#Replaceable Pod Product

[yingying0322]

Disposable Vape D36

Product Introduce: It is a disposable electronic cigarette with a capacity of 18 ml. It is a new product launched this year. The dual-shot switch has an LCD display to observe the battery and oil levels and other information at any time. It has a built-in 650mAh long-life lithium battery, which can meet a day's use. Once the battery is exhausted, you can charge it through the micro USB charging port. Danmo's unique appearance design is fashionable and comfortable to use.

Flavors Available: 1. Grape Ice 2. Watermelon 3. Blueberry Ice 4. Pink Lemonade 5. Strawberries 6. Blue Razz Ice 7. Kiwi Passion Fruit Guava 8. Strawberry Kiwi 9. Cola Ice 10. Two Apple 11. Sweet Mint Ice 12. More flavors can be customized...

Product Feature: 1. 15000 Puffs 2. 650 mAh 3. 18ml E-liquid 4. 0.6Ω Double Mesh Coil 5. Rechargeable Type-c 6. Fume oil/power, LED display

[tidalvape]

A Comprehensive Guide to Tidal Vape: Your Ultimate Vaping Destination in the UK

Vaping has become increasingly popular in the UK, and for good reason. Whether you’re a seasoned vaper or just starting your journey, finding the right products and reliable suppliers is essential. Tidal Vape is a trusted name in the UK vaping community, offering a wide range of products to cater to every vaper’s needs. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything Tidal Vape has to offer, from disposable vape kits to advanced vape kits, e-liquids, and much more.

Why Choose Tidal Vape?

Tidal Vape is more than just an online vape shop; it’s a one-stop destination for all your vaping needs. With a vast selection of high-quality products, competitive prices, and exceptional customer service, Tidal Vape stands out as a top choice for vapers in the UK. Here’s why:

Extensive Product Range

Tidal Vape offers an impressive variety of vaping products, ensuring that every customer can find exactly what they need. Whether you’re looking for a simple disposable vape kit or an advanced vape kit, Tidal Vape has it all.

Disposable Vape Kits: Perfect for those who want a convenient, no-fuss vaping experience, Tidal Vape’s disposable vape kits are among the most popular products. The Elf Bar Disposable Pod Device is a top seller, offering a hassle-free vaping solution with no need to refill or recharge.

E-Liquid UK: Tidal Vape provides a diverse selection of e-liquids, catering to all flavor preferences. Whether you prefer fruity, dessert, or tobacco flavors, you’ll find something to love. The Elf Bar Vape Liquid is particularly popular, known for its rich and satisfying taste.

Advanced Vape Kits: For those who want more control over their vaping experience, Tidal Vape offers a range of advanced vape kits. The Voopoo Argus A Pod Vape Kit and the OXVA Xlim Pro 2 Kit are standout choices, providing customizable settings and enhanced performance.

Starter Vape Kits: If you’re new to vaping, Tidal Vape has you covered with starter kits that are easy to use and provide a smooth introduction to the world of vaping. The Uwell Caliburn G3 Pod Vape Kit and Xros 4 Nano are ideal for beginners, offering a perfect balance of simplicity and functionality.

Pod Kits: Compact and portable, pod kits are great for vapers who are always on the move. Tidal Vape stocks popular options like the Wenax Q Pro and xros 4 nano, which offer a sleek design and excellent performance.

Competitive Pricing and Deals

One of the key reasons vapers choose Tidal Vape is the competitive pricing. Whether you’re purchasing vape kits, e-liquids, or accessories like replacement coils and 18650 e-cig batteries, Tidal Vape offers some of the best prices in the UK.

In addition to everyday low prices, Tidal Vape frequently runs promotions and offers discounts, such as vampire vape deals, allowing customers to save even more on their favorite products. This commitment to affordability makes Tidal Vape a go-to choice for budget-conscious vapers.

Quality and Safety

When it comes to vaping, quality and safety are paramount. Tidal Vape ensures that all products meet stringent quality standards, offering only the best to its customers. Whether you’re buying premium vape juice, ceramic coils, or 100 VG juice, you can trust that you’re getting a product that has been thoroughly tested and approved.

Tidal Vape also provides detailed product descriptions and customer reviews, helping you make informed decisions about your purchases. This transparency builds trust and ensures that you receive exactly what you expect.

Exceptional Customer Service

At Tidal Vape, customer satisfaction is a top priority. The team is dedicated to providing excellent service, whether you need help choosing the right product or have questions about your order. Their knowledgeable staff is always available to assist, making your shopping experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Convenient Online Vape Kit Shopping

In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is key. Tidal Vape’s online store is user-friendly and easy to navigate, allowing you to browse and shop from the comfort of your home. With a wide selection of products, secure payment options, and fast shipping across the UK, Tidal Vape ensures that you get what you need quickly and efficiently.

Exploring Tidal Vape’s Product Range

Now that we’ve covered why Tidal Vape is a trusted name in the UK vaping community, let’s take a closer look at some of the popular products available.

Disposable Vape Kits

Disposable vape kits are ideal for vapers who want a simple and straightforward experience. These kits come pre-filled and ready to use, with no need for refilling or maintenance. Tidal Vape offers a range of disposable vape kits, with the Elf Bar Disposable Pod Device being a standout option.

Elf Bar Disposable Pod Device: This device is perfect for those who want a portable and easy-to-use vape. It’s available in various flavors, providing a satisfying experience with every puff. The device is small, discreet, and perfect for on-the-go vaping.

E-Liquids

E-liquids are the heart of your vaping experience, and Tidal Vape offers a wide variety to suit every taste. Whether you’re looking for a traditional tobacco flavor or something more adventurous, Tidal Vape has you covered.

Elf Bar Vape Liquid: Known for its high-quality ingredients and rich flavors, Elf Bar Vape Liquid is a top choice among vapers. It’s available in various nicotine strengths, making it suitable for both new and experienced vapers.

E-Liquid UK: Tidal Vape stocks a comprehensive selection of e-liquids in the UK, from fruity blends to dessert-inspired flavors. Whether you’re looking for something sweet, tangy, or savory, you’ll find it here.

Advanced Vape Kits

For vapers who want to take their experience to the next level, Tidal Vape offers a range of advanced vape kits. These kits provide more control over your vaping experience, with features like adjustable wattage, temperature control, and more.

Voopoo Argus A Pod Vape Kit: This advanced kit is perfect for vapers who want a powerful and customizable device. It features a sleek design, adjustable settings, and a long-lasting battery, making it a top choice for serious vapers.

OXVA Xlim Pro 2 Kit: Another great option for advanced vapers, the OXVA Xlim Pro 2 offers precision control and superior performance. It’s designed for those who want to fine-tune their vaping experience and enjoy a high-quality vape.

Starter Vape Kits

If you’re new to vaping, Tidal Vape’s starter kits are the perfect place to begin. These kits are designed to be user-friendly and provide everything you need to get started.

Uwell Caliburn G3 Pod Vape Kit: This starter kit is ideal for beginners, offering a simple and intuitive design. It’s easy to use, with a straightforward setup and smooth vaping experience.

Xros 4 Nano: Another excellent option for new vapers, the Xros 4 Nano is compact, easy to use, and delivers consistent performance. It’s perfect for those just starting their vaping journey.

Pod Kits

Pod kits are popular for their convenience and portability. Tidal Vape offers a variety of pod kits that are perfect for on-the-go vaping.

Wenax Q Pro: This pod kit is known for its sleek design and excellent performance. It’s easy to carry and use, making it a great choice for vapers who need a reliable device for everyday use.

Voopoo Argus A: Another top-selling pod kit, the Voopoo Argus Pro offers a combination of style, power, and portability. It’s perfect for vapers who want a high-quality device that’s easy to take anywhere.

Accessories and Replacement Parts

In addition to vape kits and e-liquids, Tidal Vape also offers a wide range of accessories and replacement parts to keep your device in top condition.

Replacement Coils: Tidal Vape stocks a variety of replacement coils to ensure your device continues to perform at its best. Whether you need coils for a specific kit or a universal option, you’ll find it here.

18650 E-Cig Batteries: For those using advanced vape kits, Tidal Vape offers high-quality 18650 e-cig batteries. These batteries are reliable and long-lasting, providing the power you need for extended vaping sessions.

Vampire Vape Mixing Calculator: If you enjoy customizing your e-liquids, the Vampire Vape Mixing Calculator is a handy tool that helps you achieve the perfect blend every time.

Special Deals and Promotions

Tidal Vape is committed to offering great value to its customers, which is why they frequently run special deals and promotions. Whether you’re looking to buy e-liquid online in the UK or get a discount on your next vape kit, Tidal Vape’s promotions help you save on your favorite products.

Vampire Vape Deals: These deals offer significant savings on popular Vampire Vape products, including e-liquids and accessories. Keep an eye on Tidal Vape’s website for the latest offers.

Elf Bar 1%: If you’re a fan of Elf Bar products, you’ll love the discounts available on Elf Bar 1% items. These promotions make it even more affordable to enjoy your favorite flavors.

Vape Prices: Tidal Vape is known for offering competitive vape prices, making it easier for customers to find high-quality products at affordable rates.

Conclusion

Tidal Vape is a leading name in the UK vaping community, offering a vast selection of high-quality products, competitive prices, and exceptional customer service.

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A greyish brown stew presented alongside flatbread, red pepper paste, green peppers, and carrot sticks. End ID]

سماقية / Summagiyya (Gazan stew with chard, chickpea, sumac, and 'lamb')

Summagiyya (سُمَّاقِيَّة; also translitered "sumagiyya", "sumaghiyyeh" or "sumaqiyya") is one of the signature dishes of the Gaza strip, in particular Gaza City. It consists of lamb, chard, and chickpeas in a sumac-infused broth; savor and zest is added by a dagga of dill seeds, garlic, and peppers, and nutty depth by a generous drizzle of red tahina. The resulting stew is thick, earthy, and slodgily grey (due to the green chard and red sumac)—it also has the characteristic sourness of much Gazan cuisine.

Summagiyya is most often prepared during holidays, especially Eid al-Fitr; it's an excellent make-ahead dish for these occasions, since it's even better once its flavors have had time to meld and mellow overnight. It is served cold alongside fresh vegetables, and eaten by using flatbread to scoop up each bite. This recipe provides a spiced seitan recipe to replace the lamb, but you may also use any lamb or beef substitute of your choice.

Today, summagiyya is often prepared with Israeli white tahina, as decades of punitive import laws, taxes, and restrictions have enforced Palestine's status as a consumer, rather than an producer, of food products. Israeli tariffs on, and confiscations of, Palestinian goods have forced those tahina factories that survived to import sesame seeds rather than using locally grown crops, even as they export the best of their product to Israel. The dubbing of foods such as tahina and hummus as culturally "Israeli" cuisine works to hide this exploitative relationship, and cement an Israeli national identity through the subsuming and erasure of Palestinian existence. It is for this reason that Emad Moussa writes that Palestinian cuisine has a role in "protecting against a people's very extinction."

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has put out an urgent call for donations to provide medical supplies to Palestinian hospitals when supply lines reopen. Also contact your representatives in the USA, UK, and Canada.

Ingredients:

For the soup:

500g (2 large bunches) chard (شلق), diced

80g Levantine sumac berries (Rhus coriaria)

1/2 cup soaked and boiled chickpeas, mostly cooked (40g dry / scant 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup red tahina

1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour

1 large yellow onion

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

2 cardamom pods (optional)

2 allspice berries (optional)

More olive oil, to fry

Sumac berries can be found in the spice section of a halal grocery store. If you're unable to locate whole berries, pre-ground will do.

For the dagga:

1 1/2 Tbsp dill seeds

5 cloves garlic

1/2 green cubanelle pepper

2-3 dried red chilis (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

Dill seeds may be found at a halal, south Asian, or speciality European grocery store. They are commonly used in Indian food and as a pickling spice. At a south Asian grocery store they may be labelled soyo, suva, shepu, or savaa.

For the lamb:

1 cup (120g) vital wheat gluten, aka gluten flour

1/2 Tbsp ground sumac

1/2 tsp ground caraway

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Palestinian 7-spice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground aniseed

1/2 tsp turnermic

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp miso paste

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 tsp pomegranate molasses

1 Tbsp white or red tahina

About 1/2 cup vegetarian 'beef' stock from concentrate, or vegetable stock

Pomegranate molasses is simply pomegranate juice that has been reduced to a thick consistency. It may be found in the sauces section of a halal grocery store.

Instructions:

For the soup:

1. Soak dried chickpeas in cool water overnight, or in just-boiled water for an hour. Drain and re-cover with water, and boil for 30-45 minutes, until almost fully cooked. Drain and set aside.

2. Simmer sumac seeds in enough water to cover by a couple inches for about an hour, until the water is dark red. Blend the seeds and water together, then strain the mixture through a cheesecloth.

If you're using ground sumac, skip the blending step. Use a cheesecloth or very fine metal sieve (such as one intended for brewing tea) to remove the ground spice from the water.

3. Whisk the flour into the sumac-infused water.

For the lamb:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients other than stock and stir briefly. Add enough stock to produce a soft, smooth dough.

2. Knead by hand on a clean surface, or put in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium-low, for about 5 minutes. You should see stringy strands begin to form in the dough.

3. Allow to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes to encourage gluten formation. Knead for another 3 minutes. Do not over-knead.

4. Tear the dough into bite-sized pieces.

Stringy seitan being pulled apart into pieces.

You may also shape the dough into a slab and cube it with a sharp knife—the lamb or beef used in summagiyya is usually cubed—but I prefer the texture of torn seitan to sliced.

5. Steam the seitan pieces for 10 minutes in a bamboo steamer or using a metal steamer basket. Place the bamboo steamer in the bottom of a wok and cover its base by about 1/2" (1 cm), then raise the heat to boil the water; lower the heat to keep the water at a simmer. If using a steamer basket, place it over the opening of a pot containing a couple inches of water and bring it to a simmer. Start the timer when the water begins simmering.

6. Heat olive oil on medium-high and sear the steamed seitan pieces, turning as necessary, until deeply browned on all sides. Set aside.

Fried seitan pieces.

You can save a step here by searing the raw seitan, then returning it to the pot after you've fried the onions to simmer it rather than steaming. I found that this produced a mushier texture.

For the dagga (دقة):

1. Grind cumin and black pepper thoroughly in a mortar and pestle, then add dried red pepper and dill seed and crush coarsely. Add green sweet pepper and garlic and pound until a coarse mixture forms.

Dill seeds, green sweet pepper, garlic, and dried red chili on a cutting board, alongside dagga in a large granite mortar.

You may also use a spice mill or food processor.

To assemble:

1. Chop the onion. Wash the chard and slice it thinly in one direction; turn it ninety degrees and slice thinly again.

Diced chard, fried seitan, dagga, and sumac-infused water with flour.

2. In a large pot, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil on medium. Fry chopped onion, cardamom pods, and allspice berries for a minute until fragrant. Add half of the dagga and fry until fragrant.

3. Add chard and fry, mixing often, until wilted.

Wilted chard in a wok.

4. Add sumac mixture, chickpeas, and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. If you didn't steam your seitan earlier, add it now.

5. Continue to stir and simmer until the stew is thick, homogenous, and greyish-brown, about 15 minutes.

Simmered stew.

6. Add the remainder of the garlic mixture, the red tahina, a pinch of ground cumin, the 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt to taste. Return the steamed and seared seitan to the pot and mix.

Serve cool with flatbread, sweet green peppers, bitter green and black olives, carrots, leafy greens, and/or pickles.

[mariacallous]

Imitation caviar invented in the 1930s could provide the solution to plastic pollution, claims Pierre Paslier, CEO of London-based packaging company Notpla. He discovered the cheap food alternative, invented by Unilever and made using seaweed, after quitting his job as a packaging engineer at L’Oréal.

With cofounder and co-CEO Rodrigo García González, Paslier and Notpla have extended the idea, taking a protein made from seaweed and creating packaging for soft drinks, fast food, laundry detergent, and cosmetics, among other things. They’re also branching out into cutlery and paper.

“Seaweed grows quickly and needs no fresh water, land, or fertilizer,” Paslier explains. “It captures carbon and makes the surrounding waters less acidic. Some species of seaweed can grow up to a meter a day.” Best of all, he says, packaging made from seaweed is completely biodegradable because it’s entirely nature-based.

Paslier noted an amazing coincidence—Alexander Parkes invented the first plastic in Hackney Wick, the same part of East London that, 100 years later, Notpla calls home. Since Parkes’ first invention, waste plastic—especially tiny particles known as microplastics, which take hundreds or thousands of years to break down into harmless molecules—has been wreaking havoc in ecosystems across the world.

Plastic pollution is proving especially damaging in the marine environment, where tiny beads of plastic are deadly to the vital microorganisms that make up plankton and which sequester 30 percent of our carbon emissions, “without us having to build any new fancy technologies,” Paslier says.

Notpla’s plans to replace plastic began with a drink container for marathons. This is, in effect, a very large piece of fake caviar—a small pouch that contains juice or water that athletes can pop in their mouths and swallow when they need rehydration. “We wanted to create something that would feel more like fruit; packaging that you could feel comes more from picking something from a tree than off a production line,” he says.

Paslier showed pictures of two postrace streets—one where refueling came in plastic containers and one where it came in edible Notpla. The first was littered with plastic bottles; the second completely waste-free.

The next step was takeout food containers. Even containers we think are cardboard contain plastic, he says, as grease from food would make plain cardboard too soggy. Working with delivery company Just Eat, Notpla has pioneered a replacement for the per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), the so-called “forever chemical” plastics that currently line cardboard takeout containers. It has even found a way to retrofit its solution into the old PFAS plant, so there was no need to build new factories.

The company is developing soluble sachets for detergent pods, ice-cream scoops, and even paper packing for cosmetics. And there’s plenty of seaweed to experiment with, Paslier points out. “You don’t realize it’s already available massively at scale,” he says. “It’s in our toothpaste, it’s in our beer, it’s in our reduced-fat products—so there’s an existing infrastructure that we can work with without having to build any additional processes.”

[usafphantom2]

There is nothing that amuses me more than a secret inside of a secret.

Here’s an article that I wrote that my friend Dario Leone owner of Aviation Geek Club shared about the YF 12 and the secret SR 71 tail number 951.

Most people when they think of the YF 12 think of it as an experimental airplane that never really flew, but that is wrong. It did fly for many years. The last flight was in 1979 when it was flown to the Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio you can find it next to the XB-70.

The so-called YF-12C was really the SR-71A 61-7951, modified with a bogus tail number 06937 belonging to an A-12.

Taken in 1975, the interesting photos in this post show NASA Blackbirds carrying the ” Cold wall” heat transfer pod on a pylon beneath the forward fuselage.

The Blackbirds portrayed in these photos are usually referred to as YF-12s, but actually one of them was an SR-71 as Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer), who runs Born into the Wild Blue Yonder Habubrats Facebook page, told to The Aviation Geek Club: ‘In case anybody asked the pictures with the two NASA Blackbirds the one on the top is a YF-12 but the one on the bottom is an SR-71!

‘Another interesting thing about those pictures is that NASA was not allowed to have an SR-71 but they did and they passed it off as a YF-12!

In fact, the “YF-12C” was a then-secret SR-71A (serial no. 64-17951, the second production SR-71A) given the NASA tail no. 60-6937. The reason for this bit of subterfuge lay in the fact that NASA while flying the YF-12A interceptor version of the aircraft, was not allowed to possess the strategic reconnaissance version for some time. The bogus tail number actually belonged to a Lockheed A-12 (serial no. 60-6937), but the existence of the A-12 remained classified until 1982. The tail number 06937 was selected because it followed the sequence of tail numbers assigned to the three existing YF-12A aircraft: 06934, 06935, and 06936. Isn’t that amazing?’

The Coldwell project, supported by Langley Research Center, consisted of a stainless steel tube equipped with thermocouples and pressure sensors. A special insulating coating covered the tube, which was chilled with liquid nitrogen.

Given that the US Air Force (USAF) needed technical assistance to get the latest reconnaissance version of the A-12 family, the SR-71A, fully operational, the service offered NASA the use of two YF-12A aircraft, 60-6935 and 60-6936.

Eventually, with 146 flights between Dec. 11, 1969, and Nov. 7, 1979, 935 became the workhorse of the program while the second YF-12A, 936, made 62 flights. Given that this aircraft was lost in a non-fatal crash on Jun. 24, 1971, it was replaced by the so-called YF-12C SR-71A 61-7951, modified with YF-12A inlets and engines and a bogus tail number 06937.

The SR-71 differed from the YF-12A in that the YF-12A had a round nose while the SR-71 had its chine carried forward to the nose of the airplane. The SR-71 was longer, nearly 8 feet longer as it had an extra fuel tank that the YF 12 didn’t have. There were other differences in internal and external configuration, but the two aircraft shared common inlet designs, structural concepts, and subsystems. Also of note the SR 71C is really a combination of a static display of the SR 71 for the front half and the back half is the crashed YF-12!

In my study of all the Blackbirds, I have found other secrets inside of secrets. Such as the test SR-71 plane the 955. Everyone was told often that this airplane never left the United States, but that is not true.

When it comes to reconnaissance airplanes and War, even if it was a Cold War, Rearranging the facts is fair.

There will always be mystery in the SR 71 program.

Don’t believe that all of the secrets have been told.

I know that is not true.

Linda Sheffield, Daughter of a Habu

@Habubrats71 via X

Tap Title bar to view👇

[lets-talk-gundam]

RGM-89 Jegan

State-of-the-art during its first rollout in U.C. 0089 , the RGM-89A Jegan saw the Federation break from tradition. Instead of being an in-house development like previous Federation mass-production units, the Jegan was both designed and supplied by Anaheim Electronics.

Mainly intended to serve as a replacement for the rapidly aging RGM-86R GM III, the Jegan incorporated and improved upon many developments introduced with the RGM-88X Jeddah.

One of the most notable features of the Jegan is its head-mounted Vulcan pod. While previous mobile suits did have head-mounted Vulcan cannons, the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II popularized making these gunpods modular, rather than built in directly as they had been previously.

The standard Jegan A-type would see many refits over its lifespan. Eventually, the A-type was replaced by the RGM-89D, which became the new standard pattern. The vast majority of the D-type's changes were internal and software based, in order to keep the Jegan relevant as mobile suit development advanced.

While the A and D types were by far the most common, the Jegan saw over a dozen variants developed for different purposes, mission profiles, or to serve as testbeds for new technologies.

The Jegan became so ubiquitous during its service history that they could still be seen in service as long as 31 years after their deployment. When the Crossbone Vanguard attacked Frontier IV in U.C. 123, Jegan J-types were seen engaging the Vanguard's cutting-edge mobile suits.

The Jegan was originally designed by artist Yutaka Izubuchi for the 1988 film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.

This one was a request from a friend! Anyone and everyone may submit requests!

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Marauder IIC

One of the most notable IIC BattleMechs, the Marauder IIC is based upon one of the most iconic 'Mechs in existence, the Marauder.

Touted as one of the most effective 'Mechs of all time, the Marauder saw wide usage during the Star League era by all the Great Houses. The design was also much favored by both the Star League Defense Force's Regular and Royal units as well as its famed Gunslingers, with many examples taken on Operation EXODUS. The belief that the Marauder was a precursor to a new 'Mech design paradigm disappeared in the Inner Sphere as the Succession Wars dragged on; however, in the same year as the Second Succession War broke out the Clans developed a followup to the venerable design, later dubbed the Marauder IIC, representing the pinnacle of Clan weapons technology prior to the advent of the OmniMech. Like other IIC designs, visual similarities between it and its predecessor initially led ComStar to incorrectly label the design as a mere refit of the original.

It is to the credit of its original engineers that no new production variants of the Marauder IIC appeared until a wellspring of new technology emerged in the 3050s and '60s, with Clan Star Adder introducing a visually refreshed model carrying the then-newly developed Heavy Lasers that quickly spread to the Cloud Cobras, Goliath Scorpions, Snow Ravens, Blood Spirits and Diamond Sharks. The efforts of the mercantile Sharks would result in the further spread of the design to the Inner Sphere-based Invading Clans, followed by Clans Jade Falcon and Ghost Bear introducing new Marauder IIC variants and constructing new production lines for them on Sudeten and Satalice respectively during the Word of Blake Jihad.

As with the Warhammer IIC, the Marauder IIC is ten-tons heavier than its Inner Sphere progenitor, pushing it into the assault weight class, but otherwise the design matches the original's ground speed through the use of a 340-rated standard fusion engine. Though both designs carry eleven and half tons of armor, the Marauder IIC's use of more advanced ferro-fibrous plating gives it superior protection, with an endo steel frame freeing up weight. While structurally the Marauder IIC appears to offer little advantage over the LosTech refitted Marauders introduced by the Successor States, the blatant superiority of Clan weaponry allows the design to pound its opponents to pieces in short order.

Built around the Extended-Range Particle Projector Cannon, one of the most powerful weapons in the Clan arsenal, the Marauder IIC's weapon layout is typical of the standard Marauder, each pod-like forearm carrying an ER PPC paired with Medium Pulse Lasers. Where the Marauder IIC differs is with its torso weaponry, replacing the top-mounted autocannon and its vulnerable ammunition-feed linkage with another ER PPC, and adding a set of four ER Small Lasers. Twenty-one double heat sinks keep heat levels manageable, with an enterprising MechWarrior able to use volley fire to keep up a steady barrage of fire.

[nando161mando]

30 lipca, 2006 roku zmarł Murray Bookchin - amerykański myśliciel anarchistyczny, główny teoretyk i twórca ekologii społecznej, założyciel Instytutu Ekologii Społecznej w Plainfield, w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Zwolennik decentralizacji oraz samorządności. Jako pierwszy użył terminu „wolnościowy municypalizm”. Oznacza on system, w którym wiec ludowy stanowi podstawę organizacji społeczeństwa. W ten sposób konfederacja miast zarządzanych na podstawie zasad demokracji bezpośredniej zastępuje centralny rząd. Poza wspomnianą problematyką zajmował się filozofią, historią hiszpańskiej rewolucji, rozwojem miast oraz spółdzielczych form produkcji.

Społeczność kurdyjska pod wodzą Abdullaha Öcalana przyjęła za ideową podstawę swej działalności eko-socjalizm oparty na „konfederalizmie demokratycznym” Murray'a Bookchina.

On July 30, 2006, Murray Bookchin died - an American anarchist thinker, the main theoretician and creator of social ecology, founder of the Institute of Social Ecology in Plainfield, in the United States. Supporter of decentralization and self-government. He was the first to use the term "libertarian municipalism". It means a system in which the people's rally is the basis for organizing society. In this way, a confederation of cities governed by the principles of direct democracy replaces the central government. In addition to the above-mentioned issues, he dealt with philosophy, the history of the Spanish revolution, the development of cities and cooperative forms of production.

The Kurdish community led by Abdullah Öcalan adopted eco-socialism based on Murray Bookchin's "democratic confederalism" as the ideological basis for its activities.

[thatsrightice]

F-14 Tomcat Variants

A beginner’s guide to identifying and differentiating the different F-14 Tomcat variants using three distinctive, easy-to-spot features: Glove Vanes, Engine Exhaust Nozzle (aka “Turkey Feathers”), and Sensor Pods.

F-14A

NUMBER BUILT: 637 total

INTRODUCED: 22 September 1974

The F-14A’s were the first Tomcats ever produced. The TF30 engines were initially an interim engine used during testing but it was later decided they would be used in full production of the F-14A. A total of 478 F-14As were delivered to the US Navy and 79 were delivered to Iran with the TF30-P-412A engine. Iran was supposed to receive 80 aircraft but the last one was given to the US Navy. Later in production, the final 102 F-14A’s were delivered to the US Navy with Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-414A engine.

IDENTIFYING FEATURES:

✅ GLOVE VANES

The A-variant is the only variant of the Tomcat to have Glove Vanes. They were designed to automatically deploy when the aircraft was flying at speeds greater than Mach 1.4 and retract when below in order to correct the tendency for the Tomcat’s nose to pitch downwards at high speeds. They were notoriously difficult to maintain and the benefit was marginal at the speed they were designed for, so the glove vanes were disconnected entirely and welted shut. The glove vanes were not featured on new F-14 Tomcats, but the outline of the glove vane makes it easy to identify an F-14A or an F-14B/F-14D that was a rebuilt F-14A.

✅ SMALL NOZZLE EXHAUST FEATHERS

When compared to the F110 engines, it becomes pretty easy to tell the difference. When you look at the TF30 engine nozzle, you’ll see a lot of small metal plates, “Turkey Feathers,” that expand and contract when the nozzle opens and closes. It’ll be easier to tell the difference once you take a look at the General Electric F110 engine used on later F-14 Tomcat variants. This is the BEST way to identify an F-14A.

✅ SINGLE SENSOR POD BELOW CHIN

I recommend using the TF30 engine as the best way to identify an A-variant Tomcat as they are the only variant with those engines, however, I am choosing to include a section on the sensor pods for your reference as it is important for identifying the B and D-variants. The F-14A features a single sensor pod located below its chin but can come in a variety of configurations.

F-14A+ aka F-14B

NUMBER BUILT: 81 Aircraft (38 new builds, 43 upgraded F-14As)

UPGRADES BEGAN: March 1987

Initially designated the F-14A+, the upgrade is primarily characterized by the replacement of the Pratt & Whitney TF-30 engine with the General Electric F110-GE-400 engine due to being notoriously problematic. Many of the avionic systems and radars were retained, but the ALR-67 Radar Homing and Warning system was added. The A+was redesignated to the F-14B on 1 May 1891.

In the late 1990’s, the F-14Bs were upgraded again to extend its airframe life and upgrade the avionics system, but it was not given a variant designation due to the lack of major changes.

MAIN VARIANT FEATURES:

F110-GE-400 engines

ALR-67 Radar Homing and Warning system

IDENTIFYING FEATURES:

❌ NO GLOVE VANES

As stated in the section for the A-variant, the glove vanes were welded shut and completely disconnected on all existing Tomcats. On new builds, they weren’t even included in the design, however, if the aircraft is an upgraded F-14A, you might see the glove vane outline. This would be a way you can identify which aircraft were originally F-14As (Rebuild) and which were completely new builds.

✅ LARGE EXHAUST NOZZLE FEATHERS

Because most of the F-14B models were upgraded F-14As, it’s a little tricky to tell the difference sometimes. The easiest way is the F110 engine nozzle’s large turkey feathers. In comparison, the turkey feathers on the F110 engine are significantly larger and fewer in number, making it easily identifiable.

✅ SINGLE SENSOR POD BELOW CHIN

If you see a Tomcat with guide vanes and the F110 engine, then you can infer that it isn’t an F-14A. But to tell the difference between an F-14B and an F-14D, you’ll need to examine the sensors located below the chin.

Similar to the A-variant, the F-14B only has a single sensor pod located below its nose. The B model only had one true configuration with the Tactical Camera System (TCS), however, it may have an Aerodynamic Cover. This image from M.A.T.S. best shows the only possible sensor pod configurations for the F-14 A and B. The bottom two diagrams represent the B-variant.

F-14D Super Tomcat

NUMBER BUILT: 55 aircraft (37 new, 18 upgraded F-14As)

UPGRADES BEGAN: 1991

The F-14D, much like the F-14B, featured many avionics upgrades, including a new AN/APG-71 radar radar to replace the AWG-9 used in the A and B-variants and digital avionics systems. The D-variant, also called the Super Tomcat, featured the same F110-GE-400 engine used on the B-variant. There were many other upgrades to the F-14 Tomcat’s systems in this variant.

MAIN VARIANT FEATURES:

F110-GE-400 engine

AN/APG-71 radar

Glass cockpit

IDENTIFYING FEATURES:

❌ NO GLOVE VANES

As stated in the section for the A-variant and the B-variant, the glove vanes were welded shut and completely disconnected on all existing Tomcats. On new builds, however, they weren’t even included in the design. The rebuilds, however, might have the glove vanes if they were not removed during the rebuild process. F-14Ds upgraded from F-14As may also be designated F-14D(R)s, where R stands for rebuild.

✅ LARGE NOZZLE EHAUST FEATHERS

Many of the F-14Ds were rebuilt F-14As, so it’s a little tricky to tell the difference sometimes. The easiest way, similar to the F-14B, is the F110 engine nozzle’s large turkey feathers. In comparison to the TF30 engine, the turkey feathers are significantly larger and fewer in number.

✅ TWO SENSOR PODS BELOW CHIN

The main differentiating feature between the F-14B and D variants is the sensor pods located below the chin of the aircraft. This variant features two sensor pods as opposed to the one sensor pod of previous variants. This allows the aircraft to have both the Infra-Red Seeker pod and the Tactical Camera System (TCS). The F-14D is the only variant to have both, making it the easiest way to distinguish it from other variants.

[d-criss-news]

Evan Rachel Wood, Darren Criss on Stepping Into ‘Little Shop of Horrors’: “We’re Both These Little Theater ’90s Nerds”

The 'Westworld' actress and 'American Crime Story' star open up about deciding to take the stage together, personal connections to their characters, and their love for Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.

It’s early afternoon on a Friday when Darren Criss and Evan Rachel Wood pick up the phone, just five days before the duo is set to debut as the new Seymour and Audrey in off-Broadway‘s Little Shop of Horrors. Both are on their way to the Westside Theatre stage for their first top to bottom run-through, taking over the complicated but beloved characters based on Roger Corman’s 1960 horror comedy and deftly adapted for the stage by theater legends Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music). Now in its fifth year, several notable names have left their mark on this U.S. revival of the dark goings-on of a Skid Row flower shop: Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Conrad Ricamora, Corbin Bleu, Constance Wu, Maude Apatow, Tammy Blanchard, Lena Hall. But none quite like this, as an intentional leap together among friends.

As the interview begins, Wood — who is already at the theater — openly wonders whether she should take the elevator down to where she’ll soon meet co-star and friend Criss, before quickly interjecting that “you might lose me for two seconds.” Meanwhile, Criss declares he opted to skip the subway after realizing he was running behind, as he briefly turns on his Zoom camera to reveal himself in the backseat of a car.

Later, his voice will drop out for a few minutes, before reappearing, sounding winded. “I have my ear pods in, and so I just got out of the car talking to you guys, and you cut out,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Then I looked at the car driving away, so I just sprinted down the block to grab it.” This frantic energy is reminiscent of what you can find within this kind of scrappy, fast-paced, off-Broadway musical environment in the final days before curtains go up. As replacements, Criss and Wood will do so with less time to rehearse and no preview audiences on which to test their performances, but that doesn’t seem to phase either of them. Instead, with their easy and fun rapport, the duo celebrate the challenge of what it means to be passed this mantle for a three-month run, beginning Jan. 30. On Tuesday, Wood will make her New York theater debut, a long-awaited moment for the actress who grew up with a father (Ira David Wood III) as an actor, playwright and theater director in her hometown of Raleigh. With her early stage ambitions sidelined by a burgeoning film career — later including movie musicals like Frozen II and Across the Universe — the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Wood will finally return to her performance roots, a year after news of her attachment to a possible Thelma & Louise musical adaptation for Broadway.

Little Shop of Horrors will also mark Criss’ first return to New York’s musical theater world since a multi-week replacement run in 2015 as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. On the phone, he’s adamant that, absent traditional musical theater training, he’s fooled the world into thinking he’s more than an “actor trying to act like he knows how to sing.” But with several EPs, a Christmas album, Billboard-charting work with StarKids Productions, and roles in musical-driven screen projects like Glee and Hazbin Hotel, it’s hard not to believe that the Emmy and SAG award-winning performer, like Wood, will be right at home. Ahead of their debut, the duo spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about sharing the stage, the impact of Little Shop of Horrors across the stage and screen, their love of Ashman and Menken, and why these roles are personally resonant and remain culturally timely. Darren, you said in a previous interview that you had been begging Evan to come do theater in New York for years. How did you make that happen now and for you both together? CRISS Let me just start by saying as much as I can before she can hear me. I’m in a regular habit of just exalting Evan for her talent. I’d done this before I even had the great privilege of getting to know and become friends with her. I’m always talking about how wonderfully talented she is and how I’ve always really loved her voice and her breadth of ability. When I meet people who are these wonderful triple threats that have a really strong theatrical background — people who can sing and don’t have as many opportunities as I wish they did — I get off on the idea of people who didn’t know that they could do this thing finally getting to see that they could do this thing.

Evan has done a lot of singing in her life. She’s literally a Disney princess for Frozen II and there’s obviously Across the Universe. But knowing that she has this really strong theatrical background, I’ve always been hell-bent on getting her on a stage. As a friend, she has popped up on many gigs with me in my personal life just for fun and parties I’ve thrown. She showed up for me on the Christmas album. She’s said yes to me far more many times than I frankly deserve. So when this came around, a lot of my colleagues — a lot of my friends — have been Seymour, and who loves theater that doesn’t love Little Shop of Horrors? It would be a really fun time for me, but the thing that would make it really, really special is if I had got the chance to do it with an Audrey that not only I thought really could bring something spectacular to the role, but on a personal level, this is off-Broadway. We’re all doing this scrappy theater thing in a basement together. If we’re going to live on top of each other might as well be someone but I’m also personally very fond of and have a wonderful relationship with. So short story that’s way too long, I went to Evan and said “Hey, I have an idea. Would you be available to do this?” and thank my lucky stars, she said yes. I’m just a pig in shit, getting to do this with her. It’s an absolute joy. Evan, what’s your response to that glowing review, but also, why did you want to make this show your off-Broadway New York theater debut?

WOOD Funny enough, I have been so close to being on Broadway a handful of times and something has always come in the way of scheduling or something falls apart. It was actually my dream as a kid. I went back and read some old interviews of mine when I was around 12 or 13, and I completely had forgotten that my dream was to go live in New York, go to NYU, and do theater in New York. That was where my sights were set before my life sort of got derailed for a moment. So it’s always been in my sights. It’s gotten increasingly harder over the years to make it work, especially if you have kids, to be away from home for such long periods of time. Usually, the theater commitments are an amount of time that I was just never able to do and so the timing was perfect because I was thinking to myself, “God, I wish I could go to New York and do a play, but maybe not a six-month run. Maybe something around three months. A classic musical that’s going to be really fun.” Darren called me maybe a week later and said, “I’d love for you to come and do it with me,” and it was like an instant yes. To piggyback on what Darren said, I feel very similarly about Darren and that whenever he’s asked me to do something, I just know it’s going to be great. I know it’s going to be fun and I fully believe in everything that he does and his talent. We’re both these little theater ’90s nerds that just hit it off in so many ways, and we collaborate well together. I just felt like we would like this project. It’s made so much sense for both of us that it was a no-brainer.

Little Shop of Horrors is one of those musicals that even people who aren’t big fans of musical theater and attend regularly are aware of, both in terms of story and music. Among the many adaptations of this, whether it was a professional or high school staging or even any of the movie versions, was there one that made you want to do this show? CRISS I’ll say this. As hip of an aura as I’ve tried to give off, make no mistake, I think the biggest gateway to this property for everybody is hands down the movie. I was not seeing off off Broadway theater in the 1980s. I wasn’t there, and that’s why I love movie musicals so much. As much as I love going to the theater, being able to go to a Broadway show is a very specific and privileged situation tied to being in New York City. But whether it’s a liked or celebrated movie, it is still going to be the most accessible thing in perpetuity for everybody. So definitely the movie and those songs. Before you can really understand the complexities of the thematic, Faustian elements and high dramaturgical elements of the story — and before you even get the comedy — you get the music. Especially when you’re really young and your parents are playing you things that you go, “OK, well, kids can get behind music.” It doesn’t take much to understand that the music from that show is beloved. I mean, this music and this show are like proto-Disney Renaissance. It’s like what got [Jeffrey] Katzenberg to ask Alan Menken and Howard Ashman to help them out. It was like, “We want to do some Disney musical fairy tales.” Now, because of the show, we have The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast.

I grew up in the ’90s, as me and Evan tend to relate upon a lot. With The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and these films that I loved so much, as I got older, I really wanted to know more about the people behind them. I became obsessed with, and I talk a lot about, Howard Ashman and how much of an influence he’s had on the musical theater genre ever since the popularity of those films. So I wanted to go back to the start of that, and that’s when I started to dive into Little Shop and discover how this was the sort of nexus — the genesis — of everything. WOOD Yeah, same. I grew up watching the film and being so terrified by it, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I grew up doing theater. My father runs a theater in Raleigh, North Carolina, and so that was my childhood. I was always listening to show tunes, and as Darren said, the classic Disney albums, acting out plays in my living room and Little Mermaid was certainly one of them. Ellen Greene’s performance always stuck with me, and I am also a major Howard Ashman-Alan Menkin nerd for similar reasons as Darren. Those were all things that drew me to it. I was really terrified about and still am terrified about being eaten by the plant because it was like a deep seated childhood fear of mine that I had to conquer to do this show. It’s stuck with me since childhood. It’s not as bad as you would think. But it’s still pretty scary. Also just a fun fact, I was cast as Audrey in the seventh-grade school play, but I couldn’t do it because I was doing movies. (Laughs.) So I got pulled out of school, but I was almost Audrey in seventh grade.

CRISS You aged into it well. This is a much more appropriate time in your life being Audrey than in seventh grade, so worked out just great. (Laughs.) I just have to say, this production, we both have our careers going on and different dragons that we’re chasing in our professional and personal lives that committing to a big Broadway production is a huge investment. What’s so wonderful about this is, the way the show is set up, we can kind of come in for just a little bit. It’s really high output but like low stakes — and I don’t want to say that to be reductive of the production. I mean that the show is beloved. There are people that know this show but have never seen it, and have heard of it and know the songs without ever even having tried to listen and know the songs. So it’s so culturally ubiquitous, that it’s a very, welcome accessible thing for all kinds of folks and that might cross-pollinate between me and Evan’s demographic of people who might be interested in us. Also, it’s been running for long enough that I feel protected. I’ve seen this production several times. Evan and I went just last night. It’s something that you don’t have to figure out. One of the hardest parts about getting a show up on its feet is like, does it work? Do we want this song in? We got to do with an audience and you really have to workshop stuff for a long time. Shows take years before they’ve reached mainstream Broadway, so the fact that all that legwork is taken out is a no-brainer for us. It’s just this really like warm snuggle from something that we really love.

You’re right in that this is not a traditional production experience for you, as you’re coming in after others, and you have less rehearsal time, no previews. What have the challenges or exciting elements of that been for you so far? WOOD I don’t know about you, Darren, but I feel like one of the reasons why I said yes to doing this with you is because this is kind of where you and I thrive — in the fast-paced chaos. I need a challenge sometimes. I need that adrenaline and I need that fast pace, especially if I’m coming in to do theater. That’s where I grew up, and that’s what I’m used to. That’s where home is for me. So coming back into the theater into the organized chaos of it all feels right. My brain loves it and thrives off of it. When somebody says “Oh, this is a really hard number to learn,” I think, “This is going to be my favorite number.” (Laughs.) I love figuring something out, and picking it apart piece by piece and putting it back together, then conquering it. There’s just such satisfaction that comes from doing that there, Darren, and I think it’s similar for you. CRISS It is kind of a party trick some people are quick studies of, for better or for worse. I think this kind of pace suits us. I think it’s something that we wear pretty well, and I think we do that a lot in our own lives. But to do it together is pretty fun. I’ve thrown Evan into all kinds of things where she’ll just show up knowing a whole song last minute. That’s not too dissimilar, and it’s not like we’re learning new music. We know these songs.

In the theater world, you learn a track. It’s literally a track — there are little railroad tracks set around the stage because there’s no follow spots. The lights are where they are. You don’t have to do hours of tech rehearsal, figuring out where the lighting cues are. They’re there. It is our job to jump into a machine that is already very well-oiled and running. So in that regard, you’re kind of free from having to worry about that stuff. But you can just focus on your characterization and nuance within these very, specific directives. I’ve done a few put-ins. I think this is probably your first, Evan, for a show that’s already going. Correct me if I’m wrong. WOOD I did learn, for the record, Baz Luhrmann in one night and performed it the next night. CRISS Case and point. So yeah, doing a put-in — I’ve done it a few times for Broadway — it’s nice because then you can just focus on the little things that you really want to play with and not worry about these big macro things. What’s funny is that people always say, “Oh, I love Broadway music. I love Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.” The word Broadway is often conflated with the music from narrative storytelling, whether it be from films or TV. This show was always an off-Broadway darling. It was only really on Broadway for a little bit in 2003. Beyond that, it’s the movie and this off-off-Broadway show, which started in the ’80s and ran for a pretty long time. Then in just so many regional and school productions. But it’s actually only been on Broadway for a minority of the time.

WOOD And that was intentional, right? It was really important to them to keep it off Broadway because that was the spirit of the show. It was on Skid Row. It wasn’t supposed to be a big huge glitzy production. CRISS When you contextualize it, it’s a famous show now, but if you’re in the ’80s, and you’ve got some big Broadway musicals happening uptown, and you’re trying to tell your friends, “Yeah, I saw this thing downtown. You got to come. It’s kind of this doo-wop that’s based of this Roger Corman B-movie. There’s a plant that’s a puppet but it’s hard to explain. You just got to come down and see it.” (Laughs.) Trying to contextualize that, it makes you realize this really is a weird thing, man. It’s a weird, off-the-beaten-path, outlying renegade show. You’ve both done musicals in different mediums, which is, obviously, a different process. Was there anything you brought in with you about doing it on-screen to your performances now? WOOD It’s kind of the opposite for me. I’ve carried theater into my film work because I started in theater, so I learned how to do things fluidly and without stopping. There’s a lot of stop and start in TV and film and sometimes that’s nice. But sometimes it’s frustrating, especially when you come from a theater background. There’s something so satisfying about telling the story from beginning to end and playing the entire arc of the character in one go. There’s just a certain energy and an aliveness that comes with that that you can’t have when you have the camera in the room and it’s constantly moving and starting and stopping and changing.

CRISS I would say the same thing. I don’t know if this math checks out, but I think I’ve spent in my collective hours working in any kind of performing art more time in a theater than I have on a set. That might not be true, but in my mind, it feels that way. I constantly feel like I’m bringing what I know in the theater to film and television. I’d always prefer to be doing theater, but these days, listen, I’ll work anywhere, anyhow. As long as, hopefully, it’s positive, and additive to the world in some way. The theater, without getting on a total spiritual kick, it is a holy place. It’s an ancient art form. It is catharsis. It is sharing something with people in real-time before your very eyes. It’s why, despite the fact that we have TV and film and every possible AR, VR medium to displace our reality, theater is still around. It’s why we go to church, why we go to temple, why we go to the mosque — so we can experience something that we collectively want to believe in. We’re strangers and we want to elevate ourselves to something that’s bigger than the sum of our parts. I realize I said I didn’t want to get into a whole spiritual thing with it, but there you go. That can only happen after the fact, months if not years after you do it in a film set.

Evan and I are about to do our first put-in rehearsal, which is to say, we’re going to do the whole thing top to bottom, but there will be a key character missing, and that is the audience. The audience is one of the main characters of any show. And as much as you’d not want to break the fourth wall — that they’re not supposed to be there — of course, they’re there. Of course, that’s why we’re there — to have that kind of sacred communion with an audience giving you the privilege of their presence. You have a responsibility and a duty to make sure that you are sharing some kind of worthwhile experience with them. So getting to renew that experience every night, to me, is the most noble vocation that you can have as an artist.

WOOD I learned how to sing before I learned how to act because I wanted to do musical theater. So this is my favorite thing to do. Of all the mediums is being able to marry the singing and the acting together. Always my first love. CRISS I’m still learning how to do those two things, which is why Evan Rachel Wood is in this production — to teach me how to do those things. (Laughs.) Part of why shows like Little Shop go on for so long — why they can get this many revivals or adaptations — is that there’s something timeless about the story and its characters. For you, what is most timeless about Seymour and Audrey? Amid all the other actors who have taken on these roles, what are you most connecting to? WOOD From what I understand, everybody that’s come in to do the show brings their own energy and spin on it. Especially with Audrey — Ellene Greene, her performance is so iconic. The look, the voice, the songs. So stepping into that is figuring out how I pay homage to the parts of this character that people love and expect to see, but also bring my vibe and energy to it. That’s exciting to figure out what my Audrey looks like. For me, it’s also hard not to relate to her and her struggles because, unfortunately, those are very timeless — poverty, abuse, patriarchy. She’s sort of a victim of all of those things. Not to get too real for a second, but I am a domestic violence survivor playing this character who is going through similar struggles, who has these similar feelings and dreams of getting out and going to a better place and getting far, far away from her past. They’re all very real things, but they’re in this setting of campiness and horror. What’s amazing about the show for me is that it is fun. It is campy. There are man-eating plants. But there’s such sincerity to it as well. Especially with Audrey, Seymour, and their relationship. There are so many beautiful real moments between the two of them. Themes of poverty and capitalism are still just so prevalent that that’s why it’s so timeless because these things just are not going away.

CRISS I’m glad Evan mentioned her own experience and what that brings to the show. I think, for my money, pathos is a dish best served sweet. Comedy and fun are a wonderful support system for really heavy themes. WOOD Exactly. CRISS I think I’m that I’m more likely to take something more seriously if it’s not shoved down my throat. This is a comedy and to me, there’s not a lick of fat on this thing from Howard Ashman who was just such an extraordinary dramaturg. He took this really silly B-movie, and managed to hone in on the very ancient themes. You’re asking what makes Seymour so timeless. It’s a Faustian tale. This is the one of the oldest fables asking what is the price of greatness. What is a man willing to do, willing to give up, willing to trade to get what he wants? WOOD He literally sells his soul. CRISS Yeah, he sells his soul. The plant is Mephistopheles in this parable of Little Shop. But, of course, if you’re going go downtown and say, “I’m going to do a show. It’s like a Faust thing, and Mephistopheles shows up,” you can see people’s eyes glaze over. Well, how about it’s this guy, there’s music that is evocative of what was popular in the late ’50s, but the plant sings. It’s sci-fi, but it’s horror, but it’s fun, and it’s comedy. Now you have my attention, now I’m subscribing to the fun and the music. But by the end of it, I’m experiencing a classic, traditional, academic tale in a really fun way. When you said there’s been millions of iterations of this show, my mind went to, there’s been millions of iterations of this story. This is probably just one of the funniest ones I can think of.

There is ancientness to this tale. I’ve realized recently I’ve made a lot of my roles, especially in the Broadway world, about people who would do anything to accomplish greatness. To varying degrees of evil or good or compromise, people are always trying to figure out what it is they have to do, and what they have to give up. What line they would cross to get it. A lot of times people are kind of conflicted [watching Little Shop of Horrors] because you are rooting for this guy doing this thing, but he’s doing something terrible. Does that make you complicit? Are you a bad person for wanting this? All those things are the bread and butter of good old-fashioned drama.

[frogblast-the-ventcore]

This is the 2nd prototype of the XP-82 Twin Mustang heavy escort fighter, circa mid-to-late-1945. It is, perhaps, my favorite WW2 era fighter.

It was, essentially, two P-51s welded together. It was conceived as an ultra-long range escort fighter, hence why it retained two cockpits, with full controls in each. The idea was that one pilot could rest for part of the mission, and hand off control to the other when he needed a break, alternating as needed. The XP-82 had a range of 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers), a service ceiling of 40,000 feet (12,000 meters), and a top speed of 461 miles per hour.

It's fitted here with its standard six M3 .50cal machine guns (with 400 rounds per gun, firing at 1200 rpm). Additionally, it is equipped with two 500 pound bombs, ten 5" High Velocity Aircraft Rockets, and an experimental centerline gun-pod containing an additional eight M3 Browning .50cal machine guns (each, as before, with 400 rounds, firing at 1200 rpm). This brings the total cyclic rounds-per-minute of the aircraft to 16,800 rpm combined.

The gun pod would not be retained past the prototypes, as the majority of production was fitted out or converted to night fighter spec with a radar mounted under the center wing (often nicknamed "Long Dong" due to the characteristic shape of the radar fairing). The second cockpit was refitted into a radar operator's station without flight controls.

The non-night fighter versions used the space for two more hardpoints, allowing for up to four 1000 pound bombs or up to twenty-five 5" HVAR rockets.

The P-82 (later changed to F-82) would go on to serve in Korea, but would be very quickly replaced with jet fighters, and were retired in 1953.

[tidalvape]

Exploring the Best Vape Kits and E-Liquids in the UK: Your Ultimate Guide with Tidal Vape

Vaping has become a popular alternative to traditional smoking, offering a wide range of products that cater to different preferences and needs. Whether you’re a seasoned vaper or a newcomer, finding the right products can make all the difference. Tidal Vape is here to guide you through the best vape kits, e-liquids, and vape accessories available in the UK, helping you make informed choices for your vaping journey.

Introduction to Vaping in the UK

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[najia-cooks]

[ID: First image is of two dark brown glazed lamb chops. Second image is a close-up; one of the chops has been cup open to show a pink interior. End ID]

Seitan lamb chops

This vegan meat can be used as a substitute for lamb chops or rack of lamb. Like well-cooked lamb, it is fine-grained, moist, subtly sweet, and meltingly tender. Once simmered it is ready to be seared, breaded, fried, or sliced, and included in your favorite recipes.

The seitan is made using the washed flour method, which kneads dough in water to separate the gluten from the starch: this allows you to control how much starch you leave alongside the gluten in the dough, and thus how tender versus chewy your final cut of meat will be. This recipe makes a dough that leaves more starch in than most seitan recipes do, and then kneads the dough again to distribute that starch into an even, fine grain. A simmer in a spiced, aromatic broth leaves the final product tender, moist, and flavorful all the way through; the broth is then cooked down to a glaze.

The spices called for in this recipe are geared towards replacing lamb in Palestinian recipes, but they can easily be swapped out to complement the flavor profiles of other dishes.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Makes 4 large lamb chops.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

720g bread flour (or any white wheat flour with at least 12% gluten)

About 2 1/4 cups water

For the dry flavoring mix (scaled to 455g dough yield):

2 tsp (7.5g) ground sumac

1 3/4 tsp (5.25g) onion powder

1 tsp (4g) kosher salt (1/2 tsp table salt)

1 tsp (5.5g) vegetarian granulated sugar

1 tsp (2.5g) black peppercorns, toasted and ground

3/4 tsp (2g) caraway seeds, toasted and ground

3/4 tsp (3g) garlic powder

3/4 tsp (2.5g) ground turmeric

3/4 tsp (2g) cumin seeds, toasted and ground

3/4 tsp (1.5g) aniseed, toasted and ground

1/2 tsp beet powder; or 5 drops red + 1 drop green food coloring

1/2 tsp (2.5g) MSG (optional)

To fry:

4 tsp vegan margarine or ghee (سمنة), divided

4 tsp olive oil, divided

For the simmering broth:

2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Chinese aged soy sauce)

1 Tbsp red tahina

2 tsp miso paste (preferably red)

2 tsp pomegranate molasses

2 tsp vegetarian 'beef' stock concentrate (optional)

1 small yellow onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay laurel leaf

1 stick cinnamon bark

5 allspice berries

5 green cardamom pods, crushed

2 cloves

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp vegetarian granulated sugar

Several cups water

Instructions:

To wash the flour:

To make seitan using the washed flour method, a dough is first made out of flour and water; then, the dough is washed in water multiple times. The water carries off the starch, leaving the gluten behind.

1. Make the dough. Mix flour and water in a large mixing bowl until dough comes together. Knead for several minutes, and then cover the dough and allow it to rest for another 10-15 minutes to develop gluten. After resting, the dough should be very smooth, elastic, and stretchy.

2. Soak the dough. Fill the bowl with enough cool water to cover the dough, and let it soak for about an hour. This allows gluten to continue developing.

3. First wash. Leave the soaking water in the bowl, and begin to knead the dough with your hands under the water. Repeatedly pull, stretch, fold, and press the dough for several minutes to knead, occasionally using your fingertips to break through and shred or mangle the dough as you pull. Soon, the water should be a thick, opaque white.

4. Drain the dough. Set up a colander over a very large container, and pour the contents of your mixing bowl through. You can also just pour the starchy water down the sink if you don't have plans to use it (to make liangpi noodles, or dumpling wrappers, or any of the recipes out there for vegan bacon using wheat starch...).

At this point, you will see two distinct substances in the dough: the gluten, which is thin and stringy and feels rubbery when pinched, and the starch, which is thick and 'globby' and feels soft when pinched, offering no resistance. We want to wash the flour a few times until most of the starch has been removed, and there are only some small globules interspersed throughout the stringy gluten.

5. Second wash. Return the dough to your mixing bowl and fill it with fresh cool water. Knead and pull the dough for another few minutes, until the water once more turns opaque. There should be fewer large areas of starch in the dough, and more development of the gluten strands. Drain the dough again (just like in step 4).

6. Third and fourth wash. Repeat this process another time or two, until the starch globules are about 20% of what you see, and the gluten is around 80%. For the last wash, the water should be a bit less opaque with starch than it was for the first one, but it should be more than a bit cloudy. You should see your fingers when you cup some of the water in your hand, but not the bottom of the bowl.

After the third wash

After the fourth wash

7. Drain the dough. Drain the seitan again and allow it to continue draining, flipping over once, until it is noticeably less wet. Squeeze the dough to remove any extra water or starch on the surface.

You now have your washed flour! This will be the base for the rest of the recipe. I had 455g of dough at this point.

To finish the dough:

1. Add all dry ingredients to the dough and knead again to distribute evenly; or use a blender for about 30 seconds until everything is well-incorporated and the gluten strands are visible.

2. Pull the dough into a single long, thick strand, and then tie it into a couple knots. Do this a few times to build structure.

To cook:

The dough will first be seared to develop a crust, then simmered to infuse it with more flavor. After a rest in the simmering liquid, it is seared again to re-crisp, then tossed in the thickened liquid to form a glaze.

1. Divide dough into four pieces. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp of margarine and 2 tsp of olive oil (or use all olive oil). Add dough pieces and push flat with a spatula. Fry, turning as needed and intermittently pressing flat with the spatula, until the surface is browned and crispy.

2. Mix liquid simmering ingredients together and whisk to combine. Pour over browned chops and add whole spices and aromatics. If necessary, add more water to cover.

3. Slowly bring simmering liquid up to a bare simmer. Don't let it come to a rolling boil, which could produce a spongey texture.

4. Cook at a very low simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to soak in the simmering liquid (including spices and aromatics) for at least an hour in the fridge, or overnight.

This is a good place to stop for the night if you want to make these ahead of time.

5. Remove lamb chops from liquid. In a large pot or deep skillet, bring simmering liquid (including spices and aromatics) to a boil, uncovered, until considerably reduced.

6. Strain to remove whole spices and aromatics. Return to pan and continue to reduce until thickened to a glaze-like consistency.

7. In a clean skillet, fry lamb chops again in remaining margarine and oil until browned and crispy. Add glaze and cook, flipping and agitating occasionally, for a couple minutes until coated.

Serve immediately over rice or frika (فريكة / freekeh), topped with fried pine nuts, alongside plain cultured soy yoghurt, pickles, olives, and a side salad, etc.

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

Anachronisms

Dieter Bravo x f!reader

|| Consent universe oneshot but can be read independently from the series ||

{ Fuck Yeah Holidays | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist }

Rating: E

Prompts: Bridgerton (+ bonus prompt matching tattoos because these two were neck to neck for so long!) | Thanksgiving

Summary: Dieter’s plan to surprise you on the set of Bridgerton for Thanksgiving goes awry when he unwittingly gets cast opposite his ex-girlfriend for a steamy intimate scene - that you have to coordinate.

Warnings: Secret relationship, mention of hair for plot purposes, fighting, jealousy, swearing, dirty talk, spitting, titty fucking, safe unprotected sex, workplace sex. These holiday fics are for fun, so not as *rigorously edited* as my regular stories, please forgive any mistakes or plot holes!

Word count: 4.3k

Notes: Kicking off the holiday season with some Bridgerton action, which came in third place in the holiday vote! This is dedicated to the amazing @nicolethered for having supported this idea since I first mentioned it months ago. You should check out the amazing Dieter in Bridgerton costumes edits she made here. Thank you Nicole for always feeding our community with your content, you are the best ❤️ 

It’s 7:03 in the morning, and it’s bedlam.

The gravel crunches harshly under your winter boots as you march towards the makeup trailers, parked outside the magnificent historical manor house where the crew is filming on location this weekend. Hooped skirts, elaborately starched wigs, a pod of six pomeranians floofed to perfection and a peacock on a leash pass you by, but none turns your head, blinkered by only one thing on your mind.

The coffee in your gloved hand has long grown cold, the steaming cup having been a mere breath from your lips when the day’s call sheet was delivered to you. It had you spinning on your heels and storming out of the break room on the other side of the expansive, manicured grounds.

It’s just your luck that the most intense filming of the season is scheduled over the long Thanksgiving weekend. While you don’t expect the British production to take a break for the American holiday, you’d at least hoped that you could make it through with as few hitches as possible.

And you probably could’ve, if not for the fact that someone had crossed out the name of the male lead in one of the intimate scenes you’re coordinating on the call sheet.

Next to it, scrawled in a messy hand, is the name of the replacement at the eleventh hour -

D. Bravo.

Spotting the very same name on one of the makeup trailers, you stomp up the rickety stairs and proceed to unceremoniously kick down the door.

Considering the fact that the crew would’ve had to scramble for a decent trailer for the last-minute, big-name casting change, it’s a surprisingly comfortable space. The furniture is a notch up from bog-standard Ikea, including the currently occupied, expensive-looking leather chair at the brightly illuminated makeup station.

In a carefully choreographed movement, the said chair turns in a lazy swivel, creaking on its axles to reveal the man you haven’t seen for three weeks, and hadn’t expected to for another few.

His curls are airplane tousled, sunglasses slid halfway down his nose, and it’s clear from his bloodshot eyes that he just got off the plane.

‘What do you think you’re doing, Dieter Bravo?’

The corner of his mouth, which was ticking upwards into a grin seconds ago, freezes in uncertainty as he wilts under your glare. ‘Sur-prise?’ he trails off into a question.

It’s clearly not the welcome he’s expecting. When Netflix came knocking about the unexpected opportunity for a two-month contract on Bridgerton, you were on a flight to London that very same evening, with only grainy videos tiding you over the Atlantic-wide distance between you since.

‘Surprise?’ you scoff with a roll of your eyes. ‘Yes, it’s a fantastic surprise to find out that the actor I’ve been rehearsing with over the past week for the big scene today has been replaced by none other than you?’

Per usual, when he doesn’t get his way, the puppy eyes come out to play. ‘But sweetheart - it’s the only way I can be with you for Thanksgiving since you’re working the whole time!’

If you were any less overworked and sleep-deprived, you might have folded. But you’ve been scraping by with barely four hours every night since you arrived on set, and you snap. ‘Oh yeah? You were so desperate to be with me that you got yourself cast opposite your ex-girlfriend in one of the steamiest sex scenes of the season?’

His eyes bug out comically as he jumps out of his chair. ‘What?’

‘Yup,’ you grin sarcastically, throwing in a slow clap for maximum effect. ‘I guess I’ll spend the weekend watching you simulate hot sex with your ex, who will probably try every trick in the book to get you back. Happy fucking Thanksgiving!’

‘But - I’m your boyfriend,’ he points out with such maddening conviction that it would’ve been endearing under any other circumstances.

You’re this close to stamping your foot in frustration. ‘Yes, but no one else here knows that!’

‘We’ll tell her.’

You shake your head vehemently. ‘Don’t you dare. If you do, it’ll be all over the newspapers by the end of the day, and I have no time or energy to handle that right now.’

He reaches for you, and you hate that despite your anger, your first instinct is to lean into him - to have him pull you into his arms and wrap you in his cozy cardigan. You catch yourself and shrink back, leaving him grasping at air, the regretful crease on his brow deepening. ‘Sweetheart, I’m sorry, I swear I didn’t know. I wasn’t thinking -’

Waving a stack of paper in his face, you cut in, ‘And you know what? Now I get to fill in this super fun, super long consent form for corporate even though you’re just in one scene I’m in charge of. To think I was getting worried that I wouldn’t have something to be thankful for this year!’

‘Baby, wait, please -’

You’re already halfway out the door, the cold winds doing little to douse your flaring temper. ‘You know what, I’m already late for my first scene. Just show up at the shoot prepared and don’t be late.’

For once, Dieter listens.

By the time you barrel into the grand library - wheezing most attractively, having sprinted full-throttle from your previous location - he’s already in full costume, nose buried in the script as a makeup artist touches him up.

And it’s not fair.

It’s not fair how good he looks in regency costume. The velvet tailcoat in midnight blue hangs from his broad shoulders, tapered at the waist, a black vest in rich brocade peeking out from underneath, unbuttoned.

It’s not fair that his thick curls and tidy moustache fit into the era seamlessly. They even let him keep his earring in - his character is a Rake with a capital R from America after all. The biggest change is his usual chunky jewellery swapped out for a gold signet ring on his pinky finger.

And if all this isn’t enough, he’s also drenched from head to toe.

It’s a shamelessly tropey scene where the Rake’s romantic interest pushes him into a fountain at the party in a fit of passion. When he emerges, soaked to the skin, cravat untied and white shirt hanging open down to his sternum, he chases her into the library and has his wicked way with her by the fireplace while the party goes on beyond the unlocked doors.

It’s not fair how he becomes the role so effortlessly, despite having just gotten off the redeye mere hours ago, no rehearsal other than a quick table read before the cameras start rolling. He’s obviously read all your notes, and he’s hitting all the cues and camera angles with almost infuriating ease.

And it’s not fair that your boyfriend’s first kiss in three weeks is with his ex.

You know it’s your fault. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Netflix must have kept the identity of his scene partner from him when he signed on. It’s cheeky, but not nefarious - up until you submitted that consent form a couple of hours ago, they didn’t know you two were dating. As far as they were concerned, it was serendipitous timing when Dieter Bravo randomly came knocking for a bit part in the upcoming season.

As it often plays out, your temper got the better of you. Now that the day has started, you won’t be able to catch even two seconds alone with him to apologise, to tell him that you love that he came to surprise you, and that you miss him so fucking much.

Instead, you’re watching him pretending to get it on with his on-screen partner with an intensity that’s taking your breath away. Damnit, does he have to be so good at every job that he takes on? Can’t he just be mediocre, just this once?

You’re so deep inside your own head that you almost don’t hear the director yell cut. He turns to you and prompts, ‘Thoughts so far?’

You’re a professional. You’ve worked with Dieter on far more intense scenes than this. But still, the words taste so bitter on your tongue you almost choke on them.

‘Listen up, guys. The top half of the frame is looking empty, there’s not enough going on above the waist,’ you speak out clearly. ‘Dieter, put your lips on her neck. Gail, you ok for him to touch your breasts?’

She winks at you, before running a finger down the hook of Dieter’s nose. ‘You know very well that I ticked anything goes in my consent form. He can do whatever he wants with these titties.’

Dieter doesn’t even look at her, instead giving you the biggest puppy eyes, a plea in his voice as he calls your name. ‘But I don’t want anything to do with them.’

Gail grins and arches beneath him, her cleavage nearly bursting out of her corset. ‘Oh please, Dee. Don’t you remember your favourite way to eat breakfast when we were together? You used to lick the peanut butter straight off my nip-’

‘Ok then!’ you interrupt in a loud panic, wanting to plug your ears before you hear anything else you regret. ‘Positions everyone!’

You’re currently breaking every single rule in the intimacy coordinator rulebook, but there’s nothing you can do to stem the hot rush of jealousy through your veins. Despite Dieter’s reluctance, his chemistry with Gail is unreal, drawing your traitorous eyes to the director’s monitor. The camera follows a droplet of water dripping off his soaked curls over his eyes and onto her clavicle, which he chases with his tongue. His coat and waistcoat have long been discarded, his smooth skin golden against hers in the firelight. There’s no denying that they’re a beautiful couple.

There’s also no denying that your nails are biting into the meat of your palms as you watch hands that you haven’t held in weeks skate over her bare legs, lips that you desperately miss drag down her neck, the familiar snap of his hips not between your thighs, but hers.

You’ve never had a problem with his other co-stars - but this? This is personal.

While promoting her memoir on Oprah two weeks ago, Gail declared that Dieter is the one that got away, promising salacious details of their relationship in her book, setting tabloids and social media on fire.

The silence on his end only fanned the flames. Not because he didn’t want to say anything, that wasn’t the issue - Rebecca had to lock him out of Instagram so he wouldn’t post anything rash - but his agency decided that any response would only help sell his ex’s book, and they will not play into her hand.

It doesn’t help that the two of you haven’t gone public. It’s not that you’ve been hiding, industry insiders who work with you both are in the know, but the press haven’t caught on yet. And while that has afforded the two of you privacy while you navigate the new relationship, it has turned out to be a double-edged sword.

A high-pitched, breathy wail shakes you from your thoughts as the scene reaches its literal climax, and Dieter’s movements stutter to a halt - with a groan that is a pale shadow of what he sounds like when you make him cum.

A possessive half-smile curls on your lips.

That is just for you.

It’s 8:37 in the evening, and it’s still bedlam.

But the day is over, and you’re alive. You somehow made it through four back-to-back intimate scenes, including one slippery (ha!) bathhouse orgy.

It’s Thanksgiving afternoon back at home now, and your phone is buzzing with messages. You flick through photos of pumpkin pies, turkeys in ovens, potatoes of all renditions. You just want a nice hot shower to wash the day off, order room service and spend the weekend making it up to Dieter - or the other way round - or both.

You’re this close to making it out of there, your finger hovering over Dieter’s number on your phone screen, when a breathless runner waylays you.

‘Costumes and hair. Now,’ she wheezes and herds you in the opposite direction of the exit.

Thanks to a bunch of extras who decided not to show up for the ball scene, you’re one of the many unfortunate backstage staff who are now standing in as background actors. You’ve been squeezed into an ill-fitted dress that’s held together by safety pins, the corset underneath biting into your ribs. The white gloves that are pulled up above your elbows are a cheap polyester that’s making your skin itch.

The balls of your feet ache from running around all day, and your neck is so stiff you can hardly turn your head, but you can’t help gawking at the set. The manor’s orangerie is illuminated in warm light, every inch of the pillars holding up the soaring glass ceiling dressed up in creeping vines and fresh, colourful blooms. A string quartet fills the airy space with lively dance music, and there’s a buzz in the air just from being in such a big set piece with so many moving pieces.

You begrudgingly admit that you’re not mad to be here. You’re actually quite happy to sip on your mocktail and be a fly on the wall while the cameras roll on the other side of the room.

But when has anything gone to plan today?

At least he has the decency to wait until you’ve polished off your drink. The second you set the empty glass down on a cocktail table, a warm hand closes around your wrist and you’re spun headfirst into a familiar broad chest.

You look up into big, brown eyes.

‘What are you doing?’ you blurt out in panic as Dieter spins you into the thick of the swaying crowd. ‘You’re not supposed to be dancing with me.’

He tugs you closer, close enough that your noses brush together. ‘I don’t give a fuck. I’ve wanted to get you alone all day. I’m sorry, sweetheart, I fucked up.’

You shake your head, fingers finding the nape of his neck. ‘No, I’m sorry. I overreacted.’

He smiles - you’ve missed the crinkles at the corner of his eyes when he does - and teases, ‘I should know by now that you don’t handle surprises well.’

‘Always been too much of a control freak,’ you shoot back self-deprecatingly.

‘Just the way I like it,’ he retorts, his palms warm on the small of your back.

As Dieter glides you across the dance floor, you catch Gail glaring daggers at the two of you. You admit in a small voice, ‘It was hard seeing you with her.’

He doesn’t even spare a glance the way of his ex. Reaching up to catch your chin between his thumb and index finger, he says, ‘I’m with you, sweetheart. You know that, right?’

‘I know. It’s unprofessional of me to be jealous.’

A playful growl rumbles in his chest, and you feel it when he leans into you, hot breath on the shell of your ear. ‘But I love it when you’re unprofessional, sweetheart.’

‘Dieter,’ you chide, ducking your head. ‘People are looking.’

He hums into the crook of your neck before spinning you around, back to his front. ‘Let them. My character is a rake. I’m expected to be prowling about corrupting young ladies.’

You scoff, a smile tugging at your lips. ‘I’m not that young anymore, Bravo -’

The banter comes to an abrupt halt when Dieter freezes behind you, his fingers digging into your wrists where he’s holding them. Confused, you’re about to turn around in a question when he reaches up and traces a fingertip along the sensitive skin behind your left ear, before doing the same on the other side.

Oh fuck.

You have nowhere else to look when he turns you around. ‘Sweetheart?’

You know what he’s looking at. A tiny, solid triangle tattoo behind your right ear, the outline of an identical one behind your left - carbon copies of his. You haven’t been hiding them from him per se - you just don’t wear your hair up often and the topic never came up.

Swallowing thickly, you confess, ‘When we were broken up, I went on a bit of a crazy night in Calgary with the crew. We ended up in a tattoo parlour at four in the morning, and someone dared me to get inked.’

His eyes soften. ‘And you chose to get my tattoos?’

You nod, letting the gravity of the moment linger for a second, before you joke, ‘Don’t let it get to your head, Bravo. I just really like triangles.’

He chuckles and wriggles his eyebrows suggestively. ‘Let’s get out of here. I think I need to look at your tattoos somewhere more private.’

You arch an eyebrow at him. ‘You can see them just fine here.’

Dieter smiles wolvishly. ‘Yeah, but I need to see how well you wear them when you’re naked, sweetheart.’

You know it’s petty, but you can’t help fluttering your fingers at a flabbergasted Gail as Dieter drags you across the dancefloor, his intent clear to anyone watching. He shepherds you impatiently towards the exit and into the frigid darkness.

Having caught your exchange with his ex, Dieter he tuts in mock admonishment, teeth catching the hollow of your throat as one hand drops to squeeze your ass. ‘Such unprofessional behaviour, sweetheart, marking your territory like that in front of everyone like that.’

Glancing about to make sure there are no eyes around, you shove him up against one of the supplies trailers parked outside the orangerie, cupping his half-hard erection boldly through his woollen trousers.

You grin at the way his pupils immediately blow black and wide. ‘Oh, you’ve seen nothing yet - I’m about to get a lot more unprofessional with you, Mr. Bravo.’

Dieter has you pinned between two fake antique cabinets, stacked on top of a low table that you’re sitting on the edge of. His jacket and waistcoat are on the floor behind him, shirt unravelled and unbuttoned down to the middle of his chest - just the way he likes it - the billowy sleeves pushed up the crease of his elbows. His pants are halfway down his thighs, his hard cock bobbing as he kisses you desperately, greedy hands grabbing at anything he can reach.

The fact that you’ve been apart for three long weeks is slowly seeping in. ‘Touch me, Dieter, please,’ you breathe as he latches wetly onto your pulse point.

His curls fall over his eyes as he hovers above you. ‘Shit, your tits look amazing, sweetheart.’

You laugh. ‘Trust me, yours would too in this fucking corset.’

He grins, trailing wet kisses over the slopes of your breasts. ‘Can I fuck them, baby?’

Your chest constricts in desire and your lips part wantonly. ‘What?’

‘Wanna fuck your tits, sweetheart,’ he repeats, his teeth flashing white in the dim as he mouths at the skin under your chin. You shudder when he pushes his thumb into the gap of your artificially lifted cleavage. ‘Please?’

You nod, and before you know it, the front of your dress has been pulled down, the sound of fabric tearing making you gasp. ‘Dieter!’

‘Sorry,’ he murmurs in a clearly unapologetic tone as he leans down to run his tongue along the neckline of the corset you’re wearing, before yanking that down too. The fabric catching under your bust pushes everything up and Dieter moans at the sight you make. ‘Fuck, look at you, sweetheart. Look at those gorgeous tits, all for me.’

You plant your hands on the table, instinctively leaning forward, arms against your sides to press your tits together. With hooded eyes, you watch as Dieter bends over -

And dribbles spit all over your tits.

You whine at the unexpected wetness. ‘Dieter, what, oh my god -’

Your frantic cries go straight to his head, and he shoves two fingers into your mouth, drunk on lust. Grabbing the base of his hard cock with his other hand, he carefully drags the weeping head over the slippery spittle, slicking up his length, before easing himself into the channel between your tits. ‘Oh fuck. Fuck, sweetheart, squeezing me so tight -’

A moan caught in your throat, you suck hard on his fingers in your mouth as he begins to fuck your tits in earnest. ‘Missed you so much, baby. Did you miss my cock? Miss having it deep inside you?’

You gag around his fingers when he pushes them in too far down, brushing the back of your throat, but you chase after them when he tries to retreat, wanting him inside you, anywhere in you. His free hand spans the width of your breasts, pushing them together, eyes darkening at the way your soft curves give pliantly at his movements. Dieter groans at the snug fit and fucks you faster, the pink, swollen head of his cock - drooling with sticky precum - peeking out from between your cleavage between thrusts, and his breath stutters in a telltale sign.

Pulling your mouth off his digits with a wet pop, you warn, ‘We can’t make a mess, Dieter.’

‘Who says I’ll make a mess?’ he asks, almost in a challenge.

‘You always do.’

His hips slow, languidly sliding between your tits as he grins. ‘Not if you let me come inside you and you keep your legs closed like a good girl afterwards.’

Your eyes squeeze shut as you let his filthy words wash over you. ‘Dieter - yes, please -’

Impatient hands spin you around and boost you up onto the table so that you’re kneeling on the hard surface, legs folded underneath you. The satin of your dress is slippery, and he bunches it up and around your waist with a frustrated growl before pulling your soaked panties down your thighs, leaving them tangled around your knees.

Dieter kisses the side of your neck, fingers sliding gently between your thighs. ‘But are you ready for me, sweetheart? I haven’t even touched you yet.’

Reaching backwards blindly, you find his throbbing cock and line it up at your entrance. ‘It’s ok, I want to feel you stretch me open. Please, please fuck me -’

At your pleading words, Dieter drapes his broad frame over you, bracketing your smaller body with his as he presses slowly into you, weeks of pent-up frustration finding its home. He bites down where your neck meets your shoulder, listening intently as your tight folds part slickly for him. ‘Sweetheart. Missed you so fucking much. Missed this pussy, always so wet for me. Always.’

Your head spins at the way his cock fills you up from this angle - you’re so full of him, you whine, ‘Move, Dieter, I want you to fuck me hard.’

Neither of you will last - it’s been too long and you’re both too on edge. His hands are gripping the insides of your thighs tightly as he pounds into you recklessly, no rhythm to speak of. The table bangs against the metal side of the trailer, making a ruckus, but you don’t hear it over his harsh breathing in your ears and the desperate noises he’s coaxing from you.

Dieter’s pulling you back onto his cock, hitting so deep inside you that you’re blindsided by the orgasm that’s happening before your head catches on. ‘Dieter - I’m cumming, oh fuck, fuck -’

You’re still lost in your high when he twists his fingers into your hair, the sting grounding you to the moment as he pins the loose strands against the back of your head. You know that his eyes are on your tattoos - smaller, hidden from sight, but no less real - just like the ones branded into the skin on the insides of his forearms.

His hips start to falter as he tugs you against his chest, lips nipping at his markings on you. ‘You’re mine, sweetheart - you hear me?’

You whimper as he grabs your tits roughly while he hurtles head first towards his breaking point. You babble incoherently, ‘Yours, baby - come inside me, mark me with your cum -’

With a howl, Dieter breaks, and you feel him spill deep and hot inside you before his knees give out, knocking you hard into the table. You pant, watching your breath mist in the cold air as his tongue runs reverent circles over your tattoos. You look down at where his matching triangles press against your skin, his strong arms tight around your waist, his beard tickling your nape as he moves to kiss your shoulder.

Turning around, you smear a sloppy kiss against his lips, a sex-addled chuckle rippling through your sated body as you meet his lazy gaze. ‘Happy Thanksgiving, Dieter.’

‘Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart,’ he mumbles, burying his face in your neck, his heartbeat an irregular tattoo of its own against your back. ‘I hope you’ve worked up an appetite.’

You hum contently. ‘I could eat. Why?’

‘I might have ordered a turkey to be delivered to our hotel room tonight.’

You swat at him in reprimand before he grabs your hands and pins them to your sides easily. ‘A whole turkey? For the two of us? I told you, you should never be allowed to do the ordering!’

He grins, clearly happy at having gotten a rise out of you. ‘Okay, fine - they don’t actually have turkey on the room service menu. I ordered a chicken and asked them to cook it till it’s dry and tough so we can pretend it’s turkey.’

With an exasperated shake of your head, you sigh, ‘You’re such an imbecile, Dieter Bravo.’

He beams with pride. ‘Only for you, sweetheart.’

More notes: I hope you enjoyed this smutty interlude! I've always wanted to write a titty fucking scene and it has to be Dieter 🫠 Ngl, I was quite anxious going into the holiday fics, but I'm happy to report that these two still live rent-free in my head. Thank you for reading, as always, comments and reblogs will be very much appreciated!

While I'm not American, happy Thanksgiving to those who do celebrate it!

Thank you @firefly-graphics for the lovely dividers as always.

[fictionalafvsmybeloved]

Can you rate this glorious product of the genius of Mike Sparks, the Areo-Gavin?

I.... made the mistake of going onto Mike Spark's website to research this farce.

Please, do not make my mistake, the Aero-Gavin isn't even the most delusional thing ON ITS OWN PAGE.

Most of what I say here will be echos of what LazerPig put in his own video.

So, for those not in the know the "Aero-Gavin" is the attempted revival of the hundred-year-old "flying tanks" idea by reformer and conspiracy-nut, Mike Sparks, using his personal favorite fetish object the M113 (he calls it the "Gavin") shoehorned into the role of an IFV.

We're going to start with the wings, they're biplane wings. This is because the cover of the Popular Mechanics magazine he ripped the idea from had biplane wings, the engine is in the same position as well. I'm not an aircraft expert, but there's a reason biplanes went out of style in the late 1930's. Even If you do manage to get this twelve ton brick that only a moron would think is capable of flight in the air, you still have to fly it.

This is the driver's position in the M113,

This is the cockpit of the Piper Cub, a small single engine aircraft.

As you can see, there is a VERY big difference. The cub has a large windscreen with equally large windows of both sides. The M113 has four small periscopes that don't even give you a 180-degree field of view. How the hell is any one supposed to fly this brick? Stick your head out the diver's hatch in mid air? And do you see all the instrumentation the Piper has? That'll all need to be crammed in the Aero-Gavin too, but that won't be enough, it needs GPS and radio encryption equipment too! And you see those two missiles on the top of the wings?, those are AIM-9 Sidewinders, you'll need some equipment for those too! Did you know that when the Aero-Gavin lands, it discards its wings? ALONG WITH A MILLION DOLLARS IN CLASSIFIED MUNITIONS, GEE I'M SURE NO-ONE WILL COME ALONG AND STEAL ALL OF IT!!

You know, the guy that flies this hundred-year-old idiot trap is going to have to be at-least a sergeant because of all the extra training they'll need. It's a higher rank than Mike Sparks ever could have fairly achieved.

Mike says on the page that the Aero-Gavin takes to the skies to avoid Precision Guided Missiles, things like ATGMs and guided artillery.

SO IT FLIES! And gets targeted buy MANPADS, SAMs, AAMs, Heavy Machineguns, Autocannons, and still (as the Ukrainian Army has proven) ATGMs.

But..... I could fix this.

What if we gave it rotatory wings instead?

What if we made it hover, so it wouldn't have to land to deploy its troops?

What if we moved the single rear door to both sides, to make room for a fixed tail boom?

What if we turned the top gunner's position into a pair of side gunners?

What if we gave it a panoramic glass cockpit with modern avionics, communications and sensor equipment?

What if we replaced the Sidewinders with Stingers?

What is we gave it rocket pods?

What if it could carry Hellfires?

WHAT IF IT WAS ALREADY IN SERVICE WITH MULTIPLE MILITARIES AROUND THE WORLD?!

Y'all it's the Blackhawk.

(sorry for stealing your joke LazerPig)

FINAL SCORES

Credibility: 1/10 - 3 year old’s Crayon Drawing

Coolness: 1/10 - Ugly as Sin

BONUS

Here's that LazerPig video I mentioned earlier

Mike Sparks, if you see this, you are a delusional idiot with fewer IQ points than an inbred tortoise.

[usafphantom2]

In 1970s NASA was not allowed to have any SR-71s, yet they received one and they passed it off as YF-12C (with a bogus A-12 tail number)

NASA YF-12C

Taken in 1975, the interesting photos in this post show NASA Blackbirds carrying the so called “coldwall” heat transfer pod on a pylon beneath the forward fuselage.

The Blackbirds portrayed in these photos are usually referred to as YF-12s, but actually one of them was an SR-71: the one on the top is a YF-12 but the one on the bottom is an SR-71.

CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 until 1973. Butch’s Granddaughter’s Lisa Burroughs and Susan Miller are graphic designers. They designed most of the merchandise that is for sale on Threadless. A percentage of the profits go to Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base. This nonprofit charity is personal to the Sheffield family because they are raising money to house SR-71, #955. This was the first Blackbird that Butch Sheffield flew on Oct. 4, 1965.

Another interesting thing about those pictures is that NASA was not allowed to have an SR-71 but they did and they passed it off as a YF-12!

In fact, the “YF-12C” was a then-secret SR-71A (serial no. 64-17951, the second production SR-71A) given the NASA tail no. 60-6937. The reason for this bit of subterfuge lay in the fact that NASA, while flying the YF-12A interceptor version of the aircraft, was not allowed to possess the strategic reconnaissance version for some time.

In 1970s NASA was not allowed to have any SR-71s, yet they received one and they passed it off as YF-12C (with a bogus A-12 tail number)

Two NASA Blackbirds: the one on the top is a YF-12, the one on the bottom is the YF-12C/SR-71.

The coldwall project

The bogus tail number actually belonged to a Lockheed A-12 (serial no. 60-6937), but the existence of the A-12 remained classified until 1982. The tail number 06937 was selected because it followed in the sequence of tail numbers assigned to the three existing YF-12A aircraft: 06934, 06935, and 06936. Isn’t that amazing?

The coldwall project, supported by Langley Research Center, consisted of a stainless steel tube equipped with thermocouples and pressure-sensors. A special insulating coating covered the tube, which was chilled with liquid nitrogen. At Mach 3, the insulation could be pyrotechnically blown away from the tube, instantly exposing it to the thermal environment. The experiment caused many inflight difficulties, such as engine unstarts, but eventually researchers got a successful flight.

Noteworthy the Flight Research Center’s involvement with the YF-12A, an interceptor version of the Lockheed A-12, began in 1967. Ames Research Center was interested in using wind tunnel data that had been generated at Ames under extreme secrecy. Also, the Office of Advanced Research and Technology (OART) saw the YF-12A as a means to advance high-speed technology, which would help in designing the Supersonic Transport (SST).

Given that the US Air Force (USAF) needed technical assistance to get the latest reconnaissance version of the A-12 family, the SR-71A, fully operational, the service offered NASA the use of two YF-12A aircraft, 60-6935 and 60-6936.

Eventually, with 146 flights between Dec. 11 1969 and Nov. 7 1979, 935 became the workhorse of the program while the second YF-12A, 936, made 62 flights. Given that this aircraft was lost in a non-fatal crash on Jun. 24 1971, it was replaced by the so-called YF-12C SR-71A 61-7951, modified with YF-12A inlets and engines and a bogus tail number 06937.

The YF-12A

Cool Video Explains how SR-71 Blackbird’s J58 Turbo-Ramjet Engine Works

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. SR-71A Blackbird 61-7972 “Skunkworks”

The SR-71 differed from the YF-12A in that the YF-12A had a round nose while the SR-71 had its chine carried forward to the nose of the airplane. There were other differences in internal and external configuration, but the two aircraft shared common inlet designs, structural concepts, and subsystems.

The YF-12 was developed in the 1960s as a high-altitude, Mach 3 interceptor to defend against supersonic bombers. Based on the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft, the YF-12A became the forerunner of the highly-sophisticated SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft.

The first of three YF-12s flew in August 1963. In May 1965, the first and third YF-12s set several records, including a speed record of 2,070.101 mph and an altitude record of 80,257.65 feet. For their speed record flight, Col. Robert L. “Fox” Stephens (pilot) and Lt. Col. Daniel Andre (fire control officer) received the 1965 Thompson Trophy.

Though the aircraft performed well, the F-12 interceptor program ended in early 1968. High costs, the ongoing war in Southeast Asia, and a lower priority on air defense of the US all contributed to the cancellation.

@Habubrats71 via X