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josefavomjaaga · 4 years ago

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Helfert, “Joachim Murat”, Chapter 4, Part 2

We left off when Joachim Murat had just left Naples in order to begin hostilities against the Austrians (or at least that is how they interpreted it).

Around the same time, possibly on the same 31st of March, Count Neipperg left Vienna to guarantee Murat the throne and empire in the name of the allied powers if he joined their alliance unconditionally, and Napoleon sent him a letter in which he informed him of his surprising successes from Lyon to Paris and promised him his strongest help, as he believed he could count on Murat in turn: "Send me an envoy as I will send one to you on a frigate". But while these two different messages were on their way to the king, the die had already been cast, and to Murat's misfortune, at first favourably for him. On April 2, his troops occupied Bologna, which FML Bianchi evacuated with 9000 Austrians. When the troops of the vanguard were called by the city gate guard, the message was: "Italian independence", which was met with enthusiastic cheers from the citizens; at least this is what Guglielmo Pepe reports in his memoirs (I p. 259), which are admittedly an excessively biased source. On the 4th, while the imperial troops, 1000 strong, withdrew into the fortress, the Neapolitans under General d'Ambrosio marched into Ferrara and, under the leadership and personal bravery of their king, forced their way across the Panaro after several hours of hot fighting, a victory which, of course, cost them dearly due to the severe wounding of their brave general Filangieri. Late in the evening, Joachim made his entry into Modena, from where Duke Francis IV had gained Austrian territory in time, while three days later, on 7 April, Generals Livron and Pignatelli captured the capital of Tuscany, which the Grand Ducal family left in flight-like haste. Count Nugent withdrew his force, which was half the size of the Neapolitan forces, to Pistoia, and even there thought himself not secure, so that two British frigates in the port of Livorno had to be ready to receive his baggage and guns in case he could not hold on.

But with this, Murat's cause had also reached the culmination of its successes. An attack he undertook on April 7 against the bridgehead of Occhiobello, defended by the imperial FML Mohr, failed completely. On the 8th, although no heavy artillery was available, he impatiently renewed the attack; six times, disregarding his own person, he led the columns forward to the assault, and each time they were defeated; the enterprise had to be abandoned. Neither did his two Guard legions make any progress on the Arno. Intimidated by false rumours, they advanced only hesitantly against Nugent, pushed back his advance troops by a few miles towards Pistoia, but hardly three days later they again cleared all the points they had won in order to regroup near Florence, April 9 to 13.

At this time Lord Bentinck was in Turin, where he received the news of Murat's departure. On April 5, he wrote to Murat, reproaching him for his breach of faith and denouncing the armistice between Naples and England; on April 7, on hearing that they had already come to blows, he issued an order to all commanders in the Mediterranean to begin hostilities against Naples.

King Joachim was still busy before the fateful bridgehead at Occhiobello, April 9, when he received the letter from his sworn enemy in Turin. He went back to Bologna. Now the safety of his kingdom had to be his first consideration, for attacks from the sea could not be long in coming. In any case, the anticipated surprise of the Austrians, the conquest and breach of their line along the Po, no longer seemed possible. But other things upon which he had intended to build his bright future had also vanished into thin air. It is true that he called all the officers and soldiers of the army of the Kingdom of Italy, who had been discharged the year before, under his banners and promised them the most generous provision for their future, just as he had promised their relatives in the event of their death; he also gave the army an Italian cockade, amaranth and green, April 10.

Amaranth... indeed. I do see a major obstacle for the cause of Italian unification.

But was there any chance that these proclamations would have a better effect than the two previous ones issued from Rimini? The latter had only been laughed at in Rome, where the king had boastfully summoned a general congress from all parts of the peninsula, and in other places there had been no lack of jeers about the call for the unification of all Italians being signed by two Frenchmen, Murat and Millet. Of all the armed troops that had been promised to him, only a battalion of barely 400 men was brought to him by the colonel of the disbanded Italian army, Negri, from the region on the lower Po, where he was at home; Joachim appointed him general on the spot. The lists of volunteers did not want to fill up either. People who had been freed from the prisons where the Austrian administration had put them for common crimes or political charges preferred to return to their families than to put their skins on the line on the battlefields. And the thing that depressed the King's courage more than anything else: were there not Italians under the Austrian banner in arms against him? A Modenese regiment had joined Bianchi, two Tuscan ones had placed themselves under Nugent! In addition to this there was the open response of the Austrian Cabinet to his manifesto of 30 March, in which all his ambiguities, all his aberrations and intrigues were held up to him, all his pompous phrases and promises were exposed in their hollow inanity, which had a downright devastating effect, April 11.

The moral blow was followed by one military blow after another. On April 10 and 11, Bianchi began his advance, attacked Carpi in a storming manner, which General Guglielmo Pepe, after great losses - 600 prisoners, including 12 officers - evacuated, whereupon the king also abandoned Mirandola Modena and Reggio and led his troops back behind the Panaro.

In one of his footnotes stating his sources, Helfert also mentions the report that Napoleon requested from his minister of foreign affairs (Caulaincourt) during the Hundred Days, in Corresp. Nap. XXVIII No. 21809 p. 98 f. of 15 April: a note in which the Minister of Foreign Affairs is ordered to begin a detailed report on the conduct of the King of Naples in the campaign of 1814: "Ce rapport doit être fait dans toute la vérité. Il doit contenir quelques rapprochements sur la conduite injuste de l'Angleterre et de l'Autriche envers le roi de Naples."

I’ve checked this note and made a quick screenshot as it seems quite interesting. Napoleon basically already decrees what the result of the investigation has to be.

#joachim murat #napoleon bonaparte #naples #hundred days #italy1815 #1815

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mercurygray · 7 years ago

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Would like to thank @summerinavonlea for being fabulous and patient and staying along for the ride that has been La Fille - which she started, by the way, in case she’s forgotten.

#la fille du regiment #credit where it's due

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teacherintransition · 4 years ago

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Spring... the Natural Transition

For as long as I can remember, spring has been my favorite season for all the reasons you’d expect: warming temperatures, nature coming to life .... baseball

Last year, spring was a season of uncertainty, its time to reconnect!

The sun is at the ten o’clock position, a cooling breeze wafts across my brow, my plants are blooming nicely and I’m sitting in my swing with my dogs listening to Bach and Vivaldi’s “La Primavera” from Le Quattro Stagioni... spring has sprung. As clearly as winter is a time for drawing inward and self reflection, spring is a time for reveling in nature reborn while our spirits are rejuvenated as well. The birds make a chorus that is filled with melodies no human could recreate. For the retiree, it’s time to test the waters of new goals and experiences. As mentioned is an earlier piece, in class instruction ended last year in early March due to the pandemic and educators changed the education landscape by adapting curriculum to an online delivery system.

All of us were presented with the aforementioned challenge and a chance to spend spring at home, presenting us with a very personal opportunity to experience spring outside of the classroom. An exciting, up close spring season was what I’d hoped for... spring of 2020 wasn’t the real deal. Yes, the weather was fantastic; yes, the gardens were planted; and yes, we spent a lot of time out doors. There was no hiking the Azalea Trail, there was no baseball, there were no chances to be out to marvel at the Texas wild flowers while back roading. We were relegated to a stay at home order to stop Covid spread. So while we had a chance to be able to physically immerse oneself in the season of rebirth, the shadows of fear overcast us with anxiety, doubts of the future and restrictions that we have never experienced. It was a very dismal spring. And, as far as transitioning into a retirement lifestyle, I had not yet made the choice of what would come next... limbo spring 2020.

This spring is what I consider my first retirement spring. Baseball has returned, I don’t feel comfortable enough to see a game in person but it’s on the tv and that is better than nothing. My gardening efforts are in full bloom and the beautiful weather takes on added significance due to our surviving “SNOWMAGEDDON 2021.” So, I consider this to be my first spring of my retirement years. Transition... no doubt and rebirth, without question. Everything is in place for great spring season, but this time my mindset is of a retired teacher and what are my tools to make the change from work a day guy to retired guy?

Just the right mix of spontaneity with structure and goals and free spiritedness is what is called for at this point. Be aware of all things you’ve done before but now have more time to do: reading, walking/hiking, working in the yard and watching those spring time sports. Put watching low on the priority list is my advice as it is a very passive activity. As the Covid vaccines increase, taking a road trip to catch a Rangers game or a local high school game will be doable. As mentioned, watching sports on TV is passive, I highly recommend doing as much of the planned activities and others outside to the degree possible. To draw a clear positive distinction between being in the classroom and “living the good life” let the freshness of the season, the cool air and warm sun and the vibrancy of nature occupy your being continuously. This first spring in retirement has to set the stage for for how you adapt to these gigantic changes occurring in your life; so being in the sun is a great change. The sun, by voluminous amounts of research, helps creative an active positive mindset and contribute to a positive mood and a healthier feel. Just remember, nothing got a classroom of students more excited than having class outside during spring. Now, you can do that every day and make those countless days spent inside while the “weather was beautiful” a distant memory.

You want to read? Read outside. You want to hang out with the dogs. Play with them in the yard. You enjoy cooking? Grill out baby.... because we all know grilling out in the summer can get very hot. Your mother used always tell you to play outside, guess what? Mom was right, get out there. As I’ve advised previously, don’t over regiment your time, be playful but balance it some clear goals you would like to accomplish. Painting on Tuesday, five mile hike on Wednesday, work in the garden on Thursday and maybe play a little golfon the weekend. These were the things you used to try to cram together all in one weekend that made those precious two days off feel like you’d been in a tornado. You mean I can go fishing in the middle of the week? Absolutely! Throw in a few naps and a few extra sojourns in nature and you’ve got a plan! Be outdoors in the glorious weather as much as possible (yes, use your sunscreen) and you’ll find your spring retirement adventures a marvelous start to life on your terms.

This is just food for thought advice, you find your own thing... it’s your retirement. If some of your planning is off feeling a bit, no sweat. Finding out about yourself and your likes and goals are the motivation for a life in repose. This is not a time of failure in your life ... the stresses were left on the job, this is joyful experimentation to find out who you really are free from workplace constraints. Remember, structure but with just enough playful impulsiveness... rigidity isn’t in the course description. Outline the season with some broad general goals to reinforce that your the boss of this period in your life. LA DOLCE VITA!

http://labibliotecacoffee.com/

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histoireettralala · 5 years ago

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Charles Nungesser, fighter ace, adventurer, war hero.

Charles Eugène Jules Marie Nungesser (15 March 1892 – presumably on or after 8 May 1927) was a French ace pilot and adventurer, best remembered as a rival of Charles Lindbergh. Nungesser was a renowned ace in France, ranking third highest in the country with 43 air combat victories during World War I.

After the war, Nungesser mysteriously disappears on an attempt to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York, flying with wartime comrade François Coli in L’Oiseau Blanc (The White Bird). Their aircraft takes off from Paris on 8 May 1927, is sighted once more over Ireland, and then is never seen again. The disappearance of Nungesser is considered one of the great mysteries in the history of aviation, and modern speculation is that the aircraft was either lost over the Atlantic or crashed in Newfoundland or Maine.

Wikipedia

Filled with an exceptionnal spirit and energy, Nungesser is very early confronted with the difficulties of life, he is not afraid to cross the Atlantic although he is not yet an adult. Once on the soil of the South American subcontinent, he will practice a whole series of trades. In turn boxer, gaucho or racing driver, Nungesser asserts himself as an adventurous heart. A thrill seeker, he already takes all the risks and does not hesitate to punch even with men, whose stature is much higher than his. It was in South America that he developed his passion for aviation and contracted the piloting virus. Therefore, all the elements are already in place to make Nungesser an extraordinary character, literally atypical and flamboyant. The Great War will give the young man the opportunity to find his vocation and become a legend ...

It is September 3, 1914, during a reconnaissance mission, Nungesser, freshly incorporated into the 2nd Hussar regiment, both rescues his wounded officer and with the help of a few infantrymen captures a Mors type automobile killing both its occupants and above all, recovering the documents it contained. Back in his regiment, after crossing enemy lines under heavy fire behind the wheel of the captured vehicle, his feat caused a sensation and rose to the ears of the general commanding his division. The latter immediately made him obtain the military medal and therefore gave him his nickname Hussard de la Mors, by reference to the Hussars of Death (”Hussards de la Mort”), a squadron created in 1792 and whose motto was "conquer or die".

He is then granted his request to be transferred to the Service Aéronautique, to Escadrille VB106. While there, in July 1915, he shoots down his first plane, a German Albatros, and is awarded the Croix de Guerre. This action initiates the Nungesser legend. On 31 July 1915, Nungesser and his mechanic Roger Pochon are on standby duty. The two take off in a Voisin 3LAS despite Nungesser's assignment to non-flying duties. In an encounter with five Albatros two-seaters, the French duo shoots one down near Nancy. Returning to their airfield, Nungesser is placed under house arrest for eight days for his insubordination. He is then decorated and forwarded to training in Nieuport fighters.

Assigned to N 65, Charles displays a fiery temper and a courage that strikes the minds of all his comrades in arms. He also willingly shows a certain independence of spirit and cannot help frequently ending his patrols with acrobatics above his airfield, which will earn him a few days off, that the command will lift just as quickly as it cannot do without the excellence of Nungesser's services while the position war is in full swing…

Charles isn’t one for strict military discipline. His rugged good looks, flamboyant personality, appetite for danger, women, wine and fast cars make him the embodiment of the stereotypical fighter ace and contribute to his legend. He is sometimes spotted arriving for morning patrol still dressed in the tuxedo he'd worn the night before and even occasionally with a female companion.

He is well liked by his comrades. Determined, fiery, excellent pilot, he is selected at the beginning of 2016 to test a prototype fighter plane, the Ponnier. Decided not to go easy on the machine, the indestructible Nungesser soars into the air and pushes the plane into its entrenchments. The result was immediate: the plane went into a spin and Charles crashed to the ground. The broomstick crosses his jaw and he suffers from multiple fractures, particularly in the legs and numerous bruises. You would believe his career is over ? Not at all! Barely out of the hospital and after a period in a coma, he refuses to be discharged and fights tooth and nail to return to Nancy.

He can’t go without a walking stick and has to be helped into his cockpit. It doesn’t stop him from fighting above Verdun (ten victories) and then over the Somme (nine victories) during 1916. He shows concern for the infantrymen, and often comes to help allied pilots, which will earn him many foreign decorations (from the UK, USA, Belgium, Serbia, Russia, Portugal..).

This is the year he famously decorates his plane with a black heart-shaped field, a macabre skull and bones, and a coffin and candles painted inside, in tribute in particular to his nickname as well as to his terrible accident of 1916. At the end of the Great War, Nungesser will accumulate forty-five approved victories and his war cross will count twenty-eight palms and two stars… Nothing and no one will have prevented him from flying and fighting until the last day.

His Officier de la Légion d'honneur citation, 19 May 1918, reads:

"Incomparable pursuit pilot, with exceptional knowledge and magnificent bravery, which reflect the power and inflexible will of his ancestry. In the cavalry, where during his first engagements he earned the Médaille militaire, then in a groupe de bombardement where for his daily prowess he was cited several times in orders and was decorated with the Legion of Honor, and finally with an Escadrille de chasse, for thirty months his exploits were prodigious, and he always presented himself as a superb example of tenacity and audacity, displaying an arrogant contempt for death. Absent from the front several times because of crashes and wounds, his ferocious energy was not dampened, and he returned each time to the fray, with his spirit undaunted gaining victory after victory, finally becoming famous as the most feared adversary for German aviation. 31 enemy aircraft downed, three balloons flamed, two wounds, fifteen citations."

By the end of the war, a succinct summary of Nungesser's wounds and injuries reads: "Skull fracture, brain concussion, internal injuries (multiple), five fractures of the upper jaw, two fractures of lower jaw, piece of anti-aircraft shrapnel imbedded [sic] in right arm, dislocation of knees (left and right), re-dislocation of left knee, bullet wound in mouth, bullet wound in ear, atrophy of tendons in left leg, atrophy of muscles in calf, dislocated clavicle, dislocated wrist, dislocated right ankle, loss of teeth, contusions too numerous to mention."

When the war ends, Captain Charles Nungesser is 26, and the third ranked French flying ace behind René Fonck and Georges Guynemer, in spite of his many wounds, accidents and physical disabilities.

Some anecdotes:

In 1915 he does a bunch of wild flying over a nearby town, and many people complains. The commander of the squadron tells Nungesser that if he was going to do aerobatics, do them over the German lines. Nungesser jumps into his plane, flies to the nearest German field, and gives them quite a show. He reports back to his commander, tells him what he did and is put under arrest again.

1916: during a flight, he runs out of ammunition and places himself in the middle of enemy planes, since they cannot shoot him if they risk hitting one of their own.

One of Nungesser's drinking buddies is Jean Navarre, another flamboyant ace. The two of them almost create the image of fighter pilots as handsome, reckless, hard-living, womanizing rakes. They dislike military discipline and enjoy Paris' many attractions as often as possible. Once, Nungesser is driving into Paris, amidst heavy traffic, when he spots his own aircraft heading that way. It is Navarre! He has borrowed Nungesser's airplane; he explains that his own has been shot up and that he "has forgotten what a woman looks like”.

On August 26, 1918 he gives his popularity a new boost by participating in the crossing of Paris by swimming, and, if he does not win the competition, asserts himself as the spokesman of the disabled veterans and attracts cheers from the public.

We still don’t know what really happened... but if he reached the land he was indeed the first man - with François Coli- to cross the Atlantic by plane.

Even though René Fonck ended up as the French Ace of Aces, both Georges Guynemer and Charles Nungesser have enjoyed a greater popularity, due to their personality, the legend that quickly built around them, and probably to their disappearance up in the sky while they were world famous.

Sources:

Opérationnels SLDS 38 39 hiver 2018 Nungesser le Résilient, article de Romain Petit

David Méchin, "Charles Nungesser, la rage de vaincre", dans Le Fana de l'Aviation no 551 et 552 (octobre et novembre 2015)

Wikipedia, French and English articles

#la grande guerre #ww1 #charles nungesser #french flying aces #le hussard de la mors #l'oiseau blanc #l'aventurier #ferocious energy #arrogant contempt for death #if i remember right the germans promised 500000 marks to shoot him down #there are just too many things to say about him i'm sure i forgot to mention a lot #maybe more to come?

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jugs-and · 5 years ago

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climb.run.hike (a la eat.pray.love)

G-d saw all that he had made, and it was very good. - Genesis 1

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I don’t know how to write anymore. I’m 27 now, but writing, blog writing specifically, has been habitually part of my life since I was 14. Writing is very much a muscle which needs to be worked at and maintained. To say the least it all used to flow, and the process of writing, more than the actual writing output, was an essential part of how I unwinded from the happenings of life. I’ve missed this, it has sort of fallen off the radar this year, and the narrative have swirled around in my mind. For the moment, the editing process seems to garble and confuse, more than clarify and expand the language which I employ. The feelings and emotions in myself - I can’t just describe. This is about the fourth or fifth time I’ve written this post.

The final four weeks before Christmas have been pure routine. Drifting, dilly-dallying, floating - I have fully embraced my inner alter-ego lifestyle which laid dormant this year. This other-me who leaves work early, and plays video-games late, and eats and imbibes freely. It is quite the contrast to the past six months of regiment and focus, the past few weeks have been completely restful, reinvigorating and refreshing - and, frankly, quite welcome. In all of my limited existence (27 years <gulp>), I don’t think I’ve ever been so busy or occupied in my life as this past six months.

I have a hard time letting go because the final few weeks of the year have still been exceedingly busy. The last weekend in Auckland, I hopped between four Christmas parties on Saturday and Sunday, and finished with a late night working on Sunday. In all of these social gatherings, I was faced with many questions about my year, and I spent a lot of time recounting my adventures this second half of 2019. At Anna’s 30th birthday party especially, I hadn’t seen her in months, and the conversation is always tragically short when she is that popular.

Social-jugs can handle the small-talk conversations at parties, however vapid and soul-crushing, but it was the mental mind contortions regarding finances and relationships which slowly eroded my sanity. The past six months has not just been the normal event after event after event, but it was like each event was suffocating on my own sanity. The way that money was constantly at the mind’s forefront would affect my ability to enjoy life. Restless sleep counting money instead of sheep, while my mind was full of shopping lists and balance sheets brought me no rest. The nights were long where I would replay conversations and then drift to semi-conscious dreams of impossible segues and circumstances.

The second half of this year was, in one word, bizarre, with A-. I was increasingly frustrated and filled with despair. For someone with a infectiously sunny disposition, she’s very good at pushing people away. Her continued longing for her previous boyfriend who was clearly abusive and emotionally manipulative broke my heart. Really.

I began to pine for the peaceful activities - I need the hiking alone and terrible renditions of my favourite nostalgic songs with a Bob Dylan rasp. I need the moment where I wake up and lazily watch the sandflies dancing on the tent fly. I need the Saturday morning brunches and afternoons laying in bed till the evening hours reading in a foetal position. I need to walk through the supermarket in my pyjamas and nights refreshing the same webpages as if the news that the world has ended would drop at any moment. I miss the pull of the dark corners of clubs where I move with my eyes shut, hair swaying in front of my face. Just normal things (right?!).

I learned discipline and perseverance in financial matters - I tell myself that because, otherwise, 2019: Part Two ran me ragged. I longed for the days to just climb under the sheets and draw them over my head as if I could avoid the problems in life just for a moment and just be. Climb under the sheets and maybe stay there for a while, instead of falling asleep into dreamless sleep immediately.

In November, I took my big holiday of the year: two weeks in the South Island -- a mountain-climbing course with Colin, and hiking by myself in the second week. During this time, I realized just how complex and busy the six months prior were. Hiking, in contrast, is simple. It is just one foot in front of another, and a simple existence of self-sustenance. Without the noise of information everywhere, there is just the conversations inside my head when hiking alone. There is only the crinkle of your own sleeping bag and never moment of loneliness in the solitude. Somewhere during the nine hour sleeps and genuinely feeling exhausted more than I can ever remember - I realised I haven’t had the time to appreciate this year for what it was worth and how much I have to proud of.

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As someone who has frequented the climbing walls at least twice a week for the past 6 months, I am still terrible at rock-climbing. Granted, my frequency and motivation for climbing, really does wax and wane like the moon. And lately, as my main source of exercise, due to this knee injury, it has been waxing. Nevertheless, I never really saw the improvement I would expect someone else to have with the frequency and focus on the sport. To a large degree, the social element of climbing really brought me back repeatedly to the same crags. We spent many Sunday afternoons and evenings just chatting and doing very little actual climbing. But we were each other’s greatest cheerleaders in finding every little scrap of willpower and confidence to hold on to the little scraps protruding from the wall.

Sometimes you have to remind yourself to breathe before a big move and just stick it. Sometimes you have to remind yourself to look down and see how terrifyingly high you are. Sometimes you have to take a break and shake the blood back into your hands.

I learned it is okay to fail.

As someone who falls a lot, I can confirm that the falling gives me confidence because it means that I believed in myself enough, albeit maybe too much. I backed myself to make a move with confidence. The next attempt meant that I could attempt more and grow more in strength and resolve. The second time up would assuredly be better with experience, and there is a certain relief where you finally accomplish the right contortion of body to get past a section.

Trad. climbing still terrifies me, but even with sport climbing and lead roping, it is still a delicate affair. Gathering at the bottom of a crag, checking each other’s knots, and double checking I locked the carabiner around my harness bell - it is a solemn routine. It’s a more serious sport and there is a lot more faith in each other and self-belief required in the equipment and process. Outside, the falls are bigger and the fall is a couple of metres to the last anchor point, which can be more than a moment in the air. I can only just breathe and trust in others to catch me. If climbing was an analogy for life, they would be my support system.

Beyond climbing, I have found that people are a lot more compassionate, kind and exceedingly more patient than we can ever expect from someone like ourselves. If friends are ever an indication of the type of person we are, the bounds which feel almost endless, I am climbing far beyond my own character.

At the top of an outdoor crag, I learned self-confidence.

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The Saint Heliers turnaround is the moment of reckoning and Armageddon. The entire way out to Saint Helier, it’s pulsing through my mind that I’d have to return this path and retrace my steps to finish. The people ahead of me are on the other side of the road, returning to the finish line, looking worse for wear. The turnaround is where the final nine kilometers starts, and the mind resets and forgets about the previous 33km which should have been easy-going.

At this point, the race really starts to feel like a marathon. No amount of training prior could prepare for the tortures and endurance of this section. If I could describe the feeling - it’s like trying to spread peanut butter on toast from an empty jar. The opening to the jar is tiny, only enough for a butter knife to fit inside, and it continues to scrape the bottom of the jar. The bottom of the jar makes a screeching noise, and every single urge is to stop scraping, but for some reason we continue.

I changed the music to my specially prepared list of tracks, rummaging through my pocket of half empty gel packs, to change to the final track in my <Marathon 2019> playlist. At 33km, I made it up to this point feeling mostly okay -- so I went for it.

I made it four more kilometres with a negative split, running past multiple people who had started walking, before falling back into a numb survival mode. The sort of survival where you grit your teeth and and look for energy and strength you never knew you had. Digging deeper into the jar for one last push with two fingers jammed into the opening.

I ran alongside someone else who looked like he was struggling as much as I was, and we stuck together. I even had a little kick of speed about one km from the finish, near Britomart, before falling behind him again. Abby found me at the finish line, but I couldn’t move any closer to hear what she was saying. Nick came and found me to congratulate me, and I gave him a ride home via church.

The last 9 kilometers was truly one of the hardest things I have finished, but I was so happy at the finish line. I don’t think anyone else could ever understand the tears of joy -- I could do it.

On the Auckland marathon, I learned self-belief.

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I think people who have hiked with me can assure you that my hiking style is best described as obsessive. Nearly all can affirm this, the rest never really made it back. When I returned to Auckland in November, I remarked that to Y- that I was genuinely just exhausted, Y- was astonished,

> I cannot fathom what kind of hiking could make you exhausted

The Cascade Saddle day-trip was rough. It wasn’t the day trudging through knee-deep snow, or the sunburn starting to form on my cheek, right below where my cap did not provide shade -- but it was the collective two weeks of hiking and climbing, and finding my limit at the end of three long ten-hour days with a full pack. The entire day was full of the highest highs and the lowest lows.

The Dart Glacier, arguably the centre-piece of this hike was stunning. The entire hike was designed around tracing the Dart River upstream on the true left of the river to its source. It was easily the most awe-inspiring thing I have seen this year, in terms of majesty and beauty. There is nothing on earth which makes me feel so small or insignificant, as standing at the base of a glacier and looking at the timeless, frozen rivers that run around me.

The lows followed quickly after, descending from the mountain saddle, toward the end of the day and rapidly losing daylight. Fully knowing there was still 5 hours of hiking left in the day, slightly worried about the pace of the day quickly ending.

I can still vividly remember the shape of the broad, flat rock which looked slippery, and despite making the mental cost-benefit analysis, still carelessly putting my entire weight on the rock. In true laidback-jugs fashion, I just decided that the problem would sort itself out. Unsurprisingly, the foot did actually continue slipping, and with zero points of secure anchor, on the side of the mountain I continued to slide down the hill for a couple of metres somersaulting over exposed rock and snow.

I cursed myself with some very self-deprecating language to numb the pain down my shins and landing on top of my camera bag. In the back of my mind, I knew that I was hiking alone, very far from the closest person. Something about the self-sufficiency in the wild makes one increasingly irritable at every oneself, and every bad decisions. The rest of the limp back was miserable and I was exceedingly negative to myself.

The next morning, I made it as far as the Rees Saddle before returning to the hut. I started at 6am and vowed to myself that I would only go 3 hours because I had another 3 hours return and another 5 hours to the next hut. I made it two and half hours of climbing and walking along the narrow mountain route before stopping. I rested.

I felt not so alone as previous days, but in such solitude for that short half an hour, just watching the sun come over the mountains and giving my body rest. From the Intentions Book I knew that I was the first person to come across this mountain pass for four months, and I took heart from that.

In the moments where I could stop and see creation, remembering why I was out there in moderate-high danger, crossing waist-high water, and walking for hours with what seems like all my possessions - I could see that, in that moment, it was good.

On the Rees-Dart track, I learned self-love.

-----------------

This year has been good, even great. It’s been the best one yet, and I know I have grown so much as a person.

About a month ago, E- said I am often pretentious and this operated as a defense mechanism. It still slays me on the inside somewhat because it’s something I’ve battled my whole life. In reality, there is pretentiousness in me, but can that exist if I vow there is no pride?

There is urgency in everything I do, because I like to think that I doggedly pursue and am surrounded by so much love, peace and joy. I don’t know how anyone could settle for anything less, I struggle to translate that sentiment into words and actions that other people could understand. I don’t know how I can put the thirst in me in a normal way, without resorting to l'appel du vide and feeling I’m crazy or weird (or inferior) compared to everyone else because I feel more than other people do.

Life is merely what God has planned for each of us, and I’m just here to experience every drop of it.

On some level, I long to share it with someone. There is so much of my life which is guarded and the way her words still have so much power over me -- I think I still have some residual feelings for her.

#2019 #that long post #i'm just going to post this

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catachan-jungle-fighter · 5 years ago

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Updated Equipment: John

Butcher's Tear: A Greataxe that was forged by the orders of the Geist Clan Matriarch to be given to John Geist after he threw aside his blades in disgust after the battle where he earned the Title 'The Butcher of Beggar's Teeth'. It is unnervingly sharp compared to most weapons from the Geist Forges, the blade leaving burning scars if it strikes heavily armored foes, yet against lighter armored enemies it tends to slice through them easily.

A common attack with this weapon is to spin in a circle with the axe held out towards enemies, the blade cutting through around the waist, yet it tends to continue on it's path till it slows to a stop even with the Old Wolf's strength.

"A Implement of Slaughter to remind him of a Butchery."

Silence: One of three blades, Silence was first forged the night before John murdered the Clan Member that he had considered father, the man having unintentionally or intentionally murdered three of John's clan siblings.

The blade seemingly radiates a aura of hatred at those who dare harm children, several times the blade having found the tiniest chink in a enemies armor to allow John to strike true.

"A Blade for the Heartless forged from a Young Hero's Heart."

Peace-Reaper: One of three, this blade was forged after his journey through the deep jungle's during the Geist Clan Trials, this blade has been used against Clan Leaders, Hunts Masters, and every leadership role where John has found a traitor.

This Blade's name, Peace-Reaper, comes from an ancient Geist Clan story of a pale man who rode a massive beast with Jet Black eyes and carried a blade.

"And they saw him, and he rode upon a Horse of Ceramite and Steel."

Memorial: One of Three, this blade wasn't forged by John but instead given to him by his Mentor after he learned everything from the older warrior at the end of his Trials, Memorial still carrying the sigil of his mentor's clan, the Bloody Fang's.

This blade is John's way of remembering the dead, and so it's sheath is decorated in painstakingly small painted letters that reads every Wolf or Geist lost since he received the blade.

"A Sad Blade for a Broken Man who wears a Mask."

Cata: one part of a matching pair, Cata is one of John's duel Las-Pistol's that he is far more comfortable with due to his own skill in CQC, the weapon having been modified and rebuilt enough times that the weapon is entirely unrecognizable to anyone outside the Wolves as a Las-Pistol, the Engiseer's of the Wolves revelling in the lessened restrictions after their banishment to the Wolves due to the Council of the Wolves allowing for them to make whatever they wish as long as they worked on weapons and other various things for them.

It is ugly but functional, one of John's major decisions on his gear seeing as he cares for function over form, and has been known to have several shot types including a almost shotgun like shot.

" A True Gunslinger of Catachan."

Chan: refer to Cata.

Beggar's Silence: A Blade forged with the bones and flesh of a dozen dead blanks burnt to ash in the Forges, this blade carries much the same effect as a Blank when John takes it up, but due to John's own latent abilities he hasn't even noticed, he tends to leave it at camp.

Inscribed into the blade is a phrase in his clan's tongue that roughly translates to 'The Dead may Find their Due'.

"Spooky Scary Blanks, sends shivers down your Spines."

Thunderdrum: A Autocannon rigged up by the Bolt's to allow for a single man to carry and operate it due to the Harness and plating that was added to the gun, the plating being a excessively rare item that lessens the weight of a weapon that John had scavenged from the burnt body of some officer of another regiment.

Thunderdrum is charred and blackened, the weapon having been in their use of John's former unit until they were slaughtered during the Sargas V incident, where John was heavily wounded to the point of heavy blood loss and hallucinating, and where Sgt.Evra was lost to the Imperium for a good number of years. Inscribed on the blackened casing and filled in with gold is a phrase that translates to 'My Brothers, I carry your Fury with me.'

"A BFG for a BMF." (Big Fucking Gun, Big Mother Fucker)

Kindness: A Scimitar that John forged as a joke, Kindness has made it's way into his armory alongside it's paired weapon a Hatchet called Cuteness.

Kindness has claimed several lives since John added it to his armory, bringing it and Cuteness along on several missions.

"Kindness and Cuteness, killin again and again."

Cuteness: refer to Kindness.

The Old Wolf's Spear: A makeshift Guardian spear, much like the one's the Adjutant's of the Matriarch's counsel carry, this weapon is used by John to punch holes through enemy armor.

"A big pointy stick, watch where it's pointing or you'll put someone's eye out."

Chainbreaker: a Chainsword that has been modified for eating away much of what it is used on, John has tended towards slaughtering entire enemy Squads with this when he brings it to the field.

"A Lumberjack's weapon."

(REDACTED): REDACTED

[ACCESS GRANTED]

The Old Wolf's Last Laugh: a Explosive device that if detonated has enough yield to devastate a large area, around fourty miles, due to the hazardous materials and amount of explosives used. Only to be used in the event of even the main combat force of the Sixth being overrun.

"A Old Wolf Laughs Last as he throws him and the challenging Wolf off the cliff."

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harlockauxillia30k-blog · 6 years ago

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First Contact

[Continuation of... I actually dont remember the post.]

The Centauri rifleman advanced steadily onward through the fallout-striken ruins of the once peaceful agriworld. Mostly, they acted as fire fighters of a sort, kicking in civilian homes, trying to find people sheltered up, and directing them away from the blast zone, towards the rest of the regiment. Harlock kept his eyes out for any indication of who was responsible, but only ruin was in the bomb’s wake.

In a burned field, a runner from a forward recon squad dashed up to his commander.

“Sir, we’re sure of it! Several Astartes detected moving into our area.”

Harlock was certain that no astartes legion would have a response this fast, and the only astartes he knew to be in the area were a small handful, perhaps a squad strong, overseeing logistics in the capitol- where the mushroom cloud was.

Harlock nodded stiffly. “Try to-” he faltered, and redoubled his efforts. “Get me some idea of who they are. We only know the Luna wolves are traitors.”

After stating this, his runner dashed off,and harlock felt a sickening doubt creep into his mind. Only a traitor legion would dare drop an atomic on this humble world. But no- he had to confirm it, needed to see if the marines were here to help. If they were, they would be invaluable for their armor and strength alone.

Coming to the edge of the field and looking down into a small valley, Harlock observed a reinforced squad of armored warriors advancing calmly toward his position, framed by a wall of fire; behind them, an entire imperial town burned, with several humanoid figures burned in its outskirts, bodies trodden upon by the ambivalent soldiers. Harlock needed nothing else to know the legion, then. “Iron Warriors” the captain said, handing off some magnoculars.

“Tell the infantry to spread in tactical formations, but to keep their safeties on. I’m going to try to vox them.”

A headquarters vox-caster was brought up, and Harlock flicked through local frequencies until he found a suitable wide band one that any imperial gear would pick up.

“This is Captain Harlock, Centauri Rifles. Hail lords, we’re here to try and evacuate and triage civilian casualties. Who is your C.O.?”

There was a brief pause.

“Harlock actual, hold position. We are advancing to give a debrief in person. out.”

At the bottom of the hill, Harlock’s ranger scouts were already standing off and brushing off the ash and soot of the ground. A couple advanced haphazardly to the line of warriors marching in unison. When they were close enough, Harlock watched them crack of snappy salutes, despite the circumstances.

Harlock watched the marines reactions. One glanced at another, perhaps a sergeant, who gave a slight nod, reaching out with his massive gunmetal fist toward the man.

Through Harlock’s spine, he knew instinctively what was about to happen. He realized it completely, what would transpire here would mark his life and career forever. This was going to be his first combat in the Horus Heresy.

Almost gently, with incredible ease, the fist covered the helmeted head of the centauri rifleman, who quivered with confusion and fear. Then, and sick snap-pop sound, as a now headless body doused with brainmatter and ichor fell onto the ground.

The other marines casually pointed their bolters at the remaining rangers, killing both recon elements with complete ease. The rangers were too surprised to even reach for their rifles.

“THE MARINES ARE TRAITORS!” Harlock shouted with a cracking, uncertain bark. “OPEN FIRE! OPEN FIRE!”

A haphazard hail of las-shots dazzled across the general area of the marines. Most of them missing.

With a gesture of the astartes sergeant’s free hand, now covered in scarlet gore, two marines tossed fragmentation grenades with expert precision, landing amidst Harlock’s men, who were thankfully spaced enough to only kill a mere 3 and 4 soldiers apiece.

Harlock ran through the situation. He brought no heavy weapons or special weapon elements, due in large part to them being stowed away in the armor depot back with the regiment.

“S-spread out! Concentrate your fire!”

The marines adopted a combat jog, their immense armored feet clearing the bodies of his rangers and advancing up the hill. The sergeant and his marines offered cautious fire towards his troops. Almost 90% of their aimed shots hit.

Harlock’s riflemen skirted away from the astartes like mad, terrified animals. Several of his inexperienced soldiers were emptying their las-magazines into the horizon. Naturally his sergeants were doing their best to keep everyone in line, but the noise, apart from the screams of the dying and soon-to-be dead, were filled with placations. “Friendly fire! Lords! We are loyal!” and “Please spare us!” along with the worst of all- pained screams of “WHY?!”

The astartes crested the hill, ruin in their wake. Harlock heard the first words out of the astartes since the vox call. “Charge.”

It was simple, direct, muffled by the vox, and completely nonchalant.

Squad Beta recieved the charge first; they did not have bayonets, and were not braced. Close quarter bolter shots and astartes knives cut through them in about forty five seconds.

Squad Alpha poured ‘suppressive fire’ at the astartes movement, and were blinded by a photon grenade. Sadly, Alpha lacked the fire discipline to cease fire, and a mixture of rapid bolter shots in return coupled by friendly fire eliminated that element throughout a bloody minute.

Harlock gathered up Platoon B and ordered them to focus fire in a series of screams over the vox, but it was too late. Command and control had been lost, with his soldiers largely unresponsive, the noble lieutenant that lead that platoon quitting the field. The astartes advanced into the platoon, and carefully began depopulating it, moving in detail from squad to squad. The sergeant, holding one of Harlock’s men as a human shield while maintaining fire with his other arm. The mountain of armor and muscle casually tossed the body towards the Captain.

Harlock saw his men die like dogs for no good reason. He had seen it before in dozens of battlefields. He knew that here and now, the battle was soundly lost.

“FALL BACK! RETREAT! ON ME, CENTAURI!”

Most of the unit immediately broke and ran. Not in an orderly fashion, but as a dead sprint in every direction- so long as it was away from the battle. A couple adrenaline filled Imperial Army soldiers screamed, and performed acts of heroism such as firing two lasguns akimbo, running with a primed grenade in their hand toward the astartes, and one man bayonet charges. Harlock didnt know if those were acts of madness and combat shock or unmatched discipline and valor. All he knew is that was the only reason he and whatever remained of his company quit the field alive, as the astartes entertained themselves with these motley threats.

Harlock and his regiment would spend a total of three more weeks on that agriworld. Similar kill teams wiped out some 33% of the regiment and routed it in small scale tactical engagements. With a small recon troop, Harlock watched as behind a secure perimeter of iron warrior armor and marines, a slow and careful extraction process was underway in the capitols ruins, with large stocks of astartes legion equipment being passed up to iron warriors transports in shipping crates, bound for a legion ship holding in low orbit, just barely visible in the sky.

It was via an astartes transport ship, arriving long after the Iron Warriors left, having looted the armory of the world, that Harlock’s regiment was rescued. They were informed, that during their stay on the planet, a ‘large scale’ event had occured. Harlock could have sworn he had heard something about a dropsite, but importantly, none of these ultramarines seemed at all shocked by the regiment’s declarations of the iron warriors betrayal. That was, apparently, ‘old intelligence.’

The Horus Heresy had begun in earnest. Now, in the wake of Istvaan, the galaxy would burn.

#post

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born2battle · 3 years ago

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My Musings as the ‘First Lady’

This Blog is a sequel to previous two Blogs which have covered my husband’s innings as Commander 27 Mountain Artillery Brigade. At the outset, I have a variety of memories, while I faced a variety of challenges, in my new role as the ‘First Lady’, in a new family of the Arty Brigade. My unique experiences began in the end of Mar 2001, soon after I entered the majestic “Gun House” at Bagrakote. I felt really privileged to be welcomed to my new Role. I admit that it took me about a week to settle down, adapt to the new lifestyle and understand my new responsibilities. Bagrakote itself was a small village surrounded by tea gardens and the nearest market was at Mal Bazar, which was about 20 km away. Hence, I had to travel all the way for purchasing even basic necessities, grocery & vegetables. My first shopping trip itself was so special, since my Gypsy was followed by a Jeep with an armed escort as per the security instructions. I felt so awkward, albeit amused, which made me decide that I should minimise my shopping trips in the future. I also planned that suitable transport must be provided to the jawans & families as well, for their shopping trip to Mal Bazar on every Sunday/holiday. It proved to be a very useful facility, specially in a remote location.

Aditya began his academic session in Ninth standard in Army School, Bagrakote. It was a small school with limited facilities and very few students as compared to APS Pune. I decided to involve myself towards improvement of the standard of the School and pass on my experience of three years at Pune, to all the teachers. Surprisingly, the post of the Principal was vacant, which had to be filled up urgently, after following the necessary selection process. We evolved a plan for renovation of class rooms, creation of sports grounds and special training sessions for the teachers. Thereafter, we started conducting extra coaching for students of Xth standard and practiced them in solving Question Papers, as per the CBSE pattern. Simultaneously, we planned to conduct the Sports Day in Sep which was to be followed by the Annual Day in Oct. I invited Mrs. Verma, the wife of our GOC, as the Chief Guest for the Annual Day. She was impressed with the grand show and praised all the participants for their talent & enthusiasm. In addition, she appreciated the dedicated efforts by my entire Team which had enhanced the overall standards of the Army School.

Consequent to my first interaction with the families of Brigade HQ, I came to know about various problems being faced by them. Interestingly, their biggest concern was about the likely dangers posed by small group of elephants, who were observed near the rivulet, close to the family quarters. It was feared that the elephants may trespass our area (actually their area where we were staying). As per the local practice, the villagers advised us to dig up trenches of sufficient width & depth, besides the perimeter fencing of the entire complex, which would be a suitable deterrent. This improvised barrier was completed on priority by using the excavators & bulldozers. The security of the Campus was further strengthened by establishing sentry posts on ‘machhans’ & providing the sentries with drums, ‘mashaals’ and noise making grenades. It was an unusual experience to plan and execute these innovative ideas. Eventually, we were lucky that there was no unusual encounter with the elephants, throughout our stay at Bagrakote.

In the first week of May, Ashvini & Nandini joined us during their summer vacation. We had already planned our first visit to Sikkim. Initially, all of us including Badi Mummy, went to Gangtok and stayed for two days to enable acclimatisation. Thereafter, we visited the picturesque Nathu La & the divine Harbhajan Baba shrine, both located above 12,000 ft. All of us still cherish the memories of these inspiring moments.

Vivek had to periodically attend Operational Conferences and SMDs at the Div HQ at Kalimpong. Even I had to go along to attend the AWWA Meeting where I had to brief about the progress of all the welfare activities in case of our Regiments, located at different Stations. In mid Jun, Vivek surprised us with the announcement of a plan to visit Bhutan, after obtaining necessary sanction from Army HQ. Our first vacation in a foreign country, was most exciting and rejuvenating. Thereafter, Ashvini & Nandini left for Pune to resume their academic sessions while Aditya continued to enjoy the solitude of Bagrakote.

We have fond memories of our stay in our spacious “Gun House”, particularly during the monsoon season. It was also the period when the crystal clear streams and the ridgelines landscaped with the tea gardens in close proximity to our location acquired a picture-perfect look. Our Campus seemed to have been transformed into a scenic island. During good visibility, we were lucky to get a splendid view of the Kanchenjunga ranges from our lawn itself. In Oct, we felt delighted to welcome our relatives from Aurangabad who had planned their tour to Sikkim. They stayed in Bagrakote initially before their onward visits on the tourist circuit, for which Aditya accompanied as their Tour Guide!!

In the first week of Dec, Yogini (my niece) came along with Ashvini to Bagrakote for a short vacation. All of us decided to visit Nathu La once again, since the snowfall season had begun already. Our night halt was planned at Nathu La Hut, at Mile 14 Transit Camp enroute. In case of our previous trips to Nathu La, we had stayed at Gangtok at 6000 ft to enable acclimatisation. Yet, we chose to halt at an altitude of 10,000 ft to get a feel of staying in snow bound area. However, after reaching Nathu La Hut, I was affected by high altitude sickness compounded by very low temperatures, due to the wind chill factor. My condition became critical at night, despite constant medical care at the Transit Camp. Next morning, the Medical Specialist advised me not to proceed further but return to Gangtok for speedy recovery. However, he allowed Vivek along with Ashvini & Yogini to go ahead and visit Nathu La Pass (14,000 ft) & seek blessings at the Harbhajan Baba shrine. I continued to be under medical treatment at Nathu La Hut till they returned. Thereafter, we began our return journey and as soon as we reached Gangtok by evening, I felt perfectly fine. We had a night halt at Gangtok & left early morning for Bagrakote. It was such a relief to be back Home after this adventure!!

In the second week of Dec, there was the unprecedented attack by a group of terrorists on our Sansad Bhavan. Consequently, the entire Striking Lion Division was placed on high alert and given orders to complete all preparations and placed at 72 hours notice. This set in motion, all the activities as laid down in the SOP for mobilisation scheme. Finally, we received the executive orders to begin our move to J & K, in the next 24 hours. Our Brigade HQ was required to entrain at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and move by the first special train. As per the Fauji customs, we assembled immediately for a special Pooja & a Havan which was performed in the Mandir existing in our Campus. This special function was attended by all the officers, jawans & the families including the children. I was really touched by this emotional ritual, when our gallant soldiers reposed their trust in the Almighty, just before their departure for the urgent operational tasks in J&K.

Next morning, our convoy moved to NJP and completed the loading of the Special train with full enthusiasm. I availed the chance to accompany Vivek upto NJP to bid farewell to our Special Train as well as the Special trains of two of our Regiments, which had moved from Oodlabari & Sevoke Road. The other Regiments of our Brigade also moved out by Special trains from their designated entraining stations near Sealdah & Howrah. We returned to Bagrakote to enable Vivek to pack up essential combat dress & equipment overnight. Next morning, he was required to reach Bagdogra Airport and move as a part of GOC’s Recce Group consisting of all the Brigade Commanders. I accompanied him upto Bagdogra and still remember our mutual feelings, while we wished each other -- “Good luck & God bless”, before the core Recce Group finally took off by IAF aircraft.

Our Campus had a desolate look after the departure of all the officers & jawans. However, a small Rear Party stayed back to provide necessary security to the Campus and administrative support to the families. I had my own apprehensions about facing my new challenges but I assured the families & the children not to worry about any requirements, while continuing their stay and routine. I conducted a special interaction session with all the families and obtained inputs about their areas of concern. Every problem has a solution and on the basis of this mindset, I planned for specific measures to be taken for various contingencies. Our first challenge was that only one Gypsy & two big vehicles were left at Bagrakote, which had to be utilised optimally, not only for central purchase of grocery, rations & vegetables from Mal Bazaar but also as the School Bus. The bigger challenge was in case of medical emergency, when the families had to travel upto MH at Siliguri, which was 40 km away.

The next major task was the improvement of our existing cable TV network, which broadcast only two channels; Door Darshan & Zee TV. Yet, all of us hoped to get the news about the latest situation in J & K. However, we were disappointed since news about such confidential deployment was never shown on TV. Another immediate requirement was to provide a telephone facility to enable all the families to receive calls from their husbands. I instructed that an Army telephone booth should be set up next to the Duty Room, which proved to be very useful. Thus, the jawans got a chance to talk to their wives & children, at least twice during the week, on stipulated days and timings. My next focus of attention was the forthcoming exams in Army School. I thought of a proactive approach and decided to conduct extra classes in our main lawn itself. It gave me immense satisfaction to coach the students in Math, Science & English, in accordance with a structured schedule prepared by me.

I followed the practice of regularly contacting the wives of the COs of all the Regiments and ascertain about the welfare of families at their Stations. Thereafter, I gave Vivek regular feedback about the status in all the Stations including Bagrakote. In mid Feb, he informed me about the receipt of his posting order to Army HQ. I was equally surprised with this news because Vivek had not completed even two years of tenure. In fact, I had just completed one year at Bagrakote. In this brief period, I had grown in experience encountering several diverse challenges. I felt a sense of achievement having applied my skills to Problem solving, Decision making and Human Resource Management. Even Aditya adjusted so easily in his new School and adapted the new lifestyle, in a remote place like Bagrakote. He learnt several games such as Badminton, Basket Ball & Cricket under the guidance of the officers of the Brigade HQ. He proved to be my solid support after the Brigade HQ moved out to J&K, since I could discuss all the problems and solutions with him frankly. It reinforced my belief that the ethos of the Armed Forces lays the foundation for the personality development of the children. Personally, it gave me tremendous satisfaction that I could offer my support to all the families, while discharging my responsibilities as the “First Lady”!!

#indian army #life of fauji wife

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never-gonna-give-who-up · 7 years ago

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Noel Volunteer Corps

The snowy planet of Noel lies in the outermost parts of the Eastern Fringe, as a brilliant and undimming beacon of the Emperor’s light to illuminate the dark reaches along the edge of the Imperium. A world of never-ending winter, it orbits the bright blue star of Bethlehem. The geology of the planet is unimpressive to say the least, much of it comprised only by millions of square miles of rolling taiga with the planet’s hives and temple complexes towering above the snow-covered landscape. Despite the constant cold, the souls of its citizens are kept warm by their fiery devotion to the Emperor of Mankind. Their interpretation of the Imperial Cult revolves around an ancient Terran holiday whose original name and meaning has been lost to time.

The world offers little in the form of natural resources, it being a Shrine World. Its armed forces make up the Noel Volunteer Corps, an army of devout volunteers sworn to protect the holy relics and sites of the Shrine World until their last breath. However, since the destruction of Cadia, there has been a deluge of fresh volunteers eager to bring the Emperor’s fury upon the archenemy. It therefore offers up its population to fight in the Imperium’s endless conflicts. Regiments hailing from this world don the standard gear of the Cadian Shock Troops, due to its renowned success in the field, only altering the colors of the uniform to identify them as members of the Volunteer Corps. The most elite soldiers of this world, the Yule Honor Guard, dress in a similar fashion to the toy soldiers once gifted to children in humanity’s long forgotten past, and all of the war machines and weapons used by them are adorned in similarly themed color schemes of striped candy treats and camo netting made of holly. Ballads such as “Jingle Bombs” and “We Three ‘Scripts” are sung while marching into battle, the once cheerful holiday songs now battle hymns.

While an effective fighting force in icy environments, the regiment is most known for its unwavering loyalty, unshakable faith, and impressive abilities as a morale booster for other regiments. Traditional Noel foods and war songs are notoriously effective at increasing Imperial morale, while simultaneously emboldening faith in the Emperor. The most important member of any Noel regiment is the drummer boy. Such a position is a holdover from both ancient Terran military history and as a tribute to the planet’s legendary martyr, Nikolas Rif. In the closing years of the Horus Heresy, an Imperial force led by Lord General Kringle was crushing Chaos uprisings throughout the Segmentum. During one battle the drummer boy, only 13 years old, witnessed the Lord General’s party suffer a direct hit from artillery fire, killing all members and severely wounding the Lord General. Traitor guard and cultists swarmed the position, hoping to claim the sacred regimental standard as a trophy. The young boy, his soul filled with love and devotion to the Emperor, broke away from his unit and rushed to the aid of his wounded commander. He grabbed the Lord General’s sword and cut down several heretics while trying to wrest control of standard. With a power sword in one hand and the standard in the other he stood over the crippled body of the Lord General putting a swift end to each traitor who approached him. He lost the sword when an enemy round tore off the arm holding it, leaving him defenseless with the standard. Even as he was shot he stood defiant against the enemies of the Emperor, leaning against the standard making sure the sacred banner never touched the ground. After receiving a half dozen additional las rounds, he finally collapsed and was given a seat at The Emperor’s Table. His sacrifice allowed for enough time to drag the Lord General to safety and inspired the rest of the Imperial forces present to mount a valiant counterattack which won the day for the Imperium. While drums are no longer used as a means of conveying orders, the role is symbolic and meant to inspire nearby soldiers with holy music. To be selected to be a member of the Drummer Corps is seen as one of the greatest honors, as the opportunity to emulate a saint like Saint Nikolas is a great blessing. His canonization as both a martyr and saint led to the common battle cry: “For ol’ Saint Nick!”

Another planet within the Bethlehem system is the planet of Goliath, a cold and rocky world in close proximity to the blue giant. The intense gravity of the world has allowed an entire civilization of Ogryns to develop. While Ogryns are naturally receptive to the Imperial Creed, the Noelian interpretation is especially well received, with Ogryns from this world typically growing long white beards and wearing an abundance of red as part of their uniforms. They can often be found congregated around, and trying to sing along with, Vox broadcasters playing the popular Noel songs.

#christmas #Imperial Guard #Astra Militarum #warhammer 40k #warhammer 40000

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myxcenterxstage · 6 years ago

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v: Sail On / The Terror AU random plotz, aus, and thing I wish happened in the TV show / Franklin’s Lost Expedition

Under the cut because long post, contains spoilers, and there literally is the good, the angst, the ugly, and the beautiful ! XD

Bonus: Some of these include random plot things discussed in IMs I just want to save for posterity :3

THE GOOD:

1. Pris is like the biggest spirit lifter over the winter. When things get dreary she always knows how to lift their spirits with a little song and dance. (Never has she had enjoyed so many a dance partner lmao)

2. One particularly dull and boring winter after discovering how much of a theatre nerd Fitzjames is, she somehow manages to convince him to perform a few skits with her and a few other theatrically-inclined crew members.

3. Pris growing to follow Crozier like a puppy and fawn over Fitzjames like the secret admirer that she is... only to stand there scratching her head from seeing them argue and hardly get along.

4. Crozier teaching Pris sailor’s slang. Fitzjames telling Pris for hours about his adventures and stories. Goodsir nerding over Arctic nature. PRIS HANGING OUT WITH THE CREW AND LEARNING STUFF OKAY?? <3

5. Pris’ excitement the first time she has the privilege of dining with the officers or being in an officer meeting. Fitzjames / other officers teaching Pris what it takes. Thanks to her Uncle’s knowledge passed down to her, she actually provides good insight during one of their important meetings, albeit from different experience and viewpoint.

6. Pris wearing a sailors cap and uniform jacket over her skirt and being so proud of it.

7. EVERYONE HAPPY AND LISTENING TO BLANKY’S STORIES??? OR JUST SAILOR STORIES IN GENERAL???

8. or how about an au where Hickey actually learns from his lessons and can actually HELP people instead of manipulating them???

9. EVERYONE ACTUALLY HAVING A GOOD TIME AT THE CARNIVAL AND STANLEY DOESN’T RUIN IT???

10. CAN GOODSIR AND SILNA ACTUALLY GET TOGETHER PLEASE?? AND HAVE A WEDDING??? AND THE CREW AND PRIS ARE ALL INVITED AND THEY CELEBRATE?? AND GOODSIR GETS TO PUBLISH HIS DICTIONARY??

11. OR BETTER YET HOW ABOUT SIR JOHN ACTUALLY HAS A CHANGE OF HEART AND / LISTENS/ TO CROZIER?? AND THEY ALL CAN CHILL IN THE WINTER IN SAFETY AND NOT IN THE PACK AND THEN DISCOVER THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE??

12. OR HOW ABOUT IF LIEUTENANT JOHN IRVING ACTUALLY TOLD THE INUIT FAMILY TO COME WITH HIM TO THE CAMP, WITNESSES HICKEY’S MURDER, HICKEY IS OUTNUMBERED AND ENDED, AND BECAUSE THE INUIT TRIBE IS ALIVE THEY ALL GET TO ENJOY THE SEAL MEAT TOGETHER BACK AT CAMP AND JOIN THE INUIT TRIBE TO SAFETY. AND A WHOLE NEW AU CAN BRANCH FROM HERE.

13. Stargazing and aurora borealis admiring!!

14. Everyone nerding out over books they’ve been reading and science??

15. Pris knitting sweaters for the officers / special crew members just because she’s sweet like that.

16. PRIS FINDING HER UNCLE’S BOOK AMONG THOSE 1000 BOOK LIBRARY!?!??

17. BASICALLY GIVE ME HAPPY AU WHERE EVERYONE LIVES AND THE CANS AREN’T POISONED WITH LEAD - IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!!?

THE ANGST:

1. Similar to this great thrilling scene Priscilla finds herself face to face with the Tuunbaq, and doesn’t run but stares death in the face... and just when she thinks it's her untimely end someone else shoots the Tuunbaq, diverting its attention to chase someone else... and Pris is grabbed by a fellow comrade (or the brave soul who just saved Pris’ life) and they run off to safety. It doesn’t have to occur on the island, this can occur on the ice/during the ship attach too.

2. Pris afterward the above incident hyperventilating in safety and describing its face.

3. Hickey staging something to make Pris take the fall for or make it LOOK like she did it.

4. Somehow someone discovers Pris’ engagement ring among her belongings or something happens (probably due to Hickey) that rumor has it she’s a 'stained’ woman and why else would she board a ship last minute?

5. Pris & Hickey don’t get along & the officers have to split them up from getting into a fight (also cuz Hickey looks too much like Edmund... the dude who caused her scandal in England)

6. After Crozier is captured by Hickey, LITTLE AND COMPANY ACTUALLY GO AND RESCUE HIM??? Pris will back him up if nothing else to weight the decision/vote.

7. Pris tending to peoples wound after angst... whether that be supporting Crozier when he’s going through his withdrawals, or dabbing Fitzjames’ forehead when his hairline starts bleeding... or other similar sweet but angsty moments.

8. OKAY BUT WHAT IF CROZIER DID LEAVE WITH THE 8 MEN AND RESIGNED AS CAPTAIN BEFORE SIR JOHN DIED????? Pris insists to go along too because she ain’t leaving her Captain. AND IN THEORY IF THE TUUNBAQ IS BUSY THEN ABOUT TO ATTACK SIR JOHN AND CO DOES THIS MEAN CROZIER’S PARTY COULD POSSIBLY GET A HEAD START AND NOT GET ATTACKED AND ACTUALLY GET HELP???

THE UGLY:

1. Pris getting kidnapped by Hickey after escaping his hanging. And after Crozier is also captured they just hold this long stare across the camp. Just when Pris was beginning to lose all hope and on the verge of buckling under by being hostage to the psychopathic rat, Crozier’s presence pushes her to keep going. Ideally, with strength in numbers between her, John Dingle, Goodsir, and the other dude who I think was on their side, they try and make an escape before being attacked by the Tuunbaq but manage to FINALLY kill the thing.

2. The above blurb and possibly even the Edward Little rescue party plots might even tie in together. It can still result in angst and Hickey kidnapping Pris to try and threaten her at knifepoint to put Crozier / (Fitzjames) / follow crewmember in a double bing. Either Tuunbaq then shows up or something happens and as Pris is trying to run off she finally gets to throw a punch at Hickey she had so long been wanting to do.

3. Pris developing so much feels for Fitzjames and dying a little inside each day for fear of it being unrequited but at least she’s happy to call such an extraordinary person her friend and share such great memories together. I’m not even going to go into the scenario of James’ death because that grieves me too much to even handle let alone Pris.

4. Pris is on the verge of hitting her breaking point after even more deaths since leaving the ship. Like it’s even a grief to Pris’ crewmember friends that the little Miss Sunshine has gone so quiet and pensive. And it takes the support of said crewmember friends who try to cheer her up this time.

5. The above angst of Pris being the one sick / recovering from some injury and either as side effect of the medicine or something she has a delusional outbreak where she’s calling out for her Uncle and when Crozier runs over to her, she keeps talking to him as if she was talking to her Uncle before passing out.

THE BEAUTIFUL:

1. Crozier trying to protect Pris from her scandal when they all return home, and puts on his angry Irish Naval Captain face when Pris breaks up with Philbert once and for all (and finally ends that arranged marriage) and Crozier eventually socks Philbert in the jaw when he’s being difficult about it. And then Crozier and Pris run back off to sea. Crozier warns her about the scandal that would follow and Pris expresses she doesn’t care anymore what other snobs think of her and the sea is her home now. So they run off into the sunset on their next adventure. (shoutout to terrorcaptain because this is so beautiful I need to save this 5ever)

2. After crossing the Northwest Passage everyone gets to beach in Hawaii and party in Asia.

3. After RETURNING SUCCESSFULLY back to London, Pris has to face the music and face her scandal but similar to the story ‘La Fille Du Regiment’ ... Pris as the ‘Daughter of the Navy’ isn’t seen so scandalous anymore because she was a key contributor to the success of the Franklin Expedition and joins her new ‘Family’ of the HMS Erebus/HMS Terror for their next adventure!

#the terror rp #the terror au #v: sail on #rp wishlist #I guess? XD #obviously !#hmu if you're interested in any of these :)#Whether that be plotting or rping or just plain or chatting about them in IMs or something :3 #also kudos if you actually read through all that XD #terrorcaptain #fitzjmes #tagging u two also because reasons and chatting with u two inspired some of these ;)

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montmartre-parapluie · 8 years ago

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So, apologies for being absent without leave, people! I've recently moved apartments again, and I'm not due to get Internet until the 25th, so it's been rather dark and 'data limit'-y this week. I'm lucky my hotel has wifi this weekend! But I couldn't go off into reenactment land without sharing my latest project! This is all @mercurygray and @calamity-bean's fault, by the way. Merc had to go and write La Fille de Regiment, with the lovely Margaret Frances, 18th century laundress - and then @calamity-bean had to go and do some absolutely AMAZING fanart of Margaret, wearing such a cute little short jacket with a gorgeous print of columbine flowers all over it. So, when I saw this verrrry similar floral cotton print in my local fabric shop - well, 18th century sewing happens. I did my own take on Margaret's gorgeous swallowtail jacket in the picture, with ribbon and blue front lacing. Once I've made a blue petticoat and apron, this baby is going to @mercurygray to have fun with as she pleases...

#m p goes all crafty #my sewing #18th century costume #merc is lovely #calamity-bean is insanely talented #make your own merchandise

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heimwee2456 · 7 years ago

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Another day is beginning, hooray! Although waking up to the cold and chilly weather is not the best type of waking up, our plans were so huge, and we could not be restrained by any absurd rain!

The first stop of today were Versailles. Both museum and the gardens. After standing in line to reach the entrance for like an hour we finally got in and a great history-filled tour could begin.

The Palace of Versailles has been listed as a World Heritage Site for 30 years and is one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art. Louis XIII’s old hunting pavilion was transformed and extended by his son, Louis XIV, when he installed the Court and government there in 1682. A succession of kings continued to embellish the Palace up until the French Revolution. Today the Palace contains 2300 rooms spread over 63 154 m2.

In 1789, the French Revolution forced Louis XVI to leave Versailles for Paris. The Palace would never again be a royal residence and a new role was assigned to it in the 19th century, when it became the Museum of the History of France in 1837 by order of King Louis-Philippe, who came to the throne in 1830. The rooms of the Palace were then devoted to housing new collections of paintings and sculptures representing great figures and important events that had marked the History of France. These collections continued to be expanded until the early 20th century at which time, under the influence of its most eminent curator, Pierre de Nolhac, the Palace rediscovered its historical role when the whole central part was restored to the appearance it had had as a royal residence during the Ancien Régime.

The Palace of Versailles never played the protective role of a medieval stronghold. Beginning in the Renaissance period, the term “chateau” was used to refer to the rural location of a luxurious residence, as opposed to an urban palace. It was thus common to speak of the Louvre “Palais” in the heart of Paris, and the “Château” of Versailles out in the country. Versailles was only a village at the time. It was destroyed in 1673 to make way for the new town Louis XIV wished to create. Currently the centrepiece of Versailles urban planning, the Palace now seems a far cry from the countryside residence it once was. Nevertheless, the garden end on the west side of the Estate of Versailles is still adjoined by woods and agriculture.

Visitors looking through the central window in the Hall of Mirrors will see the Grande Perspective stretching away towards the horizon from the Water Parterre. This unique east-west perspective originally dates from before the reign of Louis XIV, but it was developed and extended by the gardener André Le Nôtre, who widened the Royal Way and dug the Grand Canal.

In 1661 Louis XIV entrusted André Le Nôtre with the creation and renovation of the gardens of Versailles, which he considered just as important as the Palace. Works on the gardens were started at the same time as the work on the palace and lasted for 40 or so years. During this time André Le Nôtre collaborated with the likes of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, superintendent of buildings from 1664 to 1683, who managed the project, and Charles Le Brun, who was made first painter in January 1664 and provided the drawings for a large number of the statues and fountains. Last but not least, each project was reviewed by the King himself, who was keen to see “every detail”. Not long after, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, having been made rirst architect and superintendent of buildings, built the Orangery and simplified the outlines of the park, in particular by modifying or opening up some of the groves.

Creating the gardens was a monumental task. Large amounts of soil had to be shifted to level the ground, create parterres, build the Orangery and dig out the fountains and Canal in places previously occupied solely by meadows and marshes. Trees were brought in from different regions of France. Thousands of men, sometimes even entire regiments, took part in this immense project.

To maintain the design, the garden needed to be replanted approximately once every 100 years. Louis XVI did so at the beginning of his reign, and the undertaking was next carried out during the reign of Napoleon III. Following damage caused by a series of storms in the late 20th century, including one in December 1999, which was the most devastating, the garden has been fully replanted and now boasts a fresh, youthful appearance similar to how it would have looked to Louis XIV.

Water features of all kinds are an important part of French gardens, even more so than plant designs and groves. At Versailles, they include waterfalls in some of the groves, spurts of water in the fountains, and the calm surface of the water reflecting the sky and sun in the Water Parterre or the Grand Canal.

Also, made of bronze, marble or lead, the 386 works of art in Versailles (including 221 decorating the gardens) make it the biggest open-air sculpture museum in the world. The vast space in garden at the foot of the palace and the vast wooded area of the park allowed Le Nôtre to develop the principles he had applied at Vaux-le-Vicomte on a greater scale.

The scale, height and pure lines of the Orangery, which sits just below the palace, make it one of Jules Hardouin-Mansart’s crowning achievements, demonstrating his talent as a great architect. Orange trees from Portugal, Spain and Italy, lemon trees, oleander, palm and pomegranate trees, some more than 200 years old, are all housed in the Orangery during the winter and spread out across its parterre in summer.

In an attempt to gain some brief respite from courtly etiquette, the kings of Versailles built themselves more intimate spaces close to the main palace. Adjoining the Petit Parc, the estate of Trianon is home to the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon palaces, as well as the Queen’s Hamlet and a variety of ornamental gardens.

Construction on the estate began under Louis XIV, who had the Grand Trianon Palace built at the far end of the northern branch of the Grand Canal. The estate is perhaps most closely associated with Queen Marie-Antoinette. The wife of Louis XVI regularly sought refuge at the Petit Trianon, where she commissioned marvellous landscaped gardens centred around a hamlet of cottages built in the rustic style then in vogue. Designed for more intimate moments, this royal estate contains architectural gems and magnificent gardens whose diversity and ornamentation give it a unique charm.

The Grand Trianon is a unique architectural composition featuring a central colonnaded gallery, or “Peristyle”, opening onto the central courtyard on one side and the gardens on the other. Construction began in 1687, directed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart under the watchful eye of Louis XIV. The king used this new palace as a private residence where he could spend time with Madame de Maintenon. It was originally known as the “Marble Trianon” on account of the pink marble panels which adorned the palace’s elegant façades. The majority of the apartments have retained their original appearance, including the sumptuous Mirror Room where the king would hold council. The ornate geometric flowerbeds of the French gardens were planted with tens of thousands of flowers, a spectacle which was greatly admired by Louis XIV’s visitors.

The Petit Trianon, considered to be royal architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel’s masterpiece, is something of a manifesto for the neo-classical movement. Completed in 1768, it provided Louis XV and his new mistress the Comtesse Du Barry with the privacy which was so sorely lacking at the palace. This new royal residence was in fact an extension of the king’s passion for the botanical sciences: he was keen to have a home in the heart of the gardens to which he devoted so much of his time and which, by the time of his death, were among the most richly-stocked in Europe. With the exception of the French Garden, Louis XV’s beloved gardens were thoroughly overhauled to make way for new, landscaped spaces after his death. Marie-Antoinette, who had such trouble adapting to life in the court, received the Petit Trianon as a gift from Louis XVI in 1774 and developed a great attachment to this estate.

The Queen’s Hamlet, constructed between 1783 and 1786 under the supervision of Richard Mique, is an excellent example of the contemporary fascination with the charms of rural life. Inspired by the traditional rustic architecture of Normandy, this peculiar model village included a windmill and dairy, as well as a dining room, salon, billiard room and boudoir. Although it was reserved primarily for the education of her children, Marie-Antoinette also used the hamlet for promenades and hosting guests.

Meanwhile the Queen’s Theatre, inaugurated in 1780, is the only building to have survived fully intact and unchanged since the eighteenth century. The queen watched private performances here, but also took to the stage herself, another of her great passions.

After a few amazing hours spent there (please define one whole day for this, 6 hours were too few for us :/), we headed to the Parisian modern quarter La Défense for late lunch, to see the architecture of skyscrapers and shop a bit in a huge shopping centre called Les 4 Temps.

La Défense is the prime high-rise office district of Paris. Many of Paris’ tallest buildings can be found here. At the end of the First World War, plans were made to develop the axis from the Arc de Triomphe at the Etoile to La Défense, an area at the edge of the center of Paris. Numerous plans were submitted for the Voie Triumphale or Triumphal Way as it was known, most of them with endless rows of impressive skyscrapers in mostly Modernist style. Many of the plans which were submitted in 1930 came from renowned architects like Le Corbusier and Auguste Perret. None of these plans were realized, mainly due to the Great Depression in the 1930s.

In 1931 though, the authorities organized a new competition, but the intent was to limit the height of the buildings along the Triumphal Way. Only at the end of the long avenue, at the Défense, were towers allowed. This was recommended by the authorities as towers close to the center would obstruct the view on the Etoile.

Most of the 35 (French) entries in the competition were either classical or modernist in style, but again none of the plans were actually realized due to lack of funding. The main focus now moved from the Triumphal way to the Défense area, or La Défense. The name défense originates from the monument “La Défense de Paris”, which was erected at this site in 1883 to commemorate the war of 1870.

In 1951, the Défense site was chosen as an office center. In 1958, development of the area was started by a special agency, the Etablissement Public d’Aménagement de la Défense.

The first plan had two rows of skyscrapers of equal height. In 1964, a plan was approved to have twenty office towers of 25 stories each. Little of the development on the Défense was actually built according to this plan, as most companies started to press for taller office towers.

The result is a mix of mostly cheap towers of different heights. The tallest of them, the GAN tower, measured 179 meters.

The height of several towers, and in particular the GAN tower caused a public outcry as the “forest of towers” disturbs the view on the Arc de Triomphe as seen from the Etoile.

Partly in response to this criticism a new monument was built at the entrance of the Défense as a counterweight for the Arc de Triomphe: The Tête Défense , also known as the Grande Arche de la Défense.

The project to build the “Grande Arche” (Great Arch) was supported by the French president Mitterrand who wanted a twentieth century version of the Arc de Triomphe. The design of Danish architect Otto von Spreckelsen looks more like a cube-shaped building than a triumphal arch. The 106 meters wide building has a central archway. The sides of the cube contain offices while the rooftop has a belvedere that until 2010 was open to visitors.

It was downpouring soo much, so we weren’t really able to see anything and just had to hide in the shopping centre all the time. At least the lunch was great. After some time the rain had finally stopped and we could move to another destination – Montmartre.

Montmartre is talked about by Parisians the way New Yorkers talk about the Village: It’s not what it used to be, it’s like Disneyland; the artists can’t afford to live here anymore, too many tourists etc. There is some truth in these opinions, but there are two ways of approaching this incredibly unique village within the metropolis. The first is to follow the herd instinct and stampede your way up the famous hill, take a picture of yourself on the steps of the basilica, buy an overpriced crepe at the Place du Tertre, get conned into having your portrait sketched, and walk back down clutching newly bought key-rings, postcards, gaudy T-shirts feeling a little mystified about what all the fuss is about.

The second method is to keep a map in your pocket (just in case) and try to lose yourself in the steep and cobbled streets of one of the most historic and interesting neighborhoods in Paris. Remember that the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur (the big white church) sits on the crest of the hill, so as long as you are heading uphill there is little possibility of being lost for long. At the bottom of the hill is the Boulevard de Clichy which is lined with bars, kebab shops, and more sex shops and peep-shows than you can possibly pretend you are not looking at. If you think of a triangle, consider the base of it to be the section of Blvd. de Clichy and Blvd. de Rochechouart between the metro stations Blanche and Anvers. The tip of the triangle would be the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur. The area between these three points is roughly the area of interest.

You can begin your walk at any point along the base of the hill, or take the metro to Abbesses station and step out into the heart of Montmartre. Because all the great poets have told us the journey is more important than the destination, I recommend you start at metro Blanche (Moulin Rouge) or metro Anvers and gradually enter the “village”. This will make it feel more like a pilgrimage toward the place that nurtured most of the great artists and writers living in France this past century.

Exiting the Anvers metro station you will notice a marked change in the environment if you are used to the left bank scene. The crowd here is edgier and faster, neon signs flash, pimps lean in doorways, sex shops sell everything you had never thought of and countless nationalities mix on the crowded sidewalks. While Montmarte is gentrified and somewhat “sanitized” these days, the neighboring areas are certainly not. Barbes-Rochechouart to the east can be a little rough at night, so don’t go wandering there alone with your camera and guidebooks at night. In the daytime it’s a wonderful place to buy anything from socks to television in massive budget shops such as Tatti for household supplies, and Darty for electronics. The streets are also lined with stalls selling towels, underwear, sheets, linens, etc. for ridiculously cheap prices. Just watch your wallet – the bustling street market is a great place to have it lifted. Just across the street you will notice a beautiful building falling into decay – the Elysees Montmartre Theatre. It’s said to be the oldest can-can dance theatre in Paris, and is obviously underrated and overshadowed because of the famous Moulin Rouge at the other end of the street.

You will notice throngs of people in the little Rue de Steinkerque. The street has recently been infected by T-shirt shops and trinket peddlers, but the two Sympa stores with big red signs are an excellent place to find cheap clothing, sometimes brand names that are either irregular or just fell off the back of some truck. On this street you will also find interesting fabric stores as well as Columbia Coffee, one of the rare take-out coffee shops in Paris for those hardcore New Yorkers who need their fix on the go. I actually appreciate the concept of “to go” coffee, as do others who don’t have three hours to spare in a steamy window with a café au lait.

Back on the Rue de Steinkerque, walk until the street ends at Place St. Pierre. Facing you are the grassy and terraced gardens leading you to the basilica. The gardens were once gypsum quarries, hence the odd design. With the brightly lit merry go round churning out its nostalgic tunes and the imposing church white against the sky, it’s time to take the obligatory photos no one will look at. If you are hungry, grab a crepe or sandwich from the stand on the left, or the pleasant café with the best view of the gardens and basilica on your right.

On the close Rue de Ronsard is an interesting museum (St. Pierre) with local exhibitions, a gift shop and a nice café all set inside an old renovated warehouse. Across the street is the Marche St. Pierre, a multi level fabric store which rivals anything I have ever seen. If you are a designer, a home decorator or simply curious, you have to visit this incredible business which carries every type of fabric imaginable and holds an entire office for cutting and ordering on every floor. The beauty of it is that it exudes the feel of a shop in the 1950s and not the streamlined order of a modern department store.

Go back to the gardens facing the basilica and you will find that to the left and up the hill are the steps and the funicular which you can ride to the top. Steps can be, of course, found there too. The steps are of the classic Montmartre variety – steep and lined by pretty lampposts and deciduous trees. Despite the crowds, the view is the most spectacular in Paris. You can get even better view when you will decide to climb apx 300 more steps to the top of basilica! It costs only 3€ and in my opinion it’s definitely worth it. All around the year are there street musician who perform at the bottom of the steps, using the architecture as a kind of natural amphitheatre with an already captive audience.

The Basilica Sacre-Coeur was only built a century ago, after the French were embarrassed by a brief but successful occupation by the Germans in 1870. It wasn’t yet Hitler, but Bismarck’s Prussian army. The Basilica is based in Roman architecture and took over 40 years to build (more than it took to build the Parthenon!). From a distance, the stark white domes are powerful and imposing. During WWII, 13 bombs are said to have landed on the church, but without resulting in casualties, which lent the place special status among the local people.

Another close church is even more interesting historically. The Church of St. Pierre which is one of the oldest in Paris and even contains some original Roman columns.

The name Montmartre was originally Roman meaning “Mount of Mars” but was later changed to “Mount of Martyrs” or Montmartre. Across the street is the Place du Tertre where the legends of 20th century art used to roam. Now it’s filled with watercolors, portrait sketchers and caricaturists. Picasso, Vlamenck, Derain, Soutine, Modigliani, Van Gogh and countless others lived and worked in these narrow streets.

From the square you can wander the packed streets or sit in a café but be warned that the prices are higher and you will most likely be surrounded by tour groups and howling children. It’s much better to duck down a side street or go to a café nearer to Abbesses. If you are interested in Dali, you can visit the museum at 11 Rue Poulbot. In any case, follow the street and if you want to see one of the oldest authentic bakeries in Paris, take the steps down the Rue Norvins to where it intersects Rue des Saules. Follow this road downhill and you will begin to enter the most interesting part of historic Montmarte filled with narrow cobblestone streets and sometimes beautiful private gardens. Now you realize why this was truly considered a village once, set outside the city limits. At that time it was covered with vineyards and gypsum quarries and was a real working class neighborhood to which the artists came for cheap rent and tax free wine. Now the former studios and crumbling apartments have been converted into huge lofts or even houses with private garages, alarms and video surveillance.

On the close Rue Cortot you can visit the Montmartre Museum. The atmosphere in this old renovated manor house is impressive, along with a beautiful inner garden. Eric Satie, the composer, lived here at one time, and there is a room dedicated to him inside. Maurice Utrillo once lived here too, as did the famous Greek engraver and painter Demetrius Galanis.

Also be sure to visit the famous Bateau Lavoire at #13 Place Emile-Goudeau. Picasso’s studio was here and at times Braque, Juan Gris, Modigliani and Apollinaire all lived here. It’s without a doubt the most famous art “studio” in the world. It’s now a restaurant, but in terms of art history, it’s a much more important landmark than the better known Moulin Rouge.

And in the night we decided to watch the Eiffel Tower blinking from the one of the close squares. Another splendid and exhausting day, already looking forward for tomorrow!

no comment :DDD

Paris DAY 3: Versailles, La Défense, Montmartre & nocturnal Eiffel Tower

Another day is beginning, hooray! Although waking up to the cold and chilly weather is not the best type of waking up, our plans were so huge, and we could not be restrained by any absurd rain!

Paris DAY 3: Versailles, La Défense, Montmartre & nocturnal Eiffel Tower Another day is beginning, hooray! Although waking up to the cold and chilly weather is not the best type of waking up, our plans were so huge, and we could not be restrained by any absurd rain!

#capital #city #day #France #Paris #sightseeing #spring #three #travel #traveling #trip #weather #winter

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kirsty-madden-art-blog · 5 years ago

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Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette may have not been an artist herself in the terms of physically creating the work but to me she was the art. A walking talking statement of creative genius she was a muse to many such as Léonard Autié Coiffeur de la Reine the hairdresser who created her towering 3ft wigs and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun Marie Antoinette's unofficial painter who created more than 30 portraits of the queen and her family.

Something I find important to remember is the differences between her childhood in Austria where she was surrounded by love compared to the circumstances she found herself Married into, an unpopular alliance between two historical enemies.

In Austria she was free to dress and socialize with who she wished she wasn't forced into friendships due to ranks. She could retire to the privacy of the royal apartments for relaxation and peace whilst at Versailles she was just an object to be gawked at and gossiped about. Everything revolved around ceremony and pompous rituals. “Marie Antoinette is surrounded by a swarm of courtesans the duchess pulls up the sleeve of the queens dress while someone else pulls up the left suddenly there's a scratch at the door a princess enters her rank is higher the duchesses so they have to start over again and there is Marie Antoinette standing in the dead of winter shivering and losing her patience with the endless ballet." that is why she wanted to get away from everything she hated about court and all its formalities.

The Petit Trianon was Marie Antoinette's first request to LouisXVl after their coronation in 1774 were she was crowned queen of France at the age of 19. A small Chateau built on the grounds besides the world famous botanical Gardens. Originally built as a gift for LouisXV’s mistress Madame de pompadour later given to Madame Du Barry, LouisXV’s favorite who Marie Antoinette originally snubbed due to her position of “immorality” when she arrived at the court of Versailles at the age of 14.

Marie Antoinette hated the structured regiments of court and the aristocrats who prided themselves on their station. She decided to surround herself with people based on their merit usually people around her own age, fun light hearted these people would become known as coterie the queens society. only people invited could visit the Chateau, it is even said king LouisXVl had to ask permission to attend. This caused outrage with the upper class who had never not been able to watch everything the royals did especially the queen. Rumors soon started to fly about the queens attitude and fact that after 5 years of marriage there had never been any children or the fact that there was no evidence of them even consummating the marriage.

The Trianon, 18th century Rococo architecture that transitioned to a neoclassical style. The chateau was designed to never see servants, the dining table even had a mechanism were it could be set in the servants quarters and then raised to the dining room. Privacy was the main aim with the interior decorating, painted screens could be placed in front of all the windows which only caused further contention with the already aristocrats and rumors swirled about what truly happened behind the walls.

Inside the queen wanted to reflect the beauty and grace of nature. Adorning the walls are motifs of flowers and delicate ornaments, feminine and soft touches . A preference for pastels and whites.

It was rumored that the queen had spent fortunes redecorating and that in her newly functioning theatre there were precious gems in the walls. While she did use the finest crafts men most of the work was made to be cost effective, the statues rumored to be solid gold were a form of papier mâché with gold leaf add on top.” The various shades of gold blend harmoniously with the false marble paneling dominated by violet tones.”

Marie Antoinette even took to the stage in private performances where if enough seats weren't filled she allowed the servants to sit in as well, this infuriated the aristocrats that had in thier minds been essentially seen as less than common folk.

Once finished with the chateau Marie Antoinette turned her attention to the gardens. She demolished nearly the entirety of the world famous botanical gardens and in its stead adopted an increasingly popular English style called Anglo-Oriental.A step away from the extremely controlled and structured French gardens it seems she wanted to reflect her new found freedom onto the landscape. when designing the new gardens, Marie Antoinette made the decision to limit the number of buildings. She ultimately decided on two ornamental structures, the Belvedere and the Love Monument, both designed by her official architect Richard Mique.

The queen loved to gamble and play card games. It would be unbefitting of her station to be seen in the same dress twice. Her hair styles the ques-a-co and the poof often consisted of towering wigs with adornments of jewelry and ostrich feathers they were covered in a flour based powder which left many commoners furious since there was a flour shortage in France. She spent and spent with LouisXVl footing the bill most of the blame for all of Frances money issues were placed onto Marie Antoinette but at the same time LouisXVl was fronting the bill against the British in the American war, the French debt was rising rapidly so were the taxes.

After years of marriage and inexperience on both parts Marie Antoinette and LouisXVl consummated their marriage after seven years. They had four children, first Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte, Marie Antoinette's birthing room was so cluttered by aristocrats clambering to get a view of the heir to France being born that the queen nearly passed out until a window was opened. Her next child the future dauphine Louis-Joseph-Xavier-François was the child France most wished for, she had finally produced an heir she had done her duty as queen. Louis-Charles was third then Sophie-Hélène-Béatrix who sadly died of tuberculous very young.

Tales of Marie Antoinette's promiscuity ran rampant especially since her inner circle consisted of young handsome gentlemen. Though much of this is untrue gossip she did allow herself one love Count von Fersen. After giving birth to a son she after many years of having a fondness for the Swedish count felt she fulfilled her duty to the state and wanted to fall in love. The English gardens had done what they were designed for create an idealic landscape as if out of love poem.

Marie Antoinette now set her sights on a new project the queens hamlet she tasked Richard Mique once again with her vision extending the gardens to the north and building a whole model village around an artificial lake. Based off a Normandy village full of cottages and barns. Each of the buildings had a specific function five were reserved for use by the Queen and the other seven had a functional purpose and were for agricultural purposes.

These buildings were never meant to be permeant fixtures for centuries to come. They were designed and built like stage props. All the bricks were painted on so from across the lake they would seem real. The scattered small buildings gave the illusion of a working village. A guard house was disguised as a peasant cottage, there was a dairy, fishery working farm as well as a boudoir and a dressing room even a decorative mill but most importantly and the largest of the buildings The house of the Queen. Marie Antoinette used the hamlet as teaching tool of what a commoners life was for her children.

Though simplistic and beautiful it was an untrue assumption of life in France. hopeless poverty and starvation is more accurate. And all their anger was pointed to the only person they could find the queen.

Marie Antoinette started to move away from the heavy make-up and the popular wide-hooped panniers. And onto a more soft feminine and freeing ensemble gaulle, a layered muslin dress. She commissioned a painting by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun in one such dress and a straw hat holding a flower. At Le Brun first Salon, she displayed a number of portraits, including one of the queen in a white muslin dress and straw hat. The way the queen was depicted caused much controversy since it was seen as unbefitting of someone of her status to be seen in something akin to undergarments. People argued that she was putting the whole French silk makers out of business since all the muslin used had to be imported after all this it was decided that Le Brun was to paint a replica portrait but of the queen in formal attire.

The final point in her demise in the eyes of the public perception is something she had nothing to do with. Cardinal de Rohan someone who Marie Antoinette disliked even when he had been the French ambassador to Vienna when she was a child and had never spoken a word to him at French court. In 1874 the cardinal trying to gain favour with the queen so he could join the king's council meet Jeanne de la Motte who convinced him she could get him access to the queen. So began the cardinals and the queens alleged correspondence where he grew enamoured and feel in love with the so called queen, he arranged a meeting through Jeanne de la Motte in the gardens of Versailles he thought he was meeting Marie Antoinette but it was actually a prostitute that had a great likeness to the queen that Jeanne de la Motte had paid. She with her fake relationship to the queen was able to request large sums of money from the cardinal for the queens "charity work” and often boasted to the courtiers about her fake relationship with the queen.

The jewellers Boehmer and Bassenge who had many times tried to sell a diamond necklace worth 2,000,000 livres that had been commissioned by the previous king LouisXV for his mistress Madame du Barry to Marie Antoinette. Had decided that they would try again to have Marie Antoinette buy it through Jeanne de la Motte. She originally refused the request but ultimately agreed.

Jeanne de la Motte wrote to the cardinal as the queen ordering him to buy the necklace, saying that she wanted to purchase the necklace but didn’t want to do it publicly due to the price. So, he did, he agreed to pay the jewellers in instalments and gave the necklace to Jeanne de la Motte who promptly sent to have the jewels removed and sold on the black market. When it was time to pay Jeanne de la Motte gave the jewellers the cardinals letters but that wasn’t sufficient and the jewellers complained to Marie Antoinette, who when asked said she had done nothing of the sort.

The cardinal was arrested but later found innocent and Jeanne de la Motte and her accomplices guilty but that did not stop the public outrage and blame from being placed upon Marie Antoinette, an image of her as a manipulative spendthrift, more interested in vanity than in the welfare of her people.

Marie Antoinette began to abandon her more carefree activities to become more involved in politics and royal affairs after the birth of her children after the diamond necklace incident and to try to portray herself in a better public light. She commissioned a painting by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun once again to paint her in a more human light with her three surviving children around her and her eldest son pointing towards the empty cradle, a grieving mother. She wore mature clothes with less decorations but still in a formal setting. But this did not help revolution loomed. On the 4th June her eldest son the dauphine died the queen went into a deep mourning.

Paris was besieged by riots that culminated in the storming of the Bastille on 14 July. Courtesans and aristocrats were all being evacuated from Versailles in fears of an attack, but Marie Antoinette choose to stay with her husband even though she was in great danger. Her husband LouisXV1 was executed on 21 January 1793. Marie Antoinette was charged with depletion of the national treasury, conspiracy against the internal and external security of the State, and high treason because of her intelligence activities in the interest of the enemy.

She had her hair shorn off and was made to change her clothes in front of the guards, she wore a simple white dress. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back and was made to ride on the back of an open wagon for an hour. Marie Antoinette was guillotined at 12:15 p.m. on 16 October 1793.

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Hey - this is Pat from StarterStory.com where I do interviews with successful e-commerce businesses.Doing something a bit different again - we interviewed Matt Griffin from Combat Flip Flops a few months ago on reddit.One of the most interesting parts of his story was how he landed a pretty cool Shark Tank deal, which consisted of:SharkAmtEquityMark Cuban$100,00010%Lori Grenier$100,00010%Daymond John$100,00010%Total$300,00030%I had Matt sit down and write about his Shark Tank experience, hope you enjoy:Hi. My name is Griff. I’m a co-founder and the CEO of Combat Flip Flops. I wrote a previous Starter Story interview and Pat said you dug it. He said many of you wanted to know more about our Shark Tank experience and asked me to tell you about it.Before I get into the story, this is going to be written in the first person. Between you and I. Because I know one of you out there is going to take this path and I’d love you to make the most of it--live the American Dream. Take your small business to the big show, land a shark, and build a company that employs friends and supports families.I’m a former Army guy. Did a couple tours with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan and Iraq. After the Army, I worked as a home builder, did medical sales, consulting, and eventually started a business making flip flops in war zones with a fellow Ranger, Donald Lee, and my brother-in-law, Andy Sewrey. Yes. Flip Flops in war zones.Us on shark tankThe Shark Tank ExperienceThe Shark Tank experience was a multitude of highs and lows. Everybody hears about the "Shark Tank Effect" and dreams of being the next household name for whatever concept, service, or widget born out of their entrepreneurial dreams.Chasing that dream is all-consuming. From the moment you get the first call until you air, it’s an ever present escalation in stress.Skipping to the end--I cried. A lot. In a bar. On all of my business partners.We spent roughly one hour and forty five minutes in the tank. At the end, we had three sharks in the company. Mark Cuban, Daymond John, and Lori Greiner for $300,000 at 30% of the company. My shirt was pitted. Lee and I were hungry. And we didn’t know who to call first--our wives or business partners.Getting on the showCompletely candid--we were the exception.In February 2015, Lee and I met a reporter named Wes Siler. Great guy. DapperAF. Seriously. 6’1. Chiseled features. Odd English/American Accent. Leather jacket. Hipster motorcycle. Apparently he wrote for this publication called Gizmodo. I’m not a big media guy, so we didn’t fully understand the magnitude of this meeting.He sat his phone down on the bar, asked if he could record the conversation, and ordered a few beers. After about an hour of discussion, he finishes his beer, looks at us and says, "Ok guys. Great story. I have to go catch a plane to Las Vegas to go party with Billy Idol for the weekend. Later." And he was off.The following Tuesday, our website started crashing uncontrollably. Wes wrote the best article anybody’s ever written on our company (link) and nearly 175K people read it in less than 48 hours. Yeah. It was rad.Getting the phone callTwo months later, I was working in my kitchen after the family went to bed and my phone rings. It was from Culver City, California. I thought it was a spam caller, so I let it ring to voicemail. And it left a voicemail. Odd. What spammer leaves a voicemail at 1130pm? So I checked it."Hi. My name is Max Swedlow. I’m a producer from ABC’s Shark Tank and read your article on Gizmodo. Can you give me a call back? I think you’d be great for the show."WTF. I called him back immediately and he picked up. After a few minutes of discussion, I let him know that I thought Shark Tank was the business version of American Idol. They destroy young talent on TV just for ratings. Max was kindly persistent and said, "Hey man. I’ll send you the application. Sleep on it and get back to me in the morning."The written applicationDuring our morning meeting the next day, I let my business partners know about he call and my initial response. Lee responded, "Are you fucking high?! Do you know how big Shark Tank is? You’re a fucking idiot. Fill out the form and submit immediately."After work that day, I walked down to the gas station, bought a 12’r of Rainier, and started formulating the application. On the questions, there’s roughly six or seven lines for responses. We may have made it to the end of the second line on one or two questions. It was direct.After a few hours and a stack of empty cans, I attached the Word doc to the email and hit send. May or may not have been the best decision made in company history.Getting "downselected"Max called the next morning. "Dude, the responses are awesome. I need you to put together a video edit. Scratch that. There’s enough stuff of you guys on Youtube. Give me a few days." The 12’r method may have worked.A few days later, we started receiving emails from the ABC crew. We were in the downselect process.For those not aware, 55-60,000 small businesses apply every year. They downselect to roughly 300 companies from applications and whittle you down through the pre-production process. Eventually they select 170-180 companies to film. After filming 150ish of those companies make it to air.At this point, we were beating odds. Might as well run this one to ground.The filming processThis happened a few years ago and Shark Tank has an uber-aggressive NDA about details, so I’ll answer this as best as possible without getting ourselves in trouble with the ABC lawyers ;)We were notified mid-April that we were in the downselect process for the June filming dates. When you’re dealing with companies and opportunities this big, get used to the paperwork and lack of commitment in all communications. Just because they’re talking to you doesn’t mean you’ll get filmed, on air, or a deal. Just be prepared for it.Get ready to waitThey organize weekly calls with associate producers to go over your pitch, the process, stage setup, etc.. They are interviewing you the entire way. Are you going to be a good company? Are you going to be entertaining? Are you worth ABC’s time? You need to be positive, engaging, and professional in all of these interactions. After about a month, the pre-production calls end and you wait for the call to fly to meet the Sharks. And you wait. And wait.If you want to be involved with Shark Tank, then you want to be waiting. You wait. A lot. The military prepared us for this. It drives others crazy.Then we got the call.Filming / Day 1I’m going to skip a few details due to the NDA, but I’m sure you can dig around the internet to find the filming location and other details. It’s fast and furious.You land on day 1 and get shuttled to a hotel. At the hotel, you’re met by a producer to talk to you about the schedule. You’re either waiting at the hotel or filming. And you’re crammed into a hotel with a few other companies going into the tank. The vibe at the bar, restaurant, and pool is extremely nervous. The hotel wreaked of nervousness. It was weird.Day 2On Day 2, you go to the filming location. You’re finally get to meet your associate producers in person, take time to prepare your display, and get "The Brief." Basically, they sit all of the companies down and scare the shit out of you with the NDA. First rule of Shark Tank--You don’t talk about Shark Tank. Until your episode release date is announced, you can’t say anything about your experience. And until your episode airs, you can’t communicate the results. If you do--the Sharks are the least of your worries.After the butt puckering legal brief, you do pre-pitches to the producers. Basically, they want to know you’re not going to get in front of the Sharks and stutter your way through the filming. That would be bad for the production team and sharks. You’d be surprised how many companies get cut at this point. After your pre-pitch, the producers give you feedback and you return to your hotel to prepare.Day 3Early the next morning, you pack your bags, check out of the hotel, and jump into a van back to the filming location. They put you in a small green room where you continue to wait. You’ll get a call out for makeup and a microphones, then back to the room to wait. Eventually you get the call.You stand on a carpet in front of the big brown doors, the makeup tech does final touches, and a camera guy is hovering around you in one of those weird, floating, chest-rig cameras. Max met us at the carpet.Max: "Hey guys, I really think you should up your valuation."Me: "Nah man. I think we’re good."Max: "$300k for 10% is good. Do that."Me (in my head) " He’s just trying to get us to put up a stupid valuation to get sharked on film. Not gonna happen. I run with it though."Lee: (Shrugs)Me: "Ok Max. I’ll paper, rock, scissors you for it."Makeup Tech (Stares in Amazement)Max: "Really?"Me: "Yeah man. One shot. Let’s do this."I lost. Max chose paper. I chose Rock. He smiled and literally bee-bopped away. His step was ridiculously peppy.Decisions. Decisions. There’s a lot on the line here. If we fuck this up, people in factories in Afghanistan and Colombia don’t go to work. Mission first.Lee: "Bro. What are we going to do?"Me: "Fuck it. Stick to the plan. Let’s get this."Somebody called from behind us, "Five Seconds!" The doors opened and there we were… Heading into the tank.The pitchPitches are pitches. Nobody really pays attention. Get your point across in a format that ensures the company knows what product you make, why, and the value proposition.In the Rangers, you mockup targets before hitting them. Sometimes it’s simply white string outlines of buildings and rooms on bare terrain. Sometimes it's full builds of buildings. When you hit a target, you hit it at speed down to the footstep. We carried that mentality forward.Practice makes perfectLee, Andy, and I developed the pitch and rehearsed it no less than 1,000 times. Perfect practice makes perfect. We watched reruns, counted steps for the hallway and entrance, set up a mock tank and stepped it out. When we stepped into the tank, everything was the same down the amount of steps.Just practice being slow and clear. Practice until you can’t anymore, then double it.There’s no signature Shark Tank music!What’s different than what you see on TV? Well, there’s no music.Whenever you watch shark tank, you hear that dramatic beat. "Da Da da da. DA DA. DA. DA."It’s dead silent. In all our preparation, it never occurred the music was added afterward. It’s kind of like prepping for a big workout, having your favorite mixtape in the headset, and your battery dies as you hit your first rep. A real buzz kill.After the tapingAfter you’re done, they do the post interview in the height of emotion. Lee and I were both still reeling from the experience. All we remember was a golf cart, some cameras, and then getting back to our original green room.Since we closed a deal, representatives from the Sharks come to meet you. This was our first real experience with a Shark. It was enlightening to see the quality of people that represented their first touch with a new business partner. After 20 minutes or so, they returned back to the filming location. Lee and I left with our bagsSeven months later we got the call. With two weeks to prepare, the team slayed it on airing, grew the company nearly 450% that year, put over 200 Afghan girls in school, and employed a few hundred people.In the end, I’d do it all over again. This time, I’d have more inventory available to account for the wave of site visitors.It’s been a crazy ride ever since. If you’d like to be a part of it, make sure you follow us on all the socials @combatflipflops and join the #UnarmedForces at www.combatflipflops.comLiked this story? I've done nearly 100 interviews with similar founders at StarterStory.com.

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