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icarusthelunarguard · 2 years ago

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This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

This week, on a suggestion, we’re dropping by the offices of Wikipedia and hitting the “Random” button to see what comes up. So if you have any complaints, file them under “W” for “Who Cares?”

Aries

Starting us off strong, here, Aries. “Terror attacks in Istanbul”. Your first listing is about the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Occupation of the Ottoman Bank on 26 August 1896. What’s it all about? Don’t know. The only thing we remember about Istanbul is the cover of “Istanbul Not Constantinople” by They Might Be Giants. If it wasn’t for Tiny Toon Adventures we might have never heard that song.

Taurus

Your article is about Hungarian Olympic swimmer Éva Pajor. She competed in the women's 100 metre backstroke at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia… and gained asylum right after competing. Before her death in 2014 she taught swimming in Sydney, opened 2 swimming centers in the country, and had another named in her honour. This week… brush up on your swimming; summer is fast approaching.

Gemini

Well, shoot. The article that popped up for you is about a lawyer in Louisiana. We could have just kept on clicking and found the next article that wasn’t half-way political, but no! We had to be honest and let you know that RNGesus rolled poorly for you. So this week you can go read up on Louisiana - then find a local Cajun restaurant to eat crawfish at.

Cancer Moon-Child

You get a European location! Driebes (“DREE-ehbs”). It’s a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain with a population of 361 inhabitants - so about 9 people per square kilometer. Some of us went to high schools with more people than that in their graduating classes. This week get back to practicing your Spanish… CASTILIAN Spanish!

Leo

You get Canadian singer-songwriter known as “Ruth B.” from Edmonton, Alberta. She speaks her parents' native language Amharic fluently, started singing on Vine in 2013, and created a sleeper hit song, "Dandelions" from Safe Haven, which grew in popularity due to TikTok. It has accumulated over 1 billion streams globally as of April 2023. This week, since you’re already older than her, she’s 27 now, just give up on your dreams… and find NEW ones to follow!

Virgo

You get to learn about the 1961 Star World Championship. We hear you: “What’s the Star World Championship?” Excellent question! It’s the international sailing regattas in the Star class organized by the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association as sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation. What’s that all mean? It’s a bunch of people who think that going out on the ocean in a speed boat without engines, with the very real possibility of drowning, is fun. OH! And the winning boats that year were Frolic, Tranquil, and North Star IV. This week, learn the difference between Port and Starboard.

Libra

Oh, you’re gunna love this one, Libra. Your term is “Angel Dusting”. It’s a marketing ploy to add some special ingredient to a product in hardly detectable measure, just so that it can be said to be in the product in order to hype the promotion of the main product. So you could SAY that some product with health benefits is included in the product, but not say that there’s not enough to actually cause the health benefit. This week… someone is going to offer you a job in advertising. Don’t Sell Your Soul!

Scorpio

For you, time to learn a little about Walter Netsch. He was an architect closely associated with the “brutalist” style of architecture, working with the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. And that’s where we’re going to jump tracks and ask, “Who is this ‘Skidmore’ fellow?” Louis Skidmore, of the Indianna ‘Skidmores’, was a WWI Army Sergeant, married Eloise Owings… because of COURSE her name was “Eloise”... who was the sister of Nathaniel A. Owings, who would be two of the three that started the firm. This week don’t be afraid to look into weird nepotism connections and old names.

Sagittarius

You’re getting “Metsepole” (“MEHT-seh-poal”); an ancient Livonian county inhabited by the Finnic Livonians, on the east coast of the Gulf of Riga, at the northwest of what is now the Vidzeme region of Latvia. Metsepole was bordered by the ancient Estonian Sakala County to the north, Latgalian Tālava to the east and Livonian county of Turaida to the south. Now, Sagittarius? Did we just make up all that from some obscure 1980 Sci-Fi failed TV Pilot or is that real? There’s only one way to know…. Go read!

Capricorn

You get “Bruce Wayne”... who is totally NOT Batman. We know that because one time Batman and Bruce Wayne appeared near the same place at the same time, as observed by Commissioner Gorden. Batman stayed on the other side of the street because he had a cold and didn’t want to spread it. Isn’t that Alfred such a– I MEAN BATMAN! He’s a great guy! This week buy some Fisherman’s Friend!

Aquarius

For you we have the film “The Search for Animal Chin” - a 1987 skateboarding film featuring the Bones Brigade. It’s one of the first skateboarding films to have a plot, rather than simply a collection of skateboarding stunts and music videos. The Bones Brigade embark on a quest to find the first skateboarder, the mythological Won Ton "Animal" Chin who had gone missing. Their journey takes them to different locations including Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Mexico where they meet friends and skate different spots along the way. They never find the actual Animal Chin, but come to realize that in their search they discover the true meaning of their journey, the pure fun of skateboarding. This week… Just watch “Kung-Fu Panda” again.

Pisces

In typical fashion, you get some Geek Science stuff - the Progress M1-5, a spacecraft which was launched by Russia in 2001 to deorbit the fifteen-year-old Mir space station in a controlled fashion, far away from shipping lanes. Were it not for this module, Mir's orbit would have decayed uncontrolled over time (like Skylab), with debris potentially landing in a populated area. So this was a sacrificial spacecraft whose only job was to commit suicide and bring Mir down with itself. This week… get up super early and take a hot air balloon ride. It’s really pretty!

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

#horoscope #horrorscope #comedy #humor #funny #wikipedia

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 5 years ago

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“Rule out the lash,” The Globe and Mail. January 12, 1970. Page 6. ---- On two separate occasions Joseph Ziemba, 42, of Hamilton, is going to be led from his cell in a penitentiary, his shirt is going to be stripped off and he is going to be lashed five times with the cat-o'-nine-tails. His crime was robbing an elderly man of $85 and severely beating him in the process. County Court Judge Wilfred Leach sentenced Mr. Ziemba to eight years' imprisonment and 10 strokes of the lash.

The lashing would be a deterrent to others "of a like mind", Judge Leach said. However, there is every indication. that Judge Leach is absolutely wrong and that the lashings will not only fail. to deter others but will fail to deter Mr. Ziemba from his evil ways.

The report of the Canadian Committee on Corrections under Judge Roger Quimet which was published last September again made the point. "The written and oral evidence received by the committee has confirmed that judicial corporal punishment offers no definite assurance that offenders who suffer it are deterred by it or that it deters others," the report said. "We are satisfied that it has no long-term reformative value and, on the whole, believe that it has the contrary effect." The committee recommended that "corporal punishment, as a sentence of the court, be abolished". It added that "... the imposition of such punishment is brutal and degrading both to the recipient and the person imposing it".

Also last fall, but before publication of the Ouimet Report, the Canadian Bar Association urged abolition of all forms of corporal punishment. Harry Walsh, a Winnipeg lawyer and chairman of the 'criminal justice section of the association, denounced the flogging and paddling of prisoners as a brutalizing act that had no place in an enlightened modern society. He said prison guards were extremely reluctant to lash a prisoner. "They realize that corporal punishment adversely affects the possibility of rehabilitation of the prisoner."

After two years of study, a joint committee of the Senate and House of Commons in 1956 recommended abolition of whipping as part of a court sentence, although it said whipping should be retained for serious breaches of prison regulations. Corporal punishment had no unique value as a deterrent, the committee found.

One of the main witnesses before the committee was Maj.- Gen. R. B, Gibson, Commissioner of Penitentiaries since 1946. He said that flogging as part of a court sentence was simply not effective.

Courts of their own accord have almost eliminated sentences of corporal punishment. But the Criminal Code still sanctions it. And the occasional judge still orders it. The option should be ruled out. It should be abolished once and for all.

#hamilton #winnipeg #sentenced to be lashed #corporal punishment #tough on crime #ouimet committee #canadian criminal justice system #criminal code of canada #sentenced to the penitentiary #penal reform #canadian penitentiary service #history of crime and punishment in canada #history of crime and punishment

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wikiuntamed · 8 months ago

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On this day in Wikipedia: Sunday, 28th April

Welcome, fáilte, καλωσόρισμα (kalosórisma), fàilte 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 28th April through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

28th April 2021 🗓️ : Death - El Risitas El Risitas, Spanish comedian (b. 1956) "Juan Joya Borja (5 April 1956 – 28 April 2021), better known by his stage name El Risitas (English: The Giggles), was a Spanish comedian and actor. He gained widespread popularity in 2015 thanks to a series of memes based on a television interview recorded in 2007 on Jesús Quintero's TV show Ratones..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Alflink999

28th April 2019 🗓️ : Death - John Singleton John Singleton, American film director (b. 1968) "John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 – April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing Boyz n the Hood (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, becoming, at age 24, the first African..."

Image licensed under CC BY 2.0? by Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada. Cropped and color-corrected prior to upload by Daniel Case

28th April 2014 🗓️ : Death - Idris Sardi Idris Sardi, Indonesian violinist and composer (b. 1938) "Muhammad Idris Sardi (June 7, 1938 – April 28, 2014) was an Indonesian violinist and composer. Idris Sardi was born on June 7, 1938, to Sardi, an Indonesian composer, and Hadidjah, an Indonesian actress. Idris learned to play the violin when he was six years old. At age 10, he performed in public..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0? by Crisco 1492

28th April 1974 🗓️ : Birth - Dominic Matteo Dominic Matteo, Scottish footballer and journalist "Dominic Matteo (born 28 April 1974) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a defender and midfielder in a 17-year professional career from 1992 to 2009. He made a total of 366 league and cup appearances, of which 276 were in the Premier League. Matteo played for Liverpool,..."

28th April 1924 🗓️ : Birth - Blossom Dearie Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (d. 2009) "Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She had a recognizably light and girlish voice. Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years and collaborated with many musicians, including Johnny Mercer, Miles..."

28th April 1819 🗓️ : Birth - Ezra Abbot Ezra Abbot, American scholar and academic (d. 1884) "Ezra Abbot (April 28, 1819, Jackson, Maine – March 21, 1884, Cambridge, Massachusetts) was an American biblical scholar...."

Image by Unknown authorUnknown author

28th April 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Louis de Montfort "Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (French pronunciation: [lwi maʁi ɡʁiɲɔ̃ də mɔ̃fɔʁ]), TOSD (31 January 1673 – 28 April 1716) was a French Catholic priest known for his preaching and his influence on Mariology. He was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. Montfort wrote a number of books..."

Image by Неизвестный автор

#OnThisDayInWikiHistory #WikiUntamed #WikiExplorer #WikiWonders

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honeyleesblog · 2 years ago

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June 23 ZODIAC

They are grasping individuals with a serene disposition, happy with themselves and with their life. They are very high. They have a great gift for explaining covered up and indistinct issues. Unobtrusive, sexy, they appreciate showing up in broad daylight and hypnotizing swarms. Their disposition is touchy and adoring, and they readily penance themselves for others. Thusly, they are normally blissful in adoration, and their marriage is additionally very amicable. Their calling expects them to go far. They feel thoughtful connections to society and are joined to their country, as well regarding their nearest loved ones. They frequently live in one spot for quite a while, particularly getting a charge out of strolls on the water. They can handily orchestrate their lives and do a large number of things. They figure out how to disregard the success span time. It might happen that the initial segment of your life is less lucky; Youngsters particularly can be loaded up with agonizing encounters. Nonetheless, their professions are consistently balancing out and they feel like they are improving. Its blemishes are vanity and triviality. Individuals like this are a piece shallow with their appearance. Zodiac sign for those brought into the world on June 23 Assuming your birthday is June 23, your zodiac sign is Disease June 23 ZODIAC

character: great, careful, devoted, intolerant, urgent, antagonistic calling: PC researcher, student of history, vocalist tones: red, cream, dark stone: diopside creature: ocean lion plant: sage fortunate numbers: 12,14,20,29,39,53 very fortunate number: 27 Occasions and observances - June 23 Nicaragua: Father's Day. Worldwide Dravet Condition Day. Olympic day Spain: Evening of San Juan. Joined Countries: Joined Countries Day for Policy management. Luxembourg: Public day. Mapuche New Year. Joined Countries: Global Widows Day. June 23 Superstar birthday celebrations. Who was conceived that very day as you? 1902: Alfred Charles Kinsey, American researcher (d. 1956). 1902: Mathias Wieman, German entertainer (d. 1969). 1907: James Meade, English business analyst, 1977 Nobel Prize in financial matters (d. 1995). 1910: Jean Anouilh, French writer (d. 1987). 1910: Gordon B. Hinckley, Mormon prophet (d. 2008). 1910: Milt Hinton, American jazz artist (d. 2000). 1912: Alan Turing, English mathematician, scholar, PC researcher, cryptographer, and thinker (d. 1954). 1922: Juan San Martდn, Spanish essayist (f. 2005). 1927: Weave Fosse, American entertainer, choreographer and producer (d. 1987). 1927: Jacobo Langsner, Argentine essayist and screenwriter. 1928: Pდ¡l Jakucs, Hungarian scholar (d. 2000). 1929: June Carter Money, American artist (d. 2003). 1930: John Huxtable Elliott, English antiquarian. 1935: Thomas Brandis, German musician. 1936: Carlos Fonseca, Nicaraguan teacher, lawmaker and progressive (f. 1976). 1936: Raდºl Aubel, Argentine entertainer (f. 1997). 1936: Richard Bach, American essayist. 1936: Costas Simitis, Greek lawmaker, state leader somewhere in the range of 1996 and 2004. 1937: Martti Ahtisaari, Finnish government official, president somewhere in the range of 1994 and 2000. 1937: Josდ© დ?ngel Garcდa de Cortდ¡zar, Spanish student of history. 1939: დ?lvaro Pombo, Spanish essayist. 1940: Wilma Rudolph, American competitor (d. 1994). 1940: Stuart Sutcliffe, English bassist, known as the fifth Beatle (d. 1962). 1941: Richard M. Roberts, American writer. 1943: Vinton Cerf, American software engineer, trailblazer of the Web. 1943: James Levine, American guide. 1943: Albert Pintat, Andorran president. 1945: John Garang, Sudanese pioneer (d. 2005). 1946: Jaime Guzmდ¡n, Chilean attorney and legislator, teammate of Augusto Pinochet (f. 1991). 1947: Bryan Brown, Australian entertainer. 1948: Clarence Thomas, American law specialist. 1948: Myles Goodwyn, Canadian guitarist, of the band April Wine. 1948: Luther Kent, American blues vocalist. 1951: Michele Mouton, French pilot. 1952: Fernando Luna Vicente, Spanish performer. 1952: Carlos Faraco, Spanish speaker and author. 1953: Russell Mulcahy, Australian movie chief. 1954: Carmen Pinდ³s, Spanish designer. 1955: Glenn Danzig, American performer, of the band The Mavericks. 1955: Jean Tigana, French footballer. 1956: Randy Jackson, American maker. 1957: Frances McDormand, American entertainer. 1961: David Leavitt, American author. 1961: LaSalle Thompson, American b-ball player. 1962: Throw Billy, American vocalist, of the band Confirmation. 1962: Steve Shelley, American drummer, of the groups The Crucifucks and Sonic Youth. 1963: Colin Montgomerie, Scottish golf player. 1963: Astrid Carolina Herrera, Venezuelan entertainer, model and telecaster, who was Miss World 1984. 1964: Joss Whedon, American author, chief and leader maker. 1965: Fernanda Tapia, Mexican moderator. 1965: Paul Arthurs, guitarist of the English gathering Desert garden. 1966: Chico DeBarge, vocalist of American R&B (DeBarge). 1969: Alberto Chicote, Spanish cook 1969: Martin Klebba, American entertainer. 1970: Yann Tiersen, French performer and author. 1970: Christian Meier, Peruvian entertainer, model, financial specialist and vocalist. 1972: Selma Blair, American entertainer. 1972: Zinedine Zidane, French footballer. 1973: Marie N, Latvian vocalist. 1974: Cristian Machado, Brazilian vocalist, of the band Sick Nino. 1975: KT Tunstall, Scottish vocalist lyricist. 1975: Mike James, American b-ball player. 1976: Paola Suდ¡rez, Argentine tennis player. 1976: Patrick Vieira, French footballer. 1976: Emmanuelle Vaugier, Canadian entertainer. 1977: Miguel დ?ngel Angulo, Spanish footballer. 1977: Jason Mraz, American vocalist lyricist. 1978: Memphis Bleek, American rapper. 1978: Frდ©dდ©ric Leclercq, French bassist for DragonForce. 1979: LaDainian Tomlinson, American footballer. 1980: Francesca Schiavone, Italian tennis player. 1980: Erick Elდas, Mexican entertainer. 1981: Antony Costa, English vocalist and lyricist for Blue. 1982: Rober Bodegas, Spanish comic. 1983: Josდ© Rojas, Chilean soccer player. 1983: Brandi Rhodes, American contender. 1984: Duffy, English vocalist. 1984: Manuel Iturra, Chilean footballer 1987: Alessia Filippi, Italian swimmer. 1988: Chellsie Memmel, American tumbler. 1989: Billie Kay, American contender 1995: Danna Paola, Mexican entertainer 1996: Getsel Montes, Honduran soccer player.

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psikonauti · 3 years ago

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Ilana Manolson (Canadian, b. 1956)

Sky Eye, 2017

Acrylic on Yupo paper

#upl #va #art #painting #Ilana Manolson

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usafphantom2 · 3 years ago

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flickr

Ronnie Bell Following

Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw.

Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw practicing pick-ups at K-16 (Seoul City Airport), 1953. Photo by: Richard B. Keener, The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, (also known by its Sikorsky model number, S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom. United States Navy and United States Coast Guard models were designated HO4S, while those of the U.S. Marine Corps were designated HRS. In 1962, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps versions were all redesignated as H-19s like their U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force counterparts.

The H-19's first flight was on November 10, 1949 and it entered operations in 1950. Over 1,000 of the helicopters were manufactured by Sikorsky for the United States. An additional 550 were manufactured by licensees of the helicopter including Westland Aircraft, the Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-est (SNCASE) in France and Mitsubishi in Japan.

The helicopter was widely exported, used by many other nations, including Portugal, Greece, Israel, Chile, South Africa, Denmark and Turkey.

In 1954 the Marines tested an idea to assist the rotors lift better in hot or high climates and if the helicopter was overloaded, by installing a rocket nozzle at the tip of each rotor blade with the fuel tank located in the center above the rotor blade hub. Enough fuel was provided for seven minutes of operation

The H-19 Chickasaw holds the distinction of being the US Army's first true transport helicopter and, as such, played an important role in the initial formulation of Army doctrine regarding air mobility and the battlefield employment of troop-carrying helicopters. The H-19 underwent live service tests in the hands of the 6th Transportation Company, during the Korean War beginning in 1951 as an unarmed transport helicopter. Undergoing tests such as medical evacuation, tactical control and front-line cargo support, the helicopter succeeded admirably in surpassing the capabilities of the H-5 Dragonfly which had been used throughout the war by the Army.

UH-19B at the Milestones of Flight Museum, Fox Field, Lancaster, California

A Sikorsky S-55B in service with Golden West Helicopters, St. Albert, Alberta, 1985

Sikorsky UH-19 at the Canadian Museum of Flight 1988.The aircraft is painted as it would have looked while working on the construction of the Mid-Canada Line

UH-19B, USAF Museum

A U.S. Navy HO4S of HS-4 taking off from USS Badoeng Strait in 1954

A USMC HRS-2 of HMR-161 in Korea, 1953

An HO4S of the Royal Canadian Navy

US H-19C in Korea.The U.S. Air Force ordered 50 H-19A’s for rescue duties in 1951. These aircraft were the primary rescue and medical evacuation helicopters for the USAF during the Korean War. The Air Force continued to use the H-19 through the 1960s, ultimately acquiring 270 of the H-19B model.[2]

France made aggressive use of helicopters in Algeria, both as troop transports and gunships, Piasecki/Vertol H-21 and Sud-built Sikorski H-34 helicopters rapidly displaced fixed-wing aircraft for the transport of paras and quick-reaction commando teams. In Indochina, a small number of Hiller H-23s and Sikorsky H-19s were available for casualty evacuation. In 1956, the French Air Force experimented with arming the H-19, then being superseded in service by the more capable Piasecki H-21 and Sikorsky H-34 helicopters. The H-19 was originally fitted with a 20-mm cannon, two rocket launchers, plus a 20-mm cannon, two 12.7-mm machine guns, and a 7.5-mm light machine gun firing from the cabin windows, but this load proved far too heavy, and even lightly armed H-19 gunships fitted with flexible machine guns for self-defense proved underpowered.

The H-19 was also used in the early days of the Vietnam War before being supplanted by the Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw, which was based on the H-19.

Via Flickr

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odk-2 · 3 years ago

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Hal Willis – Bop-A-Dee Bop-A-Doo (1956) Hal Willis / Ginger Willis from: "My Pink Cadillac" / "Bop-A-Dee Bop-A-Doo (Single) "Tell Me What'd I Say: The Atlantic Story 1955-1960" (2011 3-Disc Compilation | CD1)

Rock and Roll | Rockabilly

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: Hal Willis: Vocals

Studio Musicians: Members of Nashville's A-Team: Hank Garland: Lead Guitar Harold Bradley: Rhythm Guitar Owen Bradley: Piano Bob Moore: Bass Buddy Harman: Drums

Produced by Herb Abramson

Recorded: @ The Music City Recording Studio (AKA: Quonset Hut Studio / Bradley's Film & Recording Studios / Columbia Studio B ) in Nashville, Tennessee USA on June 8, 1956

Released in November of 1956

Atlantic Records

Hal Willis (née Léonald Francis Gauthier) was a Canadian country music artist and songwriter, born in Normétal, Rouyn-Noranda (Québec). He was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010 alongside his wife Ginger Willis.

#Nashville's A-Team #Hal Willis #Rock and Roll #Rockabilly #Atlantic Records #1950's #Bop-A-Dee Bop-A-Doo #Canadian #Ginger Willis

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joezworld · 4 years ago

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📂

What in the HECK happened with Scotsman, Dominion, and Dwight during the Great Gathering?!

(Also, since Dutchess of Hamilton has also been to the US during the 1939 NY World’s Fair, did she get involved?)

Warning - extremely long post below

So, first of all, Duchess of Hamilton never went back to the UK.

Duchess of Hamilton (6229) and Coronation (6220) had their nameplates swapped by the LMS when an engine was sent over to the US. 6229, in the guise of 6220, went to the US.

Streamlined locomotives were all the rage at the time, and railroads practically fell over themselves to get Coronation (as she was now known) onto press trains. The B&O railroad in particular was so impressed with her capabilities that they extended a formal offer of employment to her for service on their streamlined Royal Blue service. The LMS were surprised to get an offer to "purchase" their locomotive, but accepted nonetheless, as it meant a welcome infusion of cash in the dark days during the beginning of WWII.

Coronation fit right in with the Americans, having only been about a year old when she was sent to New York. Following the end of steam traction on the Royal Blue in the late 40s, (the B&O were early adopters of diesels.) she and her B&O coworkers found good employment on the New York Central, where she still runs to this day.

Since then, she's fully "gone native", marrying a J3 Hudson, (yes one of the streamlined ones) adopting both an American accent and three children, and being fully repainted to NYC silver by 1956. Flying Scotsman met her in Albany in 1970, and neither one of them recognized the other.

Actually, most UK expats don't recognize her, to the point where a common interaction is for her to be held up as an example of "look at her, she's integrated well into the US", only for the British engines to say "that's preposterous, she isn't English".

When it's pointed out that she's still obviously an LMS Coronation, the next response is usually screaming.

All that being said, she has no interest to come back to the United Kingdom, and wasn’t asked by the NRM anyways.

---------------

Second of all, the Great Gathering was... an event.

So, there are (officially) 6 preserved Gresley A4s.

Mallard - static, National Railway Museum (UK). Also an asshole.

Bittern - running, private owner, UK based

Sir Nigel Gresley - running, owned by a trust, UK based

Union of South Africa - running, private owner, UK based

Dwight D. Eisenhower - static (officially), National Railway Museum (USA)

Dominion of Canada - static (officially), Exporail (Montréal)

This is the official list, and for the first 4 engines, it's the truth.

However, things are a bit hazier on the other side of the Atlantic...

-----

So the thing that needs to be made clear right up front that in a sentient vehicle world, museums aren't like the NRM, where locomotives sit static for years on end, although obviously the English have museums like that because of course they do.

Rail museums in the rest of the world are much more like Colonial Williamsburg - a living history center staffed by volunteers who act out a prototypical setting from [insert decade here].

British Rail, being British Rail, didn’t know that and didn’t care.

4496, Dwight D. Eisenhower, having been named after the General-turned-President, had been earmarked for preservation by BR, and was summarily shipped off to the US National Railway Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

In an entirely unintentional move, this donation MONUMENTALLY snubbed the Smithsonian, who refused to have any dealings with BR for decades, even for archival purposes. This, combined with the fallout from Operation Smash Hit, and the fact that the Smithsonian is Petty AF, meant that there was virtually no official trans-Atlantic cooperation between British and US museums for decades.

Dwight hit the shores of the US in 1964 New York City and was greeted by a marching band, a ticker-tape parade, and Presidents Johnson and Eisenhower, who were on-hand to personally make the engine a US citizen.

Always keen to curry favor with the government, the Southern Pacific railroad had a job offer waiting for Dwight right alongside the Presidents and the parade, and when he accepted, he went off to Sunny Southern California - someplace so opposed to Britain the he fell in love with the place immediately and refused to leave!

The ladies may have also had something to do with it as well - while most engine classes fell into a typical 50-50 gender distribution, the SP GS-4 class was all female...

[Pictured above - one of 28 very good reasons to live in California if you're a single British steam engine.]

Dwight does not kiss and tell, but at his wedding in 1974, all 28 GS-4s showed up - and he was only marrying one of them!

Since the 70's, he's become a mainstay in California, having been repainted into Daylight Limited colors in 1969, and retiring from railroad duties in 1999. After that, he went into the movie business, and is currently the head of digital media development at Disney.

His wife Irene (SP 4437) is also an interesting figure as well - following in the wheelmarks of the great female locomotives before her, she had an eye for business and a Stanford education before she married her husband, and was an initial investor in multiple tech companies in Silicon Valley during the 70's and 80's, but stopped doing that after her investment in Apple proved very lucrative. In 1996, she was convinced by a few people in the Stanford Alumni association to invest in another tech startup, this one an "internet search engine" called Google.

So yeah, Dwight Eisenhower kept falling up and up and up all his life, and is now married to the richest woman in the world.

4489 Dominion of Canada was donated mostly by accident, having been forgotten in the back of Darlington sheds until 1966, when she was shipped off to the Canadian Railway Historical Society in Montreal.

As stated elsewhere, the Canadian Government considered any locomotive built in the UK to have UK citizenship, and therefore treated them as commonwealth citizens under existing Canadian law. (remember that Canada was still a colony at that time)

CN, the national rail carrier, was obligated to offer her a job under their charter, and she accepted, moving to Toronto to run intercity trains between Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

Within two years she was displaced from those duties by the introduction of a new, shiny, jet turbine powered train, and was summarily demoted to local commuter runs in the Toronto suburbs.

Moving to suburbia did one thing more than anything else - expose her to the people who live there. They all had complaints, they all had problems, and they all had no idea on how to fix them.

Being a helpful sort, Dominion decided that she could help, and promptly ran for Toronto city council in 1974. She won, and has been a fixture in local Toronto politics ever since - she even got to be Chairwoman of Metro Toronto (the closest thing to being mayor because Toronto's governmental structure is weird) until 1998, when Toronto was merged with the surrounding area to create a massive new region.

Having then done everything there is to do in municipal Toronto government, Dominion went on to become the Chief Executive Officer of Metrolinx, the agency that controls almost all of the transit agencies in Ontario, because, as she puts it, "I'm still a commuter engine at heart".

She's now painted in the current GO Transit paint scheme, and still does commuter runs- which is really weird looking now that there are double deck commuter coaches in a push-pull configuration, with a Gresley A4 doing the pushing.

------

Now, I mentioned that those 6 were the only ones officially preserved - there were two unofficial preservations as well...

4486 Merlin was properly Shanghied - he was yanked off the docks in Southhampton by a cargo ship in August of 1965, and was spirited away to parts unknown.

Those unknown parts turned out to be South Korea. There, he was given citizenship by the US-aligned military dictatorship (Korean history is wild) and was employed by the State-run rail operator.

As the military government began a hardcore plan to increase their country's wealth and industrial output, rail lines were being built across the country, and Merlin was soon awarded a position on the fastest train in the network, the Seoul-Busan Saemaeul-ho.

Because of his experience in running high-speed express trains, Merlin not only became the public face of Korean high-speed rail, but also became an "honored elder" amongst the other Korean engines, a position he still holds to this day - as despite being over 70 years old, he still runs daily trains on the fast services, easily keeping time with the Korean schedules as well as training the new high speed trains, including the KTX sets. He's on his 24th boiler by now, and has more parts from Hyundai than Doncaster.

An additional fact - Merlin actually has had a linguistic effect on Korean railroading, as his strange amalgamation of an accent - a strong Yorkshire accent that tried to be Received Pronunciation for 30 years, mixed with almost 50 years of middle-to-upper-class Korean - has filtered down through the ranks of KoRail, because all of his students want to sound like him out of respect. Human British expats in Korea will occasionally hear a locomotive speaking in English, and the engine will sound like a Yorkshireman every time and the Brits cannot handle it.

---------

4495 Golden Fleece is the only A4 to preserve himself - he saw the writing on the wall in the early 60s, and hopped a car ferry to France at the end of 1962. From there, he bounced around Europe for a bit before making it to the United States in the late 70's.

Of the 8 surviving A4s, he's probably led the quietest life of all - he moved to Miami before it got nice, and basically got in on the ground floor of CSX when that merger happened in 1980. He's now the head of terminal operations for the Port of Miami, but he's generally kept a low profile - not even having a chance to meet Scotsman due to his time in Europe.

He's still in contact with Dwight and Dominion, and has no real bitterness over not being "famous" like they are - he likes the quiet, and still lives in a modest house in Boynton Beach with his long-term girlfriend.

----------------------

Soooo... the Great Gathering.

It was supposed to be a meeting of the 6 surviving A4s - a two year event held at the NRM in honor of the 75th anniversary of Mallard's record-setting run.

"Record setting" is a past-tense term here. While there have been no official runs, every single one of the Pennsylvania Railroad's T1 and S1 locomotives claim to have gone faster than 126 without meaning to, and numerous other locomotives on unofficial attempts done late at night on flat stretches of land across the country have hit 130+.

British Expats have also done better than 126 - Coronation claims to have hit at least 140 on a midnight mail train in 1980, and in Korea, Merlin claims to have hit 128 on a test train, although that was judged by timing mile markers as his speedometer wasn't functioning properly.

Problems arose before any of the engines had even reached the NRM, as Mallard's already sizeable ego had swelled to massive proportions, and several engines in the great hall were planning a justifiable homicide.

Then came the time restraints - none of the foreign locomotives were willing to uproot their lives and jobs for two years just to sit motionless in a shed. A two year exhibition was eventually negotiated down to a 6 month gala, much to the irritation and confusion of the NRM, who could not understand that the engines were still in service.

Then came the extra engines - Dwight and Dominion thought that the NRM knew about Fleece, and were quite insulted on his behalf when he wasn't invited - they threatened to not attend unless arrangements were made for Fleece to attend as well.

An utterly baffled NRM agreed, but also tore their record archives apart, as they knew that Fleece had been scrapped. The fact that his picture was plastered all over CSX's Florida Division website was all the more confusing as a result.

Meanwhile in Busan, nobody knew that Merlin had escaped the scrappers' torch and therefore did not invite him. He was only informed after K-Pop star Psy texted him from London to ask if he knew about the event, which was being advertised on television.

Merlin, having missed his friends from the LNER, decided that he would just crash the party, used some of his many vacation days, and took off for England on a cargo ship.

By sheer coincidence, all four foreign A4s hit the dock in Southhampton on the same day, and were delighted to see each other - especially Merlin, considering that everyone else had thought he'd died.

Meanwhile at the NRM, delight was not the word one would use. Befuddled, confused, shocked even, but not delighted. Their plans had revolved around 6 A4s, most of which wouldn’t be running - only to now discover that there were 7, all but one of which were functioning! (Mallard, the star of the show, was the odd one out, and it drove him crazy)

Then they got a phone call from their man at the docks saying that another one had showed up, looking like he’d driven out of a K-pop album cover, and they just gave up and started screaming.

Screaming is also what happened when the cavalcade of foreigners showed up in York - first of all, the quartet of new engines sounded nothing like they had when they left England.

Dwight had willfully unlearned his Upper Crust British accent by 1971, and had fallen deep into a California accent (quite similar to what Scotsman sounds like - coincidence? No.)

Dominion and Fleece hadn’t tried to unlearn their accents, but 40+ years of living in North America can really dilute the Britishness. It doesn’t help that Dominion has developed most Canadian vocal tics eh?

As stated above, Merlin has a weird fuckin accent, and now he speaks English with a strong Yorkshire accent, but will occasionally and without warning drop into a Korean/Yorkshire hybrid accent.

The screaming also happened because the NRM had wanted to repaint the duo trio! quartet?! into LNER garter blue, and were promptly informed that “we’re painted like this for work! Don’t touch it!” (the sole exception was Dwight, who hadn’t pulled a real train in 14 years, but he liked his Daylight Limited paint), so instead of the new arrivals showing up in LNER colours, they showed up looking like THIS:

Having their long-lost siblings show up looking and sounding like THAT had quite an affect on the A4s and the other NRM engines:

Bittern could not believe her eyes - to the point where she actually began making noise about seeing an optometrist

Union of South Africa almost backed through a wall

Sir Nigel Gresley was speechless for two days

Mallard was so angry that he actually chipped a tooth during one of his rants about “the impropriety of it all!!”

Evening Star laughed so hard that he managed to derail himself without moving

City of Truro almost cracked a piston from shock

Alycidon spent the entire gala coming up with more and more laser focused jabs at Mallard - who was so easy to fluster that the Deltic needn’t have bothered

Oliver Cromwell and Green Arrow made fast friends with the new arrivals, and spent the entire time learning ‘Americanisms’ to annoy the other engines with.

But what about Flying Scotsman? Where was he in all of this? He was generally considered to be the “leader” of the NRM fleet (much to Mallard’s annoyance), and was usually who the other engines turned to when things started getting out of control.

Did Scotsman calm things down? Like hell he did. The inmates were running the asylum from the moment that Scotsman saw the other A4s - more importantly saw Dwight - and immediately greeted them in flawless Californian.

This actually set off the building’s security alarm, as Flying Scotsman saying “DUDES! Wassup?!” caused such an uproar that the noise broke several exterior windows.

----

And all of this was in the first few days - there were six months left to go.

There was one railtour attempt. It was supposed to feature Bittern and Sir Nigel running in tandem, but instead featured Dwight and Merlin, mainly because Bittern wanted to see what would happen.

They exceeded the max speed limit for steam traction within 15 minutes, sparked a thorough investigation by the RAIB, and got all future steam powered railtours for the Gathering cancelled immediately.

On the plus side, the two engines did prove that it was still possible for a steam train to hit 100 safely.

One thing that baffled the other engines was the inordinately large number of people who turned up just to see Dominion, and the one person who kept turning up to see Fleece - it took a lot of explaining for them to understand that Dominion had been married three times, and had children (adopted) and grandchildren from all three marriages coming to see her. A similar amount of explaining was required to explain that Fleece’s girlfriend/partner wanted to see him too.

The normally chatty Dwight and Scotsman would suddenly clam up whenever Dominion and Fleece teasingly tried to ask about their love lives, something which wasn’t unnoticed by the other engines, but got similarly nowhere.

The answer to why they both shut the hell up was explained when a lot of shouting broke out in the yard of the NRM one day about a month into the exhibition:

Irene Eisenhower, not content to sit in California and count her billions, quickly grew bored without her husband, and decided to go to England and be with him. The fact that she definitely did not fit the UK loading gauge was never even a consideration, and so she just showed up in York on the back of a lorry, having informed no-one of her arrival, and content to just pay off the requisite people if a fuss occurred.

A fuss did occur, and it was only ended when Scotsman managed to convince the museum’s curator (who at this point in his life was regretting ever thinking of this damned gathering) that Irene was a ‘temporary donation’ to the museum.

[Scotsman, who definitely hid his Cali accent from museum staff the entire time, has one of the best poker faces in the world]

Dwight was overjoyed, and so was Scotsman, for initially unclear reasons. Then Irene managed to grab both her husband and Scotsman, dragged them behind a shed, and [THIS IS A PG13 HEADCANON] the both of [PG13]. Turns out that while Scotsman may have slept his way across the US a few times, he was actually ready to settle down with Dwight and Irene - they were a throuple way back in the 70s, and those passions haven’t faded. When Scotsman reluctantly left the US in 74, a lot of the reluctance was because of those two.

This bombshell of a revelation went over interestingly at the NRM. Some engines (Green Arrow) were happy for them, some were incensed (Mallard - although it was for anti-American reasons, not homophobic ones), and some were intensely curious about what was going on in the outside world (Bittern).

The ‘foreigners’ (as Mallard had taken to calling them), were deeply displeased at how their fellow engines were being treated - while a lot of them were ‘in steam’, some were not and might never be again, something they found abhorrent. Unable to do anything at that time, as the NRM was not a for-profit entity and therefore did not have anyone to bribe, (Irene’s solution to things is to throw money at the situation) the engines started talking about how life was different in the outside world - namely that engines were still working hard, even when they were over a century old and running on steam power.

This was of great interest to engines like Evening Star and (6220) Duchess of Hamilton, neither of whom were likely to be steamed again, and Bittern, who was growing more and more curious with each passing day. Dissent began to slowly build against the NRM curators, and the culture of the United Kingdom in general.

One thing the foreigners did try do something about was Ellerman Lines. The poor bastard had been sectioned to show his inner workings, much to the jaw-dropped horror of the foreign A4s, who made such a stink about it that he was moved outside the museum by NRM staff, who must have thought that the engines lacked object permanence or something, because that didn’t make it better!

Irene Eisenhower, who was beginning to get really sick of the nonsense that the NRM called preservation, (Scotsman was not in running condition, and had been hastily reassembled mid-overhaul in order to be cosmetically ready for the event, and let’s not forget poor Ellerman Lines) elected to bring the event to a close on her own after only three months. She did this by eventually putting her immense wealth to good use, and called for a haulage service to rescue the engines from the NRM without the knowledge of the museum staff. Aside from the A4s, she also took Ellerman Lines, Scotsman, and Bittern (who had asked to go) with her, and only bothered to inform Ellerman and Bittern - she was not about risk Scotsman having another “think of England” moment and staying.

The haulage firm was efficient and the cargo ship was waiting, so the engines were in international waters before the NRM opened the next morning.

Much swearing occurred in England that day, and the NRM’s image has yet to fully recover from the PR story that they had sold Flying Scotsman (and Ellerman Lines) to a reclusive American billionaire.

Privately though, the NRM does not care, as that story is a lot better than “Someone stole our engines and we’re not allowed to get them back because as it turns out we’re slaveowners, so no international court will help us.”

Also, despite their multimillion dollar “donation" from the I. Eisenhower Opportunity Fund, they still haven’t been able to fully pacify their engines, all of whom have somehow gotten the idea that they should be running in main line service like they live on Sodor or something...

--------

Dwight, Scotsman, and Irene all live happily together in the sprawling Eisenhower estate in Malibu. Irene is currently lobbying the California state government to legalize polygamy, with moderate success.

Ellerman Lines, after a lot of therapy and a full rebuild, is now working on a short line in Wyoming. He likes the scenery.

Bittern followed Dwight, Irene, and Scotsman to Los Angeles, and used her ‘connections’ (Dwight) to get a supporting role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Since then, she’s gotten several roles based on her own merits, including an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Appearance in a Comedy.

Merlin spent a few months in LA before he went back to Korea. He is very thankful that he was able to reconnect with his brothers and sisters, and that his homeland has good internet, as he video calls his family across the Pacific almost every day.

Golden Fleece still lives a quiet life in Florida, but finally decided to tie the knot, and married his girlfriend in 2017. The ceremony was supposed to be quiet, but Irene Eisenhower has no idea what that word means.

Dominion of Canada continues to baffle non-local trainspotters when she runs commuter trains into Toronto. She is now a great-grandmother.

7 years later, and the term “Great Gathering” is still a forbidden phrase in the back rooms of the NRM.

#ask response #long #really long #I wrote this for like me and two other people at most #national railway museum #flying scotsman #Headcanon #ttte #ttte adjacent #bittern #mallard #train headcanon #locomotive rights headcanon #extremely specific headcanon #headcanon

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brookstonalmanac · 5 months ago

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Birthdays 8.14

Beer Birthdays

Eugene L. Husting (1848)

Brandon Hernández (1976)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Halle Berry; actor (1968)

Mila Kunis; Ukrainian-American actor (1983)

Gary Larson; cartoonist (1950)

Steve Martin; comedian, actor, writer, banjo player (1945)

Bruce Thomas; English bass player (1948)

Famous Birthdays

Russell Baker; essayist (1925)

Emmanuelle Béart; French actress (1963)

Catherine Bell; actor (1968)

Herman Branson; African-American physicist, chemist (1914)

Sarah Brightman; English singer-songwriter (1960)

John Brodie; San Francisco 49ers QB (1935)

Lodewijk Bruckman; Dutch painter (1903)

Sharon Bryant; R&B singer (1956)

Kevin Cadogan; rock singer-songwriter, guitarist (1970)

Méric Casaubon; Swiss-English author (1599)

Yannoulis Chalepas; Greek sculptor (1851)

Darrell "Dash" Crofts; singer-songwriter and musician (1940)

David Crosby; rock singer (1941)

Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin; Belgian mathematician (1866)

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky; Russian-Lithuanian-American artist (1875)

Slim Dunlap; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1951)

Tracy Caldwell Dyson; chemist and astronaut (!969)

Richard R. Ernst; Swiss chemist (1933)

Erica Flapan; mathematician (1956)

Francis Ford; actor and director (1881)

John Galsworthy; English writer (1867)

Alice Ghostley; actor (1926)

Larry Graham; soul/funk bass player and singer-songwriter (1946)

Buddy Greco; singer, pianist (1926)

Marcia Gay Harden; actor (1959)

Jackée Harry; actress (1956)

Robert Hayman; English-Canadian poet (1575)

Lee Hoffman; author (1932)

Leopold Hofmann; Austrian composer (1738)

Doc Holliday; dentist, wild west gambler (1851)

James Horner; composer (1953)

Ernest Everett Just; African-American biologist (1883)

Jan Koetsier; Dutch composer (1911)

Margaret Lindsay Huggins; Anglo-Irish astronomer (1848)

William Hutchinson; founder of Rhode Island (1586)

Magic Johnson; Los Angeles Lakers (1959)

Stanley A. McChrystal; American general (1954)

John McCutcheon; folksinger (1952)

Paddy McGuinness; English comedian (1973)

Lionel Morton; English singer-songwriter, guitarist (1942)

Bruce Nash; film director (1947)

Frank Oppenheimer; particle physicist (1912)

Hans Christian Ørsted; Danish physicist and chemist (1777)

Susan Saint James; actor (1946)

Paolo Sarpi; Italian writer (1552)

Ben Sidran; jazz and rock keyboardist (1943)

Stuff Smith; violinist (1909)

Danielle Steel; writer (1947)

Jiro Taniguchi; Japanese author and illustrator (1947)

Bruno Tesch; German chemist (1890)

Ernest Thayer; "Casey at the Bat" writer (1863)

Pieter Coecke van Aelst; Flemish painter (1502)

Carle Vernet; French painter and lithographer (1758)

Claude Joseph Vernet; French painter (1714)

Earl Weaver; Baltimore Orioles manager (1930)

Wim Wenders; German film director (1945)

Lina Wertmüller; Italian film director (1926)

#Birthdays

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allekha · 5 years ago

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It’s Pride month, so let’s celebrate some of our LGBT skaters! Well, at least in this gifset, G and B skaters; there aren’t yet any out L or T skaters at the elite level, although they do exist at the adult and of course recreational levels.

Figure skating, at least in the US, is often stereotyped as a ‘gay sport’, and many skaters have said that despite their trepidation before coming out, they experienced support from their fellow athletes. However, I think events this month have reminded us that homophobia and transphobia remain problems that need to be addressed in the sport. That being said, there have been more out skaters than can be shoved into a single gifset (or even two). Featured here:

Amber Glenn (2019 Cup of China SP) - Glenn is the 2019 US Classic bronze medalist and a US junior champion. She is a lovely and emotional skater. In late 2019, after having added LGBTQ activism as a hobby in her ISU profile, she came out as bi/pan. This made her, as far as I am aware, the fourth elite woman skater to ever come out, and she is currently the only out woman competing at the elite level.

Toller Cranston (1976 Worlds LP) - Cranston was a six-time Canadian champion and Olympic and Worlds bronze medalist. He was well-known for his inventive programs with an unusual level of creativity and flexibility for his day, which helped to push the sport forward artistically and influenced younger skaters. At the 1976 Olympics, after his poor figures score, he tossed his skates in a river out of frustration before going on to win the bronze medal. Cranston was also an off-ice artist who supported his skating career by painting, and in 2013, he became the official artist of Skate Canada. He was bisexual and wrote about having both male and female lovers. In 2015, he passed away due to a heart attack.

Brian Pockar (1982 Canadian Nats LP) - Pockar was a three-time Canadian champion and Worlds bronze medalist. His signature move was a spread eagle directly into a triple salchow. He also at one point attempted a one-foot triple salchow (a counter-clockwise jump landing on the left rather than right foot) double flip combination. After retiring, he worked in shows and as a commentator, though he is alleged to have lost his commentating job due to coming out as gay. He passed away due to AIDS in 1992.

Randy Gardner (1979 NSA Centenary Gala) - With his partner Tai Babilonia, Gardner was a five-time US champion and World champion in pairs. As a pair, they were known for their grace and for their strong unison, and for their striking series of paired Arabian/butterfly jumps. Increasingly out in his private life after turning pro, Gardner was reluctant for some time to come out publicly due to the AIDS crisis and backlash against other gay athletes. He decided to do so in 2006. He now does choreography and coaching, and his life story was recently adapted to a play and later a documentary, both called Go Figure.

Rob McCall (1982 Canadian Nats FD) - McCall was a seven-time Canadian ice dance champion and Olympic bronze medalist with his partner Tracy Wilson. The pair combined creative talent with technicality, and McCall was popular with other skaters because of his bright sense of humor and cheer. He passed away in 1991 due to AIDS. In the last months of his life, he planned a skating show to raise money for AIDS research, hoping that speaking of his illness would aid others and fight fear, though the show ended up being carried out by his friends after his death.

Brian Orser (1988 Olympics SP) - Orser was an eight-time Canadian champion, World champion, and two-time Olympic silver medalist. He was known for his ability to jump triple axels, even near the end of a long program, and became the second man to ever land a triple axel in competition, the first to land one at the Olympics, and the first to land two of them in a long program. In addition to his technical abilities, he was also an expressive and entertaining skater. In 1988, he faced off against another gay Brian, Boitano, in the ‘Battle of the Brians’ for Olympic gold. He is now a well-known coach of several high-profile skaters.

Matthew Hall (1986 Skate America LP) - Hall was a bronze Canadian national medalist. In 1992, he was one of the first elite skaters (one source says the first) to come out as gay while still competing; he did so in response to the death from AIDS of several fellow Canadian skaters. Although he had taken a break from competitions at the time, he found he couldn’t leave skating entirely and came back a couple of years later in a bid to make the 1994 Olympic team. He won the 1994 Gay Games figure skating event despite having cracked his ribs a few days before performing.

Guillaume Cizeron (2018 Olympics FD) - With his ice dance partner Gabriella Papadakis, Cizeron is an Olympic silver medalist, four-time World champion, five-time European champion, and six-time French champion. The pair are known for their beautiful skating skills and graceful style, and Cizeron has spoken of how they want to do programs that go beyond the defined roles of man and woman that are traditional in skating. He very recently decided to speak publicly about being gay for the first time in honor of International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Ronnie Robertson (1956 Worlds LP) - Robertson was a two-time US nationals silver medalist, two-time Worlds silver medalist, and Olympic silver medalist. He was an excellent free skater who came extremely close to Olympic gold - it took the judges two hours of calculations to determine that he had lost by a fraction of a point. He was famous for his spins; his top speed was estimated to be seven spins per second, and NASA scientists studied him to try to help stop astronauts from getting dizzy when spinning in weightlessness. In addition, he was the first man to land a triple salchow in competition, and also landed a triple loop. He passed away in 2000 due to AIDS complications.

Edward van Campen (1994 Gay Games program) - van Campen was the three/four-time Dutch champion (the title was technically not awarded one year for some reason, though his name is still listed). He only started skating at 16; at his first Euros appearance six years later, he did so well that the federation changed their minds about not sending him to Worlds. He later skated in Ice Capades and now coaches. In his first appearance at the Gay Games in 1994, he won silver. There, he paid tribute to his twin brother and fellow skater René, who passed away in 1989 due to AIDS, by beginning his program with unfurling and draping himself with the AIDS memorial quilt panel made in honor of him.

#figure skating #fskateedit #lgbt #Guillaume Cizeron #Brian Orser #Amber Glenn #fs history

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aftabkaran · 4 years ago

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Here are some words and phrases that you’re not allowed to say in the Canadian House of Commons and the year they were banned:

* A parliamentary pugilist and political bully (1875)

* A bag of wind (1878)

* Scarcely entitled to be called gentlemen (1876)

* A servile follower of the government (1878)

* Honourable only by courtesy (1880)

* Inspired by forty-rod whiskey (1881)

* Sitting for his constituency by the grace of the leader of the Government (1884)

* Coming into the world by accident (1886)

* A parliamentary babe and suckling (1890)

* Talking twaddle (1898)

* Grovelling in the dirt in order to get an office (1900)

* A cowardly slanderer and a bully (1907)

* The political sewer pipe from Carleton County (1917)

* Attempting to distort the facts as he had in the past (1956)

* A dim-witted saboteur (1956)

* Ass (1970)

* Pompous Ass (1967)

* B and B gang (1964)

* Bullshit (1973)

* Canadian Mussolini (1964)

* Does not have a spine (1971)

* Has not got the guts (1959)

* Evil genius (1962)

* Idiot (1962)

* Joker in this House (1960)

* Lie (1959)

* Lies (1976)

* Not telling the truth (1960)

* Not telling the complete truth (1964)

* Members have aligned themselves with the murderers in Quebec (1970)

* Offensive (1964)

* To hell with Parliament attitude (1961)

#funny #canada

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wikiuntamed · 9 months ago

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On this day in Wikipedia: Monday, 25th March

Welcome, laipni lūdzam, ողջու՜յն (voġčuyn), tervetuloa 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 25th March through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

25th March 2022 🗓️ : Death - Taylor Hawkins Taylor Hawkins, American drummer and singer (b. 1972) "Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician who was best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters. Joining the band in 1997, Hawkins quickly became one of the group's most recognizable faces. He remained the band’s drummer for over 25 years until his..."

Image licensed under CC BY 2.0? by Raphael Pour-Hashemi

25th March 2019 🗓️ : Death - Barrie Hole Barrie Hole, Welsh footballer (b. 1942) "Barrington Gerard Hole (16 September 1942 – 25 March 2019) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a midfielder. A Wales international, he began his career with Cardiff City and made his professional debut as a teenager...."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Vesuvio14

25th March 2014 🗓️ : Death - Jon Lord (politician) Jon Lord, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1956) "Jonathan Joseph Lord (December 29, 1956 – March 25, 2014) was a Canadian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from Alberta, Canada. ..."

25th March 1974 🗓️ : Birth - Serge Betsen Serge Betsen, Cameroonian-French rugby player "Serge Betsen Tchoua (born 25 March 1974) is a former French rugby union player who played as a flanker for London Wasps and Biarritz at club level and for France internationally. He is generally considered to be one of the top flankers of the professional era (post-1995) of rugby union...."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0? by Clément Bucco-Lechat

25th March 1924 🗓️ : Event - Greek War of Independence On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic. "The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted by the British Empire, Kingdom of France, and the..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by SJCAmerican

25th March 1824 🗓️ : Birth - Clinton L. Merriam Clinton L. Merriam, American banker and politician (d. 1900) "Clinton Levi Merriam (March 25, 1824 – February 18, 1900) was a United States representative from New York. Merriam was born in Leyden, Lewis County, New York on March 25, 1824. He attended the common schools and Copenhagen Academy, Copenhagen, New York; engaged in mercantile pursuits in Utica, New..."

Image by Charles Pierce Merriam, James Sheldon Merriam

25th March 🗓️ : Holiday - Mother's Day (Slovenia) "Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar..."

Image by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

#OnThisDayInWikiHistory #WikiUntamed #WikiWonderland #WikiQuest

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vanwartime · 4 years ago

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Much has already been said of RCAF veteran Robert Clothier’s service online, but I’d like to delve a bit deeper into his WWII accomplishments. Robert was normally rather soft spoken about this part of his life, so these details may have been obscured to many of those who knew him.

Robert was a pilot, actor, and even a sculptor. His work Three Forms is displayed on UBC grounds, near the north side of the Lasserre Building.

His wikipedia entry gives a good introduction:

Like many of his contemporaries, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at an early age. He learned to fly at #1 Elementary Flying School and #4 Service Flying Training School, and flew operationally with 408 Squadron RCAF. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on December 5, 1944, the citation reading,

"This officer has completed numerous sorties in the role of pilot, involving attacks on most of the enemy's heavily defended targets. On all occasions he has pressed home his attacks with great determination and by his personal example of courage, coolness and confidence has set an example which has inspired all with whom he has flown."

In the first photo above, you can see Robert in October 1944 on his last trip after his second tour overseas. Crew members are (front) F/O Larry Corbeil, Bomb Aimer & Sgt. Joe McCart, Flight Engineer. (Back row) F/L Bob Austen, Wireless Air Gunner; Sandy De Zorzi, Navigator; Robert Clothier, Pilot; Tom Murdoch, Gunner; Bob Fitzgerald, Rear Gunner. In this photo, 408 squadron was using Halifax B. Mk VII's.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of his service, via the RCAF Association Honours and Awards page:

CLOTHIER, F/L Robert Allan (J15680) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.408 Squadron - Award effective 5 December 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 293/45 dated 16 February 1945. Born 22 October 1921 in Prince Rupert (Wikipedia entry says 21 October 1921); home in Vancouver; enlisted there 19 October 1940. To Trenton, 10 November 1940. To No.1 ITS, 27 January 1941; graduated and promoted LAC, 5 March 1941 but not posted to No.1 EFTS until 16 March 1941; graduated 4 May 1941 when posted to No.4 SFTS; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 27 July 1941. To Embarkation Depot, 28 July 1941; to RAF overseas, 19 August 1941. Commissioned 9 June 1942. Promoted Flying Officer, 9 December 1942. Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 15 June 1944. Appears to have been repatriated at some point but posted overseas again in March 1944. Finally repatriated 28 October 1944. To No.5 OTU, 3 December 1944 to instruct. Survived the crash of Mitchell HD315, 23 December 1944 which killed three others; severely injured with a broken back. At the time of the accident he had some 1,204 hours flying including 260 on Hampdens, 364 on Wellingtons and 111 on Lancasters. He was paralyzed from the waist down for two years. To Release Centre, 26 October 1945. Retired 9 January 1946. Studied architecture at University of British Columbia and theatre in England. On return to Vancouver he became an actor, painter and sculptor. He got the role of “Relic” on The Beachcombers, which ran on Canadian TV from 1972 to 1990. Died 10 February 1999 in Vancouver. Award sent by registered mail 21 May 1956.

As mentioned above, after returning home from two tours overseas, Robert suffered a serious crash at Boundary Bay, but survived.

In the Court of Inquiry, he testified that he had not fastened his seat belts, which may have contributed to his injuries...but it may have also saved his life, as he may have been thrown out of the aircraft. Also, the others may not have had their belts done up either, so they were thrashed around and perished. One crewman survived, but died in hospital, while the other two were killed in the crash or were trapped and killed in the fire.

He was a staff pilot at No. 5 OTU, and the aircraft was going up to do a "compass swing" in the air, rather than on the ground, so he had maintenance personnel on board, not trainees. The aircraft lost an engine on takeoff and crashed into a large drainage ditch near the runway.

Sadly, a few months later, Robert also lost his brother during active service overseas. Via findagrave.com:

432 Squadron’s Halifax VII (#RG-475) aircraft was one of about 160 aircraft that participated in a major air operation over Chemnitz, Germany on 5/6 March 1945. The Halifax took off from RAF East Moor in Yorkshire with eight air crew members aboard; after its successful operation in Germany, the aircraft was on its return flight back to its base in England when it was tragically shot down by ‘friendly flak’ from British Coastal Defence anti-aircraft guns. All eight airmen perished when the Halifax crashed north of Walton-on-Naze in Essex.

Miraculously, Robert recovered from his injuries, though he always walked with a limp.

I’d like to rewind briefly and highlight a small detail noted in the clipping after his second tour overseas. From the Vancouver Sun November 2, 1944, Page 6:

Flight-Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Clothier of 1979 Waterloo Road, Vancouver the bomber pilot who once flew his big Hampden upside down, while laden with bombs, over Mannheim has completed his second full tour of operations, according to an RCAF statement released today. He is the first pilot in the Goose Squadron to have done this, flying Hampdens for the first tour, and swinging over to Lancasters and Halifaxes for the second. Flt.-Lt. Clothier, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. L, Clothier, 1979 Waterloo Road, was born in Prince Rupert and attended St. George's School in Vancouver. He went overseas in August, 1941. A brother, FO. John Clothier, 24, is also overseas with the RCAF.

Did I read that correctly?! He flew his big Hampden upside down, while laden with bombs?! This is no small feat, especially considering the reputation of the Hampden! This was also quoted on the RCAF Association page, where it states: “His mates like to tell of the time Clothier tried a stall turn on a Hampden with a full bomb load aboard and the bomber did a complete upside-down flip.”

Jerry Vernon, the Vancouver Chapter President of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society writes:

You certainly would not want to deliberately fly a Hampden upside down, especially with a bomb load still on board. However, it is possible that he found himself involuntarily in this position as a result of air turbulence, violent evasive action to avoid another aircraft or a nearby flak burst! The Hampden was not a very forgiving airplane! People who flew (and survived) the Hampden were very brave, because it was a bad airplane with nasty aerodynamic problems...

The worst problem with the Handley-Page Hampden was instability, due to the “tadpole” shape of the rear fuselage and the very minimal vertical tail surfaces. I can probably recite at least half a dozen (or more) that crashed at No. 32 OTUS at Pat Bay due to this. As a result, pilots were instructed to fly straight ahead and never turn while climbing slowly at low altitude.

The early models of the Handley-Page Halifax bomber had a similar problem, with inadequate vertical fins. The RAF complained but Handley-Page rejected the complaints…eventually the later models of the Hampden had large “barn door’ tail fins!!

The Hampden we have at the Canadian Museum of Flight was lost due to failure to respect these instructions. They were dropping a torpedo, at low level of course, and were slowly starting to climb. The pilot turned the aircraft a bit to see where the torpedo was heading, and lost control. Rudder action had no effect nor did differential throttle, and they crashed into the water off Pat Bay. The Bomb Aimer quickly realized what was happening and climbed back up to his seat behind the pilot and had the overhead hatch open before they hit the water! They were lucky and got out quickly and were picked up by a Stranraer that was just taking off nearby at the time. Minor injuries and barely got their feet wet!!

In another case the following aircraft saw the Hampden ahead of them, flying at only 500 feet, attempt to do a 180, stall, roll over onto its back and fall into the ocean. They would send out perhaps 10 or 12 Hampdens on 5 minute intervals on a Navigation & Bombing Exercise that involved flying a couple of hundred miles out into the Pacific, doing about a 90° turn towards land, which brought them back over Port Hardy, then down to the South end of Vancouver Island where there was a bombing range. They had no weather information from the West, so the instructions were to turn around and return to Pat Bay if they ran into bad weather, in which case a radio message would be sent out for all aircraft to return. Some never got the message due to bad radios or poor reception and several simply disappeared without trace.

They had earlier done this exercise with Ansons, such as the one discovered in the trees near Port Renfrew several years ago, and later with Mitchells from Boundary Bay, such as one discovered on Brooks Peninsula in 1960. If they disappeared they were assumed to have been lost at sea, but that wasn’t always the case and the odd one has turned up on Vancouver Island over the years.

I’ll end this post with a quote from his DHH file 181.009 D.1513 (Library and Archives Canada RG.24 vol.20600) where his recommendation was raised by W/C R.A. McLernon, 26 September 1944 when he had completed 45 sorties (256 hours 40 minutes):

Flight Lieutenant Clothier has completed two tours of operations on heavy bombers in an exemplary manner. During these two tours he attacked practically every heavily defended target in Europe including Essen, Mannheim, Stuttgart and Hamburg. On all occasions he pressed home his attacks with very great determination and inspired his whole crew with great confidence. His courage and coolness were at all times of the highest order despite the intensity of the defences encountered, and never did he permit his bombs to be dropped unless he was certain that they would fall on the target. Flight Lieutenant Clothier, by his skillful leadership and operational ability, has moulded together one of the finest crews that this squadron has ever known. He is admired by those serving under him and also by his superiors. He is indeed a splendid example of what a fine operational pilot should be. Therefore I recommend that he be awarded an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross.

#rcaf #wwii #robert clothier #hadley hampden

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