#bill sunderland

[lateralcast]

Lateral Highlight (98): Why put holes in a security fence?

Eglė Vaškevičiūtė, Dani Siller and Bill Sunderland discuss a question about a flimsy fence.

[kapkant7]

My DbD mains all got an hour on the Entity provided communal PC each and this is what they did.

[blackfairy312]

check it

[thebfcblog]

4-2, Brownhill.

[georgefairbrother]

This is the fourth in our occasional series featuring luminaries of stage and screen with a strong personal and/or professional connection with Northeast England, inspired with thanks by @robbielewis. Previous profiles were of Jean Heywood, John Nightingale and Edward Wilson. This time, Sunderland born actor siblings Malcolm and Catherine Terris.

Malcolm Terris was born on January 11th, 1941, boarded at Barnard Castle School in County Durham, then worked as a cadet journalist at the Sunderland Echo before training as an actor.

He was active on British television from 1963, his style perfectly suited to larger than life characters, and is possibly best remembered for his role as Great War veteran and salt-of the-earth union leader, Matt Headley, in 34 episodes of the Tyneside interwar social-realism drama, When the Boat Comes In.

As Matt Headley, with James Bolam (Jack Ford) in When the Boat Comes In.

His more than 120 recorded screen credits include a variety of British television programmes, including Fall of Eagles, Doctor Who (Horns of Nimon, 1979), Reilly: Ace of Spies, three separate roles in Coronation Street, Our Friends in the North, The Bill, and a regular role in Rockliffe’s Babies. His final appearance was in Midsomer Murders in 2011.

His big screen appearances include as ship’s surgeon, with Anthony Hopkins as Bligh and Mel Gibson as Fletcher Christian, in The Bounty (1984), with Ricky Tomlinson in Mike Bassett: England Manager, and in Dickie Attenborough’s Chaplin, which starred Robert Downey Jnr in the title role. He has also appeared on stage including in productions of Othello and in a Broadway production of Hamlet.

He passed away at the artistes residential care home, Denville Hall, on June 6th, 2020, aged 79.

Catherine Terris was born in 1948, and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). She has been active in British television since 1972, appearing with her brother in seven episodes of When the Boat Comes In. Her other television work includes Z Cars, two roles in Coronation Street, Anna Karenina, Inspector Morse, Dalziel and Pascoe, Heartbeat, George Gently, and a regular role (15 episodes) in William and Mary with Martin Clunes and Julie Graham. She also appeared in the hugely successful feature film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

According to her page on the Coronation Street fan site, Corriepedia:

"...On stage she has appeared in productions of Faustus, A Rite Kwik Metal Tata, Andy Capp, Tight at the Back, Rose, Tom Jones, Billy Liar, Queuing for Everest and Into the Blue..."

Her most recent television screen credit is In the Club (BBC 2014-16) and latest big screen appearance was in the 2021 feature film, Martyrs Lane.

On stage with Sarah Gordy MBE (The A Word, Ralph and Katie) in the 2016 Arcola Theatre production of Into the Blue, written by Beverley Hancock and directed by Deborah Paige. Image from Sarah Gordy's official site.

[olympic-paris]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more …

August 20

1308 – France: Jacques de Molay (1243 – 1314), the leader of the Knights Templar, who denied sexual relations with two of his servants, finally admits to it. He was the 23rd and last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, leading the Order from 20 April 1292 until it was dissolved by order of Pope Clement V in 1307.Though little is known of his actual life and deeds except for his last years as Grand Master, he is one of the best known Templars.

King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Templars, had Molay and many other French Templars arrested in 1307 and tortured into making false confessions. When Molay later retracted his confession, Philip had him burned upon a scaffold on an island in the River Seine in front of Notre-Dame de Paris in March, 1314. Both the sudden end of the centuries-old order of Templars and the dramatic execution of its last leader turned Molay into a legendary figure.

1929 – Brian Rees (d.2016) was a star among his generation of headmasters and an inspired teacher to generations of boys; but in 1984 he was forced to resign as headmaster of Rugby school in England in mysterious circumstances.

The official explanation was "ill health", and at the time his departure warranted barely a mention in the press. The chairman of the school's governors, Sir Patrick Dean, a former ambassador to Washington, was quoted as saying: "We are very sorry he is unable to continue and we will miss his leadership."

But the real reasons for Rees’s departure were allegations to the effect that he had been leading a secret life as a homosexual, had been drinking to excess and even had a history of drug abuse. Rees’s enforced departure was precipitated by an extraordinary meeting of the school’s governors, chaired by Sir Patrick, who presented Rees with the allegations and demanded his immediate resignation.

Rees always admitted that the allegations were largely true, but insisted that he had always kept his private life to himself. He admitted he was bisexual and had had an adult male friend to stay a few nights at the headmaster’s house. But no boys had ever been involved. At the time he was dismissed he had been under severe strain due to the death of his wife a few years earlier and money problems, and had been drinking heavily, though he was not an alcoholic. As for drug taking, he had once smoked marijuana, a fact which he himself had brought to the attention of the governors.

Brian Rees was born in Sydney, Australia, on August 20 1929. From Bede Grammar School, Sunderland, he won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge, winning starred Firsts in both parts of the History Tripos and carrying off a galaxy of prizes. He was also a brilliant pianist – good enough to play duets with Raymond Leppard. He composed songs for the Footlights with Julian Slade, won more prizes for music and light verse, and even considered making music his career. But before he had graduated from Cambridge, he was persuaded by the headmaster of Eton, Robert Birley, to come to the school as a history master.

He was a popular figure among the boys and in 1959 he crowned his career at Eton by marrying the headmaster’s daughter, Julia, in the college chapel. Guests included Lord and Lady Astor of Cliveden and the former Colonial Secretary Alan Lennox-Boyd. Rees had told his wife about his bisexuality before they married and she, broad-minded and familiar with public school life, had professed herself unperturbed.

By the late 1970s, however, things were looking less rosy. In 1978, after several years of treatment, Julia Rees succumbed to cancer.

To begin with his career continued successfully enough. Though he was unsuccessful in his bid to become headmaster of Eton in 1979, in 1981, when he accepted the job at Rugby, it was billed by the governors as a major coup.

But the strain was beginning to tell. He began to drink to a degree which sent alarm signals through the school, and in 1983 he had a homosexual Canadian friend to stay for a couple of nights in the headmaster’s house. Eventually he decided to pour out his woes to two people within the school and also to a visiting Anglican bishop. It seems that one of those to whom he spoke reported him to the governors.

Among the questions put to Rees at the crucial meeting was how, as a bisexual himself, he handled matters when boys who had been involved in homosexual activity were sent to him. He had managed to save a few from suicide, Rees replied, by telling them they should not have a guilt complex about something which is not as heinous as the world makes out.

After leaving Rugby, unable to return to teaching, Rees fell further into debt and, to make ends meet, worked, variously, as a dish washer in the kitchens of the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, a fork lift truck driver, a piano player in a club, a waiter and as a research assistant in Parliament.

All his life Rees had a horror of being 65, so on a trip to Australia and New Zealand in 1994, he left Britain on August 19 and flew via Los Angeles, crossing the international date line in order to land on August 21, the day after his birthday. When, in his 70s, his grandchildren asked him how old he was, he would say that he had not yet had his 65th birthday. He died February 16 2016.

1948 – Perry Watkins (d.1996) was an African-American gay man and one of the first soldiers to have some success in challenging the ban against homosexuals in the United States Military.

Perry Watkins was born in Missouri in 1948. The United States Army drafted him in 1968. During his entrance examination, he stated that he was homosexual when military officials asked him, yet they still admitted him.

Watkins finished basic training, then participated in advanced training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. There he met a white, gay draftee, who was being kicked out of the military because he had told someone he was gay. Watkins demanded he too be dismissed from the army. His commanding officer denied the request.

Then, while stationed at Fort Hamilton, New York, Watkins attempted to be dismissed because he was denied a job when a commander saw his military record stated he was gay. Again, he was denied. The army claimed they could not prove he was gay.

Even after the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) investigated some of Watkins's sexual partners, the result was the same.

At another time Watkins requested CID investigate the fact he had been attacked by a soldier that wanted to rape him. They instead investigated Watkins for his sexual activities. Finding no proof of sexual activities, Watkins was reassigned to clerk training in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Watkins's two-year stint in the army ended in 1970.

After trying to re-adjust to civilian life, Watkins discovered he would need more education for the type of job he wanted. He knew he could get that education in the army. So Watkins went down to the recruiting station in Tacoma and signed up again. Again, he admitted to being gay, and, once more, he was accepted for duty in Germany. During his second enlistment Watkins acted no differently than in his first time in the army.

Disproving ideas that openly gay soldiers would be threatened by homophobic peers, Watkins stated that everyone on the base knew that he was gay.

He even dressed in drag, and the Army publicized it rather than castigating him for it. One day Watkins was approached by a commanding officer who was planning entertainment for a big celebration on the military base. Watkins volunteered that he had sometimes been a female impersonator in civilian life. The coordinator of the show signed him up. Playing the costumed role of a woman named `Simone,' Watkins entertained the troops and families of the army. Watkins's act was so well received that he had to get an agent to handle the many requests for his performances. He played at army clubs all over Germany and other bases in Europe.

Times changed, and the military became increasingly less tolerant of gays and lesbians. Watkins was finally discharged because of his homosexuality. When he challenged the military's anti-gay ban, the 9th Circuit court decided in his favor, in Watkins v. United State Army, 875 F.2d 699 (1989). The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the army had treated Watkins unfairly in discharging him when they had "plainly acted affirmatively in admitting, re-enlisting, retaining, and promoting" him throughout his career.

In the early 1990s, the Don't ask, don't tell policy for gays in the military was enacted during the presidency of Bill Clinton. According to Keith Boykin in One More River to Cross, Watkins felt betrayed by gay rights leaders of all races for not seeking his assistance.

Watkins died on March 17, 1996 at his home in Tacoma, Washington of complications relating to AIDS.

1969 – "Staircase," a film in which Rex Harrison and Richard Burton play lovers, has its world premiere. The film, like the play, is about an aging gay couple who own a barber shop in the East End of London. One of them is a part-time actor about to go on trial for propositioning a police officer. The action takes place over the course of one night as they discuss their loving but often volatile past together and possible future without each other. It was panned by most critics, including Roger Ebert, who gave it one star in his review and called it ˆ. Rarely seen on television, the film was broadcast by Turner Classic Movies during its June 2007 tribute to gay cinema.

1974 – Santino Rice is an American fashion designer and television personality. He is best known for his appearances on the reality television programs Project Runway, RuPaul's Drag Race, and On the Road with Austin and Santino.

Rice became well known for the charismatic and sometimes abrasive persona that he presented on Project Runway, and he was often cited as the "villain" of the show. He was also known for his humor, including his impersonations of mentor Tim Gunn.

After Project Runway, Rice was selected to be one of the judges of the Miss Universe 2006 pageant. He was also asked by MTV VJ SuChin Pak to design her dress for the 2006 MTV Movie Awards. The following year, Rice made a guest appearance in the sixth episode of America's Most Smartest Model, in which he taught the contestants about fashion design. As of 2008, he was creating a new cigarette pack design for Camel, dressing a handful of elite private clients, and working on building his own clothing company.

More recently, Rice has been cast in two main roles in reality television. Since 2009, he has been a member of the judging panel on the Logo reality program RuPaul's Drag Race, a talent competition for drag queens that has enjoyed a five-season run and an All Stars season. Rice also starred in the Lifetime show On the Road with Austin and Santino, alongside fellow Project Runway alumnus Austin Scarlett. The show, which premiered in 2010, followed Rice and Scarlett as they visited various American small towns, designing clothing for women who have upcoming special occasions.

Rice also played a minor role as a homeless man in the independent queer cinema thriller L.A. Zombie, which premiered in 2010.

Rice currently lives and works in Hollywood. He has been referred to in the press as bisexual but has said the following of his own sexual orientation: "You can just call me gay but I like men and I am attracted to beautiful women. I didn't like the negativity that was attached to being gay growing up so that is why I have problems with the label."

1992 – More than 90 gay men were arrested at a private party in Iran. Under Iranian law, homosexuals can be sentenced to death with the testimony of four men.

[warwickroyals]

you've mentioned places like great lakes and new westminster. are these states or provinces, or just general regions? how is sunderland divided administratively?

Yes, hello, these are provinces and Sunderland has ten of them! They look like this (roughly, it's a work in progress)

The ten provinces are:

Alexandria, Algonquin, Cheyenne, Danforth, Great Lakes, Iroquois, Lakota, Missoria, and New Westminster

Each province is represented by a provincial government and they are considered to have shared sovereignty with the federal government. Each province has a Governor-General, who represents the Crown aka Louis V. Each province has a certain amount of MPs (Members of Parliament) who sit in either the House of Commons (lower chamber) or the Senate (upper chamber). MPs represent the legislative interests of their provinces and municipalities at the federal level. There is a fixed number of twenty senators (two from each province), who are appointed by the King on the advice of his prime minister, while members of the House of Commons are elected directly in federal elections, with the number of MPs depending on the population of their province, the larger the province the more seats they have in the House of Commons.

In Sunderland, you don't vote for the prime minister directly, you vote for them through your MPs. So, if the potential prime minister (the party leader) belongs to the Liberal party, you vote for the Liberal MP representing your area, if that Liberal MP wins they have a seat in the House of Commons. If a majority of the MPs in the House are of a certain party (the main two being Liberals and Tory Conservatives), their party leader becomes Prime Minister with a majority government. If a party wins the most seats but fails to hold a majority, this is called a minority government and the ruling party has less absolute authority and will have to coalition-build with other parties in order to get things done. So, it's extremely important that the Prime Minister and his Ministers are supported by their MPs in the House of Commons, this is something Sunderland's current prime minister is struggling with. MPs can resign, retire, switch parties, or die on a whim, so the amount of power a government has can fluctuate.

The Senate is more of the wild-west as Louis is free to appoint to whoever he wishes for whatever reason he wants (on the advice of the prime minister, but he can ignore the advice). The general rule is that these people have to be of noteworthy public standing, but they don't have to be politicians. They can be activists, lawyers, civil servants, etc. If the King tries to appoint a friend or a family member, nothing but public outrage can stop him. So, naturally, Louis doesn't appoint friends or family and has grilled James and later Nicholas on this being something you should never do as King. Louis's Daddy James II didn't have the same restraint. . . Nor did King Nicholas (removing the leftists meant sacking the senate against them) . . . Or King George who fought tooth and nail to have his moronic son-in-law appointed to the Senate in 1898 . . . but it's not a corrupt system at all, I swear . . .

The Senate has the job of approving the potential laws (bills) passed to them by the House of Commons, in short: if they dislike it, they send it back or veto it, if they like it, they'll hand it over the Louis for royal assent. Believe it or not, the fact that there is an unelected body, that serves until the age of SIXTY-FIVE, picking and choosing what laws get greenlit has caused SCANDALS, with the protests happening in this post being triggered by the Senate rejecting an affordable housing bill forwarded by the Liberals in the House.

Until 1999, those appointed to the Senate were given a title of nobility, typically an Earldom or a Dukedom if The King thinks you're a really good boy. The families of Irene and Tatiana are descended from prominent Senators, this is where their family titles originated from. This tradition ended when the first woman was appointed to the Senate in 1999, since women can't inherit noble titles, Louis stopped the practice altogether, instead of . . .y'know, just getting Parliament to allow women the ability to hold noble titles suo jure. Louis can technically still hand out noble titles, but he informally agreed to stop granting titles to non-family members. People at the time viewed this as him becoming more egalitarian and progressive for the new millennia, but in reality, he was just keeping his crop of aristocrat ass-likers more exclusive. So, now your senators aren't literal dukes and earls . . . yay, progress?

Finally: The "commander-in-chief" of a province is called the premier. Think of him like a governor in the United States. These guys are elected through provincial elections and they form their own legislative bodies to handle provincial legislation (healthcare, education, etc.). They operate largely independently from the federal government and have historically resisted federal micro-management.

If you're familiar with American geography or history, you'll know that the provinces have Indigenous names (Cheyenne, Lakota, Missouria, Iroquois, Algonquin) and others are named after royalty (Alexandria and Louisia) and prominent figures/locations (New Westminster, Danforth) . . . the implications of these names say a lot about Sunderland's history.

Hopefully, I'll be able to update my map soon, hope you enjoyed the political lesson.

[paulagnewart]

(Sa)Tuneday Supercade!

Imagine it's 31st July 1993. After scouring the kitchen for a plate of your preferred breakfast, you scurry out to take prime position on the lounge. Wrapped within the blankets pulled from your bed, there's no better way to spend a cool, lazy morning than accompanied by the low hum of the adjacent television set. Flicking between channels, there's plenty of choice from cartoons to cool tunes. As you continue munching down, something flashes across the screen. A flurry of new and exciting faces accompanied by beloved heroes of old. Over the subsequent two hours, the Australian Saturday morning landscape had changed, with the grand premiere of "What's Up Doc".

Having successfully wrangled the rights to Warner Brothers' library of Looney Tunes cartoons from their traditional home on Seven, Channel Nine had grand plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of everyone's favourite wascally wabbit. Their initial attempt, aptly titled "The Bugs Bunny Show", was hosted by Sophie Lee and aired weekdays beginning on 4th June 1990. In spite of drawing strong ratings from kids and parents with heavy emphasis on Merrie Melodies shorts (and the occasional Real Ghostbusters, another show poached from Seven), it wasn't to last, with the final episode airing 7th February 1992.

But Nine weren't willing to give up just yet. They switched tactics and set out to challenge then-juggernaut Saturday Disney, kicking off "What's Up Doc" at 8:30am. With Danielle Fairclough as the first in a rotating roster of hosts, viewers saw the continuation of popular series including Tiny Toon Adventures and Beetlejuice, along with an extra helping of new shows such as (and certainly not limited to) Taz-Mania, Animaniacs, Free Willy, Freakazoid, Superman: The Animated Series, and Histeria.

Yet it was Batman: The Animated Series which truly broke the mould. Riding high on the unprecedented success of Tim Burton's live-action films, the show took everything popular from Bob Kane and Bill Finger's beloved Caped Crusader and elevated them to a new level. The action more intense, the heroes more nuanced, the villains more three dimensional. And they in turn went on to influence and inspire their comic counterparts. Airing in its original production order, the series launched that same day and ran an unbroken 65 weeks, swiftly spawning an expansive toyline and slew of matching merchandise.

From Sophie Lee to Lauren Phillips, Andy Sunderland and everyone in between, "What's Up Doc" cemented the Looney Tunes' home on Nine. Its popularity led to a return of weekday afternoon cartoons, and later spinoffs for the next generation of fans including "The Cool Room" And "Kids' WB", each with their own unique hosts and lineups of animated adventures. The relationship between network and studio remained a strong one for just shy of two decades until it all came crashing down; with Nine choosing not to renew their exclusive license, the final "Kids' WB", and Looney Tunes on Australian TV in general, walked into the sunset on 29th November 2019.

[voices-in-the-fog]

WELCOME TO THE FOG

Who will You choose . . . ?

[ Voices in the Fog roster ]

SURVIVORS who remain . . .

Dwight Fairfield, the Nervous Leader

Meg Thomas, the Energetic Athlete

Claudette Morel, the Studious Botanist

Jake Park, the Solitary Survivalist

Nea Karlsson, the Urban Artist

Laurie Strode, the Determined Survivor

Ace Visconti, the Lucky Gambler

William "Bill" Overbeck, the Old Solider

Min Feng, the Focused Competitor

David King, the Rugged Scrapper

Quentin Smith, the Resolute Dreamwalker

David Tapp, the Obsessed Detective

Kate Denson, the Hopeful Songbird

Adam Francis, the Resourceful Teacher

Jeffrey "Jeff" Johansen, the Quiet Artist

Jane Romero, the Influential Celebrity

Ashley J. Williams, the Alone Wolf

Nancy Wheeler, the Aspiring Journalist

Steve Harrington, the Former Jock

> Jonathan Byers

Yui Kimura, the Hardened Streetracer

Zarina Kassir, the Plucky Documentarian

Heather “Cheryl” Mason, the Veteran of Terror

> Cybil Bennett

> James Sunderland

> Lisa Garland

> Alessa Gillespie

Felix Richter, the Visionary Architect

Élodie Rakoto, the Occult Investigator

Yun-Jin Lee, the Self-Interested Music Producer

Jill Valentine, the Founding Member of S.T.A.R.S.

> Claire Redfield

> Sheva Alomar

Leon Scott Kennedy, the Rookie Police Officer

> Carlos Oliveira

> Chris Redfield

Mikaela Reid, the Young Mystic

Jonah Vasquez, the Mathematical Mastermind

Yoichi Asakawa, the Brilliant Marine Biologist

Haddie Kaur, the Brave Podcaster

Ada Wong, the Mysterious Secret Agent

Rebecca Chambers, the Gifted Medic

Vittorio Toscano, the Endless Wanderer

Thalita Lyra, the Competitive Kite-Fighter

Renato Lyra, the Analytical Jack-of-all-Trades

Gabriel Soma, the Resourceful Engineer

Ellen Ripley, the Nostromo Warrant Officer

Alan Wake, the Bestselling Author

Sable Ward, the Gothic Occultist

Non-Canon

Luis Serra (Resident Evil)

KILLERS left to claim . . .

Evan MacMillan, The Trapper

Philip Ojomo, The Wraith

Max Thompson Jr., The Hillbilly

Sally Smithson, The Nurse

Michael Myers, The Shape

Lisa Sherwood, The Hag

Herman Carter, The Doctor

Anna, The Huntress

Bubba Sawyer, The Cannibal

Freddy Krueger, The Nightmare

Amanda Young, The Pig

Jeffrey Hawk, The Clown

Rin Yamaoka, The Spirit

The Legion

Frank Morrison

Julie Kostenko

Susie Lavoie

Joey

> HUNK

Adiris, The Plague

Danny Johnson, The Ghost Face

Demogorgon, The Demogorgon

Kazan Yamaoka, The Oni

Caleb Quinn, The Deathslinger

Pyramid Head, The Executioner

Talbot Grimes, The Blight

> William Birkin

Charlotte & Victor Deshayes, The Twins

Ji-Woon Hak, The Trickster

Nemesis T-Type, The Nemesis

Elliot Spencer, The Cenobite

> The Chatterer

Carmina Mora, The Artist

Sadako Yamamura, The Onryō

Druanee, The Dredge

Albert Wesker, The Mastermind

Tarhos Kovács, The Knight

Adriana Imai, The Skull Merchant

HUX-A7-13, The Singularity

Xeomorph, The Xenomorph

> The Xenomorph Queen

Charles Lee Ray, Chucky

Unknown, The Unknown

Non-Canon

[cinder-no]

Cinder's Favorite Character Master List

Animal Crossing

Amelia Bianca Blanca Bob Bow Cephalobot Chai Coco Étoile Flick Master Frillard Gyroids Hopkins Jack Kabuki Kapp'n Katrina Kicks Lucky Mathilda Meow Merengue Niko Pavé Petri Pierre Pietro Raymond Rhonda Rolf Ruby Serena Tia Zipper T. Bunny

Apex Legends

Caustic (Dr. Alexander Nox) Fuse (Walter Fitzroy Jr.) Mad Maggie (Margaret Kōhere) Mirage (Elliott Witt)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Adam Clem Doc Dracula Jenny Calendar Moloch the Corruptor Rack Rupert Giles Spike (William Pratt) Zachary Kralik

Cartoon Network (connected universe)

Ace D. Copular Baboon Kaboom HIM Killa Drilla Snake Valhallen

Creepypasta

Eyeless Jack Laughing Jack

DC

Doctor Psycho (Edgar Cizko) Extraño (Gregorio de la Vega) Lobo Man-Bat (Dr. Kirk Langstrom) Mister Freeze (Victor Fries) Number One The Riddler (Edward Nygma) Savant (Brian Durlin) Snowflame (Stefan); read-through complete.

Dead by Daylight

Asakawa Yoichi The Baba Yaga The Birch The Cannibal (Bubba Sawyer) The Cenobite (Elliot Spencer) The Chatterer David King The Deathslinger (Caleb Quinn) The Doctor (Herman Carter) The Draugr Dwight Fairfield The Executioner (Pyramid Head) The Ferryman The Grid Xenomorph The Hillbilly (Max Thompson Jr.) HUNK The Huntress (Anna) The Jabberwock Jake Park James Sunderland Jeffrey "Jeff" Johansen The Knight (Tarhos Kovács) The Krampus Leon Scott Kennedy The Krampus The Nemesis (Nemesis-T Type) The Oni (Yamaoka Kazan) The Onryō (Yamamura Sadako) Robbie Rabbit The Shape (Michael Myers) Vittorio Toscano William Berkin The Wraith (Phillip Ojomo) The Xenomorph The Xenomorph Clone The Xenomorph Queen

DOOM

The Doom Slayer The Intern

Dungeons and Dragons (Baldur's Gate 3 and Magic the Gathering)

Abdirak Astarion Ancunin Auntie Ethel Avatar of Me (card) Gromph Baenre Kar'niss Lorin True Soul Nere

The Elder Scrolls

Arnbjorn Cicero Durnehviir Knight Paladin Gelebor Moira Nazir

Fallout

Joshua Graham Lily Bowen Nick Valentine (synth) Tabitha Victor (PDQ-88b RobCo security model 2060-B Securitron)

Fire and Ice

Lord Nekron; watch complete.

FromSoft (Bloodborne/Dark Souls/Elden Ring)

Father Gascoigne Godrick the Grafted Grave Warden Agdayne Manscorpion Tark Sorcerer Rogier Starscourge Radahn Vengarl of Forossa

Half Life VR but the AI is Self Aware

Benrey Dr. Bubby Dr. Coomer (Dr. Harold Pontiff Coomer) Darnold Pepper Gordon Martinis Freeman Tommy Coolatta

Hatred

Not Important

Hellboy

Abe Sapien Hellboy

Highlander

The Kurgan (Victor Kruger)

Judge Dredd

The Clan Techie (Bill Huxley); read-through and watch complete.

The Last Unicorn

Amalthea Celaeno King Haggard Mabruk The Red Bull Schmendrick

Lazy Town

Glanni Glæpur (pre-show Robbie Rotten; treated separate in fanon) Íþróttaálfurinn (pre-show Sportacus; treated separate in fanon) Robbie Rotten Sportacus

Left 4 Dead

Ellis The Hunter Nick The Screamer The Smoker The Witch

Legend

Darkness

Marvel

Arcade Batroc the Leaper (Georges Batroc); read-through in progress. Blackout, of the Lilin; read-through and watch complete. Crazy Eight (Earth-982) Daimon Hellstrom Digger (Roderick Krupp); read-through in progress. Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius) Doctor Rot (Bentley Newton) Electro (Maxwell Dillon) Frog-Man (Eugene Patilio) Gorgeous George (George Blair); read-through in progress. Graviton (Dr. Franklin Hall); read-through complete. The Human Fly (Richard Deacon) Jakita Wegener; read-through complete. Morbius (Dr. Michael Morbius); read-through in progress. Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) Nitro (Robert Hunter); read-through complete. The Owl (Leland Owsley) Riptide (Janos Quested) Ruckus (Clement Wilson); read-through in progress. Speedfreek (Joss Shappe) Stunner (Angelina Brancale); read-through in progress. Toad (Mortimer Toynbee) Tombstone (Alonzo Lincoln) Tower (Edward Pasternak) Will-o-the-Wisp (Jackson Arvad)

Max Headroom

Max Headroom

Metalocalypse

Dick Knubbler (Richard Knubbler) Nathan Explosion

The Moomins

Snufkin

The Muppets

Beaker Uncle Deadly

My Hero Academia

All Might (Yagi Toshinori) Eraserhead (Aizawa Shōta)

Nightbreed

Devil Lude Peloquin Shuna Sassi

One Piece

Buggy the Clown Caesar Clown Pedro Vinsmoke Sanji

Overwatch

Cassidy (Cole Cassidy) Hanzo Shimada Junker Queen (Odessa Stone) Junkrat (Jamison Fawkes) Roadhog (Mako Rutledge) Sigma (Siebren de Kuiper)

The Owl House

Alador Blight Emperor Belos (Phillip Wittebane) Principal Hieronymus Bump

Pokémon

Absol Absol (mega) Aerodactyl (mega) Deep King Agnol Alakazam (mega) Annihilape Arbok AZ Banette Banette (mega) Beedrill Beedrill (mega) Biker (trainer class) Blaziken Blaziken (mega) Bouffalant Brambleghast Gym Leader Brassius Breloom Brute Bonnet Carbink Carnivine Centiskorch Charizard (mega X) Clown (trainer class) Corviknight Cubone Delphox Diancie Diancie (mega) Dhelmise Dragalge Dragapult Drampa Druddigon Dubwool Eelektross Espurr Firebreather (trainer class) Florges Flygon Furfrou Galvantula Gengar (mega) Gliscore Gogoat Goodra Golisopod Grafaiai Grimmsnarl Gumshoos Team Skull Leader Guzma Guzzlord Haunter Hex Maniac (trainer class) Hex Maniac (ghost) Hoopa (unbound) Houndoom Houndoom (mega) Hydrapple Hydreigon Incineroar Inteleon Kangaskhan Kingambit Kommo-o Gym Leader Larry Lopunny Lurantis Lycanroc (midnight form) Kahuna Nanu Majin Malamar Mandibuzz Mareanie Marrowak Marowak (ghost) Maushold Mawile Mawile (mega) Mightyena Miltank Mimikyu MissingNo. Naganadel Cipher Nascour Ninetales (Alolan form) Noivern Obstagoon Gym Leader Opal Team Yell Leader Piers Team Skull Admin Plumeria Pyroar Pyukumuku Rapidash (Galarian form) Rayquaza Rayquaza (mega) Sableye Sableye (mega) Salazzle Scolipede Seviper Shedinja Shiinotic Spectrier Spiritomb Tauros Team Skull Grunt (trainer class) Thievul Tinkaton Toxtricity Trevenant Vespiqueen Wooloo Xurkitree Zangoose Zoroark (Hisuian form)

Postal

Postal Dude

Psychonauts

Sasha Nein

The Red Eclipse!

Miss Conduct

Resident Evil

The Duke HUNK Karl Heisenberg Leon Scott Kennedy Mr. X (T-00) Nemesis (Nemesis-T Type) Salvatore Moreau

Silent Hill

Pyramid Head Robbie Rabbit

Space Ghost

Brak Moltar Sisto Zorak

Stardew Valley

The Dwarf Elliott Shane Willy The Wizard

Star Trek

Lietenant Commander Data Soong Constable Odo Ital

Star Wars

General Grievous General Armitage Hux Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) Darth Maul Captain Phasma Grand Admiral Thrawn (Mitth'raw'nuruodo)

Studio Ghibli

The Mandrake No-Face

The Time Machine

The Über-Morlock

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal

Edred

The Venture Bros.

The Action Man (Rodney) Master Billy Quizboy (William Whalen) Brock Samson Dragoon (Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr.) Henchman 21 (Gary) Iggy Pop (James Newell Osterberg, Jr.) The Monarch (Malcolm Fitzcarraldo) Dr. Mrs. the Monarch (Sheila) Dr. Orpheus (Dr. Byron Orpheus) Pete White Red Mantle (Charles Hardin Holley) Sergeant Hatred (Courtney Robert) Vendata (Don Fitzcarraldo)

Warhammer 40k

Corvus Corax Leman Russ Magnus the Red The Night Haunter (Konrad Curze)

Warlock

The Warlock

Weird Science

Metal Face

What We Do in the Shadows

Laszlo Cravensworth Nandor the Relentless

[pwlanier]

Today in Great Lakes shipping history. February 25th.

2023: Lakers Whitefish Bay and Algoma Intrepid rest alongside the Canadian Coast Guard’s Samuel Risley and Judy LaMarsh in Sarnia, ON.

1964: CISSOULA, a Greek freighter that visited the Seaway in 1961 and 1965, was abandoned after a collision in fog with the Swedish vessel SOLKLINT off Selsey Bill in the English Channel. The damaged freighter was taken in tow and repaired. It was delivered to shipbreakers at Hsinkang, China, on September 24, 1969.

CREEK TRANSPORT was launched this day in 1910, by Sunderland Shipbuilding Co.

Soo Locks Engineers Day is June 30

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the Sault Ste. Marie Convention & Visitors Bureau, the United States Coast Guard, the Lake Superior State University Center for Freshwater Research and Education and the Craft Show are planning the 2023 Soo Locks Engineers Day for June 30.

Boat Nerd

[lateralcast]

Lateral Highlight (98): The best swimmer came 3rd

Eglė Vaškevičiūtė, Dani Siller and Bill Sunderland face a question about a natation situation.

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Sunday 6 January 1833

8

11 ¼

fine morning hard frost F39 ½° at 8 just before lighting my fire – breakfast at 9 5 in an hour with my father and Marian soon came – at my desk at 10 10 - wrote 2 ½ pages to Dr Belcombe – really know not what to write or should have written sooner - ‘I never exactly understood before what nervousness meant and God grant that I may know no more of it in any case which concerns me much! nothing could be more judicious than your letter to Mr Sunderland’ – he a great friend of Dr Paley’s – paid not give me a vote of thanks for taking Miss W- to Dr Belcombe  ‘All I can say is, she really seems to prefer you as a medical man to all who have ever attended her, and that if I had time for nursing, I think our united efforts might be of service - but I am a young practitioner and my courage us much abated - it is dreary to combat sickness without disease, and misery without reason – medicals come [9.S.] from Mr Sunderland; but all I hear is that you and he are agreed as to the course to be pursued - I am to count the letters you have written, for the purpose of taking care that your pen shall not have laboured in vain. It is some satisfaction to me that you will ,at least be remembered, as among the cleverest and most agreeable of medicinae doctores and, should you be applied to when I am gone, I am sure you will do the best that such a case admits, in which the manner will do more than medicine, is the maxima veritas et praevalebit [the greatest truth will prevail]’ – would try to make time for another day on in, if I thought, it would do any good but my hopes not sanguine – will however, on my own account, see them all again if I am before my leaving England – but fear being kept here ‘till the utmost limit of my time, the end of this month or very beginning of the next – anxious to be off. ‘May this new year be felix ter et amplius [happy three times more]! Very faithfully yours. A.L.’  - then wrote letter about 2/3 of a p. rather small and close to Mr. Lister (Swansea) – saying I remitted him bill at 21 days for £35.3 deducting [?] £1.12.0 for insurance – sorry had come to no agreement about the water level gained – 6ft. valued at £6 a year of which ½ belonged to him – had sent 2 law-letters and had 2 valuations and expense already between 3 and 4 pounds, but this should come out of the annual rent to be paid – or if I could get nothing would charge him nothing – vid. Business letter book vol. 2 – downstairs at 11 50 – from 12 in ¾ hour read the prayers and sermon 26 Mr Knight – at my desk at 1 ¼ - Letter from M- (Lawton) 3 pages and ends 3 lines of crossing widely written - ‘I hope and think you will find him (Thomas Beech) a valuable servant - he can read, write and cast accounts’ - then in the few lines dated yesterday adds ‘Thomas Beech agrees to all your proposals’ – i.e. £20 a year including washing and to be engaged from the 30th inst. and clean the carriage unless I hereafter order otherwise, but at any rate to clean it abroad and do all I desire him - Had I mentioned Martha Booth sooner would have taken her as under housemaid - should the one engaged not suit, will think of Martha - would not do for kitchen maid who must be a pretty good cook - ‘she has all the servants’ hall meals to prepare, both white and brown bread to make, and will have to

SH:7/ML/E/15/0176

come as cook here whenever we happen to be over’ ‘the account you give me of your health and spirits delights me much I feel now as if come what may you will be happy and comfortable, it often made me unhappy to think your sole dependence should be on a prop which seemed hardly trustworthy you will see if Charles does not long outlive me, yet I am not ill, nor I do wish not to live, but somehow I feel, and have always felt, as if there was a period that with my constitution would be trying, it may or may not be so, this much of anticipation arises more form what may be, than any indisposition at present, for I am in pretty tolerable health tho’ not a little harassed’  expecting poor old Molly Ownes’ death the old woman (her great favourite) at the Liverpool Lodge - ‘her views of this life as connected with the future are clearer than those of anything I ever met with’ - and M-  has had much consolation from her - Miss Lawton going to marry an army surgeon a widower a Mr Hyne comes from Devonshire saying he makes £500 or £600 a year by his profession - but having no private fortune and 2 children the youngest 10th months old - Mr L- is indignant and refuses his consent - her brother, William L- equally angry - M- says little - wrote 3 pages and ends and under the seal (till 4 10) in answer - ‘I was beginning, my dearest Mary, to be rather impatient for your letter - it is come and has given me much comfort and pleasure - I am satisfied with what you say of yourself - tho’ I hope and trust your anticipation is groundless, yet it is well to set our house in order betimes, and you go about it so calmly, and so happily, that I have no motive for gainsaying - I am glad to have had it - my power to speak so comfortably of myself - you know the bitterness that providence has been pleased to mingle in my draught of life, but I have really learnt to consider it as making the beverage more wholesome, and to take with thankfulness - In fact, Mary, tho’ my conversion is of less long standing than it ought to be, surely it will be lasting as sincere, and, I trust, you will have no occasion to think of me again but with cheerfulness and satisfaction - We cannot tell the n° of our days, but, should we both live longer than you expect, I still hope to congratulate you on a brighter evening than noonday clouds have promised - I grieve over the loss you will have in poor Molly Owen’...... suppose she (M-) will be off to Leamington on the 14th beg to hear from her again 1st if only to give me Thomas’s address - wonder how Eugenie will suit me - have taken one of John’s daughter (will be 14 in a day or two) to bring up as Lady’s maid - shall tell M- my plan and advise with her at Leamington - thanks about Martha Booth - an under housemaid place must be ‘the utmost height she is fit to aspire to’ - sorry for Miss Lawton’s match ‘you say nothing about little Mariana - I have often wished it was possible to trace in her the smallest resemblance to you - what do you hear from York?’ - dare not attempt to fix a day for being off - expense here still going on to the amount of a couple of hundreds more - she must console me - shall have must to say at Leamington - not to forget to take all my letters ‘let us have the burning we have talked of ever since May - I am convinced you are right - we had better get it over before my going abroad again - I know nothing about my return - my aunt and father are both wonderfully well, and may live several years - a life of exertion suits me best - and, unless particularly called home, why should I hurry back? the new year is cold, but may you find it a happier than many of the years that are gone! I like to hear from you if it be but a line or two, so, busy or not, let me see your handwriting - God bless you Mary! there is to all a prop that cannot fail, and you and I may lean upon the same tho’ not together - I am well and happy and very especially and entirely yours AL’.

Added ½ dozen lines of crossing to M- to mention how nearly the farm house I have lately spent about £300 upon was burnt down yesterday week - from a [combers] stove being heated in an upstairs room - fire broke out about 4pm and out at 6 the watering pond being full of water and only one end of the house damaged.

wrote the last 27 lines in 25 minutes till 4 35 - then wrote 3 pages and ends pretty small and close to IN- should have written before but waited to tell her about my plans and about the man servant I was in treaty for and who, as I only heard this morning, agrees to my proposals and is engaged from the 30th of this month - hope IN- will not go to Croft before quite the end - if Mrs N- quite satisfied to have given up the Bath scheme, I am delighted as I have not quite given up the hope of having a peep at them but bare not say or think much about it for fear of disappointment - always one potheration or another to keep me here and put me to expense - mentioned Park-farm house being nearly burnt down yesterday week - will write to Mrs. N- when I know more of my plans - only know at present that I shall take Leamington en route, and see M- some of them will be there on the 14th and she hopes to be settled there on a week afterwards - If I can get off from here by the very end of this month or beginning of next shall be satisfied - should like best to go first, as I always intended, to Italy but uncertain yet whether I shall not be obliged to remain within reach for sometime to come - not on account of my aunt or father - they wonderfully well - will write to aunt Maria when I can tell her I am en route - joke and advise IN- not to mind the vulgarity of Esther’s mother in law - we do not marry a whole family at one fell swoop - in these times the high and low are oddity jostled together - the great fallen and the little ones grown big.....  dinner at 6 25 – at 7 10 sent off by John my letters to M- ‘Lawton hall, Lawton, Cheshire’ and to IN- ‘Langton hall, Malton’ – and to ‘Dr. Belcombe minster yard York’ and to ‘John Lister Esquire Swansea Glamorganshire’ wrote the last 15  lines till 7 25 – then standing by the fire, and looking a little into Horace, and asleep on the sofa till  9 10 – so cold in the drawing room cannot sit to do anything   I must give it up and come to my room

[regrief]

a quick look into some important parts of the fan-translated version of the SH2 novel, and how they relate to my take on james.  warnings for depression, suicide, alcoholism. 

re: apathy, depression, willingness to die. 

01.    On the other side of the dirty clouds was a vision of himself.  Reflected in the mirror was his own face, hard and stiff as if it were the face of a corpse.  Actually, I guess I am dead, James Sunderland thought.  My heart's as good as dead anyway.  He wasn't filled with a sense of loss, he just felt like his life wasn't worth living anymore.  He had become indifferent.  Work, free time — none of it really mattered anymore. 

02.    A dark red pool spread across the floor underneath their mangled remains.  He found that even after his narrow escape from death, he felt no sense of relief. 

03.    Strangely enough, even in this hopeless state, James felt no fear.  In fact, it was like his self-preservation instincts had been completely turned off, and all he felt now was peace.  In this mentality of self-abandonment, James hung his head, closed his eyes, and silently awaited the cold touch of the executioner’s blade. 

04.    His desperate search for Mary... he couldn't just give that up.  Just the thought of seeing her again, even just once, was enough to make him continue on even now as things were becoming more dangerous.  She was the reason why, no matter what, he had to live.  Even if it meant risking his life. 

05.    Out of the corner of his vision, James could see countless pale hands reaching up from beneath the waves. They surrounded the boat, waiting for the chance to pull it down to the bottom of the lake.  “Come here, come here,” they beckoned; an invitation to lure James into the abyss.  He tried desperately not to see them, keeping his gaze firmly locked in the direction of the hotel.  It was his beacon to guide him away from temptation.  James knew that if he were to look away for even a moment, he’d find himself drowning in those dark waters.

his entire reason for returning to silent hill was to take his own life, unable to live with the knowledge of what he’d done to mary, and unwilling to live without her.  this is forgotten upon arrival, however, and the note from “mary” that he so desperately clings to is conjured by the town as a way to draw him in.  he naturally feels fear when encountered with various monsters around town, and their deaths sometimes provide a a sense of accomplishment, but his apathy is too great to genuinely care about his own survival beyond finding mary again.  he holds tightly onto that goal, needing something to keep him moving forward; if he allows himself to stray, he fears he might just give up. 

re: grief and coping. 

01.    At any rate, after he lost his wife, James took to drinking and began to conceal his sorrow with outbursts of anger.  It affected everyone around him to the point that his coworkers didn't want to put up with his sullen behavior.  Before long, he was treated like a trouble-maker. 

   obviously, mary hasn’t been dead long enough for this to be true.  his drinking began during her illness, brought on by the stress of hospital bills, sleepless nights spent pouring over medical texts, and mary’s ever volatile behavior towards him.  he refused to let that anger and frustration surface around her, and it more often than not was misdirected at other people around him, which he’d quickly and quite pathetically apologize for. 

02.    It was no wonder then, with these kinds of thoughts in his head, that James found himself wishing for a miracle.  Did she really die three years ago?  Or had she died and somehow been revived?  [...]  But if she really has been alive this whole time and didn't try to contact me until now, maybe she's been trying to avoid me?  What if she ran off and has been living with another man...?  [...]  For a moment, he felt a burning surge of hatred, but it soon drowned in his melancholy mood.  More than anything, he just wanted to see Mary again, and more than anything else, he dreaded that meeting. 

it’s implied that his hesitation to reunite with mary is because he’s unsure why she took three years to contact him, most notably his worry that she simply grew tired of him and shacked up with someone else.  even when they were together, this was a prevalent concern; his employment as an office clerk doesn’t provide much money, if his beaten up and rusted old car is any indication, and he constantly worried that one day mary would get fed up of living such a financially simple life and leave him.  in reality, his hesitation (unbeknownst to him) is coming to terms with her fate. 

03.    First Mary, and now Maria... Because they shared the same beautiful features, it was like losing the same woman twice.  They slipped away until they remained nothing but a memory, leaving James with twice the grief.  An overwhelming feeling of emptiness that felt the same as death.  He wanted nothing more than for this madness to end.  [...]  With great effort, James finally got back on his feet.  He remembered his wife’s face, the face of a dead woman.  That lovely face was the foundation of his entire being, his reason for living.  These feelings of grief and sorrow were only a distraction. Searching for Mary, holding on to the belief that she was alive — those were the only things that mattered now. 

re: mary’s illness. 

01.    He wanted to escape.  He wanted to run away.  It would be so easy to just turn around, climb back though the barricade, and run... but he didn't.  [...]  He couldn't leave a dangerous monster to wander around and cause more harm.  However, the true reason he hated this thing had nothing to do with any sense of justice.  It was disgust. 

mary’s illness weighed heavily on james to the point that his psyche all but cracked, and between his own stress and that of visiting mary only to be met with cruel words and spite from a woman who no longer resembled his wife, part of him grew to hate her.  what few good memories he could cling onto were lost in a sea of disgust and a desire to be free, to unchain himself from all the pain it was causing him.  his decision to kill her resulted from a mixture of hate and love, and he can never tell which emotion was stronger in that moment. 

02.     This thing was no mannequin.  It was another monster. Though it had a different form than the squirming monster from before, he had no doubt that they were related somehow.  Oddly enough, he found that being confronted by this grotesque being didn’t bring up the same feelings of hatred and disgust that the other monsters had. 

unlike the lying figures, whose misshapen bodies and acid-spitting “mouths” are meant to represent not only james’ feeling of being trapped, but also mary’s sickness and tendency to say mean, hateful things to him, the mannequins are born of his sexual frustration and desire.  naturally, he doesn’t experience the same subconscious anger he felt towards the lying figures, though he doesn’t know why. 

03.   That was the moment when he'd been condemned to despair — the ending to his happy life.  Indeed, it was almost like he had died before his beloved Mary...  Trapped in a living death that left him with nothing but a husk of a soul, and a heart that felt nothing but never-ending pain.  It only grew worse with each day he had to watch his wife slowly waste away.  His frustration swirled like a frigid storm until it swelled into a cold mass of fury... 

04.   She would yell abusively, all her words turning into hateful curses that struck him like nails through his chest. It was more than James could bear. It was such a sorry sight, watching her heart turn ugly as she slowly withered away.  The beautiful, gentle soul that he had fallen in love with had gone from the world.  That’s why he...  More retched memories spilled forth.  He couldn’t stand to watch her suffer.  That’s why he had to end it with his own hands... 

re: guilt and mercy. 

01.    A large bloodstain ran across the surface of the road as if painted there by a giant brush.  James recoiled in shock.  Seeing something so closely related to death opened emotional wounds.  [...]  Ever since he lost his wife, he had always been indifferent to the rest of the world, and as much as he wanted to just walk away and forget he ever saw the blood-stained pavement... this was something he just couldn't let go.  There's just no way he could bring himself to abandon someone who was probably dying, given the amount of blood the person left behind. 

02.     Truthfully, he sort of envied Laura in this regard.  Envy like an ugly, monstrous dog with a disease-ridden and painful bite.  James had courage... only it was more like recklessness.  I really can’t stand that kind of weakness.  I don’t want to go outside.  I just want to stay shut-up indoors.  Being alone really is the best thing.  I don’t want anyone else to get hurt... because of me... 

03.   But if that’s true, then why am I so reluctant?  It’s just a monster.  Something that’s going to kill me if I don’t kill it first.  But what if... what if it really isn’t?  [...]  And if anything was to be gathered from her appearance, she’s probably suffering immense physical pain as well.  If James looked at the situation that way, it almost seemed pitiable. 

       Then, at most, it’d be nothing more than a mercy killing, right?  [...]  It has to be painful for anyone that disfigured to live.  Monster or human, the best thing would be for it to die.  [...]  I made the right choice... didn’t I?  Even if he could make himself believe that, the whole situation left a bad taste in his mouth.  He felt Maria’s hand on his shoulder.  “James... you did what you had to do.”  Maria offered words of consolation, once again as if she knew exactly how he was feeling. 

guilt, guilt, guilt.  even now, he’s rationalizing his decision to kill mary as a merciful act, down to the references to her disfiguration and pain.  and maria, born of james’ desire for mary, consoles him over it.  he wants to hear that she understands why he killed her, even while grappling with his own self-doubt as to whether his choice was the correct one. 

04.    If this really was the truth, then it should have made it feel easier to kill them one-by-one.  It would be an act of compassion, ending all their suffering.  To think that I’m really “helping” them... that’s a lie.  Only an excuse.  Like I’m trying to run away from something... but what is it? 

re: maria. 

01.     James checked the condition of her injury.  Blood oozed from a scrape on her upper arm.  “Sorry.”  The monster only gave her a scratch, but James still felt the need to apologize. 

even if not by his hands, maria was injured, and the guilt set in.  if he’d just acted faster, maybe he would’ve been able to protect her. 

02.     The thought of this woman who looked exactly like Mary dancing in such indecent clothing and exposed to men’s greedy eyes...  It was like seeing Mary herself endure public humiliation.  Almost like the inquisitive eyes of a stranger watching her in her sickbed... 

03.     He stole a quick glance at Maria, who was still clinging nervously to his arm.  If he was so worried about her motivations, why didn’t he just ask her right now?  He tried to form the words, but he kept hesitating, like he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.  It was that uncertainty, among other unpleasant emotions swirling in his mind, that always made speaking with Maria so difficult. 

again, confusing maria with mary.  their personalities are completely different, and yet, memories of being unable to be fully honest and open with mary, or saying something and having her lash out at him in response, unconsciously nag at the back of his head. 

04.   “Maria...where are you?”  In James’s mind, Mary and Maria were beginning to overlap.  As if Maria was trying to replace Mary.  Maybe the last traces of his wife’s existence were no match for the need and concerns of a human being who was still alive... 

05.   Suddenly, he heard a voice calling out his name. It was like... a beautiful sound from heaven.  Like the song of an angel, so captivating and breathtaking that it could even wake the dead.  Heart lightened, James turned around.  There was that lovely face he had been pursuing for so long...  “Mary?”  “I’m Maria!”  She glared at him, the annoyance plainly visible on her face.  “Oh, sorry...” James shrank away.  [...]  James found himself to be overwhelmed by her furious accusations. 

mary’s late personality bleeds over into maria’s, dredging up traumatic memories for james of having to hold himself together while enduring verbal abuse for her sake. 

06.    However, even though she had changed into a demon — even though she wasn’t really the woman he loved — he couldn’t bring himself to shoot.  She had been his guide as they wandered through the town’s streets together.  She had been a smiling face to ease his loneliness.  Even now, just seeing her Mary-like face healed his heart. 

re: the outcome. 

     “Mary, I’m back.”  James smiled.  He had left the hotel and backtracked all the way to the parking lot by the highway where she was waiting.  She had always been here, waiting for him.  “Sorry, it’s probably pretty cramped in there...”  He opened the trunk of his parked car. He lifted Mary’s curled up body and set her in the passenger’s seat.  As he climbed into the driver’s seat, he spoke to her.  She was silent, resting inside a sleep from which she would never awaken. 

      “Mary, I remember everything now.  The real reason I came to this town.  I wonder what I was so afraid of?  As if there were anything in this world that could be scarier than losing you...”  He started the engine and stepped on the accelerator. 

     “Now we can finally be together... just the two of us...”  Staring blankly ahead at the mist-enshrouded lake, James kept his foot pressed down on the gas pedal.  The smile never left his face. 

     “I love you, Mary.”  As the car began to slowly sink to the bottom of the lake, James pulled his wife close and gently held her.  Their wish had finally come true.  They would be together.  And now they had an eternity to enjoy their happiness. 

arguably the most depressing, albeit poignant of the potential endings, and my personal favorite.  i like “leave” as well, but there’s something beautiful and tragic about james coming to terms with his guilt and learning to be at peace with his decision to die.  honestly, i think it’s the only real way for him to fully atone for his actions and deserve to be with mary in the afterlife.  i hope they’re happy together in death. 

[newstfionline]

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Extreme heat is impacting most Americans’ electricity bills (AP) During the summer, Levena Lindahl closes off entire rooms, covers windows with blackout curtains and budgets to manage the monthly cost of electricity for air conditioning. But even then, the heat finds its way in. Lindahl, 37, who lives in North Carolina, said her monthly electricity bills in the summer used to be around $100 years ago, but they’ve since doubled. Around 7 in 10 Americans say in the last year extreme heat has had an impact on their electricity bills, ranging from minor to major, and most have seen at least a minor impact on their outdoor activities, according new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found that about 7 in 10 Americans have been personally affected by extremely hot weather or extreme heat waves over the past five years. That makes extreme heat a more common experience than other weather events or natural disasters like wildfires, major droughts and hurricanes, which up to one-third of U.S. adults said they’ve been personally affected by.

New Yorkers are warned from the skies about impending danger from storms as city deploys drones (AP) Gone is the bullhorn. Instead, New York City emergency management officials have turned high-tech, using drones to warn residents about potential threatening weather. With a buzzing sound in the background, a drone equipped with a loudspeaker flies over homes warning people who live in basement or ground-floor apartments about impending heavy rains. “Be prepared to leave your location,” said the voice from the sky in footage released Tuesday by the city’s emergency management agency. “If flooding occurs, do not hesitate.” About five teams with multiple drones each were deployed to specific neighborhoods prone to flooding. Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, said the messages were being relayed in multiple languages. Flash floods have been deadly for New Yorkers living in basement apartments, which can quickly fill up in a deluge. Eleven people drowned in such homes in 2021 amid rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

‘Why Trash Your Own Town?’ An English City Reckons With a Riot. (NYT) Last Friday afternoon, as the pubs in the northeastern English city of Sunderland were filling with young men, Lesley McLaren made a decision: She was closing up shop early. She had heard about the riots in Southport after three children there were killed in a stabbing attack. Now, she worried that trouble might be coming to her own city. Just hours later, a violent mob swept through the streets. Rioters attacked police officers, looted stores, burned buildings and set a car on fire. Elsewhere in England and Northern Ireland the next day, people rioted in about a dozen other cities. In interviews this week, some Sunderland residents were appalled by the violence, even those who said they understood why people might be frustrated by Britain’s sharply increased rate of immigration, most of it legal. “Why trash your own town?” asked Peter Wilson, 69, who works in the Sunderland offices of the Citizens Advice charity, which helps people in crisis navigate debt, legal issues, housing problems and other challenges. Rioters burned some of the charity’s offices, though it was unclear if they were the target since they are next to a former police building that still says “police.” “Ransacking a vape shop in support of families in Southport—how does this help anybody?” Mr. Wilson said, shaking his head.

Migrants struggle to cope with Portugal’s housing crisis (Reuters) Seeking a more comfortable life, 50-year-old carpenter Andreia Costa moved to Portugal from Brazil in 2022, but within months her hopes were dashed, as the country’s housing crisis left her unable to afford accommodation and forced to live in a tent. On a site on the outskirts of Lisbon she was joined by other migrants and some locals, priced out of a city where rents have soared 94% since 2015 and house prices have risen 186%, according to housing data specialists Confidencial Imobiliario. Meanwhile, Portugal remains one of western Europe’s poorest nations with the region’s lowest average wages. The housing crisis is rooted in a chronic shortage of affordable housing, aggravated by the arrival of wealthy foreigners lured by residency rights linked for some years to property investment and tax breaks offered by the state. A tourism boom has seen a surge in short-term holiday lets, further squeezing the housing market.

State of emergency declared as Ukraine launches raid into Russia (BBC) A state of emergency has been declared in the Kursk region of Russia, as a rare cross-border attack by Ukrainian troops continued for a second day. The acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said the move was necessary "to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region". Thousands of people have also been evacuated from border areas, Mr Smirnov said earlier, adding that doctors were being drafted in from other cities. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of launching a "major provocation" after Moscow said hundreds of troops crossed the border near the town of Sudzha, 10km (six miles) from the border, on Tuesday morning. They were supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armoured combat vehicles, the Kremlin added. Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory have been extremely rare since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Nobel Laureate Tapped to Lead Interim Government in Bangladesh (NYT) The president of Bangladesh on Tuesday appointed Muhammad Yunus, a pioneer in microfinance and a Nobel laureate, to oversee an interim government, accommodating demands by protesters and offering a reprieve for a country scarred by violence. The plans for a new government were announced a day after Bangladesh’s authoritarian leader, Sheikh Hasina, resigned and fled the country amid a popular uprising. With the Bangladeshi Parliament dissolved, Mr. Yunus, 84, is expected to lead a temporary government for an uncertain period of time.

Thai court orders dissolution of anti-establishment election winner (Reuters) Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of the anti-establishment opposition party Move Forward, ruling its campaign to amend a law that protects the monarchy from criticism risked undermining the democratic system. The disbandment of Move Forward, which won most seats in the 2023 election, is the latest setback for Thailand's major political parties that are embroiled in a two-decade battle for power against a nexus of influential conservatives, old money families and the royalist military.

Hiroshima governor says nuclear disarmament must be tackled as a pressing issue, not an ideal (AP) Hiroshima officials urged world leaders Tuesday to stop relying on nuclear weapons as deterrence and take immediate action toward abolishment—not as an ideal, but to remove the risk of atomic war amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and rising tensions in East Asia. They commented as Hiroshima remembered its atomic bombing 79 years ago at the end of World War II. Hiroshima Gov. Hidehiko Yuzaki said nuclear-armed nations and supporters of atomic deterrence “deliberately ignore ... the fact that once people invented a weapon, they used it without exception.” “As long as nuclear weapons exist, they will surely be used again someday,” Yuzaki said in his address at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

Israeli minister says it may be ‘moral’ to starve 2 million Gazans, but ‘no one in the world would let us’ (CNN) Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said “it may be just and moral” to starve 2 million Gaza residents until Israeli hostages are returned, but “no one in the world would let us.” In a speech on Monday at the Katif Conference for National Responsibility in the town of Yad Binyamin, the far-right minister said Israel should take control of distributing aid inside Gaza and claimed that Hamas was in control of distribution channels within the strip. “It is impossible in today’s global reality to wage war—no one in the world would let us starve and thirst two million citizens, even though it may be just and moral until they return our hostages,” he said, adding that if Israel controlled aid distribution instead of Hamas, the war would have ended by now and the hostages would have returned. Israel is facing mounting criticism from aid groups and international organizations for restricting food aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. A United Nations statement, citing independent experts, indicated last month that famine has spread across the entire enclave. The experts accused Israel of conducting an “intentional and targeted starvation campaign,” which they termed a “form of genocidal violence.”

Hamas names Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks, as its new leader in show of defiance (NYT/AP/compiled) Hamas has chosen a new leader after Israel killed Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s previous head, using an explosive device in Iran last week. The new chief, Yahya Sinwar, is a longtime leader of Hamas’ military planning in Gaza, where he was born. The 61 year-old’s exact location is unknown even to most of Hamas, but he’s thought to be directing his group from the tunnel networks under Gaza. Israel’s foreign minister said his official ascendancy is “yet another compelling reason to swiftly eliminate him and wipe this vile organization off the face of the earth.” Meanwhile, tensions remain high in the wider Middle East. Both Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iran’s government have promised to retaliate for Israeli attacks on militant leaders on their soil, with the world waiting to see how the attacks would unfold. In a televised speech yesterday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah promised that his group’s response to the killing of a top Hezbollah commander would be both “strong” and “effective,” adding that the retaliation would come with or without the help of other Iran-backed militant groups. Iran also has revenge plans in the works, though it’s currently unclear when or where the country would strike. An envoy from Russia visited Iran late yesterday in order to warn Tehran against striking civilian targets in its attack, highlighting just how much the global community is worried that the response will cause a wider war in the Middle East.

In Israel and Lebanon, life goes on even as the region teeters on the edge of all-out war (AP) In Beirut, shops are open and traffic is as snarled as ever. In Tel Aviv, cafes hum with patrons and umbrellas sprout across crowded beaches. Such scenes may seem surreal in a region teetering on the edge of all-out war—and beneath the surface there is plenty of fear and anxiety. But after 10 months of near-daily border skirmishes, strikes further afield and escalating threats, a sense of fatalism seems to have set in. The killings last week of two militant leaders in Beirut and Tehran—attributed to Israel—brought vows of revenge from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Everyone expects that an all-out war would be far more devastating than any previous conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, including the 2006 war. But in Nahariya, a coastal Israeli town just 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) south of Lebanon, Israelis lounged at the beach and surfers caught waves in the shadow of the hills rolling along the border.

[wankerwatch]

Commons Vote

On: Finance (No. 2) Bill: Third Reading

Ayes: 215 (98.6% Con, 0.9% Ind, 0.5% DUP) Noes: 19 (94.7% SNP, 5.3% PC) Absent: ~416

Likely Referenced Bill: Finance (No. 2) Act 2010

Description: A Bill to grant certain duties, to alter other duties, and to amend the law relating to the National Debt and the Public Revenue, and to make further provision in connection with finance.

Originating house: Commons Current house: Unassigned Bill Stage: Royal Assent

Individual Votes:

Ayes

Conservative (211 votes)

Aaron Bell Alan Mak Alberto Costa Alec Shelbrooke Alex Burghart Alex Chalk Alicia Kearns Alok Sharma Amanda Milling Andrew Griffith Andrew Jones Andrew Lewer Andrew Murrison Andrew Percy Andrew Selous Andy Carter Angela Richardson Anna Firth Anne Marie Morris Anne-Marie Trevelyan Anthony Browne Antony Higginbotham Ben Everitt Ben Spencer Ben Wallace Bernard Jenkin Bill Wiggin Bim Afolami Bob Blackman Bob Seely Brandon Lewis Caroline Ansell Caroline Nokes Charles Walker Cherilyn Mackrory Chris Clarkson Chris Grayling Chris Green Chris Philp Conor Burns Craig Tracey Craig Williams Damian Hinds Daniel Kawczynski Danny Kruger David Davis David Duguid David Jones David Rutley David Simmonds Dean Russell Dehenna Davison Derek Thomas Desmond Swayne Duncan Baker Edward Argar Edward Leigh Elizabeth Truss Elliot Colburn Esther McVey Felicity Buchan Fiona Bruce Gagan Mohindra Gareth Bacon Gareth Davies Gareth Johnson Gary Sambrook Gavin Williamson Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Gillian Keegan Graham Brady Graham Stuart Greg Hands Greg Smith Guy Opperman Harriett Baldwin Heather Wheeler Helen Whately Holly Mumby-Croft Huw Merriman Iain Duncan Smith Iain Stewart Jack Brereton Jack Lopresti Jackie Doyle-Price Jacob Rees-Mogg Jacob Young James Cartlidge James Cleverly James Davies James Duddridge James Sunderland James Wild Jane Hunt Jane Stevenson Jeremy Quin Jerome Mayhew Jo Churchill John Glen John Howell John Lamont Jonathan Djanogly Jonathan Gullis Julia Lopez Julian Lewis Julian Smith Julian Sturdy Justin Tomlinson Katherine Fletcher Kelly Tolhurst Kemi Badenoch Kevin Hollinrake Kieran Mullan Kit Malthouse Laura Farris Laura Trott Lee Rowley Leo Docherty Lia Nici Liam Fox Lisa Cameron Louie French Lucy Frazer Luke Hall Marcus Jones Mark Fletcher Mark Francois Mark Garnier Mark Logan Martin Vickers Matt Hancock Matt Warman Matthew Offord Mel Stride Michael Ellis Michael Fabricant Michael Gove Michael Tomlinson Mike Freer Mike Wood Mims Davies Neil O'Brien Nick Fletcher Nick Gibb Nicola Richards Nigel Huddleston Paul Beresford Paul Holmes Paul Howell Pauline Latham Penny Mordaunt Peter Aldous Peter Bottomley Philip Dunne Philip Hollobone Priti Patel Ranil Jayawardena Rebecca Harris Rebecca Pow Rehman Chishti Richard Bacon Richard Drax Richard Fuller Rob Butler Robbie Moore Robert Buckland Robert Courts Robert Goodwill Robert Halfon Robert Largan Robert Syms Robin Millar Robin Walker Royston Smith Sajid Javid Sally-Ann Hart Saqib Bhatti Sara Britcliffe Sarah Dines Scott Mann Selaine Saxby Shailesh Vara Sheryll Murray Simon Baynes Simon Clarke Simon Fell Simon Hart Simon Hoare Simon Jupp Stephen Metcalfe Steve Baker Steve Brine Steve Tuckwell Stuart Andrew Suzanne Webb Theo Clarke Theresa May Theresa Villiers Thérèse Coffey Tobias Ellwood Tom Hunt Tom Pursglove Tom Randall Tom Tugendhat Tracey Crouch Vicky Ford Victoria Atkins Victoria Prentis Wendy Morton Will Quince William Cash

Independent (2 votes)

Mark Menzies William Wragg

Democratic Unionist Party (1 vote)

Jim Shannon

Noes

Scottish National Party (18 votes)

Allan Dorans Amy Callaghan Angela Crawley Anne McLaughlin Brendan O'Hara Chris Law Chris Stephens David Linden Deidre Brock Joanna Cherry John Nicolson Kirsty Blackman Marion Fellows Owen Thompson Peter Grant Philippa Whitford Richard Thomson Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Plaid Cymru (1 vote)

Hywel Williams