#alexander hawker

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my Christmas 🎄 movie marathon...Krampus (2015) on classic DVD 📀! #movie #movies #horror #Christmas #EmjayAnthony #adamscott #ToniCollette #StefaniaLaVieOwen #davidkoechner #allisontollman #maverickflack #lukehawker #loloowen #queeniesamuel #conchataferrell #kristastadler #sethgreen #alexanderpolinsky #2010s #dvd #Christmas #merrychristmas2024 #merrychristmas

[blood-darkened-moon]

Alfred, Alexia, and the Dragonfly

The infamous video of Alfred and Alexia torturing a dragonfly and feeding it to the ants can be found twice on Rockfort Island. The first time, you see it in the room with the Lugers and then again in Alfred’s office as the startup of his PC. Of course, it has a deeply person meaning to Alfred. We know about his obsession with his sister, and Alexia is in there as well. Maybe the video is the only one with her or the last one that was taken before her cryogenic sleep. It makes sense that Alfred would hold dear something like this. But is it just about Alexia, or is there more to it? After all, we even have to watch it twice.

The twins do not talk the entire time and barely interact during the video. The only noteworthy interaction happens during the last scene, in which Alfred and Alexia share a knowing gaze. The way they look at each other makes it clear that there is more to the whole scene than what meets the eye. It had a deeper meaning, which only they could understand. A secret they share with each other. Words are not necessary.

When I first played Code Veronica X, I assumed the video mainly existed to show the cruel and twisted nature of the twins, while it also foreshadowed what Alfred would become. But after replaying the game last year, I changed my opinion. The video isn’t about Alfred and Alexia’s general cruelty or torturing of defenseless creatures. The content represents something more personal to them - their revenge on Alexander.

It was never said when the video was recorded, but the twins aren’t small children anymore. Based only on their appearance, I would estimate them to be between 10 and 12 years old. Now, considering the content of the video, I think it was recorded after Alfred discovered the truth about their origin and after they came up with a revenge plan as the earliest possible date. However, it is more likely that they had already executed their plan some time before.

Let’s take a closer look. First of all, the visual language. The ants symbolize Alfred and Alexia. Alexia sees herself as an ant queen and refers to Alfred as a soldier ant. The dragonfly is Alexander. It is more obvious for Alexia’s third form, but Alexander’s mutated form resembles a dragonfly too. He has three appendages on his back, similarly arranged like three of four wings of a dragonfly. Additionally, these appendages are long and thin, like insect legs. In Darkside Chronicles, he even uses them to move around. Also, Alexander’s real legs are bound together with the rug, which makes his lower body look vaguely like the elongated abdomen of the insect. The belts even give it a segmented appearance.

The last similarity isn’t related to the real animal but to an item. To activate the self-destruct system, you have to assemble a dragonfly key. On the underside of this key is a prominent red jewel in the middle of its thorax, similar to Alexander’s exposed heart.

The dragonfly in the video is rather large. It has a blue abdomen with black markings and a yellow thorax. I tried to find out what dragonfly species we see there and found three possible candidates. One is the green hawker (Aeshna viridis), another is the southern migrant hawker (Aeshna affinis), and the last one is the emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator). (I’m not a dragonfly expert, though. Maybe there are other ones that fit better.)

The abdomens of the green hawker and southern migrant hawker are also blue, the thorax is yellowish-green, and they have black markings on their bodies. The emperor dragonfly has an apple-green thorax rather than a yellow one, but it would fit the other criteria. Other dragonfly species with a similar color palette have either more black markings, differently colored spots on the abdomen, a different body shape, or are too small. In all three cases, only the males have this coloration. The females are green or yellowish green instead of blue. Selecting a male dragonfly specifically could be another reference to Alexander. As for the emperor dragonfly and the southern migrant hawker, contrary to the green hawker, they also inhabit Great Britain, which delivers another connection to Alexander. And while Alexander is, of course, only an earl, not an emperor, an emperor dragonfly could still refer in a wider sense to his peer status.

From left to right: green hawker (male), southern migrant hawker (male), emperor dragonfly (male).

The general events of the video reflect what happened to Alexander. Only Alfred interacts with the dragonfly. He was also the one who initiated the revenge plot after discovering the truth about himself and Alexia, as well as the one who suffered subjectively more under his father. Alexia stays passive the whole time and only watches her brother, while in real life, she is the one who has carried out the experiments, not Alfred. However, even if she does not join her brother here, Alexia still contributes by providing an instrument to execute the allegorical revenge - her ants (and the virus in reality).

Instead of simply killing the insect, Alfred rips out its wings, making it incapable of flying away. Like the dragonfly, Alexander was still alive when he met his fate. The twins tranquilized their father before Alexia injected him with the virus, which caused his transformation. Afterward, Alexander’s confinement continued, and he was chained for years in agony, probably awaiting his death if he was still capable of having coherent thoughts.

The dragonfly’s death is not in vain. Feeding the insect to the ants serves a purpose. The ants can feast on it, and the colony can grow. Alexander’s life wasn’t wasted either. Alexia directed Alfred’s revenge plans from simply killing their father to using him for research purposes. Their “useless father” could contribute for once to Alexia’s research and the Ashford family. Even though the experiment was a failure, Alexia was still able to use the data she required from it for her benefit.

Why all the effort with the cryptic symbolism? Alexander was a terrible father. Probably not intentional, but this isn’t an excuse. He took the childhood of the twins for the sake of his own ambitions. He used Alexia to fulfill what he could not achieve and disregarded Alfred for not being as intelligent as his sister. Finding out that they were the result of a genetic experiment was the final straw, especially for Alfred. Their father then got what he deserved, according to them. Alfred hated Alexander with a passion. It must have been a great feeling to get rid of him, and to celebrate it, he (maybe Alexia too) wanted a keepsake. Direct photos or videos of their father were out of the question. Alfred even wrote in his diary that they have to be careful so that Harman (their butler) doesn’t discover what has happened to Alexander. The dragonfly video works well. It is cryptic enough that no one could understand its meaning without more background knowledge. People who see it randomly would assume it is a disturbing and slightly eerie home video. Alfred and Alexia, on the other hand, know exactly what it is about. It’s so important to Alfred because it does not only show Alexia but also their victory over Alexander. The insects are nothing more than involuntary actors. The real dragonfly and what is happening to it is secondary. The symbolic meaning behind the dragonfly’s death struggle holds significance.

Some notes as a closure that didn’t fit in the rest of the text: What makes the video so creepy, except for the circumstances you find it in, is the twins’ acting. Without them and out of context, the dragonfly video wouldn’t even be that unsettling if you consider some facts. The video was recorded in the Antarctic base. Dragonflies do not inhabit Antarctica. This means the dragonfly was bred there. The twins did not randomly catch it for the purpose of torture. What’s the purpose of breeding dragonflies? I assume it’s for (virus) research. We know that Umbrella performed experiments on other invertebrates. So, if dragonflies are bred in the lab anyway, why not use some as a protein source for the ants as well? More common insects for feeding ants would be mealworms and meal beetles, house crickets, flies and fly larvae, roaches, and plant lice, though. Also, dragonflies are predators and attack everything they can overpower, including other dragonflies. And unlike ants, they can fly. It makes sense to remove the wings first to prevent it from flying away or attacking the ants. Sure, ripping out its wings and not killing it first is still cruel, but at least the ants will take care of this soon.

[sunny-honeytears]

So I've been working on a longer post again but tbh even as someone in elective literature course and just in general as someone who is crazy about hungarian literature, it's really hard to make progress with this so I'll just post what I already have

TANZ DER VAMPIRE CHARACTERS AS HUNGARIAN POEMS (and the poems itselfs)

Krolock:

Kölcsey Ferenc- Vanitatum Vanitas

To be completely transparent, I used an ai translator for this, for the simple reason of there not being any translations avaible online. BUT BARE WITH ME, ITS FOR THIS POST AND THE AI DID A GOOD JOB

If you look at the og, it's pretty dang similar so for the reason of sharing the poem I used ai, but if there *is* a translation online, I'll be using that don't worry.

Now heres the poem!

VANITATUM VANITAS

"Here’s the writing, contemplate it

With a mind serene and clear,

In its lines you’ll find the merit

Of what wise King Solomon here

Teaches us: this world we stand on

Builds itself on weak foundations,

Summer dew, the winter’s snow,

All is vanity below!

Our Earth is but an ant-hill’s nest,

Born from a fleeting spark of flame;

Thunder’s roar and lightning’s jest,

Like a bee’s buzz, without aim;

History’s swift flight of fable,

Like a sigh, is just as stable;

All pomp and grandeur we adore:

A thousand years, a bubble more.

Alexander’s glittering chase

Is like hunting deer or hare;

Attila’s hordes, a rodent race,

Waspish swarms brought to despair;

Great King Matthias’ battle honor,

Napoleon’s feats of conquer,

And the Waterloo renown:

Only cockerel duels found.

Virtue’s grand illusions beam,

But mere steam, fever’s snare;

In the breast, love’s glowing dream

Blood surging in its lair.

Socrates met his end’s doorway,

Cato’s blood dripped in his foray,

Zrinyi Miklós’ sacred dust,

Just a chain of folly’s trust.

And you wise men, what have you brought

That could earn esteem and grace?

Drunken madness filled your thoughts—

Plato, Aristotle’s face.

Reason’s folly intertwined,

Knowledge nothing but combined

Deck of cards and airy breeze—

All the sciences but tease.

Demosthenes with thundered cries,

But a hawker’s wrangling blare;

Xenophon with honeyed lies

At the wheel awaits his share;

Pindar’s heavenly flights elating,

Cold and hot stuttering, abating;

Phidias’ statues, all we laud,

Just chiseled lines upon a rock.

What is life’s fiery flow?

Just the warmth of falling sparks.

The passions’ roaring blow?

Like butterflies in swirling arcs.

Beginning and the end embrace,

And life’s true leaders in the race

Are faith and hope along the span,

Fleeting mist and rainbow’s fan.

Moonlight is our happiness,

Smoke the ill-luck that will fade;

Candlelight our universe,

Death a breeze’s fleeting shade.

Are you waiting for renown

Or immortality’s bright crown?

Like a scent, the bloom shall leave,

Though a moment shall it grieve.

So care not for this fleeting world,

Wise is he who scoffs at all—

Fate and virtue, greatness furled,

Science, fame, and life’s enthrall.

Be like a rock that never sways,

Still, unmoved in all its ways.

Let joy raise or sorrow weigh,

Blind to beauty and decay.

For whether the earth will move or stay,

This tiny world with you in play,

Whether moon and sun shall gleam

O’er your head or dull their beam,

Whatever color fortune brings,

Neither bad nor good it sings,

For in the end it’s just the same:

All of it is but a game."

Professor Abronsius: Vörösmarty Mihály- Gondolatok a könyvtárban (Thoughts in the library)

now buckle up, this is a LONG one

Thoughts in the library

"Consider, scholar, when you enter here,

on cast-off rags, man's stigma freshly marked,

with words as stark as the dark winter night,

there looms, written blood-black, the awesome lesson:

"while into misery millions are born

a few thousand might find in life salvation

could they but make use of the days of their lives,

had they the mind divine, the Seraph's temper."

Why all this rubbish? So, like sheep on grass

we may graze on it? Sated with fodder

and idle hours synthesized by science amoral

to waste God's day, a nation's energy?

Why this rubbish? From its stench I recall

all the sins of the animal man - they reek!

Virtue is written on this page, which once

as rag has garbed an outlaw. This other page?

perhaps - oh happy days of innocence -

the frail dress ripped from a ravished virgin,

perhaps a lust-enraged whore's negligee.

And here on these leaves, the law whitewashed from

remnants of bloody rebels and false judges,

from masks of sanguine tyrants washed white;

the secrets of machines and of numbers laid bare,

but those who tore garments, stripped man naked,

flayed dignity that bindings might be vellum,

these, unaccounted for, must render account -

they spin on Ixion's tempest-driven wheel

within the vortex, misery without end

and, gnashing their teeth, wail in the dark outside.

On the madman's sheets ponders a sage's head;

the astronomer, on eyeless beggar's rags

measures bursting universes piled on end -

light and blindness, all on a flimsy page!

The coward and the captive, both hapless roles

are bound forever in one book that sings

of freedom and heroes hewing history...

Stainless sheets, pulped from traitor's rags, now

reward the friend and thus honor the faithful;

yet over all, all-polluting, the Big Lie!

The Word, cursed by the pallid winding sheet

its black image adorns, suffers damnation,

rag-lure of countries, your name is library!

Where, then, is the volume that answers all?

The greater part of Man - where is his joy?

Is the world no better for any book?

Yes! The more gloriously man's societies arise

the greater the human refuse at the bottom.

The bursting breast of rags stuffed with man

must breathe contagion into the empire's heart.

Should we, after all, topple what countless brains

have wrought in the linked sunbursts of their minds?

Void the golden knowledge rare brains have

chopped and torn away from the mines of time?

How many bright souls immolated themselves

in vigil at the burning ruins of the heart

to give purpose, strength and comfort

to erring humans humbled by destiny?

Those heroes of unrecognized merit

whom the contemptible public mocked

were praised after death, when praise cost but words:

their thoughts beatified by the martyring mob!

Should the great burn to ashes at the same stake

with rag peddlers, numbskulls, and mildewed hearts?

Glow in embers with dark passion-panders

indiscriminate? Good on account of bad, with them?

Never! That which I said was pain.

The travail of many a bold spirit,

even those luminous minds could not save

the sons of dust from sinking in the mud.

There is barely a corner of the world,

one little oasis on the barren sand

where the most sought-after name is not that of Man,

where the ancient rites of generation

yield as heritage the name of Man!

Except for those who have been born to blackness,

labelled cattle by the glorious elite

who caress the dark image of God with whips.

Despite all, despite all, one must travail -

a new spirit is fighting its way up,

through the soul of man bursts a new approach -

to nurture fruitful ideals in races

primitive, to culture finer sentiments

that they may embrace, at last, each other,

and within their hearts reign love and justice.

So the lowest peasant may, in his hut,

say with assurance "I am not alone,

my brothers and sisters number millions,

I protect them, and me they defend;

fate, I fear thee not, despite thy dread will!"

That is why one must not succumb to despair.

Let us, steadfast as ants, set down that which

our brains, in the rare inspired hours, create,

and when we have assembled every stone,

we'll erect the Babel of a newer age,

build it until it towers among the stars,

and when we have looked through the gates of Heaven,

having heard from without the Angels' song,

with every drop of our earthly blood

aglow from elevated flames of delights,

let us then scatter like the ancient peoples

and begin anew, to endure and to learn.

Is this then our fate, and nothing our goal?

It is not - nor will be while the earth yields life,

and its mortal sons are not turned to stone;

what, in this world, is our task? To struggle,

and to nourish the needs of the spirit;

we are Man, son to both the earth and sky,

our soul is the wing beating toward heaven,

but we, instead of striving up to soar,

would rather, dully, like some bird beneath contempt,

eke out existence sucking mud from swamps.

What, in this world, is our task? To struggle,

according to our strength, for noble goals.

Before us stands the fate of a nation -

when we, from the irrevocable fall

have preserved it and restored it to its heights,

fighting under the clear beam of the spirit,

we can say, returning to our ancestors

in the dust: "Thank you, life, for thy blessings -

this has been great joy, yea, the Work of Men!"

Hart, H.H."

I told you its long, its called "The biggest hungarian philosophical poem" and personally one of my favourite poems ever, I have a quote of it on a shirt lol.

Alfred: Csokonai Vitéz Mihály - A Reményhez

To Hope 

To mortal eyes, you, Hope, do seem

a form divinely sweet;

but eyes of gods can pierce the dream

and see your blind deceit.

Unhappy men in times of ill

create you for their easing;

and as their Guardian Angel still

they worship without ceasing.

Why do you flatter me with praise?

Why do you then deride me?

Why in my bosom do you raise

a dubious heart to chide me?

Stay far and fair beyond my reach,

as first my soul you greeted!

I had depended on your speech,

but you have ever cheated.

With jonquil and with daffodil

you planted all my garden,

and introduced a chattering rill

to be my orchard's warden;

you did bestrew my laughing spring

with many a thousand flowers,

the scents of Heaven did you fling

to perfume all its hours;

my thoughts, like bees, found morning sweet

'mid garden plots and closes,

and hovered 'round in fragrant heat

above my heavy roses.

One hope possessed my soul apart,

one radiant prospect joyed me,

my garden lay in Lilla's heart

its wonders never cloyed me.

But, ah, the roses of my ease

Have withered quite away;

my sparkling brook and shady trees

are dead and dry today.

The springtime of my happiness

is winter now instead;

my dreams are gone beyond redress,

my fairy world has fled.

Ah, would you leave me but my lass,

the Lilla of my passion,

I'd let all sad complaining pass

nor mourn in any fashion.

Within her arms I could forget

misfortune, grief, and pain;

no wreath of pearl could match my girl

were she with me again!

Depart from me, O cruel Hope!

Depart and come no more;

for blinded by your power I grope

along a bitter shore.

My strength has failed, for I am riven

by all my doubt and dearth;

my tired spirit longs for Heaven

my body yearns for earth.

I see the meadows overcome

with dark consuming blight;

the vocal grove today is dumb;

the sun gives place to night.

I cannot tune this trill of mine!

My thoughts are all askew!

Ah, heart! Ah, hope! Ah, Lilla mine!

May God remember you!

Kirkconnell, Watson

To be honest this doesn't give back the feeling of the hungarian one so I'll link in an audio recording, do go and listen to it it's amazing, especially if you know the backstory of the poem

Herbert (x Alfred lol): Ady Endre- Héja nász az avaron

Hawk-love on the fallen leaves

"Setting out now. For Autumn are we heading,

with wild shrieks of joy and pain are chasing

one another: our wings are hurt and we’re a hawk-couple.

Fierce lovers, we’re fleeting the Summer.

New hawk-wings are in fight and flutter

and we eagerly kiss each other to death.

Up and down. Soaring from the Summer

and then falling back, just a shivered flutter

and the lovers’ combat ceases, with our wings in pieces.

Our very last and violent love-scene as it’s been.

We tear each other’s flesh, defeated, and into the jade-green,

crimson-coloured cushion of the Fall, there do we collapse, consummated."

György Eszter

Sarah: Csokonai Vitéz Mihály- Tartózkodó kérelem

Shy request

Mighty love's consuming fire

Has most deeply scorched my soul,

Cooling balm for hot desire,

Gracious tulip, make me whole.

Lively morning fires glitter

In the sparkle of your eyes,

many thousand worries flitter

From your dewy lips' sunrise.

Save me, Angel, speak, be willing,

Mend my heart so sorely rent -

And with ardent Grecian kissing

Will I pay for your consent.

Makkai, Adam; Roberts, Ena

This is all i have for now! I'm still thinking abt a different poems so I might make a follow up soon! Stay tuned and share what you think!

I fucking love hungarian literature guys-

[usafphantom2]

#onthisday in 1940 the United States Army Air Corps issued a contract for a prototype XP-47B to be built.

@classicsarbirds via X

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt | Classic Warbirds

The development of the P-47 began in 1939 with the 1,150-hp Allison V-1710-39 powered XP-47 fitted with two 0.50-in machine-guns. November 1939 saw the United States Army Air Corps contract Republic to build a prototype XP-47 and also a prototype XP-47A. With the outbreak of the Second World War (1939 – 1945) and the war in Europe intensifying during 1940 reports of the air combat taking place showed that the XP-47 and XP-47A would be vulnerable. This was due to their poor armament, lack of self-sealing fuel tanks and lack of heavy armour. As a result both prototypes were cancelled as they were being built.

The design team at Republic, led by Alexander Kartveli, went back to the drawing board and proposed a new aircraft powered by the turbocharged 2,000-hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. A contract to build a prototype XP-47B, as this new aircraft was known, was issued on the 6th September 1940 by the USAAC. The 6th May 1941 saw the prototype make its maiden flight. The following year on the 8th August 1942 the XP-47B crashed but by this time the first production versions of the 773 which had been ordered were already beginning to enter service.

The production P-47B had a top speed of 429 mph, range of 835 miles and a service ceiling of 42,000 ft. Armament consisted of eight 0.50-in machine-guns. These entered service on the 26th May 1942 when the 63rd Fighter Squadron received the first deliveries. The P-47C was the next Thunderbolt variant and this featured a few modifications over its predecessor. This included the ability for the P-47 to carry external fuel tanks, this gave the aircraft the range to operate over Germany. The P-47C's range, service ceiling and armament were the same as the P-47Bs, however it had a slightly increased top speed of 433 mph.

The P-47D was the next in line, its top speed was the same as its predecessor, it had a range of 800 miles and a service ceiling of 43,000 ft. Armament was eight 0.50-in machine-guns and either 2,500lb bombs or ten 5-in rocket projectiles. Despite increasing their factory at Farmingdale, New York Republic were unable to keep up with demand. This led to a new factory being built at Evansville, Indiana. Curtiss-Wright would also build the P-47 at their factory in Buffalo, New York and P-47s built by Curtiss-Wright were given the designation P-47G. The P-47D entered service during 1943.

Up until now the P-47 had a “razorback” design but during July 1943 one P-47D was tested with the same bubble canopy that was fitted to the Hawker Typhoon under the designation XP-47K. This gave improved rear vision as did the flatter rear fuselage needed to allow the new canopy to be installed. As a result all future production P-47s would feature the new canopy and fuselage design.

The Royal Air Force also used the P-47D in the Far East and these were known as Thunderbolt Mk Is, “Razorback” P-47Ds, and Thunderbolt Mk IIs, bubble canopy P-47Ds. With the addition of three 500lb bombs they were used as fighter-bombers and would go on to equip at least sixteen squadrons.

A number of development P-47s followed but none went past the prototype stage. One of the most notable was the XP-47J powered by the 2,100-hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-61 engine, this had six 0.50-in machine-guns instead of the usual eight. This would make its first flight on the 26th November 1943, when in level flight it reached a speed of over 500 mph it became the first piston-engined aircraft to do so. In the end an XP-72 project was favoured over the XP-47J.

The P-47M and P-47N were the last two variants to go into production. The P-47M was heavily based on the P-47D and was powered by a 2,800-hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-57 engine giving the aircraft a top speed of 475 mph, range of 530 miles and a service ceiling of 41,000 ft. Armament was either six or eight 0.50-in machine-guns. This was the fastest P-47 variant and was developed to help combat the new German jet and rocket fighters entering service and the V-1 flying bomb, which was nicknamed the doodlebug.

So the P-47N would be the last of the Thunderbolts built. Powered by the same 2,800-hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-57 engine as its predecessor the P-47N had a top speed of 467 mph, range of 800 miles and a service ceiling of 40,000 ft. Armament was either six or eight 0.50-in machine-guns and either 2,000lb bombs or ten 5-in rocket projectiles. With the addition of external fuel tanks the P-47N would be able to escort the Boeing B-29 Superfortress squadrons in the Pacific.

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt would be used by a number of air forces worldwide. These included the Free French, Italian Air Force and Brazilian Air Force. In total 15,677 P-47 Thunderbolts were built and the P-47D and P-47N, later F-47D and F-47N, would eventually be retired by the American Air National Guard in 1955.

Technical Details

Click on the aircraft image to view a larger version.

Top Speed Range Service Ceiling Armament

XP-47 Prototype which was cancelled as it was being built.

XP-47A Prototype which was cancelled as it was being built.

P-47B 429 mph 835 miles 42,000 ft eight 0.50-in machine-guns

P-47C 433 mph 835 miles 42,000 ft eight 0.50-in machine-guns

P-47D 433 mph 800 miles 43,000 ft eight 0.50-in machine-guns

and either 2,500lb bombs or

ten 5-in rocket projectiles

P-47D side profile image

XP-47E Sole P-47B with a pressurised cockpit.

XP-47F Sole P-47B fitted with a laminar flow wing.

P-47G P-47C and P-47Ds built by Curtiss-Wright under licence.

XP-47H A pair of P-47Ds powered by the Chrysler XIV-2220-1 inverted vee inline engine.

XP-47J Prototype with only six 0.50-in machine-guns and powered by the 2,100-hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-61 engine.

XP-47K P-47D with a Hawker Typhoon bubble canopy and rear fuselage cut down.

XP-47L Increased capacity fuselage fuel tank installed on a P-47D.

P-47M 475 mph 530 miles 41,000 ft six or eight 0.50-in machine-guns

P-47N 467 mph 800 miles 40,000 ft six or eight 0.50-in machine-guns

[scotianostra]

Margaret( Russell ) McIver was born on May 9th 1879.

“Maggie” went on to found the famous Barras in Glasgow..

Maggie was born Margaret Russell in 1879, to Margaret Hutcheson, a french polisher and Alexander Russell, a policeman, in either Bridgeton or Ayrshire sources differ. Maggie Queen of the Barras, had her first taste of business when she looked after a family friend’s fruit barrow in Parkhead. She was just 12 years old at the time.

Maggie met her husband and future business partner James McIver at the local fruit market. The couple ran a small business in the Calton, hiring out horses and carts to local hawkers, mainly women, on a daily basis.

After the first world war, the McIvers started organising Saturday markets on land that would become the present-day Barras market. In 1926, Maggie decided the market should be covered, as she was concerned about the health of the hawkers in bad weather.

When husband James contracted malaria during the war and died, Maggie was left to raise nine children and think of new ways to raise income.

She came up with the idea of opening a ballroom above the market, partly to give the hawkers somewhere to hold their Christmas dance. The Barrowland is now a world-renowned, much-loved and respected music venue, famous for its sprung floor and impressive list of performers.

Maggie asked former Bluebirds bandleader Billy McGregor to form a resident band for the Barrowland and it became Billy McGregor and the Gaybirds, a hit with Glasgow’s dancers throughout the thirties. Foxtrots and waltzes were the order of the day until American servicemen introduced jiving and jitterbugging during the Second World War.

When Maggie died in 1958, astute, caring and creative businesswoman Maggie McIver was a multi-millionaire.

The ballroom was burned down in a massive fire shortly after Maggie’s death, but reopened in 1960, with the famous neon signage erected around 1982.

The world-renowned music venue is still owned by Margaret McIver Ltd and has played host to some of the biggest musicians from across the world from David Bowie to Oasis, I was last there in September 2021 to see the late great Terry Hall and his band The Specials.

[brianrope]

With Nature

Visual Art Exhibition Review With Nature | Bridget Baskerville, Megan Cope, Wendy Dawes, Marley Dawson, Sammy Hawker, Annika Romeyn (curated by Alexander Boynes) CCAS Lakeside | 10 February – 6 April 2024 With Nature is about environmental changes happening because of us. Six contemporary Australian artists address the issues, aligning the materials they employ in their studios to convey their…

[lazy-vegetarian]

Kalaloch Cable Beanie by Alexander Hawker (free pattern on Ravelry)

[dear-indies]

Weird request, but do you have any faceclaims that are gingers? It's so hard to find ginger faceclaims of different ethnicities, body types, etc.

Hey anon! I’m not sure if you only wanted diverse faceclaims only but below are 200+ ginger faceclaims and I have noted the diverse suggestions. Please let me know if you’d like more specific suggestions for example from a certain age range.

Big thanks to @katherine-mcnamara! 

Non-binary:

Nicky Endres (1982) Korean - non-binary, transfeminine, genderqueer and queer - they/she.

Olly Alexander (1990) - non-binary and gay - he/him.

Kaitlyn Alexander (1992) - non-binary - they/them.

Maggie McGill (?) - is non-binary, queer and fat/plus size- she/they,

Women:

Joy Behar (1942)

Sondra Currie (1947) 

Becky Ann Baker (1953)

Kay Adshead (1954)

Julianne Moore (1960)

Carol Alt (1960)

Andrea Arnold (1961)

Marcia Cross (1962)

Cheryl Hawker (1962) - is fat/plus size.

Amy Yasbeck (1962) Lebanese / Irish.

Kate Walsh (1967) 

Molly Ringwald (1968)

Debra Messing (1968)

Catherine Tate (1969)

Stephanie Belding (1971)

Brigid Brannagh (1972)

Nathalie Boltt (1973)

Alyson Hannigan (1974) Ashkenazi Jewish / Irish.

Amy Adams (1974)

Tina Campbell (1974) African-American.

Alicia Witt (1975)

Jen Richards (1976) - is trans and bisexual.

Isla Fisher (1976)

Lauren Ambrose (1978)

Natasha Lyonne (1978) Ashkenazi Jewish.

Itziar Castro (1977) - is a lesbian.

Jaime Ray Newman (1978) Ashkenazi Jewish.

Rachelle Lefevre (1979)

Ruth Connell (1979)

Nur Fettahoğlu (1980) Turkish.

Sarah Drew (1980) 

Bridget Regan (1982)

Bronagh Waugh (1982)

Lotte Verbeek (1982)

Alexandra Breckenridge (1982)

Kate Mara (1983)

Tuğçe Kumral (1983) Turkish.

Lynsey Bartilson (1983) Ashkenazi Jewish / Norwegian, Dutch, mix of English, Irish, and French.

Magda Apanowicz (1985)

Emily Beecham (1985)

Deborah Ann Woll (1985)

Natalya Rudakova (1985)

Sarah Power (1985)

Our Lady J (1985) - is trans. 

Mary Wiseman (1985) - is queer.

Sepideh Moafi (1985) Iranian.

Elçin Sangu (1985) Turkish.

Issa Rae (1985) Senegalese / African-American, Creole [African, French, distant Spanish], distant French-Haitian.

Katie Leclerc (1986) - has Ménière’s Disease.

Florence Welch (1986)

Laura Spencer (1986)

Gillian Alexy (1986)

Crystal Kay (1986) Korean / African-American,

Valorie Curry (1986)

Jessica Keenan Wynn (1986)

Sarah Snook (1987) 

Evan Rachel Wood (1987) - is bisexual. 

Genevieve Angelson (1987)

Nicola Coughlan (1987) - is fat/plus size.

Elena Satine (1987)

Sarah Hay (1987)

Stacey Farber (1987)

Christiane Seidel (1988)

Maggie Geha (1988) 

Amber Skye Noyes (1988)

Sabina Karlsson (1988) Gambian / Swedish.

Renee Olstead (1989)

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard (1989) - has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome with Marfanoid phenotype causing blindness in one eye and deafness - is a lesbian.

Clémentine Desseaux (1988) - is fat/plus size.

Jane Levy (1989) Ashkenazi Jewish / English, some Irish and Scottish.

Jessie Buckley (1989)

Renee Olstead (1989)

Jenna Thiam (1990) Armenian, Belgian / Senegalese, English, French.

Lee Sung Kyung (1990) Korean.

Galadriel Stineman (1990)

Başak Gümülcinelioğlu (1991) Turkish.

Coral Kwayie (1991) Ghanaian / British.

Carmen Solomons (1991) Mixed South African.

Su Kutlu (1991) Turkish.

Charlotte Spencer (1991) 

Colby Minifie (1992)

Alina Kovalenko (1992)

Eleanor Tomlinson (1992) 

Haley Ramm (1992)

Alexis Jordan (1992) African-American / Puerto Rican.

Anna Shaffer (1992) Black and White South African / South African Jewish.

Louisa Connolly-Burnham (1992)

Jennifer Stone (1993)

Mayra Tercero (1993) Honduran.

Olivia Cooke (1993)

Molly Quinn (1993)

Freya Mavor (1993)

Sharon Belle (1993)

Molly C. Quinn (1993)

Thiều Bảo Trâm (1994) Vietnamese. 

Janet Devlin (1994) - is bisexual. 

Ahsen Eroğlu (1994) Turkish. 

Madelaine Petsch (1994)

Jacqueline Emerson (1994)

Bronwyn James (1994) - is gay and fat/plus size. 

Khadijha Red Thunder (1994) Chippewa Cree, African-American, Spanish - is pansexual. 

Marina Ruy Barbosa (1995) Brazilian.

Aleece Wilson (1995) Metis, Afro-Canadian, Irish and Italian.

Ciara Baxendale (1995)

Phoebe Dynevor (1995)

Bree Kish (1996) 1/4 African-American 3/4 Spanish, Irish, Dutch - is fat/plus size.

Thanaerng Kanyawee Songmuang (1996) Thai.

Luca Hollestelle (1996)

Sue Ramirez / Sue Dodd (1996) Filipino / White. 

Katherine McNamara (1996)

Thanaerng Kanyawee Songmuan (1996) Thai-Chinese. 

Sierra McCormick (1997)

Toto Bruin (1997)

Ellie Bamber (1997)

Sydney Sierota (1997)

Bo Barah (1997)

Maddison Brown (1997)

Melis Sezen (1997) Turkish.

Kiera Allen (1997) - is paraplegic.

Jordana Beatty (1998)

Annalise Basso (1998)

Erica Gluck (1998) African-American, possibly other.

Sonny Turner (1998) Black British.

Mathilda Mai (1998)

Duda Brandão (1998) Brazilian.

Cheng Xiao (1998) Chinese.

Fujita Nicole (1998) Japanese / Polish, Russian.

Erin Kellyman (1998) Afro-Jamaican / Irish - is a lesbian. 

Emma Kenney (1999)

Juliette Angelo (1999)

Ellie Darcey-Alden (1999)

Julia Lester (2000) Jewish.

Kennedy Walsh (2000) 

Mina Sundwall (2001)

Talia Jackson (2001) African-American / White.

Alana Pancyr (?) 

Lynley Eilers (?) - is fat/plus size. 

Men:

William Atherton (1947)

David Caruso (1956)

Boris Becker (1967)

Tom Goodman-Hill (1968)

Morgan Alling (1968)

Toby Stephens (1969)

Tony Curran (1969)

Eric Johnson (1970)

Brendan Beiser (1970)

Zack Ward (1970) 

Michael Rapaport (1970) Ashkenazi Jewish.

Alan Tudyk (1971)

Anthony Rapp (1971)

Damian Lewis (1971) Welsh, English, Scottish, and 1/16th Jewish [Sephardi and Ashkenazi].

Scott Grimes (1971)

Michael C. Hall (1971) - has stated he’s “not all the way heterosexual.”

Brett Tucker (1972)

Ewen Bremner (1972)

Kevin McKidd (1973)

Mackenzie Astin (1973)

Kris Holden-Ried (1973)

Dash Mihok (1974) - has Tourette Syndrome. 

Michael Shannon (1974)

Seth Green (1974) Ashkenazi Jewish.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (1975) - is gay.

Marc Menchaca (1975) 

David Lewis (1976)

Krondon (1976) African-American - has albinism.

Kristofer Hivju (1978)

Diego Klattenhoff (1979)

Ethan Cohn (1979) 

Ben Foster (1980) Ashkenazi Jewish / English, French, Irish, distant Welsh and Scottish (mother; who may have converted to Judaism).

Sam Heughan (1980)

Rolf Kristian Larsen (1983)

Jidenna (1985) Igbo Nigerian / English, German, Dutch.

Alex Saxon (1987)

Kerem Bürsin (1987) Turkish.

Rupert Grint (1988)

Chris Bylsma (1988)

Luke Newberry (1990)

Alan Ashby (1991)

Calum Worthy (1991)

Elijah Baker (1991) Black British and White.

Stephen Joffe (1991) 

Sean Berdy (1993) - is deaf and has bipolar disorder.

Cameron Monaghan (1993)

Niall Cunningham (1994)

Jack Kilmer (1995)

Elliott Jay Brown (1996) Black British.

Ralph Souffrant (1996) Afro-Haitian.

Iwahashi Genki (1996) Japanese.

Leon Seidel (1996)

Yoshino Hokuto (1997) Japanese.

Garet Allen (1997)

Kai Alexander (1997)

Jake Austin Walker (1997)

Louis Hofmann (1997)

Tashi-Jay Kwayie (1998) Black British.

Justin Tinucci (1999)

Gytis Gedvilas (1999)

Tucker Albrizzi (2000) - is fat/plus size.

Pierre Sekongo (2000) Ivorian / French.

Thomas Barbusca (2003)

Stacey Edward (?) African-American.

[nellygwyn]

Good evening to all my bunters, tavern harlots, fops with fawnied famms and lace sleeves, gals who can aim their piss straight from their quim into a gent’s tankard, rapscallions who pick pockets at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, cuckholding wives, foul-smelling mudlarks, Dalmatian dogs purchased specifically to make a dandy’s carriage look flash as they trot alongside, roly-poly Prince Regents, molly-house boys, lemon syllabub addicts, fishwives with three teeth, gender benders who piss off Alexander Pope, rakes riddled with the clap, the author of I Was an Orange Hawker Until I Discovered I Had a Clitoris, beautiful & lithe Italian castrati, sapphists who fall asleep in chapel and dream of big ol’ courtesan titties, Catholic recusants, Jacobins (but only if you eat pussy and wear a single hoop earring), and anyone who has ever punched James Boswell in the face.

[cmfrtlvls]

Brian Alexander Dahlems

1993 Born in Germany, left to Singapore at 13 Outgrowing Germany

I was born in one culture, the German culture. And when I came to Singapore I basically just finished my childhood. I wasn’t so attached to school, my friends. I was just getting aware of like “ah this is the place I live at!” That’s the time when we moved to Singapore. It was a crucial time.

13 in 2006 it is exactly the right time to move.

Was not so attached to anything, was just getting aware of others, places and people. It was the time I was figuring out "Who am I”

I wasn’t really happy in Germany and so I was really happy to come to Singapore to see something new. That’s when I got to know the international culture in Singapore which I find is completely different to the Singaporean culture itself.

Do you like Singaporean culture?

I grew up in this international environment in my school. With these kids but not many Singaporeans. Beside that, in where I stayed in Bukit Timah, I got to know some people around the neighbourhood and got to know the real Singapore as well. I got to meet the people who goes to Hawker for breakfast!

For the international culture it is always entered around the city district, the tourist areas. We are always in Sentosa and East coast, I doubt any of my classmates has seen Woodlands area nor Boon Lay or Choa Chu Kang area because there is nothing for them to see there. That’s the other part of Singapore which I appreciate, next to the whole touristy side.

Do you feel like you fit into the Singaporean culture more or the International/German culture? Generally the Asian people would look up to white people, as a upper class or a gem...

When I’m in the Singaporean Culture itself I’m quickly perceived as I come from the international culture in Singapore. Which is good because I want to be associated to “Ahh he is coming from the German culture” “Oh he is just a tourist” I don’t want to be seen as, I rather be seen as “Oh yeah he lives in Singapore even though in a different social group.” I would rather have that because I feel more at home at that, even though I am not quickly accepted in that actual Singaporean culture. That takes a little bit longer, more time to get used to an Ang Moh.

When he first came to Singapore in 2006, they are still new to accepting foreign people.

Now everyone is from everywhere.

I realised a couple of days ago when I’m staying in a HDB with a friend, people who were at the hawker they were looking, as if I took the wrong bus or something, or "why is he here?!” Now after a couple of days they realised that I must be staying somewhere nearby, like it’s nothing special anymore. They just get used to you after 2-3days.

How do you feel when people look into your Nationality?

I wouldn’t be embarrassed. I’m annoyed if someone looks at me and thinks “Ah! German!”

Because that annoys me a lot, even in Germany! I only lived in Germany until I was 13. I’m almost twice that age now. I was not defined as a proper German since I left the country at 13.

By now half my life, I’m annoyed by Germany. That’s why I’m so happy about my parents wanting to go overseas because they have always wanted to live abroad, especially my dad.

That’s why my parents gave me my double name as well. My full name is Brian Alexander Dahlems. Which is one English one German. If I ever decide “Oh I want to be German” I could just be Alexander and I could fit into the German community.

Alexander (pronounced “ Ah-Lex-Xan-Der” ) is a very common name in Germany. It is nothing special, where else “Brian”? Even in Germany people would regularly ask me “Oh are you British? Or American? Or half something”  That’s when I can always tell them “Ah, I am from Germany but not really from Germany. It is complicated.” It is always a very good ice breaker in a conversation. So when people asked “Ah where are you from? America or something” I would say “No I come from Germany but I just came from this small city” “Ah, but you never lived overseas” “Ah, actually I lived in Singapore for 7 years but that has nothing got to do with my name.” And thats how the conversation always starts.

“Dahlems” is also very german, I would rather drop that too. My ultimate goal is when they get introduced to me, I don’t want them to have any stereotypical ideas about me. Even with the name “Brian” I can be seen as American, British, just want to be a well rounded international person. I don’t like people connecting me to some stereotype.

What’s a stereotype about German people that you can think of?

I think the stereotype about Germany is that logical, on time, I follow the rules (“I stop at the red light!” Even when there are no cars around) Germany put rules in place so that they don’t have to think. That makes life easier for them, sometimes it’s good but it keeps them from changing to improve themselves. Which is really stupid, that’s why I also decided in my studies I don’t want to go into car industry for example. Because every mechanic engineer wants to go into the car industry. The car industry in Germany you have no more creativity, you have no more problems to solve with creativity. I want to be able to say “Ah I can find another solution to solve this problem.” Everything has rules now, by the books, to be regulated, etc. I find this absolutely annoying.

I also heard another stereotypes that Germans have which are not true at all. Not all Germans drink beer all the time and eat sausage all day.

Especially the punctuality thing, I have not seen it. I’m punctual but I have never met a German that is punctual. It could be a character trait that someone would have, but that’s not the stereotype.

There is a term called “Verplant” (Pronounced “Fla-Plan”) They make too many plans so they get mixed up with their schedule. They will say yes to making plans, will confirm, and then half an hour before the scheduled plan they will cancel because they have made a different plan. And they didn’t know, they forgot about it.

A lot of times I can see that a lot of people are “Verplant” and on the other side people are always looking for an upgrade. They would say that they would want to come along, but as soon as they find something that fits them better they don’t mind cancelling on you. They don’t stay true to their words. So that’s Germans to you.

What’s your current advantage right now?

No one in Singapore ever expects me to fit in. Because people say “Brian he does stuff differently because he learns differently.” I realised I don’t need to fit into a group. I’m fine being the odd one out. That helped me in Singapore because here it can be seen as something positive. Being the odd one out.

In Germany it is very negative. Singapore helped me to build this confidence in myself.

I was a different person in Germany, I was not confident at all, although I was individualistic. My parents raised me to be myself first, that gave me a lot of problems in Germany because I could not fit into any group. I got picked on, bullied, I had no friends in Germany.

They mock me, they would have inside jokes that I can’t be a part of because most of the kids have playstation, computer games, they always stayed in play computer games sometimes together. I was the kid where as soon as the suns comes up, I’m outside, cycling or some outdoors activity. I never joined in with them of course and therefore there isn���t much connection with the kids.

All of a sudden when I came here within half a year, I was the coolest kid because I was the odd one out, which I never thought it would happen! It’s not like I am the cool kid instead of everyone else, everyone in my class was different. So we all had something to share to learn from each other.

What if’s possibilities.

If I would have known that if I have to go back to Germany for my education, I would have done the same school system. I wouldn’t have gone into the International school system that I did. I had a chance in 7th grade to go to the international school system or to stay in the German system. If I would have known then that I would go back to Germany to go study at a university I would have stayed in the German system. Because I would have learn everything in German I wouldn’t have had to improve my German once I come back. I had a bit of struggle, luckily my course is very heavy on mathematics. Still, I realise that the German that I studied coming back from Singapore was all based on poetries and literatures. It wasn’t focused on the daily communication like going to the supermarket, getting food, I lost all of that in 7 years because I never practiced. I would have practice this kind of conversational German if I would have stayed in the German system too.

I only had 3 German classmates out of all 60 of our age range. Everyone spoke something different. My dad was the administration manager of the German International School, that’s why I could go into that school.

Where do you feel most at home?

I know that I definitely don’t belong in the German culture and I’m not a true part of the Singaporean culture. I feel most at home just being in the International culture. Like being in New York example it’s very big and vast. So I would feel at home almost anywhere as long it’s like a bigger city with an international surrounding. It’s good because I am not planning to settle down yet. I have a chance to go out in the world and find my culture that are different.

What is your plan for the next 5 years?

Third culture kids plan differently. We plan with the entire world within you.

In 5 years I want to stay in Singapore for 5 years and I want to be in another country that I have chosen as I want to speak one more language. It’s really in no connection to what Germans would say or a Singaporean would say, rig

Why do you not want to live where you are right now?

Because people here have their certain way of life, you go to kindergarten, school, high school, then you go uni, get apprenticeship, get a girlfriend, you get married, get a house, you have a job, you work in that, and then you finish. For the people who are living here and want to live here seem so straight forward. Since I throw something odd in these mix, it’s like “Hey! Lets have a multi cultural relationship of multi cultural people with each one of us living in completely different parts of the world, and we also want to leave the country and speak 2 languages as mother tongue which puts more things into my head. There’s so many more open doors." So I am afraid of closing the right ones, and closing the wrong ones.

I thought by the time I am 26 I would have left Germany. For GOOD. And that I will be starting for my further education. I have made a good start but it seems small in comparison to what I intended I’m not comparing myself to others but I am setting my own standards.

[hollywoodland-hqs]

You’re invited to get away this winter at Montpelier Plantation & Beach, Nevis, West Indies! The trip will take place from January 25th to February 1st. Of course there are some wonderful things you can do on this island. Under the cut, you will find some places and things to do on the island.

There are several beautiful beaches to just relax, go swimming or have a few drinks at the beach bars:

Lovers Beach // Enjoy the peace and beautiful white sands, swim in the clear blue waters, admire the view across to St Kitts. 

Nisbet Beach //  Swim, sunbathe, enjoy the ocean breezes. If you follow the path leading east you'll reach the wilder and scruffier sands of Herbert's Beach.

Oualie Beach //  On weekdays this is a quiet spot to relax and swim. You can book massages and treatments at the one-hut Chill spa and there's also a dive centre, bike rental, sports fishing and watersports facilities.

Pinney’s Beach //  Sundays are busiest when many Nevisians head for the beach and there is usually volleyball, music and large family groups getting together. Hawkers sell souvenirs while other entrepreneurs offer loungers, snacks and watersports.

Windward Beach //  Breathe in, walk, beachcomb, enjoy the wide spaces and the crashing Atlantic rollers. Some locals and visitors swim or use bodyboards here, but don't take any risks or do it alone.

There are several places you can visit:

The Caribbean’s First Hotel (Bath Hotel) and the Hot Springs in the Historic Bath Village // Bath Hotel was the built in 1778; it was a playground for the rich and famous who came to Nevis to take in therapeutic hot spring baths. If you have back pain, arthritis or even just a swollen ankle the hot springs is the place for you. One dip and you will be left feeling brand new. The Bath Hotel is now the government headquarters of the Nevis island Administration.

The Horatio Nelson Museum //  This is a memoir of artifacts and memorabilia of the life and times of the British Naval Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, who visited Nevis in the late 18thcentury.

The Botanical Gardens //  Created by a Philadelphia couple Joseph and Martha Murphy, this is a garden to preserve flora from throughout the world. The garden is filled with sculptures, fountains, roses, vines, cactuses, fruit trees and orchids. The most outstanding part is the tropical rain forest conservatory, built to emulate the conservatory at Kew Gardens in England. It houses tropical plants and huge Mayan-type sculptures. Weddings, receptionist and private parties are hosted at the gardens as well. 

The Mill at Montpelier //  The Mill at the Montpelier Planation Inn is 300 years old and was converted into the only restaurant of its kind in the world. For a dining experience like no other, enjoy an intimate candle lit dinner for two, or a private party as the mill seats 24.

The Museum of Nevis History //  This is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton in 1757, he lived on the island until the age of nine. Today the building is known as the “Hamilton House” it houses one of the islands’ two museums on the first floor and the meeting room of the Nevis National Assembly on the second floor.

Visit Cottle Church //  John Cottle, once the president of Nevis and a planter, built this tiny church in 1824 as a place for his family and his slaves to worship together.

Visit Nisbet Plantation //  Feel perfectly at ease at the Caribbean's only historic plantation inn on a beach. Spread over 30 lush acres, unwind in one of just 36 casually resplendent Caribbean accommodations offering ultimate intimacy and privacy. Stroll the Avenue of the Palms connecting the Great House (c1778) to the sea. Savor island-fresh cuisine. Explore tropical island beauty or simply sway in a beachfront hammock.

Other activities: 

Hike Nevis Peak / Water Falls //  Take a hike with a personal tour guide to the Nevis Peak. On the trail you will meet six waterfalls, bamboo trees, coco trees, herbs, refreshing cool water and a whole heap of mud and fun. Not only is hiking a great way to keep in shape but it’s good for bonding and sharing stories along the way. Once to the top you will be able to see spectacular views of St. Kitts. If you are lucky you may see a tiny fella (monkey) on the tour as well

A round of Golf at Four Seasons //  Not only is it a delight playing a round of golf at the Robert Trent Jones II designed course at Four Season Nevis, you are often joined by green velvet monkeys and they seldom recommend the right club for you shot.

Nevis Plantation and Strand Experience tour //  Experience the Best of St Kitts and Nevis when you choose this relaxing five-hour excursion that combines an exhilarating boat ride, a panoramic island tour of Nevis and a Luxury beach break. (x)

History and heritage bike tour //  Steep yourself into the rich and fascinating past of beautiful Nevis—Queen of the Caribees—on 2 wheels, with a local guide leading the way. Travel by bike through downtown Charleston and past many of the island's historical landmarks. (x)

Sail and Snorkel Tours //  The sails are set as you cruise for a short one hour sail across “the Narrows” to the Southern tip of St. Kitts. The sails are dropped as you enter the snorkel cove which is only accessible by sea, ready for you to suit up and experience some of the underwater world. If snorkeling or swimming is not for you, just relax on the open decks of your catamaran. Enjoy the open bar as we have a leisurely sail back to Nevis.

Nevis Sunset Cruise //  Take in the astounding view of the tropical sun melting in the Caribbean Sea’s horizon. Discover an endless, gorgeous waterscape as you cruise over sapphire colored waters with splashes of purples, pinks and oranges. Whether it is a romantic occasion with your loved one or a good times with your friends and family, sit back and watch the breathtaking sunset, while sipping a glass of cold beer or rum punch. A memorable journey!

Horseback Riding //  Enjoy the sunset with family and friends, or a romantic trail with your significant other.

Swim with Dolphins //  Enjoy an unforgettable fun filled day and fascinating interactive experiences with the most famous dolphin family around the world. Get close up to them and discover their great intelligence, communication skills, social ties and incredible acrobatics, sense of humor and friendliness. Be amazed!

Water Sports //  Let’s stop for a minute and imagine the warm tropical breeze gently touching our skin. The crystal blue water knocking the shores and the palm trees blowing in the wind, isn’t this paradise? No lanes no limits just a thrilling experience of its own.

Sources ( 1, 2, 3)

[travelqueens]

Stunning Hawaii Destinations

Allerton Estate & Garden

Those who neither get busted at the infamous Po'ipu Road speed traps nor washed off the Spouting Horn ledge -- it's sort of a saltwater Old Faithful -- because they peeked in to its hole from the ocean side, can enjoy the tropical wonders of the Allerton Estate.

It's 100 acres of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens (NTBG) that also includes the 186-acre Lawaii Gardens where part of Jurassic Park was filmed. Many experts consider the complex of the Allerton Estate and the adjacent Lawaii Gardens to be the finest tropical gardens in the Western Hemisphere.

Lawai-kai, as it is known in Hawaiian, was originally envisioned by Hawaii's Queen Emma in the late 19th century and then by Alexander McBryde at the turn of the 20th century.

The Allerton's, for whom the estate is named, added their collection of statues, topiary, and well-considered floral additions to Queen Emma's purple bougainvillea and the native plants that include many now rare species. The NTBG runs everything here for the Allerton Trust, and the NTBG greenhouses hold a number of interesting, and often endangered, species.

Visitors can enjoy both gardens and wonderful views of the bay below the estate where it's not impossible to see whales or a diver's boat. Fortunately, the weather is a lot drier here with about 36 inches a year, rather than the record 440 inches a year up on Mount Wai'ale'ale. Despite this fact, there are plenty of ponds, waterfalls, fountains, pools and other water features.

Simply put, gardeners and birders must allow more time than the usual 2 ½ hour tour. Binoculars help on arboreal blooms and the unique birds -- birder's can add five to 10 birds to most life lists. There's some walking and some riding in open-top sampans

Guided tours cost $30 each and leave from the Visitor Center across the road from the Spouting Horn.

Bishop Museum

In its earliest days, the Bishop Museum shared the grounds with the Kamehameha Schools. The school was founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last of the descendants of the royal line of Kamehameha, for the purpose of educating Hawaiian children. Her husband, Charles Reed Bishop had established the museum to house his wife's large collection of Hawaiian artifacts and royal family heirlooms. Soon after, the schools were relocated nearby on a Kapalama Heights hillside. This move allowed the museum to expand its collection. Today, the museum has the largest Polynesian collections in the world with over two million artifacts, documents and photographs about Hawaii and other Pacific Island cultures. It also has one of the largest collections of natural history specimens in the world. The museum complex has broadened its focus in the past several years to include a planetarium and traveling exhibits that include everything from dinosaurs to space exploration, but the main attraction of the museum continues to be the Hawaiian artifacts of feathered war God Kukailimoku and the handmade feather capes worn by kings, high ranking warriors and other 'ali'i' of ancient Hawaii. Also, quite popular is the royal carriage, the full-scale blue whale exhibit and the grass 'hale' or hut in the main hall. The museum offers more than just static exhibits of artifacts. There are also many programs that include hands on learning experiences in craft demonstrations in lei-making, ukulele and hula for those interested in a more in-depth cultural experience. For those who look more toward the stars, the museum offers a wonderful program on Polynesian navigation and space exploration in an educational partnership with NASA. The experiences at the museum are almost all indoor, making it the perfect destination on an unexpected rainy day. Otherwise, the best time to visit would be in the middle of the day when the sun is at it's strongest and when the cool dark atmosphere brings welcomed relief. The museum has over 500,000 visitors each year and can be easily reached from Waikiki by city bus (board the #2 along Kuhio Avenue), by car (exit the H-1 at Likelike Hwy, right on Bernice street) or via Waikiki Trolley.

Chinatown

Chinatown occupies an area of approximately 25 square blocks just west of downtown Honolulu. From the mid-19th century this area became the predominant settling place for those Hawaii Chinese not working on the sugar or pineapple plantations. Devastated by fires in 1886 and again in 1900, the Chinese never returned to populate the area in the numbers they once had. Today, the name Chinatown is somewhat of a misnomer. Though it has lost none of its vitality and is still strongly colored by a Chinese ambience (even the local Bank of Honolulu has a Chinese motif), the area now is a much more eclectic mixture of Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, and Hawaiian influences. A Japanese Shinto shrine, a Chinese temple to Kwanyin, a Vietnamese noodle shop, or Filipino eatery now inhabit the same space, in what is at times an invigorating chaos.

Chinatown is currently undergoing a revival of sorts. Its cultural and historical value now recognized, many of the century old shops are being renovated and reoccupied as small restaurants or art galleries, the area's soothing sense of benign neglect attractive to boutique owners and restaurateurs. The Hawaii Theatre at Bethel and Pauahi Streets is perhaps the best showcase of this revitalization. Opened in 1922 as Hawaii's premier theatre, it fell into neglect and was nearly demolished a few years back. Reopened in 1995 following extensive renovations, it has regained a spot as one of the premier Hawaii venues for live performances and theatre.

Take a morning to stroll through Chinatown's network of streets and small shops. Saturday morning is best, when produce hawkers, fish vendors, buyers, families out for dim sum, locals, visitors, and students from the nearby university make the place a vibrant place to spend a few hours. Enjoy the varied scents of the markets (Oahu Market, established in 1904 on the corner of King and Kekaulike is a good start). The odors of local fish like aku (tuna) and opakapaka (snapper), mix with Korean kimchee, char siu (roasted pork) and incense in a feast for the senses. Maybe some ginseng is just the remedy for your sluggishness - you can find it at the local herbalist. Or treat yourself to a pig's head, they run about .75 cents a pound. Watch the old men playing Chinese chess or cards along the River Street Canal, or spend your time browsing one of Chinatown's many antique and curio shops. You can top it all off with some pho(a popular Vietnamese noodle dish) and a can of cold soy milk. After over 150 years Chinatown has retained its color and authenticity, and remains a living and colorful community of Hawaii's many cultures.

[teelippy]

#flashback 😍 3 yrs ago in 2017 when I was at my biggest size 126kg, I do miss my old self ... if not for health sake I would remained big, my comfort zone. And haha I was drinking earl grey from beer tap at Alexander Village food center. Nice 👍 the tap creates foam on top like a beer but without the alcohol haha 😆 well I have near to zero alcohol tolerance till now ... not a drinker so... (at Alexandra Village Hawker Centre) https://www.instagram.com/p/CF4qn-oA2hC/?igshid=1wk7jdl6appv7

[usafphantom2]

RAF Leeming 11/10/2022 by Michael Alexander Via Flickr: XE688 Hawker Hunter T.72, Hawker Hunter Aviation on touchdown runway 16.

[latesttori]

Crimestoppers announce £10k reward for anyone with useful information that would lead to the arrest of killers of BBNaija star, Khafi's brother

Police investigating the murder of Alexander Kareem, the younger brother of BBNaija star, Khafi Kareem, have made a renewed appeal for information as Crimestoppers announced a £10,000 reward for anyone with any useful information.

Alexander, 20, was shot dead on June 8 close to his family house in Shepherd’s Bush, West London. He was said to have been walking back home from a convenience store when he was shot by a yet-to-be-identified person. Witnesses say he screamed out “help me” as he lay dying in the street at 12.40am. He died from a gunshot wound to the chest and abdomen, police said. The independent charity, Crimestoppers is now offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information that would lead to the arrest of the person or people responsible for the murder of Alexander Kareem. Police are also investigating a white Ranger Rover which was found burned out just 25 minutes after police were called to the scene. DCI Wayne Jolley, said: “We continue to work round the clock to find answers for Alexander’s friends and family. We are appealing to those who have information to call and say what you know. There are people out there who know who was in the white Range Rover that night. You are protecting someone who has committed a terrible crime and needs to be brought to justice. Please think of Alex’s family and friends who deserve to know what happened to him. “We are hoping this significant reward, put up by Crimestoppers, will encourage people to come forward. It is 100 percent anonymous. “There continues to be additional patrols in the area and we want to reassure the public that we will do all we can to bring those responsible to justice.” Alexa Loukas, London regional manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of Alexander after this tragic murder. He had a great future ahead of him and his life has been senselessly cut short. If you know who was responsible or have any information, no matter how small, please speak up and tell Crimestoppers. This is your opportunity to do the right thing. We are offering this reward because his family deserve to see justice for Alexander.” Read Also:  https://www.latesttori.com/75-year-old-man-arrested-for-allegedly-raping-15-year-old-hawker-in-osun/ Read the full article

[umichenginabroad]

Die Die Must Try

I can’t believe I’m already entering my third week here in Singapore. It’s amazing and you die die must try, as they say in Singlish. 

(If you want to try to speak Singlish, just add “lah” to the end of every sentence and you’re halfway there, lah.)

There is such variety in good food here and it’s all relatively inexpensive. Everywhere around Singapore there are these locations called Hawker centers which is basically just a bunch of tiny booths where you can order food.

Hawker center in Jurong near NTU

I’ve tried so many new dishes here from the common chicken and rice to rice porridge, from Singaporean Laksa to hand-made noodle dishes and the best butter chicken I’ve ever tasted. So many times, I’m really not sure what I’m ordering but it’s always been delicious and usually pretty filling. A meal here at most places will only cost you around S$4.50 (about $3.50 USD). Surprisingly, fast food (like McDonalds and KFC, which a pretty common) is more expensive.

In addition to these tasty dishes, many Hawker centers offer fresh juice. For a dollar or two you can have a fruit freshly squeezed or blended into a refreshing drink.

Alright, now on to the sights I’ve seen. Last weekend, a student group here at NTU led a tour of Pulau Ubin, a nature filled island off the north coast of Singapore.

To get there, we hired boats at the ferry terminal. These small boats are the only way to and from island, even for residents.

Small, wooden ferry boats

On the island, we saw monkeys, wild boars, historical houses, and too much jungle in the very hot and humid weather. It was interesting for sure, but I wouldn’t say the island is a must-see.

Wild boar curious if we have any food

On Sunday, a group of us from NTU went to Little India. Little India was pretty unique from the rest of Singapore I’ve seen so far. The streets were lined with all kinds of shops selling cheap electronics, saris, and gold jewelry. There was a point when we walked past five jewelers in a row. Hidden between some of these stores were temples either for Buddhists, Hindus, or (surprisingly) a combination.

A row of shops in Little India

A temple hidden between the buildings.

From there we went to Arab Street. Of the weekend, Arab Street was my favorite location. It was so colorful and scenic.

Just look at all these colorful buildings with a backdrop of Masjid Sultan mosque

As the name would suggest, this area was originally home to traders from the Arabian Peninsula who played a role in making Singapore the port city it is now. 

Just outside Arab Street, we noticed an amazing mural and I have to thank my friend Marvin from Germany for bringing his wide-angle lens to capture it all.

My roommate Jacob and I in front of this stunning mural we stumbled upon

The rest of the week has been classes and doing class work. It’s still add/drop period, so classes still aren’t finalized, but, hopefully soon, I’ll know my final schedule.

Next weekend is Chinese New Year and some of my friends and I are looking into traveling. I’ll let you know. 

Till next time lah

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Alexander Steinig

Electrical Engineering

Nanyang Technological University

Singapore