxury food so that was somewhat of a draw to young men back then.) There were a lot of far right political factions and assassinations going on. international relations were also imploding bc the military had this idea that japan was the superior divine race and they were destined to conquer the world/asia. so they did some sabotaging false flag operation shit in manchuria in order to try and start a world war. (Mukden incident. 1931)

Which is then not a surprise that in 1932 a prime minister by the name of Inukai Tsuyoshi got assassinated by a bunch of far right pro military guys in their 20s. They were even then praised by the judge bc of their act being seen as pro-emperor and therefore patriotic. Bc again emperor god king delusion.

(read up on the League of Blood incident where these people also plotted to kill the oligarchs and liberal politicians. they uh actually succeeded in some cases btw. look, too much shit.)

meanwhile, the emperor, Hirohito, wanted peace, wanted better foreign international relations and relayed his desires to the same Inukai Tsuyoshi, but the military was going out of control. (and Inukai got assassinated so the position of prime minister is now Not Safe.) so out control they eventually became beyond any civilian/state control and bam ww2. pearl harbor and all that stuff.

(i havent read up on what kind of person hirohito actually is so ill refrain on commenting on his character. but in terms of actual power over his country hes VERY Hythlodaeus V in metaphor)

so while there isnt an organized religion in the form of a church, there is absolutely an element of religious and military fanaticism in that era.

So Louis has a lot of this vibes going on. He was also a young military boy. Is young probly in his 20s. Has a lot of royal flowers in his skyrunner that points towards this royal family worshiping thing. Seized control of a military faction that went completely out of control from the state. Is of some 'pure blood' race if his elda bloodline is any indication. Murdered the pro-equality but failed figure head bc he did not live up to Louis' expectations and was responsible for a lot of failures in the state policy. started a false flag operation that resulted in people dying and forced to leave an area.

also, did i mention lowkey eugenics? yeah that same imperial military was big on this too. the strong will survive the weak will be culled etc etc.

Meanwhile the mc gels well with the benevolent emperor narrative that is popular in JP media even today. I think it could be some indicator of how the general japanese feels towards the royal family, since supposedly an emperor is sworn to an oath of leading with valor, wisdom and benevolence. These are also represented by 3 regalia, a sword, a mirror and a jewel, presented during the official coronation ceremony.

The regalias might be treasures from different tribes originally, at least that's what some scholars think.

So I won't be surprised if the Drakodilos lance ends up being a part of the imperial treasure thing after the mutsari tribe gets protected under law. the mustaris here are the aforementioned 'different tribes' thing.

in fact, more on this topic with the mustaris. these people arent just random tribal people, to me they are more south/south east asian people. their biome is jungle island like, which means polynesian, and places like philippines, vietnam, thailand, indonesia etc.

the brown/tan skin is found in a lot of SEAsians, and the third eye is too a popular asian mysticism thing. it is especially prevalent in hinduism and buddhism. the idea is that a 3rd eye means enlightenment, or at least the ability to perceive the unperceivable.

if we subsitute sanctism with shinto, then theres some parallels here to be had with whats going on at the time too. bc the funny thing im seeing here is, shinto is sanctism, and mustari's religion has big buddhsim vibes without the name.

(that mustari arc boss looks like a twisted banged up buddha/boddhisattva what with the prayer position and multi arms thing going on)

in that pre-ww2 time period, shinto buddhism was going through a split and defining in order to prop up the emperor god king narrative. this process meant suppressing elements of buddhism. wont get into the reeds of this, but know that buddhism originated in india in a response against the hindu caste system. so in a way, a 'foreign' religon.

now, there is absolutely a thing going on here where Me:Re can come off as inherently pro-emperor and even a little pro-japanese nationalist, what with the whole 1 nation of vaguely SEAsians under a (japanese written) king thing. frankly, as a SEAsian this is gross but nothing surprising considering how hard Me:Re feels like an echo of pre ww2 jp politics. and also how jp media tends to be with topics surrounding this. im iffy on the japanese nationalist part, bc the needle is definitely moving in terms of racism/colorism today, and in the game lacks certain elements for me to see it as a big red flag.

that said, i wont immediately napalm the intentions behind this game to the ground. this game has got excellent commentary on racism and some stuff about policies. its got nuance. it is even a criticism against how the old japanese empire tried to go about doing things. it is open to the idea of democracy and even seems to say that politics arent perfect and can fail but its better to try than not at all.

this is far more valuable than blatant doomerism imo.

all this is why in the final segment, we fight More in the middle of shibuya scramble. this isnt just meta for the sake of meta, its allusion to their history specifically. this game is NOT so much a criticism about organized religion as it is about governance in relation to its people. this game is talking about politics without specific policies.

i can respect that despite all the major ick i might have.

this is why despite saying oppression is bad, it doesn't have any queer representation because it's leaning towards a conservative pro emperor ideology on the overall spectrum. Queerness is not part of that century old conversation at all in this context so take this as you will.

(personally the fact that queerness is not even remotely touched on means the overall thoughts on opression hasnt radically changed. Personally, this, specifically, sucks. Bc this means this narrative feels like it could've been easily released even 20 years ago and brought the exact same challenge to the table but ymmv. I suppose this is why people have been saying the game reminds them of old jrpgs.)

sooo yeah Me:Re is very much a big middle finger to fanaticism, but is also very japanese history at its roots. i had fun, and it def made me think

[stirringwinds]

Do you think Alfred is insecure about being young? Like I know that there’s countries younger or closer to age to Alfred, but the people Alfred hangs out with the most, has more economic ties, and has military alliances with are way older than Alfred (ex literally all of Europe and Asia). So I was wondering if you think Alfred, being always around people with way more experience than him, feels insecure about being so young and ‘inexperienced’ maybe that’s why he wears glasseS

Interesting question! As I see it, yes and no. 

Yes—in the 18th century, when he was much younger, and rebelling against Arthur. Going hat in hand to the other Old World empires and nations like Francis and Antonio for money was a pretty intimidating experience. So it was with Gilbert, coming to whip his ass into shape in Valley Forge. Even with other nations where he wasn't asking for major favours to fund his rebellion but more like 'hey recognise me? please? can my ships come to your ports?' like Morocco or Yao, during the Old China Trade (uhhhhh ive been banned from all the usual trading posts all across my father's empire...and I heard you guys like otter pelt and ginseng?).

No, because from the 19th century onwards, he's very much growing into a world power. I see Alfred as being quite a zealous idealist who sees potential for improving the world (not always in the best way, but from his POV it is), and this is the period where his mindset is increasingly one of brazen, youthful self-confidence. To him, his age is an asset. He's casting a pretty jaundiced eye on the Old World as a whole—perceiving them as being full of religious feuds, outdated monarchies and straitjacketed by nonsensical traditions: they’re ossified fucks who ought to realise the glory of republican civilisation and everything else he's got grand ideas about. Like, one contrast is really how much more intimidated I see him being going to China during the Old China Trade in the late 1700s—versus the brazen gunboat diplomacy of the Perry expedition to Japan in 1853. Like, the contrast with how the Americans behaved themselves when they had no navy and their ships were so small the Chinese traders thought they were tenders from larger vessels and not ocean going ships (lmao) and the Perry expedition is huge. 18th century Alfred would’ve been more intimidated around a nation who beheaded Kublai Khan’s emissaries and fought in more battles long before he was born—19th century Alfred isn’t. 

And even less so in the 20th century—especially during WWII. There’s no victory unless he puts his thumb on the scale, and even Sir Lord Arthur Kirkland is openly begging for it. If people had any remaining thought of him as the young, ambitious crown prince somewhat walking in the shadow of his father, all that is gone in WWII. He steals the fire of the gods and literally makes it shine brighter than a thousand suns in all its terror and awe. Other nations can get under his skin, especially in the dynamics of a rivalry (Arthur, in their power struggle over influence, Kiku, as a duelling Pacific empire in the late 1800s—1945 and then also Ivan). But older Alfred is far less likely to be insecure solely on account of them being older than him. It’s more if he perceives they’re challenging his dominance and hegemony—or if they’re questioning his idealism and principles. Like Antonio at the end of the Spanish-American War—oh, you really are your father’s son. I can see moments of vulnerability where his youth and inexperience shines through (such as the American Civil War), but older Alfred’s insecurities tend to dig on faultlines regarding: challenges to his hegemony and principles because unlike Lord Father (tm), I think he’s far more of an idealist. He wants to be great and good, but greatness often is in direct conflict with the latter. 

[thenexusofsouls]

what song do you associate with each muse?

{i am the caretaker of souls} This took me forever to put together, but I finally finished it, haha. These are all songs that I've come to associate with my muses, and in some cases, I've had that association for as long as 15-20 years.

Some are from the games or movies in which the characters appeared, so I associate them for that reason. Others were part of the media that inspired me to create/write them. Still others have lyrics that remind me of certain aspects of the characters' personality, specific scenes that were iconic to them, or they just have the right personality vibe for that muse. Some of the videos for these songs have the right visuals and aesthetics for the characters too.

If anyone want a more detailed explanation on why I associate a specific song with a particular muse, feel free to ask! Happy listening! =)

Tony Stark - Iron Man by Black Sabbath

Stephen Strange - Listen To The Magic Man by Celine Dion

Natasha Romanoff - I Am Criminal by Eric Serra (feat. Mitivaï Serra) from the Anna OST

Clint Barton - Running Up That Hill by Placebo (Cover of Kate Bush)

Michael - Broken Wings by Mr. Mister

Gizmo - Gizmo's Song from the Gremlins OST

Trinket - Drive Away from Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events OST

“Priest”/Ivan Pace - The Preacher by Jaime N. Commons

“Priestess”/Esther Sun - Dear God by Lawless (feat. Syndey Wayser)

Carl “Luke” Lucas - Daze by Poets of the Fall

Marie Sebastian - Main Theme by Roque Banos from the Old Boy (2013) OST

Martha Reynolds - Marcy's Song by John Hawkes from the Martha Marcy May Marlene OST

Ben Leonard - Here Comes The Sun Cover by Yuna from the Savages OST

Raiden - The War Still Rages Within from the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance OST

Leeloo - Little Light of Love from The Fifth Element OST

Freya - Castle by Halsey from The Huntsman: Winter's War OST

Eric - Breath of Life by Florence + The Machine from the Snow White & The Huntsman OST

Nuada Bethmoora - Mordred's Lullaby by Heather Dale

Wade - I Will Remain by The Veer Union

Jared Nomak - I Against I by Mod Def from the Blade II OST

Aryx - Already Over Pt. 2 by Red

Aurelien - Between Heaven & Hell by Rob Saffi, the Paranormal Lockdown Opening Theme

Veridian - Main Theme from the Parasite Eve OST

Ethan Cavender - Palmdale by Tomandandy from The Apparition OST

Jix - Icarus by Mythos

Channe - Gunboat by Vixtrola from the Darkness Falls OST

Strychthia - Wind by Brian Crain (feat. Rita Chepurchenko)

[scotianostra]

March 29th 1912 is the estimated death of Explorer Henry ‘Birdie’ Robertson Bowers.

Bowers was born on 29th July 1883 in Greenock.

After his father, a naval captain, died in Rangoon, his mother raised him from the age of three with his two older sisters. The family moved to Streatham, London when Henry was around 13, he joined the merchant navy on leaving school and by the time he was 21 had sailed around the world four times on a cargo ship, The  Loch Torridon which became famous as one of the  most perfect four-masted barques ever built.

“Birdie” went on to join the Royal Indian Marine Service in 1905 and as sub lieutenant saw service in Ceylon and Burma then   commanded a river gunboat on the Irrawaddy. He later served on HMS Fox, preventing gun-running in the Persian Gulf.

In 1908 Bowers joined Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition after reading about Scott’s earlier expeditions including his journey on The Discovery.  Although he was only meant to be a member of the ship’s crew Scott was so impressed with Bowers he made him a member of the shore team.

When the party made it to the South Pole it was Bowers who found the flag  Amundsen had planted and the tent the Norwegian explorer had used as camp when they beat the British team there 35 days previously, Bowers was the navigator in the team and is said to have taken most of the photos and it was he who fixed the exact location of the geographic South Pole for the Polar party. On there way back from the Pole probably one of the most famous events in exploration occurred when Captain Lawrence Oates, who had been slowing the party down after  his foot became frostbitten and gangrenous, spoke the words “I am just going outside, I may be some time”. It was a courageous decision by Oates to let the team go on without him and stand a better chance of getting back safely.

By now they had already lost one crew member after a fall in mid February, Captain Scott, Bowers and Dr. Edward “Bill” Wilson ploughed on for three more days covering 20 miles, a blizzard halted them on March 20th, forcing them to stop, the snow storm lasted for days longer than expected and the trio, exhausted, cold and hungry, some 11 miles short of their next food depot could not continue. Scott’s last diary entry read….

“March 29th, 1912

Since the 21st we have had a continuous gale from W.S.W. and S.W. We had fuel to make two cups of tea apiece and bare food for two days on the 20th. Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.

It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.

R. SCOTT.

For God’s sake look after our people.”

On or after this the three men perished, they were found by a search party the following spring on 12 November 1912. The search party collapsed the tent over them, thus burying them where they lay under a snow cairn topped by a cross made from a pair of skis. Among the items they found and took back with them were the Kodak film rolls with the photographs at the South Pole and geological specimens which later proved the Gondwana theory.

[bellybiologist]

More Advance Wars Reboot rambling!!

I just finished the AW2 campaign! So i have more thoughts! (Possible Spoilers below!)

-Sensei's Theme's did NOT need to SLAP that hard!!!!

-Colin's co power song slaps too.

-I also really like Flak's, tbh.

-Adder's features seem very "round" compared to how jagged his original incarnation is. I think it was so he fit in the style better, but his vibe is definitely a lil different (not that im complaining! His movements are so smooth, and that gives its own kind of appeal). His CO power animation is A Lot, haha.

-Hawk's theme feels a little weird... but i wasnt really a big fan of his theme in the first place.

-I'm sorta mixed on Jess's redesign and theme remix. She had a specific, masculine vibe i really liked in AW2 and AWDS especially, and now she has a very strong Power Lesbian feel in a different direction. Which is good! I still like it, but it's different. It feels like they decided on making her pretty, which wasnt really her thing? I think part of her appeal to me was she was pretty androgynous, and that isnt there in this design. her theme Has all the parts I like, but has some additional things that I think i just gotta get used to. 🤔

-What the heck is Sturm doing with ANOTHER special last boss theme? Geez, this game has so much music!

-I also forgot how insane Sturm's stats were in the AW2 campaign. my god, this guy.

-I'm glad they animated Hawke blowing Sturm up, lmao.

-Oooooh New design room pieces 👀 I can make the 3v1 final boss map i always dreamed of when i was 13, lmao! This is awesome~

This remake makes me insanely happy. The past week has been pretty productive cuz the Brain chemicals released from playing has been doing me good for my mood (though they are tapering off now. Good things dont last forever!)

Ultimately, i do think the Voice acting was probably the weakest part. The awkwardness i mentioned in my last post aside, It still feels very weird for Andy to be sounding like OG Ash Ketchum (Veronica Taylor), and a lot of the voices arent what I originally imagined them to be. But that's sorta expected when a game has had 20 years to kinda fester in your brain :P

I really hope they remake Dual Strike in the future, or even just had Updates/DLC that added new stuff! I honestly miss the units from Days of Ruin, cuz the Anti-tanks, gunboats, rebalanced Carriers, and bike infantry were awesome, and it'd be really neat to see how they interact with the older cast.

I still gotta go back and 100% the campaigns, buy all the characters, art, and music, and maybe do some war room maps. Lots to do still :V.

[cerebrobullet]

Sharpe's Escape Semi-Daily Book Report:

i do love that sharpe being missing to lawford is not a "find and hang him for deserting!" offense but a "ah shit i need him" moment lmao

hhfhd oh, hogan is revealing all of sharpe's little secrets heheh like him lying about how he got his shit kicked in

it's so cute that vicenti (spelling? idk im too tired to look it up) was inspired by meeting sharpe to become a marksman. adorable lil dude.

ah, i wonder what captain chase is up to right now. i could use more captain chase. i still wanna write the chase/sharpe fic. sharpe just hit the gunboat blockading the river and, like, gave me such nostalgia. does he show up again?? i'd love for him to have a chance to meet sharpe after waterloo and be so proud of his rank and the things he accomplished.

on that thought, i think my favorite Repeating Trope in the books is when someone thinks the world of sharpe and he just, like, struggles to accept/believe it. because it doesnt come across as a humble brag, it's clearly genuine that sharpe has got some big issues with judging his own value to others. cornwell does a great job balancing between it being consistently emotionally satisfying when someone tells sharpe "you're like the neatest person ever" against sharpe responding consistently "sounds fake but ok" without that getting annoying. because it would be easy to overdo, and easy to turn sharpe into a kind of historical mary sue where everyone is so enraptured by him and he just refuses to accept it. but it doesn't fall into that at all. it remains, at its core, just a really fun slightly melodramatic exploration of a character with self worth issues who's good at his job. he just... really needs a hug. maybe a dozen of them. and a nap. i just wanna care for him, ok?

anyway, i return to vibrating excitedly as i wait for sharpe to kick in a door to stop the light company from surrendering and then take over command and having everyone feeling relieved

ngl Lawford getting absolutely reamed for his Poor Life Choices has me cracking up, my god. i mean .. consequence of his own actions and all that and really deserved it but also absolutely hilarious. he needed the bonk on the head.

LMAO PERKINS POINTING TO FERREIRA AFTER SHARPE BURSTS IN THE ROOM YELLING ABOUT BEING SHOT AT. looney toons-ass comedy moment. deserves to have a comic made of it.

btw Lightning is such a 12 year old girl name for a horse and i giggle every time i hear it. also because lawford is just, like, so excited about the horse. also lovely and giggle worthy. i will bonk cornwell with a rolled up newspaper if the horse dies tho.

....... *starts rolling up the newspaper* god damn it cornwell

the fuc..f..d .. the entire conversation between lawford and sharpe after the battle, absolutely wonderful. is there any other officer that sharpe would dare to pull a "got lost for two weeks" on with the full expectation he'll get away with it? and lawford calling him tedious, lmao! amazing, A+, i love them

WELL that's escape finished! not my fave but had plenty of enjoyable bits! mostly liked the sharpe and lawford drama hehe.

[90363462]

The Downfall Of Allensworth: How Racism And Lies Destroyed A Black Town In California

Here is the amazing and tragic story of Allensworth, the only California town to be founded, financed, and governed by Black people.

Source: creative services / iOne Digital

Almost 70 miles south of Fresno, California, tucked away in the small county of Tulare is a tiny state park. Although it may not look like much, it was once a true testament to Black American resilience.

MORE: The Black Town Under Lake Martin: A Father & Son’s Dream Of Greatness

How do you get a whole race of people to uplift themselves after years of persecution?

This was the very question Colonel Allen Allensworth asked himself before he embarked on one of the most important journeys in African American history–to build the first Black self-sufficient town in California.

Sadly, that journey would never get to live up to its full potential. Like so many other symbols of Black excellence in the early 1900s, Allensworth’s dream would be poisoned by racism’s venomous sting.

Colonel Allensworth was an American hero in every sense of the word and his story doesn’t get told nearly enough.

But this is Black Folklore, where we dive into America’s past to tell lesser-known Black stories that touch the soul. And yes, many of our stories end in tragedy, but that doesn’t make them any less inspiring.

There’s value in understanding what came before you.

Source: Fresno Bee / Getty

In 1842, Allen Allensworth was born a slave in Louisville, Kentucky, twenty years before the start of the Civil War.

The young boy would spend his entire childhood the property of a white slave owner.

Slaves in Kentucky were forbidden from education in fear of rebellion or uprising. In secret, Allensworth would master the English language, learning to read and write and cultivate a love for learning. But the only way he would truly be able to express this newfound love was to escape his bondage.

The first time Allen Allensworth tried to escape slavery he failed miserably. Although there is no record of his escape, there are a few bread crumbs from history we can follow to paint a picture.

In 1806, the Louisville Police department began to take shape in the form of five ‘watchmen’ appointed by the town’s trustees. In the south police forces, we created solely to preserve the system of slavery. It isn’t out of the question to believe that Allensworth was caught by the police and returned to his slave owner, who probably greeted him with a few lashings from the whip. But it wouldn’t deter Allensworth.

The start of the Civil War in 1861 would give him the opportunity he needed to run and never look back. He escaped slavery in 1862, seeking refuge behind Union lines. For the next several months, Allensworth would work as a civilian nurse for the 44th Illinois volunteer Infantry, until 1863 when become a seaman in the Union Navy serving on gunboats. When he left the Navy in 1865 with the rank of first-class petty officer, Allensworth leaned into the word of God and enrolled at Roger Williams University to study theology. While learning how to spread the gospel, he also met and married the love of his life, Josephine Leavell.

After becoming an ordained minister, Allensworth jumped right into the pulpit. He began giving serval sermons around his hometown of Louisville and became an instant success. The community began to look up to him and it propelled him into politics. In 1880 and 1884, Allensworth would represent Kentucky as one of their delegates to the Republic National convention.

Allensworth’s life had changed so much since his time in the Navy, but his heart was still with the soldiers. In 1882 he was tasked to help recruit Black chaplains for the all-Black military units. Instead of recruiting Black pastors, Allensworth took the position himself. He believed as a chaplain he could make the lives of the average Black soldier much better. For twenty years, Allensworth taught Black soldiers about spiritual health and educational well-being. He was only the second African American, after Henry Plummer, named to serve as a U.S. Army Chaplain. In 1906 he retired from the Army as the highest-ranked Black man in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Retirement didn’t slow Allensworth down one bit. After his second stint in the army, the former slave turned Colonel traveled the U.S. lecturing Blacks on the importance of self-help programs. Like Booker T. Washington, Allensworth believed Blacks in America needed to become more self-sufficient.

But, if Blacks were going to stand on their own in America, they needed a safe place to do so–Allensworth wanted to provide that.

Following his own advice, he moved to Los Angeles with his family in search of California. Allensworth believed he could build a town dedicated to the prosperity of Black Americans. There weren’t many places Black people could live that allowed them to escape the clutches of Jim Crown, even in the north. But California was a new land, with hope and opportunity. All Allensworth needed now was a team.

Insert William Payne, a professor at West Virginia Colored Institute, Dr, William H. Peck, a Los Angeles minister, and J.W. Palmer, a Nevada miner.

Source: Fresno Bee / Getty

On August 3, 1908, the all-Black town of Solito was born. Later that year the townspeople would change the name to Allensworth in honor of its most important founder. The town of Allensworth was a true gem and was far ahead of its time. It not only had a depot connection on the Santa Fe Railroad but also had an official town government called the Allensworth Progressive Association. The town held elections, as well as regularly scheduled town meetings. Allensworth was also a voting precinct and had its own school district, with a local school built with money raised by the community. The school included students from elementary to high school.

Since Allensworth prided itself on the importance of education, the town’s extracurricular activities were centered around the advancement of the Black mind. The town had a Women’s Improvement League and boasted a Debating Society, a Theatre Club, and a Glee Club.

The town thrived off of its agriculture. Allensworth’s economy was built around the farmers who lived in the surrounding areas. Allensworth had serval businesses including a bakery, a drug store, a barbershop, a machine shop, as well as a hotel.

Unfortunately, the rest of this story is more of a Greek tragedy than it is a fairytale.

In 1914, Allen Allensworth was killed after he was hit by a motorcycle during a trip to Los Angeles. The town was devastated but continued to prosper.

By the 1920s there were more than 300 residents that lived in Allensworth. It attracted Black soldiers, Black educators, and Black thinkers from all over the country.

But the town of Allensworth never made it.

Its biggest downfall, being a Black self-sufficient town in a white racist country.

For Allensworth to continue to blossom, it needed support from the surrounding white establishments, but that was far from the case.

The Pacific Farming Company controlled most of the land sales in the state. They frequently sold plots of land to Blacks at inflated prices and even refused land sales to Blacks after Allensworth began to boom.

The Pacific Water Company lied to Allensworth’s elected officials, promising the town the addition of water wells due to the lack of sustainable water sources. Instead of adding the water wells in Allensworth, they installed the wells in the neighboring white town, leaving Allensworth’s unusable.

Townspeople pleaded with the company to keep their promises and add the necessary wells, but the Pacific Water Company ignored their pleas. The long legal battle would end in a loss for the townspeople.

Since agriculture was so important to the way of life in Allensworth, once the water went, so did the residents.

The Santa Fe Railroad would also follow suit in helping to quickly destroy the popular Black town of Allensworth. They suspended the connecting rail line and diverted it to a neighboring all-white town.

With no water to farm and no transportation to grow, Allensworth ultimately became a ghost town, gone forever but most certainly not forgotten.

Today, in the place that once represented Black resilience, sits the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. The park works to continue the legacy of Allensworth and the ideals that Allen lived by. The organization Friends Of Allensworth also allows you to help promote the town’s legacy. It was created to raise awareness of the town of Allensworth, as well as to grow support for the park. If you would like to support the park click here.

How do you get a whole race of people to uplift themselves after years of persecution? You give them direction and show them anything can be achieved with determination and confidence in yourself. That was Colonel Allensworth’s true legacy

“Progress in human affairs is more often a pull than a push, surging forward of the exceptional man, and the lifting of his duller brethren slowly and painfully to his vantage-ground.” –W.E.B. Du Bois

SEE ALSO:

The Legend Of O.T. Jackson And The Black Ghost Town Of Dearfield, Colorado

There’s A Black Village Under Central Park That Was Founded By Alexander Hamilton’s Secret Black Son

39 photos

[egnews]

Todos los anuncios del PC Gaming Show 2024

El pasado domingo 9 de junio, en medio de la ya denominada “semana de la No E3”, los “PCeros” comieron bastante bien 🍴. Como ya es tradición, PC Gamer celebró su icónico PC Gaming Show, y esta vez, lo hizo a lo grande, pues producto de su aniversario (10 años no los cumple cualquier conferencia 🥳) presentaron más de 75 juegos de diversas desarrolladoras independientes, de los cuales 15 fueron world premieres, todo condensado en un extensísimo show, que duró más de 2 horas.

Ahora bien, entre esta inmensa cantidad de títulos, queremos destacar algunas gratas sorpresas, que podrían interesarles 👀: como lo es el rítmico y colorido Unbeatable; el aterrador Still Wakes The Deep; la sangrienta tercera entrega de Killing Floor; la esperada secuela de No More Room In Hell 2; o el curioso Worship que nos sorprendió por su gran estética y sentido del humor. 

A continuación, te dejamos la lista completa - junto con su tráiler -  para que agregues alguno a tu Wishlist de Steam😉:

'83

Airframe Ultra

Ale Abbey

Aloft

All System Dance

Among The Wild

Battle Aces

Blue Prince

Cat Quest 3

Cataclismo

Citizen Sleeper 2

Copa City

Core Keeper

Crescent County

Debtors’ Club

Deathsprint 66

Demonschool

Drug Dealer Sim 2

Escape From Tarkov (nuevo contenido)

Everholm

Every Day We Fight

Fallen Aces

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn

Forgotten Seas

Fumes

G.I Joe: Wrath Of The Cobra

Generation Exile

Go-Go Town

Grit and Valor - 1949

Gunboat God

Hotel Galactic

I Am Your Beast

Incolatus

Inferni: Hope & Fear

Into The Dead: Our Darkest Days

Island of Winds

Killing Floor 3

Last Moon

Level Zero: Extraction

Lok Digital

Lorn Vale

Mars Tactics

Moon Mystery

Mullet Madjack

No More Room In Hell 2

Odinfall

Phantom Line

Reka

Renaissance: Kingom Wars

Rise of the Golden Idol

Screenbound

Shell Runner

Southfield

Space Station 14

Splodey

Star Trucker

Starbirds

Steel Seed

Still Wakes The Deep

Stormforge

Stormgate

Street of Fortuna

Streets of Rogue 2

Striden

Sumerian Six

Sulfur

Tales of Seikyu

Tactical Brach Wizards

Tempopo

The Crush House

The Deadly Path

The Land of The Magnates

Toads of Bayou 

Unbeatable

Unrailed 2

Wander Stars

Windblown

Worship

Zero Sievert

[alchemisland]

Green Hell

Vietnaming names they blacked out of docs, alphabet black ops

Men sweat so much they’re made of salt

Heat trapped in by a verdant vault

Riddled fronds mark where they repelled last night’s assault

It’s so hot the gunmetal boils, hotter than I ever recall

Lightless flame and flameless light, the blameless dead in the charmless night

The guns recoil as if in horror

There is surrender with honour

There is – radio shhhed by screeching bomber

Burns from that napalm no balm will salve

A line of pleasant palms bullseyed by missile salvo.

Sailing grenades wailing at eachother like duelling banshees

Sailing downriver no one ever plucked a banjo here

Deliverance, risen up from death or fear.

Purple haze and a whole rainbow of chemicals

Mirrored aviators, copper tache with an attache case that’d stock an alchemist

Green berets caught red handed, the tower of bayoneted babies by now rancid stands for 

Unsure what my stance is, keep my boots planted

Elephantine gods who rose and reigned before the fall, their visage haunting pillars in the jungles under fog

Poison frogs throning logs, lizards the size of dogs, deep sucking bogs, rampaging feral hogs, older things that scarce evolved

Enemy presence here is strong, I can sense a thousand vietcong

Yet I cannot see a single one.

Burnt body clean up, sagging bags tagged boys inside them

War is hell his helm decrees, swoops low brests ruinous debris

Smoke smell on the breeze, a lifetime’s debriefing needed

Heli door leaners disrupt the rice harvest, shot up the crop

They shout sorry when a stray dog cops one, wordless for dead sons

Fevers out here’ll turn a man inside out, shit squirting out red like had rusted spout 

Heavy smoke session, eyes to heaven

Souls of levelled friends ascended

Life the bread’s unleavened present

Heavy rain means heavy shelling, keep Charlie at bay

Practising drills, marching in formation when jungle to single file distils

Can’t have another Tet offensive, mindset defensive

Pensieve hippy soldiers bouldered on witch finger blems

Odour from the open tentflap, disorder in the ranks

Imagine giving them an order

If each death is expensive, here is mounting debt.

Spend your birthday on sandbags

Fewest bloodstains makes glad rags

Bent double like old hags

Two gunners trading fags for mags

Send your sister a thanks card

Fresh socks, my feet wet which never mine met

On my account don’t fret 

By my count six months left

Pray my gun won’t jam, sending best to the fam

Signing off lights are shining on, sun force through dark like a battering ram.

We’re fighting ghosts 

You can’t nuke ideas

Bombing and bombing

And bombing to free us.

The Gunboat sides would scald your hole 

Flotilla fleet like a surface shoal

Forward stole, through gunfire wove

Settling smoke white as peace doves

Bullets spiral  

Turning from horrors to solace of bible

Helis saw in firing rockets

Torture victims left to mock us 

Nothing shocks us

In Hannoi line of mannish boys muddying their waters

Emptied for pointless death in goalless slaughter

The river is brown and murky, teems with scabrous form 

Every vile thing there abounds, even fish sporting horn

Da Nang is loud with bangs, Apache nose with painted fangs.

Enough rizlas to shroud a mummy, forget you miss your mummy

Mist your mind, it feels lovely, sandbags almost snugly

Out here reside villains, valiants, dalliances behind french valances

Shifted power balances, old crumbling residences

If you’re moving, keep moving like a machiavellian schemer

Under torture realized your handlers never laid out the schema.

Skeet bites itch like eczema, exert you to death out here

Every second plants feeler is a life stealer

Never been a kneeler but Rimmon’s altar appeals

An apple is peeled and placed into a stuck pig’s mouth, sides of trout and pints of cloudy stout for portly majors

Men are kept like beasts, beaten like curs, suspended until lamed in watery cages

Stages of grief, meaningless the musings of sages in a rank pit swimming with dire phages

There are no roads between hills tramped passable by steers

Artillery sinks down into bog like a corn king’s torn corpse when the rivers near.

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade NSCDC reacts as suspected gunmen kill four Civil Defence operatives The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has vowed to fish out killers of four corps’ operatives in Rivers State. Audi, who spoke in Port Harcourt during his visit to Rivers State to condole with the families of the deceased, charged the personnel to be resolute saying there should be no compromise in the ongoing war against oil theft. The victims were killed by gunmen at Alakiri, Degema local Government Area of Rivers state. Audi said the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, sympathised with the deceased families insisting that the blood of the officers would not be a waste. He said: “Let me first of all condole with you as a Command and the families of our gallant men who lost their lives some few days ago while on official duty. This is part of the hazards of the job and we pray that God would grant the families the fortitude to hear the loss. “I bring to you the message of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who has asked me to tell you that the blood of these gallant men will not be a waste. All hands are on deck as the Corps would contact their next of kin to process necessary benefits in order to serve as a succour to the families. “I will not reveal to the public our operational strategies in order to bring the perpetrators to book but definitely we are in collaboration with Sister Security Agencies and I assure you that Justice will be served “. Audi lauded the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unflinching support in enhancing the capacity and operational efficiency of the NSCDC through the provision of gunboats and different welfare packages. He said that the appointment of the present Minister of Interior was a tremendous blessing to the corps describing the the minister as a man with great passion for the four agencies under his watch. He added that the Minister had come to deliver and impact positively in consonance with the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President. The CG further charged all Personnel to continue to put in their best in utmost loyalty, dedication and discipline. Speaking on the numerous challenges faced by the corps, Audi said he was committed to tackling them. He said the corps under his watch had made a headway by clearing all the backlogs of promotion and arrears inherited from the previous administration. He reeled out some of the achievements of the corps since assumed office especially the introduction of Career Progression Development Courses and the establishment of the NSCDC Command and Staff College in Jos. Audi said henceforth the promotion of officers to a new rank would be based on merit and performances noting that there would be no longer room for promotion stagnation. The NSCDC Commandant-General also charged the new recruits on training to remain focused, fit and agile adding that the success of an officer was based on diligent service, commitment and loyalty. He said the corps upscaled its disciplinary system by the introduction of Standard Operating Procedures and Code of conduct to check, correct and punish erring officers. He said persons found guilty had earlier been shown the way out of service through summary dismissal while others were either demoted or sanctioned. Speaking further on the reviewing of Salaries and allowances, the CG said efforts ongoing by the government through the Minister of Interior to make the welfare a priority. Audi spoke on the need for fairness, empathy and accountability in leadership and urged the young officers to remain unwavering in loyalty void of eye service.

[imustbenuts]

some stuff about cows in japan

-there are species native to japan, but are not what we consider to be wagyu beef today. some were imported from korea and china to do farmwork early on.

-beef is taboo in Buddhism. kinda. technically all killing of animals and meat consumption is a no no and was even written into law. japan legally turned to veganism at one point, since consumption of meat was considered religiously bad from both shinto and buddhism. this did NOT completely stop people from eating cows still bc hunger and malnutrition is a bitch. and also did not stop the upper echelons from creating rules for thee not for me ways to consume meat still. (ritual preperation or some such lmao)

-milk consumption is a ??????. some estimates put the population to be about 19% lactose intolerant. it strongly depends on how much milk is consumed for the tummy to rumbly though, so its not as if milk = instant ded.

-shinto and buddhism was meant to be seperate religions but at some point it began mixing together on some level. when prior shinto gods were more vindictive if not properly worshipped, became more humanized over time bc buddhism is big on the whole 'gods are just trying to get out of the samsara cycle like us humans too :)'. so the shinto priest began chanting buddhist sutras to their gods at some point. (buddhism began in india as a counter culture(?)/relgiion to caste system and hinduism jsyk. beef is super taboo in india.)

-cows are overpowered for being able to plough the lands super well so they kinda had a point in keeping moomoos around for farmwork. food wise these breeds didnt have too much meat so labour it was. (and fertilizers whee) also again: did not fully stop people far outside the reaches of the state to consume beef if they really wanted/had to.

-the first cow slaughtered was on Buddhist temple grounds (gyokusen-ji) bc some guy named Townsend Harris wanted to eat beef and drink milk in japan in 1866. its a power-dick move thing bc he was part of the gunboat diplomacy open up the country people. said temple was also the grounds for negotiation with the western world/traders after sakoku/isolation. (it is possible this was also done to weaken the influence of Buddhism bc they wanted an emperor god king scenario with shinto at one point. shinto and buddhism was going through redefining + split in this era.)

-today we have wagyu. wagyu when directly translated means Western(wa) Cows(gyu/ushi) and were originally imported from the west somewhere. see above. these wagyus are not native to japan, but rather 4 selected breeds after they went crazy cross breeding them.

-the main reason for the intense breeding was partially for $$$ economic reasons to get japan up into the global political stage.

cows

[ghosthierophant]

you guys go on ahead time

shut up ito you and your guys Suck

and he retreats into the fucking smoke like a coward grjftkbgthnrf

GET FUCKING KAMEHAMEHA’D 

HIJIKATA NO DON’T STAY BEHIND IGRJIFGTKJGKBJIGJOIK

goddamnit stay strong vice-chief i love you

JUST RYOMA AND BEST BOY NOW

oh god OKITA HELP IT’S A GIANT MFER

SOUJI HELP IT HURTS BADLY

why are gunboats firing????????? 

did they get a foreigner to voice the foreigner- jeff you’re doing a great job

THOMAS GLOVER OFF THE SHITS he’s doing some dante shit CALM DOWN

MAJIMA i mean OKITA i mean GORO wait I DON’T THINK YOU SHOULD SOLO THE FUCKING CANNONS AND GUNSHIPS

i mean luckily for him the cannons are aimed at their own troops HE’S FINE HE’S FINE HE’S FINE

oh hey cool re4make but uh maybe i should... finally return to the yacuzzi,,,

[fairyzar]

i couldn’t place my finger on it but i realized this dude is like the typical pretentious man who knows nothing abt art and acts like he does

[jungle-angel]

Out in the Middle: Part 14

Summary: For the men of the house, a little guy time is all they need when things get crazy

Rhett climbed back up the rungs of the ladder that led into the duck blind, his cheeks reddened from the cold and the snow that had been falling since last night. A small radio was heard playing Otis Redding’s “Tramp” while the smell of something hot boiling on a little camp stove reached his nostrils. 

“Mornin shitheads,” he greeted. 

“Where you been?” Royal asked him. 

“Went to go take a piss in the woods and it froze mid-stream,” Rhett chuckled. “Any coffee?” 

“Got the good shit right here,” Thomas answered, handing him a mug. 

Rhett laughed a little as he took the steaming tin mug full of black coffee. He felt like he was ten again, ten and holed up in a treehouse with his fellow gang of ranch and reservation brats that ran feral all across Wabang with nothing between all of them except five dollars each and a portable cassette player.

“Birds come running through yet?” 

“Not a one,” Thomas answered. “Your dad, John and I have been on the lookout, but nothing.” 

“What about Mo?” 

“Mo hasn’t spotted anything either.” 

“Perry?” 

“Ah Perry’s probably takin a piss somewhere in the woods too,” Royal answered. “Except it probably froze and got him stuck to a tree.” 

Rhett laughed and took another sip of coffee before setting it on the crude windowsill. “Be a rough Thanksgiving if we can’t get a bird or two,” Rhett remarked. 

“Some years are better than others,” Thomas said with a shrug. “During the Forties, my mother had to make dinner with the rations she scrounged while my father was driving a gunboat around the South Pacific.” 

“Jeez,” Rhett said. “Must’ve been one hell of a year then.” 

“Oh yes,” Thomas added. “I remember seeing a picture of her and my grandfather together holding up the turkey they had caught.” 

“You still got it?” Rhett asked him. 

“Hanging up in the front hall at the house,” Thomas chuckled. “You would’ve loved her.....Marcella Rainwater was her name.”

Rhett, Thomas, Kayce, Rip, Royal and Thomas all lost themselves in the conversations as the next track on the radio began playing, a favorite of the Abbott boys and one that the men knew well, a little known Willie Nelson piece called “Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die.” 

There still was no sign of Perry but Mo came back up just as the song started playing, the Rueger slung across his torso and his long braids hanging over his shoulders. “Who the fuck would’ve thought we’d have to come all this way just to catch Thanksgiving dinner?” he muttered. 

“Well that one year at the lake house......” Royal laughed.

“Don’t you start!” Mo told him. “I still have nightmares about that!” 

The men burst into laughter remembering one of Royal’s many horror stories about the little cabin on the lake. The snow continued to fall, piling on the pine branches in small, wet drifts as the men talked away. A small family of snowshoe hares darted into their dens as the quiet settled in. 

That’s when they spotted it.

“Oh shit,” Kayce whispered under his breath.

“What’s up?” Rhett asked him. 

“Big ol’ tom out there with the dummy.” 

Rhett held up his binoculars and peered out of the blind. He was fucking HUGE!!! He had to be at least a twenty pounder. 

“Oh my God,” Rhett muttered. “Where the hell’s Billy? He usually gets these things before we do.” 

The crack of a shot rang out in the air close to the blind. “I spoke too soon.” 

Out of the woods, they spotted Billy Tillerson, trudging his way through the snow  to grab the turkey along with Perry, hauling it off to the other duck blind so no other critters would find it. 

“There’s another one,” Kayce said. 

Rhett stuck a round into his Rueger, pushing the cartridge shut before pulling back on the safety and taking aim. His eye twitched a little as he peered through the scope, the crosshairs aimed just a little bit above......

*BANG!!!*

Rhett felt himself exhale as he lowered the rifle. No matter how many times he had been hunting in the past, there was no denying that the experience still hit him with an intensity that would have frightened most others. 

“You ok?” Mo asked him. 

“Yeah.....yeah I’m good,” Rhett replied. 

Mo gave him an understanding look before Rip climbed through the little trapdoor and down the ladder to get the bird. “It’s alright my friend,” Mo assured him. “I’ve hunted my whole life and still get that feeling sometimes.” 

“You do?”

“Oh yes,” Mo answered. “Shows we have a healthy respect for what’s given to us. I know people who’d run away just at the thought of it.” 

“Ya’ll sound like my best friend’s grandfather,” Rhett said, his smile growing a little broader. 

“You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve been told that,” Mo chuckled. 

After a few more hours, the boys caught one more turkey and began the long trudge home, tired and aching from the cold and eager to sit back, relax and watch the football game that would be playing all day. 

God only knew they deserved it. 

[scotianostra]

Explorer Henry ‘Birdie’ Robertson Bowers was born on 29th July 1883 in Greenock.

After his father, a naval captain, died in Rangoon, his mother alone raised him from the age of three with his two older sisters. The family moved to Streatham, London when Henry was around 13, he joined the merchant navy on leaving school and by the time he was 21 had sailed around the world four times on a ship called the cargo ship, The  Loch Torridon which became famous as one of the  most perfect four-masted barques ever built.

“Birdie” went on to join the Royal Indian Marine Service in 1905 and as sub lieutenant saw service in Ceylon and Burma then   commanded a river gunboat on the Irrawaddy. He later served on HMS Fox, preventing gun-running in the Persian Gulf.

In 1908 Bowers joined Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition after reading about Scott’s earlier expeditions including his journey on The Discovery.  Although he was only meant to be a member of the ship’s crew Scott was so impressed with Bowers he made him a member of the shore team.

When the party made it to the South Pole it was Bowers who found the flag  Amundsen had planted and the tent the Norwegian explorer had used as camp when they beat the British team there 35 days previously, Bowers was the navigator in the team and is said to have taken most of the photos and it was he who fixed the exact location of the geographic South Pole for the Polar party. On there way back from the Pole probably one of the most famous events in exploration occurred when Captain Lawrence Oates, who had been slowing the party down after  his foot became frostbitten and gangrenous, spoke the words “I am just going outside, I may be some time”. It was a courageous decision by Oates to let the team go on without him and stand a better chance of getting back safely.

By now they had already lost one crew member after a fall in mid February, Captain Scott, Bowers and Dr. Edward “Bill” Wilson ploughed on for three more days covering 20 miles, a blizzard halted them on March 20th, forcing them to stop, the snow storm lasted for days longer than expected and the trio, exhausted, cold and hungry, some 11 miles short of their next food depot could not continue. Scott’s last diary entry read….

“March 29th, 1912

Since the 21st we have had a continuous gale from W.S.W. and S.W. We had fuel to make two cups of tea apiece and bare food for two days on the 20th. Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.

It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.

R. SCOTT.

For God’s sake look after our people.”

On or after this the three men perished, they were found by a search party the following spring on 12th November 1912. The search party collapsed the tent over them, thus burying them where they lay under a snow cairn topped by a cross made from a pair of skis. Among the items they found and took back with them were the Kodak film rolls with the photographs at the South Pole and geological specimens which later proved the Gondwana theory.

The Bowers Hills in Antarctica, later renamed the Bowers Mountains, were named in his honour.

More info on Birdie here http://www.inverclydesheritage.co.uk/henry-robertson-bowers-1883-1912-adventurerexplorer/