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creativemessbyvd · 2 months ago

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I know I just released a teaser for my Maria Lives/Time travels Post Sonic Movie 3 AU but I have another idea now and it is angst central bc I read Saving Sonic (mind the tags!) and I need more fics post Metal Virus! So I will release this thing and go work and try to calm my anxiety through fandom when I come back (maybe someone will like this idea or leave a comment!)

I'm new to the fandom, I finished the Metal Virus Saga and I am devastated still, and putting off continuing, all lore I know of is through fics and fandom and thats it, so please don't be all weird if this sounds OOC or I got something wrong, I'm gonna treat this as my personal sandbox and will use what works for me. Also there'll be Sonadow, and lots of hugs and trauma for Sonic >:3

SUMMARY:

Invincible (in the end, we lose control)

Sonic's best kept secret, his origins as continuation of Project Shadow at the hands of Ivo Robotnik, are laid bare in the final moments of the Metal Virus outbreak. His family and friends blame him for everything as tensions rise in the final, critical moments.

In the aftermath, those who had been zombotified are horrified to learn how it all went wrong. Especially once Rouge reveals she too had those files Starline mentioned and the truth becomes even more confusing.

As they rebuild and things settle down, Shadow can't rest until he can clear up Sonic's name and find the missing hero. He knows first hand what it means to have origins that leave you as public enemy #1. Vanilla and Vector, alongside GUN, Omega and Gemerl hold secrets themselves, secrets they swore to keep at the behest of Sonic, who had never wanted to burden his brother or friends with his past.

However, when Sonic is returned with Blaze's help, now free of the amnesia, he runs. Can the broken bridges be mended as he sinks lower into his dark thoughts? The outbreak was a nightmare, but the aftermath will be an uphill battle for them all.

SETTING:

In the midst of the Metal Virus Incident, Dr. Starline goes digging into Eggman's files, going back as far as he can go. He finds a file that leaves him speechless, and takes it "for some insurance". Rouge catches him and decides to also copy the files, but must encrypt them in case Eggman and Starline figure out she is there. As they all meet up on Angel Island, preparing their last plan before the end, tensions rise against Sonic for his decision to not kill the amnesiac Eggman. Starline had been contained and he had read the file. He reveals there's a reason why neither Sonic or the Doctor had ever taken each other out.

SCENE:

"I admire you, Dr. Robotnik, but your obsession with Sonic goes far beyond what I believed. You wanted to get him infected but not before you had a better grasp, and you refused to prepare a vaccine unless you captured him." He turns to Sonic. "You are a hero, of course the idea of killing your enemy would be something you would never consider, but the doctor has never had those reservations, except when it comes to you. You told me doctor that only you could take him out, and yet during your reign you kept him alive." "To make him watch his world be destroyed!" Eggman defends, clearly nervous for once. "No, no I don't think that's it. You have had multiple attempts to kill him and yet, you haven't." "Starline!" Now Eggman is angry, and they are sure if it weren't for his prison, he'd be at Starline's neck. "You care too much about him to kill him, and here is the proof. Isn't that right, Project Christmas?" Nononononono Starline threw his watch over, as it projected an image that left everyone speechless. It was an old photo, showing a much younger Eggman (not even fully bald!) holding onto a tiny, blue hedgehog. Both were smiling towards the camera, clearly comfortable in each other's presence. Whisper and Espio had to hold back an enraged Knuckles, who attempted to tackle a worsening, infected Sonic. Amy and Cream gazed in horror and confusion, waiting for an answer. Tails stood, as closed as he dared to his brother. "I-I.." There was so much noise, and not at the same time, in his head. "Sonic, why?" Why had he never told him? Why had he hidden it? Why did he betray them? "Clearly, the Doctor never needed a second mind, he had always had the world's hero as his hidden collaborator." Starline continued, clearly more angry and slighted for his previous attempts are gaining Eggman's favor. "That is not true!" Despite having a knot in his throat, Sonic had to yell this out, watching his friends step back. Suddenly, Cream came forward, holding onto Gemerl, who remained silent. "Did you… plan this with him, Mr. Sonic? Is my mom gone, because of you?" Sonic couldn't stop, but more than anything he wanted to reassure Cream at that moment with a hug. He didn't have a clear head to properly explain and his silence made her cry, prompting Gemerl to move her father away.

"Of course, how stupid of me!" If it weren't critical for him to remain where he was, Sonic swore he would have his hands around Starline's neck, as he continued to feed the flames of what was left of his closest circle. "Infect the hero and have him continue to speed through and infect the land, all the while it continues to mutate at a much faster rate, but you made it so it won't fully catch up to him. Brilliant Doctor Robotnik, absolutely brilliant." "Sonic, tell me he is lying!" Amy screamed, tears streaming down her face, as she held Starline's watch with the photo in her hand. "He is! That is not the truth at all!" He was so tired, his whole body was at its limit, but he knew his closed eyes weren't due to his fatigue. In truth, he couldn't look them in the eyes. His brother's voice cut through the mad muttering from Starline, cutting through to Sonic's heart. "Your bracelet. You told me it got destroyed fighting Eggman, Sonic did you … destroy it so we wouldn't get the vaccine in time?" No, anyone but Tails, anyone but his baby brother. "Tails, no! I would never do that! You have to believe me!" "How can I when it seems all this time you been in alliance with him!" Tails never screamed. He got shocked, he got angry. But he had never screamed in such a manner towards his hero and older brother. "Bravo, truly a plot so devious and perfect. Truly there will never be a mind like your own Robotnik." And with that, finally Starline quieted down. From a communicator, they heard Rouge call out to them. She had been sent out with the others to scout the Deadly Six. They were supposed to be already at the different points to get the Emeralds. "What is taking so long? We've located the Deadly Six! Is anyone there?!" "We're coming Rouge." Knuckles got close to Sonic, moving Tails behind him as the kit continued to silently cry. "You and I will have words when this is over and the world is safe, hedgehog. You better hold your end of this plan."

#i was so fucking angry when espio shadow and knuckles were so fucking mean to sonic as he tried to hold off the infection #also the chaotix are fucking idiots for getting infected charmy inside the base #you're telling me that after the apocalypse everyone is just fine?!#nah im gonna give them some sweet angst and give sonic some justice and everyone therapy #im not gonna go against anyone so no serious bashing but yes a little of self reflection and guilt for many people #and ptsd for sonic!#sth #sonic the hedgehog #idw sonic #metal virus arc #sonadow #adding the tag bc i will definitely be getting shadow on sonic's corner and developing them for a relationship #fanfic idea #my writing #vd's fics #invincible (in the end we lose control) fanfic #listen to onerepublic's invincible bc its on loop for me at the moment and i am taking it as a big inspiration for sonic's mindset here

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scotianostra · 8 months ago

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On 17th October 1821 Alexander Gardner, renowned photographer of the American Civil War was born in Paisley.

Some of you wmay not know the name but some of his the photographs should be instantly recognisable. As a young man in Glasgow, he had been a jeweller, then he became editor and publisher of a Glasgow newspaper.

Alexander Gardner was a great admirer of Robert Owen, who was largely responsible for the New Lanark Mills. In 1850, inspired by the New Harmony community established by Owen's son, Gardner, his brother and seven others travelled to the United States. They purchased land and established a cooperative community close to Monona, in Clayton County, Iowa. Gardner returned to Scotland to help raise more money and to recruit new members.

In May, 1851, Gardner visited the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, where he saw the photographs of Matthew Brady, he would be his inspiration.

On returning to the US with his family in 1856 he learned many of his friends in Iowa had died or were seriously ill with tuberculosis, he decided to stay for a time in New York, where he sought out work with Brady, two years later with his mentors eyesight failing he was put in charge of the Washington Gallery.

Through his friendship with fellow Scot with Allan Pinkerton Gardner met Abraham Lincoln, who was then running for President, along with Brady they made 35 portraits of Abraham Lincoln during the 1860 presidential campaign.

On the outbreak of the American Civil War there was a dramatic increase in the demand for work at Brady's studios as soldiers wanted to be photographed in uniform before going to the front-line. Because all the photographs were given the Brady Studio tag it was he who was given the credit for the work, Gardner and around another 20 assistants however took the pictures. Gardner especially went beyond the front line. Now you have to remember that photography was still in it's infancy and subjects had to pose for pics, there was no action pics, with this in mind Gardner took his camera to the ditches and fields where thousands had fought and died, and pictured them as they lay sprawled at the moment of death. In the history of warfare, it had never been done before.

Perhaps it was a byline,commenting on the photographs in The New York Times in 1962 that read "Mr. Brady has done something to bring home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war. If he has not brought bodies and laid them in our dooryards and along the streets, he has done something very like it. . . .By the aid of the magnifying glass, the very features of the slain may be distinguished.", that caused Gardner to go his own way in 1862, opening his own studio in Washington.

Gardner was back on the battlefields at Gettysburg portraying grisly results of massed cannon and musketry. He recorded the scenes in an album he named Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War. One particular has become more famous over the past 150 or so years, "Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter." Gardner is said to have moved the body of the soldier for more dramatic effect.

After the war Gardner also took what is considered to be the last photograph of President Abraham Lincoln, just 5 days before his assassination. Gardner would go on to photograph the conspirators who were convicted of killing Lincoln, as well as their execution.

In 1867, Gardner was appointed the official photographer of the Union Pacific Railroad, documenting the building of the railroad in Kansas as well as numerous Native American tribes that he encountered.

Gardner gave up photography to start an insurance company in 1871. He lived in Washington until his death in 1882. Regarding his work he said, “It is designed to speak for itself. As mementos of the fearful struggle through which the country has just passed, it is confidently hoped that it will possess an enduring interest.”

I have deliberately not posted some of pics as even now some are pretty graphic, to photograph the dead and especially an execution leaves a distaste in my mouth, the first pic is Gardner himself, the second Lincoln, the third Lincoln again but fellow Scot Allan Pinkerton to his left, the fourth pic shows the Scaffold for the Lincoln Assassination Conspirators, you can imagine the pics that follow this one

You can google his name you can look through many of the pics if you wish, whereas they might not be as graphic as ones you see online nowadays, they do involve shots of many dead bodies.

Read more about the man here https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/.../Alexander...

#scotland #scottish #history #photographer #photography #pioneer #paisley

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tumblingdownthefoxden · 1 year ago

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"The Assistant and The Star"

Chapter 1: Standard Routine

*11 years later

It was shortly after dawn and the sun was rising. Atop a grand hill stood Asha and another girl. Before them stood easels with canvases where they painted the sunrise.

Asha looked over at the other girl's painting. "Oh, Bazeema. That is an excellent shade of pink. How did you get it?"

Bazeema showed Asha her wooden palette. Using a clean brush, she took a dab of red paint, a dab of white and a touch of yellow before mixing it all in the center. "Oh, I see." Said Asha before she repeated the process. Asha places a few strokes of pink on her canvas before stepping back to admire her work. She thought it was grand. Asha looked around the forest and back to the sunrise before releasing a light sigh. "You were right Bazeema. I do feel better. I really needed this after last night."

The previous night, Bazeema and her mother were working late to finish tending the royal garden when they came across someone trespassing through the moss trees. When asked about their whereabouts, the person simply said they were looking for someone who owed them a favor and tried to push past them. The gardeners kicked out the heckler and would later find Asha hiding under a moss tree. She was hiding from a heckler that was chasing her near the castle. The same heckler that they just kicked out. Bazeema helped Asha get home and invited to take her uphill to paint the horizon before they went to work.

"Hmm. Do you want to leave now? We're a long way from the castle and I don't want to make you late for work." Asked Asha.

"It's still pretty early but we could leave if you want to. I'm finished with my painting anyway."

Asha added her signature onto her canvas before packing up her art supplies. They traveled for 30 minutes before reaching Asha's home. Outside the house, sat Mama Sakina brushing the fur of a baby goat. The goat noticed the two and bounced over to the pair. Excitedly braying as he pawed (hooved?) Asha's legs.

Asha giggled. "Good morning, Valentino. Happy you're awake as well."

"Good morning Asha. Hi Bazeema. How was the sunrise?" Greeted Sakina. "Good morning, mama. It was beautiful. I'm getting better at painting as well." She said as she lowered the canvas to Valentino's eye level. "What do you think buddy?"

Valentino cocked his head and paced side to side in critical thought before giving an approving bah. "Thank you very much." Replied Asha. She raised her canvas and looked back to Sakina. "We're just going to set these to dry and go to the castle." They placed their paintings against the wall of the house.

"You're going into the city now?" Sakina asked, concerned. "Can't you take the day off today? It's the middle of the Summer festival and there's a Wish Ceremony is today. It's going to be crowded in town square. It could be dangerous."

As she said this, Saba Sabino came outside. "Here's some food for thought. Why don't you celebrate your Saba's 100th birthday all afternoon and evening? Take a break from everything happening in the city."

Asha paused at the offer. Two years ago, she was interviewed and accepted to become the King's assistant. A role that allows her to help manage the wishes, prepare magic ingredients, and many other things. Rumor has it that the King's assistant will not only have their wish granted sooner than most, but can get other peoples' wishes granted.

Asha is quite famous in Rosas, but it is a perverted form of fame. Asha had more than her fair share of hecklers and fake friends. It only got worse during the solstice and equinox festivals. Today would be one of the few times that the King will grant wishes on the same night as a Wish Ceremony, and people will do whatever it takes to be sure that the "insurance" will deliver their wish that night.

"I know but this is the most demanding day and I have to help the King. He needs me to help choose the wishes to be granted and test the performance of his new spells." She began stroking her locs. "I know yesterday was… dramatic, but I can find another route and Bazeema can help me get home without anyone noticing."

Sabino sighed, a little sad. "Okay, if you must. But if I may suggest, that soldier fellow you know. The one near the castle. You can ask him to take you home as well."

"Simon? He's a castle guard, not a soldier. And he's on the night shift, I can't ask him to take me home."

"You get off of work near sundown. Simon's shift starts at midnight. He should have time." Bazeema rebutted.

"But he's asleep around that time. It's a long way to and from the castle and it would be rude to interrupt the little rest he gets to-"

"He will not mind." Sakina placed a firm hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Simon is one of your oldest and truest friends. He will not antagonize you for needing his help. He won't ask for anything in return." She smiled.

Asha sighed in defeat. "Okay. I'll ask him." She said before going inside the house. Entering her room and opening her closet, she searched through a set of 10 masquerade masks to wear on her trip. They were a gift from Magnifico to help her travel unrecognized. She picked a golden ibex mask and changed into her assistant's uniform. Asha grabbed her leather bag from a nearby chair and put on a dark hooded cloak over everything.

Walking out to the living room, she heard a gasp from Sabino.

"Oh, stars above! La muerte?! Oh, is it my grand daughter's time already?" He knelt down, trying not to smile. "Oh, please. Have mercy on her. Take me instead."

Asha laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not dead yet, Saba."

"You will be if you keep working yourself like a mule." He teased, standing up. "But if you're going into the city, maybe I can take advantage of crowd and play my music for them to hear." -He went to open a cabinet and pulled out a mandolin case- "Maybe, they will pay attention this time." He whispered to himself.

"You know, I could try to get your wish granted tonight." Asha offered. "Maybe find out what it was." Sabino chuckled. "No need to stress over finding it. I wrote it down before I gave it to the King. Now I wait for it and attempt to achieve."

"Oh." Went Asha. "What did you write?"

"It's a secret." He whispered with a smirk.

"Saba!"

Sabino just laughed at her frustration. "Well, what would like for a present?" Asha asked.

"If you find a little trinket in the market that I could add to my collection, that would a great bonus. But all I need is for you to come home in time for cake." He said with a smile.

Asha hugged her Saba goodbye and left the house. She hugged her mama and walked up to Bazeema. "Hey Valentino? Are you coming?" Asha called. Valentino hopped up to follow but Sakina picked up before he could approached. "Hold on there, mister. We can't have you go into that chilly castle without your pajamas, can we?" Sakina sat down on the grass criss crossed and positioned the little goat back on her lap. She pulled tiny pajamas from her pocket and fitted them over his head. "There you go." She chimed as Valentino ran over to Asha and Bazeema. "Watch over her, please. I love you all." She called to them. "We love you too. Goodbye." Asha called back as they made their way through the forest.

A while later and the trio made it to the outskirts of the forest, just outside the city. Asha stood in admiration of the festival decor around the area. Streamers of red and yellow. Banners for the rising and setting sun. Blue, unlit lanterns strung above the street. The streets weren't filled with people yet but enough to dissuade going through town square. They had not noticed a hunter at the edge of the forest looking their way in suspicion. Something about the cloaked figure seemed familiar but they weren't sure why. Then it hit them.

"Hey, are you the veiled assistant?" They called out. "I want to ask you something!" Valentino took notice and headbutted Bazeema's leg to see the hunter approaching. In a mild panic, Bazeema took Asha's hand and they bolted down the outskirts towards the docks. "Hey, where are you going?" The hunter cried after them.

After a short while, they made it to the docks. "Are... Are we... still being followed?" Asha panted, hanging onto her knees. Bazeema looked back and saw no sign of pursuit. "No, we're safe. But we need to find Dahlia and Hal. They can take us down a new route at the docks."

"Okay. Woo... Let me catch my breathe first."

After a good 7 seconds, Asha straightened her back. "Wait, you didn't tell Dahlia about last night, did you?" Bazeema was silent and only interlocked her fingers. "Oh no! Bazeema! She's going to be all over me!"

"But she can ensure you get in and out of the castle!" Bazeema beamed.

They approach the city where two other girls stood by. One with a crutch and anxious look. The other with a basket looking out at the nearby ships on the horizon. The anxious girl looked their way and squealed. 'Oh boy,' thought Asha. "Hi Dahlia. How are y-" Dahlia tackled Asha in a bear hug before she finish speaking. "Great Heavens! Great Heavens! Great Heavens! Please take off your mask!" Was all the girl said. Asha complied with the request and lifted the mask from her face. Dahlia spared no time before taking her face into hands, turning it side to side to check for any bruises. "You're not hurt? They didn't reach you? Oh, I should've been there with you!" Dahlia panicked.

"I'm alright, Dahlia." Asha reassured. "They grabbed my cloak but I got away." The last sentence did anything but reassure Dahlia. "THEY TOUCHED YOU!? Oh ho! No! Do you remember their face? What they wore? Do you have their name?"

Hal came up and tugged at Dahlia's dress with her free hand. "Go easy on the lady, Doc. We still need to take her to the door." Dahlia took a deep breathe and let go of Asha's face. "Sorry. Okay. It should be this way." Dahlia led them past the great bell tower to a large wooden door that she swiftly unlocked with a key hanging on her belt. "This is the delivery route. The cooks use it to quickly bring in new shipments of food and herbs into the royal pantry." She opened the door to a dark hallway. "There are wall windows further down but it's stained glass so people should only see your shadow."

Asha looked inside, worried. "What if I get lost in there?"

"It's a one way path. Wherever it's too dark to see, just feel for the wall and follow it."

The 5 of them jumped as the great bell tower rang out to announce new arrivals coming to Rosas. Hal looked out to the ships about dock. "It's time, Dahlia!" She said. "You'll be fine Asha. See you tonight! And remember, you're the Goat!" She praised with a finger gun. Valentino brayed annoyed. "Oh, right! You too Valentino!" She said, petting his head. Asha placed her mask back over her face and the two entered the hallway, closing the door behind them. Dahlia will lock it once they're inside the castle. The three remaining girls returned to the gate to meet the approaching newcomers.

"Good morning and welcome. Glad you could make it here. My name is Dahlia Akaboshi and I will be your tour guide for today. These are my friends, Bazeema and Hal." She took the basket from Hal's hand. "Would you care for a muffin. Gratuity from my parents, the royal bakers." The guests took a few muffins and looked around. "So, shall we begin? Come this way." Dahlia looked back at the now open gate and the three girls led the new comers into Rosas.

A/N: Tumblr freaked out on me and this got deleted 2 times but things came out better. The story became much more extra than I anticipated but I like how it's coming along. I'm giving my girl a major internal conflict. I'm hoping to draw out my rewrite of "Welcome to Rosas".

@annymation @signed-sapphire @wings-of-sapphire @chillwildwave @kstarsarts @rascalentertainments @emillyverse @uva124 @oh-shtars

#wish au #taats #wish rewrite #wish reimagined #asha the assistant #asha

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oceansprompts · 1 year ago

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marvel's midnight suns | misc quotes 1

I will not be howling at the moon any time soon.

Have to say, for a haunted Transian Castle raised on the cursed grounds of Old Salem it's pretty cozy.

I really should up my homeowner's insurance.

You smell... wrong.

You know what they say. All work and no play... is how we ended up with Ultron.

We invented stealth.

I don't actually care, but they need to stop moping. So. Can they play with your dog?

Admit what? That I feel a sense of admiration and respect for a fellow teammate?

Yeah, I didn't figure someone so great and powerful would be into a book club.

You're hung up on the were-roosters... Alright, let's hear what you got.

Is this visit business or pleasure?

How’s your mental health? A good portion of this “darkness hunting” game is mental health and processing intense situations.

But, hell on Earth isn’t a garden stroll.

I’ve spent decades experimenting and putting it together. Any of ’em interest you?

I’m telling you. I don’t know what’s coming next, but I do know when the shit hits the fan with Chthon...

You’re acting like I did it for fun...

Comfortable? I’ll never be comfortable around that monster. . .

You’re turning out to be one of my favorite people. . .

Why do you think? They take vicious killers and present them as tragic and misunderstood.

It’s just... Off, somehow. I swear, the moonlight on a clear evening is too dim for this time of year...

Was your first thought about killing me?

What I’m asking is, if I lost control, would you stop me?

Let’s talk about how your mother just turned one of my best friends against us.

These people look to me for guidance, but it feels like I’m stumbling around in the dark.

Just the fact that you are willing to learn means you’re on the right track.

So how do I tell him I’m totally cool with being best pals without scaring him off...

It wouldn’t take many guards to secure the building. So the question is: What else are they doing in there?

It’s not big enough to swim laps. Its only real purpose is for lounging and soaking up the sun.

It figures she’d send you. Did she tell you I want nothing to do with it? Because I still don’t.

Every time I think I’ve got my mind wrapped around this conflict, I get thrown a curveball.

But right now? I want to let you know how proud I am to be serving alongside you and watching your leadership.

Maybe this is what we’re supposed to be doing, fighting an endless war.

What do you make of our chances to get out of this mess in one piece?

That’s an easy question with a complex answer. Tell me this–what type of leader would you follow?

I always did what I thought was right. No more, no less.

Well, not so much fish as that ginormous, invulnerable sewer monster that swallowed the Sanctum.

I’m told I can be rather persuasive when I need to be.

It’s all just starting to blur into one big giant green gamma mess…

I’m having it right now and-wait. I think… oh no. Did I feed my cat before I left?

Would you have been able to take the shot? Because I don’t think I could’ve.

I’m going to be up all night trying to make sense of it, see if it helps us find our way back into the Sanctum.

But the more I see him in action, the more I think he might be an okay dude.

I’m telling you if I have to spend one more hour scanning digital maps…

All you have to do is be ready to fight for what you care about when the time comes.

Yeah, I know. Nasty artifacts like that aren’t known for their safety features…

I have to admit, I don’t think you’d be such a formidable poker player. Yet another reason to respect you.

This is the life, licking it with the legendary Hero, and kicking said legendary Hero’s ass at a fighting game.

Believe it or not, I don’t have a lot peeps I can call friends, not close ones at least.

I feel like you get how just how heavy all that extra baggage…

Sadly, the sense of wonder eventually wears off like most things.

… Sorry if I’m ruining any romantic notions of space travel.

I’m not just my powers. Sometimes I like to take it slow…

I’ve tried blindfolds, facing away from the board, and one-finger throws. Perfect score, every time.

The forbidden nap, if you will. Mercenary work is a grab bag of awful stuff…

Because looking at it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I can play nice all day when we’re out there kicking bad guy booty…

Uh, haven’t you listened to anything I’ve said? Money!

I forgot. You aren’t as self-aware as I am…

Well, your friends have been avoiding me like the plague…

He waved goodbye and peaced out to live a life of solitude…

#roleplay memes #rp sentence meme #sentence meme #sentence starters #roleplay

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justforbooks · 5 months ago

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Stanley Booth

American music journalist who chronicled ‘the mystery of the Rolling Stones’ in their pomp

As a group of Hells Angels beat and stabbed a Black teenager to death a few feet away from where the Rolling Stones were playing on warm evening in California in 1969, the writer Stanley Booth watched the mayhem from a vantage point next to his friend Keith Richards’s guitar amplifiers.

The murder of 18-year-old Meredith Hunter by thugs hired to act as security men for the Stones’ free concert at Altamont Speedway marked an end to the peace-and-love idyll of the 1960s. It also gave Booth a dramatic climax to the book he would write about the Stones and their rise from London’s clubs to worldwide success and notoriety.

The Stones embraced Booth, who has died aged 82, not least because he represented an authentic connection to the blues music from which they had taken their inspiration. He had been brought up in Memphis, Tennessee, one of the music’s centres, and knew many of the musicians whose work they admired and imitated.

Long-haired, silk-scarved and thoroughly familiar with mood-altering substances, he was perfectly in sync with the social currents they embodied. He met them when, having established himself as a contributor to major American magazines, he travelled to London in 1968 to cover the trial of their founder, Brian Jones, who had been charged with possession of cannabis. “I wrote a story,” he recalled many years later, “but I had only glimpsed – in Brian’s eyes as he glanced up from the dock – the mystery of the Rolling Stones.”

That mystery was the subject of the book he planned to write when he joined the Stones on tour in the US the following year. He slipped so easily into their inner circle that soon they were inviting him to share not just their confidences – Anita Pallenberg told him that Jones had missed shows and recording sessions because he had broken his hand while hitting her – but their drugs. When a fan handed Charlie Watts a yellow-green LSD tab, Booth wrote that “Charlie asked, ‘D’you want it?’ ‘I ain’t too sure about this street acid,’ I said. ‘Maybe Keith will want it.’”

Published in 1974 as Dance With the Devil, and republished in the UK in 1985 as The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones, his book brought to bear an observant eye and literary skills that elegantly stripped the varnish off the story, leaving posterity with a faithful eye-witness account of the group’s activities and their social milieu during their prime years.

Booth was born in Waycross, Georgia, near the Okefenokee swamp, a vast wetland straddling the border with Florida. His father, Irving, was the vice-president of an insurance company, while his mother, Ruby (nee McClellan), was a schoolteacher. He studied English at Memphis State University and remembered being thrown out of a Ray Charles show for sharing a table with some Black fellow students. He began postgraduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans before breaking off in 1964 to return to Memphis, where he began his career as a journalist.

His background, his love of music and his social circle gave him access to local subjects that interested the editors of national magazines. In 1968 Esquire published his description of Elvis Presley’s life among his courtiers: “When he puts the cigar between his teeth a wall of flame erupts before him. Momentarily startled, he peers into the blaze of matches and lighters offered by willing hands. With a nod, he designates one of the crowd, who steps forward, shaking, and then, his moment of glory, of service to the King, at an end, he retires into anonymity. ‘Thank ya very much,’ says Elvis.”

Typically, the real interest comes when Booth aims slightly away from the target. The source of the best Elvis anecdotes is Dewey Phillips, the first radio DJ to play Presley’s records, found by the author working in a furniture store 20 years after his heyday. One of those tales, involving the actress Natalie Wood, was too ripe for the Esquire piece but is included in Rythm Oil, a collection of Booth’s magazine pieces published in 1994.

The book’s UK edition opened with a mood-setting series of colour photographs taken by William Eggleston, Booth’s friend and fellow Memphian: freight trains, cotton fields, diners and lonesome highways. The pieces included portraits of other local musicians, including the bluesman Furry Lewis, who had spent decades sweeping the city’s streets, and the ill-starred jazz pianist Phineas Newborn.

For all his warm empathy with most of the musicians he encountered, there was also evidence of the essential splinter of ice in the writer’s heart. About his piece for Rolling Stone on Janis Joplin’s poorly received visit to Memphis in 1969, he later reflected: “She died, so I hear, bearing me ill will. Can’t please everyone.”

With a reputation, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, as “a libertine and a wild man”, in 1971 he was fined for growing his own marijuana and broke his back a few years later after falling down a waterfall in Georgia while high on LSD. A second collection of pieces, Red Hot and Blue, was published in 2019 and he leaves an unfinished memoir and unpublished biographies of the songwriter Johnny Mercer and the singer Gram Parsons, a friend who was also from Waycross.

Booth was married three times. After the death in 2014 of his third wife, the poet Diann Blakely, with whom he had lived in Georgia and Florida, he returned to Memphis. He is survived by a daughter, Ruby Booth, from another relationship.

🔔 Stanley Booth (Irvin Stanley Booth Jr), writer, born 5 January 1942; died 19 December 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Stanley Booth #in memoriam

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grumpygreenwitch · 1 year ago

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The Witches and Wizards Job 3-4

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Jessamine Lochlin was a slim, elegant woman that seemed as given to nonsense as an Elizabethan spinster. It was a terribly deceptive look, because as soon as someone at the door told her Parker was there she came charging through the main atrium and squeaked in delight to see the thief. "Iggy!"

"Jess!"

They greeted each other like delighted teenagers, much to the bemusement of Nate and Sophie. Parker introduced her as curator to the Sokolov collection, on loan from the Tetryakov Gallery and on its way to the MET, where Lochlin was actually based.

Sophie stepped forward when Parker turned to her and Nate, a nearly imperceptible Russian accent coloring her voice, her tone warm, her posture shifting to project an aura of calm, implacable serenity. "Ekaterina Yegorov, critic, collector. Independent curator, and absolutely delighted to see Sokolov's works finally seeing the international adoration they deserve."

"Right?" Sophie had readily struck true, and Lochlin puffed up in delight, Minnesota suddenly speaking loudly in her brogue. She was obviously willing and able to gush over a favorite topic, so Nate stepped in. "Nathan Ford. Former insurance, currently independent security."

"Oh, do you work with Iggy?" Lochlin's handshake was warm and solid, and she seemed not at all put off.

"Casual acquaintances," Nate assured her. Parker made friends outside their work so rarely that the rest of the team readily went out on a ledge just to make sure she kept the few she did make; the mastermind was no exception. "But when we heard there was a Sokolov collection on display, we might have imposed on her," he added conspiratorially.

Lochlin laughed. "Iggy's the reason it's here," she admitted to them in the same tone. "Without her contributions to our security systems, I'm not sure either the MET or the Tetryakov Gallery would have agreed to it." She escorted them through the gracious spaces and murmuring crowds along the rooms and galleries, chatting away with both Parker and Sophie. Nate, used as he was to ceding the spotlight, saw no problem with it. It gave him an excellent chance to take the measure of Jessamine Lochlin, not just as curator but as a potential asset.

And, maybe, as Parker's friend. Surely he could be excused being a little bit protective of his people?

Which was very much what Sophie was doing, except she was coming to actually like Lochlin. The young woman was exactly who she said she was, exactly what she presented herself to be. Young, certainly, but sure of her knowledge, devoted to it. If her interests had run to different goals, she would have had the ruthless devotion to become a fine politician. As it was, all her focus was on her charge and what it took to keep it safe, while also making it available to the viewing public.

Sophie also didn't miss the way Lochlin's spine went to a rigid steel bar as they passed by the broad doorway leading to the Dutch gallery. To the curator those empty frames weren't a slap to the face, but a punch to the gut she'd not been able to counter. Yet.

A room on the topmost floor had been set aside for the nine pieces the Tetryakov Gallery had been willing to part with. They were, for the most part, large pieces, portraits of young women and boys. One painting of Sokolov's wife had place of pride and a hushed crowd of admirers, perhaps to the chagrin of the many young nobles and royals depicted elsewhere. But then, the artist's love shone through his craft on that piece as it did none of the others.

Sophie left Lochlin and Nate bemoaning the misery that was insuring and securing traveling collections. Or, for that matter, prying a loan from any other gallery and museum, the better to spread its beauty. She and Parker roamed, with some measure of discretion, to one of the largest and less watched pieces.

"I thought Sokolov mostly did portraits," Sophie murmured.

"It is a portrait," Parker protested quietly. "Isn't it?"

"Yes, but -" Sophie looked up at the piece. It had been recently restored, at least partially, its colors vibrant. "Look around, Parker. Sokolov was a technical painter. Very skilled, but his real strength was his mind. He knew he was good at one thing and did wonders with it. Most of his portraits don't engage the whole subject like this. There's a reason Tetryakov never loans out his group portraits, they're too rare to risk. I'm astonished they were willing to part with even this."

"They had a good reason," Parker replied, looking only a little smug. There was, indeed, nothing the Tetryakov would not do to have two of their treasures restored to them so they could remove the replicas they'd been discreetly replaced with to save face. And Parker really did like Jess.

Before them, a woman sat in severe opulence for the artist. She was older, her hair an elegant silver bun pinned with delicate silver combs. She was stern, her features sharp and deeply Slavic, her eyes fiery in a way most painters would have never been able to convey. She wore a gown fitting for the nobility of Solokov's time, dark and rich green velvet with russet and gold accents. The embroidery on it had been painted with such exquisite attention to the detail of it that it seemed entirely possible, if Sophie were to reach out and touch it, she would be able to feel every singular stitch. Ironically for someone of such obvious wealth and importance, chickens danced on the hem of the woman's skirt, and peasant boots peeked under it. One hand, gloved in exquisite black lace, rested on her lap; the other held a gnarled cane, wood made dark and smooth with use.

She was also not alone. Behind her, standing, one hand on her shoulder, was a younger man, much too young to be a husband and far too old to be a son. He had the same sharp features, though in him they sharpened to make him look vulturine, nearly predatory. His black hair was tied back severely, rather than the artful curls most people preferred to showcase when they were being painted; his moustache and beard were nothing but angles. His cravat was so white it seemed to shine, in sharp contrast with the ferocious black of the rest of his clothing. Astonishingly, for a portrait, the thinnest smirk curled up one side of his mouth. His eyes were so green they seemed not real, the visceral tint of them matched only by the elegant brooch he wore, half-hidden under the lapels of his jacket.

"Charming," Nate murmured just over her shoulder. "Do you think he ran out of every other color but green?"

She scoffed. "It's so unlike his other work, don't you think?"

"I'm not much for Russian portraitists," he admitted. "Where did Parker go?"

"I think she and Jessamine are planning their next heist." When he glowered mildly at her she persisted. "No, really, apparently that's how it works, they plan a heist and then beat it. I'm not sure even I could break into this place any longer."

"Sophie, you could break into anywhere you liked, as long as someone told you you shouldn't."

"Aw, flatterer." She bumped affectionately into him. "Is this her, then?"

Nate stepped back and focused solely on the painting. Aside the obvious technique of it, and the elegance of a master of his craft, it was a portrait like any other. "It's as close as we're gonna get until Hardison gets a full composite," he admitted, picking up his phone and taking a quick snapshot while Sophie covered him.

"Well, if you're done breaking the law, this is still a fine collection of Sokolov art and I want a look," she declared primly and meandered off.

"Alright." He sent the picture off to Hardison and stared at the painting, his mind whirling. Who are you?, he asked the woman in the picture. Was she behind the attacks? A target of them? Her presence at fourteen sites put her well past the point of being an innocent bystander, but that still left the how, the why, the who. So many questions, so many variables. Even beyond the measure of any case they'd ever taken, this one promised to be a headache and a half, and for no discernible win. Even getting Fedorov in his pocket might not be payout enough.

So he stared at the picture, and let his thoughts run away in fractals, as they always did, asking questions he didn't even have words for just yet.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A familiar voice said by his side. "Pyotr Sokolov was a master."

"Mister Fedorov. You're late."

The Russian smiled. He wore a cashmere turtleneck and a contrasting jacket, casual slacks and what looked suspiciously like very fancy steel-toed boots. "I have been meaning to make time for the Sokolov collection, but I am a busy man, mister Ford." They both stared at her. "She doesn't quite look right," Fedorov mused.

"I wouldn't know, we didn't get a full composite," Nate admitted.

To his surprise, the Russian's grin widened. "Ah. How many screens have you lost?"

"One." Nate considered Fedorov's words. "So far. You?"

"Two full rigs, three more screens." Vanya admitted readily. "But then, I am also a very stubborn man." His humor faded. "I do not make the… accusation I made yesterday lightly, mister Ford."

"I don't believe in that sort of thing."

"I was raised in what is still a very empty, very wild forest in my homeland. I believe in much most people dismiss as fantasy."

"You grew up in Vladivostok."

Fedorov looked amused. "No, I moved to Vladivostok and made sure to make it look as if I'd lived there all my life. The problem with converted electronic documents is that you must convert from something, and paper is a very… pliable medium."

"Still don't think you should be confessing crimes to me."

"Mm, perhaps not," the Russian admitted, turning his attention back to the portrait. "But it still looks wrong."

Nate, having taken the opportunity to truly focus on the painting, had to agree. Much like Vanya, he couldn't put his finger on it, though. Was it the proportions? The colors? Maybe the restoration process wasn't finished? Was it - ?

"He got the nose wrong."

Both men turned. On Nate's other side was a stately, elegant woman, severe and stern. She wore an exquisite black dress stitched with black embroidered and accented with tiny pearls. The buttons of her jacket were silver, in the shape of tiny bones. Her hair was the palest silver, exquisitely done up in a fanciful bun secured with a black comb.

She had spoken in Russian, and continued doing so. "He was painting from memory, as most portraitists do. So, you know. He only got the nose wrong."

Nate stared at the woman.

The woman stared at a portrait for which she could have readily been the model if not because, unlike the painting, she had no sharp, longish nose. Her nose was quite normal. She even wore a touch of make-up, which the woman in the painting had completely eschewed. Her eyes were wintry, an icier blue than even Fedorov's. "I rather like the touch of the chickens," she declared.

"Isn't it just wonderful?" Sophie chose that moment to return, Ekaterina Yegorov's soft Russian burr firmly back in place. "It looks like you could reach out and feel how soft the stitching is." She let the words linger for a moment. "Painted like a man who never had to wear one of those dresses in summer."

Every eye turned to her, but it was the older woman who spoke first. "Spoken like a woman who has," she said in accented English. "Who are you, lovely child? What do you do here?"

"Ekaterina Yegorov, art critic, collector and independent curator."

"Goodness, that sounds exhausting," the older woman declared tartly. "Three jobs and all of them involve you trying to get a man to listen to the expertise you have and he does not. How strong a spine you must have."

Unbidden and unexpected, Sophie felt a frisson of pride go up Ekaterina's spine at the praise.

"She looks upset," Parker, behind Nate's other shoulder, declared stoutly.

"That's just the portrait," Nate corrected her. "They always strive for a neutral expression."

"But she doesn't look neutral, she looks upset," Parker persisted.

"Why would she be upset?" Sophie asked, trying to be rational.

"Because she's stuck with an asshole," Fedorov stepped neatly into the conversation.

All four of them turned to look at him. He shrugged blithely and gestured at the painting. "Look at him. The smirk, the posture. Everything about the man screams 'asshole'. If I had to sit and keep my peace waiting for that to stab me in the back, I'd be upset too."

The older woman burst out laughing. It was brief, and it barely made a sound among the hushed conversations, but it was real all the same. She promptly covered her mouth. "Oh, the cheek of you," she chided Vanya in Russian.

"I was born with a mouth," he replied cheerfully. "It seems a shame not to use it."

Nate opened his mouth. A moment earlier he'd had not enough questions about the case; suddenly he had too many, and was having trouble choosing one. The woman's presence seem too provident, too perfect. He wanted to ask who she was; he wanted to know what she knew about the painting; he wanted to know why she was there.

He turned.

Just past the doorway the man in the painting, down to the stitched black embroidery on his long coat and the hawkish nose, was just strolling out of sight.

The mastermind blinked.

Heavy shutters suddenly slammed shut over the two windows and the doorway with a terribly final sound, trapping a little under two dozen people in the room with nine of Pyotr Sokolov's portraits. Gas began to pour into the room, and a faint scent began to fill the air.

People screamed, as they're wont to do when the unexpected slams into their lives.

Someone began to cough.

"What is that?" Fedorov demanded.

"The fire suppression system?" Sophie sounded very dubious.

"You don't sound certain."

"I'm not."

"She's not," Nate confirmed.

"It's not," Parker declared, looking around frantically for escape routes she neither needed nor had.

"What is it, then, if not the fire system?" the Russian demanded.

"It is the fire suppression system," Nate explained hastily. Several people were banging on the shutter that had come down over the open doorway. "But argonite is odorless. This smells like, like…"

Several more people were coughing.

"Flowers," Parker all but snarled.

"Perfume," Sophie was keeping close. The gas kept piling up.

"Fernflower," the older woman choked out and began to cough sharply.

"Why hasn't the alarm gone off?" Vanya demanded, rushing over to hold up the older woman when the wracking cough folded her in half.

"Because there's no fire," Nate replied.

"Which is a problem," Sophie added, on the woman's other side.

"Yup. Parker, pick me a lock."

"I can try, but I might set off an alarm -"

Sophie, shoving Ekaterina aside for a moment, leaned close enough to whisper, "Sweetie, that'd be a really good thing right now."

"Oh. Right. Because we're not actually stealing anything." Parker lunged at one of the shuttered windows.

"Why not the door?" Fedorov protested mildly.

"Because there's two more shutters behind that one, this one only has one more," Parker replied didactically, ripping open a discreet panel that had looked, until that moment, like nothing so much as a few light switches. She looked up expectantly, and growled when nothing but the hiss of gas and scattered coughing filled the pause. She began to jab her lockpicks, having gotten them out of god-only-knew-where, into the circuit panel she'd revealed.

Sophie was moving through the crowd, getting people to climb up on the benches, away from the quickly pooling clouds of gas. The Russian bodily picked up the older woman and set her on one of the benches. She let out a startled little wheeze but didn't complain. "You said this is an argonite system, Ford. They are not dangerous to humans."

"Normally, yes," Nate agreed, dialing on his phone. "Very safe. When there's a fire to put out. I'm betting the system's not currently detecting the oxygen content of the room, either, so it's going to keep going until there's either no argon in the tank -"

"- or no oxygen in the room," Sophie finished for him.

"We're in one of your accidents, Fedorov." Someone finally picked up his call. "Hardison."

"Nate, got your picture, what's up?"

"We're trapped in a room in the Gardner Museum with a broken argonite supression system," the mastermind told the hacker calmly.

"What?!" Back at the loft, at that tone, Eliot's head came up like a hound scenting blood.

"Never mind that," Nate gestured impatiently. "Can you lock down the rest of the building?"

"Uh…"

"Fast. I think the man who did this is still in here."

Hardison sprinted for his console, throwing his phone on the work desk. Eliot picked it up and put it on speakerphone. "Nate."

"Eliot, call emergency services. A few people here are having trouble breathing already."

"Are you good?"

The mastermind didn't even hesitate. "Oh, yes, we're fine. I'll be even better if you catch that man in here with us." As if on cue, an alarm began to shrill, high and piercing, and Parked looked confusedly victorious. Whatever she'd done didn't stop the gas, though. One of the shutters on the nearest window rolled back up with a snap, revealing a steel grate and the Venetian-style window beyond it. "Parker, did you and Lochlin get around to updating the windows yet?"

"No," she replied. Immediately guessing what he meant, she threw herself to one side.

"Fedorov."

The Russian didn't hesitate. His gun was in his hand in a single, smooth motion, and he fired at each pane of glass amidst screams. The reinforced glass cracked under the first impact, and most of the panes shattered under the second. He finished what was left with a third shot until the gun clicked on empty. Gas poured out and blessedly fresh air poured in. Parker slid back to the control panel and got back to work.

A second, bellowing alarm kicked off somewhere beyond the shuttered door. "Place is locked down," Hardison told Nate. "I hope it was fast enough."

"So do I. Do you have eyes on the place?"

Hardison was staring as every screen on the wall came to life, several providing multiple feeds. "Live feeds everyw-"

"No! No, not live! Record everything, not live, Hardison, not -" Nate heard something explode tinily on the other end of the line. "Hardison?!"

Two heads peeked up from behind cover at the screen that had just lost most of its upper right corner, the rest of it flickering madly. "We're fine," the hacker replied numbly. "Um."

Nate sighed.

The second shutter rolled up. Parker hefted herself up on the windowsill and kicked at the frame until there was a section clear of glass that she could grip to try and force the window open. She fought the damn thing up an inch, then another.

"In the name of expedience," Fedorov stalked up to her, shrugging off his jacket, "may I assist?"

Parker made room for him. He folded over his jacket to give them both a larger area of leverage. They pushed at the heavy frame as hard as they could.

There was a word echoing in Nate's mind, and he couldn't dislodge it. He couldn't see his question past it. He couldn't hear anything under the whispering weight of it.

Fernflower.

Sophie was talking to him, her voice distant and blurred. The alarms were a tangle of strangling vines around his mind. The phone demanded his attention. People were screaming. People were coughing. People were dying, and he…

He…

"Child."

Profound silence followed the one word. The world went perfectly still. Nate realized he'd forgotten at some point to breathe, and his chest hurt, but he couldn't make himself work the muscles for that one, tiny exercise in staying alive.

The old woman was before him. She looked ashen, her skin threaded with a sickly, poisonous green. But still she reached out a hand and so very gently brushed his chest. "Child," her voice was kind, "be calm."

The window relented at last with an almighty crash and a third, older alarm joined the other two.

Nate felt a rush of soothing cold wash over him. The alarms got shoved aside as the inconsequential noise they were. The coughing people would get help; Eliot probably had half the emergency services in the Boston Metro area coming, and it being the Isabella Gardner in distress would likely summon the other half. All they had to do was survive the runaway suppression system for the next few minutes.

"Nate?" Sophie clung to him as if she were afraid he would fall down. Mainly because for a moment there the mastermind had looked like he was about to fall down.

"Ford!" Fedorov called out.

"Nate, there's no fire escape!" Parker shouted over the mingled roar of the alarms.

"What?" He and Sophie rushed to the window, only to discover it was true: the familiar steel structure was missing altogether.

Nate turned. "Then we go up. Parker, you first. Then me. Fedorov, you hand us the people. Sophie will keep them calm for you."

Before Vanya could say anything Parker had slithered out and her feet were disappearing over the not-too-distant rim of the roof. "I do believe you are confessing crimes to me, Ford," he pointed out mildly, watching the thief vanish with impossible grace.

"Allegedly," Nate replied without missing a beat, following Parker up, who was fuming somewhat.

"Getting out from up here's going to be even harder, you know," she pointed out distractedly.

"Not stealing anything, Parker," he reminded her, kneeling by the edge and calling out. "We're set!"

Vanya and Sophie escorted the older Russian woman to the window. She was gasping desperately for breath. "Grandmother," he told her respectfully, "I'm afraid I have to get very handsy with you."

"Oh, that's alright," she patted his arm lightly, and managed a strangled little smile. "I have not been manhandled by a handsome young man in a very long time. It will be thrilling."

The enforcer had to grin back at that, before he bodily picked her up and hauled her out of the window, lifting her where Nate and Parker could take her outstretched hands.

"How's that, breathing better?" the mastermind asked her as they helped her step onto the roof.

"Yes, thank you."

"Yup. Don't go anywhere," he told her casually as he reached out for the next person. He had so many questions for the woman he didn't even know where to begin.

"Child, it is a rooftop," she laughed around another bout of coughing. "Where would I go?"

One by one they brought everyone out of the room. Before they'd got a handful of people out the police already had the museum surrounded. By the time half the visitors were out, someone had discovered the access to and from the roof had been welded shut. By the time everyone was out and the fault in the broken suppression system was finally fought into compliance, fire engines had been maneuvered closer and ladders were being extended.

And the old Russian woman was nowhere to be found.

Eliot brought the car around and waited just past the crush of the gawking mob, trying not to hover like an overprotective dragon. His people simply sauntered away until one of them was intercepted.

"Ford," Fedorov said quietly.

"Fedorov."

"Do I have more than your attention now?"

Nate was seething inwardly at losing the woman, apparently into thin air, and having the unknown man in black slip through their grip, likely by mere seconds. He kept it hidden with his usual ease. "That was some nice shooting."

The Russian enforcer smiled thinly. "I wear body armor. I expect everyone else to do the same. When they do not I am pleasantly surprised. When they do it still does not matter."

Nate nodded; that did explain how the man had punched through most of the window panes. "Is it going to be worth it, stealing the police reports for this?"

Vanya paused. "I will send you the ones that matter," he offered.

Nate nodded. "Fedorov," he called out when the Russian walked away. "Do you know what the woman said about the gas, in there? What it smelled like?"

"She said it smelled like fernflower."

"I don't know that flower, do you?"

Fedorov looked faintly amused. "You are wearing it, Ford."

Nate looked down, startled; he was not in the habit of wearing a pocket square, let alone flowers. He pressed a hand over the bright crimson spray of tiny blooms tucked in his jacket pocket and watched the Russian walk away, trading casual greetings with the cops.

"Nate?" Sophie came up to him, having belatedly realized they'd left him behind.

"Sophie, do you still have that friend at the London Botanical Gardens?" Nate plucked the flowering stem out of his pocket and rolled it between his fingertips.

"Percy? Yes, he's a sweetheart. Keeps asking me to be a peer on his mycology paper."

"Do you think he could look something up for you if you overnight it?"

FOUR

"Fernflower's not real."

Nate considered these words, delivered with careful solemnity by Sophie, while staring blankly at the box of Indian take-out in front of him. Eventually, he gestured lightly. "I held those flowers, Sophie."

"I know."

"You held those flowers, when we packed them up for shipping."

"I know, Nate."

"They were real."

"They absolutely were."

Nate exhaled sharply. It wasn't often the team saw such a gesture of frustration from their mastermind, but at every turn something kept popping up that insisted on derailing the carefully logical pathways of his mind. "So what you're saying is -"

"What I'm saying is that Percy can't identify them. Nate, the London Botanical Garden can't identify this flower! The entirety of his staff is up in arms. They've sent inquiries to Cairo and Beijing. Beijing, Nate! He hasn't talked to Xi Jian since the orchid debacle!"

Nate had a strong feeling that he didn't want to know what the orchid debacle was.

"It's a plant," Hardison protested.

"No, it's not just a plant," Parker argued. "It's a magic flower, obviously."

Nate didn't have the energy to try and deal with that.

"Yes, ok, but" Hardison wasn't about to hit that particular trap, "it's a plant. It can't be hard to figure it out, yeah? We map people's DNA these days at the corner store, it's easy."

"Anything but," Eliot countered placidly, setting an empty container aside. "Plants are the most flexible organism on this planet when it comes to DNA. We can only pass it down, parent to kid - plants can do it sideways."

"Sideways," Hardison stared at him.

"Yup.They steal it. See something a neighboring plant can do and snag it for their own."

"Plants steal?" Parker looked deeply intrigued.

"Yup." He grinned a little when the team stared at him. "Dated a botanist once. Kinky woman. My point is, it's very easy to create a hybrid, and from there create a mutant, a whole new species. The hard part's always been making it do what you want it to do, like the potato, instead of having it do whatever."

"Well, my point is, Percy's never seen it before, he's never even seen anything remotely like it." Sophie groaned, putting her curry down a little more forcefully than she meant. "Ugh, he's never going to leave me alone now, he'll think I did it on purpose. Send him a brand new plant that he can put his name on."

"Yeah, where a botanist's concerned you might as well have sent him a marriage proposal," Eliot teased her, got a napkin thrown at his chest. He grinned wickedly at her, but quickly grew serious. "Mechanical fault again," he declared, clicking his remote to activate one of the screens on the wall. "On paper the insurance company's claiming the valves overheated and locked into an open position. I snuck in, took a look at it." It hadn't been hard to join the slews of people going in to do clean-up, once Hardison had counterfeited the clearances for him. What he'd found had left the hitter grinding his teeth in both confusion and offense; while not a Boston native, Eliot understood the value, both artistic and emotional, of a place like the Gardner Museum. It had been bad enough to have his team caught in the crossfire of whatever mess the Russians had in their hands; that the perpetrator hadn't cared about the art on the line was getting to be just as upsetting, to say the least.

"Those things were melted." He'd taken pictures of the entire fire suppression system. "That whole system had nickel-copper heat exchanges. I've seen nuclear plants more likely to have a meltdown. And…"

"And?" Sophie prompted him when he hesitated.

Eliot stared down at the table, seeing nothing. He was, he felt, as reasonable as a man in his position, having lived the sort of life he'd lived, could be. He knew he was profoundly fortunate to have found a family, dysfunctional as it might be, that had his back, no questions asked. He knew he would go to the wall for any of them without hesitation.

But in the basement of the Isabella Gardner Museum the hitter had found a place where he didn't know if he dared ask them to follow. "I found this down there," he admitted at last, his voice carefully neutral. He clicked the remote until he came to a specific photo.

Everyone stopped eating.

"Is that a handprint?" Sophie asked, stunned.

"Yeah."

"On the outflow valve?" Hardison demanded.

"Yeah."

They stared at the very clear print on the metal. It looked as if someone had gripped it and squeezed, and like warm wax, it had been reshaped.

"There's no wriggle," Sophie murmured.

"Or blur," Nate added, just as thoughtful.

It was Eliot who explained for the other two. "When you grab something hot, your first instinct is to jerk your hand away, right? Hot metal, metal that's gone so hot it's soft, won't let you do that. It clings, it tries to hold onto you."

"So when they did that," Hardison tipped his head at the screen, "they should have messed up the print."

"Right."

"But they didn't."

"Did they just… leave their hand there?" Even Parker looked vaguely aghast.

"Sure looks like it." Eliot flicked the photo away; the vague sense of disorienting confusion he'd felt when he'd first seen the print was returning.

"Wait!" Nate suddenly focused sharply. "Wait, go back. Go back to the tanks."

Eliot obeyed. "Why, what's wrong? I'm not familiar with argonite systems, they're too new to be common, but nothing looked out of place."

"Nothing's out of place," Nate replied thoughtfully as he stood up, restless. "I'm not looking at the tanks, I'm looking at the valves." He'd been looking for reasonable discrepancies, and for a moment he'd been almost delighted to find one, until the numbers had made sense. "Argonite systems are simple. Blend argon with something, nitrogen in this case, smother the fire without smothering the people. Now, argon, nitrogen, both, something else, if you replace all the oxygen in a room with it, you kill both the people and the fire, right?"

"Right," Eliot agreed.

"So why tamper with both the valves when just the one would do? There's no reason to fiddle with the nitrogen, but someone did." He pointed at the screen. "They shut it off. Completely." He stared at the picture. "That's not the original tank, either."

Eliot stared thoughtfully at the picture. "That's a new tank," he suddenly declared. "One of the guys on site was fiddling with his toolbox when I went by. Bet you anything the insurance people told him to replace it on the sly."

"So where's the old tank? Did you take pictures of the tanks in storage?"

"He didn't, I did." Hardison was already putting them up on the screen.

"It seemed safer that way. Place was hot as hell, someone was going to start asking questions if they caught me going around to too many places."

Nate nodded. The pictures were stills from a security camera, showing shelves, boxes, cylinders -

"Nate," Sophie murmured.

"I see it." On a lower shelf was a small silver cylinder, much tinier than all its siblings. It had none of the typical cautionary symbols or identifiers; instead it was covered in writing that not one of them could recognize. Nate picked up his remote and enlarged the picture, focused on that spot.

A small number on the bottom of the screen began to inch up, and the screen let out a quiet little beep, no louder than a microwave. Hardison lunged forward, snatched the remote out of Nate's hand and turned off the screen altogether, leaving the mastermind blinking. "No! Nuh-uh. You're not blowing up another one of my screens!"

"I wasn't gonna -!"

"I am a man of science, Nate. You know that, everyone knows that, right? And that," Hardison pointed at the black screen, "is how it's begun every time. We focus on something, someone, and the tech actually cannot keep up. Two screens, Nate!"

"Fedorov blew up three," Sophie murmured.

"What?!"

"And two rigs."

"WHAT?!"

"It can't be just because of a picture -"

"I don't care what it is," Hardison declared impatiently. "I care what it's doing, and that would be overclocking my systems until they literally explode. My systems, Nate. Hacking into the Pentagon didn't overclock them. Hacking into the Interpol databases didn't overclock them."

"You hacked Interpol?" Eliot looked pleasantly surprised at this news.

"Incidental!" the hacker exclaimed. "I don't believe…!" He took a deep breath and spoke in a less irritated tone. "Nate, I don't believe in hinky stuff. You know that. I believe in what's real, what's here. I know something's doing this to my gear. I don't know what it is, yet. I just know it's there. Until I figure out what it is, and how to bypass it, this is what I can do."

Nate stared at the hacker, who looked levelly back at him.

"Why can't it just be magic?" Parker asked sedately.

"Magic's just science that no one's explained yet, Parker," Hardison replied gently. "That's the problem. You can't fight a rocket with a rock. I need to know what it is, I need to understand what it is, before I can work around it."

The team watched her take in those words and then nod thoughtfully.

Nate rubbed at his face. "Magic." The word was loaded with all the scorn a rational man could load upon it.

"Nate, do you have a problem with the concept or with the fact none of us is a, a…. a 'magic' specialist?" Sophie asked with utmost calm.

"Both," he admitted, then glanced at Hardison. "Though a paradigm shift helps a little with the first."

Hardison shrugged. "Hey, man. Big old monolith was just a computer."

"I've been involved in too much weird stuff," Eliot said carefully, "not to accept that there's things going on on this rock that I can't explain. Doesn't mean there isn't an explanation, just that I don't know it yet."

Sophie gestured elegantly. "I do magic on a daily basis," she said mildly. "I've been accused of that a few times, every time I'm done with a mark. That aside, wouldn't it be nice, wouldn't it be fun, to know there's a little bit of something wild and dangerous and unique in the world, like magic?"

"It would help," Nate burst out with tight control, "if we didn't keep calling it that."

"But it's Baba Yaga!" Parker protested. "That's magic, isn't it?"

"It's - Parker, why are you so hung up on this Baba Yaga thing?"

She blinked at him. "Who wouldn't be? A grandma that gives you gifts and prizes for being clever and tricky and mischievous? Who eats bad guys? That sounds like an awesome grandma."

Nate didn't sputter, but it was a close thing. Sophie and Eliot grinned.

"Parker, she eats people," Hardison protested.

Parker was polishing up her food. "There's people who deserve to get eaten," she shot back pragmatically.

Nate put his hands out. "Are we taking the job?"

The room went silent.

"They came after us, Nate." Eliot's voice was frighteningly even. "I do not like it when people come after us, even if it's by accident."

"They came after my museum," Parker muttered.

"I am dying to know how they keep blowing up my screens," Hardison admitted.

Nate looked at Sophie, who nodded minutely. He drew in a deep breath.

Magic's just science that no one's explained yet.

"Ok. We can't leap ahead, so we're going back. Eliot, Parker, we need that cylinder. Hardison, see if hard copy explodes, too. Print out the info, we'll just have to slog through it the old-fashioned way. Sophie." He ground his teeth minutely before sighing in defeat. "Do you know any 'magic' specialists?"

"No," she admitted readily. "But I know of one. He's even for hire." When Nate scoffed, her tone sharpened. "Nate, if you want the help, you're going to have to respect that the man's probably a professional in his field, just like we are. I don't know if he's the real thing, but he might be all we've got."

"Fine, fine," he grumbled. "Call him up."

"I can't, I don't know the man, I just know of him, and I don't feel comfortable chatting about Baba Yaga with a stranger over the phone."

"What, do you want to go talk to him in person?"

"Yes!" She gestured pointedly at the black screen.

Nate drew in a vast breath, held it, hissed it out. "Fine. Where is he?"

"Chicago."

"Alright. Let's go hire us a wizard."

#Leverage #Nathan Ford #sophie devereaux #Parker #eliot spencer #alec hardison #my writing #fanfiction #the dresden files #harry dresden #urban fantasy #crossover #mild violence

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rabbitcruiser · 2 years ago

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Skyscraper Appreciation Day

Take a trip to the grandest skyscraper in your area and appreciate the architectural marvel, or appreciate an entire skyline from just outside a city.

Climb to the highest of man-made heights in observance and celebration of Skyscraper Appreciation Day!

History of Skyscraper Appreciation Day

Skyscraper Appreciation Day was initiated and founded by Dr. Tom Stevens. Interestingly, it was created so that the general public could admire the structural and architectural brilliance of skyscrapers. Furthermore, it also celebrates the triumph of reason, as well as man’s ability to construct industrial masterpieces that go far beyond expectations.

This important day is situated on the anniversary of the birth of one of architecture’s most important and famous names, William Van Alen. Back in 1883, this native of Brooklyn, New York was born and, after studying in Paris, Van Alen would eventually go on to design the famous, art-deco style Chrysler Building, which is one of New York City’s most iconic and well-known landmarks.

In today’s world, skyscrapers continue to push the limits of architecture, offering a wide range of features. For instance, Taipei 101, is the world’s tallest and largest green and sustainable building, while The Shard in London has a unique layout of a “vertical city”, where a person could theoretically live and never leave!

Skyscraper Appreciation Day offers a wide range of opportunities to learn more, join in on events, and generally have a soaring celebration in honor of these architectural feats!

How to Celebrate Skyscraper Appreciation Day

It might be a whole lot of fun to celebrate Skyscraper Appreciation Day by undertaking one or more of the following activities:

Visit a Skyscraper

In honor of Skyscraper Appreciation Day, an interesting activity would be to venture to a skyscraper, whether close to where you live or far away, and marvel at its architectural beauty. Cities all over the world can be visited in celebration of the day, giving a nod of appreciation to these feats of architectural mastery. Consider visiting one of these famous skyscrapers from around the globe:

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Built in 2010, this one will stand as the tallest building in the world for more than a decade, at 2722 feet, holding at least 19 records.

One World Trade Center, New York City, USA. Officially the tallest building in the western hemisphere, this one was built in 2014 and stands at 1776 feet, as a nod to the year that the US gained her independence.

The Petronas Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Not just a single, but a double, this one holds the record for the tallest twin tower in the world, joined by a skybridge at the 41st and 42nd floors.

Gran Torre Santiago, Santiago, Chile. The tallest building in South America was opened in 2013 and offers a postmodern style for its 62 floors.

Host a Skyscraper Themed Party

Have a skyscraper themed day where friends, family members or coworkers are encouraged to dress up as famous skyscrapers from around the world. This type of event is likely to get off the ground more for those who work at an architectural firm or with building contractors, but people with regular jobs can certainly try it out as well!

Learn Fun Facts About Skyscrapers

A super way to pay honor and respect on Skyscraper Appreciation Day would be to learn some fun facts to share in raising awareness for the day. Kids and adults alike will be interested in these bits of trivia about skyscrapers:

The world’s first skyscraper is considered to be the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, built in 1885.

The world’s fastest skyscraper elevator is located in the Shanghai Tower in China.

Certain skyscrapers can actually affect the weather, creating wind tunnels when multiple skyscrapers are built near each other.

Create a Skyscraper Themed Photo Collection

Folks who are avid travelers to cities, or who are photographers, might want to take this opportunity to sort through all of those favorite skyscraper photos and add them to the “Photos” section of the Skyscraper Appreciation Day Facebook page.

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insurancenewsx · 2 years ago

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Admiral Travel Insurance vs. Competitors: Which One Truly Has Your Back?

In this article, we will compare Admiral Travel Insurance with its competitors to determine which one truly has your back during your travels. When planning a trip, it’s essential to consider travel insurance to safeguard yourself against unexpected events. With numerous options available in the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right travel insurance provider. Understanding the…

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#Admiral Travel Insurance #admiral travel insurance is best or not ?#admiral travel insurance vs other insurance #what is best in admiral travel insurance

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hirehimachalcabcom · 24 days ago

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Conquer the Himalayas: Your Guide to Cab Services in Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand

The majestic Himalayas beckon, promising breathtaking landscapes, serene escapes, and unforgettable adventures. Whether you're planning a spiritual retreat to Uttarakhand's holy shrines or a thrilling trek through Himachal Pradesh's stunning valleys, reliable transportation is key to maximizing your experience. Navigating the winding mountain roads can be challenging, making cab services the ideal choice for comfortable and convenient exploration.

This guide delves into the world of cab services in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, helping you find the best cab service to suit your needs and ensure a seamless Himalayan adventure. We'll cover everything from finding cabs in Himachal Pradesh to highlighting the best taxi service in Uttarakhand, ensuring you can focus on the beauty around you.

Why Choose a Cab Service in Himachal & Uttarakhand?

Safety and Expertise: Mountain driving requires skill and experience. Professional drivers familiar with the local terrain and weather conditions prioritize your safety.

Comfort and Convenience: Enjoy a relaxed journey without the stress of navigating unfamiliar roads. A cab allows you to admire the scenery and arrive refreshed at your destination.

Flexibility and Freedom: Customize your itinerary and explore hidden gems at your own pace. Cab services offer the flexibility to stop wherever you please and discover the authentic Himalayas.

Local Knowledge: Drivers often possess valuable insights into local culture, customs, and attractions, enriching your travel experience.

Door-to-Door Service: Eliminate the hassle of public transportation with convenient pick-up and drop-off options, right at your hotel or desired location.

Navigating the Options: Finding the Right Cab Service

With numerous cab services vying for your attention, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Here are some key factors to consider:

Reputation and Reviews: Start by researching online reviews and testimonials. Look for consistent positive feedback regarding reliability, safety, and customer service.

Vehicle Quality: Ensure the cab service offers well-maintained, comfortable vehicles suited to the terrain. Look for vehicles with sufficient ground clearance and in good working order.

Driver Experience: Inquire about the drivers' experience and familiarity with the region. Experienced drivers are crucial for safe and efficient navigation.

Pricing and Transparency: Obtain clear and transparent pricing information, including fares, tolls, and potential surcharges. Avoid services with hidden fees or unclear pricing structures.

Service Coverage: Confirm that the cab service covers the specific areas you plan to visit. Some services may have limited coverage in remote areas.

Availability and Booking: Choose a service that offers convenient booking options, whether online, through a mobile app, or by phone. Ensure they are available for your desired travel dates and times.

Insurance and Licensing: Verify that the cab service has proper insurance coverage and operates with valid licenses and permits.

Spotlight on Himachal Pradesh: Finding Reliable Transportation

Himachal Pradesh, the land of snow-capped peaks and verdant valleys, demands reliable transportation to fully explore its diverse landscapes. Look for a Himachal taxi service that understands the unique challenges of navigating the region.

Popular Destinations: Consider cab services that specialize in routes to popular destinations such as Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, and Dalhousie.

Local Expertise: Opt for a service with drivers familiar with local road conditions, traffic patterns, and weather patterns in Himachal Pradesh.

Vehicle Variety: Choose a service that offers a range of vehicles, from smaller hatchbacks for city travel to larger SUVs for exploring remote areas.

Unveiling Uttarakhand: Your Gateway to Spiritual Serenity and Adventure

Uttarakhand, the "Land of Gods," presents its own set of transportation considerations. Finding the best cab service in Uttarakhand is crucial for a smooth and enriching experience.

Chardham Yatra: For pilgrims undertaking the Chardham Yatra (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath), choose a cab service specializing in this pilgrimage route. Look for drivers experienced in navigating the challenging terrain and adhering to the Yatra schedule.

Adventure Activities: If you're planning trekking, rafting, or other adventure activities, ensure the cab service can provide transportation to and from the starting points and base camps.

Scenic Routes: Uttarakhand boasts breathtaking scenic routes. Choose a cab service that prioritizes safety and comfort, allowing you to enjoy the stunning views along the way.

Hire Himachal Cab: Your Partner for a Memorable Himalayan Journey

At Hire Himachal Cab, we understand the importance of reliable and comfortable transportation in enhancing your Himalayan experience. We are dedicated to providing top-notch cab service in Himachal Pradesh and best cab service in Uttarakhand, ensuring your journey is seamless and unforgettable.

Here's what sets us apart:

Experienced and Professional Drivers: Our drivers are highly experienced and familiar with the terrain and conditions of both Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They prioritize your safety and comfort above all else.

Well-Maintained Vehicles: We offer a fleet of well-maintained, comfortable vehicles to suit your needs, from compact cars to spacious SUVs.

Transparent Pricing: We provide clear and upfront pricing with no hidden fees, ensuring you know exactly what to expect.

24/7 Availability: We are available 24/7 to assist you with your transportation needs, whether you require a last-minute booking or have any questions.

Customized Itineraries: We can help you create customized itineraries to explore the regions at your own pace, ensuring you see the sights that matter most to you.

Focus on Customer Satisfaction: We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and ensuring your complete satisfaction.

Tips for a Smooth Cab Experience:

Book in Advance: Especially during peak season, booking your cab in advance is highly recommended to ensure availability.

Confirm the Details: Double-check the booking details, including pick-up location, time, and vehicle type, to avoid any misunderstandings.

Communicate with Your Driver: Communicate your preferences and any specific requests to your driver clearly.

Negotiate if Necessary: While most cab services have fixed fares, it's always a good idea to inquire about the possibility of negotiation, especially for longer trips.

Be Respectful: Treat your driver with respect and kindness. A positive relationship can enhance your overall travel experience.

Conclusion:

With careful planning and the right choice of cab service, your Himalayan adventure in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is sure to be a memorable one. Remember to prioritize safety, comfort, and reliability when selecting a cab service. And for a truly exceptional experience, consider Hire Himachal Cab as your trusted transportation partner. Let us take the stress out of travel, so you can focus on creating lasting memories amidst the majestic Himalayas. Enjoy the journey!

#Hire Himachal Cab

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mailplasticpostcards · 29 days ago

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How Plastic Card Mailing Enhances Direct Mail Campaigns and Brand Recognition

Direct mail marketing has long been a trusted tool for businesses aiming to engage their target audience directly. In recent years, plastic card mailing has emerged as a powerful evolution in the direct mail landscape. Unlike paper postcards or flyers, plastic cards offer a more tactile, durable, and premium experience that captures attention and builds trust.

In this article, we’ll explore how plastic card mailing enhances direct mail campaigns and contributes significantly to brand recognition, response rates, and customer loyalty.

Why Choose Plastic Cards Over Traditional Paper Mailers?

When it comes to direct mail, first impressions matter. A traditional paper mailer may be tossed aside, while a glossy, credit card-style plastic piece feels valuable—leading recipients to pause and engage.

Key Benefits:

Durability: Plastic cards withstand weather, handling, and time.

Perceived Value: Recipients often associate plastic cards with gift cards, VIP passes, or membership cards—signaling value.

Longer Lifespan: They often remain in wallets or on fridges, keeping your brand top-of-mind.

Higher Engagement Rates: Enhanced design and personalization improve open and response rates.

How Plastic Card Mailing Enhances Brand Recognition

Brand recognition is built through consistent messaging and memorable experiences. Plastic card mailers offer several features that drive brand visibility and loyalty.

1. Professional Aesthetics

High-quality printing and finishes—like UV coating, embossing, and metallic foil—give your mail piece a polished, corporate look.

2. Brand Repetition

Because plastic cards are kept longer, your logo, colors, and tagline are repeatedly seen, reinforcing your brand identity.

3. Integration with Loyalty Programs

Plastic mailers can double as loyalty or membership cards. When users carry and use them, they interact with your brand daily, both physically and psychologically.

4. Custom QR Codes and NFC

Modern plastic cards can integrate QR codes, barcodes, or NFC chips, which direct users to your digital content—bridging the gap between offline and online marketing.

Plastic Card Mailers and Personalization

Hyper-personalization is a cornerstone of effective marketing. Plastic cards allow businesses to personalize not just the printed name, but also the content, offers, and tracking mechanisms.

Examples of Personalization:

Customized discounts based on purchase history

Personalized membership levels (Silver, Gold, Platinum)

Location-based offers with maps or local contact info

Expiry dates or seasonal promotions

Personalized content increases customer engagement and conversion rates by making recipients feel seen and valued.

Industries Benefiting from Plastic Card Mailers

Plastic card mailers are versatile and can be adapted to various industries: IndustryUse CaseRetailLoyalty cards, coupons, VIP event invitesHospitalityHotel key cards, travel promos, membership clubsFinancial ServicesPre-paid cards, introductory credit offersHealthcareAppointment reminders, insurance cardsFitness & WellnessGym membership cards, free trial passes

Each industry can leverage the professional feel and utility of plastic cards to improve direct mail outcomes.

Boosting Response Rates with Plastic Card Mailing

The response rate for direct mail averages around 4.9%, but studies show plastic card mailers can push that number significantly higher due to their novelty and perceived value.

Strategies to Improve Response:

Include a time-sensitive offer to create urgency.

Add a scratch-off panel for gamification.

Insert a personal URL (PURL) to track responses and gather data.

Use clear CTAs and redemption instructions.

These tactics help ensure your recipients take action, rather than just admire the mailer.

Plastic Card Design Tips for Brand Visibility

Design is crucial when using plastic cards in direct mail. Follow these best practices to maximize branding:

Use bold, high-contrast colors aligned with your brand.

Ensure your logo is clearly visible.

Include contact info, website, and social handles.

Make use of both sides of the card.

Include a call-to-action on at least one side.

A clean, branded, and CTA-rich design encourages retention and action.

Case Study: Retail Chain Using Plastic Card Mailing

A large retail brand launched a seasonal campaign sending plastic gift cards offering $10 off a $50 purchase. The cards were designed like store credit cards, personalized with the customer’s name and a unique barcode.

Results:

21% increase in redemption

15% higher average order value

Increased foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores

This demonstrates the ROI-boosting potential of combining direct mail with plastic cards.

Eco-Friendly Options for Plastic Card Mailers

Environmental concerns are valid. Today, you can opt for:

Recycled plastic cards

Biodegradable or compostable plastics

Digital hybrid options (QR links to mobile wallets)

Being environmentally conscious can enhance your brand’s credibility and social responsibility.

Conclusion: A Long-Term Investment in Branding and Engagement

Plastic card mailing offers a unique edge in a digital-fatigued world. It provides:

Physical engagement

Premium branding

Measurable results

Cross-channel marketing capability

Incorporate plastic card mailers into your direct mail strategy to boost your brand recognition, improve campaign ROI, and stand out in a saturated market.

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shoppingonlineltd-blog · 2 months ago

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simonarias1 · 2 months ago

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Simon Arias: A Visionary Leader Empowering Lives Through Inspiration and Action

Simon Arias is more than just a successful entrepreneur and business leader—he is a beacon of inspiration for countless individuals striving to achieve greatness. Known for his dynamic leadership, powerful motivational speaking, and impactful mentorship, Simon Arias has transformed lives through his vision, discipline, and dedication to helping others realize their full potential.

Who is Simon Arias?

Simon Arias is a renowned entrepreneur and the founder of Arias Agencies, a premier agency of American Income Life Insurance Company. Under his leadership, Arias Agencies has grown into one of the top-performing agencies in the country, consistently setting new standards in sales performance, leadership development, and community outreach.

From humble beginnings, Simon Arias built his career through perseverance, a strong work ethic, and an unshakeable belief in personal growth. His journey from a small-town upbringing to a nationally recognized business leader serves as a powerful testament to the power of vision and grit.

Simon Arias as a Motivational Speaker

In addition to his business achievements, Simon Arias is a highly sought-after motivational speaker. He travels across the country, sharing his story and offering actionable advice to audiences ranging from young entrepreneurs to seasoned professionals. His speeches are packed with authenticity, passion, and practical wisdom—making him a favorite among those looking to level up in life and business.

What sets Simon Arias apart as a speaker is his ability to connect with people on a personal level. Whether he’s speaking to a room of ten or ten thousand, he brings energy, truth, and transformation.

Leadership and Mentorship

Simon Arias is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders. Through Arias Agencies and other initiatives, he has helped hundreds of individuals build successful careers, develop leadership skills, and achieve financial independence.

His mentorship programs focus on mindset, discipline, and goal-setting—key components that have fueled his own success. For Simon Arias, leadership isn’t just about guiding others; it’s about empowering them to become leaders themselves.

Community Impact

Giving back is a core value for Simon Arias. Through charitable work and community involvement, he continues to make a lasting impact beyond the business world. He supports numerous causes and is actively involved in youth mentorship, financial literacy programs, and community development initiatives.

His commitment to making a difference reflects a core belief: true success is measured not just by what you accomplish, but by how you uplift others along the way.

Why Simon Arias Stands Out

In today’s fast-paced world, authenticity and purpose stand out—and Simon Arias embodies both. His story resonates because it’s real. His leadership is admired because it produces results. And his mission is powerful because it’s centered on helping others win.

For those looking to grow as leaders, build their dreams, or simply find a spark of inspiration, Simon Arias offers a roadmap to success grounded in values, vision, and relentless execution.

#Simon arias #arias agencies

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roaming-kerala · 2 months ago

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Why You Should Rent a Car in Kerala for Your Next Adventure

Kerala, often referred to as “God’s Own Country,” is a stunning destination that offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, rich culture, and historical significance. From the pristine backwaters to the lush hill stations, Kerala has something to offer every kind of traveler. To truly experience the diverse wonders of this beautiful state, the best way to get around is to rent a car in Kerala. Renting a car provides you with the flexibility to explore at your own pace, discover hidden gems, and enjoy a stress-free trip.

Why Rent a Car in Kerala?

Complete Flexibility and Freedom One of the main reasons to rent a car in Kerala is the freedom it offers. With a rented vehicle, you're not restricted by the schedule of public transport or taxis. You can travel to places like the famous Kovalam Beach, the tranquil backwaters of Alappuzha, or the scenic hill stations of Munnar on your own terms. Whether you want to make a quick stop at a local restaurant or take a detour to admire the beautiful landscapes, having your own car gives you the flexibility to customize your itinerary.

Comfort and Privacy Traveling in comfort is key to enjoying your vacation. Renting a car in Kerala allows you to avoid crowded buses or cramped taxis. Whether you're traveling solo, with family, or in a group, you’ll have ample space and privacy to relax as you journey through the state. Plus, most rental services offer well-maintained vehicles with air-conditioning, ensuring a comfortable ride even in the humid Kerala climate.

Explore Remote and Scenic Locations Kerala is known for its hidden gems that are often difficult to access by public transport. By renting a car, you can visit places like the remote tea gardens of Wayanad, the wildlife sanctuaries in Periyar, or the beautiful beaches in Varkala and Bekal. The ability to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations makes a car rental a great option for adventurous travelers looking to escape the usual tourist crowds.

Cost-Effective for Group Travel Renting a car becomes especially economical if you're traveling with friends or family. Rather than hiring multiple taxis or using various forms of public transportation, a rental car allows you to split costs, making it a more affordable option. You can also choose larger vehicles like SUVs or vans to accommodate your group comfortably.

Easy Booking and Transparent Pricing Booking a car rental in Kerala is easy and hassle-free. Many services allow you to reserve a car online in advance, making it simple to secure your preferred vehicle. Rental companies in Kerala offer transparent pricing, so you won’t be caught off guard by hidden fees. Be sure to check the terms and conditions for insurance, fuel policies, and mileage limits before confirming your booking.

Professional Assistance Most car rental services in Kerala provide professional and experienced drivers if needed. While self-drive options are available, hiring a local driver can be beneficial for those unfamiliar with the roads or local customs. A professional driver can also act as a guide, offering insights into Kerala’s culture, history, and must-visit spots.

Tips for Renting a Car in Kerala

Check Car Condition: Always inspect the vehicle before renting it to ensure it's in good condition, especially the tires, brakes, and air-conditioning.

Carry Essential Documents: Ensure you have a valid driver’s license (international or Indian) and identification when renting a car.

Understand the Rental Agreement: Read the terms carefully, paying attention to mileage limits, fuel policies, and insurance coverage.

Use Navigation Tools: Kerala’s roads can sometimes be tricky to navigate. Use a GPS or map app to help you reach your destinations with ease.

Be Aware of Local Traffic Rules: Make sure you’re familiar with Kerala’s driving rules and road signs, especially if you're a first-time driver in the state.

Conclusion

Renting a car in Kerala is the ideal way to explore the state’s incredible beauty, rich culture, and diverse landscapes. Whether you're here to relax on the beaches, hike through the hills, or take a cruise along the backwaters, a rental car gives you the freedom, comfort, and flexibility you need to make the most of your trip. From the bustling streets of Kochi to the serene landscapes of Munnar, having your own car ensures that you experience Kerala in the best way possible.

#RentACarKerala #ExploreKerala #KeralaTravel #SelfDriveKerala #RoadTripKerala #KeralaVacation #TravelInComfort #DiscoverKerala

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wkrkenvs3000w25 · 3 months ago

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Blog 9

As a blossoming nature interpreter, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to be a good communicator. The methods I employ to interpret the natural world have been shaped by early experiences, travel, work as a bird guide, close friends and my university journey. Foremost, I can thank my parents for curating a love for the outdoors. I have been very lucky to have had opportunities during my childhood to explore the province of Ontario and beyond. Experiential learning has always been the most impactful for me. The adage, “seeing is believing” is so true! Memorable experiences like glimpsing my first snake, catching my first dragonfly, and identifying my first sedge to species have instilled wonder and excitement. This admiration of living things, plus time spent observing them in beautiful and remote spaces, with people from many different backgrounds has further influenced me to the point of shaping my world view and political orientation.

A motto I will always carry with me is that there is always something to learn about the natural world wherever you are, whether that be in a city or out in the wilderness. There will always be something about nature that piques my interest and inspires me to step out of my comfort zone and learn new things. This excitement and sense of wonder is something I want to pass on to others, because there is a growing disconnect between people and nature. Children are spending less time outdoors. For every child stuck inside glued to a screen rather than playing outdoors there is a missed opportunity. Nature is a teacher that everyone has access to; it encourages physical activity, fosters critical thinking and boosts mental wellbeing. “Children today are given few opportunities to be outside. In a school system rife with worry about liability, it is simply easier to stay indoors. Insurance rates are cheaper if kids are contained, accounted for, and “safe” inside.” (Rodenburg, 2019). This quote articulates a disturbing trend, where the outdoors is seen as dangerous, and needing to be “babyproofed”. God forbid a child is stung by a bee, ingests a berry, or falls while climbing a tree!

It’s unfortunate, because I have found that quite possibly the easiest way to entertain a young child is to take them on a nature walk. The author then makes the point that too often we feel the need to educate children about unsettling topics like climate change and biodiversity loss, where “Young children are, however, always ready to love the natural world. Connecting with nature is about establishing a relationship and building intimacy” (Rodenburg, 2019). Without the chance to develop that relationship organically and with innate joy, how can children be expected to appreciate the need to value and protect the natural world?

Rodenburg’s quote makes me think back to last weekend, when I went out with friends to look for salamanders. Every year in March on rainy, warm nights salamanders migrate, often across a still snowy landscape, to vernal (ephemeral) pools to breed. We positioned ourselves next to one such pool and waited. A steady trickle of salamanders began to arrive, mysterious in its resolve. While salamanders encompass an impressive amount of biomass proportional to other common species like the White-tailed Deer, they are hard to spot (Campbell et al., 2024). All five of us were captivated by this migration spectacle. I can only imagine how ecstatic I would have been if I were 10, watching these incredibly cool, almost mythical creatures. I would almost certainly be inspired to trade in my Pokémon cards for a flashlight and rubber boots! Yet what teacher would dare, or even be allowed to venture out after dark with their class to experience such everyday magic?? After the salamander walk, I fell down a rabbit hole; trying to understand the complex biology of one of the species we saw- a unisexual complex with genomes of multiple species, where all individuals are female. They essentially “steal” the sperm from males of a related species to initiate development of their eggs, while amazingly this male genome is rarely incorporated into the developing embryo (COSEWIC, 2016)!

Unisexual Ambystoma salamander (W. Konze)

My point with this anecdote is that you can have special experiences essentially in your own backyard, if you know where to look. Passing on this “secret knowledge” to children and adults is my responsibility as a nature interpreter. To appreciate nature, you don’t have to be a scientist; but seeing for yourself and learning a few mind-boggling facts about a salamander that lives throughout southern Ontario might just be enough to get someone “hyped up” about the natural world.

The following quote from our textbook embodies how I want to impact society through my interpretation, “Interpreters encourage people to see the world as interconnected and diverse. They show examples of our ability to alter the planet’s life support systems. They encourage taking responsibility as stewards for the natural world.” (pg. 55; Beck et al., 2018). Through taking an enthusiastic approach to nature interpretation I hope to encourage critical thinking about priorities in modern society. Is making money, having a nice house and an expensive car most important, or is living simply, enjoying the natural world, and taking care of the planet something to aspire to? Is leaving a desolate, inhospitable planet for the next generation really something we want as a society?

These are the big questions I hope to get people considering. Yet you don’t have to be “doom and gloom” to get people to think about uncomfortable topics. All you need to do is illustrate the innate value of nature, while providing the facts, perspectives, and experiences to think critically. I believe that gently, or even covertly incorporating conservation and lifestyle themes into interpretation that fosters every learner’s discovery and excitement is the way to go.

My responsibility as a nature interpreter is to get people excited about the incredible biodiversity in our own backyards. Communicating what I know - along with my passion - in a way that is accessible to everyone; engaging with this fantastical, stranger-than-fiction, outdoor world via experiential learning, is how I will try to create the change I would like to see in our ailing world.

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Publishing LLC. https://sagamore.vitalsource.com/books/9781571678669

Campbell, E. H., Fleming, J., Bastiaans, E., Brand, A. B., Brooks, J. L., Devlin, C., Epp, K., Evans, M., M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Gratwicke, B., Grayson, K. L., Haydt, N. T., Hernández-Pacheco, R., Hocking, D. J., Hyde, A., Losito, M., MacKnight, M. G., Tanya, Mead, L., & Muñoz, D. (2024). Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests. Biology Letters, 20(8). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0033

COSEWIC. (2016). Assessment and Status Report on the Unisexual Ambystoma Ambystoma laterale https://wildlife-species.canada.ca/species-risk-registry/virtual_sara/files/cosewic/sr_Unisexual%20Ambystoma_2016_e.pdf

Rodenburg, J. (2019, June 17). Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give Up Hope [Review of Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give Up Hope]. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300

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