#based on the V-J Day in Times Square photo

[sleepyjaneart]

November sketches. Yep, still on my bullshit…

[thecrimsonvalley-creates]

~ Heat of the moment ~ This is tied to a fic idea that I will get to in the far, far future but I wanted to draw this so bad and make a fake newspaper article! :D Sometimes you just have to smoosh the handsome detective that saved your blind sister from the stage when everyone else forgot about her :D And yes: This photo ends up plastered in the lunch room around Dale's office! :D (Pose based on V-J Day in Time Square photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt).

[cherlawa-panna]

I've always had complicated feelings towards the Dark Avengers run (in short: I don't like the plot and the only reason I touched it is because of Barney lol). But this dumpster fire has one of my favorite covers ever, which is THIS:

And the reason why I love this so much is because it was based on the famous photo of a sailor kissing a stranger "V-J Day in Times Square":

(I'm showing you also the other picture from the different angle so you can see it more clearly lol especially the headlock).

If I'm remember it correctly, this guy was kissing random girls on the street and at one point he grabbed this woman and kissed her against her will. AND I love the idea that in the Dark Avengers version, June is the one who is forcing a kiss on the sailor and SUCKS HIS SOUL OUT OF HIS BODY. It's wild, beautful and I love it. Very fitting for June if you ask me.

ALSO the second reason I love this is because of Barney's goofy face:

(silly little guy being a back up for his bestie "YEAHHH GIRLL 🥰🥰 take his soul or whatever you're doing right now <3" my man is supporting women's wrongs)

There is no reason for him to be on the cover since it still would look perfectly fine without him, but he is here and it looks sily and awkward 😭 but I love it.

[l8rhader]

Another excerpt

you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars by notalone91 (a Nick Miller x Jess Day fic)

“This is a completely different level of weirdness that I don’t know if I can handle.” Cece looked up apologetically, then pointed at Nick, starting to fight for his innocence. “From you two, not from him. Jesus!”

Nick was conflicted. On the one hand, he should have known that they’d go that far. On the other, he really did wish that he’d had the opportunity to have one single conversation as an adult that didn’t include Schmidt. Especially with the woman he was in love with. Still, choking down a laugh behind a very stern face, Nick pointed toward the wide open door and yelled, “Get out of here, guys!”

It was still very strange to experience the post-workout Jess. She easily uprighted and pushed two grown people toward the door. As she and Schmidt were being ushered out, Cece called over her shoulder. “Tell him, Jess.”

“You’re not in this!” she countered. It wasn’t like she wasn’t going to. She had learned a long time ago that when Nick was on a roll with his feelings, it was best to let him ride it out. She didn’t want to interrupt him. Nevertheless-

Cece threw her whole body in the door, with Schmidt shouting and reaching over top of her. “You told Schmidt I love him and now we’re married!”

“Did not !” Suddenly, they were back to teenage Jess and Cece again. Both of the men in the room looked at her incredulously. She wilted, then focused on the floor between her feet, “I told Nick.”

That was all it took to set off the lightbulb for Cece. “Yeah, okay. Loophole! Schmidt,” she said, clearly looking at Nick, past her husband’s shoulder, “Jess still loves Nick and seeing him with Reagan was driving her crazy and she was trying to push them together because she thought that’s what would make Nick happy.” She shook her head and squared herself on Schmidt, spilling out all the things he already knew for NIck’s benefit. “It was even part of the reason she and Doctor Sam broke up. She thought he was going to propose, said no, and when he asked why she wouldn’t have been able to marry him, she said that she didn’t know but he said he did. It was Nick. It’s always Nick.”

Nick had stopped looking at Cece and begun to stare at Jess. That was weeks before. He wasn’t even supposed to be home for another 5 weeks, based on the original plan. Was she just never going to tell him?

“The only thing she wants more than his happiness is him.”

The room fell silent. Nick hadn’t expected that. There was no way in his mind that Jess could still feel that strongly for him. Sure, they’d remained friends, but that…

That was love.

More than love, that was exactly the way he felt about her. The do-anything-for-ya, sneak-into-a-party-at-Prince’s-house, stick-my-finger-in-a-car-lighter, fly-across-the-country-as-soon-as-possible-to-be-back-with-you kind of love.

“Is that true?” he asked quietly.

“I-”

Nick moved the few steps to her, ending his chase for the night. “Jess?” he asked, no need to add anything further. What he wanted was to hear it from her. To hear something from her on the matter.

Wrapped up in the warmth of his eyes and the gentleness of his voice, Jess could feel herself beginning to fold. She wasn’t done with the conversation, but she needed to chase out the onlookers. She leaned forward, bridging the hardly-there gap between them, and kissed him in return. This time, he kissed her back so forcefully she had to bend backward. In her mind, she could only imagine that they looked a little like the picture of the sailor kissing the woman in times square on V-J Day, except that Jess was clearly enjoying herself way more than the poor, unsuspecting dental assistant in the photo but it just wasn’t the time for her mind to be getting angry over a 60-year-old photograph. She and Nick were kissing.

And Schmidt and Cece were cheering, not leaving.

If they didn’t shut up soon, Winston was going to wake up and it would all be over. There’d be a loft meeting and they’d be made to hash out things they hadn’t even discussed yet in front of their roommates. Instead of waiting for that to happen, Nick broke the kiss momentarily as he remembered that they were being watched and turned to his best friend. “You guys can go now.”

“I’m just so happy,” Schmidt croaked through happy tears. He moved into the room and flung his arms around the pair, kissing each upon the top of their head.

“ Schmidt .” Jess winced and ducked. It was just in time, too, as Nick swung over her head, pressing his best friend’s face away and smacking at him with the other hand.

When he was finally subdued, all he could manage was a sheepish and totally inauthentic, “Sorry.”

“Come on, honey,” Cece shushed, ushering her husband out and waving over her shoulder.

Nick moved back to Jess and placed his hands on her waist, pulling her in closer. Jess, with her ridiculous hearing to make up for how woefully blind she was without her glasses or contacts, held up a finger to Nick one more time. She glanced toward the hallway. “I’m going to put heavy cream in his oat milk.”

“You’ll do no such thing, Jessica!” their roommate and resident drama queen yelled, bursting back into the room from where he’d been pressed against the door jamb.

“Leave!”

“Get out of here, Schmidt!” Nick yelled, this time meaning business. He moved toward the door and slammed it into his best friend’s ass, then shoved it shut.

Through the closed door, Cece teased, “You know she did that to smoke you out, right?”

“I know. And I fall for it every time,” Schmidt yelled, more at himself than anything else, stomping as they retreated.

“I know you do,” Cece placated as the door to their bedroom finally closed on the opposite side of the loft.

[madelinematiasphotos]

The Unconditional Surrender Statue If the photograph of raising the American flag on Iwo Jima is the quintessential World War II icon for triumph in a just war, then "Unconditional Surrender" is the icon for the just rewards of victory. Who doesn't love that image of a sailor in Times Square on V-J (Victory over Japan) Day grabbing the nearest gal -- a nurse -- and trading anonymous spit? The original image of the moment was captured by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt on August 14, 1945. J. Seward Johnson is the sculptor of this version, though there has been some debate whether it is actually based on the famous photo. In any event, tourists and old veterans love it, assuming the same pose with a loved one at its base, or just peeking up the nurse's skirt. Local art critics were less pleased. The 25-ft. tall "monstrosity" has been criticized as a gaudy and lame imitation of the photo, and an eyesore for the community. The same reaction occurred to a lesser degee in Sarasota, where an identical copy of the statue stands. Locals, however, love the statue. And right next to it is the Bob Hope memorial plaza, chock full of even more sappy sculptures to irk the critics. Update: Glenn McDuffie, who claimed that he was the smooching sailor, died at age 86 on March 9, 2014. He spent the last several years of his life charging women $10 to take a picture of themselves kissing him on the cheek. 😘😍💞🗣️👣🗿📷📸👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #tbt #igers #picoftheday #love #nature #swag #lifeisgood #caseofthemondays #instapic #instadaily #selfie #instamood #bestoftheday #madelinematiasphotos #maddymatiasphotos #madelinematiasphotography #maddymatiasphotography #googlelocalguides #googlemaps @googlemaps @googlelocalguides (en Unconditional Surrender) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkekdiXrmCb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[myhumanitiesblog23]

Mod 4 assignment: Unconditional surrender

The statue you are referring to is called “Unconditional Surrender” and it is based on an iconic photo taken in Times Square in 1945, showing a woman dressed in a white uniform being embraced and kissed by a sailor to celebrate the end of World War II. The woman, identified as Greta Friedman, was 21 at the time, and she didn’t know the sailor, who has been identified as George Mendonsa1.

The statue was created by Seward Johnson and was first installed in Sarasota, Florida in 20052. It has since been installed in other locations around the world.

The 26-foot-high, 6000-pound statue was inspired by a famous photograph taken in New York's Times Square on V-J Day in 1945 of a World War II sailor bending over to kiss a woman. Some detractors have said that kiss was done without the woman's permission.

Interestingly, the woman depicted in the statue (and the famous photo) passed away in September 2016 at the age of 92. Mischa Elliot Friedman had previously told reporters that she didn’t know the sailorand didn’t see him coming before he grabbed her and planted the famous kiss all those years ago. 

This statue is beautiful! It is strategically located in downtown Sarasota and it is impossible to not see it. To not be enamored by the beauty of it. I see it as thou the times of war were bleak love was very much alive! There was nothing or no one but these two people around, despite the hustle and bustle of everything else going on around them.

[yayoineko]

“The War is Over!” Yaay!

Just a silly sketch of Optimus smooching his Megatron during a celebration.

Based off of famous photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt that portrays a U.S. Navy sailor grabbing and kissing a woman in a white dress, V-J Day in Times Square, during the announcement of the end of WWII.

[hannahreed]

Mapping

Title: Connections Made Through Moments in Time

For my project, I decided to portray mapping by using photographs throughout history. They are placed within a collage to represent how history is all connected. The pictures were laid out in a way where they create an outline of the United States. I decided that using red string in order to connect these photos and places within the United States. The overall concept it to show that all throughout our country, and outside of it, affects how to the world seems us. It shows a visual “map” that helps us connect everything that has occurred throughout history.

I decided to use “famous” photographs from around the United States. Some from as far back as the V-J Day in Times Square, which was taken in 1945. However, the photos are from different time periods and some are even from the 2020 protests and election. These photos are the base of the piece, they are made into the outline of the United States, on top of a canvas, But overtop I decided to use red string, to signify the “way you travel throughout time” and pins to keep the string in place, this is in a way the way to show movement and how easy it is to go from one place to another, experiencing history where ever you may go.

[unofferable-fic]

Even-Stevens (Steve Rogers x Reader x Bucky Barnes)

Summary: While on a recon mission overseas, Bucky finds himself in close quarters with you and Steve. The last thing he expects is for the conversation to turn to your preference for super soldiers and an apparent ‘free pass’ arrangement.

Originally posted here

————

Pairing: Steve x Reader x Bucky

Warnings: Language, kissing, free passes and such.

Word Count: 3,126

Puzzle Pieces: Character: Bucky Barnes Weather: Snow storm Setting: Finding/renting a cabin Prompt: “Move or I’ll sit on you.”

————

A/N: Also available on AO3. Howdy, this is my first piece of Marvel-related writing in a while and is also part of @your-highnessmarvel​ ’s Choose Your Puzzle Writing Challenge. This is just a bit of fun with my two favourite super soldiers, really. Hope you’s enjoy!

“How much longer until we get to this cabin, Cap? I feel like I’m starting to freeze.”

Bucky’s boots crunched in the snow as he trudged along a steep incline. Ahead of him, Steve and Y/N lead the way through the Scandinavian forests while the unsettling grey clouds above began to release a torrent of snow right on schedule. They had been flown out to the more secluded part of Sweden that afternoon, on a mission to do some recon on a newly-discovered HYDRA base. Two super soldiers and a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent — each of them having extensive knowledge on the organisation — seemed like the right crew to send out. The only issue was that a snow storm was due to swing by, forcing them to make a stop for some rest before sneaking to the base’s outskirts in the early morning hours. Bucky didn’t have much problem with snow anymore, even if he used to associate it with his time spent under HYDRA’s strict control in Siberia. It was somewhat freeing to be able to admire the peaceful weather without an unnerving and anxious feeling twisting around in his stomach.

Steve called out from his spot at the front of the trio. “The cabin should be on the other side of this hill, so not long now.”

Bucky was the last in line with Y/N placed firmly between them. She released a sigh, visibly done with the building snow already. “Good, I don’t think I can feel my toes anymore.”

“You always this dramatic about a bit of snow?” Bucky teased, revelling in his super soldier abilities that kept him warm in useful times like this.

“Ugh, yes, considering I’m still a measly human?” she replied, glancing over her shoulder to look at him. “Not all of us got to have that special potion of yours, Barnes.”

“That potion doesn’t gift ya with extra patience, doll.”

“Well no wonder you’re such a grumpy guy then, James.”

From the front of the line, Steve called out. “Good God. Whose idea was it to send you two on this mission with me again?”

“Yours!” they replied in unison without hesitation and Bucky laughed.

Steve let out a sigh. “Right, guess that’s my own fault then.”

“Could be worse, Stevie,” Bucky offered, hopping over a fallen log that blocked his path. “At least we’re not teasin’ you this time.”

“How about we keep the joking around until after we reach the cabin at least?”

They didn’t have to wait long to reach their destination. The cabin was where Steve said it would be, hidden away amidst the dense shrubbery and trees. Bucky barely offered the wooden structure more than a glance as they hurried inside and shut the outside world off behind them. Even if he wasn’t particularly struggling in the harsh weather, it was nice to be somewhere more secure and comforting.

“I’ll get the fire going,” Steve assured them, taking his signature shield off his back and leaving it leaning against a nearby wall. His tone shifted from that of Captain Rogers to his more casual friend Steve. “So we can warm up.”

“This place is really nice for a S.H.I.E.L.D. base,” Y/N noted, already shrugging off her heavy coat with a shiver. She peered into what looked to be a small living room and pointed at a big recliner in the corner. “Damn, I can’t wait to park my ass in that later. Look at how fluffy those cushions are!”

“It’s a good spot,” Steve agreed, chuckling at her enthusiasm. “And it should keep us warm and away from that snow before we head out again later.”

“Please tell me this place has hot water?”

“Stark said he would make sure we have hot water and food, so you should have plenty.”

“God bless that man,” she said gleefully. “I’m gonna go grab a shower.” With a kiss on Steve’s cheek, she rushed off into the bathroom. Steve’s eyes trailed after her with a small smile and Bucky eyed him, smirking in amusement.

“I’d tease ya for that,” Bucky began. “If you two weren’t so damn cute and ya didn’t have that shit-eatin’ grin on your face.”

“Then take your own advice and say nothing,” Steve waved him off, turning his attention to the fire. “I’ve had enough of your teasing for one day, punk.”

“’M just glad things are workin’ out between ya.”

Steve and Y/N had been in a relationship for the past year and from what Bucky could tell, things were going pretty well. They met at the Compound when she was brought in to assist with certain HYDRA missions. Being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, she had much to offer, and her expertise came in very handy when they needed it. Steve clearly became fond of her for more than that, and his offer of coffee sparked what ended up being a healthy relationship for them both. He wasn’t at all surprised when she caught Captain America’s attention. She was quietly confident in her abilities, could handle herself in the field, and was dedicated to helping people in whatever way she could. Not only that, but her playful snark when in a more casual setting caught him hook, line, and sinker. Bucky was always happy to see his best friend finding someone who made him feel content, and even more happy that he could poke fun at him for smiling like an idiot every time she was in the room. It helped that he genuinely liked her too, and found that they had surprisingly similar personalities. She certainly had his best pal seal of approval.

“Thanks, Buck,” Steve replied, tossing logs on to the newly-lit fire. “I’m glad too.”

Bucky smiled before glancing around the small sitting room. “Anythin’ ya need me to do to help out?”

“Tony said he would have some ready-made meals left in the fridge for us if you wanna sort those out.”

Bucky assured him he was on it before heading to the small kitchen in the next room over. As he pulled the pasta dishes from the mini fridge and prepared them, he got a proper look around the room. It was surprisingly homely, considering it was a base that was used quite regularly by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the area, but he supposed it would look suspicious to any passersby who looked in its windows and saw goddamn spy equipment littered all over the place. Its wooden beams and rustic decoration induced a warm, cosy feeling inside him.

Yeah, I could get used to this place.

With three meals steaming and ready to go, he knocked on the bathroom door to let Y/N know that there was food waiting for her when she got out. It didn’t take her too long to join them in the living room. Bucky, ever the antagonistic jerk that he was, parked himself firmly in the much sought after recliner, much to Steve’s dismay. He would regret it, he said, already expecting the confrontation that would occur. The former Winter Soldier merely flashed him a pasta-filled smile. Evidently, Steve was right to warn him — the agent soon joined them with wet hair and wearing more casual clothes compared to her earlier attire. She planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips, while he wolfed down his meal. Up until that point, the calming atmosphere in the cabin had been ideal. Now, Bucky had definitely put his damn foot in it.

“You’re in my spot.”

“Am I?” he asked, feigning innocence and unable to help himself. “Is this your cabin too?”

She bit back a smile. “It’s not my cabin, but I sure as hell claimed that chair.”

“I didn’t hear ya claim anythin’.”

“You must be hard of hearing in your old age, then.”

From his spot on the couch, Steve snorted. Bucky rolled his eyes. “Don’t bother an old man his chair.”

“That’s my chair.”

“Says who?”

“Says me! So move.”

He chuckled, enjoying how he vexed her. “Not gonna happen, doll.”

“Move or I’ll sit on you.”

He grinned. “Awh c’mon, we don’t wanna make Stevie jealous with an offer like that.”

With a huff, she plopped herself on the couch next to Steve, letting her back rest against his shoulder and grabbing her ready-made meal. “You’re the bane of my existence, Barnes.”

“Love you too, doll.”

Though they pretended to fight and ended up in bouts of verbal grilling semi-regularly, neither of them ever took it to heart.

The Captain merely rolled his eyes at the exchange, chucking his empty food container on the table and grabbing the laptop. “I need a distraction from this bickering. What did I do to deserve dealing with you two on this mission?”

Y/N replied without missing a beat. “It must have been because of your rampant infidelity.”

Bucky choked on the last mouthful of his meal. He spluttered out a laugh, smacking his chest in an attempt to clear his throat. “Fuckin’ hell—”

Steve appeared unamused while his girlfriend pacified him. “It was just a joke, Steve! Why are you making that face?”

Oh, boy. Bucky would have felt bad for laughing had the situation been far more serious, but thankfully, said accusations were completely — well, mostly — false. At this point, it had become a bit of a joke between her and Steve.

A few months ago, Steve — or rather, Captain America — was asked to partake in an advertisement campaign, in which he was to do a photoshoot themed around the thirties and forties. Very original. One such snapshot was to be a recreation of the infamous V-J Day in Times Square photo, more commonly known as the Navy sailor embracing and kissing the nurse. A model took the place of the nurse, and it was done quite tastefully in Bucky’s opinion. Steve informed Y/N ahead of time, worried she might be displeased with the arrangement, but she was completely unfazed, well aware that it was just for a photograph. Regardless, the captain worried, reassuring her that ‘it meant nothing, yada yada yada…’ It had become sort of a running joke that she would frame him as a cheating fiend to get back for the weeks of unnecessary explanations she received from her boyfriend.

“I already said I was sorry about it,” Steve grumbled, slinging his arm around her shoulder and pulling her body closer to his. “And you’re still hasslin’ me about it.”

“I’m only joking around,” she clarified and gave his hand a squeeze. “Plus, I’ve already told you that you don’t have to apologise to me. I couldn’t care less about the photoshoot. But that hasn’t stopped you from saying sorry or making unusual offers.”

“Unusual offers?” Bucky repeated, looking between them with immediate interest.

Y/N looked to her boyfriend with a wry grin. “Can we tell him?”

“Tell me what?”

Steve was grinning despite his hesitance. “If you want to, but it can’t leave this cabin.”

Bucky immediately sat up in the recliner. “Okay, now I’m really curious.”

With a sure nod from Steve, she turned to Bucky and revealed what their secret was. “He offered me a free pass.”

Bucky blinked. “A what?”

“A free pass. Like, he said I can kiss one person to make up for him kissing the model. That way, we’ll be ‘even Stevens’, as he said.”

Bucky was silent for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. He met Steve’s gaze and said. “Ya seriously suggested that?”

The other man shrugged in response. “I felt guilty, alright? And it was only if she wanted to. There were also some conditions.”

Y/N began to list them off on her fingers. “No strangers, no one already in a relationship, Steve has to know about it ahead of time and also be present, and specifically not Tony under any circumstances.”

“But isn’t he already in a relationship anyway?”

“Yeah, but Steve was very insistent about it not being him.”

Bucky couldn’t help but be amused by the arrangement, but Steve generally seemed unbothered by it. He supposed he felt reassured in their relationship and unthreatened about giving her a free pass to kiss someone else once without consequence.

Bucky nodded along thoughtfully. “So… ya got your eyes on anyone?”

“I will admit, I did ask Steve whether Thor would be allowed.”

Bucky snorted. “Of course ya’d go for another big, dumb blonde.”

“Damn,” Steve sighed, pretending to be insulted. “Way to do us both dirty, Buck.”

“What can I say?” She shrugged, displaying not even an ounce of shame. “I do love a good beefcake.”

“Thor ain’t the only beefcake on the team,” Steve added, nodding suggestively to his friend sitting opposite them. “Right?”

Bucky’s natural response was to laugh until he saw the thoughtful look in Y/N’s eyes. Clogs were clearly turning in her mind as she looked between them. “Well, now that you mention it…”

His mouth fell open. “Uh…”

Now it was Steve’s turn to be amused at his friend’s discomfort. “You speechless, pal?”

“’M tryin’ not to make assumptions, punk.”

“To be honest,” she began again, equally amused by his reaction. “I did ask if you were also off limits, and apparently you’re not.”

Bucky was honestly stumped. At first, he couldn’t tell whether they were joking or pulling some out of embarrassing prank. “I can’t tell if you two are bein’ serious.”

“Oh, it’s not a joke,” Steve confirmed casually. “She asked whether I’d be more comfortable with her kissing either you or Thor, and I’ve known you longer than anyone on our team. I’d be more comfortable if it’s someone I trust wholeheartedly.”

“I… Uh, I just,” Bucky stammered, trying to choose his words carefully so that he didn’t sound like an ass. He assumed he already sounded like an ass. “I wouldn’t want things to be awkward between us, Steve.”

“It’s just a kiss, Barnes,” Y/N replied. “Nothing to get your knickers in a twist over. Seriously, no big deal.”

He looked at her pensively. “No big deal?”

“If I kiss Bucky,” she said, placing a hand on Steve’s thigh. “Can we be even with this whole kiss thing and you can stop going on about it?”

He nodded and quickly shut the laptop. “Deal. If he’s comfortable with it too.”

“I mean…” Bucky cleared his throat as they watched him expectantly. “’M not gonna turn down a kiss.”

Y/N got to her feet as he did. For a moment, he stood there awkwardly. It had been many years since Bucky was a rampant and confident ladies man. Even if he was doing much better since his brainwashed Winter Solder days, he still hadn’t settled back into his previous reputation. His charisma had taken a bit of a nose dive. Sometimes he was more comfortable around damn goats than he was around a good-looking woman.

“It’s just a peck,” she reassured him gently with a small smile.

“Uh, sure. Yeah.” He smiled back, not entirely sure what he should do with his hands. His metal fingers clenched into a fist before relaxing and repeating the motion.

“You should dip her,” Steve suggested from his spot on the couch. When they gave him a questioning look, he added. “That’s what I had to do for the photoshoot. Y’know, like the original photo.”

“Ya tryin’a make me feel even more awkward?” Bucky accused him.

“Maybe.”

“Okay,” Y/N said, then clapped her hands to psych them up. “Come on, Barnes! Don’t think, just go for it!”

“Awh, fuck.”

Taking her advice and just ‘going for it’, Bucky pulled her swiftly into his arms, dipped her back, and pressed his lips against hers. Her arms instinctively grabbed his broad shoulders as she settled into the sudden kiss, lips relaxing against his. He eased her back up, keeping the kiss chaste and gentle. Despite the formality of the arrangement and the fact his best friend was currently watching the embrace, Bucky couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to kiss a woman again. It wasn’t suggestive, it wasn’t desperate, and it certainly wasn’t insinuating that there was more to come. But it was good. Her soft lips, the light breath fanning over his face, and her body fitting into his sure as hell made him feel really damn good.

He pulled back from her lips with a small smack, carefully releasing her from his grasp. They stared at each other for a moment, taking in their surrounds and looking to see Steve sitting contentedly on the couch. “That was some dip.”

Bucky grumbled in response while Y/N looked at him expectantly. “Sooooo, we’re even now?”

“Even Stevens.”

“Sweet. Thanks for the assistance, Barnes.”

Bucky waved her off awkwardly. “’S fine. ’M not sure if this is weird, but you’re a good kisser.”

She giggled slightly. “Even if it’s kinda weird, you’re a good kisser too.” She ran a hand over the back of her neck and picked up her food off the table. “I’m, eh, gonna go reheat my dinner. I’ll be back.”

She left without another word, the sound of the microwave coming on confirming her explanation. Bucky stood in the middle of the room for a moment, watching her leave and then clearing his throat. He reclaimed his seat in the recliner once more, feeling his friend’s eyes on him.

Bucky met his smirking gaze. “Whose idea was that?”

“Hers originally,” Steve admitted. “But I didn’t have any problem with it. We discussed it before a few times.”

“Ya sure you’re cool with it?”

“Definitely,” he confirmed. “It’s kinda nice to see you flustered over a dame for once.”

“So we’re good?” he asked with an edge to his voice. “No big deal?”

“Of course we’re good, Buck! Plus, who says I didn’t get anythin’ outta that either?”

The brunette’s brows piqued at his admittance. “Really? Huh… Ya better hope Stark hasn’t got this place bugged.”

“What Tony won’t know won’t hurt him.” Steve relaxed in his seat, completely unfazed by the turn of events. “But what I did know, was that you’d be up for the suggestion. And now I get to tease you for once. Who knew my girl could make you so flustered?”

Bucky shook his head, not taking the teasing to heart. He met his best friend’s cheerful gaze and started to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. This was one weird recon mission, but he was sure as shit enjoying it. “Shut up, jerk.”

“Not a chance, punk.”

[behind-the-screen-of-bangtan]

The love story

This post is part of the TSU. It belongs to the second part: Towards adulthood.

BTS wrote a lot of love songs and they follow the same global reflection as the other themes discussed by the boys. As the songs are pretty self-explanatory, this post will rather focus on studying them globally, to see if they form a coherent story.

Before starting, we need to consider BTS’ songs structure for a little second. Most of the time, each rapper has a verse and then the vocal line sings together during the chorus. So if you want to tell a story, considering the chorus is always the same thing, it will happen in the verses and thus will be told by the rappers. Which means we can have up to three points of view.

This leads us to the biggest problem with the love story from BTS songs: we don’t know how many boys and girls are involved. So I’ve arbitrarily decided to apply the rule of the simplest version: if it makes sense with one boy, then there’s only one boy. Also, when I say “the Boy”, it’s just the main character of the song.

The macho

This story starts rather sadly. Bangtan’s first two love songs are post-break-up songs. “좋아요” (I like it) is about the Boy stalking his ex’s Facebook and “Coffee” about the Boy remembering his ex, comparing their relationship to a sweet caramel macchiato and their break up to a bitter Americano.

As the Boy has other things to consider during 2 Cool 4 Skool and O!RUL8,2?, he doesn’t look for love and it’s only in the last song from O!RUL8,2?, namely “Outro: Luv In Skool”, that a new love is brought up:

“Even though I drink coffee and open my eyes I still feel like I’m going to fall asleep oh no no I often drew it up, if I ruled the world I feel like I would put you by my side again Tell me that it’s not too late If this is a nightmare, please save me quickly Take a good look, I’m still waiting for only you”

As they’ll often do in future releases, they reference their own songs in another song. “Coffee” and “If I ruled the world” are both from O!RUL8,2?, which theme is finding happiness before it’s too late. It thus appears that the Boy has come to the conclusion that to escape the sadness of his previous break up and to find happiness, he needs the love of the Girl. The song ends with Jungkook asking “Girl do you wanna go out with me?”

Suga explained in his review that “Intro: Skool Luv Affair” follows the outro and shows how each rapper would propose. The song concludes with hip-hop being the solution because it’s “Bangtan’s style”. It’s so much Bangtan’s style that in the video there are actually more “hip-hop” elements - radio, sneakers, “wassup”, caps, skateboards - than ones relating to love - a couple, hearts, roses. The continuity with O!RUL8,2? is also shown through symbols appearing in the intro videos of both albums - round, triangle, square, five-branch star.

In the lyrics of “Boy In Luv”, the Boy wonders how he could ask the girl out and prove he’s a “real man” (“상남자” which is actually the name of the song in Korean; it’s not as sexist as it sounds in English though, it’s more “real man” as in someone strong enough that you can trust them, someone responsible). It’s also implied the girl is playing hard to get:

“Even if you act like you don’t know me or act cold I cannot push you away I want to be your oppa I’ll become your man, just watch”

In ”Where Did You Come From” it’s Suga’s and J-Hope’s turn to flirt with a girl while speaking in satoori (Suga explains it in his review).

“Boy In Luv” MV seems to summarize those three songs:

the intro of the MV fits with “Outro: Luv in Skool” (it’s “Just One Day”’s instrumental that’s playing though): we see the Boy - played by our international playboy falling in love at first sight with the Girl - he possibly asks her out a first time: “Girl do you wanna go out with me?” and is rejected because she’s playing hard to get. (Note that based on the photo concept and on later content, it’s also implied Jungkook has feelings for Yoongi but it’s an element belonging strongly to the BU so I won’t consider it further here.)

Then the Boy’s friends help him, each rapper explains how he would confess (”Intro: Skool Luv Affair” and “Where Did You Come From?)

And in the end, Jin goes to fetch the girl and brings her to Jungkook so he can confess himself - it was decided while filming to add Jin’s and Jimin’s scenes with the girl. As she accepts the flower, we can conclude the Boy and the Girl start going out.

However, it’s explained in “Just One Day” that they have difficulties meeting:

“Just one day, if I had time I want to get drunk in your sweet scent And fall asleep soundly In the midst of my tightly-packed schedules If I had an opportunity I want to soak myself in your warm deep eyes”

I didn’t mention it until now, but as there are always biographical elements in Bangtan’s songs, the Boy sometimes has an idol life - here the tightly-packed schedule; in “Coffee”, there’s also the line “Girl, I’ve debuted, this one phrase should do it, right?”. It’s rarely talked about though and most of the time the Boy is just an average guy.

Another thing to note, about the MV this time, is how the boys are in the light but also surrounded closely by shadows. As if the end is already near when they’re still dazzled by their bright love.

It doesn’t stop the Boy, however, and so in “Outro: propose”, he’s fully in love:

“(Good to you) You’re the only one for me (Good to you) Even with this distance between us Always stay by my side (Good to you) You’re my everything Even if tomorrow brings us trouble Hold my hand”

You can fit “Miss Right” here too if you want.

The disillusion

Dark & Wild has two parts: the first half is “dark” and the second, starting from the interlude is “wild”. It’s a plot twist to the fairy tale we had until now: while the Boy is still deeply in love, the Girl isn’t invested in the relationship.

At first the Boy wonders, in “Intro: What Am I To You?” and then he directly warns the Girl, in “Danger”, as he gets angrier. We have similar ideas in the sentences written next to the boys in the photo book from the album:

RM: “I wanna be loved so bad”

S: “Luv turns to anger”

J: “My luv ain’t going nowhere”

JH: “My heart is full of you”

V: “U R the only one I need”

JM: “I luv U however painful it would be”

JK: “Why don’t U luv me like I do?”

Sadly, as we can see in the Japanese version of the MV, the girl doesn’t answer. And the boy ends up going to a club.

The next song on the album is ”War of Hormone”. The song where the Boy hits on a girl. A song that actually belongs to the “dark” half of the album and not the “wild” one. A song that happens when the Boy is arguing with the Girl. So yeah, if you interpret “War of Hormone” in the globality of BTS’ discography, you can see it as a possible cheating attempt made out of anger (it’s obviously a heavy over-interpretation):

“Hello hello (what!) Hello hello (what!) Tell me what you want right now Hello hello (what!) Hello hello (what!) Imma give it to you girl right now Even though you say that you’re not mine, you’re the best”

So the war would not only be the surge of sexual hormones but also the war between the love for the Girl and the anger against Her.

For love songs, this half of the album is concluded by “Let Me Know”. The Boy knows his relationship with the Girl has ended, but he still begs for her confirmation, possibly in hope that she’ll kill the last bits of love he still feels towards her:

“I just wanna know know know I just wanna know know know My regret is still standing in front of the ending sign So please say something to me Girl, let me know”

Fortunately, the “wild” side of the album is a bit more hopeful. Hard to tell if the girl for this part is the one the Boy met in “War of Hormone” or if it’s a new one, all we know is that he met someone and he’s trying to woo her. “Interlude: what are you doing” is a phone call and the only lyrics are “what are you doing”. It’s a deduction based on the next songs but it seems this “what are you doing” actually means “are you busy? Are you free to hang out with me?”.

“Blanket Kick” happens after the meeting. The Boy is kicking his blanket out of frustration because he failed at seducing Her and ridiculed himself:

“Once again I only do weird things in front of you You’re so pretty pretty pretty Oh Why did I do that I’ll launch a kick at my blankets in my sleep”

His frustration is all the more understandable when you consider the next song, namely “24/7=Heaven”. He has it really bad for Her:

“24/7 I thought only of you all day”

“24/7=Heaven” also gives details about their first date:

“The first date with you I keep getting excited like a child These days I’m Sunday Where the sun named you has risen, Sunday”

Their love is confirmed in “Look here”:

“At first it was mere curiosity As I started to show interest in you Holy Shhh Yeah, even if you ignore me The time when you fall for me, for a minute We look rather good together, without you I'm like a Seoul City without lights I wait for an opportunity to fill your empty spot, a rabbit hole graffiti The play called A day without you is a tragedy”

“At first, You answered once when I texted ten times But later, You call me first and look for me all day”

It also appears this time the Girl loves the Boy back.

“Outro: does that make sense?” is a bit hard to interpret because we can’t really know if the lyrics are about the current Girl or the previous one. The main idea here is that they fell out of love:

“Does that make sense? You, do you think that makes sense? That our love changes so easily So that nobody notices, so that I look fine, I’m with you but now I’m crying at the mere sight of your facial expression Explain it, explain it, explain it girl My baby explain it, explain it I hate you to death but I still think of you even now”

The School trilogy ends like this. It’s the only series with albums where love (for someone else) will be the main theme. The conclusion is rather dark for the Boy: no matter his efforts to be loved, his love always ends badly. If we refer to the coming-of-age story structure, this moment would be the hardship that counters the Boy’s vision of the world. It’s thus in a rather depressed state that he enters his youth.

The beggar

An important shift happens here. We have more reflections about inner feelings and a bit less about the outside world. There’s another difference, with the title song. RM said in the #hashtag interview:

“‘I NEED U’ is the title song. As you can feel from the title, ‘Ah~ I do need you’ trying to hold the love which is about to end. Singing the anxiety and wandering of the youth.”

More than the approximative subs provided by 1theK, what we can note is that the title song is one aspect of the theme of the album: “I NEED U” is a sad love song and 화양연화 Pt.1 is the pains of youth in general.

With the notable exception of “Converse High”, all the love songs in 화양연화 Pt.1 have the same basis, namely the Boy can’t stand the idea of the girl leaving him alone:

“Girl I would rather rather we break up Girl say that it wasn’t love love I don’t have that kind of courage Give me one last present So that I won’t go back anymore” - “I NEED U”

“Without you, I can’t breathe Without you, I’m nothing Open your closed heart, dampen my heart Give me an embrace so I can feel you” - “Hold Me Tight”

“Tell me why you’re trying to go so far away In your eyes Do you not see me anymore Uh Love, it’s a hurtful and hurtful thing yeah It feels like goodbyes are hurtful And more hurtful” - “Outro: Love is not over”

“Converse High” is closer to something like another “Intro: Skool Luv Affair” or “Where Do You Come From?”. It’s each rapper giving a point of view on the matter, which is not necessarily theirs (Suga said he had nothing against Converse and that his verse was just to oppose RM’s):

“You know what I want A white t-shirt, denim shorts and Red Converse Highs That’s it”

“Rather than those stars in the sky I’d rather see them stars on your shoes Haha all without Namjoon knowing”

“Converse converse I really hate a converse”

Maybe we can see this song as the Boy’s friends talking, reminding us that love can be at a different stage for everyone. Let’s be very clear, this last sentence was highly over-interpretative.

“FOR YOU” was released around this time too, so if you want, you can interpret the girl leaving as something literal. After all, we have no explicit lyric about a break-up, so she possibly just left for Japan and the Boy can’t stand the long-distance relationship.

In 화양연화 Pt.2, the love story and the Boy’s life blur together. It’s the stage where he flies away to an alternative dreamlike world to escape adulthood. It’s the butterfly dream story. In “RUN” and in “Butterfly”, the Boy runs after the butterfly leading him to the dream world. He’s aware of the fragility of this world, however, since he’s extremely scared to touch the butterfly and to see it shatter to pieces:

“Like a flower whose memories are dry All broken into pieces From the tips of my fingers, from underneath my feet Behind my running back As if chasing a butterfly, like wandering through a dream Following your traces Please tell me the road, please stop me Please let me breathe”

“Will you stay by my side Will you promise me If I touch (you), you’ll fly away and break  I’m scared scared scared of that

Will you stop time If this moment passes As though it hadn’t happened I’m scared scared scared I’ll lose you”

In “Dead Leaves” and “Outro: House of Cards”, he realizes it will fail. The butterfly is alive and flies, it goes up. The leaf is dead and falls, it goes down, it leaves the dream:

“Don’t go far far away Baby you girl I can’t hold onto you Baby you girl I can’t give up on you Like the dead leaves that fell This love, like the dead leaves Never never fall It’s withering”

“A house made of cards, and us, inside Even though the end is visible, even if it’s going to collapse soon A house made of cards, we’re like idiots Even if it’s a vain dream, stay like this a little more”

The photo concept for Young Forever is similar. In the Day version, the boys rise in a hot-air balloon and in the Night version, they’re camping - so it’s just a temporary stay.

Coming back to reality and seeing how frail and short life is, the Boy begs in “Save Me”:

Don’t wanna be lonely Just wanna be yours

And by placing himself at the mercy of the Girl, he becomes her prisoner.

The prisoner

Only two songs can be considered here: “Boy Meets Evil” and “Blood, Sweat & Tears”. The Boy thinks the Girl is the key to happiness, so no matter how she hurt him, he’s still tempted to go back to Her. The Girl probably represents different aspects like the protective mother, the sexual partner, the best friend, the sister… in which the boy could find some relief - affection, sex, support…

The whole “Boy Meets Evil” is about this relief: the Boy knows that “Too bad it’s too sweet”. It’s similar and different in “Blood, Sweat & Tears”. The Girl still is a devilish temptation but we can probably take it in the context of Demian - it’s also confirmed in the WINGS Concept Book that “Blood, Sweat & Tears” shows the act of rebelling against God. By deduction, the Girl can be associated with Beatrice, that makes Sinclair stop drinking and go back to a healthy lifestyle:

“Kiss me even if it hurts Come, tighten me (up) Until it can’t even hurt anymore Baby, even if I get drunk it’s alright, I’ll now drink you up Deep into (my) throat, (with) you as the whiskey”

The Boy admitted his love for the Girl was toxic but he still hasn’t found an alternative to save himself until now. She’s his only way to reach happiness.

 The boy and himself

And so it’s finally time for Love Yourself. The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm is essential here. If we summarize the 148 pages in a few words: love is an art and is thus something that you work on, that you perfect with discipline and faith, that’s both collective and individual, that needs to be acted on rather than thought about, and that’s killed by capitalism and vainly replaced by consumerism.

Bad news though, the Boy hasn’t understood yet. The same way Beatrice triggered Sinclair into a creative strike (that eventually led him to himself), the Girl from “Blood, Sweat & Tears” pushed the Boy into a love blackhole.

This time, he’s so despaired he calls their love destiny and he puts all his hopes into it:

“You are my penicillium The one who saved me My angel My world I am your calico cat One who came to meet you Love me now Touch me now”  - “Serendipity” (”Flower”, the poem referenced in the lyrics also emphasises how the lovers need each other to exist)

“From the days when the universe was created To go on for infinite centuries Probably from a previous life, and in the next lives to come Since we’ll be together forever

Since all this isn’t coincidence Since the both of us are the ones who have found destiny” - “DNA”

“Don’t lie, you are indeed an angel” - “보조개” (Dimples)

“There’s no me without you”

“You got the best of me So please just don’t leave me” - “Best of Me”

“The answer To all my wonder(s) I call you her, her Cuz you’re my tear, tear” - “Outro: Her”

“Outro: Her” announces the next part, namely Tear, where the Boy finally understands putting all the responsibility for his own happiness on his partner and altering his own personality to please said partner isn’t good.

Tear is the development of this outro. The Boy knows but he refuses to let go of his toxic relationship, not after putting so much of himself into it:

“Even in the dream that I briefly enter The torturous phantom pain is the same as ever

Did I lose myself Or did I gain you”  - “Singularity”

“I wanna be a good man just for you I gave the world just for you I changed it all just for you Now I dunno me, who are you? In the forest just for us you weren’t there I forgot the route that I came by Even I became unsure who I was before Talk nonsense at the mirror, who are you really” - “FAKE LOVE”

“We need to believe in only us Don’t let go of our two hands We need to be together forever

Others say If you’re like this, you’re the only one that becomes a fool But I don’t wanna use my head” - “Love Maze”

In the outro of this album, each rapper consider the meaning of the words “tear” and “fear” (see RM’s behind at 45:00). No matter how hard he tried, the Boy can’t save himself like that

“We walked towards the same place But this place becomes our last Although we used to talk about forever Now we break each other without mercy Although we thought that we dreamed the same dream That dream has finally become a dream My heart is torn, please burn it instead So that pain and regret, none of that would be left 

You’re my tear”

The word dream is quite present. The Boy left the dream world but he still longs for it - the forest from “FAKE LOVE” can probably be linked with the forest in Kafka on the Shore, a sort of ideal world.

“The truth untold” could be included but considering how it’s a reference to Smeraldo, I’ll rather leave it with the BU content.

And finally, in Love Yourself 結 Answer, the Boy realizes the solution is simply that he should love himself:

“I’m the one I should love in this world My shining self, my precious soul I finally realise it So I love me Even if it’s a little lacking, it’s so beautiful I’m the one I should love” - “Epiphany”

“You’ve shown me I have reasons I should love myself” - “Answer: love myself”

The epilogue of the relationship between the Boy and the Girl can probably be found in the trivia and in “I’m Fine”.

The innocent Boy from 起 Wonder just wanted to have fun:

“I like the feeling of being together, with you I like the dances that we dance together, with you I just wanna, wanna, wanna I really wanna, wanna, wanna Just dance” - “Trivia 起: Just Dance“

The one from 承 Her put a lot of importance in the other person:

“You are the person Who’ll change my recollections into memories A person who’ll change a person into love Before I knew you My heart was, in its entirety, just a straight line” - “Trivia 承: Love”

The one from 轉 Tear understood it was vain to continue:

“The start was, well, fun With the up and down in itself Before I knew it, we became tired of each other In the meaningless waste of emotionsThe repeated seesaw, seesaw game By this point, I’ve become tired, tired of it” - “Trivia 轉: Seesaw“

The one from 結 Answer answers to the sad Boy from Young Forever and can finally say he’s alright, on his own:

“It’s okay, because I’m my only savior With ugly steps, I live without ever dying How you doin? I’m fine” - “I’m Fine”

Forget the Girl, ARMY is better

With Map of the Soul: Persona, BTS acknowledges the precious friend that has always been there for them, ARMY. They don’t need to find love in a stranger to be happy, they just need to love and care for themselves and the ones close to them.

[onenettvchannel]

THIS JUST IN: Anime Franchise of Girl Gaku renews to Season 2 with a New Set of Student J-Pop Idols [#OneNETnewsEXCLUSIVE]

TOKYO, JAPAN -- After almost a year from a 1st Season FINALE of Girl Gaku: St. Girls Square Academy despite for its post-Pandemic of Coronavirus Disease-19 (CoViD-19) in Japan at the end of last March 2021... Oha Suta announces the 2nd Season which takes place in Shibuya City of Tokyo Prefecture with a new set of Japanese Pop (J-Pop) idols as students to what it takes to be a "Lucky Star".

Six-member girl groups named "Lucky2" had announced Tuesday morning (January 4th, 2022 -- Japan local time) during a kids variety morning show segment, shares all the anime viewers themselves to the public for the resolutions on New Year's Day in 2022 upon facing the world with your responsibility. Dancing and singing skills can take years or months to perfect and execute the said performance in training with the professionals first in school clubs.

The first season was based on the Girls2 performance group at the Square Academy since the main protagonist (Toa Harada) joins South2, Rina Yamaguchi was first discovered her new talent of singing and dancing with the inspiration of Girls2 team under West2 & South2 separately. When Yamaguchi enters the door with her application paper of resume at the Garusta studio, a former professional dancer at the Takeshita Street Studio (TSS) and a current trainer named Hamura Chino comes forward to apply the said resume.

Throughout the announcement of Season 2, the entire cast of Lucky2 (excluding Yamaguchi) confirmed by its last named with Fukasawa, Naka, Sugiura, Yuwa and Sato. Some of the last names of Lucky2 are rarely unofficial since OneNETnews cannot independently verify the authenticity of the said J-Pop anime idols. Her goal is to have an audition at the St. Girls Square Academy with the Girls2 team. Yamaguchi is a transfer student from Kanagawa Prefecture to experience a personal student career for her skills of talents, as we learned from our news team to OneNETnews.

The 2nd season features a different staff: Makoto Nakata (episode director for Oriental Light and Magic), Takahiko Kyogoku (Animation Supervisor), Junichi Fujisaku for the Scripts, Hiroaki Akagi (Chief Director) and Norihito Takahashi (Episode Director). Shogakukan's Ciao magazine will be serialized for a Manga adaptation in March 2022, which is a most popular Japanese magazine exclusively for the elementary school girls.

Girl Gaku Season 2: Lucky Star will premiere during Oha Suta starting January 10th, 2022 at 7:05am (Japan local time) on your TXN Networks for TV Tokyo.

PHOTO COURTESY: Oriental Light and Magic (OLM)

SOURCE: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrDAFBz0jc8 [Girl Gaku (Season 2) - Promotional PREVIEW from OhaTuber via Oha Suta's YouTube Channel] *https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-12-01/gal-gaku-anime-shorts-get-2nd-season-starting-on-january-10/.180158 [Reference News Article #1 from the Anime News Network] *https://otakukart.com/gal-gaku-ii-lucky-stars-episode-1/ [Reference News Article #2 from OtakuArt] *https://natalie.mu/comic/news/455692 [Reference News Article #3 from Comic Natalie] and *https://www.ohast.jp/info/211201.php [Reference News Article #4f from Oha Suta via TXN News]

HONEST DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed from this News Report are not those from the TXN Network, under its home station of JOTX-TV 7: TV Tokyo and the affiliation via JOBH-TV 7: TV Osaka. Furthermore, the assumptions of our news report will NOT state or reflect those of our Radyo Patrol reporters. The station, management, interwebs and the network. Thanks for reading and Happy New Year, mga ka-Bandera! Stay safe and may the Celestia blesses you. Later!

-- OneNETnews Team

[webberjiang]

Journaling - Scale and Proportion

Scale is the size of an object and proportion is the size of an object in comparison with another object in size.

An example in life is the unconditional surrender statute in Sarasota. It is a 25-foot status that is based on one of the famous World War Two photos "V-J Day in Times Square", the large size of the statue represents the statue is a symbolic icon.

[parentart]

5. Three Steps to Accuracy

5. Three Steps to Accuracy

A G E : Grade 3-12

D A T E : Week of August 18 - 22

O V E R V I E W

Students will be introduced to, and have a chance to use, The 3 steps to accuracy method, which is based on the way professional artists analyze what they see so that they can reproduce it accurately in artwork. There is also a paint-mixing game, and some time to finish landscapes if needed.

O B J E C T I V E S

Practice and improvement in drawing accurately, using an easy system of 3 steps

Understanding that artists must analyze large shapes before drawing details

Accomplishment by mixing colors and drawing more accurately

Fulfillment in making a work of abstract art from photo reference

A R T W O R D S

Accuracy – When we want things to look realistic, we are striving for accuracy in our drawing abilities. Many people use phrases like, “it looks right”, instead of “it looks accurate”. Using the words right and wrong tend to make artists who are learning accuracy, feel like they’re not true artists. We avoid these terms and say accurate instead.

 Frame –  The ArtSquish term to denote the edges of a work of 2-dimensional art. Usually a rectangle or square.

 Touch-points –  Big shapes touch the edges of the frame in 2 or 3 places. It’s easier to look at the edge and find these points before you draw the whole shape.

 Big Shapes – The Art Instructor  term to denote the 4 to 6 largest shapes in a work of art. Most images can be divided into just a few of these very large shapes, which will intersect the frame on more than one side.

L E S S O N

1. Finish & Warmup (20 Minutes) – Finish paintings, draw still life, artist choice.

2. Three Steps (20 Min) – Introduce the 3 steps to accuracy

3. Exercise (15 Min) – Choose a reference and draw:

Break 

4. Big Shapes (20 Min) – Color big shapes - abstract oil pastels

5. Set Up (5 Min) – Set up for painting

6. Color Maze (25 Min) – Students paint color

maze

7. Cleanup (5 Min) – Everyone helps

F O C U S Each % represents how much of the lesson involves that kind of training. Insights for the brain – Techniques for the hand – Expression for the heart

Insights 70%

Techniques 20%

Self-Expression 10%

P R E V I E W

Ink & Air

Students discover (or rediscover) the good, bad, and beautiful qualities of India ink. They create a black and white ink drawing of tools, while also reviewing the 3 Steps to Accuracy, and learning about Air Shapes, the Art Instructor term for the traditional (and more abstract concept), negative shapes.

Inaccurate Painting Day

Because accuracy is not always the goal, and students need to break free from boundaries, we'll take a fun break from the structured lessons, and enjoy the freedom of self-expression.  We also learn about the Most Important Spot, (or emphasis).

[itsiotrecords-blog]

http://ift.tt/2ub3yml

Since the advent of photography, cameras have been there for the majority of humanity’s most important events. As a result, there is a long list of photographs that have become world famous and immediately come to mind when thinking of events that we’ve all come to know. The image of a lone man standing in defiance of a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square is one such image. A sailor passionately kissing a woman in the streets as people all around them celebrate V-J Day is another. South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing a Viet Cong captain in Saigon is yet another that comes to mind. As many photographs as there are that the world can never forget because they shine a light on some of our greatest triumphs and darkest days. However, there are several others that somehow never took hold. For instance, a photo that exists of one of the primates that traveled to space clutching a newspaper in front of it that reads Space Chimp Lives on the front page never really made a long-lasting mark. Somehow, a photo that of a woman walking her baby in a carriage that is fortified to be gas-resistant while sporting a mask herself in 1938, which shows how scary the world was back then, seems to have already been forgotten. Reflecting on these pictures and many more that deserve much more attention, inspired us to put together this list of fifteen photos of important historical moments you’ve never seen. In order for a photo to be considered for inclusion here, it first needs to capture a moment of some kind of historical or societal importance. It could focus on a movement that changed the way society looks at itself or give us a new way of looking at a major world event like war, famine, particularly horrific natural disasters, or something of that nature. Finally, it has to have been forgotten by most people or never received the level of attention we feel it deserved. It should be said that we can’t say with total certainty that every one of our readers will be unaware of each of the images that follow, of course, as everyone’s knowledge base is different. It should also be said that we are by no means attempting to say that what follows will encapsulate the most important moments in history.

#1 D-Day Destruction One of the most discussed events in World War II, The Invasion of Normandy was the largest amphibious assault on land in the history of the world. With the Allies eventually able to prevail after the deaths of many of their soldiers as well as Germans, the destruction was far from limited to the beach as is typically focused on. Normandy itself was a French region that was under the control of the Germans at the time and as you can see here suffered greatly during the period. A picture that shows a shell of a society where a proud one previously stood, seeing a pair of children observing the many decimated buildings shows the personal cost the innocent locals felt.

#2 Kathrine Switzer’s Groundbreaking Run Who knew that someone could think that something as basic as running was ever reserved strictly for men? Of course, anyone with even a passing notion of history will know that there is a long history of sexism and racism that kept large portions of society from activities enjoyed by white men. Obviously an awful chapter in our history, we were fully aware that these types of things happened but this image shows that it went deeper than we ever knew. An image from 1967 in which Boston Marathon organizer Jock Semple attempted to forcibly stop Kathrine Switzer from running in it strictly due to her gender, this photo simply amazes us. At least, we are happy to see that some of the other participants that day kept her safe from his efforts.

#3 The MGM Lion While this photo has nothing to do with a groundbreaking moment in the history of the world, it is connected to one of the most recognized intros in film history. The moment where a footage of the MGM Lion was taken, the resulting images have been a mainstay of the film world ever since. In fact, we’re guessing that you can probably hear the roar that accompanies it at the beginning of more movies than we could ever attempt to list here at this very moment. As a result, we find it incredible that so few people have seen this picture that shows how they put the famed images on film, to begin with.

#4 Walmart’s Relatively Inauspicious Beginning One of the biggest corporations today and an absolute behemoth of the retail world, Walmart, whether you love it or hate it, has done a lot to drive North American society for years now. If another company is fortunate enough to have their product put in some of their stores, it can make or break them which means that they have a large hand in the items that are available to the public. On top of that, they are responsible for employing an incredible workforce which makes a difference in millions of lives. However, there were times when they’ve been demonized for their treatment of their workers. Finally, their incredible negotiating ability has allowed them to undercut the prices offered by many of their competitors which has resulted in lots of thriving businesses disappearing. Keeping that in mind, it is truly extraordinary to think that it all started in this rather unassuming building.

#5 Che & Fidel’s Fishing Trip Two of the most recognizable faces of the twentieth century, these friends and fighters arguably are most responsible for shaping the Cuba we know today. On the one hand, you have Fidel Castro, the man that served as the President of the country from 1976 to 2008 and has been compared to some of the world’s worst modern dictators. Then, there is Che Guevara, an armed Marxist Revolutionary that led a coalition of guerrillas up until his execution and while the ignorant know him from just his T-Shirts, his legacy is extremely polarizing. Seeing these two men that are responsible for the deaths of many and forcibly took control of a country lounging around and fishing like old pals, puts their shared history into a whole new perspective.

#6 Sweden Switches Lanes Alright, this is just a fun one since we weren’t there to feel the incredible frustration that those present on this day must have. A picture that was taken in Sweden on September 3rd in 1967, it shows the confusion and traffic that resulted from the country’s decision to switch the side of the road people drive on. If you think about how this would play out if one day this was switched to where you live now, it will probably allow you to understand why this played out the way it did. Modern society relies on a set of agreed-upon rules that most of us abide by and it fascinates us to see how the slightest change can cause mayhem.

#7 Granada Relocation Center Closes There is no doubt in our minds that World War II is one of the most interesting and horrifying events in the history of the world. As a result, much has been written about it, especially when it comes to the horrible things that the Axis Powers did to millions of innocent people particularly when it comes to the Holocaust. One aspect of the war that a surprising amount of people are unaware of, is America’s decision to forcibly place many Japanese people in internment camps strictly due to their ethnicity. One of the most powerful photos of that decision in our minds is this one where the Granada Relocation Center, one of many locations used to house and deport Japanese people, was closed. It was good that it came to an end but the fact that Shuichi Yamamoto, the last occupant, is shown shaking the hand of Project Director James G. Lindley, blows us away. It may have been an attempt to show respect to those that were forced to live there by James but as one of those responsible, he deserved no such showing in return.

#8 Shocked German Soldiers Speaking of camps used during World War II to house innocents that were wrongly named as enemies of the state, as we have mentioned, the Nazi Death Camps are talked about the most for a good reason. As a result, it may be easily forgotten that aside from those involved in the running of them and housed there, much of the world was totally ignorant of what was taking place. Nazi soldiers have been cast as the enemies of everything just in the world in all forms of fiction. But in reality, there were millions of them that had no affinity for their leaders or their evil deeds. That is even truer when it comes to those pressed into service during the war’s latter days, in all likelihood, just like the men you see pictured above. Fighting on behalf of those responsible, however, once the war came to an end, in many cases, Allied forces showed footage of concentration camps to them against their wills. Seeing men that may not have supported their leaders but were compelled to do their bidding disgusted by the actions of those that commended them, speaks to their humanity in a rather powerful way.

#9 Hiroo Onoda’s War Ends Another one of the Axis Powers, Japan fought tooth and nail against the Allies right up until the decision was made to surrender in 1945. One thing that may shock many, however, is that for a select few Japanese soldiers, their battle lasted decades longer. Instructed by their superiors to hide out on south Pacific Islands and await further commands, they spent years in hiding and fighting a guerrilla war. The man that held out the longest, Hiroo Onoda, kept his efforts up for just short of twenty-nine years due to his disbelief in those that attempted to inform him the war was over. It took the arrival of his commanding officer in person several years later for him to trust his orders to stand out and return to his homeland. Pictured here as he leaves the jungles he called home for all of those years, it is an astounding story of undying loyalty to his country above all else.

#10 Amon Goeth And The Balcony A man that became world famous for his disgusting deeds due to his portrayal in the Steven Spielberg movie Schindler’s List, Amon Goeth was a real-life man that did reprehensible things. For those that saw the film, one of the most affecting moments came when the concentration camp commander goes out on his balcony and starts using prisoners as target practice. Shocking as it shows how casually he saw the taking of another person’s life, he seemed to see his actions as almost a mundane act based on the disinterested posture he took after. We thought we may be able to chalk that up to creative license but it turns out that the real-life man seems to have actually done this as evidenced by this picture of him apparently doing so.

#11 Himmler And His Daughter Of course, Adolf Hitler is the man most identified with the Nazis and their crimes but there were others involved at a very high level. Arguably, the next guiltiest individual in the Nazi hierarchy is none other than Heinrich Himmler. The head of the SS and one of the men most responsible for carrying out the Holocaust, he used his superior organization skills to turn his country into an efficient murder machine. He was also a family man with a loyal wife. He was a father who seems to have adored his children. Pictured here with one of his daughters, if it weren’t for the swastika and our knowledge of the man, this looks like a cute photo of a loving parent and his child. That is what truly astounds us about it; the fact that a man who spent his days creating the machine that carried out such incredible villainy also had a kind streak within him. That puts into perspective the fact that the Nazis were not the mindless evil that they are often portrayed as. Instead, they were human beings that decided to bring about the near destruction of a race of people and millions more.

#12 Children For Sale Almost any parent would be able to tell you about the bond they feel with their children and the pain that permanently losing them would cause. That is why it is so shocking to see a photo of a mother that has put her four children up for sale. Taken in 1948’s Chicago, you may think the photo was a put-on, as her family accused at the time. But it turned out to be very serious. We say that because within two years of this picture being taken, all of the kids pictured were indeed sold, as was the one that she was carrying inside of her at the time. Facing eviction and an inability to find work, this image is proof positive of true poverty and desperation in a country we associate with a great deal of stability.

#13 Georges Blind’s Continued Resistance If you are like us and have lived your life without ever having to worry that government forces are going to rip you out of your world and make you face a firing line, then the idea of this scene is unfathomable. What makes this image all the more unbelievable is the story behind it. The man you see with a smile on his face is a French resistance fighter by the name of Georges Blind. Captured and informed that he was going to be shot and killed if he did not provide information about the resistance, he faced his death with a smile on his face only to learn that it was all a tactic. Intended to scare him into giving up his cohorts, the mock execution is something we can’t even imagine facing. But a man with the strength of character that Georges had didn’t seem to wilt in the slightest. Although he was ultimately sent to a concentration camp and killed upon arrival in late November of 1944, his willingness to pay the ultimate price for his allies and cause should be an inspiration to us all.

#14 Chernobyl’s Elephant Foot An event that resulted in untold destruction, at least forty-nine direct deaths and (according to a study) around four thousand people that died due to the radiation, Chernobyl should never be forgotten. An instance in which a nuclear reactor had its safety systems deliberately turned off; that and other errors resulted in a massive steam explosion and “open-air graphite fire.” A blast powerful enough to thrust the two thousand ton upper plate of the reactor through the roof of the building that housed it, that was actually the lesser of evils as the resulting radiation was more dangerous. The nuclear materials involved resulted in the creation of what’s known as the elephant’s foot. Comprised of something called corium, it is one of the most toxic substances ever created and being in its presence immediately after the fact, was enough to give you lethal radiation poisoning in a matter of minutes. Still dangerous enough a decade later (when this photo was taken) to warp the film, this photo remained something that a more sane man would fear and avoid at all costs. Instead, Artur Korneyev, the man pictured here visited the area more than anyone else in history and is considered to have been exposed to more radiation than anyone else in the history of the world.

#15 Monson Motor Lodge An event that is credited with the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, the standoff between demonstrators and the Monson Motor Lodge hotel manager Jimmy Brock shocked the world into action. Yet somehow, the event as a whole and this picture of it taking place, has largely been forgotten in modern society. When the aforementioned hotelier wouldn’t allow Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his guests to dine in his restaurant, it resulted in activists choosing to fight for their rights at the establishment. Opting to enter a segregated pool, it enraged Jimmy and his response was extreme, to say the least. Opting to pour acid into the pool to force them out, it was witnessed by journalists and galvanized a community and resulted in substantive changes.

Source: TheRichest

[amywolstenholme-blog]

Research Report

BA (Hons) Photographic Arts Major Project 1 Research Report

This should be a summary of and a critical reflection on your research process so far. You should try to give the reader a sense of the process you have been through - your journey, your thoughts and decisions along the way and what has informed the choices you’ve made. Try to be as honest and as critically reflective as you can. Please extend boxes as required (length 1000-2000 wds)

Name                                                             Amy Wolstenholme Blog: amywolstenholme.tumblr.com

Major Project Title (Or working title - how and why did this title develop?)

Unidentified – (working title): main aspect of my title is the fact that the subjects are anonymous/ not recognised/ we don’t know anything about them. This title developed because my project is about how we as a human race, go by throughout the day judging or perhaps making small assumptions about people even if we haven’t spoken to them at any point, yet we can still, or like to imagine who they are, what their lives are like and the fact that there are people who have their own lives yet we don’t know anything about it. This concept is a true fascination of mine.

Research Methods (What methods have you used during this phase of the project and how have they helped you develop your ideas and inform your major project proposal?)

To begin with, I knew I wanted my project to be based on people, I really enjoy taking street/documentary style photographs, so I main focus for the first few weeks was to go out as many times as I could, and take photographs of anyone or anything I saw. At this point I was looking at William Eggleston’s photographs and wanted to do something in a similar style. While taking these photos and reflecting after each shoot, I felt that I need more clarity to what my theme/project idea was about, so then I thought about making it a bit more personal, about me. I started looking at Lee Freidlander and Vivian Maier where they take ‘self-portraits’ without actually including themselves in the photograph in a traditional sense (shadows/reflections for example). I started then to become very interested in this idea of self-portrait without showing myself but I didn’t want to recreate the same images as Friedlander and Maier, instead I started to think about my name ‘Amy Wolstenholme’ and how it is quite an unusual name (especially my last name.) My project and experimentation then went down the route of contact women who also share the same name as me, finding out about them, their background/childhood, to see how different our lives might have been even though we share this name. Unfortunately this became a dead-end as none of the women that I contacted, wanted to participate. Which then led me to where I am now. I went back to square one, looking at taking photographs of people in the street environment, and perhaps how I could incorporate these two different ideas together, becoming my project I have now. I am now exploring the idea of taking photographs of people I do not know, and adding other photographs beside them to see if the audience would create a sort of relation or connection to them, without actually ever knowing for sure.

Pilot Project (What have you achieved through the development of your pilot project/s? What have you learned from the process? Identify the main concepts that might direct or drive your major project.)

What I have learnt during the different process of my pilot projects is that I can’t force a project to happen through the photographs that I have taken and that I should be okay with the fact that I can see take photographs without having a defined ‘idea’ in mind. I’ve learnt that I need to be more patient with my work, and that as long as I do keep taking photographs, my work can only get better and the idea will happen in its own time.

The main concepts that will drive my major project is that, as well as the idea of mystery behind the subject in my photographs, wondering who they are, what they do, what their story is and yet never being able to find out. Another is that I want to create something I am truly proud of; I want to be able to put my work onto the gallery wall and be happy with the work that I have created and myself.

Also, in creating my pilot project, I have aimed back that feeling of being inspired to create, which I feel I lost half way through the term. Being able to see my photographs on paper and in my hand, I am excited and eager to get back into shooting and creating more content for my final piece.

Audience and Context (Has a consideration of Context and Audience made you think about your project in a particular way? Have you been aware of the histories, conventions and audience expectations of particular contexts? Have you considered different contexts and how have you responded to them?)

I wouldn’t say that the audience or context have had an big impact on my project in any way, as to begin with I was going out and taking as many photographs as I could, with no real intention or ‘idea’. I have been mainly focusing on my photographs and the project itself in this first semester and then once I decided on that, I started to think about what type of audience or context my work is/would work best for.

I have considered the contexts of each photograph in terms of the way that the context of each photograph will change, when placed next to a completely different photograph, that have no relation to each other. (for example, there might be two photographs together that were not taken on the same day or at the same place, but then once placed together, the audience or people in general tend to change the context of one to fit the other.)

I have also thought about how the context of my photographs will change in terms of how I display, present and the size my work. I find that when I look at artwork on a wall in a gallery space, behind a big strong glass, I feel that this makes the photographs become more precious, fragile. Where as if they were quite small prints on thin photographic paper, it make have a completely different effect. This is definitely something I thought about.

I haven’t thought about the audience quite as much as I should have throughout my process so far, I think that my photographs will be perfectly acceptable to any audience or age range.

Production and Presentation (Discuss the production methods you have been exploring through your pilot project. What effects do these different approaches/ visual strategies have on the work?  What choices have you made in the refinement of your visual approach and why? Is the approach you have chosen effective in communicating your ideas to the identified audience?)

I am taking my photographs for my major project colour-digitally, on my own dslr camera. The reason for this is because I believe it is the best way to capture quick street style photographs before the subject moves, but also have high quality images and excellent colour within the photograph too.

The production methods that I have been exploring are, printing my photographs quite large and then having them framed (undecided on what kind of frame or what size yet) or I have also considered printing my photographs in terms of the photobook. I have taken quite a few photographs over the past few months and to place them in a photobook, they automatically gain this sequence and relation with one another, (even with the subject having no relation) which is one of the main aspects about my project.

The different effects that these approaches/visual strategies have on my work are that the audience might be interpreted and interact with both of them slightly differently. Some people prefer to look at photographs on the wall, be able to stand back and take time to look at each tiny section. Some people might not like the idea of a photobook, as they might be worried to touch it and maybe not want to look through it in case they damage the book for example. However, others might not like the idea of the photobook because they say it decreases the value of the photographs, the frame on a wall makes it seem more superior and valuable where as the book might not. This is something that I still need to think about and consider carefully.

Visual References / Bibliography (List the key visual and critical references you have explored during the research process. Discuss how useful these references were for the project and what you learned from them).

William Eggleston exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery: first starting point of inspiration to create a street-documentary style project.

Mark Seymour at the Andipa Gallery – looking at the style of his photographs & his concept.

The Camera Exposed at the V&A – looking at the different ways how the camera is incorporated into the photograph.

Lee Friedlander & Vivian Maier: inspiration of unique ways to incorporate myself into the photograph and street without taking a self-portrait.

Friedlander, L., Afterword, J.S., Szarkowski, J. and Friedl, L. (2005) Self portrait: [published to coincide with a comprehensive retrospective at the museum of modern art, New York, in the summer of 2005]. 3rd edn. New York, NY: Distributed by D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers.

Collection, M. (2016) Vivian Maier photographer | official website of Vivian Maier | Vivian Maier portfolios, prints, exhibitions, books and documentary film. Available at: http://vivianmaier.com/ (Accessed: 2016).

Fred Herzog: looking at his style of street photography, and the way he sequences his photographs in the photo book.

Gochmann, C., Herzog, F., Coupland, D., Milroy, S. and Wall, J. (2011) Fred Herzog: Photographs. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group.

Christian Thompson: Photographer who is taking portraits without showing their faces. – Covered by natural objects.

Bright, S. (2010) Auto focus: The self-portrait in contemporary photography. London: Thames & Hudson.

Jemma Stehu: Self-portrait project but again, without show her face, her back is to the camera and the other subject is controlling when to take the photograph.

Bright, S. (2010) Auto focus: The self-portrait in contemporary photography. London: Thames & Hudson.

Andreas H. Bitesnich: Interesting ‘self-portrait’ project. Captures body limbs in an abstract and unconventional way.

Andreas H. Bitesnich (2002) Available at: http://www.bitesnich.com/nudes/ (Accessed: 2016).

Julian Germain: Looking at the way that the photograph and subject are captured. Very narrative style, natural and don’t look posed; subject going by their daily routines.  

Julian Germain ‘for every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness’ project (no date) Available at: http://www.juliangermain.com/projects/foreveryminute.php (Accessed: 2016).

[itsiotrecords-blog]

http://ift.tt/2uDjpO3

Since the advent of photography, cameras have been there for the majority of humanity’s most important events. As a result, there is a long list of photographs that have become world famous and immediately come to mind when thinking of events that we’ve all come to know. The image of a lone man standing in defiance of a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square is one such image. A sailor passionately kissing a woman in the streets as people all around them celebrate V-J Day is another. South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing a Viet Cong captain in Saigon is yet another that comes to mind. As many photographs as there are that the world can never forget because they shine a light on some of our greatest triumphs and darkest days. However, there are several others that somehow never took hold. For instance, a photo that exists of one of the primates that traveled to space clutching a newspaper in front of it that reads Space Chimp Lives on the front page never really made a long-lasting mark. Somehow, a photo that of a woman walking her baby in a carriage that is fortified to be gas-resistant while sporting a mask herself in 1938, which shows how scary the world was back then, seems to have already been forgotten. Reflecting on these pictures and many more that deserve much more attention, inspired us to put together this list of fifteen photos of important historical moments you’ve never seen. In order for a photo to be considered for inclusion here, it first needs to capture a moment of some kind of historical or societal importance. It could focus on a movement that changed the way society looks at itself or give us a new way of looking at a major world event like war, famine, particularly horrific natural disasters, or something of that nature. Finally, it has to have been forgotten by most people or never received the level of attention we feel it deserved. It should be said that we can’t say with total certainty that every one of our readers will be unaware of each of the images that follow, of course, as everyone’s knowledge base is different. It should also be said that we are by no means attempting to say that what follows will encapsulate the most important moments in history.

#1 D-Day Destruction One of the most discussed events in World War II, The Invasion of Normandy was the largest amphibious assault on land in the history of the world. With the Allies eventually able to prevail after the deaths of many of their soldiers as well as Germans, the destruction was far from limited to the beach as is typically focused on. Normandy itself was a French region that was under the control of the Germans at the time and as you can see here suffered greatly during the period. A picture that shows a shell of a society where a proud one previously stood, seeing a pair of children observing the many decimated buildings shows the personal cost the innocent locals felt.

#2 Kathrine Switzer’s Groundbreaking Run Who knew that someone could think that something as basic as running was ever reserved strictly for men? Of course, anyone with even a passing notion of history will know that there is a long history of sexism and racism that kept large portions of society from activities enjoyed by white men. Obviously an awful chapter in our history, we were fully aware that these types of things happened but this image shows that it went deeper than we ever knew. An image from 1967 in which Boston Marathon organizer Jock Semple attempted to forcibly stop Kathrine Switzer from running in it strictly due to her gender, this photo simply amazes us. At least, we are happy to see that some of the other participants that day kept her safe from his efforts.

#3 The MGM Lion While this photo has nothing to do with a groundbreaking moment in the history of the world, it is connected to one of the most recognized intros in film history. The moment where a footage of the MGM Lion was taken, the resulting images have been a mainstay of the film world ever since. In fact, we’re guessing that you can probably hear the roar that accompanies it at the beginning of more movies than we could ever attempt to list here at this very moment. As a result, we find it incredible that so few people have seen this picture that shows how they put the famed images on film, to begin with.

#4 Walmart’s Relatively Inauspicious Beginning One of the biggest corporations today and an absolute behemoth of the retail world, Walmart, whether you love it or hate it, has done a lot to drive North American society for years now. If another company is fortunate enough to have their product put in some of their stores, it can make or break them which means that they have a large hand in the items that are available to the public. On top of that, they are responsible for employing an incredible workforce which makes a difference in millions of lives. However, there were times when they’ve been demonized for their treatment of their workers. Finally, their incredible negotiating ability has allowed them to undercut the prices offered by many of their competitors which has resulted in lots of thriving businesses disappearing. Keeping that in mind, it is truly extraordinary to think that it all started in this rather unassuming building.

#5 Che & Fidel’s Fishing Trip Two of the most recognizable faces of the twentieth century, these friends and fighters arguably are most responsible for shaping the Cuba we know today. On the one hand, you have Fidel Castro, the man that served as the President of the country from 1976 to 2008 and has been compared to some of the world’s worst modern dictators. Then, there is Che Guevara, an armed Marxist Revolutionary that led a coalition of guerrillas up until his execution and while the ignorant know him from just his T-Shirts, his legacy is extremely polarizing. Seeing these two men that are responsible for the deaths of many and forcibly took control of a country lounging around and fishing like old pals, puts their shared history into a whole new perspective.

#6 Sweden Switches Lanes Alright, this is just a fun one since we weren’t there to feel the incredible frustration that those present on this day must have. A picture that was taken in Sweden on September 3rd in 1967, it shows the confusion and traffic that resulted from the country’s decision to switch the side of the road people drive on. If you think about how this would play out if one day this was switched to where you live now, it will probably allow you to understand why this played out the way it did. Modern society relies on a set of agreed-upon rules that most of us abide by and it fascinates us to see how the slightest change can cause mayhem.

#7 Granada Relocation Center Closes There is no doubt in our minds that World War II is one of the most interesting and horrifying events in the history of the world. As a result, much has been written about it, especially when it comes to the horrible things that the Axis Powers did to millions of innocent people particularly when it comes to the Holocaust. One aspect of the war that a surprising amount of people are unaware of, is America’s decision to forcibly place many Japanese people in internment camps strictly due to their ethnicity. One of the most powerful photos of that decision in our minds is this one where the Granada Relocation Center, one of many locations used to house and deport Japanese people, was closed. It was good that it came to an end but the fact that Shuichi Yamamoto, the last occupant, is shown shaking the hand of Project Director James G. Lindley, blows us away. It may have been an attempt to show respect to those that were forced to live there by James but as one of those responsible, he deserved no such showing in return.

#8 Shocked German Soldiers Speaking of camps used during World War II to house innocents that were wrongly named as enemies of the state, as we have mentioned, the Nazi Death Camps are talked about the most for a good reason. As a result, it may be easily forgotten that aside from those involved in the running of them and housed there, much of the world was totally ignorant of what was taking place. Nazi soldiers have been cast as the enemies of everything just in the world in all forms of fiction. But in reality, there were millions of them that had no affinity for their leaders or their evil deeds. That is even truer when it comes to those pressed into service during the war’s latter days, in all likelihood, just like the men you see pictured above. Fighting on behalf of those responsible, however, once the war came to an end, in many cases, Allied forces showed footage of concentration camps to them against their wills. Seeing men that may not have supported their leaders but were compelled to do their bidding disgusted by the actions of those that commended them, speaks to their humanity in a rather powerful way.

#9 Hiroo Onoda’s War Ends Another one of the Axis Powers, Japan fought tooth and nail against the Allies right up until the decision was made to surrender in 1945. One thing that may shock many, however, is that for a select few Japanese soldiers, their battle lasted decades longer. Instructed by their superiors to hide out on south Pacific Islands and await further commands, they spent years in hiding and fighting a guerrilla war. The man that held out the longest, Hiroo Onoda, kept his efforts up for just short of twenty-nine years due to his disbelief in those that attempted to inform him the war was over. It took the arrival of his commanding officer in person several years later for him to trust his orders to stand out and return to his homeland. Pictured here as he leaves the jungles he called home for all of those years, it is an astounding story of undying loyalty to his country above all else.

#10 Amon Goeth And The Balcony A man that became world famous for his disgusting deeds due to his portrayal in the Steven Spielberg movie Schindler’s List, Amon Goeth was a real-life man that did reprehensible things. For those that saw the film, one of the most affecting moments came when the concentration camp commander goes out on his balcony and starts using prisoners as target practice. Shocking as it shows how casually he saw the taking of another person’s life, he seemed to see his actions as almost a mundane act based on the disinterested posture he took after. We thought we may be able to chalk that up to creative license but it turns out that the real-life man seems to have actually done this as evidenced by this picture of him apparently doing so.

#11 Himmler And His Daughter Of course, Adolf Hitler is the man most identified with the Nazis and their crimes but there were others involved at a very high level. Arguably, the next guiltiest individual in the Nazi hierarchy is none other than Heinrich Himmler. The head of the SS and one of the men most responsible for carrying out the Holocaust, he used his superior organization skills to turn his country into an efficient murder machine. He was also a family man with a loyal wife. He was a father who seems to have adored his children. Pictured here with one of his daughters, if it weren’t for the swastika and our knowledge of the man, this looks like a cute photo of a loving parent and his child. That is what truly astounds us about it; the fact that a man who spent his days creating the machine that carried out such incredible villainy also had a kind streak within him. That puts into perspective the fact that the Nazis were not the mindless evil that they are often portrayed as. Instead, they were human beings that decided to bring about the near destruction of a race of people and millions more.

#12 Children For Sale Almost any parent would be able to tell you about the bond they feel with their children and the pain that permanently losing them would cause. That is why it is so shocking to see a photo of a mother that has put her four children up for sale. Taken in 1948’s Chicago, you may think the photo was a put-on, as her family accused at the time. But it turned out to be very serious. We say that because within two years of this picture being taken, all of the kids pictured were indeed sold, as was the one that she was carrying inside of her at the time. Facing eviction and an inability to find work, this image is proof positive of true poverty and desperation in a country we associate with a great deal of stability.

#13 Georges Blind’s Continued Resistance If you are like us and have lived your life without ever having to worry that government forces are going to rip you out of your world and make you face a firing line, then the idea of this scene is unfathomable. What makes this image all the more unbelievable is the story behind it. The man you see with a smile on his face is a French resistance fighter by the name of Georges Blind. Captured and informed that he was going to be shot and killed if he did not provide information about the resistance, he faced his death with a smile on his face only to learn that it was all a tactic. Intended to scare him into giving up his cohorts, the mock execution is something we can’t even imagine facing. But a man with the strength of character that Georges had didn’t seem to wilt in the slightest. Although he was ultimately sent to a concentration camp and killed upon arrival in late November of 1944, his willingness to pay the ultimate price for his allies and cause should be an inspiration to us all.

#14 Chernobyl’s Elephant Foot An event that resulted in untold destruction, at least forty-nine direct deaths and (according to a study) around four thousand people that died due to the radiation, Chernobyl should never be forgotten. An instance in which a nuclear reactor had its safety systems deliberately turned off; that and other errors resulted in a massive steam explosion and “open-air graphite fire.” A blast powerful enough to thrust the two thousand ton upper plate of the reactor through the roof of the building that housed it, that was actually the lesser of evils as the resulting radiation was more dangerous. The nuclear materials involved resulted in the creation of what’s known as the elephant’s foot. Comprised of something called corium, it is one of the most toxic substances ever created and being in its presence immediately after the fact, was enough to give you lethal radiation poisoning in a matter of minutes. Still dangerous enough a decade later (when this photo was taken) to warp the film, this photo remained something that a more sane man would fear and avoid at all costs. Instead, Artur Korneyev, the man pictured here visited the area more than anyone else in history and is considered to have been exposed to more radiation than anyone else in the history of the world.

#15 Monson Motor Lodge An event that is credited with the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, the standoff between demonstrators and the Monson Motor Lodge hotel manager Jimmy Brock shocked the world into action. Yet somehow, the event as a whole and this picture of it taking place, has largely been forgotten in modern society. When the aforementioned hotelier wouldn’t allow Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his guests to dine in his restaurant, it resulted in activists choosing to fight for their rights at the establishment. Opting to enter a segregated pool, it enraged Jimmy and his response was extreme, to say the least. Opting to pour acid into the pool to force them out, it was witnessed by journalists and galvanized a community and resulted in substantive changes.

Source: TheRichest