#aga in america

[jellyjam]

i know i vent so much about this topic but the direction this country is going is genuinely frightening. from how things are going and their plans they're just so focused on appeasing western tourists instead of trying to improve in a meaningful way to the ppl who live here. and i really do not want this country to become like dubai and to some extent kuwait, just another middle eastern country that's been gentrified to the extreme and become nothing more than a tourist attraction just to appease white ppl with living prices so high and absolutely no life to it

[carpenterswife]

HALF OF ME (ii)

SUMMARY: When Soldier Boy doesn’t return from Nicaragua, Vought creates a bullshit lie, talking him up as a hero who died in a devastating, world-saving accident. You’re handed down the mantle of leader as Payback, and spend your time trying to live up to how Ben had lead them, while also attempting to figure out what truly happened to him.

WORD COUNT: 2945

WARNINGS: MINORS DNI. Vought’s corrupt behaviour, typical Soldier Boy behaviour, death, gore, vomit, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual content, smut; descriptions of sex.

SERIES MASTERLIST / MAIN MASTERLIST

Ben didn’t come home from Nicaragua.

Blown to pieces by some Russian laser weapon (what the fuck?), the.. chunky remnants of his body were taken away in a helicopter. Presumably to be experimented on.

It made you sick. Ben might’ve been an asshole, a deep rooted cunt, but he didn’t deserve to have his corpse be defiled like that. Maybe you’d just gone soft for him, that’s all. Maybe his hushed, sweet words and gentle touches, in his last few days, had softened your heart.

But you spent nights grieving your loss, hyperventilating in your room as you felt his fingers tracing your hips again. If you closed your eyes tight enough, you could see him.

You’d never planned for Ben to die. Hell, he hadn’t even planned to do. He was supposed to be ageless; a man who didn’t die. Vought would hide him away when it became suspicious, and he’d live peacefully… as peaceful as he could get, anyway. That was what was supposed to happen.

But his guts were strewn across the base camp in Nicaragua, and you’d never see him again.

It only took Vought three months to create a bullshit cover story.

After all, they couldn’t tell America their beloved Soldier Boy was actually at the site of a cocaine smuggling operation when he was blown to bits. No, that’d taint his image that Vought had spent literal decades moulding. He needed to die a hero. A man that would live gloriously in textbooks and stories.

A nuclear reactor meltdown is what they came up with.

Fucking bullshit, really.

The man was practically immortal (which did raise the question of, how the hell did the Russians kill him in the first place?). Some radiation wasn’t going to take him out. You’d watched him take two full magazines from an assault rifle, and get back to his feet like nothing happened.

And now he was dead. You didn’t know how. You wished more than ever that he’d let you accompany Payback on this godforsaken mission. Because you were utterly clueless as to what had gone down, and no one was answering your questions, tearing up whenever you mentioned the place.

You wanted — needed — to know how this was possible.

You knew Ben, better than anyone else on the team, even Crimson, who stood up on stage, talking about how good of a man Ben was.

Ben was a good man — to those he thought deserved to see that side of him. He was reserved and harsh and rude. And, yes, he was naturally an asshole. But, there was a part of him capable of respect and kindness and love. It was just stuffed deep within.

You’d been drawing it, slowly and carefully. You’d dug your hand in and grasped onto it, worming that side of him out of his heart with every night you’d spent cuddled into his chest. And he’d been warming. His touches had been gentler, his words softer, his eyes more admiring. You’d made him that. You were the only one he’d deemed worthy of his love and trust and respect.

Crimson had never seen that side of him. She’d never even come close to opening him up, seeing who he truly was.

As she talked fake stories of their blinding romance, about how he was such an incredible boyfriend, you just rolled your eyes in the audience. The only time Ben spent with Crimson outside of the public eye was when he was balls deep inside of her. And, even then, he liked to say she was a terrible fuck.

He also liked to say you were a good fuck. It was his favourite compliment; as funny was that was. As he railed you against his mattress, his hands keeping you firmly where he wanted you, he muttered praises.

That was different to the Ben the other women got. He’d degrade them: call them every name under the sun as he practically broke their pelvises. With you, sure, he was rough, but he complimented you; whispering and grunting softly, making sure you felt pretty and loved as he violently fucked you into unconsciousness.

And he always made sure you were okay afterwards. Ben giving aftercare was not something you’d expected, but he was damn good at making you feel safe and secure. He was a man of many talents.

The country was honouring him, as you begged for any kind of rational answer from Payback, from Edgar, from Vought. You were close to falling to your knees and pleading. But they didn’t care. Too busy basking in the boost of popularity that came from Ben’s death.

So, they upped their game.

And, when Vought erected a statue of Ben outside of Vought Tower, you threw up in the bathroom. The night you were named the new leader of Payback, you threw up again.

Apparently, it’s what Ben wanted. Which was bullshit. He wanted you in his kitchen with a dinner plate (lovingly, he’d told you that night. How could something like that be a compliment? You didn’t know, but it was Ben, so you guessed it was possible). But, you couldn’t fight it. So, nearly exactly three months after the last night you saw him, you took his place.

It felt wrong, and disrespectful, and you were lost and out of place. You had no knowledge on how to lead a team of asshole supes, that didn’t respect you or really like you that much.

Ben did this so easily. He lead Payback like a natural born leader. You lead like a baby giraffe learning to walk.

But you did it anyway.

“Soldier Boy was a national icon.” You held the microphone with shaking hands, willing them to stop, staring out at the gathering of civilians. It was wrong; America was mourning a death they’d all been lied to about. You swallowed your bile and pushed on. “And I am honoured to be taking his place as the leader of our brave and dedicated superhero team, Payback. I will be leading in his image, and his honour, and I hope that my work would make him proud.”

It was all bullshit.

You hadn’t written a word of this shit.

Edgar had shoved it into your hands and pointed you onto the stage. No warning. No cooperation. No opinion. Just… here you go, now go put on a show.

But, the audience was eating it up, and Edgar and your PA were giving you a thumbs up from backstage. They liked your performance. Ben, however, would be gagging in his mouth hearing this. He’d probably mock you, and claim you’d be better off just blowing his dick. He’d be right. Every word that was coming out of your mouth was corporate propaganda.

Your hands curled tighter around the microphones, knuckles whitening. You didn’t want to be here. You wanted to be home, as far away from Vought and these grieving people as fast as possible. “Soldier Boy was a respected, beloved hero, within your hearts, and Vought’s.” God, what cliche, sappy horseshit. “He was a good man, who lost his life saving millions.” You held back your scoff. “Vought will forever live in his shadow. We ask that you give us time and space to grieve our loss. Thank you.”

The audience applauded, loud and roaring, as you walked off stage.

The rage bubbling up in your chest was ready to burst, overflowing. This was all fucking sickening. No one was telling you anything. And they expected you to get on stage and do these speeches? To sit, cry and look pretty as you grieved the mighty Soldier Boy?

Fuck that. You were going to get answers.

There was some dark shit happening behind the scenes, and it had Vought’s grubby handprints all over it. The cover story. Payback’s silence. Edgar’s lack of care. None of it was adding up.

The moment the audience could no longer see it, your mouth curled to a scowl, heels clicking as you stormed up to Edgar. You were going to get answers, even if you had to physically get them. You’d find out what happened to Ben in Nicaragua, even if it cost you your head.

Stan Edgar, despite knowing he was now on the receiving end of your anger, stood tall. Cocky bastard. You could kill him with ease. But, of course, he didn’t care. There was only one person you’d ever seen Edgar cower from — Ben. To be fair with the guy, though, anyone would cower if Soldier Boy was screaming at you, inches from your face.

“What is going on?” Despite your rage, you kept your voice to a low hiss, not wanting to attract attention to your anger and frustration. “Can someone fucking explain to me, what is happening?” He began to walk away, and you followed. your words still flying out. “Why am I taking Ben’s place? How did he even die? You were in Nicaragua — what happened? Why did it take you so long to come up with that shitty reactor meltdown story?”

He turned to face you. You abruptly stopped, almost smashing into his chest with the suddenness of it, taking a stumbling step backwards. “I understand you’re upset.” You rolled your eyes at his professional tone, hands linked behind his back. Typical. “But I cannot answer those questions.”

“No, I deserve to know” You demanded. It was a losing battle, and you already knew that, but it doesn’t mean you wouldn’t try your hardest. “What. Happened?”

You weren’t getting an answer from Edgar. And that became clear when he turned his back to you, engaging in a conversation with his secretary, and leaving you in the dust. Glaring at the back of his head, you muttered obscenities.

If you weren’t getting it from Edgar’s lips, you’d get it another way.

Namely, breaking into his office that evening.

━━━━━━ ✦ ━━━━━━

Now, you weren’t a seasoned criminal, but Ben had taught you a thing or two. He was, very much, a criminal, and knew things you were never too curious to ask about. Like picking locks. Which was the most normal of his odd knowledge. (The fact that man has known the recipe to make a bomb was… terrifying.)

Picking a lock wasn’t in your expertise, but you remembered enough from what he’d shown you. Enough to kneel down in front of Edgar’s office door, and use a bobby pin to turn the lock until it clicked.

You grinned, internally thanking Ben for his… strange teaching techniques. Glancing down the hallway, both ways, you ensured it was empty; that no one was about to see you going against every rule in the book. Once it was cleared, you slipped inside the door with practiced ease, and shut the door behind you.

The sun was setting over the horizon — the golden hour hue lighting up the room enough for you to make your way over to Edgar’s shelves. You were determined to find something. Anything.

Something was going on. Something sketchier than Vought’s usual dirty work. And you were going to figure it out.

Your index finger skimmed the folders, peeking at the names. Until you found Ben’s — a cream folder with ‘SOLDIER BOY’ written across the front. Pulling it out, your eyes locked onto the bright red ‘DECEASED’ stamped under his name, your heart squeezing.

Swallowing thickly, uncertain, you flipped it open. Reasons over the contents, your eyes narrowed in concentration and then narrowed further in frustration.

It was nothing you didn’t already know. His past. The human trial experiment. Comp V. Ben had already told you all of this.

You glared at the deceased marker on the front of it, and then slid the folder back into the right spot. Alphabetical order, you noticed. You continued flicking through the files, trying to find something that could be labelled as suspicious.

Your ears perked at the sound of sudden buzzing from across the room. Like a dog to a squeaky toy, you rushed over, watching a piece of paper print out of the fax machine.

You snatched it up the moment it came out.

BCL-RED was the title word.

What the fuck was that?

You’d never heard of it before. It had to be an acronym, but your mind came up blank, as you racked it for any familiarity. Cursing internally, you scowled — damn fucking code words.

Before you could read ahead, a voice floated into the office from outside.

“Shit.” You hissed under your breath, suddenly very panicked. Returning the paper to the machine, you dashed for the door, poking your head out just enough to peek down the hall. You spotted Edgar just a ways down, facing away from you, talking to Black Noir. Quickly and silently, with expertise learnt on the field, you crept out of the office, taking off down the hallway in the opposite direction.

All the way back to your room, you muttered the words to yourself.

BCL-RED.

… BCL-RED.

━━━━━━ ✦ ━━━━━━

It wasn’t in any folders documents anywhere. Not even your PA knew what a BCL-RED was.

You felt like a dog chasing its tail. Going in circles, trying to find any clues as to what happened to Ben. Every day your suspicions rose. Something wasn’t right. Edgar was having hushed conversations. Payback was having meetings that excluded you.

Your trail lead you to Grace Mallory.

The young woman handed you a cup of coffee, hands scarred and calloused from her days at war. Quietly, you thanked her, sat comfortably on her sofa, cradling the coffee. “I have to respect your strength. Putting up with Soldier Boy every day.”

You cracked a smile, sipping the steaming coffee. “He was a… acquired taste.” Your laugh was breathy and quiet, thinking back to Ben and his unique personality. “What happened in Nicaragua?”

Grace sighed as she settled back. She was pretty. No doubt Ben tried to get in her pants while he was there. “It happened quickly.” Your brows furrowed, sitting forward, elbows on your knees. “We were ambushed. Your team couldn’t find their guns from their asses.”

“Sounds about right.” You murmured. “I told Ben he needed me out there. The stubborn dick wouldn’t listen. Looks like it bit him in the ass, eh?”

“Big time.” Grace agreed. “There was an explosion. It knocked me out.” You listened attentively, frequently sipping the coffee. “When I came to… your team were in ruins. Half of ‘em were dead, the other half injured.”

You chewed your lips for a few beats. “Black Noir still hasn’t recovered. Doctors said he’ll never be able to talk again.”

Solemn, she nodded. “Not surprised. His face was more hole than it was skin.” You grimaced at the imagery. “Crimson Countess told me Soldier Boy was dead. He’d been killed by some… laser, his body taken by a helicopter.”

“And that’s it?”

“That’s it.”

You sat back. “Huh.” You murmured. “She’s lying.” You decided. The story wasn’t right. Sure, it was feasible, under different circumstances. But, in battle? When Ben was on his A-game? No way.

Grace looked confused. After all, why would Crimson lie about something like that?

You didn’t know.

But you were going to fucking find out.

━━━━━━ ✦ ━━━━━━

That night, you didn’t return to your room. Instead, you slipped into Ben’s in the dead of night. It hadn’t been touched since he left for Nicaragua. Since he’d railed you against the mattress and left you bed-bound for two days.

The air was musty, with dust covering each surface. Crawling onto the bed, you tugged open the curtains, letting sunlight in for the first time in months.

Every surface was covered in dust. And there were still drugs laid about. Half snorted lines of cocaine on the coffee table. Empty pill bottles decorating the floor. An ash tray that reeked of marijuana. God, this man had been like a teenage boy.

Flicking on the light, you gathered your bravery, and spent a few hours cleaning his room up. You didn’t know why. Maybe you wanted to feel closer to him. Feel like you were doing something for him. Ben hated it when things were messy. And he loved it when you cleaned up after him. You hated feeding into that old, sexist mindset he had.

But, god, you’d do anything right now to hear him demand you fetch him a drink.

After you cleaned his room, you stripped his sheets, gagging at the old stain. Definitely your cum. And his. Gross. You stuffed it into a basket, kicking it away from you.

Okay… remember to not touch that again without gloves.

As you finished the last, final touches, a glint of metal on his bedside table caught your attention. Curious, you padded over, expecting a pistol.

Instead, you found a chain.

Your heart leapt into your throat. Delicately, you placed the necklace in the palm of your hand, brushing your thumb over the metal surface.

His WW2 dog tags.

Swallowing thickly, you blinked back your emotion. Why the fuck were even so sad? You weren’t even dating the man. Sure, you’d been his friend for years. You’d been protecting him. He’d been protecting you. You’d been his right-hand man practically.

But, still!

With a lump in your throat, you carefully placed the dog tags over your head. The dog tags were cold against your chest. You tucked them under your shirt, inhaling shakily.

With one last look around the room, you turned around and walked out, with a basket of laundry balanced on your hip.

You weren’t going to rest until you found out the truth. That was for sure.

A/N: sorry for the lack of soldier boy in this chap :( he makes his grand return next chapter !!! in all his sexist glory lmao. he’s so fun to write, tho i do feel like a horrible person writing some of the shit he says. definitely fun to explore this universe and all its fucked up possibilities. thank you guys for the support on chap one :’) <3 next chap will also be longer promise

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[mote-historie]

Cartier Paris, Vanity Case, ca. 1927; Produced by Cartier (Paris, France); Manufactured by Henri Lavabre (French); Lapis lazuli, carved jade, carved ruyi, coral, diamonds, lacquer, mirrored plate glass, gold, platinum; 9.9 × 5.2 × 1.7 cm (3 7/8 × 2 1/16 × 11/16 in.);

Photo: Doug Rosa

Jeweled Splendors of the Art Deco Era: The Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection features exquisite work from premier jewelry houses of Europe and America – among them Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Lacloche Frères, Boucheron and Bulgari – dating from 1910 to 1938.

[userautumn]

Am I crazy, I don't think there's anything wrong with what C.R. said. She already said she's still voting for kamala, is it wrong to point out that desipte that there is a problem with the democratic party's inaction reagrding palestine and will not endorse her?

It's not wrong to point out that there are problems with the Democratic party because this is a known fact. But there are some fundamental problems to what she said or, rather, to the ideology behind what she said:

C.R. is a very influential voice among her demographic right now. Maybe she doesn't hold the same social capital as T/aylor S/wift but the majority of her fanbase is Queer people, minorities who will be negatively impacted by a second T/rump presidency. We can say a lot about celebrity worship and why you absolutely should not get your morality or politics from public figures, but the reality is that by not endorsing Harris or by not encouraging her fanbase to vote, C.R. is encouraging an apathy and complacency among young voters that could get a lot of people killed should T/rump be elected a second time.

While I acknowledge that she said she will be voting for Harris, the "both sides are equally bad" argument is not even remotely true. What most young voters mean when they say "both sides are bad" is "I don't like what's happening in P/alestine." Which is fine. But that is NOT the same as both sides being equally bad and no one is making that distinction. What is happening in P/alestine is awful and no one people group should be sacrificed to save or uphold another. But that is still one issue amidst a myriad of other issues in which Democrats support the US people much better than Republicans could or will. Albeit a major issue, the fact that it's one of many is important to acknowledge. C.R. had the opportunity to do so and didn't, which is lazy and irresponsible.

There is so much wrong with the idea that the United States is not doing anything to stop the war between I/P. C.R. is one of those people who (wrongly) believes that our president can wake up one day, call N/etanyahu, and say, "hey, man, time to wrap this up" and all violence will immediately cease. That's not how that works, and it sounds silly and unrealistic to even say it out loud. B/iden is not I/srael's president. He's America's president, and he cannot force his will on N/etanyahu. Now, the United States is in a unique position where we can and do navigate overseas, for better or for worse. But if the United States president had the power to arbitrarily stop a war between two non-US countries, the unlawful war between R/ussia and U/kraine would have ended ages ago.

All this to say, what young voters — C.R. included — view as inaction on the United States' part does not take into account the web of political navigation happening on the world's stage and behind closed doors. When you are allied with a country, it is your political responsibility to support them through wartime and, as I've said before, to suddenly cease supporting them or — as some people want — to unravel that political obligation entirely, would take several terms of several different presidencies, especially considering how deeply woven I/srael is into our country. So to not vote based on perceived inaction, or to not encourage young people to vote based on perceived inaction, or to not endorse a candidate based on perceived inaction is not just wrong, it's fueled by the same dangerous ignorance that M/AGA cultists tout and proceed to hide behind when their own worldviews are challenged.

So. No. You're not crazy for acknowledging that there was more to C.R.'s quote but she still did the vulnerable people of this country a severe disservice when she could have helped, and I don't like that.

[lavenderarts]

Full of rage and grief having gone to see that fucking godawful Ronald Reagan biopic with my parents yesterday (purely for morbid curiosity and not wanting to argue with them about why I didn’t want to go) so you get to hear about it

The movie includes this: A whopping 4 seconds total of footage referencing ACT UP/the AIDS crisis. Four seconds. Of protest footage. Sandwiched within an 80s MTV-themed montage of people burning Reagan in effigy clearly intended to make you angry and dismissive. No acknowledgment of how many of us dragged our bodies to the gates to die in front of him. About 2 seconds’ mention of his war on drugs, similarly designed to make Black people look hysterical. Only the briefest of touches upon Iran-Contra, strongly implying that he didn’t authorize anything and was innocent, someone under him simply betrayed him and he had to take the fall for their moral failing because he was a stand-up guy who admitted his mistakes and looked the American people in the eye. If you couldn’t remember Iran-Contra, as I couldn’t when I was watching, you would genuinely not even understand what the controversy was about. It’s contextless. The movie ends with him honest to God riding off into the sunset to the tune of Country Roads, Take Me Home and reading a letter thanking America for the honor of letting him be President.

It’s genuinely one of the most foul things I’ve ever seen. The utter refusal to engage with criticism of that man, to view the lives of my people or anyone in the Middle East, Cuba, or anywhere else as important or worthy of preservation. The pointed framing of anyone who said he was “an actor, not a politician” as hysterical and elitist, clearly gesturing at Trump. Like. I can’t say enough about how vile it is.

My parents said that he was one of the last Presidents who could make you feel good about being an American and that feeling is basically gone today, and they weren’t dismissive of that lack of pride but I don’t think they fully understand where it comes from or how people who feel that way really feel. I don’t really… Hate America in the way they mean. I think this country has no right to exist, I think its history is full of shame and atrocity so violent and imperialist it should disqualify us from having any illusions of moral authority over anyone. The ultimate justice would be the dissolution of all empires and the return of the land to Native stewardship and governance. But I and I think a lot of other people would like to be able to love their countries. I’d like to feel proud to be American and for that to symbolize something good and kind, I’d like to love my country, but it doesn’t love me back. Every day, as someone disabled, trans, gay, a “woman,” leftist, I’m bombarded by reminders that my country would rather see me dead than have me as a part of it. I’d like for that to change. But I can’t be proud of my country until/unless we admit our failings and our crimes and make reparations for them, and until we truly change how we interact with the rest of the world. The Reagan “Gee isn’t it nice to be American, we’re all in this together and we’re gonna make it because we’re the greatest country in the world” shit rings hollow when you’ve seen firsthand that we’ve never been the greatest at anything except maybe monstrous and inhuman cruelty and greed on an industrial scale. It’s a lie, and I can’t love that lie.

I love my home, I love my state, I love its people, I love its local culture and history and I love that it is my home, but I don’t love my country because it has never loved people like me. And as we come up on a year of funding genocides at home and abroad, the least helpful thing in the world is a movie produced by Evangelical zealots about how you used to be able to say you were proud to be American and we need to return to that time because today’s world is so full of hate and division on account of the Democrats or whatever. I said it in the group chat but I’ll say it again, I honestly think that if I had wrapped the movie screen around my dick and jerked off for 2 hours it would have been less egregiously masturbatory propaganda than this. I wish deep evil and suffering upon everyone involved in its production

[justforbooks]

Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and appeared in 61 films in total over 37 years. The press coined the term "The Love Goddess" to describe Hayworth, after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s. She was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II.

Hayworth is perhaps best known for her performance in the 1946 film noir Gilda, opposite Glenn Ford, in which she played the femme fatale in her first major dramatic role. She is also known for her performances in Only Angels Have Wings (1939), The Strawberry Blonde (1941), Blood and Sand (1941), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Pal Joey (1957), and Separate Tables (1958). Fred Astaire, with whom she made two films, You'll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942), once called her his favorite dance partner. She also starred in the Technicolor musical Cover Girl (1944), with Gene Kelly. She is listed as one of the top 25 female motion picture stars of all time in the American Film Institute's survey, AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars.

Hayworth was a top glamour girl in the 1940s, a pin-up girl for military servicemen and a beauty icon for women. At 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) and 120 lb (54 kg), she was tall enough to be a concern for dancing partners such as Fred Astaire. She reportedly changed her hair color eight times in eight movies.

In 1949, Hayworth's lips were voted best in the world by the Artists League of America. She had a modeling contract with Max Factor to promote its Tru-Color lipsticks and Pan-Stik make-up.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Hayworth received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1645 Vine Street in 1960.

In 1980, Hayworth was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which contributed to her death in 1987 at age 68. The public disclosure and discussion of her illness drew attention to Alzheimer's, and helped to increase public and private funding for research into the disease.

The public disclosure and discussion of Hayworth's illness drew international attention to Alzheimer's disease, which was little known at the time, and it helped to greatly increase federal funding for Alzheimer's research.

The Rita Hayworth Gala, a benefit for the Alzheimer's Association, is held annually in Chicago and New York City. The program was founded in 1985 by Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, in honor of her mother. She is the hostess for the events and is a major sponsor of Alzheimer's disease charities and awareness programs. As of August 2017, a total of more than $72 million had been raised through events in Chicago, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida.

On October 17, 2016, a press release from the Springer Associates Public Relations Agency announced that Rita Hayworth's former manager and friend, Budd Burton Moss, initiated a campaign to solicit the United States Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp featuring Hayworth. Springer Associates also announced that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would be lobbied in hopes of having an honorary Academy Award issued in memory of Hayworth. The press release added that Hayworth's daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Los Angeles, and numerous prominent personalities of stage and screen were supporting the Moss campaign. The press release stated the target date for fulfillment of the stamp and Academy Award to be on October 17, 2018, the centennial of Hayworth's birth.

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

[planetsviews]

The Fascinating World of Extinct Animals: Stories of Lost Species and Conservation Lessons 🌍✨

The DODOD Introduction The story of extinct animals is both a testament to the fragility of life and a reflection of the ever-changing nature of our planet. 🌎💔 Extinct animals, those species that no longer exist, capture our imagination and serve as poignant reminders of the impact humans and natural events have on biodiversity. 🐾📜 In this article, we delve into the causes of extinction, profile some notable extinct animals, and highlight the importance of conservation efforts to prevent further losses. 🛡️🌿 Notable Extinct Animals 1. The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) Habitat: Mauritius, Indian Ocean 🏝️ Extinction Date: Late 17th century 📜 Causes: The dodo was driven to extinction by a combination of hunting by sailors and predation by introduced species such as rats, pigs, and monkeys. Habitat destruction also played a role. 🚢🐀🐖 2. The Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) Habitat: North America 🌎 Extinction Date: Early 20th century (1914) 📜 Causes: Once numbering in the billions, passenger pigeons were hunted extensively for food and sport. Deforestation also destroyed their natural habitat. 🏞️🍂 3. The Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) Habitat: Tasmania, Australia, New Guinea 🌏 Extinction Date: 20th century (1936) 📜 Causes: Hunting, habitat destruction, and competition with dogs contributed to the decline of the Tasmanian tiger. Government bounties also encouraged widespread killing. 🐕🏞️ 4. The Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis) Habitat: North Atlantic coasts 🌊 Extinction Date: Mid-19th century (1844) 📜 Causes: The great auk was hunted for its feathers, meat, and oil. Overharvesting of eggs and human disturbance of breeding sites also led to its extinction. 🌊🐦

5. The Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) Habitat: Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia, North America) 🌍❄️ Extinction Date: Approximately 4,000 years ago 📜 Causes: Climate change at the end of the last ice age reduced their habitat. Additionally, overhunting by early humans played a significant role in their extinction. 🌡️🏹 Causes of Extinction 1. Natural Causes Climate Change: Historical climate shifts, such as the ice ages, have drastically altered habitats, leading to the extinction of many species unable to adapt. ❄️🌡️ Natural Disasters: Volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts, and tsunamis can create immediate and long-term changes to environments, wiping out species. 🌋☄️🌊 Predation and Competition: Evolutionary pressures, including predation and competition for resources, have naturally led to the extinction of less adaptable species. 🐅🍃 2. Human-Induced Causes Habitat Destruction: Deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture reduce the natural habitats of many species, leading to their decline. 🏞️🪓🏘️ Overexploitation: Hunting, fishing, and poaching have driven many species to extinction by depleting their populations faster than they can reproduce. 🎣🏹💔 Pollution: Industrial waste, pesticides, and plastics contaminate ecosystems, causing health problems and deaths in wildlife. 🏭🧴🐢 Climate Change: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming, affecting the natural habitats and lifecycles of many species. 🌍🔥🏭 Introduction of Invasive Species: Non-native species introduced by humans can outcompete, prey on, or bring diseases to native species, leading to extinction. 🐍🌱🌏 The Importance of Conservation The extinction of species has a profound impact on ecosystems and the services they provide. 🐾🌿 Biodiversity is crucial for maintaining ecological balance, pollination of plants, purification of water, and many other functions essential for life on Earth. 🌍💧 Conservation efforts are vital to protect the remaining species and prevent further extinctions. Here are some key strategies: Protected Areas: Establishing national parks and wildlife reserves to safeguard habitats. 🏞️🛡️ Legislation: Enforcing laws against poaching, illegal logging, and trade in endangered species. 📜🚫 Captive Breeding Programs: Breeding endangered species in captivity to reintroduce them into the wild. 🦏🐣 Habitat Restoration: Rehabilitating degraded ecosystems to support wildlife. 🌱🏞️ Climate Action: Mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 🌍🔥 Public Awareness: Educating people about the importance of biodiversity and conservation efforts. 🧑‍🏫🌿

Conclusion The history of extinct animals is a sobering reminder of the delicate balance of life on Earth. 🌍💔 While the loss of species like the dodo and the Tasmanian tiger can never be undone, we can learn from these events to better protect the remaining biodiversity. 🐾🌿 Through concerted conservation efforts, we can strive to preserve the natural world for future generations, ensuring that more species do not meet the same fate as those that have already been lost. 🌍💚 Join the Conversation! 🌟 If you found this article informative, please like, comment, and share it with fellow wildlife enthusiasts. Together, we can make a difference in protecting our planet's incredible wildlife. 🌟

The Mammoth

[egypt-museum]

Mummy of Ramesses I

The mummy had been stolen from the Royal Cachette in Deir el-Bahari (TT320) by the Abu-Rassul family of grave robbers and sold by Turkish vice-consular agent Mustapha Aga Ayat at Luxor to Dr. James Douglas who brought it to North America around 1860.

The mummy became part of the collection of a small museum in Niagara Falls, Canada, in the mid-19th century. When the museum closed in 1999, the collection was obtained by the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Georgia, which then verified the mummy’s identity as Ramesses I. In 2003 the mummy was returned to Egypt.

New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramesses I, ca. 1292-1290 BC. Now in the Luxor Museum, Luxor. Read more

[verybadatwriting]

Dog Tags

Summary: Some bullies take teasing a step too far.

Warnings: Stereotypical bullies, anger issues, bottling up emotions, violence

Notes: Papa/Pa= Steve, Dad/Dada = Bucky. No pairing. Reader is Steve and Bucky's adopted daughter. Prequel here!

Gn!reader

Word count: 1,364

Age 1-5

When you were born, 1939, Hydra got you. You underwent four years of experiments that gave you the gift of prophecy and enhanced physical strength. Random visions of the future came to you once or twice a week, but they were heralded by you losing consciousness.

Four years later, a group led by Captain America took down the lab you were being kept in. You formed a close father-daughter bond with the men who rescued you, James ‘Bucky’ Barnes and Steve Rogers. For two years you stayed with them as they continued fighting against the Axis Powers and formed the Howling Commandos.

It was then discovered that you had a severe heart defect. If left untreated, it would most likely kill you. On December 26th 1944, they placed you in a specially made freezing chamber in the hopes that future medical advances would make your condition treatable. While you were frozen, you still received visions.

Age 6

Decades later, you were unfrozen. You were technically in your 60’s, but by all accounts still a six-year-old. You lived with your adoptive Papa Steve, who ensured you got the medical treatments needed, and had a relatively normal childhood despite the out of the ordinary first six years. He told you that your Dad Bucky was gone, which you didn’t fully believe.

“But I saw him!” You protested.

“I know,” Steve replied, “We used to see him every day. Now we won’t get to see him again.”

“No!” You shouted, “I saw him doing things he hasn’t done yet!”

“Y/n/n,” Steve shushed, “This is a hard thing for both of us. Please stop trying to give me hope. He’s gone. That’s the end of it.”

When both of you had calmed down, Steve pulled out a little box.

“Kid?” He got your attention, “Do you remember what these are?”

“Yeah. They’re his dog tags.”

“Do you want to keep them?” He asked. You nodded in reply, and put them on. From that day forward you rarely took off your Dad’s tags.

Age 8

At school, you kept your head down, four formative years in a strict evil lab will make you very keen to follow the rules and not be noticed. Your increased strength made you afraid you would hurt someone, so you never fought back. Because of this, bullies targeted you. They were a few years older, and notorious all throughout your middle school.

One day they went a step too far by yanking your Dad’s dog tags right off your neck. The main guy, Kennith Reid, tossed them to Tyler, who tossed them to another boy. They went around and around the circle.

“Give them back.” You said evenly.

“What’re you gonna do?” Tyler asked, “Cry to your Papa? Who did you say he was, Captain America? I don’t believe it. I think you lied.”

“No.”

“Tyler,” Kennith said, catching the dog tags, “What do you think they’d do if we started breaking up this little chain?” 

“Don’t.”

“Oh Kennie, are they getting mad?”

“I think so, T.” Kennith said, and he broke off a few inches of the chain. You stood up, and started to take off your hoodie.

“Why are you taking off your stupid frog hoodie?” Tyler jeered.

“I don’t want to get your blood on it.” Removing your hoodie revealed how much that Hydra had influenced you. Muscles far beyond what any teenager had, much less an eight-year-old like yourself. 

Wordlessly, you swung at him. It connected, hard. His nose splintered and he fell to the ground. Kennith’s pals had a split second of panic, as the blood drained from their faces in fear, but you didn’t stop. You went after every single one of them, being very careful not to injure them too badly. Kennith’s nose was the worst one.

He was the ringleader, so he deserved it. 

A few moments later, they were all sufficiently beaten up, you took back your Dad’s dog tags, and knelt down next to them.

“You’re never going to pick on anyone again, understood?”

“Ye - yeah,” He hastily said, “Got it.  Mhm. 100%. We won’t bully you.”

“No. You won’t bully anyone. Not me. Not Jess, not Caroline, not Xavier. None of us. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

Obviously, parents were called. Your Papa was probably off on some mission, although he said he’d be back today. It didn’t matter. If he wasn’t available Auntie Nat would step in. You sat on one side of the table, waiting for someone to join you. Your new principal, who had recently replaced a beloved one, sat across from you. Her name was Ms. Katz.

"Y/n,” Your principal said after waiting for ten minutes, “Do you know your mother’s phone number?”

“With all due respect, Ms. Katz,” you said, “She’s dead.”

“Oh,” She inhaled, “I see.”

“My aunt should be joining us soon.” Right on cue Ms. Romanoff waltzed in.

“Thank you for waiting,” she began, “I came as soon as I could.”

“No problem, thank you for joining us.” Ms. Katz said, “You are here because Y/n has exhibited some concerning behavior. They repeatedly hit their peers, resulting in one receiving a broken nose.”

“That doesn’t sound like them. Have you asked Y/n why they did it?” Nat asked.

“This school has a Zero-Tolerance Policy for physical violence or bullying of any sort, no matter the reason.” Ms. Katz replied, “So we didn’t need to ask.”

“That sounds like a recipe for more violence.” Nat said.

“We’re not here to debate policy.” Ms. Katz said, “Y/n will be receiving a two week suspension, and I’m afraid this will go on their permanent record.” 

“Oh no.” Was your deadpan response. “Can’t let anyone know I retaliated when provoked. Woe is me.” 

Nat flashed you a proud smile, and continued.

“Y/n, I haven’t yet gotten to hear your perspective. I think there’s a little more to it than simply whacking a kid.”

“I don’t believe that’s a good use of our time togeth-” Ms. Katz began, and was shortly cut off.

“No,” Nat said, “Let them talk. I need to know what happened before I decide what to do.”

“I just want you to know we’re not reconsidering the suspension.”

“Fine by me. Continue, Y/n.”

“They snagged Dad’s dog tags off my neck. I told them to give them back. They didn’t. This was the final straw. For the past two years I’ve endured their teasing, and so have countless others. I didn’t beat them up just to get the tags back, I did it to win this fight, and the next ones too. Now they’ll leave me alone, and the others, too.”

“Ms. Katz,” Nat turned to your principal, “I would just like to thank you. Y/n and I will enjoy these next two weeks off. I want you to know that they will be receiving no punishment at home.”

The intercom on Ms. Katz’s desk buzzed.

“There’s someone here to see y-”

“Tell them to wait.” She cut them off, “Very well then. I also wanted to address their chronic lying.”

“Tell me more.”

“Y/n insists their family is full of superheroes and spies.” She pulled out a drawing, “Here, they even drew this when we were supposed to be making family portraits.” The drawing was of you, Auntie Nat, your Dad, your Papa, Uncles Tony, Thor, Bruce, and Clint, the whole crew. After a pause, Auntie Nat nodded.

“This is just about right.” She smiled, “My hair used to be wavy, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“No,” Ms. Katz sighed, “Y/n insists they live with the Avengers! Don’t you see? They string up wild stories about fighting Nazis and being frozen in a time capsule!”

“They’re true.” Nat’s phone buzzed. “And I can prove it. Tell your receptionist to let in the other visitor.”

Ms. Katz complied, the door opened, and Steve walked in. She stared agape for a moment, before regaining composure.

“That… That will be all, thank you.”

“Have you been reading Ender’s Game again?” Auntie Nat asked on the ride back to Steve’s apartment.

“Maybe…” You grinned, “Okay yeah.”

“Thought so, that speech sounded a bit familiar.”

Part two here!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The "small nonprofit school" saved in the SVB bailout charges more than Harvard

There are no libertarians in a bank run. No sooner had venture capitalists whipped each other into a terrified Twitter frenzy at the imminent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank — a collapse caused by that selfsame frenzy — than the Ayn Rand-poisoned elite of Sand Hill Road started begging for Uncle Sucker to open the sluicegates:

https://twitter.com/EricNewcomer/status/1634300928621793283

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/23/small-nonprofit-school/#north-country-school

Now, on the one hand, it’s easy to dismiss these guys as very, very, very stupid. After all, they played a game of prisoner’s dilemma in which they were allowed to talk to each other as much as they wanted — and they still sold each other out:

https://newsletter.mollywhite.net/p/the-venture-capitalists-dilemma

But they still have the commonsense to realize that an America where $10k in student debt cancellation, school lunches for hungry children, and library budgets are out of reach, handing billions to a bank rescue a balance sheet overwhelmingly made up the investments of “high net worth” investors wouldn’t be popular.

After all, these guys have been crying about incipient guillotinism for years:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-08/billionaire-cartier-owner-sees-wealth-gap-fueling-social-unrest

Sure, they don’t compare small rises in the top marginal tax-rate to Kristallnacht anymore:

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/01/26/266685819/billionaire-compares-outrage-over-rich-in-s-f-to-kristallnacht

But they are locked and loaded for The Event, feathering elaborate subterranean, antipodean nests in the most luxurious bunkers New Zealand has to offer, against the day that the poors come to eat them:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/business/bunkers-new-zealand-intl-hnk/index.html

So amid the clamor for socialism-for-the-rich, these billionaires went on the hunt for average joes who could serve as the face of the bailout. Like the “Ohio mom with 4 kids and a husband who works in manufacturing, who owns a small business:”

https://www.businessinsider.com/mother-small-startup-ceo-fall-svb-not-1-problem-2023-3

She’s ex-McKinsey and raised $4m in VC for a $600/month life-planning app; her husband, another McKinsey alum, is a senior manager at a steel company (that is, he “works in manufacturing”).

Clearly, the ex-libertarian 0.01 percenters begging for relief needed to find someone else. Enter David Sacks, a billionaire Paypal mafiosi who waded into the debate with screenshots of an email from a “small, non-profit school” that would miss payroll if the bailout was not forthcoming:

https://twitter.com/DavidSacks/status/1636054055121453057

Sacks held this up as evidence that SVB’s depositors were “more diversified than the media narrative has allowed.” Sacks went on to claim that the bailout saved “innocent bystanders” like “teachers” from being “laid off.”

What is this small, nonprofit school? Writing in The American Prospect, Luke Goldstein sleuths it out: the “small, nonprofit school” is North Country School, an upstate New York boarding school where tuition runs $62k/year — more than Harvard or Yale:

https://prospect.org/economy/2023-03-22-david-sacks-bank-bailout/

North Country sounds like a great place to get an education. It’s got its own private ski-slope. The local city raised a $7m municipal bond on its behalf. There’s a rock-climbing range and horseback riding. The school emphasizes unstructured, outdoor education, with “farming, wilderness trips…even maple sugaring”:

https://northcountryschool.org/

Let’s be honest, this is the kind of education a lot of us dream of our kids having. No wonder that the alumna include numerous Rockefellers, and a scion of the Aga Khan family — claimed lineal descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.

As illustrious as the student body is, the trustees are even more gilt-edged. There’s a former Jpmorgan managing director, a former Google exec, Austrian nobility, the Welch’s grape heir and even JD Salinger’s kid. The chair ran a booze delivery company that sold to Uber. Together, they manage $30m in assets and raise $3m/year in donations, on top of $9m/year in revenues.

As Goldstein points out, it might be a lot to ask of the median small, nonprofit school trustee to investigate the soundness of the school’s bank. But these aren’t the median trustees of the median school. They’re raising millions from Vanguard and Fidelity and the JM Kaplan Fund. Perhaps it’s not asking too much that high-flying financiers craft a risk management plan for their deposits — or, you know, just have the nous not to stash all their money in a single bank account, diversifying their risk the way that any financial planner would tell them to do.

According to Sacks, if the FDIC had frozen SVB withdrawals, or imposed a 10 percent haircut on depositors with more than $250k in the bank, the “modestly paid workers who tend not to have a lot of savings to fall back on” who worked at the school would have been out in the cold. But with donors on tap who give $50,000 at a pop, it seems likely that the trustees could have tapped someone for a bridge loan.

It’s doubtless true that there are low-waged, precarious workers who would have been out in the cold if the FDIC hadn’t stepped in, but the wealthy “investors” who clamored for the bailout spent the last several years consistently, brutally, loudly calling for an end to covid relief, no student debt cancellation, and cuts to public services. The idea that they were worried about saving the janitors and receptionists of Silicon Valley strains credulity:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/18/2-billion-here-2-billion-there/#socialism-for-the-rich

You can’t be on record calling for tech billionaires to “Sharpen your blades boys 🔪” ahead of mass layoffs and also claim to be a champion of the middle-class:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/21/tech-workers/#sharpen-your-blades-boys

As Goldstein writes, “David Sacks couldn’t find a mom-and-pop institution to justify his cockeyed version of reality without turning to a VC colleague’s ultra-rich boarding school.” There might be mom-and-pop institutions on the SVB balance-sheet, but David Sacks evidently doesn’t know any of them.

New York State is a good place to be a Silicon Valley banker. For one thing, the Southern District of New York is an exceptionally nice place to be a bankrupt billionaire, which is why SVB’s investors now claim that their headquarters are at 387 Park Ave, 2,951 miles from the Santa Clara HQ the company listed on all its filings:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/18/2-billion-here-2-billion-there/#socialism-for-the-rich

In New York, elite boarding schools get federal rescues, so long as they can claim some nexus with SVB. But, as Goldstein writes, NY city and state schools are in outright financial crisis, with no aid in sight. The State University of New York system is drowning in debt. NYC schools are about to bring down massive layoffs, having lost $469m out of their budgets:

https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/testimony-of-new-york-city-comptroller-brad-lander-to-the-new-york-city-council-committee-on-education-on-resolution-283-2022-to-immediately-reverse-doe-reductions-to-school-budgets-for-fy-2023/

The FDIC stepped in to rescue SVB, claiming that it wouldn’t cost the public anything — instead, the money would come from increases in the entire bank system’s insurance premiums. But as Adam Levitin writes for Credit Slips, banks “will pass those premiums through to customers because the market for banking services is less competitive than the market for capital…higher costs for increased insurance premiums are likely to flow to the least price-sensitive and most ‘sticky’ customers: less wealthy individuals”

“So average Joes are going to be facing things like higher account fees or lower APYs, without gaining any benefit. Instead, the benefit of removing the cap would flow entirely to wealthy individuals and businesses. This is one massive, regressive cross-subsidy.”

https://www.creditslips.org/creditslips/2023/03/the-regressive-cross-subsidy-of-uncapping-deposit-insurance.html

Nothing about this bailout intrinsically protects anyone’s job. Yes, if the companies that banked with SVB went under, they’d have fired everyone. But tech companies are firing everyone anyway, 280,000 and counting, in profitable companies where they do stock-buybacks big enough to pay every worker’s salary for the next quarter-century:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/21/tech-workers/#sharpen-your-blades-boys

I’m kickstarting the audiobook for my next novel, a post-cyberpunk anti-finance finance thriller about Silicon Valley scams called Red Team Blues. Amazon’s Audible refuses to carry my audiobooks because they’re DRM free, but crowdfunding makes them possible

[Image ID: A vast castle surrounded by a stately brick wall bearing an ornate gilt-framed sign reading 'Small, non-profit school,' in gothic lettering. Atop the wall is a caricature of Humpty Dumpty, looking distressed. He has a SVB logo over his chest. He is being restrained by tiny, top-hatted bankers.]

[grandmaster-anne]

Family milestones through the years

Country Life | Published 14 September 2022

1920s

• Winston Churchill described ‘an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant’ when Elizabeth was only 2½

• In 1929, she appeared on the cover of Time, which reported that the Duchess of York’s preference for the colour yellow for her daughter’s clothes and the decoration of her nursery had set a trend across America

1930s

• George V (‘Grandpa England’) dies on January 20, 1936. Unable to face ruling without Wallis Simpson by his side, Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward VIII, submits his abdication on December 10, before broadcasting his decision to the nation the following day

• The first Pembroke Welsh corgi, Dookie, arrives at Royal Lodge in the summer of 1933, bred by Miss Evans of Rozavel Kennels in Reigate. He was later joined by Jane

• On her fourth birthday, Elizabeth receives a pony from her grandfather. In 1932, the people of Wales build Y Bwthyn Bach (the Little House) for her—it still stands in the Windsor grounds

• In early 1933, a new governess arrives: Marion Crawford (‘Crawfie’). She remains until her own wedding in 1947, shortly before Elizabeth��s

1940s

• In 1942, her father shows her the royal racehorses in training. After patting the King’s Derby runner, Big Game, Elizabeth doesn’t wash her hands for the rest of the day. A horse of her own comes in the form of a wedding present from the Aga Khan and her racing colours of purple body, scarlet sleeves and black velvet cap—the same as her father’s—are registered in 1949

• April 25, 1942: Princess Elizabeth signs up for war service

• August 25, 1942: Prince George, Duke of Kent, Princess Elizabeth’s uncle, is killed in a flying accident over Morven in Scotland at the age of 39

• November 1943: the Daily Mail reports that Elizabeth had hunted with the Garth Foxhounds and the Duke of Beaufort’s Hounds ‘in accord with the general policy of making her life as “normal” as possible’

• In 1947, she attends her first Opening of Parliament

1950s

• August 15, 1950: Princess Anne born

• March 24, 1953: Queen Mary dies

• November 1953: the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh embark on a 43,618-mile tour of the Commonwealth that lasts until May 11 the following year

• October 1955: Princess Margaret ends her relationship with Group Capt Peter Townsend

• February 1957: the Queen endows the Duke of Edinburgh with the style and title of Prince

• December 25, 1957: the first Christmas Message is broadcast on television for the first time (it was live)

• 1958: Prince Charles goes to school

1960s

• The birth of Prince Andrew represents the first child born in a ‘family on the throne’ since Princess Beatrice in 1857

• A photograph taken by Prof John Hedgecoe at Buckingham Palace on June 22, 1966, serves as a model for sculptor Arnold Machin. It has now been reproduced more than 200 billion times on currency and stamps

• Princess Margaret (1960) and Princess Alexandra (1963) are married at Westminster Abbey

• In 1960, it is announced that descendants of the Queen who did not bear the title HRH and females who might marry would henceforth carry the name Mountbatten-Windsor

• The State Opening of Parliament is televised for the first time in 1966

• The Duke and Duchess of Windsor attend the unveiling of a plaque honouring Queen Mary in 1967

• In 1969, an all-party commission of MPs is set up to look into the Civil List allowance—its report comes in 1971

1970s

• In 1970, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Capt Cook’s voyage, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand and Australia. Three months later, Fiji and Tonga declare their independence

• From 1970, Prince Charles and Princess Anne have increasing public roles

• In 1970, the Queen unveils the second portrait of her by Annigoni

• That year, the Queen grants a Royal Charter to the Jockey Club, the first governing body of any sport to be accorded such an honour • The committee reviewing the Civil List reports in 1971 and increases the Queen’s allowance from £475,000 to £980,000 per year (it hadn’t been reviewed since her accession). There is no allowance for her personal use. In 1975, it’s raised to £1.4 million

• The Duke of Windsor dies on May 28, 1972—the Duchess stays at Buckingham Palace for the funeral. Prince William of Gloucester, the Queen’s cousin, is killed in a flying accident

• The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in 1972. At a lunch to mark the occasion, the Queen says: ‘I think that everybody will concede that, on this of all days, I should begin my speech “My husband and I”’

• On November 14, 1973, Princess Anne marries Capt Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey—the first time a member of the Royal Family has married a commoner (it’s also the birthday of Prince Charles and the Archbishop of Canterbury)

• In 1974, a kidnap attempt of Princess Anne is foiled. The Queen’s uncle, the Duke of Gloucester dies that year

• In 1976, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon announce their marriage is over—they divorce in 1978

• In her Silver Jubilee year, the Queen travels 56,000 miles around the South Pacific and to 36 counties in Britain. Her Jubilee Appeal to ‘help young people help others’ raises £16 million

1980s

• In 1980, more than two million people line the streets of London to see the Queen Mother pass on her way to a service to celebrate her 80th birthday

• On May 15, 1981, the Queen again becomes a grandmother, when Princess Anne gives birth to Zara

• In 1982, Prince Andrew takes part in the Falklands War

• On July 9, 1982, the Queen awakes to find Michael Fagan in her bedroom

• The Waleses’ second son, Henry (Harry), is born on September 15, 1984

• In 1986, Prince Andrew marries Sarah Ferguson—a ‘breath of fresh air’—in Westminster Abbey and becomes The Duke of York

• That year, the Duchess of Windsor dies and is buried with her husband at Frogmore,

• Also in 1986, the Queen becomes the first British monarch to visit China—crowds welcome ‘the English country female King’

• Princess Beatrice is born on August 8, 1988

• The Princess Royal and Capt Mark Phillips separate in late August 1989

1990s

• Princess Eugenie is born on March 23, 1990

• On a state visit to the US in 1991, the Queen becomes the first British monarch to address Congress

• The end of 1992 brings some good news as The Princess Royal marries Commander Tim Laurence in Scotland

• In 1994, The Prince of Wales appears in a frank—and ill-advised—television interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, in which he admits adultery

• In October that year, the Queen becomes the first reigning British monarch to set foot on Russian soil

• The Duke and Duchess of York are divorced in May 1996

• When on holiday in Mustique in 1998, Princess Margaret suffers a stroke

• In 1997, extension work begins on The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, tripling its size

• Prince Edward marries in St George’s Chapel, Windsor (June 19, 1999)

2000s

• It was an eventful time in 2000: Princess Margaret celebrated her 70th birthday, The Princess Royal her 50th, Prince William his 18th and, on August 4, the Queen Mother her 100th—she’s one of 12 centenarians to get a card from the Queen, but hers was the only one signed ‘Lilibet’

• As part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, the Queen dines at 10, Downing Street with the five living former Prime Ministers who had served under her: Tony Blair, John Major, Margaret Thatcher, James Callaghan and Edward Heath • Lady Louise Windsor is born on November 8, 2003

• Prince William graduates from St Andrews University on June 23, 2005

2010s

• Prince William marries Catherine Middleton in Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, and is created Duke of Cambridge

• The Queen’s first great-grandchild, Savannah, the daughter of Peter Phillips, is born on December 29, 2010

• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have three children: Prince George is born on July 22, 2013, Princess Charlotte on May 2, 2015, and Prince Louis on April 23, 2018

• In 2015, changes are made to the order of succession to give female children an equal right to come to the throne

• On May 19, 2018, Prince Harry becomes Duke of Sussex and marries Meghan Markle and, on October 12, Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank. On May 6, 2019, the Sussexes welcome a son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and, on June 4, 2021, a daughter, Lilibet Diana

• On January 31, 2019, the Queen surpasses Eleanor of Aquitaine to become the longest-reigning female ruler. Eleanor (1122–1204) was Queen Consort of France and England and Duchess of Aquitaine for 66 years and 358 days

2020s

• Princess Beatrice marries Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on July 17, 2020

• Prince Philip dies on April 9, 2021

• Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee in June, 2022, with a four-day national holiday

[drakemire]

Fire the headcannon! #01

About the meanings of names. Ganondorf. That the first component alludes to either "hate" or "curse" feels natural after finishing a particular game. I regard the initial Ganon as spiritual manifestation of the emotion flaring while the execration was voiced. For its more forceful tone and personal connotation, my preference picked "hate". Dorf is actually the word for "village" in my language. I tried to derive use from it, reflecting which qualities I associate with the concept. But "calm", "secluded", "sheltered" ring hardly appropriate for the King of Evil. Or do they? Is there not something that shall be secluded and sheltered within him as the reason for his existence, as concocted by the two who not only gifted him his names? Shall he not keep it calm until it grows potent enough to creep out of its cradle? My contemplation made relieving sense as I captured it in the result "harbour of hate". Agahnim. The sole full-blooded Gerudo with two parents living is given an additional name, and You may recognize this one. I noticed a similarity to "Ghirahim", therefore decided that Gerudo language is rooted in Demon's. All known with these names have the aptitude for magic in common, so the resembling parts - ahnim/ahim - I translated as "sorcerer". In the course of time, one n slipped between the letters, perhaps due to phonotactics. While "Ghir" absorbed the almost identical German "Gier" (greed) to make Ghirahim the "greedy magician", Aga should emphasize the ability. And the first attribute that flew to mind was … well, "first". Combining both "first one" as well as "first-class", no one versed in the language must doubt the "first sorcerer"'s magical competence. Dragmire. To achieve a compromise between this invention from Nintendo of America and my affection for it, I think of it as the name of Ganondorf's sire, the man who gave nearly the entire Gerudo population in Ocarina of Time its life. Out of traditional devotion to their father, strengthening the sister's bond, all descendants of one king wear his name. Even so, mostly the son gets addressed in this manner by representatives from the East. Amongst themselves, the practical women see no reason in doing so. Formerly assumed as "dragon", I must not ignore that Drag is built in NoA's second creation: "Mandrag" (of the enchanted thieves). Considering my vague grammar, "man" means "enchanted" as in "possessed by evil" and "drag" "thief". Mire seems like an ancient word for "might". "Thieves' impact" tells about the potential of the desert community, although ironic for Ganondorf. Koume & Kotake. The syllable their names share is as evident as the difference between these hags. Ko is a Latin allomorph - e.g. in "cooperation" - that means "together", "with". Adopting this, I added the respective element: The smooth sounding ume, the cracking take make them "with fire", "with ice". Two further seconds were spent to translate Twinrova as "twin witches". Nabooru. "No" and "not", "non" et "ne … pas", "nein" und "nicht" - Na sounds just like another word used for denying. Booru reminds me of German "verborgen" (hidden, concealed). I imagine it a naughty choice of Nabooru's mother to name her "uncovered", as one of wise foresight. Both expectations came true, for the daughter is neither covered by much cloth nor covering her mouth instead of complimenting the Hero or expressing her loathing towards Ganondorf. Twinrova pervert this meaning when they not only shroud her in a full-body armor, but also silence her loose tongue. Gerudo. Skyward Sword implies that the term is first bestowed upon a dragonfly, hence would my translation relate to the insect rather than the people. However, since Geldarm and Geldman are two sand-affiliated monsters which in Japanese are actually called Gerudo Āmu/Man, there remains little space for me to get creative. So, Geru became "desert", and do, shared with the designations for other Āmu, means "coming from". Because of the name-giver being a human or a Goron, this term is one of the few used in the arid West not based on Demon language.

[2ngjaentusiasm]

Natukene mõnedest dokumentalistika vormidest

Olen kasvanud üles Pärnu Filmifestivali filme vaadates ning nullindate vasakpoolsetes meeleoludes, kus üheks põhiliseks autoriks oli Michael Moore. Kõige südamelähedasem on mulle olnudki osalev dokumentalistika, mis seob isikliku ja poliitilise. Teisalt on mulle huvi pakkunud antropoloogiline film ja viimasel ajal ka ajalugu käsitlevad dokumentaalfilmid. Järgnevalt tahangi tuua välja minu jaoks olulised lähenemised ning teemad lootusega leida mõttekaaslaseid edasisteks aruteludeks.

Etnograafiline jäädvustus

Olin enne filmikooli televisiooni kaudu vaadanud omajagu Pärnu Filmifestivali filme ja mind huvitasid juba tol ajal erinevad kultuurilised nähtused (religioonidest subkultuurideni). Seetõttu on mul algusest peale olnud soov erinevaid kultuurilisi väljendusi uurida ja jäädvustada. Kohe pärast filmikooli lõpetamist tegin Muhu Muuseumile klippe kohalikest leiutajatest. See oli huvitav kogemus ja tahaksin midagi sarnast veel teha. (Hetkel on mul mõttes mõned disaini, muusika ja tantsuga seotud muuseumiprojektid.)

Miks on etnograafiline jäädvustamine üldse oluline? Etnograafiline jäädvustamine aitab hoida ajaloolist järjepidavust, aga isiklikult tahaksin ma jäädvustamisest edasi liikuda. Vaatlevate dokkide puhul jääb minu jaoks enamasti puudu selgitustest, mis aitaksid nähtut paremini mõista. Samuti on sellised filmid tihti liiga laisad vaataja mõtlemisele ärgitamisel. Mind huvitab nähtava materjali konteksti asetamine ja interpreteerimine. Erinevate eluviiside, praktikate ja maailmatunnetuste jäädvustamine peaks viima mõtisklusteni sellest, kuidas elu korraldada ja millist kultuuri luua.

Teemad: Mind paelub väga inimkogemuse spekter (kehalisest spirituaalseni) ja selle kultuuriline väljendus. Endiselt huvitavad mind erinevad subkultuurid ja kogukonnad ning nende praktikad. Kogukondade puhul huvitavad mind nii toetavatel suhetel põhinevad kooslused kui ka kogukondade sisesed konfliktid.

Ajaloo mõtestamine

Kuna ajaloodokid kuuluvad enamasti oma lähenemiselt teledokumentalistika valdkonda ning filmitegijate seas on televisiooni peetud madalaks meediumiks, ei ole Eestis eriti tehtud ka häid arhiivimaterjalidel põhinevaid ajaloodokke. Üks põhilisi teledokkide tegijaid on Vahur Kersna. Kindlasti võib tema stilistilist lähenemist kritiseerida, sest need filmid on mõeldud laiadele massidele ja üpris tabloidsed. Samas on Kersna väga hea lugude jutustaja ning tema portreelood toovad vaatajateni möödunud aegade essentsi – need lood loovad jällegi võimaluse olnu üle reflekteerida.

Õnneks viimasel ajal on Eestis tehtud ka mõned kõrgel tasemel ajaloodokid. Pean just silmas filme „Rodeo“ ja „Ahto“. Selleks aga, et Eestis rohkem häid ajaloodokke sünniks, peaksid kohalikud filmitegijad rohkem õppida välismaistelt meistritelt, kes oskavad hästi lugu jutustada (näiteks Ken Burns) või tegeleda kriitilise diskursuseanalüüsiga ja nö vaimuarheoloogiaga (näiteks Adam Curtis). Filmid võiksid uurida milline oli elutunnetus mingis ajas ja kuidas midagi käsitleti ning kuidas me oleme arenenud tänasesse päeva. (Heaks näiteks, kuidas asetada ühe inimese lugu suuremate ajalooliste protsesside ja sündmuste taustale, on doki-Oscari võitnud seriaal „O.J.: Made in America“.)

Eesti ühiskonnas on liiga vähe kriitilist reflektsiooni meie ajaloo üle. Puuduvad ka kooskäimise kohad, kus filmitegijad saaksid mõnusas atmosfääris vestelda erinevate mõtlejatega (filosoofide ja kultuuriteoreetikutega, humanitaar- ja sotsiaalteadlastega).

Teemad: Twitterist on kujunenud allikas, kust saab väga palju huvitavat ajaloo kohta teada. Mind paeluvad seal lõimed või viited artiklitele Ida-Euroopa ja soome-ugri rahvaste ajaloost. Sõda Ukrainas on endise idabloki akadeemikuid motiveerinud post-kolonialistlike maade rahvaste hääli rohkem kuuldavaks tooma. Minul on peas mitmeid ideid rahvusvahelisteks koostööprojektideks, mis käsitleksid näiteks eesti põllumajanduse ajalugu, vennastekoguduse liikumist, Ida-Euroopa humanistlikku vasakpoolsust jne.

Poliitilised teemad

Ühiskonnakriitilist, veel vähem otseselt poliitilist, dokumentalistikat ei ole Eestis peaaegu üldse. Tehes kunagi filmi „Prohvet“ tahtsin pöörata tähelepanu ilmajäetusele, aga olin omast ajast 5 aastat ees. Alles pärast EKRE valitsusse jõudmist hakati sel teemal tõsisemalt rääkima.

Eestis ei ole huvitavat kriitilist mõtlemist ja Lääne trendide vastuvõtt on pinnapealne ning matkiv. Alusvastuolude läbimõtlemine ongi väga raske, sest see nõuab palju aega, tööd ning tekitab sisemisi pingeid. Samas just nendega tegelemine loob tugevamad eeldused heade filmide loomiseks.

Poliitilisemate filmide jaoks on loomulikult raskem saada rahastust. Poliitilised filmid aga ei pea olema labane propaganda ning filmide finantseerimiseks on tänapäeval mitmeid lahendusi. Näiteks rumeenlased teevad väga julgeid koostööprojekte. Ma arvan, et esmalt on vaja end rohkem harida ning vaja oleks ka teravamat filmikriitikat, mis osutuks eesti dokumentalistikas leiduvale naiivsusele.

Teemad: Võõrandumise ja ilmajäetuse teemad jäävad edasi aktuaalseks, sest digitaalse majandussektori kasvuga kaasneb ühiskonna edasine atomiseerumine. Kuigi suur osa ühiskonnast muutub liberaalsemaks ja multikultuursemaks on palju inimesi, kes jäävad majanduslikust eduloost kõrvale ega saa ennast teostada. Materiaalse kitsikuse ja ebastabiilsuse kõrval on tähtsad teemad üksildus ja tähendusrikaste suhete puudumine. Samuti jätkub liberaalide ja konservatiivide vastasseis, sest puudub vasakpoolsus, mis suudaks pakkuda suurt narratiivi ning organiseerida inimesi tööks ühiste hüvede nimel erinevatel tasandil.

Seetõttu peaksidki dokumentalistid uurima, nii oma filmides kui ka isiklikes eludes kuidas teistmoodi koos elada. Arutelu all ei peaks olema ainult see, mida ja kuidas kujutada vaid ka see, kuidas elada ja filme toota. Kas oleks võimalik luua toetavatel suhetel põhinevaid kollektiive? Kas filmide tootmine võiks toimuda loomeühistutes? Kus on inimesed, kes tahaksid elada ja luua teisiti, kui hetkel eeldatakse?

Personaalne lähenemine

Poliitiliste filmide kõrval olen tahtnud teha ka filme nii öelda intiimsematel teemadel, et inimesed hakkaksid neist omavahel rohkem rääkima ja meie kultuuris toimuksid muutused. Tehes filmi „Appi, ma vajan armastust“, mis keskendus minu armastuse-otsingutele, olin ma liiga kogenematu filmitegija. See ei olnud ka päris minu film, sest ma ei saanud seda enda vaatepunktist kokku panna. Siiani ei ole ma saanud veel teha selliseid autobiograafilisi filme, mille pärast ma filmikooli üldse läksin.

Esimese isiku perspektiivi ja inimestevahelisi suhteid saab lähedalt käsitleda ka nii, et filmi autor ise ei ole peategelane. Sel puhul on vaja palju kannatust ja osavust, et jõuda tegelastele väga lähedale. Oluline on filmitegija ja tegelaste vaheline suhtlus, mitte ainult jälgimine. Seda on aga enamus kohalikke filmitegijaid peljanud (ekraanil näidata) ning nõnda lastakse tihti käest võimalus saada vaatajal tegelastega lähedasemaks.

Eesti dokumentalistika põhiline probleem on pikalt olnud see, et filmitegijatel puudub julgus – julgus mõelda, eksperimenteerida ja teravaid teemasid ette võtta.

Isegi vormiliselt ollakse tihti kinni mingites dogmades ja huvitavaid lahendusi tuleb kohati hoopis väljastpoolt „professionaalsete“ dokumentalistide ringkonda. Näiteks Levila keskkonnas ilmunud „Kuidas ma vihkama hakkasin“ on huvitav näide, kuidas läbi lavastamise rääkida personaalne lugu ja liikuda traditsioonilisest dokumentalistikast kaugemale. Dokumentalistid võiksid rohkem piiluda teistsuguste vormide poole ja katsetada rohkem eksperimentaalfilmi, animatsiooni, performance’i ja muu taolisega.

Õnneks filmikooli dokumentalistika magistrantuuris on üks semester pühendatud osaleva dokumentaalfilmi loomisele ja sealt on tulnud mõningaid huvitavaid töid. Täispikkadest dokumentaalfilmidest on Carlos Lesmese „Üht kaotust igavesti kandsin“ suur samm personaalse dokumentalistika vallas ning Anna Hints oma filmiga „Savvusauna sõsarad“ on viinud eesti dokumentalistika maailmatasemele. Seega seisab eesti dokumentalistikal ees sama väljakutse, mis kogu maailma dokumentalistikas: küsimus ei ole enam selles, kas dokumentalistid julgevad intiimseid teemasid käsitleda, vaid selles, kas filmitegijal on võimekust olla ka mõtleja, kes suudab kogetu ja nähtu üle reflekteerida ning tegelastega tõsisesse dialoogi astuda.

Teemad: Olulised teemad on nii üksildus kui toetavate suhete loomise keerukus. Indiviidi konflikt teda ümbritsevaga ja sellest tulenevad traumad ning vaimse tervise probleemid on kindlasti ajatu teema. Kuigi seksist, suhetest ja vaimsest tervisest räägitakse meedias väga palju, võiks nii inimese ihulist kui ka vaimset olemist käsitleda palju sügavamalt (intellektuaalsemalt) ning sotsiaalses kontekstis. Tahaksin näha kriitilisemaid seisukohti nii riikliku vaimse tervise hoiu süsteemi kui kogu psühholoogia- ja esoteerikaäri suhtes. Ka religiooni võiks käsitleda kriitilisemalt ja tuua välja religioonides sisalduvaid vastuolusid.

Nagu kogu eelnevast tekstist aimata võib on minu jaoks hetkel äärmiselt oluline, et dokumentalist oleks mõtleja. Nii sellest kui maailmavaatelistest konfliktidest ja ideoloogiakriitikast kirjutan oma järgmises postituses. Lugemiseni!

[123franksivmblog]

British Museum Trip. booooo

Documenting Colonialism.

Thinking about ways of displaying artefacts.

First room, Enlightenment. The room description pissed me off. I spent 30 minutes in the doorway furiously scribbling in my notebook my initial thought process about the British museum.

*first display thought. It's important to note the displays in this room were laid out in a (18th Century?) Colonial design way. A long wooden room with artefacts along the walls. Everything was made of wood. It was trying to replicate this era of architecture. I actually kind of hated this. You're laying out stolen things in the way the stealers did originally. As a modern organisation could the British Museum not come up with a more updated way of laying out colonial exploits? Obviously fucking not. The room reeked of staleness. No wonder history and museums are seen as boring - look at them.

The contrast between beautiful artefacts from Greece, Egypt, Asia, Places across the world, and the pretend little dusty 18th Century boxes they were positioned in was severe. I was obviously going to try and imitate this stupid way of displaying artefacts in my own project. I wanted to rip the piss out of whoever was in charge of this place. I wanted to go up to them and be like what the fuck are you doing here?? Don't pretend you feel shitty about having all these artefacts, saying you're trying to keep up with criticism. If you were most of things you have here wouldn't be here anymore. Prick. Old grey haired ass hole.

The fact that the person in charge was a man with grey hair was a complete and utter angry stab out with nothing to back it up. Other than it obviously is.

EVERYTHING NEATY PACKED AWAY INTO ITS BOXES JUST LIKE THE COLONIALIST'S LIKE. (eg check the map of Africa and America.)

ITS UGLY. MAKES ME WANT TO THROW SOUP, OR CUSTARD PIE, OR AN EGG...

(Interesting to note some artefacts being written down as being owned by different monarchs. This is shows an interesting glimpse at the role of our kings and queens on the stealing of artefacts. Obviously its a given but it just offers a physicalisation.)

*second display thought - the building is beautiful, but it makes me feel sick seeing this enormous space given to housing the British colonial exploits.

I'm also concerned for the trails of children and adults being educated by tour guides. I think if the British museum was devoted to decolonising their collections, these guides would have more to stay. I overheard one guide speaking to some young children. 'We had ruled Egypt for 70 years, basically we had people inside Egypt for 70 years.' (completely glossed over, almost sounding proud. I fucking hated the way they were describing colonialism.) 'We have the largest COLLECTION of things from Egypt of anywhere outside of Egypt.' (nice one well done us.)

I was also lowkey judging the kids outfit because he looked like a little Prince George in his grey turtleneck with brown elbow patches, beige chinos, and a blonde comb over. (it's low for me to judge a child but I was angry okay...)

I THINK CHILDREN ARE LUCKY TO BE TAKEN FOR THESE DAYS OUT. THEY'RE AMAZING FAMILY MEMORIES, I UNDERSTAND THAT. IM LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE HAD A PARENT INTERESTED IN HISTORY SO I GOT TO EXPERIENCE THIS. IM GRATEFUL FOR IT. BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T CRITICISE TEACHING CHILDREN THAT IMPERIALISM IS OKAY, AND THAT IN SOME WAY WE HAD A RIGHT TO TAKE THESE THINGS.

*third display thought - marble plinths, stupid, silly out of place white plinths holding beautiful, colourful, culture. I think the display designers could make these things so captivating and original.

*fourth display thought - The artefact descriptions this museum uses are lifeless and remote from the fucking disgusting actions taken by the Empire over the course of like 400 years of atrocities and tragedies and genocides and death and corruption and the mutilating of cultures and communities and countries. The displays described things using words like 'aggressive global expansion', 'against their will', 'brutal conditions', 'collecting', 'encounters with the rest of the world', 'slave owners were compensated financially' (IS THAT GOOD OR BAD? ARE YOU NEUTRAL??) 'collected'. The words seemed empty and void of emotion. (I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT SWEARING IS THE ONLY WAY I PERSONALLY TO DESCRIBE THESE THINGS BUT THAT'S JUST ME AND MY INABILITY AT EXPRESSING WORDS.)

*display thought five - The South American room. Artifacts depicting tropical forests from cultures with fundamental bonds with nature. DISPLAYED ON FUCKING MARBLE PLINTHS THE SAME AS THE STUFF FOUND IN LIKE GREECE AND OTHER PLACES. MAKE THE EXHIBITIONS INTERESTING!

""THEY WERE FORCED TO DANCE FOR EXERCISE TO KEEP THEM HEALTHIER. "

WTF THAT WAS AN ACTUAL THING WRITTEN TO DESCRIBE IT.

'acquired'

'acquired'

*display thought six - sometimes the ways of display interfered with the artefact. Metal sticks would hold a mask up, or metal cuffs grasp them around their middle. I thought it was really ugly and senseless way of displaying artefacts. So I decided I wanted to use It. I thought about having the famous Elephant and Castle elephant cuffed on the neck by a wall display inside a glass box. Possibly alongside a representation of Brixton and other gentrified London areas.

Another idea relating to a piece in the prints and drawings section of the museum is Birds Eye View of Elephant and Castle in response to a really lovely, fun piece by Jacope De Barabari called Birds Eye View of Venice. I think it would be a good finished outcome with the construction site dominating the image.

Birds eye view of Elephant and Castle concept

The painting 'birds eye view of Venice' inspired me to perhaps look at doing my own version. I'd make the landscape dominated by the construction site and the roads with the housing and Latin American quarter around the fringes.

[haydeelopez32]

TRUMP OUR PRESIDENT 2🇺🇸0🇺🇸2🇺🇸4 🦾✟♥️ #haydeelopez17 #trump2024🇺🇸 #trump #trumpsupporters #trumplovesamerica #America #americagreatagain #mexicanofortrump #Hispanics #Hispanictsfortrump #great #againg #vote2024 #vote2024♥️♥️ #2025 #2024 #letsgo #letswinthis #republicansoftiktok #republicans #republicansbelike #republicansunite #familialatina #veracruzmexico #michoacan #entrepreneurmomma #entrepreneur #bloger #influencer

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Whizz

Title: Whizz / アクピョン・ゲーム ウィズ

Developer: Microvalue / Flair Software

Publisher: B-Factory / Bandai Visual / Emotion Digital Software

Release date: 29 August 1997

Catalogue No.: T-36102G

Genre: Isometric Action

A bit of an update. Someone was kind enough to mail me about the missing video in this game. They said that if you boot the game from the Saturn's CD player screen, the intro video will work. Thanks very much for that and a big sorry for forgetting who told me.

British gamers may remember Whizz as Konami's kick in the teeth. At the time, Castlevania Symphony of the Night was released in Japan, North America, and Europe for the PlayStation, but only in Japan for the Saturn. Saturn gamers and the official Sega Saturn magazine begged Konami Europe to release Castlevania Symphony of the Night for the Saturn in Europe. Konami said that they couldn't afford to release any more games on the Saturn due to fear of low sales (as if Castlevania would have low sales) Anyway, a few months later Konami released this crap in the UK! Can you fucking believe it!? They had the chance to release a fantastic game of their very own but decided on releasing this tripe which they didn't even make. Needless to say, Saturn fans were truly pissed off at Konami and so they should.

Anyway, that's enough bitching so let's talk about Whizz. Whizz is sort of a trip back to old-school platform gaming when it was cool to make isometric games, starting life on the Amiga 500 and Amiga 1200 AGA. You know the type; everything is on an angle making jumps a bit tricky to perceive. Graphically Whizz isn't that bad. You can tell it was made by a small team on a tight budget but overall, it's not that bad. The music on the other hand is quite bad.

Each level is truly a challenge, even with restart points you'll still find it quite a struggle to get through some of the later stages on your first few tries. Sometimes though you'll find yourself being killed by something that you couldn't even see thanks to it darting at you from off-screen.

Whizz suffers from that mysterious case of "No FMV video" that only one other game I have suffered from and guess what, that game was produced and released by Bandai. Guess who released Whizz in Japan? Yes, you guessed it, B-Factory/Emotion Digital Software who are in fact Bandai. Hmm, seems very odd don't you think? So, I have no idea what the intro to this game looks like since the screen stays black. All I get is the audio.