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colin-therightstuff · 4 years

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Meet the cast of The Right Stuff on Disney Plus: Actors and the real Mercury Seven comparison

Revisit the space race in this new series from Disney and National Geographic.

The story of the Mercury Seven is about to be retold for a new generation on Disney Plus, with an all-new cast in tow to play the aspiring astronauts.

Set in the 1950s, The Right Stuff depicts the desperate attempt by the US to beat Russia into space, starting as NASA selects seven elite candidates from the armed forces to be considered as potential astronauts.

Disney Plus has assembled a large ensemble cast for this latest adaptation, led by Suits star Patrick J Adams as media savvy marine John Glenn, and Jake McDorman as his rival Alan Shepard.

Who will be the first to make it into space? You’ll have to tune in to find out, but in the meantime, get to know the cast of The Right Stuff with our guide to the key players.

Jake McDorman plays Alan Shepard

Who is Alan Shepard? Shepard is an accomplished test pilot who is selected to be part of the Mercury Seven programme. He’s a charming ladies man but dislikes people prying into his personal life, nor does he know how to handle himself with the media. His main rival is John Glenn, with the two of them depicted as frontrunners for the coveted astronaut job.

What else has Jake McDorman been in? McDorman is probably best known for his lead role in Limitless, the short-lived television series based on the Bradley Cooper film of the same name. He also played Mike Pratt in the long-running US remake of Shameless, Jeff in vampire comedy What We Do in The Shadows, and Captain Metropolis in HBO’s Watchmen series.

Who played Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff (1983)? Shepard was portrayed by Scott Glenn in The Right Stuff film adaptation, who recently appeared in Marvel’s Daredevil and The Defenders as blind ninja Stick.

Patrick J Adams plays John Glenn

Who is John Glenn? Glenn is selected from the Marine Corp to be a part of the Mercury Seven and quickly rises to the challenge. He is very determined to be the first American in space, as he feels it will guarantee his legacy for generations to come. Glenn is also very polished and media savvy, gathering attention from the press with ease.

What else has Patrick J Adams been in? Adams is best known for the role of lawyer Mike Ross in the hit legal drama Suits, which he played across the first seven seasons. He has since appeared in Orphan Black, Legends of Tomorrow and Amazon Prime Video’s Sneaky Pete.

Who played John Glenn in The Right Stuff (1983)? Acclaimed actor Ed Harris played John Glenn in the original film, who currently stars in HBO’s Westworld.

Colin O’Donoghue plays Gordon Cooper

Who is Gordon Cooper? Cooper is a test pilot in the United States Air Force and the youngest of the recruits to the Mercury Seven. He’s skilled at his work but has a troubled home life which could wreck his chances at being selected.

What else has Colin O’Donoghue been in? O’Donoghue is probably best known as Captain Hook in the ABC fairytale series Once Upon a Time.

Who played Gordon Cooper in The Right Stuff (1983)? Dennis Quaid played Gordon ‘Gordo’ Cooper in The Right Stuff.

Aaron Staton plays Wally Schirra

Who is Wally Schirra? Schirra is a test pilot with a naval background who joins The Mercury Seven.

What else has Aaron Staton been in? Staton had a starring role as Ken Cosgrove in the acclaimed period drama Mad Men. Video game fans may also remember him as Cole Phelps in the 2011 detective game L.A Noire, which was recently re-released on next gen consoles.

Who played Wally Schirra in The Right Stuff (1983)? Lance Henriksen played Wally Schirra in the 1983 film, known for his sci-fi roles in Aliens, The Terminator and X-Files spin-off Millennium.

James Lafferty plays Scott Carpenter

Who is Scott Carpenter? Carpenter is another test pilot with a naval background selected to be a member of The Mercury Seven.

What else has James Lafferty been in? Lafferty is best known for his role as Nathan Scott in the teen drama One Tree Hill, which he played for a period of nine years. He has since appeared in the Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House.

Who played Scott Carpenter in The Right Stuff (1983)? Charles Frank played the role in the film adaptation, who went on to be a recurring player on American soap opera All My Children.

Micah Stock plays Deke Slayton

Who is Deke Slayton? Deke is a test pilot hailing from the US Air Force who makes it through the rigorous testing to become a member of the Mercury Seven.

What else has Micah Stock been in? Stock recently appeared in the Amazon Prime Video original movie Brittany Runs a Marathon, and earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in It’s Only A Play on Broadway.

Who played Deke Slayton in The Right Stuff (1983)? Scott Paulin played the Air Force veteran in the 1983 film, who also had roles in Teen Wolf and Turner & Hooch.

Michael Trotter plays Gus Grissom

Who is Gus Grissom? Grissom is a US Air Force pilot and member of the Mercury Seven, who enjoys hunting in his spare time. He keeps out of the limelight in comparison to the likes of fellow trainee astronaut John Glenn.

What else has Michael Trotter been in? Trotter’s previous roles include Reno in Marvel’s Inhumans and Elden Donahue in the American drama series Underground.

Who played Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff (1983)? He was first portrayed by Fred Ward in the 1983 original.

Jordan Woods-Robinson plays Mike Turley

Who is Mike Turley? Turley is a journalist who begins prying into the personal life of Gordon Cooper, as public interest in the Mercury Seven reaches stratospheric levels.

What else has Jordan Woods-Robinson been in? Woods-Robinson played Eric Raeligh on The Walking Dead, a recurring role throughout seasons five to eight.

Nora Zehetner plays Annie Glenn

Who is Annie Glenn? Annie is John’s wife who looks after their children, but struggles with a severe stutter.

What else has Nora Zehetner been in? Zehetner recently bagged roles in Kiefer Sutherland political thriller Designated Survivor and the final season of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, where she played Viola.

Patrick Fischler plays Bob Gilruth

Who is Bob Gilruth? Gilruth is one of the key figures in the early years of NASA, who directs the Project Mercury programme. He’s looking for only the finest recruits as the US races to beat Russia into space.

What else has Patrick Fischler been in? Fischler has recently appeared in Twin Peaks: The Return, surreal fantasy drama Happy! and the Apple TV+ original series Defending Jacob, starring Chris Evans.

Jackson Pace plays Glynn Lunney

Who is Glynn Lunney? Lunney is a young employee of NASA working on Project Mercury, taking orders from Gilruth on the administrative side of the programme.

What else has Jackson Pace been in? Pace found a breakout role in the early seasons of political thriller Homeland as Chris Brody, the son of Damian Lewis’ mysterious veteran. He went on to play Gage in The Walking Dead and Luke in Netflix’s Grace and Frankie.

The Right Stuff is available to stream on Disney Plus from Friday 9th October.

#the right stuff #the right stuff cast #colin o'donoghue #jake mcdorman #Patrick J Adams #James Lafferty #micah stock #michael trotter #Aaron Staton #Patrick Fischler #jackson pace #Nora Zehetner #jordan woods-robinson

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tabloidtoc · 4 years

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Star, January 18

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Duchess Kate and Duchess Camilla holiday from hell

Page 1: Teresa Giudice goes Insta-official with her new businessman beau while her ex Joe Giudice posts a pic of his own -- Luis “Louie” Ruelas lavished Teresa with gifts and he doesn’t let her pay for anything while Joe posted a photo of his supposed love writing Happiness doesn’t depend on wealth

Page 2: Contents, Bachelorette Tayshia Adams slipped on a bauble from Zac Clark

Page 3: Jennifer Garner pulled on a Santa-approved sweater and a striped mask before heading out in L.A., Sophia Bush wore a mask saying I’m Smiling as she stopped by Greenblatt’s Deli in Hollywood, newlyweds Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts piled into their car to see Regina King’s directorial debut One Night in Miami in Malibu

Page 4: Bilingual mom of five Hilaria Baldwin gets flamed for faking her European identity -- the yogi is upset that so many people were bashing her and she felt compelled to defend herself -- her husband Alec Baldwin went on the attack in a rant because he won’t tolerate anyone trolling Hilaria

Page 5: It’s the role of a lifetime and actresses are lining up to play Madonna in her biopic and current frontrunners are Florence Pugh and Julia Garner -- the bosses at CAA which is the agency helping put the movie together want Florence and promised to take her to the next level but on the other hand fans and press want Julia because she’s such a dead-ringer for early-career Madonna

* Days after Dakota Johnson flashed a giant emerald ring from boyfriend Chris Martin the singer’s ex Gwyneth Paltrow is calling dibs on their wedding -- Chris and Dakota are looking to get married next summer and Gwyneth has already talked to them about playing a big part in their big day -- Gwyneth feels very close to Dakota which puts the bride-to-be in an awkward position because Dakota wants to make her mom Melanie Griffith her bridesmaid and Melanie is warning Dakota that Gwyneth will end up upstaging the whole day if she’s in the wedding party

* Soleil Moon Frye and Jason Goldberg have parted ways after a 22-year marriage -- the parents of daughters Poet and Jagger and sons Lyric and Story will move forward with love and compassion and they have a good chance of keeping their split amicable -- they’ve been drifting apart for years and eventually it dawned on them that they’re on different paths

Page 6: Six months after splitting from wife Megan Fox, Brian Austin Green was spotted boarding a flight at LAX with Dancing With the Stars pro Sharna Burgess -- their relationship is new but it’s moving fast and they’ve become inseparable over the last few weeks -- the timing has some friends of the dancer concerned because no one wants to see Sharna get hurt or caught up in a toxic rebound relationship as Brian’s still clashing with Megan over their divorce

* Emmy Rossum looks unrecognizable playing Angelyne but that’s not what caught her coworkers’ eyes on set: she looks pregnant -- Emmy wed Sam Esmail in 2017 and they’ve talked about starting a family forever so it’s a very special time

* Star Spots the Stars -- Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber, Angela Bassett, Chrishell Stause and Keo Motsepe and Gleb Savchenko and Cassie Scerbo, Irina Shayk, Ramona Singer and Colin Cowie

Page 8: Star Shots -- Mark Ballas and his dog Hendrix both donned holiday sweaters, Reese Witherspoon and her dog Minnie

Page 9: Martha Stewart on her snow plow, Emma Slater who hails from the U.K. and Russia-born Sasha Farber passed their U.S. citizenship test

Page 10: Director Regina King suited up for the drive-in premiere of her film One Night in Miami at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, Donnie Wahlberg and Marisa Ramirez headed to the wintry beach to shoot scenes for Blue Bloods in Queens

Page 11: Tessa Thompson brought along her father Marc Anthony Thompson to a film premiere, Bindi Irwin at 26 weeks pregnant

Page 12: The Bachelor Matt James hit the links in Jupiter, Marlon Wayans on a pre-holiday getaway in Tulum, a masked Katie Holmes toted some last-minute Christmas shopping

Page 13: Eva Longoria working out, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen enjoyed a hike together during a getaway to St-Barth

Page 14: Days after saying goodbye to her beloved New York state home Sandra Lee was on garbage duty at her $3.4 million west coast digs in Malibu, Jordana Brewster with boyfriend Mason Morfit enjoy a stroll in Los Angeles

Page 15: Elle Macpherson during a day of shopping in Miami, Candice Swanepoel with her youngest son Ariel at the beach in Miami

Page 18: Normal or Not? Renee Zellweger did some heavy lifting while out in L.A. -- not normal, Bella Hadid made a snow angel in NYC -- normal, Bai Ling stepped out in Hollywood dressed in a currency-inspired ensemble -- not normal

Page 19: Madonna with pink hair -- normal, Justin Bieber appeared to be deep in thought leaving the studio in Burbank -- normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars look marvelous in metallics -- Kerry Washington, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jessica Alba

Page 21: Kate Beckinsale, Camila Morrone, Zoe Kravitz

Page 24: Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson engaged -- despite their rocky history the couple are happily tying the knot -- Khloe is convinced Tristan has changed and won’t dare deceive her a third time

Page 25: After a year of dating Liam Hemsworth and Gabriella Brooks are playing house -- Liam recently purchased a $4.9 million five-bedroom estate in the posh seaside town of Byron Bay and the model has moved in -- they get along great and have a nice easygoing vibe between them and Liam loves that there’s no drama with Gabriella and he says she is the one; they both feel that they are soulmates

* Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli marriage on the brink -- things were fraying between them well before they went off to prison and there’s been a lot of finger-pointing and blame and they both acknowledge their foundation has crumbled

* The release of Justin Timberlake’s latest film is bringing back a bad time in his eight-year marriage to Jessica Biel -- as he gears up to promote the premiere of Palmer the couple are bracing for a new round of headlines about Justin’s bad-boy behavior in which he was spotted getting handsy with costar Alisha Wainwright -- Justin’s expected to do promo interviews alongside Alisha albeit via Zoom and that’s not cool with Jessica at all and the bickering between Justin and Jessica is setting in again big time

Page 26: Cover Story -- Christmas From Hell -- with Duchess Kate and Duchess Camilla at war over who should fill Queen Elizabeth’s shoes the holidays were anything but merry for the royals

Page 29: It’s been a year since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world by stepping back from their royal duties last January and now it seems they’re rethinking severing all ties with the monarchy because the couple are seeking a 12-month extension of their so-called Megxit deal which expires at the end of March in the hope of keeping their royal patronages and reinstating the military titles that Harry was devastated to lose when the pair left the U.K. for the U.S.

Page 30: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez: the wedding is off -- postponing her Italian nuptials with Alex gave Jennifer time to think and now she’s rethinking getting married at all

Page 32: Teen Heartthrobs: Where Are They Now? Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Donny Osmond

Page 33: Leif Garrett, Andrew Keegan

Page 38: Entertainment

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Paris Hilton and little sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild showed off their good sides in pastel Alessandra Rich frocks during a recent photoshoot

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indifferent-century · 5 years

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Ringing in the New Year, 1842

(Illustration: painting of the same name by John Edward Davis ) Holidays at sea in the nineteenth century Royal Navy were generally a cause for merriment, marked at the very least by the distribution of an extra round of grog - “Splicing the mainbrace,” as the practice was called. Officers might hold special dinners amongst themselves, and sailors might organize games, music, or other festivities.

In the discovery service, being ice-locked on a holiday could lead to some particular amusements.

The precedent for grand celebrations in the polar regions can be traced back to the voyages of Sir Edward Parry, who spent numerous winters in the Arctic and was adamant that his crews remain busy and entertained, to combat the dreaded melancholia (often referred to as ”debility”) that could come while frozen in during a season wherein the sun never rose. Parry and his men created the Royal Arctic Theatre, holding full costumed performances on board their ships, and also organized masquerade balls around the New Year and in the depths of winter. These were events where social standards were broken down a bit, with both officers and sailors participating, and men in many cases dressing in women’s clothing (a necessity when casting a play of course, but also a sort of understanding that so far from English “society,” norms could be flexible for the sake of men’s morale.) James Clark Ross served as a midshipman and later a lieutenant on no fewer than four of Parry’s voyages of exploration. In three of those instances he was serving alongside his closest friend and future second-in-command, Francis Crozier. Although December marks the height of the summer, not winter, in the Antarctic, and the sun, rather than never rising, does not set, it is not surprising that Ross and Crozier would follow Parry’s example on their Antarctic expedition of 1839-43. Journals from the expedition recount that New Years celebrations were standard through the four-year voyage, but the turn of 1841 into 1842 was the most notable. With the ships Erebus and Terror trapped in pack ice near the Antarctic Circle, the officers had a unique opportunity to hold a grand party on the ice itself. A sort of ballroom was carved in the ice, complete with ice statues and decorated with flags and improvised tavern signs. There were four days of dancing and games, highlighted by a “fancy ball” (masquerade/costume party) which featured Captain Ross in the guise of a woman opening the dance floor as Crozier’s partner in a quadrille.

Some written accounts of the festivities below the cut!

From a letter written by John Edward Davis to his sister. Davis was Second Master HMS Terror, and also the artist who painted the watercolor above:

... On the 30th we got no farther than the Circle, and the ice was so close and thick that we could not proceed; the weather was thick and foggy, and the mist on the rigging froze as it fell, and as their was danger of fouling or losing each other, there not being room to work, we made fast to the same piece of ice, and of course being only about 50 yards apart there was a great deal of visiting, for we had but to walk across the ice to get to the Erebus. So we proposed to see the Old Year out and the New Year in in style on the 31st. I dined on board the Erebus, and after dinner Hooker (the assistant surgeon of the Erebus) and myself went on the ice and cut out in the hard snow the figure of a woman, which we called our “Venus de Medici.” She was made sitting down and about eight feet long, and as the snow froze very hard she remained perfect till we left the flow. I assure you that (although I says it as shouldn’t) it was not badly executed, and was the cause of a good deal of fun, and was much criticised; after that we cleared away a room by cutting down to the solid ice, and built a table in it, on which to drink the Old Year out and the New Year in. At a few minutes before twelve you would have been stunned with the noise that was made, each ship trying to beat the other--blowing of horns, beating of gongs, squealing of pigs (for the men took the latter under their arms to make them make a noise), and all kinds of diabolical music--and at twelve it was increased by each ship ringing forty-two bells, which is called ringing the New Year in. We then all (I mean the officers of course) assembled at our refreshment room on the ice between the ships where the two captains soon joined us. Captain Ross was in high spirits, shaking hands with everybody and wishing them a Happy New Year. He then drank the health of all our men (for they were all up), the hands having been turned up to “Splice the main brace.” They then cheered him, and the same thing was done by Captain Crozier to the Erebus, and after some more drinking and cheering we separated for the night, or morning.

On New Year’s Day I wished you all many happy returns of it; and my dear mother, I hope she will see many more, and may she never have cause to complain of any of ther children, and may they (myself included) never fail in their duty and love towards her... We all dined together in the gun-rom, and after dinner, at about eight in the evening, we all went to a ball on the ice, a ball-room having been previously cut, with sofas all around, of course all made of snow. Flag-staffs were planted with the Royal Standard; two or three silk Union Jacks, besides other flags, presenting, I assure you, a very gay appearance. I must mention the sign-boards (for it was supposed to be an inn): one was “The Erebus and Terror,” and the other, rigged on a boat-hook staff and an ice-axe, presented the figure of Bacchus in one corner and Britannia in another, and something else equally fine in the others, but it puzzled my powers of discernment to decipher what they were intended to represent. But in the centre was painted “The Pilgrims of the Ocean,” and on the reverse (but I ought not to mention that as it was rather egotistical, but was copied from the ‘Quarterly Review’), “The Pioneers of Science,” at which Captain Ross was greatly amused. On the signal being given (a gun from the Erebus), the two captains made their appearance (under a rather irregular salute of musketry from a party of the men rigged as a guard of honour) and took their seats on a raised snow sofa, and soon after the ball commenced. Of course Captain Crozier and Miss Ross opened the ball with a quadrille; after that we had reels and country dances. Ices and refreshments were handed round, the former in the greatest profusion (the boatswain of the Erebus performing the part of host under the title of Mr. Boniface). You would have laughed to see the whole of us, with thick overall boots on, dancing, waltzing and slipping about, and all the fun imaginable going on. Ladies fainting with cigars in their mouths, to cure which the gentlemen would politely thrust a piece of ice down her back. But it would require a “Boz” [Charles Dickens] to give any idea of the ridiculous scene; it was beyond all description, and the best of it was not an ill word the whole time, although there were some very heavy falls and many a sore face from the blows of the snowballs. All was taken in good part, and, as the Vicar of Wakefield says, “What was wanting in wit was made up in laughter.” No accident occurred to me, without I may mention that a lady burnt the back of my hand with a cigar. In the next room some of the men were playing “Bell the cat.” At about one o’clock as the captains left we first pelted them with snowballs and then cheered them, both of which honours they took with equally good humour... I afterwards did a bit of a picture of the scene which has been greatly praised, and I have been asked to get it engraved and so ensured against lost, but there are two people to give their consent to that; but I shall wait till we get to England before I say anything about it, and then I might get two or three things lithographed if they are worth it...

---

From James Clark Ross’s published account of the voyage. He is expectedly very formal and mostly scientific about his descriptions, since he was writing for a more official audience and not a family member, but does manage to mention the party:

Notwithstanding the inauspicious circumstances in which we were placed, the arrival of the new year was hailed by us all with the same feelings of confident hope and cheerfulness which had animated our exertions throughout the last season’s operations in these regions: and although we had found the pack to extend much farther to the northward than o the former occasion, and were at this time beset in so dense a portion of it, that not the least hole of water could be seen amongst it, presenting to our view an apparently impenetrable mass, as far as the eye could discern from the mastheads of our ships, yet we were encouraged to hope that the clear water was at no great distance to the southward of us; for we found the ice in which we were enclosed continue to move to the northward before every southerly breeze: it must therefore have left clear water at the place it originally occupied, and from which it was drifting. We had already advanced two hundred and fifty miles through the pack; and from its breadth last season, not much exceeding two hundred miles, we could not but expect to be soon released, and enabled to renew our exploration at the point of the barrier where we had left off last year. Our observations to-day at noon placed us in latitude 66º 32′ S., longitude 156º 28′ W., we therefore crossed the Antarctic circle this season the same day that we did last year, and forty degrees of longitude, or about fourteen hundred miles to the eastward.

A complete suit of warm clothing was issued to our crews, as a new year’s gift, and the customary double allowance of provisions and spirits was served out to them. As the state of the ice prevented our making any attempt to proceed, we remained moored to the large floe piece we had hold of, and the day was spent by our people in the enjoyment of various amusing games on the ice, which their ingenuity invented, and which was finally wound up by a grand fancy ball, of a novel and original character, in which all the officers bore a part, and added much to the merriment and fun which all seemed greatly to enjoy; indeed, if our friends in England could have witnessed the scene, they would have thought, what I am sure was truly the case, that we were a very happy party.

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From the Memorandum Book of Sergeant W. K. Cunningham, Royal Marines, HMS Terror. Spelling, punctuation, and other quirks of grammar are his: 31st Friday New years eve: still fast: ice closed entirely round us: weather beautifull. In the course of the day built a nice appartment on the ice and put up a Sign of the “Pilgrim of hte Ocean” on one Side, with the “Pioneers of Science on the other. At 12 PM hoisted the Union and welcomed 1842 with three hearty cheers and “hands” splice the “Main brace.” Drank her Majesties health after which the Officers had a jubilee in the Pilgrim of the Ocean and both Ships companies repaired on board the Erebus and commenced dancing which was Kept up until an early hour and every thing went of with the best of good fellowship.

It was a beautifull yet dreary Sight, to See the two Ships joined on the bosom of the deep with nothing in Sight only ice and snow and the Solitary Peterel or other Sea bird -- it reminded me of Scotts “Diamond of the Desert” in the Talisman.

1st Saturday Was ushered in with joviality and hilarity; I hope it will go out so. Day very fine and a perfect Calm: no opening in the ice. During the day cleared away a four corner Ground and Skittle Alley on the ice also a ring for a jingling match and a ball room for the Officers.

At 9 PM, on a gun being fired from the “Erebus” a Silk Union jack Royal Standard & Ensin was hoisted on the ice and a Royal Salute was fired by a party of Seamen with Muskets who were acting “soldiers” headed by Mr Oakly and presented a most Ludicruous and Laughable appearance. The Officers drunk H Majesties health in Champagne and the Ships Company spliced the Main brace and drank her health with I dont Know how many cheers. After which dancing commenced and was Kept until midnight when Sunday morning walked in and hauled down the colors, and dispersed the Company. The jingling match afforded a deal of amusement: we in all spent a very happy New Years day Considering where we were and every officer deserves credit for endevouring to make every one comfortable...

... 3rd Monday Fine: light breeze which increased at night with snow: ice opening a little to the eastward. The Evenings amusement on the ice commenced with jumping in Sacks: A Pig hunt and climbing a greasy pole for rum also a bear beat and other laughable &cs. A number of snow birds and several gigantic Peterel about: snowing all night.

#long post #primary sources #Antarctic Exploration #James Clark Ross #Francis Crozier #New Years in the ice!#New Years #JCRAppreciationMonth

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darylandbethfanforever9 · 5 years

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Downfall Of Us All: Chapter 10

Downfall Of Us All

Chapter 10

AN: This chapter has mentions of breeding, and sexual assault, and forced pregnancy. If you feel uncomfortable or have triggers, skip to the next part. Thank you to @jtargaryen18 who helped me write this incredible story, and I give her full credit for putting up with me, and co - writing this story with me.

Warnings: Forced breeding, mentions of past sexual assault

Back in the compound, Tony slumped in the chair behind his desk, doing everything he could to try and find some electronic trace of Pepper. Every route he tried came to a dead end. Something had happened to her, he felt it. The loss of Happy, one of his dearest friends just felt the like the opening salvo to something else coming, something darker and far worse. Though how anything could even come close to the tragedy and desperation they'd faced at the hand of Thanos, he didn't know.

Pepper might. He still loved her. She maybe didn't love him now. Maybe she didn't want to be with him anymore. But he could live with that if she was out there, alive. He fought for her too each time he donned the suit. He couldn't make her see that, but it didn't make it any less true for him. All he could do was hope the team found something, some clue to where she might be. And God help anyone who had done anything to hurt her.

"Mr. Stark?"

Glancing up, he saw the young woman he'd taken with him to the police station earlier.

"Lilia?" At least he thought that's what her name had been. She nodded, ducking into his office. She really was a young woman and she had an amazing resume from what he'd found when he looked up her employee records. Why did he do that? "I'm getting ready to head home," she told him. "Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?" Tony shook his head. "How was your first day?" She blew out an exhale. "It's been good, Mr. Stark, but…" Her brow had knitted which meant something else was coming and he just wanted her to spit it out, so he could go back to worrying. It just wasn't a good time. "We ended up going into Ms. Potts' office to find my paperwork earlier," she began, "and we were going over the items on her desk and computer." Pepper? She had his attention. "The lady who helped me panicked because she said that Ms. Potts may be missing and didn't want me to access anything, but I was already in. I'm so sorry." "You were already in?" His brows shot up. "How'd you manage that?" "Her password was tonysadork4," Liliya told him. "It wasn't that hard." "And?" There was a reason she was mentioning this. "The last entries on her computer showed what she'd accessed before she left," Liliya explained. "She had accessed two files, each person with a strange last name. Melnychenko Drăgoi, at least I hope I pronounced it correctly." Tony's heart dropped. "Did they make copies?" Lilia nodded grimly. "I don't know if that would help but I thought I should mention it. And explain what I was doing there. I'm so sorry. If you need to fire me…" Tony sprang up from his desk. "You're working overtime now," he told her, taking her by the elbow. "Let's go take a look." The young woman looked relieved. "Overtime it is. Let's go." Before they could make it out the office, Tony's phone buzzed. It was Clint. "Just a minute. I need to take this," he told her.

"Clint, it's me what did you find out?" Tony asked quickly, his stomach twisting in knots. He had a bad feeling that something awful had happened to Pepper. "Me and Grace searched Pepper's penthouse, and office. And we found out she left for London, she's also left a letter for you, but we think it was forged." Clint said grimly, Tony felt his stomach drop in dread at his words. Someone had taken Pepper? "What else did you and the team find out, Clint?" He asked urgently, feeling a shudder go up his spine at what he was hearing. Something was clearly going on. "Natasha, Bucky and Sophie found a used syringe in the driver's seat, Sophie found a disposable phone with a voicemail message. We're sending it to you, and Lilia now, and Bucky found 10mm Auto shell casings. It's not looking good, Tony." Clint admitted grimly. Tony felt his stomach sink. "When you and the team get back, me and Lilia need to talk to you all. It's urgent," He said finally, feeling uneasy. "You got it, take care Tony." Clint said quietly and hung up as Tony looked at Lilia who looked worried as they walked to her office and she unlocked the door. A black Toshiba Satellite laptop sat in the middle of a comfortable dark cherry wood desk. There were four framed photographs on the right-hand side, with a notebook, and a black fountain pen. "These are the files I found on Ms. Potts' history, she was reading information on two women called Sophie and Grace Melnychenko Drăgoi. And she was trying to access their medical files, and Peter Parker's file." Lilia explained worriedly, as Tony logged into Pepper's laptop. Sure enough, she'd accessed the files last night an hour before Happy had been murdered. She'd logged out at 11:30, the time Happy had been killed. Why would Pepper want to access their files? She didn't even know Sophie or Grace, and she barely knew Peter. "Jarvis pull up everything that Ross, and Fury gave us on Anya Melnychenko and Adam Drăgoi!" Tony ordered urgently, Jarvis immediately pulled up files on the two individuals. Lilia watched anxiously, having an odd feeling that she'd stumbled across something very dangerous.

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"Patient Twenty-seven should be waking up soon, sir. When do you want me to start?" The male voice asked the man sitting behind the desk calmly, looking completely at ease. "When was her last menstrual cycle?" The doctor asked patiently, it was regrettable that they didn't have patient twenty-four, but they had three young women who were perfect healthy. He observed the latest test subject through the observation glass, she was currently sedated having had blood tests taken, and her IUD taken out. "Two weeks ago." The agent confirmed smugly, having studied his prey meticulously. He had studied the three women well and learned their routines. "Wait until she's had another one, but you can start on patient twenty-five. She's just finished her menstrual cycle, and patient twenty-six is on hers currently," the scientist instructed smoothly, and they exchanged a look. "Hail HYDRA." He said resolutely, and the man nodded at him in agreement and saluted. "Hail HYDRA."

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The agent calmly walked down the hallway to his room and locked the door firmly behind him. He pulled out a photo of a young woman with light wavy blonde hair, and smirked. "You'll be mine again, soon." He growled darkly and left the room as he found subject twenty five's little bedroom. She'd been cleaned up and was wearing a hospital gown. All ready for him and HYDRA. He pulled down the bedsheets, and slid up her hospital gown carefully, feeling her shudder under his touch. He cupped her left breast, feeling how hot it was. She struggled in the cuffs they'd used to secure her to the bed, her dark eyes shiny with tears. "Why are you doing this?" She twisted trying to pull free of his grip. He chuckled at her efforts, squeezing her breast harder now. "Because I can," he growled at her. "And because you're going to be a very important part of our research." Panting from her efforts, frantic to get away but unable to, the young woman glared up at him. "How dare you call rape research, you –" "Ah-ah," he cut her off. "Don't start lecturing me again about how you're a real scientist and what real research is. No one here is interested, understand?" Tears ran down her face now and he had to give her credit, she was a fighter. Not that it would do her any good. "Your arrogance will be what brings you down," she said with conviction. "They will come for us. And they will shut this entire nightmare down, once and for all." He nodded. "Maybe. Or maybe we wouldn't have taken you and your little friend and the businesswoman in there if they hadn't stepped into on our territory and taken what was ours." "What?" Confusion clouded those pretty brown eyes. "What did they take of yours?" "Not what. Who." He patted his girl's picture in his pocket. It wouldn't be long now. He was done with her stalling. He wasn't here to have a conversation. "Now, I don't want to gag you, but I will if you keep running your gums, you got that? Relax and this will be over faster. Piss me off and I'll take my time." He grabbed one of her thighs with his other hand, felt it tremble beneath him. He watched with more than a little satisfaction as she dropped her head down onto the pillow and tightly closed her eyes.

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Tony called a meeting and gathered everyone in the compound's primary conference room. He finished off his Scotch as he watched them drift into the room around them. Liliya grabbed his glass, smiling at him as she did. "I need a refill," he told her. "No, Mr. Stark, you really don't," she told him. Steve smirked at her. "Yes, I do for this meeting," he pressed on playfully, just to see what she'd do. "Fill the glass." Her smile was dazzling. He watched her carry the glass from the room, happy to have won one small skirmish today. Confident he was getting his Scotch, he called the meeting. "Everyone, I gathered you here today because we have problems. If you haven't heard, I'm sorry to say that Happy Hogan, my assistant and… " Tony fought to keep the tears out of his voice "and just the best friend a man could have… was murdered. We have reason to believe that it might be HYDRA and that they might also have taken Pepper…" Lilia re-entered the room with his glass, the clear contents looked suspiciously like water. Taking the glass from her, he took a generous drink. Yep, water. She was getting the lecture for that. "We're pretty sure it's HYDRA," Steve threw in. "Pepper's not the only one missing. Peter and I were following leads and found out that Dr. Erik Selvig was attacked in Oslo. He's unconscious but expected to survive. The two people who were with him at the time have been reported missing. Dr. Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis. The perpetrator seems to have a similar MO to what Sophie, Nat, and Bucky found." Tony swiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. Things were so much worse than he thought. Lilia blew out an exhale next to him, then pulled out a bottle of Scotch and set it next to his glass.

He gave her a grateful smile, and she nodded at him quietly, before sitting down next to him. He felt sick, why would HYDRA want Pepper, Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis? The two women didn't really have anything to do with them, after the whole fight with Thanos. Jane had broken up with Thor and didn't want anything to do with them. "But why would HYDRA take them? What are they doing, that causes HYDRA to kidnap them?" Bruce asked concerned, he dreaded to think what HYDRA wanted with the three women. "That's what we're trying to find out, Bruce. Thor and Loki are on their way from Norway, Thor's worried about Jane and Darcy." Steve said grimly, he had a bad feeling about this. "Was Dr Foster working on anything in particular? Any research that might gotten HYDRA's attention?" Sophie asked worriedly, she saw Grace looked worried, but also concerned for the three women. "She was working on the Bifrost bridge but was forced to drop it after the fight with Thanos. Thor, and Loki should be arriving soon." Bucky explained quietly, feeling uneasy. "Sir, Director Fury is on the line." Jarvis announced gravely, and Fury showed up on the screen. His expression was grim, as he looked at the team. "Coulson's team have located a recently abandoned HYDRA base in Wyoming, they've found a lot of equipment." Fury informed them gravely, Steve nodded. "We'll be on our way, thanks Fury." Steve said quietly, Fury nodded, and Steve looked at all of them grimly. This was serious, and he hoped they could find Pepper, Darcy and Jane.

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Grace had gotten suited up in the uniform that Tony had made for her, it was red and black, with an orange spider in the centre. And very comfortable, she was grateful that Tony hadn't made it sexual. She grabbed the mask, and it partially covered her eyes as she put the two batons strapped across her back. She took in a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. If something had happened to Jane, Darcy and Pepper because of her......she'd never forgive herself. They were innocent, why would HYDRA go after them? "Grace, you ok?" Clint asked quietly, she took in a deep breath and quickly opened the door, letting Clint in. "I'm ok, it's just.... Clint what if HYDRA took Jane, Darcy and Pepper because of me?" She asked worriedly, feeling responsible, but Clint shook his head violently. He wouldn't let Grace blame herself for this. "This isn't your fault, Grace. You aren't to blame, none of us think that. HYDRA went after them because of what they do, Pepper's associated with Stark Industries. It's not your fault." He said firmly, Grace gave him a brace smile. She was a tough young woman. He held out his left hand, and Grace took it tightly as they both left the room and she saw he was wearing a black and gold samurai looking uniform. He even had a sword strapped across his back, next to his quiver and she remembered what he had called himself in the dream two days ago. Ronin. They boarded the quinjet, and Grace was amazed to see Sophie dressed in her uniform, which was dark crimson red with a white spider on the front if her uniform. "Lilia's going to be giving coordinates with us, from the base. Hopefully, the base will give us a clue where Pepper, Jane and Darcy are," Tony said quietly, as he checked his Bleeding Edge armour. Everyone nodded quietly and buckled up as Clint and Natasha piloted the quinjet to Wyoming.

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Sophie felt nervous, as they landed the quinjet and got off. She was afraid of what they would find once they entered the base. Horrible images visualised in her mind. "The base is clear; Captain Rogers looks like they left hours ago. We've found four bedrooms, and a lab." Lance Hunter said grimly, he looked at Clint quietly. "Hey Clint."

"Mind if we look around?" Steve asked Lance. Lance shrugged, motioning towards the rooms he found. "Nah. Help yourself." Grace had stayed just behind Clint up to this point, but as they moved closer to the lab, she watched her sister dart around them and head into the lab first. "So who are they?" Lance wondered aloud, as Clint passed him. "New," Clint said simply. Sophie followed Nat into the lab. Grace was pulling open drawers, doors to cabinets, looking under the exam table in the middle of the room. The look on her face was a blend of determination and fear. "Gracie, are you okay?" she asked concerned. Grace didn't reply, walking around her and Nat, to head for the bedrooms. Steve was in the first one with Bucky when she darted in there, pulling off her mask. Immediately she headed for the bed in the room, looking under it, reaching under the mattress and rumpled bedding. Sophie watched her along with the super-soldiers.

"Is she okay?" Bucky mouthed when he caught her glance. Sophie was honestly afraid of what the answer to that question might be. When Grace pulled a restraint out from the bedding, her mind seemed millions of miles away. "There it is," she whispered numbly. Clint walked in just as she pulled gloves out of her pack, sliding a finger along the edge of the cuff. There were traces of blood there. It yanked free with a vicious rip in her hand and she tucked it into an evidence bag. "Gracie, what are you looking for?" Sophie came to her side, kneeling next to her. Her hands smoothed through the bedding, finding traces of blood in different places, then a mostly lube container. She didn't think her sister was even aware of the tears sliding down her face. "Are you okay?" Sophie asked gently. Finally, Grace's attention turned to her. "No, I'm not. Do you know what happened in here? Do you know what they're doing to her?" Dropping to the floor she seemed frantic to get under the bed, half her body was under there before Sophie could think of what to do, glancing up at Bucky and feeling more helpless than she ever had. Her concern was mirrored in his handsome face. When Grace emerged, something dark was in her hand. A navy blue knit cap. "Darcy?" Steve asked. "Is that her name?" Grace wanted to know. "Is this hers?" Steve even took a step back and they all saw the fury building behind her blue eyes, eyes set exactly as their father's had been. "Do you know what they are doing to them?" Grace demanded of anyone in the room. "It takes time. It takes patience and they must be so frustrated that they had to pack up and abruptly move. They need seclusion for the experiments. A place where you can't hear them scream and they have no chance of escape, no way to get help." Clint moved closer and Grace stepped back as if she were afraid he was going to touch her. "No, you need to listen and understand," she told him in a pain-filled voice. "They are taking them for the experiments. They are trying to impregnate them. Don't you get it? They'll experiment on those babies, just like they did with us. And some of them, like Sophie's twin, won't make it." Clint braved another step and though Grace's blue eyes flashed at him in warning, she allowed it. "And these women, Pepper, Darcy," she held up the cap as she said the name, "Jane, even if they survive this, a part of them will have died in one of these rooms. A piece of their mind will always be trapped in this darkness." Bucky's eyes began to shine, his face turned away. "We have to find them," Grace insisted. "We have to free them and stop these motherfuckers from ever doing this to anyone, ever again."

Natasha and Steve exchanged a worried glance. Grace whirled on Sophie. "They all know, right? It was in our files and tossed around just like we were when we got thrown into this mess. They know what happened to me," her voice grew angrier. "They know it happened to me. That's where my son came from and then he was taken to. Why? What did I do to deserve this? Any of this?" Grace pointed at Bucky. "What did he do to deserve what they did to him?" "Grace," Clint moved closer still. Finally, she started to break. "Just… help me find them. Please." Sophie and Clint wrapped their arms around her as she broke into sobs, sinking to the floor. Steve gently ushered everyone else from the room. Nat remained. "We're going to find them, Grace," Nat said with a voice that wasn't perfectly steady. "We'll make them pay for it." Grace nodded, hanging on to Sophie and Clint.

"We're gonna make them pay, Gracie. For what they did to us, to our parents, to Natasha, Clint and all the team. They'll suffer." Sophie vowed darkly, her grey eyes flashing dark amber for a moment. HYDRA would feel their wrath.

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Tagging list: @jtargaryen18, @marvelfansworld, @sapphirescrolls, @queenoftheunderdark, @nomadicpixel, @sweater-daddiesdumbdork, @my-favourite-fics, and @kitkatd7

#Hawkeye Fanfiction #Ronin Fanfiction #Clint Barton Fanfiction #Clint Barton x OC #Winter Soldier Fanfiction #Bucky Barnes Fanfiction #Bucky Barnes x OC #Avengers Fanfiction #MCU Fanfiction

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rosscountyhistoricalsociety · 5 years

Photo

Today is the anniversary of the death of Nathaniel Massie, the founder of Chillicothe, Ohio, and this is his original tombstone, now in the Ross County Historical Society museum.

When Massie died in 1813, he was buried on his family farm. His wife, Susan, passed away in 1833 and was buried next to him under a nearly identical stone.

The farm was later sold out of the family and the Massies’s graves were moved to Grandview Cemetery and given a grander monument on the edge of a hill, overlooking the city he founded. The original headstones were given to the Ross County Historical Society where they are on display in the David Meade Massie Hall.

The poem on Massie’s stone reads:

It must be so - Our Father Adams fall And disobedience brought this lot on all All die in him but hopeless should we be Blest Revelation were it not for thee Hail glorious gospel Heavenly light whereby We live with comfort and with comfort die And view beyond this gloomy scene the tomb A life of endless happiness to come

The stone features the popular symbolism of the era: a weeping willow and funeral urn, surrounded by oak leaves

#tombstone #headstone #vintage tombstone #vintage headstone #funeral art #1813 #chillicothe ohio #chillicothe #federal period

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applesfallingfromblondehair · 1 year

Note

never mind charli, let’s talk about the real victim here: adam hann just trying to live his life while george, matty and ross are creating an ATMOSPHERE

Damn, this is the most and lucid thought about the story I've heard in a good while 😂

Honestly god bless that man. They really would be nowhere without him, and I should write him in more. All hail Adam Hann, Matty's conscience and everyone's dad (sometimes despite himself).

❤️🎸

#answered #writing #i love you don't you mind #all hail adam hann

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songoflove2018-blog · 6 years

Video

youtube

Manowar gloves of metal bass cover video FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD https://page.co/mBjB http://songoflove.org https://songoflove.bandcamp.com/ https://www.patreon.com/songoflove https://www.facebook.com/songoflovemetal https://www.reverbnation.com/songoflove https://soundcloud.com/songoflove https://twitter.com/Songoflove2018Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videoManowar was born in the 80s in Ayburn, New York. The original members of the band were: ERIC ADAMS (Singer) born in NY, he and Joey were friends since school. He started singing very early (at 10 year s old) and is one of the great singers of Heavy Metal today, Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videohe has a very powerful and harmonic voice. Besides singing, he is in charge of the group's finances. JOEY DE MAIO (Bass) He started playing bass at school, although his first successful band (And hopefully the only one) was Manowar. Manowar gloves of metal bass cover video I work on the Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell tour, but as a lighting technician. He is the creator of most of the songs. ROSS "THE BOSS" FRIEDMAN (Guitar) of Australian origin, moved to N.Y and played the guitar in the group The Dictators from 1975, Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videothen moved to France and for a year played in Shaking Street. In the tour of the Heaven And Hell of Black Sabbath his band act as support band and that's where he met Joey. KARL KENNEDY (Battery), Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videoI do not know anything about him. But this training did not last long, since Karl Kennedy, who had joined the group through an ad in the newspaper, left the band at once, and his place was occupied by a Polish-born drummer Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videonamed DONNIE HAMZIK, which also did not last long, since it was only until 1983, although it was the time necessary to record the first album Battle Hymns The new drummer was SCOTT COLUMBUS, who worked in a plumbing store in NY He left the band in 1991, Manowar gloves of metal bass cover video because his son was seriously ill, fortunately he improved and returned to the band again. In 1988 Ros leaves the band and is replaced by DAVE SHANKLE, who had played in the Vengance group, and was chosen among 150 guitarists to replace Ross. Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videoEric and Joey met him in Chicago while recording Kings Of Metal. In 1992 RHINO joins the band to replace Scott (who fortunately has already returned) and KARL LOGAN does so in 1994 to replace Manowar gloves of metal bass cover video Dave Shankle. An incessant touring rhythm coupled with a series of brutal publications have made MANOWAR so large that there could easily be a video game based on them. Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videoMANOWAR has thousands and thousands of fans in Europe. In 1982 they released their first CD Battle Hymns, they broke all borders but due to the lack of interest from the US, they changed their company in 1983, signing the Into Glory Ride contract with their own blood. In 1984 Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videothey released two very good albums, Hail to England and Sign of the Hammer, promoting them with 2 and a half years of concerts to reinforce the idea that MANOWAR was already in Europe. Manowar gloves of metal bass cover video In 1987 they entered the Guinness Book of Records for being the group that played the most decibels, this was on the Spectacle of Migth tour. They returned to change the record label and then they released the albums that started to report fame in the USA Manowar gloves of metal bass cover videoFigthing the World and Kings of Metal, hence the nickname that between themselves and the fans were awarded REYES DEL METAL, for being the best and that no one would love metal as much as they love it. Manowar gloves of metal bass cover video

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bandstolookup · 3 years

Text

Strawbs

* Ilkka Alanko

* Damon Albarn

* Pablo Alboran

* Alice in Chains

* the kairos

* the kendos

* the sway

* last call

* linkway

* modern graffiti

* the plan

* silver million

* ulurus

* dogship

* zulu

* cassette theory

* down for tomorrow

* ambedo blue

* ask elliot

* All Saints

* Marc Almond

* Gabrielle Aplin

* Arcadia

* Athlete

* Jean-Louis Aubert

* Babyshambles

* John Barry Seven

* Bassheads

* Bat for Lashes

* Belouis Some

* Classix Nouveaux

* Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers

* Cilla Black

* Bliss

* Steve Booker

* the krooks

* Brodinski

* The Chemical Brothers

* Chiddy Bang

* Chingy

* Chromeo

* Club Cheval

* Joe Cocker

* Avishai Cohen

* Coldplay

* Graham Coxon

* Bernard Cribbins

* Jim Dale

* Danger Mouse

* Deep Purple

* Dilated Peoples

* she demons

* Dinosaur Pile-Up

* Dirty Vegas

* Divine Comedy

* Eliza Doolittle

* Duran Duran

* Idris Elba

* Electronic

* EMF

* Adam Faith

* Shane Fenton

* Sky Ferreira

* Shane Filan

* Neil Finn

* The Finn Brothers

* Flanders & Swann

* The Fourmost

* David Fray

* Gass

* Gesaffelstein

* Goldfrapp

* The Good, the Bad & the Queen

* The Good Natured

* The Goons

* Gorillaz

* David Guetta

* George Harrison

* Richard Hawley

* glacier veins

* Heroes del Silencio

* Becky Hill

* The Hollies

* Hot Chip

* greyhaven

* Hyphen Hyphen

* Idlewild

* Igit

* Interpol

* Inti-Illimani

* hail the sun

* Iron Maiden

* Thomas Jack

* Jamelia

* Dick James

* hopesfall

* Kano

* kaonashi

* Georgi Kay

* Keith Kelly[2]

* never loved

* night verses

* The King Brothers

* Beverley Knight

* Kraftwerk

* Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas

* Kay Kyser

* Late of the Pier

* nova charisma

* third estate

* Bobby Lewis

* Lasse Lindh

* conquer divide

* Laurie London

* Bonnie Lou

* Love Sculpture

* Humphrey Lyttelton

* Conor Maynard

* picturesque

* Paul McCartney

* Kylie Minogue

* Matt Monro

* Mansun

* Matoma

* Matrix & Futurebound

* Mickey 3D

* Morning Parade

* Morrissey

* MPHO

* Mrs Mills

* Aya Nakamura

* The Paramounts

* Bob and Alf Pearson

* Pet Shop Boys

* Matt Pokora

* Duffy Power

* Rainbow Ffolly

* Rat Boy

* Sigur Rós

* Neljä Ruusua

* Safia

* Mike Sarne

* Scarlet Party

* Peter Sellers

* Shampoo

* Silver Bullet

* Luke Sital-Singh

* Skin

* Soprano

* Spandau Ballet

* Sparklehorse

* Dusty Springfield

* Dorothy Squires

* polyphia

* St. Germain

* Stereophonics

* Supergrass

* Synapson

* saves the day

* Talk Talk

* Vince Taylor

* The Temperance Seven

* Tinie Tempah

* Bobby Tench

* Teresa Teng

* the juliana theory

* Gyllene Tider

* Tomorrow

* Tina Turner

* Two Door Cinema Club

* The Snuts

* VANT

* the vaughns

* The Verve

* The Vipers Skiffle Group

* Waltari

* W.A.S.P.

* Otis Waygood

* Paul Weller

* Keith West

* vagrants

* young culture

* Hindi Zahra

* 2Be3

* Adiemus

* althea & the memories

* the bootles

* the daughters of eve

* the girls

* the ladybugs

* the starlets

* the termites

* the whyte boots

* lyn & the invaders

* the mama cats

* the chimes of freedom

* the blue orchids

* kathy lynn & the playboys

* the playboys

* the virginia wolves

* the sanshers

* Air

* Akhenaton

* Ärsenik

* coheed and cambria

* Charles Aznavour

* a lot like birds

* Syd Barrett

* Jeff Beck

* Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

* Burning Spear

* Kate Bush

* Matthieu Chedid

* converge

* Joe Cocker

* Count Basie

* Étienne Daho

* Kiki Dee

* Doc Gynéco

* Dominique A.

* Diam's

* Diana Ross

* Dr. Feelgood

* The Dubliners

* Baxter Dury

* Fischer-Z

* Gabinete Caligari

* Gang of Four

* the profit$

* David Gilmour

* alexisonfire

* burning jacob's ladder

* Geri Halliwell

* Barclay James Harvest

* Hawkwind

* Hercules and Love Affair

* Jacques Higelin

* Hot Chocolate

* Armor for sleep

* ABVE

* IAM

* Jethro Tull

* bane

* Kajagoogoo

* KC and the Sunshine Band

* Larusso

* LCD Soundsystem

* Louisiana Red

* Gérard Manset

* Marillion

* Jeanne Mas

* bear vs shark

* chiodos

* Nick Mason

* Milk Inc.

* The Move

* Róisín Murphy

* Beth Orton

* Phœnix

* Pilot

* Pink Floyd

* The Proclaimers

* Suzi Quatro

* Dick Rivers

* Röyksopp

* Kate Ryan

* Saxon

* Shurik'n

* Nina Simone

* julia rizik

* back talk

* dance yourself clean

* the fame riot

* flying solo

* d$

* gobi

* duke hiatt

* dewuy

* Starsailor

* The Seekers

* The Shadows

* Alain Souchon

* Al Stewart

* The Stranglers

* Téléphone

* Jake Thackray

* Thunder

* Peter Tosh

* Vanessa-Mae

* Dinah Washington

* Whitesnake

* Kim Wilde

* Roy Wood

* Zaho

Fantasia Barrino

* Cassidy (rapper)

* Deborah Cox

* Jimmy Cozier

* Paula DeAnda

* Gavin DeGraw

* Tyrese Gibson

* Hurricane Chris (rapper)

* Alicia Keys

* Emily King

* Leona Lewis

* LFO (American band)

* Lyric (group)

robert randolph

* Mario (singer)

* Daniel Merriweather

* Monica (singer)

* Abra Moore

* Next (American band)

* Pearl Jam

* Mike Posner

* Say Anything (band)

* Sterling Simms

* Soil (American band)

* Ruben Studdard

* Luther Vandross

* Elle Varner

* Eddie Vedder

* Lord Infamous

* Killarmy

* Mobb Deep

* Asher Roth

* Sadat X

* Wu-Tang Clan

* Carlos Alomar

* Peter Baumann

* Suzanne Ciani

* Michael Colina

* A. J. Croce

* The Fabulous Thunderbirds

* Christopher Franke

vacation daze

* Eliza Gilkyson

* Jerry Goodman

* Dan Hartman

* Nona Hendryx

* James Newton Howard

* Lucia Hwong

* James Ingram

* Etta James

* Eddie Jobson

* Tony Kaldas

* Chris Thomas King

* Leo Kottke

* Taj Mahal (musician)

* Kate & Anna McGarrigle

* The Necks

* Patrick O'Hearn

* Jeffrey Osborne

* Phil Perry

* Willy Porter

* Kenny Rankin

* Leon Redbone

* Wayne Rhoden

* Shadowfax (band)

* Ravi Shankar

* Michelle Shocked

* Andy Stochansky

* Andy Summers

* Tangerine Dream

* John Tesh

* Toots Thielemans

* David Van Tieghem

* Kristen Vigard

roy montgomery

susana rose

* Cedar Walton

* Jennifer Warnes

* Usman Warsi

* Susan Werner

* Barry White

* Jimmy Witherspoon

* Yanni

* Dan Zanes

* 3 of Hearts

* Alabama (band)

* Eddy Arnold

* Chet Atkins

* Baillie & the Boys

* Bobby Bare

* Jeff Bates

* Matraca Berg

* Clint Black

* Catherine Britt

* Garth Brooks

* Kane Brown

* Tracy Byrd

* Paul Craft

* Skeeter Davis

* Dean Dillon

* Ty England

* Sara Evans

* Leon Everette

the thunder gods

* Family Brown

* Foster & Lloyd

* Keith Gattis

* Vince Gill

* Danny Gokey

* Andy Griggs

* Mike Henderson

* Becky Hobbs

* Ryan Hurd

crocodyle

* The Judds

* Miranda Lambert

* Eddie London

* Love and Theft (duo)

* Louise Mandrell

* Martina McBride

* Coley McCabe

* Pake McEntire

* Ronnie Milsap

* Niko Moon

* Lorrie Morgan

* The Oak Ridge Boys

* Jamie O'Hara (singer)

* Robert Ellis Orrall

* K. T. Oslin

the impressions

* connie deming

* Paul Overstreet

jerry butler and the impressions

* Dolly Parton

* John Pierce (country singer)

* Bobby Pinson

* Pistol Annies

* Angaleena Presley

* Charley Pride

* Eddie Rabbitt

* Eddy Raven

* Jerry Reed

* Jim Reeves

* Restless Heart

* Kenny Rogers

* Crystal Shawanda

* SHeDAISY

* Connie Smith

* Hank Snow

* Jo-El Sonnier

* Tommy Shane Steiner

* Tate Stevens

* Larry Stewart (singer)

* Sylvia (singer)

sam cohen

* The Thompson Brothers Band

* Josh Thompson (singer)

* Aaron Tippin

* Steve Vaus

* Porter Wagoner

* Clay Walker

* Dottie West

* Lari White

* Keith Whitley

* Chuck Wicks

* Wild Choir

* Trisha Yearwood

* Chris Young (musician)

* Nick Adams (actor, born 1931)

* Rosalie Allen

* Fran Allison

* Manolo Álvarez Mera

* Ames Brothers

* Ed Ames

* Liz Anderson

* Marian Anderson

* Julie Andrews

* Paul Anka

* Ann-Margret

* Val Anthony

* Toni Arden

* Louis Armstrong

* Desi Arnaz

* David Arnold

* Eddy Arnold

* Kokomo Arnold

* Fred Astaire

* The Astronauts (band)

* Chet Atkins

* Gene Austin

* Patti Austin

* Charles Aznavour

* Don Azpiazú

julian perretta

* Alice Babs

* Joan Baez

* Mildred Bailey

* Pearl Bailey

* Janet Baker

* Josephine Baker

* Kenny Baker (American performer)

* H. B. Barnum

* Alain Barrière

* The Barry Sisters

* Claire Barry

* Jeff Barry

* Merna Barry

* jenny lewis

* Count Basie

* Dircinha Batista

* Les Baxter

* Kathryn Beaumont

* Thomas Beecham

* Harry Belafonte

* The Bell Sisters

* Jesse Belvin

* Tex Beneke

* Robert Russell Bennett

* Brook Benton

* Jack Berch

* Polly Bergen

* Bunny Berigan

* Luciano Berio

* Milton Berle

* Otis Blackwell

* The Blackwood Brothers

* Hal Blaine

* The Bobbettes

* Skeeter Bonn

* Connee Boswell

* jerry butler

* Don Bowman (singer)

* Boyce and Hart

* Bill Boyd (musician)

* Ishmon Bracey

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your-dietician · 3 years

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HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: Biden Plans Order Amid Health-Care Mergers

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/health/health-care-briefing-biden-plans-order-amid-health-care-mergers/

HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: Biden Plans Order Amid Health-Care Mergers

The Biden administration is preparing a government-wide plan to encourage competition in markets across the economy, according to people familiar with the process, a move that could have wide implications for industries including technology, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.

The White House plans to issue an executive order as soon as next week that would require federal agencies to take steps to promote competition in the industries they oversee, said the people, who asked not to be named because the initiative isn’t yet public. Biden is “committed to increasing competition in the American economy, including by banning noncompete agreements,” said White House spokeswoman Emilie Simons.

The move would give Biden a way to focus on the decade-plus consolidation of key consumer-facing industries in the U.S., including health care.

Health-care and life sciences transactions continued at a strong pace in May, with 231 deals announced or closed, the third month in 2021 with at least 225 transactions. The total volume of deals is up almost 70% from 2020, said Larry Kocot of KPMG, Christopher Brown reported earlier this week.

But tax and health-care cost offset provisions in legislative packages favored by Democrats and Biden could create headwinds for the health-care and life sciences sector. Chances for passage of key bills in a narrowly divided Congress remain unclear, but incremental health reforms appear possible, said Kocot, Brown reported in a May 28 story.

Biden’s upcoming order will echo an Obama administration order in 2016 that said government agencies beyond those responsible for antitrust enforcement had a key role to play in protecting consumers, workers and business from being harmed by instances of market power in the economy.

That order built off a report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers outlining concern about evidence indicating that industries across the U.S. economy suffer from rising consolidation and declining competition. It recommended other agencies use regulations to tackle the issue in addition to traditional antitrust enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department.

Since then, attention on the power of dominant companies has only grown as economists and policy makers raise concerns that rising concentration is ailing large sections of the economy and contributing to problems including income inequality and wage stagnation. Anna Edgerton and David McLaughlin have more.

On Lawmakers’ Radars

Vaccine Hesitancy: The House Select Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee holds a hearing today on vaccine hesitancy.

Drug Pricing Group Targets Four Finance Panel Senators: A consumer group that wants Congress to empower the government to negotiate the price of drugs will launch an ad campaign aimed at four key senators this week. Patients for Affordable Drugs Now, an advocacy group launched with the support of the Arnold Foundation, will start a six-figure ad campaign targeting four Senate Finance Committee Democrats: Michael Bennet (Colo.), Tom Carper (Del.), Bob Casey (Pa.) and Bob Menendez (N.J.).

Advocates for drug-price negotiation legislation are turning their attention to the Finance Committee, where Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) says he wants the federal government to be able to negotiate lower prices on some drugs. “Patients are depending on these senators to join with other supporters of meaningful reform,” David Mitchell, founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, said in a statement.

Menendez voted against a measure to allow Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers brought before the Finance Committee in 2019. Carper said earlier this year he wants to revive a bipartisan drug pricing package from Wyden and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), which didn’t include negotiation language, Alex Ruoff reports.

Democrats Want DOJ to Oppose Purdue Plan: House Oversight and Reform Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Justice Department to oppose Purdue Pharma’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan. Under the proposal, “members of the Sackler family would contribute $4.2 billion, less than half of the fortune they amassed from the company, to resolve all legal claims related to their role in the opioid epidemic,” they wrote.

House Panel Approves Agriculture-FDA Spending Bill: The House Appropriations Committee advanced the proposed Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill yesterday after adopting three amendments offered by both Democrats and Republicans. The legislation, which would allocate $26.6 billion in fiscal 2022, includes an amendment by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to revoke certain meat and poultry plant line speed waivers issued during the coronavirus pandemic and another by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) to prohibit companies owned by China from purchasing farmland and to block their participation in Agriculture Department programs. A manager’s amendment by Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) made technical changes, Megan Boyanton and Jack Fitzpatrick report.

The Coronavirus Pandemic

Johnson & Johnson to Study Shot in Teens: Johnson & Johnson expects to start studying its one-dose vaccine in children 12-17 years old this fall, a company official said at a Johns Hopkins University event. The drugmaker plans to sign up at least 4,500 adolescents and will assess their progress a year later, J&J’s head of clinical development, Macaya Douoguih, said. J&J is planning four studies in minors, she said. Read more from Jeannie Baumann.

Hospitals Ask OSHA for Halt of Covid-19 Standard: The American Hospital Association is asking OSHA to delay the compliance schedule of its Covid-19 emergency temporary standard for health care, asserting that providers need more time to navigate “complex” requirements. The organization called for the six-month delay in a letter to Occupational Safety and Health Administration official James Frederick. Fatima Hussein has more.

More Pandemic Headlines:

From the GAO:

Industry & Regulation

Alzheimer’s Drug Fight Puts FDA Under Scrutiny: An accelerated approval program for U.S. drugs that’s been around for nearly three decades is under fire for the criteria used by regulators to decide which therapies should be greenlighted, and for letting ineffective treatments linger on the market. The Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated process has been hailed for novel treatments and unmet medical needs. But critics argue changes are needed to make it more transparent and to better measure efficacy.

Approval of Biogen’s drug Aduhelm to treat Alzheimer’s has revved up debate on the program. Rather than being cleared based on its effectiveness, Aduhelm won approval by showing it can reduce amyloid plaques in the brain, a physical biomarker, or surrogate, linked to the disease. Meanwhile, Biogen has nine years to finish a trial on its efficacy. Read more from Fiona Rutherford.

An influential nonprofit that evaluates drugs said Biogen’s $56,000-a-year Adulhelm is priced at an order of magnitude more than it should, and said there isn’t enough evidence it works. An appropriate price for the therapy would be in the range of $3,000 to $8,400 annually, an 85% to 95% discount from Biogen’s list price, if it is effective, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review said. Read more from John Tozzi.

Organ Transplant Push Seen Endangered by Plan to Rein in Costs: Prominent medical groups fear a federal push to increase organ transplants could face a significant slowdown under a proposed rule by the Biden administration that would reduce Medicare payment for certain costs related to the organ acquisition process.

One payment revision in the proposed rule would save an estimated $4.1 billion over 10 years and help cut wasteful and duplicative program spending—sometimes for organs not used by Medicare beneficiaries. Transplant hospitals, doctors, and organ procurement organizations (OPOs) say the proposals would hurt the acquisition of organs from deceased donors—and access to those organs—while increasing the number of patients who die while awaiting a transplant. Read more from Tony Pugh.

More Headlines:

From the Courts

Internet Data-for-Insurance Partners Defend Plan: A novel arrangement providing health benefits to 50,000 people who agreed to allow their internet data to be tracked is an invaluable lifeline for the self-employed, middle-class workers “left behind” by Obamacare, three people covered by the partnership told the Fifth Circuit. Adam Rochester and two other partners of Data Marketing Partnership want the court to bless their health insurance arrangement over objections from the Labor Department. Read more from Jacklyn Wille.

Indiana Abortion Pill Reversal Message Blocked: Indiana is blocked for now from requiring abortion providers to give patients a state-mandated message that medication abortions can be reversed because it hasn’t shown a likelihood of proving the message is true, a federal trial court in the state said. All-Options Inc. and other abortion providers have shown they are likely to win a lawsuit alleging the state’s specific required disclosure violates their free speech rights, the court ruled. Read more from Mary Anne Pazanowski.

More Headlines:

With assistance from Megan U. Boyanton and Jack Fitzpatrick

To contact the reporters on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at [email protected]; Alex Ruoff in Washington at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Zachary Sherwood at [email protected]; Giuseppe Macri at [email protected]; Michaela Ross at [email protected]

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rantsandaves · 7 years

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Of Rosy-finches & Men

Even though the Colima Warblers were long gone, I still wanted to see Big Bend National Park on my way out of Texas. As I was driving up late into the night, a light flashed on the dash of my truck. "CHECK GAUGE"- a warning not to be taken lightly. I pulled over and checked my fluids. My oil was about a quart low, so I pulled into a Motel 6 in Del Rio, Texas. I was nearly up to the 4k mark since my last oil change, so I figured it was time.

In the morning I stopped at a Wal-mart to get much-needed groceries and for an oil change. I thought I'd be saving time by combining the two, but a routine service that normally takes twenty to thirty minutes took nearly two and a half hours. I wasn't the only customer upset, but I tried to cut them some slack. It was the day before Thanksgiving, after all.

Big Bend was a heck of a drive and I had naively hoped to camp there, thinking that most people would be at home with their families instead of at an isolated National Park, but when I arrived there was no place for me to stay. Booked up! I was disappointed but explored the park anyway.

When I was in New Orleans, my cousin Ashley recommended that I check out Marfa, Texas, a place known for its mysterious lights and artist community. I didn't think I'd actually ever go there, but since I couldn't stay at Big Bend, it was sort of on my way to the interstate and provided a free place to stay the night. I sat on the top of my truck and watched the sunset at the Mysterious Marfa Lights viewing area. The lights danced beneath the mountains in the distance like distant fireflies. A light glow crept upon the flat desert. The lights are likely results of atmospheric conditions bouncing light around, reflections of the setting sun, passing headlights and campfires on BLM land. Or at least that's what they'd like you to think.

I started my truck on Thanksgiving morning just outside Marfa, Texas. It was cold in this part of the desert, so I turned the heat on for the first time in two weeks. As I drove through the town of Marfa, I came to a stop sign. All of a sudden, my oil pressure gauge started bouncing like crazy, bottoming out then hitting the top, making a sound like "tick, tack, tick, tack." I pull into a dirt lot and shut off the car. I open the hood and check the oil. The level is fine, but something seems off. The oil drips down like water. It's a national holiday. I'm in a very small town. Nothing is open, except the gas station next to the dirt lot. I walk in hoping for some oil or oil additive but they're conveniently all out of anything for a non-diesel engine.

I get back in the truck and allow myself to be upset for exactly one second. I start the truck and turn off the heater. The oil pressure gauge sits perfectly in the middle. I pull forward onto Route 90. All's fine until I slow to the next stop and my RPM dips below 1500. Tick, tack, tick, tack! As soon as I pick up speed, the gauge straightens out again. I figure maybe the wonderful Del Rio Wal-mart put the wrong viscosity oil in my truck and it is messing with the pressure. Or maybe they left something loose. Or maybe it's the oil pump. Yikes.

I pull over and start obsessively googling what all the possible problems could be, then where I can go get my oil changed again. I call a bunch of shops, but naturally the only place open and available to do an oil change in the vicinity on Thanksgiving day is nearly two hundred miles away at a Wal-mart in El Paso. I say a Hail Mary to whoever the patron saint of Ford Rangers may be and hit the road. As long as I keep the RPM up I'll be okay.

I make it to the El Paso Wal-mart after driving like Sandra Bullock in Speed. As I wait for the second oil change, I'm pacing nervously. "No mental-breakdowns inside the Wal-mart," I keep repeating to myself. My truck is everything I have. I'm upset thinking about how maybe someone's carelessness messed it up, how much it'll cost to get the oil pump changed out, or how many days I'll have to stay in El Paso waiting for a decent shop to open up.

They hand me the keys back. I sit in the parking lot, idling for about a minute. The oil pressure gauge sits unwaveringly. My next stop was Sandia Crest outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. Do I play it safe and try to make the eleven hour drive directly home to Los Angeles? Or should I wager that the problem has been fixed and drive four hours to get those Rosy-finches at Sandia? I'll give you a hint as to what I chose:

On my way to Albuquerque, outside Truth or Consequences I slow down as I come up to a border patrol checkpoint. As I'm waiting to be asked if I'm an American citizen, the gauge starts jumping up and down again, just not as bad as before. In my rearview, I see a small cloud of blue smoke coming out of the exhaust. As soon as I get past the border patrol, I pull off into a picnic area. I check the oil level and it seems to not have changed but it definitely smells like burning oil. I say another Hail Mary and make it to Albuquerque just as the sun is setting. It's Thanksgiving, so use my hotel points for a free night, splurge on some beer and a mini-pumpkin pie. I spend the evening thinking about all the experiences and people I'm grateful for (this includes you, dear reader!) and that even if the year ends now with my truck on the outs, it would still be one amazing year.

As the sun rises, I check under the hood and under the car. No oil leaks as far as I can tell. I drive slowly around town, letting the RPM dip below 1500. The pressure gauge stays where it needs to be, but I take it to one of the only shops open on Black Friday just to be safe. I immediately get man-splained about how to check my oil. They then tell me that it'll cost me $90 to have it looked at ("diag'ed" the guy said), and it won't be looked at until Monday because none of their techs have an oil pressure tester. I roll the dice... up Sandia we go. I arrive at the top of the peak, at just over 10,000 feet above sea level. This is my second trip up Sandia Peak to find Rosy-finches. The first time there was still snow on the ground but no finches. Now there's no snow on the ground and hecka finches! I was thrilled. Black Rosy-finch, Gray-crowned Rosy-finch and Brown-capped Rosy-finch were all present. I sat and watched as all three species flew around the feeder, up in the conifers and down on the ground. I didn't even get altitude sickness this time around.

From Sandia, I drive to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. I had never been but had been told by many birders that it is a must-see. I also somehow managed to avoid seeing a Ross's goose all year and knew that a visit to Bosque meant I could finally check that bird off my list. I drove around the auto-tour loops in the late afternoon and watched as the Sandhill Cranes started coming in to roost. The Cranes must've numbered in the thousands, and there was no shortage of people visiting to take their picture. I got my Ross's Goose and even a surprise Western-screech Owl as the night set in. I magically had zero truck problems for the rest of the day. Maybe the Marfa lights did something to my engine.

Headed slowly to California, I found my way back to Arizona and stayed on I-10. I visited the Holy Trinity Monastery/RV Park to see the Rufous-backed Robin and got lucky to see the Robin for all of three seconds out of three hours of searching. I then went to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area to look for Baird's sparrows, but being late in the day there was hardly any activity. I set up camp in Las Cienegas, which is BLM land at a beautiful spot between the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. I'd try for the Baird's again in the morning.

As I was about to make dinner, Adam called. We hadn't talked since Thanksgiving day and I was so happy to hear from him. We talked about our days and he asked me to describe the area I was camping at. I happily described the yellow-white hay-like grass that came up to my knees, how the mountains rolled against the skyline and the mesquite trees were short and stubby. I told him how much I love the Arizonan deserts, how you can just park on BLM land and there's no one around besides the javelinas. I described the feeling of being surrounded by the stars at night. In retrospect, this reminds me of the end of Of Mice and Men, where Lennie is daydreaming about tending to the rabbits, completely oblivious to his demise. "Tell me about the rabbits, George."

I ask him how he's doing. He says he's having a difficult time, and then... As I'm so close to being in the same state as he is after over a month, he tells me he needs space. As I'm staring at the odometer on my truck, thinking about the 45,000 miles I put on it while driving by myself across the country, he tells me he doesn't want to prevent me from going places. As I'm camped out in hopes of reaching the 630 mark on my year list he tells me he doesn't want to keep me from achieving my dreams.

I was presented for the first time this year with a situation I could not get myself out of. I could get myself unstuck from mud and snow. I could get un-lost from the middle of nowhere without cell reception. I could navigate my way out of strange interactions with unsavory folks. I could get out of floods, hailstorms and away from tornadoes on the horizon. But I couldn't get out of this.

An unexpected new experience to check off of the list: being officially dumped. An added bonus: being dumped in the desert. I felt like the old couch I had just driven past on Route 82. I wondered if the couch's owner had told the couch it was not its fault too. It was just me and the javelinas as I watched the sun set. At night, it was warm enough to keep the windows open so I could feel surrounded by the stars, like millions of tiny holes poked in a giant navy blue blanket. Even without my glasses, I could see the shooting stars go by.

I hardly slept, but the few hours I managed included sunrise. I woke up late on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and drove around looking for Baird's Sparrows. I found a couple on Curly Horse Ranch Road, further south from Las Cienegas. I had a hard time focusing and so did my camera, but I knew from the ochre face and the short, neat stripes across their breast that it was my 630th bird species for the year. I wanted to celebrate, but I was having a difficult time cheering myself on. Last I was in Arizona, back in August, I didn't think I would get this far. And now I wasn't sure how I could continue. I called my parents and told them I was coming home.

On my way back to LA, I tried for the Ruddy-ground Dove outside Phoenix with no luck, but to be honest I didn't try as hard as I should have. Further west, I stopped at the "Thrasher Spot" off the 10 and finally got the LeConte's Thrasher that had eluded me in March. I was happy for a minute, then I kept going. After hours in post-holiday traffic, I was glad to be back in the home I grew up in surrounded by the people that love me unconditionally.

I don't think I'll leave California for the remainder of the year. Although California is my home state and there's emotional comfort in being here, there are plenty of birds worth staying for as well. There's a Garganey, a Nazca Booby, a Red-footed Booby, as well as some more common birds I need like the Island Scrub-jay and the Tricolored Blackbird. And despite this heartache, I know I've been able to persevere through worse. I've still got my truck. I have 631 reasons to smile and a whole lot of birds left to see.

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