#elite signs midlands

[themidnightscholar]

Fenlands Folklore

The Tale of Tiddy Mun

In a time long forgotten, like a whisper travelling through the mist across the old lands of The Fens is the tale of Tiddy Mun.

Legend has it that Tiddy Mun was a land spirit who managed the waters and mists, a balanced creature, neither good or evil, as most of nature is. Until something comes along and disrupts that balance and this common-folk marshland spirit is forced to correct it, with a little dash of vengeance for good measure too!

The Fens was once vast wet land. Similar to the formidable Nile wet crops of ancient Egypt and home to a plethora of wonderful waterfowl and beautiful plant life, some of which can only inhabit this rare type of land worldwide.

It was this land that was home to the Tiddy Mun. A short creature with long white hair and a long white beard that roamed through the misty reeds at night tending to the marshes. They say that when the Fennish people’s plights had been heard and offerings accepted, you would hear the shrilling cry of the Peewit bird across the still midnight air from Tiddy Mun himself.

But in the eighteenth century the wealthy people of England, corrupt by power and greed forced the drainage of the beautiful and bountiful Fens to make way for industrialised agriculture. The Fennish common folk, akin to many other aboriginal people, fought ferociously for many years for their way of life and way of the land. But that was nothing compared to the wrath of Tiddy Mun.

Many of the elite outsiders, invaders to their own country, went out into the marshes never to be seen again, drowned in the boggy waters by Tiddy Mun. One after the other, after the other, after the other lost to the depths of the marsh but they kept coming and kept draining until cursed pestilence struck across the unrecognisable land.

The poor common folk pleaded and prayed to Tiddy Mun, left out their offerings but the Peewit cry never came…

Here and now in 2024, the Peewit or more commonly known as the Lapwing has seen signs of return to the UK Midlands, where minor but significant efforts have started to restore some of the wetlands of The Fens. Perhaps also to restore the strength and return of Tiddy Mun.

Note: Anyone interested in the restoration projects should check out The Great Fen Project and The National Wildlife Trust and anyone interested in the history of The Fens should check out Imperial Mud by James Boyce, I couldn’t put it down 😊

[illegiblewords]

ILLEGIBLE’S TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE FAVORITE EORZEA COLLECTION DESIGNS: FEMALE

I’ve mentioned in the past, the main thing that made me start playing FFXIV properly was seeing people’s character designs. I’m still honestly blown away by the creativity and range of approaches people bring to this game, so I’ve decided to be an absolute madwoman and break my favorites into subcategories to share with anyone curious.

And to be clear. I’m not going to do something so broad as “oh top ten in-general :3″ because that would be sensible. No, I’m going to do it for all the current combat jobs. And all the current races. And different genders within the races and combat jobs as things stand. And I’m going to make a face-focus subcategory. And there are gonna be LOTS. Because I seriously cannot understate how inspired I’ve been by this community, and after however many years I just feel the need to vomit some incredible visuals I’ve encountered at you guys lol.

NOTE: In an abundance of caution, I want to stress this list isn’t a value judgment on anyone but a fragment of things that blew me personally away. Looking at the DRK sections it will be immediately clear that I Illegible really like that edgy dark knight aesthetic lmao, but there are plenty of non-edgy dark knights that I also love to bits. Other people might not like edgy dark knights. Due to a combination of size and search constraints plus trying to keep gear somewhat varied, these glamours are just what wound up on this particular list of mine. I could make another list one day. Other people can make lists too that are totally different.

Also, I was originally going to make a single post that went over male and female options presented in the character creator but straight up tumblr wouldn’t let me save because it got too big. You can see the male character post here.

Without further ado, let us begin.

COMBAT JOB GLAMOURS

PALADIN

- Sword Oath by Ariadne Lacroix

- Chevalier by Erin Arckanger

- Neo - Halone’s Sword by Goelia Sarantia

- Commander by Nya Nya

- Bellona - Goddess of War by Aurora Hearts

- Kirin by R'yo Aderyd

- In All Innocence by Lohia Aihol

- Pink Paladin Princess by Mepis Pheles

- Protector of the Creed by Kirin Anderfels

- Ivalician Spud Knight by Augwyn Usynthota 

WARRIOR

- Savage by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Bonk by Toasty Steambun

- Vinland Reaver by Tenpenny Tiffany

- Insurmountable by M'rhene Tia

- Cerberus by Lohia Aihol

- Freyja by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Warrior by Beso' Neko

- Fierce Red by Verona Lunich

- Regal Warrior by Sonora Swift

- KWEH!-rrior by Nitus Hyenborn

DARK KNIGHT

- Demon Knight by Ihon Nuzhysa 

- Demon DRK by Rosdy Mry

- Abyss by Vexa Crow

- Ritter by Miyu Fubuki

- Berserker princess by Allia Aenor

- Abaddon by Alma Sophia

- Furnace Knight by Tenpenny Tiffany

- Dark Divinity by Siren Sokute

- Absolution of Faith by Paragon Moon

- Druid DRK by Rosdy Mry

GUNBREAKER

- Flux by Flash Galathynius

- Ending SB by Una Veil

- Soldier E-075 by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Lost Allagan Future-Punk Knight by Nge Lik

- Neo - Wasteland Dust by Goelia Sarantia

- Blade’s Resolve by Erin Arckanger

- Sand Crawler by Sveta Raybrant

- Daring Gunbreaker by Radi Sativadi

- Bozjan Warfront by Keres Amiya

- Neo - Royal Guard by Goelia Sarantia

DRAGOON

- Leviathan’s Envoy by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Durium by Mihna Nhokiri

- Crimson Dragoon by Kotone Khatayin

- Heavenly Knight by Ciel Leblanc

- Gold Dragon Knight by Makenshi Dragonsbane

- Athena - The Goddess of War by Lohia Aihol

- Ryubi Warrior by Korkana Ryubi

- Native Warg by Schan Starfall

- Stranger from Across the Ruby Sea by Vederah Kilmister

- Onion Knight by Tess Tickle

SAMURAI

- Of Crimson Plumage by Cyrene Devana

- Crimson Wanderer by Sierra Delacroix

- Warmonger by Ethelin Aldren

- Yoroi of the Black Dragon by Mog Champ

- Cute war criminal by Nunui Nui

- Sirens Beckon by Adeline Grace

- Black Tide by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Kotetsu by Leisha Aysheen

- Neo - Universe’s Echo (SAM) by Goelia Sarantia

- Samurai Vagabond by Tranquil Rain

NINJA

- Midori no Ninja by Dezel Windriders

- Phtonos by R'yo Aderyd

- Neo - Flower Bowknot by Goelia Sarantia

- Church Assassin by Ien Torr

- Little Bat by Messenger Pigeon

- Birdkeep by Nya Nya

- Astrological Sign - Taurus by Leisha Aysheen

- The Nothing by Vederah Kilmister

- The Trickster by Little Toussaint

- Bloodborne-inspired Rogue by Valentyne Louvier

MONK

- Night Walker by Madoras Yorigami

- Elegant Scavenger by Mia Fletcher

- Wild Rose by Ihon Nuzhysa

- YAOI HANDS FROM HELL by Cool Mom

- Astrological Sign - Cancer by Leisha Aysheen

- Neo - Fist of Suzaku by Goelia Sarantia

- Sting Like A Bee by Arsibra Therion

- Orochi no Kaze by Liesel Mahora

- Heavensent by Ren Sakurai

- The Burn’s Wraith by Arsibra Therion

BARD

- Cherry March by Toasty Steambun

- Scarlet Vagabond by Rena Nox

- Suzaku’s Champion by Kotomi Krios

- Serpent Elite Hunter by Vesper Amaris

- Rathian by Nya Nya

- Obsolete Ribbon Bard by Karielle Davva

- Ronkan The Huntress by Raven Ashfell

- Peacock Elegance by Lohia Aihol

- Purple Rain by Franya Mohali

- Aoidos by Miyu Fubuki

DANCER

- Sidereal Goddess by Leisha Aysheen

- Crepuscule by Lohia Aihol

- Loving Blue Dancer by Kaisa Miyahara

- The First Ride by Kirin Anderfels

- Armored Bladedancer by Flower Blossom

- Masked Dancer by Aoi Umi

- Dancer of the Flame by Lohia Aihol

- Apothecary by Leisha Aysheen

- From sands to ashes by R'yo Aderyd

- The Monkey King by Stole Your'cat

MACHINIST

- Skysteel Valentine by Pastel Alerion

- Artic War by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Allied Officer by Mihri Ninaka

- Neo - doomsday by Goelia Sarantia

- bang bang shoot by Vegetable Juice

- Infiltrator: Lancehead and Gunmetal by Flash Galathynius

- Ruby Engineer by Lys Aludra

- GOBBIE BOOM! by Loki- Kun

- Wanderer: Dirt and Grit by Flash Galathynius

- Mysterious Stranger by Paragon Moon

BLACK MAGE

- Taker of Souls by Cassiopeia Fauconnoix

- Ruby Moon by Dezel Windriders

- The Dark Illusionist by The Fashionista

- Ferryman by Ien Torr

- Wayward Temptress by Atsinquela Athenruse

- Cybinki by Binki Bowie

- Wicked Wolf by Binki Bowie

- Black Mage by Fuu Min

- Neo - Demon Caller by Goelia Sarantia

- Paglth’an Black Mage by Erin Arckanger

SUMMONER

- Egyptian chocolate by Graceful Khamseen

- Summoner Goddess by Noire Faye

- Broken Nobility by Ylynna Aethis

- Black Bishop by Rosdy Mry

- Caller by Nya Nya

- Cute Magical Assistant by Lohia Aihol

- The Magus’ Apprentice by Pastel Alerion

- Oracle by Vesper Amaris

- Bismark by Lohia Aihol

- Siren Call by Atsinquela Athenruse

RED MAGE

- Aristocratic Intellectual by Vederah Kilmister

- Neo - Top Student by Goelia Sarantia

- Diligent Musketeer by Nitus Hyenborn

- Battle Bride by Rena Adyrin

- Neo - Golden Dance by Goelia Sarantia

- Elegant Musketeer by Yoko Okoy

- Meadow Musketeer by K'uro Hana

- Bozjan Duelist by Livia Illia

- Battlemage by Sagume Kishin

- Ruby Mage by Cyane Monis

- Caster of a Thousand Steps by Burning Heart

WHITE MAGE

- Shadowless Healer by Vinilite Beoulve

- Gridanian Medic by Luna Ariana

- Sands of Time by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Fae Healer by Amaya Nakamura

- Legacy by Larisse Larassier

- Neo - Silence Demon by Goelia Sarantia

- Vampire Chronicles by Ihon Nuzhysa

- Neo - Theresia by Goelia Sarantia

- Mechanic Heart by Ashia Luin

- Greatwood Druidess by Isilian Volantia

SCHOLAR

- Neo - Steam:Dream by Goelia Sarantia

- Timekeeper by Lohia Aihol

- Scholarly Grace by Joyce Blythe

- Neo - Checkmate by Goelia Sarantia

- Neo - Admiral by Goelia Sarantia

- Curator of the Great Library by Vederah Kilmister

- Fae Scholar by Miyu Fubuki

- Sharlayan Schooler by Lia Tales

- Druidic Knowledge by K'uro Hana

- Fairy Tales by Luma Rose

ASTROLOGIAN

- Sharay by Leisha Aysheen

- Oracle by Xiah Bajihri

- Ice Sight by Juicy Beefcake

- Winter Vibes by Verona Lunich

- Soothsayer by Nya Nya

- Goddess with a thousand jewels by Eji Ka

- Astrological Sign - Geminis by Leisha Aysheen

- Dark Astrologian by Zabine Fortemps

- Neo - Aromatherapy by Goelia Sarantia

- Cosmo Astrology by Katie Kox

BLUE MAGE

- I’m Just A Fool by Lohia Aihol

- azure by Persephone Athanasios

- Cute and Blue by Lia Tales

- Sapphire by Hana Rose

- No title by Goelia Sarantia

GLAMOUR SPILLOVER

HYUR MIDLANDER

- Skydruid by Dezel Windriders

- Shield of the Light by Ezelion Rykana

- Drachen by Nya Nya

- Jade Dragon by Ophelia Au'rel

- Faerie King by Naleia To

- Villainous Stride: Stalwart by Celer Acedius

- Souls Legacy by Ihon Nuzhysa

- forgiven impunity by Persephone Athanasios

- wanderer by Persephone Athanasios

- Off With Their Heads! by Binki Bowie

FAVORITE MODELS:

- Faerie King by Naleia To

- Makai Elemental Guide by Shard Nuphar

- Shield of the Light by Ezelion Rykana

- Discount Red Mage by Bb Channel

- Off With Their Heads! by Binki Bowie

HYUR HIGHLANDER

- Tequila Sunrise by Kirin Anderfels

- Flame Kissed Soother by Karielle Davva

- Dancer of Ala Mhigo by Tenpenny Tiffany

- Vampire Hunter by Dezel Windriders

- The Red Princess by Asra Ashryver

- Black Hare by Lominn Lomi 

- Overseer by Ien Torr

- Falcon of Light by Tess Tickle

- Waiting in the Shire by Tess Tickle

- Alexandrian Ninja by Tranquil Rain

FAVORITE MODELS:

- Warmonger by Ethelin Aldren

- Bozjan Warfront by Keres Amiya

- The Red Princess by Asra Ashryver

- Black Hare by Lominn Lomi

- Vampire Hunter by Dezel Windriders

ELEZEN

- Alexandrian Huntress by Louise Aquitaine

- The Forgotten Knight by Nova Kie

- Halone’s Royal Guard by Isilian Volantia

- Theatrics by Giomeo Wind

- Aeolian Tempest by Ariadne Lacroix

- East Hingashi Company Admiral by Louise Aquitaine

- Death’s Embrace by Ophelia Au'rel

- Seeing Leadwitch by Flash Galathynius

- The Golden Dahlia by Yurina Dia-oerb

- Wings of Fate by Louise Aquitaine

FAVORITE MODELS:

- Theatrics by Giomeo Wind

- Vinland Reaver by Tenpenny Tiffany

- Legacy by Larisse Larassier

- Eorzean Army Lady by Dezel Windriders

- Wandering Weaponmaster by Ariadne Lacroix

LALAFELL

- Winter Doll by Lohia Aihol

- Pistachio Colored Velveteen by Corrigible Argyros

- Flippant Eulmoran by Vederah Kilmister

- Priestess of the East by Liesel Mahora

- Samurai of Darkness by MsYue

- Lominsan Guardian by Mizora Saphira

- Valerian Hunter by Ashia Luin

- Wolf Warrior by Lalatua Ul'tua

- Breath of the Wildwood by Vederah Kilmister

- Fields Little Demoness by Liesel Mahora

FAVORITE MODELS:

- Cute war criminal by Nunui Nui

- Fierce Red by Verona Lunich

- Priestess of the East by Liesel Mahora

- Winter Doll by Lohia Aihol

- Pistachio Colored Velveteen by

MIQO’TE

- Mercantile Machinist by Nadya Lesrekta

- Western Ninja by San Kyu

- Astrologian Noble by Amira Lynn

- Gemmaster's Collection - ft. body piece by Sonora Swift

- Meiyo by Lohia Aihol

- Bozjan Thief by Specter Saruu

- Lavender Knight by Lohia Aihol

- Lycan by Aya Mihaal

- Desert Mirage by Lohia Aihol

- Aloe Vera by Lyn Saikuma

FAVORITE MODELS:

- Lycan by Aya Mihaal

- Mercantile Machinist by Nadya Lesrekta

- bang bang shoot by Vegetable Juice

- Dancer of the Flame by Lohia Aihol

- Bozjan Thief by Specter Saruu

ROEGADYN

- Blonde Ale by Kirin Anderfels

- Edenchoir Holy Knight by Marien Fury

- Dark Fae by Sahl Suh

- Thaliak’s Maiden by R'yo Aderyd

- Paladin II by Fuu Min

- Electric Princess by Anais Silverclaw

- My my, such unruly guests! by Sarafina Vadrel

- The Regal Magister by Rohariel Hellwitch

- Green Riding Hood by Tranquil Rain

- Assassin of the sands by Graceful Khamseen

FAVORITE MODELS:

- From sands to ashes by R'yo Aderyd

- Ice Sight by Juicy Beefcake

- Blonde Ale by Kirin Anderfels

- Dust and Shadows by Sarafina Vadrel

- Egyptian chocolate by Graceful Khamseen

AU RA

- Astrological Sign - Pisces by Leisha Aysheen

- Edenmorn by Kyary Valentine

- Amaranthine by Atsinquela Athenruse

- Garlean Warlord by Teresa Stormhand

- Wandering Priestess by Toasty Steambun

- Queen of the South by Leisha Aysheen

- Baphomet by Madoras

- Lone Wonderer by Bright Dancer

- Druid by Leisha Aysheen

- Dreadnaught Viking by Ormr Kishna 

FAVORITE MODELS:

- Midori no Ninja by Dezel Windriders

- Garlean Warlord by Teresa Stormhand

- Dreadnaught Viking by by Ormr Kishna

- Demon Knight by Ihon Nuzhysa 

- Ivalician Oni by Leisha Aysheen

VIERA

- Yanxian Rounin by Siddh Brumedecendre

- Wealthy Merchant by San Tokki

- Desert Dancer by Erzulie One

- Dark Knight Guard by Valentyne Louvier

- Sands of Amber by Erzulie One

- Worthy Sacrifice by Erzulie One

- Lilac Wicca by Clodagh Lunaria

- Royal Musketeer by Ashia Luin

- Violet Tides by Siddh Brumedecendre

- Street Style by Yoko Okoy

FAVORITE MODELS:

- Rathian by Nya Nya

- Explorer by Yliana Oria

- Paglth’an Princess by Ximena Reign

- Cosmo Astrology by Katie Kox

- Desert Dancer by Erzulie One

[m-iasma]

the 𝖇𝖆𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖘 ––– –

FULL NAME: Piper Edriene Fairfield.

RACE: Midlander Hyur.

GENDER: Cis Female.

SEXUALITY: Bisexual, Heteromantic.

MARITAL STATUS: Single.

AGE: Twenty-five.

NAMEDAY:  11th Sun of the 2nd Astral Moon.

𝖕𝖍𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖑 𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊 ––– –

HAIR: Sable, often braided or left loose. Sweeps the middle of her back.

EYES: Hazel.

HEIGHT: Average.

BUILD: Slender and without muscle. 

DISTINGUISHING MARKS: A beauty mark beneath her eye.

ACCESSORIES: Various brooches, family signet, jeweled earrings, and a crystalline dagger often tucked in her boot.

𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 ––– –

PROFESSION: Bookkeeper for her father’s empire, [ ??? ]

HOBBIES: Botany, needlepoint, reading, writing, long walks, social gatherings.

LANGUAGES: Common Eorzean.

RESIDENCE: Ishgard.

BIRTHPLACE: Ishgard.

RELIGION: Raised devoutly though her faith is questionable.

PATRON DEITY: Halone.

𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖕𝖘 ––– -

SPOUSE: None.

CHILDREN: None; no desire to become a mother.

PARENTS: Both alive and in good standing. 

SIBLINGS: None.

OTHER RELATIVES: Two cousins she would consider siblings, though it has been some time since they last spoke. 

PETS: An unnamed cat who roams the manor and courtyard.

𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖙𝖘 ––– -

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

𝖆𝖉𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖎𝖓𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 ––– –

SMOKING: Yes, often.

DRUGS: Never.

ALCOHOL: Socially and only as often as befitting a lady of her stature.

𝖗𝖕 𝖍𝖔𝖔𝖐𝖘 ––– –

GOTHIC ROMANCE: The manor is oft quiet, too quiet for the lady to bear. She spends her days shrouded in daylight, anxiously awaiting the first sign of the rising moon. Despite the assortment of staff and the passing company of relatives and guests, Piper feels as though she is the only one who can sense the change that falls upon the city come nightfall. Desperate to find the source of the discomfort that plagues her, she buries herself in research and develops a near obsession with the void. Perhaps it’s nothing, but then again, that research may lead her to you.

MERCHANTS & MINERS: The Fairfields, while far from a High House, have cemented their standing amongst the elites of Ishgard. Fairfield & Co has links to each Eorzean city-state, and it is not unheard of for the founders to occasionally mingle with clients to ensure they secure a foothold in a larger market. 

ISHGARDIAN UNDERGROUND: There are rumors that her father’s empire is not the only source of her wealth, and perhaps there is some truth in that statement. Though she would move heaven and earth alike to ensure that what may happen behind closed doors stay a private matter, Piper has (and possibly still) dabbled in darker affairs.

𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖈𝖙 𝖎𝖓𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓  ––– –

DM on tumblr @m-iasma.

Discord: username will be given after getting to know each other first!

WILL ROLEPLAY: dark, horror, mature, romance, one-shot, long-term.

WON’T ROLEPLAY: incest, nonconsensual, fetish, controversial themes.

WHERE & HOW: I am primarily a discord roleplayer, but I will attend events IG.

I have an open mind and would be happy to discuss any plot, headcannon, relationship, or connection! Even if you are not interested in roleplay, feel free to reach out!

[lepreuxchevalier]

Edmund IV, 41st and Reigning King of Albion and Current Head of House Lyonheart. Nicknamed “The Young Lion” or “The Boy King” by his contemporaries, Edmund IV is the firstborn son and second child after Princess Kaitlin Lyonheart, Duchess of Kingswood to Robert III, 40th and Late King of Albion and Former Head of House Lyonheart and Chloe Von Rotbart, Queen Mother of Albion and eldest daughter to Friedrich I, "Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” from a previous marriage before his subsequent and complimentary anointment and coronation at the conlusion of "The Midlands Crusade" officially preached and prosecuted against the apostate Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of "Erdøk" or "The Great Forest" across the easternmost frontiers of "Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menschheit" or "The Empire of Mankind Proper" and indigenous to "The Former Kingdom of The Midlands" since long before it's final collapse with the extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of "The Late House Bartholemew" over a century and a half ago. Born over a year after his father’s crushing defeat and capture at the hands of Prince Tancred Williamson, Duc de Chambord in The Battle of Tourangeau and the subsequent Treaty of Fontainebleau. Edmund IV’s birth as a legitimate male heir to House Lyonheart and The Kingdom of Albion had caused much controversy in the international affairs of the great powers of The Civilized World at the time of his birth. The defining condition of The Treaty of Fontainebleau was to acquire Edward Fitzroy, Duke of Huntington as a royal hostage in place of his father in return for ransoming Robert III back to The Kingdom of Albion at half cost. With the birth of Edmund IV as a legitimate male heir to Robert III and Chloe Rotbart, both House Williamson and The Kingdom of Aquitaine were forced to honour a peace treaty signed on hollow grounds with House Lyonheart and The Kingdom of Albion, as the defining conditions of the treaty had been rendered invalid by the illegitimacy of Edward Fitzroy’s importance as a royal hostage. The formative years of Edmund IV as the legitimate male heir to both House Lyonheart and The Kingdom of Albion was spent receiving the finest scholarly education and military training The Civilized World had to offer, being schooled personally by learned doctors from both The University of Couronne in The Kingdom of Aquitaine and The Imperial Academy at Nymphenburg in The Empire of Mankind, while being drilled in lessons on fencing, jousting, grappling, military strategy, and military technology by quartermasters from Chateau Lefleur, where The Emerald Legionnaires of House Williamson train from birth to be the elite bodyguards to the royal family of Aquitaine. By his 14th birthday, Edmund IV had prematurely inherited the Throne of Albion following Robert III’s untimely death from a severe case of dysentery. By his 16th birthday, Edmund IV had already been betrothed to Lady Amelie Godwinson of Evesham, or the daughter of Sir Æthelred Godwinson, Duke of Evesham, both the preeminent vassal and the former champion to the late Robert III. Preeminent in his ambitions as both the current head of House Lyonheart and the reigning King of Albion are his policies of developing The Kingdom of Albion into the foremost naval and commercial power in The Civilized World, subsidizing the enterprises of his charter companies to explore and claim uncharted territories across the great oceans and establish trade posts and colonies overseas, as well as subsidizing the exploits of trade guilds devoted to the production of maritime industries as a means of bolstering his island kingdom’s effectiveness as a naval power and reallocating The Kingdom of Albion’s military budget in favour of a powerful professional navy as opposed to a strong standing army, contrary to the policy of all historic Kings of Albion before him. Foremost in his foreign policy as King of Albion is avoiding war with House Williamson and The Kingdom of Aquitaine at all costs while entertaining cordial relations with House Rotbart of The Kingdom of Middenland, House Buchenauer of The Duchy of Solingen in The Empire of Mankind Proper, and House Wilkinsen of The Kingdom of Summerset. In regards to the international controversy and religious upheaval caused by the religious reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg, a doctor of theology at The University of Wörtzburch in The Duchy of Solingen and former heir to House Luxembourg of The Kingdom of Schönbrunn. Edmund IV has shown great personal sympathy for the reforms being preached by Karl Von Luxembourg. Granting both religious toleration and political asylum for the followers of his reformation, despite officially remaining fealty to The Conservative Church of The New Gods as the state church of The Kingdom of Albion.

[bloodbornblue]

LFRP - Mildred Black

The Basics ––– –

Age: 24

Birthday: 31st Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon (28th of Febraury)

Race:  Hyur, Midlander Clan

Gender:  Female

Sexuality: Bisexual (Preference for men & masculine features, though.)

Server: Balmung

Physical Appearance ––– –

Hair: Currently lavender, naturally brunette.

Eyes: Pear-green

Height: 5 fulms 3 ilms (160cm)

Build: Spoon-y body shape, but at least in shape, though by no means “cut” or “athletic”

Distinguishing Marks: Archon tattoos on her neck, which are very hard to hide!

Personal ––– –

Profession: Naturalist by education, Mercenary-Adventurer by choice.

Hobbies: Baking & cooking, Studying flora & fauna, reading cheap smut novels, crochet, gardening.

Languages: Eorzean Common, Hands and feet Hingan, some sign language, a little bit of everything, really. Knowledge comes from all sources!

Residence: Family home in Old Sharlayan, Apartment in La Noscea

Birthplace: Sharlayan, the Old World.

Religion: The Twelve, though mostly just lip service.

Patron Deity: Thaliak. Duh.

Fears: Failure, crippling injury, going blind, further removal from scholarly circles, head trauma, people.

Relationships ––– -

Spouse: None

Children: None

Parents: Sigfred Black (Father), Karolina Black (Mother)

Siblings: Agnes Black (Younger Sister),  Emilie Black (Younger Sister)

Traits ––– -

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional Information ––– -

Smoking / Never / Sometimes / Frequently / Excess

Drugs  / Never / Sometimes / Frequently / Excess

Drinking / Never / Sometimes / Frequently / Excess

Possible Hooks ––– -

Shaman? No, Mage - Trained in Whalaqueean tribal magicks by her father, a fellow Naturalist whom had the good fortune to learn from the Whalaquee on his research trips to the New World, Mildred is an Arcanist - turned - “Blue Mage” (though dont’ call her that!) Maybe you’re an aspirant Blue Mage, a fellow member of the elite, Azure circle, or just generally interested in wacky monster magic.

Studious Scholar - Having your PhD tattooed onto your neck is a good way to attract attention to yourself. Maybe you’re anti-Sharlayan, interested in those weird purple runes, or figure that someone that smart must know an exact answer to some innane question because specialisations aren’t a thing, or maybe you’re just at the same library!

Social - Enthusiastic and excited to meet new people, Millie’s not much of a tavern-crawler, but restaurants, cafes and libraries are her haunts of choice!

I’m Looking For ––– -

EU RP - My timezone is GMT +0!

Contacts - Slide into my DM’s, Discord (Pandoge #5916), or hit me up in game and we can organise something!

Friendship - Nerd characters to nerd out with, meaty-brained characters to be helpful to, shady folks to not quite understand their line of work. I’m just looking for RP!

[bookmybirminghamcarpetclean-blog]

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I constantly endeavour to achieve impressive cleaning outcomes, at sensible rates. You will certainly not be disappointed by my job I am not a carpet cleaning franchise it's my very own cleaning company and also consequently I take pride in my job to provide you the customer be ideal outcomes possible.

My specialist carpet cleaning devices is one of the most effective readily available which offers me outstanding cleaning outcomes and fast drying times.

Modern cleaning chemicals do not require warm water to wash but I do like still to make use of warm water rinsing which does aid significantly with quicker drying out times.

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Over the last decade or two we've provided services to an entire array of individuals including, hotel cleaners, stockroom cleaning, bespoke cleaning services as well as more, but we're always up to speed with the current advances in technology and also cleaning approaches. Obtaining a quote from Nationwide Cleaning Services is simple, and also you only require to give us a call or send us a message. We'll intend to reply to you within 24 hours, yet in the meantime, you can discover more regarding us, and also what we do, by seeing one of the web pages listed below.

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[thefalse9]

EPL Preview 2022: Leicester

Last Year's Finish: 8th

Predicted Finish: 9th

Odds To Win EPL: 200-1 via OddsChecker

Prospects:

After last year’s difficult season ended in an eighth-place finish, this is a huge campaign for Leicester City. Do they re-emerge as a challenger for Europe or continue to fall back into the stress-free comfort of mid-table mediocrity? Are they a threat, or are they an also-ran? Remember, it was only just over a year ago that – with largely the same squad and manager – they blew the chance to qualify for the Champions League on the last day in 2020-21.

Injuries hurt them last year – key players such as Jamie Vardy, Wesley Fofana, James Justin, Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira were all among those who missed large chunks of the season – and while there have not yet been any summer additions, a fully-fit Foxes can hurt any team, just ask Liverpool circa Christmas of last year.

However, frustration lurks. Leicester were eliminated from the Europa League in the group stage, and despite being the FA Cup holders, were completely outclassed by east Midlands neighbours Nottingham Forest in the fourth round, losing 4-1. The Europa Conference League run to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by eventual winners Roma, provided some solace for Brendan Rodgers, who found himself under pressure as Leicester’s season petered out.

The reliance on James Maddison is considerable. Nobody in the squad comes close to the 30 direct goal contributions (18 goals, 12 assists) the No 10 made for City in all competitions, while it will be interesting to see if Jamie Vardy and Wesley Fofana can recover from niggles and serious injuries to have major contributions this season.

Transfer Coup:

Leicester City are the only club in Europe’s top five major leagues yet to make a summer signing. They have a first XI capable of challenging for Europe but lack the squad depth of their rivals. A lot depends on the future of Youri Tielemans and Maddison (who was subject of a £40m bid from Newcastle last week), while Luke Thomas, and Wesley Fofana have been linked with moves away. Kasper Schmeichel is gone and missing out on Charles De Ketelaere and Kim Min-jae hurts.

The Manager:

The debate over whether Brendan Rodgers is elite has raged ever since his Anfield days. He has certainly improved his man-management skills since Envelope-gate at Liverpool, where he sealed away three names that he thought would let him down. In contrast, this Leicester team seems relatively tight-knit but the squad certainly grew unsettled over speculation linking Rodgers to Manchester United late in 2021 – a distraction that continued even after Ralf Rangnick was appointed on an interim basis at Old Trafford. Reaching the top six feels unlikely but if another underwhelming season unfolds it would not be a surprise to see Rodgers leave after three and a half years at the helm. He has spoken of the frustration of not having transfer funds - an issues he's had at Liverpool and then subsequently at Celtic - but the man can manage, even if he isn't a top-tier manager. Best of the rest, a fitting title for a Leicester manager, to be honest.

Outcome:

A 9th-place finish and a hair outside of Europa contention keeps the pressure and the frustration mounting for Rodgers, the fanbase and Leicester City as a whole. Is it time to blow it up? Does Brendan Rodgers attach his name to the first good job available around January? I think we're going to find out real quick how loyal Rodgers is to Leicester and vice-versa.

[jaigeddes]

ISG to build £17.5m National Brownfield Institute

Construction of a new £17.5m National Brownfield Institute (NBI) in Wolverhampton will start in the New Year after it received planning approval on Friday.

ISG has also been confirmed as main contractor for the institute that will provide the facility to develop modern methods of building through innovation and partnership with the construction industry.

The NBI will be built on the University of Wolverhampton’s £120m Springfield Campus and will focus on the practical application of future brownfield regeneration through the work of research teams, leading policy development and commercial services.

The scheme will receive £14.9m of funding from the Government’s Get Building Fund for the West Midlands.

Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “This is an exciting moment as it means the construction of the National Brownfield Institute can start in the New Year.

“It is yet another sign of the confidence being shown in Wolverhampton as a place to invest and live, as our regeneration plans change our city and relight it despite the huge challenges the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown at us.

“We have seen the University’s Springfield Campus blossom into the reality of a European-leading Built Environment education campus.

“The addition of the National Brownfield Institute will make Wolverhampton a world leader in construction, regeneration and built environment, offering teaching and skills development, cutting edge research and innovation, and enterprise and business engagement through multi-sector partnerships.”

Professor Geoff Layer, Vice Chancellor at the University, said: “Our Estates and Facilities team has worked closely with Architectural, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical consultants including Associated Architects, CPW and Atkins alongside the construction contractor, ISG Limited, to deliver this approval.

“We are working really hard behind the scenes to ensure that this project is moving forward quickly and each milestone we achieve is a step closer to the next building.

“The NBI will be integral to the way we look at land remediation and regeneration across the Black Country and the UK and will play a pivotal part in unlocking industrial land to help tackle the housing shortage in our towns and cities.”

The 12-acre Springfield Campus is already home to the Thomas Telford University Technical College, Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills and the recently opened School of Architecture and Built Environment.

These facilities combined with the NBI will lay the foundation for the delivery of a National Centre for Sustainable Construction and Circular Economy, which will focus on sustainability and the climate change emergency.

[khalilhumam]

Will voters in the Midwest’s struggling communities decide the election again?

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/will-voters-in-the-midwests-struggling-communities-decide-the-election-again/

Will voters in the Midwest’s struggling communities decide the election again?

By John C. Austin There is no shortage of factors that may still decide the 2020 presidential election, including the president’s health, the successful counting of mail-in ballots, and the relative motivation and turnout numbers for Donald Trump and Joe Biden voters in battleground states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. But it also may hinge on the very same factor it did in the 2016 election: the attitudes of working-class whites in and around once-mighty, currently hollowed-out manufacturing communities in those same battleground states. In 2016, in key Midwest battleground states, these voters joined conservatives in the rural hinterlands to put Donald Trump in the White House—turning U.S. politics inside out. After the 2016 election, I analyzed the interplay between economic anxiety, cultural angst, and voting behavior. For many residents of regions in economic transition—namely, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan—anxieties about an economic future for themselves and their children interacted with a perceived loss of identity, status, and control in a more diverse society with shifting cultural norms. These dynamics mixed a toxic brew of resentments, alongside a craving for a return to a more recognizable time. This nostalgia and anger became fertile ground for Trump’s appeal to bring back the jobs and industries of the past (Steel! Coal! Manufacturing!), and to blame “others” like immigrants for the loss of status and control. Last year, Brookings Metro assessed the conditions and prospects of a set of 141 small and medium-sized “legacy” communities—older industrial metro areas that share a manufacturing-based heritage. Some of these communities (most numerous across the Midwest), have managed to shed their industrial skins and find new economic diversification and purchase in a changed economy. But many continue to struggle. In my home state of Michigan, there are many historically Democratic, blue-collar strongholds among these legacy communities that flipped or almost flipped from supporting Barack Obama in 2012 to Trump in 2016. These include once-thriving midsized manufacturing centers such as the General Motors auto towns of Flint and Saginaw, as well as Monroe, birthplace of Monroe Shocks and La-Z-Boy recliners. All three have lost their economic anchors and remain adrift. On the other hand, communities that had been doing better economically stayed “blue” in 2016, including former manufacturing centers like Kalamazoo, which—despite losing long-standing industries—had succeeded in reorienting its economy. The same pattern was seen in the 2018 midterm elections, when a number of historically Republican and even Trump-voting counties turned blue. These were communities that were relatively prosperous or that had successfully bounced back. Communities that continued to struggle stayed red. The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) recently released a report that identified (using different metrics than Brookings) a set of 232 legacy counties across the country that have been in a long-term decline.  These are non-rural city-regions that are defined by steadily dropping populations, falling incomes, and abandoned housing rates higher than the national average. Of the legacy counties EIG identified, the largest number (85) are in the Midwest. This is not surprising, given that during the 20th century, the region had developed the densest concentration of small and medium-sized manufacturing and food processing centers. Of these Midwest legacy counties, 18 are in Michigan, five are in Wisconsin, and 23 are in Pennsylvania. In Michigan, the majority of these counties were once Democratic strongholds—home to blue-collar, often unionized white and Black workers. These same workers have seen a steady disappearance of jobs and young people from their communities, and a slow degradation of their formerly sparkling and bustling cities. As seen in the table below, in the 2012 presidential election, nine of Michigan’s 18 legacy counties voted for Barack Obama. In 2016, only two of them voted for Hillary Clinton; those that voted for Trump responded to his plays on economic nostalgia and resentment toward immigrants, people of color, urban elites, and globalization.

Counties 2012 Presidential Vote 2016 Presidential Vote County Composite PVI Score Bay County Obama Trump D+3 Berrien County Romney Trump R+4 Calhoun County Obama Trump R+6 Cass County Romney Trump R+4 Genesee County Obama Clinton D+5 Isabella County Obama Trump R+10 Jackson County Romney Trump R+7 Lapeer County Romney Trump R+13 Lenawee County Romney Trump R+7 Midland County Romney Trump R+10 Monroe County Obama Trump R+7 Saginaw County Obama Trump R+7 St Clair County Romney Trump R+13 St Joseph County Romney Trump R+4 Shiawassee County Obama Trump R+10 Tuscola County Romney Trump R+12 Van Buren County Obama Trump R+4 Wayne County Obama Clinton D+17

Source: Election results from The New York Times Note: Composite scores were calculated for Bay, Saginaw, Tuscola, and Wayne counties, which include multiple congressional districts The Cook Partisan Voter Index for 2020, which uses the last two elections to gauge partisan leanings, reports that of Michigan’s 18 Michigan legacy counties, three remain Democratic, including Wayne County (home to Detroit) and Genesee County (home to Flint). Others are firmly in Republican hands, often by large margins. The story is similar in Pennsylvania, where all but one of the 23 legacy counties lean Republican. Among Wisconsin’s five legacy counties, only Milwaukee remains Democratic. Given long-term population declines and an exodus of young people, legacy communities tend to be older. In Michigan, all but one have median populations older than the state’s median age of 39.9. In Pennsylvania, 22 of 23 legacy counties are either roughly at or well above the state’s median age of 40.8 (only Philadelphia is below). And in Wisconsin, Milwaukee is the only legacy county younger than the state median age of 39.9. In demographic terms, legacy counties tend to be “whiter” than statewide averages, but there are still many that have sizable minority populations. In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, five legacy counties are at or above statewide shares of minority citizens. In Michigan, two legacy counties have higher shares of nonwhite residents than the state as a whole, which is 20.8% nonwhite. What will these communities and their voters decide this November? The pandemic-induced recession has hit Michigan and other manufacturing regions harder than most, with more jobs lost, businesses shuttered, and workers dislocated by automation. This may nurture more anger and resentment in “Trump country,” but these voters are unlikely to train that frustration on the president himself. Instead, communities that continue to flounder are likely to double down on Trumpism. While the President ducks responsibility for the further deterioration of the Midwest’s economy, trade wars, and COVID-19, he encourages his supporters to blame Democratic governors like Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer for the economic shutdown. All signs are that anti-Trump, pro-Biden voters are quite animated to get to the polls, and it is very likely that a higher turnout for the Democrat will carry the day. But considering Trump won Michigan by a mere 12,000 votes (and not much more in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania), the passions roused by Trump’s nationalist, nativist appeals in our still-struggling legacy communities may once again play a decisive role on November 3. Jack Farrell contributed to this post.

[seriousfic]

The Defenders spoilers

These all kind of blur together when you binge-watch, so let’s just cover everything at once.

-It’s odd that the show spends 2-3 hours on giving everyone their own motivation to fight the Hand, instead of the Agent Coulson route of Claire just calling everyone up and saying “guys, this is Iron Fist, he needs help.” It comes off as filler, because it seems like there’s no real pay-off to any of their subplots.

Yes, Matt ends up dealing with Elektra and Danny helps save the city, but whither the architect and the couriers? It seems like Jessica forgets about that dude’s family and The Truth once she and Matt get the requisite plot coupon from them. Shouldn’t there be a scene where she tells them “hey, your father sacrificed his life to help save the city, he was a hero”?

Or Luke. As soon as the couriers (you know, the good kids who are facilitating mass murder and enabling a terrorist attack so they can buy nice shoes?) get him tangled up with Iron Fist, they disappear. Shouldn’t there be a scene where a bunch of low-level guys are guarding Midland Circle, but Cage talks them into saving themselves by getting to safety, and then they take the fight to the real bad guys? Or maybe he grabs a brick of cash from MC, gives it to the couriers, and tells them to use it to get real jobs, lets them off with a warning?

Or maybe the climax of that is supposed to be him taking down Sowande? Only that happens off-screen and in the ensuing interrogation, Cage doesn’t seem to have any particular issue with this guy for specifically targeting and recruiting disadvantaged youths. You think he’d be the one who the others have to drag off the guy.

In fact, despite the obvious idea of the Fingers of the Hand being specific rivals for each of the Defenders, they end up being more like Elite Mooks. I guess there was a bit of a thing specifically between Gao and Danny, and obviously Matt and Elektra had a thing, but the biggest showdown was between Bakuto and Colleen. Imagine if in the Avengers, War Machine was the guy with the big personal beef with Loki. It seems like there should be a guy who’s specifically Luke Cage’s guy, a guy who’s specifically Danny Rand’s guy, et al. Maybe one of them can cut through Luke’s skin and one of them can shut down the Iron Fist and one of them is invisible to Matt’s radar sense? And one of them is painfully unfunny comic relief with an ordinary two by four, since as we all know, Jessica has no defense against that.

-Not loving the characterization of JJ in this. She’s painfully one-note, no one seems to have any idea what her powers are--at one point, I swear these unpowered ninjas are blocking her superstrong blows. Given she can lift cars, you’d think her punch would have the power of, say, a falling safe. So imagine you get crushed by a falling safe if it lands on you, but if you just manage to raise your arm between you and the safe, you’re fine.

Also, she (and to a lesser extent Luke) are there to poke fun at how ridiculous the whole ninja thing is. The problem here is twofold. One, to quote from Vern...

In this one Mr. and Mrs. Fantastic Four (played by Jessica Alba and some guy who got white spraypaint in his hair on accident) are trying to get married but the wedding keeps getting interrupted by a comet that freezes lakes and turns off the power. Johnny the Fire Guy chases it and later describes it to the gang as a silver guy riding something that looks like a surfboard. Mr. Fantastic 4 then refers to it as “this silver… surfer” and his fiancee rolls her creepy blue-contact wearing eyes.

That’s a mild example of that audience-insulting phenomenon I’ve been noticing. The movie is called RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER. The advertising is all about the Silver Surfer. The box doesn’t even show the Fantastic 4 on it, because who wants to see that shit? It only shows the Silver Surfer.

Hey everybody it’s the Silver Surfer. Don’t you wanna see the Silver Surfer? Come pay us to see the Silver Surfer!

So you say, hey, that’s pretty cool, a Silver Surfer, I’ll see that. And you go see it and you’re sitting there in your Silver Surfer t-shirt they convinced you to buy, sipping your Silver Surfer Slurpee, all excited to see this Silver Surfer, and then when they finally utter the words “silver surfer” they’re embarassed. The movie looks you in the eye and says, “Pffffttt… ‘Silver Surfer’? What the fuck? What kind of moron takes that shit seriously? Jesus.”

Two, they’ve deliberately made the Hand, the Chaste, Iron Fist et al as un-ridiculous as possible. In The Avengers, Loki was a guy in weird robes with a horned helmet. It makes sense to take the piss out of him. In The Defenders, Sigourney Weaver is just some chick wearing all-white ensembles. The ‘ninjas’ are ordinary-looking dudes in sports jackets. There’s no real ‘ridiculousness’ to make fun of. It’s so grounded and ‘realistic,’ that they have to make Danny do constant sweeping, grand statements so the rest have something to make fun of. Imagine if in Batman Begins, Alfred (or someone) was constantly going “whoa, you have a rocket car? What’s the mileage on that? Uh-oh, ninjas! This is some crazy shit! How weird is this Ra’s al Ghul guy, huh? Wowie!”

-Speaking of, the moment when Jessica drives a car into the Chinese restaurant, hits Elektra, then gets out, walks past Elektra (giving her the eye), goes to pose with the others, makes a quip, et al? Way too ridiculous for me to co-sign. I’m just imagining all the ninjas standing there like “Should we attack before they regroup? Regrouping is bad, right?” “No, no, let’s see where she’s going with this.” If she were really the Whedonesque subversive she was sold as, she’d be yelling out of the window “what are you guys doing posing there? C’mon, run for it! Get in the car!” But I guess they don’t have the budget for a car chase. Or anything.

-I still think the whole privilege convo is dumb (actual thinkpiece I saw: “Did discussing privilege save The Defenders?” Yeah, because that’s what I want to see in a big superhero ninja show). It seems more like one of those cheap metafictional moments than something actual people would say, like when Marvel had Spider-Gwen complain that the real Gwen Stacy was ‘fridged’, a term that is exclusively used in discussing fictional characters. Gay people, if you thought someone cute was gay and then it turned out they were straight, would you complain “I’ve been queer-baited”? Oh, wow, I thought that guy was black, turns out he was white, looks like he was white-washed!

Second, is the guy who was brutally trained from childhood to be a living weapon after seeing his parents die in front of him really the best example of white privilege? To go the other way, imagine that until age eight, T’Challa was raised in Chicago, then he went to Wakanda and from then on he was the crown prince of Sci-Fi Land. Would it make sense for him to complain about how oppressed he is? That’s another problem with the series--instead of trying to course-correct Danny’s character, they just have him constantly getting in over his head, being irrational, getting mocked by the others, losing fights. It’s a cheap way to get the cool kids more heat while dumping his character development on his own show’s season 2. 

[thisdaynews]

Curse of the Ryder Cup? The iconic venues overlooked on the golfing calendar

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/curse-of-the-ryder-cup-the-iconic-venues-overlooked-on-the-golfing-calendar/

Curse of the Ryder Cup? The iconic venues overlooked on the golfing calendar

Le Golf National was a popular venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup

They stage the biggest golf events in Europe, but what is the long-term legacy for the courses that hold the Ryder Cup? Why do they disappear from relevance soon after being centre of the golfing world?

These are questions worth considering in the week that Le Golf National plays host to the French Open for the first time since the continent’s thumping victory over the United States just over a year ago.

One thing is for sure, this autumnal running of the oldest national Open in continental Europe will not be as grand as the French Opens that preceded the 2018 Ryder Cup.

The tournament has been shifted from a prime position in the schedule at the end of June and is now worth only £1.4m compared with the £5.6m purse that was played for last year.

Swedish stars to host new mixed event

Make no mistake, there will still be significant golf on show. The scramble to keep cards and qualify for the Race to Dubai finale is intensifying.

And the likes of Martin Kaymer, Jose Maria Olazabal, Thomas Bjorn and Jamie Donaldson add some stardust.

But when Alex Noren won 15 months ago he beat a field that included defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Spanish giants Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia, US star Justin Thomas and Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter.

This week Bjorn returns to the scene of his team’s tumultuous victory as one of the main playing attractions rather than chief strategist for an extraordinary European triumph.

That 17½-10½ win generated lifelong memories and scenes to inspire future generations. The course – set up perfectly to suit the home team – and the prime location near Paris played huge parts in creating an iconic week for European golf.

But it feels as though Le Golf National may follow so many venues that staged home matches for Europe into relative obscurity. Courses that were once staples on the circuit have faded from significance.

Gleneagles is no longer part of the European Tour

The Belfry hosted the Ryder Cup on four occasions between 1985 and 2002 and whatever you think of the course, which does have its critics, the layout in the English midlands became a big part of the fabric of European golfing history.

But the Brabazon Course has not staged a Tour event since the 2008 British Masters. Celtic Manor in south Wales disappeared from the schedule in 2014, four years after its Ryder Cup.

The K Club, which hosted the 2006 match in County Kildare, was the continuous home of the European Open between 1995 and 2007. It then disappeared from the calendar other than in 2016 when it held the Irish Open.

Gleneagles staged the 2018 European Team Championships and this year’s Solheim Cup but its deal to hold tour events expired the year before putting on the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Only Valderrama (1997 Ryder Cup) in southern Spain has remained a regular stop for the continent’s leading players in the wake of holding one of the biennial jousts between Europe and the US.

So the portents are not good for Le Golf National, especially at a time when the value of the French Open has somewhat diminished.

Initially the French Federation signed a 12-year deal that would have taken them through to 2022 with the tournament being guaranteed to be worth a minimum of 3m euros.

This crashed with the loss of prime sponsor Alstom, but for 2016 the European Tour landed a more lucrative deal with Chinese conglomerate HNA. The five-year agreement worth 25m euros seemed to secure the event’s top-level status.

But that deal fell through leaving this historic tournament no longer able to justify a place in the tour’s elite Rolex Series. So now it sits in this October date, somewhat detached from the limelight it once commanded.

“The change of date is acceptable, the biggest tournaments should have the best dates,” Pascal Grizot, president of France’s 2018 Ryder Cup committee, admitted to L’Equipe last year.

But the official questioned why the European Tour did not do more to support the tournament. “Why didn’t they decide to help the French Open and the federation as we were extremely loyal for the Ryder Cup?” he asked.

The simple answer comes down to money, like with so many other former Ryder Cup venues. There is cash generated to put these places on the map but it disappears once the objective of staging golf’s biggest event has been satisfied.

It could prove a similar story for Le Golf National. According to next year’s schedule the French Open will move back to high summer, but there is no word on which course will stage the tournament nor the size of its purse.

Places that instantly resonate with golf fans everywhere; The Belfry, K Club, Celtic Manor, Gleneagles and now potentially Le Golf National are not just venues that have carved big places in the game’s folklore.

They also provide proof that business reality leaves little room for preserving and nurturing that golfing history.

Read More

[midlandofficial]

Wide Open Country: The Truth About Midland

By Jeremy Burchard | September 29, 2017

Editor’s note: Jeremy Burchard is a Senior Music Writer for Wide Open Country and Associate Editor of Texas Music. The following op-ed is a response to articles by the blog Saving Country Music that question the legitimacy and authenticity of rising country trio Midland.

Kyle Coroneos, the author and founder of Saving Country Music, is wrong about Midland. Also known as “Trigger,” he is a talented writer with strong convictions and a passionate readership.

But he’s wrong about that band. He’s wrong when he calls them “bullshitters.” He’s wrong when he calls two-thirds of them “Hollywood elite,” and he’s very wrong when he claims they didn’t write their music, but are instead the product of Shane McAnally and Music Row machinations.

And it matters that he’s wrong. Because over the past week, Coroneos’ articles have been making their way across important spheres of influence. People within the music industry, whom I know and respect, are reading these articles and sharing them, taking them at face value. People who work in radio, other artists, venue owners, publicists and writers see this narrative. And because those articles seem compelling (if not dramatic), a lot of them believe it, which is both unfair and potentially damaging to a band that, despite their recent success, is still new to a lot of people.

The “Authenticity” Argument

I authored a spotlight article on Midland for the new issue of Texas Music magazine, spending hours researching the band and listening to both their new and old music. I interviewed them, songwriter/producer Shane McAnally and producer Dan Huff. And I watched them perform at the Springwater Supper Club & Lounge in Nashville. They served mini hamburgers and mini hot dogs. I was tempted, but refrained.

“Authenticity” is a slippery slope and a pointless argument. About 95% of George Strait’s music came from other writers. Brad Paisley doesn’t drink alcohol but one of his most popular songs ever is called “Alcohol.” Robert Johnson never sold his soul to the devil, and the Beatles intentionally fed false stories to New Musical Express. It goes on and on.

But Coroneos seems to create his own benchmarks of authenticity and then peddles accusations to meet them. He never spoke to the band or anybody associated with them. He intentionally does this, he tells me, because he believes interviews can “erode objectivity.”

“I’m not against others interviewing artists,” Coroneos explained to me over email. “But since I specialize in criticism and commentary, it generally behooves me to stay once removed from interacting with artists beyond cordial, brief exchanges that may happen in the course of business.” I get the sentiment there.

But interviews are the cornerstone of journalism. Combined with independent fact-checking and cross-referencing, they form the very basis of what we do. As uncomfortable as it may be, our job is to do what we can to get facts first-hand, even if they point towards a warranted lambasting of people we know personally.

As a writer who specializes in criticism — and Coroneos is a very gifted writer — he relies heavily on other journalists to lay the groundwork for him. In his case, he hasn’t seen Midland perform live (though he wants to when the opportunity presents itself). Which, to his point, he doesn’t need to see them live to critique their record. But it’s the least you could do if you’re going to call a band bullshitting elitists who don’t even write their own music.

“Hollywood Elite”

So let’s correct a few talking points used to de-legitimize the band. Like Mark Wystrach’s modeling and acting roles and Cameron Duddy directing music videos. Coroneos says this makes the pair “part of the power elite of the entertainment world.” Who knew underwear models held so much power?

In reality, Wystrach lived in a trailer by the beach. He tended bar way more than he modeled or acted. Those gigs are low paying, hard to come by and hardly “elite.” Directing music videos is just as volatile. And a great way to go gray in the hair before you’re thirty.

All of Duddy’s videography gigs supported his music habit, including his early band with Jess Carson Major Gray. Anybody who really believes that being the son of the second camera operator on 1999’s Mystery Men lands you a job with Bruno Mars is either a great comedian or woefully uninformed.

Duddy explained in an earlier interview, “I couldn’t get any job through my parents. I had rock, folk, Americana bands. I just started doing videos for my friends.” And eventually it grew, Duddy made friends, one gig led to another. Just like every person hustling.

Coroneos’ “Hollywood elite” jab backs artists into a corner and makes them defensive, so they talk about living hand to mouth and borrowing money from their manager to stay afloat. Both of those applied to Duddy, and it’s *embarrassing* the band feels they have to defend themselves so much that they’re revealing personal financial details instead of talking about music. Because it shouldn’t matter.

Yes, Duddy used connections to get a foot in the door. His friend, who manages pop acts and has no experience in country, liked their 2014 Sonic Ranch demos (helmed by Austin mainstay David Garza) so much that he took it upon himself to manage them and find out how to get them in front of people. They met manager Jason Owen and told him, “We’re going to do this one way or another.” Owen liked them, their music and their hustle, so called up Shane McAnally and got them in a room together.

But once you get in front of people, it’s your job as an artist to blow them away. Which they did, because they have years of performing, including in those talked-about tiny bars, where they played the much-loathed three and four-hour sets, testing out original songs and covers.

“Four Shows At Poodies”

Coroneos also references the band’s performances in Texas frequently. He makes it seem as if they only played four shows at Poodie’s before signing a deal with Big Machine.

Even just a cursory search of Midland’s Facebook page reveals an incomplete list of past dates full of Texas mainstays. Mercer Street, The Broken Spoke (the dinner happy hour two or three times before they got the main stage), Scholz, Shiner’s Saloon, The Saxon Pub, Threadgills, The White Horse, Easy Tiger, The Continental Club.

Which makes sense, because Midland had a small booking arrangement with Lisa at boutique agency Moxie Booking, who got them a lot of those weekend warrior shows. They secured that by booking their own shows and promoting themselves. Hell, they’re still listed on the Moxie website alongside acts like Tessy Lou and The Warhorses.

Poodie’s is a part of their narrative because that was their first show together in Texas. A 5:30 p.m. slot on a Tuesday afternoon to a handful of barflies. They eventually worked their way up to an opening gig with Gary P. Nunn and, yes, that residency. Between decades before Texas and a few years after, “They put their time in just like the rest of us,” McAnally says.

“Midland Was Manifested”

Coroneos claims Midland didn’t write their own music, which is a huge accusation. Despite some or all of the band being writers on every track, he uses a quote from McAnally to justify this claim. In the quote, McAnally says it felt like he and co-writer Josh Osborne “manifested” the band as a vehicle for the 1970s-era country tunes they love to write. Coroneos calls McAnally a “puppet master” insinuating that he was responsible for creating Sam Hunt, Old Dominion and now Midland.

“He’s giving me far too much credit,” McAnally laughs. “But you can’t just call it his opinion. That’s not an opinion. That’s just lying.”

When McAnally says they “manifested” their relationship, he means that he and Osborne kept wishing a band would come along that shared their vision. And on the other side, Midland wished somebody wanted to take their sound to new commercial highs. “It’s like both sides dreamed each other up,” he says. “We were inviting our paths to cross.” And he uses the Weird Science reference because Midland seemed like their version of the “perfect girl” that walked into the room, songs, talent and style in hand.

To suggest that every writer on those songs willingly have up more than 50% of their writer’s share to perpetuate a narrative is beyond far-fetched.

Why Does It Matter?

When it comes to being called second in line for the “Country Music Antichrist” (as well as the biggest producer in the world), McAnally laughs. “It hasn’t hurt my feelings,” McAnally says. “And I’m not just saying that. I’m very sensitive and I want people to like what I do. But when I read [these articles] I literally laugh and I know the way I feel about it. I can gauge myself and ask, ‘Is this hurting me?’ It’s not. But this Midland thing could hurt them. Because it’s taken off.”

He’s right. Coroneos’ false narrative is more responsible for never-ending quotes about their origin than anybody. And if you read something he writes without knowing the truth, you should question Midland. And then it becomes all anybody talks about.

Because people are looking to poke holes, especially if they’re already jaded by the industry. They don’t want to believe those three guys write the music they write and dress the way they dress because they want to, and got successful doing it.

“Midland are the same people who walked into the studio two and a half years ago when I met them,” McAnally says. “They had an aspiration to take the songs they were playing in bars and take them to the next level without compromising their music.”

And judging by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to their record, they did just that. And Coroneos, to his credit, wants the band to succeed. “Of all the negative things I’ve said about Midland, I want them to succeed because I want traditional country music in the mainstream to succeed,” he says.

The good news is the negative things he says just aren’t based in reality. So don’t do yourself a disservice and let the misinformed musings of an otherwise passionate writer convince you Midland is anything less than what they are.

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ISG to build £17.5m National Brownfield Institute

Construction of a new £17.5m National Brownfield Institute (NBI) in Wolverhampton will start in the New Year after it received planning approval on Friday.

ISG has also been confirmed as main contractor for the institute that will provide the facility to develop modern methods of building through innovation and partnership with the construction industry.

The NBI will be built on the University of Wolverhampton’s £120m Springfield Campus and will focus on the practical application of future brownfield regeneration through the work of research teams, leading policy development and commercial services.

The scheme will receive £14.9m of funding from the Government’s Get Building Fund for the West Midlands.

Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “This is an exciting moment as it means the construction of the National Brownfield Institute can start in the New Year.

“It is yet another sign of the confidence being shown in Wolverhampton as a place to invest and live, as our regeneration plans change our city and relight it despite the huge challenges the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown at us.

“We have seen the University’s Springfield Campus blossom into the reality of a European-leading Built Environment education campus.

“The addition of the National Brownfield Institute will make Wolverhampton a world leader in construction, regeneration and built environment, offering teaching and skills development, cutting edge research and innovation, and enterprise and business engagement through multi-sector partnerships.”

Professor Geoff Layer, Vice Chancellor at the University, said: “Our Estates and Facilities team has worked closely with Architectural, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical consultants including Associated Architects, CPW and Atkins alongside the construction contractor, ISG Limited, to deliver this approval.

“We are working really hard behind the scenes to ensure that this project is moving forward quickly and each milestone we achieve is a step closer to the next building.

“The NBI will be integral to the way we look at land remediation and regeneration across the Black Country and the UK and will play a pivotal part in unlocking industrial land to help tackle the housing shortage in our towns and cities.”

The 12-acre Springfield Campus is already home to the Thomas Telford University Technical College, Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills and the recently opened School of Architecture and Built Environment.

These facilities combined with the NBI will lay the foundation for the delivery of a National Centre for Sustainable Construction and Circular Economy, which will focus on sustainability and the climate change emergency.

  from https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2020/12/11/isg-to-build-17-5m-national-brownfield-institute/