#North Sea Hijack

[machetelanding]

Roger Moore in North Sea Hijack (aka ffolkes; 1980)

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

I don't have an online source yet other than a tweet in Hebrew, but I heard a report about at least two Hamas divers who tried to invade Israel through the sea. The threat has been neutralized, but this shows once again, that as long as Hamas exists, the civilians in southern Israel are NOT safe. That's along with Hamas still firing rockets at Israeli civilians whenever they can.

This morning also saw another independent Palestinian terrorist attack, this time on one of the major roads leading into Jerusalem. Two Israelis have been stabbed and injured, a 25 years old man, and a 19 or 20 years old woman (I heard contradicting reports, so I'm citing both options). The terrorist was 15 years old, and has been neutralized. He reached the scene of the attack riding on electric bicycles. Just a reminder, inciting and recruiting a teenager to carry out a terrorist attack is morally wrong, if not downright criminal, and it should be where everyone's ire is directed.

The IDF has confirmed that it has killed a Hamas leader in Lebanon, Mustafa Hadi. He was in charge, among other things, of promoting terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets outside of Israel.

I've heard a journalist saying that there are enough aid trucks entering Gaza, the issue is that Hamas is confiscating about 60% of the humanitarian aid brought in. The info is confirmed in this article, about a new pilot the IDF is trying, to try and bypass Hamas. If the last attempt (which backfired) was to bring aid in from the south, and the IDF would secure it as it's transferred to the north (instead of handing it to local elements for the transfer), now they're going to check the trucks in the south, but bring them into Gaza directly in its northern part.

I've already expressed my POV about what is probably the worst speech given at the Oscars this year, maybe ever. Now, the Holocaust Survivors' Foundation has denounced the Holocaust-hijacking, anti-Israel speech at the Oscars as "factually incorrect and morally indefensible." The ADL sent out the same message.

I've already pointed out that the absolute majority of survivors were and are Zionist (as were many of the Jews murdered in the Holocaust), but I think it really matters that the survivors who are still around are using their own voices to speak out against this distorted narrative. Will this director and others like him, who have hijacked the Holocaust for their political messages, actually listen and apologize? I kind of doubt it. Holocaust survivors are to be listened to! ...But only if they're one of the 5 or so who hate Israel.

And while we're at it, it should also be mentioned that the red hand pin that many stars wore at awards ceremonies this year stems from a symbol featured in many anti-Israel protests, leading back to the 2000 brutal lynching and murder of two Israelis who took a wrong turn into the Palestinian city of Ramallah. I think it says a lot in itself, that Arabs in general and Palestinians in particular SAFELY walk around Jewish majority Israeli cities every day, or live in them, but Jews have to fear for their lives when they enter, even accidentally, Arab areas that have been ethnically cleansed of Jews. Regarding the red hand symbol, I'm not saying that every person using it fully understands its origin, that it became a feature of anti-Israel demonstrations only after the lynching, it was never spotted at them before that, it became a prominent feature of the Second Intifada (2000-2005), I'm also not saying this is the only use of a red hand as a protest symbol ever, so people who saw the pin would have easily been unaware of its origin in this context. But it feels like another sign of the same problem: people are ignorant about this conflict, yet they allow themselves the freedom to talk about it, or use its symbols and terms, without truly understanding them, and without seeming to care about the consequences. It's a bit like someone who might have watched Dukes of Hazard, and started wearing a pin of the Confederate flag, initially not knowing (but later also not showing any care for) why this would hurt the feelings of many African Americans.

Here's another reminder from November 2023, that informed people knowing about the origin of this symbol pre-dates the Oscars:

BTW, I should probably mention that the Italian press crew, which documented the lynching and the proudly presented bloodied hands of one murderer, shared the footage despite threats to their lives from Palestinians (while another Italian film crew threw that one under the bus, promising that their TV station abides by the rules of the Palestinian Authority, implying they comply with the PA's censorship of Palestinian-committed violence). An American news team from ABC, was attacked and prevented from documenting the lynching. A British photojournalist, Mark Seager, who tried to document the lynching as well, was attacked by Palestinians, his equipment was destroyed, and he said he would have nightmares for the rest of his life. Back in 2009, Fatah (the ruling party of the PA) used the lynching to claim they were more deadly towards Israelis than Hamas. ANYONE who lived through this, as many Israelis and Jews did, or even just heard about it growing up, would not easily forget the symbolism of the red hand in this context.

This is 13 years old Mai Zuheir abu Subeich.

She was an Israeli Arab Muslim Bedouine. She excelled as a student, and dreamed of being an English teacher. Family members say she was even already teaching her siblings and cousins. On Oct 7, she was killed when a Palestinian rocket from Gaza hit her home, in the Negev desert. This Ramadan, as IDF soldiers continue to fight in Gaza, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bedouins and Druze, please remember they're fighting to keep the Muslim citizens of Israel safe from Hamas, too.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[sillygoose343]

A Makayuri Timeline

Okay, so I was really bored and I decided to go onto the COD wiki (and Villains and Heroes wiki) and from the information given and drawing up some of my own conclusions, I have created a little timeline that I did not beta whatsoever so it's probably filled with grammatical errors but actually had some fun w/ it.

Now lets get started!

October 4th 1970 - Makarov was born in Ivanovo Russia, during the Soviet era

1988 - Makarov would have presumably graduated from the Frunze Military academy as a Captain

1988-1994 - Makarov would have presumably served as a Captain in the Russian Army by serving as a paratrooper for the 98th Guards Airborne Division of the VDV

1989-1990 - Makarov was stationed in Berlin during the collapse of the Berlin wall. It was stated that Yuri had joined the Spetsnaz in the early 1990s

1990 - Presumably, Makarov would have joined the Spetsnaz at this time with the rank of Captain. It is reasonable to suggest that Makarov and Yuri would have first met in 1990 in the Spetsnaz

1991 - Both Yuri and Makarov are no longer Soviet (rip USSR) and are now Russian

1994-1996 - Makarov would have served in the First Chechen War as a Captain and partake in brutal cleansing raids. It is likely that Yuri would have been either under Makarov’s command or if not, because he was in the Spetsnaz, it is still likely he would have served in the First Chechen War in Chechnya and at least know about Makarov's cleansing raids (and he's still into Makarov).

1996 - Makarov opted for discharge out of the armed forces due to the U.N. holding an inquiry to investigate human rights violation charges where he was at the top of the list presented by the EU investigations panel.  

Around this time, he would have used his military training for terrorist enterprises, likely for the crimes, human trafficking, money laundering, drug smuggling, bombings of military/civilian targets and assassinations

Due to these crimes, around this point of time, he had been noticed by Imran Zakhaev and offered a position in his anti-Western movement, the Ultranationalist Party

Yuri would have had to follow Makarov’s lead as they are literally together in Pripyat and the Middle East later on. Thus it can be safely said that Yuri had also left the Spetsnaz during 1996, following Makarov’s discharge. He is also noticed by Imran Zakhaev, as stated by the wiki. This actually sort of indicates that he had been complacent to the crimes of Makarov that caught Zakhaev’s attentions (what a simp).

1996 - Makarov monologues to Yuri during Zakhaev’s attempted arms deal exchange in Pripyat but the attempted assassination by Lieutenant John Price happens. Yuri says that Zakhaev never forgot what he and Makarov had done for them that day and awarded them with power

2001 - Imran Zakhaev ordered Makarov to bomb a Moscow city bus and succeeded leaving 29 people killed and 19 injured

Makarov bombed of Piccadilly Circus using a modified London Underground train filled with explosives, killing and wounding 407 people

Committed a massacre at the GUM department store in Moscow, 87 wounded or dead

Considering the fact that Makarov and Yuri are fairly inseparable and they’re together during the 2011 nuclear detonation event, it can be safe to assume that Yuri would have been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2002 - Makarov hijacked a Greek oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea Hellenic Navy with two crew members killed or wounded before the $3mill ransom was paid

Murdered three Russian infantry solders

Stole $1.5mill from ZBV bank

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2003 - Repression of North Caucasus-based and pro-Western nationalist groups

Makarov assassinated political leaders, arson and bombing of opposition parties

Murdered Moscow-based journalist Ilya Lovitch who was investigating political crimes

Bombed several government buildings in Kazakhstan, 245 dead or wounded

Hijacked two Kreigler Airliners, 378 are dead and wounded, eight were his own men

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2004 - Makarov robbed a HBS bank in Istanbul

Abducted 15 college students from Russia, 5 are killed or wounded

Bombed two embassies in Africa, 28 are dead and 48 injured

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for this (simp).

2005 - Makarov held up an armoured truck in Moscow and stole three million rubles (100K), three security guards were dead or wounded

Hijacked a cruise ship in the Baltic Sea and tortured U.S passengers until the $5mill ransom was paid

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2006 - Makarov robbed Russian State Postal and Banking Service Depot of 32 million rubles ($1.2mill)

Murdered of famous British designer, Rob Millington

Murdered three U.S airmen based in Turkmenistan

Helped coordinate attacks by Janjaweed militias and Sudanese military against rebels. Was implicated in human rights abuse

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2007 - Makarov captured and beheaded Mossad attache to Ukraine who was investigating Makarov’s links to Islamic extremists

Assassinated Pakistani politician Hasni Al’Bura

Bombed a Russia-Germany gas pipeline in Belarus because Gasneft refused to pay a fee to prevent “disruption to service.”

Robbed $15 million worth of diamonds and other gemstones from a Siberian mining company

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2008 - Makarov committed ambush of an FSB vehicle, 5 agents dead or wounded

Abducted and murdered a SibGaz owner’s wife and daughter

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2008-2009 - Makarov committed the bombing  of a Swedish furniture store in a shopping mall that was located in St. Petersburg 100 people killed or wounded

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for this (simp).

2009 - Makarov bombed Baku-located U.S oil company offices, 3 people dead or wounded

He was unsuccessful at his bomb plot against English-speaking school in Moscow

Unsuccessful in rigging explosives in a Moscow-located soccer stadium. Authorities burst a pipe to halt the match and denied publicity to Makarov

Trafficked over $2.1mill worth of weapons, drugs and people

Yuri would have likely been present at Makarov’s side for these (simp).

2011 - Makarov gave Al-Asad the order of detonating nuclear device, killing or wounding approximately 30k U.S Marines, Air Force, Navy SEALs and NEST team and unknown OpFor (Al-Asad’s men). Yuri JUST grew some balls as THIS was the moment that planted seeds of doubt in his head regarding his affiliation with the Ultranationalists. 

Soap killed Imran Zakhaev in 2011 with the help of U.S Marines (Griggs, notably), Loyalists (Kamarov, notably) and SAS Forces at the climax of the Second Russian Civil War causing the Ultranationalist Party to Splinter, Makarov’s resources and contacts due to his terrorist enterprises, allowed him to assume control of a large portion of the dissolved Ultranationalist Party known as the ‘Inner Circle.’ Yuri is still with him for all of this, albeit probably not as stoked.

2015 - Makarov became the CIA’s most wanted terrorist. Yuri is still with him but not as pussy-whipped.

August 10th 2016 - Makarov played some part in the new Ultranationalist Russia under the mainstream party’s newly elected leader and President Boris Vorshevsky after the Ultranationalist victory of the Second Russian Civil War, though he was pushed out of the Inner Circle and became unaffiliated with the Ultranationalists politically, he has taken control of some of the rogue military forces and began to extend the party’s activities more towards terrorism. Yuri is still presumably following Makarov’s orders around this time. 

August 12th 2016 - Makarov had planned for a massacre in  Zakhaev International Airport in Moscow this is to frame CIA agent Joseph Allen and instigate a war which works. Yuri had betrayed Makarov by informing the FSB of his plans (he did it!!! He reached post-nut clarity after 26 years!!!) Makarov knew of his betrayal so he shot Yuri in the Zakhaev International Airport parking lot and let him bleed out. Yuri attempted to pursue Makarov by using the elevator but he passed out from blood loss and was treated by paramedics who had arrived during the aftermath. Makarov had fully succeeded in his plans. 234 civilians with unknown security personnel and FSB members killed or wounded. 

August 15th 2016 - Makarov was present at the Airplane Graveyard and unlikely to evade Shepherd without his forces or safehouse, he was contacted by Captain Price for intel and escaped

August 17th 2016 - Yuri, now a Loyalist and somehow healed from that gunshot after just 5 days? Is sent to assist Captain Price, other Task Force members and the Loyalists in protecting Soap from the Ultranationalists in Himachal Pradesh, India (poor Soap, I really thought he was a goner when I first played MW3, which he was in the end but still). Yuri facilitated the extraction out of the country and helped Nikolai in treating Soap.

October 3rd 2016 - Makarov committed the abduction of Russian President Vorshevsky. An unknown number of FSO agents are dead or wounded. In the absence of President Vorshevsky (because he is kidnapped) Makarov became the de-facto leader of the Ultranationalists

October 5th 2016 - Yuri, who is knowledgeable on Makarov’s patterns had pointed out possible locations he would go to and the location of an arms deal in Sierra Leone as well as speculating his security detail. Yuri, Price and Soap are unable to intercept the cargo shipments and the helicopter flies off with the precious cargo

October 6th 2016 - Makarov launched the detonation of unknown chemical weapons as prelude to Russian invasion of Europe 35k deaths in Paris and an unknown number of military and civilian deaths throughout the rest of Europe

October 8th 2016 - Price gains intel on an African warlord in Somalia, Waraabe who should have intel on Makarov via Macmillan. Yuri, Price and Soap breach Waraabe’s office and releases the gas used in the Europe attacks of the 6th of October. They gain intel on Volk and his location. Nikolai’s helicopter crashes and Yuri carries him to the emergency exfil

October 10th 2016 - Volk gives up intel on Makarov, regarding him going to a meeting with his top advisors in Hotel Lustig in Prague to Sandman who relays this information to Price. Yuri, Soap and Price evade the Russians and help the Resistance and eventually make it to the Church tower to establish a sniper position.

October 11th 2016 - Yuri and Soap set up a sniper position at the top of the church tower where they plan to assassinate Makarov. Makarov, who was already prepared for this event, addresses Yuri directly and Price too I guess. He detonates the explosives within Hotel Lustig and the Church Tower, killing Kamarov. Yuri and Price manage to bring Soap into the Resistance building but he dies, his last words revealing Yuri’s relationship to Makarov. Price gets pissed. The Russians attack the building so Price punches Yuri into the basement and Yuri tells Price about his relationship to Makarov, why he defected from the Inner Circle (he was fr young and patriotic). Price is convinced about his revelations.

October 12th 2016 - Yuri informs Price about the Karlstejn Castle which Makarov uses to cache weapons. Price then asks MacMillan if the place sounds familiar and UAV surveillance was done in the area so the location had been confirmed. MacMillan states that if Makarov is at the Karlstejn Castle, he will be at the control centre. The main objective is to determine Makarov’s location. Yuri and Price infiltrate the castle, climbing up a narrow passage, they gain a visual of the control room and they witness a video call between Makarov and Alexi, President Vorshevsky is being interrogated from nuclear launch codes and it is revealed that Makarov’s men are after the President’s daughter. Yuri and Price then escape after Alexi had been notified that the castle had been breached.

October 13th 2016 - Makarov’s men abducted Alena Vorshevsky from her safehouse in Berlin, unknown number of her bodyguards are dead

October 14th 2016 - After Alena Vorshevsky was kidnapped, the helicopter had taken her to a diamond mine in Siberia. Yuri, and the team manage to find Alena Vorshevsky and she reveals that her father had been taken deeper into the mines. The team manage to rescue President Vorshevsky however the mine shakes as a result of explosions, Sandman calls for air evacuation, a Black Hawk and a Little Bird arrive but the Little Bird crashes and Yuri is hit by it but is helped by Truck who moves him into the Black Hawk. Price gets onto the helicopter. RIP Sandman, Grinch and Truck. The news reports that President Vorshevsky is returned to Russia, Moscow, “peace talks between Russia and the U.S” occur but “Ultranationalist leader, Vladimir Makarov is still at large.” Makarov had tried to nuke Europe by coercing nuclear launch codes out of President Vorshevsky but he failed hard. Sucks to suck.  

January 21st 2017 - It is the end of the war, Yuri accompanied Price to the Arabian Peninsula after successfully tracking down Makarov in the Hotel Oasis in Dubai. Yuri got impaled by a piece of debris when a helicopter destroyed a part of the hotel, yet he encourages Price to go after Makarov. Yuri manages to gather his bearings and saves Price from Makarov. Yuri shoots Makarov’s left shoulder but Makarov shoots him twice in the chest and a third time at the head. Price took advantage of Makarov pausing and killed Makarov via hanging.

I just find it so funny that if Yuri had been around until 2011, it means that he was totally okay with 29 acts of terrorism until they screwed over 30k marines because that was the specific point in time in which he really began to doubt Makarov and the Ultranationalists. I also find it funny that he definitely probably left the Spetsnaz after Makarov left, we stan a supportive husband!!! Though, Yuri isn't the only one that's pussy-whipped, Makarov had multiple chances to kill Yuri and he just didn't (until in Dust to Dust, I guess) but that's a story for another day.

[commonblackbirdxx]

Heya, Written by the victors is back for chapter 2.

Crossover between httyd and rotg.

Pairings: Hijack, Hiccstrid (past)

Alternate History for httyd where the dragons did not go into hiding and that dragons coexist with humans in modern society. The guardians of childhood need to seek out a group of elusive autumn spirits to gain information on Pitch and his allies.

Chapter 2 summary:

Jack and the other guardians try to make sense of Man in Moon's message.

While a certain someone reads a news article about themselves.

1,000 years of history: Emperor Hiksti Hræðilegt Haddock III under the lens of modern pop culture

Roughly 1000 after his death, Emperor HIksti Hræðilegt Haddock III remains one of the most relevant and influential figures of history. From being the social pariah of his tribe to becoming an emperor, his story had captured the hearts and imagination of countless people.

With Nowflix announcement of creating a live-action series about the emperor and his dragon riders. The Daily NIghtfury recount how pop culture portrayed the emperor Hiksti Haddock III in the last 300 years.

How to train your dragon series (1704) by Cressida Howell

300 years later, Cressida Howell’s ‘How to train your dragon’ is still influential in how pop culture view the emperor. As one of the more popular children’s books in the North and South America, it ignited an interest about the life of the late Hiksti Haddock III.

Charming, dutiful, sarcastic and slightly awkward. The Hiskti Haddock III from ‘How to train your dragon’ (1704) by Cressida Howell is an adventurer and an engineer who wanted to explore the world and just happened to be a very endearing character. Originally released in America as a children’s book, it was a breath of fresh air compared to the gritty portrayals of the emperor in a serious and dramatic historical novel of Europe in the late 1600’s and early 1700s. It was released in Europe 5 years after its American release with mixed reviews from European critics. Though a century later, Europe have warmed up to the slightly whimsical portrayal of the emperor.

Where no one goes (1806) by Richard Broom

Introduced in 1856 to a polarising audience, it goes against the common depiction of Emperor Hiksti as a charismatic military commander in a dramatic historical novel full of glory of the war. ‘Where no one goes’ simply portrays King Hiksti III as a man in his 30s and so full of melancholy, unlike the popular novels which focused more during his youth and great battles he fought and less about his older self during the time of peace. Battle hardened and weary, ‘where no one goes’ depicts the brutally of war as the now adult King Hiksti recounts his youth. Of sleepless days where he dreams of enemy soldiers who burned to death by dragon fire, his question of morality as he builds another weapon of destruction and in the end of the novel ends with the emperor longing for the simpler times of his youth.

Highland seas series (1989) by Rachel Brook

Derided by the critics as a shallow bodice ripper novel, nonetheless it managed to have a dedicated readers to become a series. Set in an alternate universe where Hiksti Haddock III did not become a king and instead became a runaway before the final test against the monstrous nightmare, he finally become an adventurer he was meant to be. Readers have bemoaned the lost potential of the novel, setting aside the wonderful worldbuilding from the first chapters to focus on romance and softcore porn.

The Great King (2007) by Hiksti Blackwood

‘The Great King’ by Hiksti Blackwood took Emperor Hiksti’s steady image and shook it to its core. It’s a historical novel about Emperor Hiksti Haddock III but also works as a study on childhood and coming of age in medieval society, child marriages and traumas of war.

[jolieblack]

Jolie's thoughts on

The problem of Thor Bridge (Sherlock & Co. podcast)

(Hear me gush about the show in general.)

So this is one of my favourite original ACD cases, in spite of the somewhat anticlimactic solution. And I wasn’t disappointed by this version. I love it when Holmes does his dramatic recreations of the crimes. You can imagine how I squeaked with delight at how Sherlock hijacked the police press conference in this episode!

The "time is against us" aspect of the original that adds extra pressure and suspense was rendered perfectly in the morgue scene. "On behalf of the Federal Republic of Brazil, I'd like to see the body." YES!

Sherlock really gets extra points for cool lines in this one. "Watson, I was hoping that when I said 'The game is on'…"

Sherlock speaking Cornish, Portuguese and every other language under the sun is lovely, too.

"Would you like to hold hands and talk about your emotions?" 🥺

"I like you as you are, Watson." 🥺🥺

MARIANA: Where are your shoes?

JOHN: Where are my shoes?

SHERLOCK: What time is it? Seven thirty. Probably in the North Sea.

MARIANA: Oh. OK.

The sheer unflappability of this woman. She’s brilliant.

More, please!

[lyss-butterscotch]

Hello! Recently found your art after I discovered rainworld and it’s so good. I love all the little details you put in for each iteration and slug cat.

Particularly the sibling relationship between Moon and Pebbles, I saw the angst and fluff and went AAAAAAAAAAA YES.

Part of my accumulated questions are, who is part of the solstice group and penumbra group? (I hope I’m remembering those names correctly).

Also why can Chasing Wind also be called Grey Wind? I have not read the wiki for rainworld yet in case the info is there.

Thank you for your art. Hope you have a great day.

AYO welcome to RW I hope you enjoy your stay in our humble community ^-^!!!! And thank you, I just like to expand on characters before I can write stories with them, it helps me be consistent with their character.

Yeah. Yeah Moon and Pebbles deserve more than this, i'm literally hijacking the plot rn so they can be happy

For the first question i've answered this before but Penumbra LC consists of Moon, Pebbles, Sig, Innocence, and Wind with Moon being the senior. Solstice LC consists of Suns, Sliver, and Omen with Omen being the senior. I'm only listing the ones known now because i'm not sure if I want to add more. Solstice LC is directly west of Penumbra LC. Both bordering the sea directly north.

2nd question. I think ingame, Grey Wind was a nickname from Moon??? Atleast i see it that way but his official name and the one that pops up in broadcasts is Chasing Wind.

[theveriest]

A couple of weeks ago I asked about people’s favorite book or books they read this year. Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and discord, I have a list of 123 books in no particular order that my friends and family loved this year. If it was a series then I listed the first book. Each star is an additional recommendation. I haven’t read all of these, they may or may not reflect my personal opinions, though my favorite books are on the list too. The most recommended books were How Far The Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler, one or all of the Murderbot books by Martha Wells, and Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, because if there’s one thing my friends have in common across platforms, it’s that you’re all nerds (affectionate). Enjoy, and I hope you find your new favorite book!

Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobes de Mez

The Soul Of An Octopus by Sy Montgomery

Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder

The Going To Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

My Hijacking by Martha Hodes

Longhand by Andy Hamilton

Babel by RF Kuang*

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff*

Lies We Sing To The Sea by Sarah Underwood

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone

I Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems

The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho

How Far The Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler**

Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Ahmed

Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora

The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett*

I’m Stuck by Julia Mills

Entangled Life by Martin Sheldrake

Iris by Eden Finley

Hot Vampire Next Door by Nikki St. Crowe

Devil of Dublin by BB Easton

Tied by Carian Cole

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld*

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

From Blood And Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Where I End by Sophie White

Wool by Hugh Howey

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

Yellowface by RF Kuang

Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas

North Woods by Daniel Mason

After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin*

The Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison

Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera

The English Understand Wool by Helen Dewitt

Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by The Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Love In The Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa*

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Welcome to Night Vale by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Prophet by Sin Blache and Helen MacDonald*

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki**

System Collapse by Martha Wells***

The Brutish Museums by Dan Hicks

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine*

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

A Psalm For The Wild Built by Becky Chambers*

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

The Lazarus Heist by Geoff White

The September House by Carissa Orlando*

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Mistletoe and Mishigas by MA Wardell

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

The Last Smile In Sunder City by Luke Arnold

The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes by Zoe Playden

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Manywhere by Morgan Thomas

Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby

Loot by Tania James

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

Grave Expectations by Alice Bell

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

All Systems Read by Martha Wells

The Once and Future Sex by Eleanor Janega

Mort by Terry Pratchett

Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner*

The Door by Magda Szabo

Fluids by May Leitz

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Lieut. John Irving, R.N. of H.M.S. "Terror" in Sir John Franklin's last expedition to the Arctic regions a memorial sketch with letters

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

Raven the Pirate Princess by Jeremy Whitley

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Slewfoot by Brom

The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr

500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan

O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell

The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman by KJ Charles

A Line In The World by Dorthe Nors

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Glitter and Concrete by Elyssa Maxx Goodman

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

The Tragic Menagerie by Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal (translated by Jane Costlow)

The 100 Years Of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

Precise Oaths by Paige E. Ewing

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

A Dead Djinn In Cairo by P. Djeli Clark

[heartsxbane]

𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖖𝖘 ::: charlotte hope ; 30 ; cis-woman ; she/her . ANNOUNCING the arrival of LYANNA of house STARK, PRINCESS of THE NORTH. rumors around the courts talk of their PERSPICACIOUS yet ENIGMATIC nature, and bards have often likened them to A PRINCESS OF IRON & SNOW, A WOMAN WHO FEARS NO STORM BUT IS HERSELF ONE, FLAME KISSED CURLS TIED BACK WITH SILK RIBBONS, SHOULDER CAPABLE OF HOLDING THE FRAME WORK OF HEAVEN, A FAITH MOST TESTED it is said their loyalties lie with HOUSE STARK &THE NORTH, but will they succeed in bringing their side to victory? may the old gods and the new show them their favor in these turbulent times, for they will surely need it. ( tw death )

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄.

𝐅𝐔𝐋�� 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄. lyanna alannys stark. 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄. winter's princess, the winter wolf, the wolven storm, the passed over, rightful heir 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒. princess. 𝐀𝐆𝐄. thirty. 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑. cis woman (she/her) 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒. single. ( has been betrothed before but that fell through ) 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐍. the old gods ( religion and lyanna is a complex subject ) 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. house stark, the north. 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒. common ( native ) trade, low & high valyrian (fluent), old tongue ( professional proficiency - not without a small accent while speaking it to native speakers of old tongue but it's subtle )

𝐏𝐇𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓. 5'3" / 1.60m 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓. 120 lbs / 54.43kg 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒. blue-green, sharp, expressive. 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑. auburn with copper flame-like tones, long, styled in intricate braids most often or loose. 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃. lyanna has an incredible figure despite her stature. other stark siblings, other starks and by extension greyjoys through her mother's line are taller so it is her unfortunate luck of the draw to balance her. graceful, elegant, swift and 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐎𝐍. fair skin, warm undertones. a few beauty spots and faint freckling. 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒. lyanna is both striking and something ethereal. behind the siren is someone sweetly adorable if you catch the light correctly or in the moments when a guard is not firmly raised. eyes can shift from a storming sea to a reflecting pool tucked away in some hidden garden with the softest innocence before iron raises and a wolven maw shuts it down. a delicate nearly button nose turned up at the tip ever so slightly. a smile that captivates even the sun. her hair is often something to marvel at like it is a flame of the north and there is a sharpness to her brow that could strike fear but is so tender when its concern that floods her. she has some scars from sparing and what it is to naturally survive the northern realm but nothing massively apparent.

𝐏𝐇𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓. neutral good. 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓. dynamic, perspicacious, compassionate, precise, strategic, enterprising. 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐓. enigmatic, sharp, calculative, guarded, exacting, deeply cynical. 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒. ace, action girl, badass adorable, broken pedestal, defrosting ice queen, determinator, hijacked destiny, i am not my father, lady of war, love hurts, pretty princess powerhouse, the strategist, well done daughter girl 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. yennifer ( witcher ), eowyn ( lotr ), rhaenyra ( hotd ), sorsha ( willow ) lagertha ( vikings ) vex'ahlia ( cr )

𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘.

Ruling Monarch _____ Stark, 50+, parent, alive. (open) Queen Esgred Stark nee Greyjoy, 51, mother, alive. Crown Prince Edric Stark, 32, brother, deceased. Prince Jeor Stark, 29, brother, alive. Princess Alarra Stark, 25, sibling, alive. Princess Daphne Stark, 23, sibling, alive.

𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐑𝐁.

the world has never changed where men are concerned - they war, they die, they live and there is peace and on and on a cycle continues like the spinning of a wheel. when she is born though, the second stark child perhaps the spark that is needed to set ablaze the world of men breaths her first. the woman who should be king one day - the one named by a brother who would've been king and the girl to be passed over stirs the heavens and earth. Maybe it is a cruel fate to be so prepared and worthy as a daughter instead of a son. while the world seems unwilling to change like a father is resolute in his stand against his crown sitting her head the world like a father did and still loves his daughter.

made of iron and snow she is a wolf that would climb out of the sea and stand upon business with a will most unbreakable and a truly astonishing eye for detail. her wit as strong and as sharp as a blade of valyrian steel she is from the first men, of wildings and wild men who broke bread with the children of the forest. mend and women did not know that they would hope for a descendant as remarkable as she, Lyanna Stark, the winter wolf.

Our winter princess would have a happy childhood and while subject to the frivolous duties that many would say befitted a young lady of her status being molded into a paragon among young women she would be surprising. It was never pressed upon her to prepare but prepare a smart and cunning young thing would. She was of the north and through her mother Ironborn adjacent knowing no fear of any storm but that she would be the storm herself. Edric was a hero to a little thing who wouldn't grow much taller but the love that little lyanna always had for him and for her younger siblings once that came spurred her forward on this course for a path she would carve out subtly over the years. Lyanna would make herself a worthy successor to her brother, jeor was born to be their brother's sword but lyanna would be sword and shield for the both of them. she would become the fortress and all its battlements, the citadel of safety and refuge. she would become the light of the north and the fire in their rallying cry. what good was a stark if they did not serve their people and stand tall through the long night, in winter storms and searing summers?

How marvelous this woman was and yet a father would be only so proud of a girl child, vaguely impressed but never it seemed enough to be moved with immense pride like it would've been for his prized prince. Edric, however, would often encourage a sister that while each thing she excelled in did little to move father in any direction but to call her a beloved daughter that for her, he would change their stars, and she would, in turn, change their world . She was meant for the winter crown, no person more suited has their ever been? Lyanna cared for the people they ruled over to be a champion for the smallfolk and those whose voices were often drowned out by lords and men in high positions. Lyanna's beautiful mind thought fast and worked harder to while small in stature and seemingly soft there was a cunning and cutting edge - an efficient and impressive fighter who knew not every battle was done on the field. Ever a strategist many refuse to play cyvasse with her who know her well enough to call her unbeatable and only fools attempt to best her after one failed attempt, thinking her streak is pure luck. Edric had planned to pass his crown when father died to her - the one stark child more suited for the crown in a case than all their siblings combined.

Never liking remaining idle, useless or something thought of as apolitical pawn Lyanna was never asked to live her life like this she made it her burden to bare. With Bane beside her ( a direwolf as large as a pony with thick black fur ) it was a burden Lyanna worked toward what had never been done hoping the day would come where she would wear the winter crown and if that did not succeed that she would be a small but fearsome protector dressed in silks to hold up a brother's reign should Edric marry and father children. She could then help him change their world for his daughter if he was so lucky.

Love would come as a thief and steal this all away from her not realizing it would sweep the rug from underneath her until Lyanna landed on the cold floor. He made music and while part of her desired to fight the silly emotion knowing a younger brother running off to and then return from essos and had broken a heart - Lyanna didn't wish to invite real heartbreak. However Loreon Lannister smiled and she was done for. Falling was not done idly, it was no silly, superfluous love half-assed by foolish children who knew not the meaning of the word - it was very real for a girl who was so stupidly wise. Ask her now and she will tell you love is foolish and provides a weakness to be exploited but then so many years ago it still feels fresh she fought for it with a father who questioned it. smart politically and with a good argument lyanna had chosen whom she wanted as a husband who she believed loved her and beyond parents Bane approved. If plans were to have gone as Edric and she supposed they would, Lyanna would have taken a third-born son and made him king consort of the north. Even if those were purely dreams in Loreon, Lyanna believed there could be happiness and dreams could change. He would abandon her, the one she would whisper to, calling him the husband of her heart, and for all the love a woman had, he would tell her she was better off in hollow words on parchment paper. A father among his many reasons for one day passing over his second born this would be one of the clearest reasons he'd not allow the crown to pass to his girl child. Lyanna, a daughter he was almost impressed with to half consider it was so blinded by love how could she lead his people? Every plan ever laid and held in waiting after the embarrassment that had been her failed engagement ( a much more horrible offense than a son running off and returning from essos ) was further thwarted when Edric fell dead. The world never changes in its endless circle and interesting little twists of fate and Jeor is named heir completely ignoring any accomplishment a daughter has done because she loved.

Lyanna stares at siblings now - winter's princess - watching them and wondering how badly she wants this? After all is pulled from underneath her and love has hurt her enough, could she go through the last things that mean something to her? Could she go against all a stark is to take what is owed - what should by every right be hers?. Its troubling, so many avenues to consider so many things to go over. Life is never what one wishes, and it has hurt her more than she would like to admit, but in anything, nothing worthwhile was ever born of easy choices or weak wills. Can she change the world or will she break it or it break her?

[metaphysicalpistolsoraclemine]

Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings.

Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings are the esoteric mystery school teachings originally sourcing from the Emerald Founder Records that were being protected by the ancient Celtic Church that was first formed upon the Earth many thousands of years ago, by the remaining Azurite survivors of the Hyperborean Electric Wars on Gaia. These earlier first waves of the Christos Mission teams were time travelers into this density via the operational portions of the stargate system near the Irish Sea and North Sea. The Christos Mission teams brought their knowledge of the Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings and entered the island chains in the North Atlantic Sea located between Scotland and Norway and many settled throughout the northern most tip of Alba, or Scotland and Hibernia. This Azurite line of Ascended Masters on the Christos Mission came to teach and guide the angelic human tribes in order to help them rebuild their civilizations after the Ice Age floods that caused global catastrophe and to take an inventory of planetary grid damage, to assess the ground conditions for future rehabilitation missions.

Although they organized themselves through the Christos Mission directives in order to teach and guide humanity in alignment to Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings which were later known as the Celtic Church, in earlier times there were no actual buildings or temples designated for the purpose of instructing the teachings due to the fact they were migratory. Due to their Krystic and holy nature, their outward appearance and behavior reflected the highest qualities of human kindness, ethical conduct, refinement and intelligent nobility, which many thousands of years later led them to be referred to as the Aryans. The word Aryan is a description that originally held the meaning of being a respected compassionate teacher that leads by example, a self-actualized individual that presented as highly civilized, noble and free, without reference to any ethnicity or caste. Unfortunately, the term Aryan is an example of how words can be hijacked away from their actual meaning and further manipulated for the sinister purposes of promoting mind control ideologies used by the Controllers.  

Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings were brought into this lower harmonic universe timelines by 7D Hyperborean spiritual families after the Luciferian Rebellion and again after the Atlantian Cataclysm, to help preserve the angelic human sacred teachings of the Law of One. The Law of One holds the information describing the genetic records of the 12 Essene Tribes and gives details about humanity’s true historical origins and biological ascension capability. The Celtic Church held this specific knowledge of achieving the embodiment of sacred hierogamic union to evolve into a Cosmic Christ, which is to unite and marry the inner gender principle throughout the creation and bring the celestial music of Christos-Sophia from the heavens into the Earth realm. The Cosmic Christos-Sophia Dragon Teachings were first taught by the Essene Tribes carrying the lineage of the original Celtic Church onto powerful ley lines around the Mediterranean basin. The Christos Mission teams chose this area for anchoring this frequency into the Earth which connected into several important stargates spanning southern Europe from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Israel and North Africa, including the Canary Islands and Azores. Thus, all of these regions hold the energetic imprints and physical evidence of the migrating Celtic Church tribes that were prevalent in those areas, before they were targeted for massacre or driven out by the NAA preferred genetic lineages that were modified and groomed to hunt down the Christos lines.

The authentic Celtic Essene groups from Hyperborea were the progenitors of the original Nazarene Christos Teachings, preserving the knowledge of the original Diamond Sun templar locations, male and female Christos-Sophia lines, historical and angelic human genetic records for Earth while she was under dark siege. Thus, sadly the ongoing covert genocidal agendas to eradicate these lineages that hold records of the Celtic-Druid Grail Bloodlines have a long history of repeated campaigns known as the Celtic Massacres and Druid sacrifices. Many of these Celtic-Druid Grail Bloodline’s identities were adepts of the Celtic Church that became Pharaohs or Kings in the ancient times of the Mediterranean and Middle East. As a result of their spiritual power coursing in their bloodlines, their family names, likeness and legacies were stolen by the NAA hybrids to be repurposed into imposters and cloned identities in order to obfuscate who was who and confuse the inhabitants through the accounts given in the historical written records.

Mother Mary Sophia is the Cosmic Dragon

The ancient world of our Essene predecessors in the Celtic Church had the higher knowledge of a universal system of measurement and Krystic mathematical angles that activated higher spiritual potentials of alchemical expression within every living thing on the planet. These teachings included the KA-THA-RA Tree of Life and spiritual initiation rites into higher frequency realities that ignited the biological ascension capabilities of human beings, to achieve complete consciousness freedom from Earth’s spiritual oppressors and name stealers. In the ancient culture of the Celtic Church, the spiritual head of the Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings for hierogamic union and the biological ascension mysteries were held by the female line of the Mother of Dragons, which later on included the lineage of the incarnation of Mary Magdalene Sophia. After the Roman invasion of Gaul, the Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings were carried on underground through the secret sects of the Sisters of Avalon and some of the Benedictine monks who were masters of alchemy from their lifelong study of these teachings. Thus, these dedicated monks were responsible for choosing the building sites and drawing up the architectural blueprints which included esoteric Cosmic Christos Dragon Teaching ascension symbolism found throughout the ancient Gothic Cathedrals in France that are consecrated to Mary. Whether considered the mother of Christ or the wife of Christ, in this context Mary is given as a sovereign title and is esoterically known as the Mother of Dragons.

During the Norman-French invasion period in the United Kingdom, they brought their version of the Mary Magdalene mystery knowledge from Gaul into the christian churches that were being built on top of already existing dragon lines and power grids. The Norman-French brought their flavor of earlier Celtic based knowledge of the sacred geometric principles that were held in divine architecture and this was later being combined with ancient Gaelic knowledge that was still being preserved in the culture, language and lands from that time. 

The Cosmic Christos Dragon Teachings and all that was connected to the Mother of Dragon knowledge that was exemplified by Mary Magdalene Sophia’s legacy was gradually desecrated, destroyed or converted into the Vatican approved narratives.

The Draconian invasion into Rome from 2000 years ago gradually infiltrated the Greek knowledge and sacred texts in order to build the Church of Rome, which was used to hide and subvert the original Essene Christos-Sophia Dragon Teachings and spread religious mind control and spiteful misogyny in its place. This began the NAA installation of organized religions slanted in patriarchal domination that were used to distort the knowledge and remove the awareness of the existence of the Inner Christ.

The Vatican’s mission as guided by the NAA was to obliterate and pervert these original Cosmic Christos teachings being protected by the Essene lines and then target those with the sophianic knowledge for extermination. The controlling alien factions invented the violent narratives for worshipping a planetary crucified Christ in order to create mind-controlled slaves, by installing rigid dogmatic beliefs over several generations that were designed to spiritually disconnect human beings from each other and sever their inherent bio-neurological connection with the planetary intelligence.  The name and signature of the Vatican is based upon the word Vaticanus which actually means Dragon, used in the spirit of mockery by the Black Suns to defile the Mother of Dragons and hide her ancient sophianic wisdom. The Vatican power was demonstrated in the misogynistic destruction used by the anti-Christ invaders imposing their demonizing narratives through the Churches authority, to instigate mass hysteria and accuse the innocent of witchcraft to justify their murderous witch hunts. By twisting the meaning of the ancient wisdom and sacred truth that was originally stolen from the Mother of Dragons and her direct lineages protecting the sacred hierogamic Christos-Sophia teachings, the spiritual truth of the Solar Female Christ was purposely extinguished by those power mongers attempting to enslave humanity.

Dragon archetypes are typically presented in traditional stories and folklore as gatekeepers that are living in massive dark caves and guarding precious objects or rare treasures. Major cultural myths have been crafted since the NAA invasion to distort the esoteric meaning behind dragons, where the predictable rhetoric is that of heroes slaying evil fire-breathing dragons that are threatening to kill human beings. Thus, depending on where one lives and the culture one comes from, dragons are either defined as destructive and evil creatures or as benevolent and ethical protectors of the world. As the Earth is spiritually awakening, so are her original Guardian Dragon creators calling for the return of the Cosmic Solar Dragon family. The return of the Emerald Order as connected to the original Cosmic Christos Dragon founders is to ensure that all souls lost in the phantom matrix are eventually returned back to the God Source. As a result, the long-term mission to restore spiritual freedom and ascension to the sections of Earth-Tara-Gaia in the fallen matrix is also called the Emerald Covenant. These Christos spiritual families are the organic dragon creators of our planetary consciousness and are actual and genuine aspects of the planetary grid network that comprise the multidimensional layers of the Albion lightbody that is undergoing a series of Cosmic Christos Dragon activations now. 

Reference: energeticsynthisis.com

[beniciomanuelvelasquezaguiar]

North Sea Hijack | English Full Movie | Action Adventure Thriller

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.10 (after 1950)

1951 – With the rollout of the North American Numbering Plan, direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service begins in the United States. 1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicates the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington Ridge Park in Arlington County, Virginia. 1958 – The Hope Diamond is donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston. 1969 – National Educational Television (the predecessor to the Public Broadcasting Service) in the United States debuts Sesame Street. 1970 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization: For the first time in five years, an entire week ends with no reports of American combat fatalities in Southeast Asia. 1970 – Luna 17: uncrewed space mission launched by the Soviet Union. 1971 – In Cambodia, Khmer Rouge forces attack the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft. 1971 – A Merpati Nusantara Airlines Vickers Viscount crashes into the Indian Ocean near Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, killing all 69 people on board. 1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from Birmingham, Alabama is hijacked and, at one point, is threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After two days, the plane lands in Havana, Cuba, where the hijackers are jailed by Fidel Castro. 1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board. 1975 – Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the United Nations General Assembly passes Resolution 3379, determining that Zionism is a form of racism. 1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, Ontario. 1983 – Bill Gates introduces Windows 1.0. 1985 – A Dassault Falcon 50 and a Piper PA-28 Cherokee collide in mid-air over Fairview, New Jersey, killing six people and injuring eight. 1989 – Longtime Bulgarian leader Todor Zhivkov is removed from office and replaced by Petar Mladenov. 1989 – Germans begin to tear down the Berlin Wall. 1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, along with eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), are hanged by government forces. 1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announce a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time). 1999 – World Anti-Doping Agency is formed in Lausanne. 2002 – Veteran's Day Weekend Tornado Outbreak: A tornado outbreak stretching from Northern Ohio to the Gulf Coast, one of the largest outbreaks recorded in November. 2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil politician Nadarajah Raviraj is assassinated in Colombo. 2006 – The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia is opened and dedicated by U.S. President George W. Bush, who announces that Marine Corporal Jason Dunham will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. 2008 – Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declares the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost. 2009 – Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmish off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea. 2019 – President of Bolivia Evo Morales and several of his government resign after 19 days of civil protests and a recommendation from the military. 2020 – Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a ceasefire agreement, ending the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, and prompting protests in Armenia.

[darkmaga-returns]

The Yemeni militia’s campaign to shut Israeli and Israel-allied merchant shipping out of the Red Sea through hijackings, missile and drone attacks has spooked insurers, added billions to global shipping costs, and prompted Washington and Brussels to assemble two separate coalitions to try to deal with the problem.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius ordered the German Navy’s Baden-Wurttemberg frigate and Frankfurt-am-Main auxiliary replenishment ship to take the long way home back to Germany after the end of their deployment in the Indo-Pacific.

Der Spiegel says Pistorius ordered the ships – which recently docked in Goa, India, to avoid the Houthi-controlled Red Sea, with the vessels instead expected to sail southwestward through the Indian Ocean, around South Africa through the Cape of Good Hope before heading north up the west coast of Africa.

The German Defense Ministry reportedly debated over whether a Red Sea route was justifiable, but “in the end, skepticism prevailed,” with “the decisive factor” being “that the security situation in the Red Sea had deteriorated significantly,” with German allies involved in a security mission in the strategic body of water reportedly making it clear to Berlin “that escort protection is currently not possible.”

The risk of a further escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel also impacted Pistorius’s decision, Spiegel said, citing the Houthis’ allegiance to the Axis of Resistance, and the Israeli military’s habit of attacking Houthi positions after the militia’s missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and its allies.

[poecamerondavies]

The Allure of Pirates: What they were and what they've become,

A Historical Overview of Pirates

Pirates have captured the imagination of people for centuries, embodying the spirit of adventure, rebellion, and the allure of the unknown. Historically, piracy emerged during the late Middle Ages, but it gained significant notoriety during the Golden Age of Piracy, roughly spanning the late 17th to early 18th centuries.

Early Pirates: From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean

Piracy has ancient roots, with early examples found in the Mediterranean Sea as far back as the 14th century BC. The Sea Peoples, a group of naval raiders, are one of the earliest known examples. Fast forward to the Roman Empire, and we find pirates disrupting trade routes, leading to military campaigns aimed at eradicating them.

The Caribbean became the hotbed for piracy in the late 1600s, driven by European powers' rivalries and the lucrative trade routes established by colonial empires. Famous historical pirates of this era included:

Bartholomew Roberts: better known as Black Bart, was a prominent Welsh pirate active in the early 18th century, renowned for his daring exploits and impressive capture rate. Operating mainly in the Caribbean and along the North American coast from 1719 to 1722, he became one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age, capturing over 400 ships during his career. Black Bart was known for his flamboyant style, often donning a distinctive outfit and an extravagant hat, and he maintained a strict code of conduct among his crew. His most famous act was the audacious raid on the port of Whydah in 1721, which yielded a significant treasure. Despite his fearsome reputation, he was also known for his relatively humane treatment of prisoners, often allowing them to go free. Black Bart met his end in 1722 during a naval battle with the Royal Navy, but his legacy endures as one of the era's most iconic pirates, embodying both the thrill and danger of life on the high seas.

Henry Morgan: a Welsh privateer and pirate who became one of the most famous figures of the Caribbean in the late 17th century. Operating primarily during the 1660s and 1670s, Morgan gained notoriety for his daring raids on Spanish settlements, including the successful capture of Panama City in 1671, which significantly boosted his reputation and wealth. Unlike many pirates of his time, Morgan was often viewed favorably by the British government, which granted him a privateering commission to target Spanish ships and colonies. His exploits contributed to the broader conflict between England and Spain, and he was known for his strategic brilliance and charismatic leadership. After a period of successful plundering, Morgan was eventually knighted and appointed the lieutenant governor of Jamaica, marking a unique transition from pirate to respected colonial official. His legacy remains a complex blend of adventure and controversy, reflecting the turbulent era of piracy in the Caribbean.

William Kidd: commonly known as Captain Kidd, was a Scottish sailor turned privateer who gained infamy in the late 17th century. Originally commissioned by the British government to hunt pirates in the Indian Ocean, Kidd's ventures took a notorious turn when he began piracy, capturing several ships, including the Quedagh Merchant in 1698. His actions soon drew the ire of both the authorities and former allies, leading to his capture in 1701. Kidd was tried for piracy and murder, ultimately being found guilty and executed in 1701. His life has inspired countless myths, with many portraying him as a misunderstood figure or even a nobleman forced into piracy. The allure of buried treasure linked to his name continues to captivate the imagination, cementing his legacy as one of history's most famous pirates.

Henry Avery: often dubbed "Long Ben," was a notorious English pirate active in the late 17th century, primarily recognized for his bold hijacking of the Ganj-i-Sawai, a Mughal treasure ship, in 1695. This audacious act not only netted him a vast fortune but also earned him legendary status, with stories depicting him as a Robin Hood figure who distributed his wealth among the poor. In reality, Avery's exploits were far more self-serving, and he fled with his crew to the Bahamas, where they enjoyed their ill-gotten gains. Myths surrounding him include tales of his supposed benevolence and the belief that he vanished without a trace, which fueled speculation about hidden treasures and his potential return. His legacy remains a mix of historical fact and romanticized folklore, reflecting the allure of piracy during that era.

The Decline of the Golden Age

By the early 18th century, increased naval power from European nations, coupled with the establishment of anti-piracy laws, led to the decline of piracy. The British Royal Navy began aggressive campaigns to hunt down and execute pirates, effectively curbing their influence and presence in the Caribbean and beyond.

Pirates in Modern Pop Culture

While the historical reality of piracy may be far removed from the romanticized versions, the legacy of pirates has persisted in modern pop culture. Today, they are often depicted as swashbuckling adventurers or antiheroes, contributing to a vibrant subculture.

Iconic Media Representations:

Pirates of the Caribbean Series: This top-rated film franchise, featuring Johnny Depp as the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow, brought pirates back to the forefront of popular culture. The films blend fantasy with adventure and have redefined the image of pirates for a new generation.

Treasure Island: Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, published in 1883, has had a lasting impact on the portrayal of pirates. The story of Long John Silver and the search for buried treasure set the template for countless adaptations in film, television, and stage. Notably, the Soviet animated adaptation from 1988, titled "Treasure Island," introduced a unique artistic style and a whimsical take on the classic tale, resonating with audiences in Eastern Europe and beyond.

One Piece: This long-running manga and anime series by Eiichiro Oda follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew searching for the ultimate treasure, the One Piece. It has become a cultural phenomenon, showcasing the camaraderie and adventures of pirates in a fantastical world.

Treasure Planet: Disney’s animated film, released in 2002, reimagines the classic "Treasure Island" story in a sci-fi setting. With spaceships and alien worlds, it presents a fresh take on the pirate adventure, emphasizing themes of exploration and friendship while capturing the essence of classic swashbuckling tales.

The Modern Pirate Archetype

In today’s media, pirates often symbolize freedom, adventure, and rebellion against authority. They are portrayed as complex characters, often with tragic backstories or moral ambiguity, inviting audiences to empathize with their plight. This nuanced representation reflects broader societal themes, including individualism and the quest for identity.

Conclusion

From their historical roots as marauding seafarers to their romanticized depictions in modern media, pirates continue to fascinate us. They embody the thrill of adventure, the quest for freedom, and the clash between law and chaos. As we dive into stories of these notorious figures, we find that the allure of piracy is as strong today as it was in the past—inviting us to explore the seas of our own imaginations.

[violetsystems]

Did you happen to catch that video of North Korean War demonstration during their anniversary or whatever? I’m not a big fan of war at all. Neither am I that much of a fan of communism. Not a huge fan of socialism either if it thinks cleaning up people from under the train tracks is going to fix this neighborhood. How many of them homeless you kicked out were ex military? But I know our military thinks it is sneaky from playing video games and terrorizing citizens on some fisa warrant shit. It’s all so obvious to me. You can see it coming from a mile away like reflective activewear on night vision camera. But these crazy Korean red dawn motherfuckers out there on video banging a screw into a tree with their forehead. Dudes jumping out the water like Chinese super ninjas by the Shaw brothers. No slow motion Kpop ballad stuff. These guys seriously looked dangerous. I know that dude’s dad was super into Hollywood and it was really dramatic. And I do think his nuclear rhetoric is mostly tough talk. But those guys put navy seals to shame. Forget about a ground war. They’re straight up rising from the sea like the kraken in this video and hijacking ships at port. Like hunt for red October on Mountain Dew. I don’t know what the screw is about. Maybe they just really like Houston. But our military has to learn that everything you practiced on your citizens on land isn’t going to help you at sea when the five element ninja come for your shit. Hopefully our president doesn’t let it go that far. But I’m not holding my breath. Pardon the pun. He’s too busy shoveling money and waging an ideological war with China while our economy jiggles the lever on the toilet. Crouching tiger hidden dragon aside? Stay golden pony boy. He gonna make people fight that war regardless of your student loans. That video wasn’t some Blackhawk Down shit. Some bizarro shit if it turns into another Vietnam and Trump ends it. But I already defended myself on home turf against the home team. I ain’t got time to bleed. Not on camera at least. If there is any price for spying on your own people on active duty? It’s getting roasted by me on tumblr for trying so hard against a non-combatant. Free speech am I right? I’d write you a receipt for the damages but I left this government on read awhile ago. Let’s just call it a wash. Because a bandaid isn’t going to fix it for me. Maybe I can recommend a good moisturizer. Or maybe a good laundry detergent to wash out the bloodstains from getting exfoliated at sea. На здоровье bitches! 🩸